2021 USFL Week 5 Recap: The Real McCoy

Another week of nail biters across the USFL as 9 of 15 games were settled by a single score, including our Game of the Week between the Skyhawks and Machine. It was also a week when we saw one of our unbeatens fall on the road and several teams that started the year slowly regain their footing and return to .500 for the year. We will, of course, run through all 15 USFL games this week, preview the week ahead, and take a look at the injuries that could impact the games ahead. We also have the return of a fan favorite as New Jersey addresses a need, and we take a look at 6 players who may be on the trading block this year as we hit prime trade territory. All that, but first, our Story of the Week, the statement game put up by Houston QB Colt McCoy.

McCoy Silences the Murmurs Against New Orleans

When Houston QB Colt McCoy opened the year with a 494-yard, 4-TD game, we commented on how a rough 2020 had folks questioning his future, asking whether the 31-year-old had lost some zip on the ball, or had hit “the cliff” for QBs. McCoy followed up that huge game with some more modest outings (for Houston’s standards), with 220 yards and 1 TD in Week 2 and 281 Yds with no TDs in Week 3. Even a Week 4 game with 325 yards was not enough, as McCoy threw 2 picks and only 1 TD. Once again, the whispers about McCoy’s output started up again. Well, this week should quiet those voices for a while.

McCoy’s outing against New Orleans, a perennial rival of the Gamblers, was the kind of outing that the Houston QB can hang his hat on to dispel the rumors of a decline. McCoy completed 22 of 33 passes, averaging over 12.2 Yards per Attempt, and connecting for 404 yards and 5 touchdowns. It was a master class in QB efficiency and deadly accuracy. After falling behind New Orleans 14-0 on two early Geno Smith to Coby Fleener scores, McCoy took over. He hit Mike Evans on a 20-yard strike to get the Gamblers on the scoreboard. Early in the 2^nd he orchestrated an 82-yard drive that produced a second TD (Carlos Hyde run), then proceeded to put points on the board in 5 consecutive drives, starting with a 32-yard dagger to TE Gerald Everett, followed by a 2^nd Mike Evans TD, a short TD toss to his other TE, Tony Moeaki, and a third Evans TD early in the 4^th quarter.

The Breakers simply did not have an answer as McCoy hit on big play after big play, with Evans getting the 3 scores, but JuJu Smith-Schuster actually outgaining Evans 138-104. Everett, Moeaki, Carlos Hyde also had big days as McCoy spread the ball to 8 different receivers. Throw in 89 yards form Hyde on the ground and you ended the game with the Gamblers putting up 494 yards of offense and 45 points against a pretty solid Breaker defense, well, solid most weeks. 

McCoy was all smiles after a big game this week.

McCoy has been very dismissive of the questions about 2020 and his prospects for 2021. With the win over New Orleans, he has the Gamblers at 3-2, sitting 1 game behind 4-1 Birmingham, who they will face next week, and that means that they are right where they need to be for a run at the division title. After finishing a disappointing 3^rd, behind both the Breakers and Showboats, last year, even with a Wild Card Game victory, Houston felt more was possible. And now, with Wade Phillips hinting that this may be his last season at the helm of the Gamblers after 20 years as their Head Coach, the pressure is certainly on for McCoy and the team to make this a year to remember. Well, with two 400-yard games already this year, and with a 3:1 TD:INT ratio and a QB Rating over 100, McCoy is certainly doing his part to make it a good year for his coach, his teammates and for Gambler Nation.

ST. LOUIS SKYHAWKS 27  CHICAGO MACHINE 30

Few expected the Chicago Machine, 4-0 and looking like a defensive juggernaut, to have much difficulty with the St. Louis Skyhawks, including Chicago themselves. After all, the Skyhawks were sitting at 0-4, had not scored more than 10 points in their past two games, had one of the worst rush defenses in the league, and were averaging barely 15 points per game. Going up against a Machine defense that was allowing 10 points per game, and fewer than 275 yards per game in total offense, even Las Vegas had this as a double-digit win for the sky-and-red clad Machine. But rivalries can be a whole different thing, and St. Louis certainly had some motivation to take it to the Machine.

And so, what we got was a strong game from the Skyhawks, and a bit of a scare for the unbeaten Machine. St. Louis would hold a 27-19 lead with only 3:44 left, but Chicago would show us just why they were unbeaten and a Summer Bowl favorite, scoring 10 points in just over 1 minute’s time to take the win, keeping themselves unblemished and the Skyhawks winless. It was a scare for the Machine, but also a validation that they were not just a defensive power, but a well-rounded team that could face adversity and prevail.

