2019 USFL Week 9 Recap: Let's Make a Deal!

Just days before the USFL Trade Deadline closes (Friday at noon), and we have seen a flurry of deals, including some big names changing addresses, as teams look to make a run late and get that postseason payoff. Others are in a selling mood, hoping to build for the future, and that created a scene that saw some names you will recognize get a mid-season restart. We will cover all the big deals in our “Big Story”, then bring you up to speed on an exciting Week 9 on the field, including the Stars winning their 4^th in a row to right a ship that seemed destined for Davey Jones’s locker this season. We also saw the Wranglers break down and break the soul of the Invaders, whose offense is not what anyone expected. We will review those two games, along with a Big D upset against a Trubisky-less Monarchs, and a San Diego statement at home. All that, plus an expansion update as both clubs start to form their franchises, and New Jersey brings back a fan favorite look for 2020. So, stay right there, it is all coming up This Week in the USFL.

Trade Wire Produces Several Big Moves

We had some rumors going into Week 9 action that there were deals on the table across the league, but it was not until Monday that we started to see just how active this week would be. Typically the trade deadline might bring one, maybe two deals that include name players. More often than not it is a shuffling of practice squad talent or third stringers as teams try to build depth after some injuries. Not this year. And what was at the center of the dealmaking? Well, in one series of trades it seems that QB help was the focal point, though the harsh assessment of Cam Newton about his own team’s offensive strategy also seemed to be a factor.

It began with Birmingham, a team desperate to find some help for their talented, but often-put upon QB, Cam Newton. The Stallions reached out to the Portland Stags, one of very few teams that could honestly boast of a true 1-2 HB combo. They asked about both Ben Tate and Doug Martin. Both are 30-year old backs, both have had strong games over the past couple of years, and both could be a possible trade candidate. Portland was interested, mostly in trading Tate, who has been less productive overall this year than Martin. They had one clear goal in mind, addressing what has been a catastrophic year at the QB position. With Marcus Mariota on IR, and now with the news that backup Kyle Lauletta could miss 6 weeks or more, the Stags needed a QB, and Birmingham was willing to deal former Crimson Tide QB A. J. McCarron. Portland demanded a bit more and managed to squeeze a 3^rd round pick in 2020 from the Stallions. But, at the end of the day, Birmingham had themselves a halfback and Portland had a potential short-term starter at QB, assuming he could move in and immediately pick up the Stag playbook.

Problem is, Birmingham now had only 3^rd stringer Bryan Kohler behind Newton, so they were now in the QB Market themselves. They fished around, made some inquiries, but then got an unexpected call from the Tampa Bay Bandits. Tampa, whose offense is not an issue, were trying to get a quick fix for a defense that has been “unimpressive” to say the least. They were not interested in adding depth or draft picks, they wanted a stud, and they made their case to Birmingham. The target was none other than Birmingham’s defensive captain and consensus best LB, DeMeco Ryans. The Stallions were very resistant at first, but the Bandits kept adding more to the deal, and eventually they found the magic combo. Birmingham would replace the 3^rd rounder they sent to Portland by picking up a 2^nd round pick from the Bandits. They also got themselves a linebacker in return, as Tampa included Jonathan Goff into the mix, and they got their 2^nd string QB, a former NFL player who could potentially fit nicely into an offense designed for Cam Newton. That player was former Buffalo Bill E. J. Manuel.

Manuel comes to Birmingham as the new number two. Goff will rotate in at MLB, while Reuben Foster takes over for Ryans. And, now the Stallions will have 3 picks in the top 60. Meanwhile, Tampa Bay adds a tackling machine, a strong locker room leader, and a very savvy veteran at MLB, allowing Don’t’a Hightower to shift to the strong side and Devon Kennard to get some much needed help inside.

Were the Stallions’ 2 deals the only moves, it would have been an interesting story, but we had 2 more moves that defy the usual pattern of low-impact transactions in the final week of trading. And, just as the Portland-Birmingham move triggered a second move for the Stallions, the deal between Tampa Bay and the Stallions triggered another move by the Bandits as they addressed their defense once again.

This time it was the line that got a huge boost, as the Bandits found a formula to satisfy the Ohio Glory and bring DT Marcell Dareus to the Gulf Coast. In a 4-player deal that also included the Bandits giving up another draft pick (5^th rounder), the Bandits sent HB Davantae Booker and DT Andre Neblett to Ohio in return for short yardage back Marion Mack and 8-year veteran Dareus for the D-line. So now the Bandits have a true “bruiser” to pair with Dalvin Cook in the run game, but, more importantly, they now have a new spine for their defense, with Dareus up front and DeMeco Ryans behind him.

