Search this site

PIT 17 BAL 13 Many picked this as the 1 game on Baltimore’s schedule where they could play spoiler and break their winless streak, but Pittsburgh is still in a playoff hunt and they were having none of it. The Mauler defense was effective against Eric Kramer and Jeff Hostetler connected on 2 touchdown passes to ensure that the Blitz remained winless and the Maulers remained viable for a playoff berth. ORL 21 BIR 14 This was one that Birmingham thought they might get, especially with Reggie Collier out, but Orlando got enough from Jimmie Jordan (23 of 35, 212 yards, 2 scores) and their defense to hold off the Stallions, despite another strong day from Joe Cribbs (as always, it seems). John Jefferson caught both TDs but the hero of the game was on the Orlando D, where Mike Williams picked off Cliff Stoudt in the 3rd quarter, running the ball back for what would be the winning score. TBY 24 JAX 27 Tampa’s defense played better in this one, after several horrendous weeks, but it was not enough as the Bulls got 135 yards and a score from Brian Blades, 4 FG from Pete Stoyanovich, and a rumbling, bumbling fumble return TD from Charles Bratton to edge the Bandits in the Gator Bowl. DEN 16 ARZ 13 Denver’s late season success continues as they win their 4th in a row by knocking off Arizona in Tempe. Three backs combined for 106 yards for Denver and Vince Evans threw for 224 as the Gold defense again kept their opponents below 20 points. Lionel James returned to action for Arizona, but his 56 yards were not enough to power the Wranglers to a win. The defending conference champs are destined now for a 10 loss season. POR 13 OAK 36 This one was not close as Oakland’s D had Kerwin Bell’s number, leading to a 47% completion rate and only 176 yards passing. Without Bell playing well the Thunder offense sputtered, while Oakland had a balanced attack with Gale Gilbert throwing for 232 and Richard Williams running for 120. Gilbert got nearly all the scores, throwing for 4 TD’s including 2 to TE Wyatt Henderson as Oakland locks up the Pacific Title for the first time since 1986. HOU 14 CHI 17 Chicago played spoiler, doing just enough at home to upset the Ganblers. Houston locked up a Wild Card even with the loss, but this has to hurt their confidence as they prep for the playoffs. Jim Kelly was efficient (70.6% completions and 2 scores) but the Gamblers could not find big plays against a solid Chicago shell on defense. They led 14-3 at one point, but Chicago rallied thanks to a Michael Haynes 42-yard punt return TD that changed momentum and gave Chicago the impetus to score 11 minutes later on a Long to Boso TD to seal the upset win. TEX 3 NOR 29 We have been saying all year that these are not the same ol’ Breakers. Once again the New Orleans defense came in firing on all cylinders and just hog-tied the Outlaws. Kelly Stouffer completed only 31% of his passes and threw 3 interceptions to the swarming Breaker secondary. Gene Atkins was the big hero, snagging two Stouffer passes and shutting down hopeful drives. On offense, rookie Ericc Pegram surprised the Outlaws. Getting his first major action in weeks, Pegram’s 5 carries for 57 yards helped boost the Breaker run game. The win brings New Orleans within range to possibly surpass Texas for the division title (see playoff section below). MEM 34 MGN 23 This Michigan loss, their sixth in a row, ended any faint hopes for a turnaround and wild card shot. The Panthers have been having trouble with nearly every aspect of their game. Jack Trudeau completed less than 50% of his throws, Vince Workman rushed well, for 101 yards, but missed on 2 key 3rd down runs. The defense had trouble shutting down a very mediocre Mike Kelley, allowing him 3 TD passes on the day, two to Jo-Jo Townsell. All in all this has been a season both clubs want to forget, but at least Memphis can say that they have won 3 of the last 4 down the stretch. Not sure what Michigan coach Jim Stanley can say about his squad this year. PHI 10 LA 15 Speaking of teams that want to forget this season, what started out well for the Philadelphia Stars has simply wilted and died on the vine. At least this week Chuck Fusina did not add to his interception total. But, that aside, there was little to celebrate for either club in this game. Dan McGwire threw for 277 but did throw 2 interceptions and no TDs. Neither team showed much on offense, and both looked ready for the season to be over. The loss guarantees that the Stars will miss the playoffs for only the 2nd time in their 9 years in the league. For LA, there is one game left at Angel Stadium before the club starts packing up and planning for their move to St. Louis. WASHINGTON FEDERALS 9 NEW JERSEY GENERALS 20 While it was not the most dramatic game of the year, this one featured two division rivals, one on a 6 game win streak, the other the defending league champion, battling for 1st place in their division and a week of rest before they begin the playoffs. When New Jersey started the season 2-6, we don’t think anyone picked them to turn it around so dramatically. This win against the Federals not only was their 7th in a row, but it helped them leapfrog the Federals into first place in the division, with a chance to lock up the Atlantic title and a bye week with a win next week against the Stars. The game was tight throughout, particularly in the first half, which ended with NJ clinging to a 7-6 lead. The Generals defense again came to play, limiting Washington to only 200 total yards, with the combo of Barry Word and Kevin Harmon, who have been as dangerous as any one-back in the league this year, to a mere 73 yards rushing. Don Majkowski did not fare much better, throwing for only 125, with no scores. On offense, New Jersey got another bellcow game from Herschel Walker, rushing for 99 yards on 24 carries. Heath Sherman chipped in another 34 as the Generals aimed to control the tempo of the game with their run game. Using a lot of play action, Chris Miller completed 62% of his passes and connected with Lam Jones 5 times for 101 yards and both General touchdowns. While the win will only add fire to the Flutie vs. Miller battle, it certainly keeps the fans in the Tri-State Area enthusiastic about the Generals. The Generals, now 9-6, have locked up a playoff berth and can win the division next week in Philadelphia. For Washington, they now need the Stars help to regain the division they have led all year long. They face the Baltimore Blitz next week, so you have to expect they will get the W, but they need a Philly upset of New Jersey to jump back on top. This week’s POTW is Lam Jones, whose 101 yard day and 2 scores helped New Jersey win the pivotal game against Washington. Jones forms part of New Jersey’s 3-headed receiving corps, along with J.J. Birden and Scott Schwedes. Each has their own role to play, with Schwedes being the designated possession guy (109 targets leads the team), Birden as the go-to mid range guy, and Jones as the deep threat. The three remain incredibly even in distribution, with both Birden and Jones having 61 receptions each, and Schwedes only 8 receptions behind. Yardage wise it is all on Jones, whose 1,069 clearly outpaces Birden’s 786 or Schwedes’ 609. Jones also surpasses both Birden and Schwedes in TDs, with 9 to the 5 of both of his teammates. This week’s performance was classic Lam Jones as well, as within his 5 receptions we saw a 46-yard touchdown on a straight fly pattern and a 32-yard score on a nicely run out and up route to fool the cornerback. It seems not to matter whether it is Flutie or Miller under center, as the plan of using the three receivers in three different roles seems to be working for the Generals. And, of course, if you opt to move to a nickel or dime defense to contain this, there is always Herschel Walker to mess with your head. As expected, this weekend cleared up the playoff picture considerably. Oakland’s win at home vs. Portland locked up the Pacific Division title and a bye for the Invaders. In fact, all 5 slots in the West are now locked, with Houston and Portland locking up the last two. One big item still left to decide, however, as New Orleans can still jump over Texas for the division title. If the Breakers can beat Orlando at home, and if Texas loses in their final game against Houston, then the Breakers and not the Outlaws will get the #1 seed and the bye. In the East, New Jersey’s win over Washington launches them into a “control your destiny” situation. Win this week and they lock up the Atlantic Division with an amazing 8-game win streak. Washington can still win the title if New Jersey falters at Philly and the Feds beat winless Baltimore. Orlando has locked up the South, and Jacksonville is in, but the final playoff spot is hanging in the balance next week. A Birmingham win and they are the last playoff team, but if they lose and the Pittsburgh Maulers win their 9th game of the year, then Pittsburgh leapfrogs the Stallions and snags the spot. Philadelphia has been eliminated due to their loss this week. So, 1 spot left to decide, and 3 division titles still in the mix. A big week ahead around the league. The good news for the USFL and particularly for playoff squads, is that this was a pretty good week for injuries. New Orleans lost backup tackle John Wojciechowski to a quad injury, and Oakland’s Tory Nixon may miss a few weeks with a groin injury, but most of the major players avoided the injury bug. Coming back just in time for the playoffs we should expect to see Generals’ LB Chris Spielman (pinched nerve), Texas CB Jerome Henderson (foot), Washington LB Dante Jones (shoulder), Jacksonville FS Mark Carrier (arm) and Orlando LB Winston Moss (thigh). One week to go and some major playoff determinations to be made. Birmingham is in the playoffs if they can defeat the Tampa Bay Bandits in Tampa. If they lose, they need Oakland to beat the Maulers. Problem is that Oakland has locked up the Pacific Division and the #2 slot, so they are likely to rest starters against the Maulers, while Pittsburgh will be going full bore to get the win. New Orleans has a shot to steal the Central division title on the final week of the season, but to do so they need to defeat the Renegades and have Texas lose to Houston. The first part may be easier as Reggie Collier is still out for Orlando and they may rest several other players before their bye week as the #1 seed in the East. The Breakers have to hope that Houston really wants to finish 9-7 instead of 8-8 and does not rest their players vs. the Outlaws. The other big games are in the Atlantic where New Jersey can lock up the division title if they can beat Philadelphia in Philadelphia. The Stars are likely to view this game as their version of the Summer Bowl, so don’t expect them to roll over in this one. Washington is home against the winless Blitz, and they are not going to make it easy for Baltimore to avoid the shame of an 0-16 season. Expect all the Washington starters to play as they still have a chance at the division title and the bye. In other games, Jacksonville and Memphis will play in the Liberty Bowl, but don’t expect to see Tony Eason. Chicago plays Michigan with only pride on the line. Arizona is in LA with a similar situation. Expect another tiny crowd and another loud protest group outside as fans are still fuming about the sale and relocation of the team. Finally, Denver is in Portland. The Thunder are locked into a playoff spot but may want to play their starters to be able to host the Wild Card game instead of possibly heading to Houston in a week.

