2020 USFL Week 13 Recap: Perfection Undone
- USFL LIVES
- 7 hours ago
- 29 min read
What the who? Huh? How? What just happened? That was pretty much everyone’s reaction to a weekend that saw both unbeaten teams fall in the same week. Oakland took advantage of a nasty injury to Arizona QB David Carr and snapped the Wrangler win streak at a stunning 23 games (12 this year, 3 in the 2019 playoffs, and 8 to end the 2019 regular season). Only 4 hours later the Charlotte Monarchs, led by veteran backup Kyle Boller, knocked off the 12-0 Tampa Bay Bandits. It was a shocking 1-2 punch that created one of the wildest Sundays in league history. The historic double defeat will be our lead story, but we will update you on all the Week 13 action around the league, its impact on the 2020 playoff picture, and take a look as well at the playoff odds, all that, plus another starting QB may be lost for the rest of the season, and some good news for the league and for football fans hoping to catch playoff action. It all starts now, with our big story of the week.
Unlucky 13 for Arizona & Tampa Bay
Whether it is Friday the 13th, the 13th floor of buildings, or just old-fashioned triskaidekaphobia (Yup, fear of the number 13), there is certainly some lore around the bad juju of that number and now the USFL can add Week 13 of the 2020 season to the list, because this week certainly was a bad one for both unbeaten teams, as both Tampa Bay and Arizona fell to defeat for the first time all season.
After what had been a pretty uneventful slate of Friday and Saturday games, at least as far as upsets were concerned, few expected Arizona to be particularly troubled by the Oakland Invaders. Yes, Oakland had a solid defense, but they had struggled to be consistent on offense, and even with Victor Cruz out for the year, the Wranglers still had plenty of ways to challenge the Invader defense. They did, of course, until fate stepped in and produced a season-ending injury to 2-time MVP David Carr. The Wrangler QB had led his club to an opening drive score, a 17-yard TD toss to HB Ka’Deem Carey, but on the first play of the Wranglers’ second possession, Carr was slammed to the ground by DE Michael Bennett, his arm twisted awkwardly beneath him. The Arizona QB got up and immediately sat back down, holding his arm in his other hand. He would walk off the field along with the trainers, but head directly to the locker room.
Following his departure, Brandon Allen stepped up, and while he led the Wranglers to two scoring drives, it was not enough as Tom Brady and the Invaders came back from a 17-10 deficit to win the game 29-24 in the 4th quarter, helped by an Allen interception late. It was the first loss for the Wranglers in over one whole calendar year, from Week 8 in 2019 to Week 13 in 2020, and along the way a playoff run to win their third league title. When the medical verdict was in, a torn biceps, and the reality that David Carr’s season was done and that either Brandon Allen or Tom Savage would have to lead the Wranglers in defense of their title, we saw immediate results, with Arizona dropping from the overall favorite to win the league title to 5th behind Tampa Bay, Atlanta, Michigan, and New Orleans.
After the shock of the Invader victory over Arizona, devoted fans turned in to watch Charlotte take on 12-0 Tampa Bay on ABC’s Sunday Night coverage. Little did they know they were about to watch the curse of 13 strike again. This time there was no signature injury that turned the tide against the unbeaten Bandits, just sloppy play paired with a solid game plan from a division rival. Charlotte, who had won only 4 games all year, played classic “bend but don’t break” defense, allowing Tampa Bay to rack up 426 yards of offense, including 383 for QB Dak Prescott, but held the Bandits under 20 points for only the 3rd time all season, and for the first time, it was not enough for Tampa Bay to get the W.
The Monarchs used the rushing duo of Latavius Murray and Nyheim Hines to rush for 152 yards (89 more than the Bandits put together) and to control the clock, taking a 10+ minute advantage in the game by the final whistle. QB Kyle Boller, starting his second game for the turnover-prone Mitch Trubisky, protected the ball, going 18 for 23 with no picks and 3 TDs, and the Monarch defense limited the Bandits to only 2 third down conversions the entire game. When the dust settled on the game, Charlotte had a 24-17 victory, overcoming not only the unbeaten Bandits, but the lowered expectations from the nation, expectations that included being a 12-point underdog before gametime.
The two losses don’t impact the playoff standings, with each at 12-1 and still atop their respective conferences. Arizona even clinched their division despite the loss as no other SW Division clubs has more than 7 wins, but the twin losses certainly broke the aura of invincibility that both the Bandits and Wranglers had fostered all year. And while both teams are already guaranteed a playoff spot, the Wranglers now have only a 1-game lead on Michigan for the top seed in the conference, while Tampa Bay is only 1 game up on Atlanta for the division, and with it the likely one seed. Arizona must now prepare for both a late season stretch and a playoff run without their star QB, while Tampa Bay now faces a final 3 weeks that includes a key matchup with that tough Atlanta Fire club as well as a potential trap game against Jacksonville in the season finale.
What a difference a week can make. The Ohio Glory now can relax as the only club ever to go a full season with out a blemish, much like the NFL 1973 Dolphins, and fans across the league can start wondering if their club has a chance against two clubs that now seem as vulnerable as ever.
