2021 USFL Week 6 Recap: Generals Stun Stars

Six weeks into the new season and just when we think we know what to expect we get a week of upsets to throw our perception of the league into question. Six favorites fell to defeat this week, including a stunning blowout of the previously unbeaten Philadelphia Stars. Los Angeles, Arizona, Dallas, and New Orleans also fell to underdogs in Week 6 action. We also saw Chicago stay unbeaten by defeating the Panthers at Ford Field. All in all a very topsy turvy week. We will break it all down, highlight the two trades from the past week that have opened up the trading block, and take a look ahead at the first bye weeks in USFL history. All that, but first we have to break down the week’s rash of upsets, our Big Story of the week.

Upsets Abound in Wild Week 6 Action

You have to feel bad this week for the inveterate gamblers, the guys who play the odds, parlay games, and expect to come out on top. Why? Because this week may have given us some long shot winners, but most who put money on the games probably came out pretty badly. Seven upsets of note, including two big home favorites, fell to the underdog this week. Not what anyone who is laying multiple bets wants to see.

The biggest shocker of the week had to be New Jersey’s dismantling of the unbeaten Philadelphia Stars. The Generals, who have now won 3 in a row, went down the highway to the Linc and just demolished the 5-0 Stars. They outgained them 472-240, outrushed them 165-49, and outscored them 47-9 in one of the worst losses in Philadelphia Star history. When Delone Carter more than doubles Derrick Henry’s production (101 yards to 46) and the combination of Beckham and Sanu rack up 229 yards, you know something very wrong happened to the home favorite. But with only 1 turnover and only 3 penalties for the Stars, it may take a while for Coach Quinn to figure out just what went wrong.

The other home favorite to choke in front of their fans was New Orleans, who at least kept it close. The Breakers had a 31-28 lead over Josh Allen and the Denver Gold, but could not hold it, with Allen connecting with Darnell Mooney for the game winner. At least New Orleans can look at Denver’s 4-2 mark and say they lost to a good team, but the problem is that at 3-3, they are losing to too many teams. Denver, on the other hand, snaps a 2-game losing streak in style, with Allentossing 3 TDs and the defense picking off Geno Smith twice.

Each of the other upsets were home dogs who decided to bite instead of barking. St. Louis was 0-5 before they headed into Foxboro and doubled up the Steamrollers 20-10. Three New England turnovers certainly helped the Skyhawks’ cause, as did the return, even if only for half a game, of Lamar Jackson, taken out as a precautionary move after a rough first half that saw him take too many hits to an already-injured shoulder and neck.

In Los Angeles, our Game of the Week, San Diego used a balanced attack and a lot of QB pressure to edge the Express with a late field goal, while in Pittsburgh, the Maulers were a 5-point underdog to the Wranglers, but pulled out the win even with Andy Dalton knocked out early. Five sacks for the Mauler D, paired with 3 Arizona Wranglers offset a 402-yard output for the visitors and helped Pittsburgh score the upset to move to 3-3 on the year.

In Chicago, Michigan was a 2-point favorite despite the Machine being 5-0 to Michigan’s 4-1 record. That lack of respect for the home team helped fire up the Machine, who shut out Michigan in the second half, turning a 14-10 advantage into a dominant 27-10 victory. And our last outing saw Ohio, a 4-point home underdog to the Dallas Roughnecks, also take offense to the lack of respect for their 3-2 record. In a defensive slugfest, the Glory held Dallas out of the endzone until the final 3 minutes of the game, taking a 13-3 lead before the visitors made it close with a late TD. What is even more interesting is that Ohio won without their offense ever reaching paydirt, their lone touchdown coming on a pick-six from veteran safety LaRon Landry.

So, a weekend that tightened the standings, left us with only 2 remaining unbeatens (Tampa Bay and Chicago), and only 2 winless clubs (Jacksonville and Charlotte in the very bipolar Southeast Division). It was a week that proved the adage about Any Given Sunday, but one that also proved that football is a tough sport to predict, and perhaps a dangerous one to bet the deed to the ranch on.