BAL 9 NJ 19 New Jersey wins their sixth in a row and jumps into 2nd place in the Atlantic Division with a solid defensive performance against Baltimore. Herschel Walker contributed 119 yards on the ground and Chris Miller completed 64% of his passes and hit Heath Sherman for the game’s only touchdown to knock off the winless Blitz. PHI 15 PIT 16 A last minute touchdown from Hostetler to Raynard Brown gives Pittsburgh a vital win as they keep their playoff hopes alive. Philadelphia, whose only scoring was 5 David Trout field goals, again was hampered by interceptions as Chuck Fusina threw two on the game for a league leading 23 on the season. Both teams now sit at 7-7 and a game out of the fifth playoff spot. BIR 20 JAX 23 OT Jacksonville gains a game on Birmingham with an overtime win to defeat the Stallions. Tony Eason was knocked out of the game with a possible concussion, but Timm Rosenbach and a solid running game helped the Bulls pull out the win despite 139 yards rushing from Joe Cribbs. MEM 7 ORL 10 In a game delayed twice by lightning and played in rainy conditions throughout, the Renegades saw Reggie Collier tweak an ankle on the wet turf. Jimmie Jordan came in to relieve him and scored the only TD of the day, an 8-yard toss to Wamon Buggs for the eventual game winner. Despite the rough conditions, WR John Jefferson still caught 9 balls for 91 yards on the day to lead all receivers. CHI 39 TEX 41 In yet another shootout, the Outlaws had just enough in the tank to mount a final drive for a winning field goal from Nick Mike-Myer in his first action back after a season-long injury. The key player for Chicago was rookie HB Ricky Watters, who had a monster game with 143 yards rushing and another 43 through the air. For Texas it was Stouffer throwing for 350 and 4 TD’s, including 3 to AP POTW Dokie Williams (in for the injured Carson). MGN 7 NOR 28 The Breakers lock up a playoff spot with a big divisional win over Michigan as Matt Dunigan gets 3 TDs in support from the combo of Hilliard (37 yards rushing, 1 TD) and Dupree (74 yards, 2 TDs). New Orleans’s defense again proved to be significantly improved over past years, allowing the Panthers only 233 total yards and only 28 yards rushing on the day. LA 28 OAK 30 The Express had their best offensive performance in weeks, with Dan McGwire throwing for 2 scores and Darrell Thompson rushing for another 2, but it was still not enough as Richard Williams rushed for 138 and Gale Gilbert threw 3 TDs to help Oakland move to 9-5 and retain 1st place in the Pacific Division. ARZ 9 POR 30 The deflated Arizona Wranglers put up little fight against the Thunder as Kerwin Bell found TE Clint Didier for 155 yards and a score to help pace Portland to the win. Kerwin Bell threw for 320 and 2 scores as the Thunder kept pace with Oakland at 9-5. The combo of Terrance Flagler and Robert Drummond added a combined 116 yards on the ground to help Portland hold off the Wranglers. TBY 17 HOU 33 The Gamblers roll at home on the back of solid defense and a balanced attack. Tampa’s defense was able to limit Thurman Thomas to only 28 yards rushing, but Ricky Proehl gained 105 in the air and Keith Woodside ripped off a 15-yard TD run to help Houston to the decisive victory. Houston now all but wraps up a playoff berth with the win, while Tampa finds itself in the Southern Division cellar with a 5th straight loss. WASHINGTON FEDERALS 20 DENVER GOLD 23 OT There were a lot of close games this week, with 2 ending in overtime and several others coming down to the last minute, but we have opted to highlight this week’s “Upset Special” with the 4-win Gold knocking off the Atlantic Division leaders in Washington. The Gold played solid defense, led by Kurt Gouveia’s 12 tackle, 1 Int, 1 FF and 1 FR game to hold off the Federals and play spoilers. While hardly explosive on offense, Denver got just enough to keep pace with the Federals, taking an initial lead on a Brian Speelman field goal and then breaking a 3-3 tie with a Vince Evans to Bill Brooks touchdown to wind down the 1st quarter. In the second, Washington equalized as Don Majkowski found Joey Walters for a score. Two more field goals led to a 13-13 halftime score. After a scoreless third quarter, Denver opened the 4th with FB Kenan Travis diving in from 1 yard out to go back up 20-13. Washington responded later in the quarter with Majkowski hitting HB Kevin Harmon for the equalizer. Neither team was able to get into field goal range to end the game in regulation, so the two headed for overtime. In the extra period, Denver’s D came up big, with Kurt Gouveia forcing a fumble by HB Alfred Jenkins, recovered by SS Patrick Gannon, to give the Gold the ball in Washington territory. After a short 7-yard “drive” by the Gold offense, Brian Speelman put the game away with a 30 yard field goal and the Gold had pulled off the upset. Denver’s offense still needs a lot of work, but it appears that Coach Walton has got the defense playing well, and the whole team not giving up on the season, which bodes well for next year. If the Gold can get a couple of playmakers on offense, this could be a much improved team next season. For Washington, the loss drops their division lead to 1 game over surging New Jersey, but they are still in a strong position to win out and clinch the Atlantic, or even if they stumble to nab a Wild Card spot. We have to give the POTW title to Chicago halfback Ricky Watters despite the 2-point loss to the Outlaws. Watters, who has a total of 622 yards rushing on the year, has had an up and down season. He has scored 7 times for the Machine, but he has also had several games where he simply could not produce needed first downs. His best game before this week was a 97 yard outing in Week 5, and this week marks the first time he has cracked 100 yards, and boy did he crack it. His 143 yards and 2 TD’s on the ground were huge in keeping Chicago in the game against the high-powered Texas offense. And, for the first time, Chicago also incorporated Watters into the passing game in a meaningful way. He had only 3 receptions, but one was a 33 yard TD catch on a swing route which was a thing of beauty. With two weeks left in the season, Watters wants to prove that he is a lead back in this league. He won’t crack 1,000 yards this year, but another couple of games over 100 yards, or in which he is dangerous as both a runner and a receiver, and Chicago can rest easy on the halfback position this offseason. With two weeks left in the season we have a little more clarity, particularly in the Western Conference. In the West, the gap between the 5 current playoff position teams and the 6th team (Michigan) is now 2 games. In addition to Texas, the Invaders, Breakers, and Thunder have now all locked in playoff spots. Houston needs only 1 win or 1 Michigan loss (they have lost 5 in a row) to clinch the final spot. The biggest remaining issue is really who wins the Pacific Division and who gets the Wild Card. That should be settled next week when the Invaders host the Thunder. In the Atlantic, Orlando remains the only team with a guaranteed playoff spot, though both Washington and Jacksonville are all but mathematically locked in. New Jersey and Birmingham currently occupy the 4th and 5th spots, but each has to worry about a late surge from either Philadelphia or Pittsburgh, who are a game back at 7-7. The Feds can help out these clubs as they face the Generals this week. Pittsburgh is hoping their game in Baltimore will help propel them into the top 5, looking for Orlando to knock off Birmingham for the assist. A win for the Feds would also lock up the Atlantic title, putting NJ 2 games back and alive only for a wild card spot. An upset, however, would be rough, as it would guarantee New Jersey a better division record and would leapfrog them over the Feds for first in the division. With two weeks left in the season, we thought this a good time to check in on the various quarterback competitions to see what has changed and what might be looming this offseason. Here are the most competitive of the QB situations in the league and our best guess of what is to come. NEW JERSEY This is without a doubt the ugliest of the situations as Doug Flutie has not been shy about his displeasure with Coach Perkins and the pressure put on by Chris Miller. With Flutie’s season finished due to a hip injury, it will be Miller who can lead the Generals into and through the playoffs. If Miller fairs well, expect the Generals to let Flutie explore the free agency waters without countering any deal. If Miller flounders then things will get interesting. There are a lot of Flutie supporters both within the Generals’ organization and among the fans, so there may be pressure to retain Flutie and trade Miller away much as they did with Timm Rosenbach last year. There may even be pressure to remove Coach Perkins if the Miller games do not go well for the Generals. PORTLAND The battle between season starter David Archer and a resurgent Kerwin Bell is likely not going anywhere. Both are under contract and not eligible for free agency, so both could be part of a protracted QB battle leading into next year. If, however, Bell shines in the playoffs it is possible that the Portland front office will look to maximize David Archer’s value by trading him away to another QB hungry team. That seems unlikely as it is clear that having 2 solid QB’s is a key to winning consistently in this league, but it is not out of the question. DENVER The trade that brought Vince Evans to Denver has produced some success, as Evans has helped lead the Gold to 3 straight wins, but with Evans’s numbers not looking great, a lot of the credit is going to the defense. Evans is a solid, but no longer a dynamic starter, and while both Cody Carlson and Billy Joe Tolliver have been adequate as replacement players when injuries arrive, we would not call the Denver QB situation