2020 USFL Week 2 Recap: Life in a Bubble.

Week Two is in the books and while we cannot say that things are returning to a sense of normalcy, what we can say is that games are being played, teams are defining themselves, and the sights and sounds of spring football are back. Week Two gave us some big rivalry games, some last-second swings, and some surprises as well. We also are beginning to see teams trying to figure out how to balance team cohesion, player support, and strict pandemic guidelines. Our feature article will look at the first cracks in the system as teams are having to devote time and energy to policing their own players, particularly when it comes to team facilities and down time. We will break down that story, look at all 15 games from an action-packed week, discuss a couple of interesting QB situations, and give you the latest as the league and the networks try to find ways to improve what has been a rough start to the year with the all night-game schedule. It’s all right here, so don’t wander off.

Teams Find Policing Players a New Reality

When the league proposed a season schedule in which all 30 USFL franchises would be holed up in hotels, practicing and playing games in empty stadiums, and spending the better part of 4 months largely isolated, there were many concerns about how this would impact the game. Health issues and how to handle potential COVID-19 infections were of course considered, but one aspect of the unique hub-city-bubble-game format which may not have received enough attention was how teams would address player behavior and conduct violations.

Perhaps they should have anticipated that there could be problems. After all, we are talking about a lot of restless young men in their early 20’s and even some restless older men in their 30’s. This was a group that was not accustomed to being sequestered, kept largely away from their friends and family, forced to spend nearly 24 hours per day with only their teammates. Something was bound to give. Well, it took only 2 weeks for teams to start discovering that keeping 53 men cloistered in their hotels was not going to happen without a few hitches, but without leaguewide guidance on how to handle discipline and mandated seclusion, teams seem to be finding their own ways, some far more restrictive than others.

The Baltimore Blitz became the first team this week to suspend a player specifically for violating COVID and semi-quarantine guidelines. Rookie WR Michael Pittman Jr. will not play in the Blitz’s Week 3 game against the expansion New England Steamrollers after getting busted outside the team hotel on Tuesday night. It appears that Pittman was at a local watering hole in Orlando on Tuesday night. While many venues are temporarily closed, there are some bars, particularly in Florida, where the governor has resisted calls to shutter restaurants, bars and clubs for fear of killing the state’s tourism business, which remain open. Pittmann apparently found one and was apparently ratted out by a hotel employee who recognized the Blitz player, calling back to the hotel to notify the Blitz staff. When Pittman returned to the hotel, Coach Caldwell was waiting for him. The frustrated coach decided that a 1-game suspension for violating team policy was in order and Pittman will be sidelined when the Blitz kick off this weekend.

A similar situation in Galveston, Texas, when DE Charles Harris was found to have violated the Skyhawks’ hotel protocol. Apparently unsatisfied with the hotel dinner on Monday, Harris left the hotel to walk through the drive through at a local fast-food establishment and was found sitting outside the undisclosed restaurant eating a second dinner. Perhaps it was the nature of the infraction, or the sheer luck that the restaurant in question had no indoor seating, but Coach Reich rather than suspending Harris opted to demote him. Harris will be suited up against Pittsburgh this week but will not get the start and will apparently have his snap count reduced.

The one coach we expected would be coming down hard on player transgressions has apparently done just that as Ohio’s Tom Coughlin implemented 11pm bed checks for all players. In a move we usually hear only for college players, the Glory players are expected to be in their rooms for the night when bed check is run by the coaching staff. To date there are no reports of violations, but there have certainly been plenty of grumbles coming out of College Station as Glory players seem none to pleased to be getting a treatment more typical for a high school field trip than a pro football team.

A story with a very different spin occurred in Flagstaff, where the Vipers allowed LB Blake Martinez to leave the team facility and drive the 250 miles back to Las Vegas to be present as his wife gave birth. Martinez was subjected to multiple COVID tests before departure, upon arrival in Las Vegas, and then again upon his return to the club’s hotel in Flagstaff 2 days later, but the short trip allowed Martinez to be present for the birth of a son. No word on whether Martinez, an avid collector and seller of rare Pokemon cards, picked up any new merch while he was away.

