2022 USFL Conference Championships Recap

The Conference Finals produced a Summer Bowl matchup that we know the league, the network, and the sponsors are going to love. The 2-time defending champions will be taking on perhaps the team of the decade and 3-time Summer Bowl winner as Tampa Bay faces off against Arizona in a battle of the two conferences' top seeds in Summer Bowl 2022. Both teams found themselves in tough title game matchups this week, but both prevailed and will move on to face each other in Washington D. C. this Saturday night. We will break down how both teams got to Summer Bowl 2022, preview the game, and provide you with the latest updates, including our Big Story, some major retirement news that could again shake up the offseason for several teams. All that, plus news out of Tennessee, LA, and League HQ in New York, as well as the 2022 Award Winners and All-USFL team in a jam-packed edition of This Week in the USFL.

Bradford Contemplates, Lacy Bows Out at 29, and More Retirement News

Retirements continue to become big news across the USFL as the offseason has led to some significantly impactful announcements, beginning just 2 weeks ago with Calais Campbell announcing that his 2022 campaign would be his last. In that first week we also heard from Denver WR Golden Tate, Atlanta safety Earl Thomas, and a trio of starting left tackles (Carimi, Dotson, and Oher). Then, last week, fans in Houston learned that their team was going to look dramatically different in 2023 after both 2021 MVP quarterback Colt McCoy and All-USFL halfback Carlos Hyde had also put on the Gambler jersey for the last time. This week we have a mix of announcements and rumors that could cause major revisions to their club’s plans for the offseason. 

Let’s start with what we know. Former St. Louis Skyhawk and current Oklahoma Outlaw back Eddie Lacy has announced that the 2022 season would be his last. This was a bolt out of the blue for the Outlaws as Lacy is only 29 years old and still has 2 years on his contract, a deal he extended only last year. Lacy has struggled in Oklahoma City, appearing in only 12 games each of the past 2 years and watching his production drop as well, with his last 1,000-yard season coming in 2019 with the Skyhawks, his two seasons in OKC have produced 797 yards and only 590 yards this year. The grind of the game, impacted certainly by Lacy’s style of play as a predominantly inside runner, may well have caused his body to break down, evident in the missed games over the past 3 seasons (18 in 3 years). With Lacy’s departure, the Outlaws now have to either prioritize the tailback position in the offseason or build around Devin Singletary, who had only 78 carries for 282 yards in 2022. 

In Dallas the concern is again for the defense, a problem area for several years now, but certainly made more problematic by the announcement this week that All-USFL cornerback Patrick Peterson will leave the game at age 35. Peterson, who has averaged over 80 tackles per season since his 2014 campaign in New Orleans, is one of the league’s best ball hawks, producing 42 picks in his career and a league record 13 defensive touchdowns off of pick-sixes. Peterson set another league record with 5 pick-six scores in 2021, but failed to record one this year. His absence leaves a huge hole in the secondary, one which we expect the Roughnecks will seek veteran leadership to fill, rather than promoting Ja’Sir Taylor to the 1-spot after only one year in the league. 

Finally, we have to address the rumors coming out of Chicago, because if they prove to be true, then the Machine has a major issue to address after what had been a very positive year. There is a lot of talk this past week that starting QB Sam Bradford is poised to announce his retirement after 13 years in the USFL (6 in New Jersey, 3 in LA, and 4 in Chicago. Bradford is 34, and has certainly taken a lot of physical punishment over his career, but has put up his two best seasons statistically in 2021 and 2022, surpassing 4,000 yards and 20 touchdowns both seasons. With Chicago reaching the playoffs with identical 11-5 records in both seasons, winning the Central Division in back-to-back years for the first time for the first time in team history, there was a lot of positivity going into the offseason, and it was expected that Bradford would be at the helm for another run at a possible Summer Bowl appearance in 2023. The rumors, however, seem to be from credible sources close to Bradford and the Machine, and could indicate that the quarterback is looking long term, is concerned about his health, and is simply not feeling the same fire in his belly as in past years to return to training again in a few weeks.

If true, if Bradford does step away from the game, then the Machine have to focus on the QB position as a primary target of offseason attention and team resources. Bradford was in a contract year, and while no deal had been struck, one was expected even at this late date. If he steps away, that leaves the Machine with only 34-year old veteran backup Mike Kafka, and 2^nd year practice squader Ian Book as options. Losing Bradford will almost certainly force Chicago to consider a possible free agent quarterback like a Matt McGloin or Kirk Cousins, or take a shot at one of the top tier QB options in the draft, players like Alabama’s Bryce Young or Ohio State’s C. J. Stroud. It also almost certainly means re-evaluating the goals for 2023, building in a year of adjustment and development before a Summer Bowl run could be in the works, a major change of focus for a team and a fanbase that though they were on the cusp.

SAN ANTONIO GUNSLINGERS 20 TAMPA BAY BANDITS 27

The Eastern Conference Finals felt very much like a David v. Goliath situation. On one side of the field you had the San Antonio Gunslingers, a team brought back to existence only 3 seasons ago, having qualified for their first postseason action ever, and very much a team with more ambition than experience. On the other sideline were the two-time defending USFL champions, looking to solidify their place in league history as a dynasty and potentially the first team in the league’s 40-year history to win three titles in a row. So, did the Gunslingers really have what it took to pull off a major upset and take down the Bandits at Raymond James?