The game started tentatively, with both defenses faring well in the opening minutes of the game. The fans, many still making their way to their seats at Soldier Field, saw 4 consecutive 3-and-outs by the two offenses before Chicago finally converted a 3^rd down and started to move the ball. Chicago’s 3^rd drive would prove to be a scoring drive, as Marion Mack, who finished the day as the game’s lead rusher, had two nice runs on the drive. Sam Bradford started to find receivers, including sophomore star Chase Claypool, who he found for a short TD catch on a quick slant to put the first points on the board. But then, things started to go significantly against the predicted script.

St. Louis took over with 3 minutes left in the quarter and held the ball for the next 8 minutes, driving the ball slowly but steadily down the field on their way to a Deionte Johnson TD. With Lamar Jackson out due to a deep thigh bruise suffered in Week 4, Tyrod Taylor was under center and the lack of familiarity with his game seemed to give Chicago some problems as Taylor moved out of the pocket, but with an intention to throw, not run, a distinct difference from Jackson’s game.

What was even more surprising was that St. Louis’s defense was playing well, holding Chicago to short runs on first down, something they had struggled with in their previous 4 games. After forcing the Machine’s 3^rd punt of the first half, St. Louis again put up points, this time a Zane Gonzalez field goal. By the time the two teams headed into the locker rooms, it was St. Louis up 10-7 and looking more confident than they had all season.

Chicago came out of the break intent on breaking that confidence. They put together a quick-strike drive that went 68 yards in only 7 plays before Bradford hit on his second TD throw of the game, a crossing route to Michael Floyd that retook the lead for the homestanding Machine. Bradford and the Machine would rack up yards in this game, outpacing St. Louis 496-287, but they just could not shake the Skyhawks. After retaking the lead 14-10, Chicago watched as Tyrod Taylor again moved the ball well, this time aided by a huge mistake on 3^rd and 4 by the Machine. Taylor used a hard count and got overeager DE Charles Harris to jump, giving the Skyhawks an easy 1^st Down on the encroachment call. 4 plays later it was Taylor to Jerome Felton for another score and another lead change.

Chicago would equalize the score on a Carlson field goal as the 3^rd quarter wound down, but going into the final period knotted up at 17 was not the plan for anyone in Soldier Field that day, no one except perhaps St. Louis head coach Brian Schottenheimer, who was pumping up his team during the TV timeout between quarters. That exaltation seemed to lift the Skyhawks, who opened the final period with their third TD drive of the game, a very nicely orchestrated 10-play drive that took the team 64 yards from their own 36 to the endzone once again, with Taylor hitting on a 3^rd TD for the game, this time to veteran Allen Robinson from 15 yards out.

When that drive was followed by a Chicago punt after only 5 plays, the fans in Soldier Field started to get antsy, wondering what was happening to their unbeaten Machine club. The good news for Chicago was that Marquette King’s punt was a beauty, backing the Skyhawks to their own 7 yard line. A false start moved them even further back, and on 2^nd and 13, the Machine D finally got to Taylor. DT Arik Armstead took advantage of the St. Louis guard sliding out to deal with a blitzing Manti Te’o, swam past the center and caught Tyrod Taylor just as he drew back to throw. Taylor managed to hold onto the ball, but it was a safety, drawing Chicago back to 24-19 and giving them the free kick.

But all was not turning Chicago’s way, not yet at least. On their first play after the free kick, normally reliable back Jeremy Hill got hit on his way through the line, and the ball popped out, dribbling forwards and eventually jumped on by St. Louis safety Tyree Gillespie for the first (and only) turnover of the game. St. Louis took advantage, driving into field goal range and wiping out the safety’s 2 points with a Zane Gonzalez field goal to give St. Louis an 8-point lead at 27-19 with 3:44 left to play. This was a position Chicago had not been in all year.

The Machine took the ball at their own 23 after a short return from Willie Snead. Sam Bradford went to work in a no huddle, 2-minute look despite there being nearly 4 minutes on the clock. Hill recovered from his fumble to give Chicago a nice 12-yard run on the opening play, followed by strikes from Bradford to Claypool and HB Marion Mack. Within 6 plays and only 1:22 off the clock, they had the ball inside the 20. A defensive PI call against St. Louis prevented a touchdown but gave Chicago the ball at the 1. From there Bradford found Tyler Eifert and the game was a 2-point affair. Bradford went back to Eifert on the 2-point PAT try, and when the talented TE brought in the low pass, the score was tied.

This quick strike equalizer seemed to suck all the air and all the confidence out of the Skyhawks. Chicago kicked the ball deep instead of attempting the onside kick, likely expecting to go to overtime tied at 27. But, after using timeouts after 1^st and 2^nd down runs by James Conner produced only 1 yard, the Machine prepared for St. Louis to throw on 3^rd and 9. They did, and a nicely timed swat from SS Jordan Poyer, a converted corner, produced a 4^th down with over 50 seconds still on the clock, Chicago shifted gears, hoping to get one last score in regulation to end the game without extra time.

