2021 USFL Week 11 Recap: IR claims 2 Star QBs
- USFL LIVES
- 4h
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A week to talk about quarterbacks, the good, the bad, and the ugly. The good was pretty obvious, with rookie sensation Trevor Lawrence having his best game as a pro, throwing for over 400 yards and securing a huge upset win for the Bulls. It was also NFL import Gardner Minshew proving to the Viper faithful that the injury to Matt McGloin would not derail their season. The bad was quite bad, with Chicago QB Sam Bradford looking absolutely horrendous in throwing 4 picks as the Machine dropped only their 2nd game of the year, taken down by the Ohio Glory thanks to Bradford’s issues. And then there is the ugly, ugly as in a torn PCL that will end Aaron Murray’s season for Atlanta and ugly as in a torn bicep that will send St. Louis starter Lamar Jackson to the IR. A week to discuss quarterbacks, their value, their upside, and the risks they face. We will break down all the week’s stories, and also update you on the playoff picture, along with a look at which teams are riding a tide of momentum (positive or negative) as we head down the home stretch. It’s all right here, so don’t go anywhere.
Jackson & Murray Lost for the Season
Both Atlanta and St. Louis are dealing with a crisis situation this week after their star quarterbacks go down to season-ending injury. And while St. Louis’s season was not looking particularly promising anyway, Atlanta still had hopes of a strong finish and a playoff run. Both now will turn to the backups to guide them the rest of the way.
For Atlanta and QB Aaron Murray, the injury came early in the 3rd quarter, with Murray flushed from the pocket and attempting a rare scramble in a 13-6 game against Houston. Caught from behind by Houston LB Ramik Wilson, Murray fell awkwardly, his knee rotated unnaturally by the tackle. He would limp off the field, then soon be seen heading to the locker room. It would not be until Monday that a diagnosis was released, a full tear of his PCL ligament, requiring surgery and a lengthy recovery. Murray’s season is over. Former Breaker Pat White stepped in at QB and helped guide the Fire to a 30-27 overtime victory, hitting A. J. Green for a touchdown in the 4th and then guiding the Fire offense to the game-winning field goal in overtime. White now steps in, with DeShone Kizer as his backup, set to lead the Fire through the final 6 games of the Fire season. White last started a game in 2019 in New Orleans and has not started multiple games since 2017 (2). The 34-year-old, 12-season veteran will now get a chance to shine with a team that has a very solid offensive roster around him, including Green, HB Nick Chubb and potential All-USFL tight end O. J. Howard.
St. Louis also turned to a veteran backup after their star QB went down, with Tyrod Taylor, and a surprising defensive performance, helping them to knock off the Pittsburgh Maulers in Pittsburgh. In that game, Lamar Jackson came out of the game midway through the 2nd quarter, holding his throwing arm at his side after an awkward throw under pressure. He too would head into the locker room, and later that day the report came out that imaging had proven that the mobile QB had suffered a tear of his bicep. He too would require reconstructive surgery and his season was over. Tyrod Taylor came in and finished the game, leading St. Louis on its lone TD drive of the day and adding a field goal late as the Skyhawks upended the Maulers. Taylor had been brought to St. Louis from Dallas in 2018, valued for his ability to run a similar offense to that of Lamar Jackson. He has started 1 game each of the past two seasons but now will start the next 6 for the Skyhawks, including next week’s home game against the division-leading Chicago Machine.
Both injuries were the result of pressure, with Murray injured during a scramble while Jackson’s muscle tear was the result of an awkward throwing motion made to avoid incoming blitzers. Both now leave their teams relying on career backups, though fortunately both teams have veteran backups who have proven capable in the past. For St. Louis, sitting at 3-7, the stakes may not be very high, as there is little expectation that the Skyhawks will compete for a playoff spot, but for Atlanta, sitting in 6-4, a game up on Orlando for 2nd place in the Southeast, the pressure is on to continue to secure wins and hopefully a Wild Card berth. Sitting 3 games behind Tampa Bay, that seems to be the goal for the Fire, but one possibly in jeopardy now that their starting QB has been placed on IR.
ATLANTA FIRE 30 HOUSTON GAMBLERS 27 OVERTIME
We had a doozy in Houston this weekend, with backup QB Pat White leading the Atlanta Fire to a big road win over a very good Houston squad. It was a game that saw some big numbers, with Colt McCoy throwing for 435 yards in defeat, and the combined Atlanta QB’s going 23 for 30 and sharing 294 passing yards and 2 TDs as the Fire pull off the surprising victory without their starter under center.
Houston came in 6-3, sharing the lead in the Southern Division with the Birmingham Stallions. Atlanta was 5-4, already 3 games behind Tampa Bay but still a game up on Orlando for 2nd in the Southeast. Both had been strong offensive squads all season with the Gamblers ranked 5th in scoring and 2nd in yards per game at over 410 per outing. Atlanta came in ranked 6th in scoring and 4th in yards at 386 per game. So we expected some fireworks and we got them.
The scoring started early, with Atlanta using an initial drive of scripted plays to march the ball 74 yards for an eventual Murray to Howard TD toss from the 3. The drive included 4 runs from Nick Chubb, who would finish the game with 20 carries for 77 yards. It also showed off Murray’s arm, with the QB going 3 for 3 and finding Kelvin Benjamin on a nice 3rd down conversion.