LOS ANGELES EXPRESS 17  SAN DIEGO THUNDER 20

One of our celebrated upsets this week, and one that does not bode well for the 2020 Division Champs as LA now find themselves one game out of the basement at 2-4, sharing the same record with the San Diego Thunder after 6 weeks and 2 games back of both the Dragons and Invaders who sit at 4-2.

San Diego, who had lost 3 in a row, all three by double digits, kept the game close and found an answer at the end to upend the Express, while LA missed opportunities to put the game away, and just let their foe stay in the game for far too long, long enough for it to bite them. It was a game that started slowly, with neither team able to do much for nearly 20 minutes of game time, but once it got started, it provided plenty of drama. It was also a game with a lot of balance, from total yards (308 for LA, 310 for San Diego), passing and rushing yards (211 and 97 for LA, 205 and 105 for San Diego), penalties (5 for LA, 4 for San Diego), and on the scoreboard, where we saw ties at 10 and 17 before a winner emerged.

LA was the first to put points on the board, with a Murray to Brown TD on their 4^th possession. It was the first time either team crossed midfield after a first quarter that saw both teams limited to two 3-and-outs and 1 short drive each. On their 4^th drive, LA finally saw the run game start to produce results, with Paul Perkins breaking a 17-yard run before Murray found Brown. Perkins would finish with 90 yards on 14 carries to lead all rushers, but the combo of Sims and David Wilson would produce more overall yards for the Thunder.

San Diego responded to LA’s first score by putting together back-to-back scoring drives. The first saw Ponder connect with Ronald Johnson on a 36-yard pass to get San Diego into field goal range. When the drive fizzled, Caleb Sturgis, the former Breaker, put the ball between the uprights and San Diego was on the board. They would get the ball back only 5 plays later, when a 3^rd down toss from Murray was tipped at the line by DT Dexter Lawrence, with CB Damontae Kazee snapping the ball out of the air for the game’s only turnover. The pick gave San Diego the ball on the LA 41, and in 7 plays they made LA pay, with Ponder hitting Ronald Johnson for a go-ahead score. The game would go to the 3^rd with San Diego holding that modest 10-7 lead.

The only points of the third quarter came on a Dan Bailey field goal, but it was hardly a quarter without drama. On their first possession of the half, LA got stuffed on a 3^rd and 1 deep in their own territory when DE Jonathan Newsome stood up Paul Perkins and drove him backwards in a bone-crunching hit. On their next possession, LA moved the ball well but had to settle for 3 when San Diego held them on three consecutive plays from inside the 10. After getting as close as the 2, the Express got called for a false start, putting them at the 7 for a 3^rd and goal, and on that 3^rd down Kyler Murray was flushed from the pocket and had to throw the ball away, much to the delight of the Thunder fans.

LA settled for the field goal to tie the score, and that is how the 4^th quarter began, with the game knotted up. But LA would get a chance to retake the lead on their next possession. Following a poor punt by San Diego kicker Jesse Slade, LA got the ball at their own 44 and proceeded to drive the ball the remaining 56 yards. This time, when confronted with a goal-to-go situation, the Express did not flinch. On three consecutive plays, Paul Perkins gained, 4, 4, and 2 yards, the third run putting him in the endzone and giving LA a 17-10 advantage with 10:31 left to play.

But this was a game where San Diego saw a legitimate chance to earn a W. They took over on their own 20 after the LA kick and marched their way right down the field on 9 plays to equalize the score. The Thunder drive included two big third down conversions, the first an 18-yard completion to Arrelious Benn on a 3^rd and 12, and the second a 36-yard completion to Ronald Johnson that took the ball to the LA 3 yard line. With LA expecting San Diego to go for a mid-range pass to convert on a 3^rd and 6, Johnson used a double move to fake out the corner and QB Christian Ponder laid up a perfect pass to the sideline to convert and drive the ball inside the 5. From there it was Ponder to TE Luke Wilson for 6, and a PAT brought us to 17-17 with only 5:15 left to play.

