2019 USFL Week 3 Recap: Rollin' Towards 2020
- USFL LIVES
- 6 hours ago
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A big week for the USFL as the league reveals the second 2020 expansion team, a return to a familiar setting, while also announcing the 2019 Hall of Fame semi-finalists. It was also a big week on the field as the number of unbeatens drops to 2. Charlotte, Houston, Memphis, and San Diego all fell from the ranks of the unbeaten, leaving only Arizona and Michigan unblemished. We also a pair of 0-2 teams notch their first wins as both Portland and Orlando got upset wins to move to 1-2. It was a week that saw backup QB Deshone Kizer rip the Tampa Bay Bandit defense apart, Darrius Heyward-Bey propel Baltimore into first place, Calais Campbell notch another 3-sack game, and several pick-sixes impact games. We start with the expansion news, but we will cover all the Week 3 action, and take along at the 10 men in the hunt for 5 Hall of Fame positions.
Boston is Back as New England Steamrollers Announced as USFL’s 30th Team
“Go You Rollahs!” is the catchphrase already being sold on t-shirts as fans of USFL football in the Boston area, and throughout New England celebrate the announcement that the 30th franchise to join the spring football league will be housed at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts, the third USFL team to call the Boston area home, and the first to play in an NFL stadium.
The announcement came this Monday at a pomp-filled ceremony at Boston’s famed Hynes Convention Center. A who’s who of Beantown legends were there, from the current Governor, Charlie Baker, and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh to local football legends Doug Flutie, Steve Grogan, and Tiki Barber, pro basketball star Larry Bird, Red Sox fan favorite David Ortiz, and local celebrities Mark Wahlberg, and even Captain America himself, Chris Evans. But no one was more celebrated than new team owners Robert Hale Jr. and Bill Alfond, who will serve as CEO of the newest USFL club.
The new owners, surrounded by the dignitaries and Boston celebrities made the announcement that their expansion bid was named the winning bid and that, beginning in March of 2020, USFL football would be played at Gillette Stadium. The announcement included the reveal of the team’s inaugural uniforms (on mannikins only, as no players have yet signed to play for the new club) and the grassroots slogan of “Go you Rollahs” (spelled as Bostonians would say it, of course), a slogan which came from a fan group and has been adopted by the club. The two co-owners and founders of the New England Football Group declared that they hoped that the Steamrollers would be a team that the entire region would be proud of, a statement some interpreted as a dig against the NFL Patriots who have struggled for relevance in the local sports market, or at Patriots’ owner Robert Kraft, currently embroiled in a sex scandal involving a Florida massage parlor. But, for most the reference was an invitation for Mainers, Vermonters, New Hampshirites, Rhode Islanders and Nutmeggers (as apparently folks from Connecticut are called, who knew?) to join the Roller Nation and come out to games next spring.
The team will now begin the tough tasks of setting up a new franchise, from picking a team office, staffing and hires up and down the organization, scouting for both the 2020 USFL Draft and the expansion draft that will largely stock both the Steamrollers and the San Antonio Gunslingers. It has been confirmed that New England will be joining the Northeastern Division, displacing Pittsburgh, who will return to the Central Division and their rivalry with the Ohio Glory. So, New Englanders can anticipate visits from New Jersey, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington among their 8 home games in 2020. The schedule, of course, will not be revealed until the fall, the roster not defined until February, but the fans don’t need to wait. The team hopes to have merchandise ready as soon as next month, and season tickets will go on sale in September.
For Indianapolis and the Twin Ciites, as it was for the other 4 bid groups that did not get this far, it is a bitter day, filled with disappointment that their city would not get a chance to host year-round football. Owners from the two groups released statements of congratulations to the NEFG investors, and words of thanks to their communities for supporting their bids, but it was known from the beginning that only 1 city and 1 bidding group would get the 30th USFL club, and in the end the size, population, economic strength, and stadium option for the New England Steamrollers was simply viewed by the 28 league owners as the optimal path forwards. And so, for the third time in league history, following the 1983-1985 Breakers and 2002-2012 Cannons, the city of Boston and the region of New England will be part of the USFL family.
