2022 USFL Week 17 Recap: Breakers Sink 'Boats

While there was certainly some excitement this weekend, particularly for the New Orleans Breakers, who defied the odds, won their final 4 games, and got the help they needed to wrap up the final USFL playoff spot, overall this was not a high point of pro football in the USFL. Far too many teams benched their stars and went with less-than-optimal lineups. That produced some pretty blah viewing, some low-effort games, and in several locations, a sheer lack of interest producing some of the lowest attendance of the season. It is to be expected when nearly all the playoff scenarios have been set and only a few teams have real reasons to put in the effort, but it is still not what you want. So, as we break down the 2022 season’s final week, we will focus on the future, the 12 teams that are headed to the postseason. We will also break down the draft order for the 18 teams that did not make the cut, discuss the results of Black Monday, with two coaches let go, and prepare you for the Wild Card games. So, stick around and get yourself ready for playoff football in the USFL’s 40^th spring season.

Showboats & Steamrollers Stumble, Breakers Bounce into Post-Season

Three games to decide who would earn the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Going into the weekend, the Memphis Showboats controlled their own destiny. A win in San Antonio and the Showboats would claim the final spot, but that Gunslinger team was not going to roll over, fighting for their own playoff position and a chance at a Wild Card bye. Before that game, New England and New Orleans could put pressure on the Showboats. New Orleans would host the Oakland Invaders on Saturday; New England would be in Baltimore to face the Blitz at the same time as Memphis’s game. If either won and the Showboats lost, then Memphis would be out. If the Breakers won on Saturday, then New England’s chance to squeeze into the postseason would be lost as well. So, what happened?

New Orleans, winners of 3 in a row, got some help from an Oakland squad that had nothing left to play for and which wanted to rest some starters ahead of the Wild Card round, but they also did their part, with Geno Smith throwing for 408 yards. The Breakers, who had fallen behind by 17 points at the half, owned the 2^nd half, putting up 24 unanswered points, with Geno Smith throwing for 3 scores. The fierce comeback gave New Orleans a 30-20 victory, a win which both eliminated the New England Steamrollers from any playoff hope and put intense pressure on the Showboats.

On Sunday, New England, fully knowing their chance to earn the franchise’s first playoff spot in their short 3-year history, showed up flat-footed and were knocked down and out by the Baltimore Blitz. That meant that 3 teams from the South would get into the postseason, but would it be the Showboats or the Breakers making the cut? New Orleans got in if Memphis lost, but the Showboats controlled their own fate. Unfortunately, the ‘Boats, unlike the Breakers, had a foe who had something to play for.

San Antonio knew that a win locked up the 2-seed and would give everyone a bye. That was motivation enough for them to do their best to knock Memphis down and knock them out of the postseason. San Antonio, like New Orleans, turned up the heat late, turning a 17-14 deficit into a 28-17 victory with 2 unanswered scores in the fourth quarter. That surge at the end meant that the Gunslingers would fully earn their week off while the Showboats would drop out of the postseason picture, falling to 8-8 and failing to live up to expectations. New Orleans, with a surprising 4-0 surge in the final month of games, had locked up the final playoff spot and would be in New Jersey to take on the Generals in the Wild Card round.

OAKLAND INVADERS 20  NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS 30

Over the years, you have probably noted that most weeks we choose the game with the most dramatic finish, perhaps a big comeback, or a back-and-forth shootout. That is true, we tend to focus on the action on the field rather than the records of the teams or the game’s impact on the standings. But there are times, and certainly Week 17 of the season is one of them, when you cannot ignore the importance of the game, its stakes. So, yes, there were some games that had closer final scores or more tension, including an overtime game between San Diego and Portland, but most did not have an impact on the playoff picture, and in the season’s final week, we need to recognize a game that had a significant playoff impact.

The interconference finale between Oakland and Seattle was such a game. For the Invaders, who had already locked up the 6^th seed in the West, the focus was on building momentum, providing confidence to a team that had been up and down all year, but which had 4 in a row to lock up a hard-earned playoff spot. For New Orleans the race towards the playoffs was hardly over. The Breakers, once 5-7, had won 3 in a row to stand at 8-7 and could, with the right results, leapfrog over a division rival and steal away the final Eastern Conference playoff spot. A win by the Breakers, one which would be their 4^th in a row, would leave them at 9-7, and with Memphis traveling to San Antonio the next day to face a Gunslinger team that had its own motivations, the Breakers could find themselves in the postseason. They would need for the division champion Gunslingers to defeat Memphis, but first the Breakers would need to use their home field crowd and their grit to defeat Oakland and put themselves in position for what a month ago seemed a very unlikely Wild Card slot.

In the first half of this season finale for both teams, the Invaders seemed to have the upper hand. Their offense found success against the Breaker front-seven. With Bryce Love taking the majority of the snaps as Christian McCaffrey saw only spot action (3 carries and 2 receptions on the day), Oakland was able to move the ball effectively. Love would finish the first half with 77 yards rushing, including a 38-yarder that helped set up the game’s 2^nd touchdown. The first had been a 3^rd and 8 draw that went horribly wrong for the Breakers. Christian McCaffrey had shifted out of the backfield, only to pull back in, take the handoff from Davis Mills and exploit a huge hole on the right side of the line. Forty-one yards later the speed back crossed the goalline and gave Oakland an early 7-3 lead.

With Bryce Love’s run early in the 2^nd, Oakland was poised to add more to what was a 10-3 lead. Love’s 38-yard juking, spinning run got the ball to the Breaker 12, and 2 plays later Mills found Austin Hooper in the endzone to expand the Oakland lead to 14 points. A field goal on the next drive would make it 20-3, a lead only marginally impacted by a nice Geno Smith 2-minute drill that allowed Randy Bullock to put up a second field goal on the last play of the half.