ARIZONA WRANGLERS 24 OAKLAND INVADERS 29
We stick with the Wrangler-Invader game as our GOTW, not just because it was a tight matchup that produced an exciting come-from-behind victory for the Invaders, but because it may well be the most impactful game of the year. In the blink of an eye a nasty injury turned the clear Summer Bowl favorite and defending champion hoping for a repeat into a team that may struggle to hold their own down the stretch and into the postseason. The complexity of the Western Conference, which is also home to an 11-2 Michigan team, and three pretty solid defenses in the Express, Machine, and Maulers, all sitting at 9-4, could now be a more wide open affair come the playoffs.
It did not look like we would be in for such a season-defining game when the action started in Wynn Arena. Arizona, the league’s defending champion and a team that had not lost a game since Week 8 of the prior season, took the opening kickoff and marched right down the field in 8 plays, putting up 7 points on a David Carr toss to HB Ka’Deem Carey. Once again it looked like a team known for their defense, this time the Invaders, would not find a way to slow down the Arizona avalanche. But that all changed only minutes later.
Following a short Oakland drive that produced a punt after only 6 plays, the Wranglers got the ball back. After a 3-yard gain by Carey on first down, David Carr took the snap, dropped back to pass, and never saw DE Michael Bennett bearing down on him. He turned his body just as the big edge rusher crashed into him, and the two crashed to the ground. Carr’s throwing arm got caught beneath him, and the ball rolled out. It was declared down by contact, but the bigger issue was Carr himself. He left the field, holding his arm in his hand, and visibly both worried and in pain. We would not get a verdict on the injury until near the game’s final minutes, when the game announcers were informed that it was a torn bicep, likely to require at least 3 months to heal. That meant that Carr’s season was done and backup Brandon Allen would be under center from now on.
Allen responded well to his call to action and on Arizona’s first drive of the 2nd quarter, he found DeMarcus Robinson for the Wrangler’s second touchdown, building up a 14-0 lead over Oakland. But with Carr sidelined, Oakland focused on the run game and would hold Arizona to only 10 more points all game. Meanwhile, Invader QB Tom Brady started to find his groove, connecting with Davante Adams on two key plays on their next possession, the first a 29-yard catch and run on 3rd and 8, and the next a short TD toss to pull Oakland back to within 1 score. They would add a field goal on their next possession and as both teams headed to the locker rooms for the halftime break, Oakland seemed to have momentum as well as higher spirits as the Wranglers looked shaken.
The third quarter saw both defenses hunker down and take command. The quarter produced only 6 points, with both teams connecting on long field goals on their only successful drive. Oakland added a pick of Brandon Allen, while Arizona’s Calais Campbell added a sack to his season total. Oakland would open the 4th with a second field goal, this time failing to find the endzone after a first and goal from the 9. They settled for 3 after a muffed snap on 3rd and goal killed their chance for a score to take the lead. They took the 3 points to improve to a 17-16 deficit, hopeful that Arizona’s offense would continue to struggle.
Arizona surprised the Invaders on the next drive, a 13-play march that occupied nearly 5 minutes of clock and finished with Ka’Deem Carey scoring for the 2nd time, this time on the ground. Brandon Allen had put his pick behind him and completed 3 of 5 passes on the drive. Arizona now led 24-16, an 8-point lead that would require a TD and a 2-point conversion to tie. Oakland wasted no time getting the touchdown, with Brady finding TE Zack Ertz on a well-timed seam route, a 41-yard strike that looked to give the Invaders the chance they needed to break Arizona’s will. But on the 2-point try, Brady’s pass, well thrown and well placed, nonetheless glanced off the hands of WR J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, leaving the Invaders 2 points down at 24-22.
With 5:24 left to play, the message was clear for the Arizona offense, kill the clock, keep the ball, and don’ t give Oakland a chance to win the game on a field goal. Initially the plan seemed to work, with Arizona using the run game to earn two first downs and kill 3 minutes, but inside the Invader 45, they got fancy and tried to fake out the Invader D. Brandon Allen faked the handoff to Isaiah Crowell and threw a quick toss out towards rookie Brandon Aiyuk. But FS Jahleel Addae was not fooled. He had picked off Allen earlier in the game, and he saw something he liked in this play as well. He stepped in front of Aiyuk, picked the ball off, and rolled to the ground, having given the Invaders exactly what they needed, the ball, the momentum, and the feeling that this game was theirs for the taking.
It would take Tom Brady only 2 plays to make Arizona pay for the late mistake. The first was a 17-yard throw and catch to Arcega-Whiteside, a nice vote of confidence after the key drop on the 2-point play. The second was a backbreaker, a simple slant route to Davante Adams, but one that proved effective well beyond its design as Adams split the safeties and scampered 48 yards for the score. When Roberto Aguayo put the ensuing kick through the uprights, Oakland had a 5-point lead with 2:04 left to play.