They got some help in that attempt as the kick coverage team was cited when gunner Roderick Teamer did not catch that Snead had made the fair catch signal at the 32, giving Chicago 15 yards to the 47 and putting them that much closer to a possible Daniel Carlson game winning kick. With 44 seconds and 1 time out left, Chicago geared up to move the ball into Carlson’s range. A quick out to Floyd got them 8 yards, a dump down to FB Jakob Johnson got them a first down and 5 more yards. After a Bradford miss on another out route, the Machine QB connected on a nice rub route, finding Claypool over the middle, and, even more damaging, the Machine Receiver was able to work his way to the sideline, going out at the St. Louis 39 with 23 seconds left.

Bradford missed on his next throw, but on 2^nd and 10, the Machine hit on a draw play to Mack, moving the ball to the St. Louis 33 and using their last time out to stop the clock. On 3^rd down, Chicago went for a deep out to Floyd, but the receiver was unable to bring down the high throw. They sent out Carlson to attempt the 50-yarder, and the Chicago kicker, who was 2 of 4 on kicks over 50 yards on the season, lined up for a potential game winner. After a St. Louis timeout, Carlson reset himself and drilled the ball right down the middle to give Chicago the win.

Certainly, a crushing defeat for a St. Louis team that had put everything into this game, and certainly a satisfying win for the still-unbeaten Machine, this one was a game that had drama, surprises, and some late game heroics, just what we all want in a Game of the Week. So, Chicago now gets ready to face archrival Michigan next week in what could be a very important mid-season game, while St. Louis has to regroup, remotivate themselves, and get ready to fly to Boston to face the New England Steamrollers in Week 6.

NEW JERSEY 27  NEW ENGLAND 10

Fans in the Tri-State Area may not be overjoyed with Nick Foles as their QB, but he has produced back-to-back wins for the Generals as they knock off the Steamrollers in Foxboro. In the classic NY-BOS rivalry, Foles went 21 of 27 and opened scoring by hitting Muhamed Sanu for a 27-yard TD in the 2^nd quarter. Sanu finished as the team’s leading receiver with 77 yards on the day, while Delone Carter added 60 more, and 2 scores, on the ground. The New Jersey D also came up big, forcing 2 takeaways and holding New England to only 2 scores in 10 drives.

POTG: New Jersey CB Aqib Talib: 5 Tck, 4 PDef, 1 Int

ATLANTA 32  OAKLAND 35

The first of several really close, back and forth games, this one saw Oakland turn a 24-21 deficit into a 35-24 lead with two scoring drives in the 4^th, the first saw Brady hit Jerrel Jernigan for the go ahead score, and then he followed it up with a 33-yard pitch & catch to Zach Ertz for the eventual game winner. Atlanta got a late O. J. Howard TD, Aaron Murray’s 3^rd TD pass (along with 3 picks), but it was too little for Atlanta to avoid their first loss on the season.

POTG: Invader QB Tom Brady: 26/28, 269 Yds, 4 TD, 0 Int

TAMPA BAY 37  CHARLOTTE 10

The Monarchs drop to 0-5 after their offense was outgained 412-296 as Tampa Bay scored on 7 of 9 possessions on the day, including 2 Dez Bryant TD catches and a Dalvin Cook TD run to go with his 124 yards rushing. Jimmy G was booed after throwing his 2^nd pick of the day as fans have quickly turned against the former Invader QB and with Monarch management as well.

POTG: Bandit HB Dalvin Cook: 17 Att, 124 Yds, 7.3 YPC, 1 TD

BALTIMORE 7  PHILADELPHIA 20

The Blitz have now lost 3 in a row after a 2-0 start, and Philadelphia is looking very much like a real threat as they move to 5-0. It was the Derrick Henry show at the Linc this week, with the big back rushing for 151 yards on only 17 carries, a very healthy 8.9 YPC average. He also scored the first two TDs of the game, a pair of power runs for 36 and 25 yards that took Baltimore out of the game. The Stars’ improved D sacked Jake Locker only twice but pressured him all game, leading to 2 picks and multiple missed throws. CB Amani Oruwarije had both picks for Philly, along with 5 passes defended.

POTG: Stars’ HB Derrick Henry: 17 Att, 151 Yds, 8.9 YPC, 2 TD

DENVER 24  OKLAHOMA 27

Denver drops their 2^nd in a row as Josh Allen is picked twice and sacked 4 times by the Outlaw D. Jalen Hurts also saw a lot of pressure, sacked 5 times with two picks as well, but with the game tied at 24, he had a game winning drive, moving the Outlaws into position for Kai Forbath to win it on a long 56-yarder at the whistle. Pacman Jones contributed a pick-six on a deep ball over the middle that Allen should not have attempted, while Denver got TDs from Phillip Lindsay and T. J. Hockenson.