LA moved the ball well on the initial plays of the next drive, but on back-to-back plays they lost yardage once in Thunder territory. The first was a run by Ty Montgomery that lost 3 yards, and the second was a sack of Murray by rookie DE Chris Rumph that forced a tough decision from Express coach Marvin Lewis. The veteran coach opted to trust his kicker and set up for a 54-yarder instead of punting the ball deep. Bailey’s kick sliced wide left, and the Thunder were in business close to midfield with 2:44 left to play.

The Thunder fed the ball to Wilson and Sims, eating up clock while also moving the ball into Express territory. Christian Ponder used play action to get the ball into range for Sturgis, finding TE Luke Wilson for his 4^th reception on the day. Then, after a pair of Sims runs, San Diego also failed on 3^rd down, setting up a 51-yard attempt for Caleb Sturgis. With the clock stopped at 13 seconds, just before a delay of game call, Coach LeBeau sent Sturgis out, and the 8-year veteran put it through the uprights from the 41 yard line to give San Diego the upset win and their first in April.

ARIZONA 21  PITTSBURGH 33

The Maulers climb back to .500 thanks to a nice relief appearance from QB Nathan Peterman. The former Pitt Panther was thrust into the game in the 2^nd quarter when Andy Dalton suffered an ankle injury. Peterman would throw for 207 yards and 2 scores, including the game winner to Brian Quick in the 4^th. He got a lot of help from his defense, which sacked David Carr 5 times and picked off the former MVP twice in the upset win. Former Mauler Victor Cruz hauled in 4 for 89 and a TD, but it was his old team that got the last laugh with the home victory.

POTG: Mauler CB Rasul Douglas: 7 Tck, 3 PDef, 1 Int

BIRMINGHAM 14  HOUSTON 30

The Houston D was ready for Cam Newton, limiting him to only 2 yards rushing and 203 in the air. It was a team effort, with no player recording more than 5 tackles, but multiple players getting some tackles for loss with a swarming, aggressive gameplan. Meanwhile, the Gambler offense built up a 13-0 lead and never trailed, with TDs coming from Carlos Hyde, Gerald Everett, and Denzel Mims. The Gambler home win gives them a share of first with the Stallions at 4-2.

POTG: Gambler HB Carlos Hyde: 16 Att, 47 Yds, 2 TD, 4 Rec, 118 Yds

SAN ANTONIO 14  MEMPHIS 27

Memphis gets themselves into the Southern Division mix with a nice home win over the Gunslingers. Todd Gurley had himself a field day against the Gunslinger D, averaging 12.4 yards per rush as he totaled 173 yards on only 14 attempts. His 37-yard TD run gave Memphis a 17-7 lead at the half and he added a 2^nd in the 3^rd to put the game solidly in Memphis’s hands. C. J. Procise had a great first half for the Gunslingers, with 87 yards in the half, but was used sparingly in the 2^nd half as San Antonio turned to the pass after falling behind by 17 points. He finished with 110 yards and a TD on the day.

POTG: Showboat HB Todd Gurley: 14 Att, 173 Yds, 2 TD

DALLAS 10 OHIO 13

Ohio improved to 4-2 with a mild upset over the visiting Dallas Roughnecks. The star of the game was Glory safety LaRon Landry, whose pick-six was the lone TD on the day for the home team. The entire D played lights out throughout, limiting Dallas to only 3 points until the final minutes of action. Despite 3 receivers going over 100 yards in this game (Ohio’s Terry McLaurin with 118, and Dallas’s Courtland Sutton, 114, and Sammy Watkins, 108), neither team managed a passing touchdown.

POTG: Ohio FS LaRon Landry: 1 Tck, 1 Int, 1 Def TD

DENVER 35  NEW ORLEANS 31

The Gold and the Breakers got into a shootout, but it was Josh Allen, with his 3^rd TD on the day, who got the win. Allen was sacked 5 times, threw two picks, but late in the game led an 83-yard drive and finished with a TD to Darnell Mooney to get the road win and move to 4-2 on the year. New Orleans had a shot late, but were thwarted when Gold safety Marqui Christian wrestled the ball out of the hands of TE Coby Fleener in the game’s final minute for the win-clinching pick.