ORLANDO RENEGADES 20  CHARLOTTE MONARCHS 19

For the second week in a row the Orlando Renegades feature in our Game of the Week. Last week it was an overtime loss to expansion New England, this week it is a fantastic finish against division rival Charlotte that is highlighted. In a game that saw two surprising 100-yard performances from unheralded tailbacks, the game was not decided until 59:35 had been expended, with Orlando garnering a 1-point win.

Both the Renegades and the Monarchs came into the game at 0-1, and both came in with questions after Week 1 losses. For Orlando, defensive struggles against the expansion Steamrollers had fans wondering if the much-hyped Ron Rivera defense was not all it was cracked up to be. For Monarch fans, and their rookie head coach Vance Joseph, the concern was a lack of offensive production against Baltimore. Their Week Two divisional clash would not necessarily remove those two concerns, but what it did is show that both of these teams would be willing to fight for 60 minutes to earn a win.

The game started slowly, as many do, with both teams serving up 3-and-outs to open the first. Both would find more success on their second drives, with Charlotte taking the ball all the way to the Orlando 6 before a false start on 3^rd and goal put them at 3^rd and goal from the 11. When Mitch Trubisky threw the ball out of the endzone to avoid pressure, it gave Orlando a moral victory, holding Charlotte to a field goal after coming so close. The Renegades responded with a 14-play drive that took up almost 8 minutes of game time and finished with TE Crocket Gilmore catching a 3-yard TD toss from Russell Wilson for the first TD of the game. The Orlando drive featured a player that few thought would be pivotal to the game, but who ended the day with 113 yards on only 11 carries. Ty Montgomery, a part-time back, part-time receiver in the NFL, clearly had a better day than Orlando’s starting HB, Knile Davis, who managed only 10 yards on the day. He would play an even larger role later on in the game.

Following the Orlando score, Charlotte too put up a long drive, going 77 yards in 12 plays before the Monarchs’ own surprise star for the day, HB Nyheim Hines, took the ball in from 20 yards out, juking past the initial tackle attempt and then racing down the sideline. Hines, who would see significant action due to lingering tendonitis for starter Latavius Murray, made the most of his shot, rushing for 119 yards on 22 carries and putting Charlotte up 10-7 just 3 minutes into the second quarter. That lead, however, would not hold. On their next drive, Orlando came right back down the field, again using Montgomery to surprising success. Following a nice pass from Wilson to TE David Njoku placed the ball on the Charlotte 9, Montgomery took it in on a well-designed pitch play that had two pulling guards out in front of the slight back.

The Montgomery score put Orlando on top 14-10, and that is the score that held into halftime as Charlotte’s Stephen Earl would have a chance at a chip shot field goal as time ran down, but a poor hold forced punter Jeff Locke to give up on the kick and try to throw the ball to the endzone. Locke’s impromptu pass did not find a receiver and the two teams went into the half with Orlando holding a tenuous 14-10 lead.

Coming out of the halftime break, Charlotte seemed to have made the better adjustments, finding room for Hines on the ground and getting connections from Trubisky to both Justin Blackmon and Hakeem Nicks on their first drive, producing a field goal that pulled the Monarchs to within 1. It would prove to be the only score of the 3^rd quarter as both teams lost their offensive momentum after second half adjustments were made. The stalemate held into the 4^th, with 5 consecutive drives producing punts. Charlotte got the ball with 5:02 left in the half, and something had to give. What gave was the interior coverage of the Orlando safeties. On 2nd and 4, Charlotte’s Trubisky faked the ball to Hines. Safety D. J. Swearinger blitzed on the play, leaving only Justin Simmons in deep coverage. That proved fatal as the blitz did not get to Trubisky and the Charlotte QB found TE Brandon Pettigrew on a seam route. The big TE used a nice straight-arm to avoid the tackle from Simmons and 62-yards later he was in the endzone, and Charlotte was going for 2. The conversion failed, a play that would haunt the Monarchs.

The Renegades, who had been held scoreless since the midway point of the 2^nd quarter, had one drive left in them. The offense came onto the field with 1:54 left to play and 2 time outs available. Russell Wilson needed to get to work, or at least that is what the Monarchs believed. With a brilliant coaching call, the Renegades lined up with 3 WRs on 1^st and 10 from their own 20, and with the defense clearly lining up to defend the pass, a perfectly executed delay draw caught Charlotte napping. Montgomery took advantage of the deep shell the Monarchs had set up, breaking through the line and racing 32 yards before an ankle tackle from Charlotte CB Ronald Darby brought him down. That one play, taking barely 6 seconds, vaulted the Renegades from their own 20 to the Charlotte 48 with nearly 1:50 still on the clock. Orlando knew they had time, so there was no need to pass on every play. They mixed in 2 more runs along with 3 passes before calling time out on the Charlotte 9-yard line with 31 seconds left to play.