POTG: Oklahoma TE Mark Andrews: 6 Rec, 63 Yds, 1 TD

NEW ORLEANS 31  HOUSTON 45

As we chronicled earlier, Colt McCoy had himself a day against the Breakers, throwing for 5 TDs. Geno Smith tried to keep up with 4 of his own, but Houston pulled away in the 2^nd half and never looked back. Mike Evans (5-104-3TD) and JuJu Smith-Schuster (4-138) both went over 100 yards and Carlos Hyde had 85 rushing and 34 receiving as the Gamblers move back over .500 while pushing the Breakers to 2-3 on the year.

POTG: Gambler QB Colt McCoy: 22/33, 404 Yds, 5 TD, 0 Int

SEATTLE 16  PORTLAND 13

Both the Dragons and Stags struggled to convert on 3^rd down and points were scarce in this Cascade Clash. Mariota hit Brandin Cooks for a short TD toss in the first half, but the PAT was no good. Down 7 in the 4^th, Doug Martin evened the score with a 3-yard TD run, but a final drive from Brett Hundley and the Dragons got them the game winning field goal, another long one, as Jeffrey Harris connected from 57 yards out to give Seattle the win.

POTG: Seattle CB Richard Sherman: 9 Tck, 1 Int

JACKSONVILLE 20  ORLANDO 21

Close once again, but again no cigar for Jacksonville as Orlando wins the game on a Brashad Perriman TD catch in the 3^rd quarter. A scoreless 4^th proved frustrating as Trevor Lawrence and the Bulls’ offense fizzled late. Russell Wilson survived 3 picks by the Bulls to get the win, finishing the game with 358 yards and 3 touchdowns as Orlando gets their 2^nd win and the Bulls drop to 0-5.

POTG: Orlando WR Brashad Perriman: 9 Rec, 166 Yds, 2 TD

BIRMINGHAM 28  WASHINGTON 21

The Stallions are another team beginning to earn some respect as they move to 4-1 with a solid win over the Federals. Cam Newton was again a major weapon, throwing for 177 and 2 scores while rushing for 94 yards and a TD in this one. With Najee Harris nursing a hamstring strain, Ben Tate got most of the carries and finished with 83 yards and a TD as well. Washington got TDs from Tyreek Hill and Kellen Winslow Jr but could not respond after a 4^th quarter Newton-Edelman TD gave Birmingham a 7-point lead.

POTG: Stallion QB Cam Newton: 14/21, 177 Yds, 2 TD, 2 Int, 6 Att, 94 Yds, 1 TD

MEMPHIS 31  SAN ANTONIO 28

The Showboats earn their second win, but it was not easy as San Antonio held a 28-24 lead on a Marquise Goodwin TD with only 5 minutes left to play. But 5 minutes is an eternity in the USFL and the Showboats found a way back, led by NFL import Blake Bortles for the final three quarters, after Lynch cracked his throwing hand on a lineman’s helmet in the 1^st. Bortles hit Jamison Crowder for the winning score with 1:24 left on the clock, his 3^rd TD throw of the game. Flacco and the Gunslingers could not respond, and Memphis moved to 2-3 with the win.

POTG: Memphis QB Blake Bortles: 17/21, 207 Yds, 3 TD, 0 Int

PITTSBURGH 29  MICHIGAN 26

The Maulers rise up and stun the Panthers in Ford Field, outpacing Michigan 13-3 in the final period to turn a 23-16 deficit into an upset win. Pittsburgh got a 4^th quarter gift when safety Kyzir White slipped and fell while covering Rob Gronkowsi, leading the big TE to a 58-yard TD with 8 minutes left in the game. That gave Pittsburgh a 3-point lead, which Michigan equaled on their next drive, but the Maulers had time to get into position, and in line with other games this week, their kicker, Andrew Franks, connected on a long field goal (51 yards) to seal the upset win for Pittsburgh, knocking Michigan from the ranks of the unbeaten.

POTG: Mauler TE Rob Gronkowski: 6 Rec, 145 Yds, 1 TD

DALLAS 24  ARIZONA 33

Arizona’s 0-2 start is all but forgotten after a third straight win, especially when that win knocks Dallas to 3-2 and raises Arizona to that same record. David Carr threw 2 TDs, and the defense sacked Justin Herbert 5 times, with Jerry Hughes securing a sack-fumble-touchdown in the first minute of game action to set the tone for the day. Herbert threw 3 TDs, but Dallas could not put points on the board in the 4^th, while Arizona used 3 Elliott Parson field goals to turn a 24-24 tie into a 9-point win.

POTG: Wrangler DE Bud DuPree: 6 Tck, 3 Sck

SAN DIEGO 3  LOS ANGELES 23

The Express D held San Diego to only 202 total yards, and only 41 on the ground as they dominated the line of scrimmage. The offense relied on the run game with Perkins (78) and Montgomery (33) combining for 111 yards. Kyler Murray’s 1^st quarter TD to Hollywood Brown proved to be the only points needed, but the Express added 16 more for good measure.

