2019 USFL Week 15 Recap: Bandit Ball is Back!
- USFL LIVES
- 8 hours ago
- 32 min read
We may well be witnessing the wildest Week 16 in league history this weekend. Why? Well, because we still have 7 unclaimed playoff spots, and we have 13 teams still very much in play for those spots. Surpriing results, like Pittsburgh road win over NE Division-leading Baltimore, New Jersey’s win over Chicago, Tampa’s narrow victory over Orlando (our GOTW), and Dallas’s surprising win over LA, have meant that only 1 new playoff spot has been reserved (the Bandits winning the SE Division), and leaving all 6 Wild Card spots, as well as a newly-clogged 3-team tie atop the NE Division, in play for Week 16.
As you would expect, we are going to break it all down, review all the huge Week 15 results, and tell you what all 13 teams still in the hunt have to do to get to a Week 17. We will do all that and also take a look at the 5 new head coaches this year to see how they all fared. All this, plus an expansion team lands their inaugural head coach, and a wave of potential free agents come off the market as a wave of extensions and new deals come to fruition this week. No time to waste, let’s kick this week’s recap off with our big story, how the Pittsburgh Maulers threw the entire NE Division into chaos.
Maulers Create Mayhem as 3 Tied for First in NE Division
The Maulers, sitting at 5-9 after 14 weeks, will not be going to the postseason this year, but that does not mean they cannot they won’t be an influential player. Their surprising 13-7 win in Baltimore ensured that. By shutting down Josh Jacobs, Jake Locker and the Baltimore offense, the Maulers threw the NE Division into chaos and knocked Baltimore out of lone possession of first place, a positoin they had held most of the season.
The Maulers’ upset win gave both Philadelphia and New Jersey the shot they needed to take a share of 1st place with 1 week left in the season. With Baltimore falling to 8-7, the 7-7 Stars were able to wipe away the memory of their 0-5 start and technically take over 1st place on a tiebreaker. With Philadelphia’s 34-20 road win in Washington, they finished their division schedule with a 6-2 record, providing the Stars with a tiebreaker advantage over both Baltimore (5-3 in division) and New Jersey (3-5 in the NE). But, with 1 week of actoin left, all three had a shot to claim a division title that had looked to be Baltimore’s for weeks.
New Jersey knocked off Chicago impressively, 24-6, in Week 15, and now looked at another home game, though a tough one against Cam Newton and the resurgent Stallions. With the worst division record of the three teams, they need a win and for both the Blitz and the Stars to lose, but they still had a shot at the title. Baltimore faces Chicago in the season finale, hoping to finish at 9-7 and hoping the Stars fall in the finale, a combination that would allow Baltimore to reclaim the division. But, the team with the clearest path is perhaps the most surprising. After starting the year 0-5, and with serious concern that their QB, Matt Gutierrez, had turned a corner he could not return from, the Stars had won 8 of 10 games to reach 8-7, and now had only to beat Memphis in Memphis in Week 16 and the division would be theirs.
What will make Week 16 so interesting across the NE Division is that all three of the teams in contention for the title could end up being underdogs in their finales. Memphis currently is a 3-point favorite over Philadelphia, an understandable advantage considering that they will be playing the game at the Liberty Bowl, and because Memphis, also 8-7, is in their own playoff hunt. Baltimore will travel to Chicago, where the oddsmakers have set up the 8-7 Machine, again another team with their own playoff push, as 2 point home favorites, a margin that shows a lack of faith in Chicago, but still has them with a slight advantage as the home team. New Jersey is the only club playing at home from the trio of contenders, and yet, despite that, the sudden success of Todd Haley’s new QB option offense and the recent struggles for New Jersey, including losses to both Philly and Washington, has created a situatoin where New Jersey is a 1 point underdog despite playing at home.
This is all to say that the entire division, as well as some Wild Card possibilities, is coming down to the final week, and in large part because of the surprising result from Pittsburgh, a team not at all involved in the race for the division. Like Washington’s upset of New Jersey in Week 11, the Mauler win in Baltimore throws the division into a 3-way race, and all three teams could potentially make the postseaon, or alternatively, we could have only 1 representative of the division, sitting at 8-8, who still earns a home playoff game. We will know just how this turns out in 4 days, when the weekend wraps up and all 12 of the playoff spots are claimed.
ORLANDO RENEGADES 23 TAMPA BAY BANDITS 24
Another good battle in the Southeast Division as the 8-6 Orlando Renegades faced off against the 9-5 Tampa Bay Bandits. A win at home and the Bandits lock up a division title only 1 year removed from a miserable 3-13 season. A win by the visiting Renegades and they earn a share of first place and get the edge on Tampa Bay with 1 week left, leapfrogging the Bandits thanks to a 6-2 division record vs. Tampa’s 5-3 mark. So, with the stakes very high, and with both teams looking to claim their first division title in several years (Orlando 2016, Tampa Bay 2014), this one was earmarked as a potential thriller all week, and it did not disappoint.
The game started tentatively, with both defenses holding their own and forcing early punts. Between both teams we saw 5 of 6 drives end in punts from each team’s side of the field. The only outlier came after a nice nice punt return by Orlando’s Tandon Doss helped put Orlando in positoin for a short drive and a Cundiff field goal. Orlando held the 3-0 lead going into the second quarter thanks to Doss’s 36-yard punt return and Cundiff’s right leg.
