2022 USFL Week 1 Recap: Game On!!

Hi, everyone. Two announcements before we kick off the 2022 USFL season. First, my apologies for the delay. I returned from international travel and was immediately a bit ill, some bronchitis and it laid me out for a while. That was followed with the Draft Day Sports simulator locking up on me, which required several days to get a fix from the folks at Wolverine Studios (Thanks to them for multiple help requests over this project). But we are now ready to kick off.

Second, and this is even tougher, I have made the difficult decision that the 2022 USFL season, the league’s 40^th, will be the last for the project. I had originally planned to take the league through 2026, but now I believe that I need to wrap up this project, take a break, and then, hopefully, return with a new project later this year. This USFL project has occupied the better part of my free time for over 5 years now, kicking off during COVID back in 2020, and extending well beyond any expectations. I hope you have enjoyed this little bit of alternate history, and I hope to return at some point this year with a new escapade in imagination, most likely a reimagining of the WFL from 1974-75, but I need some time away first. I am excited to wrap up with a great 2022 season, but will step away for a while once we reach Summer Bowl 2022. My thanks for your interest, your support, and your suggestions as I have simmed, designed, written, and imagined 40 seasons of the USFL.

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The 2022 USFL Season opened with a bang as all 30 clubs brought out their big guns for the first week of the league’s 40^th season. We had upsets, including a dismantling of the Denver Gold in St. Louis, we had champs playing like champs, with Tampa Bay knocking off Baltimore to open the new year with yet another win. We also had huge performances, including Lamar Jackson’s 5-TD day, a big game by Geno Smith and the Breakers, and both J. J. Watt and A. J. Epenesa starting the year off with 3-sack performances. We also had some surprises, including rookie Rhamondre Stevenson getting the start over Melvin Gordon for San Antonio, and 2022 MVP Colt McCoy being pulled out of Houston’s loss to in-State rival San Antonio. We will break down all the big stories of opening week, run through how some new faces in new places fared, and get you ready for another week of action, starting right now with our Big Story of the Week.

New Coaches Show Improvement, but Wins Are Hard to Get

Five new head coaches, five results that prove just how hard it is to get wins in the USFL. The new coaching class of 2022 finished the week 0-5, but along the way we saw a lot of fight, and a lot of improvement from some of the league’s worst teams from 2021. Sure, there are no such things as moral victories, and a loss is a loss, but for 4 of the 5 clubs, excluding 2022 playoff squad Houston, the takeaway was that each team had improved and was ready to compete in 2022. 

San Diego—Coach Anthony Becht

There are still questions to be answered in San Diego, but what we saw against Oklahoma was a defense that had been an absolute sieve in 2021 fight for 60 minutes and hold the Outlaws to only 171 total yards, with only 15 on the ground. With the story of the offseason for the Thunder being the departure of LB Myles Jack, the solid outing in Week 1 from the Thunder D was both unexpected and very welcome. The D got outstanding performances from DE Jonathan Newsome, who finished the game with 11 tackles, 4 for a loss, and LB Kyle Van Noy, who added 3 more TFL in his 5 tackles on the game. Oklahoma was held to only 2 converted third downs on 13 attempts, which is well below what we typically saw from the Thunder D last year. A good first outing for Coach Becht. Now, if he could only find some answers on offense, where Christian Hackenberg and Charles Sims were held in check all game.

Portland—Jim Harbaugh

Sure, losing by 10 to Arizona may not be the result that Coach Harbaugh wanted, but there was a lot to be excited about in Portland’s opening day performance, not the least of which was Marcus Mariota’ success against what is expected to be a pretty solid Arizona defense. Mariota finished with 261 yards passing and 3 TDs, including a truly beautiful ball thrown to Brandin Cooks for a 31-yard TD. Cooks finished as the Stags’ leading receiver, but we also saw good outings from Josh Gordon and TE Trey Burton, all signs that the Stags may be most improved on offense under Harbaugh. Now, for Portland, how do they improve on a defense that gave up 404 yards, allowed 8 of 14 on 3^rd down and saw the combo of Ka’Deem Carey and rookie Tyler Allgeier rush for 121 yards and 3 scores? 