Those two minutes, along with 3 timeouts, would normally be a sign that Arizona was about to march down field and crush Invader fans’ dreams of the upset. But without David Carr, the yards had been much harder to come by in this game, and with both Michael Bennett and Vinny Curry in full pass rush mode, Allen had little time to make magic happen. As news spread along the sideline of the medical diagnosis for Carr, you could feel the air coming out of Arizona’s balloon. The game came down to a 4th and 8, but Allen threw into double coverage on DeMarcus Robinson and Addae again was there, this time swatting the ball down before jumping his way to the sideline as the Invader offense came to the field to end the game with a pair of runs and a kneel down. Arizona had fallen, their QB was now lost for the year, and the Invaders, now 8-5 and in position for a Wild Card, had shaken up the entire Western Conference.
WASHINGTON 17 NEW JERSEY 17 OVERTIME
The one result that helped neither club is exactly the result the Generals and Federals got, a tie. Both teams have to be upset with their kicking games as Adam Vinatieri went 1 of 3 for the Feds and Ka’imi Fairbairn did exactly the same, with both kickers missing an overtime attempt that could have won them the game, Vinatieri from 48 and Fairbairn from 51. In what was an otherwise nice game between two rivals, the overtime failures left everyone watching with a foul taste in their mouths.
POTG: New Jersey QB Nick Foles: 28/54, 325 Yds, 2 TD, 1 Int
LAS VEGAS 17 SEATTLE 42
The Dragons stay alive in the playoff hunt at 7-6 by absolutely demolishing the Vipers. Knowshon Moreno was just unstoppable, averaging 7.6 YPC on his way to 145 yards and 2 TDs. Backup Wendell Smallwood added another 87 yards on only 8 attempts as it seems Las Vegas completely forgot the fundamentals of tackling in a deeply troubling performance. Even with Aaron Dobson catching 8 for 117 and Arrelious Benn adding 7 for 107, the Vipers just could not keep up.
POTG: Seattle HB Knowshon Moreno: 19 Att, 145 Yds, 2 TD
BIRMINGHAM 6 MICHIGAN 27
Cam Newton has no one to blame but himself after going 9 of 27 for only 111 yards with 2 picks and a pick-six mixed in. He was off all game, completing only 3 throws to wideouts on the day. Meanwhile, despite 3 picks himself, Kirk Cousins gets the win, largely due to 27 carries by LeVeon Bell and a nice TD catch on a wobbly pass by rookie Donovan Peoples-Jones. The win locked up a playoff spot for the Panthers, while Birmingham is very much in the running for a Top 5 draft choice.
POTG: Michigan CB Dre Kirkpatrick: 1 Tck, 1 Int, 1 Def TD
HOUSTON 37 OHIO 3
Ohio went up 3-0 in the first quarter and then watched, almost helplessly, as Houston put up the next 37 points with little to no resistance. McCoy found JuJu Smith-Schuster and Josh Reynolds for scores, rookie Clyde Edwards-Helaire added another, and it all kicked off with CB Leodis McKelvin returning a Hackenburg interception 43 yards for a score as Houston rolls and puts themselves in position to control their own playoff destiny.
POTG: Gambler CB Leodis McKelvin: 7 Tck, 1 Int, 1 Def TD
DALLAS 19 PORTLAND 26
In a game both teams desperately needed and wanted, the Stags raced out to a 19-0 lead in the first half and never relinquished it, despite playing with 3 different QBs after losing Marcus Mariota early. Mariota was lost for the season after suffering a torn bicep on a bad landing after a scramble in the 1st quarter. A. J. McCarron came in, went 4 for 4, including a TD to James Hardy, and then he went down with a hyper-extended knee, and so we got to watch Steven Tyler manage the game for nearly 3 quarters. But a win is a win is a win.
POTG: Portland DT Ndamukong Suh: 8 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 Sfty
DENVER 38 SAN DIEGO 34 OVERTIME
A wild game we will highlight below, but one that saw Josh Allen throw for 430 yards and 5 touchdowns. In a rarity we saw both teams score in overtime. San Diego kicked a field goal on the opening drive, but with a touchdown needed to end the game, the Gold had one drive to match or beat it and they did, with Allen finding Lance Kendricks for the game winner as the Gold struggled with the Thunder but get the win to move to 6-7 and stay alive.
POTG: Gold QB Josh Allen: 26/39, 430 Yds, 5 Td, 0 Int
JACKSONVILLE 7 NEW ENGLAND 36
A surprise scratch as QB Teddy Bridgewater got into a car accident on the way to the stadium and broke his jaw. We kid you not. That meant that Ben Dinucci got the start, with almost no reps all week. The result? What you would expect, a lot of struggles against a Steamroller team that smelt blood in the water and earned the 5th win of their expansion campaign despite not having a single receiver with more than 44 yards on the day.
POTG: Steamroller LB Jamie Collins: 5 Tck, 1 Sck, 2 FF, 1 FR
ORLANDO 7 ATLANTA 33
No car accident before the Fire-Renegade game, just a really solid gameplan from the Fire that saw TE O. J. Howard catch 2 touchdowns and the fire score 33 straight points after going down 7-0. Three Orlando turnovers and 13 penalties for 130 yards certainly helped Atlanta’s cause, but so did a 338-yard, 2 TD game from Aaron Murray as the Fire move to 11-2 and may well have sunk Orlando’s playoff hopes as they drop below .500 at 6-7.