Down 14 (20-6) as the third quarter began, Coach Lathon needed a play to bring the crowd back. With more than 55,000 in the Super Dome, the Breaker faithful had started the game loudly but had been largely silenced by the lack of production in the opening half. During the break, Lathon made two adjustments, the first was to shift away from man coverage to zones. That shift would keep more eyes in the backfield, a move that allowed fewer of the run plays to reach the 2^nd line of defense before a swarm of defenders could arrive. But, for as effective as the defensive strategy shift was, it was Lathon and OC Byron Leftwich looking at video of the first half defense of the Invaders who opted to make a shift that would impact the second half in a big way.

Leftwich, the long-time Seattle Dragons QB had come to New Orleans only 3 years after his retirement in 2016, joining the Breakers as the Passing Game Specialist. This offseason he took over as the OC, using his years of experience as a mobile, but not dual threat QB, to work with Geno Smith and the talented Breaker receiver group to develop a more effective outside-inside strategy for the passing game. Against Oakland, that strategy was proving difficult to execute. Oakland had been positioning the safeties outside the hashmarks, wider than one usually sees, which allowed DeMarco Murray some room inside, when he could get around or past Bobby Wagner, which was not easy. But what the wider positioning allowed was for Marquestan Huff and Jevon Holland to be in position to assist the corners with both Justin Jefferson and Olamide Zaccheaous, in the game for the injured Jordy Nelson. Neither receiver had more than a 7-yard reception in the first half because both were facing underneath coverage with immediate help over the top. Even Coby Fleener was having trouble getting free, with both Wagner and Baylon Specter focused on his position.

The halftime adjustment was to shift the receivers closer to the line, forcing the safeties to return to more standard positions. That single adjustment, paired with some quick slant routes and even the occasional shift of Fleener to the outside, allowed Geno Smith to find his receivers both on in-cutting and out-cutting routes before the safety could support the corner. What did that do? Well, on the opening drive of the second half, it allowed Justin Jefferson to catch an inside hook route, spin past Huff and race for 22 yards into Oakland territory. Five plays later, a slant route created a rub that left Fleener uncovered on an out route. The big tight end brought in a perfect ball from Smith and rumbled 31 yards to the endzone for New Orleans’s first touchdown.

That drive did two things, it got the crowd back into the game, and they would stay there, vocal when Oakland had the ball, cheering when New Orleans made a play, and high energy during breaks. The second was that it forced Oakland to play more soft zones, which, in turn, allowed DeMarco Murray a bit more space, especially as a receiver out of the backfield. Murray would catch 4 passes in the 2^nd half, averaging over 20 yards per catch and forcing Oakland’s linebackers into uncomfortable responsibilities. One strategic shift led to a countermove, but one which ended up benefiting New Orleans even more.

The Breakers would cash in later in the 3^rd, when the soft zone forced Jaylan Watkins to try to keep pace with Justin Jefferson. That was a lost cause from the start and when Smith hit Jefferson with a deep pass along the sideline, the race was on and it was handily in Jefferson’s favor, to the tune of a 56-yard game-tying score. For their part, Oakland’s offense continued to rely on play action passing and their run game. They would produce good yardage, with Love finishing the game with 107 yards on 19 carries, but a missed field goal attempt in the 3^rd would be their only scoring attempt of the half.

Meanwhile, feeling the shift, New Orleans knew that the W they needed to potentially reach the postseason was in range, they took their first lead since early in the first quarter when Randy Bullock connected on a 43-yard field goal. Up 23-20, they needed a play to put the nail in the Oakland coffin and set themselves up. They got that play with 5:45 left to play, when once again Geno Smith recognized that the Oakland zone would leave them exposed to a double move by Jefferson. Smith adjusted the call, following the advice of Coach Leftwich if he saw 2-deep zone. Fleener would occupy the safety, Jefferson needed to make the corner step inside, and then the sideline would be free. The play worked to perfection and Jefferson brought in the ball at the 3, took a single step before diving to the ground inside the endzone.

Up 30-20, the Breakers felt in control, the Invaders, who had nothing to gain by pushing to win their finale, went through the motions, but lacked the emotional drive needed to challenge in the final minutes, and when the final whistle blew, the Breakers were 9-7 and in position to finish off a 4-game streak that changed their season’s entire feel. They would need to wait until Sunday afternoon to learn if their late season surge would pay off. The team gathered at Breaker facilities in Metairie the next day to Memphis take on San Antonio, hooting and hollering every time the homestanding Gunslingers made a play. They would get the result they needed, a 28-17 Gunslinger victory, a win that not only gave San Antonio their coveted bye week as the Eastern Conference’s 2-seed, but which launched the Breakers into the 6-seed. They had done it, gone from 5-7 to 9-7 and in the process found themselves as a team. Now they would face another gritty team in New Jersey, happy to make the trip up north to face the Generals in the Wild Card playoffs.

ST. LOUIS 7  PITTSBURGH 12 

Lamar Jackson played only the 1^st half, and St. Louis did not show much as they cycled in backups throughout the game, giving the Maulers the chance to earn a rare 2022 win. Pittsburgh got the W without scoring a TD as Brandon Aubrey’s 4 field goals proved to be enough in a game that had only 19,242 spectators on hand.

POTG: Mauler WR Adam Thielen: 6 Rec, 101 Yds

HOUSTON 29  WASHINGTON 24

The Gamblers avoided a 10-loss season, with Kellen Clemons throwing for 232 and the defense sacking Jacoby Brissett 5 times in another sparsely attended game, with only 20,014 in attendance at Audie Field. Brissett did throw TDs to all 3 of his starting receivers (Hill, Allen, Landry) but a Clemons to Keke Coutee TD in the 4^th helped Houston come back for the W to finish 7-9

POTG: Houston HB Clyde Edwards-Helaire: 17 Att, 52 Yds, 1 TD, 4 Rec, 56 Yds

ORLANDO 20  JACKSONVILLE 27

Another game with plenty of backups and young players involved as Russell Wilson played only the first half. Jameis Winston came in for Orlando, throwing for 2 scores, but it was the combination of Ben Dinucci and Cardale Jones for Jacksonville, each throwing for a score, who got the W for the Bulls as a surprising 30,000 showed up for the in-state rivalry game.

