PLAYER OF THE WEEK: With 5 TD passes in a key divisional matchup, Josh Allen left no doubt who should be the POTW for this week's action. Allen was masterful, going 20 of 29 for 315 yards and connecting with both of his big play receivers, Golden Tate and Darnell Mooney for 2 scores each, along with a swing pass to HB Jonathan Ward for a 5th score. The Gold are back at .500, having won 2 in a row, and Allen now has a run game to balance his passing attack, a balance that could help Allen do even more moving forward.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: A familiar face returns to our POTW once again as Cam Newton put on a show this week. Contained to the pocket by the Invaders, Newton proved he could be a devastating pocket passer, throwing for 424 yards and 5 touchdowns against a pretty solid Oakland defense. Once again, Newton took the team on his shoulders and made the plays necessary for the Stallions to once again prevail, and once again in overtime for a league record 3rd consecutive overtime win (3 overtime games in 3 weeks).

With 6 teams from the Central and Southern Divisions on byes we had a 12-game schedule in Week 7, but that certainly did not diminish the level of excitement or the quality of games this week. In fact, of the 12 games on the slate, we saw 5 finish within 1 score, including a 1-point final advantage for Jacksonville over Memphis, a 4-point nail biter between Baltimore and Oklahoma, a 4-point upset win for the Portland Stags over rival Seattle, and our Game of the Week, a 6-point overtime victory for Cam Newton and the Stallions over Oakland. We will highlight Newton in our Big Story for the week, then focus on that great game between the homestanding Stallions and the Invaders. Then we will walk you through all the week’s action, look at a key injury for the Gamblers, and a trade rumor that may soon be reality. All that is right here, so let’s get started. Newton's Case for MVP Grows Stronger We are 7 weeks into a 17-week season, but it already seems that we have a frontrunner for the league’s MVP award, and it is hardly an unfamiliar name for USFL fans. Cam Newton, who has been in the running for MVP in the past, but has won neither the MVP or the OPOTY in his 12-year career, is making his clearest run for the title ever, currently leading the league with 1,993 yards passing and tied with Geno Smith with 17 passing touchdowns. Those two numbers, along with Newton’s 101.4 QB rating might well give him a leg up on the competition, but it is his legs which add another dimension to his MVP bid.   In addition to his league lead in passing yards and passing touchdowns, we have to consider that with 262 rushing yards and a league best (for a QB) 5 rushing TDs, Newton is well ahead of the field. Newton may be second in rushing among league quarterbacks, with 2 nd  year QB Justin Fields sitting at 341 yards, but the combination of rushing and passing stats, as well as Birmingham’s 5-2 record, have to make Newton the frontrunner at this point in the season. Many feel that Newton should have snagged the award last season, when his 3,041 yards and 22 touchdown passes, paired with 413 rushing yards and another 6 rushing touchdowns helped guide the Stallions to a division title and their first playoff berth since 2013. For those fans, recognition for Newton is long overdue.   Standard theories about how Newton has been looked over for either the Offensive Player of the Year or MVP awards tend to focus on the overall struggles of the Stallions as a club, with the team finishing at or under .500 every year from Newton’s rookie year in 2011 to 2020, save 1, a 9-7 campaign in 2017 that still saw them miss out on the playoffs. Without team success it is hard for a QB, even one as talented as Newton, to capture leaguewide awards. But last year, with the Stallions surprising many with an 11-5 record and a Southern Division title, there was an expectation that Newton would finally see a trophy headed his way. But, with Colt McCoy also long overdue for recognition, and with his stronger passing totals (5,236 yards and 38 touchdowns), the MVP was his to claim. As for the OPOTY award, voters wanted to recognize the outstanding play of the Tampa Bay Bandits on their way to back-to-back titles, and they did so by giving the OPOTY to WR Dez Bryant. His 1,547 yards and 15 TDs were certainly award-worthy, but for many it was a clear snub of Newton and the Stallions. The question now is whether Newton can overcome his history and finally get the recognition he deserves as one of the USFL’s biggest stars and most dangerous offensive weapons. OAKLAND INVADERS 28   BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS 34  OVERTIME The case for Cam Newton as league MVP certainly did not take any hits this week as the Stallion QB, despite being contained to the pocket by a strategic adjustment to Oakland’s pass rush and the use of LB Ukeme Eligwe as a spy, put up MVP numbers against the invaders as a pure passer. Newton would account for all 5 Birmingham touchdowns, including the game winner in overtime, as the Stallions outlasted the Invaders in a 75 minute thriller.   Newton accomplished the victory entirely with his arm, throwing for 424 yards on a 24 of 44 passing day, rushing the ball only 10 times (6 being scrambles on passing plays). Oakland prioritized containment over pressure, and the strategy worked, limiting Newton to a total of -3 yards on the ground, but at the cost of allowing the QB time in the pocket, time that Newton used to throw 5 touchdowns and accumulate over 400 yards passing. In a game that saw both teams rack up big yardage, it was Newton’s ability to stand in the pocket, contained but not threatened, that proved to be the difference for the homestanding Stallions.   Before we even got to see how Oakland would defend Newton, the Invaders put Birmingham in a hole. After receiving the opening kick, Oakland marched the ball 75 yards in 13 plays, with both Bryce Love and Christian McCaffrey toting the ball, while Davis Mills used play action to find DaVante Adams and Austin Hooper on key connections. The drive concluded with a 3 rd  and goal from the 2, with Mills faking the ball to Love and finding FB Adam Prentice in the flat for the walk-in touchdown.   With Oakland up 7-0 when Newton first took the field, we quickly saw what Oakland had devised to slow down the dual threat QB. Both Vinny Curry and Michael Bennett took visibly wider routes towards Newton on the Stallions’ first few passing downs. The two hung outside, avoiding the instinct to undercut their blockers and shift inside. That created a pocket, and with LB Ukeme Eligwe hovering near the line of scrimmage but never charging, the plan was made evident. Contain Newton within the pocket, hopefully pressuring from all directions to avoid creating a clear running lane. On the opening drive we saw this 3 times, and it was largely effective, with Newton missing on a 3 rd  and 5 pass to force a punt.   But, when Birmingham got the ball back, the Stallions and Head Coach Todd Haley had figured out the Oakland strategy and adjusted appropriately. With pressure almost a non-factor, Newton simply had to play the part of a true pocket passer. On Birmingham’s second drive he did just that, completing 4 of 5 throws, including a 26 yard strike to Zach Ertz, and the drive’s final play, a 10-yard fade route to Henry Ruggs to even the score at 7.   Oakland would retake the lead late in the opening period, taking advantage of a pass interference call when the Stallion defender impeded Davante Adam’s ability to track to the ball on a deep comeback route. Three plays later, Christian McCaffrey sprinted off the right tackle, made a timely cutback, and raced 11 yards to paydirt to give the Invaders a 14-7 lead at the end of the quarter.   Birmingham would respond in the 2 nd , the only scoring drive of the period being a 9-play Stallion drive that saw Henry Ruggs catch his 2 nd  touchdown on the day. The former Alabama product was getting the better of cornerback Jaylen Watkins, a trend that would continue the entire game, with Ruggs finishing with three scores, while his teammate Devonta Smith would finish as the leading receiver with 111 yards. The Newton to Ruggs TD evened the score at 14, and with both teams making some mistakes on offense, a holding call on one drive, a key 3 rd  down sack on another, the Ruggs TD would be the only successful drive for either team.   When the 3 rd  quarter started, it was clear that the containment strategy would continue, though Oakland also switched to more zone coverage to try to protect Watkins. The strategy slowed down Birmingham, but never stopped them. Their opening drive would take nearly 5 minutes, and 12 plays, but a well-conceived zone-buster play helped them retake the lead, with Newton finding TE Hunter Henry over the middle against the 2-deep zone. Henry was able to avoid a solid tackle form the safety and spin his way towards the endzone for the score, giving Birmingham a 21-14 advantage.   That advantage held into the 4 th quarter, when Birmingham extended their lead on Henry Ruggs’ third TD catch. By this point Newton was well over 300 yards, and it seemed clear that the containment strategy, while helping Oakland avoid the big defensive gaff, had provided the Stallion QB with a clean pocket and plenty of time to slowly pick apart the Invader coverages. He did so on the opening drive of the 4 th quarter, eventually finding Ruggs for a 3 rd  score, a 9-yard touchdown from a rub route that was well executed by the Stallion receiver group.   Down 14, Oakland needed some spark, and they found it in the form of a 48-yard Christian McCaffrey run. Unfortunately, that huge play came at a cost. McCaffrey was not so much tackled as he fell to the ground. Attempting a late cut to avoid the safety, McCaffrey misplanted his left foot, causing his leg to bulge outward and the player to fall to the ground. After being touched down, the training crew came out and helped the star tailback to the sideline. While it would not be until Monday morning that a full diagnosis would come in, a partial ACL tear that would cost McCaffrey no less than a month to address, what was known at the time was that Bryce Love would have to take over the HB duties for the remainder of the game. Love did just that on the ensuing set of downs, carrying the ball twice, including the 1-yard goalline plunge that would bring Oakland back to within 1 score.   With Oakland now down only 7, the Stallions needed to eat some time. They attempted to do this with runs by Najee Harris, but as Oakland had done all game, they again swarmed to the ball and limited Harris to only 2 total yards. He would finish the game with only 10 yards rushing on the day, Birmingham limited to only 21 as a team in a sad display of ineffective rushing. With the ball back in Invader hands and nearly 4 and a half minutes left, Davis Mills went about the business of tying the score. The Invader QB, who finished 21 of 29 for 209 yards, hit on 4 of 6 passes on the drive, including a very nice 3 rd  down toss to Michael Floyd to convert and keep the drive alive. With 3:41 left in the game, Mills found Davante Adams on an over-the-shoulder throw for a score and Oakland had pulled the game level once again.   Oakland would have over 3 and a half minutes to find a game winner. But while Oakland’s strategy of containment had allowed Newton time in the pocket, it had also largely removed the deep ball or the big “chunk” play from Birmingham’s arsenal. The Stallions slowly moved the ball down the field, but stalled out at the Oakland 22, forcing Birmingham to send out Chris Boswell for a 39-yard game winner. As a general rule, everything under 40 yards (maybe 45 in today’s game) is viewed as something of a gimme. But not on this day as Boswell’s kick sliced to the left, no good. With 47 seconds left, the game remained tied. Oakland tried a deep shot on 1 st  and 10 from their own 29, but after that failed, they ate the rest of the clock and set up overtime.   The added period would see both teams struggle to get into field goal range. Birmingham had the first shot but could not get beyond their own 38. Oakland took the punt, moved up to their 47, but then failed on a 3 rd  and 5 and were forced to punt the ball back to the Stallions. Birmingham had far better success on this, their second overtime possession, with Newton finding both Hunter Henry and HB Isaiah Pead on dump down throws that turned into key 3 rd  down conversions. With 2:38 on the clock, they had made it to the Oakland 29, centered the ball on a short run from Pead, and faced a 3 rd  and 6. With Coach Haley still stinging from Chris Boswell’s earlier miss, he sent in a dagger play, a play fake designed to lull Oakland into run support, followed by an outbreaking route from slot receiver D. J. Chark.   The play worked to perfection, with the corners getting in each other’s way as Chark crossed paths with Ruggs. The receiver had a clear 2-3 steps on his coverage man. Newton, still with a solid pocket, easily looped the ball to his receiver, and Chark high-stepped into the endzone for the game-winner, Newton’s 5 th  scoring toss of the game and perhaps the sweetest. With that throw, Newton had improved Birmingham’s record to 5-2, tied atop the South with the Gunslingers, but in a very good position to repeat as Division Champs. For Oakland, the strategy of containment had worked in its design, challenging Newton to win from the pocket, but the Stallion QB was up to the challenge, and the Invaders now sank to an uncomfortable 3-4 mark on the season.   LOS ANGELES 10   DENVER 35 If the Kyler Murray trade rumors are legit (see below) the trigger may be this week’s 10 of 23 performance from the LA quarterback. While Josh Allen was 19 of 24 despite facing 8 sacks on the day, Murray, who saw an equal number of QB takedowns, simply did not get the job done. LA mounted only 8 first downs on the day, only229 total yards, and with 2 picks, including a pick-six from J. C. Jackson, and a safety, Murray was not putting himself in Coach Lewis’s good graces. POTG:  Denver DE Odafe Oweh: 4 Tck, 3 Sck, 1 Sfty   CHARLOTTE 14   NEW JERSEY 26 Teddy Bridgewater went down with a foot injury only 5 plays into the game, but Connor Shaw came in and availed himself admirably, going 18 of 25 for 191 yards and a TD as the Generals pulled away from 2-5 Charlotte to earn their 4 th  win and rise above .500 once again. While newly-acquired HB Phillip Lindsay played well (20 carries for 73 yards), Charlotte fell behind early and Paxton Lynch was forced to put the ball up 43 times. He completed 30 but managed only 1 TD, and that was not enough as New Jersey got TDs from FB Chandler Cox, rookie HB Kyren Williams, and a Shaw to Sanu TD toss to earn the 12-point victory. POTG:  Generals’ WR Muhamed Sanu: 7 Rec, 103 Yds, 1 TD   NEW ENGLAND 16  WASHINGTON 0 A game Coach Gilbride and the Feds would love to forget. Washington only crossed the 50 twice all game long, but never even got in range to give Adam Vinatieri a shot at a field goal, getting shut out in embarrassing fashion by the upstart Steamrollers. New England forced two Brissett picks, held Travis Etienne to 2.2 YPC and 37 total yards, and slowly built up a 3-0, 6-0, 9-0 lead over the opening 3 quarters before a Tannehill to Pitta toss gave them the 2-score advantage and eventual 16-0 margin of victory. POTG : Roller LB Cameron Smith: 7 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 FF   LAS VEGAS 34  PHILADELPHIA 24 Philadelphia fans showed up (41,012 strong) but were vocal in their displeasure with the team as they fell behind 10-0, rallied, then gave up 17 unanswered points to the Vipers. Even a late rally to make the game closer could not silence the boobirds in the crowd as the Stars fall to 2-5. Las Vegas, which had only 1 win coming into the game, saw Gardner Minshew go 24 of 33 for 270 yards and a pair of TDs (as well as 2 picks). Jones and Hunt combined for122 yards and a TD each, and Aaron Dobson caught 7 of 10 targets for 100 yards and a TD of his own as the Vipers win on the road for the 2 nd  time this season. POTG:  Viper WR Aaron Dobson: 7 Rec, 100 Yds, 1 TD   DALLAS 20  ARIZONA 28 The Wranglers become the league’s first 7-win team (Chicago was on a bye) as they knock off the Roughnecks, thanks in large part to 345 yards from QB Ryan Nassib and a defense that forced Justin Herbert out of the game early in the 3 rd  with a neck stinger. Underappreciated WR DeMarcus Robinson climbed into the receiving leaderboard with 7 receptions for 113 yards, though it was Brandon Aiyuk who scored Nassib’s lone TD pass. Josh Freeman tried to rally Dallas in the 4 th , but a last second Hail Mary fell to the ground, preserving Arizona’s perfect record through 7 weeks. POTG:  Wrangler QB Ryan Nassib: 21/28, 345 Yds, 1 TD, 0 Int   ORLANDO 14  TAMPA BAY 24 In an otherwise pretty even game, Dalvin Cook’s 103 yards helped Tampa Bay outlast their in-state rival. Cook and TE Jordan Cameron (2 TDs from Prescott) were the stars for the Bandits, with Orlando smothering Dez Bryant and Ryan Grant outside. Renegade fans are likely still steaming after an apparent 94-yard pick-six by safety D. J. Swearinger was brought back when the safety was ruled to have interfered with Dez Bryant. That call produced a 14-point swing, taking Swearinger’s score off the board and leading 2 plays later to a Prescott to Cameron TD pass that made the score 21-7 in the 3 rd . From there, Tampa Bay held off Russell Wilson to improve to 5-2. POTG:  Tampa Bay HB Dalvin Cook: 21 Att, 103 Yds   JACKSONVILLE 21  MEMPHIS 20 A Memphis defense which has looked very solid in recent weeks gave way in the 4 th , as Jacksonville got two late TD tosses to overcome a 20-7 deficit and stun the 44,729 at the Liberty Bowl. Trevor Lawrence, who was 7 of 20 the rest of the game, went 4 of 6 in the final 10 minutes, including a sack-defying scramble that led to an 81-yard catch and run for Tee Higgins. Seven minutes later, just at the 2-minute warning, Lawrence found Eric Ebron for a 29-yard strike, giving the Bulls the narrow lead they would retain to earn their 2 nd  win of the year and snap Memphis’s 4-game win streak. POTG:  Bulls’ WR Tee Higgins: 4 Rec, 182 Yds, 1 TD   ATLANTA 6   ST. LOUIS 21 In the battle of backups, Tyrod Taylor came out on top despite going 10 of 29 for the game. He got help from his defense, which held Atlanta to only 85 yards rushing and limited them to 2 long field goals on the day. Both kickers were active as Zane Gonzalez kicked 4 field goals for the Skyhawks, who also got a safety early in the game and a lone Taylor to Kyle Pitts TD in the 4 th  to help them seal the win and move to 5-2 on the year. POTG:  Skyhawk CB Vontae Davis: 5 Tck, 2 PDef, 1 Int   SAN DIEGO 31   SAN ANTONIO 13 A stunning home loss for a Gunslinger squad that had been building momentum and belief among USFL fans. San Diego gets only their 2 nd win on the season as Mason Rudolph goes 20 for 26 for 318 yards and a game-defining 75-yard TD toss to HB Charles Sims. Sims, who rushed for only 21 yards in the game, accounted for 3 San Diego TDs, two short runs and his sideline sprint on a swing route that assured the W for the Thunder. This game saw some “Bad Flacco”, with the Gunslinger QB throwing 2 picks, and missing on a pair of key 3 rd  down throws. POTG:  San Diego HB Charles Sims: 15 Att, 21 Yds, 2 TD, 1 Rec, 75 Yds, 1 TD   BALTIMORE 27  OKLAHOMA 23 In a battle of teams trying to build some momentum, the Blitz escape Oklahoma City with the win. It did not look like it would go that way as Oklahoma got an Eddie Lacy TD run early in the 4 th to take a 23-6 lead, but Jake Locker led a furious comeback which also included a horrible pick-six for Jalen Hurts, as he gave up an easy 7 points to Baltimore CB Ken Webster. Jake Locker to Christian Watson with 1:22 left proved to be the game winner, but that pick-six was the turning point for Baltimore. POTG:  Blitz CB Ken Webster: 5 Tck, 2 PDef, 1 Int, 1 DefTD   SEATTLE 20  PORTLAND 24 Brett Hundley was asked to throw the ball 48 times in his return from injury, and that was at least 3 too many as his 3 picks helped Portland gain short fields, with the Stags earning 14 of their 24 points off the takeaways. Knowshon Moreno was on fire, rushing for 141 yards on 23 carries, but Seattle kept shooting themselves in the foot, with the picks and with 9 offensive penalties as Seattle looked sloppy against their Cascade Clash rivals. POTG:  Portland FS Tre Flowers: 10 Tck, 1 TFL, 2 PDef, 1 Int, 1 Def TD   Is Southwest Race Over Already? We get it. It is only Week 7, and there are 10 or more games left for each USFL team to play. All good reasons for teams in the Southwest Division to have hope. But, let’s be real. In only 7 games, the Arizona Wranglers have built up a 3-game lead in the division, and none of their potential rivals, not 4-3 Oklahoma, nor 3-4 Denver or 2-5 Dallas look like they have the consistency or the formula to outpace the Wranglers and gain some ground over the next 10 weeks. We don’t want to call it, but the odds are very much in Arizona’s favor. They are now likely looking at Chicago (6-0) and focusing their attention on the 1 seed, with its bye and home field advantage, as their next goal.   The Wranglers have struck gold with the return of Ryan Nassib, who is turning into the poster child for “System Quarterbacks” after struggling mightily in Washington only to return to outstanding form upon his reunion with Coach Tomsula and the Wrangler offensive scheme. The Wranglers also seem to have found a gem in rookie HB Tyler Allgeier, who has helped them establish themselves as one of the league’s best rushing team (currently 3 rd  in YPG at 121.9), and, of course, Coach Tomsula’s defense is getting the job done as well, allowing teams only 17.3 points per game. In other words, sitting at 7-0, and 3 games up on 4-3 Oklahoma, it is looking very good for Arizona to lock up the division in record time.   Thunderstruck in San Antonio It was the end of a 4-game winning streak, a punch to the gut for a team that was really beginning to believe in itself, and a dangerous loss in a division that could be tight until the end. San Antonio’s shocking home loss to the San Diego Thunder was bad on the field, but could be even worse for the psyche of the club. They now find themselves tied with Birmingham atop the division, with the Stallions on their own 4-game winning streak. They are only a half-game game up on another dangerous team, the 4-2 Houston Gamblers, and just 1 game up on a Memphis team that has also shown a lot of fight this year. If San Antonio wants to finally claim a spot as a true competitor in the division, and possibly their first playoff spot since being re-introduced to the league in 2020, they need to put this one behind them and get back to the form that helped them pull off 4 consecutive wins.   Stars Not Silent After Home Loss It was a rowdy crowd at The Linc this week, but not rowdy in the positive sense, rowdy in that Stars fans were booing there own team as Philadelphia dropped their 5 th  game of the year, this one to the previously 1-5 Las Vegas Vipers. It was a crowd that was already calling for Dan Quinn, the 2021 USFL Coach of the Year to be fired, calling for Carson Wentz to be sent back to the NFL, pretty much calling for everyone and anyone, from punt returner Quincy Enumwa to Governor Tom Wolf to be removed.   That is bad enough, though not particularly out of character for the famously aggressive, cynical, and irrascable Philadelphia fanbase. But it seems the negativity has seeped into the locker room as well. Among the “one game at a time” and “we need to stop hurting ourselves” cliches common to the postgame press interviews, there were more than a few biting comments and expressions of frustration. Whether it was Derrick Henry bemoaning the lack of commitment to the run game, K. J. Hamler hinting that he is not getting targets, or pretty much every defender who spoke to the media wondering why the club is ranked 25 th  in points allowed, always an expression that does not take their own role into account. Only QB Carson Wentz and defensive captain Jonathan Bostic gave us the more expected “mea culpa”, demanding of themselves that they play better.   If Coach Quinn, only 1 year removed from a pretty impressive 8-win uptick (from 2 in 2020 to 10 wins in 2021), seems to be losing control. Everything that went right in 2021 seems to be reversing course in 2022. Derrick Henry’s yards per game are down from 85.9 to 74.6 and his YPC is below 4 for the first time in his career. Only Randall Cobb has more than 30 receptions and 2 touchdowns over 7 weeks. The defense has only 17 sacks in 7 games, and has forced only 8 turnovers. But, more than a statistical dip, what seems to be lacking most of all is a sense of united purpose. The team is fractured, their confidence cracked, and their sense of purpose is just not fueled by the same fire we saw last year. And that, even more than wins and losses, could mark a very serious issue for this Stars team.   Sweat Gets into Sack Race with 4 Against Bandits Back in Week 3 we commented on a Sack leaderboard that was fronted by Memphis’s J. J. Watt and the surprising rise of St. Louis edge rusher A. J. Epenesa. At the time we wondered aloud where Montez Sweat and Calais Campbell had hid themselves away. Well, while Calais Campbell has been dealing with an infection after lacerating the palm of his hand, one that has limited his playing time, Montez Sweat has been grinding out more games and closing in on the leaders atop the Sack rankings. This week, with a monstruous 4-sack day against Dak Prescott and the Bandits, Sweat reappeared where he expects to be, right in the hunt for the sack title. Sweat’s 4 sacks this week bring his 2022 total to 11 at the 7-game mark, good enough to be tied for 2 nd  with Epenesa, only 1 behind Watt. Anyone who knows Sweat, knows that he will not rest until he is atop the list, as he finished 2021, for the first time beating out Calais Campbell for the title. This year it seems Sweat will be racing with the young Epenesa and the NFL veteran Watt for the title, with a cluster behind them at 9 sacks and Campbell already 5 back of the lead with 7 sacks in limited action. Of course, we won’t count Campbell out. He has shown us in the past an ability to close ground quickly, but this year it seems Sweat is the dog in pursuit of the fox in a chase that should be fun to watch all season long.   Hyde Sidelined by Hamstring, McCaffrey by ACL Tear Apparently a bye week does not guarantee that a team will avoid injury. Houston came to that realization this week after star tailback Carlos Hyde suffered a hamstring injury in off-week workouts. The injury apparently occurred during a CrossFit-inspired workout on Thursday. Initially thought to be a sprain, by Sunday Hyde was being evaluated and the end result is that he has been diagnosed with a partial tear, an injury that will keep the back out of action at least a month, possibly longer. Hyde, who currently occupies the 4 th  position among USFL backs with 551 yards, will be sorely missed. Houston will split carries between Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Trayveon Williams, but are expected to seek a 3 rd  back to help address the load for at least the next 4 weeks. Rumors have them in discussions with current free agent Leonard Fournette, who was with Denver last year, signed with the NFL Buffalo Bills in the offseason but was released 3 games into the 2021 season, which means he has now passed the 6-month threshold to become a true free agent not bound to the NFL-USFL transfer window limitations.   