settled. Denver could be a player in the offseason if there is QB talent in the pool. Don’t be surprised if they trade away one of their two backups, retain Evans and still bring in another potential starter. Could the Gold be looking at New Jersey’s situation and hoping Doug Flutie tests the market? Coach Walton, during his time with the NY Jets certainly had a chance to see what Flutie offers in the NY market. BALTIMORE While the 4-team trade seems to have helped Denver, it has not brought any such luck to the Blitz. Almost immediately after getting into a game in a Blitz uniform Bob Gagliano succumbed to a season-ending injury. Gagliano was openly disapproving of being traded, and he is in the last year of his contract, so we fully expect him to join the free agent market. With a new coach to be selected at some point this summer, and with a new President of Football Operations, we expect QB to be a focal point. Eric Kramer is serviceable, but seems unlikely to return the Blitz to playoff glory without a lot of help. The draft is a possible option for the Blitz, but this is not exactly the 1983 class of QB’s so they might have to take a shot on a developmental player and perhaps stick with Kramer for another year. Would Baltimore take a shot at Flutie? That all depends on who is chosen as the new head coach. Flutie is an unconventional QB so it would take a coach with unconventional ideas to get on board with him. PITTSBURGH We haven’t spoken much about the Maulers as a team with a QB controversy, but with Alan Risher getting on in years, and after this pretty much lost season with him, it may be time for the Maulers to look for another option. Jeff Hostetler has shown flashes of both talent and leadership in his year at the helm, and Pittsburgh is close to a possible playoff appearance with the former West Viginia Mountaineer at the helm. We could envision a situation where the Maulers bring in a rookie and go with Hostetler for a year, while releasing Risher to the free agent market. We expect a lot depends on if the Maulers retain Ted Marchibroda. A playoff appearance likely means yes, another 7-9 or 8-8 year means perhaps not. JACKSONVILLE The situation in Jacksonville is less a controversy than an uncomfortable reality. The Bulls traded for Timm Rosenbach with full expectation that he would be the new starter for the Bulls, but he got hurt early and Tony Eason stepped up with one of the most amazing comeback seasons in football history. Eason is likely to be the MVP of the league this year, and after leading the Bulls to the postseason (all but assured) there is no way he is not declared the starter for next year. So what do you do with Rosenbach, who pushed Doug Flutie to start in New Jersey? Do you trade him away or do you retain him and make the case that he is where he needs to be and that means sitting and learning behind Eason? OTHERS These are the main “controversies” in the league, but that hardly means that the QB situation is locked up for the other 14 clubs. Sure, some are standing pat, but there are questions elsewhere. Did Dan McGwire do enough in his rookie season for LA to avoid competition next year? Is Matt Robinson’s injury one which pushes him to retire, and if so, is Dunigan the answer for the Breakers? Is a bad year for Chuck Fusina going to push him to retirement as well? What is Jeff Kemp’s long term prognosis after suffering a spinal injury this year? Will we see him back on the field or is Oakland looking at Gale Gilbert as their starter next year? Is Chicago satisfied with the big numbers but poor record of Chuck Long? Is there another team that will surprise us and move a starting QB to load up on players and picks? Lots to be decided and lots to watch out for this offseason. The big news is that Orlando’s Reggie Collier is likely to miss the final 2 weeks of the regular season after a big hit this past week. The Renegades have a playoff spot locked up and will turn to Jimmie Jordan to finish out the year, with Collier slated to return for the playoffs. Jacksonville faired better with their injured QB as Tony Eason has been cleared to play this week after getting knocked out of their game this past week. Likely returning to play this week, and listed as probable, we also find Portland CB Gill Byrd, Arizona HB Lionel James, Orlando WR Alfred Jackson, Texas T Rene Dudley, New Orleans C William Copley, and Portland T Bruce Armstrong. It’s Week 15 so you know there are big games as teams try to get that playoff spot locked down. The Washington-New Jersey match is perhaps the most impactful, but don’t sleep on the Portland-Oakland battle for the Division Title in the Pacific, or the Orlando-Birmingham clash in the Southern Division. The Breakers are also hoping to sneak up on Texas as they host the Outlaws this week, while Houston is in Chicago with a chance to clinch a spot with a win. Other games include Memphis at Michigan, Philly at Los Angeles (that may get ugly, at least as far as attendance goes), Tampa in Jacksonville, and the Pittsburgh Maulers hoping to sneak into playoff position if they can send the winless Blitz to 0-15.

PIT 20 NJ 42 New Jersey got 5 takeaways, including 4 interceptions of Jeff Hostetler, as they roll over the Maulers and put themselves squarely in the playoff hunt. But the victory came at a cost as a scrambling Doug Flutie was sandwiched between two defenders and left the game with what may be a season-ending injury. Chris Miller came in and threw 3 TD passes, and Herschel Walker rushed for 97 yards and a score, but all eyes are now on Flutie and whether or not he has played his last game as a General with this injury. WSH 38 PHI 24 The Federals dominated early and then withstood a comeback attempt as Lester Lyles ran back two Chuck Fusina interceptions for scores on their way to a 38-14 lead after 3 quarters. Philly fans have to be frustrated as for the 2nd year in a row Fusina is leading the league in interceptions, now with 21 for the second straight year. ORL 17 JAX 41 A powerful statement made by the Bulls as they dominate the division-leading Renegades at home. Tony Eason throws for 320 and 4 scores, keeping up his torrid pace, and the run game has success with the combo of Wilder and Jamie Morris combining for 94 yards. Brian Blades again stands out as he turned 5 catches into 160 yards and a score. TBY 35 MEM 48 Concern about Tampa’s defense has now turned into full on panic. The Bandits were able to rationalize explosive offensive performances by Texas or Orlando, but the Showboats have not been that team and for them to score 48 on the Bandits is a sign of serious trouble as Tampa drops to 5-8 and likely out of all playoff contention. Mike Kelley had 4 TD passes and the running combo of Boone and Spencer gained a combined 169 yards on the day as Memphis shocked the Bandits and delivered a crushing blow to their playoff hopes. NOR 41 CHI 17 We guess fans in the Big Easy can breathe easier after losing Matt Robinson for the year. Backup Matt Dunigan stepped in and looked just as dangerous, going 22 for 32 for 363 yards and 5 TDs. The Chicago defense, with little film of Dunigan in his 2 years in the league, were caught off guard and paid the price. Both Charlie Smith and TE Dan Ross went over 100 yards on the day as New Orleans rolled. MGN 10 HOU 31 Jim Kelly went an astounding 21 of 23 passing and found Brett Perriman twice for scores as Houston leapfrogged Michigan in the playoff rankings. The Houston D was also on their game as they limited Vince Workman to only 29 yards rushing and limited Jack Trudeau to 17 of 31 for only 111 yards. LB Tom Howard was the defensive star as he forced two fumbles and recovered one. OAK 31 ARZ 14 Oakland moved one step closer to a playoff return with a convincing win over the Wranglers. Gale Gilbert hit Mark Duper and Wyatt Henderson for scores, and Richard Williams added a third as the Invaders rushed out to a 31-7 lead before conceding a late Trumaine Johnson TD. Robbie Bosco was picked off 3 times in the game, including two by Robert Sparkman (one returned for 6 points) as Oakland moves to 8-5 and atop the Pacific Division. LA 13 DEN 27 In a battle of teams with first year coaches trying to find positives in a bad season, Denver defended home turf, getting 107 yards from wideout Bill Brooks and two 3rd quarter touchdowns, one each from Odessa Turner and HB Timmy Smith, to knock off the Express. POR 21 BIR 41 Portland, notorious for their poor rush defense, paid the price against the Stallions as Joe Cribbs rushed for 121 yards and 2 scores and backup Brent Fullwood added another 71 yards and a score to power Birmingham to the win. Add in a David Brandon pick-six and the game was quickly out of hand for the Thunder, who fell behind 41-14 and got a late score in garbage time to pull closer. With the win, Birmingham all but locked up a playoff berth, while Portland fell from first to second in their division. Texas Outlaws 30 Baltimore Blitz 24 OT They may not have found a way to get in the win column yet, but it seems clear that Coach Cowher has got the Blitz playing smarter and tougher over the past few weeks. They took the Outlaws down to the wire in this one with determination and grit before falling in overtime to the heavily favored squad from Texas. Barry Foster rushed for two scores on the day and QB Eric Kramer threw for a third as the Blitz gave a scare to the overconfident Outlaws. Texas, for their part, played somewhat sloppily, committing 9 penalties for 99 yards and missing some opportunities that would have altered the game. Kelly Stouffer completed only 16 of his 32 pass attempts, and was pressured, with Baltimore landing 6 sacks on the day. The two teams traded TD’s in both the first and second quarters with Barry Foster, Dokie Williams, Derrick Fenner, and Reggie Cobb all finding the endzone on their way to a 14-14 halftime tie. Texas looked to take the