POTG: Orlando DE Montez Sweat: 6 Tck, 2 Sck, 1 FF

SAN DIEGO 33  PORTLAND 27  OVERTIME

Only 20,442 showed up to watch the Stags fall in overtime as Mason Rudolph connected with Ronald Johnson in the extra period to help San Diego finish a respectable 8-8 for the year. Doug Martin, in what is expected to be his final game rushed for 95 yards and a TD, while Chris Givens and Ronald Johnson combined for 296 yards receiving for the Thunder.

POTG: San Diego QB Mason Rudolph: 27/41, 423 Yds, 2 TD, 0 Int

ATLANTA 27  TAMPA BAY 24

The Bandits rested most of their starters in this one, giving Atlanta a chance to earn a 4^th win on the year. A. J. Green caught 4 for 146 and the combination of Chubb and Burkhead rushed for 107 yards against the Bandit backups. Dak Prescott played a pair of series, long enough to connect with Deebo Samuel for a score and to lock up his status as the league’s highest rated passer.

POTG: Atlanta CB Darius Slay: 6 Tck, 1 Int, 1 Def TD, 1 FF, 1 FR

BIRMINGHAM 13  SEATTLE 24

The Stallions lose their 4^th in a row, backing into the playoffs at 9-7, while Seattle surges to 12-4 thanks to 91 yards and a TD from Knowshon Moreno. Cam Newton does not look like he is anywhere near his pre-injury status, throwing 2 picks, sacked 5 times, and rushing 5 times for -4 yards. Seattle, on the other hand, looks very ready to host a Wild Card playoff game as they cruise to the win in front of a rowdy 51,303 at Lumen Field.

POTG: Seattle FS Quandre Diggs: 3 Tck, 3 PDef, 2 Int

LOS ANGELES 36  OHIO 5

The Express dominated as they finished 11-5 with a mix of outstanding defense and opportunistic offense. E. J. Manuel played most of the game at QB for the Glory, looking very rusty as he went 6 of 26, was sacked 6 times and picked off once. No rust on the Express as Andy Dalton throws for 2 scores and Paul Perkins adds 2 on the ground as LA prepares to host a Wild Card game at Farmers Insurance Field this week.

POTG: Express HB Paul Perkins: 23 Att, 74 Yds, 2 TD, 2 Rec, 52 Yds

PHILADELPHIA 6  NEW JERSEY 10

A lackluster Turnpike Tussle as the Generals rest many of their starters, with Teddy Bridgewater getting only 7 attempts before hitting the showers. Ryan Lindley got the start for the Stars and neither offense did much in this snoozer. New Jersey got the win on a Connor Shaw TD to Pharaoh Cooper as New Jersey rested most of their stars ahead of their Wild Card game this week.

POTG: Philadelphia DE Danielle Hunter: 5 Tck, 2 Sck

NEW ENGLAND 10  BALTIMORE 23

The Steamrollers needed a win and some help to snag a playoff spot. They got neither as it seemed Baltimore, not New England, was primed to capture a Wild Card spot. Nate Sudfeld took advantage of his first start all season to throw for 2 scores while Josh Jacobs slashed the Steamroller D for 119 yards and a TD. The Steamrollers drop to 8-8, matching the Blitz’s record and failing to live up to their early season success, dropping their final 2 games to fall out of playoff contention.

POTG: Blitz HB Josh Jacobs: 29 Att, 119 Yds, 1 TD

MEMPHIS 17  SAN ANTONIO 28

The Gunslingers prove they are the better of the two 2020 expansion clubs, clinching not only their first playoff season but the Southern Division title in their 3^rd season. San Antonio’s solid win over Memphis gives them the 2-seed and a well-earned bye week. Joe Flacco threw for 315 yards and 3 TDs, Raheem Mostert added 78 yards and a TD on the ground, and rookie Garrett Wilson made one more push for ROTY with 129 yards on 9 receptions as San Antonio removed Memphis from the Wild Card race with an 11-point victory.

POTG: Gunslinger QB Joe Flacco: 27/33, 315 Yds, 3 TD, 0 Int

DALLAS 19  DENVER 17

In a battle of backups, veteran Josh Freeman edges Mitch Trubisky as Dallas gets a 4^th quarter field goal to knock off Denver and finish at 8-8 for the year. Trubisky outgained Freeman 284-145, but threw 2 picks, including a pick-six throw to Roughneck FS Jamal Adams, helping Dallas reach .500. Despite the bad game, Denver’s Golden Tate still shone, with 152 yards receiving in what most believe will be his final USFL game.

POTG: Denver WR Golden Tate: 5 Rec, 152 Yds, 1 TD

OKLAHOMA 17  LAS VEGAS 31

The Vipers also finish 8-8, thanks to 188 yards rushing from the combo of Matt Jones (99 yards, 1 TD) and Kareem Hunt (89 yards, 1 TD). Matt McGloin returned under center and threw for a Td, while the defense picked off Jalen Hurts 3 times and held the uninspired Oklahoma offense to only 41 yards rushing.

POTG: Viper HB Matt Jones: 21 Att, 99 Yds, 1 TD

CHARLOTTE 14  CHICAGO 10

In a troubling sign, Chicago played their starters for most of the game but could not defeat the Monarchs, producing a 3^rd straight loss to end the season. The home loss cost them the 1-seed. They will still have a bye in the Wild Card round but could find themselves traveling to Phoenix if they reach the Conference Title Game. Charlotte improved from 3-13 in 2021 to 7-9 this year with the Week 17 win, with midseason acquisition Phillip Lindsay completing the year with 84 yards to reach 1,000-yards for the first time in his career.