Whether Houston brings in Fournette, or another back from the free agent pool like a Myles Gaskin or Kiero Small, the reality is that their run game is going to suffer without Hyde, and with Houston already trailing both San Antonio and Birmingham in the division and with questions about Colt McCoy’s health, Gambler fans are likely to be spending a good amount of time googling WebMD instead of Fantasy Football sites for updates. In Oakland a similar timeframe for Christian McCaffrey, expected to miss 4-6 weeks with a partial ACL tear. Unlike Houston, the Invaders feel they have their answer already on the roster, in the form of 2021 draft pick Bryce Love. Love finished the game against Birmingham and is expected to take on the lead back role for the Invaders as they prepare for the upcoming month of action. He will be backed up by Justin Jackson and promoted practice-squadder Kevin Harris as the Invaders try to stay in the race in the Pacific, awaiting McCaffrey's return at some point in the league's final 6 weeks.   Are Rumors of a 3-Way Trade Legit? It cannot be true, can it? Reports have been circling for the past 48 hours of a potential 3-team trade involving two starting QBs and a pair of defenders. If it comes to fruition, it would be the biggest midseason deal in perhaps a decade. So, what are we hearing and what might be the sticking point. The oft-repeated version of the deal would have Pittsburgh fully committing to rookie Kenny Picket by sending 11-year veteran and 2015 OPOTY Andy Dalton to the LA Express . The Express, for their part would be shipping off starting QB Kyler Murray to Atlanta , an option to step in for Josh Rosen if his up and down performance heads further south. Atlanta would complete the triangle trade by sending two defenders to Pittsburgh, with LB Zavier Gooden almost a certainty to be included. It is an intriguing deal, one that gives Coach Lewis in LA a more traditional drop back passer to work with, one more aligned with current backup Nick Foles’s skill set. It would give Atlanta another QB option, one that may be particularly valuable if veteran Aaron Murray’s severely broken leg is the career-ender that many fear it may be. For the Maulers, it means leaning into Kenny Pickett as the starter, but also adding some much-needed aggressiveness to a defense that currently ranks in the Top 5 in every yardage category but is somehow 19 th  in scoring defense, giving up too many big plays.   So, what could be holding up this blockbuster trade? Well, several things are certainly potential dealbreakers. First of all, we have to assume that LA wants to get a much better sense of Andy Dalton’s injury status. He left the season opener with a stress fracture in his plant foot, a tricky injury and one that can take longer than more traditional fractures to heal. He was expected to miss 1-2 weeks, but we are 6 weeks later and Pittsburgh’s last injury report still listed him as doubtful. LA will absolutely want a healthy Dalton if they are to pull the trigger on this.   For Pittsburgh’s part, getting LB Zavier Gooden is nice, but won’t be enough for them to step away from Dalton. They are asking Atlanta to part with more, with names like FS Earl Thomas, or one of the Fire’s top corners, Darius Slay or Shaquile Griffin. Los Angeles has also floated the idea of draft pick compensation as a part of the deal, but from who? With any 3-way trade, the balance of who gives up what and to whom is significantly more complicated than we see in simpler bilateral deals. No team wants to be seen as giving up the farm and getting little in return. All three have needs, all three have a good reason to part with a player they have soured on to get something they covet, but the key is in striking a balance that works for all three. Will it happen? Rumors have the three parties close, but we all know that a deal can either come together quickly, or fall apart just as fast. We will keep our ears to the wall on this one, and when we know, you will know.             A bad week for halfbacks, with Christian McCaffrey likely out for up to 6 weeks after a partial ACL tear and two other star backs, Carlos Hyde and Josh Jacobs expected to miss at least 1-2 weeks, Jacobs with a knee issue and Hyde with a troubling hamstring strain. The other big story is in Orlando, where star receiver Brashad Perrriman has been placed on IR and will be lost for the season after a complete Achilles rupture, a nasty injury that will require up to 12 months to completely heal. Orlando plans to promote Hunter Renfrew from the swing spot to a starting spot opposite Nelson Agholor, almost certainly removing any trade rumors for the receiver, but we would not be surprised to see the Renegades try to acquire another receiver as well.   OUT WR         Brashad Perriman       ORL       Achilles          IR OT          Greg Robinson               BIR         Back                IR OG         Daniel Kilgore              OHI       ACL                  4-6 Weeks HB         Christian McCaffery         OAK      ACL                  4-6 Weeks HB         Carlos Hyde                      HOU     Arm                  4-6 Weeks SS           Delarin Turner-Yell          MEM     Collarbone      1-2 Weeks HB         Josh Jacobs                     BAL        Miniscus           1-2 Weeks OT          Ross Burton                     TBY        Hand                1-2 Weeks CB          Amani Oruwarije             PHI        Turf Toe            1-2 Weeks OG         Nick Easten                     NE          Ankle               1-2 Weeks DOUBTFUL DE          Datone Jones               OHI       MCL                                      OT          Lachavious Simmons    STL         Pinched Nerve OT          Darrian Kennard         ATL         Abdominal                         DT          Devon Godchaux           BIR         Concussion OT          Michael Oher                 POR      Foot   QUESTIONABLE DE          Anthony Zettel                CHA      Collarbone C             Scott Quessenberry      OKL       Concussion OT          Riley Reiff                        BAL        Wrist LB           Shaq Thompson             DEN     Hand CB          Robert Anderson            CHI        Groin FS           Jamal Adams                   DAL       Concussion QB         Justin Herbert                 DAL       Neck WR         Jamison Crowder           MEM     Hamstring   USFL Reports on Jersey Sales, With No Surprises If I asked you to name the best players in the USFL, or those you think are most popular, you likely would throw out some pretty well-known stars: Colt McCoy (the 2021 MVP), Dak Prescott (the 2021 OPOTY), Montez Sweat (2021 Sack Leader), HB LeVeon Bell or Knowshon Moreno, or perhaps extroverted WRs Dez Bryant and Odell Beckham Jr.. And, as it appears, you would be correct. The USFL this week released a report on the top selling player jerseys from the league’s online stores as well as each team’s team shops (online and physical), and the list is not exactly filled with shocking revelations.   Dak Prescott, for a second year in a row, remains the top selling jersey. Not surprising considering he is the 2020 MVP and 2021 OPOTY for the league’s current “glamour” team and 2-time defending champs. He joins his favorite target, WR Dez Bryant as Tampa Bay’s 2 representatives in the Top 10.   In second is Houston QB Colt McCoy, the 2021 MVP, followed by Orlando DE Montez Sweat and another superstar QB, Denver’s Josh Allen. The only player who sports a new jersey among the Top 10 is Odell Beckham Jr, whose move from the Generals to the Machine for 2022 sparked a huge run on sky blue jerseys with number 13, enough new Machine jerseys sold with Beckham’s name on them to place him 5 th  in the league.   Rounding out the Top 10 we have LeVeon Bell (MGN), Knowshon Moreno (SEA), 2021 NFL import J. J. Watt (MEM), 2021 Rookie of the Year ,Justin Fields (OHI), and a second member of Seattle’s Summer Bowl squad, LB Khalil Mack.   Who from the rookie class of 2022 is looking to be a popular choice, well, within the top 40 jersey sales we find HB Tyler Allgeier (ARZ), WR Garrett Wilson (SAN), and New England lead back Breece Hall, but the current sales leader among rookies is on defense, and really not a surprise when you realize he went from Ann Arbor to the Michigan Panthers, DE Aiden Hutchinson ranks 23 rd  in the league and the 2 nd  best selling Panther jersey behind LeVeon Bell.     USFL 40 Greatest Players: 22-20 We breach the Top 20 with this week’s list, moving into the upper half of our Top 40, but not before we celebrate two of the league’s biggest defensive stars, heavy hitters with a reputation for fury, and a mouth to match their game. As we crack the Top 20 we find a fan favorite there as well, a player with a reputation for an easygoing frivolity on the sideline but an intensity of purpose on the field. Three great players, three great personalities, that is what we have on tap with players 24, 23, and 22 this week.   22) DT John Randall (1990-2003) If ever there was a player who evoked pure fear on a USFL field, it was John Randall. Drafted by the Baltimore Blitz on a late round flyer in 1990, Randall was a wrecking ball of destruction for his entire 14-year career with the Blitz. He was so focused as a rookie that he not only earned a starting spot on the Blitz defensive line, but two separate fines for disobeying his coaches when asked to tone it down in practice. Randall was recognized immediately as a difference maker, selected to be All-USFL in his rookie campaign after racking up 66 tackles and 5 sacks in his first season. He would go on to earn All-USFL honors another 12 times in 13 years, retiring with 102 sacks at the DT position and a reputation as a pure force of nature on the field.   21) LB Brian Bosworth (1987-1997) Brian Bosworth came to the USFL already a national celebrity as an All-American at Oklahoma. That it was 1987 and the Oklahoma Outlaws were able to not only sign “The Boz” but keep him in Oklahoma was a coup at the time for the young USFL, almost as big as the Herschel Walker signing in 1983. But fate would soon change Bosworth’s trajectory. Financial issues and team mergers meant that he would have only 1 season in Oklahoma before the team merged with the original San Antonio Gunslingers and he found himself a Texas Outlaw, not an Oklahoma Outlaw.   That early USFL instability certainly did not impact Bosworth on the field. After racking up a ridiculous 143 sacks in his rookie season in Tulsa, he followed it up with 8 more 100-tackle seasons at Middle Linebacker for the Outlaws, including a 155-tackle season in 1990 that still remains the league record. Bosworth sits first and third in the record book for his rookie year and that amazing 1990 campaign. And while his total of 1,255 career tackles no longer place him in the Top 10 all-time, overtaken by some players who eked a few more years out of their bodies, his average of 114 per season is still among the league’s all-time elites.   20) TE Keith Jackson (1988-1999) No, not the announcer whose booming voice became synonymous with the USFL over its first 2 decades. You know that. We mean the 4-time All-USFL tight end who brought in over 1,000 receptions for 8,500 yards in his 11-year career with Memphis and Denver. A charismatic presence in the locker room, on the sideline, and in the press room, Jackson was also a nearly unstoppable force on the field. Jackson produced the first 100-catch season ever for a tight end in 1998, and then repeated the feat the following year, his final one with the Gold. Jackson was able to outrace most linebackers, block out most safeties, and run over pretty much any cornerback on the field.   Foiled from getting a ring by some shaky teams and unfortunate playoff losses with both the Showboats and Gold, Jackson still remains among the names that all USFL tight ends mention when talking about how they model their game. Those accolades, along with his larger-than-life career both on and off the field have him as the first player in our Top 20 and the highest ranked tight end on our list.   With the entire Southern Division, and the New England Steamrollers earning a well-deserved week of rest, we are again at 12 games and 24 teams in action in Week 8. Those 12 games kick off on Friday with a classic battle that goes back to 1983, when New Jersey head down to Birmingham to face the Stallions. It won’t be Walker vs. Stoudt, but this battle of playoff hopefuls should be a good kickoff to the weekend.   On Saturday we get our first divisional battles of the week, with a Border War between struggling Michigan and up-and-down Ohio. A win by either could be pivotal in regaining their lost form, either from 2021 for Michigan or from their fast start to 2022 for Ohio. The other divisional game on Saturday is at 8pm when Baltimore heads into Philadelphia to face the Stars. Expect another thunderstorm of boos to reign down on Dan Quinn and the Stars if he cannot get a result in this key NE Division showdown. The other 8pm game on Sunday is worth checking in on as well, as the 7-0 Arizona Wranglers head up to rainy Seattle to face the 2021 Western Conference Champions. We expect Brett Hundley to be back in form after a rough Week 7, which gives Seattle a chance against a very impressive Wrangler squad. Sunday kicks off with a big one for the Houston Gamblers, going into their first game without Carlos Hyde in the backfield. They face a Memphis squad that sits a half-game behind them and a game behind the division leaders. Both teams in this Southern Division clash are hoping they can gain ground on the leaders with a win. Chicago returns to action after their bye, hosting the 2-5 San Diego Thunder. Will they be overconfident, looking ahead, or will Chicago join Arizona at 7-0 with a home win? Later in the day we head out West for two more divisional games. At 4pm it is LA visiting Portland. Both clubs are looking up at Seattle and wondering if they have a chance to make a run with 10 games left to play. Then at 8pm it is 3-4 Denver visiting 2-5 Dallas. Both desperately need a win, not because they can hope to catch Arizona, but because Wild Card football may be their best chance to play a 17 th  game this year.   Fri. 7pm ET         New Jersey (4-3) @ Birmingham (5-2)*      NBC   Sat. 12pm ET     Washington (3-4) @ New Orleans (3-3)*         ABC Sat. 12pm ET   Michigan (1-5) @ Ohio (3-3)*                            FOX Sat. 4pm ET       St. Louis (5-2) @ Oklahoma (4-3)                     ABC Sat. 4pm ET       Pittsburgh (1-5) @ Las Vegas (2-5)                   FOX Sat. 8pm ET      Baltimore (4-3) @ Philadelphia (2-5)                NBC Sat. 8pm ET       Arizona (7-0) @ Seattle (4-3)                           ESPN/EFN   Sun 12pm ET    Memphis (4-3) @ Houston (4-2)*                  ABC Sun 12pm ET     San Diego (2-5) @ Chicago (6-0)                     FOX Sun 4pm ET       San Antonio (5-2) @ Oakland (3-4)                ABC Sun 4pm ET      Los Angeles (3-4) @ Portland (2-5)                   FOX Sun 8pm ET      Denver (3-4) @ Dallas (2-5)                               EFN   Byes: Atlanta, Charlotte, Jacksonville, New England, Orlando, Tampa Bay (*) = Throwback Uniforms

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: With both Atlanta and New England earning big wins this week, our decision came down to halfbacks Nick Chubb and T. J. Yeldon, but considering that Yeldon is not even the primary back, had 6 fewer touches than Chubb and gained 29 more yards, we think we will have to go with the former Stallion, Yeldon, who racked up 142 yards and 2 TDs on only 16 carries as the Steamrollers flattened Oklahoma.

What did we see in Week 6? We saw a surprisingly defensive matchup between two of the league’s best offenses. We saw the Panther faithful openly turning on their team. We saw a frustrated Marvin Lewis questioning his QB. And we saw two teams not worried at all about their chemistry as Arizona and Chicago improve to 6-0 on the season. We also saw the trading block pick up some action, with 3 significant deals made this week and rumors of some potentially huge moves on the way. That is our big story this week, and we will kick off with that before running through all the week’s game action and its fallout. And with many teams in a bit of QB Limbo, we will take a peek at the 2023 draft to see if help may be on the way. All that is coming up, plus a look at our first week of byes coming this weekend. Stick with us, there is a lot to say This Week in the USFL.   The Trading Block Heats Up With Deals & Rumors We had our first “major” trade last week, with Denver acquiring C. J. Prosise from the Generals, and the crack in the dam has started to split wider. Denver was again on the move this week, while Charlotte made two moves and Orlando sought to improve their secondary play. It is all a sign that teams have figured out where they need help and are not going to wait another season to get it. We will break down this week’s deals and give you the rumors we are hearing that could turn into moves in the next 3 weeks. It is “wheeling & dealing” in the USFL, and just how big the crop of moves will be this year is anyone’s guess.   Denver Ditches Linday in 2 nd  HB Move in 2 Weeks Coach Hufnagel’s dissatisfaction with his run game produced not one, but two trades to bring in fresh legs over the past week, leaving only Jonathan Ward left from the team’s Week 1 HB room. Last week it was a deal with New Jersey that sent David Wilson and a 3 rd  rounder to New Jersey for HB C. J. Prosise. This week it was 2021 starter Phillip Lindsay, who is averaging just under 2 yards per carry, who was dealt. Denver made a 2-for-1 deal with Charlotte to bring scatback and return man Nyheim Hines to the Mile High City. Charlotte, in return, landed Lindsay as well as WR Calvin Ridley, giving up only Hines and a 3 rd rounder of their own.   Expect Prosise to take on the bulk of the running duty in Denver, as he did this week in his debut. Hines will almost certainly take on a 3 rd  down role and is expected to take over punt return duties, with Kevin White, who scored on a 100-yard return this week, retaining his primary kickoff return position. For Charlotte, a rotation of Linday and Latavius Murray is the likely product of the deal, though they too will likely mix up their return teams with Ridley taking some returns formerly held by Hines as well as mixing into the WR group led by rookie Drake London.   Charlotte Also Shakes Up Defense with Deal for Hassan Reddick The Monarchs, sitting at 2-4 and impressing folks with their grit, added some more grit to the defense with a second deal this week. The Monarchs, unsatisfied with DT Poona Ford’s production sent him out to Oakland, who need more size in their D-line, in return for LB Hassan Reddick, a thumper who is known for his run-stuffing prowess. The Monarchs also threw in a 5 th  rounder to sweeten the pot in the deal, one which could help both defenses be a bit more stout against the run.   Ford will line up in the Nose Tackle position for the Invades, splitting time with Christian Wilkins. It is a move that aims to take advantage of the big man’s size, while still retaining the 3-4 alignment that Coach Kubiak prefers. Replacing Reddick on the strong side will be Ukeme Eligwe, who has been seeing more and more snaps in his 6 th  year. For the Monarchs, expect Coach Daboll and his DC Shane Bowen, to move Germaine Pratt to the weak side, slotting Hassan Reddick in as the strong side backer to take on tight ends, fullbacks, and slow down runs. Leki Fotu will take over as the center-smashing DT, while 2 nd year player Alim McNeill pressures the guard and tackle to free up Chandler Jones for even more disruption. That is the plan, at least on paper for Bowen.   Orlando Adds Richardson in Preparation for SE Division Passers After an embarrassing showing by the Renegade secondary against Dak Prescott and the Bandits in Week 5, Orlando has made a secondary-for-secondary swap with Las Vegas to try to add more coverage capability to their defensive backfield, hoping to counteract not only Prescott (who they face again this week) but also Trevor Lawrence, Paxton Lynch, and Josh Rosen in a tough Southern Division for pass defenders. Orlando sent backup safety Justin Simmons and a 4 th  rounder to the Vipers to acquire corner Shaquille Richardson.   Richardson will now pair with Michael Jackson, allowing Kevin Johnson to return to his more comfortable nickel position. Richardson is a very solid bump & run corner, one likely to be set up in man coverage with a team’s taller or bigger receiver while Jackson takes on the speedier target. Simmons, the newest Viper defender, started all 16 games at Stong Safety for Orlando in 2020, but was demoted to the backup for rookie Richie Grant last year. Now, in a new situation in Las Vegas, Simmons is expected to compete with Zayne Anderson for snaps at Strong Safety while Rodney Thomas may make the move to Free Safety to back up Julian Blackmon.   Three big moves, each with a very specific targeted improvement in mind, whether it is finding some balance for Josh Allen in Denver, some aggressiveness in the Charlotte front 7, size in Oakland’s 3-4, or more pass-prevention capability for the Renegades. But there are still plenty of teams with plenty of needs, so what are we hearing around the league, the whispers, the talk, the water-cooler hubbub that could lead to deals over the next few weeks. Here are 5 rumors we are hearing from inside organizations, rumors that could lead to something if a deal can be cut.   Bell or Mattison Could be Available It seems impossible to believe that Michigan would ever trade away their 4-time rushing champion, but LeVeon is clearly not happy with the 2022 offensive plan. The 7-time All-USFL back, who also has 4 OPOTY awards to his name, is disgruntled that despite a stellar 4.9 YPC average this year, he has only seen 104 touches, 13 th in the league and a solid 28 carries, essentially more than a full game’s workload, behind current league rushing leader Josh Jacobs. At 30, it is expected that Bell would not be a 25-30 carry back any longer, but the Panther’s biggest offensive weapon feels like the club may be putting him out to pasture too soon. If Michigan is unwilling to deal Bell, which you would imagine they would be, then perhaps backup Alexander Mattison is the player to target. The 4 th -year back had over 100 attempts last year but only 18 in 6 games in 2022. If Michigan thinks that Bell is too valuable, but wants to find help in other areas, there are teams that would be interested in Mattison.   Portland Seeking Edge Help No surprise here. With rookie Kayvon Thibodeaux still upwards of 2 months away from any possible return to the field, the Stags are beating the bushes trying to find a trade partner who can bring them some DE help. But, as you might expect, not many teams are willing to part with an effective edge rusher. Rumors have Portland in talks with the Stallions about RE Boogie Basham; with Dallas about either Taylor Hart or Boye Mafe, who have been sharing snaps opposite Connor Barwin; and with Denver about veteran Justice Cole, but the problem is what teams want from the Stags, with reports that counter offers tend to focus on wideout Brandin Cooks or FS Tre Flowers, two players the Stags are not eager to give up. Keep an eye on this one as it seems possible that someone will blink, quite possibly Portland, and a deal could be made to bring some edge help to the Rose City.   Is Ryan Grant Up for Consideration? It may seem unthinkable for the Bandits to break up their receiver group, but with expanded roles for Deebo Samuel and Sammie Coates in the Bandit passing game and with Grant in the final year of his deal and likely looking for a payday as he turns 29, now may be the time for Tampa Bay to make a deal and get value for their explosive wideout before he tests the free agent waters. No doubt there would be no shortage of teams who would like to get a shot at Grant, a player who has averaged over 800 yards per season as a number two target for the Bandits. Of course, teams want to avoid the “Alvin Harper Effect”, wherein a clear number two thinks himself a number one and demands to be treated as such, despite no evidence he can live up to the role. The other risk, of course, is that Grant could be gone by August, so you are looking at what could be a very short term advantage to bringing in the wideout.   Aldon Smith Seems Ready to Move On A deal that could well happen in the next few weeks involved New Jersey LB Aldon Smith, another player in the last year of his current deal. Smith has made some noise that at age 32 and with the Generals strapped for cap room, he is open to a trade & sign deal that would allow him to finish his career elsewhere. The Generals seem open, and have taken some calls, with the most likely trade partner being Western Conference contender Oklahoma, who have not been impressed yet with rookie Nik Bonitto and have concerns about Vontez Burfict filling the strongside role at age 34. Burfict, always outspoken, but not the player he was a few years ago, has moments, but also has shown signs that he simply cannot cover the range he once did. Smith, only 2 years younger, still seems agile and quick enough to be very effective. We hear the two clubs may be close on this one, so we could see Smith in black, crimson, and burnt orange well before Week 10’s trade deadline.   A Starting QB Swap, Really? This one still feels like the kind of thing that only happens in fantasy leagues, not the pros, but the rumor just won’t die and neither organization will shut down the whispers on it. What are we talking about? How about Marvin Lewis, who has been visibly frustrated with QB play from Kyler Murray, sending the diminutive scrambling QB to Pittsburgh in a straight up swap for veteran pocket passer Andy Dalton. It seems insane, we know, and yet, there is a logic to it. With Nick Foles already in LA, having a more traditional pocket passer could make a lot of sense for Lewis and the Express. And with Kenny Pickett playing well in Pittsburgh, even if wins have been hard to come by, there would be no immediate pressure to put Murray into action. But, does Coach Holtz want a scrambling QB who has had vision issues and whose style is a far cry from what the Maulers have been about.   It is the kind of deal that could dramatically alter the perception of both clubs, but does it make sense for both clubs? In a way that could keep fans from bailing on the season? That seems harder to answer as fans are unlikely to jump on the bandwagon just because one struggling QB has been replaced by another. Dalton has a better overall history, but it is just that, a history, not a present proof of quality. Murray does not even have that, with everyone focusing on missed potential. And while we think Dalton could potentially help LA put a few more points on the board, we are just not sure what the win would be for Pittsburgh, so we are curious, but not convinced that this deal ever happens, or that it should.                 DALLAS ROUGHNECKS 28   WASHINGTON FEDERALS 33 While it is pretty obvious that Dallas-Washington games in the USFL bring on none of the passion or high-energy vitriol of a Cowboys-Redskins/Commanders game in the NFL, they can still produce some sparks, as this week’s matchup at Audi Field gave us. In this rare matchup between the Northeast Division Federals and the Southwest Division Roughnecks, there were more than a few burgundy and gold jerseys smattered among the green and white Federals fans, a sign that team loyalty still plays a part even in a different league with different teams. But what made this game our GOTW was a 4 th quarter that saw 3 lead changes and 4 scores, including a pick-six and a late-game bomb that produced the game winner.   