2019 USFL Week 10 Recap: High Drama

An absolutely wild game between the Bulls and Wranglers has David Carr throw 5 TDs while Teddy Bridgewater throws for 300 yards and rushes for another 100. And that was just one game out of many that were just plain fun to watch. Whether it was Houston coming back to beat a very tough San Diego club, Dallas taking a win in Ohio in overtime, Atlanta edging Oklahoma, or Las Vegas pulling off the upset in Chicago, this was a good week for drama. We will talk it all over, explore the hot seat coaches are really beginning to feel, talk a bit about the QB situation that could develop into a wild Free Agent market, and, of course, present the first of our weekly Playoff Picture updates. It’s Week 10 in the USFL, and the tension is mounting.

Will 2019-2020 Free Agency Be Another QB Chase?

As we all recall from only a few months ago, the 2018-2019 offseason began very much as mad dash for teams to try to land one of two quarterbacks who turned huge 2018 performances into free agency gold. The competition for Arizona QB Ryan Nassib and break-out performer Matt McGloin of Seattle produced a wild flurry of bids, counter bids, and team facility visits. In the end the Federals and Vipers won out and landed the two high-value QB prospects. There is no way that the upcoming 2019 free agency period could match that, right?

Well, as we look around the league, that may well be what we are looking at, though perhaps more on the “seller’s market” side than the buyers. Why is that? Well, by our accounts we could be looking at 5 or more teams that could be moving on from their current quarterback situations. Each of them could be fighting to land whoever they believe is the best option from the available free agents, which means that even if the players in the pool are not coming off hot seasons like Nassib and McGloin did, they could see a lot of interest as teams try to figure out a new path forward at the game’s most important (and hard to evaluate) position. Here is what we see on the horizon this August and September.

Baltimore is almost certainly looking at their QB situation.

The injury to Ben Roethlisberger has to be assumed as career-ending. All indications are that the 35-year-old Roethlisberger would be wise to retire and not risk permanent disability after his back injury. And, with Jake Locker struggling since coming on in relief, it is not safe to assume that the Blitz will feel comfortable with the former Boston Cannon as their starter. Odds are they are going to be looking for someone who can once again open up the deep game for their offense, an offensive strategy based on Roethlisberger’s big arm. That could mean looking for a rookie with some firepower, but we think there may be another candidate who Coach Caldwell would love to land. More on that in a moment.

Oklahoma is Practically Guaranteed to Need a New Starter

Due to the agreement made when the Outlaws were sold from San Antonio Owner Red McCombs to the OKC group, the expansion Gunslingers will be able to sign away from the Outlaws up to 8 players who were on the Outlaw roster when they played their final season in San Antonio. There is no way that Joe Flacco is not high on that list for the new Gunslingers. He would be welcomed back to San Antonio with open arms and give the Gunslingers a solid starter (though a bit immobile and getting older) on a team that will need veteran leadership. Where does that leave the Outlaws? Well, by all accounts, Coach Stoops looks favorably on backup Mason Rudolph, a player he got to see several times when his OU team faced the in-state rival Cowpokes of OSU. But, that does not mean that Stoops will not take a shot at a veteran to compete with Rudolph.

Three Teams with QBs in the Final Year of their Deal Who Could Let Them Walk

It may seem insane to let a starting QB walk away in free agency, but it is certainly not an unheralded development, especially when the QB is not producing wins, even if they do produce stats. So, who may be looking at their current starter and saying “we can do better”?

First up is Seattle. It seems clear that Mike Riley is just not sold on Jacoby Brissett as the starter. The fact that he gave former General Brett Hundley 2 starts when Brissett could have returned from injury after only 1 game tells us that he is in the market for an upgrade. We think he lets Brissett go, holds onto Hundley as insurance and looks long and hard at the position in free agency, in the NFL pools (September and January) and in the draft. Could T-draft prospect Jacob Eason of the Huskies be an option? What about down the road in Eugene where Justin Herbert is getting pretty good draft grades ahead of his final year?

Next on our list is Philadelphia. Yes, the Stars had a nice 4-game streak to get back in the middle of their division, but even during that stretch Matt Gutierrez did not exactly light things up. The fact that their former 4,000-yard, 26-TD quarterback is now on pace for barely 3,000 yards (not ensured) and more picks than TDs, and that many who follow the Stars closely think that Gutierrez has hit the dreaded QB cliff, when their bodies just cannot produce the throws they need, tells us that the Stars could be on the market for a new starter. Neither current backup (P. J. Walker and Trace McSorley) seem good options for 2020, with both being more developmental talents). We could see the Stars having interest in a veteran to pair with those two. But who?