ATLANTA FIRE 47 TAMPA BAY BANDITS 41 OVERTIME
This was not the way Bandit fans saw their week 3 matchup with the winless Atlanta Fire going. Atlanta was limping in, having come up short against both Jacksonville and Las Vegas, and forced into starting untested Deshone Kizer at QB after Aaron Murray’s Week 2 arm fracture. This was going to be Tampa’s shot at starting the year 2-1, and maybe, just maybe, a kick start to a season defined not by their shaky defense but by their explosive offense.
Well, the Tampa Bay offense was certainly explosive, with a 105-yard kickoff return by rookie Deebo Samuel, TD runs from Dalvin Cook and David Wilson, and TD catches from Dez Bryant and Jordan Cameron, but it was also a game that saw Dak Prescott exit early, replaced by B. J. Daniels, and a game that saw the suspect Bandit defense look a lot worse than suspect. Despite getting 5 sacks of Kizer, the Bandit defense just could not contain the 2nd year QB. Kizer would complete 32 of 52 passing, rack up 328 yards and 4 touchdowns against the Bandits. He got help, of course, with Roy Williams catching 5 for 110 and 2 scores, Kelvin Benjamin adding 8 receptions, 69 yards and a score, and TE O. J. Howard adding a TD as well.
In a game that ended up tied at 41 in regulation, both teams had their moments. There were 3 unusual scores in the game, with Samuel’s long kickoff return, but also two pick-sixes for the Fire, with both Darius Slay and Earl Thomas returning poor throws for scores, both truly poor decisions by Dak Prescott. We also saw some consistent offense from both teams, with the two combining for over 800 yards of offense and 35 first downs. The Bandits did a bit more on the ground, with Cook rushing for 98 yards on 20 carries, but Atlanta also got some good play out of Nick Chubb and Kenyan Drake, combining for 76 yards. But it was the passing game of Atlanta, something few expected to be a major factor, that got them their first win.
The two teams traded scores for most of the game, With Tampa Bay building up a 17-10 halftime lead, but Atlanta responded in the 3rd with Roy Williams evening the score with a 34-yard catch and run. That play was followed almost immediately by Dak Prescott’s first of two picks, a late throw over the middle that allowed CB Darius Slay to step in front of the ball and then return it 35 yards for an Atlanta lead. On the very next possession Earl Thomas tipped, caught, and ran back another Prescott throw for a 66-yard pick-six and suddenly Atlanta was up 14, a 21-point turnaround.
The Bandits fought back, helped by the Samuel kickoff return, and when Harrison Butker hit on a 51-yard kick to tie the game at 41, it looked like anyone’s game to win. But, that was not the case. Atlanta won the toss, ground out 2 first downs, and then found the coverage they wanted. Kizer rolled out on a 2nd and 3, and there was Roy Williams a yard past the coverage and racing down the sideline. Kizer hit his receiver in stride and Williams cruised in for the game winner. A huge sigh of relief for Coach Arians and the Fire, a huge letdown for the Bandits and their fans at Raymond James, as they now find themselves sitting at 1-2 and tied with both Atlanta and Orlando, all three a game back of the Monarchs and Bulls.
NEW JERSEY 30 OHIO 27 OVERTIME
It took overtime but the New Jersey Generals notch their first win by knocking off the Ohio Glory in Columbus. Nick Foles threw for 2 scores and moved the Generals into range for Ka’imi Fairbairn to give the Generals the much-needed win. Ohio got 101 on the ground from Isaiah Pead, but the defense could not hold New Jersey down at the end of regulation, giving up a game-tying touchdown and then a game-winning drive in overtime.
POTG: New Jersey safety Quinton Carter: 1 Tck, 1 Int ,1 Def TD
LAS VEGAS 10 ORLANDO 24
Orlando gives up 318 yards passing to Matt McGloin but also picks off the Viper QB twice on their way to a solid 14-point victory. The Renegades got TDs on a Russell Wilson 32-yard scramble and TD runs from both Rashad Jennings and Knile Davis as they racked up 128 yards on the ground while the D held Las Vegas to only 3 points over the game’s final 3 quarters.
POTG: Renegade DE Arthur Moats: 4 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 FF, 1 FR
BIRMINGHAM 27 CHARLOTTE 23
Cam Newton had one of those Cam Newton games that frustrate defensive coordinators so, throwing for 236 and rushing for 90 as Birmingham edged Charlotte to move to 2-1. Newton scored on the ground as well, while Birmingham also got a TD from HB Kerryon Johnson and a pick-six from LB Reuben Foster to knock off the homestanding Monarchs, who started Tyler Thigpen for the injured Mitch Trubisky.
