PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Denver's overtime 38-34 overtime victory over the San Diego Thunder was a slugfest, but one player who came out shining like a diamond was Gold QB Josh Allen. Allen threw for 450 yards and 5 TDs without a pick, all personal bests and all needed as the Gold barely edged the 2-11 Thunder. PLAYOFF PICTURE: Three more teams found themselves a golden ticket to Wonkaland, oh, wait, to the USFL playoffs. Michigan at 11-2 and both New Orleans and Memphis at 10-3 have their tickets, though it seems clear that the battle between the Breakers and Showboats for the Southern Title could go down to the wire. We also had 3 more eliminations as 5-8 is not going to keep the Monarchs, Steamrollers, and Outlaws in the hunt. They are all hurt by poor conference records which means that even if there is a playoff team at 8-8, it will not be one of those three.

Week 12 was a week of haves and have-nots, with blowout victories up and down the schedule, and only 1 team that was more than a 3-point underdog pulling out a victory. That team was Jacksonville, who we may need to start taking seriously after they downed Washington 10-3. The rest of the games saw favorite cleaning up, including a 31-point Bandits victory over New Jersey, Atlanta beating New England by 33, the Breakers cruising past Birmingham by 35, Houston topping San Antonio by 21, and LA absolutely steaming past in-state rival San Diego 32-0. Not a week for parity it seems. We will run through all the games, look at the 2021 Draft one more time, and get you up to date on all the happenings across the league as we prepare for Week 13.   OBJ Wants Out After Generals Crushed by Bandits His stats are certainly there, nearly 600 catches and 8,000 yards in 6+ seasons, accolades as well, with 3 All-USFL appearances, but victories, well, those have been tough to come by for Odell Beckham Jr. and the lack of meaningful playoff performances or chances to win a title have apparently worn on the talented receiver. OBJ let off some steam after New Jersey’s humiliating 34-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Bandits. He reminded reporters in the post-game press conference that only 2 years ago the Bandits had the worst record in the league and now they were sitting at 13-0 and looking very much like a potential Summer Bowl favorite.   OBJ contrasted this with the Generals’ organization, a club certainly not in the dregs of the league, having made the playoffs each of the past 4 years, but one which has yet to appear in a Summer Bowl during the receiver’s 6-year tenure in East Rutherford. OBJ seemed adamant that he wants to play for a team that has a real chance at a title. Claiming he is not motivated by dollars or social media followers, but by winning, he questioned the commitment of the franchise to do what it takes to shift from “good enough” to great.   While it is never a good thing to disparage your own team, and while OBJ was careful not to name any names, it is clear that he is looking to find a new home, and if that means burning a few bridges to make that happen, he seems ready to do so. We cannot say we disagree with him either. New Jersey has been just “good enough” for a while, settling for Wild Cards, stuck near 9-7, and never really a threat to the better teams in the conference. They have seemed to settle on a pattern of solid, but not dominant play, a defense that is good enough most weeks, but certainly not overwhelming (ranked 21 st  in PPG allowed and 24 th  in yards allowed this year, a noticeable downturn from past seasons), and, particularly at QB, they just do not have the kind of playmaker that can turn a loss into a win. Nick Foles, while certainly capable as a game manager, is not striking fear into opposing defenses.   So, what happens now? Beckham has 1 year left on his current contract, which means that he is not getting much choice in what happens. He could try to convince ownership that he is primed to garner maximum value on the trade market, a pretty tenable position considering that without a deal New Jersey would only see him on the roster for one more year before free agency, when they gain nothing from his departure. There are certainly plenty of teams that would be interested in OBJ, so it may well make sense for the Generals to look for a deal this offseason, or, and this might be thinking a bit outside of the box, they could take his complaints to heart, realize that they need to improve around their star receiver (and a few others) and actually upgrade at key positions so that they can be a competitor for a title instead of a team that gets into the postseason only to drop their first game and go home. Something for the Generals to consider.   PITTSBURGH MAULERS 17   CHICAGO MACHINE 16 A good ol’ slobberknocker between two of the best teams in the Central Division, that is what we got on Saturday night when the Maulers took on the Machine. Both teams entered the game at 8-3, solidly in the hunt behind 9-2 Michigan. Chicago had the tiebreaker advantage thanks to a 6-0 division record, with Pittsburgh at 3-2. They also had scored more points this season and allowed fewer than the Maulers. But those are the kind of stats that might influence the lines in Vegas, but don’t always translate to what happens when two teams square off on the field.   When they did square off, what we got was a classic war of attrition with both defenses allowing some yardage, but few points, and both teams struggling to outmaneuver each other in a battle of field position and scarce opportunities. Both teams finished with just over 100 yards rushing, both around 350 yards of offense, and both with strong defensive stops, but in the end, it was a question of how each team dealt with red zone defense that decided this game. Pittsburgh went 1 for 2 on red zone TDs, while Chicago went 1 for 3. That, plus one big play were all it took for the Maulers to defy the numbers and claim victory, pushing them ahead of Chicago in the standings and in the playoff race.   The game started well for the Maulers, with Pittsburgh’s initial drive producing 7 points. They got a lucky break on a 3 rd  and 3 when Chicago DE Jason Pierre-Paul was called for offsides trying to guess the snap count. That penalty kept their drive alive, and after a nice toss to HB Sony Michel for 16 yards, they were in the red zone. They capitalized with Andy Dalton finding Brian Quick for a 12-yard TD to take the first lead of the game.   Chicago moved the ball well on their first drive as well, but they got bogged down in the red zone, failing to move the ball past the 13 yard line and forced to settle for 3 after Sam Bradford missed on a throw to Tyler Eifert on 3 rd down. This would be a theme repeated later in the game. But, as the first quarter ended, it was the Maulers up 7-3. That lead would disappear in the 2 nd quarter when Chicago again slowly and deliberately moved the ball down the field. This time it was Pittsburgh making a huge mistake, when a failed 3 rd down throw from Bradford was wiped out by a roughing the passer call on Mauler DE Shaquile Riddick, whose right arm slammed into Bradford’s helmet as the big DE tried to deflect Bradford’s throw.   That penalty kept Chicago on offense and 7 plays later they found their way to the endzone, with HB Marion Mack trampling a safety on his way in for a 6-yard TD run. Chicago took the lead 10-7. Only 3 minutes later Pittsburgh got a break and took advantage of it. Cornerback Josh Norman had to come out after a collision with a teammate on a 1 st  down run by Michel. His replacement, Robert Anderson, misread the coverage, let Adam Thielen by, believing he had safety help, but safety Micah Hyde was chasing down TE Rob Gronkowski, meaning that Thielen was essentially all alone down the left sideline. Dalton caught him with a deep ball and Thielen took it the rest of the way for a 46-yard touchdown, the only play over 25 yards in the game.   Now up 14-10, Pittsburgh added a field goal late in the quarter to take a 17-10 lead into the break. In a game that seemed destined to lead to a final score in the high 20’s if not the 30’s, both teams had found success on offense in the first half. That would change dramatically in the second half. Both defenses made adjustments, Pittsburgh adding more pressure through some calculated blitzes, Chicago using shallow zones and 2 deep safeties to force Andy Dalton to dump the ball off short on key third downs. After going a combined 8 of 11 on third down in the first half, the two offenses would only muster 1 more first down the rest of the way, going 1 of 12 as the defenses stiffened and the spate of scoring came to an almost complete halt.   Chicago mustered only a long field goal (48 yards) in the 3 rd  quarter, cutting Pittsburgh’s lead to 4, but they needed more. Early in the 4 th , a fumble by Cam Akers gave Chicago a perfect opportunity to get more, giving them the ball at the Pittsburgh 31. They pushed the ball into the red zone, got as far as the 5-yard line, but failed on a 3 rd  and goal throw to Michael Floyd. Coach Smith used a time out to consider options, go for it on 4 th and goal from the 5 or kick the 3 and try again later in the quarter. Smith opted for 3 certain points, and he got them, but the chance to add more later simply never came. Pittsburgh played a game-shortening strategy, pinning Chicago deep on their next two possessions and limiting the Machine Offense to short gains on both drives. When Chicago was forced to punt the ball back to the Maulers with 3:31 left to play, the hope was they would get one last chance at getting the ball into field goal range.   The Maulers never gave them that chance. They earned two first downs thanks to the running of Sony Michel and Cam Akers (the two combined for 107 yards on the day), with Andy Dalton throwing only 1 pass, a nice 8-yard gain on play action, in the series. Chicago used up their timeouts, and when Akers dove into the line on a vital 4 th  and 1 from the Chicago 49, the game was done. Pittsburgh could run down the clock without anything more than a Dalton kneel and the Maulers would move to 2 nd  place at 9-3. It was not the prettiest game, but for fans who love good defense, the 2 nd  half of this one was a classic.   NEW JERSEY 3   TAMPA BAY 34 New Jersey touted this as a “Stand Up Game”, but it was the Bandits who sat the Generals right back down, dominating from kickoff to the final whistle. With the Generals trying to pressure Dak Prescott all day, it was Dalvin Cook who helped lead the way, rushing for 110 yards and a score. Prescott had his moments, including a 21-yard TD to Dez Bryant, but it was the Bandit D that owned the day, starting with a Jalen Ramsey pick-six only 5 seconds into the game and continuing throughout as the Bandits simply shut down every General drive. POTG:  Bandit CB Jalen Ramsey: 3 Tck, 1 Int, 1 Def TD   SAN DIEGO 0  LOS ANGELES 32 Another very lopsided affair on Friday night as the Express crushed their in-state rival, limiting San Diego to only 124 passing yards and slowly building up the score over all 4 quarters to land a dominant 32-0 final score. Kyler Murray went 16 of 25 for 201 yards and 2 scores, but all kudos to the Express defense, who limited San Diego to 217 total yards and only 1 trip across the Express 40 (a missed field goal). POTG:  LA Corner Stephon Gilmore: 5 Tck, 4 PDef, 1 Int   NEW ORLEANS 48  BIRMINGHAM 13 Friday was a night for blowouts as New Orleans completed the 3-game domination event with a 35-point win over division rival Birmingham. The Breaker D kept Cam Newton under wraps, though the QB did throw for 244 and 2 scores, he had only 1 yard rushing. Meanwhile Geno Smith threw for 319 and 4 TDs, only to be relieved by Pat White in the 4 th  quarter, with White adding 2 more TDs before the game was over. Six different receivers caught scoring throws on the night for the Breakers as they move to 9-3 atop the division. POTG:  Breaker QB Geno Smith: 19/24, 319 Yds, 4 TD, 0 Int   SAN ANTONIO 10   HOUSTON 31 The Gamblers were happy to have expansion San Antonio on the docket. The game got Colt McCoy back in rhythm, throwing for 332 yards and 2 scores while HB Carlos Hyde added 2 more in a dominant win by the Gamblers. Easton Stick struggled against the Gambler defense, throwing a costly red zone pick early and never finding a solid rhythm. Mike Evans was the star for Houston, with 131 yards and 2 scores. POTG:  Houston WR Mike Evans: 6 Rec, 131 Yds, 2 TD   LAS VEGAS 9   ARIZONA 30 The blowouts just kept coming on Saturday as Arizona also made short work of their opponent, division rival Las Vegas. Matt McGloin returned to action for the Vipers but got a rude welcome as Calais Campbell and the Wranglers pressured him relentlessly, including 5 sacks, 2 from Campbell who is back in the race for the league sack title again. Ka’Deem Carey had 2 TDs and combined with Crowell for 159 yards rushing as Arizona cruised. POTG:  Wrangler DE Calais Campbell: 5 Tck, 2 Sck   OKLAHOMA 9   DALLAS 20 Our first close game, but in the end Dallas pulled away as they proved more capable of putting the ball in the endzone than the Outlaws. A pair of rushing touchdowns, one each from Perine and Sims, were enough to give the Roughnecks their 7 th  win and put them 2 games over .500. The defense sacked Mason Rudolph (back under center for the Outlaws) 7 times and held Justice Hill to only 27 yards rushing. POTG:  Dallas DE Connor Barwin: 4 Tck, 3 Sck, 2 FF   NEW ENGLAND 14   ATLANTA 47 The Fire easily dispatched expansion New England, with Atlanta building up a 24-7 lead at the half thanks to TDs from O. J. Howard, Nick Chubb, and a pick-six from Earl Thomas. O. J. Howard added a second TD after the break, and was joined by A. J. Green and Kenyan Drake as Atlanta cruised to their 10 th victory and a playoff berth. POTG:  Fire HB Nick Chubb: 24 Att, 121 Yds, 1 TD, 2 Rec, 16 Yds   WASHINGTON 3   JACKSONVILLE 10 The Bulls continue to impress on defense, holding Washington to a lone field goal and only 64 yards rushing. The Bulls’ offense struggled as well, with Teddy Bridgewater sacked 8 times by an aggressive Washington front seven, but a lone TD toss on a blown coverage allowed the Bulls to get the win and move to 6-6, very much alive in the playoff hunt. Tajae Sharpe went 80 yards on the lone explosive play of the game in a fluke play that ended the scoring as both teams did nothing in the 2 nd  half. POTG:  Bulls’ LB Alex Anzelone: 4 Tck, 1 TFL, 1 FF, 1 PDef   ST. LOUIS 15   MICHIGAN 38 Michigan was ready for Lamar Jackson as a rusher, using a safety to shadow the St. Louis QB. That, paired with a 4-TD day from Panther QB Kirk Cousins made short work of the Skyhawks. Michigan was outgained on the ground as Eddie Lacy returned to action with 106 yards rushing while the St. Louis D keyed on LeVeon Bell, holding him to only 67 yards, but that left Cousins largely unbothered, and he picked apart the St. Louis secondary, finding 4 different receivers for scores. POTG:  Michigan QB Kirk Cousins: 24/28, 290 Yds, 4 TD, 0 Int   SEATTLE 41  OAKLAND 33 What looks like a shootout in the final score was not quite that close as Seattle built up a 21-3 lead, then 35-17 before late Oakland scores made the game look a bit closer. Brett Hundley threw for 322 and 3 scores, while Tom Brady went 25 of 42 for 290 and 4 scores as he tried to lead the Invaders back. The Dragons move to 6-6 and stay alive in the playoff hunt, while Oakland loses their share of 1 st  in the Pacific and drops a game back at 7-5. POTG:  Seattle CB Jaire Alexander: 5 Tck, 1 Int, 1 Def TD   PORTLAND 31   DENVER 34 Another tough loss for Portland as Denver found their offensive groove and built up a 34-16 lead, holding on as Portland tried to mount a comeback. Philip Lindsay rushed for 104 and 3 TDs, but also caught 2 passes for 63 yards. Denver also got a ripping 108-yard kickoff return from Kevin White in one of the plays of the week as they move to 5-7 on the season. POTG:  Gold HB Phillip Lindsay: 25 Att, 104 Yds, 3 TD, 2 Rec, 63 Yds.   PHILADELPHIA 17  CHARLOTTE 21 Kyle Boller gets Charlotte their 2 nd  win in 3 weeks, finding Brandon Pettigrew for the game winner with 41 seconds left to play. Charlotte also got help on defense as Tre Boston returned a Ryan Lindley pick 43 yards for a score. POTG:  Charlotte FS Tre Boston: 4 Tck, 1 Int, 1 Def TD   BALTIMORE 6   ORLANDO 30 Real concerns in Baltimore as the Blitz dropped another one and now sit at 6-6 with 4 weeks left. Jake Locker threw two picks and completed only 16 of 31 passing as Orlando got pressure even as they recorded only 1 sack. Russell Wilson threw for only 199 yards but that included TD tosses to Brashad Perriman and Knile Davis, enough to win their 6 th  on the year and improve to the same record as the Blitz. POTG:  Orlando FS Jemea Thomas: 2 PDef, 2 Int   OHIO 21   MEMPHIS 48 After a first quarter that saw both teams find the endzone on their first 2 possessions, the Memphis defense tightened up, holding Ohio to 7 points the rest of the way. The offense kept rolling, with 4 more touchdown drives over the final 3 quarters. And all this with veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick at the helm. The fan favorite threw for 271 and a career best 6 touchdowns as Memphis rolled. POTG:  Memphis QB Ryan Fitzpatrick: 28/38, 271 Yds, 6 TD, 1 Int   Fitz-Magic in Effect for Memphis With Paxton Lynch nursing a pinched nerve in his throwing shoulder, Coach Ryan made the call on Wednesday that veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick would get the start against the Ohio Glory. Little could Ryan have known that in making that call he would be unleashing a nightmare scenario on the Glory. The Harvard grad and former General, Stag, and Machine QB had not thrown a pass in a regular season game since his last year in Chicago in 2018. That meant that aside from some meaningless and very vanilla footage from 2019 preseason games, there was no film for Ohio to study. They also had no idea how Fitzpatrick’s entrance into the game would alter the Memphis gameplan. In other words, they had no idea what to expect or how to defend against a Fitzpatrick-led Showboat offense. Could 1 game turn into another shot at starting? That lack of familiarity paid off for Fitzpatrick and the Showboats. The journeyman QB had himself a day, finding open receivers all over the field, connecting with Devin Funchess 7 times for 94 yards, Robert Woods 6 times for 65, and TE Dallas Goedert 5 times for 37. He also hit each for a TD, along with 1 more to HB Jacob Hester and 2 touchdowns to slot man Jamison Crowder. Add those up and you have a 6-TD day, the first of his career for Fitzpatrick. It was absolute chaos out there. When Ohio tried to use pressure, Fitzpatrick found his safety valve. When they used soft zones, he picked them apart, and when they left a key receiver in one-on-one, he went deep. It was a thing of beauty for fans of the Showboats, or fans of Fitzpatrick from his long career both in the NFL and USFL. He finished the day with 271 yards on 28 of 38, but with those 6 TDs this was about as perfect a day as any QB could hope for, and, as we have gotten used to seeing from time to time, a clear touch of Fitz-Magic.   Lindsay’s Big Day for Denver After losing 6 of their last 7, and with a switch at OC along the way, the Denver Gold needed a spark to get their offense back on track. They got it this week from halfback Phillip Lindsay. The 3 rd  year back, now clearly the lead in the Denver backfield after the Gold traded away DeMarco Murray, had his best game of the year, putting together a combined 167 yards from scrimmage and scoring 3 times in the Gold’s 34-31 upset over Portland.   Lindsay was the focal point of the entire Denver offense this week, carrying the ball 25 times and targeted 5 more in the passing game. He averaged 4.2 YPC in the game, broke off a really nice 23-yard rumbling run, and put the ball in the endzone from 4 yards out, then 15, then 7, all in the first half as Denver built up a 28-13 halftime lead and then survived a late comeback by the Stags. Denver was helped by a dazzling 108-yard kickoff return late in the 2 nd quarter, but it was Lindsay’s ability to move the chains and produce short and very makeable 3 rd  downs that was the key to Denver’s 34-point output. Can Denver keep momentum going with Lindsay as their offensive focus? It seems the best course for them to take as they are still trying to get more out of the passing game. It certainly should be their strategy this week, when they face the worst rush defense in the league, San Diego’s 30 th  ranked squad giving up over 123 yards per game.   Jacksonville’s D has them at .500 The Bulls finished last season at 4-12, picking first in the USFL Draft, and, to be honest, few expected much more from them this season. They were pretty much universally picked to finish last in the Southeastern Division, but teams don’t stay static year to year and while the Bulls still have a lot of the issues that critics pointed out in camp, they have shown at least one area of significant growth, the defense.   That defense is the primary reason that Jacksonville now sits at 6-6, already 2 games ahead of last year’s final tally, and why they have moved up to 3 rd place behind the unbeaten Bandits and 10-2 Atlanta Fire. With those two teams getting a lot of press this year, you might not have even noticed that the Bulls are playing some pretty solid defense and winning some tough games. The past three weeks they have knocked off New Jersey, Orlando, and Washington, even sweeping the series with the Renegades. And the defense? They are not leading the lead in any of the major categories, but they are more than holding their own. So far this year they have held 5 teams to 20 or fewer points, including limiting Washington to only 3 this week.   The rejuvenated Bulls defense is led by an unexpectedly strong pass rush, with the combo of Robert Ayers and Barkevious Mingo combining for 20 sacks this year (Ayers slightly ahead in the count with 11 to Mingo’s 9). They have also gotten solid pass rush help from their LB group, with Sean Lee and Alex Anzelone adding 5 sacks to the team’s total. The Bulls also have 2 players with 3 picks apiece (CB Dominique Rogers-Cromartie and FS Matt Elam), and as we see almost every year, MLB Sean Lee is among the league leaders with 93 tackles. The overall impact has been that Jacksonville has been in nearly every game this year, with a pair of tight losses and some very solid wins. Can this defense lead them over .500 for the first time since 2007? They need only 1 more win to avoid a 10 th consecutive 10-loss season, and 3 wins in their final 4 games would get them above .500. With New England up this week, then slumping Baltimore and Charlotte clubs after that, they have a real shot.   Campbell Ties Sweat, Seeking 12 Straight Title Rumors of Calais Campbell’s decline appear to have been premature. There was a point in the season’s first half when the perennial Sack Champion was 5 or more sacks behind the leader, his replacement in Orlando, Montez Sweat. But as the season has worn on, Sweat’s lead has shrunk, his productivity dipping, while Campbell has come on like a man possessed. The Arizona DE and 11-time Sack Leader in the USFL missed 2 games early in the season and had only 5 sacks as of Week 7, but in the 5 weeks since he has racked up a stunning 11 sacks and now stands even with Sweat atop the league leaderboard with 16 QB takedowns. Anyone who doubts he can not only keep pace with the Orlando edge rusher but surpass him has simply not been paying attention to football over the past decade. Odds are now back on Campbell to win the title again, an even dozen years of dominance.   Stars talk to Spurrier Don’t look now, but the Ol’ Ball Coach may not be out to pasture quite yet. Rumors have Steve Spurrier, the two-time head coach of the Tampa Bay Bandits meeting with the Philadelphia Stars, who let Jim Harbaugh go after a brutal 0-6 start to the year. Philadelphia, now 1-11 on the season, is not saying whether they met with Spurrier as a consultant, a possible GM, or to bring him back to the sideline, but, of course, scuttlebutt in the City of Brotherly Love is all about the man who brought the Bandits a title way back in 1983 and who many credit with building the Bandit team that won it all again in 2011, returning to the sidelines to resurrect a Stars team that is about as low now as they have ever been in their franchise history. Of course, what is almost comical about this is that there are fans calling for Jim Mora Sr to return, or even his son, Jim Mora Jr, apparently more obsessed with team history than with the current day.   Spurrier, who turned 75 this year, has not led a team since the 2015 season at the University of South Carolina. Few seriously expect he will come back to do so now, and particularly not a franchise with which he has had no prior history. We tend to agree with those who believe Spurrier came to Philadelphia to help guide ownership on a sound path when it comes to rebuilding and finding a coach who can handle what is likely to be a difficult, multi-year project. That just seems so much more likely to anyone who is not either a Stars fanatic or a Spurrier follower.   One more team locks in a playoff spot as 10-2 Atlanta is assured no worse than a Wild Card. They join the two unbeatens as 2020 playoff teams, while 5 more teams drop out of contention, with 3-9 Ohio joining 2-10 Birmingham, Las Vegas, San Diego, and expansion San Antonio in the pool that already included 1-win Philadelphia and St. Louis. Look for more clinching next week as 10-2 Michighan and three 9-3 clubs (New Orleans, Memphis, and Pittsburgh) can lock up spots with wins and a bit of help.   OUT CB          Devin McCourty      BIR           Back              IR OG         Vlad Ducasse           CHI          Leg                  IR C             Philip Blake             MEM       Hip                  IR DE          Nick Fairley           HOU       Neck               6-8 Weeks LB           Jordan Hicks         JAX         Groin              6-8 Weeks DT          Marcel Dareus         TBY         Hernia           1-2 Weeks DT          Danny Shelton         CHA         Ribs                 1-2 Weeks OG         Cole Madison        POR        Arm                  1-2 Weeks   DOUBTFUL LB           Melvin ingram              DAL        Concussion FS           Robert Sands                   PIT           Hand TE           C. J. Uzomah                 BAL         Neck DT          Albert Haynesworth      ATL          Thigh OT          Levi Brown                      TBY          Thigh   QUESTIONABLE QB         Paxton Lynch             MEM    Pinched Nerve DT          B. J. Raji                         NJ          Hip   COVID-19 INACTIVES ARZ       CB          Jeremy Harris ATL         CB          Darius Slay DAL       LB           Melvin Ingram                  DAL       SS           Dezmen Southward      2 nd  Week HOU     CB          Siran Neal MEM     DE          Chase Winovich NJ           CB          Isaac Yiadom OHI       LB           Daniel Ellerbe  PIT         FS           Robert Sands SD          DT          Damon Harrison     Very Early Draft Preview: Offense Two weeks ago we picked our Top 10 Defenders in the 2021 Draft Pool. This week we return with what may well be the focus of the draft, the top offensive stars coming out this year. We have 3 QBs expected to be Top 10 talents, a pair of solid backs, 3 quality receivers and a pair of topflight linemen to choose from. So, what will the story be for these 10 blue chippers? How will the USFL approach them? How will the league fare against the NFL in trying to sign them? That will all be decided this January, but for now, here are the players that all you fans of the Stars, Skyhawks, Gunslingers, and all the non-playoff teams can start obsessing with.   