2022 USFL Week 5 Recap: What more can one man do?

Justin Fields almost singlehandedly takes on the Dallas Roughnecks. Roquon Smith leads the Skyhawks to an overtime win over Oakland. Cam Newton gets the Stallions a huge win against New Orleans, and Josh Allen throws for 399 yards but cannot overcome the Outlaws. It is all part of an action-packed Week 5 that now has us looking at some unfamiliar faces sitting pretty at 4-1, faces like those of the Oklahoma Outlaws, St. Louis Skyhawks, and San Antonio Gunslingers.

We still have 2 unbeatens atop the West, but only Pittsburgh remains as a winless club, still awaiting Andy Dalton’s return to action. Five weeks in and we also have 17 of 30 teams sitting at either 3-2 or 2-3, which tells us that there are still a lot of things to sort out. We will try to help do that here, with a focus on 5 players whose time to move on to a new team may have come. We will also take a look at the first significant trade of the regular season as the Gold try to address an anemic run game. We will highlight 3 more players on our 40 Greatest list, and give you a look ahead at Week 6. All coming up, so let’s get to it.

Five Players Who Need a New Team

Sometimes you just need a change of venue, a new start, a chance to work in a new system, to reboot your mainframe and to redefine expectations. Sometimes the fit is just not a good one and a player can find new life with a change of scenery. We looked at that very situation this week, asking our bullpen of USFL experts to weight in on players who would be best served by a new opportunity with a new team. We came up with five who we believe need that change, that new start. Here is our list of five players who need to make a move.

QB Kyler Murray (LA)

The fact that we list the LA Express starting QB as a player who needs to move on will perhaps be a surprise for the Express front office, but not for the fanbase. Express fans have lost faith in Murray, some as many as 3 years ago. But this is different. We are not saying that trading Murray, who still has 2 more years on his contract, is the best move for the Express. It may not be. We are saying it is the best move for Murray.

Maybe we are overestimating what Murray could become in the right system, but we just don’t think that what he has done and is doing in LA is his ceiling. Murray has played 3 full games so far in 2022 and has yet to crack 200 yards in any of them. He is being asked to stay in the pocket, to dink, dunk and drop the ball off short. He is not given freedom to improvise or to extend plays. The results? He is completing fewer than 45% of his passes, has only 3 touchdowns in 3 starts, and his offense is among the worst in the league in both yards and points per game. LA may not be able to get top dollar for Murray now, but it may well in their best interest to make a deal, and, in our opinion, certainly in Murray’s best interest. Ship him off to Atlanta, Memphis, or even Michigan, whose offense is also a confusing mess. Let him see if a new system can better align with his talents. Let LA go ahead with Nick Foles this year and swing a deal for a rookie in 2023. We think the time has come to recognize that the match of Murray and the Express is just not a good one.

HB Marcus Lattimore (PHI)

We considered putting LeVeon Bell here, but that may just be temporary frustration with how awful Michigan’s offense has been this year. Bell is well-suited for Coach McDermott’s offense, so there is no real need for him to move on. So, we looked elsewhere for a back whose skills are being wasted where he is. Our choice, Marcus Lattimore, may not be the biggest name in the league, but he is a talented back who just is not getting the touches he needs to become a household name. After stints in Atlanta and Pittsburgh, including a 931-yard season with the Maulers, Lattimore found himself with the Stars in 2020. Since arriving in Philly he has been the understudy to one of the most durable, highest carry percentage backs in the league, Derrick Henry. Lattimore saw his production drop every year in Philadelphia, from averaging around 150 carries per year in Pittsburgh to fewer than 50 with the Stars.

And what makes us say that Lattimore needs to find a new home is that when he does touch the ball, he gets the job done. He averaged a very solid 4.1 yards per carry the last 2 years and this year he is sitting at 5.3 YPC, an outstanding average but one limited by his 25 carries in 5 weeks. He may never be the guy you give 20-25 carries to, but certainly 10-15 is a better range, and with the right club he could be producing 750 yards, not 200. We think the team is out there that will see this, and who are in a position to make a deal with the Stars.

WR Hunter Renfrew (ORL)

For a good part of 2021, it looked like Renfrew was being fast-tracked to a lead receiver role in Orlando. He was moved around more, from the slot to the flanker spot, thrown to more, and given every chance to make plays. And he made quite a few over the year. But something changed this offseason. Renfrew now finds himself in spot duty, with Nelson Agholor getting the vast majority of snaps outside and Braxton Berrios taking over as the slot man for Coach Rivera’s offense. Renfrew has only 3 catches in 5 games, not what anyone expected. We think there is a place where he could make an impact, actually a few teams where his blend of quickness and hands could truly help a team, and where he could be targeted far more often. Unfortunately, a couple of those places (Charlotte and Jacksonville) are in the division, so the best chance for Renfrew might be for Orlando to find a Western Division spot for him to land.

DE Barkevious Mingo (JAX)

This will be Mingo’s 10^th season in Jacksonville after being a highly touted draftee back in 2013. In his decade of service to the Bulls he has racked up 88 sacks, but he has not hit double digits since 2017, and for a player of his talents, that seems somewhat criminal. Move Mingo to a team with a 2^nd legitimate pass rusher, whether at the DE or LB position, and we could see him hit 10 or even 15 sacks in 2023. It just does not seem that Jacksonville can promise him that. Move Mingo to the Roughnecks, with Connor Barwin, or to Oakland, across from Michael Bennett, and he will draw far fewer double teams. It would likely be a costly trade for anyone dealing with the Bulls, since Mingo would be a loss to the team’s local fanbase, so they would want a player who could quickly bring value, but for Mingo, a move would almost certainly benefit him.

