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USA Today, May 14, 1993 Eight weeks into the season and it seems clear that this is one of the most surprising years to date. Sometimes surprises are good, and we get more than we expected, other times they are disappointments, leaving us feeling shortchanged. This USFL season has had plenty of both. For our Midseason Report this year we are going to look at the 5 biggest disappointments and the 5 biggest surprise success stories. We will wrap it up with revisions to our absolutely inaccurate preseason predictions. Let’s get to it. BIGGEST DOWNSIDE SURPRISES The rookie season of Reggie Brooks: Coming out of Notre Dame, and after a senior year in which he rushed for over 1,300 yards and 13 TDs for a 10-1-1 Lou Holtz team, a lot was expected of Brooks in Baltimore. He was going to overtake Barry Foster as the lead back, add some dynamism and big play ability, and, according to some fans, make the Blitz into a top 5 offense. What have we seen in 8 weeks? A grand total of 29 carries for 129 yards. Now, some of that has to be on Coach Infante, but if he is not seeing it in practice, why would he give the ball to Brooks during the game? Is this a case where a very good Notre Dame line made Brooks look better than he was? Or does he just need more time to get up to speed in the prog game? The Swan Song of Coach Stanley: A 2-6 first half is not the farewell tour the Michigan Panthers wanted to give their 2-time Champion head coach as he plans to retire. The fact that the team is simply not very good should not come as a complete shock, after all they have barely scraped by at 7-9 the past two seasons, and, if you ask most fans, they have simply not been the same team since Bobby Hebert and Anthony Carter left, and John Corker retired. Michigan has not been very successful in the draft, and the talent level has not kept pace with their early years, but even so, one would expect the team to rally behind Stanley. Eight weeks in and there is no sign it is happening. Perhaps it will take a change of regime to revive the Panthers. The New Jersey Generals offense: I feel we have said this before, but when your team has names like Herschel Walker, Doug Flutie, Lam Jones and Irving Fryar, you expect them to be at or near the top of the offensive stats, and yet, once again, we just are not seeing the production from the Generals that we expect. Yes, Walker is among the Top 5 in rushing, but he only has 1 TD this season. How is that even possible for a back with his talents? Doug Flutie has thrown for 18 TD’s, but has also been very erratic week to week, and while Jones has been a solid performer, near the league lead in receiving yards, Irving Fryar has been almost a no show. Obviously, the defense has not been stellar either, but no one expected that. Once again it is the offense, which is supposed to be Coach Wyche’s forte, which seems to be letting the fans in the tri-state area down. Bobby Hebert in Oakland: While he has had a couple of solid games, particularly these last two weeks, the season being had by the former league MVP is not what fans in Oakland expected. Hebert is currently 15th of 20 starting QB’s in passing yards, and even worse, is 19th in passing TD’s with only 10 in 8 games. That is not the Bobby Hebert that we remember. While Coach Vermeil is playing politics, taking the blame for Oakland’s offensive woes, and while fans are making the case that Hebert cannot be at full strength after completing a full NFL season and then jumping right into a second season with the Invaders, the case of Bernie Kosar would seem to refute claims of exhaustion. Maybe it just affects them differently, but while Hebert has been a huge disappointment, Kosar has shone in his back to back season performance for Chicago. Coach Vermeil has made some alterations to the playcalling, and Hebert does seem to be getting a bit better as the season wears on, so perhaps by season’s end he will be looking like his former self, and maybe next year, after a fall rest, he will be what Oakland fans wanted, because he is not even close right now. The Tampa Bay Bandits: Yes, they lost Aikman for a couple of games, but that alone is not even close to explaining away a 1-7 first half. We picked this club to vie for the USFL Championship, which I guess is on us, but not many in the football world saw this coming. The run game remains a shambles, despite Coach Spurrier moving Kevin Harmon to lead back and reserving Eric Bienemy for 3rd downs and passing situations. The Bandits are last in both scoring and yardage in the league, which is not surprising when you see that they are in the bottom 5 in both passing and rushing. The defense has been middling all year as well, playing well one week and completely collapsing the next. Steve Spurrier still holds something of an iconic status in the league, but we should remember that his one and only league title came in 1983. Perhaps it is time to change directions, revamp the roster, and maybe even look in a new direction on the sideline as well. BIGGEST UPSIDE SURPRISES Natrone Means’s impact on the Denver Gold: If Reggie Brooks is underproducing, Natrone Means is giving Denver fans all they could have asked for and more. The Denver offense is scoring points, dominating tempo, and keeping possessions going thanks in large part to the ability of Means to produce on 1st down, creating makeable third downs, and his ability to earn the tough 3rd and 2 plays. Means has taken pressure off of QB Dave Krieg, which has made Krieg more effective in play action. The result? Denver is 3rd in rushing in the league with Means and Timmy Smith combining for 871 yards to date, and the Gold are in the hunt for a Wild Card. Now, if they could just get over .500 and stay there, fans would be ecstatic. Birmingham’s 1-2 punch at QB: After setting records in passing yards and TDs last year, we all expected Brett Favre to be solid this year, but he has once again been spectacular, leading the league with 23 TD passes in only 6 games. When he fell to an injury there was concern as to whether Cliff Stoudt could play at his former steady form as a backup coming in. Those doubts were quickly wiped out as Stoudt threw for nearly 900 yards and 10 TD’s in two and a half games. Yes, the Stallions did suffer their first loss of the season under Stoudt, but that was a 42-36 shootout against Washington and we place the blame there on the defense which gave up a late lead. This Stallions team is poised for greatness, and having not only a top flight starting QB but perhaps the best backup in the league is a big reason why. Bernie Kosar igniting MartyBall in Chicago: We thought Chicago was a team on the rise, but we had been saying that for years. And while Bobby Hebert’s back-to-back seasons have lead to a less-than-stellar start in Oakland, Bernie Kosar’s shift from the NFL Browns to the USFL Machine has gone better than anyone could have hoped. Kosar currently leads the league in passing yards with over 2,800 at the halfway point (on pace to break last year’s record set by Brett Favre), and with 20 TD passes in 8 games, Kosar and the Schottenheimer offense have the Machine at 6-2 and right there with the defending champion Houston Gamblers atop the Central Division. The Philadelphia Stars defense: The surprising success of Philadelphia (4-4) has a lot to do with the rapid gelling of a new defense. Philly currently sits 3rd in scoring defense, and is top 10 in both passing and rush defense, thanks in large part to a full team concept. This is not a squad with a single superstar, this is a squad working hard and working together to make it happen. The secondary of Marcus Quinn, Lorenzo Lynch, Chris Snyder, and Todd Bowles has become one of the best zone coverage defenses in the league, and while they are not creating a ton of turnovers, they are breaking up those key 3rd down passes that keep drives moving. Up front Steve Bryan and veteran William Fuller have combined for 19 sacks, and in the LB corps the acquisition of Ed Brady from Tampa has paid off, providing solid veteran leadership. Philadelphia’s offense still has some questions to answer, but if the defense keeps playing like this, we may see Philadelphia in some August football. Arizona’s 6-2 start: The thing that makes Arizona’s white hot start so mystifying is that we cannot figure out how they are doing it. This is a Wrangler squad that currently ranks dead last in passing yards in the league, and while their rushing game is solid, it is not unstoppable, ranking only 6th in the league. On defense they are middle of the pack in both rush yardage and passing yardage allowed, though they somehow rank 2nd behind only Memphis in scoring defense. They are only +4 in turnovers, far from the best in the league. So, how are they doing it? And, perhaps more importantly, can they keep it up all season and into the playoffs? Fans in Phoenix are not asking these questions. They are just enjoying the ride. But we want to know how a team that simply does not seem to excel in any one area, and which has very few players we would call “stars” in the USFL, can be so successful, at least through 8 games. It is a mystery, wrapped in an enigma. Halfway through a season that has been full of surprises, so the one thing that is not a surprise is that our preseason prognostications were way off base. If you recall the preseason primer, we made some pretty strong predictions, and while some of them are looking solid, others are clearly way off base. Here is where we went right, went very wrong, and what we now think: GOT IT RIGHT: Memphis’s defense would carry the team: So far, that is the picture being painted. Houston would contend for a back to back title: That seems to be well on its way. Natrone Means could win Rookie of the Year: He is more than half way there. Brett Favre was an MVP candidate: No error here, he is the clear frontrunner. GOT IT WRONG: New Jersey would contend for a division title while Washington faded: Not so much what is happening. Oakland would win the Pacific Division: Not impossible, but not looking good right now. Jacksonville was due for a letdown: So far no signs of that as the Bulls are looking like a contender. Tampa would be the Eastern Conference Champion: So very, very wrong on this one. With 8 weeks of insight, what do we now see as the future of the 1993 season? Here is our revised projection: Atlantic: Washington and Pittsburgh battle down to the wire for the title. Philly just misses a Wild Card. Southern: Birmingham loses 2 games at most, Jacksonville is close behind, and without Kelley, Memphis fades down the stretch. Central: Chicago comes close but Houston holds on for the division title. Pacific: Both Oakland and Denver tighten Arizona’s lead, but both end up as Wild Cards. USFL Championship: Birmingham over Houston in a shootout between Favre and Kelly. USFL MVP: Still Favre, though Kosar gets some votes. USFL Rookie of the Year: Means takes it, but Memphis CB Deon Figures gets solid 2nd place votes. USFL Coach of the Year: After struggling through several bad seasons in Baltimore and Chicago, MartyBall finally works as intended and Schottenheimer gets the award for Chicago’s strong season. There you have it. We hope we are better at mid-season predictions than we were back in February. Eight weeks down, eight more to go to see who gets to play on in the post-season. So much good football already this spring, so much more to come. Stick with us as we bring you all the USFL highlights, lowlights, and, particularly this year, surprises.

