2020 USFL Wild Card Weekend Recap

What a week of football! We had fans in the stands, max capacity in all 4 games despite the USFL playoffs matching up with the NFL opening weekend. We also had 4 games each decided by 6 points or less, including two lower seeds getting the “road” win against the higher seeded club. We had 300-yard passers, 100-yard rushers, big defensive stops, and one final drive to victory. It was pretty much what every football fan wants, real playoff football. Sure, it would have been nice to see 60,000 at each game instead of 15,000-19,000, but it still was great to see fans in the stands and hear the cheers as teams made plays.

Of course, it was also the first week of the offseason for 18 of the league’s 30 clubs, and we have news there, with a wave of free agents now in that odd limbo when their prior contracts are completed but they are not yet allowed to negotiate with anyone but their “current” club. We also have the first offseason retirement announcements, including some big names. We will start there, with the players waving goodbye to the game, then on to the week’s playoff action, and we will look at the best of the free agent pool before we preview the 4 games that will make up the Divisional Round in just 4 days.

Two Bell Cow Backs and a Bevvy of Defenders Say Goodbye to Pro Football

It has become almost a tradition of the game, just one we have not come up with a name for. The week between the final regular season games and the Wild Card playoffs is known for Black Monday, but perhaps we need a name for the whole week as a time when so many USFL stars announce their departure from the game, a week of retirements. Should we call it “Walk Away Week”? Gold Watch Week? (That’s a tradition many Millennials and younger do not know about) or just “The Big Goodbye”.

Regardless of what we call it, the wave of retirement announcements, some in front of the press, some simply announced by the club online or even just to league sources, is a bittersweet period where many fans see their favorite players step away from the game. In 2020, just this past week, that tough moment came for two of the league’s biggest personalities and two of its best tailbacks. New Jersey’s Maurice Jones-Drew, off yet another season over 1,200 yards but once again just shy of LeVeon Bell’s lead, announced that he would not return for the 2021 season. He was joined a day later by San Antonio Gunslinger back Marshawn Lynch, stepping away at the very ripe age of 36. 

Maurice Jones-Drew, often called either MJD or, somewhat comically, “Pocket Hercules”, leaves the game very much at full strength. His 1,349 yards this season marks his second highest season total of a long and illustrious career, topped only by 1,408 in 2018. At age 34, MJD has demonstrated incredible longevity and consistency. An almost certain first ballot Hall of Famer, Jones-Drew retires after 15 years of tough inside runs. He amassed nearly 16,000 yards (15,490) on the ground, and another 3,949 in the air, with a career total of 116 touchdowns. A 5-time All-USFL nominee, it is clear that MJD could play longer, but his body has certainly earned a rest, and his place in both league and club history are certainly secured. 

Marshawn Lynch, known as “Beast Mode” for his punishing style and the ability to rampage over and through defenders, leaves the game after 14 USFL seasons, split between the Thunder (2007-2014) and the Outlaws (2015-2019), with one final year returning to San Antonio as part of the Outlaw-Gunslinger roster agreement. He finished his career with only three 1,000-yard seasons, but with a career total of 13,618 yards, scoring 93 touchdowns along the way. Known as much for his unique personality and hilarious turns of phrase, Lynch was almost more well known for his commercials and endorsement deals as for his play on the field, but any defender who ever tried to tackle Beast Mode will tell you that when it came to the on-the-field credentials, no one was a tougher tackle than Marshawn Lynch.

The two backs, while perhaps the best known to casual fans, were not the only big names among USFL players to announce that 2020 was their last season stepping onto the gridiron for battle. Other notable departures include a serious lineup of defenders, including Ohio LB Daniel Ellerbe, New Jersey LB Rey Maualaga, Oklahoma’s venerable DT Luis Castillo, Philadelphia edge rusher Anthony Hargrove, Pittsburgh DE Dwight Freeney, and San Diego MLB A. J. Hawk. That is a pretty good group of defenders that will no longer be concerns for USFL offensive coordinators.

Fans of the Arizona Wranglers also got a huge announcement this week, but not one noting a retirement, quite the opposite. Wrangler QB David Carr appeared at practice this week, watching from the sideline, and then spoke with the press, saying exactly what all of Wrangler Nation wanted to hear, that he is working on rehab and that his goal is to be the starting QB of the Arizona Wranglers when the 2021 season kicks off in March. That possibility was very much in doubt after Carr suffered a season-ending injury in Week 13’s matchup with Oakland. His arm was still in a soft sling, but Carr made it clear that he had every intention of being ready for voluntary camp in January and the full training camp in February. The Wranglers may still be in the market for a young QB to become Carr’s protégé, but the news this week means that they are not looking for someone to come in and start the 2021 Season, at least not if David Carr has a say in it.

DALLAS ROUGHNECKS 20  CHICAGO MACHINE 24

If you love a good back-and-forth game between two evenly matched teams, well, we hope you caught this one, because it was a classic tug-of-war game from the opening kickoff until the final whistle. Chicago, led by QB Sam Bradford and one of the league’s stingiest defenses, faced off against the likely Rookie of the Year, QB Justin Herbert, and a dynamic Dallas passing game that saw former NFL “wash out” Sammy Watkins become the league’s 2^nd leading receiver in 2020.