LB Nico Johnson (POR)

Nothing wrong with Nico Johnson’s game. His position atop the leaderboard as the league’s leading tackler certainly speaks to his abilities and his production. The problem is that, as we so often see, Johnson is leading the league because he is being asked to do too much for a defense that does not have enough playmakers to be effective. Portland currently ranks 28^th against the run because neither the line nor the rest of the LB group are doing enough to keep backs behind the line of scrimmage. They are getting 3, 4, even 5 or 6 yards before being hit, and it is often Johnson who has to keep a 6-yard run from becoming 12 yards. A solid MLB is a valuable asset, so Portland likely does not want to let Johnson go, but if you are not going to build around him so that he can make some of the tackles, not all of them, then you are doing a talented player a great disservice.

NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS 31  BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS 37  OVERTIME

Another Southern Division classic, just 2 weeks after we highlighted the Houston-New Orleans game. This is just the way the South seems to go. After 5 weeks we have all 5 clubs above .500, and 4 of them all tied for 2^nd through 5^th position at 3-2, with only the surprising Gunslingers a game up on the pack. And so, once again our GOTW is back in the South, this time in Birmingham, where the Breakers came to town hoping to keep pace with San Antonio, and where Stallion QB Cam Newton hoped for another big numbers day and another win for his Birmingham squad.

This game saw the Stallions outgain New Orleans, putting up 467 yards to the Breakers’ 296, but with Geno Smith connecting for 4 TDs it was not a game where the Stallions could use offense to pull away. In fact, they needed some late offense just to get back in this game and send it to overtime, where they got the eventual game winner. New Orleans at one point held a dominant 31-13 lead, but Birmingham scored the final 17 points of regulation and then capped off the huge momentum shift with a long overtime drive to claim the win with a 1-yard Cam Newton QB sneak.

This was a game that saw several lead changes over the first half, with New Orleans building their lead in the 3^rd quarter before Cam Newton and the Stallions snatched up the momentum in the fourth, scoring the game’s final 20 points to roar back and claim victory, a heartbreaking loss for the visitors, but a triumph for the home team. And, as so often happens, the early minutes of the game were no indication of what was to come. Birmingham and New Orleans traded initial drives, both slow, testing drives, seeking to assess the strategy of each defense. Halfway through the opening period, neither club had managed to reach even their own 45-yard line. But, that changed with Birmingham’s second possession, in which they saw a couple of nice runs, one each from Najee Harris and Isaiah Pead, and moved the ball within range for kicker Chris Boswell before the Breaker defense slowed them down. Birmingham took a 3-0 lead on a Boswell 48-yarder and that, it seems, was the starting gun for the offensive races.

It would take New Orleans only 3 plays and 61 seconds to flip the scoreboard, with Geno Smith finding Jordy Nelson on the game’s first big play, a 62-yard bomb that saw Nelson outpace the defenders, bring the ball in, tiptoe the sideline and dive over the pylon for the score. Birmingham had cracked open the scoring and the Breakers had just broken the door down. From there it was a series of scoring drives, with the 2^nd quarter opening with a 67-yard Birmingham drive that ended with Najee Harris diving over the goalline from a yard out to make it 10-7 Stallions. That was followed by a quick drive by New Orleans producing a Randy Bullock field goal to even the score.

The Breakers were able to retake the lead after a tipped ball from Cam Newton ended up in the hands of Tra’Davious White, giving New Orleans a short field and leading to a 5-yard toss from Geno Smith to Justin Jefferson and a Breaker 17-10 lead with 1:35 left in the half. That proved to be just enough time for Newton to move the ball into range for Chris Boswell once again and for the game to head into the half at 17-13 Breakers.

In the first half, the Stallions had struggled with the Breakers’ outside receivers and that issue certainly continued into the 3^rd quarter. It was not helped by the fact that any time the Stallions tried to use 2-deep zone, DeMarco Murray would hurt them. On New Orleans’ first drive he hurt them both on the ground and through the air, carrying the ball 4 times for 25 yards and then scoring on a screen play from 10 yards out to extend the Breaker advantage to 11 at 24-13. After a quick 3-and-out from the Breaker defense, one sparked by a first down sack of Cam Newton, the Breakers had the ball back again. Now, with Birmingham forced to respect Murray, they again left the outside receivers with occasional single coverage, and that too proved disastrous, with Geno Smith connecting on his 4^th touchdown pass, and the second of the day for Justin Jefferson. And while Birmingham managed another Boswell field goal towards the end of the quarter, they still were looking to be in dire straits, down 31-16 with 15 minutes to play.

But football is a game of momentum and two big shifts in the fourth gave Birmingham the momentum shift they needed. First, Geno Smith started getting greedy, forcing balls to Jefferson and Nelson despite double coverage. The second was that Cam Newton stopped trying to solve problems with his feet and stayed in the pocket. Newton had rushed the ball 12 times in the opening 3 quarters, 5 planned runs and 7 scrambles, and for that he had a grand total of -3 yards. In the final period he would only rush the ball 2 times, both times escaping sacks, and would throw the ball 14 times, completing 11.