Finally, there is Birmingham. Cam Newton has put up some huge individual games, but his style, and his swagger, make him tough to plan around. Quite frankly, we think Coach Haley may want a new start just because this year feels so much like the unsuccessful seasons that his predecessors had with Newton under center. While the Stallion QB is one of the most dangerous dual threat QBs in the game, almost impossible to tackle in the open field, his tendency to move from passer to runner early in his progressions is just a problem for most offensive game plans and not something that has produced a lot of wins. We think there is a very good chance that Haley and Newton come to an agreement that a change of scenery would be best for both the player and the club.

So, we are predicting 5 teams looking for a QB (in addition to expansion New England) and 3 starters from the 2019 season possibly on the market in Brissett, Gutierrez, and Newton. We should also mention that San Diego’s Joe Webb, who started for the Thunder for several years, is also expected to hit the market, so that makes 4 potential targets. What do we think happens? Well, our consensus is that Cam Newton is clearly the best talent of the three, and with a coach who could develop an offense that makes sense for him, he could win more games than what we have seen in Birmingham. Both Mike Riley and Jim Caldwell seem like the kind of coaches who would look at Newton’s talent and see possibilities not obstacles. Expansion New England would also do well to bring in a “face of the franchise” type of player, though we are not sure Newton is that player for an expansion club that will certainly struggle in their first outings. The Steamrollers might prefer to spend more elsewhere and sign a veteran with a less public demeanor, a Gutierrez, for example.

Of course, we have to factor in the options coming out in the 2020 draft class. This is not a particularly deep pool, but there are some intriguing possibilities, including Oregon’s Justin Herbert, Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa, Utah State’s Jordan Love, OU’s Jalen Hurts, and, a bit of a Wild Card in LSU senior starter Joe Burrow. You have to imagine that Coach Stoops is looking at Jalen Hurts out of OU as a popular move for his fanbase, even if starting a rookie might be a setback in 2020 for the Outlaws. Herbert could be a target of several teams, and Tagovailoa could be just what Coach Haley needs in Birmingham, an Alabama product, but certainly more of a pocket passer than Newton. So, a lot of QB intrigue on the way this fall. We will see where it all ends up as we head down the stretch.

SAN DIEGO THUNDER 19  HOUSTON GAMBLERS 26

The trip to Houston to face the 8-1 Gamblers was going to be a huge test for San Diego. At 7-2 they were hoping to set themselves up as a potential 1 or 2 seed in the West and as a legitimate threat to the league’s top teams. For Houston, this was about defending home turf and keeping on pace to snag that 1-seed in the East, a much-preferred path if they want to defend their title.

The two clubs played very much like this game would be playoff-impacting, both having their moments and both showing their capabilities on both sides of the ball. There was not a quarter in which each team did not score at least once, but it was two late scores from Houston that proved the difference as the Gamblers took the win and improved to 9-1, the clear frontrunners in the Eastern Conference. But it was not easy, that is for sure.

The Gamblers got their first taste of how tough San Diego could be on the very first possession of the game, when, after an initial first down on a toss to Mike Evans, the Thunder got a brilliant swim move from Jonathan Newsome and planted Colt McCoy squarely on the turf. That forced a Houston punt and gave the Thunder their first shot on offense. They responded with a 12-play drive that saw Ryan Williams break off a 15-yard run, Nick Toon catch a key 3^rd and 8 out route, and Marques Colston bring in his 4^th TD of the year on a quick hitch from Ponder.

The Gamblers responded with a scoring drive of their own, but when McCoy could not connect with JuJu Smith-Schuster on a 3^rd down end zone shot, they had to settle for 3 to end the first quarter down 4. San Diego would extend their lead just 5 minutes later, after their 2^nd possession produced a second Ponder TD toss, this time to TE Luke Wilson on a nicely executed short yardage play fake. The Gamblers now found themselves down 11 in their own house. They would spend the rest of the half chipping away at that lead, adding two more Younghoe Koo field goals, but still frustrated by their inability to turn red zone drives into 7 points.

Down 14-9 at the half, the Gamblers hoped to open things up in the 2^nd half, and after shutting down San Diego on the opening drive, thanks to a Dante Fowler sack (one of two on the day), they hoped to get the ball back in good position to start a scoring drive, but when return man Richard Iverson muffed the punt, it bounced out of bounds at the 2, and that forced Houston to play from their own end zone. That position proved to be an immediate issue as a blitz by FS Mark Barron caused Houston’s right tackle to take the inside man, leaving DE Lamarr Houston untouched and easily able to bring down McCoy in the endzone for 2 more Thunder points.

Houston, having faced their share of adversity in the past, did not panic at the 16-9 score, and in a nicely conceived drive that took nearly 7 minutes, patiently moved the ball before McCoy evened the score with a short TD pass to TE Vernon Davis. Three quarters in and we had a tie game in NRG Stadium. On the ensuing drive, San Diego again moved the ball well, With Ponder connecting with Nick Toon and Davante Parker for 12 and 9 yards. But a holding call on 2^nd and 7 forced San Diego deeper and they could not convert, forcing them to settle for 3 points and a 19-16 lead midway through the final period.