POTG: Charlotte SS Vonn Bell: 3 Tck, 1 PDef, 1 Int,1 Def TD

MICHIGAN 24  ARIZONA 31

The Panthers played with pride in the finale, but Arizona, seeing a chance to lock up the 1-seed and home field advantage, roared back from a 24-3 deficit in the 2^nd half to take the win on a Nassib to Maxx Williams TD in the 4^th quarter. Nassib threw 3 second half touchdowns, finishing with 330 yards after a lackluster first half. Brandon Aiyuk (121) and Tyler Lockett (105) both went over 100-yards on the day, and Aikuk, Williams and Robert Tonyan all scored to help Arizona get the W and earn home field.

POTG: Arizona QB Ryan Nassib: 24/39, 330 Yds, 3 TD, 1 Int

Are Birmingham, Chicago, and St. Louis At Risk After Backing into Playoffs?

It is one thing to clinch the playoffs and then take your foot off the gas. That is somewhat risky but also understandable as teams need rest and late season injuries can cause playoff heartbreaks. But we are not believing that is what is happening in Birmingham, Chicago, or St. Louis. All three teams had stakes on the table. 

Birmingham had a shot at a division title and a possible by when Cam Newton was hurt in Week 14. That they lost that game in New England and the follow up to Houston without Newton was not a surprise, but with Newton returning for Weeks 16 and 17, the division was still an option. But Newton returned but was clearly not at full strength. In season-ending losses to San Diego and Seattle, the Stallion QB was inefficient, ineffective, and more immobile than anyone expected. The result? Birmingham nearly saw themselves bounced out of playoff position altogether. Only losses by the Steamrollers and Showboats in the final month allowed them to back into the playoffs at 9-7.

Similarly, St. Louis headed into Week 16 with a real shot at the Central Division title and even potentially a 1-seed. They had just defeated Chicago in a huge home victory that had the entire Gateway City excited about the possibilities. But St. Louis left it all on the field against Chicago, and in a Week 16 matchup against Orlando, they had to fight into extra time, eventually losing to the Renegades, 30-27 in overtime. Those two games, one a huge victory, the other a crushing and exhausting defeat, left St. Louis vulnerable this week. Pittsburgh took advantage of that vulnerability, and the fact that the hopes for the division had already been lost. St. Louis came out flat, lacking energy, and generally unsettled. The result? A surprising Mauler victory over the Skyhawks, one that cost St. Louis the 4-seed and now has them traveling to LA for the Wild Card round.

Finally, the Chicago Machine, losers against St. Louis, but still atop the Central. Despite a very solid 12-4 record, Chicago is not looking ready for prime time. They followed up the defeat in St. Louis with a loss against a Tampa Bay team that rested their three biggest offensive weapons, falling 31-16 to a Bandits team led by rookie Matt Carol and without Dez Bryant or Dalvin Cook on the field. That loss stung. It hurt Chicago’s swagger, their sense of belonging as a frontrunner for the Summer Bowl, and it clearly impacted the decisions made on how to approach the season finale against Charlotte. Chicago, like the Skyhawks, came into the finale flat and lacking purpose. They sleepwalked through the game, eventually falling for a 3^rd straight week as Monarchs players celebrated a 14-10 victory in Chicago.

Can any of these three teams turn it around and make a push in the postseason? Certainly they all have the talent needed to make it happen, but momentum, confidence, and drive are not exactly feelings that can be turned on with the flip of a switch. Birmingham will need to find its early season form quickly as they head to Orlando, because the Renegades are very much feeling like they are on the right course and are peaking just when the need to. St. Louis now heads into LA, where the Express went 7-1 this year. They will face one of the league’s elite defenses and if their heads are not right, they could easily be one and done. As for Chicago, they get the bye as the 2-seed out west, but that means that in the 2^nd round they will face a team already in full playoff mode. Could they be a potential upset victim? Or will they rediscover the focus that won them 12 of 14 over the seasons first 3 months? How each of these teams got to the playoffs now matters less than how they will show up, but fans of each club have to be worried that once momentum moves away from a team, it can be hard to recapture.

USFL Never More Pass Happy Than 2022

The USFL has always been considered a pass-happy league. Its rules, its coaches, its focus on the QB position have made the spring league one known for the vertical passing game, the play action pass, and the deep ball. That has never been more true than in 2022, when the passing game took off once again and the steady gains of a run game were never less evident. It does not take much time to see just how enamored the USFL and its coaches are with the quick strike, the chunk plays, and the dramatic deep ball. Just take a look at the stats from across the league and you can clearly see how the USFL has embraced the passing game in 2022.

The league had 26 quarterbacks out of 30 teams who finished the season with 300 or more pass attempts, including a whopping 14 who attempted more than 500 passes this season.

There were 6 different quarterbacks who threw for over 4,000 yards, led by Geno Smith’s 4,620, and another 17 who crossed the 3,000 yard mark.

While there were only 2 backs who hit 1,200 yards, with none topping 1,300 on the season, there was a grand total of 14 wideouts who topped 1,200 yards, including 5 who went over 1,400 yards. In total there were 28 different receivers who had over 1,000 yards.

In total, 4 teams had two 1,000-yard receivers: Arizona (Robinson/Aiyuk), Denver (Tate/Mooney), New Orleans (Nelson/Jefferson), and San Antonio (Wilson/LaFell). If you add in teams with a 1,000-yarder and a 900-yarder, that number surges to 10 teams.

2022 also saw 4 players with more than 100 receptions, led by Portland’s Brandin Cooks with 116. That should be no surprise since 46 different receivers had more than 100 targets, again led by Cooks with 195 on the year.

12 receivers (with 30 or more receptions) averaged over 20 yards per reception, with Tyler Lockett of Arizona leading the league with an average of 25.2 yards per carry, followed closely by Dez Bryant’s 23.7 average and Christian Kirk of Arizona, who averaged 23.3 yards per catch.

That is a lot of passing, a lot of big plays, and a lot of what has made the USFL so popular over the past 40 spring seasons.

Your USFL Award Favorites as Regular Season Concludes

The season is over, the stats are finalized, and we think we have a good sense of how the voters might break for this year’s USFL Awards. Here is our pick and the top contender for each of the league’s 5 major awards.

