2019 USFL Week 4 Recap: 2 Unbeatens, Record Pace Performers, and Power Rankings.
- USFL LIVES
- 4 hours ago
- 31 min read
A good week for fans of down-to-the-wire football as we had several games with slim margins, from an overtime battle between the Breakers and Stallions to games decided by late scores in San Diego, Philadelphia, Tampa Bay, Ohio, Los Angeles, and Oklahoma, this was a week for edge-of-your-seat fandom. With the week’s results we are now sitting at 2 unbeatens (Arizona and Michigan) and only 1 winless club (Philadelphia) at the one-quarter mark of the season. We have some emerging stars, some surprising teams, and a pretty good first quarter for the 5 new coaches in the league. We will cover all the action of the week, give you some first quarter analysis, and take a look at our first Power Rankings of the season. It’s all happening now, so let’s get to it with our big story, two players on pace for record-breaking seasons.
Are several “Record Pace” First Quarters on Pace to Make History?
We don’t want to ruin this, and we know that pointing it out after only 4 weeks might jinx the whole idea, but we have some serious thoughts about record breaking seasons already in the USFL. We have seen this before, of course, and we know that there are times whereas the heat and humidity pick up in the summer, teams and players tend to melt a little, and what started as a potential record-breaking season turns into a very solid but just shy of record book season. But, this year, more than most in recent years, we are seeing several players who are legitimately ahead of the pace to set some major league records, and we thought we should point that out so you can follow their progress for the remaining 12 weeks.
LeVeon Bell, who, two seasons ago, set 2,000 yards as his target, challenging himself to not only break Herschell Walker’s 30+ year old record of 1,767 yards rushing, is well on his way perhaps not to 2,000, but to over 1,800 yards. Now we know that with Eric Dickerson setting the NFL record at 2,105 yards it seems odd that Walker’s record has held so long in the USFL, but we have to remember that the spring league has always been more pass-heavy than the NFL. Three yards and a cloud of dust has never been the USFL way, so it is not surprising that Walker’s 1,767 has held this long. Just look at the difference in rush attempts. The NFL practically has a player with 400+ attempts every year, and certainly 350+ from several players every season, while the USFL has only ever had one player in its 37 seasons cross the 400-yard plateau, Michael Turner with the 2008 Chicago Machine had 402. Even Walker, in his record-setting debut season only had 396.
LeVeon Bell, so far, has topped out at 377 attempts and 1,617 yards, but this season, in his first 4 games he has 458 yards, an average of 114.5 yards per game, and on pace for over 1,800 total. Can he sustain this all season? Will Coach McDermott let him? Those are two huge questions, but you know that Bell wants that record, and, if Michigan keeps winning by feeding their bell cow that ball, why would they stop. This could be a record Aready to break if Bell can stay healthy and keep grinding out those 100-yard games. Man, we hope we did not just double jinx him.
Bell is not the only player on pace for a major league record. Mike Evans may actually bust open an even bigger one. The Houston wideout has 512 yards in 4 games, and you can do the math. Multiply that by 4 and you get well over 2,000 yards. That has been a magical number that USFL receivers have had as a dream since the league began. All USFL fans know that Eric Truvillion remains the only player in either the USFL or NFL to top 1,900 yards, having done it 3 times (1985, ’86, and 92) with his 1986 total of 1,959 yards setting the USFL record. It was the pro football record until 2012 when NFL receiver Calvin “Megatron” Johnson topped him by 5 yards with a 1,964 yard season. But still, that 2,000 number would be momentous, and Evans is on an offense that will certainly not shy away from feeding him the ball.
If that were all we had, we would be very excited to follow Bell and Evans through the season, but we are only 4 games in and we already have a DB with 5 picks, meaning that in ¼ of a season he is halfway to tying the league record of 10 in a season. Charlotte Free Safety Tre Boston has those 5 picks, and he certainly has the talent to keep snapping up more. But, we have come so close so often, and it is so hard for a stat like this to be fed by the team, since it depends not on his own teammates so much as the other team’s actions. Can Boston break Elbert Shelley’s 1997 record as the only 10-pick season in league history? Can we see 11?
Oh, and lest we forget, Calais Campbell is still a monster, still destroying left tackles and terrifying QBs. He has 8 sacks in 4 games, which is a pace we have seen before. It would put him at 32 for the season, an insane number, but still 2 shy of his 2009 record of 34. Think about this though. Campbell remains the only player in league history to score 30 or more sacks in a season. He has done it 4 times, and his record is from 10 years ago. Could he bookend his career by tying or setting a new record in his 12th season? As if this legendary player needs anymore career highlights, could Campbell have two record-setting seasons a decade apart? Are you going to tell him he can’t? Sure, he is the nicest guy you would ever want to meet off the field, but he is an absolute force of nature between the white lines, and I, for one, am not going to bet against him.
Oh, and just to throw this out there, while at present there are no USFL QB’s on pace to cross the 5,000 yard marker this year, we do have 7 different QBs on pace to cross 4,000 yards, which would be the highest number to do so in one season in league history. It is no easy feat, but there are some great QBs on that list of 7, including league leader Dak Prescott, overdue MVP candidate Colt McCoy, 2-time MVP David Carr, two other former MVPs in Dallas’s Josh Freeman and Baltimore’s Ben Roethlisberger, along with 2018 breakout player Matt McGloin in Las Vegas and our early pick for the 2019 breakout player, strong armed Denver QB Josh Allen. We could legitimately see a league record for passing yards (by all QBs) and for the most 4,000-yard passers in one season.