Down 7-0, Houston responded with a drive of their own, eating up nearly 7 minutes as they dinked and dunked the ball down the field, relying mostly on short underneath passes to Tony Moeaki, Gerald Everett and Denzel Mims. Everett would be Colt McCoy’s favorite target on the day, catching 6 of 8 targets for 145 yards. But, when a 3rd and 5 toss failed, the Gamblers had to settle for 3, and that is how the first quarter ended, with Atlanta up 7-3 and driving the ball again.
Atlanta’s 2nd possession would also provide points, as John Bounds connected on a 31-yard kick to boost the Fire advantage back up to 7. It was followed by another Houston field goal drive. Up 10-6, Atlanta attempted a deep ball on 3rd and 3, but the play action pass failed, leading to a punt. Houston followed that with a short drive and a punt of their own, leading the game to go to the half at 10-6, a lower score than many expected, but one that would explode in the 2nd half.
After the break, Atlanta shut down Houston on their first possession of the game, ending the drive with a tip drill that saw safety Baccari Rambo tip the McCoy pass away from JuJu Smith-Schuster only to have CB Shaquille Griffin dive to the turf to scoop the ball up before it hit the ground. With a short field, Atlanta moved the ball into range for kicker John Bounds and added 3 points only 90 seconds into the half. Following the score, Houston tried to regain a foothold, but they came up short, sending Younghoe Koo out to attempt a 53-yard kick. The ball sailed right and Atlanta took over on their own 36.
The Fire looked to be in good position but suffered a shock as Aaron Murray was flushed out of the pocket on a 2nd and 8, was caught by the ankle and suffered a nasty knee injury when his leg was twisted unnaturally during the tackle. Without their starter, Pat White stepped in, threw an incompletion on 3rd down, forcing a punt on the short drive. Houston took over as Murray was helped to the endzone. Atlanta’s sideline deflated, their star QB clearly out of commission, the Gamblers hoped to take advantage.
But Houston’s hopes of an easy win, despite the 13-6 deficit, were short-lived. On the 2nd play of the drive, Colt McCoy and Denzel Mims were clearly not on the same page. Murray threw the ball anticipating an in-cutting route, Mims cut to the sideline, and the ball sailed directly into the arms of Atlanta CB Shaquille Griffin. The speedy corner raced down the sideline, pursued by Mims and McCoy, but neither was able to find the right angle, with Griffin high stepping into the endzone to increase the Atlanta lead to 2 scores. The Fire may have been without their starting QB, but they now had a 14-point lead with barely 18 minutes of game time left.
Houston needed a response, and they got one, with McCoy rebounding from the pick-six to complete 4 of 4 on their next drive, including a beautiful 42-yard completion to Mike Evans on a perfectly executed 1st down play action call. That play set up the Gamblers inside the Houston 10 and 2 plays later, Carlos Hyde would take the ball in for 6 and halve the Fire lead. With the 4th quarter only seconds away, Atlanta was now up only 20-13.
Pat White led the Fire out for the next drive, looking calm despite the pressure of the situation. The former Bandit and Breaker QB, who last started a game in 2019 for the Breakers and had only seen limited mop up duty with Atlanta, was unphased by the situation. After a pair of Nick Chubb runs set up a 3rd and 2, White hit O. J. Howard with an underneath route for the first down, a nice easy throw to set him up for future success. He followed that throw with a 14-yard completion on a screen to Chubb, another QB-friendly throw. With a 1st and 10 on the Houston 45, Coach Elizondo showed faith in his QB, calling a play action throw that would have both Kelvin Benjamin and A. J. Green on fly patterns as they hoped the safeties would creep up for the fake to Chubb. The play worked as designed, with both Houston safeties concerned with Chubb’s interior run, by the time it was clear that White still had the ball, the mobile QB had rolled to his right and had set his eyes on A. J. Green, flying down the sideline. The ball was a bit short, but Green adjusted, shrugged off an arm tackle form the corner and raced to the endzone for 6. Once again, the Atlanta lead had ballooned to 14 points.
Houston would not have an immediate response, going 3-and-out on their first possession of the final period, but their defense held on Atlanta’s next possession, stuffing Kenyan Drake on a 3rd and 2 run to get the ball back for Colt McCoy and the offense. On their second possession of the period, McCoy was again deadly accurate, connecting on a pair of long completions to get the team deep into Atlanta territory. Three plays after Josh Reynolds’ 29-yard completion put the ball on the Atlanta 5, McCoy faked the ball to Hyde and hit a quick-developing slant to Mike Evans for the score. After the Koo kick it was Houston down 7 once again, 27-20, with 3:00 left on the clock.
Houston opted to kick away, hoping to pressure Atlanta into a quick 3-and-out. The Fire turned to Nick Chubb on all 3 downs, hoping to not only gain a first down but also kill as much clock as possible. But Houston’s defense held the Fire a yard short of the first down, and despite losing nearly 2 minutes of time, Houston got the ball back with 1:07 left on the clock, the ball at their own 36 after the Atlanta punt.
This would be a drive to tie the score, and it would be entirely on McCoy’s shoulders to get them there. The veteran Gambler QB would go 4 of 6 passing on the drive, including a beautiful deep seam route to Everett as they moved quickly and efficiently down the field, burning 2 of their 3 timeouts to keep the clock from running. With a first and goal at the 7, McCoy hit Everett again, but the big TE was ruled down at the 1. The Gamblers quickly ran to the line, not wanting to use their final timeout just yet. The play called at the line was for the two tight ends, Everett and Moeaki, to use shallow crosses in hopes that one of the two defenders would get caught in the wash and picked from the play. Just as planned, the safety struggled to stay with Tony Moeaki and Colt McCoy hit him crossing the endzone for the game tying score. With 29 seconds left on the clock, Houston had tied the score at 27.