MVP: Geno Smith, QB-NOR

Not only did Smith nearly pull off the trifecta, finishing strong to end the year as the USFL leader in passing yards, passing touchdowns, and 4^th in QB rating, but his late surge helped the Breakers rocket into a playoff spot. However, if the Breakers stumble in the Wild Card, we could easily see the voters, who are not supposed to look at the postseason, but who often do, lean towards Dak Prescott instead.

OPOTY: Henry Ruggs, WR-BIR

Yes, the Stallions (and Cam Newton) struggled down the stretch, but Ruggs’s numbers are just too good to overlook. He led the league with 1,592 yards and 15 touchdowns, and the voters love to reward up and comers who break out. With Knowshon Moreno winning the rushing title with a very low total of 1,283 yards, we think a receiver has to get the OPOTY this year, and that receiver should be Ruggs.

DPOTY: Brian Burns, DE-TBY

An absolute shocker as Burns had that one enormous 7-sack game, setting a new league record, but did more than enough to reach 30 sacks on the year (31 actually), becoming only the 2^nd player to reach the 30 threshold after Calais Campbell. He edges out Montez Sweat (30 sacks) for the sack title and for DPOTY.

ROTY: Garrett Wilson, WR-SAN

An absolute revelation for the Gunslingers and a big reason why they are sitting pretty with the 2 seed and a bye this week. Wilson’s 1,384 yards, 102 receptions, and 8 TDs make him the run away winner of the ROTY this year.

COTY: Chuck Long, SAN

Kudos to Coach Long, who took San Antonio from expansion to division champion in only 3 seasons. Sure, he had some help thanks to the deal made when Oklahoma relocated the Texas Outlaws, so getting players like QB Joe Flacco helped, but even so, the job Long has done building up the Gunslingers is worthy of our recognition and respect.

Draft Order: Picks 1-18 Set

With the conclusion of the regular season, we have our initial 18 spots in the USFL Draft set, though more than a few tiebreakers had to be used to decide the order, particularly in that large cluster of 8-8 squads near the middle of the draft. Here is the order for the first USFL draft to not include separate Territorial selections in nearly 2 decades.

18-Dallas (8-8)

The Roughnecks will almost certainly be looking for help for their 30^th ranked run D.

17-Baltimore (8-8)

Will Baltimore look for a QB to challenge Jake Locker or a TE to help bail him out?

16-Memphis (8-8)

Blake Bortles is not the answer. Is a rookie QB? And will that require moving up?

15-Las Vegas (8-8)

The league’s leading run game (122.5 YPG) may well mean a WR is the target.

14-New England (8-8)

Tannehill faded down the stretch, so a QB pick could be on the way.

13-San Diego (8-8)

San Diego needs to add muscle in the O-line to protect Rudolph & open lanes for Sims.

12-Charlotte (7-9)

Protecting Paxton Lynch seems a priority and RT is the position of most need.

11-Houston (7-9)

Is Houston going to look for a QB? Or can Colt come back strong in 2023?

10-Oklahoma (6-9-1)

Jalen Hurts was a 1-man show. Oklahoma needs more playmakers on the O.

9-Ohio (6-10)

The Ohio O-line was a shambles this year, so expect both OT and OG to be targets.

8-Washington (5-10-1)

The Feds need to find a way to pressure opposing QBs. Could be an OLB or DE.

7-Pittsburgh (5-11)

The 30^th ranked run game demands an answer and that could be Texas HB Bijan Robinson.

6-Philadelphia 5-11)

Rumors have Philly heavily scouting both Bryce Young and C. J. Stroud.

5-Jacksonville (5-11)

The defense was putrid, so as many defensive playmakers as they can find, they need to sign a lot of talent on that side of the ball.

4-Denver (5-11)

If Golden Tate retires, we think Denver looks hard at the WR position in the draft.

3-Atlanta (4-12)

The secondary is in need of both ball hawks and big hitters.

2-Portland (3-13)

If the rumors of Mariota’s departure are true, then QB is the move for the Stags.

1-Michigan (3-13)

They got Hutchinson in 2022, do they now add Wolverine teammate Mazi Smith? They could drop down a few spots, dealing with a QB-hungry team and still get Smith plus some picks. Seems a good idea to us.

The final two playoff spots were secured in two very different ways. Birmingham backed into the 5-seed in the East, thanks largely to losses by the Steamrollers and Showboats. Despite losing their last 3 games, the Stallions get in at 9-7. New Orleans, once 5-7, did the opposite, getting hot late, winning their last 4 games and earning the 6-seed in the East, assuring that the Southern Division would have 3 teams in the mix.

Meanwhile, seeding out West flipped as Chicago lost their 3^rd in a row, creating room for Arizona to jump up and capture the 1-seed, which is exactly what they did. So, after 17 weeks, we will have Arizona and Chicago, Tampa Bay and San Antonio taking a well-earned breather, while the remaining 8 teams battle it out in the Wild Card round. In this week’s games it will be New Jersey hosting New Orleans, Orlando hosting Birmingham, St. Louis visiting LA, and the Oakland Invaders headed to Seattle to face the Dragons. Due to concerns about the heat in Orlando, the USFL opted to flip the Eastern and Western Wild Card games on Sunday, with Seattle getting a rare 1pm start (Pacific, 4pm Eastern) while Orlando will host their game at 8pm ET.

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As we look ahead to the Wild Card round, there is a mix of health concerns across the 8 contenders, with New Jersey looking like the healthiest team in the field, while both Birmingham and Orlando could be shorthanded in their matchups. Keep an eye as well on New Orleans wideout Jordy Nelson, if he cannot go, which seems to be the case, that could negatively impact the Breakers’ ability to exploit New Jersey’s secondary. St. Louis has to be looking at the absence of Stephon Gilmore in LA as an opportunity as well, one talented receiver Deionte Jackson could take advantage of. Finally, Seattle will likely be without WR Devin Funchess, so look for Amari Cooper to be the primary target for QB Brett Hundley as the Dragons host the Oakland Invaders for a 3^rd matchup of these division foes.