Smith’s overconfidence bit New Orleans on their first possession of the final period, when he pushed the ball towards Jordy Nelson only to have Stallion CB Pacman Jones step in front and take it away from Nelson. That gave Birmingham the ball on their own 48, and 8 plays later Cam Newton, who had gone 4 of 5 on the drive, found Henry Ruggs on a short crossing route for the score. The Stallions were now within a single score, down 31-23. The two teams exchanged 3-and-outs after that score, but on New Orleans’s next possession, Smith again tried to force the ball in to Nelson, and again Pacman Jones came up with it, though this time it was a tip drill interception after the pass was clipped mid-flight by LB Raekwon McMillian. Still, with just over 4 minutes to play, it gave Birmingham the ball, 69 yards from a game-tying score.

Birmingham would start the drive carefully, running Isaiah Pead up the middle for 3 yards and then with Newton hitting rookie TE Tre McBride for 5, and Harris scooting over the left side for a first down. They earned another first down after a late hit on Newton produced a roughing the passer call. That put the Stallions on the Breaker side of the 50, and 3 plays later Newton would use his size, not his legs, to extend a play and find a receiver. Within a shrinking pocket, Newton was clipped by blitzing Breaker LB Kwon Alexander, but shrugged off the blow as Alexander fell to the turf off-balance. He stepped up, stepped to his right, and spotted McBride getting open down the seam. Newton hit McBride with a perfect strike and the rookie rumbled his way for a 41-yard TD with 1:13 left in the game. All that was needed was the 2-point conversion to tie the game.

That conversion was also a byproduct of Newton’s dual threat reputation. On the play from the 2, Newton faked the ball to Harris, rolled right, pumped once, then seemed to make a bee-line for the right pylon, the defenders rushed forward to stop him and he lobbed the ball over them to a waiting Hunter Henry. Game tied, Newton now well in his game and feeling his mojo. That feeling would not subside as the Stallion secondary held, stopping New Orleans from reaching field goal range late, and as the game headed to overtime.

In the extra period, New Orleans had a shot to go ahead, but a huge play that saw Olamide Zacchaeous catch a hook, spin away from coverage and race 30 yards was called back by a holding call. The 2^nd and 17 proved too much for the Breakers to overcome, they punted and Birmingham took over on their own 14. A score would end the game and help the Stallions rise above .500 and right into the thick of a very clustered Southern Division. The drive that ensued lasted 15 plays, took up over 10 minutes of the 15-minute period, and yet saw Birmingham face only 2 third downs. The converted the first on a nice throw from Newton to McBride, the rookie quickly becoming a favorite target. The second came up short, with Isaiah Pead stopped a yard short of the line to gain on the New Orleans 39. Solidly in no-man’s-land, Coach Haley kept the offense on the field and Newton, all 245 lbs. of him, surged forward to make the first on 4^th and 1. 5 plays later, Newton was again facing a yard to gain, but now it was 2^nd and goal from the 1. Again, the call was sent in, and without hesitation Newton took the ball over his left guard and in for the game winner.

The final stat sheet for the two outstanding quarterbacks was an impressive one. Geno Smith had finished the day with 254 yards and 4 TDs, but also with two late picks that helped the Stallions rally. Newton finished with exactly 0 yards rushing, but with 374 yards through the air, 2 passing TDs and that 1-yard TD plunge for the win. The Stallions, the surprise 2021 Division Champs, were now 3-2, a spot they shared with the Breakers, Gamblers, and Showboats, all a game behind one of 2022’s early surprises, the San Antonio Gunslingers at 4-1.

TAMPA BAY 45  ORLANDO 10

Orlando simply fell apart in this game, coughing up the ball 5 times (3 Wilson picks & 2 fumbles) and finding very little that could slow down the Bandit Ball offense. Dak Prescott went 10 of 13 with 3 TDs before getting pulled late to give rookie Matt Corral some snaps. It was just that ugly. Dez Bryant had 151 yards and 2 scores, both tailbacks scored, and the Renegades did not put their lone TD on the board until the last 2 minutes of action in this blowout loss at home.

POTG: Bandit WR Dez Bryant: 5 Rec, 151 Yds, 2 TD

OKLAHOMA 29  DENVER 24

If folks are still doubting if the 4-1 Outlaws are for real, a win at Empower Field in Denver should be enough to take them seriously. Josh Allen threw for 399 yards and 3 scores, but was also sacked 7 times by Oklahoma’s “Bum Rush” defense, a name they have adopted to reflect the lack of respect they get. Jalen Hurts threw for 2 scores and Eddie Lacy rushed for 75 yards and a score as Denver’s Phillip Lindsey managed only 1.5 YPC, which may explain why the Gold made a trade for a back this week.

POTG: Oklahoma LB Vontez Burfict: 6 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 FF, 1 FR

CHICAGO 30  PITTSBURGH 3

Kenny Pickett suffered 6 sacks as Chicago’s D dominated. The Machine offense was out of synch, with only 231 total yards, but Sam Bradford, despite some troubles, found Tyler Eifert twice for scores as the Machine pulled away from a Mauler team with no offensive spark.

POTG: Chicago TE Tyler Eifert: 4 Rec, 66 Yds, 2 TD

SEATTLE 10  MEMPHIS 13

Coach Ryan’s defense guts out a 3^rd straight win as Memphis holds Seattle to only 250 total yards with Brett Hundley sidelined. Seattle struggled, using both Trevor Siemian and Stephen Tyler at QB ,but just could not keep drives alive against the Memphis pressure. J. J. Watt had 2 more sacks in this one and Todd Gurley helped Blake Bortles survive 2 picks by rushing for 76.