POTG: Atlanta QB Aaron Murray: 27/43, 338 Yds, 2 TD, 0 Int
MEMPHIS 27 PITTSBURGH 24
A really good game between two really solid teams, as Memphis edges the Maulers thanks to Ryan Fitzpatrick dishing out more Fitz-Magic. Fitzie went 23 of 41 for 280 yards and 3 TDs to lead Memphis, who also got a combined 137 yards rushing between Gurley, Hester, and David Williams. The Maulers were hurt by the departure of Andy Dalton, who left the field with a bloody nose and a black eye after catching an elbow. Kevn Hogan came in and went 13 of 18 with a TD but could not rally the Maulers when they fell behind late.
POTG: Memphis WR Devin Funchess: 5 Rec, 120 Yds, 1 TD
NEW ORLEANS 20 ST. LOUIS 10
Other than one nice bomb to Nelson, it was a bit of a ho-hum game as New Orleans built up a 10-0 halftime lead and just kept St. Louis at arm’s length the rest of the way. DeMarco Murray had his best game since coming over from Denver, rushing for 86 yards on 9 carries and scoring a TD for his new team. The Breaker D spied Lamar Jackson and he simply did not take off running as much as the past couple of games.
POTG: Breaker WR Jordy Nelson: 3 Rec, 150 Yds, 1 TD
OKLAHOMA 19 LOS ANGELES 20
Oklahoma started Mason Rudolph again, and LA teed off, sacking the former OK State Cowpoke 10 times, with Nick Bosa doing most of the damage with 4 on the day. Oklahoma somehow stayed in it, but kept settling for field goals (4 of them) while LA got TDs from Reggie Bush and Hollywood Brown, enough to finish with a 1-point victory that eliminates the Outlaws from the playoff hunt.
POTG: Express HB Reggie Bush: 26 Att, 104 Yds, 1 TD
TAMPA BAY 17 CHARLOTTE 24
As we outlined above, this one was a shocker, with no major injuries like we saw in Arizona’s loss. It was just a combination of Charlotte playing their best ball and the Bandits perhaps succumbing to the stress of trying to go unbeaten. Kyle Boller may have made himself some fans in the Carolinas by going 18 of 23 and throwing 3 TDs to knock off the heavily favored Bandits. Dak Prescott threw for 368 but was also picked off twice in this major upset.
POTG: Charlotte QB Kyle Boller: 18/23, 158 Yds, 3 TD, 0 Int
PHILADELPHIA 17 BALTIMORE 20
The Blitz survive a game that many thought they would win easily. Philadelphia played them tough but two Ryan Lindley picks and a late Brian Hartline TD catch were enough to help Baltimore comeback from a 17-10 deficit to claim the W. Josh Jacobs added 80 yards and a TD, and the Blitz now sit ½ game ahead of New Jersey thanks to the Feds-Generals tie game.
POTG: Baltimore CB Eric Murray: 10 Tck, 1 Int
SAN ANTONIO 14 CHICAGO 31
The Machine put up 172 yards rushing, with Jeremy Hill having a nice game at 90 yards with 3 touchdowns as Chicago cruises past the Gunslingers. Easton Stick had a solid game for San Antonio, going 23 of 37 with 2 TDs and 1 pick, but it was not enough as the Machine went up 10-0 and 24-7 in a pretty convincing game for them.
POTG: Machine HB Jeremy Hill: 16 Att, 90 Yds, 3 TD
Gold & Thunder Give Us a Wild Overtime Game
One would hardly have suspected that the showdown between Denver and San Diego would end up producing some of the highest offensive totals of the year, but that is the surprising shootout that fans watching the Gold-Thunder matchup were provided on Saturday. The overtime thriller saw the two teams combine for 1,005 total yards of offense, 37 first downs, and 72 points. In one game we saw Josh Allen throw for 430 yards and 5 TDs, Christian Ponder go for 322 yards, Ryan Williams crack the 100-yard mark at 110, and 4 different receivers gain 100—Denver’s Golden Tate (131) and Kevin White (112) and San Diego’s Marques Colston (101) and Ronald Johnson (110). We also saw a true rarity, a game in which both teams scored in overtime, with San Diego putting up a field goal, enough to take the lead but not end the game, only for the Gold to rally for a touchdown that gave them the win. It was a wild one, and a game that helped keep Denver alive in the playoff race, though at 6-7 their margin for error is extremely thin.
Express Sack Rudolph 10 Times, Bosa with 4
If the Gold-Thunder game was all about the offenses, the Express-Outlaws game was about the defenses, in particular, the ability of the Express to get to Oklahoma QB Mason Rudolph. The Express sacked Rudolph, who is not exactly an immobile statue at QB, a whopping (and painful) 10 times. That included 4 sacks by our Defensive POTW, Nick Bosa. Throw in 2 picks and what felt like another 30 hits on Rudolph and we can see why Oklahoma ended up settling for field goals on far too many drives, and eventually lost the game to a slightly more successful Express offense.
