2020 USFL Season Preview: GAME ON!!!!
- USFL LIVES
- Sep 16
- 36 min read
May 1, 2020
Great news, America! The USFL is on, the games will commence in just 3 weeks, and we will have a full 16-game season. It won’t be like any prior season, but there will be football this summer (and fall). We will break down the huge news out of the USFL this past week, will take a look at how the season will unfold, and what special adjustments have been made to make football part of our summer again. We will also use this opportunity, as players rejoin their teams, to take a peak at how the extended offseason has prepared all 30 USFL clubs for the upcoming games, give our forecast on each team, each division, and our always reliable (kidding!) predictions for this unique 2020 season’s playoffs, championship, and major awards. Football is coming to your TVs, Laptops, and Phones, so get ready! It will be a season like none before, but it is football, so we are all happy campers right now, even as we have not put on real pants in weeks.
USFL Lays Out Plan to Return to Action on May 22.
The news all football fans have been waiting for ever since a somber USFL Commissioner Steve Bisciotti announced the suspended 2020 season back in March has arrived. A much more chipper Bisciotti announced via livestreamed league announcement on the return of USFLFootball.com America’s premier spring football league in just over 3 weeks time. Appearing on screen with three governors and several USFL head coaches, Bisciotti and his team laid out the format for what will be a USFL season that will include a lot of firsts for the league. Here is the plan he laid out for USFL fans, partners, and the media.
2020 SEASON TIMING
The league will kick off on Friday, May 22, with 15 games per week, newly realigned to have 3 games on Friday night, six on Saturday, and six on Sunday each week. It will be a full 16-week season, meaning that for the first time the USFL will technically be playing football in the Fall. The regular season will end on Sunday, September 6. We will see a very familiar 12-team playoff, including a Wild Card round with 8 teams, a divisional round of 8 teams, a conference title round with 4 teams, and Summer Bowl 2020, now scheduled for Sunday, October 7. So, delayed, but not shortened or otherwise altered from the format we all know and love. The schedule does remove the planned bye weeks that were to debut this year, and some special arrangements had to be made with Major League Baseball to avoid potential conflicts from an October Summer Bowl and the MLB playoffs. The two leagues agreed upon Sunday, October 7 as the date for the Summer Bowl, with the understanding that MLB would not schedule any playoff games for that Sunday. The removal of the bye week was a concession to MLB to avoid a possible World Series-Summer Bowl conflict later in October.
2020 SEASON FORMAT
If you recall our March update, we proposed 5 possible paths the USFL could take. By now you can see that neither cancellation, a full fall season, or a shortened season were not chosen. That leaves the “Bubble Season” as the best option to both play games and follow safety and health restrictions in place across the country. Working with the CDC and state officials, the USFL came to an agreement that the regular season would be played in three “geographical bubbles”, bringing 10 teams each to three locations and playing all games without fans in attendance.
Yes, you heard that right. At least at first all USFL games will be played in empty stadiums. Aside from essential stadium staff, broadcast teams, and the teams themselves, there will be no attendees of the USFL games this season. Commissioner Bisciotti announced that the league will continue to work with the Public Health departments of the three states where games will be played and with the CDC. If conditions allow for partial or reduced attendance later in the season, the policy may be adjusted, but for now the plan is that we will see empty stands as the teams face off each week. Both Fox and ESPN have already said that they are considering adding computer-generated crowd noise to games to make the viewing experience as similar to past years as possible, but that certainly feels like a bit of a awkward work-around. As for season ticket holders, the USFL is offering the opportunity for fans of all 30 teams to hold their deposits towards the 2021 season or to obtain refunds. Knowing the typical USFL season ticket holder, there are going to be a lot of deposits retained for 2021.
GAME & TEAM "HUB" LOCATIONS
The Commissioner turned over his presentation to the three governors also available on the livestream to announce the locations for all games and team camps. Governor Doug Ducey of Arizona, Governor Greg Abbot of Texas, and Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida each spoke proudly of their state, of the possibility to both host the USFL and to hopefully bring fans into the stands before the season is completed. All three Republican governors have been outspoken about CDC recommendations from mask use to public gatherings, so we expect some friction between the states, the CDC, the league, and the players’ union, which is very much looking to the players’ health as a key priority. In turn, each governor announced their plans to host 10 USFL teams for a unique “bubble” season with each team playing schedules clustered within their bubble.
Florida will play host to all 10 teams from the Northeastern and Southeastern Divisions. Teams will be housed in Tampa Bay, Orlando, and Gainesville, making use of local college dormitories, now empty as students were sent home for the year, and hotels (should on-campus study return in Fall 2020). Gainesville and the University of Florida will host the Generals, Steamrollers, and Monarchs. Orlando the Blitz, Federals, Renegades, and Bulls, with Tampa and St. Petersburg playing host to the Stars, Bandits, and Fire. As we will see in all 3 clusters or bubbles, Orlando and Tampa Bay players will be required to live in campus/hotel housing along with the other teams to ensure fairness in player conditions. Games will be played at Raymond James Stadium, Orlando’s Camping World Stadium, and the University of Florida’s Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (The Swamp). Both the Swamp and Camping World will host 1 game each on Saturday and Sunday each week, while Camping World Stadium will host 1 game per day, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Texas, and more specifically the Houston area, will host all 10 teams from the Southern and Central Divisions. Games will be played at NRG Stadium, Rice Stadium, and TDECU Stadium, all located in greater Houston. The league originally proposed combining Houston with San Antonio, but the use of a domed stadium was considered a higher risk than having all games played outdoors, so the Alamodome was taken off the list, and TDECU was added. The teams will be housed in 3 communities in and around Houston, with the Gamblers, Gunslingers, Maulers, and Machine in Houston proper. The Breakers, Stallions, and Skyhawks will be housed in Galveston, while the Glory, Panthers, and Showboats will be in College Station, making use of Texas A&M’s extensive sports facilities and residential space.