POTG: Express WR Hollywood Brown: 4 Rec, 56 Yds, 1 TD

OHIO 7  LAS VEGAS 15

The Vipers remain perfect at home, knocking off a 3-1 Ohio squad at Wynn Arena. The Viper D held Ohio to only 9 first downa and 3 of 10 on third down. On offense, Aaron Dobson caught 8 for 116 and the combo of Matt Jones and Kareem Hunt combined for 95 yards and the game’s only TD. Justin Fields struggled all game, throwing 3 picks and rushing the ball 9 times for only negative 1 yards as Las Vegas implemented an effective spy system to contain the Glory rookie.

POTG: Viper WR Aaron Dobson: 8 Rec, 116 Yds

Henry Blasts Blitz

The Stars did not ask much of NFL import QB Carson Wentz in their win over Baltimore. The lanky QB threw for only 119 yards. The offense instead rested their attack on the broad shoulders of HB Derrick Henry, and “King Henry” replied with 151 yards and 2 scores. His day included both a 36-yard bowling-ball run through the Baltimore pins, and an equally devastating 25-yarder later in the game.

Henry now leads all USFL rushers with 532 yards, averaging 106 per game. His YPC improved thanks to this game, jumping well above the “Mendoza line” of 4.0 YPC to a nice 4.3 per carry. But, what has to worry Philly fans a bit is that Henry, with 125 carries, is averaging 25 per game, a number that could lead to fatigue and decline later in the year. For now, however, they will gladly take his big offensive output and the team’s 5-0 record as they now sit 3 game ahead of the cluster of competitors in the division.

Bortles Blindsides Gunslingers

With Paxton Lynch going out of the game early, thanks to a follow-through motion that sent his throwing hand directly into the helmet of his own right tackle, Gunslinger fans in Alamo Stadium may have thought their club had an improved chance to go over .500, but they did not account for backup, and recent NFL import, Blake Bortles. After being somewhat unceremoniously drummed out of Jacksonville by Jaguar fans and ownership, Bortles arrived in Memphis happy to take a 2^nd string gig, and to learn the new system behind the clear starter, Lynch. Called into action 5 weeks into the season, it is clear the former Jaguar has something to contribute.

Bortles finished his first USFL action with a pretty nice stat line: 17 of 21 passing, a very healthy 81% completion rate, with 207 yards, and, most importantly, 3 touchdowns with no picks. Bortles even responded late, when the Gunslingers took a 28-24 lead in the 4^th. He wasted no time, went 3 of 4 passing on the final drive and found Jamison Crowder in the endzone for the slot receiver’s 2^nd TD on the day. Memphis earned their 2^nd win, and while Paxton Lynch is expected to be back for Week 6, it seems clear that the Showboats can feel good about their backup situation.

Oakland Getting it Done with D & Takeaways

No mystery about how Oakland has made it to 4-1 this season. It is all about that defense. Up until this week, the Invaders have been a true shut down defense, allowing 10, 7, 17, and 14 points in their first four games. This week they were faced with a very dangerous Atlanta offense, and while they did give up an uncharacteristic 32 points, they also forced 3 turnovers, another trademark of the 2020 Invader squad.

In this game, it was the secondary, with SS Marquestan Huff snagging two poor throws by Aaron Murray and CB Jaylen Watkins nabbing the third. But this was not a one game anomaly. Oakland leads the league with 13 takeaways in 5 games, including a league best 9 picks. The Invader D also sits 6^th in the league with 18 sacks on the year, led by Michael Bennett’s 6 QB captures. Yes, there have been some offensive highlights for Oakland, whether from 5 Time Pro Champion QB (2 USFL, 3 NFL) Tom Brady, or dual threat tailback Christian McCaffrey, but it seems pretty clear that the squad that is getting this team in a position to win week in and week out is that D.

Hughes & DuPree Rough Up the Roughnecks

The POTG this week for Arizona’s 33-24 win over division rival Dallas came down to two players, both edge rushers, as Bud DuPree, the current USFL league leader with 10 sacks on the year, reached that plateau with 3 in the game. Meanwhile, Jerry Hughes, the veteran replacement for the departed Calais Campbell, had the play of the game, not only sacking Justin Herbert on his 2^nd pass attempt of the game, but stripping the ball, picking it up, and rolling his way into the endzone for a very early defensive TD.

It was a big game all around for the Wrangler D, as newly acquired CB A. J. Bouye got his first pick as a Wrangler, and the LB group of Malik Jefferson, A. J. Klien, and Scooby Wright held the Roughnecks to only 48 yards on 19 attempts. The Wranglers also held Arizona without a 3^rd down conversion all game (0 for 9). Arizona is now 3-2, having fully recovered from a rough 0-2 start, and the defense is a big reason why they seem to be on the rebound and now share a portion of 1^st place in the Southwest with 3-2 Denver, Las, Vegas, and Dallas.