But that lead would disappear quickly in the 2nd, with Tampa Bay responding with a quick-strike drive that saw them advance from their own 17 into the endzone in only 5 plays. The first big play on the drive was A shot to Dez Bryant, who lept over the corner to bring the ball down for a 46-yard gain. 3 plays later, Prescott found TE Ryan Izzo on a seam route and 30-yards later he was in for a score. The quick strike proved that Orlando’s defense could be susceptible to the big play, something Tampa’s first 3 drives had not succeeded in showing. Following a quick 3-and-out from the improving Bandit defense, the Bandits were ready to show that big play capability once again.
On the Bandits’ 2nd drive of the quarter, it was again a pair of big plays that got Tampa back in the endzone. The first this time was a simple pitch to Dalvin Cook, with the Bandit tailback jukin past the first tackler, and grinding his legs on the second hit, adding an other 5 yards to his run for a total of 15 and a first down for Tampa Bay. The Bandits then hit on another long pass play, this time to slot receiver Deebo Samuel, who went 30 yards on a beautiful out and up. That play put the Bandits on the 9-yardline of Orlando, and 2 plays later Prescott had his second TD toss, this time to Bryant on a crossing pattern. The Bandits had put 14 points on the board in barely 6 minutes. Was this game about to turn ugly for Orlando?
The ’Gades,feeling the pressure to respond, circled their wagons and put their trust into their run game. They put together a 10-play drive, with 8 of those plays on the ground. Knile Davis accounted for 31 yards on 4 carries and Rashard Jennings added another 22, including the scoring play, a 9-yard run to the endzone on a classic counter tre. The 14-10 score would hold through the half, and Orlando was still in the game as both clubs headed into the locker rooms.
Orlando got the ball first in the 2nd half and it became clear that they had opted to try to shorten the game. Their drive would take 14 plays and nearly 9 minutes before Kerrith White dove in from the 2. Russell Wilson went 5 of 7 on the drive, building towards his eventual total of 328 yards. Jennings and Davis also contributed with several strong runs against the Tampa front 7. The combo would finish the game with 108 combined yards as Orlando kept a nice balance of run and pass to keep the Bandits honest. Now up 17-14, Orlando would have to withstand Tampa’s response.
The Bandits did respond, with mid-range passes to both Ryan Grant and Dez Bryant helping to put them in range for their kicker, and when Prescott missed on a throw to TE Jordan Cameron, it was Butker who came out to level up the score. The 3rd quarter ended with the two teams locked at 17, and 15 minutes left to possibly decide the division title.
Orlando would reclaim the lead after a pair of offsides calls against the Bandits helped them get into range for Billy Cundiff. Russell Wilson had noted the aggressiveness of Bandit linemen and used a hard count to draw the Bandits over the line, giving Orlando two first downs on the drive. Cundiff made the long 52-yarder and once again Orlando was on top.
What happened next looked to spell doom for the Bandits. On the ensuing possession, in fact the very first play of the drive, Bandit QB Dak Prescott turned to hand the ball off to Dalvin Cook, but his right guard had stepped back too far, landing his foot on Prescott’s. The QB went down, and hopped over to the sideline in obvious pain. Backup B. J. Daniels would play the rest of the game, and while it was later determined that Prescott had suffered an injury to the big toe, and not the ankle as first imagined, it was still enough to keep him out of the rest of this pivotal game.
And so Daniels, who had a grand total of 13 pass attempts all season, would have to lead the Bandits. Fans in Raymond James Stadium were noticeably uneasy at the prospect, but Daniels’ first drive showed them that there was no need to panic. The untested backup started off slowly, with 2 consecutive handoffs to Dalvin Cook, the second a nice 9-yard run that kept the Bandits from a tough 3rd down. On the third play, Daniels faked the ball to Cook and found Jordan Cameron for a gain of 9. Then, 2 plays later, he located Dez Bryant for a 22-yarder. His third pass of the drive would also be to Bryant, a touchdown toss on a nice bootleg, providing the Bandits with a 24-20 lead and the fans with a bit more confidence that their untested backup was ready to play.
The Bryant TD came with 9:27 left in the game. The Bandits would now have to buckle down to avoid further Orlando scores, uncertain of their ability to win a shootout without Prescott in the game. And unlike in past years, the Bandit defense was up to the task. Orlando would have 3 short drives in the final 9 minutes of action. The first ended with a near pick as Jalen Ramsey snatched the ball away from Dwayne Bowe, but could not keep a grasp of it as he tumbled out of bounds. Orlando was forced to punt nonetheless. After Tampa Bay missed on their own 3rd down play, Orlando got the ball a 2nd time. They found quick success on a nice pass from Wilson to Hunter Renfrew, got a needed first down on a Russell Wilson scramble for 11, and then pushed the ball to the Tampa Bay 14 with a perfect throw from Wilson to a streaking Brashad Perriman. Pushed out at the 14, Orlando appeared to be ready to retake the lead, but on three consecutive plays the Bandit D stepped up. On 1st and 10 they forced movement on the Orlando line, creating a false start call that moved the ball back to the 19. On the next play Ramsey again forced an incompletion. 2nd and 15 saw Rashad Jennings gain back the 5 yards from the penalty, but on 3rd and 10 Russell Wilson was flushed out of the pocket by DE Pernell McPhee and his pass towards Bowe was wide and high. Coach Rivera, seeing that there were well over 3 minutes left to play, opted not to go for the risky 4th and 10, sending out Cundiff to make it a 1-point game.