Finally, Arizona will play host to both the Pacific and Southwest Divisions. The Wranglers, Gold, Express and Thunder will be based in Phoenix, with Dallas, Oklahoma, and Oakland in Tucson, and the Stags, Dragons, and Vipers in Flagstaff. Despite having 3 clubs based in Flagstaff, the league will not be using NAU’s Walkrup Skydome, once again a domed facility to host games, with State Farm Stadium in Glendale hosting 3 games per week, while ASU’s SunDevil Stadium and the University of Arizona Stadium in Tucscon each hosting 2 games per week.
THE 2020 SCHEDULE
Fans will immediately notice two significant differences in USFL scheduling for 2020. First is the time when games will be played. Due to the summer heat in all three states, nearly all games will be scheduled for evening play, meaning that we will be seeing a lot of regional coverage across both on Saturday and Sunday. All Florida games will begin at 8pm Eastern time, with all Houston games kicking off an hour later at 8pm Central Time, and all Arizona games delayed 2 more hours, until 8pm Pacific Time. That means fans of the Express, Dragons, Wranglers or any Pacific or SW Division teams who live on the East Coast are looking at 11pm kickoff times all season long. It is either that or play in 120 degree heat in Arizona on a weekend afternoon.
The second schedule oddity is that all games will be held between teams in the same 10-team pods. Over 16 games, all teams will play their 4 division rivals twice, nothing new there, but they will also play three of the five cross-division teams twice as well, with their final two games against the two remaining cross-division teams. To give you a sense of this, here is what the schedule looks like for the expansion San Antonio Gunslingers.
Week 1: v. Chicago TDECU Stadium
Week 2: @ Memphis Rice Stadium
Week 3: v. New Orleans Rice Stadium
Week 4: v. Ohio TDECU Stadium
Week 5: v. Houston NRG Field
Week 6: @ Birmingham TDECU Stadium
Week 7: @Michigan NRG Field
Week 8: v. St. Louis TDECU Stadium
Week 9: @ New Orleans Rice Stadium
Week 10: @ Ohio Rice Stadium
Week 11: v. Birmingham NRG Field
Week 12: @ Houston NRG Field
Week 13: @ Chicago TDECU Stadium
Week 14: v. Memphis Rice Stadium
Week 15: v. Michigan TDECU Stadium
Week 16: @ St. Louis Rice Stadium
The league will see inter-bubble matchups once the playoffs begin in September, with the home team remaining in its region and host city, while the visiting team may need to travel to a new bubble to face their playoff opponent.
And what about Charlotte and the Summer Bowl? The USFL has kept the option to host the Summer Bowl in Charlotte on the table and will make a decision in August as to the viability of a Charlotte-hosted game. If they are unable to make that work, then we should expect an announcement at that time of the host city, with Orlando and Houston the clear favorites, however, the league would like to avoid a situation in which either the Renegades or Gamblers get a clear home-field advantage, so we could see the title game played at a pure neutral site like Gainesville or Tucson if Charlotte is not a viable option.
DEALING WITH COVID
Within 24 hours of the league relaunch announcement, USFL officials within the Competition Committee revealed a series of health guidelines in place for the rescheduled and reformatted season. Not to worry, players are not going to be expected to wear masks during games, but you will notice some significant changes, particularly to the injury designations and player eligibility.
TESTING: Players will be tested for COVID-19 3 times each week, each Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. In the event of a positive test, the player is immediately isolated in their housing (moved to a single with significant restrictions on contact with other team members or team personnel outside of medical staff).
INJURY REPORT: Players who test positive on Monday or Wednesday are retested on Thursday. A second positive test means that they are placed on the injury list as OUT and must miss that week’s action. If they retest positive the following Wednesday, they remain in that status for a 2nd week. League medical officials believe that in most cases a player will clear the 2nd week test, but there may be cases in which players are unable to do so, particularly if they demonstrate symptoms at that time.
ROSTERS: The USFL is not expanding rosters beyond 53 active players, but they are expanding the practice squad by 4 additional positions and an allowance will permit teams to add players to the active roster as late as 4 hours prior to game time.
FORFEIT: If a team has a mini epidemic within their roster and cannot field a minimal roster of no fewer than 46 players for a game, the game will be forfeited as a 2-0 victory for the opponent. With no bye weeks to reschedule games that are missed, this was the option agreed upon by the league and the union. Players will receive game checks for any forfeited games.
The league is also in discussion with the league to potentially implement temporary changes to the waiver policy, trade deadline, and IR systems to assist teams with roster replacements where possible, but no details of any adjustments to these practices have yet been announced.
So, there you have it, a full 16-game schedule, with all games at night, and all teams clustered into hubs or bubble cities in Arizona, Texas, and Florida. Players have already received their assignments on where to report, and camps reopen this week, with local high schools and some university campuses used as training facilities. There will be strict housing and meal rules in place as well as additional rules for practices, injury (and illness reporting) and gamedays, and, as we just laid out, some changes to roster management, injury reporting, and potential forfeit.
2020 TELEVISION SCHEDULE
The last item to discuss is how you, the USFL fan, can catch games. This was a tricky bit of negotiation for the league and their 4 TV partners, but an eventual deal was agreed upon. The broadcast/cable/satellite structure will be as follows:
NBC will produce and broadcast 1 Friday and 1 Saturday game.
ESPN will similarly produce and broadcast 1 game both Saturday and Sunday night.
Both FOX and ABC will produce 4 Saturday and Sunday games, with regional coverage of all four. They will also each host 1 Friday national game in alternating weeks.
But what if you are a Generals fan in Texas or a Stags fan in Florida? Never Fear, while games will be broadcast in regional coverage on each network’s broadcast feed, each provider will offer out-of-market games to fans on their online platforms through livestreaming. In an agreement with the league, ABC and FOX, the only networks using regional coverage, will livestream all games on their web streaming platforms, with fans able to buy a Nationwide USFL package to watch all out-of-market games for $80 dollars for the season, a deal that comes to $5 per week and gives fans access to both the ABC and FOX broadcasts, making all games available to the entire nation.