POTG: Denver CB Bryce Hall: 6 Tck, 1 Int, 1 Def TD

PORTLAND 20  SEATTLE 28

One of the better Cascade Clash matchups in recent years as the Dragons sweep the back-to-back series thanks to 117 yards and 2 TDs from Knowshon Moreno. Brett Hundley also found Kyle Rudolph and Marshall Newhouse with scoring tosses as the Dragons built up a 28-13 lead in the 4^th. Alate Brandin Cooks TD made it closer, but still too far as the Seattle D locked up the game with Taron Johnson picking off Marcus Mariota in the endzone on Portland’s final drive.

POTG: Seattle HB Knowshon Moreno: 18 Att, 117 Yds, 2 TD

BALTIMORE 30  WASHINGTON 10

The Blitz returned to .500 with a thorough dismantling of the Federals. Ryan Nassib completed only 19 of 42 passing, leading to a post-game switch for the Feds going into Week 7. For Baltimore, Jake Locker had a mixed game, throwing 2 picks but also hitting Brian Hartline and Michael Pittman Jr. with scoring throws. Th Blitz gave up the first 10 points of the game, but then turned up the pressure, putting up the next 30 points unanswered, including a Brandon Jenkins pick-six of Nassib that put the game out of range.

POTG: Blitz WR Brian Hartline: 7 Rec, 96 Yds, 1 TD

MICHIGAN 10  CHICAGO 27

The Machine got the statement win they were hoping for, dominating the 2^nd half to turn a 14-10 lead into a 17-point victory. Hill and Mack each scored on the day, combining for 90 yards rushing, while Sam Bradford found TE Druham Smythe for a TD as Chicago gifted themselves a 2-game division lead and a key tiebreaker over the Panthers. Michigan’s LeVeon Bell rushed for 83 and caught 5 for 31 more, but it was not enough as the Panthers were held scoreless in the 2^nd half.

POTG: Chicago CB Josh Norman: 11 Tck, 1 FF, 1 FR

ST. LOUIS 20  NEW ENGLAND 10

The Skyhawks score their first W of the season, thanks in large part to a defense that forced 3 takeaways and held the Steamrollers out of the endzone on 3 red zone drives. A pick-six and a 1-yard TD run from Lamar Jackson helped the Skyhawk cause as they gave up yards (150 rushing, 363 overall) but turned away the Steamrollers when they got down close.

POTG: Skyhawk LB Cody Glenn: 7 Tck, 2 PDef, 1 Int

CHARLOTTE 24  ORLANDO 30  OVERTIME

The Monarchs played this one tough but fall to 0-6 when Russell Wilson finds Jeremy Maclin for a 50-yard scoring strike in overtime. The dramatic TD was Wilson’s 2^nd on the day as Orlando also got a strong game from HB Chris Carson, who rushed for 101 and 2 scores. Charlotte stayed in it with 3 TDs between Nyheim Hines and Latavius Murray. In overtime Charlotte went 3-and-out before the Renegades connected on their game winning play, a tough loss for a team with a lot of them this year.

POTG: Orlando HB Chris Carson: 19 Att, 101 Yds, 2 TD

JACKSONVILLE 15  ATLANTA 41

The Bulls join Charlotte as the last two winless clubs as they fall hard in Atlanta. Aaron Murray went 26 of 34 for 282 yards and 3 scores (all to A. J. Green) as the Fire dominated from the start. Add in TDs from both Nick Chubb and Kenyan Drake and this one got ugly early and stayed that way. Trevor Lawrence was sacked 5 times and roughed up by the Fire front 7 while Murray had little trouble connecting with his receivers and making big plays on 3^rd down.

POTG: Fire WR A. J. Green: 9 Rec, 88 Yds, 3 TD

NEW JERSEY 47  PHILADELPHIA 9

An absolute stunner as the Generals take it to the Stars, causing many to wonder if Philadelphia was a paper lion. New Jersey had a 100-yard rusher in Delone Carter, a 135-yard day from Odell Beckham Jr., and scored on 9 of 11 possessions as the Stars looked far more like their 2020 record of 3-13 than like a 5-0 division leader. The defense in particular is going to need a hard looking to afte this one, but no accolades for a lifeless offense either as Philadelphia simply does not come out focused or fired up against a team they should always be up to play.