Jacksonville—Mike Vrabel

For three quarters it looked like Coach Vrabel’s team had a victory in hand, building up a 12-0 lead and then holding a 15-7 advantage after three quarters, but a deflation late in the game allowed Ohio to creep back into the game and escape their trip to Duval County with a 16-15 victory. The strengths for Jacksonville were surprisingly on defense, where the Bulls picked off Justin Fields twice and limited the mobile QB to only a single yard gained on 7 rush attempts. All that was great, but where was the offense that seemed poised to be the star of the season for Jacksonville? Rookie James Cook had 50 yards in his first game, but Trevor Lawrence only threw the ball for 89 total yards, going 12 of 28 for one of his worst outings and a Week 1 QBR of only 36.2. Coach Vrabel, for as happy as he must be about the D, has to be concerned if his offense cannot do more in Week 2. 

Charlotte—Brian Daboll

Another surprising defensive game came from the Charlotte Monarchs, who looked like a very different club from the one that started 2021with 15 consecutive losses. Yes, the Monarchs struggled against LeVeon Bell, who finished with 102 yards on 22 carries, but who does not struggle to contain Bell? They were far more successful against Kirk Cousins, and on third down, where the Monarchs turned away 7 of 12 attempts. They stayed in the game, despite falling behind 19-7 early in the 4^th, and fought back to within 2 points but could not muster a final drive to escape with a win. 

Houston—Ted Cotrell

We are only 1 game into the Ted Cotrell Era in Houston and Gambler fans, spoiled by Wade Phillips’s long and successful tenure, are already worried. They are worried that their supposedly high-powered offense was held to only 1 touchdown, that Carlos Hyde averaged only 1.9 yards per attempt, that Younghoe Koo missed on 3 of 4 field goal attempts, all within 49 yards, but mostly they are worried that Coach Cotrell, a former defensive coordinator, thought it was a good idea to pull the 2021 MVP, Colt McCoy, out of the game with Houston trailing only 13-10 late in the 4^th. Cotrell says he saw something in McCoy that worried him, but fans were not ready to see Landry Jones taking the field, and with the swap not proving capable of pulling out the win for the Gamblers, questions are certainly swirling about the team’s new head coach, even with him being the hand-picked successor to Phillips.

NEW JERSEY GENERALS 28  WASHINGTON FEDERALS 24

There is nothing like a good divisional rivalry game to get the blood flowing on opening week, and that is exactly what we had at Audi Field in the heart of the District of Columbia when the New Jersey Generals came down I-95 to face the Washington Federals. With both teams wearing their 1983 throwback uniforms, it was like a trip back in time to the heady days of the early 1980’s, and while it was not Brian Sipe and Herschel Walker going up against Craig James and Joey Walters, it was very much a throwback, a matchup that has been played twice a year every year since 1983, and this year’s first edition of the Federals & Generals did not disappoint.

There were some new faces on the field for both teams when the game kicked off on Saturday, with New Jersey debuting Teddy Bridgewater for his first opening week as the Generals’ anointed starter. Victor Cruz suited up in the red and royal for the first time since signing this offseason as the ersatz replacement for a departed OBD. And it was also the first pro game of any kind for HB Kyren Williams. For Washington the new faces included rookie CB Sauce Gardner, former Renegade Dee Milliner, and DE Jerry Hughes. Milliner and Gardner would impress as the new cornerback duo, combining for 13 tackles, and a pick (Gardner’s first as a pro), while for New Jersey the standouts would be newly acquired Victor Cruz, who would finish the game with 8 receptions for 105 yards, though teammate Muhamed Sanu would be equally impressive, catching 6 for 102 and two of Bridgewaters’ 3 touchdowns on the day.

It was a game with a lot of familiarity, and a lot of nervous first week errors, including 11 penalties, 3 turnovers, and several missed opportunities, but it was also a game with a good amount of drama as these two teams, who know each other about as well as any 2 teams in the league, faced off. It was also a game that started off with a bang, with both clubs putting points on the board with their first drives. New Jersey received the opening kick, drove the ball down the field in 9 crisp plays, and got on the scoreboard first as Bridgewater threw the first of three touchdown passes, finding Sanu from 17 yards out to take a 7-0 lead. Washington responded with a nice drive of their own, based largely on play action as the Generals focused on slowing down 2^nd year back Travis Etienne. The drive bogged down outside the 30 and the Federals were forced to settle for 3 points, but it was a sign that this game would be a battle all the way.

