A basement battle, some playoff manuevering, and the Central Division battles it out. OAK 20 PHI 26— In a game the Philadelphia Stars absolutely needed, they found a way to win. In front of 42,000 raucuous fans, the Philadelphia Stars slogged it out with the Oakland Invaders for 4 quarters before a Fusina to Folsom touchdown put them in front to stay. In a game in which neither team seemed to be able to get out of their own way, Philadelphia relied heavily on the foot of David Trout, who kicked 4 FG’s when the Stars could not punch the ball in for a score, but it was a 43 yard catch and run by TE Steve Folsom that allowed the Stars to salt away the win. After leading 16-6 at the end of 3, Philly’s defense uncharacteristically gave up two quick Oakland scoring drives (a Gordon Banks catch and an Aaron Smart 12 yard run) to find themselves down 20-16. But, with 1:45 on the clock Fusina hit Folsom on a seam route and Philly quickly found themselves up by 3. After Oakland failed on a 4th and 7 attempt from their own 23, the Stars took over, ran down the clock and added a late field goal for a 26-20 win. DEN 21 NJ 17—In a game between two teams whose recent struggles had put any playoff hopes in question, Denver got the much-needed win to bolster their hopes of retaining the Pacific Division title and the playoff spot that accompanies it. In what was a slow day for both offenses, Denver got just enough from HB Harry Sydney (2 TD’s on only 44 yards rushing) and Ken Johnson avoided costly turnovers to give Denver the narrow win. Herschel Walker would have been held under 100 yards if not for one dynamic 48 yard rush, on a drive that still ended only with a FG for the Generals. The win pushes Denver back over .500 while the loss all but mathematically eliminates New Jersey from any chance at the league’s lone wild card playoff spot. CHI 29 BIR 41—With the Central Division back to head-to-head matchups, Birmingham dispatched Chicago with a furious 2nd half in which they scored 5 times to pull ahead of the Blitz and put Chicago in the rear view mirror. It was a standard day for HB Cornelius Quarles, rushing for 117 yards and score, but it was elevated play by QB Bobby Lane, who has not always looked sharp this year, which gave the game to Birmingham. Lane threw for 3 scores on the day, despite fierce pressure from Chicago’s Junior Ah You. For Chicago, QB Greg Landry threw for 375 yards, but 3 interceptions proved costly, giving Birmingham short fields to play on. The loss drops Chicago to a disappointing 5-8, while Birmingham’s 9-4 record keeps them in the thick of the playoff hunt. TBY 10 MGN 20—Tampa learned first hand what much of the league already knew, the Michigan defense is fierce. Holding the much heralded Bandit Ball offense to a total of only 217 yards was enough to help the Panthers double the Bandits’s score 20-10. Two early Holloway TD catches put Tampa behind the 8-ball early, and only a late Truvillion pass from Reaves salvaged the scoreline for the Bandits. Reaves completed only 32% of his passes against the stingy Panther D, while being sacked a painful 8 times, including twice by league tackles leader John Corker. The win keeps Michigan even with Birmingham at 9-4, while dropping Tampa to 11-2. Two games back with 3 to play. Is it impossible for the Panthers to win the division, or is there just enough time to sneak up on the suddenly reeling Bandits? BOS 30 ARZ 16—The Breakers came to the desert with hopes of solidifying their bid for the Atlantic Division crown, and they showed they are deserving with a solid win over the Wranglers. Richard Crump had one of his best days against the Wrangler D, rushing for 110 yards and 2 scores, while the ageless Johnnie Walton went 20 for 33. The Wranglers, playing without injured QB Alan Risher, could only muster 121 yards passing from Dan Manucci. The depleted Wranglers would muster only 194 total yards of offense on the day, falling to 5-8 and all but giftwrapping the Pacific title to Denver. Boston remains very much a playoff contender with the win. WSH 24 LA 33—In a game between the undisputable two worst teams in the league, LA showed some sparks and provided the hapless Federals with their 10th straight defeat. The Federals relied heavily on RB Craig James (129 yards on 21 carries) because QB Kim McQuilken just could not get it done, averaging only 4.1 yards per completion. Meanwhile, Tom Ramsey had one of his best days against the Feds, throwing for 331 yards. Jo-Jo Townsell was the recipient of 6 Ramsey passes for 126 yards as well. In a game between two down and out teams, in front of the smallest crowd of the USFL’s inaugural season (8,435 in the Coliseum), someone had to win. LA found a way.