But what about blackouts? OK, now you are just being silly. With no fans allowed at games, the league has obviously done away with the blackout rules around home attendance. All games will be shown in their home markets, so, for example, all Generals games in regional coverage will be available for the NY-NJ markets, while all Oakland games, despite being played in Arizona, will be shown in Northern California. So, if your favorite team is in your home region, the $80 Nationwide plan is not needed as all games will either be on national coverage or shown to you in regional coverage, but for fans of the Invaders who live in Chicago, you can use the Nationwide USFL Package to get all 16 Invader games on your computer, phone, tablet, or any Wi-Fi-enabled television.
That is more than enough talk about COVID-19, special arrangements, bubble-cities, and empty stadium games. Let’s talk some football. The second part of our Season Preview is all about the game inside the white lines, the teams and their prospects for this unique season. Let’s get ready to analyze all 30 teams, account for all the offseason moves, and make our (often dubious) picks for the 2020 season, late in arriving, but now more welcome than ever.
Season Preview: Teams & Divisions
The Northeast Division gets a new team in the expansion New England Steamrollers, loses a recent arrival in the Maulers, and is again likely to be a very close, very hard fought division. Philadelphia won the division title at 9-7 last year after an 0-5 start, but there is certainly no lack of challengers this year, with 2019 playoff teams New Jersey and Baltimore right there and Washington hoping to see major improvement this year.
NEWCOMERS TO WATCH:
BAL: Rookie WR Michael Pittman Jr.
NEN: Rookie DE Yetur Gross-Matos, DT Aaron Donald, QB Ryan Tannehill
NJ: WR Kenny Stills, TE Jonnu Smith
PHI: OT Matt Kalil
WSH: WR Jarvis Landry, NFL LB Danny Trevathan
STORIES TO FOLLOW:
Stars QB Struggle
The fact that the Stars made efforts not only to land a top flight rookie but also made some inquiries during the NFL-USFL transfer window should tell us that they are not sold on the fact that Matt Gutierrez still has enough in the tank to get the job done. Coach Harbaugh seems to have faith in him, but everyone else, from the GM to the very vocal fans seems to have their doubts. Will Gutierrez prove that he still can bring wins to the Stars or will the team again be looking elsewhere. The Stars still have only P. J. Walker and Trace McSorley behind Gutierrez, so once again there may not be a fallback option for Philly.
Nassib Needs to Prove Himself Again
Ryan Nassib got himself a very lucrative deal to join the Federals last year after a break out performance in Arizona in 2018. But what Federals fans saw from their new QB did not exactly live up to the hype. Nassib’s accuracy was still there, completing passes at essentially the same rate, but his yards per game was down nearly 100 yards, and his TDs dropped from 32 to 20. That said, not all of that is on Nassib. After all, the Washington receivers do not match up to the 2018 Arizona combo of Fitzgerald and Bryant. With two new options in Jarvis Landry and Jalen Saunders joining Keenan Allen and Tyreek Hill, there are no excuses in 2020. That is a very solid WR group and one capable of turning short completions into big plays, so it is time for Nassib to show Washington why they showed him the money.
Steamrollers Hope to Surprise
Life as an expansion team is never easy. Not only do you need to build a roster, you need to build a culture. Coach Fox will try to do just that with his Steamroller squad. He has a lot of interesting pieces, but will they come together as a team. The offense may well be pretty sound, led by former NFL QB Ryan Tannehill, this squad has some talent, including HBs Kerwynn Williams and Matt Forte, WRs Doug Baldwin, DeVante Parker, and Zay Jones, and All-USFL TE Dennis Pitta. The line will need time to come together, and there is a general lack of depth, but front line talent is there.
On defense, expect the Steamrollers to rely heavily on their huge free agent signing, DT Aaron Donald, to set the tone. Donald, more than even edge rushers Mario Addison and Tashawn Bower, may be the most dangerous player on the field for opposing QBs. The LB group is led by another NFL import, veteran Jamie Collins, who changes teams and leagues, but not zip codes, moving from the moribund Patriots to the brand-new Steamrollers. The secondary is likely the strength of the defense overall, with two quality corners in Sam Shields and Jalen Mills, and a pretty savvy safety combo of Jaiquawn Jarrett and Deion Bush. Again, depth behind the starters is where the concern lies, but this is a team that should be competitive and could surprise some folks.
OUR ASSESSMENT
We are picking New Jersey to claim the division title, but this could be a three, maybe even four team race. We don’t see anyone getting beyond 10 wins and only New England likely has the capacity to lose more than 10 games. So, why did we pick New Jersey? We think Norv Turner has the pieces in place to be the most consistent team in the division. We like the addition of two more weapons in the passing game, and we think their defense is the most stable of the 4 returning teams. Could we be wrong? Of course. Perhaps Philadelphia’s 9-2 run last year is more indicative of their team than the 0-5 start. Maybe Matt Gutierrez is ready to rebound. Or maybe Baltimore, now with Jake Locker at the helm, can make a move. So hard to say, but in our mind the team with the fewest “what if” scenarios is New Jersey.
In 2019 the Southeast quickly developed into a 2-team race, with surprising Tampa Bay outperforming all expectations in Coach Trestman’s first year and Orlando certainly on the rise. Atlanta lost steam when Aaron Murray got hurt and their run defense was a pure no-show. Charlotte also seemed to lose a step. That reality led to some shakeup, with 3 of the division’s 5 teams making a change in the front office. Can Jacksonville, Atlanta, or Charlotte catch lightning in a bottle as Coach Trestman did with the Bandits last year, or are all three destined to be looking up at last year’s two best teams?