Orlando failed on first down as Wilson picked out WR Brashad Perriman for an endzone corner catch, but the ball was just a bit too high and just out of bounds. On 2^nd down he went for a more secure option, finding his TE over the middle. David Njoku caught the ball at the 1, but with his defender trailing, even a good tackle from LB A. J. Johnson allowed Njoku to fall into the endzone and give Orlando a 20-19 lead. The Renegades also went for two, hoping to go up a field goal, but they too failed to convert and with 25 seconds left, the Renegades held a slim 1-point lead.

Charlotte took the kickoff with a fair catch to save time, placing themselves at their own 17-yard line. With only 1 time out left, Mitch Trubisky would need to go for large chunks to get the Monarchs into range for kicker Stephen Earl. That urgency did not work well for the Monarchs, with Trubisky missing on both 1^st and 2^nd down. He hit HB Darwin Thompson for a short gain on 3^rd down but then failed again to find a receiver on 4^th and 6. Orlando took a knee, and the clock ran out with the Renegades on top. The two teams had both played far better than in Week 1, but only one could claim victory and on this day it was Orlando moving up to 1-1, while Charlotte dropped to 0-2.

PHILADELPHIA 17  NEW JERSEY 20

The Generals take the first of this year’s Turnpike Tussles, thanks to a huge 2^nd quarter that provided all their scoring on the day. After a scoreless 1^st quarter, the Generals exploded for 20 points in the 2^nd, powered by a 40-yard TD toss to Muhamed Sanu and Maurice Jones-Drew’s rushing prowess. MJD finished the day with 147 on the day, averaging 7.7 YPC along the way. Shut out in the first half, Coach Harbaugh swapped in P. J. Walker for the ineffective Matt Gutierrez. Walker rallied the Stars with 2 second half TDs from Derrick Henry, a 6-yard run and a 6-yard catch, but it was not enough as New Jersey hung on to move to 2-0 and send the Stars to 0-2.

POTG: New Jersey HB Maurice Jones-Drew: 19 Att, 147 Yds, 1 TD

NEW ORLEANS 24  HOUSTON 17

The Breakers, on a huge game from Geno Smith, put 24 points on the board in the 2^nd half to wie out a 10-0 deficit and claim a huge divisional win. Smith threw for 369 on the day, with both Justin Jefferson (107) and Jordy Nelson (109) going over 100 yards. The Breakers’ third receiver, slot man Tyler Lockett, brought in both of Smith’s 2 TD tosses. Houston was in the game in large part due to a strong first half from Carlos Hyde, who would finish the day with 134 yards and a TD, but with 1:13 left to play when the Breakers took the lead 24-17, Houston needed a quick drive and instead found Colt McCoy’s 2^nd pick of the night, both to CB Tra’Davious White.

POTG: Breaker QB Geno Smith: 14/22, 369 Yds, 2 TD, 0 Int

SAN DIEGO 0  ARIZONA 34

After suffering a 41-10 blowout loss in the 2019 playoffs, San Diego was hoping to flip the script on the Wranglers, but Arizona again proved to be more than a match for the Thunder, humiliating them again with a 34-point shut out victory over the Pacific Division champions. This one was ugly from the beginning as Arizona outgained San Diego 432-266 and held the Thunder to only 50 yards rushing. David Carr threw for 3 scores and 307 yards while the combo of Carey and Crowell combined for 125 on the ground as the Wranglers left no doubt who was the best in the West this week.

POTG: Wrangler WR Victor Cruz: 6 Rec, 121 Yds, 1 TD

WASHINGTON 20  NEW ENGLAND 10

A hard crash into reality for the Steamrollers as they struggled to overcome division rival Washington. The game was close through 3 quarters and it seemed the expansion Steamrollers might again pull out a close game, but the 4^th quarter belonged to Washington as Ryan Nassib connected with Tyreek Hill for a stunning 73-yard pitch, catch, and run. Nassib added the 2-point conversion on a bootleg, giving the Feds a 7-point advantage. They added a late field goal to lock it up as both teams now move to 1-1 on the year.