New Jersey tried to pull away, putting up another touchdown late in the quarter, this time Bridgewater connecting with slot receiver Pharaoh Cooper, but the Federals were not backing down, mounting their own touchdown drive which took the score to 14-10 when Keenan Allen found space inside on a 7-yard play. When Washington shut down New Jersey on their next drive, the Feds got a short field and turned that into 3 more points. The game would go to the half with the Generals holding a very slight 14-13 edge.

In the 3^rd, New Jersey would again put 7 on the board, this time thanks to a 12-play, 6-minute drive, that included a 27-yard Bridgewater to Cruz throw to get the ball into the red zone, only for former Dallas Gunslinger HB C. J. Prosise to the ball into the endzone from the 9 on a very nice pitch out play. Down 8, Washington needed a successful drive, and they got one, crossing from the 3^rd into the 4^th before a 13-yard strike from Brissett to Tyreek Hill put the ball on the one, with Travis Etienne getting his first points of his sophomore campaign on the next play. Washington opted to go for 2, and again Etienne found paydirt, allowing the Federals to even the score at 21 with just over 11 minutes left in the game.

After a pair of short drives leading nowhere, Washington got a break when a Bridgewater pass was tipped at the line and rookie CB Sauce Gardner was able to make a play on the ball to bring it in on the New Jersey 22. The Generals held on the ensuing drive, which brought out Adam Vinatieri to give Washington its first lead of the game, a 30-yard kick with 3:09 left to play. New Jersey would be down only 3 with plenty of time to either score the winning touchdown or tie the game with a kick.

New Jersey opted to play aggressively, mixing outside throws from Bridgewater with inside runs from Tony Pollard and Prosise. The strategy worked, as Washington was forced to play the full width of the field, and settle for 2-deep zones to avoid a big play. There were no plays of more than 7 yards on the New Jersey drive, but there were enough mid-range plays to keep the first down marker moving, and to help New Jersey get into Washington territory with plenty of time left.

The Federals started to burn their own time outs with New Jersey in field goal range, hoping to keep enough time on the clock to counter a game-tying field goal, but the Generals were not settling for 3. With a nice throw to Jonnu Smith over the middle, and then another to Victor Cruz on a crossing pattern, the Generals moved the ball to the 9 yard line with just over 1:30 left to play. With that kind of time, and Washington down to its last timeout, the general consensus was that New Jersey would use Pollard to pound the ball three times, hoping for a touchdown and a loss of all time for a Federal recovery. But Coach Saleh thought differently, his OC calling a pass play on first and goal from the 9, a play that succeeded when Bridgewater found Muhamed Sanu in single coverage. New Jersey had taken the lead with 1:24 left to play, now they had to defend.

And defend they did, sacking Jacoby Brissett on 1^st and 10 after the kickoff, forcing Washington into a rough 2^nd and 17, which quickly turned to 3^rd and 17, and finally 4^th and 11. When Brissett was forced out of the pocket on 4^th down, throwing a desperation pass to Keenan Allen, one which fell to the ground outside the field of play, Federal hopes for a fantastic finish were dashed and New Jersey took home their first win and their first division win of the year. It may not have been Walker vs. James, but it was pure USFL football as it has been played now for 40 years.

BALTIMORE 10  TAMPA BAY 29

The Bandits celebrated their repeat championship, raising the 2021 Summer Bowl banner at Raymond James before handily defeating the visiting Baltimore Blitz on Friday night football. In very much the form they showed winning their title last year, Tampa Bay used a balanced offense to keep the Blitz defense guessing, with Dalvin Cook and Matt Breida combining for 101 yards rushing while Dak Prescott completed 11 of 26 for 225 yards and 2 scores.

POTG: Bandit DE Brian Burns: 8 Tck, 3 TFL, 1 Sck, 1 FF

OAKLAND 32  SEATTLE 24

The other Friday night special saw Oakland’s Davis Mills start off strong, completing 23 of 34 and throwing for 2 scores as the Invaders went into Seattle and dominated the 4^th quarter to turn a 24-23 deficit into a 32-24 victory. Mills hit Davante Adams for his 1^st TD in the final period, then added an Aguayo field goal to go up by 8 with only 51 seconds left to play. Seattle’s Amari Cooper caught 6 for 101 yards and a score but could not come down with a Hail Mary as time expired and Oakland pulls off the road upset to start 2022 with a win.