The game saw 7 lead changes, beginning with Chicago’s first quarter field goal and ending with the game winning touchdown with only 62 ticks of the clock left. In between the two, we saw both quarterbacks make big plays as the defenses made the run game a true slog inside the dome at NRG Stadium. Justin Herbert would survive 7 sacks to throw for 293 yards and 2 scores while Sam Bradford went 24 of 35 to throw for 259 and 3 scores. With scoring in every quarter and a constant back-and-forth on the scoreboard, this was an edge-of-your-seat game throughout.

Chicago had the only points of the first quarter as both clubs, having played in 2 different hubs all season, probed and tested each other’s defenses in a slow-paced opening period. The Machine got a 39-yard field goal from Daniel Carlson, but after 1 it was very much still a very tenuous and cautious attack for both teams. That would change in the 2^nd quarter, with Dallas taking the first big shot, a nicely executed flea-flicker that found Chicago overly committed to stopping the run, leaving Pharoh Brown open for a 43-yard completion down to the Machine 12-yard line. Two plays later, Herbert escaped immediate pressure, found Courtland Sutton coming across the formation and hit the young receiver for the first TD of the game, flipping the leaderboard to show Dallas up 7-3.

Chicago responded with a 4-minute, 9-play drive that saw HB Jeremy Hill touch the ball only 2 times, while Sam Bradford went 5 of 6 throwing, with his final pass of the drive a 3-yard TD toss to veteran Michael Floyd. Again the scoreboard flipped, Chicago up 10-7 with 6:33 left in the quarter. That was more than enough time for the Roughnecks to flip the leaders once again, this time with Herbert finding his favorite target on a beautiful deep ball. After suffering a sack on 2^nd and 8, the Roughnecks faced a 3^rd and 13. Chicago again brought pressure, but a nice chip block by HB DeVonte Freeman allowed Herbert the time he needed to find Sammy Watkins outside the hashmarks. Watkins caught the ball in stride and cornerback Jordan Poyer simply could not catch up. Micah Hyde took too shallow an angle, and Watkins coasted to the endzone for the 69-yard scoring play. Flip again, Dallas up 14-10, a score that would last into the half.

The third quarter continued the back-and-forth pacing. Chicago put together a long drive that ended with Bradford finding TE Troy Niklas on a nice play-fake toss for the 1-yard score. Chicago with the 17-14 lead. Dallas came back later in the quarter, nearly taking the lead again on a 24-yard TD pass, but the play was called back by a holding call, forcing Dallas to settle for a Catanzaro field goal to even the score at 17 apiece.

In the 4^th, Dallas added a second Catanzaro field goal, this time from 35-yards out, to retake the lead 20-17. They kicked the ball back to Chicago with just over 5 minutes of game clock left, knowing that it was more than enough time for the Machine to pose a threat to their slim lead. Chicago took over possession with two intentions, score on the drive, and use as much time as they could. They succeeded on both counts. Marion Mack was used to piledrive the ball on first down, and while his game average of 2.8 yards was not exactly record-breaking, on the final Machine drive he had 5 runs for 21 yards, a nice 4 yard average. That freed up 2^nd and 3^rd downs, a mix of runs from Jeremy Hill and short passes from Bradford. With 1:44 left on the clock, the Machine had worked their way into the red zone and were knocking on the door. At the 1:02 mark, they hit paydirt with a quick screen to Jeremy Hill. With blockers in front, Hill wound his way the final 10 yards to the endzone and put Chicago up once again, 24-20 with only 62 seconds left to play.

The 4-point margin was huge, as it meant Dallas would need a touchdown, and with barely one minute of clock left and only 1 timeout left, it was a tall order against a Chicago defense very adept at avoiding big plays. Chicago used a shell zone, primarily in nickel coverage and rushing only 3. It was effective against Herbert, who simply could not find open receivers beyond the first 5 yards. He settled for a couple of drop downs, then took a bad sack on 3^rd and 3, forcing a 4^th down. Dallas converted, but in order to do so they had to throw to the middle of the field, and that cost them 12 seconds as they set up for a spike. The Roughnecks simply ran out of time trying to get into scoring range. A final play, an attempt at a hook & ladder, failed when the initial pitch from receiver Tim Wright did not find a Roughneck, but a Machine defender. Chicago claimed the ball and the win, ready to move on and face a familiar foe, the Michigan Panthers, in the Divisional Round.

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HOUSTON GAMBLERS 30  BALTIMORE BLITZ 27

While technically an upset, since Houston was the 6 seed and Baltimore the 3, many saw Houston as the better team in this matchup, not just because their 10-6 record was a game better than Baltimore’s 9-7 mark, but also because Houston had a rich playoff pedigree from the past few years of deep runs and Summer Bowl appearances. Las Vegas had the game as even, but much of the money on this game still went to the Gamblers, and in the end they proved those bets to be good ones.

