A huge road win for the Maulers, a shootout in Tampa, a tough loss for the Gamblers, and a surprise club at the top of the Central Division with only 2 weeks left to play. Things are heating up, and with 6 of the league’s 10 playoff spots already claimed, the battles will only get more fierce as we enter the final two weeks of the season. It’s playoff football come early for many of the league’s teams, sitting on the edge of contention or elimination. It’s June and that means the heat is on.
While many recognized that Jim Johnson had built a solid defense in St. Louis, and some speculated that the Knights could vie to reach .500 for the first time since coming over from LA, we don’t think anyone would have predicted that after 14 weeks the Knights would not only sit atop the Central Division, but thanks to their victory this week, would hold a tiebreaker over the Denver Gold. Denver, having clinched the Pacific crown, and the bye that comes with winning your division, may have taken this game a little too lightly, or, alternatively, St. Louis truly is a contender this year, a team capable of knocking off anyone.
The Knights are not flashy, we all know this. Todd Collins is not wowing folks with highlight reel throws or last second comebacks, but what St. Louis does is win the war of attrition. Often that is a war fought in the teens, with the defense holding down the opposition and the offense taking advantage of takeaways to play on a short field. That was not exactly the case this week as Denver and St. Louis combined for 59 points and 907 yards. Denver actually got off to a pretty solid start, building a 13-0 lead over the first 19 minutes of play before St. Louis finally got on the scoreboard with a Cole Ford field goal. They would equalize the score at 13 thanks to an Emile Harry TD catch and a second Ford kick as time ran out in the half.
Denver had let them back into the game, and the Knights would not go away in the second half. A relatively quiet 3rd quarter left St. Louis up 20-16 thanks to Craig “Ironhead” Hayward’s 8 yard run. The Knights have started to sub their big fullback in as a rusher from time to time, and the big man proved he can tote the rock, pounding the ball between the tackles and spelling Alfred Jenkins.
The 4th quarter began with Denver retaking the lead on a Willie Gillespie TD reception. Gillespie, whose role in recent years has seen a steady decline, can still find holes in the defense and exploit them as he did on the Brunell pass that garnered a score for the Gold. But, St. Louis was tenacious, and on their next possession they went back to Harry for a 2nd score and again retook the lead 27-23. Denver was forced to kick a field goal on their next drive to pull within 1 at 27-26 and their defense helped the cause, producing a quick 3-and-out by the Knights. The Gold would put another 3 on the board thanks to Jeff Wilkens, and with only 39 seconds left in the game you could see celebration on the Denver sidelines.
Down 29-27 with only 39 seconds, St. Louis took the touchback on the kickoff (Why Denver did not squib kick it we are not sure.) Todd Collins, not known as a comeback QB, mustered some magic, hitting Greg Scales for 10 on his first play, then, after a timeout, he fond Alec Higdon for 15, and again called timeout. The Gold had left the middle of the field open, assuming St. Louis would play to the sidelines, but they used their 2 time outs to quickly gain 25 yards and then shift gears. On 1st and 10 from the 49, Collins again found an open receiver, this time it was Harry again, and when the corner whiffed on the tackle, Emile Harry was able to gain another 5 yards, for a total of 14, and a first down on the Denver 34. With time ticking away, Collins rushed the Knights up to the line of scrimmage and spiked the ball with only 11 seconds left on the clock. Out came Cole Ford, and, after an icing TO from the Gold, Ford lined up the 51 yard field goal, took his swing and the ball sailed through.
With the dramatic win, the Knights jumped to 9-4-1, half a game ahead of Denver, and now with a tiebreaking win over the Gold on their record. With Houston’s loss earlier in the day, this meant it was the Knights who took over possession of both the Central Division and the #1 seed. They control their own destiny, but have two tough matchups left on the schedule, a road trip to Michigan next week, and a season-concluding home game against arch rivals Chicago. Denver, who could technically coast to a playoff bye will need to see St. Louis lose at least once, and will need to win out in games against Oakland and Seattle if they want any chance at the #1 seed. That top seed is a big prize, so we don’t expect to see the Gold rest players over the next 2 weeks. A win today could have almost guaranteed the top seeding, but now the Gold find themselves looking for help if they want the Western Conference playoffs to run through Mile High.
PIT 24 BAL 7
A shocker in B’more as Robbie Bosco and the Maulers manhandle the Blitz. Is this a case of Baltimore easing up on the gas now that they have the division won? Chris Miller looked off, throwing 4 picks, including a pick-6 to start the scoring for Pittsburgh. Mike Rozier had a 1 yard TD run but gained only 13 total yards as he still does not look 100%.