In addition to Bosa’s big day, the Express defense saw 6 additional defenders record a sack, including SS Rahim Moore, LB Yannick Ngakue, and backup DE Andy Studebaker, none of them known as big parts of the Express pass rush. It also saw both Jalen Mills and LB Keith Rivers come away with picks, while CB Stephon Gilmore, one of the league’s best, led the Express with 6 tackles. While not the lowest point output given up by the Express this year (LA has held 4 teams below 10 points, including last week’s 32-0 shutout of San Diego—who we just saw put up 34 on Denver), this week’s game was another indication of just how nasty Marvin Lewis’s top ranked defense (in yards allowed) can be. The question, of course, is whether the Express can muster enough offense to be successful in postseason play despite the quality of their defense.
Moreno Leads Dragons in Blowout
It was a very good week for Seattle Dragon HB Knowshon Moreno. The former Orlando Renegade, now in his 3rd season in the Pacific Northwest, drew a lot closer to his second consecutive 1,000-yard season with a 145-yard, 2-TD performance this week against the struggling Las Vegas Vipers. The outing was his third 100-yard game of the season, following a 155-yard day against Dallas and Week 5’s 160-yard outing against the Thunder. Compare this week to the last matchup against the Vipers, when Moreno was held to only 46 yards (Week 3) and we can see that Seattle is doing as Coach Riley promised and focusing energy on the rushing attack. Seattle is slowly moving up the statistical lists, now ranked as the 10th best rushing attack, while Moreno now finds himself in 6th position among running backs, only 13 yards behind Josh Jacobs. He needs only 19 yards in his remaining 3 games to reach 1,000, but we suspect that his goal is to crack the 1,200-yard club for only the 2nd time in his career, a full 10 seasons after his 1,352-yard season in 2011.
Bridgewater a Late Scratch, Bulls Blown Out
We mentioned it briefly in the game summary, but the weirdness that was Teddy Bridgewater’s Saturday evening deserves a moment. The Bulls’ quarterback had himself a day. First, he misses the team bus up to Gainesville from Orlando because he was doing laundry (what a mundane way to go) and was apparently changing loads without his phone, which caused him to miss the calls and texts from teammates until he returned to his hotel room. So, he gets on the phone with Coach Moss and tells him that he will drive his own car up to the UF campus. He then proceeds to get into a car accident only a half mile from the hotel in Orlando, t-boned by a teen aged driver who mistook a green light in the main lanes for a green turn signal in his turning lane. He winds up with a trip to the local emergency room, forced to make another awkward call to Coach Moss. The diagnosis is whiplash leading to a compression of two vertebrae in his neck. He will likely miss 1-2 weeks, a diagnosis confirmed by team doctors on Monday. He misses the game against New England, one in which backup Ben DiNucci struggles and the Bulls are blown out and shows up on Sunday to answer media questions with a foam neck brace on and the most sheepish look we have ever seen from a starting QB. Not exactly the weekend Teddy B and the Bulls were hoping for.
Carr Lost to Torn Bicep in Wrangler Double Whammy
Teddy Bridgewater’s injury, while almost comedic in its bizarre setup, is not particularly worrisome. The same is certainly not true for David Carr, who suffered a full bicep tear after landing awkwardly on his throwing arm as he was sacked by Oakland’s Michael Bennett. Carr’s injury requires surgery, scheduled for this Friday, and will necessitate a lengthy healing and recovery period. The injury will cost him both the remainder of the regular season and any playoff run the Wranglers can put together. It is a devastating blow to the Wranglers’ hopes to repeat as league champions, but also a potential tipping point for the 36-year-old, 2-time MVP. There is real concern among Wrangler fans that the injury may well mean the end of Carr’s distinguished career in Arizona. After all, at 36, Carr has been on the retirement watch list, and now this injury costs him a chance to potentially win a 4th title and a possible MVP award and will require significant effort and dedication to heal. The Wranglers are now a huge question mark for the rest of the year, with untested Brandon Allen now at the helm, but so too is Carr’s future on the football field, and that is something you never want to see.
Mariota’s Season Ends with Torn Hamstring
A second big blow at the QB position (well, third if you count the blow Teddy B. took from the kid in his car accident) as Portland got the news it dreaded, Marcus Mariota’s hamstring injury is a tear, not a strain. An MRI revealed a 2/3 tear of the hamstring muscle with partial separation, which means he too will be undergoing surgery in the next week or two to reset the muscle and reconnect ligaments. That diagnosis means that Mariota will not be appearing in any upcoming Stags games and could put a major crimp in any hopes the Stags have of reviving their season and reaching the playoffs. The Stags, currently sitting at 7-6, are on the fringe of playoff contention after a 6-3 start has turned to a 1-3 stretch. They got the win this week over Dallas, an absolute must have, but ended up using all 3 QBs on their roster after both Mariota and A. J. McCarron had to leave the game. The good news is that McCarron, the former Alabama and Stallion QB, is OK to go in Week 14, but Mariota is done for the year, and in a year when he was putting up very strong numbers. His year is now prematurely halted with 2,673 yards, 18 touchdowns, and a career-best 111.9 QB Rating as his final numbers.