If you did not like the game between the Stallions and Federals this weekend at RFK, then you just don’t like football. Backup and longtime veteran Cliff Stoudt led the undefeated Stallions against the division-leading Washington Federals, and seemed to have a win wrapped up when the Feds rallied back late to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat and send Birmingham into the L column for the first time all season. From the first moments of the game it was clear that the Federals fully expected to win the game. They spent most of the first quarter trading jabs with the Stallions, getting on the board first with a 5-yard Majkowski to McNeal TD pass and then playing stalwart defense against a Stallion squad that was trying to get Brent Fullwood’s run game into form. Fullwood would start slow, but end the game with 77 yards on 15 carries. But it would be vet Cliff Stoudt, for the second week in a row who would carry the Stallions, maintaining a deep ball game that was designed for starter Brett Favre but which seemed to suit Stoudt as well. The 2nd Quarter saw the jabs turn to haymakers. Washington started it off, doubling their lead to 14-0 on a Barry Word TD run. Word had a huge game, scoring twice and rushing for 113 yards, while backfield mate Terry Kirby added another 58 yards on only 10 carries to help boost the Feds. Just when you thought the game might turn fully for Washington, Cliff Stoudt unleashed a rainbow of a pass to Ernest Givens, who caught it in stride and just kept going, 77 yards to paydirt. Stoudt would find Michael Haddix for a 2nd TD only minutes later, after a Wersching FG had made the score 17-7. With Haddix’s rare reception for a score, it was now 17-14 with just over 2 minutes left in the half. That was more than enough time for Majkowski to position the Feds for another field goal, and when Wersching’s kick flew down the center of the goalposts, it was 20-14 in RFK and the Federal fans were pumped. The 3rd quarter was not good for the Feds however as Birmingham scored the only points in the period, a Scott Norwood kick and a short TD pass from Stoudt to Shannon Sharpe. The Stallions were on top for the first time all game, leading 24-20 as the game entered the final quarter. And what a quarter it was. The two teams combined for 35 points in only 15 minutes of play as the score changed hands 3 times. It began with Washington rebounding from an unproductive 3rd as Majkowski found Joey Walters and put the Feds back on top 27-24. Birmingham needed almost no time to take the lead back, as Stoudt again unloaded a deep ball, this time to a wide open Shannon Sharpe on a misplayed seam route. The Stallions boosted their lead just 1 minute later when a Majkowski pass sailed over Duane Gunn’s arms and into the hands of rookie Blaine Bishop, who had a clear road to the endzone. The 39-yard interception return made the score Birmingham 38-27 and it looked like the undefeated Southern power would again win without Favre. But Washington was not done just yet. They marched down the field after Bishop’s return TD and when Barry Word broke containment on the outside he found a clear path for an 11-yard TD run to bring the Feds back to within 3 at 38-35. Washington would need to go for the onside kick, and when Ray Wersching’s kick took a big 3rd bounce it deflected off a Birmingham blocker’s helmet and was eventually pounced on by rookie LB Michael Barrow for the Feds. With nearly 2:30 left in the game there was plenty of time for the Feds to tie the game, or go for the win. They did the latter, and with 49 seconds left it was always reliable Joey Walters who made the play, a leaping grab over the shoulder of the defender. Washington was up 4 and with less than a minute left, the Stallions had to go for the TD. It was too much to ask of Stoudt, and for the first time all season the Stallions tasted defeat. Washington was the giant killer and the win moved them solidly into playoff position atop the Atlantic Division. For Birmingham, their lead in the South was still solid, but the early dreams of an undefeated season were dashed. For the rest of us, it was just a great display of top level football and a thrilling finish between two real contenders. JAX 10 BAL 18 The Bulls could have taken a share of 1st in the South thanks to Birmingham’s loss, but they faced a Blitz team that has been playing much better of late, especially on defense. The Blitz limited Jacksonville to only 282 total yards and kept Tony Eason from finding paydirt. In their best impersonation of the recent Pittsburgh Maulers, Baltimore scored all 18 points on 6 field goals from veteran kicker Luis Zendejas. Late in the game and down 18-3, the Bulls actually turned to Mike Shula, who got Jacksonville in the endzone with a pass to Brian Blades, but it was much too little and much too late. TBY 21 PIT 24 Unlike Baltimore, Pittsburgh was able to score 7’s instead of 3’s, though the difference in this game would again be a Septien field goal. Mike Rozier had 105 yards and Alan Risher found both Mike Shaw and Louis Lipps for scores as the Maulers held off Troy Aikman and the Bandits. Aikman’s 305 yards and 2 scores were simply not enough this week as Tampa falls to a dismal 1-7. MEM 30 NJ 17 The Generals fall for the 5th consecutive week as Memphis gets 113 yards and 2 scores from Greg Boone. The defense also helped as they sacked the elusive Doug Flutie 3 times and forced two poor passes which were picked off by Memphis defenders. Lam Jones did catch 9 passes for 124 yards to move into the leaders in receiving yards, but it was not nearly enough for the Generals. ORL 28 PHI 14 The Renegades were on a mission this week, and ended up doubling up the homestanding Stars. Reggie Collier threw for 237 and 2 scores, but the biggest uptick in production was from much-maligned HB Dalton Hilliard, who had his first 100-yard game against Philly. A Ricky Reynolds interception return for TD helped Orlando pull past the Stars and lock up only their 2nd win of the season. ARZ 7 TEX 20 We expected it to be Arizona’s D taking the day, but it was Texas who showed some defensive moxy against Robbie Bosco and the Wrangler offense. Bosco completed 32 of 52 for 305 yards but only threw one TD to two INTs and the vaunted 1-2 halfback punch of the Wranglers was just not there, gaining a combined 24 yards rushing on 18 carries. Texas got 68 yards from Cobb, and Kelly Stouffer found both Quinn Early and Eric Metcalf for scores as Texas moved back to .500 at 4-4. DEN 13 CHI 24 In a battle of two surprise contenders, Chicago used home field advantage and 3 TD’s from the Watters-Bentley halfback combo to upend the Gold. Watters had a solid day, punching the ball in twice as Chicago slowed down the pace against the Gold. Denver’s run game was limited, with Natrone Means only rushing for 49 yards on 19 carries, but they too seemed content with the slower pace, though in the end it was their downfall as a late comeback was note enough to get back within the final minutes. OAK 30 HOU 23 In what looks like a trap game for the Gamblers, Oakland surprised Houston in the Astrodome thanks to a good day from Bobby Hebert and a late TD from rookie HB Glyn Milburn. Hebert avoided the interceptions that have plagued him all year and threw for scores to both Ellard and McCaffrey as the Invaders built up a 30-16 lead and then held out as Houston tried for the laste comeback. Jim Kelly, playing catchup, threw for 400 yards, but his 2 TD’s were not enough to bring the Gamblers back from an initial 24-3 deficit. POR 17 MGN 12 Panther fans are getting edgy about the lack of offensive production, and with good reason. Despite a combined 130 yards from Rodney Culver and Albert Jenkins, Michigan could only put 12 points on the board, all field goals from Brad Daluiso, as the Portland defense, not known as a strong squad, found ways to shut down the red-zone offense of the Panthers. Michigan falls to 2-6 in what was supposed to be a Swan Song Tour for coach Jim Staley. STL 34 NOR 17 If Michigan fans are antsy, those in New Orleans are in outright rebellion. Boos rained down on the Breakers as they left the field after yet another poor showing. Completing only 42% of his passes and throwing a key interception did not make fans fall in love with Danny McManus, and getting only 19 yards from Marcus Dupree did not help either. Meanwhile David Archer connected for 3 TD passes and Darrell Thompson had one of his best games as a Knight, rushing for 138 yards on only 15 carries as the Knights pick up their 2nd win on the season. We did not celebrate Birmingham backup, and longtime starter, Cliff Stoudt last week, when he went 21 of 33 for 347 yards and 5 TDs, but in his second straight relief appearance he added another 384 yards and 4 TD’s and we cannot ignore that. Yes, Birmingham lost, for the first time this season, despite Stoudt’s performance, but the fact that he has come in for Favre, thrown 9 TD’s and over 700 yards passing has been astounding. What is perhaps more astounding is that ever since Favre took over as the starter, Stoudt has been content to serve as the backup in Birmingham rather than making a stink and demanding a trade. This is a QB who started for the Stallions for 8 years, led them to the playoffs, even to a league championship game, and is now able to step back, play the backup role, and then, when called on, come up huge with two tremendous games. Stoudt still has several good years ahead of him, and could push for a trade, but he knows this is a great chance to earn a ring, and, at least for now, he is willing to play backup to the ultra-talented Favre. He has one more season on his contract, and we expect that after the 1994 season he will likely get into the market, and, based on his performance the past two weeks, there are a lot of teams that could use his talents, his experience, and his down-to-earth approach to the game. We will leave the midseason analysis for our annual midseason report edition, so for this week, let’s focus on the financial side of the USFL. The league released their 1992 financial statement this year and the news was overwhelming positive. Thanks in part to strong TV ratings, a wide range of sponsorships, and solid attendance across the league, the USFL showed a total profit of nearly $78 million for the year. Eighteen of the 20 franchises showed a profit with only Portland (still