2020 USFL Week 10 Recap: Upset City!!

As our Big Story this week will elaborate, Week 10 was a good one for the underdogs, we saw San Diego, Jacksonville, Charlotte, and New England all defy the odds and the oddsmakers by scoring surprising victories against teams with winning records. It was also a week for QB news as Kyle Boller gets a win in his first start at QB, Joe Flacco goes down to injury, which meant we got an Easton Stick sighting, and in Philadelphia another loss means we are going to see Ryan Lindley under center for the 1-9 Stars. We will start our report with our story on some big upsets this week, run through all the weeks action and begin our very early look at the 2021 draft by scouting 10 top defensive prospects. It all begins with our Big Story.

Underdog Uprising

There is a reason the Las Vegas books stay in business and rarely struggle to post a profit. Betting on football is a tough business, and weeks like this one are proof positive. Putting aside the games where the spread was not covered, games like Tampa Bay’s 7 point win over Philadelphia (a 10-point underdog) or Atlanta’s 3-point shootout win over Washington (a 5-point underdog) and we still have some hugely unexpected results, including what may be the first truly solid game the San Diego Thunder have put together all year. This week alone we had the Thunder, a 9-point underdog against 6-3 Portland, run up 42 points and a 15-point victory. Then you had Jacksonville, a 5-point underdog against New Jersey take a 3-point victory. Charlotte, starting journeyman Kyle Boller, went into their match against Baltimore as an 8-point underdog and ended up winning by 10, and the expansion New England Steamrollers had perhaps the most shocking result, absolutely dominating the Orlando Renegades to the tune of 23-6. It was a week of upsets, and every one was different. Here are the keys to each game.

San Diego’s Upset of the Portland Stags

Outgained 484-282, how did the Thunder manage to beat the Stags, and beat them handily? The key was efficiency on offense, that and generating 3 turnovers. Christian Ponder completed 25 passes but averaged only 5.7 yards per pass, but when they were in scoring range, he did not falter, throwing 5 touchdowns, all of them in the red zone. His first was a 1-yarder, then his longest at 17 yards to Luke Wilson, then 4, 9, and 6. No huge bombs, just efficient, ball control offense against a defense that just was not playing well in this one.

Jacksonville Ekes Out a Win over New Jersey

The Bulls’ D has been much improved of late, and in this one they struggled a bit, giving up 317 total yards, but for the first time in a long time the offense helped them out, with Teddy Bridgewater carrying the offense on his back to the tune of 406 of the team’s 444 total yards. Bridgewater averaged over 11 yards per attempt, hitting on several big plays, including a 60-yard TD to halfback Devin Singletary, a 42-yard toss to Tee Higgins that set up a Singletary TD run, and a 53-yard catch and run from Tajae Sharpe. It was all about busted coverages and Bridgewater keeping the play alive until his receivers got open. That is what undid the Generals’ plans for a victory.

Charlotte Played Controlled Football

For the Monarchs it was about not hurting themselves, as Charlotte had no turnovers, only 2 penalties, and just kept plugging along, keeping the pressure on the Baltimore Blitz all game. After an initial field goal in the 1^st quarter, the Blitz did not score again until late in the 4^th, watching as bit by bit Charlotte went from 3-0 down to 3-3, 6-3, 9-3, then 16-3 on a Boller to Blasingame TD pass, then 19-3, and then 26-3 with only 5:47 left. Slowly putting points up while the defense kept Jake Locker and Josh Jacobs in check all game long.

New England Uses Front 7 To Great Effect

The Steamrollers had perhaps the biggest surprise performance of the week as they not only rolled for 411 yards, their best offensive output all year, but held the Renegades to only 243, with the run game only gaining 90 yards (Montgomery leading with 44 yards) and sacking Russell Wilson 4 times. It was the most complete game Coach Fox’s squad put together all season. Ryan Tannehill completed 24 of 39, Kerwynn Williams rushed for 92 yards, and 7 different receivers touched the ball as the Steamrollers got a nice midseason win to move to 3 on the year.

Very different paths, different strengths, but equal results, big upset wins for some teams that needed something positive this season. For the Blitz, Generals, Renegades, and Stags, these losses hurt, but for the victors, it is a sweet taste of success in what have been some bitter seasons so far.