Three more teams have gotten their invites to the postseason dance. The Michigan Panthers, now 11-2, are now locked into a playoff spot and now only 1 game behind the Wranglers for the top overall seed. Michigan has a 2-game lead over both the Machine and Maulers, and could clinch the division this week with the right combination of results. In the East, both the Breakers and Showboats, both locked up at 10-3, join Atlanta and Tampa Bay in the playoff pool, locking up 4 of the 6 spots. The two Southern teams have a 2-game lead over Houston, who are also currently in playoff position with a 1.5 game lead over the 7th ranked team in the conference (New Jersey).
The next teams to potentially lock up spots are the group of 3 teams at 9-4, all in the West, where LA, Chicago, and Pittsburgh can all secure spots with wins this week and some help from the 7-6 clubs, who could drop out of the race with losses (again if all games go just the right way). Speaking of dropping out of the race, we saw three more teams now officially out of the running, one of them the Charlotte Monarchs, who despite their stunning upset of Tampa Bay are now out at 5-8. They are joined by two more 5-win clubs, Oklahoma and expansion New England, while 5-7-1 Washington still has a mathematical (though quite convoluted) chance to earn a Wild Card or even the division title, if, that is, both Baltimore and New Jersey completely fold down the stretch.
This was a bad week for injuries across the USFL, that cannot be denied. We had 2 star QBs hit injured reserves, lost for the year, but we also saw a rash of less extensive, but still impactful injuries, including Teddy Bridgewater’s accident, a concerning back injury to Seattle LT Eric Fisher, and a shoulder injury to Atlanta WR A. J. Green which could impact their hopes to catch Tampa Bay and steal away the SE Division Title. Green hopes to be back for the Week 15 clash between the two Southeastern powers, but that seems iffy with his diagnosis. Finally, we saw one of the worst weeks of the season for players held out for a 2nd week with COVID-19 symptoms. 6 players are back on the list after being held out last week, including Memphis’s best pass rusher, Chase Winovich, and Houston corner Siran Neal. We also should note that Washington will go into a pivotal Week 14 game without their starting QB after Ryan Nassib tested positive for COVID this week and must be held out.
OUT
QB David Carr ARZ Torn Bicep IR
QB Marcus Mariota POR Torn Hamstring IR
OT Eric Fisher SEA Back 4-6 Weeks
CB Jabari Greer BAL Hamstring 4-6 Weeks
C Bradley Bozeman MEM Biceps 2-4 Weeks
LB Chapelle Russell BAL Hand 1-2 Weeks
WR A. J. Green ATL Shoulder 1-2 Weeks
QB Teddy Bridgewater JAX Elbow 1-2 Weeks
WR Michael Pittman Jr BAL Finger 1-2 Weeks
DOUBTFUL
TE Tyler Eifert CHI Knee
OT Jonah Williams SD Hamstring
DT Danny Shelton CHA Ribs
CB Jalen Ramsey TBY Toe
OG Cole Madison POR Pinched Nerve
CB Jeremy Harris ARZ Back
QUESTIONABLE
TE Dustin Keller LV Knee
DT Tyson Alualu OAK Broken Nose
CB Desmond King ATL Toe
COVID 19 INACTIVES
ARZ CB Jeremy Harris 2nd Week
HOU CB Siran Neal 2nd Week
MEM DE Chase Winovich 2nd Week
OHI LB Daniel Ellerbe 2nd Week
PIT QB Andy Dalton
PIT FS Robert Sands 2nd Week
SD DT Damon Harrison 2nd Week
SD CB Justin Gilbert
STL OT Tristan Wirfs
WSH QB Ryan Nassib
Playoff Odds with 3 Weeks Left
Three weeks left to play and a lot of teams teetering on the brink as we look over the playoff picture. So, who is in a good position? Who is in need of some help? And who needs an act of God to get the right combination of results to propel them to the post-season? We are ready to break down the situation for 20 of the league’s 30 teams, from locked in to praying for a miracle.
READY TO DANCE: Arizona, Michigan, Tampa Bay, New Orleans, Atlanta, Memphis
These six teams are all assured a trip to the 2nd season, but there is still a lot to determine, from the winner of the Southern Division, where New Orleans and Memphis are locked at 10-3, to the 1 seeds in both conferences, now much more in question as the two unbeatens went down this week. We should also remember that Atlanta is only 1 game behind Tampa Bay, so the Wranglers are the only team locked into a division title after 13 weeks. But, at the very least these teams know that they will be playing football after Week 16, which is a nice feeling to have at this point in the season.
CAN ALMOST TASTE IT: Los Angeles, Chicago, Pittsburgh
With a 2-game advantage over the teams in the 7th through 9th spots, LA, Chicago, and Pittsburgh are all in a very good position. They could each lock up a spot this week with a win and some key losses elsewhere, and even if they don’t get it this week, they seem very likely to find a playoff ticket waiting for them soon. Of course, LA is hoping to wrap up a division title as well, and all three are hoping they can garner a home playoff game in the Wild Card round at a minimum.