The Roughnecks and Federals don’t know each other well, a pretty typical reality when teams are in opposite conferences and only play each other ever 2-3 years. That lack of familiarity tends to breed timidity in the opening drives of the game, with both teams trying to test out if what they have gleaned from film study turns out to be accurate. That is what we got in the 1 st  25 minutes and first 7 drives of the game, with both teams doing the standard dance of “establishing the run” and taking few chances. Both Washington and Dallas earned some first downs, tried out some basic plays, and, in Washington’s case, got in range to put a couple of field goals up. Neither team showed much in their opening drives, but, once they fell down by 6 in the middle of the 2 nd  quarter, Dallas started to open things up and that triggered a much more enjoyable style of play from both teams and a much more exciting game in the 2 nd  half. Dallas got their offense in gear on their 4 th  drive, down 6 after a 2 nd  Adam Vinatieri field goal for the Federals. On that 4 th drive, the Roughnecks started mixing in the pass on 1 st  down, lengthened some of their routes, and finally drove deep into Federals territory. After a nice 17-yard completion to Chad Williams, Dallas was inside the 20, and 4 plays later, Justin Herbert found Williams again, this time for a 9-yard TD strike. It would be a lead change that would hold until the 4 th  quarter.   After a quick 3-and-out from the Feds, Dallas again moved the ball well, now in 2-minute mode, calling plays from the line. On a 3 rd  and 7, Herbert escaped the pocket and found Sammy Watkins for a key first down. A combination of short passes and runs from Perine and Johnson moved the Roughnecks into the red zone, and a bad read by Washington’s LB group helped Perine break off a 19-yard TD scamper to the left pylon that increased Dallas’s advantage to 14-6, a score that would hold until the break.   Coming out of the half, Washington finally started to make a few more plays, with Jacoby Brissett connecting on two big pass plays, a 29-yarder to Rob Housler, and a key 3 rd  down throw to Tyreek Hill that got them deep into Dallas territory. But with 1 st and goal on the 7, Washington failed on 3 attempts to punch the ball in, with Travis Etienne denied twice and a Brissett to Housler pass failing to connect on 3 rd  and goal from the 6. Coach Gilbride opted to pull within 1 score by sending Vinatieri out to make the tally 14-9.   Dallas responded with a 14-play drive that occupied over 5 minutes of the 3 rd  quarter, covered 77 yards, and concluded with Herbert’s 2 nd  TD toss to Chad Williams as the Roughnecks extended to a 12-point lead. Washington would not be able to get back in this game with more field goals, and they knew it. On their next drive, the Federals were determined to reach the endzone, and, thanks to some solid runs from Etienne, including a 24-yard gainer on a nicely-blocked sweep left, they would meet their goal. After Etienne’s big run, the Feds had another 1 st  and goal, this time from the 9. They lined up in the shotgun, executed a delayed draw to Darrynton Evans, and with some help from G Simon Stepaniak, who just leveled LB Melvin Ingram, Evans darted into the endzone for the first TD of the game for the Feds. Dallas’s lead was again reduced to 5 as the Feds’ score made it 21-16 after three.   Dallas had been in control, though somewhat tenuously, for the better part of the past two quarters, but that, and momentum in general, was about to change. After gaining an initial first down on their next drive, Dallas dialed up a deep ball, but did not get the result they had hoped for. Justin Herbert took a shot across the middle, trying to hit Courtland Sutton, but FS Rafael Bush timed his approach perfectly, colliding with Sutton just as the ball arrived, popping it up in the air. The ball dropped to Bush and he took off running. With the crowd on its feet, Bush juked past an initial tackle attempt from Dallas TE Pharaoh Brown, outpaced the Dallas linemen, and easily shook off a half-hearted shove from QB Justin Herbert on his way to a 51-yard pick-six return.   That play got the crowd to full voice, gave Washington the lead, something they had not held since midway through the 2 nd quarter and clearly turned up the intensity of the game. Dallas needed to respond, but could not as on a 3 rd  and 5 a completed pass to Sutton was called back for holding, creating a 3 rd  and 15. The ensuing draw to Perine gained only 7 and the Roughnecks were forced to punt. Washington, feeling the momentum shift, drove deep into Dallas territory again, but after a 3 rd  down endzone throw to Keenan Allen proved to be too high for the Federals’ receiver, it was Adam Vinatieri once again, with his 4 th field goal giving Washington a 27-21 lead with 7:10 on the clock.   Dallas calmed themselves down, fighting through the crowd noise in Audi Field as 39,404 fans tried to make life difficult for the Roughneck offense. They moved the ball crisply, not exactly in a hurry up but certainly playing with tempo. A screen to Perine went for 28, giving Dallas a sense of confidence. Herbert hit Tim Wright for another first down, and soon Dallas was inside the 10. It took all 3 downs to get the score, but a short run from Duke Johnson was ruled a TD, withstood Washington’s red flag challenge, and gave Dallas a 1-point lead with 4:35 left on the clock.   The Dallas score seemed to suck the air out of the stadium, a situation made even worse by a failed 3 rd  down attempt from Brissett to Rob Housler. Washington reluctantly punted the ball back to Dallas with 3:14 left to play. Dallas would have to kill the clock and the Federals’ defense would need to get a 3-and-out to give their offense one more chance. In the battle of goals, the Federals won out, stuffing Samaje Perine on two consecutive plays, setting up a 3 rd  and 7. Using two of their timeouts, Washington was able to save time on the clock. Dallas failed on the 3 rd  down attempt, and with 2:12 on the clock, they had to punt the ball.   The timing was ideal for the Federals. They got the ball with 2:08 left to play, meaning that they could do whatever they wanted on first down, knowing the 2-minute warning would stop the clock. They again faked a shotgun pass, handed the ball to Darrynton Evans and were rewarded with a 19-yard gain on 1 st  and 10. The ball now on their own 38, they would stay in the shotgun, with 4 wideouts on the field after the 2-minute warning break. On 1 st  and 10 from the 38, Brissett connected with Jarvis Landry to take the ball to the 48, but Landry was unable to get out of bounds. Brissett and the offense raced the 10 yards to the line and spiked the ball, creating 2 nd and 10 with 1:54 left to play.   The next play is one the Federals fans in attendance will not soon forget. Again from the shotgun, with Keenan Allen alone on the short side of the field, while Landry, Tyreek Hill, and Kavontae Turpin formed a 3-man cluster on the wide side, the Federals started to shift Turpin inwards, towards the hashmark, when the ball was snapped. Brissett dropped back, got pressure from Dallas DE Connor Barwin, forcing him to roll to his left. Barwin fell to the turf, lunging at Brissett, a dive that would give the QB time to set his feet before throwing a deep ball down the sideline. There, with a clear 2-yard advantage over the corner, was perhaps the fastest player in the USFL, wideout Tyreek Hill. Brissett’s pass drifted inward, forcing Hill to adjust his route towards the hashmark. He stretched out for the ball, brought it in but rolled to the ground at the 21. But, in a move he will not soon live down, Dallas’s rookie corner Ja’Sir Taylor, apparently forgetting that the ground does not “tackle” the player in the pros, strided past Hill without downing him with a touch. The speedy receiver rolled back to his feet, and sprinted the remaining 21 yards to the endzone, a stunned Taylor looking on before realizing his mistake and holding his head into his hands. Washington would go for 2 to create a 7-point lead, but failed on the attempt, leaving them with only a 5-point lead and asking the defense to hold Dallas for the final 1:51 left on the clock. The offense had made a huge play, a 52-yard TD toss aided by a rookie mistake on defense. Now it was time for the Federals’ D to avoid a similar fate. At first it did not look good. Justin Herbert operated the no huddle with precision, hitting on 4 consecutive passes to move the ball from their own 25 to the Washington 44, with just over 41 seconds left to play. But, after an incomplete throw to Watkins, Dallas faced a 2 nd and 10 from the 44 and Justin Herbert tried to push a ball to his slot receiver, Tim Wright. Had Wright sat in the zone, he may well have given Herbert a good target, but he continued across the field and right into the path of two other Dallas receivers. When Herbert threw the ball ahead of Wright, he gave Washington CB Dee Milliner a chance to drop his man and undercut Wright’s route. Milliner is a savvy veteran with an uncanny sense of angles, and the Federals’ corner made the play that clinched the game, all but scooping the ball out of Wrights hands before falling to the ground to be celebrated by his teammates. Washington had made the big offensive play and the big defensive stop within 60 seconds of each other, and with those two plays had improved their standing to 3-3 on the year, only 1 game behind the division-leading Steamrollers. They had provided their fans with a reason to believe, and maybe to invite a few more to the stadium for their next game. Dallas dropped to 2-4 and has to feel that they let one slip away. A classic Dallas-Washington game even if it was in the USFL and not the NFC East.   MEMPHIS 20  NEW ORLEANS 17 Don’t look now, but the Memphis Showboats have won 4 in a row and now sit atop the Southern Division. They pull off the win this week by doing what no one has been able to do before, shutting down Geno Smith and the Breaker passing game. Smith completed only 12 of 26 passes, assuming you don’t count the 2 he completed to Memphis defenders. Yes, the Showboats gave up 121 yards and a TD to DeMarco Murray, but by focusing on Smith they were able to keep the Breakers from racking up points, and with 13 unanswered points to close out the game, including a Bortles to Goedert TD, the Showboats came back from a 17-6 deficit to snatch away a win. POTG:  Showboat DE Sam Acho: 3 Tck, 1 TFL, 1 Sck, 1 FF   PITTSBURGH 15  OHIO 10 Kenny Pickett has his first USFL win as the Maulers upset Ohio in Columbus to notch their first W of the season. The Mauler D spied Justin Fields all game, forcing him to stay in the pocket. The offense finally found some semblance of a run game, with Sony Michel hitting on a 40-yard TD run, but carries split between him, Cam Akers, and Rico Dowdle for 103 yards. The Mauler D held Ohio to only 10 first downs and only 230 total yards in a game that defied the oddsmakers and left 41,207 Glory fans with a sour feeling about their suddenly 3-3 club. POTG:  Mauler DE Vic Beasley: 5 Tck, 3 TFL, 1 Sck   DENVER 27  BALTIMORE 29 The Gold continue to overhaul their RB room (see below) and could have used it today as they could not close out the game in the final minutes, giving Baltimore the final drive they needed for Andrew Franks to hit his 5 th  field goal and give the Blitz the win. Despite a 100-yard kickoff return from WR Kevin White and a late Allen to Tate TD, the Gold could not hold off the Blitz. Jake Locker (26 of 42 for the game) hit rookie Christian Watson and TE C. J. Uzomah in the final seconds to get Franks into position for the game winner. POTG:  Baltimore kicker Andrew Franks: 5 for 5 on field goals.   LAS VEGAS 27  NEW JERSEY 31 Coach Landry had his QB decision taken away from him as Matt McGloin suffered a fracture in his eye socket and a concussion midway through their game in New Jersey, making Gardner Minshew the starter for at least the next few weeks. Minshew hit on a 3 rd  quarter TD to give Las Vegas a 24-21 lead, but New Jersey rallied, with rookie HB Kyren Williams scoring early in the 4 th  to give them the lead for good. The combo of Williams and Tony Pollard combined for 130 yards rushing, while Teddy Bridgewater went 16 of 23 for 217 and 2 scores as the Generals return to .500. POTG:  New Jersey CB Aqib Talib: 5 Tck, 2 PDef, 1 Int   ST. LOUIS 14   CHICAGO 20 Chicago remains unblemished, but the Skyhawks acquitted themselves well in this slugfest. James Conner caught a TD pass from backup QB Tyrod Taylor and ran one in as well, but it was not enough as Chicago came back from a 14-3 deficit with 3 field goals and a 25-yard run from their rookie HB, Rachaad White to pull ahead and secure their 6 th  win in 6 games. Both defenses were solid throughout, but Chicago was able to keep the Skyhawks from converting a single 3 rd  down (0 for 8) on the day, and that proved enough. POTG:  Chicago CB Josh Norman: 7 Tck, 4 PDef, 1 Int   SAN ANTONIO 17  PORTLAND 16 A missed 48-yarder in the final seconds is the difference as San Antonio hangs on and avoids the upset in Portland. The Stags led 16-10 until Flacco hit Jalen Reager for a score with 1:38 left on the clock. Marcus Mariota moved the Stags into range in the final seconds, but rookie kicker Cameron Dicker, who had hit from 56 earlier in the day, hooked the final second kick just a bit too far to the right, preserving the win and an impressive 5-1 record for the Gunslingers. POTG:  Gunslinger CB Jordan Pugh: 10 Tck, 1 PDef ,1 Int   LOS ANGELES 13   SEATTLE 17 Trevor Siemian stepped in once again, this time going 22 of 33 for 220 and a TD against a pretty nasty LA defense. That, paired with a Taylor Rapp 44-yard pick-six proved to be enough for the homestanding Dragons to escape the divisional matchup with a win. Murray threw two picks in the game and had head coach Marvin Lewis noticeably frustrated on the sideline as LA went 1 for 9 on third down, with the team losing despite Paul Perkins’ success on the ground (17 carries for 132 yards). POTG:  Seattle SS Taylor Rapp: 8 Tck, 1 Pdef, 1 Int, 1 Def TD   ARIZONA 27  PHILADELPHIA 17 The Wranglers join Chicago at 6-0 by building up a 27-3 lead over the first 3 quarters and gliding in for a comfortable 10-point victory in Philly. Allgeier and Carey combine for 110 yards rushing, Ryan Nassib goes 13 of 20 with a TD to Brandon Aiyuk, and the the defense holds Philadelphia on 2 fourth-down attempts to get the win. POTG:  Wrangler LB A. J. Klien: 4 Tck, 1 TFL, 1 Sck, 2 PDef   ATLANTA 29   JACKSONVILLE 17 Josh Rosen has another solid outing (24 of 32 for 285 and 2 TDs) as he uses Nick Chubb’s 113 yards to set up play action against a Bulls’ defense that just kept biting at the fakes. Trevor Lawrence was sackd 4 times, picked once, and finished only 10 of 20 on the day as the Bulls still cannot find an offensive groove. For Atlanta, A. J. Green had 8 catches for 97 yards and a TD with Kelvin Benjamin not far behind with 5 for 92 yards. POTG:  Atlanta HB Nick Chubb: 22 Att, 113 Yds, 2 TD, 3 Rec, 36 Yds   BIRMINGHAM 24  CHARLOTTE 21  OVERTIME Charlotte continues to prove to be a tough out as they take the Stallions to overtime. The Monarchs put up 10 points in the final 7 minutes to send the game to overtime, the key play being a Lynch to Tandon Doss TD throw on 3 rd  and goal with 13 seconds to play. But, in overtime, the Monarch offense faltered, giving Birmingham a short field, and Chris Boswell connected on a 49-yarder for the win to bring the Stallions to 4-2 on the year. POTG:  Stallion WR Henry Ruggs: 4 Rec, 116 Yds, 1 TD   NEW ENGLAND 27  OKLAHOMA 20 This battle of surprising squads in 2022 goes to the visiting Steamrollers, with T. J. Yeldon shocking the Outlaws and their fans with 142 yards rushing and 2 TDs despite getting 1 fewer carries than rookie Breece Hall (17 for 73 and TD) as New England exploited the Outlaw front 7 for 219 combined yards rushing. Oklahoma also had success on the ground, with Eddie Lacy rushing for 100 and QB Jalen Hurts scrambling for another 64, including a 16-yard TD run in the 4 th , but it was not enough as the Steamroller defense held Oklahoma to 4 of 10 on third down. POTG:  New England HB T. J. Yeldon: 16 Att, 142 Yds, 2 TD   OAKLAND 17   SAN DIEGO 10 San Diego never led as Oakland kept new starter Mason Rudolph in check. Rudolph finished 23 of 37, but for only 213 yards as the Invaders kept all Thunder receivers in front of them. Scoring 2 touchdowns in the final 1:30, thanks to a Rudolph pick, the Invaders took a 17-3 lead into the half and held San Diego in check in the second half to reclaim .500 after 6 weeks. POTG:  Oakland CB Brandon Boykin: 6 Tck, 3 PDef, 1 Int   ORLANDO 26  MICHIGAN 3 Things are getting ugly in Michigan as the offense was booed off the field several times by angry Panther fans and LeVeon Bell picked up a penalty after throwing his helmet to the turf after one of the club’s missed 3 rd  down attempts. It was 16-0 Orlando at the half, 23-0 after 3, and the Panthers just seemed to have nothing in the tank as questions arise about the team, QB Kirk Cousins, and Head Coach Sean McDermott, something absolutely unexpected before the season began. POTG:  Orlando QB Russell Wilson: 20/27, 186 Yds, 3 TD, 0 Int   HOUSTON 19  TAMPA BAY 13 We expected a shootout, we got a slugfest as both defenses came to play. The Gamblers sacked Dak Prescott 5 times, forcing a pick and a fumble, and held him to 9 of 23 passing. Tampa Bay held Colt McCoy to only 185 yards passing, but Carlos Hyde came through with a 16-yard TD run and enough tough yards to get kicker Younghoe Koo in range for 4 field goals as Houston ekes out a hard fought win over the defending champs. POTG:  Houston DE Payton Turner: 3 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 FF, 1 FR   Panthers With More Questions than Answers They were picked by many, including us, to retake the Central Division title, but the Michigan Panthers are sitting at 1-5 and looking like a team that has completely lost their way. How and why is this happening? Well, the short answer is that nothing is working right. The longer answer is that the Panthers’ formula of a run-heavy play action offense and a stingy zone-based defense is simply not getting the results they or anyone expected. The Panthers currently rank dead last in points allowed, giving up nearly 29 points per game, along with 380 yards per game (28 th  out of 30 teams). The offense is ranked 29 th in scoring, averaging 13.8 PPG, which means that there is a 15 point margin of defeat on average, a truly horrible stat. So, where do we start.   On offense, the Panther need to give LeVeon Bell more carries, it is just that simple. Their star back is averaging an impressive 4.9 yards per carry, but with only 104 carries, he is averaging only 17 touches per game. We get that he is now over 30 and maybe you want to meter out his workload, but for this offense to work, they need Bell to be closer to 25 carries, not 15. Secondly, the passing game needs to find a way to stretch the field. Neither Cody Latimor nor Justin Blackmon is getting deep enough to stretch the defense vertically, both averaging 13 yards per catch. Without more vertical threat it is too easy for teams to keep Michigan to short gains, produce more 3 rd  downs and then blitz Kirk Cousins in obvious passing downs, and for all of Cousins’s good qualities, dealing with quick pressure is not one of them.   On defense, Michigan needs to refocus their secondary schemes. They are dead last in the league in passes defended, in large part because their zones are too loose and their defenders too far from the receivers to get to them before a catch is made. Combine that with poor tackling, which has apparently hit Michigan like a flu virus, and you have a very bad combination. The Panthers are getting decent pressure on obvious passing downs (15 total sacks has them just below the league average), but on 1 st and 2 nd  down, they are not pressing enough to keep teams from gaining enough to create very makable 3 rd  downs.   The fact that the Panthers are also dead last in turnover margin (-6) is an indictment on both sides, as the Panther D is not creating enough takeaways (only 7) and the offense is giving the ball up far too often (13 times in 6 games), including 9 picks between Cousins (3) and Heinecke (6). In other words, Michigan is basically doing everything possible to get blown out, and teams are more than happy to oblige, as Orlando did this week (26-3). Michigan’s 5 losses have been by 26 (Chicago), 16 (Seattle), 15 (St. Louis), 10 (Atlanta) and 23 (Orlando). There may be no quick fixes to this season’s woes, but Coach McDermott had better start trying something, perhaps more man-to-man from his secondary, more run blitzes on early downs, more LeVeon Bell on 2 nd  and even 3 rd  down, and more ball security and tip drills to get back in the turnover game. If not, well, Chicago already has a 5-game lead over Michigan in the division, and the Panthers are looking like the clear basement dweller, a position their fans are not prepared to accept. Colt McCoy’s Health a Concern in Houston What the heck is wrong with Colt McCoy? Nothing statistically, where he has a league best 121.7 QB rating. He has yet to throw a pick, an dis completing 65.9% of his passes, all outstanding. But you know what we mean. We are 6 games into the season and Colt McCoy has left every single one early, forcing Landry Jones into 4 th  quarter action in each game. This is not the result of a known injury, or McCoy getting hit and forced out. He is coming out apparently due to exhaustion. And that is strange to say about a professional athlete, but even moreso for a pocket passer like McCoy, who is not scrambling all over the field.   So far Coach Cottrell has been mum on the issue, and more and more reporters are asking the question. His pat answer of “we felt it was best for Colt to pull him out” is falling flat of providing answers and there is concern around league circles that the Gamblers are failing to report a significant health issue. It is just a matter of time before the league office, as well as reporters, demand an answer as to why Colt McCoy is spending the end of every game on the sideline with a towel over his head. How soon we get answers may not be known, but it seems pretty clear that something will have to be explained before too long.   Lewis Visibly Frustrated with Kyler Murray Earlier in our report, we highlighted Kyler Murray as a potential trade candidate, well ,if wild speculation can be trusted. The reason why that may well be possible is clear, he has lost the faith of his coach. Throughout the game this week, a game in which Murray failed to connect with open receivers on key 3 rd  downs and threw two pretty bad picks, you could see Coach Lewis fuming on the sideline, hurling his clipboard to the turf at one point, and visibly chewing out his QB Coach, who then would try to speak with Murray. It was clear that Lewis was displeased, but the fact that all interaction was filtered through the QB Coach, Ashton Grant, may indicate a deeper rift and a greater lack of confidence between coach and quarterback.   Kyler Murray has been with LA since being drafted out of Oklahoma in 2019, Lewis’s first year with the club. But, while Lewis was hired prior to the USFL Draft that January, it was clear that it was the GM and front office, not Lewis who made the selection. Now, that in and of itself would not usually be an issue, but when that key draft pick fails to deliver over 3, now 4 seasons, then the issue can get heightened. In his 4 years with LA, Murray has topped 3,000 yards only once (2021), has yet to throw for more than 20 touchdowns in a season, and has yet to surpass an 85 QBR. That last number is one that pretty much every other 4-year starter has been able to surpass at least once. With his 2022 numbers perhaps the worst of his USFL career (49.2% completion rate, 66.4 QBR, and a 4:4 TD:INT rating), Lewis seems to be losing patience.   It was Lewis who pushed for the Express to sign Nick Foles as a backup who could push Murray. It may also be Lewis, a defensive-minded coach who has built a very stout defense, who demands that a change be made, and not just a change in starter, but a deal to find another alternative at the QB position. Murray managed to get an extension on his deal after his 2020 season, so his contract runs through 2024, but that is no guarantee that he will be suiting up for the Express for that long, and the way Coach Lewis looked and acted on the sideline every time Murray came off the field, we are not sure he makes it through 2022 with the club.   Dragons Playing “Clean” in Title Pursuit If you want to know how Seattle has won 4 of their last 5 and has taken a 1-game lead in the Pacific Division, there is one stat that speaks volumes. The Dragons are the “cleanest” team in the league. What does that mean? How about a +12 turnover margin, fueled by the club only suffering 2 turnovers in 6 games while racking up 14 takeaways. Those are about as solid as these numbers ever get. Seattle is also one of the 3 least penalized teams in the league, along with Orlando and Arizona. That combination of low turnovers and low penalties means that Seattle does not beat themselves. Their opponents have to find a way to beat them without counting on the Dragons making mistakes. Seattle may not be the highest-scoring team in the league (actually they are 14 th ), but those two factors, paired with a very stingy scoring defense, is more than enough to help a team win a lot more games than they lose.   Vegas Loses a Primary Weapon with Bateman Injury Las Vegas is having some issues. Not only were they mired in a potential QB controversy, one temporarily solved by an injury to Matt McGloin, but this week they lose one of their primary weapons to a season-ending injury. Speed receiver Rashod Bateman will miss the rest of the 2022 campaign after a diagnosis of a full PCL tear, requiring several months to heal and rehab. Bateman is the “deep” receiver, whose speed complements Aaron Dobson’s underneath game. His absence will require Las Vegas to restructure their offensive scheme. We expect 5 th  year receiver Darius Slayton to take over Bateman’s spot outside, allowing John Ross to remain in the slot, but Slayton is just not going to have the same impact on secondaries as Bateman demanded. That means safeties staying shallow and teams keying on early moves and short routes. That will make life tougher for whoever is at QB, but also for the HB duo of Kareem Hunt and Matt Jones, who will see safeties join into run coverage a lot sooner. Expect Las Vegas to try to find an answer either in free agency or via the trade, because without speed, an offense is significantly easier to defend, which is not good for a team struggling already at 1-5.   Michigan’s struggling offense loses a weapon as a hamstring partial tear for Donovan Peoples-Jones means the backup receiver will be out for the remainder of the year. Better news for Ohio as guard Daniel Kilgore is expected to return before season’s end. Houston halfback Carlos Hyde did not show signs of injury in the game this weekend, but by Tuesday was listed as OUT with a hairline fracture in his upper arm (humerus), an injury he apparently suffered on a rough tackle midway through the 4 th  quarter against Tampa Bay. Matt McGloin could be out 2 weeks or longer with a fracture in the lacrimal bone along his nose as well as a concussion. The injury causes McGloin’s eye to tear excessively, which will slow his return and require that he wear a visor for the remainder of the season.   