Unlike the Dallas-Chicago game, the showdown between the Gamblers and Blitz was not a back and forth affair. Baltimore put up the first 7 points on a locker to Pittman TD on their opening drive, but it was quickly equaled when Colt McCoy hit Mike Evans for a score on Houston’s first possession. When Baltimore punted on their next possession, Houston used a short field to take their first lead of the game, a lead they would never relinquish. McCoy hit HB Carlos Hyde on a nice swing route and Hyde did the rest, rambling for a 31-yard TD that gave Houston a 14-7 advantage as the first quarter wound down.

Baltimore kept the game close throughout, but with Houston always staying a step ahead. From 14-7 to 17-7, then a Josh Jacobs TD run to narrow the lead to 17-14, only for Houston to score again, with Hyde running over FS Antoine Brooks to score from 16 yards out to make it 24-14, the score we would have at the half. In the second half, Baltimore fought back, scoring the only points of the 3^rd quarter, but both scoring drives ended up as field goals, which meant that the Blitz could only narrow the lead to 24-20. Houston responded in the 4^th with two field goal drives of their own, pushing the lead back up to 10 at 30-20. With only 4:37 left to play, Baltimore would need two quick scores to tie or to take the win.

The Blitz were efficient in their final drive, but also too slow to make a 2^nd scoring drive possible. They got the touchdown they needed, but Houston’s defense had managed to force them to use nearly all of the 4 minutes they had before Brian Hartline scored the final points of the game. A failed onside kick followed and Houston was able to end the game and the Blitz threat with a pair of kneel downs.

Despite a solid 106 yards from Josh Jacobs, Baltimore’s plan to shorten the game and provide Houston with fewer possessions had failed. Colt McCoy had found holes in the Blitz secondary, completing 15 of 25 passes for 329 yards, including some deep connections to JuJu Smith-Schuster (43 yards), Mike Evans (also 43 yards) and Josh Reynolds (23 yards), while Carlos Hyde had 3 receptions for 92 yards and scored by land and through the air. The Gamblers were calm, committed, and confident the entire game, something that speaks to their history of playoff football and their experience in tough knockout games. When Saturday night’s game wrapped up, the Gamblers were moving on, set to face a Memphis in what would be the 2^nd intra-divisional matchup of the 2020 Playoffs’ second round.

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SEATTLE DRAGONS 23  LOS ANGELES EXPRESS 20

We had a divisional matchup in the Wild Card round as well. The only matchup where neither team had to leave their familiar hub as the Express hosted the Dragons in Las Vegas’s Wynn Arena. The crowd, reduced as it was, still looked very much like an Express home game, with many Los Angelinos making the drive to Sin City to see their club in person. But it was the small but vocal Dragon Clan contingent that came away the big winners in Las Vegas as Seattle would pull off the upset and move on to face Arizona in next week’s Divisional Game.

The Dragons did it in dramatic fashion, coming back from a 20-13 fourth quarter deficit in the game’s final 5 minutes. All game they had used a balanced attack to keep the Express defense from overcommitting to the pass rush. Knowshon Moreno, the league’s 4^th leading rusher, with 1,240 yards on the season, did not find a lot of room against the Express’s top rated run defense, but the regular use of the run game kept LA from loading up on QB Brett Hundley. The elusive Hundley would go through the entire game without a sack recorded against him, though certainly there were some tough hits taken. And while the 27 run plays by Seattle only garnered 95 yards, Hundley’s 56 pass attempts produced 35 completions and 353 yards, including TD tosses to Marshall Newhouse and TE Kyle Rudolph.

For their part, the LA offense played well, particularly in the first half. Kyler Murray went 12 of 15 in the first half, completing TD tosses to Eric Weems (10 yards in the 1^st quarter) and Jason Whitten (a nice 40-yard catch and run in the 2^nd). At the half, those scores gave LA a 17-10 lead over the Dragons, despite the Hundley connection with Rudolph right before the half.

In the second half, LA struggled against the adjusted Seattle defense. Murray would only complete 5 more passes (5 of 15) as Seattle switched to more shallow zones and tight man coverages, rushing 4, and sometimes only 3 for most of the half. While this gave Reggie Bush a bit more room, with 68 of his 82 total yards coming in the 2^nd half, it did not add much to the scoreboard, with LA managing only a lone field goal in the 2^nd half. That field goal gave them a tight 7-point lead, 20-13, with 12:37 left to play. But it would prove not enough against a persistent Dragon squad.

Seattle pulled the game within 4 with a Jeffrey Harris field goal at the 3:58 mark, but that would still require a touchdown to win. Both the defense and the Dragon offense would need to succeed in the game’s final minutes if Seattle was going to pull this one out. The defense was up first, and they did what was asked of them, holding LA to a 3-and-out after CB Richard Sherman delivered a perfectly timed hit on “Hollywood” Brown just as the ball reached his hands. The failed 3^rd down throw forced LA to punt. Seattle got the ball back on offense with 2:27 left to play, 72 yards to go, two time outs and the 2-minute warning.