Atlanta sent Chubb into the line on their first play, ending the half as the clock ran down, and ready to face overtime. The Fire won the toss, took the ball, and planned their strategy for a possible game-winning score. They would balance their attack, using play action on first down to start the drive, White hitting Vance McDonald for a short gain. Chubb gained a first down with his first run of the overtime period, and the Fire had the ball moving. They methodically marched into Houston territory, with short throws easing White into his role as the new starter. But, after a false start set up 3rd and 13, Atlanta used a short dump off to Chubb to improve their field position and sent out John Bounds for the kick. Bounds connected, but the score meant that Houston would have a chance to tie or take the win on the next possession.
The Gamblers were fully intent on taking the win with a touchdown on their possession. They opened their drive with a perfectly timed out route to Evans. After a 4-yard gain from Clyde Edwards-Helaire, McCoy again tried the deep route but failed to connect with Smith-Schuster, setting up 3rd and 6 form their own 41. McCoy connected with Everett again, but the tight end was brought down 2 yards shy of the first down. 4th and 2 and the Gamblers’ chances for a comeback victory rode on this one play. The call went to Hyde on power run to the right, but Atlanta was ready for it. LB Jelani Jenkins read the run and penetrated the backfield to disrupt Hyde’s path. The Houston back twisted back to the left, but there was no room there either. As Hyde tried to surge forward, he was caught by DT Ed Oliver and dragged down for no gain. Houston had given up the ball on downs and that meant Atlanta, despite losing their QB, had held on for the win, a dramatic win and one that would certainly help Pat White gain confidence as he looked at the next 6 weeks as the new starter for the Fire.
ORLANDO 13 TAMPA BAY 24
The Bandits hold serve thanks to a solid defensive performance and touchdowns from Dez Bryant and Jordan Cameron. Orlando was game, taking a 13-10 lead just as the 3rd quarter began, but the Bandits took over when Dak Prescott hit Jordan Cameron for the go-ahead score. They would add a defensive touchdown when Preston Brown returned a Dak Prescott fumble for a TD late in the 4th. That put the game out of reach for the pesky Renegades, who dropped to 5-5 as Tampa Bay improved on the best record in the league with their 10th win of the season.
POTG: Bandit LB Preston Brown: 9 Tck, 1 Def TD 1 FR
PHILADELPHIA 12 NEW ENGLAND 20
A troubling loss for the Stars as they struggle to turn yards into points against a very disciplined New England defense. The Rollers came back from a 10-0 2nd quarter deficit, with Ryan Tannehill hitting Tyler Johnson for a 30-yard score and T. J. Yeldon adding a 14-yard TD run to open the 3rd. New England held Derrick Henroy to 76 yards and held the Stars to only a late safety as their lone score in the 2nd half. An impressive outing for Coach Fox’s D.
POTG: Steamroller FS Deion Bush: 7 Tck, 1 FF, 1 FR, 3 PDef
JACKSONVILLE 26 BIRMINGHAM 20 OVERTIME
The Bulls get their 2nd win of the season after an impressive outing from both their defense and rookie QB Trevor Lawrence. Lawrence put the ball up 53 times in the game, completing 37 for 417 yards and 2 scores. Another rookie, HB Chubba Hubbard led the team with 66 yards on 13 carries, and wideout Tee Higgins had a monster day with 9 receptions, 119 yards and a score as the Bulls got the equalizer with 6 minutes left in regulation and then followed it up with a TD drive for the win in overtime.
POTG: Bulls’ QB Trevor Lawrence: 37/53, 417 Yds, 2 TD, 0 Int
NEW ORLEANS 20 LAS VEGAS 27
Viper fans can breathe easier after QB Gardner Minshew’s debut in the USFL. The former NFL Jaguar looked polished, completing 22 of 36 passing for 264 yards, 3 touchdowns and no picks against the Breakers. Kareem Hunt was also a huge factor in the game, rushing for 117 against the Breakers. New Orleans’ back DeMarco Murray also had success, rushing for 168 yards, but it was not enough as the Vipers used a Tommy Tremble TD reception in the 3rd to take the lead and then added 2 Matt Gay field goals to hold on for the win over the slumping Breakers.
POTG: Viper QB Gardner Minshew: 22/36, 264 Yds, 3 TD, 0 Int
PORTLAND 22 SAN DIEGO 21
A battle at the bottom of the Pacific Division goes to Portland by the slimmest of margins. San Diego led 31-7 after 3, but the Stags dominated the final period, putting up 15 unanswered despite failing on two 2-point PATs in the final 5 minutes. San Diego HB Demetric Felton got the start for the injured Charles Sims, and looked like a Heisman back, rushing for 113 and 3 scores in the first half. Portland adjusted at the half and minimized the back’s impact in the 2nd half, while Marcus Mariota finally started finding his receivers, specifically Josh Gordon, who caught two 4th quarter TDs to help Portland secure the 1-point win and equal their record with San Diego’s both now 3-7.