OUT WR    Rashod Bateman              LV           PCL Tear         IR WR         Donovan Peoples-Jones MGN     Hamstring    IR OG         Daniel Kilgore          OHI       ACL Tear       4-6 Weeks LB           Blake Martinez       LV           Back                2-4 Weeks HB         Carlos Hyde          HOU     Arm            1-2 Weeks OG         Nick Easton        NE          Ankle             1-2 Weeks WR         Michael Pittman Jr.  BAL        Shoulder         1-2 Weeks K             Randy Bullock     NOR      Shoulder        1-2 Weeks SS           Lano Hill       NJ           Jaw                  1-2 Weeks QB         Matt McGloin    LV           Eye Socket       1-2 Weeks   DOUBTFUL LB           Shaq Thompson           DEN      Finger CB          Robert Anderson          CHI        Groin   QUESTIONABLE G            Vlad Ducasse                CHI        Knee       USFL and NFL in Talks Around Transfer Rules With the USFL having already made a major adjustment to their draft format for 2023, removing the Territorial Draft, expanding the Open Draft to 9 rounds and requiring that teams include 2 territorial picks among their 9 selections, the attention of the USFL turned to the flawed transfer window system with the NFL. This week, members of the USFL and NFL competition committees met in New York to begin talks on how to reform the twice-annual interleague transfer process. Both leagues had a common interest in adjusting the dates for both the fall and spring windows, however, both had the same issues. The NFL wants the fall window to open in August, not September, so that USFL transfers can be on their new NFL squads in time for the final preseason games. The USFL wants the exact same option, moving the spring window from February to mid-January, allowing NFL imports the same ability to join USFL clubs prior to Week 1 of the regular season. But, as you might expect, neither league wants the transfer window to open prior to their league’s championship game. With the Super Bowl now occurring in early February and the Summer Bowl in early August, there is not a lot of wiggle room to be had.   The solution, one being discussed at the meetings this week, is a two-tier system, one in which free agents from non-playoff teams might become available sooner, while free agents from each league’s playoff contenders would retain the later transfer window dates. That would mean 14 teams of the NFL’s 32 and 12 teams from the USFL’s 30 would see their players made available on the standard September or February windows, while the remaining 18 teams in both the USFL and NFL would see their players with a 3-week window which starts during their respective league’s playoffs.   It is a more complex, and certainly flawed compromise, but one that may well pass muster with both leagues. Both are also expected to agree on a 3-week limit for both groups of free agents, as well as a defined timeframe for coaching hires across leagues, with active coaches impacted. Coaches released by their teams become true free agents and can sign with either league at any time, but when it comes to one league “poaching” a coordinator or position coach from the other, a transfer window similar to the one for players would remain in effect.   While we do not expect a final resolution and agreement between the two leagues this week, we anticipate that within the next month or two we will see a new deal and a modification that could begin as soon as August of this year. More to come as this important topic to USFL teams, players, and agents, is worked out.   40 Greatest Players in USFL’s First 40 Years: 25-23 Back again with 3 players whose careers overlapped between 1997-2004, each a multiple-time All-USFL selection and among the best of their generation. All three remain connected with the league, with one a current Head Coach, one a broadcaster, and one a key figure in the league’s youth mentorship program. Here are your Top 40 players numbers twenty-five to twenty-three as the countdown continues.   25) OT Richmond Webb (1990-2004) What can we say about the 9-time All-USFL tackle for the Stallions that is not already common knowledge? Webb was a 17-year stalwart, a brick wall against edge rushers, a mild-mannered monster of a man who was the personal bodyguard to every Stallion QB of the 90’s and into the 2000’s. This is a man who played 225 games at Left Tackle and gave up only 82 sacks, less than 1 every 2.7 games. And while 82 is not the smallest number you will see, you need to remember that tackles, not guards or centers, get the blame every time they do the right thing against the blitz and the back or tight end doesn’t pick up the extra man. They get the sack credited when the loop or stunt sends a player outside, when they are already occupied. In other words, they get the blame when someone else is not doing their part. So while we may point out a guard with fewer than 10 career sacks, it does not make Webb’s 82 any less impressive. And besides, are you going to tell this man-mountain that 82 seems like a lot? No, you are not.   24) LB Mike Vrabell (1997-2014) The 3-time league tackle leader from Jacksonville was about as consistent a force on defense as any player in the league over his career. We are talking about 18 seasons in game, 15 with the same team, and in that time, how about 12 seasons with 100 or more tackles? His 1,882 averages out to a career average of 105 tackles a year, an average over 100? That is insane. Remove his early years as a backup with the Thunder and you are talking about an average of 114 tackles per year. That is monstrous.   Vrabel, who returned to the Bulls this year after quickly moving up the coaching ranks from LB coach to DC and now Head Coach, retired only 7 years ago, and did so with 11 All-USFL honors, ranging from 2000 through 2014, as well as the 2004 USFL DPOTY award. In other words, as USFL defenders go, Mike Vrabel was one of the best ever to don a helmet and pads.   23) HB Eddie George (1996-2010) When the Ohio Glory joined the USFL in 1995, claiming Ohio State as one of its Territorial Draft protected schools, you just had a sense that they would be built with a backbone of Buckeyes. No one was a stronger example of the Glory’s strong “Buckeye Backbone” than George. Over 15 USFL seasons, all played in the same stadium where he had risen to national prominence as a Buckeye, Eddie George was a centerpiece of Ohio’s offense. With 16,265 career yards, 11 consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, 9 All-USFL nods, two USFL titles, and a key role in the league’s only undefeated season, the 2-time USFL OPOTY was always a lock to make this list.   George ranks 4 th All-Time in yardage, 6 th  in rushing touchdowns, and 4 th in carries, but don’t try telling folks in Ohio that he is not the best back ever to lace up cleats for the USFL. We placed him above Kelvin Bryant, which is sure to get some Philly fans upset, but the numbers hold up, and while George won’t be our highest ranked HB on the list, or the highest ranked member of those Glorious Ohio Glory seasons of the early 2000’s, he is certainly a player whose rank will be debated because his impact was palpable, his talent readily visible, and his legacy impeccable.   Week 7 will see 6 teams on bye weeks, split between the Central and Southern Divisions. That means a 12-game schedule, which removes the regional games on Sunday as well as the ESPN Friday night game. Even so, 12 games can still provide us with some great matchups and some good viewing. Among the games we think will highlight Week 7 are a repeat of the Orlando-Tampa Bay showdown from 2 weeks ago, a game easily won by the Bandits, a result Orlando cannot afford to repeat. We also have a Cascade Clash in Portland as the Dragons face the Stags on Sunday night. Dallas takes their shot at the unbeaten Arizona Wranglers with a Saturday afternoon tilt on FOX, and New England tries to retain their spot atop the NE Division as they face an improving Washington Federals squad. Not a bad lineup for a reduced slate of games. Fri. 7pm ET         Los Angeles (3-3) @ Denver (2-4)*                 NBC   Sat. 12pm ET     Charlotte (2-4) @ New Jersey (3-3)                 ABC Sat. 12pm ET   New England (4-2) @ Washington (3-3)         FOX Sat. 4pm ET       Las Vegas (1-5) @ Philadelphia (2-4)               ABC Sat. 4pm ET      Dallas (2-4) @ Arizona (6-0)                              FOX Sat. 8pm ET       Oakland (3-3) @ Birmingham (4-2)*                  NBC Sat. 8pm ET      Orlando (3-3) @ Tampa Bay (4-2)                    ESPN/EFN   Sun 12pm ET     Jacksonville (1-5) @ Memphis (4-2)*                 ABC Sun 12pm ET     Atlanta (3-3) @ St. Louis (4-2)*                         FOX Sun 4pm ET       San Diego (1-5) @ San Antonio (5-1)               ABC Sun 4pm ET       Baltimore (3-3) @ Oklahoma (4-2)                    FOX Sun 8pm ET      Seattle (4-2) @ Portland (1-5)*                          EFN   BYE: Chicago, Michigan, Ohio, Pittsburgh, Houston, New Orleans (*) = Throwback Uniforms

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

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Back to our run of running QBs as Justin Fields impressed in Ohio's 32-35 shootout with Dallas. Yes, the Roughnecks took the game, but Fields was a one-man show for Ohio, accounting for 4 of Ohio's 5 TDs thanks to 240 yards passing with two TDs and a stunning 177 yards rushing with 2 more scoring runs, both over 70 yards as the Roughnecks weathered the one-man cyclone that is Ohio's Justin Fields.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Golden Tate, at age 36, may not have raw speed, but man is he tough to cover, just ask Aqib Talib. Talib spent most of this week manned up against the Denver receiver, and despite his reputation as one of the best corners in the league, the Gold and Josh Allen did not hesitate to seek out Tate and get the ball past, over, and away from Talib. By game's end, a 24-9 Denver rout, Tate had exploited Talib for 7 catches and a whopping 197 yards. That is something we rarely see against a player of Talib's quality, and that is why we give kudos to Golden Tate this week.

Two unbeatens remain, and on the opposite end of the standings, two winless clubs. The expansion Gunslingers knock off the expansion Steamrollers so that all 4 teams at the top and the bottom now reside in the West. Chicago and Arizona continue to impress while Pittsburgh and Las Vegas have yet to taste victory. As we reach the ¼ mark of the season, we will unveil our first Power Rankings of the season, review all the Week 4 action, reveal 3 more names on our 40 Greatest list, and take a look at what Week 5 has on tap. We start it all off with a common topic a month into the season, quarterback play and which signal callers may now be on a very short leash as their teams struggle. No easy answers when your offense is not humming, and changing the QB tends to be a first step for many coaches, so who is in the unenviable position of playing under scrutiny and who is safe for now? That is our Big Story for the week.   QB Questions: Will Bortles, Hackenberg, or Wentz Be Pulled? The idea of a change at quarterback to spark an offense and a team that is struggling is about as old as the game of football itself. So it is not surprising that teams who have started off with a winless first month, and those sitting at 1-3 are starting to feel pressure to make a move. Looking across the league, we have 11 teams sitting at 1-3 or 0-4, and while not all of them are looking at their squad and wondering if the QB position is a concern, there certainly are plenty who are. Among the teams with the biggest issues at QB we find 0-4 Pittsburgh, 0-4 Las Vegas, 1-3 Philadelphia, 1-3 San Diego, and 1-3 Portland.   Within that group, we know that Pittsburgh will be getting Andy Dalton back from injury, and likely will return to the veteran despite some solid outings from rookie Kenny Pickett. We also don’t think Coach Harbaugh wants to go away from Marcus Mariota if his Week 1 starter can stay healthy. We know this because in action this year, backup A. J. McCarron has been, well, pretty ugly, with a 49.2 QBR and more picks than touchdowns. When healthy, Mariota has been very solid, with a 102.3 QBR and a 6:2 touchdown to interception ratio. So, if healthy, we think Portland sticks with Mariota. But what about the others?  Las Vegas sits at 0-4 and has the league’s 2 nd  worst points per game average, but is that Matt McGloin’s fault? The QB is sitting on a pretty healthy 90.3 QBR, is averaging over 220 yards per game, and has 7 touchdowns with only 2 picks. Whatever the struggles of the Vipers to put points on the board, we are not sure that a jump to Gardner Minshew is the answer. Fans may want a change just to see if it can spark a turnaround, but we are not seeing it as a silver bullet solution and we don’t think Coach Landry sees it that way either.  The case for staying under center is not so strong for 1-3 Philadelphia, where Carson Wentz is struggling to make plays and avoid turnovers. The lanky redhead has over 900 yards passing, but has also thrown 7 picks to only 5 touchdowns, giving him a QBR of 69.2, which is not a number that inspires job security. The Stars are 27 th in points per game, but their yards per game are not bad, 14 th overall (332 per game) and 14 th  in passing (230.8 per game). But, perhaps the saving grace for Wentz, despite his issues so far, is that backup Ryan Lindley is not exactly seen as a viable option. Yes, Lindley has seen some action, including 4 starts in 2020, but he has not exactly lit up the league when given a chance. And would Philadlephia give former Penn Stater Trace McSorely a shot? It seems unlikely since McSorely has been in the league for 3 years and has yet to throw a regular season pass. So, Wentz may not be popular with the notoriously opinionated Philadelphia fanbase, but there may just not be an alternative for the Stars right now.  The situation in San Diego is far more fluid, with many believing that Christian Hackenberg is not the answer and that former Outlaw Mason Rudolph deserves a chance to turn things around. Hackenberg has started all 4 games for the Thunder, earning a win over Portland in Week 3, but with a 79.0 rating and a 55.6% completion rate, there are arguments for giving Rudolph a shot. Rudolph’s last extensive action as a starter came 2 years ago with the Outlaws, getting 11 starts and producing 2,480 yards, 11 touchdowns to 8 picks, and a pretty solid 85.9 rating. Coach Becht has been standing by Hackenberg so far, but we suspect that pressure will be mounting on the 1-3 coach to try something and try it soon.  Finally, there is Blake Bortles in Memphis. But wait, you say, Memphis is not one of the 0-4 or even 1-3 teams. They have won their last 2 and are now at .500, why would we be gunning for Blake Bortles? Well, while it is true that the Showboats have had back-to-back wins, and we don’t expect Coach Ryan to make a move at QB while Memphis is winning games, we can also read the stat lines and Blake Bortles is not exactly producing the numbers that show us he is the man in Memphis. He has 684 yards in 4 games, that is well below 200 yards a game, has thrown 7 picks to only 3 touchdowns, and is sitting at a 56.9 QB rating, the worst of any player who has started 2 or more games. Now, it is true that 6 of Bortles’ 7 picks came in the two losses to open the season, so perhaps we need to lighten up on the former Jacksonville Jaguar. Maybe he just needed to knock the rust off and get back to playing solid football.   In the wins over Birmingham and Philadelphia he has not exactly been lighting it up (83 yards on 10 of 25 against Birmingham, 168 yards on 17 of 26 against Philly) but he has been protecting the ball better, managing the game more effectively, and avoiding the huge mistakes. So, perhaps he gets some more time to see if he can stay out of trouble. The Showboats have a tough 2 nd  quarter ahead, with Seattle, New Orleans and Houston all on the schedule (along with a home game against the 1-3 Jacksonville Bulls). If Bortles can keep Memphis in the mix at 4-4 or even 5-3 at the midway point, we think he stays at the helm, but if the Showboats start to flounder again, well, B. J. Daniels is in the wings and we have seen him do some very good things as a member of the Tampa Bay Bandits.   CHARLOTTE MONARCHS 20  TAMPA BAY BANDITS 23 It is hard to imagine that many went into this weekend thinking that the Monarchs-Bandits game would end up as our Game of the Week. The line from Vegas was -13 for the homestanding Bandits and nearly all predictions had the spread larger than that. After all, this was the 2-time defending league champions, sporting one of the most feared offensive attacks in the the USFL going up against a Monarch team, that, while somewhat rebuilt after their 2021 campaign, was coming off a 1-15 season and had already lost by 11 to these Bandits in Charlotte. The expectation was for a blowout, which is one reason why the game was limited to regional coverage on FOX rather than a national game or a prime time game.   And yet, as they say, that is why they play the games. Inspiration, motivation, and a few good bounces can change the storyline of any game far from what we see on paper headed up until kickoff. The Monarchs came in motivated to play their best, inspired by an upset win over Atlanta the week before (though many credit their 10-9 victory on the injury to Atlanta QB Aaron Murray more than to good play on Charlotte’s part) and the bounces broke in their way, helping this seeming mismatch become one of the more dramatic games of the week.   The game started very slowly, which was just what Charlotte coach Brian Daboll was hoping for. The Monarch defense played well in the first quarter, holding Tampa Bay to only 1 first down and keeping them in third and long, which produced 3 failed third down conversions, a very good start in what would be a 3 of 10 conversion rate in the game for Tampa Bay. But, as the Charlotte defense was keying on Dak Prescott (3 first quarter sacks) and holding Bandit Ball at bay, the Monarch offense was not doing much better. Charlotte had two 3-and-outs and a 5-play “drive” that led to 3 punts, and so the opening period ended with a scoreless tie, certainly not what was expected, and certainly good enough for Charlotte to feel good.   Charlotte would feel a lot better as the second quarter progressed. Their success began with a converted 3 rd down, a nice throw from Paxton Lynch to rookie Drake London that helped Charlotte move into Tampa Bay territory for the first time in the game. On the very next play, HB Nyheim Hines broke through the Bandit line for a 13-yard run and the Monarchs were closing in on scoring range for their offense. The drive benefit from a defensive holding call to again provide a new set of downs, and another nice throw from Lynch, this time to TE Brandon Pettigrew that took the ball to the Tampa Bay 6.   It appeared Charlotte would be able to punch the ball in for a score, but on 3 attempts from inside the 6, the Monarchs were stymied, and when faced with a 4 th  and goal, Coach Daboll opted to go for the psychological boost of having points on the board, sending out kicker Stephen Earl and taking a 3-0 lead on a chipshot field goal.   That conservative approach would reap benefits only 3 plays later. Tampa Bay took the kickoff back to the 19, gained 3 on a Dalvin Cook run, were stuffed behind the line on 2 nd and 7, and faced a 3 rd  and 8 from the 21. Dak Prescott took the shotgun snap, got immediate pressure from Monarch DE Chandler Jones and tried to get the ball out to Ryan Grant, but cornerback Reggie Daniels, with safety help behind him, jumped the route, cut in front of Grant and scampered 26 yards to the endzone with a crowd-silencing pick-six. The stunned crowd of just over 47,000 stood silently as the Monarchs celebrated their 10-0 lead.   Five minutes later, after another stagnant drive from the Bandits, the Monarchs would boost that lead to 13-0 on a second Earl field goal. The Bandits needed a spark and Coach Trestman found just the play to provide it. The momentum-shifting play came on a 1 st and 10 with the Bandits on their own 45. Dak Prescott faked the ball to Dalvin Cook, and with both Grant and Bryant flying from the left side to the right corner, the safeties trailed, leaving TE Jordan Cameron in single coverage with LB Brian Asamoah, a mismatch that everyone from the announcers to the waterboy recognized. Dak Prescott saw it as well, throwing a dart to Cameron, who easily outpaced Asamoah, turning upfield with the safeties too far to catch him before he reached the 10. With a quick shift as they approached, Cameron altered the angle of approach and delayed their tackle until he was able to cross the plane and put 6 on the board for the Bandits, a 55-yard TD strike.   That play sparked the Bandits. They would add a field goal just before the half, and Charlotte was now in a much more precarious position, up only 13-10 during the break. When the Monarchs failed to make a first down on the 3 rd  quarter’s opening drive, the crowd sensed that the game had shifted their way. They would cheer on the Bandits as they found another big play, putting aside the slow drive building they had attempted in the first half. It was a wheel route to backup HB Matt Breida. The back, known for his speed, blew past the coverage, down the sideline and Tampa Bay took their first lead of the day 17-13 with another big play, this time 56 yards.   Down 17-13 as the final period began, Charlotte could have folded up shop. Even moreso after the Bandits added a Harrison Butker field goal to take a 20-13 lead, but to their credit, Charlotte kept fighting. The Monarchs just needed a break, and they would get one after DE Joseph Ossai wrestled Dak Prescott to the ground on a 3 rd and 8, producing a 4 th  and 14 and a Tampa Bay punt with 2:01 left to play. Charlotte would get the ball back at the 2-minute warning down only 7. But, things would work out even better for the Monarchs as quick pressure up the middle on the punt caused Matt Araiza, the rookie punter to try an awkward running punt, one which immediately sliced out of bounds for only a 19-yard kick. Charlotte would have the ball at their own 48 after the miskick.   The Monarchs, seeing the opportunity, moved methodically, with Latavious Murray, who would finish with only 34 yards on the day, getting his best 2 runs on the drive, runs of 8 and 6 yards, both on first down draws from the shotgun. Those set up easier 2 nd and 3 rd  down throws for Lynch, who finished the game with a respectable 28 of 41 and 221 yards. Lynch would connect with Austin Proehl to get the ball to the Bandit 33, then Drake London to the 17. After a nice run by Hines, the ball was at the 3 with 53 seconds to play. And here is where a strategic mistake may have hurt the Monarchs.   With a 1 st  and goal at the 3 and 53 seconds left, conventional wisdom is that you run the ball at least twice to burn some clock, then throw on 3 rd  if needed. Of course, Tampa Bay knew this as well, but Coach Daboll wanted the score far more than he wanted to burn clock, and he knew the Bandits would play the run, so he called a play action pass on 1 st  and goal. The call worked, with Lynch finding backup TE Kaden Smith wide open in the flat. The Monarchs had the score they needed. Daboll went for the tie and overtime, hoping momentum was his. But he left 47 seconds on the clock against a team that had proven it could make big plays against his secondary.   It was a classic error of strategy, scoring too fast against a team that could win with a field goal and had the weapons to do it . When the Bandits took the field after the touchback, the stadium was alive with energy, a confidence among the fans that their Bandits could get in range for Butker and pull out this game without overtime. It was a confidence built over two seasons of making the plays needed to win, and it would prove itself well warranted.   Dak Prescott wasted no time, finding Breida out of the backfield again for a 9-yard game and a quick step out of bounds. That was followed by Dez Bryant’s 5 th  catch on the day, an in-cutting route 13 yards down the field. Yes, the Bandits would have to burn their 2 nd  timeout, but they were quickly approaching Butker’s range. After throwing the ball away on 1 st  and 10, Prescott found Jordan Cameron for a quick hitter to put the ball on the Charlotte 46, then on 2 nd  and 4, found Bryant again. Charlotte was in a classic coverage zone, too deep perhaps, but hoping to keep the ball in the middle of the field and force Tampa Bay to use their last time out. That part worked, but what did not was the missed tackle on Bryant, one which allowed him to stretch out to the Charlotte 29 before going down. With the clock ticking, the Bandits raced to the line, with Dak spiking the ball, saving the final timeout. Second and 10 from the 29 with 13 seconds to play.   On 2 nd  down, Prescott took the snap, centered the ball and took a knee. It would be 3 rd and 12 from the 31, providing Butker with a 48-yard kick for overtime. If he missed, well, overtime, so with no pressure that the game could be lost on his foot, Butker walked out confidently, took his swing, and sent the ball just inside the right upright as the final seconds ticked away.   It was a classic win by a team that had learned how to do just that, to calmly work the game and find its path to victory. Charlotte had put up a fight and likely ruined the day of many a gambler who took the spread or the over, but in the end, their lack of experience showed. They scored too quickly, admittedly a tough decision, but one that hurt them against a team as confident and well-practiced in pressure football as the Bandits.   