While both the Vegas books and most USFL fans did not give Coach Chuck Long’s Gunslingers much of a chance, no one bothered to tell the team, and they played the game very much like a team that felt they deserved to be there and had a real chance at success, an attitude that kept this game far closer than most anticipated and provided more than a fair share of concern from the 58,272 in attendance at Raymond James. But, in the end, the experience and talent of the Bandits proved to be enough to provide them with the final advantage and move Tampa Bay one step closer to an unprecedented 3^rd straight title.

In a game that would be tied at 20-20 after 3 quarters, San Antonio showed time and again that they belonged in the Conference Final, and that they were not awestruck by the Bandit team they were facing. They cam in with a bend-don’t-break defensive scheme, one which relied on flooding zones with defenders rather than trying to put pressure on Dak Prescott. That strategy was largely effective, leading Dak Prescott to a somewhat pedestrian 12 of27 on the day, limiting him to only 198 yard passing, and only a lone TD pass, though that pass proved to be a big one. On offense, San Antonio balanced the run and the pass, focusing on possession and creating manageable 3^rd downs to keep Tampa Bay’s offense off the field. That too proved effective, at least through three quarters.

Both teams came out onto the field a bit tentative, evident in the 3 initial drives of the game, two by the Gunslingers and one from the Bandits, that produced almost immediate punts, with only one first down among the three possessions. But, as so often happens, by the final third of the opening period the two teams started to find themselves offensively. It began with the Bandits finally hitting on a third down play, with a draw play catching San Antonio off-guard as Dalvin Cook sprinted for 8 yards on a 3^rd and 7. That play sparked the Bandit offense and 6 plays later it would be Cook putting the first points of the game on the board, breaking free of an initial hit before cutting back behind the guard and into the endzone to put Tampa Bay up 7-0 at the 3:37 mark of the period.

That touchdown drive would get the ball rolling, and it looked like the Bandits were ready to add more after they forced a quick 3-and-out and got the ball back with 2:12 left to play. But three consecutive incompletions from Prescott, one a tipped ball and one nearly picked off by Gunslinger corner Jaquan Johnson, produced a punt only 51 seconds later, and that punt proved a turning point for the Gunslingers. DeMetrius McCay, who had only averaged 6.3 yards per return all season, did significantly better than average, taking the ball on his own 38, immediately taking an upfield angle and shaking past the initial wave of defenders on his way to a punt return touchdown that silenced the previously celebratory Bandit crowd. The game would go to the 2^nd quarter tied at 7, but, with most able to dismiss the punt return score as a lucky play, the Bandit fans were still in full voice and still feeling good.

They would feel even better when, 1:35 into the 2^nd quarter, Dalvin Cook put up his 2^nd TD of the game, this one a 7-yard edge run that saw him find the corner, get a good block from Ryan Grant, and into the endzone to again put the Bandits ahead by 7. They would not relinquish the lead in the half, but they would see it tighten as the 3 final drives of the half produced 2 San Antonio field goals and one by the Bandits. The final Gunslinger drive kept San Antonio’s spirits high, having gone down 17-10 with 1:18 left, Joe Flacco led a furious 5-play drive that included a trick play that worked to perfection as HB Raheem Mostert took a lateral on a flat route, drew in the defense and then threw the ball across the field back to Flacco, who picked up 7 before going out of bounds. With a QB known as a living statue in the pocket, the play caught Tampa completely off guard. San Antonio would put up a final play field goal and went into the half down only 4.

Tampa Bay moved the lead back to 7 with an early field goal in the 3^rd, but they never got that key score that would put them up by double digits and change the tone of the game. In fact, when Joe Flacco connected with Brandon LaFell for a 31-yard strike to the Bandit 5 and 2 plays later flipped the ball to Julius Thomas on a shovel pass screen for the score, both the Bandit sideline and the crowd started to show signs of concern. The game was tied at 20 as the teams prepped for the 4^th quarter and while San Antonio’s sideline seemed energized, there was an air of concern up and down the benches on the Bandit side of the field.

The Bandits needed a statement drive, and both Coach Trestman and Dak Prescott were well aware of it. Trestman conferred with his OC up in the booth, with the key word being “tempo”, and Tampa Bay came out with what would be a 13-play drive that averaged only 21 seconds between plays. With Prescott in the shotgun for most of the drive, using muddle-huddles near the line to quickly get from play to play, the Bandits moved the ball from their own 20 to the San Antonio 10-yard line in short order. Underneath routes let Dez Bryant and Deebo Samuel contribute to the quick-paced drive, combined with a pair of quick-hitting run plays by Dalvin Cook, a nice Matt Breida pitch play, and finally a goalline connection from Prescott to TE Jordan Cameron.

That drive not only returned Tampa Bay to a 7-point lead, but left both the team and the nearly 60,000 inside Raymond James with the impression that Tampa Bay could score when they wanted, which meant that they controlled the final period. Even if the Gunslingers could tie the game, the Bandits and Bandit Nation now felt like they could storm back and take the lead again, having shown what they could do with focus. They would not need to prove that theory. San Antonio would not cross midfield for the rest of the game, with the Bandit defense also proving they were up to the task. Two of the team’s four sacks in the game would come in the 4^th, along with the game’s only turnover, a forced ball towards Garrett Wilson snatched away by FS Hamsah Nasirildeen that gave the Bandits the ball with 3:37 left to play. They would run off nearly 3 full minutes before punting the ball back to the Gunslingers, and with 48 seconds to work with, San Antonio could not muster a game-saving drive.