Oklahoma came into the final week of trading activity with a need to improve their pass defense. The 4-5 Outlaws still have designs on a playoff spot, but they struggle to keep teams from picking on the corner opposite Pacman Jones. That may no longer be a concern after the Outlaws made a deal with Seattle to bring Xavien Howard to the plains. Howard leaves the 3-6 Dragons and gets a shot to make a playoff run in Oklahoma. The Dragons get two 3^rd rounders in return, showing that they are well on their way to building towards 2020. Howard will start immediately, sharing man duties with Jones as the Outlaws try to bring more pressure on the QB by using blitzes.

Finally, while O-line moves rarely include “big” names, it is important to say that the Oakland Invaders have found an answer to their issues at right tackle. That answer comes in the form of Jacksonville’s Andre Smith. Smith, a free agent after this July if not resigned by Oakland, was a costly option for the Bulls, and one likely to leave at the end of the year. In return, Jacksonville gets a young tackle in Yodney Cajuste, who still has 3 more years on his deal, and add a 4^th rounder for this year’s draft. In Smith, Oakland gets a road grater who can be a boon to the run game and who is solid in pass protection as well.

So, while it was not a leaguewide flurry of moves, the 5 deals this year, all involving starters, and in some cases former All-USFL talent, does mark a very active, and potentially very impactful trade deadline. We still have 2 days when deals can happen. Will we see more? Hard to say, but we can clearly see that there are teams with needs, so you never know.

WASHINGTON FEDERALS 20  PHILADELPHIA STARS 24

A good ole’ fashioned Northeastern grudge match, that is what the Friday Night Lights game on NBC promised us, and that is pretty much what we got. Two teams, both coming in at 3-6 and desperate to fight their way back into relevance in the division and the playoff hunt would meet at Lincoln Financial Field, with only 1 moving to a 4^th win and closer to .500. It was also a game of two quarterbacks who have taken some heat, Matt Gutierrez for a very slow start and sub-par production by the entire Stars’ offense, and Ryan Nassib for not bringing the same energy (stats or success) to Washington that the high-priced free agent had shown in his break out year with the Wranglers, a year that got him a 4-year deal as the new Federals’ QB. So, would one of the two break out in this game and silence the critics?

A solid “yes and no” on that. Both quarterbacks played quite well in this game, with Nassib completing 65.7% of his throws (23 of 35) for 228 yards and 2 TDs, while Gutierrez played even better, going 24 of 36 (66.7%) for 313 yards and 3 scores. But over the course of the game, both would have their highlight drives and some serious dead zone time. For Gutierrez and the Stars, the good news was that their QB was hot early, giving Philadelphia an early 2-score lead, and again late, driving the Stars for the game winner in the final minutes, but between those it was Nassib who had the better run of play.

The game, and the QB battle, started off very well for the Federals, and very problematically for Ryan Nassib and the Feds. After a short opening drive by Washington, the Stars got the ball on their own 17 and Matt Gutierrez started putting together plays. He got some help from Derrick Henry, who would finish the game with 82 yards, but had to grind those out at 3 yards per clip over 27 carries. But, in the opening drive, he converted a key 3^rd and 2 and also broke off a nice 8-yard run to help Washington move the ball over 13 plays until Gutierrez found lead receiver Randall Cobb for the game’s first score.

Following the kickoff, it was time for the Philadelphia Stars’ defense to get their first big play, as DE Malik Jackson put immediate pressure on Ryan Nassib. Nassib threw an ill-advised pass towards Brandon LaFell and Stars’ safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix was there to nab it. The turnover gave Philadelphia the ball at the Washington 39 and just 2 minutes later they were back in the endzone, this time on a nicely-designed screen that had Henry with blockers against the Feds’ secondary. The 14-yard score put the Stars up by 14.

But that is where the Stars’ offense started to flounder. Over their next 5 possessions they would only muster one field goal. Meanwhile, despite the loss of WR Keenan Allen on their next drive (see story below), the Federals were able to add 17 points in the 2^nd quarter, evening the score by halftime. During their run Ryan Nassib would hit on both of his touchdown passes, first to speedy wideout Tyreek Hill, who took over for Allen outside and proved to be a handful to cover for the Star corners, and the second from former Panther TE Rob Housler, who caught a nice seam route throw and plowed over the safety to get to the endzone. Those two scores, paired with an Adam Vinatieri field goal wiped out the Philadelphia advantage and sent the game to the half all knotted up at 17.