POTG: Stallion LB Reuben Foster: 7 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 Int, 1Def TD
BALTIMORE 23 WASHINGTON 13
The Blitz get 13 points in the 4th quarter to take over the rivalry match between them and the Federals. Darius Heyward-Bey scored his 2nd TD on the day to kick off the Baltimore run, finishing the game with 121 yards and 2 scores. Without Anthony Allen the Washington offense struggled, rushing for only 27 total yards and forcing Ryan Nassib into far too many third and long situations.
POTG: Blitz WR Darius Heyward-Bey: 6 Rec, 121 Yds, 2 TD
ST. LOUIS 14 CHICAGO 34
The Machine picked off Lamar Jackson 4 times, producing 21 points off turnovers, more than enough to down the Skyhawks. Forte & Hill combined for 98 yards rushing and Sam Bradford returned to action and threw 2 touchdowns for Chicago, while St. Louis kept shooting themselves in the foot, with those 4 picks, but also 12 penalties for 120 yards.
POTG: Chiago SS Lano Hill: 1 Tck, 3 PDef, 2 Int
JACKSONVILLE 25 OKLAHOMA 10
Another solid game from the Bulls as the defense holds the Outlaws to only 3 points until the final 2 minutes of action. David Akers was kept busy, putting up 6 field goals, which, paired with a Dominique Rogers-Cromartie pick-six were all the points the Bulls needed.
POTG: Bulls’ kicker David Akers: 6 for 6 on Field Goals.
MEMPHIS 12 PITTSBURGH 23
The Maulers move to 2-1 by knocking off the previously unbeaten Showboats. They too got a pick-six, this one coming from Rasul Douglas with only 2:13 in the game to lock it away for the homestanding Maulers. Lynch, who was also sacked 4 times and completed only 23 of 49 throws, struggled against an aggressive Mauler pass rush.
POTG: Mauler CB Rasul Douglas: 8 Tck, 4 PDef, 1 Int, 1 Def TD
DENVER 20 ARIZONA 27
The Gold put up a good fight, outgaining Arizona 370-306, but a late TD from Carr to Cruz was enough for the Wranglers to stay unbeaten. Carr had 3 TDs on the day, including 2 to Cruz, while Josh Allen threw for 306 with a TD, but also was sacked 3 times by Calais Campbell, one producing a fumble deep in Denver territory. Neither team could get much on the ground, with the leading rusher being DeMarco Murray with only 51 yards on 14 attempts.
POTG: Arizona DE Calais Campbell; 6 Tck, 3 Sck, 1 FF, 1 FR
NEW ORLEANS 12 PHILADELPHIA 6
A defensive slugfest between the Breakers and Stars, with both teams held under 250 total yards. The difference was Caleb Sturgis, hitting on two long field goals to give New Orleans the win in a game that saw no touchdowns. Surprisingly, with the score this low, there were no turnovers and only 7 total penalties.
POTG: New Orleans LB Tim Williams: 9 Tck, 2 TFL, 1 PDef
OAKLAND 20 SEATTLE 6
A rough day for Jacoby Brissett as the Invader D keyed on him, recording 2 picks and 7 sacks. Jimmy Garoppolo fared better, throwing for 198 yards and a TD. The Seattle defense focused on Christian McCaffrey, holding the Invader back to only 22 yards rushing and 3 receptions, but the Dragons simply could not do anything on offense, with Knowshon Moreno averaging only 1.3 yards per carry.
POTG: Oakland LB Shaq Barrett: 6 Tck, 3 Sck, 1 FF
MICHIGAN 20 DALLAS 3
Dallas may have outgained Michigan (314-301), but this game was another dominant performance from the Michigan defense, holding the unbeaten Roughnecks out of scoring position for nearly the entire game. Kirk Cousins found Antonio Bryant, the former Wrangler, for both Panther touchdowns, and the defense did the rest as Michigan remains unbeaten at 3-0.