That is a lot of records and a lot of excitement on the individual level. For all you fantasy players out there, we expect you are also very much on board with these record-pace performances, so let’s sit back and enjoy as the USFL continues to provide great sports entertainment and performances to amaze and delight us. (OK, call marketing, I think I just sold the USFL to America right there!)
DENVER GOLD 28 OKLAHOMA OUTLAWS 31
It may have been something of an undersold matchup between a 1-2 Denver squad and a winless 0-3 Oklahoma team, but this Southwestern Clash turned out to be one of the most entertaining games of the early 2019 season. The Outlaws could not let themselves fall to 0-4. Denver had a shot at getting to 2-2, so both teams were playing with a lot of passion. We also got to see a player who may be emerging as one of the stars of 2019, as Josh Allen threw for 4 touchdowns in a game that showed off a wide range of skills. We got to see Marshawn Lynch return to being the human battering ram we want him to be. We saw Oklahoma find some weapons in TE Mark Andrews and free agent acquisition Mark Clayton, and we saw a huge defensive play turn the tide.
The game started off with Josh Allen and the Gold offense picking apart an Oklahoma defense that has come under a lot of fire. It took the Gold barely more than 3 minutes to march down the field before Allen found Michael Crabtree on a nice 27-yard TD toss. It was a play that showed off Allen’s mobility and arm strength, as the big QB escaped the pocket, rolled to his right, and just as he headed out of bounds he launched the ball up the field to an open Michael Crabtree. It was a play that looked unlikely to work, but produced the first score of the game.
Oklahoma responded with a drive of their own, powered by a pair of solid Lynch runs, but also one in which Joe Flacco relied on his tight ends, completing 3 passes to the combo of Andrews and Thomas, with the latter catching the 3-yard TD that evened the score. Oklahoma would take their first lead 6 minutes later when Flacco again hit on a short TD toss, this time to former Showboat Mark Clayton. The back-and-forth continued with Allen guiding the Gold down the field for an equalizer, connecting with Golden Tate for the scoring play, but also getting a very nice 27-yard scamper from Phillip Lindsay on the drive.
This back and forth continued into the third quarter. Oklahoma got a go-ahead field goal just before the half, to go into the locker room up 17-14. They added another midway through the third to take a 6-point lead, but that was undone by an Allen to Tate TD toss, his second of three on the day as that combo has become red hot over the first three weeks of the season. Allen would return to Tate for a 3rd score midway through the 4th quarter, giving the Gold an 8-point lead with 6:47 to go, and with the Gold defense playing better in the 2nd half, it looked like Oklahoma may be in trouble.
But, after a nice punt from the Outlaws pinned the Gold back at their own 5, the play of the game helped Oklahoma reclaim momentum, even the score, and deflate the Gold. Unheralded defensive end Jordan Willis made the play of the game, chasing down a bootlegging Josh Allen, and clipping his arm just as the QB looked to dump the ball off. The ball fell from Allen’s hand rolling into the endzone, where Willis was able to fall on it for the fumble, recovery, and defensive TD combo. It was a play that caused OGE Energy Stadium to erupt, and when Joe Flacco hit Justin Hunter with the 2-point conversion pass, the game was tied and Oklahoma was feeling that their losing streak might just be ready to end.
The Oklahoma defense was energized, and with 3:18 left on the clock, they would not give Denver a chance to take back the lead. A near pick on 2nd down and a sack of Allen, the 4th on the day, on 3rd down forced the Denver punt. Joe Flacco would do the rest, hitting Dede Westbrook for a 20-yard gain on the first play of the ensuing drive, then connecting with Andrews for a first down on a key 3rd and 9, a play that put them in range for kicker Kai Forbath. Three plays later, after a shot at the endzone nearly produced a touchdown (Westbrook’s right foot hit the edge line and it was ruled incomplete), Forbath would come in and kick a 42-yarder to give Oklahoma the lead with only 12 seconds left.
The Outlaws and Gold both now sit at 1-3, but both see reasons to be hopeful for the rest of the season. Allen will recover from his costly fumble, and it seems clear that he is looking very much like a playmaker. Oklahoma seems to have finally found an offense that works for them, utilizing a 2WR-2TE-1HB formation to provide options for Joe Flacco and keep Marshawn Lynch as a power runner without sacrificing play action possibilities. Both defenses still have question marks, but this game showed that these two teams are capable of playing entertaining and winning football.
WASHINGTON 13 NEW JERSEY 6
The Federals notch their first W thanks to their defense, and, honestly, the absence of Maurice Jones-Drew from the New Jersey lineup. The Generals got only 38 yards rushing without MJD, and with Washington sending pressure (6 sacks of Nick Foles) the New Jersey offense was simply not able to get anything done. Washington did have Anthony Allen back and with 76 yards rushing he helped the Feds do just enough to get their first win.