waiting for their stadium expansion to increase their revenue potential) and the 5-11-1 Chicago Machine showing a slight loss for the year, thanks largely to suppressed early season attendance due to a cold, snowy March, and late season attrition due to a pretty shoddy team. With Chicago looking much better this year, the league may be in even better position to make a profit in 1993. Sponsorships are proving to be a major driver of revenue, as teams develop stronger local deals. No more used car lots and “official loose meat sandwich purveyors”, USFL teams are seeing major corporate deals, and the league has several lucrative national campaigns with sponsors such as Anheiser Busch, Toyota, United Airlines, Burger King, and Pepsi. It does not hurt as well that Nike has become an iconic brand over the past few years and they feature USFL stars heavily in their marketing thanks to Nike CEO Phil Knight being owner of the Thunder in Portland. The next big thing may be to expand the TV contracts. Currently the USFL has 7 games weekly on ABC, with Saturday and Sunday afternoon coverage, two ESPN games (Sat & Sun Night Football) and the one game weekly with FOX on Friday nights. When the league expands in 1995, and with the return of the LA Express and that key market, expect the league to look to find a partner for the additional 2 games each week. ABC has also started talking about hosting a night game, switching ESPN to Saturday afternoons. They may need to outbid other offers, as it is well-known that Fox is hoping to broaden their coverage and even Turner is interested in potentially serving as a host. Add to this the increase in mid-week USFL-themed shows on ESPN and the league is building a strong presence across the dial. Finally, we would be remiss if we did not mention the success the USFL has had at the box office. Not only have attendance numbers risen from the high-20’s to the low 40’s in most markets over the first 11 seasons of the league, but the league has been able to increase ticket prices by nearly 60% without causing major outrage among fans. Yes, the average USFL ticket is still significantly less than the NFL equivalent, but the gap is closing, and in some cities, like we have seen in Tampa, the NFL is beginning to look for ways to combine efforts with the USFL to market both leagues and both teams through combined ticket packages, marketing schemes, and local advertising. The hilarious TGI Friday’s ad playing in the New York market that has Giant Phil Simms, Jet Jeff Blake, and General Doug Flutie all fighting over the last chicken wing on the plate is a great example of this type of shared effort to align team interests when possible. After the deal set in LA, there has been talk in several other dual-league cities about stadium construction with shared costs between the city and the two leagues. This includes talk of a new downtown stadium in Detroit, a refurbishing of Soldier Field in Chicago, and possibly a new domed stadium in Houston as the Astrodome is beginning to show its years. So, good news seems to be the news of the day from the league office. With expansion on the horizon, and the financials looking good, attention can be paid to what happens on the field, and any sports league loves to see that. Two huge, potentially season-altering, quarterback injuries came out of this week’s play. In Memphis, the Showboats got the devastating news that Mike Kelley could miss the rest of the regular season (6-8 weeks0 with a torn ACL. Also in the Southern Division, the other 6-2 team, Jacksonville, will have to play without Tony Eason for at least the next 4 weeks as he suffered an injury to his non-throwing shoulder. Both of these injuries will test the Southern Division challengers just as Brett Favre returns from 2 weeks on the injury list himself. Other injuries of note this week include NJ safety Eric McMillian, who could miss a month of play with an MCL injury, Memphis tackle Bruce Wilkerson, expected to miss 1-2 weeks with a torn bicep, Birmingham tackle Emory Yates sprained his wrist and could miss 1-2 games, and Michigan safety Carnell Lake is doubtful with a broken foot. The seaosn’s second half opens up with interdivisional play as the South and Pacific host the Atlantic and Central. In the East the two marquee matchups have 5-3 Pittsburgh @ 7-1 Birmingham, with Brett Favre expected to return under center, and the 5-3 Federals, fresh off their win against Birmingham, facing the equally tough 6-2 Jacksonville Bulls. In the West, the biggest games are 6-2 Houston at 4-4 Portland, 6-2 Chicago @ 3-5 Oakland, and a battle of 4-4 teams as Texas heads to Denver. In other matchups we have Arizona visiting the disappointing 2-6 New Orleans Breakers, Michigan traveling to St. Louis in a battle of 2-win teams, Philadelphia visiting 1-win Tampa Bay, New Jersey battling Orlando, and the Baltimore Blitz facing off against the 6-2 Memphis Showboats at the Liberty Bowl.

What a wild one in the AlamoDome this week as the Chicago Machine and Texas Outlaws went toe to toe. Both QB’s threw for more than 300 yards, Reggie Cobb rushed for 140 and 2 sores, Darryl Talley had a pick-six, and the fans in San Antonio got their money’s worth as Chicago edged Texas late in the 4th to steal a road win. The game actually started pretty slowly, with both teams trading short possessions and punts for most of the first quarter. The first score, a Kosar to Walls TD did not come until the 1:33 mark in the opening quarter, but what followed was pure football chaos. The second quarte began with Stouffer hitting Shawn Collins for an equalizer only 48 seconds into the period. Chicago then took possession and drove the ball down the field before Albert Bentley did his short yardage thing and pounded the ball in from 2 yards out to give Chicago the lead again. Texas responded with a long drive of their own, capped by a Reggie Cobb 3-yard run to once again even things up at 14. It looked like the game might go to the half knotted up, but a short pass from Stouffer to Theo Young, got tipped in the air, snagged by Chicago LB Darryl Talley, and run back 37 yards for a score with only 13 seconds on the clock. Chicago would take a 21-14 lead into the half. In the third quarter, Texas quickly responded. Cobb rushed the ball 5 times on the opening drive of the second half, and Stouffer found Dokie Williams for the third equalizer of the day. Chicago would respond with a field goal to again take the lead 24-21, but only 9 seconds later, Stouffer found Eric Metcalf in single coverage, and Metcalf left the defenders in the dust on his weay to a 64-yard score. Texas led for the first time, 28-24. Chicago would score the next 10, first on a second Carney field goal, and then on a perfectly thrown ball from Kosar to Reggie Langhorne for 7, and it was Chicago up 33-28 with 9:14 left in the game. After two failed drives gave Texas back the ball, they used Cobb against a tired Chicago defense, and he found paydirt from 5 yards out. A successful 2-pointer later and Texas was now on top 36-33 with 3:44 left in the game. But, as you might guess, 3:44 is an eternity in a game like this, and Bernie Kosar had no difficulty in figuring his way through the Texas defense. With 1:38 left in the game, Kosar found Wessley Walls for his second score of the day, and Chicago had the lead. Down 4 points the Outlaws had to go for the touchdown, but they were unable to complete a 4th and 11 pass from the Chicago 33, and the game was over. Chicago moved to a surprising 5-2, and Texas once again fell below .500 at 3-4. OAK 6 MEM 35 Mike Kelley threw for 327 and 4 scores against an Oakland squad that seemed completely unprepared for their game in the Liberty Bowl. The Showboats would outgain Oakland 386-225 as simply nothing worked for Oakland. Bobby Hebert completed only 44% of his passes for a less-than-mediocre 177 yards, while Siran Stacy was held to only 42 yards rushing. Both Reggie White and Santana Dotson scored 2 sacks each, including a safety from Dotson as Memphis rolled. MGN 17 PHI 30 The Stars looked impressive as they turned a 13-10 halftime lead into a 13 point victory. Mike Quick had three TD receptions as the Michigan secondary simply could not cover him. Throw in good games by TE Eric Green and veteran wideout Gerard Phelan and Philadelphia simply outlasted the Panthers to earn their 4th win and send Michigan to a 2-5 record. POR 20 DEN 24 Portland struggled early and then fought back but could not overcome a 24-10 lead by the Gold. Today it was the ground game as Timmy Smith gained 85 yards on 15 carries and scored twice while rookie Natrone Means, also with 15 carries, racked up 102 yards against the notoriously bad Portland run defense. Portland managed to make it close despite finishing the game with backup Oliver Luck at the helm, but it was too little too late. STL 8 ARZ 14 This 6th win of the year for the Wranglers did not come easy. Yes, they held St. Louis without a touchdown, but they also could not do much on offense, relying on an early Trumaine Johnson TD and a 3rd quarter Courtney Hawkins catch to outpace the Knights. Both teams were held below 300 yards of total offense in a game dominated by each defense. NOR 20 HOU 38 Timm Rosenbach’s first start as a Breaker did not break well for him as Houston built up a 15-0 lead on two Kelly to Ernie Jones first quarter TD’s and a safety before the Breakers got on the board. Houston would add in 4 John Kasay field goals, another Kelly TD pass (to TE Heller) and a Thomas TD run for good measure as they simply never let New Orleans draw close enough to smell a comeback. Thomas finished the day with 162 yards rushing as he was fed the ball the entire second half on the way to the Gambler win. BIR 35 TBY 17 Many thought that with Favre injured this would be the week when we saw the Stallions notch their first loss of the year, but an MVP performance from Cliff Stoudt put that thought to bed. Stoudt, reminding fans of his glory years, threw for 347 yards and 5 TDs against an overmatched Tampa defense. Against that, backup John Fourcade had no chance to keep Tampa in the game as the Bandits fall to a surprising 1-6 on the season and Birmingham moves to 7-0 in a very impressive year. JAX 45 ORL 24 The nightmare season for the Renegades continue as they get crushed at home behind a 442 yard, 4 TD day from Tony Eason. With Collier a gametime scratch, both