POTG: New Jersey HB Delone Carter: 22 Att, 101 Yds, 1 TD

LAS VEGAS 33  OKLAHOMA 14

Another good outing from the Vipers puts them at 4-2 after 6 weeks as they run over and through the Outlaws in OKC. Kareem Hunt had a POTW game, racking up 165 yards and 2 scores on only 17 carries. Throw in another 65 from Matt Jones and this was a ground game that simply overran the Oklahoma defense. We even got a Gardner Minshew sighting as starter Matt McGloin went 18 of 21 before being rested in the 4^th quarter.

POTG: Viper HB Kareem Hunt: 17 Att, 165 Yds, 2 TD

OAKLAND 9  TAMPA BAY 33

The Bandits remain unbeaten and unrivaled among offensive attacks as Dak Prescott throws for 329 and 3 scores against the Invader defense. With TDs to Jordan Cameron, Dez Bryant, and Deebo Samuel, as well as a 20-yard Matt Breida TD run, the Bandits showed the league just how tough it is going to be to slow down the 2020 Champs.

POTG: Bandit QB Dak Prescott: 13/24, 329 Yds, 3 TD, 1 Int

Stars Fall Hard to Rival Generals

Don’t ask us what happened in Philadelphia this week. We were all ready to get on the Stars bandwagon after their 5-0 start, but their outing this week against archrival New Jersey felt a lot more like the 2020 sad sack Stars than this year’s hot-out-of-the-gate group. So, what do we see as we analyze this surprising result?

Well, first off, the Generals held Derrick Henry in check, limiting him to only 2.4 yards per carry. That removed most of the misdirection of Carson Wentz’s play-action game. Secondly, the secondary of Talib, Robinson, Hill, and Thomas simply did not give the Star receivers any room. There were contested throws throughout the game, and when a Star receiver brought in the ball, there just was not room for yards after the catch.

That combination produced 15 third downs, with an average of nearly 8 yards per play for a conversion. It was a brilliant defensive game plan and a well-executed one that limited Philadelphia to 2 field goals, all the while the New Jersey offense just put on a clinic with a performance that is likely to keep Nick Foles from hearing many boo birds when the Generals return to the Meadowlands to face New England this week.

Bandits Stun Invaders to Reach 6-0

Tampa Bay got another statement win this week, taking the Pacific-leading Invaders to task and proving they have an offense that few can contain. Bandit Ball produced 452 yards of offense, including 329 through the air and 123 on the ground. As good as Oakland’s defense has been playing this year, they seemed entirely out of their depth in this one. And while Dez Bryant had the biggest numbers (3 for 132 and a TD) the Bandits kept the D guessing, tossing the ball to Cameron, Samuel, Grant, Cook and even FB Roger Gregory.

After taking a 7-3 advantage into the 2^nd quarter, Oakland simply could do nothing more. Tampa Bay outscored them 30-2, with the only Oakland points coming on a flubbed shotgun snap that sent Dak Prescott into the endzone. Meanwhile the Bandits got TDs from Bryant, Cameron, Samuel, and Matt Breida to turn a close game into a blowout, and yet another example of just how deadly Bandit Ball can be.

Chicago Claiming Central at 6-0

With a 2-game lead over both Michigan and upstart Ohio, the Chicago Machine have to be feeling pretty good right about now. Dressed in their brand new sky blue, white and red unis it does feel like a whole new team. Their defense is allowing 12.8 points per game, their offense is doubling that with nearly 25 per outing, and they are doing it with balance.

Sam Bradford is having one of his best starts ever, completing over 70% of his throws and averaging nearly 300 yards per game. The two-headed HB combo of Jeremy Hill and Maron Mack has produced 7 touchdowns and nearly 600 yards rushing over the first six weeks, and Chicago is even diversifying their passing game, with 4 receivers over 20 receptions, including 2 tight ends. Chase Claypool is having a breakout sophomore campaign and Tyler Eifert is looking like a potential All-USFL tight end. All this, plus a defense that is solid at all 3 levels. No wonder Chicago is unbeaten and looking very much like a Summer Bowl favorite.