QB Trevor Lawrence (Clemson) The consensus top pick in the 2021 draft, Lawrence has been a star since he took the field for the Tigers back in 2018. In 2 seasons he has amassed a 25-1 record and led Clemson to two consecutive national title games. He lost to LSU and Joe Burrow last year, but he comes back for his junior year, and what almost everyone expects to be his final year, ready to take the Tigers to a third title game. Expect a major feeding frenzy between the two pro leagues to try to get Lawrence into their camps.   QB Zach Wilson (BYU) Another 3-year starter, Wilson’s stats at BYU are not as gaudy as Lawrence’s at Clemson, but he has more than held his own, throwing 23 TDs to 12 picks in his first two years in Provo. A mobile QB with good arm talent, the key with Wilson will be transitioning to the pro style and playing against top level competition every week.   QB Justin Fields (Ohio State) The level of competition he faces in college is not something anyone knocks Ohio State’s Justin Fields on. After transferring from Georgia to Ohio State, Fields lit up the game, going 13-1 as a starter and led the Buckeyes to a Big 10 title and a trip to the Fiesta Bowl. He returns in 2020 with hopes for a national title. A very athletic, elusive QB, he is ideal for a team that wants to emulate the kind of spread offense that we see expanding into the pros in both leagues.   HB Najee Harris (Alabama) You rarely go wrong with a running back from the Crimson Tide. Whether it is Mark Ingram, Eddie Lacy, Shaun Alexander, Bobby Humphrey, or Derrick Henry, Alabama just has a knack for churning out game-changing backs. Harris looks like yet another beast coming out of Tuscaloosa and should be slotted in as a bell cow back from day one.   HB Travis Etienne (Clemson) Rivaling Harris the past 2 years has been Clemson’s Etienne. Seen as a more versatile back, with better receiving skills, Etienne went over 1,600 yards in both 2018 and 2019, and we expect another huge year out of him as Clemson again looks like a potential title contender. After that, he will almost certainly be a target of the Jacksonville Bulls, who would have his exclusive rights in the T-Draft and who need exactly the kind of skills he brings to the game.   WR Ja’Marr Chase (LSU) What Alabama has been to running backs, LSU seems to be for receivers. The immediate success of Justin Jefferson with the Breakers has teams all across the USFL (and the NFL) excited about Chase as well. With New Orleans likely to either trade his rights in the T-Draft or to let him slide into the Open Draft, we could see a WR being a key focal point of the offseason trading block.   WRs Jaylen Waddle and DeVonta Smith (Alabama) Alabama is back with not one WR, but two. It is not so much a question of whether both will be early draft picks, but which will go first. The Stallions are unlikely to pursue both, and with Henry Ruggs already well-established as their future top target, we could even envision a situation where the Stallions trade away both to teams in the West just to be assured that neither ends up with a division rival. Of course the NFL could also come calling, as we always keep in the back of our minds.   OT Penei Sewell (Oregon) The best pure passblocker to come out at LT in several years, and an almost surefire rookie starter, Sewell is the kind of tackle you build your line around. He is athletic enough to work the run in any system, zone or man blocking, and he is without a doubt a gifted pass protector, able to handle both bull rushers and speed guys on the edge. If you are a team with a less-than-agile QB, Sewell should be high on your wish list.   OG Alijah Vera-Tucker (USC) Guard tends to be an undervalued position in the draft, but after the success of Quenton Nelson, excelling in Oakland, we would not be surprised to see Vera-Tucker as a Top 10 pick, which means that the LA Express may well be interested. The USC product might not displace Mitch Morse on the LA line but we could replace LG Logan Stenberg from the get-go, assuming, of course that LA both selects the former Trojan and signs him away from the fall league.   Several 2016 NFL Draftees Likely to be Free Agents Come January Speaking of the draft, it is time as well to consider the reality that the NFL’s rigid rookie deal structure means that we are looking at several 2016 draftees who either must be extended for a 5 th  season or cut loose as free agents. Over the past several years the USFL has found some real gems among the list of 4-year vets who are not extended for a 5 th  year. So, what possible diamonds in the free agency rough could be available this year? Well, some pretty interesting prospects indeed.   QB Carson Wentz (Eagles) The Eagles seem to be souring on the former NDSU star, despite the fact that he has a huge arm. He is not as mobile as many teams want in a QB, and he has had some issues with turnovers, but there is so much natural ability there that it is hard to believe that Philadelphia would simply give up on him, and yet, the rumors are out there that they are looking elsewhere.   HB Ezekiel Elliott (Cowboys) Jerry Jones has a problem. He has a lot of talent, and they all want to get paid. Will the salary cap crunch lead to a big-name back getting let loose to find a new home? Seems almost sacrilegious to see the Cowboys let Elliott walk, and yet weirder things have happened out of JerryWorld.   WR Laquon Treadwell (Vikings) Treadwell has just not been able to catch on in Minnesota. They tried him inside, then outside, but they just don’t seem to know what to do with him. That may be enough for them to consider him something of a bust, which in USFL terms means a reclamation project.   WR Sterling Shephard (Giants) Shephard has not looked bad for New York, but their QB situation is such a mess that they just have not been able to do much with him. We think they want to keep him around for year five, but they have a lot of needs, needs that will take up cap space.   OT Laremy Tunsil (Dolphins) Tunsil started strong his rookie year, had some injury issues, and has now been splitting time at LT, so we think there is a reason not to pay him a balloon deal for a 5 th  year. That could bode well for USFL teams that are looking for a young, athletic tackle.   DE DeForest Buckner (49ers) Buckner has been up and down in San Francisco. After a 12-sack season in 2018 few would think that he would be at risk, but he has not returned to that form since, and barring a strong rebound in 2020, we think there is a chance that the 49ers cut Buckner loose and look to land a DE out of this year’s draft class.   DT Kenny Clark (Green Bay) Clark had a very solid 2019, racking up 62 tackles and 6 sacks. But Green Bay is in cap trouble, and those 5 th  year extensions are cap killers. They almost certainly don’t want to lose Clark at DT, but they may not have many options if they want to keep the rest of their team intact (and pay Aaron Rodgers what he is asking).   San Diego Boosts the Blue with New Look It would not be an exaggeration to say that 2020 has been a “Year of the Blues” for the San Diego Thunder. Instead of competing for a Division Title and another attempt to prove they belong among the league’s elites, the Thunder have completely imploded, sitting now at 2-10, eliminated from the playoffs and likely to earn a Top 5 draft pick. So, with that the backdrop, it seems almost ironic that the newly released 2021 Under Armour uniform set for the Thunder features blue in a stronger way than ever before.   The Thunder retain their affection for ombre effects, color shifting between blue and white on the new home jersey numbers and from their trademark electric green to sky blue on the white jerseys. And if that were all, we likely would not have pointed out the use of blue to replace gold among their color palette, but when you add in the sky blue (don’t call them “powder” or the NFL gets mad) on the cuffs of their sleves, or in their pant stripes, or even their socks. Oh, and then there is the navy blue pant set, meant to be worn with the white jerseys. That is a lot of blue for a team that used to be predominantly green and yellow. You can see the old color scheme in their throwback look, one that goes all the way back to 1988, when the club first debuted in Portland. Back is the old thunderbolt & cloud helmet logo, the original lime or electric green jersey, and the heavier use of Navy. With both their current uniforms and the classic look using a white helmet, we knew that San Diego would pull out something special for their other alternate, and they did exactly what everyone thought they might. They went ombre on the helmet. Yup, a sky blue to electric green ombre effect with color shifting from base to crown, paired with a white facemask. As if that was not enough of the motif, the jerseys do the exact same, but in reverse, with the shoulders and sleeves now sky blue and shifting to green across the chest and back. The numbers here use a navy blue shadow to stand out as they feature their own “reverse” ombre, with white bases transitioning to electric green at the top of each numeral. It is a look that only the Thunder could pull off.   A very light week for divisional matchups in Week 13, as only 4 of 15 games pits divisional rivals against each other. One of those four games is Friday night where the 6-6 New Jersey Generals face the 5-7 Washington Federals. A Generals win pushes Washington 2 games behind the division lead, while a win by the Federals pulls them even with New Jersey but still 1 game under .500.   The best matchup on Saturday is not a divisional game, but pits two of the league’s 9-3 clubs against each other. Memphis faces Pittsburgh in the 9pm ESPN/EFN game and the winner almost certainly locks up a playoff spot. Another biggie on Saturday is Dallas and Portland facing off at State Farm Stadium in Phoenix. Dallas can move 3 games over .500 with a win while Portland hopes to stave off a major collapse and get back over .500 by defeating the Roughnecks.   Sunday features two divisional games with Tampa Bay facing Charlotte and Baltimore taking on Philadelphia. The Blitz need to right their ship and they have a good chance against the Stars. A win means they retain at least a share of first place in the NE Division, and, with a bit of help from Washington, they could have sole possession of first. The other big game is in Las Vegas, where the 7-5 Oakland Invaders face a huge test as they play “host” to the unbeaten Arizona Wranglers. Can the Invaders’ D rise to the challenge and shut down the Wranglers, playing without Victor Cruz, or will Arizona get past this game and continue unblemished?   FRIDAY 8pm ET      Washington (5-7) @ New Jersey (6-6)            Orlando          NBC 8pm ET          Las Vegas (2-10) @ Seattle (6-6)                       Las Vegas        ABC 9pm ET           Birmingham (2-10) @ Michigan (10-2)             TDECU             ESPN/EFN   SATURDAY 1pm ET           Houston (7-5) @ Ohio (3-9)                              NRG                      ABC 4pm ET           Dallas (7-5) @ Portland (6-6)                          Glendale            FOX 4pm ET          Denver (5-7) @ San Diego (2-10)                     Las Vegas           ABC 8pm ET           Jacksonville (6-6) @ New England (4-8)          Gainesville        NBC 8pm ET            Orlando (6-6) @ Atlanta (10-4)                        Tampa                  FOX 9pm ET          Memphis (9-3) @ Pittsburgh (9-3)                    Rice                      ESPN/EFN   SUNDAY 1pm ET          New Orleans (9-3) @ St. Louis (1-10)             NRG                      FOX 4pm ET          Oklahoma (5-7) @ Los Angeles (8-4)              Glendale            ABC 4pm ET           Arizona (12-0) @ Oakland (7-5)                       Las Vegas           FOX 8pm ET           Tampa Bay (12-0) @ Charlotte (4-8)                 Orlando               ABC 8pm ET          Philadelphia (1-11) @ Baltimore (6-6)              Tampa                  FOX 9pm ET        San Antonio (2-10) @ Chicago (8-4)                TDECU                 ESPN/EFN

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: How could we not give this week's POTW to one of America's favorite journeyman players, Fitz-Magic himself, Ryan Fitzpatrick. The Harvard Grad who has played for 4 different USFL teams after having had 3 different NFL teams as well, had himself a game this week. With Paxton Lynch unable to go due to a lingering issue with a pinched nerve in his throwing shoulder, Fitzpatrick got his first start since coming over from Chicago and man, he made the most of it, throwing for 6 touchdowns and going 28 for 38 as Memphis lit up the Ohio glory 48-21. With his contract in Memphis ending this year, could we see this game get Fitz-Magic another shot at a starting job? PLAYOFF PICTURE: We added one more playoff team to the mix this week as the Atlanta Fire, sitting at 10-2, locked up a spot, making that 2 teams from the Southeast clinched already. The Fire still remain 2 games behind the unbeaten Bandits (the two face off in Week 15) but are now guaranteed at least a Wild Card. Michigan is also 10-2, but are not able to clinch just yet as the combo of Oakland and Dallas at 7-5 still could knock them out. Speaking of being knocked out, we also added 5 more teams to the list of eliminated squads. All four teams at 2-10--Birmingham, San Antonio, Las Vegas, and San Diego-- were eliminated this week, as was Ohio at 3-9.

We did not get a huge wave of upsets in Week 11, nor did we get a ton of nailbiters. But, what we did get was our first two teams clinching playoff spots. To no one’s surprise it was the two unbeatens in the league, Tampa Bay and Arizona, both now 11-0, who locked up a playoff spot with 5 weeks left to play. They will now focus on securing the 1-seed and home field throughout the playoffs while the other 28 teams (26 actually, since 2 teams are now also eliminated) fight to land a playoff spot. This week’s recap will run through all the scores and stories of the week, take a look at some players we think would benefit from a change of scenery this offseason, and reveal a pretty significant change coming for the Charlotte Monarchs next year, and we are not talking about their QB position, but we kick it off with a look at 4 teams right on the cusp after 11 weeks, all 4 sitting at 6-5 and hoping they can get hot and make a run at a playoff spot.   The 6-5 Teams with a Lot to Play For As we head into the home stretch across the league and the playoff picture begins to take shape, the pressure is always greatest on the fringe, and right now that fringe sits with a 6-5 record. In the current Playoff Picture (see below), only 2 of the 5 teams now sitting one game over .500 would qualify for the postseason, with the tiebreakers currently leaning in favor of the Baltimore Blitz and New Jersey Generals. Houston, Dallas, and Portland would be on the outside looking in. And, of course, with 5 more teams (Oklahoma, Seattle, Jacksonville, Washington, and Orlando) sitting at 5-6 and nipping at the quartet’s heels, there is no room for error. With 5 games left, these teams need to look at a possible 4-1 run, because even 3-2 may not be enough to guarantee them a playoff spot. Ten wins tends to be a good indicator of playoff eligibility, 9-7, well that is a risk that most teams don’t want to take. So, what are the prospects for each of our four 6-win clubs? We break it down here, looking at each of their chances moving forward.   Baltimore Blitz Key Upcoming Games (Week): Orlando (12), Jacksonville (14), Washington (15), Atlanta (16)   Strengths & Weaknesses: Schedule-wise, Baltimore needs to look at each of their games prior to the Atlanta finale as ‘must wins”. They face 3 of the teams sitting at 5-6, and they cannot afford to stumble against any of them. Having lost to New Jersey this week gives them no room for error if they want to stay in 1 st atop the NE Division. As for roster strengths, offensive balance is key. They need Josh Jacobs to come on strong in the final 5 games so that the pressure is not on Jake Locker to do it all. Brian Hartline should be back from injury soon, so that could be a big help. The defense has been solid, 2 nd in the league against the pass and allowing a reasonable 18.6 PPG, so it is all about the offense being able to put 20 on the board each week.   Our Assessment: Back-to-back losses to Charlotte and New Jersey have us concerned that the Blitz are going to fade down the stretch. They need to prove in this week’s game against Orlando that they are still the frontrunner atop the division. Their schedule is tougher than New Jersey’s, so they just cannot afford another loss against teams below them in the standings.   New Jersey Generals Key Upcoming Games (Week): Tampa Bay (12), Washington (13), Orlando (14)   Strengths & Weaknesses: The good news for New Jersey is that if they can hold their position over their tough 3-game stretch the next 3 weeks, they have a nice wrap up with New England and Philly in the final 2 games. And while this week’s game against Tampa Bay is a big ask, the two more important games are against current 5-6 teams in the Feds and ‘Gades. On the strength side, you have to point to Maurice Jones-Drew, who is well on pace to reach 1,200 yards rushing. The run defense is also very solid. Weaknesses? Well, other than OBJ we are not too keen on the receiver group and their defense is 28 th  against the pass, which may be a bad sign or could just be due to teams having no luck against the run.   Our Assessment: If the Generals can get wins against Washington and Orlando, then coast to a 10-6 record by knocking off the Steamrollers and Stars, they should be in, and they could even have a shot at the division title, because Baltimore is only 6-5 as well.   Houston Gamblers Key Upcoming Games (Week): New Orleans (14), Pittsburgh (15)   Strengths & Weaknesses: The good news for Houston is that their final 5 weeks include some pretty weak sisters, with games against San Antonio, Ohio, and Birmingham on the schedule. The bad news is that they are already 2 games behind both New Orleans and Memphis in the division, so the Gamblers may be in the unfamiliar space of battling for a Wild Card spot. The offense has looked good between the 20’s, still Top 5 in yards, but only 10 th  in scoring, which tells us that they are either not hitting on the big plays or not finding success in the red zone. They need to be able to do both.   Our Assessment: Houston could be at real risk of dropping out of the playoff race. Even if they win all 3 games against weaker foes, they still would only be 9-7. They need to upset either the Breakers or the Maulers to have a real shot at locking in a playoff spot.   Dallas Roughnecks Key Upcoming Games (Week): Oklahoma (12), Portland (13), Denver (14)   Strengths & Weaknesses: Justin Herbert has electrified the fanbase of the Roughnecks, and they have a real opportunity to put any doubts to bed over the next 3 weeks. If they can sweep the Outlaws, Stags, and Gold, they are almost guaranteed a spot. They finish the year with 2-9 Las Vegas and 2-9 San Diego, so we could imagine a 5-0 run, but this week vs. Oklahoma may well be the test of concept on that.  As for the roster, we love what Herbert brings to the passing game, but they need more out of Samaje Perine and the run game. The defense also needs to find ways to create more takeaways. They currently rank 22 nd  in points allowed, which does not bode well, but they are 4 th  in pass defense, so if they could just turn more of those passes defended into interceptions, they could get very hot very fast.   Our Assessment: We love the energy of the Roughnecks, and they have the easiest schedule of any 6-5 club, but they have also been inconsistent and need to look at the next 3 weeks as a crucible. If they can go 3-0 in this stretch, we see them possibly locking in a Wild Card and maybe even hosting a game at 11-5 (well, hosting in Arizona, which is not really home field.) Portland Stags Key Upcoming Games (Weeks): Dallas (13), Oakland (14), Seattle (15), Arizona (16) Strengths & Weaknesses: Losers of their last two, and both to teams below .500, scares us a bit about this Stags team. Portland needs to reestablish their surprisingly good early season form if they want to hold up over what looks like a tough run of games to end the season. After Denver this week, they could be facing nothing but teams with winning records down the road (depending on Orlando’s status), and while they may luck out and face nothing but Arizona backups in Week 16, they cannot count on that, so they need to get W’s now.   Our Assessment: We think the Stags may end up being the odd man out (there will be several) just because they have that brutal run against Dallas, Oakland, Seattle, and Arizona. They need to win at least 3 of the next 4 games and then hope that the Wranglers are resting starters in the finale because we don’t see this Stags team upending a fully-stocked Arizona team.   ATLANTA FIRE 27  CHARLOTTE MONARCHS 24  OVERTIME Charlotte’s experiment with veteran journeyman Kyle Boller produced an upset win over Baltimore in Week 10 and this week gave the Monarchs a solid chance in their matchup against 8-2 Atlanta as Charlotte held a lead until the final seconds of regulation and then fought until the final seconds of overtime before the Fire could finally edge them out for their 9 th  victory of the season. In a game that saw both teams led by a 100-yard rusher and in which neither QB gave up a pick, it was the thinnest of margins that gave Atlanta the final victory and sent Charlotte to 3-8 on the year.   While Atlanta came into the game with one of the league’s highest scoring offenses, Charlotte had struggled all year to maintain drives and turn yardage into points. In this game neither team had difficulty finding success on offense, with Charlotte racking up an impressive 473 yards, including 185 on the ground, while Atlanta held their own with 116 on the ground and a total production of 433 yards. We had only 1 turnover in the game, a fumble by WR Austin Proehl, producing a field goal from the Fire, but what it came down to was the ability to hit the long field goal, with Atlanta’s John Bounds hitting a 58-yarder to send the game to overtime while Charlotte’s Stephen Earl missed from 47 in overtime, a kick that would have given the underdogs the win.   The game began with both teams moving the ball well, with Atlanta settling for 2 field goals in the first quarter while Charlotte turned one possession into a 13-play drive that ended with fullback Khari Blasingame scoring from the 6 on a nicely-run option play. Charlotte held their own throughout the first half and when Kyle Boller connected with wideout Justin Blackmon early in the 2 nd quarter for a 12-yard touchdown, it was the Monarchs, a 9-point underdog in the game, who took a solid 14-6 lead, a lead they would hold through the half.   Atlanta finally found the endzone on the opening drive of the second half, a drive that took only 6 plays to move from the Fire 20 into the endzone. The Fire finally broke through on a 2 nd  and 2, when play action left A. J. Green in single coverage. Aaron Murray found him for a 51-yard TD against the man coverage of the Monarchs. After adding a 2-point conversion, the game was knotted up at 14. Charlotte would retake the lead on the ensuing possession, with Stephen Earl connecting on a 22-yard field goal after Atlanta CB Shaquile Griffin batted down a 3 rd  and goal attempt. But, Charlotte’s lead would be short-lived. Atlanta showed good balance on their next possession, with Nick Chubb rushing the ball 3 times for 22 yards and Aaron Murray again finding A. J. Green for a score, this time a sideline fade from the 18. The quarter ended with the Fire holding a 21-17 advantage.   The fourth quarter started slowly, with both teams struggling to get into field goal range. Penalties were the big issue for Atlanta, as a holding call doomed one drive and offensive pass interference on Kelvin Benjamin ended a second. For Charlotte, the issue was QB protection, with their first drive of the quarter stymied by a sack of Boller on 2 nd  down, creating a very tough 3 rd and 17. The Monarchs would get a second shot midway through the quarter and, using the combined legs of Latavius Murray and Nyheim Hines, they largely kept the ball on the ground on a 14-play drive that finished with Boller finding slot receiver Austin Proehl on a crossing route. Proehl made up for his earlier fumble by going low to scoop up a low pass from Boller, giving Charlotte a 24-21 lead with only 1:11 left to play.   But, as so often happens, the Monarchs left too much time on the clock. With all 3 time outs left, Atlanta needed only to get into field goal range to equalize the score and send the game to overtime. They quickly moved down the field and into the outer edge of John Bounds’s range. But, after failing to move the ball past the Charlotte 41 on three straight pass attempts, the Fire were forced to send Bounds out with just a few ticks left on the clock to attempt a 58-yard kick.   Boller’s kick was low, barely missing the raised hands of the Monarch defenders, but it continued to rise along its route, and it cleared the crossbar to tie the game and send the divisional rivalry into overtime. In the extra period, Atlanta had the ball first but went 3-and-out after a nice defensive play on 3 rd and 5 kept the ball a yard shy of a first down. Atlanta punted and Charlotte had a chance to win the game with a kick. They moved the ball well, again using the ground game with only 1 pass on the drive. The drive stalled out on the Atlanta 30, leaving Stephen Earl with a 47-yard kick. Earl lined up, the snap and hold appeared to be good, but Earl hooked the ball to the left, and it sailed outside the uprights. That was all Atlanta needed. They took the ball back on the 37 and in only 6 plays they got the ball well inside John Bounds’ range. Their kicker came in on 3 rd  and 5 from the Charlotte 17 and put the 34-yard kick right down the center.   Atlanta had hung on and found a way to win, but Charlotte showed they were up for this game, a game that easily could have turned the other way. It was another sign that the shift to Kyle Boller had made a difference and that Charlotte was not as far from being a solid team as fans had feared.     