NOR:    FB Curtis Nelson (OUT), WR Jordy Nelson (D), OG Michael Dunn (Q)

NJ:         OT George Fant (P)

STL:       SS Terrell Edmunds (D), LB Christian Sam (P), TE Kyle Pitts (P)

LA:         CB Stephon Gilmore (D), LB Aaron Wallace (P)

BIR:       LB Raekwon McMilian (OUT), OT Greg Robinson (OUT), WR John Metchie (D)

ORL:      WR Brashad Perriman (OUT), C Ethan Pocic (OUT), FS D. J. Swearinger (Q)

OAK:     OG Joshua Garnett (OUT), LB Shaq Barrett (OUT)

SEA:      WR Devin Funchess (D)

Black Monday Claims Two

Of all the traditions of pro football in both the fall and the spring, none is more dreaded than Black Monday, the annual culling of coaches who just did not meet expectations. Leading up to the dreaded day, the first day after the conclusion of the regular season, owners meet with team presidents, pros and cons are discussed, contracts are reviewed, and decisions are made. Has change come quickly enough? Does the team support their coach? Have we seen improvement? Has the team stagnated? Or, even worse, is the team headed the wrong way? You never know if any given Black Monday will be a major purge or a minor ripple across the league. Well, this year, with only two coaches let go, it is a surprisingly low-impact event.

Of course, don’t tell that to the two coaches who were let go, Jim Caldwell from Baltimore and Kliff Kingsbury from the Dallas Roughnecks. Both clubs finished 8-8 this year, which actually places them in the upper half of the league, but the record alone does not tell the full story. Take Caldwell in Baltimore, for example.

In Jim Caldwell you have a coach whose first season in the Charm City set a very high bar. Working largely with a roster built by his predecessor, Tom Coughlin, Caldwell did more than Coughlin ever managed, leading the Blitz to a 12-4 record and their first league title. The next year he returned with a 13-3 club but fell in their opening playoff game, upset by the Pittsburgh Maulers. Since those two heady years, the Blitz have been a solid team but not one which has found postseason success. Four playoff appearances between 2016-2020, all with 9-7 teams, led to 4 one-and-done departures. Las season the Blitz were again 9-7, but failed to qualify for the postseason. The pressure was on Caldwell to show he could get Baltimore over the hump, and early this year things looked good. The Blitz were 5-3 at the midway point of the year, but a 3-5 finish, including a 4-game losing streak between weeks 13-16, disqualified the Blitz from the post-season. That was not what was expected, the challenge of upping Baltimore’s win total and getting them past their first playoff game was not met, and so the Blitz have moved on. 

In Dallas, expectations for improvement were also the challenge set for head coach Kliff Kingsbury. Kingsbury came to the Bid D after back to back 6-10 seasons forced out Mike Sherman. The team struggled in Kingsbury’s first year, finishing 3-13, but saw improvement in 2019, doubling their win total to finish 6-10. Then, in the 2019-2020 offseason, the Roughnecks made a move that they hoped would help Kingsbury get the team out of the Southwestern Division basement and into regular playoff contention. The Roughnecks swung a deal with Portland to draft QB Justin Herbert. Dallas signed the former Oregon Duck, and saw immediate results, finishing 10-6 and making their first playoff appearance since moving from Boston. But the success proved short-lived. The club dropped back to 8-8 in 2021, and the pressure was on for Kingsbury to show that he could build around Herbert and get Dallas back to postseason football. A second 8-8 season this year was not what was expected and proved to be enough for Roughneck leadership to let Kingsbury go.

Two coaches, two teams at 8-8 but not meeting expectations, and that is all it took. But what about the coaches whose teams sunk well below .500. How are they still standing? Well, to start, you have to assume that first year coaches will get at least 2 seasons to show improvement, which explains why Jacksonville’s Mike Vrabel, Portland’s Jim Harbaugh, and even Houston’s Ted Cotrell were not on the hot seat. You also have teams who had success in 2021, and for whom a collapse in 2022 could well be an anomaly, wth the team still believing that their head coach can get the job done. This is likely very much the case with Dan Quinn (PHI), Jay Gruden (OHI), Sean McDermott (MGN), and John Hufnagel (DEN). So, after only a few days of offseason we know of 3 coaching vacancies, the spot in Oklahoma vacated by Bob Stoops, and the newly-opened positions in Baltimore and Dallas. Now the hunt for a replacement begins in earnest.

Las Vegas Loves the Bandits to Threepeat

The die was cast last week, when the Tampa Bay Bandits handily defeated the Chicago Machine without even putting Prescott, Bryant, and Cook on the field. That set the stage for what we see this week, as the books in Las Vegas set up Tampa Bay as a prohibitive favorite to complete their season with a threepeat, a feat unseen in either the 40 seasons of the USFL or in the 100+ years of the NFL. According to the three biggest legal books in Vegas, Caesar’s, Westgate, and Circa, the Bandits sit at 5-2 to once again raise the John Bassett Trophy.

Compare that very low line with even the 2^nd place Arizona Wranglers, coming in at 10-1, and you see just how much the money is slanting towards the Bandits to win it all once again. The influence of the Bandits’ dynasty is so strong that when we look at the odds, it is not until 5^th place in the odds that we find another Eastern Division team. With Tampa Bay at 5-2, Arizona at 10-1, Seattle now at 12-1, Chicago at 15-1 and St. Louis at 18-1, we don’t hit the next team, San Antonio, until we look at 25-1. They are then followed by both LA and Orlando, both at 28-1. The Tampa Bay effect even creeps to the bottom of the rankings, with Oakland (30-1) getting better odds than either Birmingham or New Orleans (both 35-1). In other words, tell us you think the Bandits are head and shoulders above every other team without telling us that they are. We get the picture.