POTG: Federals’ FS Adrian Amos: 3 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 Blk FG
LAS VEGAS 13 SAN DIEGO 16
Another low-scoring affair as the Vipers held San Diego to only 175 total yards and 8 first downs. But Las Vegas could only muster 252 total yards, and a paltry 31 total yards rushing. San Diego got one big play all game, a 17-yard TD from Ponder to Marques Colston, but that was enough to give them a 16-6 lead through 3 and ½ quarters, until a late Aaron Dobson TD catch got Las Vegas within 3, but that was as close as they would get.
POTG: San Diego DE Kony Ealy: 4 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 FF
MEMPHIS 5 ORLANDO 37
A rough day for the Memphis offense as Paxton Lynch only completes 14 of 32 passing, and not much better for Memphis’s defense as Knile Davis and Rashad Jennings combined for 115 yards and a TD, while Russell Wilson threw for 2 scores and completed 17 of 20 passing. Scores from Rashad Jennings, David Njoku, and Brashad Perriman, as well as a pick-six from LB Anthony Barr helped Orlando pull away to build a 27-5 halftime lead, and Memphis never recovered.
POTG: Orlando LB Anthony Barr: 3 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 Int, 1 Def TD
JACKSONVILLE 28 TAMPA BAY 35
Winning shootouts is apparently the way forward for Tampa Bay as again the defense struggles but the passing game flies. Ryan Grant was the star for the Bandits, catching 4 balls for 154 yards, while Dez Bryant had another 4 for 93 and a touchdown. Teddy Bridgewater kept Jacksonville in it, accounting for all 4 Bulls’ touchdowns, while Dalvin Cook was the TD man for Tampa Bay, scoring 3 times on the day as the Bandits hold on to move their record to 2-2.
POTG: Bandit DE Tank Carradine: 11 Tck, 2 FF, 1 FR
PORTLAND 3 MICHIGAN 17
The defense continues to be the story for the unbeaten Panthers as they hold Portland to a lone field goal in Kyle Lauletta’s first start for the Stags. Lauletta could not be happy with an 11 of 29 performance in which he passed for only 81 yards on the day. Meanwhile, Michigan got 103 rushing and a TD from LeVeon Bell and added another Antonio Bryant TD catch to pull away early.
POTG: Michigan HB LeVeon Bell: 27 Att, 103 Yds, 1 TD, 3 Rec, 71 Yds
NEW ORLEANS 13 BIRMINGHAM 16 OVERTIME
A huge win for the Stallions, who move to 3-1 and sit atop the Southern Division thanks to a solid defensive performance. Geno Smith completed 21 of 42 passing but only threw for 1 score, and while the Stallion offense struggled against New Orleans’s defense, they got enough to get the game to overtime and then put Chris Boswell in position for the game winner.
POTG: Birmingham CB Antonio Cromartie: 6 Tck, 1 FF, 2 PDef
SEATTLE 17 CHICAGO 37
Three Chicago backs combine for 219 rushing yard to overwhelm the Seattle defense and give Chicago a healthy time of possession advantage as well as the W. Jeremy Hill led all backs with 115 yards and 2 TDs, but Matt Forte’s 55 yards and a 47-yard TD run by Brandon Boldin help Chicago keep pace, one game behind the Panthers at 3-1.
POTG: Chicago HB Jeremy Hill: 17 Att, 115 Yds, 2 TD
HOUSTON 17 PHILADELPHIA 13
Philadelphia came to play, but even with Colt McCoy knocked out of the game after a blow to the jaw, the Gamblers found a way. Landry Jones hit Josh Reynolds with a back-breaking 74-yard TD throw in the 4th quarter to crush Philadelphia’s hope for an upset and send the Stars to a tough 0-4 start. Matt Gutierrez survived 5 sacks and 2 picks, but could not rally the Stars late, despite 125 yards from WR Randall Cobb.
POTG: Houston SS Budda Baker: 4 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 FF, 2 FR
BALTIMORE 24 PITTSBURGH 13
Big Ben threw for 3 scores, including two to TE C. J. Uzomah, and the Blitz defense held the Mauler run game to an astonishingly bad 10 total yards as the Maulers struggled to get anything going on offense. While Roethlisberger connected only 17 of 37 throws, he hit some big ones and he helped Baltimore rack up 17 first downs to Pittsburgh’s 9. It helped that the Blitz went 8 of 17 on third down.
POTG: Baltimore QB Ben Roethlisberger: 17/37, 279 Yds, 3 TD, 1 Int
OAKLAND 10 OHIO 12
This was another defensive showdown, with the winning score coming on a safety as Glory safety Tyran Mathieu, the Honey Badger, got to Jimmy Garoppolo in the endzone for the pivotal 4th quarter score that helped Ohio avoid overtime. Earlier in the game Christian Hackenberg had connected with HB Marion Mack for the Glory’s only TD. Oakland trailed 12-3, put up a late Davante Adams TD in the final 2 minutes but could not get the onside kick to bounce their way and went home with their 2nd loss.
POTG: Ohio safety Tyran Mathieu: 2 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 Sfty, 1 FF
ST. LOUIS 17 LOS ANGELES 20
The Express move to 3-1 thanks to their defense and run game. C. J. Anderson came up big with 95 yards on 16 carries while Reggie Bush contributed 63 more. Kyler Murray also had a strong game, completing 13 of 19 attempts and connecting with both Reggie bush and Nelson Agholor to give the Express a 20-10 advantage late in the 4th. St. Louis added a late David Nelson TD, but it was too little as the Express defense shut them down on their final drive, preserving the win and moving LA into a tie atop the Pacific with the Thunder.