BALTIMORE 17  NEW JERSEY 20 The Generals knew they needed this one, and they got it, a 3-point victory that evens their record with the Baltimore Blitz atop a pretty dicey NE Division. They send Baltimore to a 2 nd  straight defeat and in doing so pull themselves back into the playoff picture. They did it behind a great effort from, who else, Maurice Jones-Drew. Pocket Hercules rushed for 141 and added another 15 as a receiver, powering the General offense despite never finding the endzone himself. POTG:  New Jersey HB Maurice Jones-Drew: 19 Att, 141 Yds, 4 Rec, 15 Yds   ARIZONA 18  SAN DIEGO 12 OVERTIME The Wranglers struggle on offense but still manage to eke out a W over the Thunder thanks to their D and a big day from Calais Campbell, who has worked himself back to within 1 sack of the league lead. Campbell had 4 TFL along with 2 sacks in this game, while both Joe Haden and Jeremy Lane added picks of Christian Ponder as Arizona moves to 11-0 and locks up a playoff spot. POTG:  Arizona DE Calais Campbell: 7 Tck, 4 TFL, 2 Sck   HOUSTON 16  MEMPHIS 24 Houston is another preseason favorite whose offense seems to be struggling of late. Memphis took advantage, picking off Colt McCoy twice and sacking the Houston QB 4 times. Houston’s D did one better, knocking Paxton Lynch out of the game early in the 2 nd , but the problem with that is they then had to face Fitz-Magic. Ryan Fitzpatrick came in, went 15 of 22 and threw for 2 scores as Atlanta moves into a tie atop the South, knocking the Gamblers 2 games back. POTG:  Memphis LB Sam Acho: 5 Tck, 2 TFL, 1 Sck   MICHIGAN 27  OHIO 20 Despite losing Christian Hackenberg to injury the Glory hung in and made this a game. Michigan got 119 yards and 2 scores from LeVeon Bell and Kirk Cousins connected with TE Ladarius Green for a third score as the Panthers held the lead for most of the game but just could not put the Glory away. POTG:  Michigan DE Justin Tuck: 2 Tck, 1 Sck, 2 FF, 1 FR   DALLAS 35  SEATTLE 28 This battle of 5-5 teams was perhaps the most entertaining game this week, with both clubs finding ways to generate big plays and plenty of points. Justin Herbert threw for 322 and 3 scores, while Brett Hundley threw for all 4 Seattle TDs, though only on 193 yards. Dallas used balance to win the game, with Herbert’s big numbers paired with a combined 139 yards rushing from Perine (83) and Charles Sims (56). POTG:  Dallas rookie QB Justin Herbert: 16/31, 322 Yds, 3 TD, 1 Int   LAS VEGAS 17   OAKLAND 20  OVERTIME The Invaders blow a 17-0 lead as Las Vegas equalized the score with 17 unanswered, including a late TD from Jeff Tuel to Aaron Dobson to send the game to overtime. We almost ended with a tie, but on the last play of the game Oakland kicker Roberto Aguayo converted on a 54-yard field goal attempt to give the Invaders the win and a share of first place in the Pacific. POTG:  Viper DE Matthew Judon: 10 Tck, 2 Sck, 1 Sfty   JACKSONVILLE 27  ORLANDO 20 Another bad outing for Orlando and another solid win for an improving Bulls team that now moves into 3 rd  place in the South at 5-6. Teddy Bridgewater was again looking good, completing 14 of 28 for 288 yards and 3 TDs, but he got some help this week as HB Devin Singletary rushed for 111 yards on 17 carries, a total that included a 41-yard scamper in the third quarter. Russell Wilson threw 2 TDs to tight end David Njoku, but it was not enough to keep Orlando from falling to 5-6 and dropping to 4 th  in the division. POTG:  Bulls’ QB Teddy Bridgewater: 14/28, 288 Yds, 3 TD, 0 Int   WASHINGTON 25  TAMPA BAY 27 Washington keeps playing teams tough but keeps coming up short. They gave the Bandits a run this week, but failed on a key 2-point conversion to tie the game, allowing Tampa Bay to run down the clock and claim victory. The Federals’ defense put a lot of pressure on Dak Prescott, sacking the Bandit QB 8 times, but did not force any turnovers and also allowed Dalvin Cook to rush for 95 yards and a TD in the game. POTG:  Bandit LB Don’t’a Hightower: 5 Tck, 2 Sck   BIRMINGHAM 19   SAN ANTONIO 24 The Gunslingers were surprisingly effective against Cam Newton, holding him to only 10 yards rushing while also recording 5 sacks and limiting the Stallion QB to only 1 TD despite 356 yards passing. On offense, Easton Stick was efficient, completing 23 of 34 for 289 yards and finding both Marquise Goodwin and Julius Thomas for scores as both teams end the game sitting at 2-9, but one feeling much better about it than the other. POTG:  Gunslinger LB Gabe Miller: 4 Tck, 2 Sck   CHICAGO 27  ST. LOUIS 23 Lamar Jackson cut loose, rushing for 110 yards, including a 65-yard TD in an effort to get a win, but in the end, Chicago just had a bit more in the tank, scoring the game’s final 14 points to turn a 13-23 deficit into a 27-23 victory. Sam Bradford threw for 334 and found both Chase Claypool and Kenny Golloday for 4 th quarter scores as the Machine improve to 8-3. POTG:  Machine rookie WR Chase Claypool: 7 Rec, 104 Yds, 1 TD   DENVER 14   LOS ANGELES 19 The Express did not wow anyone with offensive prowess, but with 9 sacks of Denver QB Josh Allen, their defense certainly opened some eyes. Allen had a rough game, throwing for only 167 yards and completing 45.2% of his throws under intense pressure from the LA front 7. The Express only mustered 1 offensive TD, but added a pick-six and a safety to help them claim victory and move to 7-4 on the year. POTG:  Express LB Uchena Nwosu: 4 Tck, 2 Sck, 1 Sfty, 1 FF, 1 FR   OKLAHOMA 18  PORTLAND 14 The Stags lose their 3 rd  game in 4 weeks as Oklahoma QB Jalen Hurts gets his first W as a starter. Hurts went 20 of 33 for 308 yards for the Outlaws while the defense sacked Marcus Mariota 5 times and forced 2 turnovers. It was 14-11 Portland after 3, but the Outlaws got the lone score of the 4 th quarter and it was enough to boost them to 5-6 on the year. POTG:  Outlaw QB Jalen Hurts: 20/33, 308 Yds, 1 TD, 1 Int   NEW ENGLAND 26  PHILADELPHIA 11 Someone break up the New England Steamrollers! The expansion club wins their 2 nd in a row and now sits at 4-7 after scoring the first 16 points of the game and holding Philadelphia to only 1 TD in the game. It was the 3-headed run game for New England that got the job done, with Forte (47), Williams (66) and Yeldon (39) combining for 152 yards. POTG:  Steamroller kicker Brett Maher: 4/4 on field goals.   NEW ORLEANS 34  PITTSBURGH 14 The Breakers move to 8-3 with a big win over the Maulers. Geno Smith throws for 323 and 3 scores while HB Myles Gaskin, still getting more carries than Denver import DeMarco Murray, takes the ball 22 times for 108 yards and a score. The Maulers were hurt by two costly Andy Dalton picks, but Dalton was under pressure all game, sacked 6 times and forced to scramble far too often for a pocket passer. POTG:  Breaker QB Geno Smith: 19/26, 323 Yds, 3 TD, 0 Int     Wrangler Offense Struggles as Cruz is Lost for 2020 We understand that few tears are going to be shed for the Arizona Wranglers. They have appeared in 5 Summer Bowls since 2013, won 3 titles, and are the defending league champions. They are also unbeaten this year. But that does not mean that everything is smiles and balloons in the Valley of the Sun. Look at the scores for the Wranglers the past 4 weeks and you see what we mean. Yes, all 4 games were Wrangler wins, but they put up 24, 26, 16, and 18 points. The offense is not what many expected and not what we are used to seeing. And now, with Victor Cruz lost for the year, it may get even worse.   The defense, and once again we have to highlight Calais Campbell, who seems hell bent on getting into the sack race once again, has been carrying the club for the better part of the season. The Wrangler offense which was so dynamic in 2019 has scored 30 or more points only once since Week 2, a 38-13 demolition of Oklahoma. And the honest truth is that we are not sure exactly why. This is still an offense with great balance and good yardage numbers, 2 nd  in the league in rushing at 114.1 yards per game and 5 th  in total yards, but they are just not putting up the big numbers we got so used to seeing. Thank goodness the D is limiting teams to only 217 yards passing per game and 15.2 points. If the Gamblers are going to repeat, they will need that defense to be the focus.   Portland Drops 2nd in a Row as Hurts Gets First Win Another team that seems to be struggling of late are the Portland Stags. After a 5-2 start, the Stags have gone 1-3 in their last 4 games, including a bad loss to the then 1-9 San Diego Thunder and now this week’s lackluster performance against Oklahoma. The high-scoring offense that put up 44 against Oakland in Week 7 and 38 against Denver the week before has put up only 14 points twice in their 3 losses, the other being a defensive collapse against San Diego, producing a 42-27 loss.   Is it that teams have figured out Portland’s formula? That with more film there are more obvious ways to limit the Stag attack? Or is it just the natural ebbing and waning of success for a team not used to winning? The Stags face the Denver Gold again this week, having beaten them 38-27 six weeks ago. This will be a good test to see if Stag Nation needs to be worried or if the club can right the ship against a struggling Denver Gold club.   Herbert Leads Dallas to Big Win in Battle of 5-5 Teams This weeks battle of 5-5 clubs Dallas and Seattle was the tale of two QBs making hay. Seattle may have found an unexpected diamond in the rough with New Jersey castoff Brett Hundley, who threw for 4 scores in this shootout game, but Dallas is thinking they may have their guy for the next decade as rookie Justin Herbert is improving each week and looking very much like a possible Rookie of the Year. Herbert had his best game statistically against Seattle, completing 16 of 31 for 322 yards and 3 touchdowns. He is mixing it up among his receivers as well, with Sammy Watkins starring last week while this game saw Herbert find Courtland Sutton for 127 yards. He is also not afraid to get the backs into the passing game, evident with a pair of beautiful swing passes to Samaje Perine, one for a 32-yard gain and the other for a TD.   As we outlined above, Dallas has a shot to get locked in, go on a tear, and lock up their first playoff berth since the move from Boston (the first since Boston’s 2009 league title, actually), and at the helm of that run would be a rookie QB who is making the most of his first season.   Jackson unleashed in St. Louis Run Game There are not a lot of good moments coming out of a 1-10 season for the St. Louis Skyhawks this year. They got their coach fired midseason. Their star halfback was lost to injury for most of the year, and their defense continues to be as ineffective as those off-brand towels in the Bounty ads. But, one bright spot was seen this week, when interim head coach Dave Borgonzi gave the fans a taste of something they have been craving for a long time, a running Lamar Jackson. Jackson was not only given free reign on some run-pass options, but had several scheduled QB runs added to the playbook. The result? How about 110 yards rushing, including a scintillating 65-yarder, and a much closer game against Chicago than many expected. Jackson still has work to do in the passing game, where he threw for only 162, but the addition of planned runs as well as some RPO plays is very welcome to Skyhawk fans who constantly questioned why Borgonzi’s predecessor, Frank Reich, did not make use of Lamar Jackson’s talents as a runner. Will adding this wrinkle be enough to allow Borgonzi to keep the job at the top of the Skyhawk staff? That seems unlikely, but what it may do is alter what ownership is looking for in their next coach. Bringing in a coach with a penchant for RPO and a love of mobile QBs may be on the agenda if Jackson proves that he can thrive in that kind of system.   Two teams in, two teams out, and 26 left to fight on. The Wranglers and Bandits, both 11-0 are now mathematically locked into no worse than a Wild Card, but you know they are shooting for much more. On the flipside of the table we have the 1-10 Philadelphia Stars and St. Louis Skyhawks, two teams that have already jettisoned their head coaches, officially out of contention and forced to play out the string for the next 5 weeks. In between these two poles we have 26 teams, each with varying control of their own destiny. Looking good we have 9-2 Michigan and Atlanta along with 8-3 New Orleans, Memphis, Chicago, and Pittsburgh. A bit more desperate we have 3-8 Ohio and Charlotte as well as 4-7 New England and Denver. Only 1 returning player on the COVID-list, a season low, and a pretty small group overall. As far as on-field injuries, the story this week is the loss of Victor Cruz for the rest of the season after the speedy wideout tore his hamstring in a non-contact injury. Arizona will certainly miss their speed receiver, as was evident this week as their offense struggled.   OUT WR         Victor Cruz          ARZ       Torn Hamstring             IR DE          Kony Ealy              NJ           PCL Tear                          IR LB           Junior Galette        NEN      MCL Tear                          IR OG         Mike Iupati           ORL      Wrist                            1-2 Weeks DT          Albert Haynesworth     ATL         Thigh Bruise            1-2 Weeks CB          Ronald Darby                   CHA      Hamstring                   1-2 Weeks   DOUBTFUL DE          Kereem Martin              ORL       Groin OT          Levi Brown                     TBY        Thigh DT          Jason Hargrave               ARZ       Knee   QUESTIONABLE QB         Paxton Lynch                MEM     Pinched Nerve WR         JuJu Smith-Schuster    HOU     Finger CB          John Reid                        PHI        Hand QB         Matt McGloin                LV           Neck   COVID-19 INACTIVES BAL        LB           Jarvis Jones                 2 nd Week DAL       SS           Dezmen Southward OKL       OT          Austin Corbett PHI        OT          Dion Dawkins SAN       CB          Jordan Pugh SEA        SS           Terrell Edmunds WSH     LB           Tremaine Edwards   Eight Players Who May Benefit from a Change of Scenery By this stage of the season, we have a pretty good idea of the main storylines of the year. Sure, there may be a late season surge, or a collapse down the stretch, but what we generally know is which teams have the pieces in place to be successful, which do not, and where there might be a mismatch between a coach’s system and the players he has to run that system. We asked our bullpen of USFL experts to take a look at all 30 teams and to identify those places where a team’s system or the coach’s vision of how to build a team just does not mesh well with certain players, to identify players who might well find much more success in a different system. We asked who would benefit from a new system, a change of coaching style, or just a new start with a new team. We found 8 players that most agreed could be successful if they just found a new home and a system that suited their talents.   QB Kyler Murray (LA) Yes, we understand that the 2020 season is only Murray’s 2 nd  in the pros, and maybe it is too early to judge what we have seen from the sophomore QB, but what we see is a QB who is just not aligned well with Coach Lewis’s somewhat conservative offensive approach. Much like Lamar Jackson in St. Louis, Murray is a more instinctive, out of the pocket, passer, a player who can use his feet to keep plays alive and even scramble to make plays. That is not what Coach Lewis is looking for and it shows in Murray’s early career stats. After a rookie year that saw him throw for only 2,650 yards and earn a 73.4 QB Rating, his numbers look even worse this year. He likely will finish with more yards, but with 14 picks already this year and a current QBR hovering around 65, he is simply not showing us the kind of inventive playmaking that was highlighted at his time in Norman as OU’s signal caller.   QB Christian Hackenberg (OHI) There was a time when we saw a lot of potential in Hackenberg. In 2017 he threw for 3,440 yards, and did so again in 2019, but he has always struggled with interceptions, an average of 13 per year his first 3 years. We are only 11 games into 2020, and he already has 17 picks in Ohio’s offense. And here is where we think the issue lies. Coach Coughlin is asking Hackenberg to be a QB that he just does not have the skills to be. Coughlin wants him to play a vertical game, taking advantage of the Glory run game to catch defenses in man coverage and take the ball deep, but Hack is best when he is throwing underneath, finding players in holes in zone and not trying to connect on deep balls. His touch is just not that good on the long ball and far too often he underthrows the ball, which is ideal for deep safeties to have time to come in and snatch the ball away. Put Hackenberg in a West Coast system based on zone beaters and he could find more success. In Coughlin’s system he just is being asked to play a game that is not aligned with his skills.   HB Kenyan Drake (ATL) Atlanta’s change of pace back started his career as the starter for the Fire but has been displaced by Nick Chubb. Chubb is a clear power back, at his best when he is running between the tackles and shedding off tacklers. Drake is best suited to counters, outside runs, and misdirection plays, where his one-cut skills can be maximized. Averaging fewer than 10 touches per game and often asked to mimic Chubbs inside game, we just are not seeing the production that Drake could have if he were in a system that used him to misdirect defenders. Put Drake in a spread offense, or even a 3-receiver base set and he could be a very dangerous weapon, but we don’t see that happening in Atlanta.   WR Chris Givens (SD) There are a lot of issues in San Diego this year, including real concerns that QB Christian Ponder has regressed when compared to past years. One of the obvious issues has been that WR Chris Givens is just not the receiver that San Diego needs in the slot. He has already seen snaps taken away by rookie Laviska Shenault, and he just does not have the quicks to make the kind of routes on the inside effective ones. In our view, Givens has the potential to be a very solid outside receiver, but San Diego is not putting him in that position, not wanting to displace either Marques Colston or Ronald Johnson to give their 3 rd  receiver that shot.   WR Stevie Johnson (STL) There is only one thing you need to know about the 2020 version of Stevie Johnson to understand why he is on this list. He currently trails Allen Robinson in targets, catches, and yards. That seems absurd on the surface and is a clear sign that the Skyhawk coaching staff just does not know what to do with Johnson. They are trying to turn a burner into a possession guy, and that is just not his game. Put Stevie Johnson in a position to use double moves, or just to scream down the field, and he can make big plays. Ask him to go over the middle and turn an 8-yard route into a 20-yard gain and you are setting him up to take a lot of hits that his frame cannot handle. It just does not make sense to use him that way.   DT Sheldon Richardson (STL) We stick with the Skyhawks for one more underutilized or misused player. Sheldon Richardson should be a space eater, the perfect nose tackle for a 3-4 system, but instead he is being asked to work stunts and line shifts in the 4-3. Yes, he is a big man, and he is powerful, but agility is not his best feature and asking him to penetrate the line when he is best suited to hold multiple blockers at bay seems like a complete mismatch between his talents and the system the Skyhawks want to run.   DE Arthur Moats (ORL) With 7 seasons of 10 or more sacks, and with a 20-sack 2017, many felt that Moats should be the highlighted edge rusher for a club, taking over the Left End position that puts him on the blind side of most QBs. Many thought this would happen when Calais Campbell left for Arizona ahead of the 2019 season, but rather than respect Moats’ success as a pass rusher, the Renegades brought in Montez Sweat and offered the rookie the coveted LDE slot, keeping Moats on the right side. His numbers are still fine, with 11 sacks already this year, but he could be doing more and earning more on the left side with a team that allows him to be the main man on that D-line.   LB A. J. Johnson (CHA) Charlotte has a situation at linebacker that most teams would love to have. They have 2 very strong middle linebackers in Rolando McClain and A. J. Johnson. The problem is that Coach Vance Joseph is a fully devoted 4-3 guy, which means that one of the two has to move outside. That man has been Johnson, who is often found in pursuit on the strong side of the formation. Johnson is a natural MLB, and we have seen more than a few times where his size and relative lack of mobility is a hinderance rather than a benefit to the Monarch defense. Put him on either a 3-4 lineup where he can focus on charging the gap against the run or even a 4-3 where he is positioned as the middleman of a linebacker trio and he could be far more effective.    Charlotte to Go Deep Purple in 2021 The Charlotte Monarchs very much feel like a team looking to reboot in 2021, so it is not surprising that their new Under Armour look is very much a departure from their past identity. Gone is the teal-dominant look they have worn since coming into the league as an expansion club in 2008. The team colors remain the same, but a clear shift has occurred as the 2021 uniform design goes purple dominant.   The shift starts with their new helmet, featuring a purple shell and purple facemask. Other than the team name on the rear bumper and a use of teal in the new diamond-pattern found above the rear numbers, there is no teal at all in the helmet. The modified crown logo, now more vertical with an “M” carved in the empty space between the lower white bar and the gold upper crown, features no teal at all, and with no helmet striping, it is a very purple-dominant look.   The jerseys repeat many of the motifs we see in the helmet, the dominance of purple in both road and home uniforms, the use of a diamond motif throughout, particularly in the sleeve cuffs and the collar, and the use of teal in very limited ways throughout, even less prevalent than the use of gold, which we at least see in the outlines around the player numbers. It is a very clean look, including as well a new secondary logo based on the image of a playing card with a stylized king holding a football instead of a sword or scepter. The pants are also very basic, with no prominent striping, only a small crown logo and 3 diamonds on the hip. Under Armour is using a different material, creating a slightly glossy stripe down the center of both pants, but it is a stripe in the same color as the pant set so it only appears to be a bit of shimmer in an otherwise monochrome pant. The alternates are where we see the tradition of Charlotte as a teal-wearing team return. Of course the retro look retains the teal helmet that the Monarchs have worn since their inception, with the full uniform reflecting their 2008 inaugural look, complete with a tapered helmet stripe and the unique chest stripe that formed a crown at the base of the collar. The alternate, appropriately named the “Teal Deal” combines the teal color scheme with the new diamond pattern and minimalist jerseys. Using the same teal helmet shell, but now with a teal facemask, the uniform, in both white and teal versions, simply swaps purple for teal across all elements, creating a look that reflects the new aesthetic while bringing back the color balance from past years of the Monarch franchise.   We enter Week 12 hoping for some tight games and some drama, which is pretty much the norm in the USFL. Friday night could be a good one as we start off at 8pm with New Jersey, now tied for 1 st  in the Northeast, looking for some respect as they take on the unbeaten Tampa Bay Bandits. Can Coach Turner find a way to slow down Dak Prescott and also to put a fire under the Generals’ offense? Friday also offers us two rivalry games, with the San Diego Thunder hoping to knock off their “big brothers” to the north, the LA Express, followed by a classic Southern Division clash as New Orleans takes on Birmingham.   Saturday features 4 divisional games. Two look a bit like mismatches, with expansion San Antonio facing the Houston Gamblers and 2-9 Las Vegas facing 11-0 Arizona, but we also have a nice battle in the Southwest with 5-6 Oklahoma hoping to hit .500 by knocking off 6-5 Dallas and Rookie QB Justin Herbert. Then, in the nightcap, a must-see game in the Central as the Chicago Machine and Pittsburgh Maulers, both 8-3 and a game behind Michigan in the division, face off with 2 nd place, and maybe even a share of 1 st  on the line.   Sunday brings us those 9-2 Michigan Panthers, who face off against St. Louis, who are only 1-10 but seem ready to unleash Lamar Jackson as a dual threat, which could be a challenge for the Panther linebackers. We also have a Pacific showdown with 7-4 Oakland taking on 5-6 Seattle in a game that could raise or crush Seattle’s playoff hopes. The rest of the action is inter-divisional, but some games to check out include 6-5 Portland hoping to snap their losing streak as they take on a disappointing 4-7 Denver squad, and a battle hovering around .500 as the 6-5 Baltimore Blitz battle the 5-6 Orlando Renegades. Both teams have struggled over the past month. Which one can use this game as a springboard to a strong finish?   FRIDAY 8pm ET        New Jersey (6-5) @ Tampa Bay (11-0)             Orlando           NBC 8pm ET          San Diego (2-9) @ Los Angeles (7-4)              Las Vegas        FOX 9pm ET           New Orleans (8-3) @ Birmingham (2-9)         TDECU             ESPN/EFN   SATURDAY 1pm ET        San Antonio (2-9) @ Houston (6-5)                    NRG                      ABC 4pm ET          Las Vegas (2-9) @ Arizona (11-0)                        Glendale            FOX 4pm ET           Oklahoma (5-6) @ Dallas (6-5)                         Las Vegas           ABC 8pm ET         New England (4-7) @ Atlanta (9-2)                   Gainesville        NBC 8pm ET            Washington (5-6) @ Jacksonville (5-6)             Tampa                    FOX 9pm ET           Pittsburgh (8-3) @ Chicago (8-3)                      Rice                      ESPN/EFN   SUNDAY 1pm ET          St. Louis (1-10) @ Michigan (9-2)                     NRG                      ABC 4pm ET          Seattle (5-6) @ Oakland (7-4)                            Glendale            ABC 4pm ET           Portland (6-5) @ Denver (4-7)                           Las Vegas           FOX 8pm ET           Philadelphia (1-10) @ Charlotte (3-8)              Orlando               ABC 8pm ET          Baltimore (6-5) @ Orlando (5-6)                       Tampa                  FOX 9pm ET           Ohio (3-8) @ Memphis (8-3)                               TDECU                 ESPN/EFN

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: While Geno Smith's numbers were great, his impact was not as profound as A. J. Green's was for the Fire, in a much closer game, a rivalry game against Charlotte, Green stepped up and put together his most complete performance of the season, one that included 2 touchdowns in what turned out to be a very close affair. PLAYOFF PICTURE: We had a feeling that this week could produce some movement in the Playoff Picture and it did, with both of the league's undefeated teams now locked into a playoff spot (but obviously hoping for more). The Bandits and Wranglers are both now focused on winning their divisions and clinching the 1 seed. On the other end of the spectrum, we also got our first two eliminations, with 1-10 Philadelphia and 1-10 St. Louis now both out of the running, something most of us had felt was the case for several weeks.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Jalen Watkins packed an entire season of big plays into one game. The Oakland cornerback had himself a day, picking off 4 Kyler Murray passes in what was a nightmare game for the young QB but a career day for the 6th year corner. Watkins, playing the nickel for most of the game, had more picks in one game than in any season in his career. Add on the fact that one of those picks turned into a pick-six and this is certainly a day that Watkins will cherish for a long time. PLAYOFF PICTURE: Week 10 is too early to have any teams locked in, but that does not mean that there are not some on the fringe of clinching. The two obvious choices are the two unbeatens, Arizona and Tampa Bay, both of whom are within 1-2 weeks of locking in a well-earned playoff spot. It is also too soon for clubs to be eliminated, so even 1-9 San Antonio, Philadelphia, and St. Louis still have hope. It may be a delusional "lottery ticket" hope, but the math says it is still possible.