Down 1 with 3:24 left, Orlando kicked the ball away. Tampa tried to use the run game to grind out a first down, but failed on a 3rd and 3 when LB Sean Spence blitzed into the gap and dragged HB Marion Mack down after only a 1-yard gain. The Bandits would have to punt the ball back to Orlando before the 2-minute warning. Giving Orlando 2:22, the 2-minute warning, and 1 timeout left to get into field goal range. But, even with adequate time, the Renegades hurried, perhaps a bit too much. After an initial Wilson pass went for 5 yards, the ‘Gades rushed back to the line. They did not adequately set their blocking before Wilson received the snap, and that allowed McPhee to find a gap in the pocket, slide past the RT and hit Wilson hard, sending him to the ground and recording Tampa’s only sack on the day. That play forced a 3rd and 9, and the Bandits tightened up their coverage to stop the drive right there. The close coverage worked, with Wilson forcing the ball to TE David Njoku well short of the first down, producing a 4th and 4 on their own 31.
Orlando called their final timeout, trying to find the right play to call on the crucial down. That allowed Tampa’s defense to get a breather, swap out some linemen, and scope out the offensive formation. When Russell Wilson got under center, the Bandits called a time out of their own, a move which forced Orlando to change their play. We don’t know what the original call was, but the newly-called play, which had Orlando in a trips formation, proved to be ineffective, with Wilson forced out of the pocket, throwing on the run and missing Dwayne Bowe once again.
Tampa Bay took the drive over, with B. J. Daniels sent out only to take a knee, and the fans celebrated as their Bandits recorded the win, clinching not only the SE Division title, but locking into the 2nd seed, meaning that Tampa Bay would get a bye and host a Divisional Game in 3 weeks time. For Orlando, the playoffs are still very much an option, but to secure it they would have to go back on the road in Week 16, and no easy task, they would need to head into New Orleans to face a Breakers team that also needed a win to lock up a Wild Card.
SAN DIEGO 34 OAKLAND 14
The Thunder are showing that they are in no mood to rest after clinching the Pacific Division crown. San Diego built a 21-0 halftime lead thanks to two short TD runs and a pick-six of Jimmy Garoppolo. They then kept pace with Oakland the rest of the way to take the 20-point win and stay in the hunt for a bye week, still trailing Arizona by a game, however.
POTG: Thunder CB Justin Gilbert: 6 Tck, 1 Int, 1 Def TD
PITTSBURGH 13 BALTIMORE 7
Jake Locker was sacked 6 times by an aggressive Mauler defense, and Baltimore suffered a bad loss that not only knocked them out of first place in the NE Division, but could result in them missing the playoffs entirely if they don’t get a Week 16 win. The Maulers flew around on defense, playing very much like a team with nothing to lose and a desire to spoil the fun for their opponent.
POTG: Mauler LB Brian Cushing: 8 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 FF, 1 FR
CHICAGO 6 NEW JERSEY 24
A much-needed win for New Jersey and a rough loss for Chicago as they saw Sam Bradford have to leave the game after a 5 of 5 start throwing the ball. Bradford should be back for Week 16, but this loss hurts Chicago’s chances. Meanwhile, New Jersey claims a share of 1st place, though they will need to avoid the tiebreakers if they want the division title next week. Nick Foles connected with Odell Beckham for 131 yards and 2 scores, while also hitting Muhamed Sanu with a 3rd TD in the game.
POTG: Generals’ WR Odell Beckham Jr: 4 Rec, 131 Yds, 2 TD
LOS ANGELES 7 DALLAS 24
Another rough loss for a team on the cusp of a playoff berth as LA’s anemic offense again proves a major issue. Rookie Miles Gaskin got his first serious action in this game and looked good, rushing for 73 yards and a TD while splitting carries with Samaje Perine. The Dallas D found their way to Kyler Murray 5 times and produced a pick late as the Roughnecks did not play like a team eliminated from the Wild Card race, while LA, which still can win a spot with a victory next week, did not look at all ready for playoff football.
POTG: Dallas SS Dezmen Southward: 5 Tck, 2 Sck
OHIO 24 PORTLAND 10
The Glory snap their losing streak at 10 painful weeks, taking a convincing win in Portland against a Stags team that is “staggering” to the end of the year. The Glory D sacked Kyle Lauletta 4 times and held Portland to an ugly 1 of 17 on third downs. The offense got 282 yards from Christian Hackenberg, as the QB added 8 more receptions to Eric Weem’s league lead, now over 100 for the season. Rookie Terry McLaurin again looked like a keeper, catching another TD, his 6th since being added to the starting lineup for the Glory.
POTG: Glory DE Datone Jones: 7 Tck, 2 Sck, 1 FF
ST. LOUIS 16 MICHIGAN 21
The Panthers continue to roll on towards a possible 1-seed, led by Kirk Cousin's 3 TD tosses as they hold off the Skyhawks to claim their 13th win of the season. With the Skyhawks intent on holding down LeVeon Bell's rush total, the Panthers had to go to the air, and did so quite successfully, with Cousins going 21 of 32 for 247 and finding Cody Latimer for 2 scores, with Arizona import Antonio Bryant getting the third. St. Louis stayed in the game, largely thanks to Lamar Jackson's 2 TD tosses, but 3 picks by the Skyhawk QB also limited their ability to come back against that tough Panther D.