JACKSONVILLE 14   ORLANDO 38 The Bulls’ offense, thought to be their strength heading into the season, continues to struggle as they put up only 2 scores on Orlando, despite Trevor Lawrence going 20 of 29. Russell Wilson had a strong outing in this one, throwing for 305 yards and finding Brashad Perriman for a score, but the day belonged to Chris Carson, who averaged 6.9 yards on his way to 117 yards, with 2 TDs thrown in for good measure. Former Bear Tarik Cohen added another score as Orlando improved to 2-2 ahead of their big match with Tampa Bay on Friday Night. POTG:  Renegade tailback Chris Carson: 17 Att, 117 Yds, 2 TD, 4 Rec, 53 Yds   ARIZONA 28  DALLAS 24 The Roughnecks put up a great fight, taking a 24-21 lead early in the 4 th , but the Wranglers proved too tough, marching the ball down the field in the final minutes before Ryan Nassib (17/30, 276 Yds, 2 TD, 3 Int) found TE Robert Tonyan for the game winner with 1:31 left to play. Nassib had suffered 3 picks in the game, with one returned 39 yards for a TD by Jamal Adams, but the Wrangler D helped overcome that with a pick-six of their own, a 60-yard pick and return that kept the Wranglers hot on the Roughnecks’ heels. POTG:  Wrangler TE Robert Tonyan: 6 Rec, 46 Yds, 2 TD   MICHIGAN 20  ST. LOUIS 35 Panther fans are getting nervous with their team’s 1-3 start, falling to another division foe as St. Louis, behind a 101-yard, 2-TD day from HB John Conner, excite the home crowd with a big divisional win. Lamar Jackson played only 1 half before an injury took him out, but Tyrod Taylor again proved to be one of the most valuable backups in the league, finding Deionte Johnson for a 21-yard score in the third, giving the Skyhawks a 28-6 lead. A pick-six from Tyree Gillespie made it 35-6 and St. Louis coasted from there, improving their record to a surprising 3-1 on the year. POTG:  St. Louis tailback John Conner: 12 Att, 101 Yds, 2 TD   WASHINGTON 19  BALTIMORE 14 The Feds take home the Beltway Brawl as they build up a 19-0 lead over 3 quarters before giving up some late scores to Jake Locker and the Blitz. Jacoby Brissett found both Tyreek Hill and Keenan Allen for scoring tosses and the defense sacked Locker 4 times and held Josh Jacobs under 100 yards to help Washington even their record at 2-2 after the season’s first month. POTG:  Federal QB Jacoby Brissett: 20/36, 259 Yds, 2 TD, 1 Int   NEW ENGLAND 21   SAN ANTONIO 38 The battle of 2020 expansion clubs goes to the home team, knocking New England from the ranks of the unbeaten and leaving both teams with 3-1 records. San Antonio proved they could run the ball with the 3-headed HB group combining for 166 yards on the day (Mostert 20 for 65, Gordon 13 for 67, and Stevenson 5 for 34) with 4 combined TDs among them. The Steamrollers ran the ball well also, with Hall and Yeldon combining for 124 yards, but New England lost both the time of possession and turnover battles and that was enough for San Antonio to get the W. POTG:  Gunslinger CB Jaquan Johnson: 10 Tck, 1 PDef, 1 FF   PITTSBURGH 17   SEATTLE 34 Kenny Pickett’s career record now drops to 0-3 as the Maulers fall again. Seattle QB Brett Hundley threw for 2 scores, both Wendell Smallwood and Knowshon Moreno added scores as well, and Seattle cruised to a 17-point victory at home. The lone bright spot for Pittsburgh was the play of WR Adam Thielen, who had 7 catches for 130 yards and 2 scores for the Maulers. POTG:  Seattle CB Richard Sherman: 7 Tck, 5 PDef   NEW JERSEY 9   DENVER 24 With the Gold run game finally taking shape (Lindsay & Wilson combined for 108 yards and 2 scores), Josh Allen did not have to do it on his own. Allen threw only 16 passes, completing 13 for 265 yards and a TD to, who else? Golden Tate. Tate finished the week as our POTW after burning All-USFL corner Aqib Talib for 197 yards, including an 87-yard catch and run. The Denver D did their part as well, forcing 2 fumbles and picking of Teddy Bridgewater in a very nice statement game for the 2021 SW Division champs, evening their record at 2-2 on the year. POTG:  Gold WR Golden Tate: 7 rec, 197 Yds, 1 TD   LOS ANGELES 9   NEW ORLEANS 24 Kyler Murray struggled, completing only 14 of 35 attempts with 7 sacks as the Breaker D teed off on the uncertain Express line. Meanwhile, Geno Smith threw for 303 yards, DeMarco Murray added 78 on the ground, and the Breakers turned a 10-9 halftime lead into a 15-point victory with two late touchdowns. POTG:  Breaker HB DeMarco Murray: 16 Att, 78 Yds, 1 Td, 2 Rec, 45 Yds   MEMPHIS 32  PHILADELPHIA 10 The Showboats win their 2 nd in a row as they dismantle Philadelphia at the Linc. Down 10-6 at the half, Memphis would rattle off 24 unanswered points in an embarrassing 2 nd half for the Stars. They were greatly aided by 4 Carson Wentz picks in the half, a rough outing to be sure, but kudos also to the Showboat secondary, as 4 different players took advantage of Wentz. POTG:  Showboat CB Josh Jackson: 3 Tck, 3 PDef, 1 Int, 1 DefTD   PORTLAND 24  BIRMINGHAM 43 The Stallions put 43 points on the board and 30 of them we can attribute directly to, you guessed it, Cam Newton. Newton threw for 4 scores and rushed for another as the Stallion attack was just too much for Portland to handle. The homestanding Stallions outpaced the Stags 419 yards to 257, including 171 yards on the ground, a total boosted by Newton’s 106 yards on 10 official carries. POTG:  Birmingham QB Cam Newton: 19/29, 248 Yds, 4 TD, 1 Int, 10 Att, 106 Yds, 1 TD   SAN DIEGO 13   OAKLAND 21 Oakland gets the win, but the Thunder made them work for it. It would be a 25-yard TD run from Bryce Love that would give the Invaders the edge and the W, despite Christian Hackenberg outplaying Davis Mills in this one. It helps, of course, to have a run game and while the Thunder managed only 37 total yards on the ground, the combo of Love (107) and Christian McCaffrey (94) produced 201 yards rushing, meaning that Davis Mills did not need big numbers to get a win and even Oakland’s record to 2-2. POTG:  Oakland HB Bryce Love: 10 Att, 107 Yds, 1 TD   LAS VEGAS 17  OKLAHOMA 20 Oklahoma is a surprising 3-1 after knocking off the winless Vipers in OKC. Jalen Hurts passed for one score and rushed for another as the Outlaws pulled off the win despite losing the time of possession 35:49 to 24:11. Turnovers were a huge part of this game, with Las Vegas fumbling 5 times, losing 4 as it seemed no one in black, silver, and teal could hold onto the ball. You have to feel for Matt McGloin, who had another solid game but was again betrayed by others being careless. POTG:  Outlaw QB Jalen Hurts: 14/27, 226 Yds, 1 TD, 1 Int, 8 Att, 55 Yds, 1 TD   ATLANTA 12   HOUSTON 34 Colt McCoy had to leave yet another game before the whistle sounded, but not until he had already thrown for 3 scores and helped Houston build a 31-2 lead over a Fire team that just did not get it done with Josh Rosen under center. Atlanta was 2 of 10 on third down, Nick Chubb was able to muster only 7 yards rushing as Houston keyed on the run and dared Rosen to complete passes. On offense, Houston got a huge game from Carlos Hyde, 22 carries for 132 yards and a score, as they move to 3-1 on the season. POTG:  Houston HB Carlos Hyde: 22 Att, 132 Yds, 1 TD   OHIO 7   CHICAGO 27 Sunday night offered us the game of the week, at least for hype, but it did not take long to realize that Chicago had the better of their divisional foe, building up a 17-0 halftime lead, limiting Justin Fields to 3 yards on 12 rushing attempts, and picking off the Ohio QB twice. Chicago finishes the season’s 1 st  quarter with a perfect 4-0 record and victories over both of their most likely division challengers. Sam Bradford again looked more than solid, throwing for 245 yards and 3 scores. But this game was about the Chicago D, which held Ohio to 11 first downs and only 1 score. POTG:  Chicago’s Safety Pair of Xavier Woods & Jordan Poyer: The two combine for 9 Tck, 3 PDef, 2 Int, 1 FF, and 1 FR   Wilson, Hall, Allgeier, Hutchinson, and McFadden Lead ’22 Rookies The Class of 2022 is looking like one of the league’s better drafts in recent years, at least if early results can be judged as an indicator. On both sides of the ball we are seeing rookies taking on big roles and finding success. Here is our quick look at the first-year players whose first month has opened some eyes and made some GMs look very smart.   HB Tyler Allgeier (ARZ) We noted Allgeier’s contributions to the Wrangler offense after only 2 weeks, and the young BYU back is quickly becoming a fan favorite in the desert, only a day’s drive from his old haunt in Provo. Allgeier is sharing snaps with veteran Ka’Deem Carey and proving effective as a “change of style” back. Not so much change of pace as both Carey and Allgeier have some wheels, but the more slashing style of Allgeier is a clear shift from Carey’s juking and spinning style. The two have combined for over 500 yards rushing in the opening month, with Carey leading Allgeier 293-235, but with Allgeier looking like the more frequent red-zone option with 5 rushing TDs   HB Breece Hall (NE) Expected to be the lead back when drafted out of Iowa State, Hall has not disappointed. The Steamroller back is averaging 4.3 yards per carry. He has not yet reached the kind of workload that one would expect of a lead back, averaging only 15 carries per game, but that seems to be a strategy to preserve Hall’s legs during the long USFL season just months after Hall was suiting up as a Cyclone. Expect his carries to remain steady, with T. J. Yeldon getting his share, but we still could see Hall crack the 1,000-yard mark if he can stay healthy.   WR Garrett Wilson (SAN) The Gunslingers are 3-1, Joe Flacco is on pace for 4,000 yards, and a big reason is the rookie wideout from Ohio State. Wilson is averaging only 12.9 yards per catch, which is lower than Coach Long would like, but with 26 catches on only 30 targets, he is proving to be a receiver who can get open in traffic and make the catch. Wilson has 335 yards so far this year, clearly leading all rookie wideouts, and is the most targeted receiver for San Antonio, ahead of veteran Brandon LaFell and TE Julius Thomas. He may get even more looks as the season progresses, as he and Flacco build their rapport.   DE Aiden Hutchinson (MGN) Things are not looking good in Michigan, with the club underwhelming at 1-3, surprisingly putting up an unexpectedly poor 15.8 points per game and giving up way too many (29.5 allowed), but Panther fans have to be happy with what they are seeing from former Wolverine Aiden Hutchinson, especially this past week. “Hutch”, who chose the Panthers over the Lions in a battle of Detroit, had earned a sack in each of his first three games, but this week, against St. Louis and their elusive QB, Lamar Jackson, he racked up 3 sacks. His total of 6 over the league’s first four weeks puts him in really good company, tied for 3 rd  in the league with names like Chandler Jones, Bradley, Matthew Judon, and Ezekiel Ansah, a sack ahead of 2021 sack champion, Montez Sweat.   LB Micah McFadden (STL) McFadden’s stats (25 Tck, 2 TFL, 1 Sck,) may not jump off the board, but his impact, along with veteran Roquon Smith and young outside backer Trey Hendrickson, are giving St. Louis something they have not had in a long time, a Top 10 defense. Yes, you heard it here. The trio have made running the ball against St. Louis a tough task, allowing only 46.8 yards per game, and while McFadden is not often asked to blitz, his presence, along with the threat of Hendrickson, has made DE A. J. Epenesa that much harder to block, allowing the 3 rd  year end to join the ranks of the elite pass rushers in the league. Expect Coach Schottenheimer to use all 3 linebackers even more as the season progresses and St. Louis fights to remain a frontrunner in a very new Central Division.   Other rookies deserving some attention include Pittsburgh QB Kenny Pickett, who has yet to find the win column, but has a respectable 90.9 QB rating and a 6:2 ratio of TDs and picks in relief of Andy Dalton; Baltimore WR Christian Watson, who ranks 5 th in the league with 25 receptions; Bulls’ halfback James Cook, who has 194 yards and 2 TDs after 4 weeks; Washington CB Sauce Gardner (16 Tck, 5 PDef, 1 Int), and Charlotte WR Drake London, leading the team with 21 receptions.   A Good Day for the Backs In a league known for its love of the vertical passing game, for receivers that routinely average more than 20 yards per catch, and a history of QB success, sometimes it is easy to overlook the run game. After all, the league record for yards in a season was set 40 years ago (Herschel Walker, 1,767), and would not even register in the Top 25 of NFL backs, far from the 2,105 record held by Eric Dickerson. So, when we see a week when the backs go above and beyond, we should celebrate it. This week was a week like that, with 4 backs putting up some very nice numbers.   Houston’s Carlos Hyde, 22 Att, 132 Yds, 1 TD Hyde’s strong game helped him leap up to the top spot in the league’s rushing leaderboard. Not bad for a 30-year-old back who many felt was being ignored by Houston’s pass-happy offense.   Orlando’s Chris Carson, 17 Att, 117 Yds, 2 TD The NFL import goes back-to-back games over 100-yards, following his 107-yard game against Washington with an impressive 117-yard performance against a Bulls defense that tried to stack the box but failed to contain him.   Bryce Love, 10 Att, 107 Yds, 1 TD In case you don’t want to do the math yourself, that is a 10.7 YPC average for Christian McCaffrey’s understudy. With McCaffrey among the league leaders in rushing, don’t expect Love to get more than 10-12 touches a game, but if he can rack up 100 yards on 10 carries, maybe he doesn’t need more.   James Conner, 12 Att, 101 Yds, 2 TD Conner still trailes QB Lamar Jackson in total rushing yards, but the 3-1 Skyhawks need him to have a big year so that teams will respect the run and not put all the pressure on Jackson to do it all. This week’s outing against Michigan was Conner’s first 100-yard game of the season and St. Louis hopes it is only one of many. Connor is in his 2 nd  year since coming over from the NFL and it is not unusual to see NFL imports take a huge step up after finally getting that much needed offseason to rest and recover. If that is the case with Conner, the Skyhawks could well get the 1,000-yard rusher they brought him over for.   What Options Do the Fire Have at QB? Things are looking pretty foggy in Fulton County. With Aaron Murray potentially facing not only a season-ending injury, but one which could bring retirement into reality for the 29-year old QB of the Fire, Atlanta has gone from hopeful about 2022 to frantic about the future, not to mention the present. Since Murray’s injury, the Fire have gone 0-2, have scored only 13 offensive points (2 more on a safety), and, well, have not looked good. Is Rosen the only option? Now, the easy thing to do would be to immediately pan the signing of Josh Rosen, the member of the QB class of 2018 with the shakiest track record. Rosen, who went 3-13 in a short NFL career, came to Atlanta this offseason hoping to revive his career by starting as a backup for Murray. He has now played 6 quarters, which is hardly enough time to determine if he can be what Atlanta needs, but this is a fickle business and Rosen has not exactly hit the ground running. His numbers are not off-the-charts bad, going 28 of 46 for 337 yards, 0 TDs and 1 pick in 6 quarters of play, but the 34-12 effort against Houston has Atlanta fans calling in to sports radio to demand something be done. But, here is the question. What exactly could be done?   If the Fire want to move on from Rosen, are they really ready to give the offense to Nathan Peterman, the former Mauler backup who has started two late-season mop-up games in his 5-year career? Let’s assume that is not what anyone wants. So, what other options are out there? If we start with Free Agency the cupboard is not exactly brimming with great options. The most “eligible” quarterbacks not under USFL or NFL contracts are not exactly an inspiring list: Former Invader and failed Monarch Jimmy Garoppolo, aging backups Pat White, and Tyler Thigpen, or untested rookies like undrafted Notre Damer Jack Coan, South Dakota State’s Chris Oladokun, or Miami’s D’Eriq King. Nothing there seems like a slam dunk for the Fire.   So, what other options are there? We see three potential options if Rosen continues to struggle.   Option 1: Make a deal with a team that has a 2-QB competition, assuming they have found their preferred starter. This may be a dicey option, since the Fire would be admitting that they are signing the 2 nd best QB from a team that has two mediocre options. Would that really be a solution. We are thinking about teams like Las Vegas (McGloin/Minshew), Los Angeles (Murray/Foles), and San Diego (Hackenberg/Rudolph). This may also take a few weeks. For example, if San Diego switches to Rudolph after Hackenberg’s rough start, and they get good results, then Hackenberg may be available, but they would need 2-3 weeks before they would even consider that. And what would the cost be to pry a Kyler Murray from LA even if the team goes with Foles (which seems very unlikely after what we have seen this year)?   Option 2: Go with a known entity as a backup and give him a shot to start. There are some very solid backups in the USFL, some who may well have eyes on a starting gig, but would their teams give them up? We are thinking about players like Tyrod Taylor in St. Louis, Trevor Siemian in Seattle, or Landry Jones in Houston. But, the problem is, all three of those teams know that having a solid backup is essential in a 16-game season, so why would they want to risk having nothing behind their starter? We have already seen Taylor come in and save a game when Jackson had to be sidelined. Brett Hundley could miss 2-3 weeks with an injury from this past week, so there is no way you are getting Siemian from the Dragons, not now, and likely not this year. Unless you go with a somewhat untested backup, we don’t see a lot of midseason deals unless Atlanta is willing to trade much greater value for the chance to salvage the year.   Option 3: Convince Tom Brady or Philip Rivers to come out of retirement. Could "Old Man Rivers" be a realistic fallback? It seems far-fetched, but the idea of a QB in his 40’s is not as insane as it once was. The problem for the Fire is making the case that their squad offers one of these veteran QBs a real shot at a title. Yes, they have a solid HB in Nick Chubb, some decent targets in A. J. Green, Kelvin Benjamin, and O. J. Howard, and a defense that is 9 th  in the league in yards allowed, good enough to compete. The downside is that their line has already proven to have issues in protection and they are in the same division as the Tampa Bay Bandits, who look awfully tough to surpass. Honestly, we don’t think it is enough for Brady to consider giving up his after-football career, but Rivers, that could be enough. Do we think the former San Diego/LA Charger is ready to step on a field after almost 18 months away from the game? Not really, but at the very least it would be a show to the fans in Atlanta that they are trying, and that may be the best Atlanta can do right now.   Hundley to Miss 1-2 Weeks with Ankle Injury The Dragons have won 3 in a row to share 1 st  in the division, but the next few weeks could be a bit tougher after Brett Hundley suffered a high ankle sprain that is expected to cost him 2-3 weeks. The Seattle QB who racked up 3,900 yards and 25 touchdowns on the path to a Summer Bowl appearance last year, is not going to be available this week against Memphis and in a key divisional matchup against LA in Week 6. The Dragons are hoping he can be back when they head down the road to face Portland at Columbia Sportswear Stadium in the year’s first Cascade Clash.   Hundley came out of the Dragon’s home win over Pittsburgh in the 4 th  after sprinting out to his right, throwing the ball away before taking a questionable hit that sent him into the Seattle bench. The hit did not do the damage, as it seems it was the way Hundley hit the bench that caused the ankle to bend awkwardly and produced the sprain. Seattle players and Coach Riley demanded a late hit penalty, but did not get one. With the game well in hand at 27-17 and only minutes left, Trevor Siemian finished off the game, adding a Wendell Smallwood TD run for payment on Hundley’s hit. Siemian is now scheduled to start the next few weeks as Hundley heals and rehabs the ankle.   Brett Hundley may have gotten more press for his injury, but it is defenders like Memphis’s Odighuzuwa and Las Vegas’s Martinez that produce bigger long-term impacts for their teams. Of course, Memphis QB Paxton Lynch will say that missing Penei Sewell for even 1 week is a huge risk for the Monarchs, and for him personally.   OUT DT      Osa Odighizuwa     MEM       Biceps tear         8-12 Weeks LB          Blake Martinez        LV             Back                        6-8 Weeks OT          Darrian Kennard     ATL         Abdomen               2-4 Weeks DE         Anthony Zettel       CHA        Collarbone             2-4 Weeks TE        Travis Kelce          PHI         Groin                        1-2 Weeks OT          Michael Oher         POR      Toe                     1-2 Weeks QB         Brett Hundley       SEA      Ankle                       1-2 Weeks   DOUBTFUL OT          Penei Sewell           CHA         Toe                        OG        David Yankey         OHI      Shoulder WR        Rashod Bateman    LV             Concussion CB         Chidobe Awuzie     SEA        Toe   QUESTIONABLE DT          Star Lotuleilei        DAL        Knee WR        DeVante Parker      NE          Concussion LB          Sean Porter        MGN      Toe OT          Kyle Murphy          WSH        Hamstring DE         Taylor Hart             DAL          Concussion   USFL Power Rankings Four weeks in, one quarter of the season, and time to see what our bullpen thinks of all 30 teams. Here is our first Power Ranking of the season, with no big surprise at the top or the bottom. We all know it is in the middle where the real debates lie.   1—Arizona Wranglers (4-0) Rumors of the Wranglers’ demise are greatly exaggerated as Arizona now boasts the best scoring offense in the league at 32.2 PPG.   2—Chicago Machine (4-0) Chicaog does it with D, first in the league in scoring (11 points per game allowed), total yards (206.8 ypg allowed) and pass defense (only 151.8 ypg allowed).   3—Tampa Bay Bandits (3-1) We are not going to drop the 2-time champs too far down the list, though that loss to Ohio stung a lot. They are still looking very dangerous, putting up over 408 yards per game.   4--Seattle Dragons (3-1) A 3-game win streak after losing the opener has Seattle in the Top 5. They have not yet gotten Knowshon Moreno up to speed, but if they can, they will be even harder to beat. 5—Houston Gamblers (3-1) It is troubling that McCoy has left 3 of 4 games early, but his 293.5 YPG is still among the league’s best and the Gamblers have so many weapons, they can win in a lot of ways.   6—New Orleans Breakers (3-1) Geno Smith and the Breaker receivers are in synch and it shows, averaging over 300 yards per game and reviving hopes in the Big Easy that the club is ready to return to the top of the division.   7—Ohio Glory (3-1) This week’s blowout loss to Chicago was humbling, but this is a team that can compete each and every week, especially when Justin Fields is able to escape his spy on defense.   8—San Antonio Gunslingers (3-1) The first of our two expansion risers, San Antonio is in the Top 10 in each of the 4 major offensive categories, a sign of a very balanced offense. Add to that the 2 nd rated scoring defense in the league and this group looks legit.   9—New England Steamrollers (3-1) That New England is 3-1 with Ryan Tannehill missing as much action as he has is a testament to Coach Fox and the defense, which currently ranks 5 th  in scoring defense despite being 26th in yards allowed, a weird combo for sure.   10—Oklahoma Outlaws (3-1) A surprisingly good start for the Outlaws, who are not rated in the upper half of the league in any major offensive or defensive categories, but have proven they know how to pull out games.   11—St. Louis Skyhawks (3-1) Is St. Louis a mirage at 3-1, or are we undervaluing them based on past year performance? Their offense is averaging over 30 points per game and 118 yards rushing, and that is not all Lamar Jackson scrambling either.   12—Los Angeles Express (2-2) Lots of debate on how to rank the 2-2 clubs, and with the 30 th  (worst) offense in the league (15 ppg), maybe we have LA way too high.   13—Denver Gold (2-2) Denver is the opposite of New England, they put up yards, 359 per game, but not a lot of points, only 17.2 per game. They need to fix that odd stat if they want to keep winning games.   14—Oakland Invaders (2-2) The good news, the defense is 3 rd best in the league in yards allowed, and the best against the run (only 38 yards per game), but the bad news is that they are still giving up over 20 points per game and only scoring slightly better at 22 per game.   15—Birmingham Stallions (2-2) Losses to both Memphis and New Orleans do not help the Stallions, because this is a division that could come down to tiebreakers. They face the Breakers again this week in what could be a “Must Win” game for B’Ham.   16—New Jersey Generals (2-2) The Generals have won both of their divisional games and lost both of their inter-divisional games. While it is nice to win in the division, if you keep this up you end up at 8-8, and that won’t get the job done.   17—Memphis Showboats (2-2) The Showboats had trouble revving up to speed, losing their first two, but have had two solid outings over Birmingham and Philadelphia. They now face a tough test with Seattle and New Orleans the next 2 weeks.   18—Orlando Renegades (2-2) We will learn a lot about the 2-2 Renegades as they face Tampa Bay this week and again 2 weeks later. They need at least a split with the Bandits if they want a shot at a division crown.   19—Washington Federals (2-2) Like Memphis, the Feds started 0-2 but have won their last 2. We still have our doubts, mostly because they are middling in nearly every stat we measure, but with Philly and Dallas next, we could find them at 4-2 in 2 weeks.   20—Baltimore Blitz (1-3) We have the Blitz as the best of the 1-win teams, and that is simply because they have potential. 4 th in pass defense and with a solid run game, they need to slow down and shorten more games to get more wins.   21—Dallas Roughnecks (1-3) Hebert is struggling, and the D cannot stop the run, two things that explain Dallas’s situation. They need to fix both, but mostly need Herbert to find his mojo again or it could be a long season.   22—Michigan Panthers (1-3 ) How is Michigan 28 th in points scored (15.8 per game) and 29 th  in points allowed (29.5)? This is a bit of a shocker and not at all what most of us expected from this roster.   23—Jacksonville Bulls (1-3) With all the moves made this offseason, folks in Jacksonville have to be mystified as to why their offense is putting up only 17.5 points per game and is ranked 29 th  in passing. That is truly a surprise.   24—Atlanta Fire (1-3) With Murray lost for the year, possibly with a career-ending injury, the Fire look like a bus whose wheels have fallen off. If NFL import Josh Rosen cannot get it done, look for the Fire to try to find a trade partner to bring in someone who can.   25—San Diego Thunder (1-3) Not much surprise here, as the Thunder struggle on both sides of the ball. Even Charles Sims, the star of their 2021 campaign is struggling as teams key on him.   26—Charlotte Monarchs (1-3) Coach Daboll got a win in Week 3, but needs to do more. Can Charlotte get another this week in Jacksonville?   27—Portland Stags (1-3) Stag fans like to point out that their D is 6 th  in the league against the pass, but when you give up 137 yards per game rushing, there is a reason teams are not passing on you.   28—Philadelphia Stars (1-3) A very rough start for Carson Wentz and the Stars in general. This is a club that is 2 nd  in the league in yards allowed, 2 nd  against the pass, 9 th against the run, and yet, is giving up 4 more points per game than they score. That means that the offense has to be the concern and the priority moving forward.   29—Pittsburgh Maulers (0-4) Don’t blame rookie Kenny Pickett (0-3 as a starter). His stats have been solid. What you need to address is how a team that is 6 th  in yards allowed can be 24 th  in points given up, nearly 24 per game. That tells us that you are giving teams a lot of short fields, and that is because of the league’s worst rushing attack, averaging only 37.5 ypg.   30—Las Vegas Vipers (0-4) When you are 29 th  in scoring (15.2 PPG) and 22 nd  in scoring defense (22.5 PPGA), you are not going to win a lot of games. Like Pittsburgh, we don’t think QB is the issue, butwe may be wrong, because unlike the Maulers, the Viper run game works, averaging 116 yards per game. So what is it?     USFL 40 Greatest in 40 Seasons: 31-29 We enter the 20’s in our 4 th week of the countdown, with numbers 31-29 coming up today. Two dynamic corners and our frontrunner for the next lineman to be entered into the Hall of Fame, we have 3 players who have a ton of talent even if they never got a ton of attention from fans and the media.   31) CB Patrick Peterson (2011-Present) Twelve seasons split between the Breakers and the Roughnecks, 41 career picks, including 13 returned for scores (more than 1 in 4), 903 tackles, and 275 passes defended. That is a career worth celebrating, and with a title in 2015, Peterson at least got to taste the ultimate celebration once.   30) CB Charles Woodson (1998-2012) The only defensive player in NCAA history to win the Heisman did not disappoint as a pro. Woodson joined the Washington Federals in the 1998 draft, played 10 seasons in D.C. earning All-USFL 5 times, and then finished his career in Atlanta, where he became a team captain in his first year. Woodson retired with over 1,200 tackles, 53 picks, 15 defensive touchdowns and 361 passes defended. He ranks 1 st  all time with those 15 defensive scores, 1 st all time with over 1,100 interception return yards, and3rd all time, just 1 pick behind Donnell Woolford and Antonio Cromartie, with his 53 picks. Those all sound like arguments for Woodson to be the top corner in this list. Is he?   29) G Duval Love (1985-1998) Love is our pick for the lineman most deserving of a call from the Hall of Fame’s Legacy Committee. A stalwart of the hard luck Jacksonville Bulls for 14 seasons, the man-mountain was both an outstanding runblocker and an absolutely immovable object in pass protection. Love played in 207 USFL games, starting 204, and gave up a grand total of 5 sacks. Yup, 5 sacks, so basically he would allow a sack once ever 40 games, or once every 3 years. That is absolutely insane!!! He deserves to be in this list for sure, and in Canton as well.   What does Week 5 hold for us? How about 9 division games in a 15 game slate? How about the Bandits vs. the Renegades on Friday night? Or a battle of 3-1s in the South when San Antonio heads down I-10 to face the Gamblers? We also have Philly at Washington, Charlotte at Jacksonville, Oklahoma at Denver, Baltimore at New England, and San Diego at LA, but perhaps our favorite division showdown of the week is another Sunday nighter, when the Breakers head to Birmingham to take on Cam Newton and the Stallions. It’s Geno Smith, Justin Jefferson, Jordy Nelson, and Coby Fleener attacking through the air while Cam Newton says 1 if by land and 1 if by air, keeping the defense guessing. This one should be a shootout and a fun one as well. Show up early, see if you can get some ribs from the Stallion tailgate crowd and maybe some gumbo or blackened catfish from what should be a big group of Breaker fans making the drive from the Big Easy.   Fri. 7pm ET     Tampa Bay (3-1) @ Orlando (2-2)*                   NBC Fri. 7pm ET    Oklahoma (3-1) @ Denver (2-2)*                      ESPN/EFN   Sat. 12pm ET  Chicago (4-0) @ Pittsburgh (0-4)                     ABC Sat. 12pm ET   Seattle (3-1) @ Memphis (2-2)                          FOX Sat. 4pm ET    Ohio (3-1) @ Dallas (1-3)                                   ABC Sat. 4pm ET    San Antonio (3-1) @ Houston (3-1)                 FOX Sat. 8pm ET     Michigan (1-3) @ Atlanta (1-3)                        NBC Sat. 8pm ET     Philadelphia (1-3) @ Washington (2-2)           ESPN/EFN   Sun 12pm ET   Charlotte (1-3) @ Jacksonville (1-3)                ABC Regional Sun 12pm ET   Oakland (2-2) @ St. Louis (3-1)                          ABC Regional Sun 12pm ET  Baltimore (1-3) @ New England (3-1)             FOX Sun 4pm ET     New Jersey (2-2) @ Arizona (4-0)*                   ABC Sun 4pm ET    San Diego (1-3) @ Los Angeles (2-2)               FOX Regional Sun 4pm ET    Las Vegas (0-4) @ Portland (1-3)                    FOX Regional Sun 8pm ET   New Orleans (3-1) @ Birmingham (2-2)         EFN                 (*) = Throwback Uniform Game