POTG: Stag QB Marcus Mariota: 29/40, 306 Yds, 3 TD, 2 Int
OAKLAND 3 SEATTLE 24
No doubt who sits atop the Pacific after Seattle dominated the Invaders to take a 2-game lead in the division. Their win streak now at 8 games, the Dragons got TDs from HB Knowshon Moreno, WR Marshall Newhouse, and a pick-six from CB Richard Sherman, who returned a desperation pass from Brady 55 yards for the score. Brady threw 3 picks on the day, though 2 of the 3 were tipped balls. Brett Hundley had modest numbers, only 199 yards, but did complete 22 of 28 on the day as Seattle simply did not give Oakland a chance to catch their breath after falling behind.
POTG: Dragon CB Richard Sherman: 6 Tck, 1 Int, 1 DefTD
CHARLOTTE 17 WASHINGTON 22
The Monarchs surprised Washington by starting Kyle Boller on a gameday decision. It helped them at first, but after the half Washington adjusted and went on to outpace Charlotte 12-7 in the 2nd half to turn the game in their favor. Charlotte actually took the lead with 2:06 left to play when Boller hit K. J. Hill for a short TD, but the Charlotte defense could not hold, with Washington getting the game winner on a Brissett to Winslow TD toss with just under 45 seconds left to play. Brissett finished the day with 235 yards and 2 scores, while Travis Etienne missed 100 yards by a single yard, going 19 for 99.
POTG: Federal WR Tyreek Hill: 6 Rec, 100 Yds, 1 TD
ST. LOUIS 15 PITTSBURGH 7
The Maulers got caught in a trap game, clearly underestimating the Skyhawks’ chances with Lamar Jackson sidelined early injury (more on that below). Tyrod Taylor came in and helped the Skyhawks get the upset, but the true honors have to go to the oft-maligned Skyhawk defense. The Skyhawks held Andy Dalton to only 138 yards passing, allowed Sony Michel only 26 yards on the ground, and did not permit a 3rd down conversion the entire day (0 for 11). This has to be a warning to the Maulers, who did not look like a serious contender in this home loss.
POTG: St. Louis end A. J. Epenesa: 4 Tck, 2 Sck, 1 TFL
BALTIMORE 10 NEW JERSEY 13
A defensive shoving match between two teams that like to play smashmouth football. Baltimore kept 8 or 9 in the box on almost every play, limiting the Carter/Pollard duo to a season low 21 yards total. New Jersey gave up a bit more to Josh Jacobs, 71 yards on 22 carries and the lone offensive TD of the game. The biggest play of game was an Aqib Talib pick of Jake Locker. Talib pulled the ball away from Michael Pittman Jr. then raced 64 yards for the score. Tied 10-10 at the half, New Jersey got the lone score, and the game-winner, when Ka’imi Fairbairn connected from 37 yards out in the 3rd.
POTG: New Jersey CB Aqib Talib: 8 Tck, 1 Int, 1 Def TD, 1 FF
OKLAHOMA 7 DENVER 20
The Gold were ready for Oklahoma back Eddie Lacy, holding the recent trade acquisition to only 24 yards rushing. Oklahoma was ready for QB Josh Allen, sacking the Denver QB 7 times, but they still got hurt by the Denver offense, with Phillip Lindsay rushing for 81 yards and 2 scores. The game was a low scoring affair through 3, with a 3-0 Denver lead at the half and a 10-0 lead after 3. Following a Mark Andrews TD for Oklahoma, Denver added a field goal and a 2nd Lindsay TD run to pull ahead by 13, a lead that Oklahoma would not challenge.
POTG: Denver FS Camryn Bynum: 5 Tck, 3 Pdef, 1 Int
CHICAGO 16 OHIO 23
Concern for the Machine as they drop a second consecutive divisional road game. Happiness in Columbus as the Glory now stand 1 game behind Chicago for the division title. Kudos for QB Justin Fields, who had no room to run once again as Chicago spied him, but who stayed in the pocket, completed 27 of 41 passing, with 2 TDs on the day. The Ohio defense did the rest, absolutely tormenting Sam Bradford, who had 4 picks on the day, 2 to Ohio CB Chimdi Chekwa. It was a rough outing for the Chicago QB, and for the Machine, who are watching their division lead shrinking.
POTG: Ohio CB Chimdi Chekwa: 8 Tck, 3 Pdef, 2 Int
DALLAS 17 LOS ANGELES 20 OVERTIME
The Express needed overtime to get the win, but they pull the game out thanks to a 41-yard Dan Bailey kick in extra time. LA used a Murray to Weems TD in the 3rd to take the lead, but Dallas equalized with a late field goal, sending the game to extra time. In overtime, a Chris Jones sack of Hebert ended Dallas’s first drive, giving LA a chance to win the game with a field goal. They did just that after Murray found new receiver Jeremy Maclin for a 21-yard completion to get them in range. Bailey did the rest.
POTG: LA QB Kyler Murray: 20/34, 360 Yds, 2 TD, 1 Int
MICHIGAN 8 ARIZONA 26
An ugly loss for the Panthers after their big home win over Chicago. Arizona dominated from the opening kickoff, with Ka’Deem Carey rushing for 108 yards and David Carr finding TE Robert Tonyan for 2 scores. The Arizona defense kept Michigan off the scoreboard in the first half, as Arizona built up a 16-0 lead at home. The Panthers got a lone Cousins to Bennett TD with a 2-point PAT, but a second Tonyan score put the game well out of reach for the visitors.