The third quarter would see both teams struggle to get past midfield. Each did so only once, and the only attempt at a score was a missed field goal from Eddie Pineiro that ended Philadelphia’s best drive of the quarter. Both defenses dominated the quarter, with Chris Long for Washington and Anthony Hargrove for Philadelphia both recording drive-ending sacks on key third down plays. The fourth quarter looked to be more of the same, with both teams struggling to recalibrate their offenses. It seemed that the halftime adjustments by both DCs were proving very effective. And it would be a defensive play that would help put the next points on the board as Washington’s Long, stripped the ball out of Gutierrez’s hand, swatting at the QB’s arm just as he reared back to throw the ball. It took an officials meeting and a replay for the decision to be finalized, but the play was finally declared a fumble, not an incomplete pass, and Washington took over at the Philadelphia 29. The ensuing drive would actually gain only 5 yards, but the Vinatieri kick from 41 out would be enough to give Washington their first lead of the game at 20-17.

With 3:25 left on the clock, the Stars were down and their 3-game winning streak was on the line. They received the kickoff in the endzone for a touchback, putting them 80 yards from a win and approximately 55 yards from a safely makeable field goal for their kicker. Matt Gutierrez needed to show some spark in the drive if the Stars were going to secure the win in front of their hometown fans. Gutierrez responded. The Stars’ QB would complete 5 of 6 passes on the drive, including the game winning touchdown toss. He also threw to 5 different receivers, completing passes to TE Cameron Brate, slot receiver Braxton Berrios, wideout Doug Baldwin, and then, from the 11, a perfectly thrown ball over the linebacker to the arms of TE Travis Kelce. The throw over the middle was a risky one, but it was perfectly lofted to get over the defender and fall to his receiver.

Philadelphia had retaken the lead, 24-20 with 1:09 left to play, forcing Washington to try to secure a touchdown with only 1 timeout available and without their big play receiver. That task proved too much for Nassib and the Federals, who fell short on a 4^th and 7 from the Philadelphia 48 and watched as Gutierrez brought the offense out for one last play, a victory formation kneel down, as Philadelphia won their 4^th in a row and sent Washington to the basement of the Northeast Division.

OAKLAND 0 ARIZONA 23

The Invader offense has been struggling in recent weeks, putting up only 10, 11, and 6 points in their 3 most recent losses. Well, Arizona did them one better, shutting out the Invaders in a game that pushed Oakland under .500. The Wrangler D limited Oakland to 10 first downs, only 3 third down conversions, 230 total yards and only 24 yards rushing, a dismal showing on all fronts. And with KaDeem Carey and Isaiah Crowell combining for 117 yards rushing while David Carr kept Arizona cruising with a TD to Victor Cruz, the Wranglers dominated this game from start to end.

POTG: Arizona FS Nate Allen: 2 Tck, 1 Sck, 2 PDef, 1 Int

PITTSBURGH 13  NEW ORLEANS 15

After building up a 15-0 lead over 3 quarters, New Orleans almost let it slip away. Andy Dalton got hot late, connecting with Albert Wilson for a 42-yard touchdown midway through the 4^th and then finding Brian Quick in the endzone with 28 seconds left. Pittsburgh could have tied the game and gone to overtime with a 2-point PAT, but the Breakers were saved when CB Tra’Davious White stuck his hand between Jarvis Landry and the ball and prevented the game-tying try. A close call for the Breakers but they, not Pittsburgh, move to 5-4 with the win.

POTG: Breaker CB Tra’Davious White: 8 Tck, 3 PDef

NEW JERSEY 31  ATLANTA 10

Yes, Aaron Murray was back (and played well), but it was the Atlanta defense that apparently missed the memo that there was a game today. Not only did they give up 163 yards to Maurice Jones-Drew, they also surrendered 4 TD passes to Nick Foles, including 2 more for Odell Beckham Jr. and one to MJD. With no run game at all from 2^nd year back Nick Chubb, it was all on Murray and he just could not produce, unlike Nick Foles, who threw for 247 and those 4 scores to secure a 21-point win for the visiting Generals, their third victory in a row.