Jimmy Jordan and Craig Erickson got a chance to lead the ‘Gades, but neither could do much and with the Bulls up 28-3 at the half the game was all but over. Hassan Jones had another great game, turning 5 receptions into 3 TDs and 180 yards receiving. BAL 6 WSH 20 The Federals gained a measure of revenge for their Week 4 loss in Baltimore by shutting down the Blitz and winning by 14 at home in RFK. While Barry Word got the lion’s share of the carries (19 for 57 yards), it was rookie Terry Kirby who delighted fans, gaining 64 yards on only 8 carries to spark the Feds. The defense also had a strong day, holding Chris Miller to only 180 yards passing and blowing up the run game for Baltimore. NJ 10 PIT 12 In one of the weirder developments in recent years, the Pittsburgh Maulers manage to win for a second straight week without scoring a TD. Four Rafael Septien field goals were enough as the 4-3 Maulers again used defense and ball control to keep New Jersey under wraps. Mike Rozier had a great game, rushing 21 times for 140 yards and the Maulers controlled the clock (35+ minutes to 24 for New Jersey) as they again proved that as long as you have more points when the whistle sounds, it does not matter how you got them. Look, we see 4-TD games from QB’s every week, and 150 yard rushing games are not all that rare, so we are not going to do the usual thing and give the award to Tony Eason, Thurman Thomas or Bernie Kosar. What you do not see, almost ever, is a game won entirely on the foot of a team’s kicker, and to see that two weeks in a row is simply unheard of. So, this week we honor Pittsburgh kicker Rafael Septien for the 9 field goals in 2 weeks that helped Pittsburgh to 2 straight wins despite never putting the ball over the plane and into the endzone. The former Cowboy has moved up the leaderboard for kickers with 15 connected field goals on 19 attempts, but in the last 2 weeks he has gone 9 of 11, and all of those kicks have been clutch for Pittsburgh to stay in playoff contention. Can he do it again in Week 8? Will he have to or will the Maulers find a way into the endzone against a pretty shaky Tampa defense? Last week we focused on the halfback position, this week we look at the Quarterback. It is no surprise that some of the league’s most successful teams are those with top rated QBs: Favre in Birmingham, Kelly in Houston, Eason in Jacksonville, and the newly-imported Bernie Kosar in Chicago. But what about those teams struggling at QB? This week we look at the 5 teams with the shakiest QB situations and what we may see over the season’s final half. TAMPA BAY: The good news for the Bandits is that we all know that Troy Aikman is a top level QB, the problem is that when he goes down, the combo of Mike Rae and John Fourcade is simply not adequate to help Tampa weather the storm. With a mediocre defense and a growingly fragile starter, Tampa has to take seriously the backup QB position. ORLANDO: Reggie Collier has been a starter in this league since 1984, but this season he simply is not showing he has the stuff. Slower and less able to escape pass rushers, and seemingly less accurate as well, this year Collier has thrown only 11 TDs to 10 interceptions, and despite playing in 6 of Orlando’s 7 games, the veteran has only been able to muster 1 win all season long. Is it time, after he is healed, to see what the younger Craig Erickson can do? Is this how a legendary USFL QB fades at the end of his career? PORTLAND: Since he first arrived in Portland Kerwin Bell has had his share of detractors. The Thunder brought in David Archer, who seemed to motivate Bell towards his best play, but now, with Archer in St. Louis, Bell seems to have regressed. His 10 TD – 11 INT season to date is not exactly inspiring confidence in the former Gator as the QB of the present or future in Portland. OAKLAND: Bobby Hebert was supposed to be the triumphant hero returning to the USFL in his full glory, but the season being put together in Oakland is looking pretty shaky and certainly well below the (unrealistic?) expectations we all had before the games started. His 73.9 QBR among starter is among the worst in the league, and an 8-8 TD-INT ratio is hardly what fans expected. We don’t expect Coach Vermeil to turn to Cary Conklin any time soon, but more and more Oakland fans are beginning to wonder if going after Hebert instead of NFL free agent Vinny Testaverde was the right call. ST. LOUIS: The Knights started the season believing that this was the make or break year for QB Dan McGwire. He started the year well, leading St. Louis to 2 season-opening wins, but has since not only fallen to a mediocre 77.4 QBR, but also been benched for David Archer. The problem is that Archer’s current QBR is an even worse 55.6. So, what does St. Louis do? Do they stick with Archer? Go back to McGwire? Trade for a QB for the future? If they cannot solve this problem quickly, the season is lost, and quite possibly next season is a question as well. A few bad turns this week around the league. St. Louis will be without starting SS Al Burleson for the rest of the year as he suffered a neck injury that could be career-impacting. In Texas, LB Garth Jax ended his season with a ruptured Achilles tendon in another ugly injury to see unfold. Oakland lost TE Sam Bowers for at least 2-3 weeks with a shoulder injury and New Orleans’s veteran FS Frederick Wilder could miss 2-3 weeks as well with a lower back injury. Orlando got more QB news as backup Craig Erickson is now listed as doubtful with turf toe, though on the bright side, Reggie Collier should be cleared to go this week. Also expected back in action, and none too soon, is Tampa signal caller Troy Aikman. He leads a long list of players who have moved up to “Probable” after 1 or more weeks out of action, a list that includes DEN corner Bruce Pickens, St. Louis WR Emile Harry, Baltimore CB Torin Dorn, Orlando CB Rickey Reynolds, and Baltimore tackle Mark Shively. We end the first half of the season with inter-divisional play within each conference, with the Atlantic and Central Division playing host. Intriguing games include 7-0 Birmingham at RFK to face the Federals, Arizona at Texas, and 4-3 Denver at 5-2 Chicago. We will also see if some teams can play spoiler as they try to rewrite the season at the midway point. Baltimore hosts the red-hot Jacksonville Bulls, New Jersey takes on Memphis, and Philadelphia, a surprise story this year, hosts the shockingly 1-6 Orlando Renegades. In other matches we have Tampa at 4-3 Pittsburgh, Oakland at 6-1 Houston, Portland at Michigan, and the St. Louis Knights in New Orleans to face the Breakers.

In a week that saw a lot of blowout wins, this one went down to the wire and then some, with Washington prevailing in overtime. Both teams focused their defensive efforts on shutting down the run and making the other a one-dimensional offense. Both were successful as Kelvin Bryant was only able to gain 22 yards on the day, and Barry Word did only minimally better with 31 yards rushing. It all came down to the QB’s and again the two were evenly matched. Don Majkowski threw for 288, 2 scores and no picks. Chuck Long threw for 270, 2 scores and no picks in an evenly matched game all around. After 3 Philly held a pretty tentative 10-3 lead in what had been a defensive battle all day. When Chuck Long hit Bryant for a rare TD reception early in the 4th the fans in Veteran’s Stadium had to feel good about their odds. But, the Philly score seemed to rile up the Federals offense, and they came back at a furious pace, aided by a successful onside kick. Washington’s first TD came with just over 2 minutes to play, as Terry Kirby caught a Majkowski pass and dove across the line at the end of a 7-minute drive to pull the Feds within 7. They went for the onside kick and Ray Wersching got a short hop which clipped a Stars player and fell into the arms of Duane Gunn. Washington needed 5 plays to move the ball 12 yards, and things did not look good, but on a 3rd and 9, the Feds got a huge play from Herman Moore, who lept over double coverage to bring down a Majkowski deep ball and even the score with only 30 seconds left. In overtime Washington held Philadelphia without a first down and took their first possession down to the Stars’ 11 yard line before Ray Wersching put the ball between the uprights to give the visitors the win. The Washington victory created a cluster atop the Atlantic Division with the Federals, Stars and Maulers all at 3-3 and hoping to build a win streak to gain some ground on the others. Philadelphia, which had come into the game a favorite for the first time all season, came out of it wondering what happened to their vaunted run game and worrying that perhaps the clock was beginning to tick down for their star, Kelvin Bryant, who looked spent throughout the game. PIT 15 BAL 13 Baltimore got two TD’s, Pittsburgh got nune, but 5 Rafael Septien field goals was enough for the Maulers in this surprising defensive showdown. Despite 2 TD passes from Chris Miller and holding Mike Rozier to only 59 yards rushing, the Blitz could not get enough points on the board to overcome Septien’s right foot. ORL 20 BIR 24 The Renegades jump out to a 13-0 lead but cannot hold back the Stallions all day. Brett Favre threw for 2 TD’ before having to step away due to injury and Cliff Stoudt came in and threw the winning score, a 10-yarder to Givens, with 1:40 left to give Birmingham the win. TBY 13 MEM 24 John Fourcade played a conservative game, avoiding turnovers, but also missing out on big plays, while Memphis scored 16 unanswered points in the second half to take the win. TE Keith Jackson caught 5 balls for 108 yards and a score to help power Memphis to a win and a 4-2 record. NOR 13 CHI 41 Danny McManus got pulled in the 3rd quarter after falling behind 31-10 and completing only 11 of 28 passes, but Timm Rosenbach fared no better against the Chicago defense. Meanwhile, Wendell Davis caught 2 TD passes from Bernie Kosar, who also found Scott Eccles and Wessley Walls for scores. Albert Bentley scored another as the Machine rolled. TEX 31 MGN 14 Kelly Stouffer got off to a quick start, finding both Quinn Early and Eric Metcalf for first half scores. In the 2nd half Texas turned the ball over to Reggie Cobb, who rushed for 89 yards and 2 scores to put away the Panthers. Michigan was stymied in the red zone despite a combined 198 yards from Derek Holloway