Houston would not wait to strike. On the 4^th play of their next drive, they finally found the matchup they wanted, Mike Evans against Justin Gilbert in single coverage. They used the threat of Vernon Davis to keep safety Mark Barron in the center of the field, and used C. J. Prosise not as a receiver, but as a chip blocker on Jonathan Newsome to give McCoy time. He uncorked a perfect arcing ball down the sideline and Mike Evans did the rest, snatching the ball, avoiding the tangle of legs with Gilbert and high stepping into the endzone for Houston’s first lead of the game.

It would be on Christian Ponder to bring the Thunder back, now down 4, and with about 3 minutes to go, they had time to do just that, but Houston’s defense went on high alert, and Coach Phillips turned up the pressure, blitzing on 3 consecutive plays, including an all-out blitz on third and 12 that produced a sack for DE Tim Crowder (aided by LB Jelani Jenkins). Coach LeBeau would have a decision to make with 2:12 left and 3 timeouts. He opted to kick away. Houston would make him regret that choice. After a Carlos Hyde run for no gain, LeBeau called the defense up to the line for 2^nd down and Colt McCoy fooled them into man coverage, allowing Smith-Schuster to get free for what would be a 62-yard run and catch. That play, putting Houston inside the San Diego red zone, was all she wrote for San Diego’s attempt to get the ball back. Koo would kick another field goal to bring Houston to their eventual 7-point advantage and San Diego would get the ball back with only 2 seconds on the clock.

It was a well-played game by both teams, but when push came to shove, the Gamblers simply had more confidence and more resilience, coming back in the 4^th quarter and then taking the risky call to end the game against a defense fully committed to stopping the run. A great call by the Gamblers and a solid win for a team that appears more than capable of becoming the league’s 2^nd back-to-back title winners.

NEW ORLEANS 13  MEMPHIS 24

With Geno Smith sidelined by injury and Todd Gurley simply going off, this Southern division matchup quickly became a mismatch as Memphis rolled to victory behind 171 yards from their bell cow back. The Breakers, with Pat White at QB, were simply unable to generate enough offense, scoring their first touchdown in garbage time, when the game was already decided. Gurley’s huge game was aided by Paxton Lynch’s 194 yards and 2 TD tosses, while the Memphis defense rebounded from a disastrous outing against San Diego to hold New Orleans to only 2 of 13 on third down and only 3 points in the opening 3 quarters.

POTG: Showboat HB Todd Gurley: 19 Att, 171 Yds, 1 TD

BALTIMORE 20  BIRMINGHAM 6

Another QB out of the game early as Cam Newton has to leave after only 1 quarter of action. Without him, and with inexperienced Bryan Kohler at the helm, the Stallions produced only 207 yards of offense on the day. For Baltimore, HB Josh Jacobs took over the offense, rushing the ball 26 times for 124 yards as the Blitz hold onto the top spot in the Northeast with a much-needed win.

POTG: Blitz HB Josh Jacobs: 26 Att, 124 Yds

LAS VEGAS 23  CHICAGO 17

Trevor Siemian got the start for the dinged-up Sam Bradford and looked solid, throwing for 298 yards, but it was not enough as Matt McGloin went 23 of 33 for 264 and 2 touchdowns to help propel the Vipers to the .500 mark after 10 weeks, dropping Chicago to 5-5 in the process. The key to the game was a 17-0 scoring run by Las Vegas that put them up by 13 and forced Chicago to give up on the run game in the 2^nd half.

POTG: Viper QB Matt McGloin: 23/33, 264 Yds, 2 TD, 0 Int

ATLANTA 23  OKLAHOMA 20

A costly loss for Oklahoma, who now sit 2 games under .500 with 6 to play. Atlanta trailed 0-7 but went on a 20-3 run through the 2^nd and 3^rd quarters to take a 10-point lead. Oklahoma fought back and equalized the score with 1:38 left, but that was enough time for Aaron Murray to get the Fire in position for the game winner, and John Bounds connected on the winning kick with 9 seconds left on the clock to give the visiting Fire the win.

POTG: Atlanta WR Roy Williams: 9 Rec, 120 Yds

LOS ANGELES 10  MICHIGAN 20

Two very good defenses met in Detroit and while the Panther defense came out of the gate hot, LA struggled against the Panthers in the first half, giving up 20 points and falling behind by that same number at the half. They shut Michigan out in the 2^nd half but could only muster 10 points of their own. Michigan improves to 9-1 while LA drops to 6-4 with the loss.

POTG: Michigan CB Keivarei Russell: 4 Tck, 2 PDef, 1 FF, 1 FR

ORLANDO 17  PITTSBURGH 15

The Renegades won their 7^th in 8 games by holding Pittsburgh to only 10 first downs and 259 total yards. And while the Mauler D kept them in this game, the offense simply could not do enough to overcome Orlando’s halftime lead. Russell Wilson went 20 of 27 for 206 yards, finding 9 different receivers on the day and throwing a TD to veteran Emmanuel Sanders.