POTG: Memphis DE J. J. Watt: 5 Tck, 1 TFL, 2 Sck

OHIO 32  DALLAS 35

Justin Fields did all you can ask of a QB and more, but the Roughnecks still found a way to eke out a home win over Ohio. Fields rushed for 177, including 2 long TD runs, then threw for 2 more, but they could not get the W as Dallas got TDs from 5 different players on their way to a shootout win. Patrick Peterson and Germaine Kelly were the stars on defense for the Roughnecks, with Kelly logging 10 tackles while Peterson had 7, a sack, a forced fumble and a recovery.

POTG: Dallas CB Patrick Peterson: 7 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 FF, 1 FR

SAN ANTONIO 42  HOUSTON 31

The Gunslingers announced they were for real in the Southern Division by outpacing the Gamblers as Joe Flacco threw for 450 yards and 4 touchdowns against a stunned Houston secondary. Three different receivers went over 100 yards, including rookie Garrett Wilson (118), veteran Brandon LaFell (147) and TE Julius Thomas (116), all three also scoring for the rampaging Gunslinger offense. In what has become a disturbingly common site, Colt McCoy again left the game early, with Landry Jones taking over for much of the 2^nd half.

POTG: Gunslinger QB Joe Flacco: 29/35, 450 Yds, 4 TD, 0 Int

MICHIGAN 17  ATLANTA 27

Something is rotten in Detroit, and the Fire were more than happy to take advantage. Josh Rosen silenced more than a few critics in his 2^nd start by going 26 of 34 for 323 yards and 2 scores. Nick Chubb certainly did his part, catching 4 balls for 54 yards in addition to carrying the rock 20 times. The Fire defense also looked solid against a Michigan team that seems rudderless. LeVeon Bell got 92 yards, but the Panthers needed a last-minute garbage time TD to look competitive in this game.

POTG: Atlanta QB Josh Rosen: 26/34, 323 Yds, 2 TD, 0 Int

PHILADELPHIA 23  WASHINGTON 21

A smashmouth slugfest between two teams that genuinely don’t like each other, that is what fans at Audi Field witnessed as the Stars and Federals battled it out for 60 minutes. Derrick Henry carried the ball 25 times for 90 yards, Carson Wentz found K. J. Hamler for a key score, and the Stars recovered an onside kick after a late Keenan Allen TD to preserve the win in this NE Division grudge match.

POTG: Stars’ WR Randall Cobb: 7 Rec, 117 Yds

CHARLOTTE 27  JACKSONVILLE 20

Charlotte notches their 2^nd win as Jacksonville’s surprising offensive woes continue. Paxton Lynch finished with only 167 yards passing, but added 3 scores as the Monarchs found success with Latavious Murray on the ground. Murray had his best game of the year, rushing for 111 yards. Trevor Lawrence threw for 225 and 2 scores, but it was not enough as the Bulls drop to 1-4 on the year.

POTG: Charlotte HB Latavious Murray: 24 Att, 111 Yds

OAKLAND 27  ST. LOUIS 30 OVERTIME

Zane Gonzalez’s 49-yard kick gives St. Louis their 4^th win on the season as they outlast Oakland in a back-and forth game that saw Davis Mills hit Michael Floyd with 4 seconds in regulation to send the game to overtime. St. Louis managed only 28 total rushing yards against that Oakland LB group, but still were looking good thanks to a pick-6 from LB Roquon Smith and two Lamar Jackson TD passes. Oakland saw Christian McCaffrey rush for 117 and a score, and were in it until the end, missing their own potential game winner in overtime when Roberto Aguayo’s 52-yard attempt sailed left.

POTG: St. Louis LB Roquon Smith: 10 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 Int, 1 Def TD

BALTIMORE 34  NEW ENGLAND 24

The Rollers lose their 2^nd straight after a 3-0 start as Baltimore put up the final 10 points of the game in the last 2-minutes, turning a 24-24 deadlock into a 10-point victory. Josh Jacobs had 2 scores and 95 yards, including a 10-yard TD run in the final minute after New England QB Ryan Tannehill was picked off for the 3^rd time while trying to rally the Rollers.

POTG: Baltimore HB Josh Jacobs: 22 Att, 95 Yds, 2 TD

NEW JERSEY 13  ARIZONA 31

The Wranglers send New Jersey back under .500 with a convincing home win in the desert. Unbeaten Arizona put up 21 points in the opening period, with Ryan Nassib throwing TD tosses to 3 different receivers. From there the Wranglers just shortened the game, kept the ball with their HB combo (Allgeier and Carey each had 61 yards for a total of 122) and kept New Jersey from any real shot at a comeback.

POTG: Wrangler QB Ryan Nassib: 16/23, 254 Yds, 3 TD, 0 Int

SAN DIEGO 11  LOS ANGELES 23

The Express do it again with defense, a 49-yard pick-six of Hackenberg giving the Express a 13-0 lead in the 1^st quarter. Despite only 240 yards of offense, the Express get the W by holding San Diego out of the endzone until the final 2 minutes. Hackenberg was sacked 4 times, picked twice, harassed all day, and, by Tuesday, relieved of his role as the starter.

POTG: LA corner Kris Boyd: 1 Tck, 1 Int, 1 Def TD

LAS VEGAS 27  PORTLAND 20

The Vipers find the win column for the first time all year by picking off Marcus Mariota twice, sacking him 4 times, and running him out of the game with a possible concussion. All this after falling behind 17-0 in the first 20 minutes of action. Proof a comeback is possible as Las Vegas outpaced the Stags 27-3 the rest of the way, including 2^nd half TDs from HB Matt Jones, WR John Ross and a pick-six from SS Zane Anderson.