POTG: Oakland WR Davante Adams: 7 Rec, 112 Yds, 1 TD

BIRMINGHAM 24  NEW ORLEANS 34

The Breakers and Geno Smith were eager to put 2021’s disappointments behind them, and they did just that by containing Cam Newton and finding success with the deep ball. Geno Smith only completed 14 of 29 passing, but hit on some big plays, including a 73-yard TD to Jordy Nelson and 2 Justin Jefferson TD throws, finishing with 4 TDs on the day. Najee Harris rushed for 100 yards for the Stallions, and on only 11 carries, maybe get him the ball a bit more. It was not enough as the Breakers get the home win by 10.

POTG: Breaker QB Geno Smith: 14/29, 298 Yds, 4 TD, 0 Int

PORTLAND 27  ARIZONA 37

Ryan Nassib returns to Arizona and gets a W, going 18 of 32 for 283 and hitting Tyler Lockett, another new Wrangler with a 3^rd quarter TD. Arizona also ran the ball well, with rookie Tyler Allgeier adding 49 yards to veteran Ka’Deem Carey’s 72, with the two combining for 3 scores as the Wranglers spoiled the debut of Jim Harbaugh in Portland, despite a very solid 22 of 33, 3-TD game from Marcus Mariota.

POTG: Arizona HB Ka’Deem Carey: 20 Att, 72 Yds, 2 TD

DENVER 23  ST. LOUIS 47

Josh Allen threw for a league best 421 yards, but it was not enough as the Gold had simply no answer for Lamar Jackson. The St. Louis QB rushed for 128 yards on 11 carries, including 2 TD runs. He also threw for 286, including touchdowns to Allen Robinson, Kyle Pitts, and HB James Conner as the Skyhawks pull off the home opener upset and start the year 1-0 for Coach Brian Schottenheimer.

POTG: Skyhawk QB Lamar Jackson: 20/32, 286 Yds, 3 TD, 0 Int, 11 Att, 128 Yds, 2 TD

OHIO 16  JACKSONVILLE 15

Coach Mike Vrabel’s first game for the Bulls turned ugly late, as the Bulls blew a 15-0 lead in the 4^th quarter, with Justin Fields hitting Terry McLaurin for the game winning score with only 15 seconds left to play. Surprisingly, it was the Bull defense that seemed to be the best squad on the field, at least through the first 45 minutes, but in the 4^th, put up 9 points to turn an 8-point deficit into a 1-point victory.

POTG: Glory QB Justin Fields: 22/40, 255 Yds, 2 TD, 2 Int

DALLAS 27  LAS VEGAS 20

A back-and-forth game between two Southwestern Division rivals came down to the last minute, with Las Vegas tying the score at 20-20 with 53 seconds to play, only to watch it all fall apart when QB Matt McGloin fumbled in the games final seconds, only for Jamal Adams to scoop the ball up and return it for a shocking game-ending score. Both McGloin and Herbert played well, but that one major gaff gave the win to the visiting Renegades.

POTG: Dallas safety Jamal Adams: 3 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 Def TD, 1 FF, 1 FR

SAN DIEGO 12  OKLAHOMA 17

San Diego’s much maligned defense kept this one close, but a Jalen Hurts 2-yard TD run in the fourth proved to be enough as the Outlaws escape with a win in a game where they were outgained 281-171. The Outlaw line struggled all through the game, with Oklahoma gaining only 15 yards rushing on the game. San Diego took a 12-10 lead in the 3^rd when Christian Hackenberg hit Chris Givens for the go-ahead score, but Oklahoma mustered one key drive in the 4^th and Hurts’s designed bootleg fooled the Thunder D and gave Oklahoma the win.

POTG: Thunder DE Jonathan Newsome: 11 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 FF

NEW ENGLAND 21  PHILADELPHIA 16

The Steamrollers announced that they were ready to compete in the Northeast by going into Philadelphia and handing the 2021 Division Champs a loss in their home opener. The Steamrollers got early inspiration when CB Benjamin St. Juste picked off a Carson Wentz pass and returned it 34 yards for a score. Paired with Tannehill TD passes to Doug Baldwin and Dennis Pitta, the Steamroller D kept Philadelphia at length all game, with only one blown play, a 53-yard Derrick Henry rumbling TD keeping the Stars in the game until the end.