WASHINGTON FEDERALS 34  ATLANTA FIRE 37

A true shootout in Orlando as the Atlanta Fire and the Washington Federals combined for 800 yards of offense and 71 combined points. What is even wilder is that in the first and 3^rd quarter there were only 6 points, a field goal each, while in the 2^nd we saw 35 points scored and in the 4^th another 30. It was a game of wild and quick strikes as both QBs put up some big numbers. Ryan Nassib had his best outing as a member of the Federals, completing 35 of 45 passing, racking up 350 yards and 4 TDs, while on the other side, Aaron Murray threw for 282, but got a lot of help from his run game, as Nick Chubb and Kenyan Drake combined for 92 yards.

Tyreek Hill would be the game’s lead receiver with133 yards and 2 touchdowns, while for Atlanta it was NFL import A. J. Green with 123 and a TD for the Fire. And it was a game with some big defensive plays, including a pick-six from Earl Thomas of Atlanta, while the Federals saw Prince Amukamara rack up 5 passes defended and a pick, while Chris Long got 2 sacks and forced a fumble.

The game started slowly, as we cited, with the only points of the first quarter coming off of the foot of Atlanta’s John Bounds, but the cautious and slow pace of the first quarter proved deceptive as the floodgates opened in the 2^nd. Atlanta started it off, going up 10 with a 7-play drive finished off by an 11-yard TD run from Kenyan Drake. Only 5 plays later, Washington was on the board when Ryan Nassib found Jarvis Landry on a beautiful out & up route, breaking free from the corner and scoring from 42 yards out. Atlanta countered with another quick drive, this one 9 plays in only 4 minutes and finished with a 3-yard Nick Chubb counter play.

Just 18 seconds later, Atlanta made it 24-7 when Earl Thomas picked off Ryan Nassib and ran the pick back 33 yards to boost the lead to 17. Was the route on? Not quite, as Washington responded with a nice 2-minute drill, with Nassib hitting Keenan Allen with just seconds left to pull back to 10 at 24-14.

In the 3^rd, Washington would drop it down to a 7-point lead with a Vinatieri field goal, another deceptively slow quarter, but the 4th would once again turn up the heat.

The final quarter opened with Vinatieri hitting from 39 yards out to pull Washington to within 3, but once again Atlanta tried to pull out again. They added 3 points on their next drive, and after holding Washington to a 3-and-out, Aaron Murray hit on his biggest play of the game, a 48-yard touchdown toss on a 3^rd and 11 that gave Atlanta another big lead at 34-20. But Washington would not go away, and with only 5:09 to play, they went hurry up, with a huge play on their 3^rd play of the drive, Tyreek Hill catching the ball 11 yards down the field and then simply running away from defenders for a 62-yard TD pass.

The Federals opted to kick the ball deep, and it paid off as they forced a 3-and-out. Washington kept up the pace and in only 1:07 they put the ball back in the endzone, with Nassib finding Hill again, this time from 13 yards out, a score that tied the game at 34, much to the disbelief of the Fire. But, Atlanta still had 1:21 and all they needed was a field goal. Aaron Murray would lead the Fire on a drive to avoid overtime, and with a pair of nice throws, the first a 20-yarder to Kelvin Benjamin, and then a 16-yard inside toss to O. J. Howard, they were in range. With 1 time out left, they positioned the ball with a draw to Chubb, and then sent out John Bounds. Bounds put the ball through with just a few ticks left on the clock and Atlanta escaped with a hard fought win in a very tough battle with a Federals team that simply did not give up at any point.

PHILADELPHIA 17  TAMPA BAY 24

The Bandits struggled on offense against a Philadelphia defense that seemed to have their number, but after falling behind 10-7 in the first quarter, they got TDs from Prescott to both Dez Bryant and Jordan Cameron to take a 14-point lead. Despite giving up 329 total yards to the Stars, the Bandits held their lead and held on to win the game in what was a much tougher affair than many had anticipated.

POTG: Bandit DE Brian Burns: 3 Tck, 2 Sck, 1 FF

LOS ANGELES 7  OAKLAND 26

Kyler Murray had a nightmare game against the Invader D, throwing 5 picks, 4 of them to nickel corner Jaylen Watkins, who had never had more than 3 picks in an entire season before this game. He not only picked off Murray 4 times but returned one for a touchdown as the Invader defense absolutely dominated the Express and Murray. Despite only gaining 176 total yards on offense, the Invaders earned 19-point victory over their in-state rival, leaving both teams at 6-4 after 10 weeks.