POTG: Viper HB Matt Jones: 15 Att, 52 Yds, 1 TD

That’s some Good Flacco You Have There

We often joke about Joe Flacco as a football version of DC Comics and Batman villain Two-Face. Some days you get Good Flacco, capable of standing in the pocket and making big throws down the field, and other days you get Bad Flacco, a statue waiting to be sacked who forces throws and produces picks. Now, admittedly, over his 15 USFL seasons, the numbers clearly show that Good Flacco was a more frequent phenomenon. After all, this is a QB who was the 2011 MVP, and a 5-time All-USFL QB, with 322 passing TDs to only 130 picks, a lifetime completion rate of 61.1% and a career rating of 97. So we should not be surprised that in 2022 we have seen a lot of Good Flacco.

However, what we saw this week, as the Gunslingers upset the Houston Gamblers at NRG Stadium was not just good, it was chef’s kiss good, it was USDA prime, top shelf Flacco. What are we talking about? How about 29 of 35 for the game, 450 yards, and 4 TDs with no picks and no sacks. We cannot remember the last time we saw Joe Flacco playing this well. He ripped up a pretty solid Houston secondary, including 4 completions directly at All-USFL corner Leodis McKelvin. Flacco sent 3 different receivers over 100 yards, including his tight end, incorporated his backs (Gordon in particular with 4 catches) and, if you count the 2 drops by receivers, only threw 4 incompletions.

We should highlight that unlike in past years, when Joe Flacco was frequently among league leaders in sacks, the Gunslingers of 2022 have a line that is more than holding their own. Full kudos to them, starting with LT Zach Banner, left guard Andy Levitre, and center Michal Menet. But even somewhat undervalued RT Halapouviati Vaitai is getting the job done, as is RG Taylor Moten. So far this season, Flacco has been sacked a grand total of 8 times, with 5 of those coming against Chris Jones, Nick Bosa, and the highly aggressive Express front seven (in a game the Gunslingers won by 18 points). The other piece of the puzzle, of course, are the receivers. The Gunslingers have focused on providing their veteran QB with a much more energetic, multidimensional, and dangerous receiver group than he has seen in a long time. No longer the straight line 1-pattern receiver group of the old Texas Outlaws, this is a diverse skill set all across the group, from rookie Garrett Wilson, who is proving to be a much better pure route runner than we saw at Ohio State, to savvy veteran and former Federal Brandon LaFell, and post-up TE Julius Thomas. Depth is there too. With help from players like Jaelen Reagor, slot specialist Isaiah McKenzie, former Iowa TE Noah Fant and some backs who can catch as well, like Melvin Gordon and Raheem Mostert.

It is a team effort certainly, but when you see a game like this week’s, you have to acknowledge that for all the critiques of his lack of mobility, when it comes to pocket passers, when Joe Flacco gives you Good Flacco, it is among the best options in the league and will win you a lot of games, something fans in the Alamo City are very excited about right now.

Rosen Surprises in Win Over Floundering Panthers

We don’t want to brag, but it seems like whenever we highlight a player who is struggling, or a team that has a need at a certain position, that player in that position tends to step up their game. Maybe it is coincidence, maybe players just hate being called out by This Week in the USFL, but it happened again this week. Last week’s recap had a full story on Atlanta’s QB crisis without Aaron Murray. We listed options they could and should pursue, even suggesting that they try to get either Tom Brady or Phillip Rivers to come out of retirement to lend a hand. So, what happens this week? The player we said was not getting it done and was a liability, comes out and puts a big W on the board with some impressive numbers.

Josh Rosen, NFL import and former 1^st round pick of both the NFL Cardinals and USFL Bulls, put up a game that looked like what you would expect of a 1^st rounder: 26 of 34, 323 Yds, 2 TD, 0 Int against a Michigan defense that used to intimidate QBs. Atlanta, with its back against the wall and facing a pretty hungry Panther squad, got themselves a nice 27-17 win, and in large part it was because Rosen came through. Now, being fully honest, it was clear that Michigan was overloading against Nick Chubb and the Fire run game, expecting Atlanta to try to pound the rock and shorten the game. The Fire, used that to set up play action options for Rosen all game long, but to his credit the Fire QB converted those chances into plays, hitting 8 different receivers, including 5 with 3 or more receptions and 4 who earned 50 or more yards. Rosen spread the ball around, did not force passes into coverage, and made enough plays on third down to help Atlanta control the clock and take the game in the 4^th quarter, where they turned a 13-10 lead into an eventual 27-17 victory.

Rosen may not yet be ready to single-handedly take over a game, but in this system, with Chubb drawing the attention he merits, and if the Fire can avoid falling behind early, he can be successful. Is that enough for the Fire to compete in a tough SE Divisoin? We don’t know, but what we said about the need for the Fire to panic and do something drastic at the QB position, well, that may just not be the case.

Rudolph Gets A Shot as Thunder Bench Hackenberg

The QB situation is not going as well in San Diego, where Christian Hackenberg did not fare well against the LA Express and their nasty front 7. The San Diego starter was sacked 4 times, threw two pretty bad picks, including a 49-yard pick-six for Kris Boyd, and struggled to push the ball beyond 10 yards. In five starts, “Hack” has a total rating of only 72.1, with 1,141 yards and a 5:4 TD:INT ratio. That is not the worst in the league among regular starters (Hello, Blake Bortles) but it is not good enough to keep San Diego from dropping games, 4 of their first 5 this season. And so a change is being made.