Outlaws Lose Westbrook to Achilles Injury

A big loss for Oklahoma in their win over Denver as WR DeDe Westbrook is lost for the season after rupturing his Achilles tendon midway through the game. Westbrook, who has 16 receptions, 298 yards and 2 scores on the season, left the game after crumpling to the ground mid-route in a non-contact injury. He was helped to the sideline by 2 teammates, but then carted to the locker room. With Westbrook out, Nick Toon assumed the Flanker position, with slot receiver Justin Hunter sliding into Toon’s position and Donte Moncrief and K. J. Osborn also getting rotational snaps.

The Oklahoma passing game has been an early success story, with QB Jalen Hurts throwing for 1,398 yards and earning the 2^nd slot in the current QB rankings, but without Westbrook, the Outlaws certainly lose some of their field-stretching ability. The veteran wideout averaged 14.9 YPC in his career and was at 18.6 this year before the injury. Don’t be surprised if Oklahoma looks for a trade that might bring a speed receiver to a squad that was very heavily relying on TE Mark Andrews this week, when Westbrook went out.

Generals Sign Familiar Name at QB

With former Bull Teddy Bridgewater out for the year after a Week 4 injury, New Jersey needed help. They had their starter in Nick Foles, but the thought was that Brett Rypien was not going to be enough as a backup. So, who do you call when you need a veteran presence and a steady hand at the helm should Foles go down? How about a player who has 13 years of USFL experience with 4 different teams? A player your own team first signed out of college, and who has over 140 career touchdowns and a lifetime QB Rating over 85. 

Fitz-Magic is back in the USFL and back in NJ.

That’s right, folks, he is back. Fitz-magic returns to the team that first signed him to a USFL deal after a few years as an NFL backup. Fitzie is a General again, back for a 14^th year at age 38. The veteran QB, who has served as a starter for the Generals, Stags, Machine, and who somewhat reluctantly retired after 3 years as a backup in Memphis, is back in the league, with an eager smile and a wealth of QB know-how. Will the Generals give him a chance to start once again? Or is Fitzpatrick in place as an emergency option only? We won’t know right away as the 16-year pro veteran was initially placed on the Generals’ practice squad, a common action for this type of signing. We suspect he will soon switch places with Brett Rypien, but will a poor Foles outing mean that Fitz-magic will come onto the field in Generals red and royal once again? Plenty of fans in New Jersey hope so.

A pretty light week for major injuries, outside of the Westbrook IR situation, as we see a few COVID cases and an oddly specific rash of injuries to free safeties across the league, but largely short-term, low impact injuries compared to the spate of IR placements in Weeks 3 and 4.

OUT

WR      DeDe Westbrook    OKL       Ruptured Achilles            IR

FS           Derek Jordan         NE          Back                                  2-4 Weeks

G            Brandon Brooks    OHI       Shoulder                           1-2 Weeks

FS           Micah Hyde             BAL        Covid Protocol                 1 Week

C             Tyler Biadasz           OAK      Covid Protocol                  1 Week

DOUBTFUL

FS           Robert Sands         PIT         Wrist

FS           Michael Carter        SAN       Concussion

HB         Samaje Perine        DAL       Pinched Nerve

QUESTIONABLE

WR         Mike Evans             HOU     Concussion

DT          Derrick Nnadi          SD          Hand

Six Potential Mid-Season Trade Candidates

As we prepare for Week 6 of the season, we recognize that we are now entering the sweet spot for teams to make deals and move players. Typically, we see the greatest number of midseason trades following weeks 6, 7 and 8, with a small surge just before the Week 10 deadline as well. So, as we look around the league, there are players who may well be on the block, made available by their current teams either due to a desperate need elsewhere on the roster or a reduced role for the player on their current team. It is not quite early enough to see teams giving up on the 2021 season and selling off players for future considerations, but we are at a point where we can see which players may be expendable thanks to a reduction in their workload, the presence of a rising talent at their position, or a simple reconsideration of priorities. Here are six such players who we see as possible mid-season movers who could be part of a deal in the next 2-4 weeks.

Birmingham HB Rex Burkhead

A former starter and a very solid 3^rd down option, Burkhead has fallen out of favor in Birmingham, and with the arrival of rookie Najee Harris, despite his slow start, there seems not to be much of a role for Burkhead in Birmingham. After 5 weeks, Burkhead, who has seen his carries steadily on the decline since 2017, has only 6 rushing attempts for 16 yards. A solid receiver out of the backfield, we could see the 8-year veteran being a good fit for a team with more of a power back offense, one needing a good blocker and receiver for those third and long situations.