POTG: Steamroller CB Benjamin St. Juste: 5 Tck, 1 Int, 1 Def TD, 1 FF, 1 FR

ATLANTA 30  ORLANDO 13

The Fire looked like they were in midseason form, while the Renegades and QB Russell Wilson struggled to stay out of their own way. Aaron Murray threw for 385 against a sloppy Orlando D, while Wilson was sacked 3 times and picked off twice in the Renegade home opener. Atlanta would outgain Orlando 427-255 and own the time of possession as well, 34:04-25:56 as the Fire get a convincing opening day win.

POTG: Alanta CB Darius Slay: 6 Tck, 1 Int, 1 FF

CHARLOTTE 17  MICHIGAN 19

Coach Daboll and the Monarchs surprise us by keeping this game very much in question throughout. Paxton Lynch completed 29 of 42 against a very aggressive Panther defense, and the Monarch D, despite giving up 102 yards to LeVeon Bell, very much kept the Panther offense from running away with this one. Yes, it was 16-7 after three quarters, but a late Paxton to Calvin Ridley TD had the Monarchs within a field goal late. Michigan, however, found a way to run down the clock, largely thanks to a LeVeon Bell 5-yard run on 3^rd and 4 and held on for a very hard-fought win.

POTG: Michigan CB Dre Kirkpatrick: 12 Tck, 1 PDef

MEMPHIS 14  LOS ANGELES 23

Blake Bortles did not have the debut he wanted, throwing 4 picks in a sloppy performance that had Coach Ryan fuming on the sidelines. Kyler Murray fared much better, despite being sacked 6 times (3 from J. J. Watt). Murray completed 14 of 27, finding Hollywood Brown for 2 scores and helping the express start the year with a home win.

POTG: LA wideout Marquise “Hollywood” Brown: 5 Rec, 77 Yds, 2 TD

HOUSTON 10  SAN ANTONIO 13

Perhaps the upset of the week, not only did San Antonio hold Houston to only 10 points, but in frustration late in the game, Coach Cotrell sat 2021 MVP Colt McCoy down and let Landry Jones finish out the game. McCoy’s numbers were not horrible, but he missed on 4 consecutive 3^rd down throws and Cotrell felt a change was needed. It was not enough as San Antonio hung on for the 3-point win, thanks largely to strong defensive games from LBs Gabe Miller (11 Tackles) and Ulysses Gilbert (6 Tck, 1 Int).

POTG: Despite the loss, it was Houston WR Mike Evans: 7 Rec, 146 Yds

PITTSBURGH 6  CHICAGO 10

A blustery night in Chicago made life “interesting”, as Midwesterners say, for both Andy Dalton and Sam Bradford. Bradford fared better, throwing for 238 yards and a TD on a swing pass to rookie HB Rachaad White, while Dalton threw for only 121 and was picked by Josh Norman late. Neither run game had much success either, as the defenses dominated. Chicago gained a total of 35 yards, Pittsburgh only 41 on a night when running seemed the better option.

POTG: Chicago rookie HB Rachaad White: 18 Att, 30 Yds, 2 Rec, 66 Yds, 1 TD

Jackson’s Huge Day Has Him Atop Two Leaderboards

The St.Louis Skyhawks and QB Lamar Jackson kicked off the 2022 USFL season in style, not only earning a 24-point home victory in their opener, but putting on a show as well. An opening game that saw him pass for 286 yards and 3 TDs while also running for a league best 128 yards and 2 more scores, has Lamar Jackson’s name peppered all over the league’s statistical leaderboard. The former Louisville QB and 5^th year QB is the current league leader in rushing after his dynamic opening game. In addition to leading every single tailback with 128 yards, Jackson is also in the top 5 in passing yards (5^th), passing touchdowns (tied for 2^nd), QB rating (4^th), and would be easily leading the scoring table if TD passes were counted. With 2 rushing touchdowns, Jackson is tied for 3^rd with 12 points, but if you added in any points for passing TDs he would easily outpace kicker Chase McLaughlin for 1^st in scoring as well. Not a bad day for the Skyhawk QB and not a bad start for a St. Louis team that has always seemed high on potential and short on results.