Coach Becht, the former USFL tight end and position coach, is already facing criticism that he was just not prepared for his first head coaching gig. A 1-4 start and the league’s 2^nd worst scoring offense does not have him in a good position with fans, and likely with ownership. And so, after another rough week for Hackenberg, on Tuesday Coach Becht announced that the team was making a switch, with former Oklahoma Outlaw backup and OSU star Mason Rudolph taking over for Week 6. Rudolph, who started only 1 game for Oklahoma last year, but who started in 11 the year prior, will now be given the starting job, the first time in his career when injury would not be the reason he was under center.

Rudolph’s first game will be a California Derby, with the Invaders coming down from Oakland at 2-3 to face the 1-4 Thunder. Expect Coach Becht to try to shield Rudolph a bit by leaning on HB Charles Sims and by using more 2-TE formations to give a run-first look even when passing. Expect Rudolph to spread the ball around to all his receivers, as his corps does not have a true number one. In fact, many cite the WR group of Ronald Johnson, Chris Givens, Kadarius Toney, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and Laviska Shenault as one of the weakest in the league and a group that simply has not provided the Thunder with much bang for their buck. Be that as it may, it is now Mason Rudolph’s job, and opportunity, to show that he can make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear (wow, we went old school country with that metaphor) and get production for the Thunder offense where his predecessor could not.

Maulers to Stick with Pickett Despite 0-5 Start

Andy Dalton was moved from OUT to Doubtful this week with the stress fracture on his foot healing and the veteran able to participate in practices, but do not expect him to make a surprise appearance in this week’s game against Ohio. Coach Holtz has already named rookie Kenny Pickett the starter for the divisional and regional rivalry. Despite making some roster shifts this week, including promoting 3^rd year back Cam Akers to the starting job over “in the doghouse” back Sony Michel, shifting Amon-Ra St. Brown to the slot for Brian Quick to move outside, and shifting Rashawn Slater from RT to LT to better protect Pickett, a change in QB is not in the cards.

What had begun as a possible 1-2 week injury for Dalton is now in its 5^th week and with the Maulers having a bye after the Week 6 game in Ohio, we likely are expecting Dalton to return to action with a 2-week period to prep himself. Unfortunately, by the time the Red Rifle is ready to return, there is a real chance that the Maulers could be 0-6 and essentially done for the year in any realistic sense. So, what is the long game here? Will Dalton return and try to salvage a lost season or does Coach Holtz continue to mold Pickett, who many expect will be the starter when 2023 rolls around? Our best guess is that Dalton will be back under center for the Week 8 matchup at Las Vegas, but if Pittsburgh continues to flounder, we likely will see Pickett get a 2^nd round of games under his belt before the year is out.

Denver Makes Deal for HB Help

With the league’s 2^nd best passing attack, but still only a 2-3 record, and averaging only 61.2 yards per game on the ground, Coach Hufnagel and the Denver Gold decided that a move was needed to bring their club’s offense into balance and provide the squad with a better chance of competing for the SW Division once again. The combo of Phillip Lindsay and David Wilson has just not produced results, with the starter, Lindsay, averaging barely 2 yards per carry. So, the Gold reached out across the league, looking for a back that could provide more, and they found one in New Jersey, where the Generals have been giving Tony Pollard more carries and phasing out former Gunslinger C. J. Prosise, a free agent acquisition this offseason. Prosise has not been bad, averaging 4.2 yards per carry, but issues in the locker room and disagreements with coaches about his use in the Generals’ offense had put him out of favor, perfect fodder for a trade.

Denver pulled the trigger on the deal, surprisingly keeping Lindsay with the team while sending backup David Wilson, along with a 3^rd rounder, to New Jersey to acquire Prosise. The newest Gold HB had his best season last year in San Antonio, rushing for 8 TDs and 647 yards. In Denver he will be given the chance to be the lead back once again, with Lindsay shifting to a more rotational role until he can start seeing holes better. Denver expects Prosise to have a playbook of about 20 run options by this week’s kickoff against Baltimore. New Jersey, for their part, will start Tony Pollard against Las Vegas, though we may see David Wilson get a few snaps on third down as a change of pace back.

Our longest and most problematic injury report of the season as we see our second “straight to IR” listing, and it is a big one for the Philadelphia Stars as ALL-USFL left tackle Matt Kalil is lost for the year with a ruptured Achilles tendon. San Antonio also loses a lineman for the year as RG Taylor Moton suffered an ACL tear in the Gunslinger win over Houston. Several other shorter-duration injuries as well, including St. Louis QB Lamar Jackson, who will be out this week against Chicago in a huge Central Division game. Tyrod Taylor will take over the Skyhawk offense in the big rivalry matchup.