POTG: Orlando CB Dee Milliner: 3 Tck, 1 PDef, 1 Int

DALLAS 26  OHIO 23    OVERTIME

The Roughnecks win their 2^nd in a row, winning a back-and-forth battle with the Glory that extended into overtime. Josh Freeman threw for 289 and 2 scores, both to Sammy Watkins, who finished the day with 123 receiving yards. For Ohio, it was rookie Terry McLaurin putting up big numbers with 7 receptions for 123 yards and a score, but in overtime, Dallas’s Chandler Catanzaro does the honors, winning the game with a 48-yard kick.

POTG: Dallas WR Sammy Watkins: 6 Rec, 123 Yds, 2 TD

ARIZONA 41  JACKSONVILLE 27

In a game that saw both David Carr and Teddy Bridgewater earn POTW votes, it was Carr’s 5 TD performance that won the day of Teddy Bridgewater’s combined 447 yards of offense (338 passing and 109 rushing). Victor Cruz also had a huge game, catching 4 deep balls to rack up 196 yards and 2 touchdowns on the day. Add in scores from Jimmie Graham, Demarcus Robinson and Taywan Taylor and you get another commanding win from the Wranglers.

POTG: Wrangler QB David Carr: 13/20, 389 Yds, 5 TD, 0 Int

ST. LOUIS 36  WASHINGTON 21

Eddie Lacy and rookie David Montgomery combined for 139 yards rushing and backup Tyrod Taylor filled in well when Lamar Jackson tweaked an ankle, throwing TDs to Rob Gronkowski and David Nelson as the Skyhawks improve to 5-5. Ryan Nassib had a solid game, throwing for 3 scores, but the Federals still struggle to find a run game and just cannot keep pace with a strong Skyhawk offensive performance.

POTG: St. Louis LB Trey Hendrickson: 7 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 Sfty

PHILADELPHIA 5  NEW JERSEY 16

An ugly, chippy game between two teams that just don’t like each other produced a win for New Jersey, helping them leapfrog the Stars in the standings and reclaim a .500 record. Maurice Jones-Drew outperformed Derrick Henry, 105 yards and 1 TD to 71 yards with no score. Throw in 2 second half field goals from Ka’imi Fairbairn and that was all New Jersey needed as the Stars’ offense struggled to keep drives going, converting only 2 of 13 third down attempts.

POTG: New Jersey LB Aldon Smith: 8 Tck, 6 TFL

DENVER 17  SEATTLE 24

A bad loss for Denver, dropping them to 5-5 and keeping Seattle alive at 4-6. The game saw Jacoby Brissett back under center, and he may keep that spot after throwing for 303 yards and 2 scores. He was helped by Knowshon Moreno’s 135-yard day, which forced the Gold to respect the run and allowed Brissett time in the pocket.

POTG: Seattle LB Khalil Mack: 10 Tck, 3 TFL

PORTLAND 14  OAKLAND 25

The Invaders return to .500 with a solid home win that saw Christian McCaffrey finally crack the 100-yard mark with 111 rushing yards on 23 attempts. Okland also got 3 Roberto Aguayo field goals in the 2^nd half to pull away from a scrappy Portland squad. But three picks by Tony Pike simply cost the Stags too much and even a late TD from Travares Cadet was not enough to get them back in the game.

POTG: Invader SS Jaiquawn Jarrett: 7 Tck, 2 Sck, 1 Sfty

CHARLOTTE 10  TAMPA BAY 27

The Bandits got a combined 122 yards rushing from Cook and Wilson, added 249 and a TD from Dak Prescott (including 126 on 4 catches from Ryan Grant) and blew past the Monarchs. Backup Tyler Thigpen struggled to evade the Bandit pass rush, going down 4 times, including 1 sack recorded by newly acquired DT Marcel Dareus as Tampa improves to 6-4 on the year.

POTG: Bandits’ LB Dont’a Hightower: 6 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 Int

Bridgewater Explodes on Offense, but Bulls Still Fall Short

For all the issues the Jacksonville Bulls are having in the midst of their 2-8 2019 campaign, the one thing that seems to have gone right is that they have found a quarterback who can make plays. Going into the season the Bulls were indecisive about their two NFL imports, Teddy Bridgewater, who came to them during the 2018 offseason, and Ryan Tannehill, signed away from the NFL Dolphins just a couple of weeks before the season’s opening week. With Tannehill’s late arrival, it was clear that Bridgewater would start the season under center for the Bulls. What we have seen since that first game is that the former Louisville Cardinal has no desire to give up the reins.