POTG: LA tailback C. J. Anderson: 16 Att, 95 Yds, 5.9 YPC
DALLAS 3 ARIZONA 38
This one was all Wranglers as Arizona put up 493 yards of offense on the Dallas D, while the Wrangler D bent (331 yards allowed) but would not break (no TDs in 4 Dallas red zone trips). Ka’Deem Carey was the star for the Wrangler offense, rushing for 133 yards and a score on only 15 carries. Jimmie Graham added 2 scores and 110 yards for the Wranglers, while Samaje Perine’s 89 yards rushing did not help Dallas turn yardage into points.
POTG: Wrangler HB Ka’Deem Carey: 15 Att, 144 Yds, 1 TD
CHARLOTTE 34 ATLANTA 10
Mitch Trubisky returned to action and had his best game of the year, throwing for 3 scores and suffering neither a pick nor a sack as Charlotte’s O-line dominated. Latavius Murray also benefitted, scoring his first 100-yard game as a Monarch with 125 on 23 carries. Trubisky threw TDs to three different receivers (Proehl, Hines, and K. Smith) while Deshone Kizer had a huge drop off from last week’s game, throwing for 3 picks against the Charlotte D.
POTG: Charlotte HB Latavius Murray: 23 Att, 125 Yds
Five Breakout Players in the Season’s First Quarter
Only four games into the season but there are already some players making news and getting their names out there in 2019. We picked five players who have shown up in a big way this year, some quite surprisingly. So let’s look at who some of the new names being talked about are.
Denver QB Josh Allen
While Gold fans are not overjoyed by the team’s 1-3 start, they are certainly not blaming 2nd year QB Josh Allen, who has been lighting things up for the Gold offense. Allen currently leads the league with a 125.6 QB rating, has over 1,000 yards in his first four games and an impressive 11 touchdowns to 3 picks. He has also shown elusiveness in the pocket, even hurdling an Oklahoma tackler in this week’s game. There may be some issues with Denver, particularly on defense, with Von Miller out for up to a month, but Allen has been among the biggest breakout players so far this season.
Jacksonville QB Teddy Bridgewater
Another QB who is topping all expectations is Jacksonville’s “Teddy B”. Bridgewater is tied for 2nd in the league with 10 touchdowns, has thrown only 2 picks, is closing in on 1,000 yards and has a very nice QB rating of 102.3. With play like this, the Bulls’ other NFL import at the position, Ryan Tannehill, is likely to have a nice long wait before he sees action. Bridgewater has Jacksonville sitting at 2nd in the league with an average of 30.2 points per game. Now, if the defense could be just a touch stingier, the Bulls could be on the way up in the Southeastern Division.
Tampa Bay WR Ryan Grant
Second only to Houston’s Mike Evans, Grant is having himself a huge season, outpacing even NFL import Dez Bryant on Tampa Bay’s wide open offense. Grant has exactly the same number of receptions as Bryant (16), but has averaged nearly 28 yards per catch on his way to 439 yards in 4 games. That is a blistering pace, and certainly, with Bryant right there as an option, teams simply cannot overcompensate for Ryan’s early success by shifting coverage, because Bryant will make them pay if they do.
Birmingham LB Reuben Foster
Tied for 3rd in the league with 33 tackles, Foster, the 3rd year linebacker out of Alabama, is proving to be yet another gem on the Tuscaloosa to Birmingham highway. In addition to his team-leading tackle total, Foster is showing his diverse skills, blitzing on key downs (1 sack so far), dropping back on others (1 interception as well), and even has a defensive touchdown. He is a big reason why Birmingham, despite their offensive issues, is sitting at 3-1.
Charlotte FS Tre Boston
Our final Breakout player is no newcomer to the league, but Charlotte safety Tre Boston is playing at a level we just have not seen before. He leads all defenders with 5 picks in only 4 games, but he is also proving to be effective against the run, and, like Foster, he has himself his first defensive touchdown of the season as well, a pick-six in Week 3. It is hard for safeties to stay in the spotlight in this league, but we think Boston is worth keeping an eye on, especially if you are a USFL quarterback, because he is out there waiting for you to forget.
Five Teams Whose Records Are Not What We Expected
We already know that our preseason picks are often amazingly off base. Sure we get some obvious things right-- Arizona will be pretty good, LeVeon Bell will run the ball a lot, it will be sunny in July-- but every year we just don't see what is coming until it arrives. That seems to be the case again this year, as there are several teams that are already surprising us. Some we hinted could make a move, others we just did not see coming. Here are 5 surprises on the team level from the season's first month.
Baltimore (3-1): First Place in the Northeast
The Baltimore Blitz are a surprise frontrunner in the Northeast Division, largely thanks to a revival of their high-flying offense. This is something many anticipated as the arrival of a true bell cow back in Josh Jacobs demands that teams respect the run, which frees up Big Ben and the deep ball for the Blitz offense. While Jacobs’ numbers so far this year have not been eye-popping (260 yards in 4 games, an average of just 65 per game), his presence has forced defenses to alter their coverage and that has been just what Roethlisberger and the Blitz passing game needed.