As we start the home stretch, the cream rises and the dregs sink. TBY 42 WSH 16—In a game that was really not a surprise for anyone, the 1-loss Tampa Bay Bandits absolutely dominated the 2-win Federals in front of only 13,450 mildly interested Federals fans. The Federals’ collapse from 2-1 now to 2-10 has been brutal, and this game may have been the most painful. Tampa gained over 440 yards of total offense, including 365 yards and 4 TD passes from MVP candidate John Reaves. Meanwhile, the Feds, who turned back to Kim McQuilken at QB, were stymied at every turn. Craig James averaging only 2.6 yards a carry was a big factor, and a 3-1 turnover deficit also did not help the Federal’s cause. Washington is clearly in need of an overhaul this offseason, and it is not entirely certain that coach Jauch will be here to oversee it. MGN 36 NJ 27—While New Jersey needed a win to try to catch up with Boston and Philly, the Panthers needed one just as badly to keep pace with Birmingham, and a win over NJ would also help with tiebreakers for a possible wild card berth. In the end, Michigan’s defense did just enough, and a surprise play from an unheralded player turned the tide. Gary Kay, a little used backup RB had only 2 carries on the day, but one of them was an 87 yard score that crushed the New Jersey gameplan. It was a simple 2nd and 3, but somehow the Generals called exactly the wrong defense and the little-used Kay found a hole, and then a lot of open space down the field. In a game with so many stars, Walker, Carter, McConnaughey, Holloway, Williams and Hebert, it was the guy no one expected who helped propel the Panthers to 8-4 and knock New Jersey back to 6-6. OAK 6 BIR 41—Call it a statement game. Birmingham just dominated the Oakland Invaders in every way possible on their way to a 35 point win. The Stallions rushed for over 200 yards, using 3 backs and led by Quarles, who is still trying to overtake Herschel Walker for the rushing title and who added 2 more scores to his league-leading total. The Stallion D was also dominant, holding Oakland’s vaunted passing game to only 204 yards and containing Alfred Whittington to a 2.6 yard average. It was an ugly win, but a much needed one for the Stalliions as they keep pace with Michigan for a possible wild card. ARZ 24 CHI 35—All good things must come to an end, and so was the Arizona Wrangler win streak. Having won 5 in a row after a miserable 0-6 start, the Wranglers ran into a 4-7 Blitz team that has never stopped playing hard for coach George Allen. The Blitz came out hot, scoring on 3 drives in the first quarter to roll up a 21-0 lead, and knocking Wrangler QB out of the game with a concussion on Arizona’s first series. The rest of the game was a battle of attrition, with Chicago playing more conservatively and Arizona’s Dan Manucci chucking the ball all over the field in an attempt to get back in it. The Wranglers outgained the Blitz by game’s end, but the all-important final tally was still a win for the homestanding Blitz. PHI 28 DEN 21—The Denver Gold put up a good fight, but were just not able to overtake the Philadelphia Stars in a game Philly had to have to keep pace in the Atlantic Division. Both teams were able to run the ball, with Sydney gaining 104 for Denver and Kelvin Bryant 117 for Philly. The difference in the game was on 3rd down, where Denver failed on 6 of 7 attempts to convert. This, along with an untimely fumble by Sydney, proved to be the difference in a close, hard fought game. With the loss, Denver falls to 6-6 but retains the lead in the Pacific Division, while Philly climbs to 8-4 with the win, keeping pace with Boston in the Atlantic. BOS 38 LA 10—Knowing that Philly had won in Denver earlier in the day was all the incentive the Breakers needed to take it to LA in front of a sparse crowd of less than 9,000 in the Coliseum. LA suffered their tenth defeat to only 2 wins as their 4 turnovers kept them from mounting a serious challenge to the Breakers. Boston, behind the wiles of veteran QB Johnnie Walton (303 yards and 3 scores) and a solid, if not spectacular game from Richard Crump, was able to buid a 28-3 lead by the early stages of the 3rd quarter, a lead that Tom Ramsey and the Express simply never challenged. With the win Boston keeps pace with Philly at 8-4 and LA joins Washington in the hunt for the first pick in next December’s Collegiate Draft.

In the season's 11th week, contenders start vying for possible playoff slots while the Wranglers win their 5th in a row and LA and Washington call it a year. CHI 18 BOS 22—Boston’s winning steak and Chicago’s losing streak met this week, and both just kept on rolling. The Breakers used timely defensive stops and just enough offense to overcome 4 turnovers and hold off the Blitz. In a game that saw Johnnie Walton throw 2 interceptions and lose a fumble, the Breakers were able to keep Chicago from capitalizing. Things got so frustrating for coach Allen of the Blitz that he removed Greg Landry from the game in the 4th quarter, but backup Tim Koegel could not fare any better. The loss dropped Chicago to 4-7 and quickly their playoff hopes are fading. For Boston, the win has the potential to move them into first, depending on what happened to Philly. BIR 34 PHI 31—In a game that had two playoff hopefuls trying to maintain their positions, it was the Stallions who found just enough to overtake the