As our Big Story this week will elaborate, Week 10 was a good one for the underdogs, we saw San Diego, Jacksonville, Charlotte, and New England all defy the odds and the oddsmakers by scoring surprising victories against teams with winning records. It was also a week for QB news as Kyle Boller gets a win in his first start at QB, Joe Flacco goes down to injury, which meant we got an Easton Stick sighting, and in Philadelphia another loss means we are going to see Ryan Lindley under center for the 1-9 Stars. We will start our report with our story on some big upsets this week, run through all the weeks action and begin our very early look at the 2021 draft by scouting 10 top defensive prospects. It all begins with our Big Story.   Underdog Uprising There is a reason the Las Vegas books stay in business and rarely struggle to post a profit. Betting on football is a tough business, and weeks like this one are proof positive. Putting aside the games where the spread was not covered, games like Tampa Bay’s 7 point win over Philadelphia (a 10-point underdog) or Atlanta’s 3-point shootout win over Washington (a 5-point underdog) and we still have some hugely unexpected results, including what may be the first truly solid game the San Diego Thunder have put together all year. This week alone we had the Thunder, a 9-point underdog against 6-3 Portland, run up 42 points and a 15-point victory. Then you had Jacksonville, a 5-point underdog against New Jersey take a 3-point victory. Charlotte, starting journeyman Kyle Boller, went into their match against Baltimore as an 8-point underdog and ended up winning by 10, and the expansion New England Steamrollers had perhaps the most shocking result, absolutely dominating the Orlando Renegades to the tune of 23-6. It was a week of upsets, and every one was different. Here are the keys to each game.   San Diego’s Upset of the Portland Stags Outgained 484-282, how did the Thunder manage to beat the Stags, and beat them handily? The key was efficiency on offense, that and generating 3 turnovers. Christian Ponder completed 25 passes but averaged only 5.7 yards per pass, but when they were in scoring range, he did not falter, throwing 5 touchdowns, all of them in the red zone. His first was a 1-yarder, then his longest at 17 yards to Luke Wilson, then 4, 9, and 6. No huge bombs, just efficient, ball control offense against a defense that just was not playing well in this one.   Jacksonville Ekes Out a Win over New Jersey The Bulls’ D has been much improved of late, and in this one they struggled a bit, giving up 317 total yards, but for the first time in a long time the offense helped them out, with Teddy Bridgewater carrying the offense on his back to the tune of 406 of the team’s 444 total yards. Bridgewater averaged over 11 yards per attempt, hitting on several big plays, including a 60-yard TD to halfback Devin Singletary, a 42-yard toss to Tee Higgins that set up a Singletary TD run, and a 53-yard catch and run from Tajae Sharpe. It was all about busted coverages and Bridgewater keeping the play alive until his receivers got open. That is what undid the Generals’ plans for a victory.   Charlotte Played Controlled Football For the Monarchs it was about not hurting themselves, as Charlotte had no turnovers, only 2 penalties, and just kept plugging along, keeping the pressure on the Baltimore Blitz all game. After an initial field goal in the 1 st  quarter, the Blitz did not score again until late in the 4 th , watching as bit by bit Charlotte went from 3-0 down to 3-3, 6-3, 9-3, then 16-3 on a Boller to Blasingame TD pass, then 19-3, and then 26-3 with only 5:47 left. Slowly putting points up while the defense kept Jake Locker and Josh Jacobs in check all game long.   New England Uses Front 7 To Great Effect The Steamrollers had perhaps the biggest surprise performance of the week as they not only rolled for 411 yards, their best offensive output all year, but held the Renegades to only 243, with the run game only gaining 90 yards (Montgomery leading with 44 yards) and sacking Russell Wilson 4 times. It was the most complete game Coach Fox’s squad put together all season. Ryan Tannehill completed 24 of 39, Kerwynn Williams rushed for 92 yards, and 7 different receivers touched the ball as the Steamrollers got a nice midseason win to move to 3 on the year.   Very different paths, different strengths, but equal results, big upset wins for some teams that needed something positive this season. For the Blitz, Generals, Renegades, and Stags, these losses hurt, but for the victors, it is a sweet taste of success in what have been some bitter seasons so far.                 WASHINGTON FEDERALS 34   ATLANTA FIRE 37 A true shootout in Orlando as the Atlanta Fire and the Washington Federals combined for 800 yards of offense and 71 combined points. What is even wilder is that in the first and 3 rd  quarter there were only 6 points, a field goal each, while in the 2 nd  we saw 35 points scored and in the 4 th  another 30. It was a game of wild and quick strikes as both QBs put up some big numbers. Ryan Nassib had his best outing as a member of the Federals, completing 35 of 45 passing, racking up 350 yards and 4 TDs, while on the other side, Aaron Murray threw for 282, but got a lot of help from his run game, as Nick Chubb and Kenyan Drake combined for 92 yards.   Tyreek Hill would be the game’s lead receiver with133 yards and 2 touchdowns, while for Atlanta it was NFL import A. J. Green with 123 and a TD for the Fire. And it was a game with some big defensive plays, including a pick-six from Earl Thomas of Atlanta, while the Federals saw Prince Amukamara rack up 5 passes defended and a pick, while Chris Long got 2 sacks and forced a fumble. The game started slowly, as we cited, with the only points of the first quarter coming off of the foot of Atlanta’s John Bounds, but the cautious and slow pace of the first quarter proved deceptive as the floodgates opened in the 2 nd . Atlanta started it off, going up 10 with a 7-play drive finished off by an 11-yard TD run from Kenyan Drake. Only 5 plays later, Washington was on the board when Ryan Nassib found Jarvis Landry on a beautiful out & up route, breaking free from the corner and scoring from 42 yards out. Atlanta countered with another quick drive, this one 9 plays in only 4 minutes and finished with a 3-yard Nick Chubb counter play.   Just 18 seconds later, Atlanta made it 24-7 when Earl Thomas picked off Ryan Nassib and ran the pick back 33 yards to boost the lead to 17. Was the route on? Not quite, as Washington responded with a nice 2-minute drill, with Nassib hitting Keenan Allen with just seconds left to pull back to 10 at 24-14. In the 3 rd , Washington would drop it down to a 7-point lead with a Vinatieri field goal, another deceptively slow quarter, but the 4th would once again turn up the heat.   The final quarter opened with Vinatieri hitting from 39 yards out to pull Washington to within 3, but once again Atlanta tried to pull out again. They added 3 points on their next drive, and after holding Washington to a 3-and-out, Aaron Murray hit on his biggest play of the game, a 48-yard touchdown toss on a 3 rd  and 11 that gave Atlanta another big lead at 34-20. But Washington would not go away, and with only 5:09 to play, they went hurry up, with a huge play on their 3 rd  play of the drive, Tyreek Hill catching the ball 11 yards down the field and then simply running away from defenders for a 62-yard TD pass.   The Federals opted to kick the ball deep, and it paid off as they forced a 3-and-out. Washington kept up the pace and in only 1:07 they put the ball back in the endzone, with Nassib finding Hill again, this time from 13 yards out, a score that tied the game at 34, much to the disbelief of the Fire. But, Atlanta still had 1:21 and all they needed was a field goal. Aaron Murray would lead the Fire on a drive to avoid overtime, and with a pair of nice throws, the first a 20-yarder to Kelvin Benjamin, and then a 16-yard inside toss to O. J. Howard, they were in range. With 1 time out left, they positioned the ball with a draw to Chubb, and then sent out John Bounds. Bounds put the ball through with just a few ticks left on the clock and Atlanta escaped with a hard fought win in a very tough battle with a Federals team that simply did not give up at any point.   PHILADELPHIA 17   TAMPA BAY 24 The Bandits struggled on offense against a Philadelphia defense that seemed to have their number, but after falling behind 10-7 in the first quarter, they got TDs from Prescott to both Dez Bryant and Jordan Cameron to take a 14-point lead. Despite giving up 329 total yards to the Stars, the Bandits held their lead and held on to win the game in what was a much tougher affair than many had anticipated. POTG:  Bandit DE Brian Burns: 3 Tck, 2 Sck, 1 FF   LOS ANGELES 7   OAKLAND 26 Kyler Murray had a nightmare game against the Invader D, throwing 5 picks, 4 of them to nickel corner Jaylen Watkins, who had never had more than 3 picks in an entire season before this game. He not only picked off Murray 4 times but returned one for a touchdown as the Invader defense absolutely dominated the Express and Murray. Despite only gaining 176 total yards on offense, the Invaders earned 19-point victory over their in-state rival, leaving both teams at 6-4 after 10 weeks. POTG:  Invader CB Jaylen Watkins: 1 Tck, 4 Int, 1 DefTD   MEMPHIS 31  CHICAGO 7 While no one player could be singled out for the Machine, they too suffered a nightmare loss. In their case it was the inability to stop the Memphis passing game, notably with 2 key defenders out due to injury & Covid protocols. Paxton Lynch threw for 294 yards and 3 touchdowns. Meanwhile Rex Ryan’s defense held Chicago to only 77 yards rushing and one lone score on the day. The win propels Memphis to 7-3, dropping Chicago to that same record. POTG:  Memphis QB Paxton Lynch: 21/33, 294 Yds, 3 TD, 2 Int   NEW ORLEANS 10   MICHIGAN 24 Michigan sacked Geno Smith 4 times, picked him off once, and held him to only 12 of 26 as the Panther D asserted itself in this key inter-conference game. On offense, LeVeon Bell was held below 100 yards, but his 98 rushing yards, paired with 48 in the air helped Michigan get the 14-point win. Kirk Cousins also connected for 3 TDs, including two to his favorite target, Cody Latimer, as Michigan moves to 8-2, the 2 nd  best record in the West behind only unbeaten Arizona. POTG:  Michigan QB Kirk Cousins: 24/34, 239 Yds, 3 TD, 0 Int   DENVER 24  LAS VEGAS 22 New OC Ken Dorsey had Josh Allen going deeper sooner and it paid off with 3 touchdowns, including a 39-yard scoring throw to Kevin White and a 33-yarder to Golden Tate. With Matt McGloin knocked out of the game late in the 1 st quarter, backup Jeff Tuel almost brought the Vipers back, but a failed 2-point conversion preserved the win for the Gold, who snap a 5-game losing streak. POTG : Denver LB Justin Houston: 7 Tck, 1 Sck   PORTLAND 27   SAN DIEGO 42 The first of our stunners for the week as San Diego takes out 2 months of frustration on a seemingly unprepared Portland defense. Christian Ponder completed 25 of 34 and threw for 5 TDs in a shocking offensive explosion from the Thunder. Both Ronald Johnson and TE Luke Wilson scored twice, Marques Colston added another, and LB Myles Jack contributed an 8-yard fumble recovery TD as the basement-dwelling Thunder stun the Stags, dropping them into a 3-way tie atop the Pacific at 6-4. POTG:  Viper LB Myles Jack: 5 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 Def, TD, 1 FF, 1 FR   NEW JERSEY 26   JACKSONVILLE 29 Not quite as shocking, considering New Jersey’s up and down season, but still an upset as Jacksonville, a 7-point underdog, came back late to steal a win. New Jersey had built up a 26-19 lead on touchdown tosses from Foles to OBJ and Muhammed Sanu, but in the final 2:42 of the game, Jacksonville tied the score on a Bridgewater to Singletary TD pass, held New Jersey to a 3-and-out, and with less than 1 minute left got the ball in range for Rodrigo Blankenship to win the game on the final play, a walk off field goal for Jacksonville’s 4 th win on the year. POTG:  Bulls’ QB Teddy Bridgewater: 20/36, 406 Yds, 2 TD, 0 Int   BALTIMORE 16   CHARLOTTE 26 Kyle Boller gets an upset victory in his first start, replacing Mitch Trubisky. Boller went 19 of 29 for 181 yards and 1 score, but it was enough to set up 4 Stephen Earl field goals. The game was actually not as close as the score indicates, with Charlotte building up a 26-3 lead midway through the 4 th before giving up a pair of late scores. The Monarch D held Baltimore’s Josh Jacobs to only 59 yards rushing and put pressure on Jake Locker all game long in the upset. POTG:  Charlotte FS Tre Boston: 2 Tck, 2 PDef, 1 Int   BIRMINGHAM 27  PITTSBURGH 30 The Maulers barely escaped this battle of Steel Cities as Birmingham got a monster day from Cam Newton once again, but this time entirely in the air, as Newton threw for 445 yards and 4 TDs. The Maulers kept pace, with TDs from Cam Akers, Brian Quick, and Sony Michel in a back and forth game that nearly went to overtime. Chris Boswell lined up for a 52-yard field goal as time was running out, but a false start pushed Birmingham out of his range and forced Cam Newton to try for a Hail Mary. He completed a long pass to Dontrelle Inman, but the attempt at the lateral failed, causing a fumble that Pittsburgh recovered to end the game in a wild finish. POTG:  Stallion QB Cam Newton: 26/40, 445 Yds, 4 Td, 2 Int   HOUSTON 20   ST. LOUIS 0 No upset alert in this one as the Gamblers were ready for Lamar Jackson’s new RPO options. Jackson attempted 11 rushing plays and ended up with -3 yards in total as the Gamblers used a nickel safety to spy him. The Gamblers kept 5 DBs on the field the entire game, not fearing the St. Louis ground attack. And while it was a shaky game form Colt McCoy (12 of 21 for only 194), the Gamblers did enough to earn the win, thanks mostly to their defense. POTG:  Houston LB Tim Crowder: 8 Tck, 3 TFL, 1 Sck   OKLAHOMA 3   SEATTLE 21 Another outstanding game from Brett Hundley has Seattle at .500 as they win the battle of 4-5 clubs. Hundley completed 22 of 30 passing and threw for 2 scores, while Knowshon Moreno added a 3 rd  on the ground and the Dragon D completely shut down the Oklahoma offense, limiting Jalen Hurts to 9 of 18 throwing and allowing only 3 conversions in 14 third down attempts. The Dragon D sacked Hurts 4 times and used a lot of blanket zones to confuse the rookie in his first USFL start. POTG:  Seattle DE Jerry Hughes: 2 Tck, 2 Sck   ARIZONA 16  DALLAS 13 One mistake is all it took for Arizona to earn a hard-fought win in a surprisingly defensive matchup against Justin Herbert and the Dallas Roughnecks. Both offenses struggled in this one, but with 2:58 left to play, Dallas held a 13-9 advantage over the surprisingly contained Arizona offense. But, trying to add to their lead, Dallas had Hebert passing late, and he tried to force a ball into Sammy Watkins, only for Arizona DB Jeremy Lane to undercut the route and scamper 38 yards for the pick-six that would give the Wranglers a 3-point win and retain their unblemished record at 10-0. A tough lesson for the rookie QB to be sure. POTG:  Arizona CB Jeremy Lane: 6 Tck, 3 PDef, 1 Int, 1 Def TD   NEW ENGLAND 23  ORLANDO 6 Our final stunner of the weekend as New England held Orlando to only 243 total yards, forcing 3 takeaways and allowing only 2 of 12 on third down to upset the heavily favored Renegades. Kerwynn Williams rushed for 92 yards and Ryan Tannehill found both Dennis Pitta and Jack Doyle for TDs, but it was the Steamroller D that surprised the Renegades and secured a 3 rd  win for the expansion New England squad. POTG:  Steamroller DE Mario Addison: 4 Tck, 1 Sck, 2 FF, 1 FR   SAN ANTONIO 21   OHIO 24  OVERTIME A surprisingly good game between two division basement dwellers as Ohio and San Antonio went back and forth for 60 minutes before deciding the game in overtime. Joe Flacco went down in the first quarter, hit hard after hitting Marquise Goodwin on a 7-yard TD strike. In came Easton Stick for his first action. The untested QB went 15 of 28 and helped San Antonio even the game at 21 in the final minute, but in overtime it was Ohio that got the chance to end the game on a long Robbie Gould FG attempt and their kicker came through with the 48-yard attempt. For Ohio the star was 3 rd  year receiver Curtis Samuel, who caught 7 balls for 171 yards, including a 71-yard TD in the 3 rd quarter. Christian Hackenberg also found Terry McLaurin for a 33-yard scoring toss as he finished with 313 yards and 2 scores on the day. POTG:  Ohio WR Curtis Samuel: 7 Rec, 171 Yds, 1 TD   Watkins Makes History with 4 Picks in 1 Game You will be forgiven if the name Jaylen Watkins is not one you immediately recognize. The 6-year veteran who played 2 seasons in Jacksonville and three in Oklahoma had only 3 career picks in his first five seasons despite getting significant time at nickel and as a starter. He had some good numbers in other areas, but just was not a big playmaker. Now in his first season with the Oakland Invaders, he was solidly entrenched in the nickel spot, but had only seen limited action, but after this week everyone in the Bay Area and anyone who loves football learned his name.   Watkins came out of nowhere to become Kyler Murray’s worst nightmare. Lined up at various times opposite slot receiver Marqise Lee, tight end Jason Whitten, or taking on Reggie Bush out of the backfield, Watkins made play after play, almost as if he knew what Murray was thinking before Murray did. Watkins picked off Murray 4 times, and we are not talking about tip drill catches, we are talking straight up picks, stepping in front of Bush on one play, wrestling the ball away from Lee on another, and just swooping in before Whitten could react to snag a ball and return it 27 yards for the game-clinching score. Watkins was just a constant nuisance and perhaps Oakland’s primary weapon in the game. Of their 26 points, Watkins accounted for 6 through his interception return, but also accounted for 10 more as the Invaders got a TD and a field goal following Watkins picks. So, instead of a 10-7 score, Watkins helped Oakland walk away with 26 points and a much easier win. Not bad for a player who had a career total of only 3 picks in 5 years.   Newton & Bridgewater Go Big in Week 10 While the results were not the same, Teddy Bridgewater, in Jacksonville’s upset victory over New Jersey, and Cam Newton, in a tough 27-30 loss to the Pittsburgh Maulers, both had themselves dominant performances. Newton did what Cam so often seems to do (often to no avail as the Stallion D gives up too many easy scores), putting the offense on his shoulders and trying to play Superman. Against Pittsburgh he did not attempt a single called run play, but threw the ball 40 times for 445 yards, single-handedly keeping Birmingham in the game against the now 8-2 Maulers. With rookie Henry Ruggs out, it was Robbie Anderson catching 7 for 132 and a score, TE Hunter Henry catching 2 Newton TD tosses, and Dontrell Inman catching 4 for 96 yards as Newton stayed in the pocket and just torched the Mauler secondary all game long. A bit of a different story for the Bulls, who most consider to have one of the weakest receiver groups in the league. Against the Generals, who turned up the pressure, sacking Bridgewater 4 times, the Bulls’ QB completed only 20 of 33 passing, but those 20 went for 406 yards as Teddy B. threw to 9 different receivers, including a season best 5 catches for TE Gavin Escobar. Halfback Devin Singletary came up big with his 5 catches, turning short throws into long gainersin including a 60-yard TD scamper that boosted him to 129 total yards. Rookie Tee Higgins had 4 for 81 yards, and QB-turned-TE Taysom Hill had a couple of nice grabs too. But what was most eye-catching in the game was that almost every time New Jersey looked to be lining up for another sack, Bridgewater made someone miss and then found a man open to turn a lost down into a solid gainer. The Bulls have a lot of issues, but Bridgewater has proven he can play well at the position, putting up a 90.4 QB rating last year (with 22 TDs) and this hear he has increased his yards per game and is again proving he can be a very effective passer. We knew Newton could play, and with 2,900 yards and 24 TDs already this season he is absolutely not the reason the Stallions are mired at 2-8. If they could just play any semblance of defense, or run the ball at all with their backs, they could finally stop wasting his talents, but for now it is another season of amazing individual performances and team losses.   Boller gets W for Monarchs in Upset QB Kyle Boller had not started a game since 2017 in St. Louis, and had not been a regular, named starter since his last year in Birmingham back in 2010, but the 15-year veteran got the call this week, with Coach Vance Joseph looking for anything to spark the dormant Charlotte offense, and while Boller’s numbers were nothing that would blow anyone away (19 of 29 for 181 yards, 1 TD, and 0 picks), he did for Charlotte what Mitch Trubisky had not been able to do in the past month, get a win. The upset win over Baltimore not only broke the Monarchs’ 4 game losing streak, but in scoring 26 points, the Monarch offense had their highest point total since a 34-31 Week 4 loss to Jacksonville.   Boller will remain under center this week when Charlotte faces a very tough challenge in division rival Atlanta, and while he is clearly a “placekeeper” QB, the real mystery is what the Monarchs will do in 2021. Many fans want them to go all out to try to land Clemson star QB Trevor Lawrence, but the rights to Lawrence belong to the Jacksonville Bulls and odds are they do not want to trade those rights to any team in their division, so Charlotte may have to look elsewhere if they want to add a new arm to their offense next season. For now, the arm in question is Kyle Boller, who hopes to write a nice bookend season into his career as a USFL starter.   Last Second Deal Sends Alexander to Seattle Talk about a last second deal. The Trade Deadline was due to hit at 5pm ET on Friday and a 4:47 a deal was called into New York, a deal sending Stars’ cornerback Jaire Alexander out to Seattle (Well, to Arizona, literally, but you get the idea). Seattle went back and forth with the Stars for the better part of a week, not wanting to give up too much, but eventually settled on a 3 rd round draft pick in 2021 and a 5 th  in 2022. The move helps Seattle deal with season-ending injury to Desmond Truffant, as the 5-5 Dragons hope to make yet another late season run to the playoffs. For Philadelphia, the move means their secondary is weakened just a bit more, but that they have 2 additional draft picks to start a rebuild under their new head coach (when one is chosen). The Stars adjusted to the move in time for their game against Tampa Bay by calling up 21-year old Russel Galvin from the practice squad. Seattle did not start Alexander against Oklahoma, but we should expect to see him sharing time with Darnay Holmes at nickel and possibly opposite Richard Sherman in early downs as well.   Stars to Start Lindley Philadelphia made another move this week, with interim Head Coach Don Smith finally making the move that Philly fans have been crying for since early in 2019, opting to bench QB Matt Gutierrez. The new starter will be former Invader Ryan Lindley, brought over in trade just a few weeks ago. Lindley, who had only 2 starts in 2018 and none in 2019, will get his chance to make an impression on the Stars’ organization this week, when Philadelphia takes on New England. Philadelphia, sitting at 1-9, is clearly looking to make some major changes for 2021, and it seems ownership wanted to see if they had anything in Lindley. The San Diego State product, drafted out of college by the Tampa Bay Bandits back in 2012, has never had more than 7 starts in any season, and really only had that many in 2017 because of an injury to Invader QB Joey Harrington. Over his 8 USFL seasons, he has thrown for 16 TDs and 13 picks, completed 64.6% of his passes and has a career QB Rating of 82.9, which, in all honesty, is pretty solid for a career backup, and certainly higher than Matt Gutierrez’s current 2020 rating as well as his 71.1 rating for 2019. Is Lindley a long-term solution? Not likely. He will have at least a few weeks, however, to lock himself onto the roster for the next year or two, and, who knows, if he outperforms expectations maybe he even gets a shot to compete for the position in 2021. Stranger things have happened.   Flacco to Miss 2-3 Weeks with Back Injury Our last QB story this week is not the kind anyone wants to see, a QB getting knocked out of a game and out of play for at least a pair of weeks. It could have been worse, but the injury to Gunslingers’ QB Joe Flacco looked awfully nasty, with him needing help from 2 players to reach the sideline. The good news was that there was no damage to Flacco’s spine, but the bad news is that the muscular damage will take some time to heal, meaning Flacco will miss between 2-4 weeks in recovery. That leaves the offense of the 1-9 expansion Gunslingers to untested 2019 rookie Easton Stick. Stick was drafted by the Michigan Panthers after a solid pair of seasons at North Dakota State, where he took over when NFL QB Carson Wentz left for the pros. He now takes over the expansion San Antonio offense, with career backup Chad Kelly backing him up. Expect San Antonio to rely a bit more on their HB duo of 36-year-old Marshawn Lynch and former Gambler C. J. Prosise as they try to take pressure off the young QB. The Lynch-Prosise combo has already proven to be a solid option, with the two combining for 1,071 yards already this year (Lynch at 599 and Prosise at 472). Easton will also have some targets to look to, including team receiving leader Brandon LaFell, TE Julius Thomas, and speedster Marquise Goodwin. It’s a chance to show something, safe in the knowledge that the job will belong to Joe Flacco as soon as the veteran is healthy and can return to action.   