CONTROL THEIR FATE: Oakland, Portland, Baltimore, Houston
The Invaders, Blitz, and Gamblers currently hold playoff positions, which means that if they can win out, they are guaranteed a spot. Portland is also in this group because they have a late season matchup with Oakland this week. A win there and they could be on the path to a Wild Card, if not the division title. Each of these teams has issues, but they also have the ability to decide their own fate. That is a nerve-racking position to have, but still a better one than any team in the next two categories.
NEED HELP: New Jersey, Dallas, Seattle
If it were about the Wild Card, New Jersey would already be out, but they are only ½ game behind Baltimore for the NE Division title, even at 6-6-1, so they have a real shot to not only get themselves into the dance but get a home game (in Florida) on their schedule. As for Dallas and Seattle, they need to see Oakland drop at least one game, and they have to be worried about Portland as well. Tiebreakers are about to become a topic of conversation among their fanbase as it very likely will be a factor for both of these teams.
NEED DIVINE INTERVENTION: Jacksonville, Orlando, Washington, Denver
These are teams where mathematically there is a chance, in the same way there is a chance that you hit the Powerball lottery. They, of course, need to go on a 3-game winning streak, something none of them has proven is probable this year, and they need some key results along the way. Both the Bulls and Renegades need Houston to tank all 3 games, as well as at least 2 defeats for the Generals, and Orlando also needs to leap over the Bulls to have any shot. That is a lot of asks. For Denver the needs are equally complex. They need to finish the year at 9-7 and hope that Oakland, Dallas, Seattle, and Portland all blow enough games so that Denver has the advantage, which likely means a lot of 0-3 runs. But, hey, at least they are not Washington. The Federals are an extreme longshot for a Wild Card, needing Houston to go 0-3 and all three other teams ahead of them to lose at least 2 games, all while they go unbeaten to reach 8-7-1. Oddly enough, it might be easier for them to win the NE Division, needing only to have Baltimore finish at 7-9, New Jersey to finish either 7-8-1 or 6-9-1, and for them to finish at 8-7-1. Yeah, that is complicated and very unlikely, but it is not mathematically impossible, so they are still alive.
League Gets What it Wants from Nevada, Arizona, and North Carolina
The USFL got the news it wanted to hear this week on two fronts. First, the states of Arizona and Nevada approved stadium use policies that would allow for 25% capacity in all venues, joining Texas and Arizona. That all but guarantees that there will be fans in the stands when the USFL playoffs begin in 4 weeks. But where will the playoffs end up? The answer is Charlotte, North Carolina, as the league and the city both hoped would be possible. The original site for Summer Bowl 2020, selected long before anyone had ever heard of Wuhan, infected bats, masking policy, or Covid-19 will host the title game as originally planned. They will do so because the Governor of the state, Roy Cooper signed the bill this week to allow 25% capacity for all sporting events in the state, a long negotiated and often near-dead proposal that carried the weight of the USFL title game on its shoulders.
So, we now know that there will be tickets for sale for playoff games in Las Vegas, Phoenix, Houston, Orlando, and Tampa Bay. We also know that the finale for the season will be at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, with a capacity allowance of just under 19,000 fans. The league has not yet announced how tickets will be distributed, though there is some expectation that some seats will go up for sale soon, with others held until the conclusion of Week 16 and the decision as to which teams are playing which in which venues. Expect season ticket holders for each team involved to get allocated some tickets, while others will be for the general public and even a small number made available to season ticket holders of the home city franchises. The goal, of course, is to fill the capacity of each game with diehard fans to create the noise and atmosphere of playoff football after a season of empty stadiums and canned artificial crowd noise on broadcasts.
Hall of Fame Class of 2020 Announced
Welcome the USFL Class of 2020 to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Six former USFL stars join the pantheon of pro football’s best as the latest class of inductees was named on Monday. The presentation included videos of each member being informed of their selection, interspersed with clips from their playing days and messages from former teammates and coaches. The entire announcement was a nicely designed and polished video of about 20 minutes aired on the USFL’s flagship webpage as well as the PFHOF website. And who are the newest members of this elite fraternity? Here is your list of the newest honorees and the newest busts to join the Hall of Legends in Canton:
QB Daunte Culpepper (Tampa Bay 2004-2014)
A second-year nominee, Culpepper played 11 seasons for the Bandits after beginning his career in the NFL. During that tenure he threw for nearly 37,000 yards and threw 259 touchdowns, retiring in 2014 after 4 All-USFL nominations and, of course, the honor of being the Playoff MVP in his 2011 USFL Championship season.
