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SCORES PIT 14 BAL 20 The Blitz got a much-needed divisional win at home by knocking off the Maulers. Tim Spencer outmatched Mike Rozier as the Blitz D held the former Heisman winner to only 2.6 yards per carry. 2nd year receiver Derrick Hill came up big as well, catching 7 balls, including 1 for a touchdown in the 4th quarter. Alan Risher was knocked out of the game in the 2nd quarter and Jeff Hostetler kept Pittsburgh in it with 2 TD tosses, but came up short in the end. WSH 10 NJ 3 Doug Flutie returned, and expected big things facing off against Washington backup Mike Hohensee, but what we got was a defensive struggle as both teams had difficulty moving the ball. Washington held Herschel Walker to 63 yards rushing while their own combo of Harmon and Jenkins combined for only 75. The big hero on the day was LB Dante Jones, who not only recorded 8 tackles, but a vital strip-sack and fumble recovery as New Jersey was driving to tie the game in the 4th. ORL 28 BIR 34 In a highly entertaining game at Legion Field the Stallions pulled out a 6-point win while playing without HB Joe Cribbs as Keith Collins returned a Reggie Collier int for a score and Ernest Givens had his best game of the year, catching 6 balls, including a key touchdown. The Renegades kept pace, but three Collier interceptions helped seal the deal for the Stallions. DEN 17 ARZ 23 A tough game for Gold fans as they watched Bob Gagliano carted off the field with what turned out to be a season-ending injury for the veteran QB. Cody Carlson came in and guided the Gold to a 3rd quarter TD to pull the game within 3, but in the 4th it was all Arizona as they used Clack and James to slow the game down and control the clock. POR 3 OAK 29 Shades of the old Thunder as Oakland dominated the game from kickoff to final whistle. David Archer had his worst game as a member of the Thunder and the improved Portland D simply did not have an answer for Oakland HB Richard Williams, who used his 156 yards to vault into the league rushing lead. Kim Bokamper had a big game as well, notching 8 tackles and 2 sacks on the day, while Gill Byrd snagged his league leading 4th interception in the Thunder defeat. HOU 19 CHI 22 A nice game between two teams desperate to pull back into the pack in the Central Division. Chicago came out on top thanks to a final drive TD toss from Chuck Long to Wendell Davis. Long, who finished the day with 273 yards and the Davis TD, kept pace with Jim Kelly who had 224 and one score as well. TEX 35 NOR 38 The Breakers simply refused to lose in a classic shootout between two of the league’s most dynamic offenses. Matt Robinson’s 277 yards and 4 TD tosses matched Kelly Stouffer’s 336 and 4 TDs as the two teams just could not consistently stop the other. Reggie Cobb gained 102 on his 15 carries, including a rumbling 50 yarder that featured a massive stiff arm to free the back. The combo of Hilliard and Dupree also did well, adding 146 combined rushing yards in the free-for-all battle. Charlie Smith’s 3 TD receptions proved the tipping point for the Breakers as they move to 4-1 on the season. PHI 17 MGN 7 It was 3-0 Philly as the 3rd quarter ended, but two Fusina TD passes in the 4th helped the Stars to their 4th victory and sent Michigan to their 2nd straight defeat. It was all about pass defense in this one as the two teams combined for 12 sacks (8 by Philly, 4 from the Panther D). Lorenzo Lynch had a season high 5 passes defended, including one which was a sure interception had Lynch been able to stay in bounds along the sideline. MEM 34 LA 17 The Express were hanging with Memphis until a 21-point explosion in the fourth quarter left LA reeling. Greg Boone scored twice in the final period and a desperate Walter Lewis tossed a killer pick-6 interception to Memphis’s Bubba McDowell to seal the fate of the homestanding Express. Boone finished the day with 104 yards, and Buford Jordan added another 60 as the Memphis offense ran over the frustrated LA D. GAME OF THE WEEK Tampa Bay Bandits 25 Jacksonville Bulls 22 Nothing like a good in-state rivalry game to bring out the best in both clubs. Jacksonville was game all day against the highly favored Bandits. They played a solid first half on defense and led at the break 12-3 thanks in part to a rare mistake by Tampa QB Troy Aikman, leading to a safety for the Bulls. But the Bandits would not be contained all day and in the second half Aikman found three different receivers for scores as Tampa roared back and took the 3-point win in front of a split crowd in Jacksonville. Tampa, as they have done all year, relied on the passing game as the combo of Lars Tate and Speady Neal could only account for 35 yards rushing on 18 carries. Jacksonville had more success on the ground, with James Wilder gaining a respectable 64 yards. Chris Miller, who guided the Bulls for the first half, despite completing only 37% of his passes, came up lame, with a sprained ankle, in the 2nd half, leading to the entrance of veteran Tony Eason to the game. Eason completed just over 45% of his passes against a solid Tampa D, but did find Jim Riggs for a TD to keep the game close. In the end, however, Tampa was just too much, and when Troy Aikman hit Brett Perriman on a short TD pass, and Tampa secured the 2 point play to follow, Jacksonville just did not have enough left to mount a final comeback drive. With the win Tampa moves to 3-2, and finds themselves in a 3-way tie for first with Memphis