homestanding Stars. In a game in which Philly held a slight lead for most of the action, it was a Quarles TD run midway through the 4th quarter that would prove the difference. Quarles was the star of the day with 138 yards and 2 scores, allowing Bobby Lane to work play action passing for another 200 yards of offense. For Philly, Chuck Fusina had a couple of tough plays, including a deflected pass that was intercepted near the end of the game. The Stars’ loss drops them into a tie with the surging Breakers for first in the East, while Birmingham’s win could prove to be a valuable tie breaker as they seek the league’s one wildcard birth. LA 17 TBY 35—In a game that was over after 1 quarter, Tampa raced out to a 21-0 lead early on and then put it into cruise control against an overmatched LA Express. Three rapid-fire drives ended in 2 Gary Anderson TD runs and a Willie Gillespie 3 yard catch for a score and Tampa never looked back. Anderson would finish with 141 yards and 3 scores in a day which bolted him into the rushing leaders list. For reaves it was a pedestrian 165 yards on only 8 of 20 throwing, but it was enough. LA struggled despite Tom Ramsey going 30 of 40 throwing the ball. The loss assures that LA remains in last in the Pacific Division, while Tampa, with the win, keeps its 3 game lead over the Stallions and Panthers. DEN 9 MGN 35—Michigan kept pace with Birmingham for the wild card playoff spot with a dominant defensive performance against Pacific-leading Denver. Denver’s Ken Johnson was held to only 133 yards passing by a tenacious Panther D which also scored 5 sacks on the day. Led by John Corker’s 10 tackles and Ronnie Paggett’s 2 sacks, the Panthers simply did not give the Gold room to breathe. On offense, Bobby Hebert was pinpoint deadly with 5 TD passes, 1 TD for every 3 completions on the day. With Denver opting to blanket Anthony Carter, Derek Holloway had a big day with 92 yards receiving and 3 scores. Denver still holds the Pacific, but Arizona is charging hard, while Michigan keeps pace with Birmingham in the playoff race. WSH 20 ARZ 27—In a game the red hot Wranglers were actually favored to win, they did just that, holding off a tenacious Washington Federals team to take their 5th straight victory and move closer to Denver in the Pacific Division. In a pretty balanced game it was Alan Risher’s strong day which made the difference. Risher completed 90% of his passes, going 27 of 30 for 306 yards and 2 scores. On the Washington side, an ineffective Mike Hohensee was benched in favor of former starter Ken McQuilken, but it was the run game that kept the Feds in the game. Craig James had his best game in weeks, gaining 112 yards, while Curtis Bledsoe ran for another 42, including a 23 yard scamper for a score. Washington has now lost 9 in a row, with no clear sign of how to end the tailspin. NJ 36 OAK 28—Oakland was game, but in the end they just did not have enough to keep pace with the Generals. MVP candidate Hershel Walker had another big day, rushing for 130 yards and 2 scores, and the surging Maurice Carthon also contributed with 44 yards and a score. For Oakland, it was Whittington who carried the burden for the Invaders, rushing for 159 yards and a score. The win moved New Jersey over .500 while the loss dropped Oakland to 3-8 and out of the running for the division title.

Sporting News, May 22, 1983 If the NFL was not scared of the upstart USFL after their season kicked off 10 weeks ago, they sure are now. Only one month after the NFL held their Collegiate Draft the strategy of the USFL to offer their league as an alternative to the NFL Draft has paid off in full. Over the past weeks, the USFL has signed no fewer than 20 NFL draftees to league contracts, including six 1st round draft picks. After an NFL Draft which saw 6 teams pick potential franchise quarterbacks in the first round, the league must now face the realization that 3 of those 6 will be playing with the USFL next spring. The NFL is reeling, watching potential franchise players such as QB’s Jim Kelly, Todd Blackledge and Tony Eason defecting to the rival league. The USFL offered something the NFL would not, choice. While NFL teams drafted these collegiate stars to contracts with specific teams, the USFL, with expansion for 1984 still in the early stages, has signed all the players to league contracts, not team contracts. Players who signed were promised a choice from 3 competing bids from USFL teams, allowing players like Jim Kelly, who openly expressed disappointment when drafted by the Buffalo Bills, the option to sign with the coach and system they prefer, or the city they prefer. For now the players have signed contracts with the league, but it is expected that as soon as the 1984 expansion franchises for the USFL are finalized, teams will be able to make bids for each of the league signings, of course with the league salary cap and 3 exempt roster spots in mind. It is expected that early this summer these draft prospects will have the option to pick which of 3 USFL teams they wish to join almost certainly as a marquee player for that franchise. For Kelly, the prospect of being able to choose locations like Tampa, LA, or a potential expansion franchise in his hometown of Pittsburgh instead of being allocated to the Buffalo Bills and their Siberian winters, was the main reason he chose to sign with the USFL. For others, like