POTG: Generals’ HB Maurice Jones-Drew: 28 Att, 163 Yds, 1 Rec, 53 Yds, 1 TD

CHICAGO 13  DENVER 20

Chicago held a 10-3 lead when Sam Bradford went down early in the 3^rd. After that, Denver started chipping away and as the Machine defense tired, Josh Allen took advantage with two 4^th quarter TD passes, including the game winner, a 57-yard strike to Kevin White in the final 2 minutes. Chicago had held Allen to 10 of 20 passing for 3 quarters, but the 2^nd year QB went 12 of 13 in the final period and helped Denver move above .500 with the victory.

POTG: Denver QB Josh Allen: 22/33, 247 Yds, 2 TD, 1 Int

OKLAHOMA 23  LAS VEGAS 24

This was a fun one. Two SW Division rivals, both hoping to stay relevant in the playoff race and taking the action down to the final seconds. It was back and forth all game, and when Kai Forbath put Oklahoma up 23-21 with 1:26 left to play, you could tell that Coach Stoops new he had left the Vipers too much time. Matt McGloin got Las Vegas in range and Matt Gay did the honors with the game winning score as time ran out to move Las Vegas to 4-5 and drop the Outlaws to that same record.

POTG: Vipers’ LB Nate Irving: 5 Tck, 2 TFL, 1 Sck

PORTLAND 10  SEATTLE 23

It was a Cascade Clash that inspired little enthusiasm as backup Tony Pike faced off against intermittent starter Brett Hundley in front of only 23,404 in Seattle. As it turned out neither QB was at their best, each throwing for less than 160 yards and failing to complete 50% of their throws. Seattle got the edge because HB Knowshon Moreno managed 102 yards on 24 carries, and they won the field position battle for most of the game.

POTG: Seattle HB Knowshon Moreno: 24 Att, 102 Yds

MICHIGAN 28  ST. LOUIS 24

The Skyhawks put a major scare into the 7-1 Panthers, taking the lead early in the 4^th quarter, but Kirk Cousins stayed cool under pressure and found Cody Latimer for the game winner at the 5-minute mark. St. Louis tried to recover but failed on a 4^th and 7 late in the game. It was a good win for the Panthers, but also an announcement that St. Louis was a team to be reckoned with.

POTG: Michigan CB Dre Kirkpatrick: 8 Tck, 1 Int, 1 Def TD

BIRMINGHAM 28  TAMPA BAY 31

It was the Cam Newton show for a good part of the game as the Stallion QB threw for 259 and 2 scores but also ran for 93 yards and a TD. And yet, with all that, Tampa Bay still found a way to win, thanks in large part to Dak Prescott’s 390 yards passing and a late TD to his favorite red zone target, TE Jordan Cameron. This game also saw both Dez Bryant and Ryan Grant top 140 yards receiving as Dak picked apart the Stallion defense.

POTG: Bandit QB Dak Prescott: 17/28, 390 Yds, 2 TD

JACKSONVILLE 19  ORLANDO 41

Just utter domination as Orlando went on a 41-0 scoring streak between the end of the 2^nd quarter and the start of the 4^th. In that span, Russell Wilson had a 50-yard TD to Perriman, a 12-yarder to Bowe, and a 65-yard bootleg run for a score. Add in a Jonathan Bostic pick-six of Teddy Bridgewater (one of 3 picks on the day) and this one got real ugly for Coach Flores and the Bulls.

POTG: Orlando QB Russell Wilson: 13/24, 222 Yds, 2 TD, 1 Int, 4 Att, 73 Yds, 1 TD

CHARLOTTE 7  DALLAS 17

The Roughnecks snap a 6-game losing streak by stuffing the Charlotte run game and forcing Tyler Thigpen to put the ball up. That did not work for the Monarchs, who managed only a lone score in 8 possessions. Dallas did somewhat better on offense, with Josh Freeman going 15 of 30 for 140 and 2 scores while Samaje Perine and Chris Simms combined for 99 yards rushing. Not a pretty win, by any means, but after 6 losses in a row, Dallas will certainly take it.

POTG: Dallas LB Clay Matthews: 10 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 FF

OHIO 8  LOS ANGELES 17

Ohio again struggles, this time limited to 2 field goals on offense as the LA Defense once again comes up with big stops time and again. LA got some offense as well, with Reggie Bush rushing for 90 yards and C. J. Anderson adding another 60 on the ground. That made life easier for Kyler Murray, who completed 15 of 24 for 158 yards and a TD to TE Jason Whitten. LA moves to 6-3, while Ohio drops to 2-7 and is now clearly looking to the future rather than 2019.