Way too soon for anyone to be clinching a playoff spot, though certainly the unbeaten Wranglers and Bandits are sitting pretty atop their respective conferences. Looking at the playoff standings with 6 weeks left in the season, they each have large leads over the 2 nd  best record in their conference, with Atlanta at 8-2 in the East and Michigan and Pittsburgh also at 8-2 in the West. Right now 6 wins is the requirement to make the cut, though that does not help LA, who loses the tiebreaker with Oakland at 6-4 each. Still plenty of time for the 5-5 teams to make a run, and don’t count out teams with 4 wins, which right now includes an improving Jacksonville squad as well as both Denver and Oklahoma in the SW Division. Plenty of games yet to be played and plenty of changing likely to come to this list as we move into the season’s final 6 weeks. Two quarterbacks will be out in Week 11, San Antonio’s Joe Flacco, who we reported on just now, and Las Vegas’s Matt McGloin, who suffered a concussion in the Viper game against Denver. We are fortunate that we have no new IR addittions and very few new injuries, though the Covid-19 list this week is quite long and features a few key players that will be missed, including, for a 2 nd week, New Orleans’ WR Justin Jefferson and Baltimore TE C. j. Uzomah.   OUT OT     Isaiah Wynn       ORL        Collarbone           2-4 Weeks QB         Joe Flacco          SAN       Back                     1-2 Weeks LB           Tremaine Edwards     WSH    Elbow                      1-2 Weeks   DOUBTFUL QB         Matt McGloin                  LV           Concussion DE          Bud Dupree                    ARZ         Turf Toe   QUESTIONABLE C             Max Tuerk                     LA         Pinched Nerve WR         Stevie Johnson             STL          Hamstring SS           Eric Berry                       LV             Ankle LB           Pat Angerer                   HOU       Hip   COVID-19 INACTIVES BAL        LB           Jarvis Jones BAL        TE           C. J. Uzomah             2 nd Week DEN      SS           Marqui Christian JAX         OG       Chadwick Hodges          2 nd  Week MGN     FB          Adam Griffith NOR      WR         Justin Jefferson         2 nd Week OHI       OG         Brandon Brooks SEA        OT          Terron Armstead             2 nd  Week TBY        SS           Derwin James                    USFL Looks To Move Summer Bowl to Las Vegas News out of New York, and exactly the news that folks in Charlotte did not want to hear. With the North Carolina state legislature dragging their heels on efforts to bring fans back to stadiums during the Covid-19 pandemic, the USFL has clearly looked for other options for Summer Bowl 2020. The easiest option is to return to the site of SB19, which is Las Vegas’s Wynn Arena. This week the USFL announced that if Nevada produces a limited capacity option for attendance at the game, they will relocate the Summer Bowl from Charlotte to Las Vegas.   The move makes a lot of sense. Having hosted the event with a full stadium last year, the infrastructure in Las Vegas is tested and the league can be confident that their championship game will be well-supported. There were questions in Charlotte all spring, and now, with issues of capacity as well as a non-hub location requiring a lot of potential new arrangements, Las Vegas seems a good option. All that is missing is the possibility of adding fans to the mix. As we reported last week, Texas and Florida have already approved plans for 25% capacity, and now, with casinos suffering and the entire Las Vegas economy in rough shape, the prospect of a major event like the Summer Bowl, even if fan attendance is capped at 25% capacity, is a very enticing option for the city and the state. If they can get a deal done, the USFL has basically offered them a chance to restart their local economy. For Charlotte it is a bad deal all around, but for the league and for Las Vegas it could be the perfect compromise.   Top Draft Candidates: Defense In what is a very strong offensive draft pool, there are still some prospects on the defensive side who have USFL scouts very interested. As these players prepare for what could be a very odd final season of college ball, perhaps as bizarre as the empty-stadium USFL games have been this summer, there are plenty of eyes on each of them, scouts looking for a touch of magic, a hint of possibility, or a sign that there is something special in their potential. We may be several months away from the USFL and NFL drafts, but with a shortened 2020-2021 USFL offseason anticipated, scouting will be a very intense process this year and finding players with both talent and drive will be a key to success next year. So, who are the 10 players getting the most hype as we prepare for the 2020 college season? Here are the names we are hearing a lot about this summer.   DE Payton Turner (Houston) A 3-year starter for the Cougars, Turner has proven he can play the run and also be an effective pass rusher. He has a nice combo of size (6’6”, 35” arm length) and speed (4.31 shuttle), he projects as either an edge rusher in a 4-3, or possibly an OLB in a 3-4. The Gamblers will have the option to draft him with a territorial pick.   DE Gregory Rousseau (Miami) Rousseau lost the 2018 season to an injury, started 2019 as a backup, but took over as the startermidway through the year for the Hurricanes. He recorded an impressive 15.5 sacks in that comeback season, 2 nd in the nation. If he can repeat that kind of performance in his final year, he could be the top DE taken.   DE Odafe Oweh (Penn State) At only 257 last year at Penn State, Oweh may need to add some bulk this year if he wants to project as a hand-on-the-ground DE, but he could also project as a strong side linebacker for a 3-4 team. In 2019 he played in all 13 games for the Nittany Lions, recording 5 sacks. Scouts like his combination of power moves and speed shifts, but he is something of a tweener right now.   DE Kwity Paye (Michigan) Bigger and stockier than the other edge men expected to come out this year, Paye is more of a bull rusher and a run stuffer than a speed guy. He is not slow, not by any stretch, having clocked a 4.52 in the 40, but his biggest asset is his tenacity and drive on the ball.   LB Micah Parsons (Penn State) A disruptive force at Penn State, Parsons could well be the first defensive player off the board in the NFL draft, and we don’t think he even makes it to the open draft in the USFL, because the Stars need a player with his aggressiveness and ability to make plays. We think they start wooing him early and often to try to land the Nittany Lion linebacker, but that will depend on who their new coach is as of October.   LB Zaven Collins (Tulsa) Unprotected by any team in the T-Draft, Collins could be a very early USFL pick in their Open Draft. At Tulsa, Collins had 97 tackles for the Golden Hurricanes in 2019, and is expected to be the focal point of their defense in 2020 as well. We see Collins as an outside backer in the USFL simply because of his speed and range.   LB Jamin Davis (Kentucky) A big hitter and a solid coverage linebacker, that is the story on Davis, who only saw action in 8 games last year. He steps into a full-time position for 2020 and a lot will be expected of him. If he can prove that he can hold up over the full season, he too could be a prospect for both leagues.   CB Jaycee Horn (South Carolina) The 6', 205 lb corner from the Gamecocks is a 3-year starter with good ball skills and the height to compete for 50/50 throws. He is not the fastest corner coming out this year, but with three seasons under his belt in Columbia, he is the most seasoned. CB Patrick Surtain II (Alabama) The son of a former NFL star, who also coached him in high school, Surtain has been a playmaker at Alabama, where he started 12 games as a true freshman. Since then he has only improved, and now, with 1 year left, he is seen by many as the best man coverage corner in the draft. CB Caleb Farley (Va Tech) Of the corners in this year's draft, Farley may have the best hands, which is not surprising for a player who arrived at Virginia Tech as a wideout. He was injured (ACL) in 2017 and when he came back he was converted to the defense, where he made All-ACC in 2019 with 4 interceptions and 20 tackles. He is expected to improve on those numbers this year ahead of the draft.    Eight division games and some nice inter-divisional matchups await us in Week 11. We start with a battle for 1 st  place in the Northeast as Baltimore and New Jersey battle in Orlando. Also on the docket on Friday we have the 6-4 Gamblers trying to catch up to Memphis at 7-3 as the two face off in a Southern Division clash.   Saturday has Michigan taking on Ohio, Jacksonville potentially getting in the mix as they face Orlando, and Birmingham vs. San Antonio in the South, but the biggest game may be the battle of 5-5 squads at State Farm Stadium when the Dragons and Roughnecks both clash with a winning record going to the victor.   Sunday has some intriguing inter-divisional games, including 4-6 Denver vs. 6-4 Los Angeles, 4-6 Oklahoma taking on 6-4 Portland, and, the week’s finale, with 7-3 New Orleans facing 8-2 Pittsburgh from TDECU Park in Houston.   FRIDAY 8pm ET                Baltimore (6-4) @ New Jersey (5-5)           Orlando          NBC 8pm ET                Arizona (10-0) @ San Diego (2-8)                  Las Vegas         ABC 9pm ET                Houston (6-4) @ Memphis (7-3)                    TDECU                 ESPN/EFN   SATURDAY 1pm ET                Michigan (8-2) @ Ohio (3-7)                        NRG                      ABC 4pm ET                Dallas (5-5) @ Seattle (5-5)                             Glendale            FOX 4pm ET                Las Vegas (2-8) @ Oakland (6-4)                    Las Vegas           ABC 8pm ET                Jacksonville (4-6) @ Orlando (5-5)                  Gainesville        NBC 8pm ET                Washington (5-5) @ Tampa Bay (10-0)         Tampa                    FOX 9pm ET                Birmingham (2-8) @ San Antonio (1-9)          Rice                      ESPN/EFN   SUNDAY 1pm ET                Chicago (7-3) @ St. Louis (1-9)                      NRG                      FOX 4pm ET                Denver (4-6) @ Los Angeles (6-4)                 Glendale            ABC 4pm ET                Oklahoma (4-6) @ Portland (6-4)                   Las Vegas           FOX 8pm ET                New England (3-7) @ Philadelphia (1-9)         Orlando               ABC 8pm ET                Atlanta (8-2) @ Charlotte (3-7)                       Tampa                  FOX 9pm ET                New Orleans (7-3) @ Pittsburgh (8-2)          TDECU                 ESPN/EFN

We kick off the 2 nd  half of the season with some huge games to recap and some big performances, not the least of which was Justin Herbert’s 4-TD game against Oakland. Herbert is now 3-0 in his first three starts and has Roughneck Nation ready to roll. We also saw big wins from the Panthers, Breakers, Stags, Fire, and Machine as they took control early in their games and cruised to victory. Things were not so easy for Arizona or for Washington as the two avoided a big upset. We also had some overtime results, which are always fun to catch. We will break down all the action and take a look at Jalen Hurts’ first action in Oklahoma as well as Herbert’s big day. It’s all happening right here on “This Week in the USFL”.   Herbert Improves to 3-0 with Best Game Yet Put Justin Herbert on stage, because this man knows how to make an entrance. In his three starts for the Dallas Roughnecks, the former Oregon signal caller has not only gone 3-0, but has emerged as the breakout star of the season and possibly a late-blooming ROTY favorite. What is more, he seems to get better with each game, something that has to worry Southwest Division rivals as they watch him grow into the pro game.   Herbert’s first outing was somewhat pedestrian, though he did get the Renegades a win over division foe Denver: 21 of 30 for only 192 yards and no TDs. In his 2 nd start, this time against San Diego, he improved to 249 yards and got his first TD. This week, against the favored Oakland Invaders, he had his best outing yet, completing 19 of 29 passes for 317 yards and 4 touchdowns. It was a thing of beauty, watching Herbert move within the pocket, sprint out of danger, and still find receivers downfield. He seems to have built a real rapport, particularly with NFL castoff Sammy Watkins, who 20 receptions in only 3 games with Herbert at QB, including two 100-yard games.  It is all smiles for the Roughneck's rookie QB. Coach Kingsbury is not shy about praising his young QB, stating that Herbert “sees like a veteran, reacts like a pro, and makes plays like a future first team All-USFL player, and he has only been in three games so far.”  Herbert’s success is certainly good news for Kingsbury, who struggled to 3-13 in his first season in Dallas, improved to 6-10 last year, and now is eyeing a possible playoff spot after a 2-4 start. His young QB is helping the Roughnecks reimagine who they are and what they are capable of. We are seeing this in other aspects of the game as well, with the Dallas defense now less concerned about holding leads and shortening games, they are playing more aggressively, and that has helped them keep both San Diego and Oakland below 14 points the past two weeks. The run game is still hit or miss, but Dallas is feeling like they can win games that otherwise would have gotten away from them in the past, and that confidence in themselves is about the most valuable thing a QB can bring to a team.   We will see how big the Herbert Effect is over the next 4 weeks as the Roughnecks have a huge test this week, facing off against the unbeaten Arizona Wranglers. They follow that up with a very feisty Seattle team, then rival Oklahoma, and finally a tough outing against another upstart team, the Portland Stags. While we cannot expect Dallas to go 4-0 in that run of games, folks in Big D are feeling like a 3-1 run could be more than enough to put them into playoff contention with 3 winable games left to round out the schedule. They are buying into Herbert’s early career success, and buying up jerseys with his number 10 on them as well. Looks like the Roughnecks have themselves a star, and one who is producing both wins and excitement in a city long dominated by the NFL Cowboys.   NEW ENGLAND STEAMROLLERS 20   BALTIMORE BLITZ 22 The New England Steamrollers may have only 2 wins in their inaugural season, but Coach Fox’s team has proven to be a tough out each and every week, something the Blitz discovered this week as they were nearly sent to overtime to get the win. New England got 2 TDs from HB Kerwynn Williams, the former Blitz player taken by New England in the expansion draft, and the defense picked off Jake Locker twice to keep it close. In the end it came down to a 2-point conversion and a skin of their teeth escape for the NE Division leaders.   The Steamrollers came out of the gate with a scripted first drive that took advantage of Baltimore’s defensive aggressiveness, using misdirection to force Baltimore to slow down their pursuit. They dinked and dunked their way down the field before Williams got his first big play of the game, taking a pitch to the strong side, spinning out of the initial tackle, and scrambling 26 yards to paydirt to give the expansion Steamrollers a 7-0 lead. That lead would hold into the 2 nd  quarter as Jake Locker struggled to get started for Baltimore, completing only 2 passes in 8 attempts in the opening period.   In the 2 nd  quarter, on their third drive, Baltimore finally found some continuity, first thanks to a 13-yard run by Josh Jacobs, followed by a nice pass from Locker to Eli Rogers for 16 that got them a key 3 rd  down conversion, one of only 2 the Blitz would make on the day as New England stuffed them on 10 of 12 attempts. But, with this one in hand, the Blitz drive continued and Locker paid Rogers back with a red zone strike, a 14-yard fade route that evened the score at 7.   But, tenacious as always, New England responded with a 2 nd  scoring drive. Again it was Williams putting the ball in the endzone, this time from 5 yards out, as the tailback reveled in playing the team that left him unprotected in the expansion draft. Baltimore would add two field goals to finish out the half, but went into the break trailing 14-13 to the expansion Steamrollers. They would come out n the 2 nd  half hoping to establish themselves as the better team, but their opening drive ended with a pick of Jake Locker as SS Jaiquawn Jarrett stepped in front of a ball intended for rookie Michael Pittman Jr.   New England could not capitalize on the takeaway, with Ryan Tannehill turning the ball right back to Baltimore 4 plays later, one of 3 picks the former NFL quarterback would throw in a rough 2 nd  half. Baltimore would also fail to score after the takeaway, but on their next possession, after a 3-and-out produced by the defense, they would take a slow and steady approach, moving the ball down the field without once facing a 3 rd  down, and, after a pass interference call in the endzone on a play that took away a TD from TE C. J. Uzomah, they had the ball at the 1. The Blitz faked the dive play and with Jake Locker rolling to his right, he found Michael Pittman Jr. for a 1-yard TD toss to take their first lead of the day. They went for 2 to produce a 7-point lead, but failed in the effort, producing a 19-14 advantage.   The 3 rd  quarter ended with that same score, but just as the 4 th quarter began, Baltimore was again in scoring range. A nice play by New England LB Junior Galette prevented Baltimore from converting on 3 rd  and 5, and they were forced to settle for a 25-yard chip shot from kicker Josh Lambo to take a 22-14 lead. That still left New England within 1 score, and the Steamrollers proceeded to push towards an equalizer throughout the quarter.   On their first drive after Baltimore’s field goal, they got into range for kicker Brett Maher, but, with Maher having already missed on 2 attempts (a 51 yarder and a 48-yarder) they opted to go for a 4 th  and 2 from the Baltimore 33 rather than attempt another long kick. Ryan Tannehill wanted to hit Dennis Pitta with a short out route, but LB Brandon Jenkins was there, crashing into Pitta just as the ball arrived. Coach Fox pushed for a DPI call, but the refs saw nothing wrong with the contact. Replay showed that Jenkins’ timing was perfect, hitting Pitta just as the ball arrived. The ball went back to the Blitz.   New England would get the ball back with 3:37 left on the clock, following a missed 48-yard kick by Josh Lambo. Still down 8, a single drive could equalize the score and send the game to overtime. Starting with the ball on their own 38, the Steamrollers mixed a draw to Matt Forte with several short passes to get into Baltimore territory. On a 1 st  and 10 from the Baltimore 36, Tannehill hit his longest pass of the day, and the only reception for former Machine wideout Will Fuller. Fuller got lost in the zone coverage and was wide open along the sideline for 29 yards, putting the ball at the 7 before getting knocked out of bounds. With 1:46 left on the clock, the Steamrollers had time to put the ball in the endzone without worrying about the clock. They would need only 1 play to do so. Ryan Tannehill found Zay Jones along the back of the endzone, floated the ball perfectly over the linebacker and pulled New England to within a conversion at 22-20. It would all come down to a 2-point try from the 2 yard line.   The play call was for Tannehill to fake the ball to Williams, who had already scored twice on the day, to roll to his right and find either TE Dennis Pitta at the front of the endzone or WR Zay Jones behind him. But the call was an instant disaster as Baltimore DE Da’Quan Bowers eluded the block of the right tackle and was in Tannehill’s face before either receiver had broken out of the cluster of defenders in the middle of the field. Tannehill desperately launched the ball towards the back corner of the endzone, but Jones could not reach it and the 2-point try failed, retaining Baltimore’s lead at 2 points.   New England attempted the onside kick, but it was comfortably recovered by Baltimore’s Troymaine Pope. The Blitz only needed to secure on first down to burn New England’s last time out and kneel down for the win. They ran Josh Jacobs on both first and second down, and with a nice second effort, Jacobs’s second carry went for 6 and gave the Blitz the 1 st  down they needed. Two kneels later the Blitz let out a collective sigh of relief, moving to 5-4 and escaping a very tough match with a very tenacious expansion club.   WASHINGTON 20  PHILADELPHIA 19 Philadelphia was putting the Federals to the test on Friday, playing well on defense and building up a 9-point lead through three quarters, but the Federals put the pieces together in the final period, scoring 10 unanswered to capture a 1-point win. The game was not decided until the final minute, as the Feds, down 6, marched down field, with Nassib hitting Keenan Allen to tie the game and Adam Vinatieri’s extra point giving Washington the W with only 22 seconds left to play. POTG:  Washington QB Ryan Nassib: 33/43, 330 Yds, 2 TD, 2 Int   DENVER 20   ARIZONA 26 Denver also proved they were not going to roll over for a higher-ranked team, battling with the Wranglers every step of the way. With Lindsay and Ward combining for 122 yards and Josh Allen completing 19 of 24 throws, Denver made it tough on the Wranglers, but in the end Arizona did just enough to break a 20-20 deadlock, putting up 2 late field goals to claim victory. Denver’s D held David Carr to only 187 yards passing, but the combo of Carey and Crowell picked up the slack with 121 yards on the ground to help Arizona stay unbeaten. POTG:  Wrangler HB Ka’Deem Carey: 15 Att, 94 Yds, 1 TD   MICHIGAN 35  HOUSTON 10 The Houston offense struggled to break down that tough Panther D while the Gambler D simply had no answers for LeVeon Bell, who added 59 yards receiving to his 101-yard, 2-TD performance on the ground. Michigan scored the first 21 points of the game and never felt threatened by the Panthers as they cruise to a 7 th victory on the season. Bell was the driving force, but Kirk Cousins also came up big, throwing for 3 scores while completing 19 of 20 passing, a stunning 95% of his throws. POTG:  LeVeon Bell: 18 Att, 101 Yds, 2 TD, 4 Rec, 59 Yds   SAN ANTONIO 10   NEW ORLEANS 34 With San Antonio locking down the combo of Nelson and Jefferson, QB Geno Smith had to look elsewhere, and he did just that, with Tyler Lockett racking up 125 yards and a TD, Reuben Randle, returning from injury for 63 yards on 4 catches and Coby Fleener again proving to be a tough target to hold down. It was not the passing game we are used to from the Breakers, but it was equally as effective, proving just how deep their receiver room is. POTG:  Breaker WR Tyler Lockett: 4 Rec, 125 Yds, 1 TD   OKLAHOMA 17  LAS VEGAS 7 Mason Rudolph got the start, but injured his ankle, leading to the first regular season snaps for rookie Jalen Hurts. Hurts would go 4 of 11 for 97 yards, but was sacked 3 times. Rudolph had the lone passing TD in the game, connecting with DeDe Westbrook in the first, but Hurts led the Outlaws to their 2 nd score, a DeeJay Dallas TD run to build up a 14-0 lead. Las Vegas got back 7 on a Kareem Hunt run, but were largely ineffective on offense all game as Oklahoma improves to 4-5. POTG:  Oklahoma HB Justice Hill: 12 Att, 89 Yds   SEATTLE 27  SAN DIEGO 21  OVERTIME San Diego finally showed they could run the ball, with Ryan Williams going for 148 yards and 2 TDs, but it was not enough as Brett Hundley made his case to remain the starter in Seattle by throwing for 286 yards and 4 touchdowns to pull the Dragons within 1 game of .500. TE Kyle Rudolph caught two of those TD tosses, including the game winner in overtime as Seattle sent the Thunder to 1-8 on the year. POTG:  Seattle QB Brett Hundley: 25/49, 286 Yds, 4 TD, 0 Int   CHARLOTTE 17   NEW JERSEY 23  OVERTIME The Monarchs put up quite a fight as well, using a Nyheim Hines TD in the 4 th to send the game to overtime, but in the extra period Maurice Jones-Drew scored his second TD of the day, a walk-off game winner. Nick Foles did start but struggled to 28 of 43, relying on MJD to help keep the offense moving. In a game where both teams seemed to want to shorten the action with their run games, we ended up in overtime before a winner was decided. POTG:  Generals’ LB Rey Maualaga: 10 Tck, 2 TFL   TAMPA BAY 23  ORLANDO 10 Orlando put up the first points of the game, but that was followed by a 20-0 run by the Bandits and, down 20-3 at the half, the Renegades never recovered. The Orlando D did a great job on Dak Prescott, holding the Bandit QB to only 182 yards passing with one lone TD, but the Bandit D was equally as stingy, picking off Russell Wilson 4 different times, including twice in the red zone as the Bandits stay unbeaten and knock Orlando back to 5-4 in the Southeast. POTG:  Bandit CB Xavier Woods: 3 Tck, 2 PDef, 2 Int   MEMPHIS 37  BIRMINGHAM 20 Birmingham scored on all 3 first quarter possessions to take a 17-7 lead, but Memphis put up 20 unanswered to reclaim the lead and never relinquished it after that. A pick-six from Memphis CB Rashaan Gaulden sealed the win late as Memphis outscored Birmingham 37-3 in the final 3 quarters, picking off Cam Newton 3 times and holding him without a rushing TD despite 61 yards rushing. POTG:  Memphis QB Paxton Lynch: 26/34, 294 Yds, 3 TD, 1 Int   ST. LOUIS 17   PITTSBURGH 24 Interim HC Dave Borgonzi did what St. Louis fans have clamored for all season, he let Lamar play with his feet, and it paid off, with Lamar Jackson rushing for 90 yards on only 10 attempts. The strategy worked, helping St. Louis stay in a game when their passing game was just not working (136 yards in the air) and David Montgomery was churning out only 3.2 yards per carry. But, in the end it was not enough as Pittsburgh started spying Jackson with safety Tyvon Branch in the 2 nd  half, and got a late Dalton to Thielen TD to take the win and retain a share of 1 st  place in the Central Division. POTG:  Mauler WR Adam Thielen: 5 Rec, 112 Yds, 2 TD   OAKLAND 13   DALLAS 33 As we reported in our Big Story, it was a Coming Out party for Justin Herbert as he shredded the vaunted Oakland defense for 317 yards and 4 touchdowns, helping Dallas move over .500 and winning his 3 rd  game in 3 attempts. Herebert got help from WRs Sammy Watkins and Tim Wright who did a great job of coming back to their QB when he was flushed from the pocket, giving him targets when he needed them most. The Dallas defense also looked very focused, holding Christian McCaffrey to only 52 yards rushing and blanketing receivers, forcing Tom Brady into an uncharacteristic 14 of 31 passing. POTG: Roughneck QB Justin Herbert: 19/29, 317 Yds, 4 TD, 1 Int   PORTLAND 30  LOS ANGELES 12 The Stags get the sweep of LA, helping them step into a 1 st  place tie in the Pacific. They did it with defense this time as LA did a much better job of containing Marcus Mariota and the Stag passing game. Kyler Murray completed only 45.5% of his throws (15 of 33) against the Stag zones, while Reggie Bush was held to only 66 yards rushing. The Stag offense was well balanced, with scores from WR Brandin Cooks, and both Doug Martin and Taravares Cadet on the ground as Portland moves to 6-3. Marcus Mariota survived 8 sacks, avoided turnovers and got our POTG for his tenacity and his 94.4% completion rate against intense pressure. POTG:  Stag QB Marcus Mariota: 17/18, 210 Yds, 1 Td, 0 Int.   