The Dragons were focused and fully expecting pressure from the Express. Coach Riley left in either HB Gus Edwards or TE Kyle Rudolph on every pass play of the drive, effectively slowing the blitzing Express linebackers and giving Hundley time to find Amari Cooper, Marshall Newhouse, and Dante Pettis on consecutive 3^rd down throws to bring the ball into LA territory. After a draw to Wendell Smallwood brought the ball to the LA 23, the Express set up to cover against a shallow throw to the outside, but that is not what they got. Instead, Marshall Newhouse used an out & up, with a nice shoulder fake by Hundley, to cause CB Jamar Taylor to fall 2 steps behind the speedy receiver. By the time safety Rahim Moore got over to Newhouse, he had the ball, the momentum, and the ability to lean into the tackle, staying in bounds as he dove over the goalline and in for 6.

Seattle had taken the lead with 46 seconds to spare, but that meant that LA had time to get into field goal range if they could. Receiving the ball on the 25 after a touchback, LA’s first play from scrimmage seemed promising. Kyler Murray found Eric Weems for 13 yards and a first down as the LA drive opened, but the next play would prove LA’s undoing. Murray was pressured in the pocket, tried to slip a pass to Jason Whitten, but DE Deshon Hall got his big lineman paws up in the air, tipped the ball almost straight up, and, alert to the play from his zone coverage, CB Chidobe Awuzie executed the tip drill perfectly, coming down with the ball and the Dragon win.

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NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS 28  ATLANTA FIRE 34

The final game of the weekend was perhaps the most anticipated, with 11-5 New Orleans and their league-leading passing game going up against Atlanta and their league-best 30.2 points per game. It was expected to be a shootout, with a lot of attention paid to the passing game of both teams, and pretty much that is what it turned out to be.

Geno Smith would win the duel of quarterbacks, accounting for all 4 New Orleans touchdowns and outgaining Aaron Murray 301-175 through the air, but while New Orleans won the air war, it was Atlanta that dominated on the ground, and taking advantage early to build a 14-0 lead that New Orleans would tie at 21, but would never surpass. The Fire ground out 215 yards on the ground, with Nick Chubb going for 109 on 22 carries (a 5.0 YPC average) while Kenyan Drake made big play after big play, racking up 90 yards on only 9 carries (yup, that is 10 yards per carry). That ground dominance allowed Atlanta to limit opportunities for New Orleans and stay ahead for nearly the entire game.

The Fire strategy became apparent on the opening drive of the second quarter. After an opening period that saw both clubs feeling each other out, Atlanta put together a drive that saw them call 8 run plays to only 2 passes, though one of those passes was the scoring play, with Murray finding TE Vance McDonald out of a goalline formation on the 1. After a quick drive by New Orleans ended after only 5 plays, Atlanta again took to the ground, this time with a more even mix of rushes and play action passes, and this drive also ended with a red zone score as Nick Chubb pounded the ball in from the 4 to give the Fire a 14-0 lead with only 8 minutes of gametime elapsed.

But, to their credit, New Orleans did not panic. On their 2^nd possession of the quarter they took the ball 68 yards in 9 plays, halving the Atlanta advantage when Geno Smith found Curtis Nelson from the slot, the receiver slicing inside of his defender to score from 6 yards out. Now down only 1 score, the Breakers appeared ready to get right back into the game, but that would require they find a way to stop the Fire ground game.

For most of Atlanta’s next drive, the Breakers were able to hold Nick Chubb and Kenyan Drake in check, but on a 3^rd and 2, Drake found a gap, burst through the line and raced for 27 yards. That was a backbreaker. Two plays later, Atlanta caught New Orleans napping, with Murray handing the ball to fullback Reggie Gilliam. The rookie fullback had a clear path in front of him as the linebacker overreacted to the fake to Chubb and rumbled 12 yards to paydirt to put Atlanta back up by 14. With 28 points scored in the first half, we all knew this game was far from over.

The second half opened with New Orleans in possession, and they did what they so often do, start with a bang. The first play of the half was a fake to Myles Gaskin, a rollout to the right, and a beautiful throw from Smith to Justin Jefferson for 19 yards. It would be his only catch of the game in a surprising strategy that saw Smith throw 10 passes to his tight ends, 6 to his slot receivers, 5 to halfback DeMarco Murray, and only twice in Jefferson’s direction. But, after his lone catch, Jefferson played decoy as Smith looked off the safety and then found Jordy Nelson for a touchdown to bring New Orleans back to within 7 at 21-14. They would then get their chance to wipe out the deficit altogether.

In what was truly his only bad throw of the game, Aaron Murray misread the coverage on the next Atlanta possession, thinking the linebacker had followed TE O. J. Howard, he did not see him drifting towards WR Kelvin Benjamin. Murray’s throw to Benjamin found LB Deion Jones dropped into coverage instead. The OLB tipped the ball with one hand, followed it with his eyes, and snagged the pass before Benjamin could react, giving New Orleans the perfect opportunity to even the score as they took over on the Atlanta 48.