POTG: Arizona QB David Carr: 17/24, 200 Yds, 2 TD, 1 Int
Minshew Shines in First USFL Start
You can understand why Viper fans were a bit distraught this week. Las Vegas, sitting at 4-5 and having lost their starting QB to a season-ending injury, was not looking like they could keep pace in a tough Southwest Division. But fears of losing out may have been wiped away, if only temporarily, by what Viper fans saw in Gardner Minshew this week. The NFL import and internet-famous meme machine had a very solid debut outing, completing 22 of 36 passing, and throwing for 3 scores. He was helped out by an effective run game, led by Kareem Hunt’s 117 yards, but Minshew had his moments as well, connecting with John Ross for an early TD and then finding both Rashod Bateman and TE Tommy Tremble for 3rd quarter scores that put the Vipers up 21-20 after 3 quarters. The D did the rest, shutting out New Orleans in the final period while Las Vegas added two Matt Gay field goals to claim a 27-20 victory. The result moved Las Vegas to 5-5, very much in the mix in the Southwest, where Denver leads the division at 7-3.
The Vipers are currently in sole possession of 3rd place, just a game behind Arizona, and while last week’s loss to LA broke their home winning streak, they still have 3 more home games ahead of them, all divisional matchups, including another divisional battle next week, when Dallas comes calling. Arizona and Denver will also be paying a visit, and the Vipers have a road trip to Dallas to finish out the season. That is 4 divisional games left, which means they can largely control their own destiny. If their new QB can continue to make plays, there is no reason they cannot still have a lot of say in how the division finishes.
Trevor Lawrence Leads Bulls to Road Upset
Call it a trap game for the Stallions, or call it a sign of things to come, but what we saw from Trevor Lawrence this week is the kind of outing that has to put a smile on the faces of Bulls fans everywhere. Lawrence reinserted himself in the ROTY discussion with a 417-yard, 2-TD game in Birmingham, only Jacksonville’s 2nd win of the year and one few saw coming. Birmingham tried pressuring Lawrence all game, and they did produce 4 sacks, but they also gave up some huge plays, plays like a 49-yard strike to slot receiver Tajae Sharpe, and a 3rd and 17 conversion that went for 21 to Tee Higgins, with Lawrence threading the needle between two defenders to reach his primary receiver. Lawrence completed passes to 9 different Bulls, with Higgens the favorite, catching 9 for 119 and a TD. It was a coming out party for the rookie QB, who has had some good games so far, but very few wins. This time his personal success translated into team success, something Bull fans hope is a sign of things to come for the former Clemson QB.
Talib & “General Mayhem” Defense Have New Jersey Rolling
Few looked at the Generals’ defensive roster this year and expected them to finish in the upper half of the league, but Coach Saleh has turned a rag tag group into the top-rated scoring defense in the league after 11 weeks. The “General Mayhem” defense as the local NY Post has dubbed them, is allowing only 14.5 points per game, giving up only 68.8 yards per game on the ground, and has helped New Jersey put together an impressive 7-game winning streak that now has them tied atop the division with the once 5-0 Philadelphia Stars. New Jersey has already swept the series with the Stars, meaning that a tie atop the NE Division would make the Generals the Division Champs. They have only 2 more division games to play, both against Washington, and, if they can sweep that series, they would finish with an impressive 7-1 record in the division.
So, who has stepped up for the NJ defense? Pretty much everyone, individually and collectively, but the players getting the most recognition are no strangers to the limelight. CB Aqib Talib has long been considered one of the league’s best, and as evident by his pick-six game winner this week, he remains one of very few corners in the league who have the capacity to shut down a team’s best receiver. The LB group has also been impressive, led by MLB Matt Milano and edge threat Aldon Smith, the General linebackers have been a huge reason for their success, especially against the run. The Generals also feel they have the best 1-2 combo on the D-line of any team in the league, their 4-3 alignment focused on the interior, where DTs B. J. Raji and Grady Jarrett have largely bottled up the interior run, and allowed the linebackers to roam behind them.
It is a team defense that is aggressive without being frantic, ball-hawking without giving up big plays, and one that swarms to the tackle, exactly what their head coach, former NFL DC Robert Saleh wants to see. And, with 6 games left, they are in a position few thought they would achieve this year, a chance to be the top-rated defense in the league as well as a potential division champion and home playoff team.
Bradford “Nightmare Game” Tightens Central Division Race
This was a week, and a game, that Chicago QB Sam Bradford would love to forget. Under constant pressure from the front 7 of the Ohio Glory, Bradford made a series of poor throws, producing 4 picks and ending 4 drives with frustrating turnovers, all in a game that could have gone either way had the picks not stunted Chicago’s attack. Ohio planned for the Machine very effectively, borrowing some of the tactics used successfully by Michigan the prior week. They sent blitzes to the interior of the Chicago line, producing immediate pressure and forcing Bradford out of his comfortable pocket. On the run, the Chicago QB is far less efficient, as was evident in this game.
Bradford has been forcing the ball of late, something that has to worry Head Coach Lovie Smith. With 9 of his 13 picks on the season coming in the last month, Bradford has seen his QB Rating drop almost 10 points, and now, with the division on the line and 2 more division games coming up in the next 3 weeks, Chicago cannot afford to have a QB who is both losing confidence in himself and who continues to make throws that are ill-advised and dangerous. Coach Smith has to figure out how to offset what is likely to be continued pressure up the middle, and Bradford has to be willing to either scramble or throw the ball out of bounds rather than trying to force plays. Chicago was 7-1 only 2 week ago but now sit at 7-3 and seem far more vulnerable as long as the issue of Bradford turnovers continues.