advantage in the 3rd when Brett Woodson picked off an errant Eric Kramer pass and ran it back 67 yards for a score, but on the ensuing drive, the Blitz controlled the ball for over 9 minutes and Barry Foster scored his second TD of the day to equalize the game again at 21. In the 4th quarter both teams traded field goals to make the score 24 all, but Texas had a chance to take the win as Stouffer spotted a wide open Eric Metcalf down the sideline, but the throw was too long and Metcalf could not bring it in. One wonders how the game might have been different if Carlos Carson were available to the Outlaws, but the game headed into overtime tied at 24 and Baltimore had the first crack at the win. Baltimore drove the ball well on their overtime possession, but stalled out at the Texas 34, asking Luis Zendejas to attempt a 51-yard field goal. The ball sailed to the left and fell short, giving Texas the ball at their own 41 yard line. They did not leave any doubt, driving the ball down the field and opting to go for 6 when they could have lined up for a Kauric chip shot. Reggie Cobb capped off the drive with the TD plunge and the Outlaws escaped with the win, but not without a lot of sweat. For Baltimore it was the closest they have come to playing a complete game all year, and a sign that this team has not given up on itself. Kudos to Coach Cowher for finding a way to keep the team together and keep them focused in a year when many would have given up hope. This week’s POTW goes to former CFL quarterback and perhaps one of the best backups in the USFL, New Orleans’s Matt Dunigan. Dunigan came to the Breakers after the departure of Tony Eason, expecting to start, but early success from Matt Robinson forced the former La Tech signal caller to sit on the bench for the better part of two years. Other than the occasional mop up duty. Dunigan has largely been holding a clipboard for the Breakers, but with Robinson’s season-ending hamstring injury Dunigan has his shot to make a difference for New Orleans and if this game is any indication, the Breakers will be glad they signed him. Dunigan hit 4 different receivers for scores as the Breakers defeated the Chicago Machine easily on Sunday. Both Charlie Smith and Dan Ross went over 100 yards receiving and rookie Michael Jackson continued to show great promise, catching 4 balls for 49 yards and a score as Dunigan fund 8 different receivers on the day. His 5TD-0Int day was about as good a debut as one could expect, and certainly caught the Machine by surprise. They anticipated a heavy dose of New Orleans’ run game, but after early success in the air, New Orleans opted to lean into Dunigan’s hot hand, running the ball only 17 times on the day, while throwing 32 times. It is unlikely that teams will make the same mistake in future games, but if this week’s performance is any indication the Breakers look like they have the perfect replacement for Robinson as they make a final push for the playoffs and the elusive title game appearance. This week’s action shook up the standings just enough to alter the playoff scenarios. No one else has officially qualified, keeping Orlando and Texas as the lone locks, but several teams solidified their positions, as others dropped from realistic contention. Washington now has a 2 game lead on the division with 3 to play, and could lock up the title if all plays out in their favor this week. Orlando can also lock up the division crown with a win this week against the Showboats. Texas can do the same with a win this week, while a Breakers’ win should guarantee them at least a wild card. Oakland and Portland are locked up at 8-5 and will likely take the battle for the division title to the final week of the season. Things are not looking so good in Tampa, where another loss puts them in last place in their division and almost certainly out of contention. Their 1-5 division record means they cannot even stay ahead of Memphis now that both are at 5 wins. Chicago too has to be considered a longshot, now 2 games out of a playoff spot, while Arizona may also be officially done. New Jersey’s win leaps them over Philadelphia as the Generals’ 5-game win streak has positioned them well for a possible push for the #3 seed, though they will have to hope for help as both Birmingham and Jacksonville still hold a 1-game edge over them. We should start to see teams locking up playoff berths soon, but it looks like positioning will take the whole season to sort out. The USFL made it official this week. A deal was struck to allow the sale of the LA Express to the Orthwein Group and the relocation of the team to St. Louis for the 1992 season. The league made several demands of the Orthwein group to allow the sale, and, after considerable back and forth, a deal was struck. The terms of the deal allow the Orthweins to purchase the controlling ownership of the team, although both Alan Harmon and Ted Field will retain roughly 20% total of the ownership, with a variety of other investors holding 10% and the Orthwein Group the remaining 70%. The team will relocate, with front office staff relocating to the St. Louis area immediately following the conclusion of the regular season and football operations relocating by early October. In order to seal the deal, the Orthwein Group agreed to the following stipulations; In addition to the roughly $98M to be paid to Harmon and Field for their controlling shares of the franchise the Orthwein group will provide an additional $17M to the USFL over the next 3 years in order to offset anticipated lost television revenue. For the next 3 seasons, or until such time as a new LA franchise is in operation (whichever is shorter) the new St. Louis franchise will also receive only an 80% share of leaguewide revenue sharing funds, as opposed to a full 100% distribution received by other franchises. The name, colors, and branding of the Los Angeles Express will remain the possession of the USFL, with full right to provide this identity to a replacement franchise. The relocated franchise will adopt a new name and branding to be approved by the USFL. Despite the relocation, the St. Louis franchise will continue to play in the Pacific Division until such time as a new Los Angeles franchise is established. The league will explore options for either relocation of an existing franchise or expansion to occur no later than the 1995 season. It is already rumored that Fresno-based William Tatham is already working to find investors for his Texas Outlaws franchise, in hopes that he can sell his controlling interest in the team and use that sale to fund a bid to reestablish a team in Los Angeles. Tatham was originally approved for a San Diego franchise and was forced to first relocate his team to Tulsa when a stadium deal was impossible to consolidate. He later joined with Clint Manges in a reorganization that essentially merged the troubled Oklahoma and San Antonio franchises to create the Texas Outlaws. With Texas enjoying its best season to date, and with a lucrative deal already in place for the franchise to move into the soon-to-be-christened AlamoDome, it is unlikely that Tatham will have to wait long to find a buyer for the franchise, opening up the option of adding Los Angeles as an expansion club. It is generally believed that most in the league would prefer this option as there are already several owners who wanted to expand as early as 1990 as well as a general desire to avoid the type of franchise relocations and instability that we saw in the mid-1980’s when Chicago and Arizona swapped entire rosters, followed quickly by both the Chicago Blitz and Boston Breakers relocating. So, after 9 seasons, the LA Express are no more, or soon will be no more, as the team still has 3 games to play, including scheduled home games in weeks 15 (Philadelphia) and 16 (Arizona). The league should anticipate very meager crowds at the game, possibly even outnumbered by protesters and angry fans outside the stadium. The league might be wise to consider playing these final two games at neutral sites such as Las Vegas or Dallas to avoid the potential ugliness of the final weeks before the team packs up and departs the City of Angels. The Express may return in the future, as it seems the league has opted to protect the brand, but it will certainly not be the same team, and we will have to wait and see just how even an entirely new team is welcomed to the city. The big injury this week was Doug Flutie’s hip, which will sideline him for both the end of the regular season and any potential playoff run. With an ongoing feud with Coach Perkins over his role with the team, paired with several weeks for Chris Miller to make his case, this may not only be the end of Doug Flutie’s season, but his time in New Jersey as well. Flutie is a free agent after this year and could easily garner attention from both USFL and NFL teams, depending, in part, on the final diagnosis of his hip injury and the potential that it would impair his unique scrambling ability. Other injuries this week include a sprained knee for Chicago wideout Reggie Langhorne, a hamstring concern for veteran Baltimore LB ed Brady, a broken nose for Oakland CB Aeneas Williams, and a shoulder concern for Texas left tackle Rene Dudley. With 8 divisional games, there are sure to be some key playoff-impacting matchups this week, and so we have them with Birmingham in Jacksonville, both at 8-5, and with Michigan in New Orleans, hoping a win will vault them back into the mix. Pretty much every game this week has spoiler potential as well, with Baltimore headed to New Jersey, Pittsburgh hosting Philly, Memphis playing in Orlando, Chicago in Texas, and LA in Oakland. Portland is home to the Wranglers while Washington heads out to Denver to face the Gold. Finally a deflated Bandits team must head to Houston, where the Gamblers are hoping they can move solidly into the playoff mix with a win.