JACKSONVILLE 16   ATLANTA 36 The Atlanta Fire offense just keeps making believers out of us all, with Aaron Murray going 31 of 43 for 267 yards and 4 TDs against the Bulls. Nick Chubb and Kenyan Drake combined for 125 on the ground, with Chubb also nabbing one of Murray’s 4 TD tosses. The Bulls struggled to get any ground game going, with Devin Singletary managing just 16 yards on 9 carries. That put all the pressure on Teddy Bridgewater, who threw for 242 and both Bull touchdowns, but it was far too little against the Fire’s offensive output. POTG:  Fire QB Aaron Murray: 31/43, 267 Yds, 4 TD, 1 Int   OHIO 10   CHICAGO 41 Chicago continues to impress on both sides of the ball. Ohio put up the first 3 points of the game, but that was followed by 21 unanswered from the Machine, who simply just cranking out scores. Both teams were similar in total yardage, 323 for Ohio, 332 for Chicago, but while Ohio struggled to turn drives into scores, Chicago had no such difficulty, scoring on 7 of 9 possessions to blow out their division rival. POTG:  Chicago HB Jeremy Hill: 9 Att, 94 Yds, 2 TD   Three Way Trade Moves 3 Players, 4 Picks Another week, another big trade as teams try to address issues, improve key aspects of their teams, and make a push towards the playoffs. This week it is a 3-way trade that has our attention as the Generals and Stallions both try to address some defensive woes while San Diego gets some help for their failing run game. All in all we see three starters now with new addresses (across 3 different hubs) and 4 picks shuffled among the three teams. Here is how the deal breaks down:   New Jersey The Generals move CB Devin McCourty to Birmingham to help the undermanned secondary of the Stallions, while they also provide two sixth-round picks to the San Diego Thunder, one this year and one next year. In return, they acquire a 4 th  round pick from the Stallions and a much needed boost to their pass rush in the form of Thunder DE Kony Ealy. The 6-year vet will slot in on the right side, opposite Vic Beasley, and allowing rookie Yetur Gross-Matos to recover from injury and take on the swing DE position.   Birmingham As cited above, the Stallions pick up much needed DB help by landing Devin McCourty from New Jersey. They also add a 5 th round pick from the Thunder to help replace the 4 they sent to New Jersey. Their contribution to the player swap is RT Jonah Williams, who was splitting time with Greg Robinson and now will slot into the starting lineup for San Diego. McCourty will immediately be paired with starter Dwayne Gratz, and could well be lined up against each opposing team’s best receiver, having proven himself in several seasons with New Jersey.   San Diego The Thunder needed help on the O-line and they think they have found it in Stallion RT Jonah Williams. The big bulldozer of a tackle will line up next to Spencer Long, producing what the Thunder hope is a great caravan behind which their backs can find room to run. They give up a lot in DE Kony Ealy, which means that they will now be rotating both Takkarist McKinley and Sen’Drick Marks into the RE position opposite Jonathan Newsome. But, with one of the league’s worst run games, and scoring only 11.9 points per game, the Thunder felt they simply had to make a deal to improve the line and give their offense a chance at balance.   Jalen Hurts Sees First Action in Outlaw Win over Vipers Outlaw fans have been wondering when they might see Jalen Hurts, and while they were hoping he would get a start, they got their wish thanks to injury this week. When Rudolph turned an ankle, leading to what has now been diagnosed as a stress fracture (1-2 weeks of recovery), it brought Hurts to the field. In his 2 nd possession, Hurts demonstrated what he can bring to the Outlaws, escaping pressure from Las Vegas DE Matthew Judon, scrambling to the sideline and connecting with TE Mark Andrewsfor an 11-yard gain. He would help Oklahoma take a 14-0 lead by driving the Outlaws into the red zone and setting up a DeeJay Dallas TD run. The rest of the game, Coach Stoops asked little of Hurts, who finished the game with only 11 pass attempts, completing 5.   But, now, with Rudolph sidelined for at least the next 2 weeks, fans of the Outlaws will get their chance to see if Hurts can provide the same kind of offensive production that they saw in his one year at OU. The young QB will be getting plenty of reps with the starters this week as Oklahoma prepares to take on Seattle in a battle of 4-5 clubs hoping to reach .500. Expect Coach Stoops to pull some bootlegs and misdirection plays out for Hurts, who is a more mobile option than Rudolph, but also expect Stoops to test out Hurts’s ability to read defenses and deliver balls from the pocket. Consider this a 2-3 week try-out for Hurts as the Outlaws look at their 2 young QBs and decide if either is a clear franchise option for the next half decade or longer.   Hundley Says Seattle Job is His, Puts up 400 on San Diego When Brett Hundley was signed as a free agent, having been let go by the New Jersey Generals, he was signed by Seattle on a flier, a potential backup for Jacoby Brissett and a player who could run a similar offense to their established starter. But in the two years since then, Brissett has had trouble staying healthy, missing 2 games in 2019 and now out for the season this year. With a chance to start, Hundley has taken it upon himself to use this time to prove that he should be the man in Seattle. In 8 starts this season, he has thrown for over 2,200 yards, has a 3:1 TD:INT ratio (12 scores to 3 picks) and has helped Seattle stay in the hunt with a 4-5 record. It has not always been pretty, but Hundley has produced some good results, particularly the past three weeks, when the former General has thrown for 329, 433, and 286 yards with 8 TDs, including 4 this week against the Thunder.   Coach Riley has been non-committal about his QB situation after this year, but Hundley is clearly taking that to mean that the job is open for competition, and he is using the games this year to make his case. Hundley and recent Chicago acquisition Trevor Siemian both have 2 years left on their deal, while Brissett has 3 remaining. That could favor Hundley as Brissett’s contract is favorable for a possible trade, and with his season-ending injury, the Dragons could decide that the time for change is now, but, of course, that all depends on Hundley’s ability to prove his worth. So far he is making a good case, and if he can deliver enough wins for another playoff run, well, he could well be sitting pretty atop the depth chart by next March.   Monarchs to Start Boller in Week 9 One QB not getting glowing reviews has been Mitch Trubisky of Charlotte. His stats have not been horrible, with an 89.1 QB Rating, and he has gotten his propensity to throw the ball to the wrong team largely under wraps, throwing 6 picks in 9 games this year, but he is also not producing wins or strong offensive output either. The Monarchs currently rank 16 th  in the league at 21 points per game, but they also have the 29 th  ranked passing attack, one of only 3 teams averaging fewer than 200 yards per game. Add to this a 4-game losing streak that has Charlotte sitting at 2-7 and in which the club has not scored above 21 points once and you can see what the issue is.   This offseason the Monarchs acquired longtime backup and 15-year veteran Kyle Boller from the St. Louis Skyhawks, and this week Coach Joseph has decided to see if they may have gotten a steal in the deal. He announced this Tuesday that Boller will get the start as the Monarchs try to avoid a 5 th  consecutive loss as they face the Baltimore Blitz this week. Boller will be given the keys to the car and Coach Joseph wants to see if the veteran can drive it with more efficiency than Trubisky has.   This is a move the fans likely will celebrate, having turned on their starter over the past few interception-plagued seasons. For every eye-opening play that Trubisky has made, there have been equal or perhaps more head scratching decisions, not only leading to the Charlotte QB being the league leader in picks over the past 3 seasons, but also contributing to a slide from 10 wins in 2017 to 9 in 2018 and a 7-8-1 result last year. For many, the QB position has been the primary culprit for the Monarch decline, and while Kyle Boller is hardly making anyone excited about the position, the switch alone indicates that Coach Joseph is open to other alternatives. Some are already saying the move is part of a larger strategy to secure a true franchise option in the draft, with many Monarch fans salivating over the possibility of Charlotte obtaining the rights to Clemson star Trevor Lawrence, who plays just across the state line. For now, however, it is the veteran backup Boller who will get a chance to show us something.   Ruggs to miss 4-6 Weeks with Groin Injury A tough way to potentially end a very promising rookie season, that is what Birmingham WR Henry Ruggs now faces. Ruggs went down awkwardly in the Stallions’ loss to Memphis, grabbing at his posterior. What was first thought to be a hamstring injury was quickly re-diagnosed as a partial tear of the abductor in his groin. That is both a painful injury and a tough one to rehab, which now puts Ruggs on a 4-6 week recovery timeline, but one that could easily cost him the rest of the regular season.   Ruggs, who was 10 th  in the league in receiving yards with 759 yards in 9 games, was well on his way towards a 1,000-yard rookie year. He was also among a short list of players already under consideration for the Rookie of the Year Award, joining Justin Jefferson (more than 100 yards behind him) and QB Justin Herbert. He now could miss the remainder of his first season, not only hurting his ability to grow as an option in the Birmingham offense, but to further develop his rapport with Cam Newton, who had already expressed his respect for the young receiver. It is a tough break for the Stallion offense as well, which had already turned Ruggs into the primary target for Newton. With Ruggs out of the lineup, it will be Dontrelle Inman stepping into the lead receiver role, with NFL import Robbie Anderson likely taking over the 2 nd  position. That is not bad depth, but Anderson is not going to scare corners the way Ruggs has this year, so it is certainly going to require a change of strategy for a Stallion club that is still struggling to win games. Ruggs is not on the IR at present, but we expect that the Stallions will make a call within the next month as they look at his recovery and their own record down the stretch. If they do not see enough improvement in either, his year could be over as a protective action to help him be at his best in 2021. A tough way to end the year for a very promising young talent in the USFL.   We knew the run of light injury weeks would have to come to an end, and while there were no players added to IR this week, we have 10 who are likely to miss at least 1-2 weeks, with some potentially out for the year, including Henry Ruggs, who we discussed earlier, and Oakland CB Brandon Boykin. Pittsburgh will be without Rob Gronkowski, who lasted all of 1 game as a Mauler before getting injured, and several USFL defenses will be without their big hitters as we have several major contributors listed as doubtful this week. Add to this a Covid list that includes standout rookie WR Justin Jefferson and a heck of a lot of interior linemen, and we could have some very odd results in Week 9.   OUT CB          Brandon Boykin        OAK      Broken Leg           6-8 Weeks WR         Henry Ruggs                 BIR         Groin Tear              4-6 Weeks FS           D. J. Swearinger              ORL       Ribs                          4-6 Weeks LB           Shaquille Leonard          CHI        Ankle                       4-6 Weeks FS           Nate Allen                     ARZ       Biceps                     2-4 Weeks LB           Daniel Ellerbe                  OHI       Broken Jaw             1-2 Weeks OT          Levi Brown                       TBY        Thigh Bruise            1-2 Weeks TE           Rob Gronkowski             PIT         Miniscus                   1-2 Weeks WR         Stevie Johnson               STL         Hamstring                1-2 Weeks FS           Jalen Mills                        LA          Hip                           1-2 Weeks   DOUBTFUL LB           Manti Te’o                CHI        Thigh Bruise                      DT          Damon Harrison             SD          Stress Fracture LB           DeMeco Ryans                TBY        Arm DE          Bud DuPree                    ARZ       Turf Toe   QUESTIONABLE DT          Cortez Broughton           DEN      Quad DE          Neal Beasley                    HOU     Turf Toe C             Matt Tenant                      BAL        Finger TE           Travis Kelce                     PHI        Hamstring LB           Travis Goethel                 NEN      Hamstring DE          Nick Bosa                         LA          Hand   COVID-19 INACTIVES BAL        TE           C. J. Uzomah     CHA      G            Jonathan Cooper            2 nd Week HOU     G            Jon Asomoah              2 nd  Week JAX         G            Chadwick Hodges JAX         G            Dakota Dozier NEN      HB         T. J. Yeldon                       2 nd  Week NOR      FS           Clyde Adams NOR      WR         Justin Jefferson OHI       C             Cameron Erving PIT         CB          Sean Smith                       2 nd  Week SEA        OT          Terron Armstead   Florida & Texas to Allow 25% Capacity. Will Arizona & Nevada Follow? Prospects are looking up for a USFL playoff run with actual fans in the seats as the state legislatures in both Florida and Texas have approved plans to allow fans in the stands, in both cases at 25% of capacity. The move was largely a nod to the importance of college football in each state, with significant lobbying by schools such as Florida State, Miami, Texas, Texas A&M, and the University of Florida, but the vote to allow low-capacity attendance also benefits pro sports, including NFL clubs like Dallas, Miami, and Houston, but also the USFL bubbles in both Houston and various Florida cities.   The Decision means that the USFL could set up playoff matchups in both states with fans able to attend. While the capacity of each stadium will be limited to no more than 25% of available seats, that is enough to change the dynamic of the games in each location. This is great news for fans in the two states, though it seems unlikely that many fans of distant teams like the Michigan Panthers, Baltimore Blitz, or Chicago Machine would be able to make the trip to either Texas or Florid to attend their team’s games. The league is also hoping that the decisions in two of their 4 hub locations will influence the other two states in question, Arizona and Nevada, to allow similar capacity in their facilities, allowing for all USFL playoff games to be played in front of at least 10,000 fans in each stadium. Arizona may be the better option, as they would have open-air stadia as well as State Farm Stadium’s domed option, which may mean we see playoff games at 11pm if domes are a concern. But for now, we can expect that there will be tickets sold for the USFL playoffs, at least in two of the three hub locations.   Day Games Provide Huge Boost to Ratings The USFL’s move to offering day games at NRG Stadium, State Farm Stadium, and Wynn Arena has already paid off for the league. The domed facilities have now been in use for 2 weeks and over those 2 weeks we have seen TV ratings rise nearly 25%, with the afternoon games coming in just under the 8pm kickoffs for total viewership, easily surpassing the results when games from Arizona were held at 11pm eastern time. Comparing, for example, this week’s matchup between Portland and Los Angeles, held at 4pm ET from Las Vegas with the same matchup held at 11pm ET in Week 5, the viewership rose by nearly 850,000 viewers, earning a 2.2 Neilson score, well ahead of the 1.1 score in Week 5. Similar results are being seen across the league, making both the USFL and their broadcast partners much happier campers as we enter the 2 nd  half of the season.   LeBeau Going Nowhere Say Thunder Owners Despite a collapse from 12-4 record and division title in 2019 to 1-8 this year, Coach Dick LeBeau is in no danger of being outsted at the end of 2020. That is the word from the ownership of the San Diego Thunder. Citing LeBeau’s record of success both in Michigan and with the Thunder, leading the relocated club to 4 consecutive playoff appearances, team representatives informed local media that LeBeau’s position with the club was secure. The former Panther coach has 2 more years left on his contract with San Diego, and it seems apparent that ownership is not putting the failures of the 2020 campaign solely on their head coach. Expect some changes, including possible adjustments to the scouting and personnel team as well as some position coaches, but for now it seems that the team is willing to offer 2020 as a Mulligan to their very successful head coach.   Hufnagel Cuts OC Dickenson, Promotes Dorsey. In Denver, a 5-game losing streak has had an impact on the team and a change has been made. Coach Hufnagel announced this week that his OC Dave Dickenson, who came with him from the CFL, has been relieved of duties. Citing concerns about the team’s red zone performance, lack of big play capacity, and struggles with the passing game in general, Coach Hufnagel let long time friend Dickenson go, promoting QB Coach Ken Dorsey to the OC position. Dorsey, who played 6 seasons in the USFL, splitting time with Tampa Bay, Memphis, and Portland after a distinguished career at the University of Miami, becomes the OC after 11 years serving as a QB Coach for 2 USFL clubs.   Dorsey’s task is to both improve offensive efficiency, but also to develop Josh Allen into an effective passer. Allen, who has had some accuracy issues in his first 2 seasons, and who tends to rely heavily on his ability to escape the pocket and run for yards, has tended to force some throws and make some poor choices when pressured, and it will be on Dorsey to turn that risky play into more effective and strategic decisions. Dorsey will also look to revive a run game that now is without former starter DeMarco Murray, traded recently to the Breakers. He will rely on Philip Lindsay as a 3-down back, and will look to establish the threat of the QB run as an alternative, providing more tough decisions by defenders. Will the change be enough to stall a losing streak that has dropped Denver below .500 and into 4 th  place in the SW Division? Only time will tell, but for Dorsey, the move from position coach to OC is a big one, and a chance to show that his USFL background has him well-positioned to design an offensive scheme that aligns with the talent on his roster.   Week 9 is another heavily inter-divisional week, with only 4 divisional matchups on the slate, but that does not mean we don’t have some really interesting matchups. Friday gives us a battle of serious playoff contenders when the Memphis Showboats take on the Chicago Machine on ESPN and the ESPN Football Network. We also have a matchup with major playoff implications from Las Vegas, where the LA Express take on the Oakland Invaders.   On Saturday we kick things off with a biggie at 1pm as New Orleans and Michigan, both 7-2, battle at NRG Stadium in Houston, a premier matchup in the early slot. With a lot of teams under .500 in action on Saturday, that early game is the clear “must see” game of the day. Though, to be fair, an upset is always possible, so don’t sleep on some of the other games.   Then on Sunday we have a few more even matchups, with 4-5 Oklahoma, led now by rookie Jalen Hurts, face off against the Seattle Dragons. Both clubs are at 4-5 and a win is vital as they seek to push towards a playoff spot. We also have Justin Herbert, who is 3-0 as a starter for Dallas, heading into the toughest game of the season so far, as the Roughnecks must take on the 9-0 Arizona Wranglers. The other game we have circled is between the Washington Federals and the Atlanta Fire. Both are outperforming expectations, but it will be a tough test for Washington as they face one of the hottest offenses in the game.   FRIDAY 8pm ET         Philadelphia (1-8) @ Tampa Bay (9-0)        Tampa            NBC 8pm ET           Los Angeles (6-3) @ Oakland (5-4)             Las Vegas       FOX 9pm ET           Memphis (6-3) @ Chicago (7-2)                    TDECU           ESPN/EFN   SATURDAY 1pm ET         New Orleans (7-2) @ Michigan (7-2)              NRG                ABC 4pm ET          Denver (3-6) @ Las Vegas (2-7)                       Glendale         FOX 4pm ET         Portland (6-3) @ San Diego (1-8)                    Las Vegas       ABC 8pm ET           New Jersey (5-4) @ Jacksonville (3-6)             Gainesville     NBC 8pm ET          Baltimore (6-3) @ Charlotte (2-7)                   Tampa             ABC 9pm ET          Birmingham (2-7) @ Pittsburgh (7-2)               Rice                 ESPN/EFN   SUNDAY 1pm ET       Houston (5-4) @ St. Louis (1-8)                       NRG             FOX 4pm ET          Oklahoma (4-5) @ Seattle (4-5)                        Glendale         ABC 4pm ET          Arizona (9-0) @ Dallas (5-4)                               Las Vegas      FOX 8pm ET            Washington (5-4) @ Atlanta (7-2)                    Orlando         ABC 8pm ET           New England (2-7) @ Orlando (5-4)              Tampa            FOX 9pm ET           San Antonio (1-8) @ Ohio (2-7)                         TDECU           ESPN/EFN

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Rookie QB Justin Herbert is winning a lot of friends in Dallas as he wins his 3rd straight to start his career. This one was special as the Roughneck QB carried the squad as the run game faltered. Herbert completed 19 of 29 for 31 yards and 4 touchdowns as the Roughnecks took care of business against a tough Oakland defense.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: As impressive as Tampa Bay's 52-6 obliteration of Charlotte was, led by Dak Prescott's 4-TD day, we have to give this one to Seattle QB Brett Hundley. Hundley started the season on the bench, but has played well since the injury to Jacoby Brissett. This week, when his team needed a lift, he led them to a big win over the slumping Denver Gold. His day included going 30 for 38 throwing the ball, racking up 433 yards for a career best, and putting 3 TDs on the board, including the game winner.