and Weegie Thompson. ARZ 44 POR 17 It was all Wranglers in this one as Arizona built up a 27-10 halftime lead and got two pick-six interceptions to salt away a divisional win. Lionel James and Darryl Clack combined for 179 rushing yards and Robbie Bosco completed 70% of his passes against a Portland defense that simply had no answers. STL 17 OAK 34 Bobby Hebert had one of his best games in an Invader uniform and Siran Stacy ran for 95 yards and a score in this battle of 1-win teams. Tied at 17 after 3 quarters, Oakland rattled off 17 straight points to pull away in the 4th, thanks to an Ed McCaffrey TD catch and a Fred McAfee run. HOU 38 NJ 35 Houston’s D struggled to contain Herschel Walker, who rushed for 166 yards on only 11 carries, an 11.9 ypc average, but in the end, Jim Kelly was able to put the Gamblers on top with a late TD to TE Keith McKeller, the fourth on the day for the All-USFL QB. Kelly finished the game with 382 yards and Thurman Thomas had a combined 158 yards and 1 score each on the ground and through the air to help power Houston to a 5-1 record. DEN 31 JAX 34 In a firecracker of a game, the two teams traded scores all day, with Denver taking a 31-27 lead on an Odessa Turner TD reception with only 1:25 left only to see a blown coverage 2 plays later lead to an Eason to Hassan Jones 50 yarder for the winning score for the Bulls. Eason would finish with 338 yards passing and 4 scores, Dave Krieg 335 and 2 scores for Denver. There were several impressive games by USFL quarterbacks this week, but we give our Player of the Week honors to Tony Eason, who faced the toughest competition and the closest game but came out on top. Although he is not ranked among the leaders in QBR, Eason has had a strong year to date, throwing for 1617 yards and 12 scores in the season’s opening 6 weeks, with only 4 interceptions against him. Jacksonville is looking solid at 5-1 after finishing 10-6 and making the playoffs last season (after a 4 year drought). In this week’s game, Eason completed 60.7% of his passes for 338 yards and 4 scores. He spread the ball around as well, hitting Robb Thomas for a TD in the first, Brian Blades for a 36-yard score in the second, and then Hassan Jones twice in the 4th to pull out a tight victory against a very game Denver squad. After being relegated to 2nd string for his first 3 years in Jacksonville, the former Breaker won the starting job over Timm Rosenbach in 1991 with a string of games that would not allow the injured Rosenbach to reclaim his spot. Last year, starting 10 games (with some injury issues) he led the Bulls back to the playoffs for the first time in his tenure with the club, and this year, at 5-1 he has the Bulls only 1 game behind the undefeated Birmingham Stallions and in excellent early playoff position. As we enter the meaty midseason, we wanted to look at a trend we are noticing and wonder what it might mean for the league as a whole. That trend is a dip in production for the running back position as a whole and the stars of the 1980’s in particular. Despite the fact that Herschel Walker currently leads the league in rushing with 496 yards (largely due to a huge game this week), the biggest stars of the 1980’s seem to be fading. We have already seen Joe Cribbs retire, and this year we are just not seeing the explosive runs or big production from names we have counted on for years. Mike Rozier, Kelvin Bryant, Marcus Dupree, all three are averaging well below 80 yards a game, in fact they are closer to 50 yards per game, which is not a benchmark you expect to be difficult for elite backs. In some cases this may be due to an increased emphasis on the short-to-medium passing game, or perhaps the tendency to spell starting backs more frequently, but we have to admit that this may also be a natural byproduct of time passing. The backs who have astounded us since 1983 are getting older, losing their burst, living with pain, and dealing with a bevvy of past injuries. At the same time we are seeing new, fresh-faced backs beginning to step up, backs like Siran Stacy, Robert Drummond, Natrone Means, or Reggie Cobb. For “first wave” fans of the USFL it may be time to start preparing for some of our favorite players to call it a career, as Joe Cribbs did last year. While Herschel Walker looks to be very much his old self, we know that neither he nor others like Rozier, Dupree or Bryant can play forever. I expect at least one of those three to hang up the cleats this offseason, perhaps more. It is sad, but it is also a natural part of the passing of time. Let’s just hope the GM’s around the league are also preparing themselves for that possibility. Two big injuries this week, though fortunately not season-ending. We mentioned earlier that Birmingham QB Brett Favre had to be relieved by Cliff Stoudt, well, it now looks like Favre will need at least 1-2 weeks on the sideline for his knee to recover. Even with a brace, Favre was unable to effectively drop back and plant on his injured knee, so he will sit out at least the next week. In Baltimore, newly acquired WR Mervyn Fernandez could miss as much as a month with a torn bicep. Expect rookie Lamar Thomas and veteran Patrick Rowe to platoon into Fernandez’s spot. Finally, Reggie Collier may also miss this week as he has been suffering with severe migraines and missed Friday’s practice. He is listed as doubtful although it is always possible that the migraines will dissipate in time for Sunday afternoon’s game. Another good week of divisional matchups, though it is also a week for haves to play have-nots as we see a lot of first v. worst matchups on the docket. For example, 5-1 Jacksonville is at 1-5 Orlando, 6-0 Birmingham is at 1-5 Tampa, 2-4 New Orleans is at 5-1 Houston, and 1-5 St. Louis is at 5-1 Arizona. Any of these could be a brutal beatdown or a major upset. With Brett Favre out, Tampa could be primed to upset Birmingham, for example. Other divisional bouts include Denver hosting Portland in a battle of 3-3 teams, Chicago visiting the Outlaws in San Antonio, and in the most-balanced (most mediocre?) division, the 2-4 Generals are at the 3-3 Maulers and the 2-4 Blitz are at the 3-3 Federals. Out of division we have a matchup that would have been much more hyped 5 years ago as Michigan visits Philadelphia, and we finish up the slate with Oakland at Memphis.

Chicago and Arizona entered this game with identical 3-1 records, and neither wanted to go home with a loss. The two battled until the final whistle, and then had to play some more to decide the game. Chicago got another masterful game from former NFL QB Bernie Kosar, while Arizona balanced Robbie Bosco’s passing with the rushing duo of Clack and James to eventually come away victorious in the desert. The game started slowly, with both teams finding it difficult to drive the ball on the other. It was 3-3 after 1 quarter, but a final drive in the quarter helped set up Arizona for a score just as the 2nd quarter began as Bosco hit his favorite safety valve, TE Terry Orr, for a 5-yard TD on a rub route. Chicago answered with a field goal on their next drive, but Arizona seemed to take over as they finished the first half with a 11-play drive and a Darryl Clack TD run. They went into the halftime locker room up 17-6 and feeling good about where they stood. The second half demonstrated that Marty Schottenheimer is a master of mid-game adjustments. He came out in the second half with a new strategy, moving to more 3-wide receiver formations, and swapping Albert Bentley for Ricky Watters. Bentley responded with a 12 yard TD run to help Chicago get back in the game. A second drive produced a field goal, and suddenly it was 17-17 (thanks in part to a 2-pt conversion). Arizona responded in the 4th quarter, as Bosco found Bruce Hill in the endzone to go back up by 7, but it was not to last. Chicago again found holes in the Wrangle zone, and this time it was the team’s leading receiver, TE Wessley Walls, who got open on a skinny post, getting position on the safety, and coming down with the game-equalizing score. Arizona tried to get in range for Mick Luckhurst but an untimely holding call forced them to take a knee and send the game to overtime. In overtime the Machine were forced into a 3-and-out, punting the ball to the Wranglers, and would not see the ball again. Arizona used a combination of short passes and inside runs by Clack to march deep into Machine territory. On a 2nd and 4 from the Chicago 21, the Wranglers planned to simply run Clack off the right side to position the ball for a winning field goal, but when the Chicago linebackers blitzed prematurely, Clack suddenly found himself with open field, and dragging a beleaguered cornerback with him, fell into the endzone for the game winning score. The win gives Arizona a one game lead over Denver and Portland, while Chicago, at 3-2 now falls a game behind Houston in a very tight Central division. TEX 20 STL 21 The Knights finally notch one in the win column, coming back from a 20-9 deficit in the 4th thanks to two late David Archer TD passes. Archer, who got the start over Dan McGwire, only threw for 198 yards, and was less than accurate, completing only 24 of 50 pass attempts, but when the game needed to be won he found Rocket Ismail for 29 yards and then Tim Moffett from 8 yards out to pull out the win for the Knights. NOR 25 POR 27 Danny McManus’s quick start is fading fast, and there are calls for Timm Rosenbach to get a shot after another tough loss for the Breakers. New Orleans hung close, thanks to a 115 yard day from Marcus Dupree against the as-always weak Portland rush defense. Portland had its own response, with Robert Drummond rushing for 87 yards and 3 scores. Cris Carter also had a strong day, with 99 yards receiving as the Thunder eked out the home win thanks to a mid-fourth-quarter goalline stand that forced New Orleans to settle for a field goal instead of taking the lead with a TD. That 4 points was enough to be the difference in this one. MGN 16 OAK 13 Michigan’s defense came to play against their former ALL-USFL QB. Bobby Hebert was scrambling all day against the Panther blitz scheme, throwing 2 picks and getting sacked 3 times. For Michigan, it was hardly an offensive explosion, but a late Brad Daluiso FG was enough to give the Panthers the win. HOU 41 DEN 23 Denver focused on shutting down Thurman Thomas, and they largely did (46 yards rushing and