BAL 6 PHI 20 Another week, another loss for the Blitz, as Philadelphia takes the home win thanks to their defense shutting down the modest Blitz attack. Philadelphia outgained Baltimore 319-196, limiting Barry Foster to 33 yards rushing (a 1.5 yard per carry average) and holding Eric Kramer to a 54% completion rate. At the same time the Stars offense got good production from Quinn Early, Mike Quick and Eric Green on their way to a solid 14-point victory. PIT 18 WSH 24 Pittsburgh built up an 18-10 lead after three quarters, but Washington just kept plugging along, scoring on two Ray Wersching field goals and a beautiful 50-yard TD play from Majkowski to Moore to take the home win and help them stay a game up on Philadelphia for the Atlantic Division title. In a losing cause, Mike Rozier rushed 19 times for 135 yards, but it was not enough to stave off the Federals’ comeback. BIR 22 MEM 24 Never doubt the power of a rivalry to stoke a team’s fire. Memphis came in determined to snap Birmingham’s win streak, and they did it, in large part due to a strong day for Mike Kelley and the passing offense. Kelley found Jo-Jo Townsell 7 times for 128 yards and connected with TE Keith Jackson for 3 TDs as the Showboats upended the favored Stallions. ORL 42 TBY 32 Tampa once again lost a close game to a tough opponent as their defense failed to contain Reggie Collier and the Renegades. Collier finished the day with 348 yards passing and 4 touchdowns. Despite the offensive fireworks from both teams, the key play may have been on defense, as Orlando’s Tim McDonald picked off a Troy Aikman pass in the first quarter and ran it back for the score. That play helped Orlando steal a possession from Tampa and add 7 points that would be pivotal as the game wore on. HOU 19 NOR 23 New Orleans earns the sweep of Houston thanks to a pick-6 as Frederick Wilder stepped in front of a Kelly pass intended for Keith McKeller and winds his way past several players to score late in the 4th. The Breaker offense had been hobbled by what appears to be a season-ending injury to Matt Robinson earlier in the game, and it was only through this defensive gem that New Orleans escaped the game with a win. MGN 7 TEX 35 Texas continues to roll as the defeat the Mark Hermann-led Panthers handily, despite using 3 quarterbacks in the game. Both Kelly Stouffer and Glen Carano were forced to leave the game after big hits from the Michigan defense, but the damage had already been done. Mike Shula wrapped up the game, but with the Michigan offense showing few signs of life under Hermann, the win was assured by that point. Stouffer is expected to be able to play next week, though another injury could have a huge impact on the Outlaws down the stretch (see below). DEN 27 OAK 24 A strong day from Timmy Smith and a key stop by the Denver defense gives the Gold an upset victory on the road in Oakland. Smith rushed for 123 on 15 carries, including a 33-yard TD run in the 3rd, and the Denver defense held Oakland to only 87 yards rushing as the Gold played their best game of the year. With the game on the line late in the 4th, LB Marvcus Patton forced the ball out of Richard Williams’s hands and it was recovered by DT David Futrell to change possession and preserve the W for the Gold. LA 21 POR 52 With David Archer ailing, Kerwin Bell once again got a shot to make his case to be the starter, and this time it may just stick as Bell had a stellar game, completing 30 of 36 passes for 336 yards and 4 touchdowns. His numbers, when starting, have been excellent and Coach Erickson may have no choice but to keep him in over Archer this time around. For LA, it was their best offensive performance of the year, with a solid 94 yards rushing between Buford Jordan and Darrell Thompson, but it was still not enough as the defense simply could not contain the Thunder. JAX 31 CHI 44 Jacksonville could not get any pressure on Chuck Long ,who had a strong day for the Machine, tossing 2 TD passes and balancing the offense with a rushing attack proved effective when it counted most. Tony Eason had another huge game, 420 yards passing and 3 scores, but the Machine kept pace, scoring on 8 different drives, including 3 long John Carney field goals and 4 combined TDs from Ricky Watters (2), Albert Bentley (2). The win keeps Chicago in range for a longshot playoff push, while Jacksonville slips a game further behind Orlando, clinching the division for the Renegades. NEW JERSEY GENERALS 33 ARIZONA WRANGLERS 30 In a game between two 5-6 teams hoping to reach .500 and get back into the playoff discussion, Doug Flutie made his case to be the definitive starter for the Generals, tossing 52 passes, completing 31, for 318 yards and 3 scores. In a game where the Wrangler D put all their effort into corralling Herschel Walker, limiting him to 78 yards on the day, Flutie had to carry the load, and he did just that against the Arizona D. Though it was a high octane game, one in which Robbie Bosco found Louis Lipps for 127 yards and went over 300 yards himself, the final score was determined by a last second drive and a long field goal as New Jersey avoided overtime thanks to the quick thinking of Flutie and the strong leg of Roger Ruzek. With 1:19 left to play, the Wranglers had tied the game at 30 on a Trumaine Johnson catch for 6. New Jersey got the ball back with just over a minute to play, and Doug Flutie led the Generals on a quick-paced drive to get Roger Ruzek in range. With only 5 seconds left and the Generals still too far to try a kick, Flutie took a shotgun snap and immediately rolled to his left, drawing 2 defenders who saw a bootleg run coming. The defenders left TE Jeff Spek unguarded, and Flutie lobbed a slow arcing ball to Spek, who was able to dive out of bounds with 1 second left at the very edge of Ruzek’s range. Ruzek lined up for a 55-yarder, and after getting “iced” by an Arizona time out, proceeded to skim the ball just over the crossbar and through for the score. The result of the game does not truly help or hurt either team, as New Jersey, at 6-6, is still a game out of a playoff spot, tied with Pittsburgh but also a game behind both Jacksonville and Birmingham for the 3rd Wild Card. For Arizona, the loss certainly does not help, but at 5-7, they too are only 1 game behind the 3rd and final wildcard, with both Michigan and Houston at 6-6 ahead of them. With their interdivisional games completed, both teams can now concentrate on winning within their divisions to try to snag that last playoff berth. Kerwin Bell again came out to show that he, and not David Archer, should be the man to guide the Portland Thunder to its first playoff appearance. Bell’s 4 TD, 336-yard day certainly helped his case. After early season success which saw him go 2-0 and throw for 8 TDs in the season’s first two weeks, subbing for an injured David Archer, Bell was sent back to the bench, but has appeared in 4 other games, including this week’s strong outing. Taken against Archer’s numbers, Bell has a strong case to make. Let’s look at the two side by side. BELL: 122/182 1655 Yards 13-5 TD-INT 3-0 as the starter ARCHER: 184/282 1508 Yards 12-9 TD-INT 5-4 as the starter Archer certainly has the guile and savvy to lead a team to victory, but on raw performance this year, Bell has a case. Of course, he is also fighting the image in many people’s minds of earlier years when he was the starter for the expansion Thunder team. A team that went a combined 6-42 in the 3 years before Archer arrived. Of course, that was an expansion club, and a lot of the blame for those lean years is shared with a truly awful defense and a lack of playmakers. This year, with this club, perhaps it is time for Bell to return to the starting role. Tough choices ahead for Coach Dennis Erickson as a possible playoff berth, and maybe a division crown, is in the offing. Two teams clinched playoff berths this week as both Orlando and Texas built a strong enough lead over the current 6th place teams to ensure that even with a 4-game losing streak they would be assured a tiebreaker win and a playoff spot. We expect that both are not satisfied with this, as both the Renegades and Outlaws currently hold 2-game leads in their divisions and would love to wrap up their first division titles, and the bye weeks that go with that distinction, in the next few weeks. Looking at our Playoff Standings chart. We see that there is still very much to be decided. Washington and Philly continue to battle for the Atlantic Division, just as Portland is tying to hold off Oakland in the Pacific. New Jersey and Pittsburgh are looking for a chance to move up into the wild card range, as are Houston and Arizona, while Michigan and all the 7-5 teams cannot feel safe in their positions. Tampa Bay, which many picked to be near the top of the Southern Division has had a horrible run of games, losing three straight shootouts (Arizona, Texas, and Orlando) as their defense has struggled to slow down some of the league’s better offenses. With three division games left (Memphis, Jacksonville, and Birmingham), the Bandits are not out of it, but even one more loss may mark the end of their playoff expectations. Meanwhile, Chicago, who seemed all but dead a couple of weeks ago, have kept their dreams alive with wins over Memphis and Jacksonville, but now must face a gauntlet of New Orleans (without Matt Robinson), Texas (without Carlos Carson), Houston and Michigan. Not an easy task but winning 3 of 4 could be enough for the Machine to sneak their way into a wild card position. It seems the Baltimore Blitz are not going to delay in restructuring their front office. While former defensive coordinator Bill Cowher is currently guiding the franchise as interim head coach, the