NEWCOMERS TO WATCH:
ATL: Rookie WR Gabe Davis, DT Albert Haynesworth, NFL WR A. J. Green
CHA: WR Tandon Doss, NFL CB Ronald Darby
JAX: Rookie WR Tee Higgins, DT Montravious Adams,
ORL: Rookie DT Javon Kinlaw, FS D. J. Swearinger, NFL HB Ty Montgomery
TBY: NFL HB Matt Breida
STORIES TO FOLLOW:
Three New Coaches
The Fire, Monarchs, and Bulls all start out 2020 with a brand new coach, each now dealing with COVID issues as well as roster and team culture issues. Of the three, Atlanta’s Jaime Elizondo helped usher in the most significant roster changes, signing 37-year-old Albert Haynesworth to help with the run game and then importing two offensive players with real potential, WR A. J. Green and HB Jordan Howard to help with the Fire’s shaky offense from last year.
Charlotte and Head Coach Vance Joseph start a new chapter for the franchise, but much remains the same for the Monarchs. They did bring in a solid backup behind Trubisky, acquiring Kyle Boller in a trade with St. Louis. Other than that, the offense looks very much like the 2019 squad that struggled under Jim Mora Jr. Can Elizondo bring in elements of the explosive Bandit offense that helped him get the job?
In Jacksonville, Winston Moss will be tackling not only the current issues that had the Bulls finish 2019 with the worst record in the league, but a culture of more than 35 years of poor performance and disappointment. He started addressing both by addressing the defense, bringing in DT Montravius Adams and shifting Alex Anzelone from MLB to the Strong Side position to try to help put energy into the run defense. On offense, Teddy Bridgewater is now securely the starter at QB, with only NFL import Cardale Jones and late round rookie Ben DiNucci behind him. Devin Singletary is expected to challenge Matt Jones for time at tailback, and rookie Tee Higgins is looking very much like a Week One starter.
Which of these three new head coaches is in the best position to win right away? That is hard to say, and we still expect the two top teams from 2019, Tampa Bay and Orlando to be atop the division in 2020, but maybe we will get a surprise like the one we saw in Tampa Bay last year.
Bandit Ball Sequel?
The Bandits made a huge leap in 2019, jumping from a 3-win 2018 campaign to a division title and a trip to the Eastern Conference Championship in 2019. But, will teams catch on to their new offense? Will the departure of OC Jamie Elizondo to Atlanta lead to a decline in effectiveness? And will some of the departures on defense, like CB Trumaine McBride (retirement) or Tank Carradine (traded to Ohio) create a backstep for the Bandits? We still think they are good enough to win a SE Division in transition, with Orlando their likely main competitor, but can they get past the best of the other two divisions to get back to a Summer Bowl? That is a big question.
Haynesworth the Answer?
Atlanta made a few big-time moves, but none with the potential Boom or Bust nature of the signing of a 37-year old Albert Haynesworth. Haynesworth successfully petitioned the league to allow him to rescind his 2018 retirement and now returns to football at an age when most defensive linemen are on the golf course or in the jacuzzi. At his prime, Haynesworth was a monster inside, helping to free up Calais Campbell to lead the league in sacks every single year while in Orlando. But at 37, there are a lot of questions as to whether this 9-time All-USFL selection can still get the job done.
The Fire certainly hope he can, because they simply had no ability to stop the run last year, and they need a presence in the middle to make teams pay for trying to grind out first downs on the ground. Haynesworth is also supposed to take on blockers so that edge rushers like William Gholston and Mario Edwards can bring pressure without devoting LB talent to the blitz. With Kuechley, Ellerbe and Patrick Willis in the LB group, Coach Elizondo may still want to bring in the extra rushers, but if Haynesworth can do as he used to, occupying both the center and a guard, he may not have to.
OUR ASSESSMENT
You may be surprised to see us picking Orlando over the Bandits this season. We do that for two reasons. The first is that Tampa Bay had some losses on defense in the offseason and it was the ability of the Bandit defense to hold off opponents that allowed the Bandits to make a 7-game improvement from 2018 to 2019. If the defense again falters, we think the Bandits take a step back. Orlando, on the other hand, has been on a steady path towards improvement. We like the addition of Swearinger to the secondary and we think Kinlaw is a net positive addition in the D-line. Those two positives, along with a solid and balanced offense feels like a winning combination to us. As for the three remaining clubs, we think Atlanta did the most to improve their chances in 2020. Of course, a lot depends on if Albert Haynesworth can be even close to his All-USFL self as he returns after more than a year away from the game. Charlotte could surprise if they have truly improved their defense and if Mitch Trubisky can mature his way out of his bad decisions.
The South adds a second Texas team as the San Antonio Gunslingers join Houston, Birmingham, Memphis, and New Orleans. This could well be the toughest division in the league, with the defending conference champion Gamblers, a very solid Breaker team, and two potentially improved teams in both Memphis and Birmingham. San Antonio will get few opportunities to snag division wins, but with Joe Flacco at the helm, they may surprise some folks.
NEWCOMERS TO WATCH:
BIR: Rookie WR Henry Ruggs, NFL WR Robby Anderson
HOU: Rookie HB Cyle Edwards-Helaire, NFL TE Gerald Everett
MEM: CB Josh Johnson, WR Geronimo Allison
NOR: Rookie WR Justin Jefferson
SAN: Rookie WR Jaelen Reagor, DE Marcus Lawrence, QB Joe Flacco,
NFL OT Zach Banner
STORIES TO FOLLOW:
Gunslinger Growing Pains
The San Antonio Gunslingers were looking forward to opening day perhaps more than any other team. They had brought football back to the Alamo City five years after the devastating tornadoes led to the demolition and reconstruction of the Alamodome. And they were bringing back some familiar faces from the days of the Texas Outlaws. QB Joe Flacco, a 35-year-old Marshawn Lynch, and 6 other former San Antonians were back in town, along with a lot of new faces. But, now reality has to set in. After a 2-month delay, San Antonio will be back on the field, but not yet back in San Antonio. The Gunslingers will play all their games in Houston, and likely with no fans in the stands. So what will we see from the new Gunslingers and head coach Chuck Long?