It would take New Orleans only 2 plays to make Atlanta pay for Murray’s mistake. After a short run by Murray, Smith returned to Murray on a screen, and Atlanta was simply out of position. With blockers out in front, including a devastating block by WR Jordy Nelson, Murray rumbled his way to paydirt with the equalizing score. 21-21 with 10:31 left in the quarter.

To their credit, Atlanta did not panic. After a pair of short drives by both teams led to nothing, the Fire felt back in control, put together a nice 10-play drive, and added a short field goal from John Bounds to put them back on top 24-21. It was clearly not enough, but it was again a lead, and the Fire could feel their legs back under themselves. That feeling grew into full-blown confidence after New Orleans got backed up by a holding call and failed on a 3^rd and 17 play. With the ball back, they returned to their early strategy, mixing play action with slashing runs to move the ball down the field against the Breaker defense. Their drive carried into the 4^th quarter, and with 11:50 left on the clock, they expanded their lead to 10 points when Murray found his tight end for a second time. It seems New Orleans was ready to deal with O. J. Howard, but had no plan to account for Vance McDonald, which is odd, considering McDonald had 45 receptions in the regular season, only 24 behind Howard.

Down 10 with just over 11 minutes to play, New Orleans had time and opportunity to come back. They would show a bit of urgency on their first drive, and again would be hurt by a penalty, an illegal motion call cancelling out a 30-yard pitch and catch to Nelson. Forced to punt, they would not get the ball back until the 4-minute mark of the game. Needing 2 scores, the Breakers moved fast, marching 71 yards in only 7 plays, thanks in large part to a 25-yard pitch and catch between Smith and Tyler Lockett. Two plays later, it was Smith to TE Coby Fleener and the Breakers were within 3 with only 1:56 left to play. Hold Atlanta, get the ball back, and they could tie or win this one.

But there is the rub, you have to get the ball back. Atlanta essentially played keep away. An outside run here, a dive over the guard there, a short toss to Howard for a first down. The Fire were killing clock, forcing New Orleans to use their time outs, and when LB Kwon Alexander got called for a late hit out of bounds on Kenyan Drake, it put Atlanta into field goal range. 4 plays later, they would put up 3 more on a John Bounds kick, creating a 6-point deficit with only 39 seconds left, forcing New Orleans to go for a touchdown.

The final 39 seconds were tense, but in the end, Atlanta held, forcing Smith to go for a Hail Mary from his own 45. The ball reached the Atlanta 15, but was swatted down, ending the game and sending the Fire on to the Divisional Round, ready to face the team they had battled for first place in the Southeast all season, the 15-1 Tampa Bay Bandits.

Divisional Rivals to Clash in Divisional Round

What more could we ask for? Three of the four Divisional Round games will feature teams facing divisional rivals. We get Houston and Memphis from the Southern Division, where the two split the series in the regular season. We have Chicago battling Michigan for a 3^rd time after splitting their series. And we have Atlanta facing Tampa Bay, who swept the season series, including a decisive Week 15 victory that gave Tampa Bay the division title. The fourth game will feature upstart Seattle going up against a clearly weakened Arizona squad that backed into the playoffs, losing their final 4 games after David Carr was lost to injury.

The matchups also mean that all 4 games feature teams playing within their hubs, no cross-hub travel needed, so Seattle and Arizona can hunker down in Phoenix. Atlanta and Tampa Bay are back to their season-long hotels in Central Florida, and Michigan, Chicago, Houston, and Memphis are all back in Houston, Texas preparing for their games. Expect a lot of ticket scalping for that Houston/Memphis game with the Gamblers playing in their home city. Arizona and Seattle will take place in Las Vegas, so not quite the same advantage for the Wranglers, while Tampa Bay should get a good crowd, but with a good Atlanta contingent as well making the trip to Orlando.

Wranglers Feeling Disrespected by Vegas

The Wranglers may be preparing to face the Seattle Dragons in Las Vegas this week, but they are not at all happy with the city and its famous sports books. It really is about the books, not the city itself. It appears that with a lot of fans, particularly fans with a gambling interest, the 0-4 finish to Arizona’s season has shattered all confidence in the Wranglers. Each of the 4 major sports books in Las Vegas have the matchup as either an even bet or with Seattle getting a slight advantage. Our official line, provided by Wynn Sports Book, has Seattle as a one point favorite, despite being the 6 seed facing the 2^nd seeded Wranglers.

Maybe it is bulletin board inspiration, maybe a motivator for the Wranglers, but the reality is that it is also a sign that the Wranglers are just not the same team without David Carr. Prior to his injury, Arizona was 12-0, after it, 0-4. Not exactly tough tea leaves to read. The Wrangler offense managed only 44 points in the three games started by Brandon Allen, and the word out of Wrangler camp is that they are going to start Tom Savage, not Allen against Seattle. Not sure who Tom Savage is. We get that. He is a 6-year USFL veteran who has thrown a grand total of 65 passes in that 6 year span. He has never started a game in the league, with his last start being a Little Caesar’s Bowl win for Pitt over Bowling Green. Yup, Pitt v. Bowling Green, and the Wranglers wonder why the betting world does not feel the love.