Blitz today announced that they are bringing in an NFL veteran personnel man to help right the team’s course. Baltimore ownership today announced that they have come to an agreement with current San Francisco 49er VP of Football Operations John McVay to be the new President of Football Operations and COO for the Blitz. McVay, who, since 1980, has coordinated with Head Coach Bill Walsh to produce one of the dominant teams in the NFL over the past decade, brings a wide range of skills to the position. McVay has experience with startup leagues (not that we could still refer to the USFL as a startup), acting as head coach of the Memphis Southmen of the World Football League. He also served as an assistant coach to Bill Arnsparger (currently with the Breakers) when both were with the New York Giants. Since 1980 he has served as VP of Football Operations in San Francisco, leading the 49ers to 4 Super Bowls, and winning 3 championships. McVay will run all football operations, essentially serving as both the Chief Operating Officer and the General Manager. He will be integral in the selection of the next head coach for the Blitz as well as guiding the team through the 1992 offseason and draft process. With the Blitz currently suffering through an 0-12 season, and with the very real potential of going 0-16, there is a lot of work to do. McVay has already met with Interim Head Coach Bill Cowher, and while Cowher has yet to produce a win for the Blitz, his familiarity with current personnel and his reputation as a no-nonsense coach who gets the most out of his players may help him as he auditions for the permanent position over the next few weeks. You already know the big stories on the injury front. New Orleans has lost Matt Robinson for the rest of the year with a total hamstring tear on his left leg, while Texas discovered that they will be without Carlos Carson for at least 2 weeks with stress fracture in his right hip. Texas is obviously focused on getting Carson back for the final weeks and the playoffs, but for the ALL-USFL receiver, the injury now almost certainly dashes his chances at reaching the elusive 2,000 yard receiving mark. He stands less than 300 yards away, but unless he can come back in week 15 and have two outstanding weeks, the dream of that astonishing accomplishment may be delayed. In other injury news, LA rookie Raghib “Rocket” Ismael will likely be out at least 2 weeks after suffering a hernia during weight training. Guess he tried to go to heavy too fast, and it cost him. New Orleans will also be without starting center William Copley for a week or two, meaning that backup QB Matt Dunigan will have the familiar face of the backup center in the huddle with him. New Jersey Generals TE Jeff Spek, who was so pivotal in their win this week, will likely miss a week after suffering a dislocated elbow at the end of the game, and Portland is listing their left tackle Bruce Armstrong as questionable with a groin pull suffered in this week’s game. Week 13 looks like a huge one as we try to figure out playoff positioning. Pittsburgh and New Jersey, both 6-6, face off in what may be essentially an elimination game. Washington and Philadelphia also face each other with 1st place in the division up for grabs. In the Southern Division, Jacksonville has a chance to gain ground on Orlando with the two facing off in the Gator Bowl. Tampa is in Memphis in a game they absolutely must win if they want to keep their slim hopes of a wild card alive. In the Central, a clearly weakened New Orleans squad is in Chicago to face a hopeful Machine team. Michigan and Houston face off in another battle of 6-6 squads, again with elimination a very real impact of the game. Out in the Pacific, Arizona needs to knock off Oakland in Tempe if they want a chance at a wild card, while LA is in Denver playing out the string. In Inter-divisional games, Baltimore has to hope for a miracle to knock off the red hot Texas Outlaws, while Portland and Birmingham hope for a win in their last inter-divisional games of the year.

POR 24 WSH 21 In a clash of likely playoff teams, Portland got two early scores from David Archer before a hip stinger forced him out of the game. Washington came back to tie the game in the third, thanks to 2 scores from Majkowski. In the end, it was Kerwin Bell leading the Thunder on a final drive to get into field goal range, and Al Del Greco barely getting the ball over the crossbar from 55 yards out to give the Thunder a key road victory. For certain the talk of QB controversy for the 7-4 Thunder will heat up after this clutch performance from Bell. OAK 20 BAL 10 In Coach Cowher’s first game at the helm for the Blitz, the squad reacted well, holding tough through 3 quarters, down only 13-10 with 8 minutes left, but in the end, the offense could not get a final score, and Gale Gilbert found Mark Duper midway through the final period fr a 41 yard TD that put Oakland up 10 and sunk the spirits of the Blitz faithful. LA 7 PIT 41 After struggling at first to a 13-0 lead, the flood gates opened in the second half and the Maulers ran away with this one. Mike Rozier had 82 yards in the 3 quarters, but was relieved of duty as Coach Marchibroda gave Pat Chaffey some playing time. He responded with 2 scores and 82 yards as the LA defense simply could not win at the line of scrimmage. The Maulers ended up outgaining the Express 148-38 on the ground and Jeff Hostetler also tossed 3 TD passes as the game was a complete shambles for the Express, who did not manage to get on the board until late in the 4th when the Maulers had subbed in pretty much everyone they could from the bench. ARZ 26 PHI 25 The Philadelphia defense got winded late, and Arizona came back from a 25-9 deficit in the 4th to steal a win against the homestanding Stars. Two touchdowns ( a Lionel James run and a Terry Orr reception) were followed by successful 2-point PAT’s as Arizona stormed back late. The game winner was a Mick Luckhurst 40 yarder as time ran out as a stunned crowd in Veterans Stadium looked on in disbelief. Led by Kelvin Bryant, who had a powerful 57 yard TD run in the 2nd half, the Stars looked like a runaway winner until it all crumbled in the final quarter. DEN 7 NJ 41 Denver scored first on a Kenan Travis run, but then everything turned New Jersey’s way. They scored 41 unanswered points, including 3 TD passes from Doug Flutie and 128 yards from Herschel Walker as the Denver Gold simply had no answers. Despite 111 yards rushing for the Denver trio of Smith, Tate and Travis, the Gold simply could not get in scoring position, and their defense was just horrible as the Generals simply overran them through the final three quarters for a blowout win. NOR 17 BIR 20 Birmingham fans are beginning to believe that they are a legitimate contender, and a win over favored New Orleans certainly does not hurt. After 3 quarters the Stallions led 20-7 thanks to two early Joe Cribbs TDs. Matt Robinson tried to bring the Breakers back, finding both Michael Jackson and Herman Fontenot for scores, but Birmingham’s D was stout, picking off the Breaker QB three times, including a back-breaker late in the fourth when DT Colin Scotts tipped the Robinson pass into the air and LB Kevin Greene snapped it up to end a promising Breaker drive. MGN 14 ORL 34 A statement win for the Renegades, who now take a 2-game lead in the division by thoroughly defeating the Michigan Panthers in the Citrus Bowl. Reggie Collier offset two interceptions by throwing 3 touchdowns, and the combo of Fowler and Bledsoe in the backfield gained 141 yards against the usually stingy Panther D. Orlando’s win was helped a great deal by the departure of Jack Trudeau after only 1 ½ quarters. Mark Hermann came in for the injured Trudeau, and was simply unable to connect with the Panther receivers. CHI 37 MEM 10 Memphis’s woes continued as the Chicago Machine came into the Liberty Bowl and simply outplayed the Showboats. Albert Bentley rushed for 70 yards and Chuck Long threw three TD passes before being subbed late by Scott Zolak. Memphis’s Mike Kelley was just off all day, and painfully so, as he threw 5 interceptions into the waiting arms of the Machine secondary. And, with Tim Spencer on the injury list, Greg Boone struggled to carry the weight of the run game. Memphis falls to 3-8 and all but mathematically out of any playoff contention, while at 4-7 Chicago still has slim hopes. HOU 31 JAX 33 Houston and Jacksonville played a thriller in the Gator Bowl, with both QB’s throwing for 3 scores each and both defenses focusing on slowing down the run game. You had the feeling with this one that it was all about who had the ball last, and while Houston got the last score, they needed one more possession to catch the Bulls. Brian Blades added two more TD catches to his outstanding season as both he and Hassan Jones topped the 100-yard mark for the Bulls. The win keeps Jacksonville within 2 games of Orlando, while Houston is now 3 games back of the Texas Outlaws. TEXAS OUTLAWS 44 TAMPA BAY BANDITS 38 OT Call it an instant classic. Call it the death of defensive-minded football. Call it the game of the year, the 44-38 victory of Texas over Tampa was unmissable action, a game that fans will be talking about for years to come. With 17 points scored in the final 3 minutes, including a game-tying field goal with only 7 seconds left on the clock, this overtime thriller kept everyone on the edges of their seats. Texas would finish the day with 570 yards of offense and only 2 punts. Tampa Bay with 408 yards and only 3 punts. Both quarterbacks threw for over 75%, with Troy Aikman completing 25 of 33 for 358 yards while Kelly Stouffer threw for a stunning 438 yards on a 22 of 29 day. Between the two