PHI 17 NJ 16
Possibly another case of the post-clinching malaise as Philadelphia struggled against New Jersey. Chuck Long returned to action and threw 2 TD’s but New Jersey hung in, even with Rob Johnson going out of the game midway through the 2nd quarter. Most troubling for Philadelphia was the fact that they gave up over 70 yards to both Bam Morris and Leland MacElroy as New Jersey was able to run the ball well all game.
WSH 31 OHI 5
The Federals made a statement as they throttled emergency QB Ricky Foggie for Ohio and got 4 TDs from Don Majkowski against an overstretched Glory defense. Despite the blowout, Joey Galloway somehow garnered another 132 yards receiving in the loss.
ATL 21 MEM 37
Atlanta was game, but the Showboats pulled away late as Heath Shuler carved up the Fire secondary for 288 yards and 5 TDs. Joe Horn put in a late bid for Rookie of the Year with a 3 TD day, while Terrance Mathis caught 10 balls for 117 yards for Atlanta.
BIR 41 TBY 48
A barnburner as Birmingham got their O back but still could not find a defense. With a 41-23 lead midway through the 3rd it looked like the Stallions would pull off the upset, but Tampa Bay came storming back with scores by Ben Coates and Errict Rhett. Troy Aikman won Offensive POTW with his 6 TD day.
JAX 26 ORL 31
The Renegades took a big step towards a playoff berth and put a serious hurt on Jacksonville’s chances with a 5-point win. Down 31-16, the Bulls mounted a 4th quarter comeback, but it fell short as Orlando held on to win at home.
NOR 35 ARZ 14
Arizona got 3 TD passes from Jamie Martin and 103 yards on the ground from Terrell Davis as they outpaced the Wranglers in Arizona. Arizona was held to 3 of 13 on third down and allowed 409 yards of offense to the Breakers in a disheartening showing for both sides of the Wrangler squad.
TEX 14 LA 10
Texas picked off Jeff Garcia twice, and limited the Express run game to only 23 yards on the day but still struggled to beat LA in LA. Kelly Stouffer was picked off three times by the Express and only a late Rodney Thomas TD run saved the Outlaws from playoff elimination.
CHI 28 OAK 21
Chicago stayed alive for the final playoff berth, though a longshot, with a win that was not as close as it looked. At one point the Machine held a 28-7 lead before late scores against Chicago backups made it look more competitive. Ricky Watters paced the Machine with 91 yards rushing and a score, while Dan McGwire accounted for 2 scores.
HOU 24 POR 27
Another clinched team underperformed this week as the Gamblers fell to the Thunder. Robert Drummond rushed for 109 against the Houston D, but it was Amp Lee who found the endzone, scoring twice. Add in a long TD from Trudeau to Bruce Hill and you have a home win that keeps Portland, now 7-7 from elimination.
MGN 16 SEA 17
Michigan has not yet locked up a spot, but they looked like they were taking it eays, too easy, against Seattle. The Dragons held Tyrone Wheatley under 70 yards rushing while Jon Kitna did just enough to snatch a victory for the home team. The winning score was a perfectly executed screen play to Roosevelt Potts (not known for his receiving prowess) which ended up going 29 yards for the go-ahead points with less than a minute to play.
SWAN SONGS: Looking around the league as we enter the season’s final 2 weeks, we focus primarily on teams fighting for playoff spots or chasing records, but we should also remember that at the end of every season we also find the end of some player’s careers. Each year we see more original 1983 founding players conclude their careers, and we often see several others step down after shorter spans in the league. We already know that Alan Risher, long time QB of the Maulers, has made his departure from the game official after suffering a season-ending injury. Is there anyone else we suspect may call it a career after the 1996 season is completed?
Well, if we start by looking at some of the older players in the league, there are a few potential candidates here. Atlanta DE Dale Rogers is 37, and honestly playing for the Fire cannot be that much fun these days. Chicago wideout Reggie Langhorne has seen his role on the team diminish at the age of 35, and Memphis QB Mike Kelley has to know that his odds of being the starter again for the Showboats cannot be good, not with the strong year Heath Shuler has had. Philadelphia has counted on FB Eddie Colson for years, but his 35-year old legs have got to be getting tired. The same can be said for the “Old Man” on the Stars defense, LB ed Brady, also 35. A couple of tackles who have taken a beating over their careers, Arizona’s Jason Totten and Washington’s Ken Lanier, have to be considering the optoin to step away, and while he has gotten late season starts for the Fire, QB Cliff Stoudt may just be looking to move on as well.