OUT

OT       Matt Kalil                    PHI        Ruptured Achilles       IR

OG         Taylor Moton                 SAN       ACL                             IR

WR         Jameson Williams         CHI        Foot                                2-4 Weeks

SS           Leon McQuay              OKL       Neck                           1-2 Weeks

TE           Travis Kelce                   PHI        Groin                            1-2 Weeks

WR         Michael Pittman Jr.        BAL        Shoulder                     1-2 Weeks

CB          Robert Anderson           CHI        Groin                              1-2 Weeks

QB         Lamar Jackson                STL         Shoulder                       1-2 Weeks

LB           Justin Houston                DEN      Arm                                1-2 Weeks

OT          Riley Reiff                       BAL        Wrist                               1-2 Week

DOUBTFUL

FS           Calvin Pryor                MEM     Knee

CB          Isaiah Oliver                     OKL       Concussion

TE           Vance McDonald            ATL         Toe

OG         Amini Silatulo                  ORL       Toe

QUESTIONABLE

C             Matt Hennessey             PHI        Ankle

DT          Chris Jones                LA          Foot

WR         Cody Latimer                MGN     Concussion

OT          Bernard Raimann           PIT         Concussion

B             Chidobe Awuzie             SEA        Toe

Five Breakout Players After Week Five

The early season jitters have melted away. The 30 USFL clubs are now in full battle mode, and we are beginning to see just who the newest impact players of the 2022 season are going to be. Our five “breakout” players are rising stars, returning veterans (we don’t include rookies here) who are making their mark on the season, building up their reputation, and making believers out of fans across the league. Some may fade in the long USFL season but league history has shown us that new stars emerge each year, and not always in a player’s first year. So, who are the 5 players we see as bursting on the scene in a big way in 2022? You probably guessed at least one, but here is our list of 5 to watch as the season rolls on.

5—WR Deionte Johnson (STL)

The 4^th year receiver for the Skyhawks made a huge leap in 2021, from 37 catches his sophomore season to 62, and from 463 yards to 1,240, but when you play for a 5-win team it is hard to catch anyone’s eye. That is not the case this year, with St. Louis sitting at 4-1 and Johnson on pace to catch over 90 passes. Johson is also on pace to potentially hit 1,500 or even 1,600 yards and if the Skyhawks keep racking up wins, his name will become one a lot of fans are talking about.

4—FS Jevon Holland (OAK)

When asked to identify the best free safeties in the league, most casual fans would just stutter, even savvy fans are likely to point to Mark Barron in Chicago or Lonnie Ballentine in LA, but right now the best in the league may well be 2^nd year Invader safety Jevon Holland. Holland leads all safeties with 3 picks, but he is not a one-note player. Holland can play centerfield but is also an effective tackler in the run game and can blitz as needed. Setting up behind MLB Bobby Wagner certainly helps Holland, but don’t think he is just riding in Wagner’s wake. He is making plays of his own each week.

3—CB Asante Samuel Jr. (TBY)

When you play in the defensive backfield with a mediaseeking corner like Jaylen Ramsey, it is easy to hide in the shadows, but Samuel is not hiding this year. After starting all 16 games opposite Ramsey in 2021, and winning a title along the way, the 2^nd year corner is proving to be just as tough an obstacle to opposing quarterbacks as his more “vocal” CB partner. Samuel’s numbers are taking a jump in his 2^nd year in the league, with 36 tackles in only 5 games, including 2 forced fumbles and his first pick of the year. We tend to focus on offense when we talk about the Bandits, but Samuel is proving to be a playmaker on the other side of the ball.

2—HB Chris Carson (ORL)

Carson was not exactly an unknown when he came to the Renegades from the NFL Seahawks, but he was also not exactly LeVeon Bell when it came to public perception. After a very solid first year in the spring, rushing for 974 yards and 6 TDs, Carson finally got an offseason to rest, and is coming on strong in his second USFL campaign. He is currently sitting at 323 yards, which is well on pace to top 1,000, and has 3 touchdowns in the season’s first 5 weeks. Averaging only 3.6 YPC, Carson may need to find some better holes and better blocks to reach those totals, but there is no doubt that the Renegades see him as a key to their offensive success in 2022.

1—DE A. J. Epenesa (STL)

There is no way you have not noticed A. J. Epenesa this year. The former Nittany Lion has produced 9 sacks in his first 5 games this year, putting him in some rarified air with J. J. Watt and solidly ahead of the peloton of edge rushers chasing the leaders. Epenesa somewhat quietly racked up 15 sacks last year, but like Deionte Johnson, with more wins comes more attention and if the speed rushing end can keep up this pace even as teams start to gameplan to stop him, we think he has a real shot to earn All-USFL honors and possibly to help the Skyhawks get back to the postseason for the first time since 2015. Keep an eye on him. Good advice for all of us, but essential for the 29 USFL QBs who will have him hunting for them this year.

USFL 40 GREATEST PLAYERS IN 40 YEARS: 28-26

Another week and three more legends of the USFL to roll out. This time we go back to the early years of the league, with one of its first breakout stars, a receiver who deserves more praise than he usually gets (especially considering the record he holds in the league) and a defender who holds league records in 3 different categories, all while chasing the dream of a title. Turn on the Wayback Machine, because we start our list at number 28 with a name we know you all remember, even if you were not yet born when he rumbled down USFL fields.

28) HB Kelvin Bryant (1983-1994)

One of the USFL’s first “home grown” superstars, Bryant was a known commodity out of UNC in 1983, but what he became in the USFL was a bona fide superstar. Bryant rushed for over 1,300 yards as a rookie in the league’s first season, and would go on to top 1,000 yards in every single USFL season he played, a total of 12, retiring with a remarkable run of All-USFL seasons. He stepped away from the game in 1994 with over 15,378 yards, an average of 82 yards per game and 1,281 yards per season over a 12-year career. In a world where the average back lasts only 4 years in the pros, what Bryant did in Philadelphia is remarkable. Throw in the 1985 MVP, league titles in ’85, ’87, and in his swan song season of 1994, and 10 All-USFL nominations over 12 seasons and the only question we can have is “How is he only 28^th on this list?”