POTG: Michigan QB Kirk Cousins: 19/26, 201 Yds, 2 TD, 0 Int
HOUSTON 28 PORTLAND 31
A huge shocker as Marcus Mariota went out early in the 2nd with Portland down 14-7, only for backup Kyle Lauletta to lead Portland to victory with a TD pass to Jordan Shipley with only 20 seconds left to play. Colt McCoy threw for 378 and 3 scores, but the numbers were hollow after the Stags got the W in the final seconds. It was the run game that kept Portland in it, with both Doug Martin (100) and Ben Tate (107) each going over the century mark in the game.
POTG: Portland HB Ben Tate: 12 Att, 107 Yds, 1 TD
SAN DIEGO 13 LOS ANGELES 14
The Express were home underdogs against San Diego but come up big as Kyler Murray throws TDs to both Demaryius Thomas and Nelson Agholor to shock the Thunder. The LA defense did their job as well, limiting the Thunder to only 7 first downs and 219 total yards in the game. Reggie Bush was LA’s primary weapon, rushing for 130 yards and averaging 6.8 YPC to help power LA to a 2-1 record.
POTG: Express HB Reggie Bush: 19 Att, 130 Yds
Mariota Lost for 8-12 Weeks, but Lauletta Gets Big Upset Win
It was exactly the kind of injury that you just know is bad as soon as it happens. Marcus Mariota was rolling to his right, never saw the linebacker coming in, and took a shot right on his left knee. He would not get up, not on his own. The leg had bent inwards in a way that everyone could tell was a sign of ligament damage, and, sure enough, by Monday it had been revealed that the Portland QB had suffered a PCL tear. Not quite as devastating as the ACL, but the kind of injury that would rule out Mariota for the rest of the season.
So, in came Kyle Lauletta, the Richmond Spider drafted in 2018 by the Stags before Mariota had a very solid season. Brought in to challenge Mariota, Lauletta now looks to be his replacement for 2019. And while no one expects that the inexperienced QB can replicate what we saw from backups Ryan Nassib and Matt McGloin last season, what we saw in his first game action was pretty darn good. Lauletta came in with Portland trailing the defending league champions 21-14. He would lead them to a 31-28 victory, connecting with Jordan Shipley at the end of a frantic 2-minute drill that produced the game winner with only 20 ticks left on the clock. Not a bad start at all.
So, Lauletta, who appeared in 4 games in his rookie season, throwing for 765 yards, 6 TDs and 6 picks, will almost certainly inherit the starting job for the Stags as a sophomore. He will be backed up by Kellen Clemons and the just-signed veteran of both Ohio and Philly, Tony Pike. Mariota, after putting up his best season in 2018, will now miss his 5th USFL season after playing in only 2 and a half games and throwing for 447 yards.
Shaq for the Sack as Oakland Rolls
We said before the season that the signing of Shaq Barrett from the NFL could be a coup for the Oakland Invaders, especially because he would be lined up right next to 2018 Defensive Player of the Year Bobby Wagner. Three games into 2019, that seems to be a pretty good prediction. Barrett was all over the place this week as Oakland turned away the Seattle Dragons 20-6. The former NFL backer, who is currently 3rd on the Invaders with 18 tackles, had 6 in the Seattle, game, but also added 3 sacks, his first of the season for Oakland, and added a forced fumble as well.
Barrett, Wagner and the Oakland D currently sits in second for scoring, allowing only 6 points to the Dragons after having shut out the LA Express in Week 1. They had issues in Week 2 against the Breakers, losing 33 -27, but bounced back well with a solid defensive game plan for the Dragons. This week they travel to Ohio, where Christian Hackenberg will have to worry about both Wagner and Barrett, a dynamic duo for the Invaders.
Campbell Right Back Where He Belongs
When we say Campbell is back where he belongs, we don’t mean Glendale, Arizona, we mean atop the league’s Sack Leaderboard. With a second straight 3-sack performance, the undisputed King of the Hill is once again sitting at the peak of the game. He benefits from a strong defensive team around him, led by LB A. J. Klien and CB Joe Haden, but it is clear that the big man is fully capable of being a one-man demolition team all on his own.
While Denver did what they could to protect 2nd year QB Josh Allen, and the big QB had a few quality escapes, using his legs to get out of a crumbling pocket, Campbell still found him three times, helping Arizona hold off the plucky Gold squad to take the home win 27-20. Campbell is smiling on the sideline, chumming around with fellow defenders, and still very much keeping offensive coordinators from getting much sleep. Next up for Campbell, a home game against another division foe as Dallas comes to town this week. All apologies to Josh Freeman, who is likely not loving that prospect.