POTG: Federals WR Tyreek Hill: 6 Rec, 112 Yds, 1 TD

SAN ANTONIO 21  MEMPHIS 27

Memphis rebounded from their Week One loss and made it 0-2 for the expansion clubs in Week Two by setting Todd Gurley free for 142 yards rushing in Week 2. After a week when no team had a 100-yard rusher, Memphis contributed to a Week 2 that saw 7 teams put a back over the century mark. With TD tosses from Lynch to Robert Woods and Dallas Goedert in the first half, the Showboats took a 17-0 lead into the half and held on as San Antonio rallied in the 2^nd half with Marshawn Lynch, Julius Thomas, and rookie Jaelen Reagor helping the Gunslingers pull to within 21-24 before a Lewis Ward field goal capped the win for the ‘Boats.

POTG: Memphis LB NaVorro Bowman: 8 Tck, 2 Int

PITTSBURGH 7  MICHIGAN 28

The Panthers used a dominant 1^st half to establish a 26-0 lead on Pittsburgh, with LeVeon Bell looking much more like his 4-time rushing leader self as he averaged 7.7 YPC on his way to 170 on the day. Add in another 71 yards from Alexander Mattison (most of it in the latter stages of the game) and the Panthers easilyhold off an error-prone Maulers squad. Michigan also had some issues with self inflicted wounds, with Kirk Cousins throwing 2 picks, Martellus Bennett fumbling early in the 3^rd, and backup Tyler Thigpen (who came in late) also getting a ball tipped for a pick, but the game was always in Michigan’s hands despite the 4 turnovers.

POTG: Michigan HB LeVeon Bell: 22 Att, 170 Yds, 1 TD

SEATTLE 17  DALLAS 29

Dallas dropped Seattle to 0-2 thanks to a balanced attack that saw Perine & Sims rush for 108 and Josh Freeman looking solid with a 22 of 44 game and 307 yards passing. The defense also looked much improved as they held Knowshon Moreno to only 65 yards. Brent Hundley struggled, particularly on 3^rd down, when Dallas’s pressure had the Dragons go 0 for 11. The Roughnecks could have run up the score, but settled for field goals on 5 drives, 3 of them in the redzone.

POTG: Roughneck QB Josh Freeman: 22/44, 307 Yds, 1TD, 1 Int

LOS ANGELES 17  DENVER 6

The Express bent but did not break as Denver outgained them 369-195 but could not turn yards into points. A Jalen Mills pick-six of Josh Allen early in the 4^th turned a slim 7-6 halftime lead into a 14-6 advantage and LA simply did not allow the Gold to get back into it with a drive late in the game. Reggie Bush rushed for 89 yards and Jason Whitten had a TD for the Express, but the key to the game was LA’s ability to end promising Denver drives before the Gold could get in scoring range.

POTG: Express FS Jalen Mills: 1 Tck, 1 Int, 1 Def TD

TAMPA BAY 16  JACKSONVILLE 3

The Bulls have scored a grand total of 9 points in their first 2 games, once again looking largely impotent on offense as they gained only 203 yards against the Bandits. Tampa Bay, for their part, got 114 yards from Dez Bryant, a combined 114 yards from Dalvin Cook and Matt Breida and 2 Teddy Bridgewater picks to help hold down the Bulls. Not the explosive Bandit offense we saw last year, but enough to move to 2-0 on the year as they down their in-state rivals.

POTG: Bandit LB Dont’a Hightower: 5 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 FF

ATLANTA 27  BALTIMORE 23

The Fire again looked much improved over 2019 as they edged out the Blitz, using a 17-point 4^th quarter to overtake Baltimore and send them packing. The final quarter saw Aaron murray go 12 of 14 as NFL import Jordan Howard and rookie FB Reggie Gilliam both scored on goalline runs to end well-orchestrated drives in the final quarter. Baltimore before that had looked solid, getting a pick-six from Jabari Greer and 87 yards from Josh Jacobs, but their 4^th quarter was ugly, with both a fumble and a pick on two of their 4 possessions.