It also helps that the defense, led by LBs Jarvis Jones and Brandon Jenkins, has been playing solid conceptual and team defense. In their three victories, the Blitz have held their opponents to 12, 13, and 13 points, providing a margin of victory of 16, 10, and 13 points. That has to make Coach Caldwell happy. It certainly has Blitz fans feeling good, After three straight division wins, Baltimore has seen over 10,000 tickets sold for their next home game against Philadelphia in Week 6.
Birmingham (3-1): First Place in the South
The Stallions are off to a fast start, sitting atop the South with Houston at 3-1, and they are doing it despite being 17th in scoring and 19th in points allowed, both the result, in large part, of their lone loss, a 27-7 home defeat at the hands of rivals Memphis. So, how are they 3-1, with those numbers? They are hanging close in games, bending but not breaking on defense, and finding solutions in the 4th quarter.
In Week 1 against Philadelphia, it was a game-winning field goal with just over 2 minutes to play, followed by a solid defensive stop on Philly’s final drive. Against Charlotte, Reuben Foster’s Pick 6 in the 4th gave them a 4-point lead, which turned into only a 1-point lead before Chris Boswell gave them 3 more in the final minutes and forced the Monarchs to score a touchdown or lose the game. They lost the game. Finally, this week, in a huge home win over the Breakers, the Stallions were taken to overtime, but found a way to get Chris Boswell into position and pulled the game out in extra time. This is not a team that is going to blow others away, and they may still have some stinkers like the Memphis game in them, but they will largely be in every game and they seem to have figured out how to turn that into W’s.
Los Angeles (3-1): First Place in the Pacific
Marvin Lewis and the Express are feeling very good about their transformation of the Express in the offseason as the 2019 version of LA’s team is looking very solid on defense (2nd in yards allowed, 5th in scoring at 15.0 PPG) and showing they can put together a run game (112 YPG, good enough for 7th in the league). The passing game, with rookies Kyler Murray and Hollywood Brown is still very much a work in progress, but while Murray is not exactly lighting it up (averaging 142 YPG passing), he is being smart with the ball and avoiding costly turnovers.
That combination of a run game, solid D, and lower turnovers has helped the Express rebound from an embarrassing 20-0 shutout in Oakland on opening weekend, and has them now atop the Pacific, with some very winnable games on the horizon, with 0-4 Philadelphia this week, 2-2 Dallas the week after, and then 1-3 Seattle before a rematch with the Invaders.
New Jersey (1-3): Fourth Place in the Northeast
Of all the 1-3 clubs, the Generals may be the biggest surprise. They simply have not found their mojo on either side of the ball, ranked 24th in scoring defense, while only averaging 16.2 points per game on offense. They have moved the ball, averaging nearly 365 yards per game, but they are failing to turn yardage into points, with only 6 this week to Washington the biggest example of that issue. Maurice Jones-Drew has yet to top 100 yards in any game, Nick Foles is completing less than 55% of his passes, and there just don’t seem to be any big plays in the General assault.
New Jersey was picked to take the division, but already find themselves 2 games behind Baltimore and sitting on an 0-2 division record. They need to figure this out quickly or they could easily be too far back to make a late run, if that is even something they are capable of.
Philadelphia (0-4): Fifth Place in the Northeast
As bad as the season’s first quarter was for New Jersey, Philadelphia has them beat. Some had the Stars competing for a Wild Card, as I seem to recall we did, but now, at 0-4, the question becomes, who can this team beat? And how do they do it?
The Stars are averaging under 11 points per game, giving them the worst scoring offense in the league. After 4 games, Derrick Henry is averaging barely 50 yards rushing per outing, and that is largely because no one is respecting the threat of the pass. They are focused on the run, and Matt Gutierrez is simply not making them pay for that. The Stars’ QB is the lowest rated in the league (of 3-4 game starters) with a QBR of only 56.6. he has 8 picks already, to only 4 TDs, and he is just not hitting receivers even when they are open.
If it were not for the defense, which is playing pretty solidly, keeping all 4 opponents to 20 points or fewer, the Stars would be in very desperate straits. But how long can a defense hold up if the offense simply cannot produce? With back-to-back games against division leaders (LA in Week 5 and Baltimore in Week 6) Philadelphia could well be staring down an 0-6 start and be out of any realistic playoff hunt before we even hit Memorial Day. That is not a good look for a team that was 13-3 only 2 years ago.
Maulers lose Thielen to ACL Injury
Another week, another big injury that could impact a team’s entire season. This week in Pittsburgh we saw Mauler star receiver Adam Thielen go down late in the game as he landed awkwardly on a jump ball, with his leg almost bending backwards. The pressure of the jolt landing was enough to cause significant injury to Thielen’s right knee, and by Monday we learned that it had produced a complete ACL tear, an injury that would take several months to heal. Thielen would be lost for the season.
The Mauler wideout was coming off his second consecutive 1,200-yard season, and had already racked up over 350 yards in 2019, with 4 scores to his name in the first 4 weeks of action. The Maulers, having allowed an unhappy Victor Cruz to walk in free agency, were looking at Thielen as their undisputed number one. With him now sidelined and placed on IR for the year, it will be NFL import Jarvis Landry who will now be thrust into that role. With Brian Quick settled into the slot role, this means that unheralded backup Allen Lazard is now slated to start opposite Landry, and the Mauler receiver group looks very much unsettled.