POTG: Express LB Keith Rivers: 8 Tck, 1 FF, 2 PDef, 1 Int

MEMPHIS 24  SAN DIEGO 53

Hard to believe that this was a 13-10 game at the half, because what San Diego did to the Showboats in the second half was eye-popping, putting up 40 points, and none of that on fumbler or interception returns. In just the 3^rd quarter Christian Ponder hit DeVante Parker, Marques Colston, and Nick Toon for scores. Then Taiwan Jones added two goalline scores in the 4^th, and the route was on. The Thunder finished with 522 yards of offense, nearly 400 of it in the second half. There was serious risk that Memphis HC Rex Ryan was going to need a defibrillator as he just got hotter and hotter as the game progressed. It got ugly, let’s just say that.

POTG: Thunder QB Christian Ponder: 20/29, 339 Yds, 4 TD, 1 Int

Ryan Red in the Face as Showboats Thunderstruck

When you are the son of legendary hot head Buddy Ryan, a bit of histrionics is expected when your team does not perform on Sunday. But as a close game between the Thunder and the Showboats turned into a route, well, Rex Ryan turned from a pasty pink color to full on cartoon red with steam coming out of his ears. By game’s end he was yelling at everyone and anyone, even laying into his own punter at one point. A punter? Yes, it was wild. Now, we will admit, unlike a famous incident with his father, Rex never punched one of his coaches, or shove a ref, but if you ever want to see a man descend from frustration, through rage, into madness, watching the 2^nd half of this game on ESPN Sunday night would show you a prime example of spiraling.

There was actual concern about what would happen in the post-game interviews at Snapdragon Stadium’s media room, but when DC John Blake came out instead of Ryan, everyone sighed in relief. Blake took the blame, said he had not done his job preparing the Showboats for the Thunder, a pretty obvious statement considering that in one half of football Christian Ponder threw for 270 yards, Ryan Williams rushed for 101 and Marques Colston caught 4 balls for 104 yards. Clearly Ryan wanted his DC to take the heat, but it may also have been a career-saving decision, because what we saw on the sideline of this game would not have translated well to the media room. Ryan will be fined for missing the press conference, but honestly, it may have been the smartest decision he or the Showboats as a team made all game.

Newton Does Everything but Win in Tampa

Someone who probably should have skipped the post-game interview is Birmingham QB Cam Newton. Newton was pretty fired up, something we have seen in the past, as once again he accounted for nearly every yard of Birmingham’s offense. In the loss to the Bandits, Newton threw for 259 yards and rushed for another 93, making him personally accountable for 352 of Birmingham’s 421 yards. That is 83% of the yardage, and it would have been worse if not for a single play from Rex Burkhead, a 32-yard run early in the second half. Outside of that, it was all Newton, and he made sure the press knew that was the case. Newton did not throw anyone under the bus, not new Head Coach Todd Haley, not OC Mike Munchak, not even his teammates, he just made it very clear that he was doing more than his part and that he has done this his entire career in Birmingham.

He is not wrong. We looked, and Cam Newton’s 126 starts in Birmingham, he has been the team’s leading rusher 73 times, a ludicrous number. He has accounted for 75% or more of the team’s yards even more often, 92 times. That is just too much. We have to agree with Newton that the Stallions have never developed a legitimate run game outside of his own efforts. They have tried, drafting T. J. Yeldon, a very promising back out of Alabama, but that did not pan out and now Yeldon is sitting at home still hoping for a call from a team 9 weeks into the season.

As we reported above, Birmingham has made a move to try to address this, trading for Portland HB Ben Tate, but at 30 this season, is Tate a long term solution? And will the Stallions be able to block for him? It has been a constant issue with every back the Stallions have tried. Coach Haley seems keen to diversify the offense, and that certainly is needed, but even adding Tate may be too little too late for this season, and maybe for Newton as well.

MJD Catches Fire in Atlanta

After a 1,400-yard season in 2018, coming in 2^nd to LeVeon Bell in last year’s rushing title, MJD has struggled to find his groove in 2019. He had a solid game in Week 3, rushing for 95 yards in Columbus, but other than that he really has not sniffed 100 yards in a game. That ended this week. MJD exploded through an Atlanta run defense that has struggled all season, giving up nearly 125 yards per game. MJD surpassed that, rushing for 163 on the day. Over 24 carries that means an average of 5.8 yards per game.