POTG: Invader CB Jaylen Watkins: 1 Tck, 4 Int, 1 DefTD

MEMPHIS 31  CHICAGO 7

While no one player could be singled out for the Machine, they too suffered a nightmare loss. In their case it was the inability to stop the Memphis passing game, notably with 2 key defenders out due to injury & Covid protocols. Paxton Lynch threw for 294 yards and 3 touchdowns. Meanwhile Rex Ryan’s defense held Chicago to only 77 yards rushing and one lone score on the day. The win propels Memphis to 7-3, dropping Chicago to that same record.

POTG: Memphis QB Paxton Lynch: 21/33, 294 Yds, 3 TD, 2 Int

NEW ORLEANS 10  MICHIGAN 24

Michigan sacked Geno Smith 4 times, picked him off once, and held him to only 12 of 26 as the Panther D asserted itself in this key inter-conference game. On offense, LeVeon Bell was held below 100 yards, but his 98 rushing yards, paired with 48 in the air helped Michigan get the 14-point win. Kirk Cousins also connected for 3 TDs, including two to his favorite target, Cody Latimer, as Michigan moves to 8-2, the 2^nd best record in the West behind only unbeaten Arizona.

POTG: Michigan QB Kirk Cousins: 24/34, 239 Yds, 3 TD, 0 Int

DENVER 24  LAS VEGAS 22

New OC Ken Dorsey had Josh Allen going deeper sooner and it paid off with 3 touchdowns, including a 39-yard scoring throw to Kevin White and a 33-yarder to Golden Tate. With Matt McGloin knocked out of the game late in the 1^st quarter, backup Jeff Tuel almost brought the Vipers back, but a failed 2-point conversion preserved the win for the Gold, who snap a 5-game losing streak.

POTG: Denver LB Justin Houston: 7 Tck, 1 Sck

PORTLAND 27  SAN DIEGO 42

The first of our stunners for the week as San Diego takes out 2 months of frustration on a seemingly unprepared Portland defense. Christian Ponder completed 25 of 34 and threw for 5 TDs in a shocking offensive explosion from the Thunder. Both Ronald Johnson and TE Luke Wilson scored twice, Marques Colston added another, and LB Myles Jack contributed an 8-yard fumble recovery TD as the basement-dwelling Thunder stun the Stags, dropping them into a 3-way tie atop the Pacific at 6-4.

POTG: Viper LB Myles Jack: 5 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 Def, TD, 1 FF, 1 FR

NEW JERSEY 26  JACKSONVILLE 29

Not quite as shocking, considering New Jersey’s up and down season, but still an upset as Jacksonville, a 7-point underdog, came back late to steal a win. New Jersey had built up a 26-19 lead on touchdown tosses from Foles to OBJ and Muhammed Sanu, but in the final 2:42 of the game, Jacksonville tied the score on a Bridgewater to Singletary TD pass, held New Jersey to a 3-and-out, and with less than 1 minute left got the ball in range for Rodrigo Blankenship to win the game on the final play, a walk off field goal for Jacksonville’s 4^th win on the year.

POTG: Bulls’ QB Teddy Bridgewater: 20/36, 406 Yds, 2 TD, 0 Int

BALTIMORE 16  CHARLOTTE 26

Kyle Boller gets an upset victory in his first start, replacing Mitch Trubisky. Boller went 19 of 29 for 181 yards and 1 score, but it was enough to set up 4 Stephen Earl field goals. The game was actually not as close as the score indicates, with Charlotte building up a 26-3 lead midway through the 4^th before giving up a pair of late scores. The Monarch D held Baltimore’s Josh Jacobs to only 59 yards rushing and put pressure on Jake Locker all game long in the upset.

POTG: Charlotte FS Tre Boston: 2 Tck, 2 PDef, 1 Int

BIRMINGHAM 27  PITTSBURGH 30

The Maulers barely escaped this battle of Steel Cities as Birmingham got a monster day from Cam Newton once again, but this time entirely in the air, as Newton threw for 445 yards and 4 TDs. The Maulers kept pace, with TDs from Cam Akers, Brian Quick, and Sony Michel in a back and forth game that nearly went to overtime. Chris Boswell lined up for a 52-yard field goal as time was running out, but a false start pushed Birmingham out of his range and forced Cam Newton to try for a Hail Mary. He completed a long pass to Dontrelle Inman, but the attempt at the lateral failed, causing a fumble that Pittsburgh recovered to end the game in a wild finish.