Felton Proves Thunder Have Deep RB Room with 3 TD Day
While San Diego could not pull out the win this week, falling to Portland by a single point, they at least showed that they have more to offer than initially thought. With HB Charles Sims out to injury, there was a huge question mark in the San Diego backfield. The Thunder went into the game with Demetric Felton as the temporary starter and Morton Tunrer behind him. Not familiar with either back? We are not surprised. The combo had a combined 12 carries before this week’s game. Felton, a rookie out of UCLA and a 3rd round pick by the Thunder in the T-Draft, had never had more than 2 touches in any game this year, but now was the starter. So, what did he do in his debut? How about 25 carries for 113 yards and 3, yes 3, touchdowns. He did most of that damage in the first half, with 99 yards in the half and all 3 touchdowns. Portland focused on the unknown back in the 2nd half, but what we saw from Felton has to make Coach LeBeau happy. We would not be surprised at all to see Felton get more carries even with Sims returning to action this week. San Diego may have surprised themselves with his success, but we suspect they won’t keep their rookie back a secret from this point on.
No clinching after 11 weeks and no eliminations either. Expect that to change in Week 12, when Tampa Bay could get it with a win and some key losses, while Charlotte will be out if they drop to 0-11. With 16 teams between 6-4 and 4-6 we could be waiting a while before the playoff picture comes into focus.
As reported, it was a bad week for quarterbacks, with two quality starters now sent to IR. Geno Smith avoided that fate but did miss much of this week’s game after suffering a concussion. In addition to the QB injuries, we saw 2 other players added to the IR, including Pittsburgh’s veteran receiver Brian Quick and Baltimore DE Jonathon Massaquai. Quick will be replaced in Pittsburgh by rookie Amon-Ra St. Brown, who has flashed some very nice route-running skills this season. Massaquai was serving as a swing end behind Calais Campbell and Da’Quan Bowers. That role will now be taken by James Nannee.
OUT
DE Jonathon Massaquai BAL PCL Tear IR
QB Aaron Murray ATL PCL Tear IR
WR Brian Quick PIT MCLTear IR
QB Lamar Jackson STL Bicep Tear IR
CB Tra’Davious White NOR Back 4-6 Weeks
WR Doug Baldwin NE Quad 1-2 Weeks
SS Budda Baker HOU ACL 1-2 Weeks
DOUBTFUL
QB Geno Smith NOR Concussion
DT Leki Fotu CHA Turf Toe
LB Anthony Barr ORL Foot
QUESTIONABLE
TE Rob Housler WSH Ribs
CB Darnay Holmes SEA Hand
G Taylor Moton SAN Finger
HB LeVeon Bell MGN Ankle
Surge or Slide: Momentum Impacting USFL Clubs
Six weeks left, six games for teams to decide their postseason fate. A hot team can rise to the top of their division, a cold one can fall right out of contention. It does not matter how well you performed in the cold afternoons of March at this point, the heat is on, the summer sun reveals who is ready for the playoffs and who was offering fool’s gold in the season’s early weeks. So, just who has momentum on their side? Who is surging at the right time? And who is sliding, dropping games that they should have won, or revealing flaws that were hidden in the season’s opening months? Here is our list of 4 teams headed up the standings and 4 who appear to be sliding downwards.
SURGE: New Jersey Generals: 7-Game Win Streak
No doubt about this one. Seven straight wins, including a sweep of the Philadelphia Stars, have the Generals poised to take the NE Division and a possible bye week as well. They face Washington twice in the next 3 weeks, their only remaining divisional games. A sweep there puts them at 7-1 in the division. But they also have 4 tough inter-divisional games (Atlanta, Chicago, @ Michigan, and Ohio) so they need to stay sharp to stay ahead of the pack.
SLIDE: Dallas Roughnecks: Lost 5 of Last 6
Dallas was a hot pick to usurp Arizona atop the Southwest Standings this year. They have a hot young QB and an innovative offensive coach, but the Roughnecks have had a rough 6 weeks, losing 5 of 6 since late April. That includes 3 divisional losses, including a sweep by the Wranglers. Now at 5-6 they are still alive, but they need to turn the ship around quickly. They have divisional road games at Las Vegas and at Denver on the docket. They may well need to win both to still be a contender in the division.
SURGE: Arizona Wranglers: Won 3 of Last 4
While Arizona has slid back to the pack in the Southwest, Jim Tomsula still knows how to get the best out of his squad when it matters most. He put together huge wins against Las Vegas and @ Dallas in the past 3 weeks. Their win over Michigan this week was also a very nice conference win. So, with Denver up next, they have a chance to gain a share of first place, and from there, who knows?
SLIDE: Michigan Panthers: Lost 5 of Last 6
The Panthers are looking very much like a tired franchise. After years of divisional dominance, the Panthers have now lost 5 of 6 this summer. They dropped games in the division to both the Maulers and Machine before earning a much needed win over Chicago in Week 10, but that win clearly wore them down, as is evident by their lackluster performance in Arizona this week. With Ohio up next, and 3 more divisional games after that, Michigan has a chance to rebound, but if they stumble, they could be out of the playoffs for the first time since 2013. Is this the end of an era?