Feds to Start Brissett in Week 7

The start of the 2021 season has not been as bright for the Washington Federals. In a Northeast Division that seems a bit topsy turvy, Washington has been squarely in the basement, now sitting at 1-5 and having lost both divisional games on their early schedule. That includes a 33-20 loss to the Stars, the team they will face again this week. Well, enough seems to have been enough for Head Coach Kevin Gilbride. Despite there being issues on both offense and defense, Gilbride went for the obvious first option to “create a spark”. He named a new starter at QB for Week 7.

We cannot say we are surprised. When the Feds traded for former Dragon QB Jacoby Brissett, we all knew that we were likely to see a season-long QB controversy and competition. With a 1-5 start, even with Ryan Nassib not playing particularly poorly, something had to change. So Brissett will get his first start as the Federal QB. The hope, of course, is that he can find ways to get the ball to a pretty solid receiver group of Keenan Allen, Tyreek Hill, and Jarvis Landry. With Rob Housler expected out for at least a month, expect Washington to use a lot of 3-receiver sets, which could suit the more-agile Brissett well. But, when it comes to the new Federal QB, it feels like a question of when he will get hurt, not if he gets hurt.

Maulers send Lazard to Oklahoma Ahead of Week 6

Two trades over the past week remind us that we are reaching the “fish or cut bait” part of the schedule, when teams make deals to either make a push at midseason or to start looking at 2022. The Outlaws, sitting at 2-3, and having place DeDe Westbrook on IR, were looking for WR help prior to Week 6’s games. Pittsburgh, sitting at 2-3, but also sitting on a pretty deep receiver group, decided to oblige the Outlaws. The Maulers sent wideout Alan Lazard off to OK City and snagged 2 draft picks for their efforts, a 5 and a 7 in this year’s draft.

Pittsburgh, which had dropped Lazard to a 4^th option after lucking upon an impressive rookie in USC’s Amon-Ra St. Brown in the draft, felt that the veteran wideout was not going to be a big loss, and adding draft capital was a priority. Lazard, who had only 19 receptions in 2020, after a 47-reception, 427-yard 2019, was happy to move to a team that could use him. And Oklahoma wasted no time in putting Lazard into action. The wideout, who had only 2 days with the team prior to this week’s game, had 20 snaps with the first team against Las Vegas, though he did only see 2 targets and 1 reception. Expect that workload to increase as Lazard splits time with unheralded Donte Moncrief opposite Nick Toon in the Outlaw attack.

Ohio Seeks Speed, Birmingham Stopping Power in 3 Player Trade

The second big deal came after this week’s action, as Tuesday we got news of a 3-player deal that would see Birmingham send WR Dontrelle Inman off to Ohio in exchange for safety David McCarter, WR Cobi Hamilton and a 5^th round pick. For Ohio the need was obvious. Putting a more athletic (and faster) option opposite Terry McLaurin makes the Ohio attack that much more dangerous, giving rookie Justin Fields two outstanding deep ball receives as well as a nice inside and underneath option in Curtis Samuel.

For Birmingham, this deal was all about their secondary. The Stallions had been playing strong safety Darnell Savage at the free safety position, and it was clear that he was not well suited for it. In McCarter, Birmingham brings in a solid option who is a natural free safety. We expect to see a lot of McCarter when the Stallions face off against San Antonio in 2 weeks. With a bye in Week 7, Birmingham has the advantage of getting McCarter up to speed for 2 weeks before he takes the field. For Ohio, a similar situation, as they too have a bye this week before facing 1-5 St. Louis in St. Louis in Week 8.

A very light week for new injury declarations, which is what everyone wants to see. No new Injury Reserve listings and several key players returning to action this week, including Dallas HB Samaje Perine, New Jersey TE Jonnu Smith, Chicago DT Eddie Coleman, and Arizona safety Nate Allen.