POTG: Panther WR Cody Latimer: 5 Rec, 129 Yds, 2 TD
PHILADELPHIA 34 WASHINGTON 20
The stars have now gone 8-2 since their 0-5 start, and were spurred on again by their defense, which put pressure on Ryan Nassib all game. Philadelphia now sits in 1st place in the NE Division after Baltimore’s loss and can control their own destiny. A win next week gives them the NE Crown, something that seemed impossible early in the season.
POTG: Much-maligned Star QB Matt Gutierrez: 21/32, 229 Yds, 2 TD, 1 Int
MEMPHIS 3 HOUSTON 20
The Gamblers seem to have found their adaptation to Mike Evans’s injury. They used an aggressive defensive package to hold Memphis to only a single field goal, while spreading the ball around on offense. JuJu Smith-Schuster stepped up with 102 yards and 2 TDs, but Houston used 6 different recievers and all 3 halfbacks to sustain offense against the Showboats.
POTG: Gambler QB Colt McCoy: 13/25, 245 Yds, 2 TD, 0 Int
CHARLOTTE 17 NEW ORLEANS 23
In the battle of the league’s two teal-clad teams, New Orleans got the W, moved to 9-6, and set themselves up for a likely Wild card berth next week. Charlotte dropped to 6-8-1 and was eliminated from the playoffs, a huge drop off from their early season success. Leonard Fournette scored 3 times and the Breaker D sacked Mitchell Trubisky 6 times, including 3 and a safety from DE Ezekiel Ansah as the Breakers get the W.
POTG: Breaker DE Ezekiel Ansah: 6 Tck, 3 Sck, 1 Sfty
ARIZONA 37 ATLANTA 20
The Fire again played tough, but Arizona wore them down and earned their 12th win of the season. Atlanta actually outgained the Wranglers 320-261 but lost the turnover battle 3-0, including a pick-six from Arizona CB Joe Haden, jumping a swing route from the 10 to shock Aaron Murray. Murray was picked twice, and sacked 4 times by Arizona, who also got TDs from Jimmie Graham, Victor Cruz, and KaDeem Carey.
POTG: Wrangler HB KaDeem Carey: 15 Att, 70 Yds, 1 TD
DENVER 21 JACKSONVILLE 11
The Gold avoided the trap game, moved to 9-6, and now control their own destiny, with a possible home Wild Card game on the table. Josh Allen threw for 216 and found both Philip Lindsay and Michael Crabtree for scores, while the defense held Jacksonville in check for all but 1 play, a dynamic TD run from Teddy Bridgewater that proved to be too little to give the Bulls a W.
POTG: Gold DE Justice Cole: 4 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 FF
SEATTLE 30 BIRMINGHAM 34
The Stallions snap Seattle’s win streak and stay alive, though on life support at 7-8, with a surprising win and yet another huge game from Cam Newton. The new option offense helped Newton throw for 189, rush for 140 and account for 3 touchdowns in the game. Seattle tried a bit of everything, from spies, to shell defense, but nothing seemed to work as Birmingham scored touchdowns on 4 of their first 6 drives. Despite 120 yards from Knowshon Moreno, Seattle fell short and drops to 8-7, meaning next week is essential for them.
POTG: Stallion QB Cam Newton: 19/35, 189 Yds, 1 TD, 0 Int, 12 Att, 140 Yds, 2 TD
LAS VEGAS 24 OKLAHOMA 27
The Vipers needed this one, but Oklahoma showed some pride and held them off, thanks in part to 2 TDs from WR DeDe Westbrook. The Outlaws held the Viper run game in check, and despite giving up 3 TDs to QB Matt McGloin, were within 4 in the final minutes. Joe Flacco led the Outlaws on a two-minute drill and found Westbrook with the winning score to break the Vipers’ backs in the final seconds. The loss means Las Vegas needs quite a bit of help next week if they want to play some postseason football.
POTG: Outlaw WR DeDe Westbrook: 8 Rec, 104 Yds, 2 TD
Newton Shatters Seattle Streak with Another Huge Game
The Dragons new what was coming, but they just could not do anything about it. That is the takeaway from Birmingham’s 34-30 victory over Seattle, a win that kept the Stallions alive in the Wild Card hunt and hurt the Dragon’s chances to host a playoff game. The Stallion victory snapped a 6-game win streak for the Dragons and once again showed that Coach Haley’s decision to turn Cam Newton into the team’s featured ballcarrier has a huge upside.
Newton spent a good amount of time in the pocket in the game, throwing 35 passes for 189 yards and a score, but he had his moments in the option game as well, rushing the ball 12 times for 140 yards, a ridiculous 11.7 YPC average, though most of those yards came on only 2 plays, a 59-yard TD run and an even more stunning 83-yard score. And that is the key to what Birmingham is done. For all the times Newton gains 3 or 4 yards and then slides down or steps out of bounds, there is always the potential that he can bust one for a score.