SURGE: Los Angeles: Won 3 of Last 4
The Express have won 3 of the last 4, and even shown some rare offensive competence in a 30-17 victory over Las Vegas in Week 10. We like what we saw this week against Dallas as well, a mix of pressure and complex zones on defense, and some solid offensive production as well. With a huge matchup against Seattle in 3 weeks, LA cannot let themselves get complacent against Orlando and winless Charlotte in the meantime. They are still alive in the mix, but their margin for error is slim.
SLIDE: Philadelphia Stars: Lost 2 of Last 3
It is not easy turning a 2-14 team into an immediate contender. Coach Dan Quinn seemed to work miracles when Philly was 5-0, but since then reality has set in. Losing both games to New Jersey hurt, but falling this week to New England may be a sign that the Stars’ feel good story is about to come face to face with the realities of a long and tough season. They have Baltimore this week, in what could be a season-defining game, then atough 5-game stretch against 5 potential playoff teams in Pittsburgh, Michigan, Memphis and Birmingham.
SURGE: Memphis Showboats: Won 4 of last 6
There were a lot of folks counting Memphis as a flop this year when they were mired at 1-3, but they have found their sea legs and appear ready to compete in the South. After a health-restoring sweep of San Antonio, the Showboats came up big against New Orleans and got the win we expected against New England. They come off a bye this week with a huge game at Birmingham next up. A win there and they could be right in the thick of things.
SLIDE: New Orleans: Lost 7 of Last 8
We are not sure what has happened to the Breakers, but clearly they are not right. Somehow they pulled off a 36-20 victory over Arizona in Week 8, but outside of that it has been loss piling up after loss. Their once feared offense is not getting the job done, averaging only 23.5 PPG, and their defense has proven vulnerable to the run. Coach Lathon has to be frustrated with a team that simply cannot seem to put the pieces together, despite a very talented roster.
League Office Announces 2023 & 2024 Summer Bowl Sites
USFL Officials in New York announced this week that the sites for the 2023 and 2024 Summer Bowls had been selected. As we have seen in the past decade, the rotation of divisional hosts continues, with the Central Division targeted for 2023 and the Southern Division the hosts for the 2024 Summer Bowl. Following the 39th Summer Bowl in Santa Clara this year and the 40th Season extravaganza ending with Summer Bowl 2022 in Washington D.C.’s Audi Field, the league title game will return to Chicago for 2023. The game, to be played at Soldier Field, will mark the first Summer Bowl in the Windy City since the 2001 title game that saw Orlando defeat Denver for the Renegades’ lone title.
The 2024 USFL title game will return to San Antonio, with the newly rebuilt Alamodome as the venue for the league’s 42nd championship. San Antonio’s original Alamodome hosted the USFL title game back in 1997, when Washington defeated the then Portland Thunder 27-21 for their 2nd title. That was, of course, a very different facility than the current Alamodome, completed in 2020 after tornadoes in 2015 revealed significant structural defects with the original structure.
The league has used a divisional rotation for its title games ever since moving to a 6-division format, so we can already predict that the 2025 and 2026 title games will be hosted by teams representing the Southwest and Southeastern Divisions, though the specific sites will not be revealed until 2023. For now, we have 4 Summer Bowls lined up, with Santa Clara’s Levi’s Stadium on the docket for this August.
Las Vegas Turns to the Dark Side for 2022 Look
It will be a very different Las Vegas Vipers look taking the field in 2022, with the team leaning heavily into black as a primary color for the 2022 season. The new Under Armour designs were released at a press event at Wynn Arena this Tuesday and the look, while still using the three primary colors of the current Viper squad, will take on a very “dark side” look. The new look begins with a modified logo as the familiar serpent head logo now merges with a monogram “V” for “Vegas”. The V forms the lower jaw of the serpent, its two fangs prominently setting the internal border of the logo. The fang + V design is retained as well in the new secondary, which features only the letter and the two venom-delivering fangs. A tertiary logo featuring the silhouette of the state of Nevada with two fangs in open space was also presented.
But, what is more dramatic in the new look is not the modified logo, but the significant shift in color balance. The Vipers unveiled a home look that is black from helmet to socks. The new black helmet features a satin finish, black facemask, and a pair of tapered stripes which come to fang-like points above the front bumper. Between the two fangs is a steady stripe of black “snakeskin” a pattern that uses a glossier black, a satin black, and a dark charcoal to insinuate the scaled skin of a snake, in a diamond pattern. This same feature, the snakeskin impression, returns in the uniform in various ways.
Along with the black helmet, the new primary jersey shifts from a pale blue to black, as does the home pant set. The jersey will retain some of the pale blue color in the sleeves, which now have their own snakeskin effect using different tones of blue. The sleeves are capped by black cuffs and a white “fang” stripe at the shoulder. The numbers are paleblue with snakeskin patterning, bordered in black and white. Paired with a black pant set and black socks, the look puts Las Vegas in black from head to toe, a look only possible in the desert location due to their use of a climate-controlled dome. Without that advantage, this look would be a horrible idea in the 100 degree heat of Las Vegas, but inside the dome, the all-black look will not produce any negative physical effects, though the Vipers seem to be hoping that it presents a more intimidating look for their opponents.