McCoy Questionable After Shot to Jaw
It was not a cheap shot, but the blow from Philadelphia’s Malik Jackson to the jaw of Houston QB Colt McCoy was clearly a penalty. In an attempt to connect with McCoy before he got the ball away on a 2nd and 7 pass early in the 4th quarter, Jackson raised his arm, hoping to clip McCoy’s arm, but instead it slipped under McCoy’s facemask and the elbow cracked the QB in the jaw. The penalty was called, but fans wanted more. McCoy staggered back after the blow and looked a bit shaken as he was led off the field. Landry Jones would finish the game (and provide the game-winning TD to Josh Reynolds, while McCoy went into the locker room.
The eventual verdict was a possible concussion and a pretty nasty bruise across the jaw. No fracture was detected, so McCoy could potentially play this week, but he is listed as questionable, and Jones could well get the start for Coach Phillips. Fans, of course, are crying foul on social media and sports talk radio, but few within the league, including network pundits, see this as anything more than a bang-bang play that simply saw Jackson’s elbow miss the mark and find its way to McCoy’s jaw. Bad for McCoy, but not dirty play.
Outside of the injury to WR Adam Thielen for Pittsburgh and guard Chadwick Hodges of Jacksonville, this was, by all accounts, a light week on the injury list, a good shift away from the very long injury lists we have seen over the season’s first three weeks.
OUT
WR Adam Thielen PIT ACL Tear IR
G Chadwick Hodges JAX Torn Hamstring IR
G Andy Alleman BAL Torn MCL 4-6 Weeks
WR Donte Moncrief OAK Miniscus 1-2 Weeks
DE Anthony Hargrave PHI Hand 1-2 Weeks
DT Star Lotuleilei DAL Hamstring 1-2 Weeks
TE Jack Doyle DEN Hernia 1-2 Weeks
DT Kevin Vickerson HOU Eye 1-2 Weeks
C Frank Ragnow TBY Toe 1-2 Weeks
DOUBTFUL
G Chris Lindstrom NJ Back
WR Ameri Cooper BIR Concussion
LB Roquon Smith STL Hamstring
DT Andre Neblitt TBY Foot
QUESTIONABLE
OT Greg Little OHI Hand
SS Marqui Christian DEN Hip
QB Colt McCoy HOU Jaw
TE Martellus Benneett MGN Thigh
One Month “Way Too Early” Evaluation of the USFL’s New Head Coaches
Just like grading a draft the day after the players are selected is a ludicrous practice, but we all do it, rating a head coach only 1 month into their first season is equally insane, and yet, we are going to do it. Maybe not an evaluation, so much as a check-in to see how the first four games have gone and what we see happening with each team. From 3-1 surprises to some slow 1-3 starts, the range of first impressions has been pretty variable. So, who is looking like they have something cooking and who needs to bake that dough a bit longer? Here is our look at all 5 new head coaches and where they are after a month of action.
Todd Haley (BIR)
With the Stallions sitting at 3-1 and having already taken a game from the Breakers, things are looking very good for Haley’s new direction in Birmingham. The offense still has some sorting out to do, ranked in the bottom half of the league in most major categories, but the defense has had some success, and the Stallions have shown some fight in them, winning some tight games and knocking off two very solid teams in the past two weeks. Birmingham will have a real test coming up with back-to-back games against the Gamblers and San Diego Thunder, but this already looks like a team that is more focused, and more capable than in past seasons.
Marvin Lewis (LA)
It is still very early to determine if all the off-season moves and the young players brought in are truly the sign of a new direction for the Express, but what fans have seen so far, particularly in their 14-13 win over San Diego, has many excited about what new leadership has brought to the team. The offense will need time to find itself, though we do think it is smart that Coach Lewis is leaning on the run, especially after the late signing of C. J. Anderson has created a bit of a Lightning & Thunder option between Anderson and Reggie Bush. The defense is looking much better, and while rookie DE Nick Bosa has yet to record his first sack, the overall impact has been positive.
Ron Rivera (ORL)
It took a couple of weeks, but we are beginning to see what the new Orlando Renegades will look like. They will be a team that looks for chunk plays on offense and uses zone coverage and solid shells to force QBs to throw the ball into coverage. Orlando already has 9 interceptions (tied for 1st with Charlotte) on the year and trails only Oakland at +9 in turnover margin. Rivera wants to get the run game going but seems willing to let Russell Wilson lead the way on offense as the mobile QB is calling more and more run-pass options. The Renegades sit at 2-2, so we need more time to see if they can creep up the standings or if they will linger around .500 for most of the year.
Bob Stoops (OKL)
After an 0-3 start, the Outlaws got their first win this week, but as we look at their 4 games, this is not a team that has been out of any game. They held close to Arizona in the opener, losing by 3 in a hard-fought game. They again lost by 3 in Dallas, taking the Roughnecks to overtime. Jacksonville had their number in Week 3, winning by 15, but they had a nice bounce-back win at home this week against Denver. They have some winnable games on the schedule, with the next game against a team currently over .500 not coming until a Week 14 rematch with Arizona. Can they make a push to get back into the hunt in Stoops’s first year?