POTG: Stallion QB Cam Newton: 26/40, 445 Yds, 4 Td, 2 Int

HOUSTON 20  ST. LOUIS 0

No upset alert in this one as the Gamblers were ready for Lamar Jackson’s new RPO options. Jackson attempted 11 rushing plays and ended up with -3 yards in total as the Gamblers used a nickel safety to spy him. The Gamblers kept 5 DBs on the field the entire game, not fearing the St. Louis ground attack. And while it was a shaky game form Colt McCoy (12 of 21 for only 194), the Gamblers did enough to earn the win, thanks mostly to their defense.

POTG: Houston LB Tim Crowder: 8 Tck, 3 TFL, 1 Sck

OKLAHOMA 3  SEATTLE 21

Another outstanding game from Brett Hundley has Seattle at .500 as they win the battle of 4-5 clubs. Hundley completed 22 of 30 passing and threw for 2 scores, while Knowshon Moreno added a 3^rd on the ground and the Dragon D completely shut down the Oklahoma offense, limiting Jalen Hurts to 9 of 18 throwing and allowing only 3 conversions in 14 third down attempts. The Dragon D sacked Hurts 4 times and used a lot of blanket zones to confuse the rookie in his first USFL start.

POTG: Seattle DE Jerry Hughes: 2 Tck, 2 Sck

ARIZONA 16  DALLAS 13

One mistake is all it took for Arizona to earn a hard-fought win in a surprisingly defensive matchup against Justin Herbert and the Dallas Roughnecks. Both offenses struggled in this one, but with 2:58 left to play, Dallas held a 13-9 advantage over the surprisingly contained Arizona offense. But, trying to add to their lead, Dallas had Hebert passing late, and he tried to force a ball into Sammy Watkins, only for Arizona DB Jeremy Lane to undercut the route and scamper 38 yards for the pick-six that would give the Wranglers a 3-point win and retain their unblemished record at 10-0. A tough lesson for the rookie QB to be sure.

POTG: Arizona CB Jeremy Lane: 6 Tck, 3 PDef, 1 Int, 1 Def TD

NEW ENGLAND 23  ORLANDO 6

Our final stunner of the weekend as New England held Orlando to only 243 total yards, forcing 3 takeaways and allowing only 2 of 12 on third down to upset the heavily favored Renegades. Kerwynn Williams rushed for 92 yards and Ryan Tannehill found both Dennis Pitta and Jack Doyle for TDs, but it was the Steamroller D that surprised the Renegades and secured a 3^rd win for the expansion New England squad.

POTG: Steamroller DE Mario Addison: 4 Tck, 1 Sck, 2 FF, 1 FR

SAN ANTONIO 21  OHIO 24  OVERTIME

A surprisingly good game between two division basement dwellers as Ohio and San Antonio went back and forth for 60 minutes before deciding the game in overtime. Joe Flacco went down in the first quarter, hit hard after hitting Marquise Goodwin on a 7-yard TD strike. In came Easton Stick for his first action. The untested QB went 15 of 28 and helped San Antonio even the game at 21 in the final minute, but in overtime it was Ohio that got the chance to end the game on a long Robbie Gould FG attempt and their kicker came through with the 48-yard attempt. For Ohio the star was 3^rd year receiver Curtis Samuel, who caught 7 balls for 171 yards, including a 71-yard TD in the 3^rd quarter. Christian Hackenberg also found Terry McLaurin for a 33-yard scoring toss as he finished with 313 yards and 2 scores on the day.

POTG: Ohio WR Curtis Samuel: 7 Rec, 171 Yds, 1 TD

Watkins Makes History with 4 Picks in 1 Game

You will be forgiven if the name Jaylen Watkins is not one you immediately recognize. The 6-year veteran who played 2 seasons in Jacksonville and three in Oklahoma had only 3 career picks in his first five seasons despite getting significant time at nickel and as a starter. He had some good numbers in other areas, but just was not a big playmaker. Now in his first season with the Oakland Invaders, he was solidly entrenched in the nickel spot, but had only seen limited action, but after this week everyone in the Bay Area and anyone who loves football learned his name.