So, what happens when Las Vegas plays on the road. Well, the black helmet stays, but the full-black look is replaced with a much cooler all-white look. While Las Vegas could opt to use their black pant set with the road jersey, the primary look will feature a white jersey and white pants. These road kits retain the blue snakeskin pattern sleeves, now with a black fang at the shoulder and a white cuff. They feature the snakeskin pattern numbers, now in black, with pale blue and black outlines, and they feature a white pant set that has the same blue snakeskin “fang” stripe, with a thin black top line that extends to the knee (on the black pant set this stripe is white).
Clearly missing from the look is silver, once a dominant color of the primary Las Vegas uniforms. But don’t worry “Silverado State” fans. There is plenty of silver in the team’s two alternate looks. The familiar silver helmet worn by the Vipers this season returns for the team’s “Snakeskin” alternate. The only difference between it and the current helmet being a black facemask replacing the current white mask. This look also features silver pants with a snakeskin blue fang and black top line. The jersey is snakeskin patterned both on the body and the sleeves, both in the team’s pale blue. It features a black collar, sleeve cuffs, and the fang-shaped shoulder stripe. The numbers are silver with white and black piping and no snakeskin pattern, which seems a good idea considering the tonal pattern is used for the entire jersey.
The 2nd alternate is a bit of a surprise. The Vipers have opted to go pretty far back in franchise history, but not to the very beginning. That makes sense, of course, since the team started out as the LA Express in 1983, and the new LA Express have long since made a deal with the league to retain the rights to the original’s logos and look. So, the Vipers go back as far as they can, to the 1992 relocation look when the Express became the St. Louis Knights. This allows them to use the same silver shell as the Viper alternate, working within the league’s 2-helmet shell limitation. The Vipers “St. Louis ‘92” retro uniforms bring back the chesspiece logo of the 1992 squad, the purple, silver, gold and black color palette, and the traditional striping for the home and road jerseys as well as the silver pant set. It is a very different look, and we are not sure how fans in Las Vegas will respond to their club coming out wearing a St. Louis identity, but for those of us who loved the Knight look when they first took the field in 1992, it will be a nice throwback moment. Let’s just hope they get a game against the Skyhawks in St. Louis to really rile things up next year.
Week 12 brings us back to a full slate of 15 games as the bye weeks of midseason have ended, and what a slate it is. We begin on Friday night with two hugely impactful divisional games. NBC’s Friday Night Lights will feature Ohio traveling up to Michigan, no sense of rivalry there. On ESPN and EFN it will be a Southwest showdown as the division-leading Denver Gold head to Arizona to face their archrivals in a game that features the two top teams in the division.
Saturday continues the divisional clashes with Chicago visiting St. Louis at noon. The Skyhawks will have Tyrod Taylor under center as they host the division leaders. Then at 4pm it is Dallas at Las Vegas in another key SW Division clash. We are back to 2 Saturday night games, and both are also divisional clashes, with Philadelphia making the short trip to Baltimore to face the Blitz in a battle of NE Division hopefuls, while ESPN and EFN will host the “World’s Best BBQ Tailgate” as the Showboats travel to Birmingham in a Southern Division clash. With a full day to tailgate ahead of the Saturday night showdown, this could be one heck of a USFL party on Saturday Night.
Sunday has only 1 divisional game, with Washington facing the white-hot NJ Generals at noon. The rest of the slate features interdivisional games, but there are a few good ones in there, like Orlando and LA battling at Farmers Insurance Field. Both are 5-5, which makes this game a battle for playoff relevance for both clubs. The other 4pm game with major playoff implications is in Oakland, where the 6-4 Invaders hope to stay on pace with Seattle as they face off against a Pittsburgh squad that was stunned this week by St. Louis. We finish the whole week off with a possible Summer Bowl preview, as the two teams with the best records in the league clash in Seattle. It will be the 8-2 Dragons hosting the 9-1 Bandits in a clash of conference leaders and a clash of styles, with Seattle’s ground & pound going against the high-flying style of Bandit Ball.
FRI @ 8pm ET Ohio (6-4) @ Michigan (5-5) NBC
FRI @ 8pm ET Denver (7-3) @ Arizona (6-4) ESPN/EFN
SAT @ 12pm ET Houston (6-4) @ New England (3-7) ABC
SAT @ 12pm ET Chicago (7-3) @ St. Louis (7-3) FOX
SAT @ 4pm ET Oklahoma (4-6) @ San Antonio (4-6) ABC
SAT @ 4pm ET Dallas (4-6) @ Las Vegas (5-5) FOX
SAT @ 8pm ET Philadelphia (7-3) @ Baltimore (5-5) NBC
SAT @ 8pm ET Memphis (5-5) @ Birmingham (6-4) ESPN/EFN
SUN @ 12pm ET Washington (4-6) @ New Jersey (7-3) ABC
SUN @ 12pm ET San Diego (3-7) @ Jacksonville (2-8) FOX Regional
SUN @ 12pm ET New Orleans (3-7) @ Charlotte (0-10) FOX Regional
SUN @ 4pm ET Orlando (5-5) @ Los Angeles (5-5) ABC Regional
SUN @ 4pm ET Atlanta (6-4) @ Portland (3-7) ABC Regional
SUN @ 4pm ET Pittsburgh (6-4) @ Oakland (6-4) FOX
SUN @ 8pm ET Tampa Bay (9-1) @ Seattle (8-2) ESPN/EFN
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