Mark Trestman (TBY)
A 2-2 start is not half bad for the Bandits, and “not half-bad” feels very much like the perfect way to describe what we have seen from Trestman’s Bandits this year. The half that is pretty darned good is the offense, averaging 34 points and 414 yards of offense per game. The defense, well that is the half-bad part for sure, giving up 33.2 points and 393 yards per game. So, what we are saying is that the Bandits are going to have to win a lot of shootouts if they want to stay at or above .500, either that or Mark Trestman is going to have to find some answers on defense.
Week 4 Power Ratings
Here we go, our first power ratings of the season, rankng all 28 clubs from the best of the best to the bottom of the barrel. No real shockers at the top and bottom, with unbeaten Arizona and Michigan on one end and winless Philadelphia on the other, but it is in the middle where the debates can be held. Is there a poser among the 3-1 squads, a 1-3 club that is just waiting to go on a run, a 2-2 team that should be much higher or much lower? We leave those questions to you. For us, this is how we see them, from 1 to 28:
1—Arizona (4-0)
The Wranglers may have almost completely retooled their roster over the past two seasons, but they are still looking very much like a dynasty in the Southwest.
2—Michigan (4-0)
That defense, paired with a reliable run game, has the Panthers looking to return to the top of the Central, and possibly back to a Summer Bowl.
3—Houston (3-1)
The Gamblers got caught in a trap game up in Portland, but aside from that hiccup it has been everything we expect of the defending champs.
4—San Diego (3-1)
The defense is getting the job done, the offense has the capacity to be special as well. After 4 weeks they fall only 2 points short of being unbeaten.
5—Baltimore (3-1)
The Jacobs Effect has been all the Blitz had hoped for, forcing defenses to respect the run, which has made the vertical game that much more potent.
6—Chicago (3-1)
With back-to-back 30+ point games, it seems Coach Smith has found his offense, a blend of Sam Bradford and a 2-back system that is producing nearly 120 yards per game.
7—Birmingham (3-1)
It may seem like Birmingham is doing it with smoke and mirrors, but another way to look at it is that Coach Haley has this team believing they should win every game, so they find a way to do it.
8—Charlotte (3-1)
Fans may be worried about Trubisky’s picks, but so much else is working well for Charlotte, that it seems they can absorb those hits. The defense, in particular, is looking as good as it has in recent memory.
9—Los Angeles (3-1)
A great start for Coach Lewis, even without the passing game really clicking yet. The defensive success early on may be the key to this team being able to develop Kyler Murray and the passing game over time.
10—Oakland (2-2)
The Invader D, allowing only 12.8 PPG, is legit, but Oakland needs more out of the offense if they want to keep pace in a division that could be more balanced than people initially thought.
11—Memphis (2-2)
A 2-0 start has morphed into a 2-2 record as Memphis has scored 12 and 5 in back-to-back games. We know that Rex Ryan is a defensive guy, but some attention may be needed if this offense is going to be more than a drag on the Showboats going forward.
12—New Orleans (2-2)
Geno Smith has been up and down, and so has the entire Breakers’ offense. The D is still there, but winning 12-6 and losing 13-16 is not what anyone wants to see from this club.
13—Ohio (2-2)
The Glory have won 2 games scoring 15 and 12 points. That does not feel sustainable. They need to get Christian Hackenberg on track, open up the offense a bit, and prove they can beat a team that has offensive weapons.
14—Pittsburgh (2-2)
A .500 record after 4 weeks is not too bad for a Mauler team that many had bringing up the rear in the Northeast. They simply exploded against Jacksonville, scoring 44, but that seems the exception. More from the run game will be needed, especially now, with Adam Thielen on the shelf.
15—Orlando (2-2)
The last 2 weeks have been a nice rebound from an 0-2 start. Las Vegas and Memphis are quality wins. Now, let’s see how they do as they enter a 5-game divisional stretch. This next quarter could well determine their entire season.
16—Tampa Bay (2-2)
The offense is there. 1st in the league in scoring, yards per game, and passing. That is giving them hope, but a defense allowing 33.2 points per game is absolutely not what any winning team wants. If the Bandits want to get and stay over .500, they need to address that and quickly.
17—Jacksonville (2-2)
Our third consecutive SE Division team in the middle of the pack. That is better than what most people saw for these three Florida squads. For Jacksonville it has been their offense, led by Teddy Bridgewater and a lot of no-name contributors that has helped them prove competitive each week.
18—Dallas (2-2)
The Roughnecks started hot, knocking off Denver and Oklahoma, but when the competition stiffened with back-to-back games against unbeatens (Michigan and Arizona) we saw that they have not yet arrived. They may be better than this ranking, but will need to string some wins together to rise.
19—New Jersey (1-3)
The run game has not found its groove yet, the defense has been a shadow of what we all expected, and Nick Foles is just not good enough to carry the entire team. So, a 1-3 record, while surprising based on what we thought this team would be, is not a surprise when we look at what they have actually been.
20—Denver (1-3)
If Coach Hufnagel can get the defense to stiffen up a bit, Denver could be dangerous. They are giving up far too many yards and too many scoring opportunities. As much as we have loved the start to Josh Allen’s career, he needs more from the rest of the team.