In 10 games, Bridgewater has thrown for nearly 2,500 yards, with a very healthy 3:1 TD:INT ratio (18-6 in real numbers). His 93.5 QB Rating is the best by a Jacksonville QB since Jake Delhomme clocked a 110.6 in 2007. That’s a solid decade without a better performance. “Teddy B” has thrown for 3 or more touchdowns in a game 4 times this year, and this week, against a very tough Arizona squad, he had his best game of the year. Bridgewater survived significant pressure from Calais Campbell and the Wrangler D-line to complete 38 of 47 passes for 338 yards, adding 2 scores with no picks. That would be enough for Bulls fans to be happy to have Bridgewater as their starter, but that does not even account for the 109 yards rushing he also contributed, a total that includes the most exciting play of the game, a perfectly executed blind bootleg that resulted in a 75-yard run. Bridgewater almost single-handedly kept Jacksonville in the game against Arizona.

Yes, the Bulls fell to the Wranglers by a score of 41-27, but we cannot imagine how bad it would have been had Bridgewater not contributed 447 of the team’s 479 yards of offense. He had a combined 31 yards from HBs Devin Singletary and Matt Jones, and he managed to throw for nearly 350 yards without a single receiver topping 100. The Bulls have a lot of needs. Their defense is just not getting the job done, and the run game has all but disappeared. Bridgewater could use a true speed receiver, and better protection, so there are certainly areas of need, but for Jacksonville fans, they now feel that they have their QB, and if this week’s action is any proof, we have to agree.

Cruz Has Amazing 196 Yards on Only 4 Receptions in Wrangler Win

Let’s stay with that wild Bulls-Wranglers game and recognize just how good Victor Cruz has been this year, taking over for Larry Fitzgerald as the prime target for QB David Carr. Cruz was a very good player in Pittsburgh. He left after being pushed to second fiddle by the emergence of Adam Thielen, but it certainly was not a talent issue. Cruz is proving that by fitting right into Arizona’s complex route tree and vertical game. Cruz may not be among the top receivers in pure numbers this year, unlike his predecessor, Fitzgerald, but with a per-catch average of 22.4 yards, he is keeping the big play offense moving. Cruz is actually second on the Wranglers with only 35 catches, trailing underneath option Demarcus Robinson, but with 2 scores this week bringing him up to 9 for the year, he is certainly turning opportunities into results.

Speaking of this week, we have to acknowledge what an impact Cruz had on the game vs. Jacksonville. He had only 4 catches but averaged an absolutely insane 49 yards per reception on his way to 196 yards and 2 touchdowns on the day. Yes, that is right, nearly 50 yards per catch. That includes, of course, the 94-yard play that took Arizona from the shadow of their own endzone all the way to 6 points on the other end. It was a crazy call, an even crazier play, and ended with Cruz all alone, sprinting down the sideline before offering fans his signature Salsa celebration in the endzone. Cruz would also add a 28-yard TD on the day, along with two huge gainers that helped the Wranglers put 5 offensive TDs on the board. The speedy Wrangler receiver has found new life with his transfer from the Steel City to the Valley of the Sun, is well on his way to a 1,000-yard season, will almost certainly finish among the Top 10 receivers in yardage, and could do something with Arizona that was just not possible in Pittsburgh, punch a ticket to a Summer Bowl.

Moreno & Gurley Help their Underdog Squads Get the W

Two more players who deserve kudos this week, both classic “bell cow” backs who helped their clubs pull off upset wins this week. The first was Knowshon Moreno, who had his best game of the year for the Seattle Dragons as they faced a tough defense and a tough crowd in Denver. Moreno carried the ball 26 times, averaged 5.2 yards per carry, opened scoring with a 7-yard TD in the first quarter, and had the play of the game, a 44-yard scamper that saw him juke past the initial tackler and slide out of a second tackle before finally being brought down on the Denver 8-yard line, a play that set up a Dennis Pitta TD to give Seattle a 14-7 lead at the half. The 135-yard effort marks Moreno’s second straight 100-yard game, the first two of the year. He has helped Seattle win both of those games, keeping the club on the fringes of the hunt for a Wild Card despite a rough 1-6 start to the year. 

Across the country, in New Orleans, Memphis was able to upset the homestanding Breakers thanks to a monster game from HB Todd Gurley. Like Moreno, this was Gurley’s 2^nd straight 100-yard game, but this was no ordinary 100-yarder, this was 171 yards on only 19 carries, an average of 9 yards per carry that included several 20+ yarders. Gurley’s only TD was a 7-yard sweep, but he also set up Memphis with several big runs, helping place the team in range for two Paxton Lynch TD passes (3 and 14 yards).  The Breakers, seeing Gurley eclipse 70 yards in only his first 8 carries, was forced to recalibrate their plan for the day, use their linebackers in run coverage, and that freed up Lynch for play action. It also did not work, with Gurley continuing to find holes and break tackles. After missing Week 8’s game after tending to an ankle issue that had held him under 50 yards in each of the prior two games, the former Georgia Bulldog came back fresh, healthy, and clearly ready to push Memphis towards the postseason for the second year in a row.