Gutierrez Strugging as Stars Lose Third
All is not rosey in the City of Brotherly Love. The Stars are sitting at 0-3 after dropping a rough 12-6 game to New Orleans, a game that saw neither team able to cross into the endzone, with all 18 points coming off of a kicker’s foot. With that loss, Philadelphia has scored only 30 points in 3 games, a pretty easy average to figure out of only 10 points per game. They currently rank dead last in scoring and yards, with the 24th best passing attack and 26th in rushing, despite having a healthy Dereck Thomas.
There is lots of blame to go around, from poor line play to predictable play calling, but the man taking the most heat is QB Matt Gutierrez. The 13-year vet, who became the Stars’ starter way back in 2012, has had up years and down years, but so far in 2019, it is looking like a truly poor start. After 3 games, Gutierrez has twice as many picks than touchdowns (6 to 3), has completed only 51.5% of his passes, and sits dead last among QBs with at least 50 attempts, with a QB rating of 50.9. That is the kind of start that would get a less-established QB happy feet and a coach a quick hook. And while Coach Harbaugh still expresses confidence in his QB, the reality may be that he does not see another good option. Philadelphia’s two backups are 3rd year backup P. J. Walker, who has thrown a grand total of 36 passes in his USFL career (nearly all in an end of season mop-up game last June) and rookie Trace McSorley, a Penn State product that has only taken a few snaps late in a preseason game.
So, for now, Harbaugh sticks with Gutierrez, but after dropping from 13-3 in 2017 to a surprising 7-9 last year, how long can the Coach stick with his man? What if, as many calling in to local sports radio were saying, Gutierrez has hit the dreaded QB cliff, that point where their bodies simply stop providing the QB with the tools, reflexes, and instinctual movements that make them successful?
Another long injury report this week, including several players placed on IR. That group includes Mariota, but also Breaker DT Justin Ellis and Orlando wideout Jeremy Maclin. Several other significant injuries will impact their teams, including the loss of Von Miller from the Gold for potentially a month or longer. St. Louis loses its young LB Roquon Smith to a hamstring, but perhaps for only a week or two. Among the Doubtfuls and Questionables we have two huge targets for Charlotte QB Mitch Trubisky, with both Blackmon and Pettigrew potentially out this week. New Jersey looks to be without two key players as well, with both MJD and CB Devin McCourty likely to miss action this week.
OUT
DT Justin Ellis NOR PCL IR
QB Marcus Mariota POR PCL IR
WR Jeremy Maclin ORL Back IR
DE Shane Ray STL Foot 8-12 Weeks
SS Will Harris NOR MCL 8-12 Weeks
CB Trumaine McBride TBY Back 4-6 Weeks
DE Von Miller DEN Ankle 2-4 Weeks
OT Jamarco Jones LV Jaw 1-2 Weeks
LB Roquon Smith STL Hamstring 1-2 Weeks
TE Gavin Escobar JAX Collarbone 1-2 Weeks
FS Ha Ha Clinton-Dix PHI Ribs 1-2 Weeks
DOUBTFUL
CB Jaquan Johnson MEM Hand
OT Greg Little OHI Finger
CB Devin McCourty NJ Miniscus
WR Cody Latimer MGN Eye
CB Dee Milliner ORL Concussion
HB Maurice Jones-Drew NJ Neck
QUESTIONABLE
WR Brian Hartline BAL Hand
WR Justin Blackmon CHA Hamstring
TE Brandon Pettigrew CHA Concussion
OT Marcus Gilbert NOR Ankle
DE Anthony Hargrove PHI Shoulder
OG Jahri Evans MEM Knee
Hall of Fame Semifinalists Revealed
As has become something of an early April tradition, the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, and the USFL have announced the slate of semi-finalists for this October’s Class of 2019, ten former USFL players or coaches to be considered for the five available slots for induction. The 2019 group contains 7 new nominees in their first year of eligibility, players who retired from the game after the 2014 season, the largest contingent of first-year nominees in the past 5 years. It is a group that contains several legitimate “first ballot” nominees, and we know that with 5 spots on the line, no fewer than 2 first year nominees will make the roster of 2019 enshrinees, though it could certainly be more. Here, without further ado, is the USFL Hall of Fame semifinalist list for the Class of 2019.