Jacksonville HB Montario Hardesty

Another back who has seemingly been displaced this season, Hardesty has seen his load reduced as Jacksonville gives Devin Singletary a larger role as the lead back. Hardesty has only 16 attempts in the first 5 games of the year, compared to 62 for Singletary. In his 12^th season and at age 31, Hardesty is in a contract year, and may find it difficult to get a new deal, but as a midseason replacement or a potential backup, we could see Hardesty finding a new home as part of a multiplayer swap.

New Jersey WR Odell Beckham Jr.

Without a doubt the biggest talent on this list, OBJ has already made it clear that he is not happy with the Generals, that he feels undervalued, despite having 33 receptions this season. He also cannot be pleased by the QB issues in New Jersey. At 31 he still likely has one good contract left in him, and he is in a contract year, so if New Jersey is feeling like they need to build towards the future, we could certainly see them trading away their top receiver as a way to get something for him, because all indications are that Beckham will walk come free agency this August.

New England WR Doug Baldwin

Baldwin, a 34-year-old, 10-year vet, had his first and only 1,000-yard season in 2020 with the expansion Steamrollers. But this year, with Zay Jones and Davante Parker getting more snaps and more targets, Baldwin is looking very much like a veteran being put out to pasture. With only 12 receptions on 33 targets, it seems that Ryan Tannehill and the Steamroller offense, is certainly looking elsewhere this season. Baldwin ranks 4^th on the team in receptions, behind both speedy young wideouts and TE Dennis Pitta. We think the time is now if New England wants to move Baldwin, as he certainly has skills that many teams could use, particularly in a possession receiver role.

Portland DE Dion Jordan

While not entirely accurate to call Dion Jordan a draft bust, the 8-year veteran of the Stags has never truly met the potential we all saw when he was an Oregon Duck. He came out with 10 sacks his rookie year, but has never met that total in the years since. With 5 games down in 2021 he has only 1 sack, largely displaced from the starting gig by Bruce Irvin, with whom he rotates downs, Jordan is looking very much like a player who could be moved as a way to open more opportunities for Irvin and rookie Randy Champion, an undrafted rookie out of Valdosta State who has shown some flashes.

Seattle SS Taylor Rapp

Another very talented player who may just be the victim of a numbers game. Rapp has shown us some real skill, primarily in nickel and dime formations, and we think there certainly will be a market for a talented safety who already has 18 tackles and a sack in limited snaps. The issue is that it seems very unlikely that Rapp will get many opportunities to play a larger role as he sits behind potential All-USFL candidate Terrell Edmunds. Edmunds is on the ascent and is getting a lot of attention after a strong 2020 campaign, and that could make Rapp expendable, especially if a deal is possible to bring Seattle some help at DE, where they look noticeably short staffed.

Orlando Reveals Uni Update for 2022

The final 6 clubs to receive branding and uniform “refreshes” from Under Armour are on deck, and we got our first of the six revealed this week in Orlando. The Renegades, along with Arizona, Las Vegas, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Tampa Bay, are expected to be the final revamps for Under Armour as they wrap up their 5-year deal to provide uniforms and fan gear to the USFL. This week, the Renegades, coming off a 1-point win over rival Jacksonville, felt the time was right to build some enthusiasm for their club by revealing a look that they hope will be on the field in the 2021 playoffs, but which will certainly be on display in 2022, the USFL’s 40^th season.

The New Raging Renegades "R" monogram.

The new look follows up on the club’s major branding revision back in 2017, when fans chose a shark-themed design over options which included a wild hog and a mammoth as possible replacements as the team looked to remove its tomahawk-themed look. With the new UA look, the new blacktip shark logo remains unchanged from the original design, but the team did reveal a new package of secondary logos, with the monogram “O” updated, the static shark fin replaced with a segment of the primary logo featuring the black-tipped fin of the primary shark logo. Also added was a stylized “R” monogram featuring sharp angles. This logo will play a prominent role in the team’s alternate look but does not appear on the primary uniforms.

The primaries retain the team’s ocean blue as the principle color, but introduce a new feature, a yoke and sleeve treatment that provides more black to the home uniform and increases the presence of blue in the road whites. The shoulder and sleeve yoke runs from the collar to mid-sleeve, where it shifts to a second color, separated by the same shark fin theme as the secondary “O” monogram. On the home blues, the shift is from a black collar and yoke to a short white segment at the sleeve cuff. On the road whites (often used at home in midsummer), the jersey has a blue yoke, transitioning to a black cuff. The pants feature a similar motif, with the white set featuring a thick black stripe, the “O” monogram at the hip, and a short blue segment at the beltline. The same pattern is repeated in blue and white on the team’s black pant set.