A lot to discuss this week, including a devastating injury for the Atlanta Fire, a huge win for the Ohio Glory, and some interesting developments coming out of Canton just as the Review Committee reveals the Class of 2022 semi-finalists. We will give you all the action from a very busy and very interesting Week 3, talk about the future for the Fire, as well as the Maulers, both of whom are staring down some real uncertainty at the QB position, and take a look at the Week 4 slate, along with our next 3 “40 for 40” players, but first, we turn to the Hall of Fame, and some announced changes during this, the 40 th  season of USFL football.   Hall of Fame to “Make Amends” With Changes to USFL Legacy Committee Role It has been a busy week for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Two days ago they announced the class of semi-finalists for the enshrinement class of 2022, and yesterday they announced 2 new additions to the selection process, one permanent and one a special addition just for the 40 th  season of the league.   The two new additions include a new category, similar to the Legacy nomination. In addition to a pool of up to 5 former players who are nominated through the standard eligibility process, the USFL has had a Legacy category where players whose career ended no less than 15 years prior can be reconsidered. It is through this process that early stars of the league, names like QB Doug Williams, WR Louis Lipps, and DE Phil Hansen were recognized long after their standard eligibility had run out. The new category, which will require a 3 rd  selection committee to determine, will be a “Contributor” nomination. This category will be limited to members of the USFL family who are not part of the normal categories of former players and retired coaches.   The Contributors can be broadcasters, player personnel staff, owners, commissioners, and other off-the-field personnel who have helped the USFL grow and prosper. General expectation is that this will be used primarily to celebrate longstanding and influential owners who have not been recognized in the past. At present, only former Bandits owner and league founder John Bassett has been enshrined (posthumously) without having played or coached in the league. The Contributor can certainly be used to bring more of the league founders, shapers, movers and shakers into the hall. We also would not be shocked to see broadcasting legends like Keith Jackson or Lee Corso (eligible as a coach but unlikely to be recognized as such) make the Hall with this new option.   The second addition for 2022 is limited to this year and the 40 th  Season celebration. Members of the Hall, recognizing that there were several positions that were either underrepresented in past enshrinement classes or simply not present at all. And so, the Legacy Committee this year will be nominating two players, rather than one, and are committed to focusing on the three positions which have the lowest representation in the league, which means center, guard, and the punter positions will be the focus this year. There are currently no USFL punters in the Hall of Fame (and only 1 from the NFL, Ray Guy).  There are 2 centers (Jeff Saturday and Mike Baab) and 1 guard (Gary Zimmerman) currently enshrined, which seems criminal when you consider that there are 9 offensive tackles, not to mention 20 quarterbacks, 20 halfbacks, 20 linebackers and a whopping 28 wide receivers. So, along with the 10 players named as semifinalists for this year’s class, expect to see at least one lineman, perhaps two, and quite possibly a punter.   So, who are the 10 players in the class of 2022, we figured we should provide that tidbit to you as well. The Class of 2022 will include 5 of these ten, and the group is split evenly between 1 st year candidates and returning nominees. Among the first year candidates, we see only one slam-dunk finalist, wide receiver Chad Johnson , who played 16 seasons in the league, racking up over 21,000 yards, 157 touchdowns, and 3 championship rings (2 with Ohio and his 3 rd  with the 2009 Boston Cannons).   Outside of Johnson, the class seems a bit weaker, which may give us a rare year when we see more than 1 or 2 repeat nominees make the cut. The four other first year candidates are former Chicago halfback Michael Turner , Baltimore strong safety Adam Archuleta , former Invader and Stag DT Jason Fisk and center Austin King , who played for 3 different USFL clubs in his career. Turner, who played 10 seasons in the USFL finished his career in the NFL, which may reduce his viability. Archuleta, King, and Fisk all competed in the USFL their entire careers.   The returning candidates have some strong credentials and may well have a leg up this year. Within this group we have former Michigan center Jeff Faine . If the committee wants to recognize more inside linemen, Faine is certainly a good place to start, with nearly 200 starts, over 700 pancakes, and only 18 sacks given up in a 14-year career. The second returning nominee struggled to get recognized behind Steve Smith last year, Hines Ward in 2020 and a very strong 2019 class. Donald Driver , a 13-year veteran with over 14,000 yards and 88 touchdowns now has to compete with Chad Johnson in his final year of standard eligibility. And if you really want to talk about competition within a nominee group, how about having 3 defensive ends all in the returning nominee class. You have Seattle’s John Abraham , who had 160 sacks for the Dragons over 13 seasons. You have Reynaldo Wynn , who played for both the Generals and Outlaws, racking up 137 sacks and 5 All-USFL nominations, and you have Justin Smith , who retired with 200 sacks after a career that saw him play for LA, Texas, and Oakland.   Honestly, if we were laying odds, we would have Chad Johnson at 1-to-1, Jeff Faine looking good, and then it is a pure dogfight for the 3 remaining spots. Will one of the three Des get the nod, or will they cancel each other out and make room for someone like Archuleta, King, or the sentimental pick, Driver. But, we will have to wait and see, with the finalists expected to be named in about 10 weeks.   HOUSTON GAMBLERS 32  NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS 29 It was a showdown in the Big Easy, with the Houston Gamblers coming into town at 2-1 and the Breakers sitting at 3-0, a classic Southern Division game that had a bit of everything, Part shootout, part smashmouth, and 100% classic. It was a game made for the big name players, and those players came out strong, with Carlos Hyde racking up a season-best 127 yards rushing, both Geno Smith and Colt McCoy throwing for over 300 yards apiece, Justin Jefferson making some huge catches on his way to 140 yards on the day, while Ezekiel Ansah racked up 2 sacks to move into the Top 5 in the league.   It was a game certainly not lacking for action, with each quarter producing 3 different scoring plays as the lead changed 7 times over the course of 60 minutes and the two teams combined to produce 33 first downs and 875 combined yards. Despite all this, the game started off with defense, with Houston forcing a punt after only 5 plays for the Breakers, followed by New Orleans shutting down Houston just inside the 20, forcing a field goal that both teams knew would not be enough.   Following the Houston scoring drive, New Orleans immediately responded with one of their own, and only needed 4 plays to do it. The Breakers’ first play was a 35-yard strike from Geno Smith to TE Coby Fleener. Two plays later Smith found another open receiver, this time it was Justin Jefferson for a 29-yard TD strike on a perfect corner route. Four plays, 71 seconds and the Breakers produced the 1 st  true lead change of the game.   Their 7 points would hold through the end of the 1 st  quarter, but not their 4-point lead as Houston finished up the quarter with a second field goal from Younghoe Kim, this time from 44 yards out. The Gambler defense then came up big, forcing a 3-and-out by batting down a pass at the line on 3 rd  and 8. Houston got the ball back, and in only 5 plays had their own TD strike, with Hyde helping to move the ball into Breaker territory, drawing in the safeties, which, in turn, allowed Gerald Everett to show he too could get behind the coverage, hauling in Colt McCoy’s first TD of the day, a 45-yard catch and run that again flipped the score, with Houston taking a 13-7 lead after only 3 minutes of the 2 nd  quarter.   Houston again played well on defense, setting up another short field and helping Houston expand the lead with Younghoe Kim’s 3 rd  field goal on the day. With 3:24 on the clock, Houston stretched the lead to 9 with the kick, leading 16-7, but New Orleans still had time, and they made use of it. On a nicely designed 2-minute drill, New Orleans used a pair of DeMarco Murray delayed runs and some outside throws to Jefferson and Olamide Zaccheaous to get the ball into Houston territory. After a debatable defensive holding call gave New Orleans a new first down inside the 20, Geno Smith hit on his 2 nd  of what would be 4 TDs on the day, finding fullback Curtis Nelson in the flat. The big man rumbled past the overmanned corner and into the endzone, cutting Houston’s halftime lead to 16-14.   Coming out of the half, it was New Orleans’s defense that set the initial tone, sacking Colt McCoy three times in the quarter, including a third down play that ended their opening drive. Following the sack, this one from veteran Cameron Jordan, New Orleans got the punt and returned it to their own 44. From their it was Smith to Jordy Nelson on 2 nd and 7, hitting on a deep sideline throw that went 53 yards to paydirt, Nelson’s only catch on the day, but also his 3 rd  TD on the season. The score again flipped the lead, with the Breakers pulling to a 21-16 advantage. Houston would struggle to reach the endzone in the quarter, but with two more Koo field goals they again took the lead back, taking a 22-21 lead into the final period. Koo already had 5 field goals on the day, but his 6 th  would be the biggest. Down only 1 point, New Orleans again went to the air. Smith connected with Justin Jefferson for 31 yards on the opening possession of the final period, and then found Fleener for 18 more, before hitting Dawson Knox, covered by an overmatched Kamalei Correa, for yet another go-ahead score. The Breakers opted to go for two and got the points when Smith found Fleener for the conversion. The 8-point play gave New Orleans a 7-point advantage, 29-22.   That touchdown lead would last nearly the entire quarter, from the 11:03 point until there was 1:39 on the clock, but with a mix of slashing runs from Hyde and a couple of key third down pickups, Houston had worked their way deep into Breaker territory before Colt McCoy turned to Carlos Hyde as a receiver. A quick screen worked just as planned, with Hyde picking up blockers on his path to a 19-yard TD that evened the score at 29 with just 1:39 to play.   After DeMarco Murray failed to gain more than 3 yards total on first and second down runs for New Orleans, the Breakers opted to try to pick up the key first down through the air, but FS Jessie Bates was ready for the throw to Nelson, batting the ball down and forcing New Orleans to punt the ball back to the Gamblers. Houston took the punt, returning the ball to their own 33 with just under 50 seconds to play. They opted to use quick passes to the sideline to move the ball down the field, picking up 2 first downs before using their final timeout with the ball on the New Orleans 31. It was on the edge of Koo’s range, but the kicker had been feeling it all game and the Gamblers did not hesitate to send him out with 13 seconds left and a 3 rd and 8.   Koo was iced by the Breakers, using their last timeout to force Houston to regroup. The kicker was unphased, lining up the kick and putting it through from 48 yards out to give Houston the lead with only seconds left. A squib kick and a short return later and the game was over, with New Orleans removed from the ranks of the unbeaten and Houston now sharing the division lead with their unhappy hosts. A back and forth game that saw 6 TDs and 6 field goals had finished with the visitors stealing the win 32-29.   BALTIMORE 16  NEW JERSEY 27 Baltimore outgained New Jersey 454-220, held the ball for over 37 minutes, but also coughed the ball up twice, committed twice as many penalties, and scored only 10 points in four trips to the redzone. New Jersey, for their part, was 3 for 3 in the red zone, committed no turnovers, and turned a 10-9 halftime lead into a 27-9 comfort zone with 17 unanswered points in the 3 rd  and early 4 th  quarter in this battle of NE Division rivals. Josh Jacobs rushed for 107, but the combo of Pollard and Procise had 110 and 2 TDS (both from Pollard) to help the Generals get the division win. POTG:  General CB Aqib Talib: 4 Tck, 7 PDef, 1 Int   SEATTLE 23  MICHIGAN 7 Seattle flexed their Conference Champion muscles against a Michigan squad playing without Kirk Cousins. The Dragon defense cued on LeVeon Bell, holding him to only 60 yards while Knowshon Moreno and Wendell Smallwood combined for 168 yards and a score. Taylor Heinecke completed 22 of 36 passing, but 4 of those 14 incompletions were picked by the Dragons, helping them build up a 23-7 lead before a late garbage time touchdown avoided an embarrassing shut out for the homestanding Panthers. POTG : Seattle CB Richard Sherman: 8 Tck, 3 PDef, 2 Int   DENVER 6   NEW ENGLAND 26 Josh Allen took a huge hit on the 2 nd play from scrimmage and was ruled out for a concussion, and while Mitch Trubisky completed 17 of 27 and avoided any turnovers, the Gold fumbled the ball away twice, had only 65 yards rushing, and no answers as New England built up a 12-0 lead and then cruised to their 3 rd  consecutive win to open the season. C. J. Beathard got the start and was clearly better prepared than Trubisky, going 18 of 27 for 161 yards and 2 TDs in leading the Steamrollers to the win. POTG:  Steamroller DE Mario Addison: 5 Tck, 2 Sck, 1 Sck, 1 Sfty   TAMPA BAY 21   OHIO 31 While not the closest game of the week, this was certainly the Must Watch game in Week 3. The Glory, a 4-point underdog at home, took offense, and some good halftime instruction, turning a 14-6 halftime deficit into a 10-point win with Justin Fields taking the game into his own hands (and feet). Following the break, Fields hit Terry McLaurin for a score, then ran in touchdowns from 20 and 71 yards out, the last one being a pure thing of beauty as Bandit defenders flailed, lept, and scrambled to try to catch the Ohio QB only to be left in the dust. POTG:  Ohio QB Justin Fields: 19/29, 173 Yds, 1 TD, 0 Int, 11 Att, 117 Yds, 2 TD   OKLAHOMA 22  OAKLAND 19 The Invaders drop a 2 nd  in a row as visiting Oklahoma took a 14-0 lead early in the 2 nd  on a Jordan Willis fumble return TD and never looked back. Oakland pulled it to 14-12 in the 3 rd , and took a 19-14 lead on a Hassan Redick pick-six in the 4 th , but Jalen Hurts recovered, finding DeDe Westbrook for the game winner with 2:27 on the clock and then picking off a desperation throw from Mills to salt away the road win and improve to 2-1. POTG:  Outlaw QB Jalen Hurts: 20/30, 183 Yds, 2 TD, 1 Int, 8 Att, 34 Yds   PHILADELPHIA 30   DALLAS 24 The Roughneck defense has some questions to answer after the 0-2 Stars rush for 187 yards on them. Henry had an even 100 and Marcus Lattimore added 91, thanks to a pair of 30-yard runs as Philadelphia fought back from a 24-7 deficit with 23 unanswered points in the final 18 minutes of game time. The Dallas D just wore down, giving up 123 yards in the second half, when the Stars started taking advantage and putting points on the board. POTG:  Star HB Marcus Lattimore: 7 Att, 91 Yds, 1 TD   BIRMINGHAM 6   MEMPHIS 13 Not the game we expected from these two rivals, but Coach Ryan will take the win, especially because it was largely delivered by his defense. The Showboat D held Cam Newton to exactly 0 yards on 8 rush attempts, and while they gave up 297 yards to the Stallion QB in the air, no touchdowns were put on the board by the Stallions. Memphis’s offense did not fare much better, but well enough for David Williams to put the only TD on the board, a 2-yard plunge in the 2 nd  quarter that proved to be the difference. Memphis got the win despite being outgained 380-175 and having the game’s only turnover. Real offensive problems for Coach Ryan, assuming he is even paying attention to that side of the ball. POTG:  Memphis DE J. J. Watt: 7 Tck, 4 TFL, 2 Sck   CHICAGO 39  JACKSONVILLE 14 We have a perfectly set up battle of 3-0 teams next week as Chicago blows past Jacksonville to set up a showdown with the Ohio Glory next week. The Chicago defense held rookie James Cook to only 15 yards on 11 carries, kept Trevor Lawrence to only 158 yards passing, and kept Chicago close to the Bulls’ side of the field all day. Sam Bradford did the rest, throwing 2 touchdowns to Chase Claypool, one more to TE Tyler Eifert and passing for 341 in total. POTG:  Machine QB Sam Bradford: 17/26, 341 Yds, 3 TD, 0 Int   CHARLOTTE 10   ATLANTA 9 Congratulations to 1 st  year coach Brian Daboll, who gets his first USFL win, first road win, and first division win, all at the same time. Charlotte stunned the Fire, who fail to get the win despite Nick Chubb going off on the Charlotte D to the tune of 175 yards. With starting QB taken from the field to a local hospital with a broken leg just before the half, Josh Rosen handed the ball off to Chubb as often as possible. Chubb averaged 8 yards per carry and yet Atlanta was held to only 9 points in the game. Charlotte’s offense struggled mightily, losing the yardage battle 417-219, but when it counted, they got the ball in range for kicker Stephen Earl, and with their hopes riding on a 55-yard attempt, Earl came through and the Monarchs got their first win of the season and the first for the new regime. POTG:  In defeat, we still have to recognize Atlanta HB Nick Chubb: 22 Att, 175 Yds   ORLANDO 21   WASHINGTON 27 Both Travis Etienne and Chris Carson ran for over 100 yards as the two slugged through a wintery mix on Sunday. The run game was the key for both teams, with Orlando racking up 112 yards, but Washington outpacing them with 171, with Etienne doing the bulk of the work, carrying the rock 22 times for 142 yards and a TD. Backup Darrynton Evans got in the mix with 8 carries, 35 yards, and 2 short yardage scores as the Federals hang on and hold off a late surge from Orlando to get their first win of the season. POTG:  Federals’ HB Travis Etienne: 22 Att, 142 Yds, 1 TD   LOS ANGELES 13   SAN ANTONIO 31 Nick Foles struggled in his first start as a member of the Express, Paul Perkins rushed for only 57 yards, and the oft-praised LA defense had trouble with a very balanced San Antonio offense that saw three different backs score, along with a TD from Joe Flacco to rookie Garrett Wilson. San Antonio dominated the first half, building up a 21-0 lead while the flaccid LA offense could only muster 3 first downs. The Express tried to mount a comeback in the 2 nd  half, but San Antonio kept them at arm’s length and picked up their 2 nd  win on the young season. POTG:  Gunslinger CB Jordan Pugh: 6 Tck, 2 PDef, 1 Int   PITTSBURGH 20   ST. LOUIS 23 Kenny Pickett had another solid game but another loss in relief of Andy Dalton as Pittsburgh battled to a 20-20 tie with 1:43 left to play only to watch Lamar Jackson move the Skyhawks into position for a game-winning Zane Gonzalez kick in the final seconds. Pickett threw for 293 and 2 TDs, while Jackson was held to 245 total yards (219 passing, only 26 rushing), but in the end, it was enough for the Skyhawks to get the home win and move to 2-1 on the season, dropping Pittsburgh to 0-3. POTG:  St. Louis LB Roquon Smith: 5 Tck, 1 TFL, 2 PDef, 1 Int   PORTLAND 16  SAN DIEGO 27 Don’t look now, but unheralded coaching hire Andy Becht has the Thunder at 2-1 after 3 weeks. San Diego defended their turf, with Chris Sims and Demetric Felton combining for 105 yards rushing on the day and Christian Hackenberg finding Chris Givens for a score. The Thunder were helped by a late-game injury to Portland QB Marcus Mariota, who had thrown for 289 yards. Backup A. J. McCarron could not rally the Stags, throwing 2 picks in the 4 th  quarter to help San Diego seal up the win. POTG:  San Diego SS Marquise Blair: 6 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 Int, 1 FF, 1 FR   LAS VEGAS 10   ARIZONA 27 The Vipers join Pittsburgh at 0-3 after falling to the Wranglers. Ryan Nassib again managed the game, relying on his twin backfield, with Ka’Deem Carey gaining 57 yards and Tyler Allgeier adding 32, with each adding a TD to help the Wranglers. The defense limited Matt McGloin to a 50% completion rate and only 178 yards as rumors of a QB change in Las Vegas start to grow. POTG:  Arizona WR DeMarcus Robinson: 4 Rec, 103 Yds, 1 TD   Fields Gives Kudos to His Line & His Defense in Huge Win for Ohio Sure, the numbers that impress us from the box score of Ohio’s win over the Bandits belong to Justin Fields, but the Glory QB wants us to remember that any victory is a team effort. After his club’s surprising 10-point victory over Tampa Bay, Fields, who contributed 3 touchdowns and a combined 290 yards rushing and passing, was quick to remind us that without his line and his defense, the game could have turned out very differently.   While we appreciate the team focus and gratitude Fields showed in the post-game interviews, we cannot help but be impressed with the 2 nd  year quarterback’s on-field exploits. Against a pretty solid Bandit defense, Fields racked up three 3 rd  quarter scores, including TD runs of 20 and 71 yards. That 71-yarder was a thing to behold, with Fields outpacing the containment on the left side of the line, juking LB Preston Brown in a moment that is sure to become a meme, and then blowing past All-USFL safety Derwin James in a show of speed that may set Fields apart from some of his dual threat colleagues. It was a show of elusiveness and pure breakaway speed that is rare to see against professional defenders. So, yes, the line played an outstanding game. The defense kept Tampa Bay’s explosive offense from blowing up, but Fields put the fire in the Ohio Glory’s gameplan and we now get to see what he can do against the league’s best defense, as Ohio heads up to Chicago for a huge Sunday night game this week.   Where are Calais & Montez? The Changing Face of the Sack Leaderboard After 13 seasons as the top dog in the world of USFL pass rushers, Calais Campbell found himself tied with his successor in Orlando as both he and Montez Sweat finished the 2021 campaign with 27 sacks apiece, sharing the title. So, where are they now? Well, both the former Renegade and the newest in a long line of quality Orlando edge rushers are sitting at 3 sacks apiece, both tied with a pretty sizeable group in 8 th place in the sack standings. Do we think they will stay with the pack? No, not really. History has taught us that both of these edge rushers can rack up sacks in spurts and quickly rise up the leaderboard. But as of Week 3, we have 2 names firmly atop the rankings, one very much expected and one forcing fans to ask “Who?”.   It is no shock to anyone familiar with his work in the NFL that J. J. Watt has taken the USFL by storm, racking up 7 sacks in the first 3 games of the USFL season. That early spurt puts him 4 sacks ahead of last year’s co-champions, but he is not alone. Also sitting pretty with 7 sacks is St. Louis Skyhawk end A. J. Epenesa. The former Penn State star, drafted by St. Louis in 2020, has turned his 3 rd  season into a breakout campaign. Epenesa spent most of his rookie season on the bench, getting into all 16 games but starting only 2 of them, finishing that year without a single sack, causing some to question if the former Nittany Lion was a Draft Day bust.   Those questions were quickly dispelled last season, when Epenesa turned up the heat, racking up 15 sacks to lead the Skyhawks and locking up a spot as the team’s left end. This year has only seen further growth, with Epenesa already at 7 sacks, a pace that would put him over 30 for the season, something only a few have ever managed. It is a long season, of course, and even the best sack specialists tend to pair spurts with lulls over the course of the year. We fully expect teams to start game planning to manage both Epenesa and Watt, but for now, the 3 rd  year player and the NFL import are looking awfully impressive.   