27) WR Henry Ellard (1984-1998)

With the initial success of the USFL in 1983, the draft class of 1984 saw opportunities in the new league, and Fresno State wideout Henry Ellard was among the players who jumped at the chance to try their luck in the new league. Ellard was selected by the Invaders in the USFL’s experimental Territorial Draft, and by the LA Rams in the 2^nd round of their draft. He opted for the USFL and made an immediate impact, catching 92 passes for 996 yards in his rookie campaign. That was just the beginning. A 15-year vet of the Invaders, Ellard had nine 1,000-yard seasons in his illustrious career. He retired with 1,349 receptions and 122 touchdowns. Ellard was named All-USFL 4 times, though not in 1991, the year he helped Oakland win its only league title to date. His finest year was 1994, though he had a 3-year run from 94-96 in which he caught 296 passes for over 4,350 yards and 47 touchdowns, an average of 15.7 per year. If you live outside of the Bay Area, you may not think to name Ellard among the great receivers in USFL history, a byproduct of Oakland’s lack of dynasty status perhaps, but within the record books you will find him atop all USFL receivers with a career best 1,349 receptions (49 more than Joey Galloway), his 122 career TDs also placing him in the league’s Top 10 all time.

26) S Bennie Blades (1988-2003)

Sixteen seasons, three teams, 10 All-USFL awards, but no titles. That is the legacy of personal greatness but team frustration for strong safety Bennie Blades. A rookie with the Memphis Showboats in 1988, Blades burst on the scene with a rookie season that included 76 tackles, 4 sacks, and 15 pass defenses. Blades would play 8 seasons in Memphis, earning All-USFL accolades 3 times. He moved from Memphis to Baltimore in 1996 and continued to excel, earning 4 more All-USFL nods before finishing his career in Arizona, and, you guessed it, more recognition, earning All-USFL each of his 2 years in the desert. Blades retired with 1,256 tackles, the highest all time for a USFL strong safety, nearly 100 above Troy Polamalu and LeRoy Butler, averaging nearly 80 per year his entire career. Blades also had 54 career sacks, another league record (again barely beating out Polamalu), 20 picks, another league best for a career, and an eye-popping 36 forced fumbles, yup, once again a USFL record for the strong safety position, 25 ahead of 2^nd place. So, the question now has to be, is Blades the only SS on our list? Will he and FS LaRon Landry represent the safety position alone, or did we dare to put someone above him?

Week Six, our last 15-game weekend before the bye kick in, and with so many teams clustered near the .500 mark it is a weekend that can spur a team to future success or start a slow slide downwards. We start off on Friday with two divisional rivalries, one, Memphis @ New Orleans, featuring two teams at 3-2 and hoping not to fall back to .500. The other features a stateline battle between winless Pittsburgh and the Ohio Glory at 3-2. Ohio has to be concerned about dropping further back of both Chicago and St. Louis, while Pittsburgh just needs to get a win.

Saturday features a pair of 2-3 teams fighting to reach .500 as Denver travels to Baltimore to face the Blitz. Then at 4pm we have yet another huge divisional game for the unbeaten Chicago Machine, as they host surprising St. Louis. A win and they have some distance in the division, a loss and St. Louis pulls even. Out in the West it will be 3-2 LA vs. 3-2 Seattle in a game that could be a factor in the Pacific come playoff time. Neither wants to drop to 3-3, and with Brett Hundley again out, this could be a tough one for the Dragons. We also have what would be a real clash in the NFL, Dallas @ Washington, but here in the USFL, with the two in different conferences, much less divisions, it is a battle of 2-3 teams who rarely face each other.

Sunday has two games we don’t want to miss, with 3-2 New England heading out to Oklahoma City to face the surprising 4-1 Oklahoma Outlaws. That game will be at 4pm on ABC regional coverage pretty much everywhere except on the West Coast, where fans will see Oakland v. San Diego. The other is the Sunday night game on EFN, with the 3-2 Houston Gamblers coming into Tampa Bay to take on the 4-1 Bandits. Could this one reach 80 combined points? 100? It feels like s shoutout in the making.

Fri. 7pm ET       Memphis (3-2) @ New Orleans (3-2)*       NBC

Fri. 7pm ET         Pittsburgh (0-5) @ Ohio (3-2)*                   ESPN/EFN

Sat. 12pm ET     Denver (2-3) @ Baltimore (2-3)                ABC

Sat. 12pm ET     Las Vegas (1-4) @ New Jersey (2-3)        FOX

Sat. 4pm ET      St. Louis (4-1) @ Chicago (5-0)              ABC

Sat. 4pm ET       San Antonio (4-1) @ Portland (1-4)         FOX

Sat. 8pm ET      Los Angeles (3-2) @ Seattle (3-2)*         NBC

Sat. 8pm ET       Dallas 2-3) @ Washington (2-3)               ESPN/EFN

Sun 12pm ET     Arizona (5-0) @ Philadelphia (2-3)*           ABC

Sun 12pm ET   Atlanta (2-3) @ Jacksonville (1-4)            FOX Regional

Sun 12pm ET     Birmingham (3-2) @ Charlotte (2-3)         FOX Regional

Sun 4pm ET       New England (3-2) @ Oklahoma (4-1)   ABC Regional

Sun 4pm ET      Oakland (2-3) @ San Diego (1-4)           ABC Regional

Sun 4pm ET       Orlando (2-3) @ Michigan (1-4)                FOX

Sun 8pm ET       Houston (3-2) @ Tampa Bay (4-1)*         EFN

                                (*) = Throwback Uniforms