POTG: Fire DE Mario Edwards: 5 Tck, 2 Sck, 1 FF

ST. LOUIS 13  OHIO 19

A tale of two halves as St. Louis dominated the first half, adding a field goal early in the 3^rd to take a 13-0 lead, but something clicked for Ohio in the 2^nd half as their defense stymied St. Louis on their remaining 6 possessoins, while the Glory got 2 Delone Carter TD runs, part of a game that saw the Ohio backs combine for 166 yards, most of it in the final 20 minutes of game action. Those two scores, combined with two Robbie Gould field goals created a 19-point swing that gave Ohio the win.

POTG: Ohio WR Terry McLaurin: 7 Rec, 129 Yds

CHICAGO 24  BIRMINGHAM 35

Chicago gave up two Cam Newton TD runs (from 20 and 2 yards out) and 2 passing TDs as the Stallions looked more balanced and more dangerous in Week 2. Hunter Henry came up big with 2 scores and the HB combo of Tate and Burkhead put up a respectable 76 yards as Birmingham took a 21-10 lead into the half and matched Chicago score for score in the 2^nd half to take the win. Two picks from Sam Bradford and a fumble by Jeremy Hill helped Birmingham upend the Machine.

POTG: Stallion QB Cam Newton: 14/28, 209 Yds, 2TD, 0 Int, 12 Att, 24 Yds, 2 TD

OAKLAND 16  LAS VEGAS 14

Tom Brady earns his first win in Invader gold & sky, completing 16 of 29 for 131 and a TD to Taylor Gabriel, but it was the Oakland defense that put up the big numbers, sacking Matt McGloin three times, picking him off twice, forcing a fumble in the red zone, and holding Las Vegas’s lead rusher, Montario Hardesty, to only 6 yards on the day.

POTG: Invader DE Michael Bennett: 7 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 FF, 1 FR

PORTLAND 21  OKLAHOMA 16

The Stags get a 63-yard pick-six from CB Taron Johnson on the game’s opening drive, and it did not get much better for Mason Rudolph after that. The Oklahoma QB was sacked 3 times, picked off again, and held to only 4 of 13 on third down. Meanwhile, the Stags got their run game going, with Doug Martin racking up 113 yards and a TD on 17 carries. Brandon Cooks also had a good game, catching 4 for 100 yards and a TD of his own as Portland evens their record at 1-1.

POTG: Stags HB Doug Martin: 17 Att, 113 Yds, 1 TD

Geno Smith’s Big Easy Big Numbers

2020 has been good to Geno Smith. He is leading the league in passing with over 700 yards in only 2 games (342 in the opener and 369 this week against Houston). He has got one of the most exciting rookies in WR Justin Jefferson lined up opposite a regular All-USFL wideout in Jordy Nelson, oh, and if both somehow are covered, he can dump the ball to either TE Coby Fleener or slot receiver Tyler Lockett, who scored twice this week. After being cut loose by the NY Jets after a rough 4-year career, and after lasting only 1 year with both the Giants and Chargers, Smith found himself in the USFL as a bit of an afterthought signing by the Breakers. He earned the starting job over veteran backup Pat White after Drew Brees’s retirement. His first year was a bit up and down statistically, but he managed to get the Breakers to 10-6 and a Wild Card berth. This year things are looking even brighter as Smith is this week’s POTW and is looking like a man who knows just how many weapons he has around him.

Coach Lathon has had nothing but good things to say about Smith and the Breaker offense this year. In two games they have proven they can find open receivers against even solid defenses like Houston’s, and now a game up on Houston, New Orleans can dream of reclaiming the Southern Division title. There is a long way to go, and there will certainly be tests ahead, but Geno Smith is feeling very comfortable in the Big Easy, and that may be bad news for the rest of the division.

Bell Welcomes Maulers Back with Big Day

The Maulers find themselves back in the Central Division after a 6-year hiatus in the Northeast. After a solid Week 1 Outing, the Maulers were also feeling quite good about their team this year, bu they ran into a buzzsaw in the Michigan Panthers this week. The key player in Michigan’s decisive 28-7 victory was exactly who you would expect it to be, their perennial All-USFL halfback LeVeon Bell. After a solid but uninspiring 64 yards in the opener against Birmingham, Bell proved that even with defenses stacked against him, there will still be games when he just cannot be stopped.