Steamrollers Only Unbeaten in the East, West a Bit More Crowded In our season preview we mentioned that Coach Fox and the Steamrollers may finally be ready for prime time in 2022, but after 3 weeks, we don’t think anyone expected them to be all alone atop the Northeast Division and the sole unbeaten in the entire conference. With Tampa Bay’s loss to Ohio, paired with the Rollers big home win over a Kirk-Cousin-free Michigan squad, the Steamrollers are now in the catbird seat, looking down at the rest of the division and the conference.   Before they get too cocky, the Rollers need to remember that there are still 13 games left to play, that New Jersey is only 1 game back, and that they have some very tough games ahead of them. Chief among those is a road trip to San Antonio next week, a game that now looks like a battle of contenders, not a clash of recent expansion teams. After that road game, the Steamrollers will still have 6 divisional games to play, including two against New Jersey and Baltimore. It is a long season, but for Steamroller fans, it is starting off in just the right way, with their team looking very much like a potential playoff contender.   Atlanta’s Murray Lost for the Season after Breaking Both Shin Bones Fans in Atlanta were hoping to catch a break, but the kind of break they got was not what any Fire Fanatic wanted to see. With the Fire leading rival Charlotte 9-7 early in the 3 rd  quarter, Murray was looking pretty solid, having gone 10 of 18 for 12 yards and, despite the lack of touchdowns, helping Atlanta rack up over 300 yards of offense in just over 1 half of play. He was helped, of course, by Nick Chubb’s big day, but overall things seemed to be going his way. That was until it all went south, and in a hurry. It was a simple enough play, a fake to Chubb, a drop back, and hopes of finding A. J. Green in single coverage on a 2 nd  and 6. But, what it turned out to be was a play that likely impacts the Fire’s entire season, and certainly Murray’s.   Murray made the fake to Chubb, and started to drop further back in the pocket, but never saw LB Brian Asamoah crashing inside as the tackle took on Chandler Jones. Asamoah had a clear path to Murray, laying a hit on the QB between the ribs and the shoulder, but it was not the hit that caused the issue, it was the tangle of legs between Asamoah and Murray that caused the crowd to shutter. Murray hit the ground hard, Asamoah popped up quickly, surveyed the damage and immediately called for help. Murray’s leg was bent to the side, mid-calf, as it was clear that he had broken the bones in his leg, a sight reminiscent of Joe Theismann’s career-ending sack at the hands of Lawrence Taylor. Murray was surprisingly calm on the turf, likely suffering from shock which kept the pain fully out of his mind. The medical crew came out, the cart followed, and Murray was quickly driven down the tunnel and into a waiting ambulance.   Word out of the hospital in central Atlanta was positive, the bones would be reset, the leg in traction, but the season would be over for the Atlanta signal caller, and very possibly his career as well . We don’t want to be morose, but a dual bone break, one causing the kind of displacement we witnessed this week, is not the kind of injury that a player (in body or spirit) quickly recovers from. In the short-term Atlanta will turn to NFL import Josh Rosen as their starter, but long term the Fire may need to consider the very real possibility that Aaron Murray will not return. We certainly would not blame him if he did opt to retire after recovering from the brutal injury. We don’t think anyone would.   Dalton to Miss 3rd Game for Struggling Maulers Nowhere near the severity of Murray’s injury, the fracture in QB Andy Dalton’s foot still remains a story in Pittsburgh. Dalton has already been ruled out for Week 4’s showdown between the Maulers and the Seattle Dragons, and with the Maulers already 0-3 and facing the Western Conference Champs this week and the unbeaten Chicago Machine the week after, this season is quickly turning south for the Steel City’s spring football team. So, what will Coach Holtz and the Maulers do if by the time Dalton is ready to return the club is already 0-4 or even 0-5? Would they return Dalton to his starting position or, realizing they were already in a hole, stick with Kenny Pickett as the QB of the future? It is certainly too early to know the answer to that question, but with Dalton now expected to miss his 3 rd  game and the Maulers staring at two very tough games ahead of them, it won’t be long before Coach Holtz and the Maulers have to decide if they are playing for a major comeback or for the future.   The Aaron Murray injury is the most devastating for his team, though we certainly want to send out support to Reuben Foster after he was diagnosed with a skull fracture after a helmet-to-helmet hit that left him unconscious forseveral minutes. Foster is expected to make a full recovery, though there could be lingering effects which might extend his absence past the 8-12 weeks initially listed. Far less serious, but certainly an issue for Week 4 are the dual injuries to two of Portland’s offensive focal points. Both QB Marcus Mariota and HB Doug Martin could be out this week, handcuffing the Stag offense as they face a tough road game in Birmingham.   OUT QB         Aaron Murray           ATL         Broken Leg                   IR LB           Reuben Foster        BIR         Fractured Skull                8-12 Weeks CB          Justin Gilbert           SDG      Neck                                4-6 Weeks C             Matt Hennessey      PHI        Ankle                            1-2 Weeks OT          Rees Odhiambo     LA          Knee                               1-2 Weeks   DOUBTFUL SS          Nick Cross              DEN      Toe QB         Marcus Mariota       POR      Knee HB         Doug Martin           POR      Concussion OT          Isaiah Wilson            ATL         Concussion   QUESTIONABLE WR         DeVante Parker       NE          Concussion TE           Gerald Everett        HOU     Thigh Bruise SS           Taylor Rapp          SEA        Migraines WR         Tajae Sharpe          JAX         Tendinitis   USFL In Negotiations with Google for Potential Streaming Exclusives To the utter shock of no one, the USFL appears to be following in the footsteps of the NFL when it comes to diversifying how fans can and will watch their product. Citing the growth of streaming as a means of transmission and the ability of streaming broadcasts to reach a global audience, the USFL has begun negotiating with Google and their subsidiary streaming platform, YouTube. The goal is to add a streaming option for all USFL broadcasts, but also on the table is the possibility option is to have a select number of games available only via YouTube and its YouTube TV options. Much like the recently adjusted NFL agreement with Amazon Prime which this fall will, for the first time, provide the streaming provider with some exclusive games, without options for cable, satellite or broadcast coverage.   For many USFL fans this is another example of one league playing copycat of the other. The NFL has done it with USFL rules and partnerships, and the USFL has done the same with NFL CBA agreements, salary structures, and broadcast deals, a reality that looks to extend to streaming options as well. What does this mean for the average USFL fan? With every game of the current USFL season available on either ABC, NBC, FOX, ESPN or EFN, it means one more potential platform that fans will need if they want to be ensured of catching every possible game. In a league that has only 4 regionally broadcast games each week, unlike the NFL which continues to offer most of its games at competing timeslots, a reality softened by services like NFL Total Package, the USFL has few games that fans cannot catch through the most common broadcast and cable/satellite packages. Adding exclusive games via YouTube would mean that some fans may not be able to follow their favorite team without adding that service to their viewing options. Diversification, certainly, but also a very likely added cost for fans who don’t want to miss their favorite team even once per season.   USFL 40 Greatest Players of 40 Years: 34-32 We continue our countdown of the 40 greatest players in the USFL’s 40 seasons with three more additions, including the first current player and the first quarterback to make our rankings. As with all things, there will be some controversy, either in the order by position or the overall ranking, but, hey, that is why we make these lists, to get you talking about the players you idolized and those you feel are the best you have ever seen.   34) C Mike Pouncey (2011-Present) We reach our 34 th selection and get our first current player. Little doubt that Pouncey is the best center in the game today, but this recognition puts him among the best in the 40 years of the league. How did the Steamroller pivot get this recognition? How about 11 seasons of outstanding play in Charlotte, his former home? Perhaps it was the fact that in 169 starts he has given up 9 total sacks? Sure, the center position is not where the best passrushers focus their attention, but even with that taken into consideration, any lineman who gives up fewer than 1 sack per season must be doing something right. Pouncey has done a lot right, winning All-USFL honors 4 times and recording 689 pancakes over his 11 years, that comes out to more than 62 per year. An impressive number for a very impressive player.   33) QB Troy Aikman (1989-2001) Another first on our list as we get our first of what we expect will be several quarterbacks. But, if Aikman, who still holds the record for the greatest season in USFL history, is only 33 rd , how many signal callers are ahead of him? The season in question was 1998, a year in which Aikman did not only lead his Bandits to a league title, but one where he set two records that still stand. Aikman’s 5,675 yards in ’98 remain the highest total for any USFL quarterback, his 54 touchdowns also stand at the top of the all-time record book. So, with those records under his belt, why is Aikman way down at 33 rd ?   Aikman’s numbers are very solid overall; 49,507 yards, 372 touchdown passes, a career QBR of 98.6, but are they the best ever? Not over a career, and while Aikman is a 6-time All-USFL QB, and the 1998 MVP, we can think of several QBs with more titles and more MVP honors. We have 5 in mind who we think may be ahead of the former Bandit, but the intrigue will be if a 6 th  snuck in ahead of Touchdown Troy, and if not, who is 5 th , 4 th , and, most importantly, the top rated QB in USFL history? We expect many of you think Troy Aikman needs to be higher, but let’s see how the ranking pans out as we see more signal callers listed.   32) S LaRon Landry (2007-2021) Had he not retired this offseason, LaRon Landry would be the 2 nd  current player on our list, but after 15 seasons, Landry felt his time had come and he said his goodbye’s this past fall. Before doing that, Landry was one of the most feared and respected safeties in the game. A 4-time All-USFL selection, able to play both safety positions, Landry was the 2007 Defensive Rookie of the Year, beginning his career in Nashville, where he would spend 9 seasons, moving with the team to Las Vegas to be one of the founding Las Vegas Vipers before moving to Ohio in free agency.   Landry retired this offseason with an impressive 981 tackles, 40 sacks, 17 picks, and 99 career passes defended. He never sniffed a title but was a regular among the ratings of the best safeties in the league. Landry makes our list as the 2 nd DB we have seen, but the first safety to be named.   Week Four kicks off with a pair of divisional rivalry games as Jacksonville heads down to Orlando to face the Renegades and the Arizona Wranglers make their annual trip to Dallas to face the Roughnecks. Both the Bulls and Renegades sit at 1-2, which means the winner claws back to .500 while the loser finds themselves at 1-3 after one quarter of the season. Arizona is one of the league’s 4 unbeaten teams, and they are hoping to make it a perfect first quarter of the season by finishing Week 4 at 4-0.   Saturday features two more divisional games, with Michigan traveling to St. Louis and the Beltway Brawl reignited with Washington headed to Baltimore to face the Blitz. But despite these two rivalry games many will be looking elsewhere as the 4pm slot features a battle of two 2020 expansion clubs that are both making a case that their time has come. Unbeaten New England will face 2-1 San Antonio in the new Alamodome in a game that could cement one of the two as a true contender.   Sunday is a mix of interdivisional games and division rivalries, with the headliner being the night game between Ohio and Chicago. Both are unbeaten, with the Glory having just knocked off Tampa Bay and looking to take down the Machine. Chicago has been very impressive in its 3 wins, and it is looking very much like these two teams could be the two battling for the division this year, so the game, broadcast only on the ESPN Football Network, may be the one you don’t want to miss this week, even if it means finding a sports bar on a Sunday Night.   Fri. 7pm ET    Jacksonville (1-2) @ Orlando (1-2)*                 NBC Fri. 7pm ET     Arizona (3-0) @ Dallas (1-2)                              ESPN/EFN   Sat. 12pm ET  Michigan (1-2) @ St. Louis (2-1)                        ABC Sat. 12pm ET  Washington (1-2) @ Baltmore (1-2)                   FOX Sat. 4pm ET   New England (3-0) @ San Antonio (2-1)          ABC Sat. 4pm ET    Pittsburgh (0-3) @ Seattle (2-1)                        FOX Sat. 8pm ET    New Jersey (2-1) @ Denver (1-2)                       NBC Sat. 8pm ET   Los Angeles (2-1) @ New Orleans (2-1)          ESPN/EFN   Sun 12pm ET  Memphis (1-2) @ Philadelphia (1-2)*                 ABC Sun 12pm ET   Charlotte (1-2) @ Tampa Bay (2-1)                 FOX Regional Sun 12pm ET  Portland (1-2) @ Birmingham (1-2)                  FOX Regional Sun 4pm ET    San Diego (1-2) @ Oakland (1-2)*                     ABC Regional Sun 4pm ET   Las Vegas (0-3) @ Oklahoma (2-1)                  ABC Regional Sun 4pm ET   Atlanta (1-2) @ Houston (2-1)                            FOX Sun 8pm ET   Ohio (3-0) @ Chicago (3-0)*                               EFN (*) = Throwback Uniforms

PLAYER OF THE WEEK : I guess we have to call it a trend as for the third week in a row starting off the 2022 season the POTW goes to a dual threat QB who exceled both passing and rushing the ball. In Week 1 it was Lamar Jackson, followed last week by Cam Newton, and now, in Week 3, the youngest of the three, Ohio's Justin Fields. Not only did Fields lead the Ohio Glory to a huge victory over the 2-time defending champion Tampa Bay Bandits, but he did it in classic dual threat style, going 19 of 29 for 174 yards and a TD, but also rushing for 117 yards and 2 scores on only 11 carries. So, if your team has a traditional drop back passer, now might be the time to rethink that strategy.

Week Two and the gloves have come off. We had Chicago staking their claim to the Central with a dominant win over Michigan, Arizona announcing that they, and QB Ryan Nassib, were back as they throttled the Oklahoma Outlaws. We had New England upending Washington to start the year 2-0, and we saw Houston return to form, though they did it in a very odd way, with Colt McCoy missing most of the 2 nd  half once again. We will run through all the action, give you our very early overreactions to the first two weeks of the season, take a look at what could be a rough week 3 for several teams with their starting QBs potentially out of commission, and lament the loss of a talented rookie for Coach Harbaugh and the Portland Stags. All that is right here, right now, on This Week in the USFL.   A Rough Week for QBs Begins Before First Game After an opening week that barely had any injury news at all, you had to have a feeling that the universe would equalize itself in Week 2, and you would have been right, with no fewer than 5 starting QBs missing action because of injury, and one ruled out of action before Week 2’s games even started. The good news is that none of the QB injuries appear to be major and all 5 QBs could be back as soon as Week 4, but it was a week for us to remember just how fragile a team can be, and particularly a team that is reliant on their QB.   It started on Friday, when the Pittsburgh Maulers reported that their starter, Andy Dalton , was likely to miss Week 2’s home matchup against Jacksonville after having his foot stepped on by center T. J. Johnson during morning practice. By Saturday we learned that Dalton suffered stress fracture in his foot and could miss as many as 3 games, though the Maulers certainly hope it is only 1. With Dalton certainly sidelined for Week 2, it meant that rookie Kenny Pickett, the Pitt product, would return to Heinz Field as the starter against Jacksonville. Pickett would play well, throwing for 315 yards and 2 scores against the visiting Bulls, but in the end Jacksonville would pull the game out.   Dalton would prove to be only the first USFL QB to go out in week 2. In addition to the Red Rifle, game action over the weekend saw LA’s Kyler Murray , New England’s Ryan Tannehill , and Michigan’s Kirk Cousins join the injury list for this week. Colt McCoy , the 5 th QB to miss action due to injury, was removed from Houston’s game against Memphis, but after being evaluated on the sideline, would return to finish out the game and Houston’s first win of the season. McCoy’s injury appears to have been an injury to his non-throwing shoulder. As for the others, Kyler Murray is now in concussion protocol after taking a tough shot from former Thunder LB and current Dallas enforcer Myles Jack. He is listed as Doubtful for Week 2. Ryan Tannehill is also listed as doubtful after he suffered a foot injury trying to complete a foot-first slide. The awkward scramble and slide caught his foot underneath him, and the 6’4” QB hobbled to the sideline, where he watched C. J. Beathard take the win for the Steamrollers.   Kirk Cousins apparently injured his hamstring against Chicago. He did not miss any action, but has been held out of practice this week and is listed as questionable for Michigan’s next game, a tough home game against the Seattle Dragons. If Cousins cannot go, it will be veteran backup Taylor Heinecke taking the Panthers into action against Seattle. If Tannehill cannot return, we will see more of C. J. Beathard, while Los Angeles will turn to former General Nick Foles once again if Kyler Murray cannot go against San Antonio. As for the Maulers, expect to see Kenny Pickett again this week as once again Andy Dalton is listed as “Out” due to his stress fracture. With many fans hoping to see a Dalton-to-Pickett handoff this year, the early action for the rookie seems to be a possible audition for the starting job, even when Dalton is able to return.   ST. LOUIS SKYHAWKS 17   OHIO GLORY 18 What do you get when you put two of the most exciting dual threat quarterbacks in the modern game on the same field at the same time? Well, a defensive clash that produces no QB rushing touchdowns and only 35 total points, of course. Yes, the St. Louis v. Ohio clash in the Central Division did not feature the dynamic runs we all hoped for, but it was still a heck of a game. Both defenses spied the opposing QB, leading to a combined 43 yards of offense between them, with Ohio’s Justin Fields getting a decisive edge 37-6. In fact, the run game for both teams, including QB runs, proved pretty ineffective as the two defenses were ready for misdirection and RPO plays. The visiting Skyhawks managed only 69 rushing yards on the day, most of those on a single John Conner 26-yard run, while Ohio got only62 total yards, with Kenneth Walker only taking the handoff 3 times in the game and Trey Sermon also limited to 3 carries.   This was a game about defense and passing when the opportunity arose. The two teams combined to go only 9 of 30 on third down, producing a lot of stunted drives and missed opportunities. Each had one turnover, a Lamar Jackson pick early in the game and a fumble by WR Dontrelle Inman in the 3 rd  quarter. For the better part of the game the best plays were big hits from Ryan Shazier (Ohio) and Trey Hendrickson (STL) and a lone deep ball from Jackson to WR Allen Robinson, one setting up the only touchdown of the first half.   St. Louis was trailing the homestanding Ohio Glory 9-0 on three Robbie Gould field goals when Jackson found Robinson on a nice double move. The play could have stopped after 17 yards or so, but Robinson escaped the tackle and rambled for another 33 yards before being caught from behind. That play would lead, only 2 plays later, to Jackson using the threat of the run to draw in the safety and looping the ball to Robinson once again for the game’s first touchdown. It produced a 9-7 score that would hold to the half.   In the 3 rd , Ohio once again was forced to bring out Robbie Gould when their opening drive of the half was stymied at the St. Louis 18. Gould gave them a 12-7 lead, which made no one comfortable. And well it shouldn’t because on their next possession, St. Louis appeared to have another long touchdown, this time Jackson finding Deionte Johnson in man coverage. The Skyhawk offense celebrated before seeing the yellow flag on the field. Holding brought the 31-yard toss back and 2 plays later St. Louis was forced to settle for a 45-yard field goal and a 10-12 deficit. Both teams unable to consistently run the ball, we saw 12 combined punts in the game, with both teams relying a bit too heavily on blown coverages to make first downs. Both defenses played well throughout, but one of those blown coverages helped St. Louis get their first lead two-thirds of the way through the final period. This was not a double move, simply a poor matchup of defensive call with the play the offense ran. The man coverage called by Ohio left slot receiver Jakobi Meyers in single coverage with a linebacker, and as good as Steven Daniels is, he is not going to keep pace with Meyers. The Skyhawk receiver raced 24 yards on a 3 rd  and 4 and got the Skyhawks into range for what would be a lead-changing field goal, but they never had to attempt the kick. On 4 consecutive plays, St. Louis found gaps, moving the ball 21 yards in those plays and celebrating when James Conner darted off tackle and around the corner to paydirt to give St. Louis a 17-12 lead with 6:18 left to play.   The celebration on the St. Louis sideline was muted. After all, every pro player knows that 6 minutes is an eternity in this game. But, when Ohio was forced to punt after only 3 plays, you could feel the Skyhawks starting to get excited about a 2-0 start to the season. The only problem was that on 1 st  and 10 from their own 22, the Skyhawks were called for a chop block, meaning that they would now face 1 st  and 20, and yes, 3 plays later, and with only 1:01 taken off the clock, they punted the ball back to Ohio with a more than ample 2:29 on the clock.   Ohio had one last shot to steal away the 2-0 start, to earn a win in their home opener, and to get their fans excited about the season ahead. And when a boost was needed, it was a very familiar face that gave it to them, a face most fans had been watching for years even though this was only his sophomore campaign with the Glory. QB Justin Fields had a breakout season in his rookie campaign with the Glory, playing in the same city, though not the same stadium, where he had gained national attention with the Buckeyes. In this, his 2 nd  season with the team, he had already had one nail biting win, a 16-15 victory over Jacksonville in Jacksonville the week before. In that game he rushed for only 1 yard but led the Glory to a 4 th quarter victory with a TD toss to Terry McClaurin with only 15 ticks left on the clock.   Today, in front of the home fans, he would spark a final minute victory with a huge run on 3 rd  and 5. Down at his own 31, needing 5 yards to keep the drive moving, Fields faked a screen out to Kenneth Walker, his rookie tailback, kept the ball, evaded the initial tackler, and scrambled for 19 yards to not only earn the first down but to move the ball to the 50. He took a huge hit on the play, the kind that sent the Ohio crowd calling for a penalty, but as he shook off the hit and got back to the huddle, he smiled, a sign that the young QB was both fine and feeling the zone.   On the next play he would hit Curtis Samuel for 15 yards, then find Inman for 9 more. As the clock kept ticking he spiked the ball after a short scramble to pick up the last yard for a first down. 23 seconds left, the ball at the St. Louis 24. Fields was feeling it. He found Richard Rodgers for 6, then dumped the ball down to Trey Sermon on a play that got the ball to the 12 and another first down. The Glory tried to fake out the Skyhawks with a draw by Sermon, but it gained only 3 yards and forced the Glory to use their last timeout with15 seconds on the clock. It would have to be passes from this point forward.   On 2 nd  and 7 from the 9, Fields was flushed to his right and threw the ball out of bounds to stop the clock with 11 seconds left. On 3 rd  and 7 he spotted the upcoming blitz from St. Louis safety Terrell Edmunds, called a solid protection plan, dropped back, stepping to his right and throwing a laser into the endzone, where TE Richard Rodgers was waiting. Rodgers hauled in the pass, spun in place, then spiked it to the turf, the game winning touchdown.   The Skyhawks would knock down the 2-point conversion attempt, leaving them down one but with only 8 seconds of clock left. Ohio squibbed the kick and, after a short return, the game was over. Ohio, for a second week in a row, had pulled out a come-from-behind victory in the 4 th quarter. They were 2-0, sharing the top spot in the Central with Chicago, and gearing up for a monster contest in Week 3, when the unbeaten and 2-time defending champion Tampa Bay Bandits would be coming to town.   