First Impressions: Free Agents Make Themselves at Home

Opening week means our first real look at all the offseason moves and all the new players taking the field with their new teams. We had an active offseason this year, with a fair share of big name free agents joining new USFL clubs. Here is our look at how the new faces fared in their new homes.

Perhaps the top performance from among the 2022 free agents was that of former Arizona WR Victor Cruz, who had 8 receptions for 105 yards for his new team, the Generals. Cruz led all receivers and helped New Jersey eke out a 28-24 victory.

Just behind Cruz was the man he replaced in New Jersey, Odell Beckham Jr., who seemed very much in synch with his new QB, Chicago’s Sam Bradford, catching 7 balls for 73 yards as the Machine defeated Pittsburgh in a defensive struggle, 10-6.

Other receivers did not see as much action with Michael Floyd, the former Machine wideout, seeing only 2 receptions in his debut with Oakland and former Showboat Devin Funchess bringing in 2 passes for only 15 yards in his debut as a Seattle Dragon.

The other offensive player of note who started the year with a new team is at QB, where another former Showboat, QB Paxton Lynch, fared pretty well, going 29 of 42 for 223 yards and throwing 2 touchdowns with no picks in Charlotte’s competitive loss in Michigan. Just having a game from their QB where no interceptions were thrown has to be a positive for Monarch fans.

On defense, the best day among the free agent defenders belongs to former San Diego LB Myles Jack, now plying his trade for the Dallas Roughnecks. Jack finished his opener, a 27-20 win in Las Vegas, with 7 tackles, 1 for loss and 1 sack, forcing a fumble along the way. Other defensive starters included Budda Baker (HOU to ARZ) with 4 tackles, and corner Dee Milliner (ORL to WSH) with 8.

Rookie Roll Call in Week One

The opening weekend was also the debut for the rookie class of 2022, and, as we always expect, it was a mixed bag, with some new faces getting fewer snaps than we expected, while others outperformed expectations. Our Rookie of the Week was an unexpected one as Arizona gave rookie back Tyler Allgeier more snaps than anticipated and the former BYU Cougar got his first pro touchdown on a goalline run, pairing that with 49 total yards on 17 carries.

Another strong outing was put in by Chicago halfback Rachaad White, who showed he could be a dual threat back, rushing for 30 yards while catching 2 passes for 66 yards and his first pro touchdown, a 99-combined yard opener for the former Sun Devil back. Three other, higher round tailback selections, also saw their first action, with Breece Hall getting the start for New England, finishing with 36 yards on 11 carries. We also saw a battle of rookie backs when Ohio took on Jacksonville, with Kenneth Walker getting the win, but James Cook outgaining Walker 50-42.

We saw a lot of rookie receivers see action this week, but only 3 were listed as starters, Baltimore’s Christian Watson, Charlotte’s Drake London, and San Antonio’s Garrett Wilson. Of the three, only Wilson saw victory for his team, helping the Gunslingers upset Houston with a game-high 8 receptions. Wilson hauled in all 8 of his targets, gaining 69 yards and helping the Gunslingers outlast the Gamblers 13-10. Christian Watson was also the lead receiver for his team as he was targeted 12 times by Blitz QB Jake Locker, bringing in 8 balls for 85 yards. Finally, Drake London got the start in Charlotte and QB Paxton Lynch found the former USC Trojan brought in 5 of 6 targets for 41 yards and the first touchdown of the rookie receiver class.

There was no shortage of rookies on the field for defenses across the league, including the pro debut for two highly anticipated edge rushers, with Michigan starting former Wolverine Aidan Hutchinson while Kayvon Thibodeaux suited up for the Portland Stags. Hutchinson recorded his first pro sack, bringing down Paxton Lynch in the 2^nd quarter of Michigan’s narrow victory. Thibodeaux got the start for Portland but was unable to find his way to Arizona’s Ryan Nassib and finished the game without a sack or a tackle on the game.

Among the other rookie defenders, the best game was had by Washington cornerback Sauce Gardner, who snagged his first pro interception along with 5 tackles and a pass defense. St. Louis linebacker Micah McFadden started off his pro career with 4 tackles, and a safety, sacking Josh Allen in the endzone for a big opening day moment as the Skyhawks upset the Gold. Finally, LB Quay Walker saw his first action in the Atlanta Fire defense, helping the Fire knock off Orlando with 2 tackles, one TFL and a pass defense as Atlanta held Orlando to 13 points on the day.