The Bandits had escaped, and that is how it felt, that San Antonio had found a formula to slow down and contain the Bandit Ball offense, but just could not muster enough offense in the 2^nd half to overtake the Bandits. An escape, not a dominant win, but it was an escape that got the job done. The Bandits would be heading to D.C. and Summer Bowl 2012, their third trip in three years and a chance to rewrite the USFL history books with a possible threepeat as champions.

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SEATTLE DRAGONS 14 ARIZONA WRANGLERS 16

The night game from State Farm Stadium would determine who would stand in Tampa Bay’s path towards a historical threepeat. The home team, the Arizona Wranglers, were the conference’s one seed, a 13-3 squad that had combined big play offense with a Top 10 defense that was particularly tough against the run. Facing them would be the Seattle Dragons, winners of 8 in a row, owners of the 3^rd best scoring defense in the league, the league’s leading rusher in Knowshon Moreno, and one of the three teams to have beaten Arizona in the regular season, a pretty solid 27-14 victory at Lumen Field in Week 8.

We highlight the defenses for both teams because that would be the dominant factor in the game, with both teams limited on offense and both relying on short fields to put points up. There were 4 turnovers forced in this game, two for each team, and of the 30 points scored, 21 would come from an unexpected change of possession, including the opening score of the game. After a scoreless first quarter that saw only 3 combined first downs between the two teams, Seattle got the first break of the game when a short pass from Ryan Nassib to Brandon Aiyuk appeared to produce a first down, but when Aiyuk was hit by FS Quandre Diggs, the ball popped out of his hands, bounced off Diggs and was brought down by CB Chidobe Auzie for the first turnover and a first down for Seattle on the Arizona 31. From there Seattle got a nice connection from Hundley to Kyle Rudolph and followed it with a 9-yard TD run by the league’s leading rusher, Knowshon Moreno.

The takeaway-turned-touchdown would be repeated as a theme only 2:34 later as a quick Arizona 3-and-out was followed by a tough break for Seattle HB and punt returner Wendell Smallwood, who tried to spin out of a tackle only to have the ball pop loose. Recovered by LB Mykal Walker, the Seattle turnover sparked the Wranglers for the equalizer, with Ryan Nassib connecting with Tyler Lockett for the slot receiver’s only catch of the day, but a meaningful one as it equalized the score at 7-7.

It looked like the game might go to the half with that score, but with Arizona pushing to get in field goal range late in the half, Ryan Nassib made a rare mistake, forcing a ball towards DeMarcus Robinson. Quandre Diggs was again the man on the spot, picking off the pass and returning it to the Arizona 40. After a Knowshon Moreno run gained only a single yard, Seattle took a chance that would pay off. They shifted pre-snap to a Wildcat formation, with Moreno under center and Hundley lined up in the slot next to Devin Funchess. Moreno took the snap, with Hundley in motion. The QB took the ball on a short lateral, moving left to right, and looked back towards Funchess. The movement had worked, drawing the safety in and leaving the receiver in single coverage. Hundley planted, turned and three an arcing ball to the left sideline, where Funchess snatched it out of the air before cutting inside, avoiding the diving tackle of the corner, giving a couple of high steps as he crossed the plane and put 6 on the board.

The State Farm Stadium crowd was stunned, the Wranglers deflated, and the Dragons overjoyed as they took a 14-7 lead into the half, feeling very much like a team that had overcome the crowd and the mystique of a team that had made 5 Summer Bowl trips and won 3 titles in the past decade. Seattle had used a trick play and had relied on takeaways to score 14 in the half, but they were feeling confident. In the locker room, Coach Jim Tomsula urged the Wranglers play within themselves, to avoid making negative plays, and just do their jobs. There were 30 minutes of play left and Seattle had gotten lucky, not outplayed the Arizona team.

That message took hold with the Wranglers, who came out in the 2^nd half with focus and determination. Their opening drive brought Wrangler Nation back from the concession stands and bathroom breaks, crossing midfield in only 4 plays, with both Ka’Deem Carey and Tyler Allgeier both having their longest runs of the day on the drive, a 14-yarder for Carey and a 10-yarder that crossed midfield for Allgeier. The two would combine for 108 yards on the day, with 71 coming in the second half as Arizona started to wear down the Seattle line.

After crossing midfield, Ryan Nassib would take on the bigger role in the drive, first connecting with TE Robert Tonyan, his primary target on the day, for a toss that took the Wranglers down to the Seattle 24, and then, 2 plays later, finding Aiyuk for a 22-yard TD. A rare doink off the goalpost for Elliott Parson meant that Seattle maintained the lead, now 14-13, but the drive had given Arizona a sense of control that they had not felt in the first half. That sense ended up proving itself in the 2^nd half. Seattle, after gaining 201 yards in the first half would gain only 91 in the second, and their lone scoring opportunity, a Jeffery Harris 51-yard field goal, would be called back on a penalty, forcing a punt. Seattle would not force any more Arizona turnovers, and while their defense played well enough to avoid another touchdown, they would give up a field goal in the final minute of the third to give Arizona a slim 16-14 lead.