The 10 Greatest Teams in USFL History

We have run through the 40 Greatest Players in USFL history, from punter John Carlton all the way to the GOAT, DE Calais Campbell. We ranked the 10 Greatest Head Coaches in USFL history, a group topped by the coach of the 2022 Western Conference One Seed Wranglers, Jim Tomsula, but what about the greatest teams? We all think you will already know who we are putting at the top of our list, but that is no reason not to count them down. So, here, with several caveats, is our Top 10 Greatest Teams of all time.

Bur first, the caveats. We are ranking teams by a single season, so while there certainly have been dominant teams, dynasties with multiple titles in the same decade, we are not ranking teams based on multiple years, since every team has different rosters and different trajectories each year. This is single season only, and that will mean, in many cases, that teams with multiple titles close to each other will be competing with themselves as well as with others for their rankings.

Before we hit our Top 10, here is a quick list of some of the teams that did not make the final cut, some very good teams that just were not dominant enough to make our Top 10:

The 2016 and 2019 Arizona Wranglers: A combined 32-6 between them, but not the best of the Wrangler dynasty of the 2010’s.

The 1988, 1992, 2010, and 2018 Houston Gamblers. Each had 4 or more losses, so while the Gamblers franchise leads the league in titles, only the best of those many very good Gambler squads makes our list.

The 2021 Tampa Bay Bandits. A 17-2 team, which one would think would make the list, and this one could be the team most say is getting an unfair snub, but we went with another recent Bandit team, and that bumped the 2021 squad down just far enough to drop out of the Top 10.

Several One-Hit Wonders did not make our list, not because they did not lead to dynasties, but because they were and still are viewed as flukes, as teams that outperformed their talent for one glorious moment, not indicative of a truly great team, but a team that got hot at the right time. In that cluster are the 2012 St. Louis Skyhawks, the 1999 Memphis Showboats, the 2000 Denver Gold and the 2014 Baltimore Blitz.

So, who are the teams we deemed worthy of being among the 10 greatest of all time? Wait no longer, here is our list.

10—The 1996 Houston Gamblers (14-4-1)

The only 4-loss team to make our list, but in our view the absolute best Houston Gambler squad of all time. These Gamblers won Houston and QB Jim Kelly their third league title. It was Kelly’s finest season in the league, throwing for over 5,400 yards and 47 touchdowns. It was also a team that could win with offense or defense, holding a 161 point margin between points scored and points given up. These Gamblers won the Central Division over a very tough St. Louis Knights squad, and then knocked off Michigan 31-28 and the Knights by a dominant 55-3 to reach Summer Bowl ’96, where they held off the Troy Aikman-led Bandits 38-35 in a thriller of a Summer Bowl.

9—The 1987 Philadelphia Stars (16-3)

One of the most dominant and balanced teams in USFL history, the Stars scored 427 points and allowed only 281 in a 13-3 regular season. They would go on to knock off Tampa Bay and Birmingham in the postseason before winning their 2^nd title in 3 years by knocking off Jim Kelly and the Gamblers 39-31 in the only Summer Bowl in the USFL’s first 25 years to be decided by a single point. Led by the inimitable Jim Mora Sr., these Stars featured a cavalcade of future Philadelphia Ring of Honor inductees, including QB Chuck Fusina, HB Kelvin Bryant, LB Sam Mills, and kicker David Trout.

8-The 1998 Tampa Bay Bandits (16-3)

Perhaps the greatest offensive football club in USFL history, the 1998 Bandits put up 566 points, over 35 per game, on their way to a 13-3 regular season. They won their division by 6 games and they raced through the playoffs, putting up 34 against the Blitz, 48 in the Conference Title Game against Washington, and won Summer Bowl ’98 45-30 over a Jim Johnson defense and the St. Louis Knights. This was the team that saw Troy Aikman set league records with 5,675 yards and 54 touchdowns. This was prime Randy Moss, with Ben Coates gaining 1,453 yards. But with 3 regular season losses and a defense that made more than a few games nail biters, the high-flying ’98 Bandits can rank only 8^th on our list.

7-The 2003 Ohio Glory (14-3)

The first ever repeat champions, the 2003 edition of the Glory used the same formula as the year before to return to the title game. They played solid defense, controlled the ball, and relied on their Big 3: Kerry Collins, Eddie George, and Joey Galloway. This Glory team stumbled a few times during the regular season, but came on strong at the end of the year, winning the Central before knocking off Jacksonville and Washington on their way to the Summer Bowl. They had a challenge in the 2003 Breakers, but came out on top to cement their place in history as the first USFL team to repeat as champions.

6-The 1984 Michigan Panthers (14-2)

It was hard to pick just one Panther squad from the many league champions, but the 14-2 team that won the league’s 2^nd title was special. A dominant team on both sides of the ball, this squad, led on offense by Bobby Hebert and on defense by John Corker, was a force to be reckoned with. They had a 1,000-yard rusher in John Williams, two 1,500-yard receivers (Amazing!!) in Dereck Holloway and Anthony Carter, and one of the most intimidating defenses in the decade of the 80’s. Defeating Rollie Dotsch and the Stallions in the 2^nd USFL Title Game, these Panthers are still remembered as one of the greats of all time and one of the earliest dynasties in the USFL.

5-The 1983 Tampa Bay Bandits (16-2)

We cannot have the ’85 Panthers and not include the league’s first champions, the 1983 Bandits. Another 2-loss team, the ’83 Bandits helped put the USFL on the map, with Bandit Ball exciting fans across the country with their high-flying antics. This team, led by QB John Reaves, dual-threat back Gary Anderson, and the greatest receiver in USFL history, Eric Truvillion, ran roughshod through the league, winning the Central Division over the talented Panther squad before knocking off Philadelphia in the 4-team playoff and defeating Denver in a 37-33 thriller in the first league title game.