Welcome to the Midseason Report for a season unlike any others. With all 30 USFL teams living in hotels, restricted by social distancing requirements, and playing every game to empty stadiums, it has been a surreal season, and yet, football is being played, and games are proving to be as dramatic as ever (even when the networks don’t pump in fake crowd noise). We reach the midway point of the season with 2 unbeatens, 2 coaches already let go, and changes to the schedule helping all of us catch more action, whether on network broadcasts or the highly successful streaming format. Fans are finding community online, and teams are finding ways to adapt and succeed.   In this midseason report we will break down all of Week 8’s games, give you our Stories of the Season So Far, provide the 2 nd  Power Rankings review, and highlight each team’s top rookie. It’s all right here, and it kicks off with our BIG STORY, our Mid-Season QB Grades for all 30 teams. Who has a franchise guy in place, who is still searching, and who needs help.   USFL Quarterback Play Defines Success In the NFL they say that defense wins titles, and that the run game determines who can win in December or January, but the USFL is a different beast, playing its foul weather games in March (so, this year not at all) and putting a premium on the passing game as the defining trait of USFL football. Yes, the rules in place help the QBs and their receivers, and the league has always put a priority on signing top draft picks in offensive skill positions, but the key to USFL success has always been the play of the QB. So, which teams have their franchise player in place? Who has hope that they may have a guy who can get it done? And who is still searching for that special mix of leadership, decision-making, and arm talent? Here is our breakdown of where every team stands. We have placed all teams into one of 5 situations, depending on their current QB situation and the prospects for the next 5-years.   WE’VE GOT OUR GUY Dak Prescott-TBY The defending MVP and a clear favorite for back-to-back honors. Prescott has developed into one of the most dangerous QBs in the game and a player the Bandits have built a very dangerous offense around.   Cam Newton-BIR The Stallions have 99 problems but a QB ain’t one. Perhaps the most physically gifted QB in the league, Newton can kill you with his arm or his legs. He has the occasional unfocused game, but more often than not, if the Stallions win it is because Newton put on the cape and played Superman.   Colt McCoy-HOU McCoy has led Houston to 3 straight Summer Bowls and has been the trigger man on one of the best fast-strike offenses in football since taking over for Matt Hasselbeck. At only 31, McCoy should be the Gamblers’ field general for at least the next 5 years.   Kirk Cousins-MGN Cousins is never going to wow you with his deep ball, but he will complete passes, gain first downs, and keep defenses honest, which is enough when you have the best run game in the league. The only concern is that he does sometimes disappear in the biggest games (like in the 2019 Divisional Playoff).   Geno Smith-NOR The Breakers went hard after LSU QB Joe Burrow, but with what we have seen from Smith this year, they may well be happy they lost out to the NFL Dolphins. Smith has the Breaker passing game looking very dangerous, and he is still a young QB.   Russell Wilson-ORL Wilson is like a miniature version of Newton. He can run the ball when needed, makes good reads, and can play hero ball when called upon. Orlando needs to build more around him, but they feel they have their guy in the former Wisconsin Badger.   Paxton Lynch-MEM Last year was not good for Lynch, but he has rebounded well, putting up numbers much more like his strong 2018 campaign. Like Cousins, he is not a hero-ball kind of QB, but he is outstanding in play action and can beat you if given a clean pocket. Memphis is looking good at QB for the next few years with Lynch in house.   GOOD FOR NOW, BUT FOR HOW LONG?   David Carr-ARZ The 2-time MVP is one of the elite passers in the game, but for how much longer? Carr turns 37 this year and it may be time for Arizona to start planning for the post-Carr era.   Sam Bradford-CHI Bradfor had his first 100 QBR season last year, a 20-point improvement from 2018, and this year he is on pace to repeat. The Machine are happy they landed the former Express signal caller, but at 33, Bradford has taken a lot of hits and a lot of abuse during his career in New Jersey, LA and now Chicago.   Tom Brady-OAK You cannot do much better than Brady for leadership and decision making. His numbers are not what they used to be, but the leadership is there, but at 44, we just cannot imagine number 12 playing more than 1-2 more years at the most, even in the shape he is in, which is amazing.   Joe Flacco-SAN At 33, Flacco is not the oldest QB (not by a mile with Brady in the league), but no player has taken more sacks than Flacco, and his lack of mobility is an issue, especially on an expansion team with a somewhat shaky line in front of him. Could he be the Gunslingers’ QB in 2025? It just does not seem likely if he keeps taking these hits.   TOO SOON TO TELL Justin Herbert-DAL Two games does not make a career, but Roughneck fans are loving what they have seen so far. It is everything you expect from a top tier rookie QB, so the folks in Dallas could be very happy for a long time to come if Herbert’s early success is any indicator of his potential.   Josh Allen-DEN We have seen some huge plays from Allen, whose physical gifts are impressive, but he has to improve his accuracy and avoid the costly turnovers that have hurt the Gold early in his career.   Kyler Murray-LA Murray’s escapability is impressive, but he also tends to make some decisions out of panic rather than poise. LA needs to provide more inventiveness on offense to maximize his upside, but the talent is visible.   Ryan Tannehill-NEN It is so tough to evaluate how good Tannehill can be with the expansion roster of the Steamrollers. He has had some moments, and looks the part, but he is forcing too many throws and tends to hold the ball a bit longer than is advisable.   Mason Rudolph/Jalen Hurts-OKL The fact that we are listing both Rudolph and Hurts tells you all you need to know. Fans want to see the former OU quarterback get a shot, but Rudolph has occasional games where he seems to be the real deal, so Coach Stoops has not pulled the trigger on Hurts yet. Does Oklahoma have two good options, two mysteries, or just a mess? It is too soon to tell.   Lamar Jackson-STL The general theory is that Jackson can be a dynamic double-threat, somewhere in the vein of Newton, Wilson, or Jake Plummer, which is saying a lot, but the Skyhawks have both mismanaged his talents and provided him with little to work with. Will a new coach bring out the best in Jackson or is he destined to be considered a bust because of mismanagement of his potential?   NOT BAD, BUT CAN HE CARRY US? Aaron Murray-ATL The Fire QB is having a career year, improving his QB rating considerably in the first 8 games of the season. The arrival of A. J. Green is certainly a reason for, that, but so too may be the use of a system that suits Murray’s style. We could see Murray jump into our “Elite” category if he can prove that this is not just a short-term improvement.   Jake Locker-BAL With 13 TDs to only 6 picks, Locker may not be Ben Roethlisberger, but he is proving he can get the job done for the Blitz. But until we see him take command of the team and earn them a playoff win, there will still be questions as to whether or not he is a true franchise player.   Teddy Bridgewater-JAX The Bulls are hardly an offensive juggernaut, but Bridgewater has shown us that he is more than talented enough to be successful, if only the Bulls would provide him with some weapons. We think they are happy with him as their guy for the foreseeable future, but they need to add some playmakers if he is ever going to turn talent into wins.   Matt McGloin-LV After a very strong first season in the desert, Matt McGloin has had a pretty noticeable regression in year two. His stats are not horrible (12:9 TD:INT ratio, 70.7% completions) but he is not getting the job done on 3 rd  down and not putting points on the board. But, a lot of that may be the ability of defenses to just ignore the run game entirely.   Nick Foles-NJ When Foles is healthy, he can be effective.  But he has missed a lot of games, and he is struggling to make plays when he returns. His 66.2 rating this year is nearly 40 points lower than in 2019, and that has to make General fans worry. A fragile QB may well be a tentative QB and uncertainty is not what you want from your team’s offensive leader.   Andy Dalton-PIT Dalton had an MVP season in 2015, putting up huge numbers, but fell hard after that year. In 2020 his numbers may not be as impressive as 5 seasons ago, but he is avoiding mistakes, not trying to be the hero, just getting the job done and helping Pittsburgh win. Unless a superstar falls in their laps in the T-Draft, we don’t see the Maulers moving on from Dalton.   Marcus Mariota-POR The former Oregon Duck is in the middle of what could be a late-breaking career season. With 11 TDs to only 4 picks, Mariota is looking better than ever. But, injuries are still a major concern. Mariota has already missed time this season after missing 13 games last year, and 5 the year before. But, if A. J. McCarron continues to play well in relief, we could see Portland stick with the duo as a 1-2 combo for quite a while.   Christian Ponder-SD After a 23-TD, 3,800 yard season in 2019, the 2020 version of Christian Ponder has been a huge drop off. Ponder has missed time, but when he has been in he has simply not been making plays. His QB Rating was 104.9 in 2018, 96.9 last year, but only 76.2 this season. That cannot all be about changing talent around him. Thunder fans worry that Ponder is not the player they thought, and that has led to concern that they need to look for help at the position.   HOLDING OUT FOR A HERO Mitch Trubisky-CHA While 6 picks to 11 TDs this season is hardly the worst in the league, fans simply have no faith that Trubisky can get the job done. Statistically this has been his best year, but it may be too little, too late, and since it has not translated into wins, we expect that Charlotte will try to move on, which means that Trubisky could be moving on in the offseason.   Christian Hackenberg-OHI The Glory’s 2018 Division Title feels 100 years ago and the team’s 29 th  ranked scoring offense feels very much like an indictment of Hackenberg’s development. In his 5 years as the starter in Ohio, Hackenberg has yet to top 90.0 in QB rating, which means that he may not be a bad QB but he is not going to be an elite one. Ohio needs more from the position, and if they end up with a new coach in 2021 (which feels more than likely right now), well, that is as good a time as any to make a change at QB too.   Matt Gutierrez-PHI The fans have turned against the longstanding Stars’ QB, the coach who defended him is now gone, and ownership seems ready to blow up the entire roster, which likely starts at the QB position. We could see Ryan Lindley starting soon if the Stars keep losing and Gutierrez keeps struggling, but we certainly believe that the 2021 starter is not currently on the Stars’ roster.   Jacoby Brissett/Brett Hundley-SEA Nowhere is the “If you have 2 QBs, you have no QB” cliché more prevalent than in Seattle. Jacoby Brissett had a very solid 2019 campaign, but was lost for the year in the season opener, the second time in 3 years he suffered a season-ending injury in the season’s first month. In stepped Brett Hundley, and the former General castoff has looked decent, throwing for 1,979 yards with a 2:1 TD:INT ratio (8:4). Hundley is completing 70% of his passes, but what is noticeable is that he is a mid-range passer at best. He is not going to deliver the deep ball, and that feels like Seattle is playing with a major USFL weapon missing from the arsenal.   Ryan Nassib-WSH “It was the system”. That is what Federals Nation is saying about Nassib’s incredible 2018 performance in Arizona, a performance that got him the Washington starting job and a very lucrative contract. But, what have we seen since? A 117.9 QB Rating dipped to 84.8 in Nassib’s first year in D.C., and now sits at 70.9, which is a number you just don’t associate with a multi-million dollar salary and a franchise tag. The Feds are sitting at .500, but unless Nassib turns it back on “Arizona style” over the final 8 weeks of the season, we could see Washington try to deal him and the 2 years left on his deal, to another club and try to retool.   NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS 27   MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS 24  OVERTIME Another good one out of the Southern Division as the Breakers and Showboats head to overtime to settle the battle of 5-2 teams. With sole possession of first place on the line in this one, both teams came in fired up. New Orleans, losers of two straight, feeling a lot of pressure to turn the offense back to overdrive. Memphis, who lost to the Gamblers 2 weeks ago, feeling pressure as well to assert themselves as a serious contender in perhaps the league’s best division. This one would be a battle for 60 minutes and beyond.   The first half of this one belonged to the Breakers, who not only outscored Memphis 17-3, but outgained them 202-124. But the second half would see Memphis storm back, finding their run game as Todd Gurley gained 79 of his 104 yards in the second half. In a game with no turnovers, it would be penalties in the second half that would help Memphis gain some momentum and send the game to overtime, an overtime period that would go nearly the full 15 minutes before a winner was decided,   The game started fast, with New Orleans marching down the field on the opening drive, carving up the Memphis secondary but also getting a pair of solid runs from Myles Gaskin, forced into the starting role as the Breakers had traded away Leonard Fournette only 48 hours earlier, with Denver HB DeMarco Murray not yet ready to step in. Gaskin had a 9 and a 17-yard run on the drive, helping set up the Breakers in the red zone, where Geno Smith found rookie Justin Jefferson for the opening score of the game.   But while the Breakers’ offense was finding immediate success with their gameplan, the same could not be said for Memphis. The Showboats managed only 2 first downs and a lone field goal in the first quarter, and while they had more success in the 2 nd  quarter a missed kick from Lewis Ward left Memphis with only 3 points at the half. New Orleans added a 2nd touchdown midway through the 2nd quarter as Geno Smith found his other favorite target, Jordy Nelson, for a 15-yard strike as the Breakers looked to be in control at the half.   But, adjustments are a part of the game, and just as New Orleans came out hot at the start of the game, a refocused Memphis offense came out with a new plan to start the second half. Switching to more 2-TE formations, the Showboat run game finally started to make some hay. It was Gurley helping the Showboats get inside the 10, and while he took a respite, backup Jacob Hester finished the job, plowing into the endzone from 3-yards out to get Memphis within one score at 17-10 early in the 3 rd  quarter.   Memphis responded with a drive of their own, and once again Myles Gaskin had a big role to play. Stuffed on the ground by Memphis’s front 7, he took on a role as a receiver, and when Geno Smith found him on a well-designed screen from the Showboat 23, Gaskin wove behind his blockers, eventually darting towards the center of the field and into the endzone to regain a 14-point lead for the Breakers, now up 24-10.   But Memphis would not go away, and their new focus on the run game helped Paxton Lynch avoid that tough Breaker pass rush. With time waning in the 3 rd quarter, the ability to pull up the linebackers with a run fake produced Memphis’s longest play of the game, a deep shot to Devin Funchess that fell right to the speeding receiver, producing a 48-yard touchdown. As the final period began, New Orleans held a tenuous 7-point lead. With Memphis feeling good about their run defense, they used the nickel for most of the quarter, stifling the Breaker deep threats and forcing Geno Smith to be patient. The strategy worked to perfection, holding New Orleans without a score in the final 15, while the Showboat offense found the equalizer, a Todd Gurley 1-yard TD run with 3:16 left to play.   The Breakers were unable to get into range for Caleb Sturgis and both teams begrudgingly settled for overtime. In the extra period, both teams battled to get into field goal range, and both found that to be a tough task. New Orleans had what appeared to be a game-clinching deep ball that would have put the ball at the Memphis 7 yard line called back for illegal motion. That kept Memphis in it, but they simply could not get close enough for Lewis Ward. With 2:22 left to play, the Breakers got one last chance to get into field goal range, and a huge 3 rd  and 11 play to Coby Fleener helped them get there. The pass took New Orleans to the Memphis 41. From there a 7-yard Garner run, and a short throw to Dawson Knox that ended up going for 13 put the Breakers confidently in scoring range. On a 3 rd  and 3, they opted to send Caleb Sturgis out onto the field. Sturgis put the ball straight down the middle and this Southern Classic was over, with Memphis again falling just short in a key divisional game and the Breakers taking over 1 st  place of the division.   NEW JERSEY 20  WASHINGTON 18 The Generals recovered from their Week 7 beatdown at the hands of Tampa Bay, putting together a solid game against division rival Washington and leveling both their record and the Federals’ at 4-4 in the process. What is perhaps more impressive is that they did most of their damage with Ricky Stanzi, not Nick Foles at the helm. Foles was knocked out of the game midway through the 2 nd quarter and Stanzi guided New Jersey to17 of their 20 points, including a TD toss to Odell Beckham Jr. POTG:  General WR Odell Beckham Jr.: 6 Rec, 117 Yds, 1 TD   ARIZONA 24  PORTLAND 14 The Wranglers shut down Portland’s offense in the first half, building up a 17-0 advantage over the game’s first 30 minutes. The Stags eventually found some space to operate, but by then it was too late. DE Calais Campbell, apparently miffed that we commented on his lack of multiple-sack games, took out his annoyance on Marcus Mariota, sacking the Stags’ QB 3 times on the day. POTG:  Wrangler DE Calais Campbell: 4 Tck, 3 Sck   HOUSTON 39  BIRMINGHAM 21 The Gamblers limited Cam Newton to only 37 yards rushing and the offense compensated for the absence of Carlos Hyde by having rookie Clyde Edwards-Helaire and 3 rd  stringer Traveon Williams carry the ball a combined 32 times for 79 yards. Colt McCoy threw for 351 and 3 scores, outdueling Newton, who had 3 scores as well but also threw a pick-six to Kenny Vaccaro. POTG:  Houston QB Colt McCoy: 22/30, 351 Yds, 3 TD, 2 Int   DALLAS 20  SAN DIEGO 10 Justin Herbert is 2-0 as a starter for the Roughnecks as Dallas doubled up the spiraling San Diego Thunder. Even the return of Christian Ponder could not help the Thunder offense as they were limited to 158 passing yards and committed 3 turnovers. Herbert and the Roughnecks took advantage, putting up 17 of their 20 points after turnovers. Herbert found Sammy Watkins for a TD, one of 9 receptions for the former NFL receiver, who finished the day with 128 yards. POTG:  Dallas WR Sammy Watkins: 9 Rec, 128 Yds, 1 TD   DENVER 26  SEATTLE 31 Denver loses their 4 th  in a row as Seattle QB Brett Hundley throws for 433 yards and 3 scores to earn this week’s POTW. Hundley targeted former Stallion Amari Cooper 16 times, with the top target bringing in 10 for 151 yards and a score. TE Kyle Rudolph and WR Marshall Newhouse also caught TD passes from the Dragon QB. Devern mounted a late comeback, but a missed 2-point conversion meant they had to go for a TD late and the Hail Mary just did not connect. POTG:  Seattle QB Brett Hundley: 30/38, 433 Yds, 3 TD, 0 Int   ATLANTA 17   ORLANDO 27 A huge win for the Renegades as they crawl right into the SE Division race, now only a game behind Atlanta, though still 3 games behind the unbeaten Tampa Bay Bandits. The ‘Gades rushed for 176 yards, including 32 yards from QB Russell Wilson. Wilson also threw for 171 and 2 scores, but the big star of the day was the Orlando defense, which held Aaron Murray to only 190 yards and 1 TD, with A. J. Green targeted 10 times but only able to come up with 4 receptions for 48 yards as CB Dee Milliner locked him down all game. POTG:  Orlando CB Dee Milliner: 7 Tck, 6 PDef, 1 Int   CHARLOTTE 6  TAMPA BAY 52 The Bandits top 50 points for a second consecutive week, absolutely demolishing the Monarchs. Dak Prescott threw for 361 yards with 4 touchdowns, including 3 to his favorite target, NFL import Dez Bryant. The Bandit D also came up big, sacking Mitch Trubisky 6 times and forcing 2 picks as well. The Bandit D also held Charlotte without a 3 rd  down conversion all game, 0 for 11. POTG:  Bandit QB Dak Prescott: 13/18, 361 Yds, 4 TD, 0 Int   PITTSBURGH 18  OHIO 15  OVERTIME The Maulers struggled a bit, but still picked up their 6 th  win, thanks to an Andrew Franks field goal in overtime. Ohio put up quite a fight, sacking Andy Dalton 4 times, holding the Mauler run game to only 76 yards and putting up a game-tying field goal in the final 2 minutes of regulation, but their offensive woes kept them from putting the game away in overtime, making room for Pittsburgh to get the winning kick. POTG:  Mauler DE Shaquile Riddick: 3 Tck, 1 TFL, 1 Sck, 1 FF   ST. LOUIS 41  SAN ANTONIO 34 There is something about that first game after a coaching change. Philadelphia got a win the week after Jim Harbaugh’s departure, and the Skyhawks followed suit in Dave Borgonzi’s first game in the interim position. It was quite a shootout between these two as Joe Flacco threw for 4 TDs while the Skyhawks found a run game, with Bobby Rainey scoring twice and gaining 72 yards on 14 carries while David Montgomery added another 55. San Antonio led 34-27 with 7:08 left, but the Skyhawks uncharacteristically rallied late, getting an equalizer on a 22-yard strike form Lamar Jackson to Deionte Johnson and the game winner with 39 seconds left in the game, thanks to a Bobby Rainey TD run. POTG:  Skyhawk HB Bobby Rainey: 14 Att, 72 Yds, 2 TD   LAS VEGAS 17  LOS ANGELES 29 The Express move to 6-2 thanks to another solid defensive performance, holding Las Vegas to 4 of 15 on third down and limiting their run game to only 33 total yards. Kyler Murray went 17 of 24 for 208 yards and a TD to Jason Whitten while Reggie Bush also contributed a TD run and Marquise Lee contributed with an 80-yard punt return TD for the Express. POTG:  Express CB Stephon Gilmore: 7 Tck, 1 PDef, 1 FF, 1 FR   OKLAHOMA 6   OAKLAND 16 The Invaders avoid dropping to .500 by shutting down the Oklahoma run game (only 26 total yards) and containing WR DeDe Westbrook. It was not a pretty game, but it was largely error free for the Invaders, who had no turnovers and no penalties in the game. Oklahoma simply could not get much done, finishing with only 248 yards on offense. POTG:  Invader LB Shaq Barrett: 4 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 FF   NEW ENGLAND 2   JACKSONVILLE 17 The Jacksonville D pitched a shutout, with the only Steamroller points coming on a holding call against a Bulls’ lineman in the endzone for the safety. The Bulls’ D also put 7 points on the board with CB Dominique Rogers-Cromartie’s 80-yard interception return. Both teams ran the ball effectively, with Williams and Forte gaining a combined 97 yards for New England, while Jacksonville got 9100 even from their combo of Singletary and Hardesty. But, with neither QB able to secure 200 yards or more, this was a low scoring affair. POTG:  Bulls’ CB Dominique Rogers-Cromartie: 5 Tck, 1 Int, 1 Def TD   BALTIMORE 27  PHILADELPHIA 24 The Stars played their division rivals tough, holding a 24-20 advantage midway through the 4 th  quarter, but a 2-minute drill by Jake Locker produced a 27-yard TD toss to rookie Michael Pittman Jr. and that gave the win to the Blitz, who now sit alone atop the NE Division at 5-3 while Philadelphia drops to 1-7 at the midway point of the year. Locker threw for 307 and 2 scores in the game, despite the absence of Brian Hartline. Eli Rogers stepped up with 85 yards on 5 receptions and Michael Pittman added 73 as well. POTG:  Blitz QB Jake Locker: 21/36, 307 Yds, 2 TD, 0 Int   MICHIGAN 0   CHICAGO 27 We need to start talking about Chicago’s defense more. A week after holding New Orleans to 6 points, they shut out the Panthers. Michigan still seemed shaken by last week’s injury to Calvin Ridley, and simply were not in synch as Chicago held them without a score for the first time in over a decade. Sam Bradford was not flashy for Chicago, but he put up 269 yards and threw TDs to both TE Tyler Eifert and rookie WR Chase Claypool in the dominant win, a win that creates a 3-way tie atop the division with Chicago, Michigan, and Pittsburgh now all 6-2 on the year. POTG:  Chicago LB Manti Te’o: 4 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 FF, 1 FR   Ten Big Stories of 2020 at the Midpoint of the Season So much has happened this season, this unique, bizarre, and yet well-appreciated season. We combed through everything we have seen over the season’s first two months and came up with 10 stories that define the 2020 season at its midway point.   Chicago’s Defensive Muscle The Chicago Machine have impressed this season, not only with their 6-2 start, but with a defense that is among the best in the league and reminiscent of some great Chicago defensive squads of the past, in both the USFL and NFL. They currently lead the league by allowing only 268.8 yards of total offense per game, including a leaguewide low of only 47.9 yards per game on the ground. They are 2 nd  in the league in scoring defense as well, allowing only 14.9 points per game, a number greatly aided by the past two games in which they held the Breakers’ powerful pass game to only 6 points and then shut out the Michigan Panthers.   What is most amazing about the Machine defense is that they are doing it at every level. The D-line has produced 18 sacks, led by Jason Pierre-Paul’s 7 QB captures. The linebacker group, which was thought to be a strength, has certainly proven that out, with Kevin Minter, Manti Te’o and Courtney Upshaw combining for 92 tackles and 13 TFL, leading the way in run defense, but the true revelation has been the secondary. Cornerback Josh Norman currently leads the team with 47 tackles, while also producing 11 passes defended and 2 picks. He is joined by Jordan Poyer, who has 32 tackles along with a pick and 7 passes defended. The safeties, Lano Hill and Micah Hyde have been huge as well. This is team defense at its best and it has propelled Chicago into discussions of Summer Bowl favorites.   San Diego’s Sputtering Offense While it has all been good news in Chicago, much the opposite has been the case for the 1-7 San Diego Thunder. Expected by many to lead the Pacific Division and take another crack at a Conference Title, the Thunder have been absolutely abysmal on both sides of the ball this year. Their run game dropped from Top 10 form last year to 24 th  in the league, putting out only 73.5 yards per game. Their passing game is only marginally better, ranked 19 th  in the league, and that has helped them claim the title of the lowest scoring team in the USFL, averaging a paltry 10.8 points per game. The Thunder have been held to 10 or fewer points 5 times in 8 weeks, and there does not appear to be much help on the way.   With the trade deadline only 2 weeks away, San Diego has to give serious thought as to whether Ryan Williams still has it in him to be a lead rusher. He is averaging 3.9 yards per carry, which is solid, but is still only averaging just over 50 yards per game on the ground, not enough to keep defenses honest. Behind him are only scatback Taiwan Jones and 3 rd stringer Travis Homer. The passing game should improve if Christian Ponder can stay healthy, but the Thunder need more options than Marques Colston, who, at 35, has clearly lost the once legendary speed that made him a coverage nightmare. Ronald Johnson and Chris Givens have just not given Ponder enough to work with. Barring a miraculous turnaround, this could turn out to be San Diego’s worst season since relocating from Las Vegas.   