QB Jake Plummer (ARZ 97-08, LV 09-14)
Plummer has to be considered the surest bet to be a first ballot nominee. The former Wrangler and Las Vegas Thunder quarterback was a 10-time All-USFL player, threw for nearly 60,000 yards (59,759 to be exact), with a stunning 470 touchdowns (65 rushing touchdowns) and a lifetime QB Rating of 92.6. Plummer was a dual-threat QB in a time when those were far more rare than today, rushing for over 3,500 yards in his career, including some absolutely stunning long TD runs. He never won a title, but seems absolutely destined to garner this honor and it’s famous gold jacket.
QB Duante Culpepper (TBY 04-14)
A second QB in the group, and one who was able to put a ring on his finger as the leader of the Bandit offense that helped Tampa Bay earn a league title in 2011. Culpepper was the playoff and Summer Bowl MVP that season. A 4-time All-USFL awardee, Culpepper played his entire USFL career with the Bandits, throwing for 36,966 yards, 259 TDs to 124 picks, and retired with a 93.1 QB rating. The former Bandit may have a hard time cracking the Hall in his first year primarily because of the sentiment behind Jake Plummer’s nomination.
DE Anthony Weaver (CHI 02-14)
An 8-time All-USFL player and one of the most well-rounded defensive ends of his day, Weaver was Chicago’s “Sackmaster” for over a decade, racking up 199 career sacks, but he was also a very solid D-lineman against the run, with over 530 tackles in his career, including 84 tackles for loss. He retired in 2014 having recorded 7 safeties in his career, along with 26 forced fumbles. Weaver did not win a title with the up-and-down Machine squads of the 2000’s but still holds the Machine record for sacks in a career and in a season.
LB Mike Vrabel (POR 97-99, JAX 00-14)
A consummate tackler, renown for his form and discipline, Mike Vrabel was an 11-time All-USFL player and last season joined Jacksonville’s Ring of Fame. He never won a title playing for the hard luck Bulls, but his numbers are undeniably outstanding: 1,882 career tackles, including 153 behind the line of scrimmage, 49 sacks, 10 interceptions, 72 forced fumbles and 23 fumble recoveries. Vrabel seems very much prepped to be a first ballot nominee as well.
LB James Farrior (BAL 02-09, HOU 10-14)
A 7-time All-USFL player at linebacker, Farrior’s numbers are solid as well, but it is his leadership and the quality of the Houston defenses that he captained that likely will get him into the Hall. Not that his numbers are bad: 1,359 career tackles, including 184 for a loss, 62 sacks and 9 forced fumbles. But, fans of the game view Farrior as a thinking-man’s MLB, guiding both the Baltimore and the Houston defense and helping the Gamblers stay in the hunt nearly every year, winning a championship ring in 2010 with Houston.
CB Quentin Jammer (TEX 02-03, PHI 04-13, BIR 14)
One of the premier “shut down” corners of this generation, “Jammer” was a perfect name for the way Quentin played the game. He could take on receivers on the line, or block them out down the field. In his 13 USFL seasons, Jammer accumulated 32 picks, but it is his 343 Passes defended, a huge number, along with 1,040 tackles and 24 forced fumbles that stand out most. Jammer retired after a lone season in Birmingham, having played 10 years in Philadelphia and 2 in Texas, as a 5-time All-USFL nominee.
FS Ed Reed (WSH 02-14)
The man you did not want to meet over the middle of the field, Ed Reed was known for his knock-down hits, as well as his savvy positioning in the defensive backfield. One of the premier safeties in USFL history, Ed Reed was only a 4-time All-USFL nominee, which stunned us when we discovered that. In 13 seasons in Washington, he was a force over the middle, racking up 562 tackles, 27 sacks, and 35 interceptions, but numbers do not tell the whole story. We often look at the MLB position as the QB of the defense, but when Ed Reed was on the field it was like having a QB and a Defensive Coordinator in the defensive huddle.