On offense, expect Long to split carries between Marshawn Lynch and former Gambler C. J. Prosise. Joe Flacco will be throwing to at least one familiar face, another Outlaw transfer, Marquise Goodwin, but will also have former Federal Brandon LaFell and slot man Isaiah McKenzie to throw to. The line may be a bit shaky, typical for a new group learning to play together, and that could be an issue because Flacco is about as mobile as an oak tree. On defense there is some good talent and good experience in the LB group with Casey Matthews, Gabe Miller and Justin Hollins among the starters. The secondary has a real talent in CB Jordan Pugh, and a solid safety duo of Will Harris and David Bruton, but that line, that could be an issue. If teams can run on the Gunslingers, and if opposing QBs get time, this could be a defense worthy of an expansion team.
Gamblers Draw Two
The Houston Gamblers have developed a knack for adding talent to key positions before they need it. We saw that with Colt McCoy prepping behind Matt Hasselbeck and producing one of the best QB handoffs in memory. We may be seeing that at halfback now, as the Gamblers drafted and signed LSU’s Clyde Edwards-Helaire as backup, and potential future replacement for All-USFL veteran Carlos Hyde. Hyde turns 29 this year, so he is not over the hill yet, but adding a talented young back behind him seems like a very shrewd move.
The other big add for the Gamblers was a necessity. With Vernon Davis retiring this year, tight end became a position of need, and the Gamblers hope they have found the solution to that need in the form of NFL import Gerald Everett. The 2017 draftee of the St. Louis Rams is big (6’3” and 239 Lbs), fast (4.62 in the 40), and has strong hands. He caught 37 balls for 408 yards last spring and Coach Phillips thinks he is just reaching his prime. Of course, having Colt McCoy to throw to him and with outside receivers like Mike Evans and JuJu Smith-Schuster, Everett is in prime position to make a big splash this year.
Stallions Add Targets
The contract extension given to Cam Newton did two really important things this offseason. It said unequivocably that the Auburn product was both the present and the future of Coach Todd Haley’s offense, and it told the league that Birmingham would not be pursuing Alabama product Tua Tagovailoa. Tua ended up signing with the NFL Chargers over the Atlanta Fire, but Birmingham was not done. They had their QB, but after losing WR Amari Cooper in free agency (Seattle), they needed to provide their new multi-millionaire QB with some options in the receiving group. The Stallions started in the draft, claiming and signing another Crimson Tide star, wideout Henry Ruggs in the T-Draft, then waited for the NFL-USFL Transfer Window to add even more, signing Robby Anderson away from the New York Jets.
Anderson and Ruggs will likely split time opposite Dontrelle Inman, but if either one proves himself early, expect them to become the top target for Newton, who will also still likely finish the year as the leading rusher for Birmingham, ahead of Ben Tate or Rex Burkhead. With 2 new weapons, as well as the best 1-2 TE combo in the league (Hunter Henry and Eric Ebron) the Stallions have given Newton the weapons he needs to reach his self-stated goal of winning an MVP and a Summer Bowl. Big dreams. We will see if the Stallions are there.
OUR ASSESSMENT
I think we all expect Houston to sit atop the South again. They are just so solid, and even added some depth this offseason. As for their potential rivals, we still wish Joe Burrow would have signed with the Breakers, because that would have been such good entertainment, but even without the LSU quarterback, we think the Breakers could be a real challenge to Houston’s division dominance. We also think that either Memphis or Birmingham could get into the mix. We are choosing Birmingham just because they seem far more active and intent on improvement. Coach Ryan and the Showboats seemed to be treading water this offseason, which does not make sense for a team that finished 8-8 last year. San Antonio could fare quite well for an expansion team, mostly out of division, but we think that 10 losses or more is still the most likely scenario.
The Panthers absolutely dominated the Central Division last year, winning 14 of 16 games. But 2020 looks to be a year when they could face a few tougher challenges. The Maulers return to the division and should be a mid-tier squad among the 5 teams. Chicago is certainly on the upswing and we are also expecting more from St. Louis this year. All in all the Central will likely be a lot closer than in 2019, but that does not mean we don’t still see Michigan on top.
NEWCOMERS TO WATCH:
CHI: Rookie WR Chase Claypool, HB Marion Mack, NFL WR Jermaine Kearse
MGN: Rookie WR Donovan Peoples-Jones, DT Dontari Po
OHI: Rookie LB Malik Harrison, WR Cordarelle Patterson
PIT: Rookie HB Cam Akers, DE Aaron Kampman
STL: Rookie OT Tristan Wirfs, Rookie DE A. J. Epenesa
STORIES TO FOLLOW:
Michigan’s 2019 Hangover
Michigan’s shocking ouster in the Divisional Round of the 2019 playoffs is still very much a topic of conversation both on local sports radio and within the organization itself. After a 14-2 regular season, the defending league champions felt poised to seek the repeat, but failed to even qualify for the Conference Title Game after a stunning 20-12 loss to the Denver Gold. Enter the offseason and what do we see? Fullback and LeVeon Bell’s personal chauffer Kyle Juszczyk heads off to the NFL in the September window, DT Kevin Vickerson retires at 34 years old, the Panthers lose DT Terrell Troupe, WR Jerrel Jernigan, and LB Cody Glenn to free agency, and the Expansion Draft costs them young QB Easton Stick (NE), a player Coach McDermott really liked and was hoping to build up this year.
So, how does Michigan shake off the upset hangover and the loss of some quality talent? Well, they get active in free agency, signing Tyler Thigpen to back up Kirk Cousins, and bringing in the best DT option outside of 37-year-old Albert Haynesworth, pulling Dontari Po away from the Showboats. They also bring in HB Karlos Williams to help on third down, and then, in the NFL Window in February they add a veteran at LG in Ron Leary. Is that enough to help Michigan remain dominant in the Central Division? We think so, but is it enough to wipe away the taste of that playoff loss and make the push this year to return to the Summer Bowl? That may be a question we won’t get an answer to until September. Man, that is weird to say, September in the USFL.