only 1 reception), but a wild 3rd quarter that saw back to back kickoff returns for scores from Clarence Verdin and Anthony Tuggle, combined with a late Thomas TD run, was enough to help Houston pull past the Gold. WSH 31 TBY 23 In a game neither team could afford to lose a late injury to Troy Aikman doomed the Bandits to a 1-4 record. Washington got a strong game from their O-line, protecting Majkowski (3 TDs) and finding room for the combo of Barry Word (46 yards) and Terry Kirby (37 yards). Down 23-21, Washington scored the final 10 points and pulled back into the pack in the Atlantic Division. PIT 26 ORL 29 The league’s other winless team also got into the win column, thanks to an MVP performance from QB Reggie Collier that include two late TD’s to John Jefferson and Marv Cook. Coming back from a 26-14 deficit, the late scores propelled Orlando to victory on a day that saw Mike Rozier hobbled by an ankle injury and only carry the ball 6 times. PHI 17 MEM 9 A shocker that few saw coming as Philadelphia’s new defense made a statement against the Showboats. The Stars limited the Memphis run game and harassed Mike Kelley, while their rebuilt O-line kept Memphis’s scary DE’s off of Chuck Long. The result was a solid win for the Stars, thanks to scores from two veterans, Mike Quick and Kelvin Bryant. NJ 13 JAX 19 Both teams moved the ball well in this game, but neither could find their way into the endzone, as we sat through 6 field goal drives and only 1 TD each between the Bulls and Generals. Tony Eason was sacked 5 times, including 2 from Phil Hansen, pulling him into a tie for the league lead. But, despite their line play issues, Jacksonville was able to put the only points on the board in the 4th quarter, two Stoyanovich field goals, to take the win. BAL 24 BIR 28 Baltimore gave the Stallions a good scare, leading 24-14 after 3 quarters, but Birmingham got two scores in the final quarter, including a 45 yard bomb from Favre to Dawsey, for the win. Both teams had unexpected success running the ball, with Foster & Brooks combining for 115 yards for the Blitz and Fullwood and James Joseph rushing for a combined 100. But, in the end, as expected, it was Favre going deep that gave the W to the Stallions. When your team starts the year 0-4, it is not surprising that the QB gets a lot of flack, and that is not helped when in one loss he throws 5 interceptions, but if this week is any indication, Reggie Collier is at no risk of being pulled for either Jimmy Jordan or Craig Erickson. Collier opened this week’s game with a perfectly thrown seam pass to Danta Whittaker for an immediate 6 points. He found HB Todd Fowler later in the opening quarter to expand the Orlando lead. After a strong run by Pittsburgh gave them a 26-14 lead, Collier turned his game up a notch in the 4th, finding John Jefferson for 23 yards on a third and 11 and then connecting with TE Marv Cook for the game-winning score. Collier would throw the ball 53 times as the run game simply could not find room, and he would complete 35 of them for 381 yards. For fans of the Renegades who have been stunned by the slow start, it is just the type of performance they were hoping for. It may not be enough to help Orlando into playoff position, as there remain serious questions on defense and with their anemic run game, but it is a start that Orlando fans are hoping will be repeated. OAKLAND: Fans in the Bay Area are beginning to wonder if the Bobby Hebert they got is the actual guy who led Michigan to two league titles. Michigan Bobby Hebert averaged over 4,000 yards a season and threw 144 TDs to only 37 ints, an average of 36-9 each year. Oakland’s Bobby Hebert is completing only 58% of his passes, has 6 TD’s but 8 Ints so far this year, and has the Invaders sitting at 1-4. Hebet is currently the lowest rated of the league’s 20 opening day QB’s, including Dan McGwire, who has already been pulled in favor of David Archer. Not time to panic yet, and Coach Vermeil has indicated that he is making some adjustments to the offense to better fit Hebert’s style. Expect Oakland to shift away from a pure West Coast offense, dependent on a short passing game, to more of a run-first, play action deep ball offense, which is more along the lines of the system Hebert thrived in as a Panther. Hebert still has a lively arm, but it just seems like the 3-step drop slant & out game is not his best option. We will see if this leads to more success for the Invaders. TAMPA BAY: Less than a month after we hear disheartening news about NFL-USFL relations in Washington, we get some very positive news out of Tampa Bay. The Bandits and NFL Buccaneers have instituted a first of its kind arrangement to begin in Fall of 1993. Fans will now be able to select one of three ticket packages, the first being exclusive season tickets to one team or the other, the second is what they are calling the “Double Down” package, in which season ticket holders would receive tickets to 8 Buccaneer games in Fall 1993 and 8 to Bandits games the following spring. The final package, known as the “Football Fanatic Fan Pack” is a full 16 game season ticket package in which fans can have the same seats for all games in both leagues, for a cost about 10% lower than buying each of the season ticket packages separately. To see this kind of cooperation between the two leagues is a very good sign indeed, and with Tampa Bay Buccaneers owner Hugh Culverhouse exploring options within Tampa-St. Pete for a potential new stadium, it seems very likely that the Bucs and Bandits may well end up working together on a deal to either refurbish the “Big Sombrero” or to finance a new stadium. A pretty clean week for most clubs, with one notable exception. Tampa, who are already the lowest scoring team in the league, will be without QB Troy Aikman for at least 1, perhaps 2 weeks due to a sprained knee. John Fourcade has been given the start for Tampa, who do not have a strong run game to fall back on, though we expect a lot more carries for Kevin Harmon this week. The good news for Tampa is that Eric Truvillion is listed as probable, so he may return to action to help Tampa’s cause. The other significant injury this week is to St. Louis DT Jerry Ball, who is also likely to miss 1-2 weeks with a hamstring injury. After the one week reprieve, we are back to divisional games in Week 6. Pittsburgh will be heading to Baltimore with both clubs hoping to get back to .500 with a win. Washington will be in Philadelphia to face the surprising Stars, who currently stand alone atop the division at 3-2. Orlando, after notching their first win, gets a tough follow-up as they must travel to Birmingham to face the undefeated Stallions. Tampa, with John Fourcade getting the start, will be in Memphis, and New Orleans will try to get back to their winning ways in Chicago. Texas and Michigan, both 2-3, face off in the Silverdome. Out West it is Arizona at 4-1 facing the Portland Thunder in Civic Stadium while St. Louis and Oakland both hope for a win to get themselves back in the hunt. In our two interdivisional games we have Houston in New Jersey and Denver at Jacksonville, two good games to finish up the slate.

This does not happen often, but for the 2nd time in 3 weeks two USFL Central Division teams faced off, and for the second time in 3 weeks the game turned into the game of the week. After edging Texas 23-22 in San Antonio in Week 2 play, thanks to a last second John Kasay field goal, the Gamblers hosted the Outlaws in Week 4 and again it was a one point affair. Once again Texas had a late lead only to see the Gamblers find a way to win at the end. Houston came into the week unsure if All-USFL QB Jim Kelly would be able to play, but when the game began there he was in the huddle. Kelly would have a very strong day, throwing for 316 and 2 TDs to help lead Houston to the win. As usual he got a lot of help from HB Thurman Thomas, who paired 89 yards rushing with 65 yards receiving as he once again leads the league in total yards from scrimmage. Texas was game as well, with Reggie Cobb rushing for a respectable 82 yards and wideout Eric Metcalf racking up 141 yards and a score on 7 receptions. Former Philadelphia Star Quinn Early also had a strong game, catching 5 balls, including a 3rd quarter TD. The game opened strong for Houston, which built up a 19-0 lead in the 2nd quarter on two Kelly TD passes, a field goal and a safety caused by a holding call in the Texas endzone. But, Texas got on the board late in the 2nd with a Nick Mike-Myer field goal, and then rattled off 21 consecutive points, dominating most of the second half. It was Metcalf first, from 5 yards out, then Quinn Early, and finally TE Theo Young put Texas up 24-19 with 12 minutes left. Houston, which had looked ineffective in the second half, woke up just in time, taking a late 4th quarter punt and driving the ball down the field, with Thurman Thomas diving in from the 1 with just over 3 minutes to play. A failed 2-point PAT left Houston with a one-point lead again, but with 3 minutes left, there was plenty of time for Texas to turn the tables one more time. But, after a short run by Cobb, Stouffer threw two incompletions and the Outlaws punted back to Houston, hoping they would have time for one more drive. The Gamblers did not let that happen. With Thomas on the sideline, Kelly faked a handoff and then found Keith Woodside in the flat. Woodside sidestepped a tackle and was off to the races. The 42 yard play was his only reception of the game, but it set Houston up with the option to kill the clock or kick a field goal as time expired. Jim Kelly would end up taking a knee twice, and Houston got the sweep of their in-state rival. WSH 24 BAL 31 Baltimore gets their second straight win, both in division, as they knock off Washington thanks to a 28-0 scoring run over the second, third, and 4th quarters. Washington got a late Duane Gunn TD to pull within 7, but it was too little too late for the Feds, who now drop to 1-3. PIT 21 NJ 13 The Maulers grab a share of first and return to .500 with a win in the Meadowlands. Herschel Walker outgained Mike Rozier 84-69, but it was not enough as the Mauler D picked off Doug Flutie 3 times. Alan Risher threw for a score and ran one in to lead the Maulers to a key Atlantic Division win. TBY 10 BIR 27 Birmingham had trouble running the ball against Tampa, but with 327 yards from Favre they easily dispatched