A remarkably clean first week as we only saw a few dings and bruises, with no players listed as being out for Week 2. If the league can get that kind of result each week, they will be ecstatic, but, of course, with football being football, that is more than we can anticipate, or should hope for.

DOUBTFUL

HB    Troymaine Pope      BAL        Ankle                   

TE           Jake Tonges          HOU     Concussion

DE          Mario Addison        NE          Wrist

SS          Myles Hartsfield      STL         Knee

QUESTIONABLE

LB           Mykal Walker                    ARZ       Concussion

OT          Cam Robinson                 BIR         Foot

HB          D’onte Freeman              DAL       Knee

QB         Ben Dinucci                      JAX         Flu

CB          Josh Jackson                  MEM     Elbow

C             Tre Hill                            TBY        Shoulder

CB          Ross Cockrell                   TBY        Concussion

2022 USFL Week 1 Starters

With Week One in the book, we thought fans around the league would like to get a sense of the rosters for each club, so here is our infographic version of the 24 starters for each club. Now, take this with a grain of salt going into Week 2 as there are some NFL imports still to filter into their team rosters and some shifting to be done after Week 1, but these are the players for each team that took the field this week. We have highlighted two different groups of players, with 2021 All-USFL players in Red and 2022 rookies in Sky Blue.

The 40 Greatest Players in 40 Seasons of USFL Football: 40-38

Here we go, our celebration of the 40 greatest players to don USFL uniforms between 1983 and 2022. Before we kick off with the players our team of experts ranked 40^th through 38^th, a quick outline of what we looked at. Of course, our examination looked at statistics, looked at impact to the game, and looked at team success. We also looked at the persona of the league, its changing face and the way the league has remained unique, a distinct brand of football from the fall’s game. We also decided early on that we would have at least one representative of every position in the game. No disrespecting the kicking game to squeeze in one more QB or edge rusher. That may mean that your favorite player got bumped, or that we just did not include as many halfbacks, receivers or quarterbacks as you may think merit our respect. We could have easily made a list of 100, even 200 players whose names are familiar to you and whose careers merit celebration. We went with 40, for obvious reasons, and because no number would be the perfect number to capture all that the USFL has been and has become. So, without further ado, we kick off our list of the 40 Greatest Players in USFL history with player 40.

40) P John Carlton (PHI 1998-2016)

You likely had a feeling as soon as we said that every position on the field would be in our Top 40 list that a punter would occupy the 40-spot. And so it is. Punters don’t get a lot of love. Heck, when they come on the field it is almost the universal signal to head for the bathroom or the fridge, but they can be the key to a field position game, can be critical in pinning teams deep, and even leading to safeties and turnovers. And so, we have a punter in our Top 40, and in John Carlton we have one of the best the USFL ever produced.

Carlton not only leads the USFL in all time punt yardage, with a career total of 67,377 yards, but is also among the league’s best in punt average at 45.2 yards per punt, and for Punts inside the 20, with 590 over his impressive 19-season career, all of it with the Philadelphia Stars. Philadelphia, who had another frontrunner for this recognition in 1983-91 specialist Sean Landeta, has certainly had itself a quality run at the position. Carlton, like Landeta, was recognized twice as the All-USFL kicker, and in Carlton’s case, the recognition came 12 seasons apart, in 2002 and 2013. As much as we love others like Landeta, Mitch Berger, or Shane Lechler, the top honor as a punter on our “40 for 40” team goes to John Carlton.

39) G Gary Zimmerman (LA/STL 1984-1997)

Fourteen seasons in the trenches, fourteen seasons protecting his QB and opening holes for the run game, and in that time, Gary Zimmerman earned two All-USFL honors, racked up 766 pancakes (calculated after 1998, when the stat was first utilized in the league), and allowed only 10 total sacks. Think about that. 217 games, 212 starts and he was responsible for only 10 sacks. That is a stunning number to contemplate.