That would be enough for most backs to be happy, but the play that “Pocket Hercules” wanted to talk about after the game was his lone reception on the day. MJD pointed out that he is a solid receiver, maybe a nudge to Coach Turner to incorporate more pass plays into his repertoire. Well, if his catch in the Atlanta game is any indication, Coach Turner really ought to consider it. Jones-Drew caught a simple flat route pass, maybe 2 yards beyond the line. What followed was more like a pinball bouncing off the flippers, coils, and bumpers than a halfback stretching a play. It was dynamic, high drama action and it went for the score. What more could you ask for. Maybe MJD needs a new nickname. Not “Pocket Hercules”, but “Pinball Wizard”.

From Bad to Worse for Feds

The Federals are not getting the season they expected. Whether it is the somewhat lackluster performance of their huge offseason acquisition, QB Ryan Nassib, the defensive concerns (the Feds are in the bottom five against both the run and the pass) or the absolute lack of any run game at all (50.4 yards per game), Washington is struggling through what is now a 3-6 season. To make matters worse, they got the news they did not want from the doctors looking at Keenan Allen’s injury this week. The neck injury suffered by Allen midway through their game in Philadelphia produced a compression of the vertebrae, not surprising when you see how Allen landed on his head. While no fracture is indicated, the pressure placed on the spine produced significant immediate concerns, and will require that Allen join the injured reserve to recover and strengthen the neck once again.

Allen has been something of a bright spot in a pretty shaky season. He goes on IR with over 670 yards receiving and 49 catches, easily on pace for 80 for the year. But, with his season over, the Feds will have to go to another receiver, and they just have not seen much from anyone this year, including veteran Brandon LaFell. LaFell will step up to the number one position, likely joined by Tyreek Hill, who will abandon the slot. We are not sure who will step into Hill’s role, likely either David Sills or Kavontae Turpin, a solid special teamer but also a rookie with only 7 catches on the season.

This will be an added challenge for QB Ryan Nassib, whose 86.1 QB Rating is not horrible, but is nearly 30 points below the 117.9 he put up last year as Arizona’s starter. He is averaging nearly 110 fewer yards per game this year and has only 10 touchdowns after 9 games. So, losing his top receiver is almost certainly going to make things even tougher, and with a 3-6 record, the Feds may soon be planning for the future rather than trying to salvage this season.

In addition to Keenan Allen’s season-ending injury, we also got bad news for Jacksonville cornerback Dominique Rogers-Cromrtie, whose collarbone injury is a fracture and who could be out up to 6 weeks. The Bulls have decided not to place DRC on injured reserve as of today, but they will evaluate his improvement over the next few weeks and we could see him added to the IR if they decide not to risk his recovery with a late season return. There were fears in Las Vegas that the Vipers had lost Aaron Dobson as well, but it appears that his injury is primarily a nerve pinch, with some muscular strain, and that ha him potentially returning within the next 2-3 weeks.

OUT

WR         Keenan Allen                                    WSH     Neck/Back       IR

CB          Dominique Rogers-Cromartie  JAX   Collarbone    4-6 Weeks

OT          Morgan Moses                                  DAL       Knee          4-6 Weeks

OG      Cole Madison          POR      Stress Fracture 2-4 Weeks

WR         Aaron Dobson            LV           Pinched Nerve 1-2 Weeks

CB          Desmond King              ATL         Shoulder  1-2 Weeks

DOUBTFUL

DT          Corey Liuget              BIR         Concussion

HB         Marshawn lynch          OKL       Concussion

QB         Sam Bradford               CHI        Eye

QUESTIONABLE

G            Andy Alleman            BAL        MCL

WR         Brian Hartline              BAL        Concussion

OT          Isaiah Wynn                 ORL       Concussion

Return Game Surprisingly Quiet in 2019

It is pretty clear that we don’t often talk about special teams here. But even with as little coverage as we give the 3^rd leg of the “complete team” stool, this year seems like there has been even less to talk about that most. We looked into it and it is not a mirage. This has been a bad year for special teams players. So far in 2019 there have only been 2 kickoffs returned for 6 and only 1 punt. That is a low total considering we have played 135 games. Normally, based on the past 15 years, we should be at 5 or more on both counts, and yet all we have seen this year is a single punt return by Pittsburgh’s Josh Cribbs, and one kickoff return TD each from shifty Charlotte receiver Isaiah McKenzie and Tampa Bay’s dynamic return man & slot receiver Deebo Samuel. That is it.