the Bandits, who seem to be having something of an offensive crisis of identity with Eric Truvillion still on the injured list. Dawsey and Givens kept up their blistering pace for the Stallions as both eclipsed 100 yards on the day. ORL 24 JAX 28 Orlando looked better but still fell to 0-4 against the homestanding Bulls. A late Brian Blades TD reception undid a brief Orlando lead of 24-21 and sunk the winless Renegades. Blades finished the game with 117 yards and that key score, while Vince Workman had a solid game with 73 yards on only 13 carries. John Jefferson was the lone bright spot for Orlando, catching 10 balls for 136 and 2 of Orlando’s 3 touchdowns. CHI 28 MGN 21 A huge road win for the Machine, moving them to 3-1 and pushing the Panthers to 1-3. Bernie Kosar had another outstanding game, completing 85% of his passes for 325 yards and 4 TDs against a Michigan defense that clearly did not have any answers. Chicago only ran the ball 15 times all game as the passing game was proving effective throughout the game. Jack Trudeau did his best, throwing for 3 scores, but without defensive support it just was not enough. ARZ 21 OAK 13 Arizona gets the sweep over 1992 Division Champ Oakland as they win another tight game against the Invaders. Two more TD runs by Darryl Clack help the Wranglers overcome the Invaders, who did not reach the endzone until the final 3 minutes of the game, when Hebert hit McCaffrey to make the game look closer than it was. DEN 27 STL 14 Denver continues to find success for Coach Phillips as they knock off the Knights in St. Louis. Natrone Means had 78 yards and a score as he split time with Timmy Smith, and Dave Krieg avoided the pick while throwing two TD’s to put Denver over the top. After the game Coach Elway was questioned about Dan McGwire, and his answer lead many to expect David Archer to get a start next week for the 0-4 Knights. NOR 13 PHI 37 Danny McManus had a rough outing, completing only 42% of his passes and getting sacked by Philadelphia 5 times. Meanwhile, Chuck Long played well, throwing for 2 scores, but he was knocked out of the game in the 3rd, giving Browning Nagle a chance to play. Nagle went 9 of 10 in garbage time to stoke the fires of controversy in Philly, but a win is a win, and this one was pretty one sided. POR 10 MEM 31 Portland gets trounced for a second straight week as Kelley and Boone overwhelm the Thunder defense. Boone gets his first 100 yard game of the year and Kelley throws for 2 scores as Memphis dominates the Thunder. CB Dennis Cudrup also has a strong game, picking off Kerwin Bell and running it back 41 yards for the score in a one-sided affair that was 31-3 until the game’s final minutes. This week’s AP Offensive Player of the Week, and our POTW, goes to Baltimore QB Chris Miller. Miller has had an up and down career since being drafted by Jacksonville in 1987. He started 49 games in 4 years for the Bulls, racking up 75 TDs to 42 interceptions, but his tenure there was controversial. A trade to New Jersey proved even worse, as Miller got wrapped up in a battle with Doug Flutie for the starting job. He would only start 7 games that year, managed to throw 18 TDs to only 7 interceptions, but still lost the battle of public opinion. The offseason between 1991 and 1992 he saw himself traded to Denver, but before he could even get off the plane in Colorado, the Gold sent him back east to Baltimore. In Baltimore Miller has gotten a solid shot to start. He started 15 games last year and has become the established starter for the Blitz this season. Over the past 3 weeks his play has continued to improve, as have the outcomes for Baltimore. He threw for 2 TD’s but 3 picks in Week 2, but last week threw 3 scores with no picks, and this week topped that with a very strong game against the stingy Washington defense, throwing for 350 yards, 4 scores and no picks. If Miller can continue this streak of strong performances the Blitz may well be in the hunt in the Atlantic Division, where their 2-2 record has them as part of a 4-way tie atop the division. After nearly 6 months of review, the USFL has released its finalists for the 1995 expansion. The league received 10 bids for expansion franchises to partner with the already-approved efforts of William Tatham to return the LA Express to the City of Angels. This week the expansion committee revealed 6 finalists. The fact that so many bids remain alive lead most in the know to believe that the league is looking at a 4-team expansion, rather than the more modest 2-team option. This would fall in line with the 4-team expansions already completed in 1984 and 1987 and would bring the USFL up to 24 teams, a more manageable number for divisional alignment than a 22-team league. With 24 teams the USFL could maintain its' 4 division format, with 6 teams in each division, or could opt for a 6 division format, with three 4-team divisions in each conference. A 4x6 format would likely reduce the number of interdivisional and interconference games. One would expect that each team would play 10 games within the division (home & away with each rival) and then have only 6 games to split among single games against the remaining 14 clubs of the league. A 6x4 format would have the opposite effect, with each club playing only 6 divisional games and 10 interdivisional or interconference games. One could envision each team playing their division rivals once, playing 4 games against a second division, and then splitting 6 more games against the other 4 divisions. Personally, I like the feel of the 4x6 format as it provides more local rivalries and fewer cross-country flights. But enough about format, here is the news you have been waiting for. Here are your six bids for what we expect to be 3 expansion clubs in 1995: Atlanta (GA): An ownership group made up of several Georgia businessmen, with Augusta's William Shivers Morris in the lead position, has what looks like a strong proposal to bring another USFL to the South. With tentative agreements already in place to utilize Georgia Tech's Bobby Dodd Stadium (43,719 capacity) the group would not be competing for time in Atlanta-Fulton Co. Stadium or the newly-built Georgia Dome (home to the NFL Falcons). Boston (MA): The Breakers left Boston after 3 seasons due to inadequate stadium options, with both Foxoboro Stadium and BU's Alumni Field unwilling to work with the league. In 7 years has that situation changed? Proposing owner Paul Fireman (of Reebok fame) thinks it has. The bid proposes putting a team in Alumni Field, although Fireman's group also cites Foxboro Stadium as an option, which surprises most, who believe that owner Robert Kraft has little empathy for the USFL. Columbus (OH): A bid in a football-rich state sounds like a good idea, and both Cleveland and Cincinnati have proven that football fandom in Ohio is certainly strong. This bid, which aims to use Ohio State University's Ohio Stadium as its home venue. "The Horseshoe" woudl be one of the largest stadiums in the USFL, which worries some as we have already seen what happened in LA with the Coliseum. But, ownership led by local real estate magnate Daniel Galbreath and including, surprisingly enough, Ann Arbor based Domino's Pizza President Thomas Monaghan. Who would imagine a team in Ohio Stadium owned in part by a guy from Ann Arbor? Dallas (TX): Is the USFL ready for a third Texas franchise? Possibly, if bidding owner Richard Rainwater (a Ft. Worth investor) has his way. The Cotton Bowl is available if Texas Stadium is off-limits to a USFL franchise, but we would not be surprised if the NFL's Jerry Jones saw an opportunity to add more revenue through rental should Dallas be selected. Miami (FL): If adding a third team in Texas concerns some USFL owners, adding a 4th to Florida has to raise some red flags. Even with solid ownership, having 3 votes, including the influential votes of Tampa Bay owner John Bassett, against it, may make this one a tough sell. If they were approved, they might have to play in the Orange Bowl Stadium, as Joe Robbie Stadium, home of the Dolphins is almost certainly off limits. Seattle (WA): The Seattle bid is an interesting one in that they have two solid stadium options (The King Dome and UW's Husky Stadium), a strong ownership group, but also a bit of leverage. Even with the expansion of Portland's Civic Stadium to 34,000 it would still be one of the smallest stadiums in the league. If Portland ownership does not see a path towards sustained profitability, the risk is there for a Seattle group to snatch up the Breakers and move them to the Emerald City. If the USFL wants to avoid that, they may just accept a bid for a Seattle franchise just to keep the Portland market engaged. WHAT CITIES DO YOU SEE AS THE BEST OPTIONS FOR THE USFL? Use the Comments Section below to give us your picks for the next USFL franchises. Bad news for several teams as key players could miss multiple weeks. Houston will be without one of their top pass rushers as Michael Sinclair tore the meniscus in his left knee, which is expected to take up to 2 months to heal. Oakland will be without wideout Mark Duper almost as long with an abdominal tear. A few others who will likely miss action next week include Breakers’ wideout Herman Fontenot, Philly WR Gerard Phelan, Memphis tackle Bruce Wilkerson, and Birmingham DE John Copeland, all of whom are listed as questionable. Week 5 brings us to interdivisional play with the South hosting the Atlantic and the Pacific hosting the Central Division. Undefeated Birmingham will face Baltimore, who have won 2 in a row after a slow start. Jacksonville will try to keep pace but have to get past Herschel Walker and the Generals. Memphis is hosting Philadelphia in the Liberty Bowl and Pittsburgh will try not to be Orlando’s first victim. Washington finishes out the Eastern Conference play with a game in Tampa Bay between two teams no one expected to be 1-3. In the Western Conference, Chicago will test their 3-1 record in Arizona against the 3-1 Wranglers. Houston will head to Mile High to play the surprising Denver Gold and two teams that are stuck at 1-3 will hope to turn things around as Bobby Hebert and the Invaders host his old team, the Michigan Panthers. New Orleans will hope to rebound against Portland, themselves losers of 2 straight. Finally, Texas at 2-2 will be in St. Louis where the Knights are hoping to break their rough 0-4 start.