we also had 8 touchdown passes (Stouffer 5, Aikman 3). The first quarter gave no hint of what was to come, with the only score being a Jerry Kauric Field Goal for Texas. In the second quarter the game changed dramatically as both teams scored twice. Texas began with an Eric Metcalf 23 yard TD reception from Stouffer. Tampa countered with a 40-yard Keen fieldgoal. Texas drove the ball the length of the field and Reggie Cobb punched in a TD with only 1:39 left in the half. But Tampa would need only half of the remaining time to score its first TD, a 40 yard beauty of a pass from Aikman to Willie Gillespie. Texas led 17-10 at the half, and the fireworks were just starting. The two teams traded scores again in the third quarter, with Tampa getting another Keen field goal, then Stouffer again finding Metcalf in the endzone to go up 24-13. Tampa countered with a long drive of their own, with Aikman hitting TE Abraham Davis for six, and with the Bandits converting on a 2-point play to bring the score to 24-21. The fourth quarter saw a total of 31 points scored, again beginning with Texas as Stouffer hit TE Theo Young on a 5 yard TD pass just a minute and a half into the final quarter. Tampa was not going out without a fight, and on their next drive Eric Bienemy scored a TD to bring them to within 31-27 (the extra point was missed). Texas again spread out the gap, with yet another Eric Metcalf TD, his third on the day, as Aikman hit him deep for 51 yards and the score with 3:03 left to play. It was now 38-27, but again Tampa showed resolve. They drove the ball down into Texas Territory and on a 3rd and 3, Aikman found Eric Bienemy alone in the flat. He juked his way 25 yards to paydirt and after another successful 2-pointer, Tampa was only down 3, 38-35. They tried the onside kick and recovered the ball. A minute later keen was knocking the ball through the uprights and Tampa was all even with Texas. The game went into overtime, and, as so often occurs, the key was winning the simple coin toss. Texas won the toss on a call of Heads, and took possession. That was all it took for the game to swing their way. The Outlaws had had the better of their matchup with Tampa’s defense all day, and within 8 plays they were knocking on the door at the Tampa 1 yard line. A simple off-tackle handoff to Cobb and the Texans had a 6-point win in one of the most memorable games of football in recent years. Both of these teams deserve to have won the game, but only one could, and this time around it was the Outlaws who got the better of the Bandits. Make no mistake, the Texas Outlaws are for real, and can go as far as Kelly Stouffer can take them. Last year a late season injury to Stouffer led to a 4-game losing streak and the 8-4 Outlaws found themselves at 8-8 and outside of the playoff picture. This year, with a healthy Stouffer for most of the season (he did sit for 2 weeks) the Outlaws are now 9-2 and have a solid 2-game lead over their rivals in the tough Central Division. Stouffer has been playing MVP football all season, and is a top choice for the award, with perhaps the explosion of Tony Eason standing in his way. This week he demonstrated just how deadly the Texas passing attack can be, winning POTW with a 438-yard, 5 TD performance against the Tampa Bay Bandits. As noted in our GOTW recap, the Outlaws needed every one of those yards and every one of those TD’s to knock off the Bandits in one of the greatest games in USFL history. One has to wonder what fans in Arizona are thinking. At one point they had both Robbie Bosco and Kelly Stouffer under contract, and opted to trade Stouffer to avoid a competition with Bosco. Bosco is a fine QB and helped lead the Wranglers to the Summer Bowl last year, but over the past 2 years no one has been more dynamic and more clutch than Stouffer. One can only wonder if the Wranglers had had the former Colorado State QB on their roster last year, if they would have been able to topple the Federals. And, let’s not even talk about the Denver Gold, who had the territorial rights to Stouffer out of Colorado State, stood pat, let Arizona draft him, and now find themselves in the middle of a QB mess, with Gagliano gone and the ageless Vince Evans trying to show he can still win in this league. Folks in San Antonio (and San Marcos, and likely Austin too) have to be pretty happy with the way this has all turned out, and will be even happier once it is official that Texas has won the Central Division and is in the playoffs. If the playoffs started today Pittsburgh would be in and Philly, Tampa, and New Jersey would be out, but that can all change in 1 week. In the west, the 5 would be Texas, Oakland, New Orleans, Portland, and Michigan, with Houston and Arizona missing their shot. The real pressure right now is in the 6-5 and 5-6 cluster that will likely determine the final Wild Card shot. If the 5-6 teams can get to .500 and if the 6-5 teams falter, we could have a real cluster of clubs vying for a playoff spot. As for divisional titles, no race is more than 2 games apart, with Texas and Orlando holding 2 game leads while Washington has a 1 game lead over both Pennsylvania clubs, and Oakland is tied with Portland atop the Pacific. As we move into several weeks of primarily divisional play this could all be shaken up, but if either Texas or Orlando can gain another game on their divisional rivals, they might just be popping some champagne early this year. Three short items this week as the league rumor mill is churning hard. 1. Coach Schottenheimer: The mid-season firing of former NFL coach Marty Schottenheimer by Baltimore has not gone unnoticed around the league. Schottenheimer was a huge signing by the league, and many in USFL circles believe that the disfunction of the front office in Baltimore may have led to his unsuccessful and short tenure with the Blitz. Schottenheimer is still a name that draws a lot of respect around coaching circles, and with several other clubs likely jettisoning their current coaching staffs after this season, do not be surprised if there is not a quick offer on the table for Marty Ball to stay in the USFL. Potential landing spots include Chicago, Memphis, New Jersey, and perhaps even Denver or LA/St. Louis, even though both the Gold and Express hired new coaches this year. There is a lot of buzz that the Blitz fired the wrong man, and should have gone after their GM for several questionable personnel choices, buzz that is also making the case for Schottenheimer to quickly find work with another club. 2. LA to St. Louis: Rumors abound that the league is close to an agreement that would approve the sale of the LA Express to the Orthwein group and the relocation of the franchise to St. Louis beginning in 1992. It is expected that the league will require Orthwein and his associates to pay up to $20M in transfer fees to allow the relocation and to offset anticipated losses in TV revenue as they renegotiate with ABC and ESPN. Additionally, it is possible that the league will announce that the Express name and logo will be retained by Los Angeles, with a guarantee of a franchise replacement, through either relocation or expansion, within 3 years. Rumors already have Fresno-based real estate magnate and current Texas Outlaws owner William Tatham interested in the LA market, and willing to sell his controlling interest in the first-place Outlaws for a chance at a franchise closer to home in Los Angeles. 3. Flutie’s Future: Despite the New Jersey Generals’ recent 3-game win streak with Doug Flutie under center, there are persistent rumors that the former BC quarterback is not happy with Coach Perkins and the Generals coaching staff, and that he is seriously considering leaving the team and testing the free agent market when his contract expires this July. Flutie’s agent had been in negotiations with the Generals, but with persistent issues regarding Flutie’s role vs. that of Chris Miller, and ongoing murmurs that Coach Perkins has been unhappy with Flutie’s production even in the winning streak, the negotiations have cooled and it may very well be that the former Heisman Winner will enter the open market, including potentially the NFL transfer window, in July. A relatively low impact week on the injury list. The most notable new injuries to report include a rib injury to Orlando WR Alfred Jackson, a concussion for Portland LB Cedric Figaro, a neck injury for Memphis CB Derrick Cudrup, and a deep bruise, possibly a stress fracture injury, to QB David Archer of Portland. Jack Trudeau, who left the Michigan game in some pain, is cleared to play this week, as is Eric Truvillion for Tampa and John Rienstra for Houston. Expect to see Tim Spencer back for Memphis as well this week, as he has been cleared to play. The final push for the playoffs begins with the first of 5 consecutive weeks of primarily divisional matchups. This is the home stretch and with so many divisional games a lot can shift very quickly as teams knock each other down and try to battle for position. We begin with some key matchups on the fringes of playoff contention. Washington hosts Pittsburgh in a game vital to both clubs. Orlando is at Tampa, who needs a win to get back into the playoff hunt. Houston is in New Orleans for a killer matchup, while Texas tries to hold off the Michigan Panthers in San Marcos. Oakland hopes to keep their streak going against 2-9 Denver. In other divisional matchups we have LA visiting Portland, Philadelphia hosting the winless Baltimore Blitz, and Birmingham in Memphis. This week’s inter-divisional games include New Jersey and Arizona, both on the fringe of contention at 5-6, and both hoping to hit .500. Finally, Jacksonville is in Chicago with a chance to gain on Orlando.