wideout Willie Gault of Tennessee it was the option of choosing a USFL with an offensive coach instead of being sent to Chicago to work under Mike Ditka. Todd Blackledge could stay close to Happy Valley by signing with Philly, but may choose elsewhere so as to get a quicker path to the starting role. A defensive star like Arizona State’s Vernon Maxwell could even keep his current apartment in Tempe if he signs with the Arizona Wranglers. Not all the players who have made the jump are household names, but there is plenty of star power among these “defectors” to add more excitement about the future of the spring league and to put a good amount of fear into the hearts of NFL owners and GM’s. Included in the NFL Draft “defection” to the USFL are the following players (with their NFL round & team listed): QB Todd Blackledge, Penn State (1st round #7 KC) RB Michael Haddix, Mississippi State (1st round #8 PHI) WR Terry Kinard, Clemson (1st round #10 NYG) QB Jim Kelly, Miami (1st round #14 BUF) QB Tony Eason, Illinois (1st round #15 NE) WR Wilie Gault, Tennessee (1st round #18 CHI) LB Vernon Maxwell, Arizona St. (2nd round #29 BAL) WR Henry Ellard, Fresno St. (2nd round #32 LARm) DB Keith Bostic, Michigan (2nd round #42 HOU) RB Johnny Hector, Texas A&M (2nd round #51 NYJ) RB Richard Williams, Memphis (2nd round #46 WSH) DB Dave Duerson, Notre Dame (3rd round #64 CHI) TE Trey Junkin, La Tech (4th round #93 BUF) DE Greg Townsend, TCU (4h round #110 LARd) LB Kiki DeAyala, Texas (6th round, #152 CIN) QB Babe Laufenberg (6th round, #168 WSH)

The 4 Pacific teams flew east to play the 4 Atlantic teams, and to win 2 of 4, while the teams of the Central Division battled for playoff position in week 10 play. OAK 3 BOS 27—If Boston is going to get back in the playoff hunt, they will need to win the games that they are favored to win. That is exactly what they did against the 3-6 Oakland Invaders. After trading field goals in the first quarter, Boston took the game over. For the day they held Oakland to 189 total yards of offense and 2 of 11 on 3rd down. On the other side of the ball Oakland had no answer for the wily Johnny Walton, who threw for 326 yards and 2 scores. The win put Boston 2 games over .500 and back in the thick of playoff consideration. LA 24 NJ 37—In another West flies East matchup, New Jersey got back to .500 at 5-5 with a 13 point victory over an overmatched LA Express. Hershel Walker had one of his best games of the year against the beleaguered Express defense, rushing for 159 yards and 3 scores. Bobby Scott added 2 scores of his own as NJ scored 27 unanswered points after letting LA out to a 1st quarter 14-0 lead. Tom Ramsey, the Express signal caller, tried his best, throwing for 4017 yards and 3 scores, but the inability of the LA defense to keep Walker and Scott in check was the end of any chance they had to snatch a win. DEN 19 WSH 16—Denver wins are rarely pretty, and once again the Pacific Division leader slogged out another tough win, edging out the Federals on a late-game field goal and sending Washington to a 2-8 record. The star of the game was Harry Sydney, who carried the ball 20 times for 131 yards and the Gold’s only touchdown. Mike Hohensee, making his second start under center for the Feds, was at times capable, but made too many mistakes on key downs to keep Washington’s offense on the field. With the win, Denver moves to 2 games over .500 at 6-4. ARZ 37 PHI 10—This one goes down as one of the surprises of the season. After losing their first 6 games, the Wranglers have started to figure things out, and shocked every one of the 43,500 in Philly’s Veteran’s Stadium by dominating the Stars. The Stars managed only 200 total yards, including a paltry 54 yards rushing against a defense that had been one of the league’s weakest all season. On the other side, the Stars usually staunch D gave up 146 yards rushing, including 29 yards to Wrangler QB Alan Risher. Risher also threw for 268 and 2 scores as the Wranglers improved to 4-6 and may actually make a run at Denver for the Pacific Division. CHI 5 TBY 20—As the Pacific teams flew east to play the Atlantic teams, the 4 Central Division teams faced off in intradivisional games. Tampa hosted the reeling Chicago Blitz, and proved once again that they are the favorite for the title this year, holding Chicago to a field goal and a safety (on a debatable holding call in the Tampa endzone) as the Bandits won easily. Chicago’s defense played well against John Reaves and the Bandit Ball offense, holding Reaves to only 229 yards passing, but giving up scores to Eric Truvillion and Lewis Gilbert. Add in a couple of Zenon Andrusyshyn kicks and Tampa walks away with a solid 15 point victory. BIR 14 MGN 29—Birmingham needed to keep pace with Tampa after a loss last week, but the Pontiac Silverdome is not the place to try that, as the Michigan Defense stymied the Stallions all day. Bobby Lane was held to only 104 yards passing, and while Cornelius Quarles found his yards, it did not lead to enough scoring to keep pace with the Panthers. Bobby Hebert was efficient with the ball throwing for 3 scores and no interceptions on the way to the victory. Michigan held Birmingham scoreless in the second half, changing a 14-13 halftime deficit into a solid 29-14 victory. That score moves both teams to 6-4 and right in the mix for a wildcard spot behind the surging Tampa Bay Bandits.