21—Las Vegas (1-3)
McGloin is over 1,000 yards already, but when your lead rusher is averaging only 40 yards per game, you have some issues. Add to that a defense that is giving up over 320 yards per game, and you can see how Las Vegas has not been able to pull out a lot of games. They are close to being a good team, but close is not close enough.
22—Oklahoma (1-3)
They finally got their first win in 4 tries, but it was a close call even then. While Marshawn Lynch has been really good so far this year, Joe Flacco has not produced the way Oklahoma counted on, and, well, the defense is looking a bit slow and a bit old, giving up over 25 points per game.
23—Washington (1-3)
So is it that Ryan Nassib was overrated because he was playing with Arizona’s talent last year, and now he is crashing to earth, or is it that the Federals are just not maximizing his abilities with appropriate play calling? All we know is that the numbers so far are nowhere near what he was doing in the desert.
24—Atlanta (1-3)
The Fire thought they had caught lightning in a bottle when Deshone Kizer put up 4 scores in his debut, but he crashed back to Earth this week against Charlotte. Fire fans better hope that it was this week where we saw the anomaly and not in Week 3, because Kizer is your man for this season and there are a lot of games left to play.
25—Portland (1-3)
Similar to what we see with Kizer, Kyle Lauletta is going to have to show he can play at a high level for the rest of the year. He looked good in his first action, coming on in relief, but in his first start the offense sputtered and Porland managed only 3 points. That was against Michigan, in Detroit, so maybe not a fair assessment. This week in Oklahoma, Lauletta has to show more.
26—Seattle (1-3)
Fans in Seattle are beginning to question whether the Dragons let the wrong QB leave this offseason. Jacoby Brissett is struggling, as is the entire offense. Even in their 1 win, a rain-soaked opener, they only scored 10 points. They have yet to cross 17 all year.
27—St. Louis (1-3)
The Skyhawks opened strong, traveling to Baltimore and knocking off the Blitz 29-27, but they have now lost three in a row, have not scored more than 17 in any of those games, and struggled, as most expected, to stop the run.
28—Philadelphia (0-4)
Where is Derrick Henry? Has he not really recovered from his 2018 injury? Or is it that the Stars just don’t have what they need to keep defenders off of their star back? Henry is averaging barely 50 yards per game, and, as we have outlined, the issue may really be that no DC is worried about the Star passing game.
Easter Weekend brings us a modified schedule as the USFL experiments with going heavy on Saturday and cutting out all noon games on Sunday. I guess that means more egg hunts and ham for everyone, but it also means that we are looking at 6 games available only in regional coverage rather than national broadcasts.
No changes on Friday, where we still have our double header, starting with the Feds and Maulers, each hoping to get into the mix in the division. The late game is from Oakland where the Invaders take on the unbeaten Michigan Panthers. This will be a defensive slog that may see very low scoring from both clubs.
Saturday is jam-packed, with three games in both the Noon timeslot and at 4pm. We start the early games with three divisional matchups as the Bandits head to Charlotte, Orlando is in Jacksonville, and Baltimore travels to New Jersey, where the Generals hope a win can get them back in the mix. At 4pm we have 3 more games, with Chicago visiting Ohio in a key Central Division showdown, Denver in Dallas, and regional coverage of Atlanta at Birmingham. The Saturday night two-fer should be a good one Houston at New Orleans early and Philadelphia hoping against hope for a turnaround against a 3-1 LA Express club.
Sunday will be light, with the first games starting at 4pm to allow for holiday celebrations. The national game on FOX will see Arizona in division as they head to Las Vegas to face the Vipers. In regional action we have San Diego in St. Louis and Portland facing the Outlaws in OK City. We finish up the week with an 8pm kickoff from Memphis, where the Seattle Dragons make a rare trip to the Mid-South to face the Showboats.
Friday @ 7pm ET Washington (1-3) @ Pittsburgh (2-2) NBC
Friday @ 9:30pm ET Michigan (4-0) @ Oakland (2-2) ABC
Saturday @ 12pm ET Tampa Bay (2-2) @ Charlotte (3-1) ABC Regional
Saturday @ 12pm ET Orlando (2-2) @ Jacksonville (2-2) ABC Regional
Saturday @ 12pm ET Baltimore (3-1) @ New Jersey (1-3) FOX
Saturday @ 4pm ET Dallas (2-2) @ Denver (1-3) ABC
Saturday @ 4pm ET Atlanta (1-3) @ Birmingham (3-1) FOX Regional
Saturday @ 4pm ET Chicago (3-1) @ Ohio (2-2) FOX Regional
Saturday @ 7pm ET Houston (3-1) @ New Orleans (2-2) NBC
Saturday @ 9pm ET Philadelphia (0-4) @ Los Angeles (3-1) ESPN/EFN
Sunday @ 4pm ET San Diego (3-1) @ St. Louis (1-3) ABC Regional
Sunday @ 4pm ET Portland (1-3) @ Oklahoma (1-3) ABC Regional
Sunday @ 4pm ET Arizona (4-0) @ Las Vegas (1-3) FOX
Sunday @ 8pm ET Seattle (1-3) @ Memphis (2-2) ESPN/EFN
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