HB Willis McGahee (TBY 03-13)
The first of the three returning nominees in this year’s semifinalist cohort, McGahee played 9 seasons with the Tampa Bay Bandits, helping them achieve a league title in 2011, and winning the Offensive Player of the Year in 2012. Despite only being nominated to 1 All-USFL team, McGahee has very strong career numbers with 12,138 yards rushing, 97 career touchdowns and nearly 2,000 yards as a receiver.
WR Peerless Price (DEN 99-13)
Perhaps the best in a long line of Denver Gold “Possession” receivers (Golden Tate being the latest), Peerless Price was a bit more of a speed guy early in his Gold career, but worked on his craft over 14 seasons, becoming a deadly route runner in his later years. He retired in 2013 with over 1,200 receptions, 14,495 yards, and 80 career touchdowns. He was nominated as an All-USFL receiver three times.
HB Antowain Smith (LA 97-02, JAX 03-09, STL 10-12)
A sentimental choice in his 3rd year of eligibility, especially for fans in St. Louis, Smith racked up 15,925 rushing yards in his 16 years on the field, an eternity for a back. He contributed 126 career touchdowns to his three teams, and saved the best for last, winning a title with the Skyhawks in his final season in 2012.
Five of these nominees will join the Legacy Committee’s nominee for a pre-2010 retiree as the six new members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame this October. If we had to lay odds, our bullpen believes that Plummer and Vrabel are practically locks, followed by Ed Reed, James Farrior and then it gets a bit murkier. Would the voters give all 5 spots to first-year candidates by selecting Daunte Culpepper or Anthony Weaver? Or do they look at McGahee or Price and say that it is their turn? We will find out in just about 10 weeks as we await the official announcement of the Class of 2019.
You can almost smell the desperation in the air as three USFL clubs remain winless heading into Week 4, including one of our Friday night combatants. It will be the winless Washington Federals heading to New Jersey to face the Generals that kicks off Week 4 of the USFL schedule. New Jersey got their first win this past week and look to hit .500 with another, but the Feds have absolutely no interest in dropping to 0-4, so you know they will be up for this one.
Saturday sees another winless club trying to get that first notch in the win column, as Oklahoma will get a chance to earn that W at home as they host the Denver Gold in a divisional game they can ill afford to lose. Other key games on Saturday include Memphis at Orlando, Portland heading to unbeaten Michigan, and a really interesting matchup in the South on NBC as the Breakers and Stallions face off at Protective Stadium.
Our last winless team is on display this Sunday, when the 0-3 Stars host the Houston Gamblers. That seems almost unfair as the defending league champions will be a very tough opponent for Philadelphia, even at the Linc. Another game to catch in the Northeast is Baltimore at Pittsburgh, with both clubs sitting atop the division at 2-1 and hoping to get to 3-1 and a great first quarter of their season. Other games we don’t want to miss include Oakland at Ohio, Charlotte at Atlanta, and a very intriguing Southwest battle as Dallas at 2-1, having suffered their first loss this week to Michigan, head to Arizona to see how they match up with the unbeaten Wranglers.
Friday @ 7pm ET Washington (0-3) @ New Jersey (1-2) NBC
Friday @ 9:30pm ET Las Vegas (1-2) @ San Diego (2-1) FOX
Saturday @ 12pm ET Memphis (2-1) @ Orlando (1-2) ABC
Saturday @ 12pm ET Jacksonville (2-1) @ Tampa Bay (1-2) FOX
Saturday @ 4pm ET Denver (1-2) @ Oklahoma (0-3) ABC
Saturday @ 4pm ET Portland (1-2) @ Michigan (3-0) FOX
Saturday @ 7pm ET New Orleans (2-1) @ Birmingham (2-1) NBC
Saturday @ 9pm ET Seattle (1-2) @ Chicago (2-1) ESPN/EFN
Sunday @ 12pm ET Houston (2-1) @ Philadelphia (0-3) ABC
Sunday @ 12pm ET Baltimore (2-1) @ Pittsburgh (2-1) FOX Regional
Sunday @ 12pm ET Oakland (2-1) @ Ohio (1-2) FOX Regional
Sunday @ 4pm ET St. Louis (1-2) @ Los Angeles (2-1) ABC
Sunday @ 4pm ET Dallas (2-1) @ Arizona (3-0) FOX
Sunday @ 8pm ET Charlotte (2-1) @ Atlanta (1-2) ESPN/EFN
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