Ask former LA Express or St. Louis Knight quarterbacks what it meant to have Zimmerman in front of them and they will, to a man, say that it was like standing behind a brick wall. From Steve Young to Todd Collins you will hear about protection. Ask backs, from 1984 Express leader Tony Boddie, through the Nigerian Nightmare, Christian Okoye, to 3-time 1,000-yard rusher Darrell Thompson of the Knights and you will hear about Zimmerman pulling across the line and opening up huge holes to make big gainers possible for his backs. A class act, a huge mountain of a man, and one of the best offensive linemen in the modern game. Zimmerman hits our list at number 39.

38) CB Antonio Cromartie (PHI 2006-10, BIR 2011-19)

Tied for first all-time with 54 career interceptions, Tied for 2^nd All-Time for most picks in a season with 9, and a 4-time All-USFL selection, Cromartie becomes the second Philadelphia Star on our list, though, we should note that all 4 of his All-USFL honors came not with the Stars but with the Stallions, a 5-year run from 2014-2019 to end his career that saw him earn the honor 4 times.

Cromartie was not the fastest corner in the league, but he was close. He was not the strongest, but he was close. And he was not the shrewdest, but he was close. And it was that combination of smarts, strength, and speed that made him so dangerous as both a press corner and a zone defender. Cromartie topped 4 picks in a season 7 different times in his 14-year career, and yes, we are considering longevity as a key factor. He also averaged nearly 20 pass defenses per season over his long career. Throw in 10 career defensive touchdowns and his kick return duties when with Birmingham and you have a player who not only kept points off the board, but helped his team add points to their side of the scoreboard. Cromartie is the first Corner on the board at 38, but we suspect he won’t be the last.

Week Two brings us a very division-heavy lineup for this early in the spring. We have 10 of 15 games matching division foes, which means rivalries, bad blood, and hard hits all around. It kicks off on Friday night when the Oakland Invaders head up to Portland to take on the Stags, one of two Friday games that feature teams with mixed expectations.

Saturday starts off with inter-divisional games at noon, both interesting as the Stars head to Orlando to face the Renegades, while the Generals host the New Orleans Breakers. Then, at 4 and 8pm it is all about divisional action, with Arizona at Oklahoma at 4pm, Houston heading to Memphis on NBC at 8, and the other late game featuring a Central Division grudge match as Michigan heads to Chicago to take on the Machine in an early season battle for supremacy.

Sunday kicks off with division clashes in both the Northeast and Southeast, with Washington and New England in national coverage on ABC while Tampa Bay and Charlotte will tussle in a regionally covered FOX game. At 4pm it is back to the Central when Ohio hosts St. Louis, and down to the Southern Division where San Antonio heads into Birmingham to face Cam Newton and the Stallions. The third 4pm game is back in the Southwest when Denver hosts the Las Vegas Viper in an early season clash of rivals. Finally, the nightcap takes us to the Pacific Coast, where the San Diego Thunder are hoping to shock the USFL world by knocking off the 2021 Western Conference Champion Seattle Dragons. Lot’s of big games, lots of momentum building opportunities in an absolutely stacked Week 2.

Fri. 7pm ET      Atlanta Fire @ Baltimore Blitz                                           NBC

Fri. 7pm ET     Oakland Invaders @ Portland Stags                             ESPN/EFN

Sat. 12pm ET  Philadelphia Stars @ Orlando Renegades                      ABC

Sat. 12pm ET   New Orleans Breakers @ New Jersey Generals              FOX

Sat. 4pm ET    Arizona Wranglers @ Oklahoma Outlaws                      ABC

Sat. 4pm ET    Dallas Roughnecks @ Los Angeles Express                     FOX

Sat. 8pm ET     Houston Gamblers @ Memphis Showboats                 NBC

Sat. 8pm ET   Michigan Panthers @ Chicago Machine                          ESPN/EFN

Sun 12pm ET   Washington Federals @ New England Steamrollers  ABC

Sun 12pm ET   Jacksonville Bulls @ Pittsburgh Maulers                         FOX Regional

Sun 12pm ET   Tampa Bay Bandits @ Charlotte Monarchs                   FOX Regional

Sun 4pm ET     St. Louis Skyhawks @ Ohio Glory                                       ABC Regional

Sun 4pm ET     San Antonio Gunslingers @ Birmingham Stallions   ABC Regional

Sun 4pm ET    Las Vegas Vipers @ Denver Gold                                      FOX

Sun 8pm ET     Seattle Dragons @ San Diego Thunder                            EFN