Watkins came out of nowhere to become Kyler Murray’s worst nightmare. Lined up at various times opposite slot receiver Marqise Lee, tight end Jason Whitten, or taking on Reggie Bush out of the backfield, Watkins made play after play, almost as if he knew what Murray was thinking before Murray did. Watkins picked off Murray 4 times, and we are not talking about tip drill catches, we are talking straight up picks, stepping in front of Bush on one play, wrestling the ball away from Lee on another, and just swooping in before Whitten could react to snag a ball and return it 27 yards for the game-clinching score. Watkins was just a constant nuisance and perhaps Oakland’s primary weapon in the game. Of their 26 points, Watkins accounted for 6 through his interception return, but also accounted for 10 more as the Invaders got a TD and a field goal following Watkins picks. So, instead of a 10-7 score, Watkins helped Oakland walk away with 26 points and a much easier win. Not bad for a player who had a career total of only 3 picks in 5 years.

Newton & Bridgewater Go Big in Week 10

While the results were not the same, Teddy Bridgewater, in Jacksonville’s upset victory over New Jersey, and Cam Newton, in a tough 27-30 loss to the Pittsburgh Maulers, both had themselves dominant performances. Newton did what Cam so often seems to do (often to no avail as the Stallion D gives up too many easy scores), putting the offense on his shoulders and trying to play Superman. Against Pittsburgh he did not attempt a single called run play, but threw the ball 40 times for 445 yards, single-handedly keeping Birmingham in the game against the now 8-2 Maulers. With rookie Henry Ruggs out, it was Robbie Anderson catching 7 for 132 and a score, TE Hunter Henry catching 2 Newton TD tosses, and Dontrell Inman catching 4 for 96 yards as Newton stayed in the pocket and just torched the Mauler secondary all game long.

A bit of a different story for the Bulls, who most consider to have one of the weakest receiver groups in the league. Against the Generals, who turned up the pressure, sacking Bridgewater 4 times, the Bulls’ QB completed only 20 of 33 passing, but those 20 went for 406 yards as Teddy B. threw to 9 different receivers, including a season best 5 catches for TE Gavin Escobar. Halfback Devin Singletary came up big with his 5 catches, turning short throws into long gainersin including a 60-yard TD scamper that boosted him to 129 total yards. Rookie Tee Higgins had 4 for 81 yards, and QB-turned-TE Taysom Hill had a couple of nice grabs too. But what was most eye-catching in the game was that almost every time New Jersey looked to be lining up for another sack, Bridgewater made someone miss and then found a man open to turn a lost down into a solid gainer. The Bulls have a lot of issues, but Bridgewater has proven he can play well at the position, putting up a 90.4 QB rating last year (with 22 TDs) and this hear he has increased his yards per game and is again proving he can be a very effective passer. We knew Newton could play, and with 2,900 yards and 24 TDs already this season he is absolutely not the reason the Stallions are mired at 2-8. If they could just play any semblance of defense, or run the ball at all with their backs, they could finally stop wasting his talents, but for now it is another season of amazing individual performances and team losses.

Boller gets W for Monarchs in Upset

QB Kyle Boller had not started a game since 2017 in St. Louis, and had not been a regular, named starter since his last year in Birmingham back in 2010, but the 15-year veteran got the call this week, with Coach Vance Joseph looking for anything to spark the dormant Charlotte offense, and while Boller’s numbers were nothing that would blow anyone away (19 of 29 for 181 yards, 1 TD, and 0 picks), he did for Charlotte what Mitch Trubisky had not been able to do in the past month, get a win. The upset win over Baltimore not only broke the Monarchs’ 4 game losing streak, but in scoring 26 points, the Monarch offense had their highest point total since a 34-31 Week 4 loss to Jacksonville.

Boller will remain under center this week when Charlotte faces a very tough challenge in division rival Atlanta, and while he is clearly a “placekeeper” QB, the real mystery is what the Monarchs will do in 2021. Many fans want them to go all out to try to land Clemson star QB Trevor Lawrence, but the rights to Lawrence belong to the Jacksonville Bulls and odds are they do not want to trade those rights to any team in their division, so Charlotte may have to look elsewhere if they want to add a new arm to their offense next season. For now, the arm in question is Kyle Boller, who hopes to write a nice bookend season into his career as a USFL starter.