ATLANTA 13   BALTIMORE 43 Hard to see how this game got out of hand for Atlanta by looking at the stats, a 307-320 yardage difference, only 1 turnover, but look closer and you see a 33-26 time of possession advantage for the Blitz, and then 103 yards in penalties for the Fire, and you begin to see the picture. When you see that the Blitz scored on 9 of 10 possessions, including 5 Andrew Franks field goals, while Atlanta scored only 3 of 11 possessions, well, then the picture is clear. POTG:  Blitz LB Anthony Hitchens: 9 Tck, 2 TFL, 2 Sck, 1 Int, 1 Def TD   OAKLAND 16   PORTLAND 22 OVERTIME Coach Harbaugh got his first win, but it took extra time to get there as the Stags went down 16-7 at the half, only to storm back with 15 unanswered points following the break. Davis Mills, who was 9 or 11 in the first half, went 5 of 13 in the second, with a pick and only 1 converted 2 nd  down. The Stags got 3 second half field goals to send the game to overtime, then got a pair of nice completions from Marcus Mariota (36 of 54 on the day) to Brandin cooks (9 Rec, 96 yds) to get the ball deep into Oakland territory, where Mariota found Alshon Jefferey for the game winner. POTG:  Portland QB Marcus Mariota: 36/54, 325 Yds, 2 TD, 1 Int   PHILADELPHIA 7   ORLANDO 10 An ugly game in rainy Orlando, where lightning stopped the game for over an hour. In sloppy conditions both run games were mired, with Derrick Henry rushing for only 46 yards while Chris Carson managed only 39. Wilson hit Braxton Berrios for a 1 st  quarter TD, then Wentz did the same with TE Travis Kelce, but once the rain really picked up it was a war of field position, with Orlando getting in range for a late field goal to pull the game out in the 4 th . No fun for the fans in the stands and not much more fun to watch on TV either. POTG:  Philadelphia LB Jonathan Bostic: 14 Tck, 1 Sck   NEW ORLEANS 36  NEW JERSEY 6 New Jersey could have used some rain, maybe that would have slowed down Geno Smith and the Breaker offense. Smith threw for 269 and 3 scores, while DeMarco Murray hit the 100-yard mark with 113 and a score on 25 carries. Meanwhile, Teddy Bridgewater looked out of synch with his receivers, throwing 3 picks and struggling to convert on 3 rd  down. After two first quarter field goals, the Generals were shut down and watched as New Orleans scored 36 unanswered to blow the game open. POTG:  Breaker WR Jordy Nelson: 4 Rec, 133 Yds, 1 TD   ARIZONA 37  OKLAHOMA 10 Little drama in this one as the Wranglers built up a 17-3 halftime lead and then kept the pressure on all game long, with Bud Dupree landing 2 of the team’s 5 sacks of Jalen Hurts and both Carey and Allgeier topping 100 yards against an overwhelmed Outlaw D. Ka’Deem Carey rushed 18 times for 108 while the rookie, Allgeier, had 126 on only 11 carries, including 3 touchdowns, two of them from more than 30 yards out (36 and 34). POTG:  Wrangler HB Tyler Allgeier: 11 Att, 126 Yds, 3 TD   DALLAS 10   LOS ANGELES 15 The offense was not up to speed this time, but the Express D did their job, picking off Justin Herbert 3 times, sacking him 5 times and limiting Dallas to only 69 yards rushing. All that was needed as Kyler Murray suffered a shot to the head in the first half and Nick Foles struggled (7 of 16) throughout the rest of the game. But, despite the QB change, and being down 10-3 early in the 3 rd , the Express D more than did their job, shutting out Dallas down the stretch and putting the final 6 on the board when Jamar Taylor returned his second pick of the game 66 yards in the final 3 minutes to turn a 10-9 deficit into a 15-10 victory for LA. POTG:  Express CB Jamar Taylor: 4 Tck, 2 Int, 1 Def TD   HOUSTON 37   MEMPHIS 24 Another weird game for Colt McCoy as he took a shot early in the 3 rd  quarter, watched as Landry Jones put 14 on the board with TDs to Mike Evans and Riley Ridley, then returned to action after the doctors cleared him. McCoy finished 13 of 19 for 241 and 1 TD, while Jones went 4 of 5 and had 2 scores in a very strange give & take between the two Houston QBs. For Memphis, QB remains a concern as Blake Bortles threw two more picks, but the good news was that Todd Gurley got on track, rushing for 125 and a score. Not enough to get the W against the Gamblers but at least a sign of life from the Memphis O. POTG:  Houston LB Kamalei Correa: 5 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 Int, 1 FF, 1 FR   MICHIGAN 17  CHICAGO 43 A dominant win by the Machine as they outgain Michigan 479-251 and take advantage of 4 Panther turnovers to roll their division rivals. Tony Jones Jr. rushed for 95 yards on only 9 carries, breaking off 3 runs over 20 yards, while Sam Bradford reveled in the presence of OBJ on his team, finding the former General wideout 5 times for 105 yards and 2 scores. Michigan drops to 1-1 after watching their offense turn the ball over 4 times, including 2 surprising fumbles from LeVeon Bell, who has never fumbled more than 3 times in a season, but coughed up the ball twice in this game. POTG:  Chicago QB Sam Bradford: 20/33, 317 Yds, 3 TD, 1 Int   WASHINGTON 13   NEW ENGLAND 19  OVERTIME The Steamrollers are 2-0 and feeling good, despite an injury to Ryan Tannehill that may cost him next week’s game. Rookie Breece Hall topped 100 yards, going for 109 on 17 carries in his 2 nd pro game. Tannehill threw for 2 scores before having to leave the game, but C. J. Beathardcame in and got the game winner in overtime, an 8-yard connection with veteran Doug Baldwin. Washington got the game-tying TD from Travis Etienne in the 3 rd , but neither team could score in the 4 th , sending the game to overtime, where the Steamrollers thrilled their home crowd with a game-winning drive. POTG:  Steamroller HB Breece Hall: 17 Att, 109 Yds   JACKSONVILLE 27  PITTSBURGH 21 With Andy Dalton out (see above), the Maulers were still in the game, but fall at home to Coach Mike Vrabel and the Bulls. Rookie Kenny Pickett got the start and went 24 for 31 for 315 yards and 2 TDs, but the defense struggled to contain the Bulls, with Cook and Hubbard combining for 154 yards rushing. Trevor Lawrence threw for only 213, but managed the game well and found both Tee Higgins and Eric Ebron for touchdowns to help the Bulls pull their record to 1-1. POTG:  Bull CB Keenan Lewis: 7 Tck, 2 FF, 1 FR   TAMPA BAY 28  CHARLOTTE 17 While Tampa Bay pulled out to a 21-7 lead in the 3 rd , the Monarchs did not go away, putting up 10 points in the 3 rd to make it close. Dak Prescott impressed, throwing for 341 yards and 4 touchdowns, including 2 to Dez Bryant. Paxton Lynch went 28 of 36 for 240 yards, but could not put enough points on the board to stay with the explosive Bandits. POTG:  Bandit QB Dez Bryant: 15/23, 341 Yds, 4 TD, 0 Int   SAN ANTONIO 17   BIRMINGHAM 24 Cam Newton did Cam stuff, and that meant using his legs and his arms to get the home win for the Stallions. Newton threw for only 156 yards, but did have 2 passing touchdowns. He also ran well, gaining 97 yards on 12 carries, including a 68-yard TD run in the 3 rd quarter that helped the Stallions fight back from a 14-0 deficit. Newton followed that score with a game-tying strike to Najee Harris and then capped it off in the 4 th  when he hit Henry Ruggs for what would prove to be the game winner. POTG:  Stallion QB Cam Newton: 17/25, 156 Yds, 2 TD, 0 Int, 12 Att, 97 Yds, 1 TD   SEATTLE 21  SAN DIEGO 17 Coach Becht had his San Diego Thunder ready to play as the home underdogs built up a 17-7 lead on defending Western Conference Champion Seattle. But, two 2 nd  half touchdowns by the Dragons proved to be enough to take the W. The first was a Gus Edwards 1-yard plunge after a 50-yard completion from Hundley to Cooper got the ball to the goalline. The second was a beautiful toss from Hundley to Devin Funchess on a scramble that put the game in Seattle’s favor. For San Diego, it was Charles Sims early, gaining 73 of his 102 yards in the first half. POTG:  Seattle WR Amari Cooper: 6 Rec, 131 Yds   Week Two Overreactions We have played 30 games, two weeks of USFL action and that makes it time for the overreactions, early season jubilance or premature panic to set in. Fanbases are either extremely overconfident or incredibly concerned at a time of year when no team has fully set its identity yet and nothing can be called a trend. So, what do we do about that? Let’s bring to the forefront the wildest overreactions we are hearing and determine if any hold water. From unwarranted victory laps to unnecessary hand wringing, we will dispel the myths that are turning into talking points on sports radio and message boards around the league. Here are 7 such speculations with our best assessment of how realistic any of them are.   Tampa Bay Set for Threepeat It did not take long for Bandit Nation to start boasting and preparing the “Threepeat” t-shirts and bumper stickers. Sure, their club has looked very good in defeating both Baltimore and Charlotte, but we would not exactly say that they have hit the toughest stretch of their season yet. The Bandits have a huge matchup in Ohio this week, then have a run from Weeks 5 through 7 where they will face the Renegades both home and away and sandwich a very tough Houston squad in between.   All that said, of course Tampa Bay is a favorite for the Summer Bowl and a possible unprecedented 3 rd  straight title. They have the league’s top rated QB after 2 weeks, are in the Top 5 in points and in points allowed, and they have all the confidence in the world, but to call them a lock after 2 weeks, that is in no way warranted. Overconfidence can be a weight on any team, one that keeps them from fulfilling their potential, so let’s hope the cockiness of Bandit Nation is limited to the fans and not the players or the organization. OUR ASSESSMENT:  Early but not necessarily wrong.   New England Can Compete for NE Division Another fanbase starting to make some noise are the “Boiler Brigade” as the fans in New England have named themselves. Their Steamrollers are now 2-0, having knocked off two division rivals in Philadelphia and Washington to start the season. They have one of the league’s best run games, led by what looks like a dynamite rookie pick in Iowa State tailback Breece Hall, and they are making believers out of what had been a pretty jaded fanbase in New England (after losing both the Boston Breakers and Boston Cannons to relocation). It is very early, and already we are seeing health issues for QB Ryan Tannehill, but Coach Fox and the Steamrollers are looking very competitive if nothing else. Maybe don’t purchase your tickets to D.C. and Summer Bowl 2022 quite yet, but by all means, do get on the bandwagon now, because we think the team is well-coached and has the talent needed to compete in the Northeast. OUR ASSESSMENT:  On the Right Track, but Not a Smooth Road Yet.   Breakers Are Back in Form This one we have no doubt on. Yes, the Breakers are back to being the team we saw from 2018-2020 and are fast putting last year’s 6-10 dip behind them. Geno Smith is averaging nearly 280 yards per game, Jordy Nelson and Justin Jefferson are that much tougher to defend with the Breakers using both Knox and Fleener in more 2-TE formations, and DeMarco Murray is finally looking like the back the Breakers traded for. All that adds up to a team that is 2 nd  in the league in scoring, 4 th in passing yards, and with a QB who is on a tear, with a 128.8 QB rating and a 7:0 TD to INT ratio. We think it is real. We think it can last. The only issue we see is potential injury to Smith, which certainly derailed the season last year, but outside of that, yes, it is a good time to be excited about the Breakers. OUR ASSESSMENT:  The tide is high and these Breakers are cresting.   Stars Are In Deep Trouble It is feast and famine for Stars fans. One year they are way down, the next they rise to the top of the division, and it all seems to stem from how they perform in the opening month of the season. Their hot start last year spurred the Stars on to the division title, though it was a fight. An 0-2 start this year has the Star Legion worried. Should they be? Well, honestly, yes. What has us worried is that there are two things happening in the opening weeks which do not bode well. First is that teams are proving effective in bottling up King Henry. The Stars’ biggest star has only 102 yards in his first two outings and the team as a whole is 23 rd  in rushing. The Stars are not built to be a wide open spread team, they are designed to run the ball and throw off of that. The other concern, at least an early concern, is turnovers. Only 2 games in and the Stars are -5 in turnover margin, having coughed the ball up 6 times with only 1 takeaway. Not too many teams claim a division title with those kinds of numbers. OUR ASSESSMENT:  There is time to turn it around, but watch those 2 stats for signs of life.  Chicago Owns the Central In the immortal word of USFL Coach and Commentator Lee Corso, “Not so fast my friend.”. Yes, Chicago has looked very good, especially with this week’s blowout of the Panthers. They are 2-0 overall and in the division, in the league’s top 10 in both rushing and passing, and they have the top overall defense in both scoring and yards allowed. Clearly bringing in Odell Beckham Jr. was a great move for Sam Bradford, and the HB rotation is working. So, why are we putting the breaks on?  We think the Machine are looking very good, but Ohio is also 2-0 and playing some very good defense as well. While we like Chicago’s odds, we don’t want to concede the division quite yet. Not until we see how Ohio fares against Tampa Bay this week and how the two face off when they first meet in Week 4. That will be the game that tells us if this is a runaway for the Windy City or a dogfight in the division. OUR ASSESSMENT:  Give it 2 weeks before you pop the champagne.   Bortles a Bust The “Yacht Club”, Memphis’s group of diehard supporters, is already up in arms. They are upset that Paxton Lynch left, upset that the Showboats did not make a deal to get a shot at a rookie QB like Desmond Ridder or Malik Willis, and outright incensed that the plan appeared to be to go with Blake Bortles as Plan A. Bortles did get 4 starts in 2021, and, well, he did not impress, throwing for more picks than touchdowns and earning only a 75.1 QB Rating. To Coach Ryan and the Showboats’ defense, many NFL quarterbacks struggle their first year in the league due to the lack of an offseason and the newness of their situation. But, two games into 2022 and we are seeing very much the same Bortles, if not worse. The Memphis QB currently sits with a QB Rating of 51.0, has thrown 6 picks to only 2 touchdowns, and looks far less mobile than even fans of the former UCF quarterback expected.  Does it look like the Showboat brass made a mistake here? Yes, it does. OUR ASSESSMENT:  Without rapid improvement, Bortles looks like a bust.   Allgeier a Surprise ROTY Favorite There is no doubt that after only 2 games, we would have to include Allgeier among the frontrunners for Rookie of the Year. After a debut game where he had 49 yards and his first pro touchdown, he amped it up in Week 2 against Oklahoma, rushing for 126 yards and 3 scores while still not getting as many touches as Ka’Deem Carey. We think that Allgeier could well balance the workload with Carey over time, and that even with only 10-15 touches per game, he could stay in the running for ROTY, but we also think that others, like New England’s Breece Hall, will get even more touches and have a chance to do more, but it will be a fun race to watch. OUR ASSESSMENT:  The potential is there, but 16 games is a long road.      Portland Rookie Possibly Lost for Season Life is tough in Stag Nation, or is it tough for a team in stagnation? If it seems like the dreary rainy spring in Portland is a perfect metaphor for the city’s USFL club, you may not be far off the mark. Yes, the Stags had a good game this week, knocking off Oakland 22-16, but in doing so they suffered a blow that could impact them for the rest of the year. Their star rookie selection, taken in the Territorial Draft, former Oregon edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux, suffered a torn PCL in the game and is expected to be out no less than 2 months. Thibodeaux has yet to record his first sack and is already out for at least half the season. The Stags won’t put the DE on the injured reserve list, hoping he can recover in time for a Week 10 or 12 return (with a bye in Week 11, Week 12 seems a good bet), but that will depend on his recovery and healing.   The Stags had put a lot on Thibodeaux’s plate, a lot of hopes and a lot of expectations. After getting only marginal return on their last Oregon Duck DE, Dion Jordan, the Stags were hoping that this time they had hit the jackpot. Right now, at least, they seem to have rolled snake eyes.   The injuries to USFL quarterbacks, and the major loss of DE Kayvon Thibodeaux are not the only injury stories this week as the trials of pro football have begun to be felt across the league. Oakland may be without star HB Christian McCaffrey, who suffered a sprain in the arch of his left foot. LA could be without both their QB and their center as Max Tuerk was also sent into the concussion protocol along with Kyler Murray. He is one of 3 centers on the injury list this week, with both Hroniss Grasu and Greg Mancz listed as “out”. Even veteran DE Calais Campbell could miss this week’s game after suffering a laceration on his hand when it was stepped on by a lineman hoping to keep him from grabbing at Aaron Murray’s from the ground, a play being investigated for a possible fine if it appears the lineman stomped on Campbell instead of simply stepping awkwardly.   OUT DE          Kayvon Thibodeaux     POR      Torn PCL                  8-12 Weeks LB           Brandon Jenkins             BAL        Neck                         1-2 Weeks QB         Andy Dalton                PIT         Stress Fracture         1-2 Weeks C             Hroniss Grasu                  SDG      Collarbone               1-2 Weeks C             Greg Mancz                    NOR      Hip                            1-2 Weeks DE          Victor Abiami                  CHI        Hand                         1-2 Weeks   DOUBTFUL QB         Ryan Tannehill                 NE          Foot                                      QB         Kyler Murray                  LA          Concussion OT          Austin Corbett                 OKL       Concussion OT          Larry Brown                   NOR      Hip DE          Calais Campbell             BAL        Hand CB          Shaquille Richardson   LV           Knee   QUESTIONABLE QB         Kirk Cousins                  MGN     Hamstring CB          Jaire Alexander              SEA        Foot CB          Tre Norwood                 OKL       Toe C             Max Tuerk                      LA          Concussion HB         Christian McCaffrey     OAK      Foot Global Warming or Pure Luck? For the first time in nearly 15 years, the USFL has played the opening two weeks of its season without any snow-impacted games. Yes, there was still snow on the ground in Week 1, in places like Chicago, and Detroit, but not on the field, and no snow in the air when the games were played. In Week 2 we did have a pretty severe weather impact, but it was in Orlando and it was rain, not snow. Can the league actually get through its opening month with no snow on the field? Don’t count on it. We have snow in the forecast for several games this week, including matchups at Foxboro (Denver @ New England) and New Jersey (Blitz @ Generals), with an icy mix possible in D.C. when the Federals host Orlando. And, besides, the odds that we see no snow at all in Denver over the next few weeks seem pretty slim. The Gold host New Jersey next week and then Oklahoma the week after. It would be truly odd if there were no white stuff for either game. But, at least for 2 weeks, the USFL has been snow-free, a rarity and a pleasant development for both fans in the stands and staff of ticket sales teams across the league.   NFL Quarterback Baker Mayfield Eyes USFL?   The much-maligned first pick of the 2018 NFL Draft, quarterback Baker Mayfield, last of Cleveland, signed a one-year deal with the Carolina Panthers this offseason, turning away a deal from at least 2 USFL teams, but he certainly does not appear to be brushing off the league. In an interview with the Cleveland Plain Dealer before leaving his first NFL home, Mayfield expressed interest in the spring league, saying he almost had a deal in place with at least one unnamed teams (we believe it was San Diego), but the deal fell through and so he signed on with the Panthers for a 1-year “prove it” deal.   Could Mayfield be on the field in May? Why should USFL fans care? Well, Mayfield, who came out in the same year as USFL stars Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson, is still considered a talented player and one who has suffered under some pretty miserable coaching in the NFL. With Cleveland, Mayfield had some moments, showing the ability to keep plays alive and make throws on the run. His line in Cleveland was a shambles, his receivers sub par, and his head coaches, well, let’s say short-lived. The former draft pick of the Washington Federals, in a deal with the Outlaws, joined the spring league out of college, but got a deal he could not refuse from the troubled Browns. Mayfield played 4 seasons in Cleveland and now has a year to prove himself in Carolina. Barring a renegotiation, we would expect Mayfield to return to free agency in January, with another NFL-USFL Transfer Window opening. There are certainly USFL teams who would be interested, so don’t rule out the possibility that by next season we could see 4 of the 5 “First Round” QB prospects in the USFL, with Josh Rosen jumping over to the Atlanta Fire this year after a shaky start in the NFL and both Allen and Jackson finding success with their original USFL clubs. The only one missing would be Sam Darnold, signed by the NY Jets, but already cast aside and now playing in Carolina, where he will compete with Mayfield for the starting job.   USFL 40 Greatest: 37-35 We are back with our next 3 entrants into the Greatest 40 Players in 40 Years of the USFL. Numbers 37, 36, and 35 bring us a legendary defender, our list's 2nd kicking specialist, and the first offensive "hands" player on the list. Three names that will be very familiar to USFL fans. 37) LB Kurt Gouveia (DEN 1986-2001) We expect we have just irritated and angered a good swath of the Denver Gold fanbase by placing their star linebacker in the 37 slot, one space behind a kicker. We can all debate whether any kicker is more valuable than a 4-time All-USFL linebacker, one who was DPOTY in 1988 and a Hall of Fame enshrinee in 2006. We understand, but we think that the best kicker in USFL history deserves his share of limelight as well. Back to Gouveia, the 16-year veteran and 11-year team captain of the Denver Gold defense was certainly a force to reckon with. He retired after the 2001 season with over 1,300 tackles, 60 forced fumbles, 42 sacks and 174 tackles for loss. He was feared and respected, and he absolutely deserves to be in our Top 40. We will let you decide if he truly deserves to be higher after you see the other 36 picks.   36) K Tim Mazzetti (BOS/NOR 1983-1994) Ask any USFL fan, who is the one kicker that should represent the best of the USFL’s first 40 years, and we think the name that you will hear most often will be the “Kicking Bartender”, Tim Mazzetti. Mazzetti played 12 seasons with the Breakers, beginning his career at windy Nickerson Field in Boston before getting the cushy gig of kicking inside the Super Dome in New Orleans. What he did with the opportunity is what makes Mazzetti our Top 40 for 40 kicker.   Despite retiring way back in 1994, Mazzetti still holds the league records for most field goals attempted in a season (53 in 1990) and field goals made (48, also in 1990), and while Breaker fans bemoan the facts that kicking field goals not scoring touchdowns kept their outstanding teams in the late 80’s and early 90’s from winning a title, they never bemoan the fact that Tim Mazzetti was their kicker. His point total from that 1990 season, 162 points, remains the league’s all-time record. His career total of 367 field goals made may no longer be the best in the league, but his per-season point average of 132 points per season remains a nearly unimaginable target for today’s best kickers. In fact, when you look at active kickers, only Kai Forbath has topped 132 points per year more than twice in his career. The legend of Tim Mazzetti and his foot remains very much one of the USFL’s favorites, so we think it fitting that he joins so many greats on this list.   35) TE Adrian Cooper (POR 1991-94, MEM 1995-2006) Six picks in and we finally get our first offensive “skill position” player. We expect that you will find several more along the way from here to the top spot. But the first on our list is certainly not playing second fiddle to anyone. Adrian Cooper played 16 seasons in the USFL, first coming on the scene as a rookie with the Portland Thunder, but most known for his years in Memphis. Cooper caught 55 passes in his rookie campaign, with 6 touchdowns for the Thunder. He would go on to catch 870 more over his illustrious career, winning All-USFL honors 8 times and bringing home a championship ring with the 1995 Showboats.   Cooper was a classic “block out” tight end, able to use his size to put himself between the ball and the defender. That skill helped him bring in 99 touchdowns in his 16-year career, and helped earn him Hall of Fame induction in 2010, only the 3 rd tight end to make the hall after Shannon Sharpe and Keith Jackson. Will both of those Hall of Fame Tight Ends be on our list too? We shall see, but the first offensive star to make the 40 for 40 list is a good one, to be sure, Adrian Cooper.   Looking over Week 3, we have ourselves a nice mix of divisional and interdivisional matchups, including a battle of 2-0 clubs on Saturday. We kick the week off with two very intriguing matchups, with Baltimore and New Jersey, both 1-1 after 2 weeks, facing off in the Meadowlands. That game is on NBC while down the dial at ESPN we have a Western Conference Clash between two early season favorites as Michigan hosts the Seattle Dragons. We may not know if Kirk Cousins can go in that game until kickoff, so that is certainly something for your gamblers and fantasy geeks to pay attention to.   Saturday’s big game is a battle of unbeatens as Tampa Bay heads to Columbus to face the Ohio Glory. Can the Glory slow down an offense that has brought the Bandits back-to-back titles? Or will Dak Prescott and the Bandits be too much for Justin Fields and Ohio to handle? While that game is a huge one on Saturday afternoon, don’ t miss a couple of great Southern Division rivalry games in the night slot. NBC will be showing Houston at New Orleans, where the unbeaten Breakers hope they can take an early lead in one of the league’s most balanced divisions. Simultaneously on ESPN and the ESPN Football Network, we will have a dual simulcast of Birmingham v. Memphis, the “World’s Greatest Barbecue” as these two southern rivals face off again, after what is sure to be a full day of some amazing tailgating outside the Liberty Bowl.   Sunday has 4 divisional games, with Charlotte and Atlanta restoking their rivalry, Pittsburgh headed to St. Louis without Andy Dalton suited up, Portland headed down to San Diego with Coach Becht hoping to get his Thunder their first win under his watch. Las Vegas heads to Arizona to face a very feisty Wrangler squad in the week’s nightcap, but before that, we think there will be a good watch in San Antonio, where Joe Flacco and the Gunslingers will try to find answers to that smothering LA Express defense. It’s only Week 3, but we are feeling some intensity already and hoping for more.   Fri. 7pm ET       Baltimore (1-1) @ New Jersey (1-1)                  NBC Fri. 7pm ET         Seattle (1-1) @ Michigan (1-1)                          ESPN/EFN   Sat. 12pm ET     Denver (1-1) @ New England (2-0)                   ABC Sat. 12pm ET     Tampa Bay (2-0) @ Ohio (2-0)                            FOX Sat. 4pm ET       Oklahoma (1-1) @ Oakland (1-1)*                     ABC Sat. 4pm ET       Philadelphia (0-2) @ Dallas (1-1)                      FOX Sat. 8pm ET      Houston (1-1) @ New Orleans (2-0)*                 NBC Sat. 8pm ET      Birmingham (1-1) @ Memphis (0-2)                  ESPN/EFN   Sun 12pm ET     Chicago (2-0) @ Jacksonville (1-1)                    ABC Regional Sun 12pm ET   Charlotte (0-2) @ Atlanta (1-1)                         ABC Regional Sun 12pm ET     Orlando (1-1) @ Washington (0-2)*                 FOX Sun 4pm ET       Los Angeles (2-0) @ San Antonio (1-1)           ABC Sun 4pm ET      Pittsburgh (0-2) @ St. Louis (1-1)                   FOX Regional Sun 4pm ET      Portland (1-1) @ San Diego (0-2)*                     FOX Regional Sun 8pm ET      Las Vegas (0-2) @ Arizona (2-0)                    EFN "*" = Throwback uniforms to be worn.