Five Players to Watch in the Divisional Round

Sure, there are plenty of stars on the 8 teams who will face off this week, but sometimes it is not the biggest names on the team that have the biggest impact. Of course we expect Dak Prescott, LeVeon Bell, Calais Campbell, and Devin Funchess to have some big plays and possible a big impact this weekend, but it is often the unheralded players who turn the tide of the game. We polled our USFL bullpen and came up with 5 lesser-known players who could have a big impact in the Divisionals. Here are our picks for players to watch.

TE Vance McDonald (ATL)

We already saw the impact McDonald can have when a defense overloads against O. J. Howard. Two touchdowns for Atlanta in their win over the Breakers, and we think Tampa Bay could be vulnerable in the middle, so could McDonald be a major target for Aaron Murray again?

HB Marion Mack (CHI)

We all know that LeVeon Bell is the back to watch in the Chicago-Michigan game, and even on the Machine it is Jeremy Hill who gets most of the carries and tends to be the chain-mover, but Mack is a big back with good power, just the kind of back you need to earn those tough 3^rd and 2 conversions and keep the ball out of Bell’s hands. If Chicago wants to win this game, they will need to control the clock, keep the chains moving, and earn those third down conversions, so keep an eye on Mack as a bulldozer on short yardage.

WR Donavan Peoples-Jones (MGN)

After the injury to Calvin Ridley, we kept waiting for someone to step up and become the clear number two option behind Cody Latimer. We saw a lot of passes headed to TE Martellus Bennett and to Bell at haldback, but between Kevin Kraft, K. J. Hill and Donavan Peoples-Jones, no one really stood out. Now is as good a time as any for one of them to become a star, and we think that if any one has the ability to jump into the limelight it is DPJ.

DE Bud DuPree (ARZ)

Whoever is the RE opposite Calais Campbell is always going to be a bit undervalued, just ask Arthur Moats in Orlando. That guy in Arizona is Bud DuPree. And while Campbell racked up his 12^th straight sack title this year, DuPree was no slouch, adding 16 sacks of his own, good enough for 12^th in the league. If the Dragons overload Campbell, then DuPree may get a chance to shine, especially with Hundley’s tendency to roll to his right, directly into DuPree’s path.

SS Jordan Richards (MEM)

Safeties rarely get the kudos they deserve, especially if they are not big hitters like Ed Reed or Troy Polamalu. Jordan Richards is a very talented safety, racking up 54 tackles this year, but few outside of Memphis likely know his name. Against Houston his job will be to ensure that neither Mike Evans nor JuJu Smith-Schuster get over the top or behind the coverage. If he is successful, you will almost certainly hear his name, and, sadly, if he is unsuccessful, you might hear it more.

A couple of injuries of note, particularly on defense as we prepare for this week’s games. Chicago will be a man short on the D-line with Eddie Goldman listed as doubtful. Not what you want when facing LeVeon Bell. In the Fire-Bandits game, we have our only Covid-based absence as CB Ken Webster of the Bandits is unable to suit up after testing positive. If A. J. Green is able to play (he is probable), then Tampa Bay may have a coverage concern. Safety Kenny Vaccaro is still not ready to return to action for Houston, which could be a boon for Robert Woods and Devin Funchess as Memphis will test his replacement to be sure. Finally, while there are no new injuries in the Seattle-Arizona game, the one injury on everyone’s mind is David Carr’s, because this game seems to entirely hinge on whether or not the Wranglers found a way to get production from 3^rd stringer Tom Savage during their bye week.

CHI:      G V. Ducasse (Out), DT E. Goldman (D), CB J. Poyer (P)

MGN:   WR C. Ridley (Out), OT D. Dotson (D), DT R. Lawrence (P)

ATL:       CB S. Griffin (P), WR A. J. Green (P)

TBY:       CB K. Webster (Covid), DT B. Cowart (P)

HOU:    QB L. Jones (Out), DT N. Fairley (Out), G. J. Asamoah (D), SS K. Vaccaro (D)

MEM:    C P. Blake (Covid), TE L. Ritter (Covid), CB M. Williams (D)

SEA:      CB D. Truffant (Out), OT E. Fisher (Out), QB J. Brissett (Out)

ARZ:      WR V. Cruz (Out), QB D. Carr (Out), G. C. Levin (Out)

Eight Players to Pine For in the Early Free Agent Pool

With 18 of 30 teams officially done for the season last week, more than 100 contracts are now completed and that means free agents aplenty enter the pool. Now, we all know that teams do have the next 3 weeks to attempt to resign their unsigned players, but very often the reason a player has reached the end of their deal without either an extension or a new deal is because one of the two parties is convinced that it is time for the player to move on. In some cases it is the team hoping to upgrade or just move in a different direction, in others it is the player (and their agent) trying to get a big payday or find a better situation. Whatever the cause, this time of year is when fans get a look at who may well be available and can start debating which free agents could have a positive impact on their team. We went through the initial list of players out of contract status, and we think we have found 8 players who should be the belles of the ball, very popular, very in demand, and very much wooed when the official free agent period begins after Summer Bowl 2020. Here is our list of 8 players you should hope your team is pining for.