MEM 20 OAK 30 The Invaders win their second in a row with Gale Gilbert at the helm as Richard Williams rushes for 135 and helps take the pressure off of the young QB. Gilbert was sacked 4 times but did not turn the ball over as Oakland got solid contributions across the defense to keep Mike Kelley and the Showboats in check. JAX 28 LA 23 It took two scores in the 4th quarter, but the Bulls outlasted the Express on the strength of another 400 yard day for Tony Eason. Eason completed 22 of 26 passes, and although he was sacked 6 times, threw for 3 scores, including late TD passes to Lawyer Tillman and Steve Johson as the Bulls came back against a deflated Express club. BIR 20 DEN 17 Another late flurry for the visitors as Birmingham got a late Brent Fullwood TD run and a game winning Scott Norwood field goal in the second half of the 4th quarter to upend the Gold. In Vince Evans’s first start as a member of the Gold, he threw the ball 42 times, completed 28 for 217 yards and a score, but it was not enough to secure the win for the homestanding Denver Gold. ORL 52 POR 13 This one was over early and got ugly late as Orlando just laid the wood to the Thunder in Portland. Reggie Collier had two early TD passes to open the game, and finished with 4 on the day (with a 5th from Jordan in mop up duty) as the Renegades just overwhelmed the Portland defense. David Archer had an erratic day, and heard chants of “Bell, Bell, Bell” as the game wound down. With 3 losses in their last 4 games, we may soon see Kerwin Bell back in action for the Thunder. PHI 10 NOR 34 New Orleans got an early pick-6 and two Robinson TD passes to build a 21-10 halftime lead and they never looked back. Robinson would finish the day with 3 TD passes and the Hilliard-Dupree duo combined for 134 yards on 25 carries as the Breakers thrilled the home crowd with a convincing win over the Stars. And it was not all offense, as the Breakers’ much-improved D picked off a pressing Chuck Fusina 4 times in the game to help secure the win. NJ 17 MGN 10 A big win for the Generals and an absolutely huge game for rookie DE Phil Hansen, who was credited with 5 of the Generals’ record-setting 11 sacks of Jack Trudeau on the day. The Michigan QB was shell-shocked all game long as New Jersey sent blitzers from all corners. 7 different players ended the day with a sack, but it was Hansen who just harassed Trudeau all game long. WSH 27 CHI 17 The Federals took advantage of the Philly loss, and secured a win in Chicago to move them into first place in the division. They ran roughshod over the Machine defense, with Barry Word and Kevin Harmon both rushing for over 100 yards each. The run game was so successful that Don Majkowski got a comfortable win despite completing only 11 passes on the day. BAL 10 HOU 27 In a game that would prove to be Marty Schottenheimer’s last as coach of the Blitz, Baltimore again failied to mount a viable offensive attack against the Houston D. Jim Kelly threw for 2 scores and Houston recovered 2 of 3 Baltimore fumbles as the Blitz again bumbled their way to a 10th straight loss. After the game the news that Schottenheimer had been dismissed and that defensive coordinator Bill Cowher would take over as the interim head coach was announced by Baltimore ownership. PIT 13 TEX 34 The Outlaws creaky and injury-riddled secondary allowed 337 yards passing to the Maulers, but were able to play a bend-but-don’t break style which kept Pittsburgh from scoring on several long drives. That, paired with a strong performance from Reggie Cobb helped a somewhat rusty Kelly Stouffer survive a mediocre outing and still walk away with a 20-point victory. Cobb rushed for 96 yards and 2 scores to help Texas garner and early lead and build on it throughout the game. TAMPA BAY BANDITS 27 ARIZONA WRANGLERS 31 Arizona, desperate to get back in the win column, took advantage of 4 Tampa Bay turnovers to edge the Bandits in the final minutes as a furious comeback came to fruition for the Wranglers. In a game that Tampa at one point led by 13, Arizona would not go away, and late fumbles by Speedy Neal and kick returner Richard Fain helped the Wranglers regain momentum and the eventual game winning score. Tampa looked very solid in the first half, with Troy Aikman hitting Willie Gillespie with an early TD, but the errors started to mount up in the second half. Tampa got another Aikman TD pass, this time to Collinsworth, but then on 3 of their next 5 possessions the Bandits turned the ball over. Arizona capitalized with a Trumaine Johnson TD, a Luckhurst FG and then a Terry Orr TD reception, pulling within 27-24 with just over 4 minutes left. It was then that a muffed return by Fain cost the Bandits as Arizona was able to recover the kickoff and start their final drive on the Tampa 30. It only took 5 plays for the Wranglers to cash in with the game-winning score, a 10 yard Bosco to Johnson pass that put them up by 4 with only 1:37 left to play. Aikman and the Tampa offense got the ball back on their 20 after a fair catch, and with 1:37 to play they needed to go 80 yards, as a field goal would not help them. Aikman was efficient on offense, and with 25 seconds left they had the ball on the Arizona 12 yard line. Aikman spiked the ball to stop the clock on first down, then missed on a pass into the endzone to Collinsworth on second down. On third down he tried to find TE Ben Coates, but the ball sailed just out of reach for the hefty TE. So, with only 3 seconds left, and a 4th and 10, Aikman had one shot left. Arizona played a 3-deep zone, compressed with everyone at or behind the endzone line, and rushed 4, but DT Mike Lodish shed his block and put pressure on Aikman almost immediately. Aikman tried to tuck the ball back down, but it scuffed on Lodish’s arm and popped free. It would be recovered by the Bandits, but as it was 4th down, the ball was turned over on downs and the clock expired, leaving the Bandits only 12 yards away, but giving Arizona a much-needed confidence boost. Arizona, now 4-6 in a somewhat weak Pacific Division still has dreams of a return to the playoffs, while Tampa, now at 5-5 is falling behind not only Orlando (8-2) but also Birmingham (6-4) and Jacksonville (6-4), putting their playoff hopes into critical condition. As much as we love praising the year that Tony Eason has had this season, we have to look at what Phil Hansen did this week, and what he has been doing all year. The rookie out of North Dakota has been a revelation for the Generals, and now, after a stunning 5-sack game against Michigan, leads the entire league with 17 sacks in only 10 games. With 6 games left he has a legitimate shot at surpassing Junior Ah-You’s league record of 22 sacks in a season. Hansen has been a bright light in a pretty rough year for the Generals, and his performance has shifted the Generals’ entire defensive strategy. Coach Perkins is now calling blitzes at almost double the pace of the past few years, assuring that attempts to block Hansen with two men now lead to free blitzers. It is working as New Jersey, in large part due to their defense and the stunning first season of Hansen, have won their last 2 and may just be making another late season run for a Wild Card. Week 10 always feels like a week or two too early to really say anything about the playoffs, but here we go anyway. Barring a disaster we think it is safe to say that Orlando (8-2), with a 2 game lead in their division is in prime position to take their first Southern Division Title. In the Atlantic it will almost certainly come down to Washington or Philadelphia, while in the Central there are 4 teams all vying for the title, though Texas has the upper hand with a 1 game lead over New Orleans and 2 games up on Houston and Michigan. The Pacific is again looking like the weakest division, with Oakland, thanks to 2 straight wins, now even with Portland at 6-4. In both conferences the battle for the three Wild Card berths will be vicious. We have at least 6 teams looking at those 3 spots in the East, and 5 teams realistically in the hunt in the West. With the remaining schedule overwhelmingly held within the divisions, a lot will shift week to week, but any team that can string together 3-4 wins in a row is sure to be looking pretty as we head towards the postseason. As mentioned above, this week’s loss, the 10th in a row this season for Baltimore, was all that the ownership could take. Despite all the fanfare and anticipation that came with the Blitz signing former Cleveland Browns head coach Marty Schottenheimer in the 1988 offseason, the tenure for Marty-Ball in Baltimore has been anything but successful. Schottenheimer’s teams won 6 games in 1989, 6 again in 1990, and have yet to win a game this year, ensuring the third straight 10-loss season for the Blitz. While admittedly Schottenheimer walked into a mediocre situation at best (7-9 and 8-8 in the two years prior to his arrival), Baltimore fans have been unimpressed with his moves, including the major role the Blitz played in the league’s historic 4-team trade just a few weeks ago. While Vince Evans and Tim Spencer had been underperforming, most in the know felt that the talent received in return has also not panned out. There have been flashes from HB Barry Foster, but unfortunately for Schottenheimer, QB Bob Gagliano not only has been open with the media about his displeasure with being traded midseason, but succumbed to a season-ending injury after only a couple of weeks in the Charm City. Speculation is high that Gagliano may opt to retire rather than return to Baltimore. The man now in charge of putting the pieces together and salvaging whatever can be salvaged of this season is Bill Cowher. A former player for the Eagles, Browns, and Eagles, Cowher was brought into Schottenheimer’s Cleveland staff as a special teams coach, before quickly rising to become the DB coach in 1987. When Schottenheimer took the job with the Blitz, Cowher came with him, and this year was named the Defensive Coordinator at the age of only 44. He now becomes one of the youngest head coaches in the league, although the title is only interim. How Baltimore plays over the next 6 weeks may determine if the steel-jawed Cowher can even receive an interview when the search for a permanent head coach replacement for Schottenheimer begins in the offseason. The season appears to be over for promising rookie LB Godfrey Miles of the Pittsburgh Maulers. Miles suffered a partial ACL tear and is expected to need at least 2 months to fully recover. Another big hit is in Orlando, where DT Ike Readon will likely be out 2-3 weeks with a torn meniscus in his left knee. Oakland is likely to miss the “impronouncable” Muhammad Elowinibi for at least 2 weeks as the right tackle injured his hamstring trying to chase down a defender after a fumble. Finally, Tampa Bay will be without TE Chris Kelley for at least a week or two with turf toe. Kelley, who has seen his playing time diminish as Tampa has given more snaps to rookie Ben Coates, should be back for the final push in weeks 13-16. Week 11 marks the last week in which all 20 USFL teams are playing out of division games. In it we see the Pacific teams traveling across the country to face the Atlantic Division’s five squads. The Southern Division also hosts the Central Division. This is a dangerous week for many teams as the temptation to look forward to weeks 12-16 when most teams have 3-4 division games could lead to a trap game, in which a weaker team spoils the game for the playoff-bound squad. Looking at the games, we do have some strong matchups as Portland is in Washington, Texas is in Tampa Bay to face a desperate Bandits squad, New Orleans travels (with perhaps 20,000 fans) to Birmingham, and Michigan faces Orlando. Other games include Oakland at winless Baltimore, LA at Pittsburgh, Arizona at Philadelphia, Denver at New Jersey, Chicago at Memphis, and Houston in Jacksonville.