Memphis Finds Balance Memphis is sitting at 5-3 and very much in the hunt in the Southern Division, and while we tend to praise the defense put together by Head Coach Rex Ryan, the secret to the Showboats’ success this year may well be on offense. Memphis currently ranks 2 nd  in rushing at 114.4 YPG and 7 th  in passing at 261.5 YPG, and it is that balance which is making them a tough team to defend. Paxton Lynch is bouncing back nicely after a somewhat shaky 2019 campaign. His current 103.5 QB Rating is significantly better than even in 2018 when he led the Showboats to the playoffs. He has 16 TDs to only 6 picks, a career best ratio by far, and he finally has a trio of weapons who can all turn a catch into a score in reliable possession receiver Robert Woods, receiving tight end Dallas Goedert, and breakout star of 2020, Devin Funchess, who leads the team with 781 yards. Put that together with Todd Gurley’s 671 yards rushing, and a fabulous 4.5 YPC average, and you have a very tough team to gameplan against.   Star & Skyhawk Shakeouts When you have two coaches fired before the season reaches its midpoint, well, that is a story to follow. With both Philadelphia and St. Louis reacting to horrific starts (0-6 for Philly, 0-7 for St. Louis) by firing their head coaches, there is now pressure on both clubs to prove that they can improve with a change of leadership. Both the Stars and Skyhawks won in their first games with an interim coach, but the rest of the season will show whether a change at the top is sufficient or if a lot more has to be addressed for these two clubs to be successful.   Surprising Stags It seems every year there is one team that no one expects much of but who prove us wrong. Last year it was Tampa Bay, going from 3-13 in 2018 to 10-6 and a division crown in 2019. This year that surprise club is the Portland Stags. At 5-3, the Stags have already won more games than in their entire 4-12 campaign in 2019. What is more, they are doing it with an offensive firepower no one saw coming. Even with Marcus Mariota missing 2 games, the Stags are in the Top 5 in scoring and passing yards, and are averaging over 28 points per outing, including impressive wins in the division, like a 38-17 drubbing of the Express and a 44-17 route of the Oakland Invaders. They still have a tough road ahead, but this is a Stags team that is gaining momentum and excitement in the Rose City.   Atlanta is on Fire It may seem odd to praise the Fire in a week when they lost a divisional game, but since it was only their 2 nd  loss of the season, and since that season has included 4 games where they have scored over 30 points (3 over 40), we are still pretty impressed by what we are seeing out of the Peach State. The Fire are solid on defense (upper half of the league in every category) but where they have excelled is turning field position into points. The Fire are only 10 th  in total yards, but 2 nd  in scoring and that is because their red zone efficiency has been outstanding. In 38 red zone appearances, they have 29 touchdowns and 7 field goals, meaning that they have come away with points on 36 of 38 possessions inside the red zone, and scored a touchdown on 76% of their red zone drives. That is a stat that will win you a lot of games.   Breakers’ WR Duo Impresses The New Orleans Breakers lead the league with 2,746 yards passing, more than 300 yards more than 2 nd  place Tampa Bay (who we have been praising for their offense). They have 20 passing touchdowns, and have perhaps the best 3-player receiver group in the league. No wonder they are 6-2 and sit atop the South. They have the league leader in receiving yards, Jordy Nelson, who is averaging 127 yards per game and a ridiculous 31.8 yards per reception. They have the #3 tight end in receiving yards, Coby Fleener, who trails only Tampa Bay’s Jordan Cameron and Oklahoma’s Mark Andrews, with 524 yards, on pace for 1,000 again. And they have rookie sensation Justin Jefferson, who is currently 16 th  in the league with 623 yards, on pace for 1,200, and averaging 24 yards per catch. Yes, the Breaker run game has been a disaster, something they hope to turn around with the acquisition of DeMarco Murray, but this passing game has been one of the highlights of the season so far.   Banditball in Full Effect Banditball is back in Tampa Bay, defined by a high-flying offense and a no-holds-barred defense. The Bandits trail only New Orleans in passing yards, but have 3 more TD passes, with 23 over 8 weeks, nearly 3 per game. Dak Prescott has only thrown 3 interceptions and is finding deep options regularly. Both Dez Bryant and TE Jordan Cameron are on pace for more than 1,200 yards, and Ryan Grant, despite missing time to Covid-19, could still surpass 1,000 yards, oh, and they, unlike New Orleans, have a run game as well, with Dalvin Cook on pace for 1,000 yards and getting nice support from NFL import Matt Breida, who is averaging 4.4 yards per carry. Then you throw in the defense, a group allowing the fewest points in the league, 14.1 per game, and also leading the league in pass defense, and, well, you have to say that the Bandits, and Bandit Ball, is looking like a favorite to land in the Summer Bowl.   Covid-19 Remain Season’s Defining Feature For all the great action on the field, the outstanding performances, and the big plays, we all know that the big story this year is the global pandemic of Covid-19. Just the fact that we are having a USFL season at all feels somewhat miraculous. The league had to delay the season two months to get a plan in place, we have every game played in a hub/bubble format, in empty stadiums, and we have a massive testing program in place, but so far, despite the hiccups, and there have been many, there has not been a single game cancelled or postponed, and no team has been forced to forfeit because of a widespread infection within the team. For all the annoyance of having games at 11pm (which has thankfully been solved), or listening to absolutely no roar of the crowd, or having your best player sidelined for 1-2 weeks after testing positive, the season is happening, the league is surviving, TV ratings have improved, and the game action has been as good as ever. Yes, it is weird, and we all want fans back in the stands and teams playing at home as soon as possible, but we have to celebrate the wins right now, and one of the big wins of this summer is that the USFL has been able to mount a season, one we can all enjoy while staying safe.   Denver Deals DeMarco to Desperate Breaker Squad Midseason deals tend to fall into one of two categories: teams trying to add the one piece that can put them into playoff position and teams giving up on a season and trying to build for the future. The deal we saw between the Gold and the Breakers feels a bit like the former, but with a hint of the latter. It is just bizarre to see a team trade away their leading rusher, but to see two teams swap their leading rushers, that is a rarity indeed.   Denver had an interesting situation. They had two backs who were looking very solid, Murray with 473 yards and a very solid 4.1 YPC average and Philip Lindsay with just under 400 yards but a nice 5.0 YPC average. Both were productive, both seemed satisfied with playing in a HB-by-Committee situation, but when New Orleans came calling, Denver clearly felt that one of the two would be expendable. The Breakers were desperate to upgrade a run game that was among the league’s worst. With one of the league’s most explosive passing games and a 5-0 start, fans were not clamoring for change, but back-to-back losses showed everyone that you could play pass defense all game and the Breakers could not make you pay with their run game. So, they went searching for an option, and they found one in Denver.   So, Denver agrees to send their lead rusher, DeMarco Murray, to the Breakers in exchange for the Breakers’ disappointing draft choice Leonard Fournette and a 2 nd round pick in 2021. The expectation is that the pick, and not the player, was the key for Denver. For New Orleans, they land a 29-year-old halfback who is certainly an instant upgrade at the position but may well be a short-term solution as he gets close to that nasty 30-year-old cliff. Denver gets a nice draft pick and could decide to use Fournette in a very specific role (short yardage) while Lindsay becomes a true 3-down back, used in the passing game as well as in first and second downs.   It is a trade we rarely see, two starting HBs swapped midseason, and there may be a bit of “this is not our year” thinking for Denver, but this feels like a move that makes sense for both clubs. Denver believes they will be fine with Lindsay taking on a heavier load while New Orleans now believes they can threaten teams with the run if defenses stick to the strategy of using the nickel as their primary defense against that Breaker passing game. Both players watched Week 8 action from the sideline, but we expect to see Murray starting in Week 9, with Fournette seeing spot action for Denver.   Maulers Trade for Gronk Ahead of Week 8 Now this is a trade that makes all kinds of sense. Pittsburgh is in a 3-way tie atop the Central Division, has found success on defense and has potential on offense with a balanced attack, but Andy Dalton lacked a true safety valve. We like Anthony Hill as a blocker, and he can catch the ball, but he is not going to be a weapon teams plan to stop. Enter the St. Louis Skyhawks, a team that needed 8 weeks to find a win and which is now going to be rebuilding around Lamar Jackson. To do that they need draft picks and cap space, and that means losing a good player to get both.   So, a deal is cut, even within the division, as St. Louis sends TE Rob Gronkowski to the Maulers in trade for two draft picks, TE Will Dissley, and some major cap relief. Gronkowski is a true weapon, a receiving TE who can draw safeties away from Pittsburgh’s outside receivers. He may be a step slower than in recent years, but he still has great hands and the ability to block out defenders, exactly the kind of weapon Andy Dalton lacked in the Mauler attack.  And while Lamar Jackson is likely not happy to lose Gronk this year, his departure signals St. Louis’s desire to rebuild, to add more talent on both offense and defense, and to do that they need picks and cap space, and this deal gets them both. They will add a 4 th  rounder in 2021 and a conditional pick in 2022 as well.   Our analysis is that this move certainly helps Pittsburgh this year. It gives Dalton another weapon, and makes it tougher for teams to play the run when the Maulers are in 2-TE formations. For St. Louis, a 1-7 start and with an interim head coach, what works for 2021 is clearly not the priority. They will move ahead with Dissley and James Casey likely splitting snaps at TE, neither a major receiving threat, but they will move on to 2021 with hopes for a big offseason makeover.   A second consecutive light week for new IR placements, with only one coming from New Jersey this week, and for longer-term issues, with the rest of the injuries falling into the 1-2 Week, Doubtful or Questionable category. That is a trend we always welcome.   OUT OT          Donald Stephenson   NJ           Broken Leg        IR DT          Damon Harrison             SD          Foot                     1-2 Weeks LB           Manti Te’o                     CHI        Thigh Bruise            1-2 Weeks FS           Clyde Adams                 NOR      Neck                         1-2 Weeks SS           Eric Berry                        LV           Ankle                        1-2 Weeks LB           Darryl Sharpton           ORL       Hand                        1-2 Weeks   DOUBTFUL LB           DeMeco Ryans                TBY        Arm DE          Neal Beasley                    HOU     Turf Toe DT          Cortez Broughton           DEN      Thigh Bruise   QUESTIONABLE QB         Nick Foles                  NJ           Tendinitis   COVID-19 INACTIVES CHA      G            Jonathan Cooper            CHA      CB          Ronald Darby HOU     G            Jon Asomoah NEN      HB         T. J. Yeldon PHI        OT          Matt Kalil             2 nd  Week PHI        LB           Jake Ryan PIT         CB    Sean Smith                             MIDSEASON POWER RANKINGS We are at the halfway point of the season and so it is time to evaluate where all 30 teams stand. We have a clear Top 2, but after that it gets pretty messy, with clusters at 6-2, 5-3, 4-4, and 3-5 before we get down to the teams at the bottom of the rankings. For each club, we will give our 1-sentence evaluation of their situation and also take a look at their best performer from the Draft Class of 2020.   1—TAMPA BAY BANDITS (8-0) Not much needs to be said when your team has the top scoring offense (33.1 PPG) and the top scoring defense (14.1 PPG) as well.   TOP ROOKIE: CB Noah Igbinoghene has started to see some action in nickel and dime situations and has 4 Pass Defenses in limited action.   2—ARIZONA WRANGLERS (8-0) Third in scoring (28.9) and 2 nd  in scoring defense (15.2 PPG) is a formula to keep Arizona unbeaten and just behind the Bandits in our power ranking. TOP ROOKIE: WR Brandon Aiyuk is making contributions on special teams and in the red zone, with 3 TDs among his 10 receptions so far this year.   3—CHICAGO MACHINE (6-2) Back-to-back impressive games by the D and Chicago now moves to the 2 nd  spot, allowing only 14.9 points per game. Their offense is also, somewhat surprisingly, in the Top 10 in both yards and points. TOP ROOKIE: An easy choice with Chase Claypool, the 2 nd  leading receiver on the Machine, racking up 31 receptions, 408 yards and 4 TDs so far this season.   4—PITTSBURGH MAULERS (6-2) The Maulers are not blowing anyone out, but impressive wins over the Breakers and Gamblers help propel them to the 4-spot. TOP ROOKIE: While Cam Akers is getting some attention, it is LG Jonah Jackson, who is having the biggest impact. He is proving to be an excellent run blocker and that has helped the Maulers create space for both Akers and Sony Michel.   5—ATLANTA FIRE (6-2) A tough loss to Orlando breaks the Fire’s 3-game win streak, but this is still a team putting up a ton of points (30.5 per game) and their D is improving. TOP ROOKIE: Another outstanding rookie wideout, Gabe Davis has 4 TDs and 252 yards in his first 8 games.   6—NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS (6-2) The Breakers had a rough 2-game span, including a blow-out loss to Chicago, but they got a nice divisional win over Memphis this week to reach 6-2. TOP ROOKIE: Could it be anyone but Justin Jefferson? No. With 624 yards, 4 TDs, and a 24 YPC average, Jefferson is among the ROTY candidates we are keeping an eye on.   7—LOS ANGELES EXPRESS (6-2) The Express still don’t scare anyone on offense (only 18.1 PPG) but their D is legit, holding teams to only 61 yards per game on the ground and only 15.6 points per game. TOP ROOKIE: OT Austin Jackson has taken over at RT, has had some ups and downs in pass protection but is a nasty blocker in the run game.   8—MICHIGAN PANTHERS (6-2) The injury to Ridley is still clearly affecting this team. Just no other way to explain their 27-0 loss to Chicago. If they can get refocused, there is too much talent on this team to end up outside the playoff picture. TOP ROOKIE: With LBs Josh Uche and Casey Toohill stuck in special teams duty, the clear choice is WR Donovan Peoples-Jones, whose role will only increase with the loss of Calvin Ridley to a season (possibly career) ending injury.   9—MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS (5-3) Paxton Lynch has rediscovered his touch on the ball, leading the league in completion percentage and helping Memphis develop one of the league’s most-balanced offenses. TOP ROOKIE: No one has busted out but the Showboats have gotten some early results from 3 defenders, DE Darrell Taylor, DT Brawian Roy, and CB Dee Alford.   10—HOUSTON GAMBLERS (5-3) After so many playoff runs, and so many trips to the Summer Bowl, are the Gamblers now showing signs of fatigue? They just don’t seem as dominant as they have been in recent years. TOP ROOKIE: You might expect it would be HB Clyde Edwards-Helaire, but honestly, we are seeing more out of WR Denzel Mims, who already has 3 TDs in very limited action.   11—PORTLAND STAGS (5-3) One of the surprise stories of the year, the Stags are getting results with a pass-first philosophy, even with a defense that is in the bottom third of the league in nearly all categories. TOP ROOKIE: Fullback Mac Knapp was a late round draft pick, but he has been playing like a true-blue chipper, blowing up linebackers to help Doug Martin and Travares Cadet find room to run. He also has shown good hands in nabbing 21 passes for 210 yards and a TD in his first 8 pro games.   12—ORLANDO RENEGADES (5-3) A big win over Atlanta this week and a clear difference when Russell Wilson is healthy. The Renegades could be a tough out if they can work their way into a playoff spot. TOP ROOKIE: With no rookie starters, the Renegades have gotten the most out of DT Javon Kinlaw, who has 1 tackle fewer than starter Ego Ferguson.   13—BALTIMORE BLITZ (5-3) The only team with a record over .500 in a surprisingly weak Northeast Division, Baltimore has the 2 nd  rated defense in terms of yards, as well as a Top 3 pass defense, and that can get you far in the USFL. TOP ROOKIE: With the departure of Darius Heyward-Bay and the injury to Brian Hartline, both rookie wideouts are getting plenty of snaps, so we want to recognize both Michael Pittman Jr. (32 Rec, 413 Yds, 3 TD) and Quez Watkins (16 Rec, 152 Yds, 1 TD).   14—OAKLAND INVADERS (5-3) Tom Brady may not be producing MVP numbers, but his leadership and experience is showing up in the way Oakland toughs out wins. Other than a bad performance against Portland, the Invaders have won 4 of their last 5. TOP ROOKIE: DT Jordan Elliott is splitting time with veteran Tyson Alualu and getting results, with 13 tackles and 2 sacks so far this year.   15—DALLAS ROUGHNECKS (4-4) Justin Herbert is 2-0 since taking over the starting gig, but the Dallas schedule gets a lot tougher over the next few weeks, with Oakland this week, then unbeaten Arizona. TOP ROOKIE: All of the DFW Area is falling in love with Justin Herbert, who is 2-0 as a starter, but we also want to recognize rookie LG Robert Hunt, who has started all 8 games and has helped Dallas crank out 101 yards rushing per game, 10 th  in the league and a solid 22 yards more per week than in 2019.   16—NEW JERSEY GENERALS (4-4) The Generals don’t seem to be able to keep Nick Foles healthy, and the higher the percentage of Ricky Stanzi games, the lower the chances of a playoff run for New Jersey. TOP ROOKIE: All eyes were on DT Yetur Gross-Matos coming out of the draft, but it has been unheralded SS Kyle Dugger who has impressed the Generals’ coaching staff the most. In 8 weeks, he has replaced veteran Jonathan Cyprien as the starter and has 31 tackles and 4 Passes Defended.   17—WASHINGTON FEDERALS (4-4) Federals fans are still trying to figure out why their version of Ryan Nassib looks so pedestrian. The Feds are improving on defense, but their offense is still only 27 th  in total yards and dead last in rushing. TOP ROOKIE: With HB Darrynton Evans struggling (a 2.0 YPC average in 102 attempts), the honor has to go to LB Patrick Queen, currently 6 th on the team with 32 tackles. He also has a sack and 5 tackles for loss playing on the weak side.   18—DENVER GOLD (3-5) Once 3-1, the Gold have now lost 4 in a row. They just are not putting enough points on the board (15.4 per game) which has caused their defense to tire. Injuries to Bryce Hall and Shaq Thompson have certainly not helped. TOP ROOKIE: CB Bryce Hall was looking like a star in the making until a season ending injury put him on the IR, a tough break for an early season standout.   19—SEATTLE DRAGONS (3-5) With 3 first half wins, another late season surge could again produce a Wild Card for Seattle, but they are just so erratic on both sides of the ball it is hard to get behind that possibility. TOP ROOKIE: Seattle has had some strong rookie outings, including FS Grant Delpit and LB Kamal Martin, but the best of the bunch has been OT Ezra Cleveland, who has swung between LT and RT as needed and has yet to give up a sack in over 150 snaps.   20—OKLAHOMA OUTLAWS (3-5) The Outlaws dropped their last 2 and now sit 2 games under .500. If they lose another, we could see Jalen Hurts get his shot. Their next 2 games are huge, facing off against 2-6 Las Vegas and 3-5 Seattle. TOP ROOKIE: We know fans want to see Jalen Hurts get a chance, but they should be celebrating just how good former Miami Hurrican DeeJay Dallas has been, leading the team in rushing yards despite having fewer carries than starter Justice Hill. We think DeeJay could be starting for the Outlaws by season’s end if he can just improve his pass blocking.   21—JACKSONVILLE BULLS (3-5) After looking absolutely moribund their first 3 weeks, the Bulls’ offense has picked up a bit over the last 5, though it is the defense that got them their last 2 wins, 10-3 over Orlando (without Wilson) and 17-2 over expansion New England. TOP ROOKIE: Rookie WR Tee Higgins has been a huge hit in Jacksonville, with 522 yards on 33 receptions to lead the club, Higgins should be in the ROTY running with his production for a club without many other weapons.   22—BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS (2-6) 29 th  in pass defense, 27 th  in total defense (yardage), and dead last in scoring defense (28.4 PPG), it is no surprise why Birmingham has only 2 wins, and both of those were basically Cam Newton carrying the team over the finish line. TOP ROOKIE: The rookie WR group is just stacked all across the league, but the current frontrunner for ROTY has to be Stallion wideout Henry Ruggs, with 34 receptions, 759 yards (a 22.3 YPC average) and 8 touchdowns. He has become Cam Newton’s favorite teammate for sure.   23—CHARLOTTE MONARCHS (2-6) Averaging only 186 yards passing per game and having lost 4 of their last 5, the time may be now for Charlotte to end the Mitch Trubisky experiment and try someone else under center. But is Kyle Boller really going to fare much better? TOP ROOKIE: Not a lot has gone right for the 2-6 Monarchs this year, but with 28 tackles and 2 sacks, rookie DT Leki Fotu has been a bright spot in a tough first half to the season.   24—LAS VEGAS VIPERS (2-6) The Vipers cannot stop the pass, and with one of the league’s worst run games, they cannot shorten games by controlling the clock either. That is a combo that is sure to produce losses, and that is what we have seen. TOP ROOKIE: Fans of the Vipers have been very critical of their past few drafts, but FS Julian Blackmon has proven to be a solid pick, with 25 tackles, 3 takeaways (1 int, 2 FF) and some highlight reel hits to his credentials so far.   25—OHIO GLORY (2-6) You are not going to win a lot of games when you score 13 points per game. Ohio has a solid defense, capable of keeping teams in the teens, but they have shown absolutely no ability to make big plays and that has caused them to lose a lot of low scoring games. TOP ROOKIE: Both LB Malik Harrison and CB Damon Arnette have seen quite a bit of action this year, and while neither has huge numbers, they both have also not been liabilities on a team with a lot of liabilities.   26—NEW ENGLAND STEAMROLLERS (2-6) No one knew what to expect from this expansion club in their first year. What we are seeing is that they can run the ball (Kerwynn Williams is on pace for 1,000 yards) and they play pretty good pass defense. Now, if they could get a bit more explosive in the passing game, they could muster a few more wins this year. TOP ROOKIE: We expect a lot of rookies to see the field with an expansion team, and that has been the case, but none has had a steady starting job except for OT Matt Peart. The UConn product has started at RT for all 8 games, helping New England produce the 5 th  best run game in the league.   27—PHILADELPHIA STARS (1-7) Harbaugh is gone after 15+ seasons, the team seems ripe for a complete overhaul. Keep Derrick Henry and swap pretty much everything else out. TOP ROOKIE: As happy as Star fans have been with WR K. J. Hamler, they are still upset he is the team’s leading receiver with 37 receptions and 455 yards, mostly because that means that Randall Cobb and the rest of the veterans have not been performing. We cannot say that we blame them.   28—SAN ANTONIO GUNSLINGERS (1-7) Going with veterans on offense seems to have not worked the way owner Red McCombs wanted. Joe Flacco is getting sacked like potatoes, and while Marshawn Lynch is doing pretty well for a back in his mid-30’s, that is not enough to win games in this league. TOP ROOKIE: With only 13 receptions, many are saying that TCU wideout Jaelen Reagor has been a disappointment. We think he just has not gotten the snaps to make a bigger impact behind LaFell, Goodwin, and McKenzie.   29—ST. LOUIS SKYHAWKS (1-7) A week after firing Frank Reich, the Skyhawks get their first win, but don’t expect too many more from a team averaging only 15.1 points per game while giving up nearly 26. TOP ROOKIE: Iowa rookie Tristan Wirfs started the first 3 games at LT, but struggled to protect Lamar Jackson’s blind side, so he was swapped to RT and that has been a much better fit for him.   30—SAN DIEGO THUNDER (1-7) Absolute and total collapse. That is the only way to describe what has happened in San Diego this year. After 4 consecutive playoff seasons, the Thunder are looking like a team that has hit a wall, dropped off a cliff, and needs a total reboot. TOP ROOKIE: As you might expect of a 1-win team, the 2020 rookie class has not had any difference makers emerge yet. WR Laviska Shenault has 11 receptions but has been unable to get more than 10 snaps per game for a passing attack that has struggled.   We kick off the second half of the season with a Friday night lineup that features a make-or-break game for the Denver Gold as they take on the unbeaten Arizona Wranglers. Dropping to 3-6 would be a disaster for the Gold, but they face a rival that has been playing as well as anyone in the league all season long. The 9pm start is also a really intriguing matchup as the 6-2 Panthers face the 5-3 Gamblers at TDECU Stadium.   Saturday’s slate is almost entirely divisional games in this division heavy weekend. The best of the matchups features the league’s other unbeaten squad as the 8-0 Tampa Bay Bandits face the Orlando Renegades in a Florida Derby. We also get Memphis v. Birmingham, a rivalry that this time will miss a lot of its charm as the pre-game tailgating is not on the agenda for a game with no tickets sold.   Sunday we get 5 more divisional games including the Portland Stags taking on division-leading Los Angeles at Wynn Arena. The Stags can get right back into the thick of the division race with a win in this one, while LA can try to put some space between themselves and the rest of the division with a win. The rest of the games on Sunday are potential trap games with 6-win Pittsburgh, Atlanta, and Chicago facing off against St. Louis, Jacksonville, and Ohio. Is there an upset on the table in one of these games?   FRIDAY 8pm ET    Washington (4-4) @ Philadelphia (1-7)        Orlando           NBC 8pm ET    Denver (3-5) @ Arizona (8-0)                     Glendale         ABC/FOX 9pm ET   Michigan (6-2) @ Houston (5-3)                       TDECU            ESPN/EFN   SATURDAY 1pm ET   San Antonio (1-7) @ New Orleans (6-2)           NRG               ABC 4pm ET    Oklahoma (3-5) @ Las Vegas (2-6)                   Glendale        FOX 4pm ET    Seattle (3-5) @ San Diego (1-7)                         Las Vegas         ABC 8pm ET    Charlotte (2-6) @ New Jersey (4-4)                   Gainesville       NBC 8pm ET    Tampa Bay (8-0) @ Orlando (5-3)                     Tampa           ABC/FOX 9pm ET   Memphis (5-3) @ Birmingham (2-6)                 Rice                 ESPN/EFN   SUNDAY 1pm ET   St. Louis (1-7) @ Pittsburgh (6-2)                     NRG                 FOX 4pm ET   Oakland (5-3) @ Dallas (4-4)                            Glendale         ABC 4pm ET    Portland (5-3) @ Los Angeles (6-2)                  Las Vegas       FOX 8pm ET    Jacksonville (3-5) @ Atlanta (6-2)                      Orlando          ABC 8pm ET    New England (2-6) @ Baltimore (5-3)               Tampa             FOX 9pm ET   Ohio (2-6) @ Chicago (6-2)                           TDECU             ESPN/EFN

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Dak Prescott had one of those games that we see only in the USFL. He completed 12 passes in the entire game, but 6 of them were touchdowns, and with an average of 28 yards per completion, it was all about the longball. How is this for a 6-TD Day? Touchdown throws of 1 yard, 17 yards, then 40, 46, 56, and 75. Those are some wild numbers, but that is the USFL, where the long ball is still very much in vogue.