That lead would prove to be enough, with Seattle’s offense able to penetrate deep enough into Arizona territory to give Harris another shot at a field goal, Arizona would eat up 9 of the 4^th quarter’s 15 minutes of gametime. With 2:02 left to play, the Wranglers converted on a key 3^rd and 3, with Nassib taking a risk, throwing the ball to Tonyan instead of using the run. That play allowed Arizona to kill clock down to only 17 seconds to play before punting the ball back to Seattle. The Dragons tried to go deep on the next 2 plays, but failed to connect, and that ran down the clock with no real threat to Arizona’s slim lead.

The Wranglers would be heading to Washington’s Audi Field in what would be billed a battle of dynasties. The Wranglers, winners of 3 titles since 2013 against the Bandits, winners of the past two USFL championships. Tomsula vs. Trestman, a resurgent Ryan Nassib vs. MVP Dak Prescott, and two defenses known for aggressive play going head to head.

Dalvin Cooks for Bandits

Go back through our reports all year and you will see that we have not spent much time praising Tampa Bay halfback Dalvin Cook. That felt like a mistake on our part this week as the Bandit ballcarrier came up big against the Gunslingers, carrying the ball 23 times for 85 yards and putting the ball in the endzone twice. While we tend to focus on the big play receivers, Bryant and Grant, and Dak Prescott’s skill at the long ball, the reality is that without Cook’s 1,116 rushing and 300 yards as a receiver.

In this week’s Conference Title showdown, Cook was the most consistent and reliable weapon for the Bandits, helping to keep drives moving, and keeping the Gunslinger defense honest. It is not a glamorous job, though the occasional break away run can get fans to their feet, but Cook’s consistent threat as a ballcarrier helps make the Bandit offense the potent force that it is.

Wilson Embarrassed by 2 of 6 Day

Rookie wideout Garrett Wilson would be named Rookie of the Year, only 4 days later, but on Sunday he was not feeling like a champion. Wilson caught only 2 of 6 targets in San Antonio’s Conference Title Game defeat, with 2 of the 4 missed passes ruled drops. He would gain only 15 yards, a far cry from his average of 86.5 per game that took him to 1,384 yards in the regular season. Compared to his Divisional Playoff output of 5 receptions on 6 targets with 51 yards and a TD, Wilson was not feeling special on Sunday.

Of course, this would not be the first time that CB Jalen Ramsey would make a receiver have a sub-par game, paired with SS Derwin James to bracket Wilson most of the game, it was not surprising that Joe Flacco would feel forced to look elsewhere, or that only 2 of the passes sent Wilson’s way would be brought in. The Bandits had Ramsey shadow Wilson all game, with Asante Samuel facing off against Brandon LaFell on the other side. San Antonio knew that the Bandit secondary would be tough to break, and that proved to be the case as both receivers had sub-par games, but rookie Wilson, in his first Conference Final, clearly felt the hurt of not coming through. By game’s end he was visibly upset with himself, the kind of frustration that winning the ROTY won’t resolve, only a strong sophomore campaign can help. So watch out for Wilson in 2023, because we think he will be on a mission.

Dynasty Talk Motivates Haden & Wranglers

While there is certainly plenty of focus on the possibility of the Bandits winning a 3^rd consecutive title, we need to also look at the Arizona Wrangler legacy as a huge factor in the 2022 Summer Bowl, because the Wranglers themselves certainly are. Just ask All-USFL cornerback Joe Haden. “We respect the Bandits, but the dynasty is us, not them. The best of the best is us, and we know it.” Said a fiery Haden in a Monday press conference.

Haden is not wrong. After all, since 2013 the Wranglers have appeared in the USFL playoffs all 10 years, winning titles in 2013, 2016, and 2019, while appearing in the Summer Bowl as well in 2015 and 2018. And while Haden was quite aggressive in his celebration of the Wranglers’ success, local Phoenix media has been playing up another point. With titles every 3^rd year this decade, 2022 would fit the pattern. 2013 to 2016, then to 2019, and now to 2022. Is that a pattern to repeat again this year? Winning a 4^th title in 10 years would certainly push Arizona into the rarest of air, challenging our perception of a dynasty, just as Tampa winning a 3rd title in a row would do. So, essentially, whoever ends up lifting the John Bassett Trophy this Saturday, it will be as part of a historic dynasty.

Tonyan Stuns Seattle With Career Day

Going into the matchup with Arizona, the Dragons felt they knew the keys to holding down the Wrangler offense. They would have to deal with the 2-headed HB duo of Carey and Allgeier, and they would need to keep the WR combo of Brandon Aiyuk and DeMarcus Robinson, with 2,374 yards between them, from getting behind the defense for big plays. What they almost certainly did not plan for was a focus on TE Robert Tonyan. No disrespect to the Wrangler tight end, but Tonyan has largely played the role of safety valve, not primary target for the Wranglers, but that was not the case this week.

Perhaps we should give Kudos to Seattle for their ability to hold Aiyuk and Robinson to a total of 5 catches and 65 yards combined (and that includes Aiyuk’s 22-yard TD which accounts for a full third of the game’s total). But we should also recognize that Robert Tonyan finished as the lead receiver for either team , bringing in 5 of 8 targets for 118 yards and producing a pair of key third down conversions in the game. Sometimes when a defense has your leading weapons accounted for, you have to turn to someone else to step up, and in this week’s Western Final, that player was Robert Tonyan, and he stepped up just as Coach Tomsula told him he would need to do.

Looks like we will have a largely injury-free Summer Bowl, with no players reported by Arizona and a very likely return of both center Frank Ragnow and guard Travis Bond for the Bandits. That is what we always want, to worthy opponents at full strength going toe to toe.