Against the Maulers, who very much tried the same box-stacking tactics as Birmingham, Bell showed that when he is on, it just does not matter what defense you throw at him. The Michigan back averaged over 7 yards per carry despite the 8- and 9-man fronts. He scored on a 12-yard run, but also had a pair of highlight reel runs, including a 52-yarder that included no fewer than 7 Mauler players laying a hand on him before he finally went down. So, for those who posted concerns about Bell after his Week One outing, we think we can say without doubt that he is not yet beyond his prime. He is just getting warmed up.

Tre Herndon Makes it 2 in a Row

The Maulers may have been a bit manhandled this week, but one player who stood out against Michigan was cornerback Tre Herndon. The unassuming and largely unknown Pittsburgh corner is having himself one heck of a start to the year. He has been named as a POTW candidate both weeks this season, first for his 9-tackle, 2 interception game against Memphis, and again this week, even in defeat, thanks to a 4-tackle, 1 forced fumble (with recovery), and 1 interception/pick six game. Herndon, who had only 2 career picks in his first two years with the Washington Federals, came over to the Maulers in free agency and already has 3 picks in just his first two games wearing the purple and orange. He is still listed as the number two corner behind Rasul Douglas, but if he keeps playing like this, teams may well decide to avoid throwing his way and take their chances with Douglas instead.

Gutierrez to Miss Action for Dumbest Reason Ever

When Philadelphia came out for the 2^nd half and we saw Matt Gutierrez sitting on the bench while P. J. Walker took over the Stars’ offense, the assumption was that Harbaugh had benched his starter in an effort to get a spark for a Stars team that was down 20-0 to the Generals. And that may be partially true, but what has come out since then, particularly in follow up to Gutierrez being cited on this week’s injury list, is that Gutierrez apparently also suffered an injury to his big toe. Now, what is fascinating is that even combing through all the Philadelphia offensive plays from the game against New Jersey, there is no indication that Gutierrez suffered an injury in game play. That means he either injured his toe during halftime or at some point post-game.

We have no definitive evidence, but the rumor running around (and this is one we have heard whispered within the Stars’ organization, not just fan speculation) is that Gutierrez was notified of his benching at the half and may have tried to take his anger out on a piece of locker room furniture. It is nearly impossible to determine if the story is true, but what we do know is that the longstanding starter for the Stars did not take another snap in the game, and is now listed as out at least 1 week with an undisclosed “toe injury”. What exactly happened may never be known, but what we are seeing in Philadelphia could well be the beginning of a QB controversy, one fans have said should have been addressed this offseason.

Seattle Swings Deal for QB

Speaking of QB controversies, the injury to starter Jacoby Brissett, who was added to the season-ending IR this week, along with an 0-2 start have made the Dragons a bit desperate. They will likely continue to start former General Brent Hundley, but this week they made a deal with the Chicago Machine to bring in another option. Chicago, happy with Sam Bradford as their starter and feeling pretty good with former Northwestern star Mike Kafka as their number two, agreed to send former draft pick Trevor Siemian to the Dragons.

Siemian at one point was seen as the future starter for the Machine, but he simply never developed as Chicago had hoped. He got a few starts in his first few years in the league, including 7 games as a rookie, but he just never put together enough strong games to take over as the starter. With the arrival of Sam Bradford, Siemian was confined to backup duty, and Chicago was even wavering between him and Kafka for the 2^nd position. He now heads to the Dragons, who likely will test him out to see if he will supplant Brad Gradkowski as the 2^nd stringer. Should something happen to Hundley, or if Hundley continues to struggle to move the Dragon offense, we may see Siemian get another shot. As for Chicago, they pick up a 3^rd round pick for their former QB, a pick Seattle had received in an earlier trade with the Oklahoma Outlaws.

A better week on the COVID list, though perhaps not for Portland, where Marcus Mariota is not going to be reinstated for Week 3, or for Michigan, where two key players, CB Dre Kirkpatrick and lead receiver Cody Latimer are out this week. Overall we did see fewer players added to the list and fewer still who did not clear protocols in time to come back after 1 week away. Both of those are good signs that the league’s testing program and bubble protocols are largely working (look at our “Big Story” for a few other issues tied to player conduct related to these rules.