HB Eddie George (Ohio 1996-2010): Legacy Selection
Long overdue recognition for the former Ohio State back who helped the Ohio Glory go undefeated in 2002 and win the league’s only back-to-back title in 2003. George had issues with his retirement documentation, a paperwork debacle that led to him missing his primary nomination window, but the Legacy Committee could not let that stand and inducted him this year. In his career, George rushed for 16,265 yards, averaging over 1,000 yards per season for his entire career. He also added 102 rushing touchdowns, over 6,000 receiving yards, and 52 receiving touchdowns as one of the league’s great dual threat backs. He retired with 2 titles, 2 Offensive Player of the Year trophies, and 9 All-USFL honors.
CB Quentin Jammer (Texas 2002-03, Philadelphia 2004-13, Birmingham 2014)
Another 2nd year nominee, Jammer was a 5-time All-USFL corner who retired with 1,040 tackles, 24 forced fumbles, 32 Interceptions, and 343 passes defended. Jammer never won a title during his USFL tenure but was considered one of the best pure cover corners of his era.
LB Joey Porter (Portland/Las Vegas, 1999-2015)
A first-year nominee and career-long member of the Thunder, Joey Porter retired in 2015 with 1,443 tackles, 277 for a loss, 57 sacks, 20 forced fumbles, and 13 interceptions. A 5-time All-USFL nominee, Porter was the leader of the Thunder defense during some of the franchise’s best years in both Portland and Las Vegas.
FS Ed Reed (Washington, 2002-2014)
Our third player nominated in his 2nd year, Ed Reed, was the player you did not want to meet going over the middle. A fierce hitter with a nose for the ball, Reed retired after 12 USFL seasons with 896 tackles, 38 picks, and a reputation for always being in the right place to deliver a big hit. He was a 4-time All-USFL nominee during his years in Washington.
WR Hines Ward (Arizona 1998-2001, Michigan 2002-15)
Perhaps the greatest blocking receiver in league history, Hines Ward, never shied away from leading a back around the outside or taking on a linebacker. But he could catch as well, as is evident in his 1,280 career receptions, 18,972 yards, and 121 receiving touchdowns. An 8-time All-USFL nominee, Ward won a title with the Panthers in 2008, midway through his tenure in Michigan after starting his career in the desert with the Arizona Wranglers.
Eight division games and more than a few high impact games for the playoff race are what we are in store for in what could be an action-packed Week 14. We kick it off on Friday night with a triple-header of games that could very well all be vital to the playoff picture. We have Orlando and New Jersey playing at Camping World Stadium, and with both at only 6 wins, the loser very likely is out of any playoff contention. The other 8pm start is from Las Vegas where the LA Express, currently all alone atop the Pacific, face the Seattle Dragons, who sit at 7-6 and need to turn up the heat if they want a shot at a playoff spot.
On Saturday we have 4 divisional games, three of which have big playoff implications. In the 4pm slot we have Dallas vs. Denver. A loss by the Gold and they are out, a win by Dallas and their odds of obtaining a Wild Card are greatly enhanced. We also have Oakland v. Portland at 4pm, with both on the edge of the Wild card race. It is unlikely that both will qualify, so this could be an elimination match. Then, at 9pm we have a classic matchup over the past few years, Houston v. New Orleans. The Breakers have a 2-game lead over the Gamblers in the division, so Houston is largely playing to obtain a Wild Card, but a loss by the Breakers could cost them the division title with Memphis right there as well.
Sunday wraps up the weekend with fewer matchups of playoff-bound teams, though the Jacksonville-Baltimore matchup at 8pm could be impactful. What we have to look for on Sunday is the upset. Can Oklahoma get a win against Arizona now that the Wrangler QB situation is in flux? Could Birmingham stun the Chicago Machine with a big day from Cam Newton, and can the New England Steamrollers cause Tampa Bay to lose a second in a row? Maybe we are grasping at straws, but who saw both Arizona and Tampa Bay going down this week? You never know what can happen.
FRIDAY
8pm ET Orlando (6-7) @ New Jersey (6-6-1) Orlando NBC
8pm ET Los Angeles (9-4) @ Seattle (7-6) Las Vegas FOX
9pm ET Michigan (11-2) @ Pittsburgh (9-4) TDECU ESPN/EFN
SATURDAY
1pm ET Memphis (10-3) @ San Antonio (2-11) NRG ABC
4pm ET Dallas (7-6) @ Denver (6-7) Glendale FOX
4pm ET Oakland (8-5) @ Portland (7-6) Las Vegas ABC
8pm ET Charlotte (5-8) @ Washington (5-7-1) Gainesville NBC
8pm ET Atlanta (11-2) @ Philadelphia (1-12) Tampa ABC
9pm ET Houston (8-5) @ New Orleans (10-3) Rice ESPN/EFN
SUNDAY
1pm ET Ohio (3-10) @ St. Louis (1-12) NRG FOX
4pm ET Arizona (12-1) @ Oklahoma (5-8) Glendale ABC
4pm ET Las Vegas (2-11) @ San Diego (2-11) Las Vegas FOX
8pm ET Tampa Bay (12-1) @ New England (5-8) Orlando ABC
8pm ET Jacksonville (6-7) @ Baltimore (7-6) Tampa FOX
9pm ET Birmingham (2-11) @ Chicago (8-4) TDECU ESPN/EFN
Comments