4-The 1993 Birmingham Stallions (17-2)

Another deadly offensive squad, the 1993 Stallions were all about Brett Favre and the dual threat of Ernest Givens and Lawrence Dawsey. Sure, they had talent on the defense, with Chris Dishman bringing in a league best 8 picks, and Anthony Blaylock racking up 104 tackles, but the lone title winner in Stallion history is remembered for the big offensive plays, the wild gunslinging style of Favre, and their absolute dominance in the Southern Division. They won the division by 5 games, then escaped a shootout against Jacksonville 45-42 and a tough defensive matchup with the Federals, 27-21 before outlasting a talented Houston squad in Summer Bowl ’93, giving Birmingham their first (and so far, only) USFL title.

3-The 2013 Arizona Wranglers (18-1)

The Wranglers have won 3 titles since 2013, and are looking really good for a run in 2022 as well, but when we look at all the great Arizona teams of the past decade, this 1-loss team is still the one that produces the most affection. This was not a traditionally dominant team. They scored only 367 points on the season, and while they did win the Southwest Division by 5 games, theirs was a season of close calls and skin-of-their teeth victories. That tenacity was the key to their success as they battled their way through the playoffs, beating Texas 20-15, then dominating the Invaders 20-6 before battling a very tough Philadelphia squad to a 29-26 victory to earn the first title in Arizona history in the club’s 31^st season. Led by HB Frank Gore, QB David Carr, and a defense that gave up a league best 200 points this Wrangler squad was the team that started a decade of amazing seasons and title runs that already includes 5 trips to the Summer Bowl and 3 league titles.

2-The 2020 Tampa Bay Bandits (18-1)

The only franchise to get 3 seasons on our list, we could not deny the 18-1 Bandits, the team that put Tampa Bay back on top and made Dak Prescott a national superstar. Prescott, along with WR Dez Bryant, led a dominant offense that brought Bandit Ball back into fashion. The Bandits dominated the opposition over 16 weeks, then cruised past Atlanta and Houston to reach Summer Bowl ’13, where they not only defeated, but dismantled a very talented Michigan Panther team, forcing turnovers and putting up big plays on their way to a dominant 33-13 victory. This Bandit squad came as close as any to perfection without making it through the year unblemished.

1—The 2002 Ohio Glory (17-0)

Was there ever any doubt? The only unbeaten season in USFL history, a truly stunning achievement by a team that was only 7 years old and which had never won anything in the past. The Glory set the standard for league dominance, and got us all familiar with the idea of a truly deadly set of Triplets as teams simply could not contain the combination of Kerry Collins, Eddie George, and Joey Galloway. All three would have bigger statistical years than 2002, but as a team no squad ever did it better than this club. After their 14-0 regular season gave them the Central Division with 6 games to spare, the Glory almost stumbled in a 30-28 showdown with the Chicago Machine, before upending New Jersey 28-17 and dominating in Summer Bowl ’02 to defeat Memphis 38-14, a 24-point margin of victory that ensure them a perfect season, a place in football lore forever, and the top spot in our list of the greatest USFL teams of all time.

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Here is your preview of the first round of USFL playoffs, four games that should be highly competitive, with all the intensity and drama that Week 17’s backup-filled slate of games did not produce.

6-New Orleans Breakers (9-7) @ 3-New Jersey Generals (10-6)

Saturday, July 9 @ 4pm ET

Met Life Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ

Generals -4

The Generals may be favored, but they need to be careful here. New Orleans has won 4 in a row, Geno Smith is on fire, and even without Jordy Nelson, the Breakers have the depth and talent in the receiver group to make the Generals’ secondary look bad. For New Orleans, the key is to put pressure on Teddy Bridgewater. When flushed out of the pocket he is far less effective than when he has time to look over the field. Looking at both teams, we tend to like what we see in the Breakers, who just feel like a team that is putting the pieces together at the right time. We go for the road dog here, Breakers 22-17.

5-St. Louis Skyhawks (11-5) @ 4-Los Angeles Express (11-5)

Saturday, July 9 @ 8pm ET

Farmers Insurance Field, Carson, CA

Express -1

This one is tough, with the Vegas books liking the Skyhawks enough to nearly wipe out the usual 3-point home advantage LA should hold. Lamar Jackson will be a challenge for the LA defense. If they put inside pressure on Jackson, he could use his legs to make them pay. If they hold back too much, then he will have time to find his receivers. As for the Express offense, the key is getting Paul Perkins some good runs early. That will slow down A. J. Epenesa and the Skyhawk pass rush. If given time, Andy Dalton can be effective. We think defense has an edge here, especially a defense as good as the Express, so we are going to say it is very close, but that LA finds the right mix of pressure and coverage to slow down Jackson and the Skyhawks. Los Angeles 21-20.

6-Oakland Invaders (9-7) @ 3-Seattle Dragons (12-4)

Sunday, July 10 @ 4pm ET

Lumen Field, Seattle, WA

Dragons -6

Seattle is the biggest favorite of the weekend, and at 12-4 that should be no surprise. After losing to Oakland in the season opener, they defeated the Invaders in the rematch, winning 13-6 in Oakland. Seattle has now won 6 in a row and has looked good doing it. Oakland had won 5 of 6 before resting some starters against New Orleans this week. This has all the potential to be the best game of the week, but with Knowshon Moreno in good form and Amari Cooper able to take the roof off the defense, we just think Seattle will have too much for Oakland. Our pick is Seattle 27-21.

5-Birmingham Stallions (9-7) @ 4-Orlando Renegades (10-6)

Sunday, July 10 @ 8pm ET

Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL

Renegades -5

Unless everything clicks for Cam Newton, who has looked anything like the early season MVP candidate, we don’t think Birmingham can stick with the Renegades. Throw in a very annoyed Montez Sweat, who missed out on the Sack title by 1 sack, and you could have a very long day for the Stallions. The key for Birmingham, other than finding Newton’s mojo again, is Najee Harris. He leads the league with a 5.2 YPC average, so why is he not getting 20 touches a game? Orlando could be susceptible to the run if Coach Haley would just commit to it. But he has not shown any commitment to his tailback all season, so why start now. We think Orlando gets it done at home against a slumping Stallion team. Renegades 24-18.