Week 9 saw the Central teams travel out West, while the Atlantic Division played another intradivision week of battles. Will teams start to separate? And what upsets are in store? PHI 27 NJ 24—In a game that was not as close as the final score indicated, the Philadelphia Stars took firm control of the Atlantic Division, moving to 7-2 and putting 3 games up on the New Jersey Generals. Philly combined a strong day for Chuck Fusina (337 yards and 77% completion) with a solid run game (Bryant with 90 yards and Russell another 62) to build a lead on NJ in the first quarter and never relinquish it. The run game once again was the only bright spot for the Generals as Walker gained 125 on 24 carries and FB Maurice Carthon added another 59 spelling the premier back in the league. The loss moves New Jersey below the .500 mark. WSH 20 BOS 41—Washington tried mixing things up by starting young Mike Hohensee (U of Minnesota) but the results were still the same. The Washington D once again proved to be a liability as Boston rolled. Johnny Walton had one of his best games of the year, throwing for 335 and 4 TD’s, two to Nolan Franz. The Breakers D held Washington to 2 of 9 on third down and 0 for 1 on fourth down as Boston improved to 5-4 and moved into 2nd place in the Atlantic, 2 games behind the Stars. MGN 13 DEN 19—In a week when the Central Division teams were hoping to feast on the weaker Pacific Division, the Michigan Panthers learned a valuable lesson about underestimating an opponent. It was Denver’s defense that dominated early, shutting Michigan out and picking off Bobby Hebert twice as they built up a 16-0 halftime lead. In the second half Michigan adjusted and was able to score twice, but it proved to be just too little to come back. Gold QB Ken Johnson was efficient, throwing at 78% completion rate, if not spectacular, and kept drives alive to kill clock and hold the lead. It is a costly loss for Michigan, who fall to 5-4 and possibly out of wildcard contention, while Denver solidified their spot in 1st place of the Pacific Division. CHI 14 ARZ 39—What has gotten into the Wranglers? Most wrote off their back to back wins against the LA Express as a bad team beating another bad team. Chicago was an early favorite to win the league title, and while their performance has been spotty at times, most saw this week’s game in the desert as an easy win. No one told the Wranglers. Alan Risher was largely untouched by pressure, going 23 for 32 for 331 yards and 3 TD’s, while Chicago signal caller Greg Landry was sacked 4 times and was under constant pressure. It did not help at all that the visiting Blitz were called for 13 penalties for 100 yards, including several calls against a beleaguered offensive line. Arizona notched their 3rd straight win after starting the season a miserable 0-6, while Chicago drops below the Mendoza line at 4-5. BIR 26 OAK 33—Chicago was not the only Central team to underestimate their Pacific foe this week. The Oakland offense, which can be dangerous if not always consistent, came to play today. Fred Besana threw for 3 scores, but it was the running of Alfred Whittington that set the tone for the game. AW rushed for 129 yards and a 5.2 yard average. Perhaps more shocking, the usually porous Invader D was stout today, holding Birmingham to only 43 total yards rushing and putting the pressure on Bob Lane to deliver a win. Lane struggled and his 2 interceptions helped Oakland score the big upset win. TBY 45 LA 10—Having seen what happened to Michigan, Chicago and Birmingham, the Bandits, playing the night game this week, were not about to make the same mistakes. John Reaves threw for 4 TD’s and by the 4th was relieved by the young Jimmy Jordan. For LA it was not the QB that let them down, it was the run game. LaRue Harrington carried 21 times but for only 17 yards against a Tampa D not known as run stuffers. Tom Ramsey tried, but failed to sustain drives with his arm, and the LA defense just had no answers for the Tampa pass game. The win gives Tampa a nice cushion of 2 games in the Central Division and another loss moves LA into sole possession of the Pacific basement.

THE USFL: FLASH IN THE PAN OR HERE TO STAY? The upstart USFL has reached the mid-point of their inaugural season and there is a lot to be excited about. TV ratings have been strong, attendance in most locations has also exceeded expectations, the quality of play has been better than advertised, and fans seem to be enjoying it. The best news? That the weather is going to continue to get better, which should help both the game on the field and the crowds in the stands. Sure, as with all new ventures, all is not rosy. We are beginning to see injuries add up, which, with somewhat shallower benches than in the NFL, could lead to a decline in the quality of play across the league. There are also some cities where the league has not been embraced. Attendance is predictably lagging in those cities with losing teams, such as Washington, Arizona, and Oakland. Attendance never really materialized at all in LA, which looks like a significant issue for the league moving forward. While the league’s revenue sharing policy will help all these lower attendance cities establish themselves, having a poor draw in the league’s second largest market is not something to be dismissed. There are stadium issues in Boston, lease concerns in Chicago and LA, and no one is really sure what will happen in places like Birmingham or Tampa once the temperatures start to get a little uncomfortable for mid-afternoon games. But, all things considered, the USFL is looking pretty solid. The league is already in the process of reviewing expansion applications, with the entry fees that new teams bring in, and is expected to announce between 2-6 new franchises for the 1984 season. There is also expected to be an increase in NFL poaching, particularly of 1983 NFL Draft Picks, as the league has instituted a flexible salary cap for 1984 in which teams can exclude up to 3 players per squad from the salary cap consideration, a rule almost certainly pushed for by the New Jersey Generals after their signing of Herschel Walker, but one which may benefit others as disgruntled NFL vets and displeased rookies hope to get something like NFL money to jump to the USFL. The other big item on the agenda for the USFL is to potentially renegotiate their TV contracts with ABC and ESPN. With higher than anticipated viewership and the potential to add more teams in 1984 it might be possible for the USFL to renegotiate their deal and to provide more flexibility in the event that a struggling team in LA or Chicago, for example, might be able to relocate without causing major ripples in the TV revenue. It seems that the league’s stronger teams are doing all they can to ensure that there is stability from one year to the next, but attendance will not be ignorable for long. But, we still have 8 weeks left to the regular season, and while the league may be second guessing its decision to only allow 4 teams in the playoffs, the excitement about USFL football, and the potential for mid-summer playoff football seems to be there. And who is to blame the public for wanting more football?