Chicago Offensive Overhaul
If the Panthers are going to repeat as Division Champs, they are likely going to have to fight off the Chicago Machine to do it. Chicago continues to add weapons to their offense, bringing in Marion Mack to be the piledriver paired with Jeremy Hills smooth speed. They drafted and signed Notre Dame deep threat Chase Claypool to spread the defense, and then added Jermaine Kearse from the NFL to provide a 4th option on those long third downs that killed them last year. The defense will be almost identical to the 2019 squad, which is a good thing, but with more offensive options for Sam Bradford to utilize, Chicago may well be a very dangerous combo of fast-strike scoring and hard-nosed defending this year.
Maulers in Midwest
What at the time felt like a permanent move from the Central Division to the Northeast in 2013 turned into a 6-year experiment as the arrival of yet another team in the Boston area (the city’s 3rd USFL attempt) once again relocated the Maulers from one division to the other. So now, instead of more Keystone Clashes with Philadelphia, the Maulers will have to rekindle their twice-a-year rivalry with neighboring Ohio, while also taking on the Panthers, Skyhawks, and Machine. The Maulers struggled to reach .500 in the NE Division the past 6 years, topping the 8-8 mark only once in their 2013-2019 run in the division. Now they return to a Central Division that seems somewhat bi-polar, with Michigan and Chicago looking like real title contenders and St. Louis and Ohio looking like teams trying to find themselves. What does that mean for new Head Coach Skip Holtz? Coming into a situation already fraught with issues, the former La Tech coach is under fire before his team even takes a snap. And now we add on a season where the Maulers will be playing in Houston and living on the campus of Rice University. It is no way to start a new era in Mauler history, but it is what it is.
OUR ASSESSMENT
If anyone can challenge the Panthers for the division title, it has to be Chicago. They added more weapons for Sam Bradford, have a defense that improved over 2019 and they are coming into the year with a lot of expectations and a lot of confidence. We see St. Louis as an improved team in Lamar Jackson’s 3rd year and Pittsburgh could surprise as well. As for Ohio, we are feeling very much like their 2018 division title was a fluke and that the 2020 Glory will look a lot like the 2019 edition that won only 4 games.
The Wranglers were not just the best team in the division last year, they were the best team in the league, a fact proven by their domination of Houston in Summer Bowl 2019. All they did this offseason was reload, so we think they are still going to be tough to topple. Denver also had a solid year in 2019 with Josh Allen outperforming expectations in his first season as a starter. We still think they need a bit more youth on the team, but they are competitive. Las Vegas could improve, and we think that if Justin Herbert is anything like what we saw at Oregon, Dallas could also take a step forward.
NEWCOMERS TO WATCH:
ARZ: Rookie WR Brandon Aiyuk, NFL DT Snacks Harrison
DAL: Rookie QB Justin Herbert, TE Pharaoh Brown
DEN: DT Terrell Troupe, DE D’Aundre Reed,
LV: Rookie S Julian Blackmon, LB Nick Perry, OT Tyson Clabo
OKL: Rookie HB DeeJay Dallas, Rookie QB Jalen Hurts, WR Nick Toon
STORIES TO FOLLOW:
Wrangler Repeat?
Arizona not only won a third title last year, they claimed the right to call themselves the Team of the Decade and a true dynasty. So, what do they do for an encore? How about a 4th? How about a 6th Summer Bowl appearance in an 8-year span, a nearly inconceivable feat? That is the plan for the Wranglers, and while they won’t quite be at home all season, playing in Arizona certainly cannot hurt their chances, even if they are living in a hotel in Glendale and will play some games in Tucson. The Wranglers return pretty much all of their big-name players from the 2019 run, losing only LB Travis Goethel to free agency (NEN), TE Jimmie Graham to retirement, and DT Grady Jarrett to a trade with Baltimore, and DE DeShawn Hand to the expansion draft.
Back at center stage we will have the offense led by David Carr, with the HB duo of Carey and Crowell, and the receiving group led by Victor Cruz. New to the offense will be rookie WR Brandon Aiyuk, who should see ample time in the slot, and TE Robert Tonyan, making the move from TE2 to the starting gig. On defense, it will be Calais Campbell and Bud DuPree making QBs run for their lives, while Scooby Wright, A.J. Klien, and Malik Jefferson anchor down the LB group and Joe Haden takes away a team’s best receiver. The Wranglers did not see a mass exodus of talent this offseason, so their odds to be a Summer Bowl contender once again look very favorable.
Herbert’s Timeline
Dallas made the move and landed a player they think can be a generational QB for them. They will start the season with Josh Freeman at the helm, but you can expect that at some point this year we will see the Roughnecks run former Oregon star Justin Herbert out onto the field. Herbert can make all the throws, is mobile enough to make plays with his feet, and has excellent field vision. He is also an ideal front man for the Roughnecks, who really have not created a clear place for themselves in the sports psyche of Dallas-Fort Worth since coming over from Boston in 2013. Herbert may give them the chance to do just that, even if fans can only watch him from their TVs. The Roughnecks may still need to add more around their young franchise QB, but this year is all about helping Herbert adjust to the pro game and get some playing time before the club returns to Dallas in 2021.