Interconference, cross country games can sometimes be the wildest, because the two teams do not know each other well and because the long journey for the visiting team can either galvanize the team or drain them. Well, this matchup of Pacific coast vs. Atlantic coast was no exception, it was wild from the very beginning and finished with one of the most action-packed 2-minute drills ever. Both teams traded touchdown drives in the first half, leading to a 14-14 halftime score. Oakland had a nice, sustained drive on the first possession of the game, ending with Siran Stacy going off tackle from the 2 to open scoring. Jacksonville responded with a long drive of their own, 82 yards to be exact, a drive capped off by a nicely designed flood pattern that allowed Tony Eason to find HB Jamie Morris for the score to even things up. In the second quarter the Bulls took the lead on a 1 yard Vince Workman run made possible by a 32-yard pass from Eason to Hassan Jones that should have gone for 6 if not for a misstep on the sideline that put the ball out just shy of paydirt. Oakland responded and 4 minutes later it was Stacy again crossing the plain, this time on a really nice sweep play from the 11. The 3rd quarter began with the first of two pick-sixes thrown by Bobby Hebert. This one, unlike the later one, was really not Hebert’s fault. He threw a good ball to WR Wyatt Henderson, but the ball careened off of Henderson’s hands and right into the waiting arms of Alex Clark for the Bulls. Undeterred, Hebert continued to air the ball out. He would finish the game with 403 yards passing on a 28 of 44 day. On the next drive he found TE Sam Bowers from 18 yards out to even the score once again at 21. As the 4th opened, Oakland took the lead on a Matt Bahr field goal, but the lead would not hold long. Brian Blades quickly put Jacksonville back on top with the 2nd TD for Tony Eason. Eason would finish the day with only 186 yards passing, but, thanks largely to the ballhawking secondary of the Bulls, Jacksonville would still prevail. Down 28-24 with less than 2 minutes to go, Oakland moved the ball well into Bulls territory, but got impatient. Hebert threw into double coverage, trying to get a big play to Ellard, but former Gambler Domingo Bryant came away with the jump ball, and with blockers out in front was able to return the pick 71 yards for a score that put the Bulls up by 10. Stoyanovich clunked the PAT off the upright, meaning that Oakland was still in range, but needed 2 scores. After a fair catch on the kickoff, it took Bobby Hebert only 1 play to get Jacksonville right back in the game. He found Mark Duper on a hook & go, the corner bit on the hook, and Duper was gone, 75 yards in one play to pull the Invaders within 3. They, as expected, went for the onside kick. The ball took the big hop that every kicker wants, and was muffed by the Jacksonville up man. Oakland recovered and needed only 15-20 yards to get into field goal range for Matt Bahr. Hebert hit McCaffrey for 9 on the first play, then an 8-yarder to HB Fred McAfee took the ball to the Jacksonville 30. A quick spike and Matt Bahr came out for a 47 yarder. He lined it up, but just as he took his first steps, the refs granted Jacksonville a timeout. Bahr followed through and the ball went between the uprights, but it would not count. The timeout was granted and Bahr would have to line up again. This time he hit the ball and it immediately started slicing left. The ball sailed about 2 feet wide of the mark and Jacksonville escaped with a win. Despite being outgained by Oakland 483-244 the Bulls came away with a win thanks to an opportunistic defense and a very shrewd timeout at the game’s conclusion. That almost certainly made for a very quiet plane ride back to Oakland for the Invaders squad. BAL 24 PIT 20 A very nice win for Coach Infante and the Blitz as they go on the road and hold Pittsburgh to only 20 points. Mike Rozier was held in check by the Baltimore D, gaining only 32 yards on the day, while Barry Foster had one of his better games, rushing for 55 on the day. The big star for the Blitz was Bill Brooks, who caught 8 balls for 120 yards and a sore despite being double covered most of the day. PHI 10 WSH 26 The Federals got their first win of the year, beating Philly at home despite an impressive 136-yard effort from Kelvin Bryant. The game marked the return of Barry Word to the Feds backfield after going out early in Week 1 with an injury. Word was also impressive, rushing for 140 on 22 carries and adding a key TD to help the Feds get in the win column for the first time this year. BIR 38 ORL 28 Birmingham’s offense continued to hum along, despite Brett Favre throwing 4 interceptions. He also threw for 4 TD’s so it was a bit of a give-and-take from him. Tight Ends Shannon Sharpe and Walter Reeves were huge for the Stallions, catching a combined 8 balls for 121 yards and 2 scores between the two. For Orlando the star was John Jefferson, who caught 11 balls for 106 yards and 2 scores in a losing cause. MEM 34 TBY 21 Jo-Jo Townsell had a huge game for Memphis (10 receptions for 140 yards and 2 scores) as the Showboats relied on the passing game to upend the Bandits in Tampa Stadium. Santana Dotson and Reggie White accounted for 3 of the team’s 4 sacks of Troy Aikman, and CB Deon Figures added 2 picks, including one for a TD to help the Showboats move to 2-1 and stay 1 game behind the Stallions. TEX 38 CHI 24 A big day for Reggie Cobb and 3 Bernie Kosar interceptions helped Texas upend the Machine in front of the largest crowd Chicago has had in 5 seasons (41,202). Cobb rushed for 116 yards and 2 scores to help pace Texas to the win. His 4th quarter TD broke a 24-24 tie and was followed by a tip-drill interception that turned into a game-clinching TD for LB Garth Jax. It was Kosar’s third pick of the day as Texas applied constant pressure. HOU 24 NOR 38 In a game that saw Houston backup David Klingler get knocked out of the game early, and even saw Ricky Proehl lineup at QB for several plays after 3rd stringer Chuck Hartlieb was temporarily sidelined, the Gamblers just did not have enough consistency to hang with a red hot Danny McManus. The Breaker QB had a career game, throwing for 337 yards and 4 scores in a game the Breakers knew they had to win. DEN 41 POR 20 The Denver Gold have apparently figured out how to play offense this year. Dave Krieg threw for 3 scores, and the combo of Means and Timmy Smith gained 120 yards and 2 scores as Denver rolled in Portland’s Civic Stadium. The score was close, 24-20 until Denver ripped off 17 unanswered points to finish the game. ARZ 34 STL 16 The Knights are still seeking their first win after being shut down by the Arizona defense. Dan McGwire threw 3 interceptions and missed on several key 3rd down throws, leading to questions of whether David Archer would be subbed in. He was not, but McGwire cannot afford too many games like this. Meanwhile, Arizona, despite being outgained in the game, got two big scores from HB Darryl Clack to propel them to a comfortable win. MGN 20 NJ 24 Doug Flutie threw for 303 yards and 3 scores as Michigan held Herschel Walker to 50 yards on 20 carries. Walker seems to be off his game this season, causing fans to wonder if he has reached the wall that so many HBs seem to hit. Fortunately Doug Flutie was on his game, finding Lam Jones for all 3 scores on the day. We could give the POTW award to several QB’s who had strong games, including Flutie’s outstanding performance against the Panthers, but rather than focus on the QB position, let’s celebrate the wideouts who make those impressive games possible. Lam Jones has never made an ALL-USFL team, but he has been one of the constants for the Generals since coming into the league in 1985. He has had 1,000 yard seasons 7 times in 8 years, missing that mark by only 4 yards in 1988. He also has 61 TDs in 8 years, nearly an 8-per-year average. This year he has started strong, with 17 receptions in 3 games and a huge 3-TD performance this week. Known for his deep ball speed, Jones has improved his route running and has taken well the advise provided by teammate Irving Fryar. The duo give Doug Flutie two deep ball options, and with Herschel Walker averaging only 55 yards per game so far this year, the ability to get big chunks of yardage in the air has been key to New Jersey’s offense. With two new head coaches this year (Phillips in Denver and Berry in Philly) as well as 13 new coordinators (6 offensive and 7 defensive) around the league, it seems that there is hardly a USFL squad that is not adapting to a new scheme, or in some cases, entirely new systems on both sides of the ball. We thought this would be a good time to look at they offensive and defensive schemes used by all 20 franchises. Here is the basic breakdown, with comments to follow: EAST OFF/DEF WEST OFF/DEF BAL: West Coast/4-3 ARZ: West Coast/3-3-5 BIR: Pro Set/4-3 CHI: Smashmouth/4-3 JAX: Vertical/3-3-5 DEN: Power Run/3-4 MEM: Smashmouth/4-6 HOU: Spread/3-4 NJ: Power Run/3-3-5 MGN: Vertical/3-4 ORL: Pro Set/4-3 NOR: West Coast/4-3 PHI: Smashmouth/4-3 OAK: West Coast/3-4 PIT: Pro Set/3-4 POR: Power Run/4-3 TBY: Vertical/4-3 STL: West Coast/3-3-5 WSH: Pro Set/4-3 TEX: Pro Set/3-4 The biggest surprise we see is that there are not teams imitating the multiple-receiver sets and single back offense of the Houston Gamblers. The Run & Shoot which began in Houston with Coach Jack Pardee and OC Mouse Davis was experimented with in other locations, but the tendency for this offense to lead to a lot of sacks and QB injuries seems to have caused teams to shy away from it. Not surprising the Western Conference as more teams utilizing a West Coast offense, while Smashmouth and Power Run strategies are more prevalent in the East. A lot depends on personnel as teams either opt for a single power back (Bryant, Rozier, Walker, Boone) or focus on multiple speedy receivers and a HB rotation. On defense the trend is to play more nickel personnel sets (3-3-5) to offset the prevalence of the pass in the USFL. Buddy Ryan remains the only holdout with his 4-6 defense, though several other 4-3 teams often align in 4-6 formations. Again personnel have a lot to say in the defensive preferences of each team as the league’s limited cap & exemption system does not often permit teams to have top level talent in both the D-line and the linebacking corps. You can almost predict which teams are trying to cover up weaknesses in one team or another by the defensive formation. Teams with strong DT play tend to line up in a 4-3, while others, with speedy backers, tend to favor the 3-4. Just a little insight into the strategy and personnel decisions in the USFL this year. An unfortunate truth about pro football is that with each game there is greater chance of injury. While we have yet to see any season-ending injuries (knocking on wood), the number of multiple-game absences continues to grow. This week Texas CB Najee Mustafaa, who has struggled with injuries of late, has gone down with an abdominal tear, which could cost him up to 8 weeks of action. St. Louis wideout Emile Harry will not miss that much time with a pulled hamstring, but expect him to be out at least a month. Oakland guard Harry Grimminger could miss as much as a month with an ankle injury, and Washington SS Louis Oliver will be out at least 2 weeks after suffering a knee injury on Sunday. As we mentioned, both David Klingler and Chuck Hartlieb were knocked out of the game for Houston this week, forcing them to use Ricky Proehl as an emergency QB (He did not complete a pass.) Fortunately Hartlieb was able to return, and Jim Kelly is expected back next week. Klingler, who injured his throwing hand, could be out for 1-2 more weeks. Week 4 continues our streak of divisional play, with some intriguing matchups. Denver at 2-1 is hoping to keep their good start rolling as they visit winless St. Louis. Arizona has a huge road game as well, heading up to Oakland to face the defending division champ. In the Central Division Chicago has another huge divisional game, heading to Michigan to face the Panthers, while Texas and Houston will once again face off, this time in the AstroDome. In the South it is Orlando at Jacksonville and Tampa traveling to undefeated Birmingham. And in the Atlantic Division first place New Jersey is at home to last year’s division champion, Pittsburgh, while Washington and Baltimore engage in their I-295 rivalry. In inter-divisional play it will be Philly hosting the Breakers and Memphis hosting the Portland Thunder.