This is not to say that we have not seen some good returns. After all you have Portland’s lead back, who also returns punts, averaging nearly 17.5 yards per return. One wonders if now that the Stags have traded Ben Tate they can still afford to have their lead back doing double duty. But, Martin is not alone in putting up a good average. His is the best, but Josh Cribbs, Jacksonville’s Tajae Sharpe and New Jersey’s Chad Beebe are all over 12 yards per return, a pretty good standard. On kickoffs, a very strong average is around 25 yards, and we have no fewer than 13 returners over that total, led by Deebo Samuel’s haughty average of 29.9 yards per return. McKenzie is right there as well, as is New Orleans’s Tyler Lockett (27.8 YPR) and Birmingham’s Antonio Cromartie (27.6).

So, we are getting good returns, but we are not getting great returns, dynamic scoring returns. Are we overdue? Will we see more in the season’s second half? That seems unlikely. When we looked back at the past 10 years the trend is definitely that long scoring returns are more prevalent in a season’s first 5 weeks, and that in the latter half of the season they tail off. We don’t know if this is a heat issue in June & July, a wet field issue earlier in the season, or just that teams’ return coverage units just get better over the season. Whatever the reason, the trend is that early weeks are clearly the most dynamic for kick returns, so the fact that we have had only 3 scores this year means we are likely to set a low total by season’s end.

Expansion Clubs Looking for Key Staff

Things are beginning to take shape in San Antonio and Boston as the two newest USFL franchises begin to put together their teams and set the wheels in motion for what will be a very busy offseason. Both clubs are in the process of setting up their promotional and support staff, to finalize deals with local sponsors and partners, and to begin looking at player personnel staff who will guide them through the expansion draft this September, the offseason free agency and NFL transfer windows, and the College Draft in January. 

And while it is far too soon for either the reborn Gunslingers or the newly-formed Steamrollers to fill out their coaching staffs, at least not if they want to secure a coach from the USFL ranks, they have been working on the GM positions, which makes sense from a roster-building standpoint. It seems quite clear that the Gunslingers are targeting former Houston Oiler Director of Player Personnel Ryan Cowden as their potential GM. Cowden, who left the Oilers after the 2018 season has done some consulting for both NFL and USFL clubs, but could soon be announced as San Antonio’s new GM. For New England, the search has been pretty much on paper, as they are unable to speak with USFL personnel during the season. The Steamrollers have considered a potential head coaching candidate in former Orlando and Boston Cannons head coach John Fox, but it seems clear that they are assessing current USFL coaching staffs as well. 

While both clubs want someone with experience, an absolute necessity when you are building a franchise from scratch, the hope is to also get some innovative thinking into the mix, since it is very likely that from a talent standpoint both clubs will be at something of a disadvantage in their first years of play. And while San Antonio could potentially start off with an influx of veteran talent because of the special arrangement with the Oklahoma Outlaws (a result of the agreement to sell the Outlaws), New England will likely be looking at a team made up of expansion draft selections, a small number of USFL or NFL free agents, and a large rookie class, so the choice of GM as well as Head Coach will be essential for either team to avoid the fate of most expansion clubs, a rough first year or first few years.

New Jersey Generals Bring Back Some Old Favorites in UA Reveal

The Generals know what their fans like and right now that is some returning favorites. That is clearly the sentiment out of East Rutherford as the Generals and Under Armour released the new look for “Team Jersey”. What do we see in the new look? Well, how about a prominent return of the secondary logo to the jersey. The classic American Revolution General returns as a chest patch worn on the left chest in both the new home and away jerseys. But that is not the only returning element. The popular single stripe extending from the arm to the knee is back, as is the “epaulette” switchover from blue to red. New Jersey will retain their current helmet design, made no alterations to the team palette, and basically bring back a few details from past designs that fans like. Seems smart. So, what did they do with their alternate looks?

Oh, here is where the club let Under Armour get creative. How about eliminating the team’s primary color completely from the alternate design? Yup, no red, not a drop. The new “Bluecoat” alternate, another nod to the state’s Revolutionary War history, features only secondary deep royal blue and tertiary gold as the colors. Looking more like Notre Dame than the USFL Generals, this look features a metallic gold helmet with a single blue stripe and blue facemask. The helmet also features the General’s monogram “NJ” logo, in blue with a white star. The rest of the uniform consists of a really striking blue jersey, complete with gold side panels, gold numbers trimmed in white, and the secondary logo on the chest again. The pants are gold, as you would expect, with a blue stripe topped by a single white star.