HB Eddie Lacey (STL)

At only 27 years old, Lacey already has five 1,000-yard seasons under his belt. Yes, he is coming off a season-ending injury, but his recovery is proceeding well and we think there are more than a handful of teams that will be chomping at the bit to get a reliable producer into their backfield.

OT Russell Okong (CHA)

As rare as a 1,000-yard rusher is in free agency, a true starting left tackle may be even harder to find. Okong has been talking with the Monarchs for the better part of a year and they don’t seem any closer to a deal, so we may well have a legit bookend tackle available for teams to woo.

HB Kerwynn Williams (NE)

After several 600-yard seasons in Baltimore, the Blitz let Williams go in the Expansion Draft and New England jumped at the chance. They gave Williams more touches and he produced for them, providing 934 yards and a 4.1 YPC average. For a back who has never averaged fewer than 4 yards per carry in any season, Williams came cheaply to New England, but is now looking for a payday after a career best season. He will turn 30 this offseason, which may deter some, but with more and more backs having success in their early 30’s, we think there will be a market.

DE Vic Beasley (NJ)

Another rarity in free agency is the edge rusher who averages over 10 sacks per year. Beasley has dipped a bit since his 2017 high of 19 sacks, but 13 last year and 12 this season is still pretty solid. As long as he is not delusional, demanding Calais Campbell money, he should find a pretty good deal, something in the range of a 3-year deal for $10-12M.

WR Marques Colston (SD)

The disappointing 2020 campaign for the Thunder was also individually disappointing for Colston, who recorded his first sub-1,000-yard season since 2010. That was a 9-season run of production that simply fell off a cliff this year. Not only that, but his yards per catch dipped from 19.2 in 2019 to only 11.7 this year. So, what scouts and GMs want to know is if this is just a failure of the system in San Diego, or has Colston lost enough speed at age 35 that he is no longer an effective target?

CB Eric Wright (OAK)

With 13 picks over the past 3 seasons, Wright is still one of the most reliable corners in the game. He may not be a true shutdown corner at this point in his career, but he can still be effective in both man and zone coverages. We expect that teams will pitch a lot of 1 year deals to him, and we think he will stick it out hoping for a multi-year deal with some guaranteed money.

WR Stevie Johnson (STL)

Another member of the Skyhawks ready to move on after yet another bad year. Unlike Lacey, Stevie Johnson was on the field most of the season, but with a per-catch average of only 10.1 yards and a season total of only 654 yards, the flamboyant receiver certainly wants to find himself in a more dynamic system, one that can get him back into the ranks of the 1,000-yard club.

LB Alec Ogletree (WSH)

At only 31, and with only 7 years in the league, Ogletree should be in a good position to land a 3-4 year deal. He can play outside in a 4-3, or inside in a 3-4, so he has some flexibility as to where he looks and what kind of system he joins. He is not a big ego guy, and while he is not the fastest linebacker in the league, nor the biggest hitter, he has a solid track record of making plays and knowing his role, and that is what coaches like to see.

Without an NFL-USFL Transfer Window until January, Will Agents Hold Off on Making Deals?

That is the question of the offseason. Players that want to max out their earning potential would be wise to wait as long as they can, get the NFL into the mix, and use the two leagues to raise their value. Of course, that is easier said than done and many players cannot live with several months of uncertainty. Surely there will be some who see a good deal early and sign before we reach the holidays, but with the only NFL-USFL window this year coming in January, those who can hold on and wait out the offers could benefit from their patience.

Of course, we should also expect the teams and their player personnel teams to try to counter that impulse. Will that mean some big offers will be made early to try to avoid the competition? Very possibly. We could also see some counter-messaging, reminding players that once NFL talent hits the pool of available free agents, the chance that a team fills a key position by poaching someone from the NFL rather than acquiescing to a high salary demand from a USFL player is pretty significant. So, it is essentially a game of chicken between USFL management and the players trying to find the best deal possible. But is it ever really anything different?

Three Trades We Want to See, Even if The GMs Don’t

It may be a bit early to start talking about trades, but we could not help ourselves. Once the regular season ends, some of our team just switches fully to offseason mode and that means imagining possibilities. So hard to predict, but fun to imagine, trade scenarios are a big talking point in the offseason, so we thought we would get a head start on it by providing you with 3 trades we think would make a lot of sense, even if the teams involved don’t agree.