Seattle and Knowshon will be in another dogfight this week as they head to Las Vegas to face the surging Vipers. Memphis has a huge game as well, traveling to Charlotte to face one of the best LB groups in the league. If either club hopes to get the road win they will need to ensure that their halfbacks get the touches they need, and the opportunities to turn carries into big plays.

Ten weeks in and we are ready to look at our first playoff picture. Not surprisingly, with 9-1 records, the Gamblers and Panthers are looking very solid atop the standings board. They could easily be the first teams to lock up their divisions and their playoff spots. Michigan now holds a 4-game lead over Chicago while Houston is up 3 on Memphis. That security is not in place for the other division leaders, with Arizona up 2 on Denver, but San Diego, Baltimore, and Orlando holding only slim 1-game leads in their divisions.

In both conferences we are seeing teams at 5-5 currently making the playoffs (2 in the West, 1 in the East), which means that all the 5-5 clubs, and there are 7 of them, along with the 7 teams sitting at 4 wins right now, are all very much in the mix. No one is eliminated yet, but the 2 clubs with only 2 wins apiece, Jacksonville and Ohio, have to be feeling the heat as they bring up the rear in this conference playoff picture.

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We have reached the phase of the season when players simply start breaking down from the wear and tear of pro football. We can see that in some of the names on our Doubtful or Questionable list, with veterans needing time to heal and recover from their games. Beyond that, we also have some more serious issues, particularly in Philadelphia, where the Stars lose one of their best pass rushers and their slot receiver for the rest of the year, both with injuries to their legs. Those of you placing wagers on this week’s games may also want to check in just before kickoff because both Marshawn Lynch and Cam Newton could be gametime decisions for the Outlaws and Stallions respectively.

OUT

CB          Kris Boyd                   DEN      Back                    IR

DE          Anthony Hargrove    PHI        Torn Quad         IR

WR         Braxton Berrios         PHI        Hamstring             IR

OT          Morgan Moses         DAL       Knee                        4-6 Weeks

QB         T. J. Yates                   CHA      Finger                       1-2 Weeks

WR         Keke Coutee            HOU     Hamstring               1-2 Weeks

WR         Allen Robinson         STL         Knee                         1-2 Weeks

WR         Jordan Shipley          POR      Illness                      1-2 Weeks

DOUBTFUL

OT       Cedric Ogbuehi    HOU     Miniscus

CB         Jourdan Lewis         MGN     Foot

SS           Jabril Peppers         MGN     Concussion

QUESTIONABLE

OT          James Carpenter     CHI        Knee

DE          Chandler Jones      CHA      Hamstring

QB         Cam Newton           BIR         Knee

TE           David Njoku             ORL       Hand

HB         Marshawn Lynch    OKL       Concussion

DE          Von Miller                DEN      Neck

OT          Brian Bulaga           STL         Hamstring

Flores Rumored to be Out After Season

Two seasons at the helm may feel like a short tenure for a head coach, but with the Bulls following up Brian Flores’s 4-12 season with only 2 wins in their first 8 games, the kind of improvement you expect from year 1 to year 2 is just not evident in Jacksonville, and fans are calling for a change once again. Of course they are also asking ownership to sell the team, blaming them for the Bulls’ lack of a league title in over 30 years and the recent run of seasons that has not seen the Bulls win the division since 2007, or post a winning season in that same time, a truly awful 13-year span.

So, will Flores be the scapegoat? Will Jacksonville also address a front office that just has not put winning squads together? It seems very likely, because the Bullard family, having inherited the team from its founder, is not giving up the team, not selling to new leadership, not when his club is still consistently a money-maker, but something has to give. There has to be a way for the Bulls to find a mix of talent and leadership to become relevant again, and right now, it just does not seem that they have either.

Three Other Coaches in Hot Water

Jacksonville’s Brian Flores is not the only head coach feeling the heat. As we look across the league, there are several who simply are not giving the fans what they want, either unable to get over the hump, or facing a bad year when more was expected. In each case we are going to look at here, these are coaches who either have had some success recently, or who have had enough time to build the team they want, but who are not getting the results that fans expect of them. We have three pretty big names who could well be getting calls from ownership on Black Monday this year.

Vic Fangio (PIT)

The 2015 USFL Coach of the Year set very high team expectations with a 13-3 season and a dynamic offense 4 years ago, but since then we are looking at 6-10, 5-10-1, 8-8, and, so far this season, 4-6. After last year’s return to .500, fans were expecting to see more this year, and they had some good early wins, but if the Maulers again fail to reach .500, even that magical 2015 season is unlikely to support bringing Fangio back for a 7^th season.