Seattle spied Newton for most of the game, but with either a tight end or tailback acting as a lead blocker, Newton still managed to escape his shadow on more than a few occasions, including his two huge runs. The new “Stampede” offense that Haley has implemented for his QB has proven a very tough strategy to overcome. Memphis found a way to deal with Newton last week, limiting the QB to only 16 yards, but when Seattle tried the same tactics, they just could not execute, and their failure to contain Newton on the ground directly led to Birmingham’s victory.
Ansah & Fournette Bring Breakers Back from the Brink
The Breakers have won 3 in a row, improving from 6-6 to 9-6 and thrusting themselves right back into the playoff hunt. It seems that every week there are different heroes stepping up to help the team get the W. Last week, in a stunning upset of the Gamblers in Houston, it was LB Jerome Baker with 2 sacks of Colt McCoy and WR Tyler Lockett with a late TD for the W. This week it was DE Ezekiel Ansah and HB Leonard Fournette who stepped up to help New Orleans get past the Monarchs. Ansah had a huge game, recording 3 sacks, one of which was a safety that pushed the Breaker lead from 11 to 13 in the 4th quarter.
The other standout was HB Leonard Fournette, who scored two first half touchdowns and added a third to open the 2nd half and put the Breakers up 18 (21-3), breaking the Monarchs’ hopes for a 2nd half rally. Fournette’s total for the day was not huge, only 68 yards, but when the Breakers got into the red zone, the big back showed he could plow over and through defenders when the endzone was in sight.
New Orleans locks up not only a Wild Card berth with a win next week, but a home game as the 4 seed. They face a tough Orlando squad also hoping to lock in a playoff berth in what should be an intense Sunday night affair, and the question is, who will step up for the Breakers this week?
Ranking the Five First-Year Coaches after 15 Weeks
With the 2019 regular season lacking only 1 week of action to be put in the books, we wanted to take a look at the season’s five new head coaches to see where each stands and how their first year at the helm has gone. Overall it has been a very good year for the new hires, ranging from rebuilding to redefining a culture. We fully expect the Coach of the Year is in this group, and more and more it seems obvious who that will be, but all 5 coaches have had their moments.
1. Mark Trestman (TBY)
No doubt in this pick. It is clear that Trestman is not only the most successful of the 1st year coaches, but that he is the frontrunner for COTY. He not only has the Bandits sitting at 10-5, a 7-game improvement over 2018, but has locked down his first division title this week. He took all the strengths of the Bandit offense and enhanced them, while also turning what was a truly horrid defense into a tolerably weak group that at least knows how to hold a lead. The Bandit D still has work to do, but they are not allowing teams to roll up and down the field, and even a few stops per game are enough when your offense is scoring the way the Bandits do.
2. Ron Rivera (ORL)
Rivera’s Renegade squad has been another pleasant surprise, and while their rise from 6-10 last year to a respectable 8-7 at present is not nearly as dramatic as what happened on the Gulf Coast, many expected Rivera’s squad to suffer from the loss of Calais Campbell as both a leader and a dominant defender, and yet the Renegade defense has held up quite well, staying in the top half of the league in most defensive stats. He has helped rookie Montez Sweat step in and find his own identity on defense and his offense, led by Russell Wilson has made strides, currently sitting 6th in scoring and showing good balance.
3. Marvin Lewis (LA)
A few weeks ago we might have had Lewis in the running for COTY. He had the Express sitting pretty at 6-3 and looking like a contender for the Pacific crown. But, since then the offensive issues have proven tough to overcome as rookie QB Kyler Murray has had some adjustment issues. That has led to a 2-4 dip that has LA in a “must win” situation in Week 16. The defense has been a revelation, and that is Lewis’s strong suit, so he clearly has made a positive impact. If he can get more help on offense next year, this Express team could be ready for a serious run.
4. Todd Haley (BIR)
It took a while for Coach Haley to learn his team, and to accept the idea of an unorthodox take on offense. The delay before developing the new “Stampede” offense, as fans have started calling the Run-Pass Option that Cam Newton has run so well the past month, means that the Stallions may well be too late to snag a playoff spot, but fans have to be excited about how this new strategy could help them next year. Newton just re-signed with the club (see article below) so the new Todd Haley offensive gambit can continue into next year.
5. Bob Stoops (OKL)
Coach Stoops is learning the pro game, and that can be an awkward transition. He is also dealing with a roster that could well look very different next season. His 6-9 Outlaw squad will be losing several players to the expansion San Antonio Gunslingers as part of the deal that brought the club to OK City, and even if a player like HB Marshawn Lynch does not move back to Texas, the shadow of retirement is there. The Outlaws have not been consistent on either side of the ball, but we are quite sure that Stoops, a legend at OU, will have a strong hand in redesigning the roster this year and that the team will reveal a more Stoops-like scheme in 2020.
Who Could Rest Players in Week 16?
No one likes it, but teams protecting players from injury in a season’s final week has become standard procedure in pro football. Teams with nothing to play for don’t want to risk one of their star players getting hit and suffering an injury that could cost them months in recovery time. We see it with teams out of playoff contention, and with those whose playoff position is already locked in. So, who do we expect might just be sitting out this week, well, from our vantage point there are no fewer than 9 teams who could decide to rest some starters, take a look at some young players, and start thinking about what comes next. Here is our rundown of what we see happening this week.