Last Second Deal Sends Alexander to Seattle

Talk about a last second deal. The Trade Deadline was due to hit at 5pm ET on Friday and a 4:47 a deal was called into New York, a deal sending Stars’ cornerback Jaire Alexander out to Seattle (Well, to Arizona, literally, but you get the idea). Seattle went back and forth with the Stars for the better part of a week, not wanting to give up too much, but eventually settled on a 3^rd round draft pick in 2021 and a 5^th in 2022. The move helps Seattle deal with season-ending injury to Desmond Truffant, as the 5-5 Dragons hope to make yet another late season run to the playoffs. For Philadelphia, the move means their secondary is weakened just a bit more, but that they have 2 additional draft picks to start a rebuild under their new head coach (when one is chosen). The Stars adjusted to the move in time for their game against Tampa Bay by calling up 21-year old Russel Galvin from the practice squad. Seattle did not start Alexander against Oklahoma, but we should expect to see him sharing time with Darnay Holmes at nickel and possibly opposite Richard Sherman in early downs as well.

Stars to Start Lindley

Philadelphia made another move this week, with interim Head Coach Don Smith finally making the move that Philly fans have been crying for since early in 2019, opting to bench QB Matt Gutierrez. The new starter will be former Invader Ryan Lindley, brought over in trade just a few weeks ago. Lindley, who had only 2 starts in 2018 and none in 2019, will get his chance to make an impression on the Stars’ organization this week, when Philadelphia takes on New England. Philadelphia, sitting at 1-9, is clearly looking to make some major changes for 2021, and it seems ownership wanted to see if they had anything in Lindley.

The San Diego State product, drafted out of college by the Tampa Bay Bandits back in 2012, has never had more than 7 starts in any season, and really only had that many in 2017 because of an injury to Invader QB Joey Harrington. Over his 8 USFL seasons, he has thrown for 16 TDs and 13 picks, completed 64.6% of his passes and has a career QB Rating of 82.9, which, in all honesty, is pretty solid for a career backup, and certainly higher than Matt Gutierrez’s current 2020 rating as well as his 71.1 rating for 2019. Is Lindley a long-term solution? Not likely. He will have at least a few weeks, however, to lock himself onto the roster for the next year or two, and, who knows, if he outperforms expectations maybe he even gets a shot to compete for the position in 2021. Stranger things have happened.

Flacco to Miss 2-3 Weeks with Back Injury

Our last QB story this week is not the kind anyone wants to see, a QB getting knocked out of a game and out of play for at least a pair of weeks. It could have been worse, but the injury to Gunslingers’ QB Joe Flacco looked awfully nasty, with him needing help from 2 players to reach the sideline. The good news was that there was no damage to Flacco’s spine, but the bad news is that the muscular damage will take some time to heal, meaning Flacco will miss between 2-4 weeks in recovery. That leaves the offense of the 1-9 expansion Gunslingers to untested 2019 rookie Easton Stick.

Stick was drafted by the Michigan Panthers after a solid pair of seasons at North Dakota State, where he took over when NFL QB Carson Wentz left for the pros. He now takes over the expansion San Antonio offense, with career backup Chad Kelly backing him up. Expect San Antonio to rely a bit more on their HB duo of 36-year-old Marshawn Lynch and former Gambler C. J. Prosise as they try to take pressure off the young QB. The Lynch-Prosise combo has already proven to be a solid option, with the two combining for 1,071 yards already this year (Lynch at 599 and Prosise at 472). Easton will also have some targets to look to, including team receiving leader Brandon LaFell, TE Julius Thomas, and speedster Marquise Goodwin. It’s a chance to show something, safe in the knowledge that the job will belong to Joe Flacco as soon as the veteran is healthy and can return to action.

Way too soon for anyone to be clinching a playoff spot, though certainly the unbeaten Wranglers and Bandits are sitting pretty atop their respective conferences. Looking at the playoff standings with 6 weeks left in the season, they each have large leads over the 2^nd best record in their conference, with Atlanta at 8-2 in the East and Michigan and Pittsburgh also at 8-2 in the West. Right now 6 wins is the requirement to make the cut, though that does not help LA, who loses the tiebreaker with Oakland at 6-4 each. Still plenty of time for the 5-5 teams to make a run, and don’t count out teams with 4 wins, which right now includes an improving Jacksonville squad as well as both Denver and Oklahoma in the SW Division. Plenty of games yet to be played and plenty of changing likely to come to this list as we move into the season’s final 6 weeks.

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Two quarterbacks will be out in Week 11, San Antonio’s Joe Flacco, who we reported on just now, and Las Vegas’s Matt McGloin, who suffered a concussion in the Viper game against Denver. We are fortunate that we have no new IR addittions and very few new injuries, though the Covid-19 list this week is quite long and features a few key players that will be missed, including, for a 2^nd week, New Orleans’ WR Justin Jefferson and Baltimore TE C. j. Uzomah.