The team also released two alternates. The throwback alternate was a topic of much speculation since the team recently opted to remove all tomahawk imagery from their identity after legal actions taken by several Florida-based Native American nations. The compromise look revealed by Under Armour is unlikely to make those fans who wish to see the tomahawk restored very happy. The uniforms return to the 1987 look, complete with old school jersey and pant striping in blue and silver, but the helmet does not return the tomahawk logo. What it does instead is bring back the script “Renegades” in red and the small blue “Orlando” in block font, just as on the original look, but without the accompanying image of the tomahawk. The overall look feels very incomplete and certainly not as engaging as the original. The use of the original red script, without any other red present in the look, seems out of place, and we are sure there will be many who think that the entire concept is illogical without the original imagery.

As for the “new” alternate, which Under Armour had dubbed the “Blacktip Alt”, the focus certainly is the inclusion of black as a team color. In a true “unitard” look, the team will wear black from helmet to socks, a color swap that retains most of the elements of the new primaries. The helmet, instead of featuring the leaping shark logo, will feature the new Renegade “R” logo in metallic silver with black and ocean blue piping. The helmet features a striping similar to the primary, in blue with a silver rear bumper. The jerseys have silver and blue yokes and the same angular font numbers as the primaries, while the pant set, still in black, features silver and white striping and the team’s “O” monogram logo. We are not exactly certain when the Renegades, who often play in very hot and sunny conditions, will bring out the all-black look, but based on USFL gameday conditions, we might recommend some road games in domes, maybe when they visit Atlanta, St. Louis, Houston, or San Antonio, rather then their home stadium in Florida.

Week six is an interesting mix of divisional and inter-divisional games, starting with two competing games on Friday night. NBC will air the 3-2 Wranglers against the 2-3 Maulers, hot off their upset in Michigan. Meanwhile, on ESPN and EFN it will be a Southern showdown as the surprising Birmingham Stallions, sitting at 4-2, head down to NRG Stadium to face the Houston Gamblers. It will be Newton vs. McCoy in a game that could come down to the team that holds the ball last.

Saturday is something of a showcase of 3-2 and 2-3 teams as these clubs try to either reach or avoid .500 as their 6-week record. The noon window features San Antonio and Memphis in another Southern Division game, the winner moving up to .500 at 3-3. It also has 3-2 Dallas at 3-2 Ohio in a battle of teams hoping to put some space between themselves and that .500 record. At 4pm Denver will try to break their 2-game losing streak as they head down to low altitude, high humidity New Orleans to face the 2-3 Breakers. FOX has a Cascade clash (the first of two back-to-back games between these two) as Seattle hosts the Stags.

The Saturday night game on NBC may be the Game of the Week as unbeaten Chicago plays host to archrival Michigan, surprising vulnerable at 4-2. A win by Chicago will be an unmistakable shot across the bow of Michigan’s division dominance these past few years. We follow up that game with a Sunday lineup that features a classic rivalry between New Jersey and unbeaten Philadelphia, a Southwest Showdown between 3-2 Las Vegas and 2-3 Oklahoma, and a California Derby as struggling San Diego (1-4) tries to get the edge on a surprising 2-3 LA Express squad. Oh, and we should also mention a huge game on ESPN and the ESPN Football Network as the unbeaten and largely unphased Tampa Bay Bandits take on the 4-1 Oakland Invaders, with a defense that could actually test Bandit Ball for once. Not a bad week of action at all, so set your calendars and get your hot wings ready.

FRI @ 8pm ET       Arizona (3-2) @ Pittsburgh (2-3)                         NBC

FRI @ 8pm ET        Birmingham (4-1) @ Houston (3-2)                   ESPN/EFN

SAT @ 12pm ET      San Antonio (2-3) @ Memphis (2-3)                 ABC

SAT @ 12pm ET       Dallas (3-2) @ Ohio (3-2)                                    FOX

SAT @ 4pm ET         Denver (3-2) @ New Orleans (2-3)                    ABC

SAT @ 4pm ET        Portland (1-4) @ Seattle (3-2)                           FOX

SAT @ 8pm ET         Baltimore (2-3) @ Washington (1-4)               ESPN/EFN

SAT @ 8pm ET        Michigan (4-1) @ Chicago (5-0)                NBC

SUN @ 12pm ET     St. Louis (0-5) @ New England (2-3)                ABC Regional

SUN @ 12pm ET      Charlotte (0-5) @ Orlando (2-3)                        ABC Regional

SUN @ 12pm ET      Jacksonville (0-5) @ Atlanta (4-1)                    FOX

SUN @ 4pm ET        New Jersey (2-3) @ Philadelphia (5-0)             ABC

SUN @ 4pm ET        Las Vegas (3-2) @ Oklahoma (2-3)                   FOX Regional

SUN @ 4pm ET        Los Angeles (2-3) @ San Diego (1-4)                FOX Regional

SUN @ 8pm ET      Oakland (4-1) @ Tampa Bay (5-0)                      ESPN/EFN