As for football injuries, we have two more players whose injuries could spark an IR placement, though neither Arizona nor Charlotte have yet to make that decision after the broken wrist suffered by Wrangler CB Blessaun Austin or Monarch Jonathan Cooper’s neck injury. We also have a pretty sizable list of injuries that will require time off as well as a few names on our Doubtful and Questionable list, including the mystery injury to Philadelphia QB Matt Gutierrez and a possible issue for Houston HB Carlos Hyde as he dislocated his index finger late in the game against New Orleans.

OUT

CB          Blessuan Austin        ARZ       Wrist               8-12 Weeks

OG         Jonathan Cooper            CHA      Neck               8-12 Weeks

FS           James Sample                 BAL        Abdomen        6-8 Weeks

CB          Sean Smith                       PIT         Neck                 6-8 Weeks

OG         Chris Lindstrom              NJ           Knee                4-6 Weeks

C             Joey Hunt                        NEN      Ankle               2-4 Weeks

WR         Reuben Randle                NOR      Hand                1-2 Weeks

QB         Matt Gutierrez                 PHI        Toe                   1-2 Weeks

DOUBTFUL

WR         Jaelen Hurd                   JAX         Knee

DE          Jordan Willis                OKL       Patella

QUESTIONABLE

HB         Carlos Hyde                    HOU     Dislocated Finger

TE           Tyler Eifert                        CHI        Turf Toe

OG         Dakota Dozier                 JAX         Foot

WR         Kendrick Bourne             NOR      Ankle

HB         Latavius Murray              CHA      Knee inflammation

COVID-19 INACTIVE

HOU     LB           Ramik Wilson  

LA          CB          Isaiah Oliver

NJ           G            Danny Isidora  

MGN     CB          Dre Kirkpatrick

MGN     WR         Cody Latimer

PIT         DT          Gabe Wright                     

POR      QB         Marcus Mariota               2^nd Week

SDG      WR         Marques Colston            2^nd Week

WSH     DT          Quinnen Williams     2^nd Week

USFL to Meet with Network Executives as NBC Cries Foul

Two weeks into the experimental Covid-induced hub city model for the 2020 USFL season and already we are seeing friction between the league and its television broadcast partners. NBC in particular is expressing concern about its two night games each week, and the fact that with only 2 games per week it is the network being shifted around the schedule each week, with 8pm starts one night, 9pm or 11pm another night and no regularity to the schedule. NBC has asked to sit down with the other broadcast companies, FOX and ABC/ESPN/EFN to try to make adjustments on the fly.

While it seems no one is blaming the USFL for the disappointing television numbers after 2 weeks, since all are glad to sports programming at all, but the somewhat slapdash scheduling has proven problematic, as you would expect, as have the 11pm starts from Arizona, when most of the Eastern and Central time zones are headed to bed, even on Friday and Saturday nights.

We expect NBC to ask for 2 set timeslots, perhaps a Friday game from the Eastern hub at 8pm and a Saturday Central game from the Texas hub. That, of course puts ESPN at a disadvantage, since they would be locked out of those two timeslots, but they could, in theory, switch up and take 9pm on Friday and 8pm on Sunday, a timeslot that has gotten solid numbers compared to the later starts on Sunday. Then, of course, we have ABC and FOX who are not going to be pleased at all about rotating the 11pm game on Saturday, but who may be satisfied if it means guaranteed 8pm games on Saturday and a rotating 8pm game on Sunday.

The three groups are expected to meet with the USFL this week, and all three are saying that they are not demanding a change to the excusively 8pm (local) game schedule, but that they are certainly open to other options if the league prefers to mix up the schedule a bit. What is primarily on the line is the idea of creating a more stable week-to-week schedule so that, for example, NBC and ESPN can advertise their programming at the same time week to week.

League to Explore Afternoon Games in Phoenix & Houston

In a follow up to the story above, word inside the USFL is that the league is already looking for ways to break out of the current schedule in which all 15 games are played at night. Both the Houston and Phoenix hubs have the option of one retractable dome stadium apiece (Houston’s NRG Stadium and Glendale’s State Farm Stadium). It appears that the league is already speaking with state officials in both Texas and Arizona to allow for games played with the roofs closed in those two stadiums. That, along with ample air conditioning, would allow for games to be played in the afternoon on both Saturdays and Sundays. If approved, we could see as many as 4 games per week shifted from 9pm and 11pm eastern time to a much more palatable time such as 4pm ET.