OUT

OT     Isaiah Wynn       ORL        Collarbone           2-4 Weeks

QB         Joe Flacco          SAN       Back                     1-2 Weeks

LB           Tremaine Edwards     WSH    Elbow                      1-2 Weeks

DOUBTFUL

QB         Matt McGloin                  LV           Concussion

DE          Bud Dupree                    ARZ         Turf Toe

QUESTIONABLE

C             Max Tuerk                     LA         Pinched Nerve

WR         Stevie Johnson             STL          Hamstring

SS           Eric Berry                       LV             Ankle

LB           Pat Angerer                   HOU       Hip

COVID-19 INACTIVES

BAL        LB           Jarvis Jones

BAL        TE           C. J. Uzomah             2^nd Week

DEN      SS           Marqui Christian

JAX         OG       Chadwick Hodges          2^nd Week

MGN     FB          Adam Griffith

NOR      WR         Justin Jefferson         2^nd Week

OHI       OG         Brandon Brooks

SEA        OT          Terron Armstead             2^nd Week

TBY        SS           Derwin James                 

USFL Looks To Move Summer Bowl to Las Vegas

News out of New York, and exactly the news that folks in Charlotte did not want to hear. With the North Carolina state legislature dragging their heels on efforts to bring fans back to stadiums during the Covid-19 pandemic, the USFL has clearly looked for other options for Summer Bowl 2020. The easiest option is to return to the site of SB19, which is Las Vegas’s Wynn Arena. This week the USFL announced that if Nevada produces a limited capacity option for attendance at the game, they will relocate the Summer Bowl from Charlotte to Las Vegas.

The move makes a lot of sense. Having hosted the event with a full stadium last year, the infrastructure in Las Vegas is tested and the league can be confident that their championship game will be well-supported. There were questions in Charlotte all spring, and now, with issues of capacity as well as a non-hub location requiring a lot of potential new arrangements, Las Vegas seems a good option. All that is missing is the possibility of adding fans to the mix. As we reported last week, Texas and Florida have already approved plans for 25% capacity, and now, with casinos suffering and the entire Las Vegas economy in rough shape, the prospect of a major event like the Summer Bowl, even if fan attendance is capped at 25% capacity, is a very enticing option for the city and the state. If they can get a deal done, the USFL has basically offered them a chance to restart their local economy. For Charlotte it is a bad deal all around, but for the league and for Las Vegas it could be the perfect compromise.

Top Draft Candidates: Defense

In what is a very strong offensive draft pool, there are still some prospects on the defensive side who have USFL scouts very interested. As these players prepare for what could be a very odd final season of college ball, perhaps as bizarre as the empty-stadium USFL games have been this summer, there are plenty of eyes on each of them, scouts looking for a touch of magic, a hint of possibility, or a sign that there is something special in their potential. We may be several months away from the USFL and NFL drafts, but with a shortened 2020-2021 USFL offseason anticipated, scouting will be a very intense process this year and finding players with both talent and drive will be a key to success next year. So, who are the 10 players getting the most hype as we prepare for the 2020 college season? Here are the names we are hearing a lot about this summer.

DE Payton Turner (Houston)

A 3-year starter for the Cougars, Turner has proven he can play the run and also be an effective pass rusher. He has a nice combo of size (6’6”, 35” arm length) and speed (4.31 shuttle), he projects as either an edge rusher in a 4-3, or possibly an OLB in a 3-4. The Gamblers will have the option to draft him with a territorial pick.

DE Gregory Rousseau (Miami)

Rousseau lost the 2018 season to an injury, started 2019 as a backup, but took over as the startermidway through the year for the Hurricanes. He recorded an impressive 15.5 sacks in that comeback season, 2^nd in the nation. If he can repeat that kind of performance in his final year, he could be the top DE taken.

DE Odafe Oweh (Penn State)

At only 257 last year at Penn State, Oweh may need to add some bulk this year if he wants to project as a hand-on-the-ground DE, but he could also project as a strong side linebacker for a 3-4 team. In 2019 he played in all 13 games for the Nittany Lions, recording 5 sacks. Scouts like his combination of power moves and speed shifts, but he is something of a tweener right now.

DE Kwity Paye (Michigan)

Bigger and stockier than the other edge men expected to come out this year, Paye is more of a bull rusher and a run stuffer than a speed guy. He is not slow, not by any stretch, having clocked a 4.52 in the 40, but his biggest asset is his tenacity and drive on the ball.