Others who have hit the retirement rumor mill include Chicago LB Gary Reasons, Denver center Joel Hilgenberg, Houston FS Todd Bowles, Jacksonville CB Domingo Bryant, and Pittsburgh TE Mike Shaw. Michigan’s Chris Snyder was considered a candidate, but his amazing 1996 season seems to have invigorated the 34-year old cornerback. He could, of course, opt to go out on top as the league’s INT leader and perhaps record holder for interceptions, but his success this year could also lead him to stick it out for another year just to see if he can do it again.
RECORD PACE: Let’s check back in on the potential record breakers this year. With 2 games left, it is down to the wire for these players.
Joey Galloway (Yards receiving): Galloway needs 288 yards in 2 games to top Eric Truvillion’s record of 1959 and 329 if he wants to eclipse 2,000. Both seem more unlikely now that Jeff Hostetler is not getting him the ball. He managed to eclipse 100 yards with Rickey Foggie at QB this week, but averaging 144 over the next 2 games seems very unlikely.
Jim Kelly (Passing TDs): Both of Brett Favre’s records from 1992 seem in reach. The passing yardage record of 5,169 would require Kelly to average only 213 yards per game over the next 2 games, while he would need to toss 6 more TD’s to tie Favre’s mark of 47, a number that could be attainable especially because Houston is in the midst of a fight for the division title and a bye. Kelly could be on the verge of breaking both impressive records. The question is, if the Gamblers lock up a bye, either as Division Champs or the #3 seed this week, does that mean they sit Kelly in Week 16 with the records unmet?
Phil Hansen (Sacks): The Generals are playing only for pride, and their main point of pride this year has been Hansen’s phenomenal play. He is 1 sack away from the record of 23 which he shares with Dexter Manley. 2 sacks gives him back the undisputed title. Odds are he sets that record, as he has been averaging more than a sack a game all year.
Mark Brunell (Pass Completion %): Brunell is right on the cusp of Joe Montana’s 72.5% mark from last season. He currently sits at 72.8. Two solid games and he could surpass Montana. The other possibility is that the Gold rest Brunell if he has the record in place, after all they have their bye secured.
Chris Snyder (Interceptions) Two weeks left but Snyder has been sitting on 8 picks for several weeks now. Will he get a 9th to tie USFL HOF inductee Raphel Cherry’s record? Can he possibly get 2 in 2 weeks to break the record in his 12th season in the league? Snyder has only ever had more than 2 picks in a year once before (7 in a strong 1991 season with the Stars), but now is on the cusp of a potential record. Can he obtain that one needed pick, and at whose expense? He faces Todd Collins and division-leading St. Louis this week. Collins has thrown 10 picks in 14 games, so there is a shot there. In Week 16 he will likely face Kelley Stouffer of Texas, who has thrown 11, but he also might be facing untested backup Tony Sacca if the Outlaws are out of playoff contention. That may be his best shot as Sacca has yet to throw a pass in a regular season game for Texas.
INJURY REPORT: While there were no major injuries this week, a rarity in the league, we did see a few that could impact the final couple of weeks of the season. Denver will have to close out the stretch without LB Kurt Gouveia, whose hyper-extended knee could cost him the next 2 weeks. With a bye in the first round already assured, we all expect Gouveia back on the field when Denver faces their first playoff test. In New Jersey it looks like Rob Johnson’s season is over. The much maligned Generals QB has a deep thigh bruise, and with Tommy Maddox already challenging for the starting position, and the season already an unmitigated disaster, there is little chance we will see the former USC QB back at the helm this year.
Ohio upgraded Jeff Hostetler back to Doubtful after being out this week, but he is still unlikely to play next week against Tampa Bay, and if the Glory lose that game their playoff chances are dashed, which means Coach Saban will almost certainly go with Rickey Foggie again and let Hostetler continue to heal. If Ohio can upset the Bandits, we may see Hostetler go in an attempt to snag a Wild Card. We may see a similar situation in Pittsburgh, where Robbie Bosco is likely ou this week (listed as Questionable) due to a neck issue, but could be back for Week 16 if the Maulers still have a shot at a Wild Card. A tough call for Coach Marchibroda either way.
Some players who could be back in time to impact the final playoff push in Week 15 include Birmingham SS Darryl Williams, Ohio TE Chris Kelley, New Orleans safety Devon Bush, Jacksonville LB Vaughan Johnson, Chicago DE Simeon Rice and Memphis CB Deon Figures. Ernest Givens is expected to return for Birmingham, and guard Larry Allen is slated to be back on the field for Texas.