Midseason Update: ON THE FIELD We are at the halfway point of the USFL’s inaugural season and a lot can be said about the league. It’s off-field successes and issues will be catalogued in our sister article, but here we are going to focus between the white lines. Football fans across the nation agree that the level of play has been far better than expected, with plenty of nailbiters, dramatic comebacks, and standout performances. The USFL has impressed fans with the high caliber of performance, and while there does seem to be some imbalance of talent across the league, at the halfway mark of the season all 12 teams have at least 2 wins and no fewer than 2 losses, so while it may not be the NFL’s standard of parity, there is a feeling that on any given week even the weakest teams can step up and play to the level of their opponents. Let’s take a team by team look at what we have seen through 8 weeks. ATLANTIC DIVISION PHILADELPHIA STARS (6-2) Strengths: Balance. The Stars are a team that can beat you on the ground or in the air, or through defensive pressure. They rank middle of the pack in practically every offensives stat, which might not sound great, but what it has meant is that the Stars have not been overdependent on any one aspect of their offense. Chuck Fusina has been a steady hand at QB and has a real rapport with WR Scott Fitzkee, the league leader in receptions. On defense, the Stars have been able to keep opponents well below their own scoring pace of 26 PPG, primarily through a speedy and hard hitting LB corps. Weaknesses: Takeaways. If there is one area where coach Jim Mora cannot be pleased so far this season it is in the lack of takeaways. Philadelphia has only 4 interceptions in 8 games and are middling in fumble recoveries. They are also one of only 4 teams not to score a defensive TD this year. If they want to take home the league’s first championship it may require them to become a bit more aggressive around the ball. Breakout Star: Let’s highlight two players here. On Offense the play of rookie RB Kelvin Bryant has been outstanding, The UNC product has racked up 653 yards on 154 carries, placing him 4th in the league. On Defense the surprise standout has been MLB Sam Mills. The NFL castoff has been the field general of the D and is creeping up the league leaders chart with 59 tackles. Prediction: We think Philly, now with a 2 game lead in the division, has the formula for success. We predict a 12-4 final record and a division title. NEW JERSEY GENERALS (4-4) Strengths: The Run Game. This was predictable as soon as the Generals announced the signing of Herschel Walker, but it is clear that the Generals offense is designed to highlight and complement the talents of the young Georgia product. Walker has led the league in rushing for the entire season, and we don’t anticipate that would change, but it might make sense for the Generals to find a decent backup to spell Walker from time to time. Backup HB Ralph Fuller has not shown much, but there are sparks from FB Maurice Carthon. Weaknesses: Consistency. Bobby Scott has played well, but little has been asked of him. The defense too has had some strong games, but has also failed to show up in key moments. This is a team that has a lot of talent and should have a winning record, but failure to consistently play up to their capacity has led them to a .500 start. Breakout Star: Sure, we are all watching Herschel every game, but as far as surprise players our vote goes to former Nittany Lion Tom McConnaughey. The lanky and somewhat slow receiver has proven to be a solid route runner who can win 50-50 balls. He isn’t going to outpace anyone to the endzone (as evidenced by only 1 TD on the year) but on a 3rd and medium, he will find a way to get open. Prediction: With only 1 Wildcard available in the 4 team playoff, we just don’t see how NJ can catch up with the other contenders. Unless something happens to make Philly fall and the Central division collapse we think the focus for the Generals has to be getting and staying over .500 with hopes that some other teams slip. BOSTON BREAKERS (4-4) Strengths: Pluck. This is a team without any big name signings, playing in the smallest stadium in the league, and led by a 37 year old QB who was coaching HS last year. And yet, they have stunned the league with big wins over New Jersey, Philly and Oakland (back when we expected much of the Invaders). Trick plays, surprising defensive strength, and a decent balance of rush and pass has helped Boston outpace expectations. Weaknesses: Killer instinct. For as much as we praise the Breakers for their pluck, they have also let a few games slip away from them. They seem to do well early in games and then fall away as more talented teams regroup at half. Coach Coury needs to find a way to finish games if the Breakers want to finish above .500 this year. Breakout Star: While we are all rooting for the continued success of veteran journeyman QB Johnny Walton, I am giving this award to unheralded RB Richard Crump. Crump, out of little-known NE Oklahoma was the surprise pick to start, but his reliable 4.1 yards per carry has led him to over 600 yards for the year and 6th on the USFL rushing list. Prediction: I love a good underdog story as much as the next guy, but I think an 8-8 season is a victory for this team. They need more depth on the lines and more firepower as well to compete week in and week out. WASHINGTON FEDERALS (2-6) Strengths: Had you asked us when they started 2-1 we might have a lot to say, but with 5 straight losses under their belts, it is hard to highlight much. We like what we see in backup RB (now splitting time) Curtis Bledsoe, and perhaps the 2-headed RB corps is what Craig James needs to succeed, just as he did with Eric Dickerson at SMU. Other than that, a team that ranks 12th in a 12 team league in offense, and 11th in total defense does not have much to highlight. Weaknesses: Defense. As much as we can say that the Federals offense is plodding and