HOUSTON (v. Oakland)
The Gamblers are locked and loaded for the 1-seed in the East. That means they are already set for a bye next week, so do they really want their stars to be off the field for 2 weeks? History says yes. No one wants to risk Colt McCoy, Carlos Hyde, or JuJu Smith-Schuster, not with Mike Evans already on IR. Don’t expect to see too many of the Gamblers’ top players on the field this Sunday. Oakland gets about the easiest Houston matchup possible.
TAMPA BAY (@ Arizona)
What would have been a sure-fire “Future Summer Bowl matchup” a couple of weeks ago may very well prove to be a battle of backups this week. Yes, Arizona technically could catch Michigan for the 1-seed, though that feels somewhat unlikely, but Tampa Bay is stuck in the 2-slot, and we expect we will see very little, if any action at all from Dalvin Cook, Dez Bryant, Dak Prescott. And if Arizona is resigned to a 2-seed, they could rest some starters as well.
SAN DIEGO (v. Los Angeles)
By the time San Diego plays on Sunday, we will already know if they still have a shot at a 2-seed (with an Arizona loss to Tampa Bay) or if the Wranglers held off the Bandits and San Diego is locked into the 3. If they are certainly going to be hosting a playoff game as the 3-seed next week, then you can bet that a lot of their starters will see very little action against the Express. That could be huge for LA as they still need a win to get into Wild Card position.
JACKSONVILLE (v. Charlotte)
Nothing for Jacksonville to play for here, but, and this could be interesting, they may well want to find a trading partner for NFL import Ryan Tannehill. With Teddy Bridgewater having a fine year with the Bulls, having Tannehill play in this game could be a way for Jacksonville to drum up some interest and possibly trade away an expensive backup QB to free up some cap space.
OHIO (@ Washington)
Not that they are tanking to get the 1st draft pick, but why would the Glory not want to give their starters a week off (on the road) and let some of the younger players into the game to see what they have for the future. They have already fallen in love with rookie WR Terry McLaurin. Maybe there is another potential future star on the roster who just needs to get into the game.
WASHINGTON (v. Ohio)
Exactly what we said for Ohio is true for their opponent. It seems pretty safe to say that we will see a lot of players from deep down the depth chart suited up and on the field for the Federals. And why not? It is not like winning this game does anything at all for Washington.
ATLANTA (v. Denver)
The Fire are almost certainly going to give DeShone Kizer another start. They need to decide if his mid-season issues were a sign that he just needs more development, or that he may just not have “it”, whatever “it” is. We also expect that they won’t risk Nick Chubb’s legs in this one, again, good news for their opponent, as Denver can lock up the 4-seed and guarantee themselves a home playoff game with a win in the finale.
ST. LOUIS (v. Pittsburgh)
Last year it was all about testing out Lamar Jackson. This year that is not needed, and the Skyhawks would be better served to keep him, and some of their other key contributors off the field. Let the backups have a game. We expect Pittsburgh will do the same, though they might keep Jarvis Landry in the game, so he has a shot at a Top 5 finish in the receiver rankings.
OKLAHOMA (@ Michigan)
A win and Michigan is the 1-seed. Will Oklahoma try to stop that, or do they just want to look at some roster depth? Our educated guess is that Lynch is out, and Flacco gives way to Mason Rudolph because the Outlaws need to know if Rudolph can take over next year if the San Antonio Gunslingers opt to pull Flacco away in their targeted draft of Oklahoma players. That seems a shrewd strategy, because if Rudolph is not ready to take over next year, that would certainly impact the Outlaws’ offseason plans.
The Bandits have punched their ticket to the dance, and they are locked in as a 2-seed, with a bye week on the schedule. That is a huge upgrade from last season’s 3-13 final record, so all kudos to Coach Trestman and the Bandits. So, with 1 week left, 5 of 12 playoff spots are claimed. How does it all shake out for Week 16? Here is the rundown, only the facts , ma’am.
ALL LOCKED IN: Houston & Tampa Bay
Believe it or not, these two are the only clubs (aside from those already eliminated) who know exactly where they are headed in 2 weeks. Houston has the 1-seed all set in the East, and Tampa Bay secured the 2-seed this week, so both can rest easy and get ready for that sweet bye-week.
ALL ABOUT THE SEEDING: Michigan, Arizona, San Diego.
It is something of a chain reaction in the West. If Michigan wins, they have the 1-seed. If they lose, Arizona has a shot by beating Tampa Bay this week, though they would need to make sure that they have the margin of victory tiebreaker in hand, and that could be tough. But, if Arizona loses to the Bandits, well, then San Diego can jump from the 3 to the 2, and that gives them the bye. All three are locked in as division champs, but the prospect of home field advantage or a bye week could motivate all three to put in some effort this week.
CAN SECURE A HOME PLAYOFF GAME WITH A WIN: Philadelphia, New Orleans, Denver.
None of these three are locked into a playoff berth yet, and a loss could knock any one of them out (with the right combination of other results),but, on the positive side, all three can not only lock in a playoff berth, but a home playoff game as either the 3 seed (Philadelphia) or the 4 (New Orleans and Denver) with a win this weekend. That is huge for all three, so expect them to come out swinging.