Jim Mora (CHA)

After 11 seasons it may well be time for the Monarchs to move on from the only coach they have ever had. I tis not that Mora has not helped build a team in Charlotte, after all his Monarchs have made the playoffs 7 times in 11 years, but it does very much feel like the team he built is not one that can go the distance. Mora is 0-4 in his last 4 playoff seasons, including a quick exit after a 9-7 season last year. Now, at 4-5-1, the 2019 Monarchs are not out of the picture, but there are question marks all over the place. We just don’t feel confident that even another Wild Card bid, especially if it comes at 8-7-1 (for example) is going to convince folks that the Mora-led Monarchs are ready to dominate in 2020. He has done a good job building a base, but it feels like the Monarchs need to look for something more.

Jim Harbaugh (PHI)

Another longstanding coach, Harbaugh, first joined the Stars in 2005. He too has had more than a fair share of success, including 10 playoff appearances and 2 Summer Bowl appearances, but it has been since 2013 that the Stars have won a playoff game, and even a 13-3 record in 2017 was largely wiped away by their quick postseason exit. When the Stars were sitting at 0-5, many were saying openly that it was time for Harbaugh to move on, and even though their 4-game winning streak helped bring them out of the basement, this could well be a losing season for the Stars, and that could be the impetus that ownership needs to make a change.

Do we think any of these three coaches will be without work for long? No. All three have proven they can win in this league, and whether it is as a coordinator or even a new HC position, we think that if they are let go, they will find work quickly. After all, there are two expansion teams coming in next year, and finding a head coach with a record of winning teams may well entice one or both to look at these three men, if they become available. So, the present is quite tenuous for Fangio, Mora, and Harbaugh, but don’t worry too much about them. We think they will end up on their feet if Black Monday sets them back initially.

Hot & Cold: Teams Streaking

It is often said that one of the keys to a championship run is to get hot at the right time. Perhaps Week 10 is not that time, because, with 6 weeks left to play, there is still time to cool off, and you don’t want to do that as the playoffs arrive. But, at the 10-week mark, we can certainly assess who has solid momentum and who is flailing, dropping games at an alarming pace. We looked at the league and the teams on winning or losing streaks, and compiled the coldest and hottest clubs in the league for you. Here is our look, alternating and building to the longest win and loss streaks in the league at this juncture.

Pittsburgh Maulers: 4-game losing streak

Hard to believe after the month that Pittsburgh has had, but at one point they were sitting at 4-2, competing for the NE Division and had impressed us with a quality win over Memphis and back-to-back wins over the Federals. That is not so impressive now, after losing their 2-game series with Philadelphia and failing to score more than 17 points since Week 6. The Maulers struggle to put together a solid run game, and they really don’t have the talent outside to be a pass-first offense, so that is a huge issue. The defense is still solid, 2^nd overall in yards allowed and against the rush, but without some offensive production, Pittsburgh will continue to drop in the division.

Las Vegas Vipers: 3-game winning streak

Yes, we know that 3 games does not a season make, but when you combine those three wins (Arizona, Oklahoma, Chicago) with their earlier victory over the Wranglers, it seems clear that this Viper squad has the potential to be dangerous. They sit at 5-5 right now, but we think they will finish the season over .500 and in the playoff mix. When we look at their upcoming games, we see several where they should be favored (Seattle, Dallas, and Jacksonville at home, possibly Oklahoma and Dallas on the road as well). If they can win just those 5 games, they are likely in the postseason at 10-6.

Birmingham Stallions: 5-game losing streak

Another team that got off to a good start (4-1) before the wheels fell off. They have dropped their last 5, and while there is no shame in losing back-to-back games to Houston and in San Diego, the losses to Portland, Tampa Bay, and Baltimore show us that the Stallions have lost their way, and could be on the way to a 10-loss season. They have some brutal games left, especially since they have only 1 home game left in their final 6, and with a killer road lineup ahead of them: @ New Orleans, @ Oakland, @ Houston, @ Memphis, and @ New Jersey, we think that 5-11 is very much a real possibility. Only a home game against Seattle is a game where they could be favored, and we are not even sure of that.

New Jersey Generals: 4-game winning streak

New Jersey struggled to find their offensive groove early in the season, dropping some tough games @ Houston and Baltimore, and home to Michigan and Baltimore again, but they have started to figure things out, starting with a nice win at St. Louis. They put up 35 to beat the Bandits, 31 in a win over Atlanta, and shut down Philadelphia at home this week. Are they as good as last year’s squad? It seems not. MJD is just now beginning to put together some good games, and we just cannot trust in Nick Foles on a regular basis. But, after winning their first of five consecutive divisional games (home to Philly), they are ready to run the gauntlet, and could conceivably sweep the entire run (@ Washington, v. Pittsburgh, @ Philly, and @ Pittsburgh). Doing that all but guarantees them the division in our minds.