QB Jacoby Brissett (Seattle to Philadelphia) for C Corey Linsley

The Dragons are clearly going to stick with Brett Hundley after the season he has had, and he very likely will be asking for a new deal, a much more expensive deal. We know that very few teams can afford to hold onto two QBs with starter salaries, and if Seattle wants to avoid anything looking like a QB competition, then the best option is to find a taker for Jacoby Brissett.

Even with his recent injury issues, Brissett is a solid starter and has put up some very good games. He should be in a position to start with a new team, and the team that makes sense is Philadelphia. They clearly want to move on after a couple of rough years with Matt Gutierrez, and we don’t think anyone in the Stars’ organization is going to be pushing hard for Ryan Lindley to get the starting gig. With no QB prospect in the T-Draft for the Stars, and with a trade to get a high-profile rookie likely an expensive proposition, we think the Stars are the ideal candidate to take on Brissett, even if only as a bridge until they can find a young talent. He would provide them solid performance at the position and the ability to spend money elsewhere to improve the D and the receiver group. In return, Philadelphia’s depth on the O-line provides a nice opportunity for Seattle to put more protection in front of Hundley and to give Knowshon Moreno another quality blocker. It’s a win-win.

HB Ryan Williams (San Diego to Jacksonville) for TE Taysom Hill & Some Picks

The Thunder need a reboot, plain and simple, and while Ryan Williams scrapped together enough solid games this year to reach 1,000 yards (1,014 to be exact), he is not happy, the team is not feeling the love either, and the best option is to use Williams to get more draft capital and perhaps a playmaker at a lower cost position. Tight End is that position, and we think Taysom Hill is the logical choice. The Bulls want a bell cow back, they have good depth at TE, and they are going to retain Gavin Escobar as the starter, so for a few mid-round picks and their 2^nd TE they can bring in a solid 1,000-yard rusher. Yes, that seems a shrewd deal and it helps quiet the locker room grumblings in San Diego.

Charlotte & Las Vegas Swapping T-Draft Picks

We have only seen this happen a couple of times, but it just makes sense. You have one team (Charlotte) that needs a QB but does not have one coming out this year from one of their territorial schools. You have another team that has a QB they like (Las Vegas and Matt McGloin) but has lots of other needs, one of which is a tailback who can carry 300 times in a season. So, why not swap picks. Charlotte could use Las Vegas’s rights to BYU to select Zach Wilson, a QB in the mold of Trubisky and Boller, but perhaps without the turnover issues, and Las Vegas can nab UNC halfback Javonte Williams, helping them finally build a respectable run game. Another solid trade where both teams get what they want and need, without giving up a whole lot.

Divisional Weekend is only a few days away. Here are the games on tap Saturday and Sunday, and we can only hope that all 4 are as tight and as exciting as our 4 Wild Card games were.

4-Chicago Machine (11-5) @ 1-Michigan Panthers (14-2)

Saturday, Sept. 19 @ 3pm ET

NRG Stadium, Houston, TX

Michigan -8

These two know each other about as well as any 2 clubs in the league, battling twice a year ever since 1987. Michigan has the advantage with LeVeon Bell, but Chicago’s defense has been coming on in the season’s 2^nd half. The two met in the season finale, but neither team was giving it their all, since both were pretty well locked into their playoff positions. We think we will see a much more intense game this time around.

4-Atlanta Fire (13-3) @ 1-Tampa Bay Bandits (15-1)

Saturday, Sept. 19 @ 8pm ET

Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL

Tampa Bay -4

The Week 15 matchup of these two was a classic, with both clubs trading huge blows back and forth. We expected a shootout but got a much closer and much lower-scoring battle with the defenses proving better than expected. Could that change this time around? These are two teams with a lot of weapons and we just cannot help but think that the dam could give and the flood water of points could come rolling down.

6-Seattle Dragons (10-6) @ 2-Arizona Wranglers (12-4)

Sunday, Sept. 20 @ 3pm ET

Wynn Arena, Las Vegas, NV

Seattle -1

The first quarter of this game is going to give us the picture. Either Arizona has figured out a way to rebuild an offense around Carey and Crowell, or they are going to prove incapable of moving the ball. Either way, we know what we will get from Seattle. They will try to run the ball early, set up play action for Hundley and hope to catch Arizona creeping towards the line. We all know Arizona has a solid defense, but it cannot win this game alone. A lot will come down to just how effective Tom Savage can be in his first USFL start.

6-Houston Gamblers (10-6) @ 2-Memphis Showboats (13-3)

Sunday, Sept. 20 @ 8pm ET

Rice Stadium, Houston, TX

Memphis -3

Another divisional rivalry game between teams that know each other well. Despite being the road team, Houston has a slight home field advantage as we expect a pretty solid home crowd at Rice Stadium. Memphis knows how dangerous Carlos Hyde, Mike Evans, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Colt McCoy can be. Their task is to slow down, frustrate, and bog down the Gamblers. Their other job is to get Todd Gurley rolling early, providing a balance that benefits Paxton Lynch as he tries to find Robert Woods and Devin Funchess outside. On paper, Memphis seems the better team, but Houston’s playoff experience was evident in the Wild Card round and could be a factor here as well.