OUT

CB          Nate Hairston         WSH   Broken Jaw              4-6 Weeks

FS           Julian Blackmon     LV           Covid Protocol        1 Week

DOUBTFUL

WR         Cody Latimer           MGN     Dislocated Shoulder    

FS           Micah Hyde             BAL        Collarbone

DE          Yetur Gross-Matos   NJ           Ribs

DE          Taylor Hart                DAL       Miniscus

WR         Allen Robinson       STL         Concussion

HB         Nyheim Hines          CHA      Hamstring

QUESTIONABLE

G            Brandon Brooks      OHI       Migraines

DE          Montez Sweat         ORL       Concussion

WR         Golden Tate            DEN      Back

OT          Jonah Williams       SD          Scratched Cornea

Five Players Whose 2021 Has Not Started as Planned

We pretty regularly report on the breakout stars of a new season, but for every player whose year is producing surprising success there are others from whom much was expected but whose production has not lived up to the preseason hype. We are not talking about players who have dealt with injuries which have limited their time, but those players who have had every opportunity to make hay, but are somehow stuck in neutral, or in some cases reverse. Here are five names who had a lot of attention in the preseason but who have simply not been living up to our expectations for them.

QB Russell Wilson (ORL)

After a pair of very solid seasons, many looked at Wilson and expected even more in 2021, but the numbers (and the wins) have just not been there. Wilson is a solid 10 points below his 2020 QB Rating, and with 8 TDs to 11 picks, he is upside down on one of the most important stats for a passer. His receiving group is solid (Perriman, Maclin and Njoku), but the line has been an issue. But even with that being a concern, the real issue is Wilson’s choices as he reads the field, a mental issue which Wilson absolutely needs to address.

HB Phillip Lindsay (DEN)

Last season the Gold opted to trade away DeMarco Murray, putting their full confidence in Phillip Lindsay to be the lead back in Denver. After 6 games, that is looking like it might have been premature. Lindsay has struggled to take on the mantle, averaging only 3.3 yards per carry. He is averaging just over 60 yards per game, which is not a number that will scare a defensive coordinator. With Leonard Fournette only averaging 2.5 yards on his carries, it seems clear Lindsay will remain the starter, but Denver needs to find a way to get him more yards before defenders are on him.

WR Nelson Agholor (LA)

Once a primary target in LA, Agholor has seen his production steadily drop since 2018. He finished that year with 62 catches and 662 yards, both career highs. Each year since his numbers have been smaller, with only 28 catches last year (though he did miss several games to injury). In 2021, he has been active for all 6 games but has only 17 catches for 182 yards in 6 weeks. As he loses more and more snaps to Marqise Lee, it seems Coach Lewis is just not feeling that Agholor can get it done.

DE Sam Acho (MEM)

2020 was a career year for Acho, who finished with 7 sacks and 65 tackles. 2020 is not going to top that. Six games in and Acho has yet to record a sack, he has only 3 sacks, and more often than not we are seeing Coach Ryan take him off the field in key pass rush situations, replaced by Chase Winovich. Yes, the arrival of J. J. Watt was going to disrupt the 2020 D-Line rotation, but Acho is more and more the odd man out among the 4 ends on the roster.

LB Vontez Burfict (OKL)

Last year Burfict had 55 tackles in only 11 games during an injury-shortened season. He also had 4 forced fumbles and 5 sacks. So far in 2020, Burfict has yet to record a sack or a forced fumble and is averaging fewer than 2 tackles per game. With Odell Thurman coming over from Michigan, and the development of Ken Muray and Ronnie Perkins, it feels like Burfict, and all the drama he tends to bring with him, is no longer being tolerated or highlighted.

Bye Weeks Begin in USFL Week 7

It’s a whole new world for the USFL as the impact of their new 17-week, 1-bye schedule starts to take shape this week. We will have bye week teams from Week 7 through 11, shaking up the weekly schedule and giving teams a chance to heal, to refocus, and to add some wrinkles before they hit the season’s home stretch. So, how do the byes work out? Here is our guide to each of the bye weeks.

Week 7: The entire Central Division, plus 3 Southern teams.

A big bye week with 8 teams off on their break, including Birmingham, New Orleans, Houston, and the entire Central Division. That means 2 weeks for St. Louis and Ohio to prepare for a Week 8 meeting and 2 weeks for Chicago and Pittsburgh to prepare for their clash in Soldier Field. The 3 Southern teams will all be out of division when they come back into action.