LB Micah Parsons (Penn State)

A disruptive force at Penn State, Parsons could well be the first defensive player off the board in the NFL draft, and we don’t think he even makes it to the open draft in the USFL, because the Stars need a player with his aggressiveness and ability to make plays. We think they start wooing him early and often to try to land the Nittany Lion linebacker, but that will depend on who their new coach is as of October.

LB Zaven Collins (Tulsa)

Unprotected by any team in the T-Draft, Collins could be a very early USFL pick in their Open Draft. At Tulsa, Collins had 97 tackles for the Golden Hurricanes in 2019, and is expected to be the focal point of their defense in 2020 as well. We see Collins as an outside backer in the USFL simply because of his speed and range.

LB Jamin Davis (Kentucky)

A big hitter and a solid coverage linebacker, that is the story on Davis, who only saw action in 8 games last year. He steps into a full-time position for 2020 and a lot will be expected of him. If he can prove that he can hold up over the full season, he too could be a prospect for both leagues.

CB Jaycee Horn (South Carolina)

The 6', 205 lb corner from the Gamecocks is a 3-year starter with good ball skills and the height to compete for 50/50 throws. He is not the fastest corner coming out this year, but with three seasons under his belt in Columbia, he is the most seasoned.

CB Patrick Surtain II (Alabama)

The son of a former NFL star, who also coached him in high school, Surtain has been a playmaker at Alabama, where he started 12 games as a true freshman. Since then he has only improved, and now, with 1 year left, he is seen by many as the best man coverage corner in the draft.

CB Caleb Farley (Va Tech)

Of the corners in this year's draft, Farley may have the best hands, which is not surprising for a player who arrived at Virginia Tech as a wideout. He was injured (ACL) in 2017 and when he came back he was converted to the defense, where he made All-ACC in 2019 with 4 interceptions and 20 tackles. He is expected to improve on those numbers this year ahead of the draft.

Eight division games and some nice inter-divisional matchups await us in Week 11. We start with a battle for 1^st place in the Northeast as Baltimore and New Jersey battle in Orlando. Also on the docket on Friday we have the 6-4 Gamblers trying to catch up to Memphis at 7-3 as the two face off in a Southern Division clash.

Saturday has Michigan taking on Ohio, Jacksonville potentially getting in the mix as they face Orlando, and Birmingham vs. San Antonio in the South, but the biggest game may be the battle of 5-5 squads at State Farm Stadium when the Dragons and Roughnecks both clash with a winning record going to the victor.

Sunday has some intriguing inter-divisional games, including 4-6 Denver vs. 6-4 Los Angeles, 4-6 Oklahoma taking on 6-4 Portland, and, the week’s finale, with 7-3 New Orleans facing 8-2 Pittsburgh from TDECU Park in Houston.

FRIDAY

8pm ET                Baltimore (6-4) @ New Jersey (5-5)           Orlando          NBC

8pm ET                Arizona (10-0) @ San Diego (2-8)                  Las Vegas         ABC

9pm ET                Houston (6-4) @ Memphis (7-3)                   TDECU                 ESPN/EFN

 

SATURDAY

1pm ET                Michigan (8-2) @ Ohio (3-7)                        NRG                      ABC

4pm ET                Dallas (5-5) @ Seattle (5-5)                             Glendale            FOX

4pm ET                Las Vegas (2-8) @ Oakland (6-4)                    Las Vegas           ABC

8pm ET                Jacksonville (4-6) @ Orlando (5-5)                 Gainesville        NBC

8pm ET                Washington (5-5) @ Tampa Bay (10-0)         Tampa                    FOX

9pm ET                Birmingham (2-8) @ San Antonio (1-9)          Rice                      ESPN/EFN

SUNDAY

1pm ET                Chicago (7-3) @ St. Louis (1-9)                      NRG                      FOX

4pm ET                Denver (4-6) @ Los Angeles (6-4)                 Glendale            ABC

4pm ET                Oklahoma (4-6) @ Portland (6-4)                   Las Vegas           FOX

8pm ET                New England (3-7) @ Philadelphia (1-9)        Orlando               ABC

8pm ET                Atlanta (8-2) @ Charlotte (3-7)                       Tampa                  FOX

9pm ET                New Orleans (7-3) @ Pittsburgh (8-2)          TDECU                 ESPN/EFN