TBY:       C Frank Ragnow (P), OG Travis Bond (P)

ARZ:      None Reported

2022 USFL Awards & All-USFL Team

The USFL Gala at Washington’s Howard Theatre was a star-studded event, bringing together USFL royalty, legends of the game, and a fair share of celebrities as well, including several major political figures, along with stars of stage and screen. But there were no bigger stars on hand for the event than the players being celebrated on the night, including the winners of this season’s five major awards as well as the full 2022 All-USFL team, both revealed over the course of the evening. This year’s awards and All-USFL list were not without some controversies, though we certainly believe that those honored were more than worthy for recognition for the season they put together in 2022.

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER

While official voting was not revealed, it seems clear that this year’s race was a 2-horse race, with voters deciding between the statistical superiority of New Orleans QB Geno Smith, who hit the QB trifecta by finishing the season atop the yardage, touchdown, and QB rating leaderboard, and the team success (and impressive numbers) put up by 2-time MVP Dak Prescott. Bandit fans may feel slighted, and perhaps there was some bias against a 3^rd award for the Tampa Bay QB, but you cannot argue that the numbers which Geno Smith, this year’s MVP winner, put on the board, were not impressive. Smith led the league, as we said, with 4,620 yards (more than 500 more than Prescott), threw for 34 touchdowns (1 more than Prescott), and finished with a 107.0 QBR (Prescott’s 113.5 was not counted as his reduced snaps due to missed action in weeks 15-16 caused him to fall short of the required attempt total). His surge in the final six weeks of the season, topping 400 yards three times, and throwing for 13 touchdowns, helped New Orleans win their final 4 games to jump from 5-7 to 9-7 and a playoff spot. Prescott would win the head-to-head matchup last week to move into the Eastern Conference Finals, but on this night, the voters went with stats and gave the individual award to Smith, his first MVP title.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Another battle took place within the OPOTY voting as voters had to decide if they would recognize Prescott here or stick to the familiar formula of choosing from players outside of the QB position. With league rushing leader Knowshon Moreno’s season totals falling well short of prior HB winners of the award (his 1,283 representing the lowest yardage total for a league leader since 2001, when Terrell Davis won with 1,234), it was truly about the receivers in 2022. Brandin Cooks led all receivers with 116 yards, but with Portland finishing at the bottom of the Pacific Division, his ability to garner votes was limited. Not so for Birmingham’s Henry Ruggs, who led the league with 1,592 yards and 15 touchdowns. That double dip was enough to give the former Alabama star the edge over players like Cooks, Moreno, and 2021 winner Dez Bryant.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

No shock at all with the DPOTY, not when you get the first player to hit 30 sacks in a season who is not named Calais Campbell, and while Montez Sweat had an outstanding year, also crossing the 30-sack bar, it was Brian Burns who became the talk of the league in 2022. Not only did he finish the year ahead of Sweat by 1 sack (31-30), but he did it by leaping over several players with one of the most dominant single games any USFL defender has ever put together. Burns ran roughshod over a dispirited Jacksonville Bulls team in Week 15 to the tune of 7 sacks on the day, a new single game record. That game jumped him over J. J. Watt, A. J. Epenesa, and Montez Sweat, giving him a 4-sack lead, one which Sweat would eat into but could not fully catch. While we had some real fun with this year’s sack leaderboard, Brian Burns’s season was a thing to behold and his honor hear is absolutely well earned.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

Early in the year it looked like Arizona HB Tyler Allgeier might be the frontrunner for this award, with a ton of early season touches, yards, and touchdowns, but with Arizona sticking to its 2-back plan with Allgeier sharing carries with Ka’Deem Carey, he was soon outpaced by wideout Garrett Wilson of the San Antonio Gunslingers. Wilson’s quick adaptation to the pros was evident as early as Week 2, when he put up 132 yards against Birmingham. He would finish the year with four 100-yard games, a total of 1,384 yards, 8 TDs, and 102 receptions. His rapport with Joe Flacco was a big reason the Gunslingers improved their record by 5 games over 2021 and won the Southern Division in only their 3^rd year of existence as a franchise.

COACH OF THE YEAR

This too was a no-brainer, with the rapid rise of the Gunslingers from 3-13 only 2 years ago to 11-5, a division title, and a trip to the Eastern Conference Title Game in year 3. Chuck Long, the former QB of the Chicago Machine and Philadelphia Stars (1987-1997) came to the expansion Gunslingers after finding success as an OC in Arizona, where he helped turn David Carr into an MVP and helped unheralded backup Ryan Nassib lead the Wranglers to a league title. Long did not need to develop his QB in San Antonio, just build an offense around Joe Flacco that built on his strengths and reduced the number of hits, sacks, and hurries he had been taking with the Texas/Oklahoma Outlaws. Along the way, Long also helped build the 3^rd best run game in the USFL with a combo of speedster Raheem Mostert and the steady one-cut skills of NFL veteran Melvin Gordon. Despite having a lower tier defense (19^th in scoring, 24^th in yards allowed), the Gunslingers won the South by going 6-2 in the Alamodome and a solid 5-3 on the road, sweeping both Houston and Memphis and splitting their series with the Stallions and Breakers to win not only the South, but the 2-seed in only their 3^rd year in the league.