The look is classic, and yet totally revolutionary for a Generals’ team that has barely tweaked their main look in their many changes of uniform designers. And, of course, for those who really want a retro look, there is the throwback design, complete with the simpler helmet logo from the mid-late 80’s, the stripeless jerseys and wide-striped, white pants. So far New Jersey has not released a red pant set with any of their new looks, which would mean that they essentially have only a red-over-white and an all-white option except with their Bluecoat variant.  So, what do you think? Honestly, we love the consistency over time for this club, and, what is new, the new blue & gold look, is really classy even if it just does not feel like the Generals without any red in there.

Week 10, our kickoff to playoff race coverage, and we have only 4 divisional games on the docket, so a bit of a reset week for many teams, though no one is comfortable taking a week lightly. That is how you get trapped. We kick off on Friday with one of the best divisional rivalry games of the week as New Orleans heads into Memphis. Both clubs sit at 5-4, 3 games behind Houston, so very likely these two are battling for a Wild Card spot. Speaking of Houston, they have a huge test at home later that same night as they host the 7-2 San Diego Thunder, a club looking to prove to the world that they are one of the USFL’s best, and the way to do that is to knock off the 8-1 Gamblers.

Saturday gives us a lot of 4-5 and 5-4 teams all trying to stay in the mix as we enter the heat of summer. We start with 5-4 Baltimore, trying to regroup under Jake Locker, headed into Birmingham, to face a Stallions team that started fast at 4-1, but has lost 4 in a row. Then at 4pm we have another battle among strong teams as LA takes their shut down defense into Michigan to face LeVeon Bell and the Panthers. This one could be a very low scoring affair as these two teams simply do not give up big plays.

On Sunday, we kick things off with national coverage of the Generals-Stars Turnpike Tussle as both clubs have turned a corner, with Philly winning their last 4 and New Jersey on a 3-game win streak of their own. The winner of this one gets back to .500 and will be in the mix in a very volatile NE Division. At 4pm We have two Western Conference games, first it is Denver headed up to Seattle and hoping to avoid a trap and escape 2 games over .500. We also have a Pacific Division battle as 3-6 Portland hopes to take advantage of the offensive struggles the Invaders have had, sending them to 4-5. Then, in the nightcap it is last year’s SE Division champs, sitting at 4-4-1, headed down to Tampa Bay to face the Bandits, who now sit at 5-4. Without Mitch Trubisky (cornea scratch), it will be Tyler Thigpen hoping to take advantage of the Bandits’ iffy defense, but watch out, Charlotte’s own defense is going to be sorely tested as they face the top ranked passing game in the league, with Bandit Ball in full effect.

Friday @ 7pm ET            New Orleans (5-4) @ Memphis (5-4)           NBC

Friday @ 9:30pm ET        San Diego (7-2) @ Houston (8-1)                    ABC

Saturday @ 12pm ET      Baltimore (5-4) @ Birmingham (4-5)                 ABC

Saturday @ 12pm ET      Las Vegas (4-5) @ Chicago (5-4)                      FOX

Saturday @ 4pm ET        Atlanta (2-6-1) @ Oklahoma (4-5)                     ABC

Saturday @ 4pm ET       Los Angeles (6-3) @ Michigan (8-1)                FOX

Saturday @ 7pm ET         Orlando (6-3) @ Pittsburgh (4-5)                       NBC

Saturday @ 9pm ET       Dallas (3-6) @ Ohio (2-7)                                ESPN/EFN

Sunday @ 12pm ET       Arizona (6-3) @ Jacksonville (2-7)                    ABC Regional

Sunday @ 12pm ET       St. Louis (4-5) @ Washington (3-6)                 ABC Regional

Sunday @ 12pm ET       Philadelphia (4-5) @ New Jersey (4-5)            FOX

Sunday @ 4pm ET         Denver (5-4) @ Seattle (3-6)                           ABC

Sunday @ 4pm ET         Portland (3-6) @ Oakland (4-5)                       FOX

Sunday @ 8pm ET       Charlotte (4-4-1) @ Tampa Bay (5-4)           ESPN/EFN