CONTROL THEIR DESTINY: Baltimore, Orlando, Seattle, Los Angeles
A win and they are in the postseason, with seeding a possible mess of variables. But, at the very least they can ignore the scoreboard and focus on getting the job done. With any luck, Baltimore could even be a 3-seed and get a home game. Seattle could possibly land the 4 seed if Denver falls, so there is some mobility there, but only if they win, because a loss could see them playing golf next weekend.
NEED HELP: New Jersey, Memphis, Birmingham, Chicago, Oakland, Las Vegas
None of these teams can get into the playoffs if the clubs in the two categories we just laid out all get wins. That is as basic as we can put it. New Jersey and Chicago have the best shot; they just need one of the other 8-7 teams to drop their finale and then they have a chance. The others need some pretty complicated combinations of results to move up the list and sneak into the 6 slot. They have hope, but there will be a lot of scoreboard watching for fans of these teams.
It is so rough when a player gets injured right as the season is either winding down or ramping up for the postseason, and that is exactly what we got this week with 5 more players added to the IR. For most, it means a fall focused on either surgery rehab or PT. For at least one, Philadelphia’s Anthony Hargrove, it could mean missing out on a playoff run, which no player wants to watch from home, especially after putting in over 4 months of camp, training, and grinding regular season action.
OUT
LB Brian Orakpo PIT Broken Leg IR
OG Keleche Osamele STL ACL IR
FS Jamal Adams DAL Ankle IR
OG Andy Alleman WSH ACL IR
DE Anthony Hargrove PHI Torn Quad IR
HB James Wilder Jr LV Knee 1-2 Weeks
DOUBTFUL
WR Keenan Allen WSH Back
CB Brandon Boykin WSH Neck
DE Ifeadi Odenigbo CHI Hamstring
WR Keke Coutee HOU Concussion
QUESTIONABLE
OG Mitch Petrus OHI Ankle
SS Duke Williams SD Eye
OG Michael Jordan ATL Toe
Newton Leads Tsunami of Deals
With the end of the regular season only a few days away, teams and agents have gotten serious about extending contracts or creating new deals to keep core players in the final days of their current deals in house. The flurry of announced deals this week included several potential All-USFL candidates, and ended the question of whether or not the Birmingham Stallions would move on from QB Cam Newton, removing one of the bigger name quarterbacks from the potential free agent pool this offseason.
Cam Newton and the Stallions agreed to a new 3-year deal that would increase Newton’s current deal by roughly $2M per season while ensuring that Todd Haley’s new offensive scheme will have a chance to play out over a full season. And while Newton was perhaps the biggest name among the players inked this week, he was at the helm of a pretty large pool of talent that will no longer be available to teams when the 2019-2020 free agent market opens 4 days after the conclusion of the season at Summer Bowl 2019. And for those hoping their team might find a new option at QB this offseason, there is still a pretty sizeable pool, though perhaps not one filled with “franchise” players, as their rarely is. Still unsigned for next year we have Seattle’s Jacoby Brissett, San Diego’s Joe Webb, Philadelphia’s Matt Gutierrez, Tim Tebow in Orlando, Charlotte’s Tyler Thigpen, and Birmingham backup E. J. Manuel.
Beyond the QB group, other names of note who were extended or who signed onto a new deal with their current team include several star cornerbacks, including Chicago’s Josh Norman, Tampa’s Jalen Ramsey, and current INT leader, Houston’s Leodis McKelvin. Linebackers Bobby Wagner and Luke Kuechley both added 3 years to their current deals with Oakland and Atlanta respectively. Charlotte and St. Louis both locked in a key piece on their O-lines, with center Mike Pouncey and LT Brian Bulaga both signing new deals. And while there was not a huge wave of "skill” player signings, three of note include Arizona HB KaDeem Carey, and WRs Cody Latimer in Michigan and Alshon Jeffery in Portland.
New England Taps Former Cannon Coach John Fox
A week before Black Monday and one coaching position is off the board and one candidate no longer available. The expansion New England Steamrollers have found their man in former Boston Cannon head coach John Fox. Fox is, of course, familiar to fans in the region after helming the Cannons during their relocation from Atlanta, their rise in the NE Division and their 2009 Summer Bowl title run. Fox stayed with the club stayed with the club through 2012, when he was let go following a 2 year run that saw Boston win only 4 games in total. He would then go on to lead the Orlando Renegades from 2013 through last season, hired almost immediately after Boston cut him loose. In Orlando, Fox had an overall record of 47-49, taking the Renegades to the playoffs in 2015 and 2016 as a Wild Card, but was never able to get over the hump and win the division.
Despite the rough end of his tenure with Boston, Fox is still seen as a strong team builder, and is still celebrated for the 2009 USFL title, Boston’s lone title in either the NFL or USFL in more than 60 years of professional football in the city. He comes to the Steamrollers once again to build a franchise, much as he did when he took over a flailing Atlanta Fire on the verge of relocation. This time, the veteran coach of 17 USFL seasons will have to start from scratch, without a single player already signed to the franchise he and his GM will have a wide open field from which to build a roster, primarily through September’s Expansion Draft, along with free agency, potential NFL signings, and January’s Territorial and Open Collegiate Draft. It is assumed that with the restructuring of the T-Draft pool, New England will have Boston College among its protected schools, though the other two options may well be from outside the region due to the lack of power schools in the Northeast.