predictable, the bigger issue is that the defense is just too generous. They have allowed the opposing team to score 30 or more points 5 times, including a couple of major blowouts. We don’t think they can fix that immediately, not with the roster they have, so this is a project for the offseason. Breakout Star: In what has become a rough year, the play of wideout Joey Walters has stood out. Averaging 13.4 yards a catch and with 38 catches on the year, Walters has been reliable for the Federals in a season where reliable has been hard to find. Prediction: As the season wears on wins may be harder to find. The Federals are not a team with a deep bench, so injuries and fatigue may make it difficult for them to play with other teams who are in playoff contention. Getting to 5 wins on the year feels like a ceiling for the Federals. CENTRAL DIVISION TAMPA BAY BANDITS (7-1) Strength: Offensive firepower. This is a team molded in the freewheeling style of coach Steve Spurrier. They have been explosive, dynamic, and high energy all season. Other than the mysterious collapse against Birmingham, their only loss to date, the John Reaves-led offense has been the very definition of Bandit Ball, and the fans in Tampa Bay, whose NFL team lacks exactly this, have been loving it. Weakness: Few, but if we have to name one it would be tackling on D. The defense has done fine in slowing down opposing offenses and have spent a lot of time playing with a lead, but we have noticed a penchant for missed tackles which could come into play in a close game. Breakout Star: John Reaves, QB. Reaves is no spring chicken, but with what he has shown this year we are shocked that he was not on an NFL roster. Sure, his pass completion rate is below 50% but that has more to do with the “Chuck it Up” philosophy of the offense which likes to use a high risk, high reward vertical game. His longball game has kept him at or near the top of the yardage leaders all season and his 19 TD passes have led to wins. Prediction: Tampa is a legit championship contender. As long as they can keep defenses from pressuring Reaves into mistakes (He has thrown 8 ints.) they will be able to outflank and outscore most opponents. BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS (6-2) Strengths: Explosiveness. Sure, we could have said balance as we did with Philly. After all, Birmingham is #3 in yards and in yards allowed, but the secret to the Stallions has been the ability to go on scoring runs that demoralize their opponents. Birmingham has used some breakout performances on offense to overtake Tampa Bay for the division lead (they are tied but B’Ham has the tiebreaker). Whether it is a sack-fumble or a 3rd and 3 that goes for 30, the Stallions have found a way to make big plays at big moments in games. Weaknesses: The receiving corps. This may seem to contradict the “explosiveness” cited above, but while WR Jim Smith and Greg Anderson have done fine statistically, this is one area where a true superstar would be blowing the roof off of games. Birmingham seems content with a complementary passing game, one which becomes more active within the redzone, but if they want to win it all, they will need to add some big plays in the passing game. Breakout Star: RB Cornelius Quarles has been a showstopper for the Stallions. No one expected much out of the young back out of HBCU Howard, but Quarles has been right on the heels of the highly touted Herschel Walker all season. With 688 yards rushing and a league leading 10 TD’s, this team revolves around their breakout star at RB. Prediction: It will be a dog fight between Tampa Bay and the Stallions all season. Hard to say who will come out on top, but even if they fall behind Tampa, the Central Division seems assured to win the lone wild card playoff spot, and B’Ham would be a top contender for it even if they cannot win the title. MICHIGAN PANTHERS (5-3) Strengths: Dee-Fense!!! The Panthers D has been outstanding all year. They are first in the league against the rush and overall. That bodes well for them as the season progresses. Led by LB John Corker and DE Ronnie Paggett, Michigan is a hard-hitting, stingy D that can turn a game on its head with a big play. Weaknesses: Rushing. The Panthers have talent at the RB position in John Williams and Ken Lacy, but more often than not they seem to abandon the run game and ride the hot hand of QB Bobby Hebert and wideouts Anthony Carter and Dereck Holloway. A more consistent and dedicated run game could be what the Panthers need to overtake Tampa and Birmingham in this cutthroat division. Breakout Star: QB Bobby Hebert. It has been a long time since folks in Detroit have seen a QB with his bravado, style and arm strength. Hebert leads the league in several passing categories, including the all important TD to INT ration (19-5). His personality has also been infectious on the team and with the fans. Michigan has a star in the making in this young cajun cannon. Prediction: Michigan has what it takes to win playoff football (defense and a fearless signal caller) but will they make the playoffs to show it off? They need to pull out enough wins, especially division wins, to overtake both Tampa and Birmingham. We are not ready to bet against them, but it is a lot to ask. CHICAGO BLITZ (4-4) Strengths: Veteran leadership. Look, it’s a George Allen team, and that means trust in veterans. The Blitz have experience at some key positions, particularly at QB (Greg Landry) and LB (Stan White). This is not a team that flounders for identity, so much as a team that needs to pair leadership with youthful energy. Weaknesses: Lack of explosiveness. Going into the season the Blitz seemed to have it all, the veterans cited above for leadership, and young talent in rookie RB Tim Spencer and WR Trumaine Johnson. Neither has really shown what they need in order for Chicago to win regularly, and the Blitz have simply not been able to keep pace with some of the stronger sides in the league. Breakout Star: DE Junior Ah You has been a revelation as a pass rusher. His 11 sacks lead the league and he has proven to be tough for most left tackles to handle. The former Sun Devil also has 31 tackels, proving he can play the run as well. The Blitz have a disruptor on D in Ah You. Prediction: We will need to see a lot more from Chicago if we think they can make a run. They may well finish 8-8 this year and in last place in the Central. Don’t they wish they played in the Pacific, where 8-8 is likely to win the entire division. PACIFIC DIVISION DENVER GOLD (4-4) Strengths: Is it surprising that it is hard to pinpoint a strength on a 4-4 team? Denver has been good but not great in several areas. So, perhaps we will pinpoint mental toughness for the Gold. They bounce back well from bad losses and have eked out some tough wins. This is a team without big stars but with a lot of heart. Weaknesses: I just said it, no stars. Name a skills player who wows you on this team. Tough, right? There is consistent play from QB Ken Johnson, RB Harry Sydney and Wideout Vic James, but no one is gameplanning to stop them. On defense, the team is respectable but again no one strikes fear into opponents. Give this solid team 1 more season to draft and sign some gamechangers and they could prove to be something good. Breakout Star: If we have to name someone, and that is tough on a no-name team, our candidate would be MLB Putt Choate. Just because his name is fun to say, but also because he is an all-around player. He has been a sideline to sideline player for the Gold, with 40 tackles and solid pass coverage. Not a glitzy pass rusher, Choate seems content to manage the field and hit the ballcarrier hard. Prediction: Denver’s somewhat uninspiring but consistent play should be enough to win the Pacific Division, but how will they do in the playoffs against the likes of Philly, Michigan or Tampa Bay? ARIZONA OUTLAWS (2-6) Strengths: How is a 2-6 team that started the year 0-6 and has only beaten 1 team (LA twice) in 2nd place in the division? Do they have strengths? I guess we could say that they have a never-give-in spirit, because after 6 straight losses (some of them painful to watch) to start the year they have found strength in the last 2 weeks. We are not sure if that is good for them or just a sign that LA is even worse. Weaknesses: Defense is clearly an issue. The Wranglers have some offensive playmakers, but on defense they are just brutal. They are 11th in scoring defense and 12th in yards allowed, and if there were a 13th position they would likely be there. It may be the scheme, it may be the roster, but you just cannot count on this defense to hold on a third and anything, or to keep teams out of the endzone. Breakout Star: Wideout Jackie Flowers has been a bright spot on offense. His 622 yards far outpace anyone else on the team and he has shown that he will fight for contested catches. Prediction: We just don’t see Arizona, with that defense, even hanging on to 2nd place (they are tied with 2 other teams right now) for the rest of the season. They are talent-poor and that tends to show up over the length of a full season. Expect 3-4 wins to be their cap. LOS ANGELES EXPRESS (2-6) Strengths: The ability to admit they were wrong. The Express started the season 0-3 behind the simply awful play of starting QB Mike Rae. Even 5 weeks after being relieved in favor of Tom Ramsey, Rae still ranks last in passing in the league. Ramsey garnered 2 wins for the Express before they stumbled twice against Arizona. The ability of coach Hugh Campbell to see the issue and replace Rae with Ramsey shows that all is not lost in LA. They have some talent, Campbell just has to put them in positions to win. Weaknesses: The running game. As much as we want to blame Mike Rae for the early losses, it has to be said that he got no help from the running backs. Neither Tony Boddie nor LaRue Harrington have proven to be the answer. Far too often a lack of production on 1st and 2nd down puts LA in the position to throw long to get 3rd downs. If they can get more out of the RB spot, their QB’s may look a lot better. Breakout Star: LB Danny Rich. For much of the season he was at or near the top of the tackles league leaders. Of course part of that was the inability of LA to generate offense and the disproportionate time opposing offenses were on the field, but even so, Rich has made the most of his chances and has shown tenacity as the team’s leader on D. Prediction: We don’t see enough on the horizon to predict anything but continued struggles for LA. Not only on the field, but at the box office. Scenes of only 10-15k within the huge Coliseum are not inspiring confidence in the franchise and are an issue for the league. OAKLAND INVADERS (2-6) Strengths: Firepower. Oakland has one of the more exciting big play offenses in the USFL. With a gunslinger in Fred Besana leading the offense, and true playmakers in RB Arthur Whittington and Fred Banks, this is a team that defensive coordinators stay up late trying to solve. Weaknesses: Consistency on offense. The Invaders have the talent to break open a game, but they seem to struggle to keep long drives going. They depend on the big play to score, and as teams gameplan against this, using zones and deep coverage to avoid big plays, the Invaders have yet to prove that they can march the ball down the field in small chunks until they score. That is a weakness that is keeping this team from reaching the heights many expected. Breakout Star: RB Arthur Whittington is third in the league in yardage, despite only a 3.8 yard average. He has had games where he was simply able to bully the opposition and others where he struggled to get back to the line of scrimmage, but when he is on, he is fun to watch. Prediction: If any team had a shot to leave a 2-6 start behind them and make it over .500 by season’s end, it is Oakland. Will they find more consistency and an ability to turn big play offense into steady offense? That is the question.