Week 8: Another 8-team bye week, but this time there is no real rhyme or reason to the combination, with 2 Southwestern teams (Dallas & Las Vegas), 4 Pacific Teams ( Los Angeles, Oakland, Portland, and Seattle) and 2 Northeastern teams (New England, Philadelphia) getting their byes. Of the 8 teams getting the bye this week, only one, the Oakland Invaders will get a divisional opponent, hosting the San Diego Thunder, who don’t get their bye until Week 10.

Week 9: Back to a divisional day of rest, with all 5 Southeastern teams getting a bye in Week 9, along with 1 more, the Oklahoma Outlaws. So, the Southeast will all take a break together, and in Week 10, when they hit the field again we will see Tampa Bay at Jacksonville and Orlando at Atlanta. Charlotte is the odd man out, as they will get 2 weeks to prepare for a visit from the Philadelphia Stars.

Week 10: Six teams will rest in Week 11, representing 3 divisions and including Arizona, Baltimore, Denver, New Jersey, San Diego, and Washington. At least for these 6, they will have a very clear “home stretch” coming ahead in Weeks 11-17.

Week 11: The two who drew the short straw and must wait for Week 11 before they get their week off, Memphis and San Antonio, the last two Southern squads. Will a late bye be a curse or a blessing? We won’t know until Week 12 and beyond.

Our first reduced schedule, with only 11 games on tap and the entire Central Division (along with Birmingham, Houston, and New Orleans) on their bye. So, what does that do to our TV schedule? Well, ESPN & EFN lose a Friday night game. NBC loses their Saturday night game, and both ABC and Fox remove regional coverage from Sunday to have only national games at the 12pm and 4pm slots.

So, what is on tap this week? Some really huge matchups, actually. It does not get much bigger than our Friday Night Lights game on NBC, when 6-0 Tampa Bay heads to 5-1 Atlanta for a battle at the top of the Southern Division. If Atlanta wants to be seen as a real challenger to the defending league champs, this is their best chance to prove it.

On Saturday, the best game looks to be 4-2 Seattle heading across the country to play Orlando at Camping World Stadium. The Renegades are 3-3 and really have not shown us much. They face a very tough Dragon squad who want to retain their spot atop the Pacific. Then, on Sunday, we have some more interdivisional fun when Denver heads to Memphis to face the Showboats. The Gold opted to stay in the region all week after knocking off New Orleans, practicing up in Shreveport at Louisiana Tech. They now head into Memphis hoping to get another win on their Southern swing.

Another good one on Sunday has 4-2 Las Vegas still looking for respect, heading to Glendale to face the Arizona Wranglers. Arizona dropped to 3-3 this week, and you know they want nothing more than to reassert themselves as the favorite in a very tight Southwest Division. Expect that one to get heated, and not just because the Wranglers plan to open the roof at State Farm Arena for the first time this season.

FRI @ 8pm ET         Tampa Bay (6-0) @ Atlanta (5-1)                      NBC

SAT @ 12pm ET       New England (2-4) @ New Jersey (3-3)          ABC

SAT @ 12pm ET       Seattle (4-2) @ Orlando (3-3)                             FOX

SAT @ 4pm ET         Los Angeles (2-4) @ Oakland (4-2)                   ABC

SAT @ 4pm ET        Charlotte (0-6) @ Portland (1-5)                     FOX

SAT @ 8pm ET         San Antonio (2-4) @ Dallas (3-3)                      EFN/ESPN

SUN @ 12pm ET     Denver (4-2) @ Memphis (3-3)                         ABC

SUN @ 12pm ET      Baltimore (3-3) @ Jacksonville (0-6)                  FOX

SUN @ 4pm ET        Oklahoma (2-4) @ San Diego (2-4)                  ABC

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

SUN @ 8pm ET       Washington (1-5) @ Philadelphia (5-1)            ESPN/EFN 

BYES: Birmingham, Chicago, Houston, Michigan, New Orleans, Ohio, Pittsburgh, and St.Louis