Ohio Glory: 6-game losing streak

What the heck has happened to the 2018 Central Division Champs? They are ranked 25^th in offense, averaging only 80.9 YPG on the ground, and even worse, the Tom Coughlin defense that helped them leap over Michigan last year is struggling. They are still tough to throw against (3^rd in passing yards allowed), but they are giving up too many rushing yards (26^th in the league) and too many short drives due to turnovers. In short, this is a team that last year was able to shorten games, keep scores low, and get a few plays to get the W, but this year it seems everyone has figured them out. Evident in their losses to a Blitz team without Big Ben, and a brutal 10-7 loss to the Outlaws. We suspect that this Ohio squad will win a few upcoming games, but could easily finish in 4^th behind the rising Machine and Skyhawks, and the very -much reawakened Panthers.

Houston Gamblers: 7-game winning streak

No surprise here. The defending champs are one of the most complete teams in the league. They rank 2^nd in scoring, 3^rd in yardage, and have a defense that may not look great on paper, but knows how to protect a lead. With Memphis and New Orleans both struggling a bit for consistency, they could put away the division with a month to spare. They do have 3 key games in division in the final 6 (2 vs. Memphis and a rematch with the Breakers), so the season is not locked up yet, but they look very much like a 1-seed waiting to coast down the stretch.

Jacksonville Bulls: 7-game losing streak

When Coach Flores arrived in Jacksonville, he promised a tough, smashmouth team that would earn respect even in games they lost. Well, if that is the plan, he must be gaining a lot of respect, because they are losing a lot of games. The truth is that you cannot be a tough, smashmouth team if you average 88 yards per game rushing and give up 118. The Bulls’ defense has simply not shown up, rivaling Tampa Bay as one of the worst, but without the Bandits’ explosive offensive capability. We like the emergence of Teddy Bridgewater, so the Bulls have that going for them, but since we pointed out Matt Jones as a player to watch, he has totally disappeared, to the point that after 10 games it is the QB, Bridgewater, who leads the team in rushing with only 308 yards (that’s 30.8 per game for those of you counting). We tend to agree with the fans who are saying that the Bulls need a wholesale change, maybe even new ownership, to develop a new culture, because the one that has guided this club, honestly since the 1980’s, has put butts in seats, but no rings on fingers or trophies in cases.

We are into the “teens”, with Week 11, no time for anyone to fall into a trap game, to take a foe lightly, or to come up short. It is time to make a run and get that playoff spot. And with so many teams in the mix, that means a lot of games where a team’s season could be on the line. That may be the case in both games on Friday night as the 4-5-1 Charlotte Monarchs host the Showboats and need to pull off the win to reach .500 again. Then at 9:30pm Eastern it is 5-5 Oakland with a huge divisional battle as they head down to San Diego to face the division-leading Thunder.

Saturday, we have Seattle, still alive at 4-6, headed to Las Vegas, who at 5-5 cannot afford to drop this one. We also have LA hosting Portland in a Pacific game that could help propel the Express into a tie for first place (depending on the Oakland-San Diego game) and we have a SW showdown between 4-6 Oklahoma and 5-5 Denver. The Gold need this win to put some space between them and some other divisional rivals.

On Sunday the divisional action heats up even more, with 4 more key games, including Birmingham @ New Orleans, Baltimore @ Philadelphia, New Jersey @ Washington, and a must-win for Chicago as they host the Michigan Panthers. They are already 4 games back, but dropping to 5-6 could also seriously damage their Wild Card hopes. Outside of the divisional games we also have two great inter-conference matches as 4-6 Dallas faces 5-5 St. Louis with their playoff lives on the line. Finally, it is a good one in the desert as the 7-3 Wranglers host the 7-3 Orlando Renegades in the “Calais Campbell Bowl”.

Friday @ 7pm ET             Memphis (6-4) @ Charlotte (4-5-1)              NBC

Friday @ 9:30pm ET       Oakland (5-5) @ San Diego (7-3)                      FOX

Saturday @ 12pm ET      Houston (9-1) @ Atlanta (3-6-1)                       ABC

Saturday @ 12pm ET       Tampa Bay (6-4) @ Jacksonville (2-8)             FOX

Saturday @ 4pm ET       Seattle (4-6) @ Las Vegas (5-5)                         ABC

Saturday @ 4pm ET       Portland (3-7) @ Los Angeles (6-4)                   FOX

Saturday @ 7pm ET         Pittsburgh (4-6) @ Ohio (2-8)                            NBC

Saturday @ 9pm ET      Oklahoma (4-6) @ Denver (5-5)                       ESPN/EFN

Sunday @ 12pm ET        Birmingham (4-6) @ New Orleans (5-5)           ABC

Sunday @ 12pm ET       Baltimore (6-4) @ Philadelphia (4-6)              FOX Regional

Sunday @ 12pm ET       New Jersey (5-5) @ Washington (3-7)               FOX Regional

Sunday @ 4pm ET         Orlando (7-3) @ Arizona (7-3)                           ABC

Sunday @ 4pm ET           Dallas (4-6) @ St. Louis (5-5)                             FOX

Sunday @ 8pm ET         Michigan (9-1) @ Chicago (5-5)                       ESPN/EFN