Miller’s Retirement Tantrum
He begged, he demanded, he pouted, but Denver would not budge. They held Von Miller under contract for 2 more years, and they said that he would not be cut loose, not traded, and not offered a new deal. Miller’s response was epic, and not in a good way. Over the course of the Winter he kept it largely professional, hoping that the Gold would release him in time to make a leap back to the NFL. But that did not happen. The Gold held him to his contract and left him few options. The options Miller took were to go to social media and throw an absolute tantrum about Denver. Not just the ownership of the Gold either. Miller laid into Coach Hufnagel, his DC, his teammates, even the city itself, calling the fans bandwagon jumpers who did not understand real football, the city a “whitebread imitation of a real city” and pretty much going full scorched earth on everyone and everything about his time with the Gold (apparently Denver was just fine when Miller was a Bronco, but the Gold period showed him he was wrong). When the Gold would not acknowledge his wishes and the NFL-USFL Transfer Window opened and closed without him being made eligible, it was the last straw. On March 22nd, Miller took the one action left available to him. He retired. He did so with a flurry of tweets, a couple of loud and angry appearances on ESPN and the Stephen A. Smith podcast, and with, eventually, official filing with the league.
What does this mean for Miller? It means his USFL career is over, not just in Denver, with all 30 teams. It means that he could sign with the NFL in the upcoming months, but only if he can find a team that is OK with the way he left the Gold, and that is the part it seems he did not count on. Miller is a very talented player, and he still has gas in the tank, but the way he left the Gold is not going to sit well with a lot of NFL teams. No one wants someone with that kind of explosive capacity to bring the heat to their team, not unless they are desperate. So now Miller waits and the Gold move on. They signed D’Aundre Reed in anticipation of Miller leaving, and now Reed will pair up with Justice Cole and Denver will see what they have.
OUR ASSESSMENT
The SW Division is still very much Arizona’s to lead. We like Denver to finish second, and maybe a couple of games closer to the Wranglers, but still not close enough. Dallas is our pick to jump into the playoff picture, as we have high hopes for their rookie QB. Las Vegas could also be in the mix, though they really did not make many moves worthy of boosting our confidence in them. Oklahoma took a huge hit with the expansion agreement sending 8 veterans to San Antonio. As much as we like their draft this year, we think it will take a year or two to see the dividends and until then the Outlaws could struggle.
Last year we got all excited about the LA Express early on, only to watch them slump back to 8-8 by season’s end. Seattle again started very weak (1-5) only to pour it on late and find themselves in the playoffs. Could you imagine if they could just go 3-3 in the opening 6 weeks? They could win the division. Portland played 4 different QBs last year, and hopes that won’t be repeated in 2020. And then there is Oakland, who had some solid but unimpressive offseason moves until they pulled the trigger on the biggest signing in mid-February. We don’t want to get too excited about one player, but when that player is arguably the best championship QB in two leagues, it is hard not to.
NEWCOMERS TO WATCH:
LA: Rookie C Tyler Biadasz, WR Austin Pettis, NFL LB Yannick Ngakue
OAK: CB Brandon Boykin, SS Marquestan Huff, NFL QB Tom Brady
POR: Rookie DT Raekwon Davis, NFL WR Josh Gordon
SD: Rookie WR Laviska Shenault, WR Ronald Johnson, DT Rakeem Nunes-Roches
SEA: Rookie S Grant Delpit, WR Amari Cooper, NFL TE Kyle Rudolph
STORIES TO FOLLOW:
The Brady Factor
As a general rule, a team signing a 43-year-old QB feels more like desperation than brilliance, but when that QB is Tom Brady, generally considered the best championship QB in all of pro football, well, you have to get enthused about the move. The Invaders had a solid defense in 2019, can put together a strong run game behind Christian McCaffrey, but neither Jimmy Garoppolo or Ryan Findley felt like a real answer at QB. Both struggled and with them the Invaders were stuck in mediocre form, finishing at 8-8. If Brady is health, which the added 2 months of rest may well aid with, he can be a difference maker for certain. Could he get them 2, 3, 4 more wins? Very possibly.
Brady has weapons all around him in Oakland. The line is weaker than in past years, but still likely in the upper half of the league, and the defense is aggressive and fast-moving, very much in the model of their captain, Bobby Wagner. Expect fans to be snapping up those number 12 Brady jerseys, and look for Oakland to take every chance to put Brady in a position to win games this year. This should be fun to watch.
Sophomore Slump in LA?
The Express started so strong in 2019 and then started to falter. That is not entirely surprising for a team built around 3 rookies. So, the question is, will those three star rookies advance their games in 2020, or will we see a sophomore slump that spells a rough year for Express fans once again? Of the three, we have the most confidence in DE Nick Bosa, in part because his final month of 2019 was certainly stronger than his first month. He should be a focal point of any team’s offense this year. Kyler Murray needs to take a step forward. In 2019 it looked like he was often relying on instincts, not preparation or understanding, and that can get you only so far. The Express need their QB to be able to see what is on the field and make adjustments to take advantage of it. Finally, WR Marquise “Hollywood” Brown has to be more than a one-route receiver. Yes, his speed lends itself to the deep fly route, but there has to be more to his game if he wants to be a starter, much less a star, in the USFL.
Seattle QB Questions
The Dragon’s third straight year with a late season run seems to speak to the ability of their team to learn and develop, but they seem to have amnesia every offseason. One of the areas of amnesia may well be around the QB position. Yes, the Dragons won some games, but was Jacoby Brissett really the long-term solution? Seattle did not pursue a top flight option at QB this offseason, which tells us that Coach Riley is happy with what he got out of Brissett last year, but for those of us outside the organization, that seems to be overvaluing a player who just has never proven to be able to carry his team when it is needed. We will see if Coach Riley’s faith in Brissett is warranted. Maybe they can get off to a faster start and compete for the division title, but maybe they are capped out at the 8-8 or 9-7 range.
OUR ASSESSMENT
We suspect that fans of the San Diego Thunder are feeling very much like Rodney Dangerfield, getting no respect at all. We certainly acknowledge that their 12-4 season in 2019 was a very strong showing. Their 41-10 playoff loss to the Wranglers was not a good look, however. So, what happens in 2020? Well, we look at the return of Tom Brady and maybe we get a bit starstruck, but we think that gives Oakland an edge. We have both teams sitting at 11-5. That assumes a 3-game improvement for the Invaders and a 1-game slip from the Thunder. We have both LA and Seattle slipping back a game and Portland struggling to keep up. But a lot depends on the Brady factor. It would not surprise us if San Diego again dominated the division, but something tells us that Tom Brady returning home to Oakland could truly shake things up.
PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS
So, looking over our division rankings, we have our 12 playoff teams at the end of the 2020 “bubble” season of the USFL. Our anticipated seedings would be as follows:
EAST: 1-HOU, 2-ORL, 3-NJ, 4-NOR, 5-TBY, 6-BIR
WEST: 1-MGN, 2-ARZ, 3-OAK, 4-SD, 5-CHI, 6-DEN
This playoff format would produce entirely interdivision and inter-pod Wild Card games. We see New Jersey, Tampa Bay, Oakland, and San Diego coming out of those. From the ensuing Divisional games, we pick Houston to take down the Bandits, Orlando to outlast New Jersey, Michigan to knock off San Diego, and Oakland to upset Arizona. That leaves 4 teams for the conference finals. We are picking Houston to defeat Orlando, returning to the Summer Bowl for a 3rd straight year. In the championship we think they face the Oakland Invaders. Yes, we know, we are way too excited about Tom Brady, but we cannot help it. We are going to go all the way with Brady and the Invaders, picking them to upset Michigan and win only the 2nd title ever for a Pacific Division team. We are so often wrong with our picks, that it just seems like we should at least go with a bit of a dark horse pick anyway, and Oakland is ours.
AWARD PREDICTIONS
As bad as we are at picking league champions in the preseason, we at least tend to be in the ballpark more often than not with our Award Picks. After all, we can see who has huge talent upside and who is in a position to have that talent paired with a lot of team Ws. So, with the usual caveat that you should never put up your mortgage on one of our picks, here are our selections for the Big 5 USFL awards for 2020:
MVP: QB Tom Brady (OAK)
Look, if we are picking the Invaders to capture the Pacific, and defeat Arizona, Michigan and Houston on their way to a title we have to believe that Brady will be MVP material. He may not put up huge passing numbers, but fans and voters alike will certainly be able to see his impact on the Invaders and his ability to pull out wins when they are needed. That should be enough in our minds to have voters give him the MVP even if he captures none of the statistical categories.
OPOTY: QB Colt McCoy (HOU)
Here is where we see the stats being the story. McCoy has amazing weapons all around him in Houston, from Mike Evans to Carlos Hyde, and they even added a potential dual-threat understudy for Hyde in LSU’s Clyde Edwards-Helaire and a solid safety valve option in TE Gerald Everett from the NFL Rams. If McCoy cannot win at least 2 of the 3 main passing categories (yards and TDs) then something is very wrong, and we just don’t think anything will be wrong with the Gambler offense this year.
DPOTY: CB Josh Norman (CHI)
We are going out on a limb this year. We could play it safe and go with Calais Campbell, last year’s winner and a seemingly eternal sack champion. We could ride the Oakland bandwagon even more and go with 2018 DPOTY Bobby Wagner, but we are predicting that Chicago, and particularly their defense, see major improvement this year, and of all the players who could be in position to see their numbers pop off the page, we think it is Norman who could put up some major numbers. We honestly see a chance that the Machine corner could challenge the league record for picks if we are right about this defense, and if he gets in that stratosphere and the Machine are over 10 wins, then we like his chances.
ROTY: WR Justin Jefferson (NOR)
This one was tough. We wanted to pick Justin Herbert in Dallas, but we are not even sure how many games he will see. If Josh Norman plays well early, he could only get some mop up duty. Meanwhile, Jefferson is poised to be starting opposite Jordy Nelson from Week One. And with Nelson absorbing a lot of double teams, Jefferson could have a huge rookie campaign. A lot depends on QB Geno Smith, but the Breakers are capable of putting up big passing numbers, and with teams having to focus on Jordy Nelson, it could be a gold mine for Jefferson.
COTY: Chuck Long (SAN)
With 5 new head coaches in the league, and barring a team going from 10 losses to 10 wins like we saw with Tampa Bay last year, we think the best odds go to the expansion team that most exceeds expectations. San Antonio is in a tough division, but with veterans like Flacco, Lynch, and Goodwin on the roster we think this Gunslinger squad looks far closer to 8-8 than 0-16. If the former Wrangler OC can get his offense humming for the Gunslingers, they could impress us, and that would be a feather in the cap of their coach.
We are still 3 weeks away from the opening of the Bubble Season, but we are so anxious to see the USFL back on the field that we cannot wait. Here is your Week 1 Schedule for May 22-25. It is the kickoff of a season many thought would not come, and the start of a weird experiment in empty-stadium football, but it is football, and we are here for it. Here is the Week 1 schedule with all stadiums listed, television networks as well, and with all divisional games in bold blue font.
FRIDAY, MAY 22
8pm ET Charlotte @ Baltimore Camping World Stadium ESPN/EFN
9pm ET Ohio @ Houston NRG Stadium NBC
11pm ET Dallas @ Arizona State Farm Stadium FOX
SATURDAY, MAY 24
8pm ET Jacksonville @ New Jersey Ben Hill Griffin Stadium ABC
8pm ET Orlando @ New England Raymond James Stadium FOX
9pm ET Michigan @ Birmingham TDECU Stadium ABC
9pm ET Pittsburgh @ Memphis Rice Stadium FOX
11pm ET Las Vegas @ Denver U. of Arizona Stadium ABC
11pm ET Oakland @ San Diego Sun Devil Stadium NBC
SUNDAY, MAY 25
8pm ET Tampa Bay @ Philadelphia Camping World Stadium ESPN/EFN
8pm ET Atlanta @ Washington Raymond James Stadium ABC
9pm ET St.Louis @ New Orleans NRG Stadium FOX
9pm ET Chicago @ San Antonio TDECU Stadium ABC
11pm ET San Diego @ Portland State Farm Stadium FOX
11pm ET Seattle @ Oklahoma U. of Arizona Stadium ABC
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