As the gala moved through the major awards, they paused to reveal the various positions which won the fan and coaches polls for the All-USFL team. Along the way there were a fair share of surprises, and a few snubs, but, as with the 5 major awards, you cannot deny that every representative on the team had an outstanding 2022 and deserved to be recognized as All-USFL performers. Here is your 2022 All-USFL Team:

QB:  League MVP Geno Smith is joined by Tampa Bay’s Dak Prescott and St. Louis’s Lamar Jackson. Jackson is a bit of a surprise, but fans apparently loved his style of play, which reminded many of a younger Cam Newton. Speaking of Newton, he and Joe Flacco were the two players many expected could be the 3^rd QB, but were leapfrogged by the dynamic St. Louis QB.

HB: No surprises here as the 3 leading rushers of the 2022 season made the cut. Knowshon Moreno (SEA), LeVeon Bell (MGN), and Derrick Henry (PHI) took the honors, in the case of Bell and Henry, they did so purely on individual merit as their teams finished near the bottom of the league standings.

FB: Always a tough category because there just are not a lot of stats to go on and the fan vote tends to be all over the map. The coaches tend to be a bit more focus, and this year, their consensus choice, Orlando’s Patrick Ricard took the honors. Ricard is a devastating blocker and a huge reason that NFL import Chris Carson finished the year with over 1,100 yards. He is also a capable receiver, and a solid short-yardage back, evident in the 44 carries the Renegades gave him, none on longer than 2 yards to go for a first down.

TE: A bit of a down year for tight ends across the league, with none reaching the magical 1,000 yard mark, and, in what could be a controversial result, neither of the two players who hit 900 yards (Oklahoma’s Mark Andrews or Denver’s T. J. Hockenson) won the votes needed to make the All-USFL team. Instead, the honor went to two veteran ends who just had higher name recognition, New Orleans’s Coby Fleener and Tampa Bay’s Jordan Cameron.

WR: Always a tough category to limit, as with only 5 slots, someone who had an outstanding season is going to be missed. This year’s group is certainly a who’s who of big play receivers, starting with OPOTY Henry Ruggs from the Stallions. He is joined by Dez Bryant of the Bandits, Denver’s Golden Tate in his final year of play, St. Louis breakout star Deionte Johnson, and ROTY Garrett Wilson from the Gunslingers. Just outside of the top 5 are A. J. Green of Atlanta and Mike Evans of Houston, both of whom went over 1,400 yards in 2022.

OT: No surprise that the lead vote getter was Arizona’s Brandon Scherff. He has become a regular on this list and with the run game the Wranglers put together this year, Scherff gets a huge bump as one of the best run-blocking left tackles in the league. Joining him are two first timers, New Orleans’s Charles Cross, who registered 123 pancakes while giving up only 2 sacks all season, and Ohio’s Greg Little, a bit of a surprise for fans, but a highly respected tackle in coaching circles, giving up a lone sack of Justin Fields all season.

OG: The road graters, the big men who keep the pocket intact, guards don’t get enough love, but these three certainly earned our respect this year. The All-USFL guards are Arizona’s Corey Levin, Birmingham’s Benjamin Grubbs, and another Wrangler lineman, Xavier Su’a-Filo. The big man for the Wranglers is Utah-born, but of Samoan origin, the latest in a long line of All-USFL performers with Samoan heritage.

C: Yes, a third Wrangler from the 5-man starting line is recognized as veteran Robert Vega gets his 2^nd All-USFL nod, 5 years after earning the honors as a member of the Philadelphia Stars. He joins Houston’s Shaq Mason, earning his 8^th consecutive honor and a mainstay of the All-USFL team.

DE: You can guess who got the nod at the top of this list, DPOTY Brian Burns is joined by fellow 30-sack man Montez Sweat. The biggest surprise is not so much that J. J. Watt picked up the 3^rd spot, but that for the first time in over a decade, Calais Campbell did not earn recognition. It would have been a nice nod after his retirement announcement, but the votes came in before he announced and the three who were named certainly earned the honor. St. Louis’s A. J. Epenesa had a monster season as well, but with only 3 slots, there just was not room to add him to this year’s team.

DT: Two easily predictable selections lead this position group as LA’s Chris Jones and Pittsburgh’s Aaron Donald are now annual favorites, dominating at the line and racking up sack totals that look like those of an edge rusher. They are joined by an All-USFL first-timer and one of our favorites from a name standpoint: Snacks Harrison of Arizona. The 3^rd year nose for the Wranglers did not have the big numbers of Jones or Donald, but was huge in the Wranglers earning Top 5 rankings against the run and for total points allowed.

LB: An interesting vote in that 3 of the 5 named LBs play in the middle, not as hybrid pass rushers outside. That group includes Charlotte veteran Rolando McClain, San Diego’s Kyle Van Noy, and Arizona’s A. J. Klien. The two outside backers are Seattle’s Khalil Mack and Chicago’s Manti Te’o. A solid group but we are a bit surprised that Tim Williams, with 132 tackles, and Uchena Nwosu of LA, with 11 sacks, did not find a way in.

CB: A group of lock down corners any team would love to have starts with Tampa’s Jaylen Ramsey, who just proved his abilities against the ROTY in this week’s Eastern Final. Joining Ramsey are Seattle’s Richard Sherman, Chicago’s Josh Norman, and LA’s Jamar Taylor. If you are looking for a surprising snub, we would have to say New Jersey’s Aqib Talib, with 6 picks and 87 tackles is oddly absent from the list.