San Antonio Eyeing Offensive-minded HC
With the announcement that the Steamrollers have hired their inaugural head coach, all eyes now turn to San Antonio to see if the other 2020 expansion team will also quickly jump on a candidate. The Gunslingers have not made a lot of news on the coaching front, focusing first on the personnel team as well as other franchise business functions, but what is known is that team CEO Red McCombs is looking to bring in a coach with offensive expertise. That is a pretty broad qualification, so it is not known if McCombs is focusing on coaches with prior Head Coach experience or potentially one of the prominent Offensive Coordinators from across the USFL. What is expected is that the first coach of the Gunslingers will have USFL experience and may come from the active coaching ranks of the league, because at this time of the calendar year, few NFL options exist. While we often see both USFL players and coaches leave for the NFL in the September window, it is not until the second USFL-NFL Transfer Window in February where we see much movement from the fall league to the USFL.
Early feelers seem to point to a current OC position, and for that the Gunslingers will have several strong options just by looking at the top of the offensive stat categories. While Tampa Bay’s offensive explosion is impressive, most believe it is HC Mark Trestman pulling those strings, so snagging their OC (more of an offensive assistant) seems unlikely, but that is not the case with teams like Arizona, Michigan, Houston, or San Diego, all of whom have OCs who could be of interest to the Gunslingers. McCombs could also be looking at offensive-minded head coaches who recently were “relieved” of their positions, names like former Portland HC Pep Hamilton, former Atlanta HC Tom Ramsey, or even former Outlaws Head Coach Greg Landry, though we expect that Landry’s inability to get the Texas Outlaws, San Antonio’s prior club, to a league title in his 9-year tenure likely does not make him a popular choice among the current candidates.
Expect the Gunslingers to wait just a bit longer, hoping to speak with coaches currently occupied by the 2019 USFL season and postseason, but to make a decision quickly after the conclusion of the Summer Bowl if not sooner. With Free Agency starting up only days after Summer Bowl 2019, there is no time to lose as the Gunslingers start to build their franchise.
Here is your Week 16 lineup of games. As always, the USFL has flexed several games, removed the Friday night lineup, and shifted around the schedule to align as many games with competing playoff implications to the same timeslot as they can. Problem is, with so many teams in play, and so many playoff spots up for grabs, there is no way to put everyone who is competing for a slot in the same time as everyone else. So, for example, Arizona will play at the same time as Michigan, which could impact the 1-seed in the West, but San Diego plays the next day, and they will already know if they have a shot at the 2-seed (if Arizona loses) or if they can rest players and sit back with the 3 locked up. That same situation is up and down the schedule as we just have too many teams vying for Wild Cards to have them all in simultaneous action. The one game that could be a true Play-In game is the Orlando-New Orleans matchup, which is why it was saved until Sunday Night. Now, it is also possible that by the time they both play they could both be in the Wild Card round, but even if that happens, the question of the 4-seed (a home game) could still be on the table. So, that one game is a bit of a stand-alone game, while for many other teams there will be one eye on the field and one on the scoreboard.
SAT. @ NOON Pittsburgh (6-9) @ St. Louis (6-9) ABC Regional
No playoff Implications
SAT. @ NOON Charlotte (6-8-1) @ Jacksonville (3-12) ABC Regional
No playoff implications
SAT. @ NOON Denver (9-6) @ Atlanta (4-10-1) FOX
Denver clinches 4th Seed in West with win.
SAT @ 4PM Las Vegas (7-8) @ Dallas (6-9) NBC
Vipers require a win + losses by LA, Chicago,
and Oakland for a Wild Card.
SAT @ 4PM Tampa Bay @ Arizona ABC
Bandits are locked into 2-seed in East
Arizona could earn 1-seed in West with win + MGN Loss
SAT @ 4PM Oklahoma (6-9) @ Michigan (13-2) FOX
No playoff implications. Michigan is locked into 1-seed in East.
SAT @ 8PM Baltimore (8-7) @ Chicago (8-7) ESPN/EFN
Baltimore earn Wild Card with win, Win division with win + PHI Loss
Chicago earn Wild Card with Win + loss by LA or SEA
SUN @ NOON Birmingham (7-8) @ New Jersey (8-7) NBC
Generals earn Wild Card with win + 2 losses between BAL, ORL, MEM.
Stallions require win + combination of losses (3% chance) for Wild Card
SUN @ NOON Philadelphia (8-7) @ Memphis (8-7) ABC
Stars win NE Division with win.
Memphis wins Wild Card berth with win + BAL or ORL loss.
SUN @ NOON Ohio (3-12) @ Washington (5-10) FOX
No Playoff Implications
SUN @ 4PM Los Angeles (8-7) @ San Diego (11-4) ABC
Express earn Wild Card with win.
San Diego can earn 2-seed with win + large loss by ARZ.
SUN @ 4PM Seattle (8-7) @ Portland (4-11) FOX Regional
Dragons earn Wild Card with win.
SUN @ 4PM Oakland (7-8) @ Houston (11-4) FOX Regional
Oakland earn Wild Card with win and 2 losses between SEA/LA/CHI.
SUN @ 8PM Orlando (8-7) @ New Orleans (9-6) ESPN/EFN
Renegades earn 4-seed with win + BAL loss
Breakers earn 4-seed with win
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