Six of the ten playoff spots have been secured, 3 in each conference, but that does not mean that there is nothing left to play for as 2 of 4 divisions have not yet been settled. Baltimore at 12-2 has locked up the Atlantic and the bye, while Philadelphia clinched themselves a Wild Card spot and now must try to stay ahead of Orlando and others to get a bye from the first round. Tampa has clinched a playoff berth, and a win this week would lock up the division title and its much-desired bye week as well. Orlando remains a game ahead of the cluster at 7-7 and a win this week could ensure them a playoff berth as well. Pittsburgh, Washington, and Memphis are all 7-7 and are hoping that wins this week can boost their chances for that 5th seed.
In the West, St. Louis is the surprise leader in the conference, with Denver, Houston, Michigan and New Orleans all right there. We may not see the Central Division get its champion until the final games of the season as it is still too close to call. St. Louis is guaranteed a spot, as is Houston, both thanks to their early season tie, which keeps the 7-7 teams out of range. Denver, having already wrapped up the West, can coast to the playoffs if it wishes, though they should be looking towards a possible #1 seed if St. Louis and Houston both falter down the stretch. With a 2 game lead over Texas, Portland, and Chicago, the Breakers and Panthers need only 1 win to lock up a playoff spot. If they win their last two, it is still possible that either one could also run away with the division title, so there is a lot of motivation there.
The Orlando Renegades, hot off a 4-game win streak and close to locking up their first playoff spot in several years, decided the time was right to feed the buzz about them by revealing a new look for next season. We knew since the preseason that Orlando would join Texas and Denver as this team’s Nike redesign projects. But while Texas went with only minor changes, adding an Alamo reference to their imagery and shifting the striping pattern on their uniforms, the Orlando Renegades have gone for a more dramatic shift.
The Renegades revealed on Tuesday a new logo package which removes the little-used red script and keeps the entire look to royal blue, black and silver. In addition to the color shift, the team presented a new logo, a bold “O” interlocked with a more linear and abstract depiction of the team’s tomahawk logo. The new logo will be featured on the team’s new black helmets. Eschewing the white helmet that the club has used since coming into the league in 1987, Orlando switches to a glossy black helmet with black facemask and no striping, only the new logo on each side. Their uniforms also show a dramatic shift as they do away with sleeve stripes in favor of a full shoulder and sleeve treatment. The royal blue jersey features a black shoulder yoke, while the white jerseys (often used at home in the hot summer days of Florida) has a royal blue yoke. A new number font and repetition of the new “Tomahawk O” logo on the sleeves wraps up the look.
The club will have both a silver pant set and a black one, as well as both royal blue socks and black socks for a wide range of potential combinations. The new look should be unveiled on actual players for the 1997 kickoff game, but Orlando is petitioning the league to allow them to wear the new gear should they qualify for a playoff game this year. It is unlikely that the league will grant this request as there is some interest in trying to sell off any remaining Orlando gear with the current design before sales begin on the new merchandise that will accompany the new look. So, now we are 2 teams down, with only Denver left to be revealed, and we expect that news any day now, as Denver tries to build excitement ahead of its own playoff run, which we know will begin with a home game in the Divisional Round.
Week 15 sees a split schedule with the Pacific and Central teams facing off in their divisions while in the Eastern Conference the Southern Division clubs each host an Atlantic Division squad. In the divisional games out West the best looking matchups are huge for playoff implications, particularly in the Central, where nearly every team still has a shot. Division leading St. Louis is in Michigan to take on the Panthers with only ½ game separating the two. Houston is at home, hoping they can get back on top of the division with a win against 7-7 Texas, who need a win on the road to keep their slim playoff hopes alive. Chicago too needs a win to stave off elimination as they host the 9-5 New Orleans Breakers.
In the Pacific, not as much on the line as most of the division is already out of playoff contention. We have a battle of expansion clubs as Seattle (6-8) heads to LA (4-10), we have Portland (7-7) with still an outside chance at a playoff spot as they head to Tempe to face the Arizona Wranglers, and we have Denver (9-5) who have already wrapped up the division crown, hosting the Oakland Invaders.
In the Eastern Conference inter-divisional matchups, some interesting games as well, particularly on the fringes of the playoffs as teams look for a possible Wild Card spot. 7-7 Memphis has a tough home matchup as they host the 12-2 Baltimore Blitz. Orlando, at 8-6 can wrap up a spot with some help and they host the 3-11 Generals. Ohio and Jacksonville, both 6-8 need a win as they face off against Tampa Bay and Washington respectively. Pittsburgh hopes to keep its unlikely surge going as they travel to Birmingham, and Philadelphia, already locked into a Wild Card, will visit Atlanta with little on the line.