SS: Our two enforcers for this year are both known for the way they deliver blows and shut down inside receivers. Derwin James of the Bandits and Rahim Moore of the LA Express make going over the middle a “head on a swivel” experience. Arizona’s Budda Baker is a surprise absence, but we cannot argue with either James or Moore on the squad, not without them clobbering us anyway.

FS: If the Strong Safety is about delivering bone-rattling hits, the Free Safety is all about swooping in and snatching the ball away from an unsuspecting receiver. This year there was no one better than co-interception leader, Jevon Holland of Oakland. His 8 picks were proof of his ball skills as well as his timing and field vision. He is joined by New Orleans’s Clyde Adams, who contributed 6 picks and 49 tackles to the cause for the Breakers this year.

ST: Kicker was a bit of an easy choice this year, with Tampa Bay’s Harrison Butker not only leading the league in points, but also in field goal percentage, going 32 of 34 for a 94.1% rate. Despite having far fewer attempts this year than last, thanks to LA finally finding themselves an offense, Express punter James Sykes rounds out our team thanks to his league-best 48.2 punt average.

Governor Lee Comes Out Against Showboat Move

Well, Memphians, it looks like you have yourself a champion in Tennessee Governor Bill Lee. The Governor came out this week in strong opposition of relocation for the Showboats from Memphis to Nashville. Citing the history of the team at the Liberty Bowl, the major financial impact a move away from Memphis would have for the state’s 2^nd City, and a desire to support the entire state, from the Smokies to the Mississippi, Lee announced this week that he would veto any funding bill or bond initiative that sought to find funds for a proposed stadium upgrade in Nashville if it involved relocation of the Showboats. Saying that the state had two pro teams and needed to support both right where they are, he laid out a plan that would provide state funds for stadium construction, but only if the construction plan included both a new Nissan Stadium for the Nashville-based Tennessee Titans and a new home in Memphis for the Showboats.

The show of support for Memphis and the Showboats as Memphis’s team was a bit of a surprise for many in the state as Lee himself hails from central Tennessee and, of course, lives in Nashville as the state’s governor. But, as Lee himself cited, no state is healthy if all the money, all the growth, and all the opportunities reside only in its largest city. Lee celebrated the fact that Tennessee is a state with three very distinct regions, symbolized by the 3 stars on the state flag, and that he is governor of a state that want’s a strong eastern region, anchored by the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, a strong central region, headed by Nashville, and a strong western region, with Memphis as its hub and economic center.

The Governor’s clear statement of support for a 2-stadium plan and for Memphis to remain home to the Showboats does not officially end the bid from the city of Nashville or the current stadium governance organization, but it certainly places a huge roadblock on any potential move, and provides potential state support for what the Showboat ownership group has consistently said they wanted, a new facility in the river city.

Is Geffen Back in the Game for Express?

Back in the 1990’s, when the city of LA was seeking a return of USFL football after the initial Express club relocated to St. Louis in 1992, one of the movers and shakers that helped make it happen was music and film executive David Geffen. The founder of Asylum and Geffen Records as well as DreamWorks SKG helped put together the deal that brought an expansion team and a new stadium to the 2^nd largest city in the U.S. A founding member of the new LA Express, Geffen sold off his share of the team in 2008, around the time he left DreamWorks as well. But it appears that the urge to keep football in LA is strong with the multi-billionaire as Geffen’s name has emerged as a potential buyer for the Express over the past 2 weeks.

Geffen is perhaps more well-known as an art-collector than a sports mogul, and would be the first openly gay owner of a USFL franchise, but his background in securing the expansion Express in 1995, his familiarity with the league, the team, and with the construction of Farmers Insurance Field, all give him a leg up on most competing bids. He is a known entity to other USFL owners, and, in a time when media savvy and connections are a huge part of the league’s profile and financial plans, having an owner in LA who is not only committed to the city, but to the league as a media-savvy entity is a huge potential boon for the Express and the USFL in Los Angeles.

How Tampa Bay Wins Summer Bowl 2022

We start our preview of the 2022 Summer Bowl with the two-time defending champions. If you are not sure how the Bandits win ballgames, you have likely been in a coma for the past 3 years. The formula is pure and simple, Bandit Ball. On offense the Bandits use a multitude of formations and personnel groupings to stretch the field both horizontally and vertically. They love to use mid-range passing to set up the double move to hit deep balls, and they have the receivers to make it work in Dez Bryant, Ryan Grant, and Deebo Samuel. Overplay the outside game and they will use Dalvin Cook to soften up the pass rush or dump it down to either Cook or TE James Cameron. In other words, whatever you want to do, they will pivot to something else.

On defense, the Bandits are one of the best in the league against the run, stuffing the line with DTs Sylvester Williams and Bryan Cowart, but also bringing either Devon Kennard or DeMeco Ryans in on run blitzes as well. If you overcommit to the interior, well, that is when 2022 Sack Champion Brian Burns get loose. The Wranglers will have to chip or double Burns to keep Ryan Nassib upright, and even if they do, he still has to worry about throwing towards either Jaylen Ramsey or Asante Samuel outside.

The Bandits will win this game if they simply do what they have been doing all year, forcing Arizona into uncomfortable matchups on offense, and forcing Ryan Nassib to make quick decisions on defense. It is a formula that has worked on 15 of 17 opponents so far, and one that has won Tampa Bay the past two titles. So, will it be 3?