Of course the issue everyone is hesitant to downplay is the issue of recycled air in the domed stadiums and the possibility of spread of the virus in that setting. With a lot of the science still out, any plan to use indoor facilities, even with fans absent, will likely require approval not only from each state’s public health offices, but from the USFLPA as well.  But, if approved, it could create a 4^th timeslot, which would go a long way to making all 4 broadcast partners happier than they are at present.

Players Union Concerned About Team Restrictions

Our Big Story this week was about player conduct, team rules, and the issues teams are having with trying to police up to 63 players at a time. From the position of the USFLPA, the infantilization of USFL players, with curfews, bed checks, contact restrictions, and constant testing, is not a sustainable model. Representatives of the union on each team have been reporting dissatisfaction with the limits on player movement, the “nanny state” of coaches and team officials restricting their ability to experience anything other than practice, training, physical therapy, team meals and down time in the restrictive team bubbles. While all parties recognize that for most of us, leaving home is also a very limited opportunity and reserved for necessity, but it seems that the union is hearing from a lot of players that the restrictions are too pervasive and that some degree of self-control should be expected from players, rather than constant monitoring and checks from team officials.

So much seems to depend on changes in public health advising, and it is possible that as the season progresses, more public engagement, less restrictive closures and gathering limits will start to take shape across the country and the 3 states where the USFL hubs are located, but for now, the union has a lot of input coming in, but not a lot of solutions for how to balance safety and player freedom.

Week 3 kicks off on Friday with two great rivalry games from the South (region, not division) with Orlando and Tampa Bay playing a neutral site game in Gainsville (FOX), while an hour later fans can tune in on NBC to see the “Great Southern Tailgate” matchup of Birmingham and Memphis, though fans this year will have to smoke their own ribs and pulled pork at home since tailgating is not permitted in either city (and the teams are playing in Houston). In the late slot we will see 2019 playoff teams battle as the Thunder face the Gold.

On Saturday it is back to regional coverage with ABC and FOX sharing 5 games while NBC has the early slot with New Jersey facing Charlotte. Divisional games on Saturday include Stars-Federals, Breakers-Gunslingers, and Machine-Glory. Out West, in the 11pm ET slot we have the Invaders facing the Wranglers in Tucscon and the Stags battling the Roughnecks from ASU’s Sun Devil Stadium.

Sunday includes divisional battles between the Blitz and Steamrollers, and the Atlanta fire taking on Jacksonville in Orlando’s Camping World Stadium. We could have a very nice game between two of the league’s big teams as the Gamblers face the Panthers at Rice Stadium in the 9pm slot. We end the weekend with Seattle v. Las Vegas (at Sun Devil Stadium) and the Express facing the Oklahoma Outlaws in Glendale’s convertible State Farm Stadium.

FRIDAY

8pm ET        Orlando (1-1) @ Tampa Bay (2-0)             Gainesville        FOX

9pm ET          Birmingham (1-1) @ Memphis (1-1)        NRG                      NBC

11pm ET        San Diego (1-1) @ Denver (1-1)          Glendale            ESPN/EFN

SATURDAY

8pm ET      New Jersey (2-0) @ Charlotte (0-2)         Orlando               NBC

8pm ET       Philadelphia (0-2) @ Washington (1-1)    Tampa                  FOX

9pm ET         New Orleans (2-0) @ San Antonio (2-0)   Rice                      ABC

9pm ET         Chicago (1-1) @ Ohio (1-1)                       TDECU                 FOX

11pm ET      Oakland (1-1) @ Arizona (2-0)                 Tucson                 ABC

11pm ET       Portland (1-1) @ Dallas (1-1)                   Tempe                  FOX

SUNDAY

8pm ET       Baltimore (1-1) @ New England (1-1)      Gainesville        ABC

8pm ET          Atlanta (2-0) @ Jacksonville (0-2)           Orlando               FOX

9pm ET        Houston (1-1) @ Michigan (2-0)          Rice                      ESPN/EFN

9pm ET        Pittsburgh (1-1) @ St. Louis (0-2)           NRG                      ABC

11pm ET      Seattle (0-2) @ Las Vegas (0-2)                 Tempe                  ABC

11pm ET        Los Angeles (2-0) @ Oklahoma (1-1)       Glendale            FOX