How Arizona Wins Summer Bowl 2022

Arizona is no stranger to the Summer Bowl either, with 2022 representing their 6^th trip to the title game in 10 years. Every Wrangler squad is a bit different, but what is consistent is the leadership and attention to detail that Coach Jim Tomsula brings to bear. The Wranglers are not a team that will be intimidated, or easily flustered. They will do what they came to do, and if Tampa finds ways to hold of Arizona early, Coach Tomsula will make adjustments, another strength of his approach.

On offense the Wranglers want to establish the run, both inside and outside, alternating Ka’Deem Carey with Tyler Allgeier. Success there helps open up the passing game and gives Ryan Nassib the time he needs to read the coverages. Like Tampa Bay, the Wranglers can attack with a range of weapons, with DeMarcus Robinson and Brandon Aiyuk at their best between 5-15 yard downfield, but also with inside pressure provided by the quick moves of slot receiver Tyler Lockett and the post-up style of TE Robert Tonyan. You may not see Nassib heaving the ball 40 yards downfield like you see with Dak Prescott, but what you will see are crisp, efficient drives that keep the ball moving and the defense guessing what is coming next.

Arizona’s defense is designed less for high impact plays and more for containment. Corners Joe Haden and A. J. Bouye keep receivers in front of them and are not particularly susceptible to double moves, which is a good trait to have when facing the Bandits. Their man skills help allow safeties Budda Baker and Taalanoa Hufanga to assist in run coverage or take on interior receivers. Arizona is not a heavy blitz team, so you can expect to see all 3 linebackers in a mix of run coverage and shallow zone throughout the game. If they do blitz, it is likely to be either Baker sensing an opportunity or weakside backer Scooby Wright. But more often than not, they allow the front 4 to focus on containing and pressuring the QB while they help remove space in the secondary.

Is Arizona’s defense a good foil for the Bandits? Quite possibly, though we think that if they leave too much time for Dak Prescott in the pocket, those zones will start to break down and even outstanding man coverage will falter. On offense, the key will be to use Allgeier, fullback Alex Armah, and 2^nd TE Maxx Williams as a second set of hands on Brian Burns. If Nassib sees too much pressure, we could see him struggle, but if his pocket remains relatively clean, he has the weapons to find holes in zones or to outlast man coverage and make plays.

Who Our Stars Say Will Take the Title

We decided that before we got in hot water by picking a winner for Summer Bowl 2022, we would turn to some experts, players who faced the Bandits and the Wranglers on the field and know what they are capable of. Baltimore, Philadelphia, Ohio, and Michigan all played both the Wranglers and the Bandits, so we asked players from all four for their input on how this game could go. Here is what they said.

Ohio FS Mark Barron: This is tough because the Wranglers shut us out, but we were hurting by the time we played them. What we saw in the Bandits was that they just can pull out a big play whenever they feel they need one. We had plays where we knew what they wanted to do and they still were able to do it. That is scary for a defense. I don’t think of Arizona that way, so I have to say that Tampa Bay feels like the more dangerous team.

Michigan QB Kirk Cousins: What I remember about the Bandits game was that they had LeVeon's number. That is not something that happens all that often, but they had him second guessing moves. We had some luck getting LeVeon into space against Arizona, and I think Dalvin Cook is a similar back, so I think Tampa Bay can potentially do the same. I like both teams, they are both really well-coached and there is a lot of talent there, but I think Arizona’s defense is more likely to get caught for a play here or there.

Baltimore DE Calais Campbell: I know we lost to the Bandits and beat the Wranglers, but I spent 2 years with Coach Tomsula and what I can tell you is that he will have his team prepared for anything the Bandits can do. He is not going to be surprised, not going to be out-coached in this one. I expect he already has some schemes in place based on what the Bandits did to San Antonio this week, but that he is also working on the mental game for every player on that squad. There is also so much experience on both teams, but I have to lean to the Wranglers because I know how they prepare for games.

Philadelphia HB Derrick Henry: They are both tough, in different ways. The Bandits will take shots, they will spread you out, and on defense they will force you outside, but at the same time, you can work the underneath passing game. Arizona just fills the field with defenders. I think they will need to do something to get to Dak, but they are not going to leave defenders on an island. Now, I know I am biased, but I think whoever can run the ball early will get the upper hand, and right now, looking at both teams, I think Cook is the best back in that game and could make some plays. I am looking at the Bandits because of that.

Who We Say Will Lift the Bassett Trophy

This is tough, because either way this game goes, it will be a historic victory. Either the Bandits win a third title in a row, never done before, or Arizona wins a 4^th title in 10 years, also never seen before. Both teams are talent rich, both have really good coaching, and both rarely make fatal mistakes. It really could come down to whose gameplan makes the best use of the players on the field and the small mistakes from the other team. It really could come down to a single turnover, or even just a bad penalty at the wrong time. Our team is pretty much in agreement that if the game starts turning into a shootout, then Tampa Bay has already won, but if it stays in a lower range, say the 20’s and not the 30’s or 40’s, well then, Arizona has a good chance to outlast and out-adjust in this one.

But you want us to pick, of course, so we will. We have looked at the film, broken down the numbers, and assessed the matchups, and even though we think this is far more of a 55-45 split than a 70-30, we all lean towards the Bandits to complete yet another amazing season with a third straight title. We think their ability to capitalize on mistakes and make a modest play into a big play is tough to defend and gives them an edge. Our official prediction is Bandits 31 Wranglers 26, with the game starting slowly, but heating up in the final 20 minutes.