and Orlando, while Jacksonville, at 0-5, is the lone winless team left in the league. The question now becomes one of continuity for the Bulls. Will they give Miller the next start or did Tony Eason earn a chance at the starting job? PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK We are giving this weeks POTW to the resurgent Philadelphia Stars defense. Buoyed by the arrival of talented rookies John Jurkovic and Andre Collins, and with veteran leaders like Jumpy Geathers, Eric McMillian and Frank Stams, the Stars defense has helped the squad return to its playoff form after a rough 1989 campaign. Against the Panthers, the Stars D was the best squad on the field, dominating the line of scrimmage and forcing Jack Trudeau ton continuously throw the ball away. Trudeau would finish with only a 41% completion rate and only 130 yards passing. T he run defense was equally as dominant, holding John Williams and Vince Workman in check all game. Michigan would finish with a meager 149 yards of total offense in the game as the Stars defenders flew all over the field, making gang tackles, and forcing Michigan to play on their side of the line of scrimmage far too often. The 8 sacks recorded by 8 different Stars players set a team record in the win, and the two forced fumbles by McMillian and backup DE Seth Bryan stalled out Michigan at two key moments of the game. It was a full team effort, one highlighted by rookie Andre Collins but ultimately the product of all 11 defenders on the field each play. If the Stars can continue this type of aggressive defense all season, they have a very good chance to once again rule the Atlantic Division and go deep into the playoffs. INJURY REPORT Several key QB injuries highlight this week’s report. Bob Gagliano suffered a broken jaw on a brutal hit, one not penalized at the time but likely to lead to a serious league-imposed fine for the forearm hit. While there is a slim chance he will be able to return in 8-10 weeks, the odds are that Gagliano has seen his last action for the year. Meanwhile, in Jacksonville, Chris Miller came out with a sprained ankle, the severity of which is still in question. He is listed as “out” for this week but there is no clear sense of whether this is a 1-2 week issue or one which could last much longer for the Bulls. Finally, David Archer, who has helped to invigorate the Portland offense, will likely miss at least next week's game and perhaps 1-2 more after injuring his throwing hand as it struck off of a defender's helmet late in this week's game. The Thunder will have to return to Kerwin Bell under center until Archer is able to play again. In Pittsburgh, Jeff Hostetler had to come in for Alan Risher after he suffered a possible concussion. Risher is expected to be back in Week 6, assuming that the Mauler medical staff is able to clear him after having his bell rung this week. In other injury news, LA guard John Connor is likely out for the year with a knee injury that will require surgery. Likewise Portland free safety Darren Carrington, who suffered a fracture of his femur this week, will be gone for the year. Orlando DE Rueben Davis may be back if the Renegades make the playoffs but is unlikely to see regular season action after a scary neck injury this week. On the positive front, both Mike Kelley and Doug Flutie were able to return to action this week and although they are still listed on the injury report, both are expected to be able to start in Week 6. The same is true for NJ linebacker Chris Spielman and Denver LB Marvcus Patton. LOOKING AHEAD Another great set of battles within each division in week 6 as Baltimore heads to Philadelphia to face the 4-1 Stars and that brutal defense. Pittsburgh hopes to get a share of 1st as they head to RFK to face the surprising 4-1 Federals. In the Southern Division the Liberty Bowl will be rocking as Birmingham comes to visit the Memphis Showboats. Orlando faces Tampa in another great in-state rivalry game in Florida. In the Central, Houston has to try to turn things around, but face a tough task, playing the Breakers in the Super Dome. Michigan and Texas will also rumble in San Marcos. Denver, now with Cody Carlson at the helm, will be in Oakland to face the Invaders while the Portland Thunder try to regain their winning ways as they face the offensively-challenged LA Express in Civic Stadium. Outside of the divisions we have the New Jersey Generals in the 2nd City to face the Machine while the winless Bulls hope to get on the right side of the scoreboard as they play the Wranglers in Sun Devil Stadium.

SCORES MEM 9 BAL 13 What do you get when you combine unseasonable cold, high winds, and a rookie QB? A low scoring home team win. Baltimore looked bad on Sunday, but Memphis, with Cary Conklin at the helm, looked worse. The Blitz managed the win despite garnering only 180 total yards in the game thanks to Memphis turnovers and the game’s only touchdown. ORL 42 NJ 10 Gusting winds and occasional rain did not slow down the Renegades as they took advantage of a rusty Timm Rosenbach and a sloppy Generals defense. Orlando racked up a season high 499 total yards, including 314 yards and 5 scores from Reggie Collier to just manhandle the home team. Rosenbach completed only 35% of his passes on the day, while both John Jefferson and Wamon Buggs racked up over 100 yards receiving. Even fullback Craig “Ironhead” Hayward got into the act, catching 2 TDs on play action. TBY 28 PHI 24 A much closer, more engaging game as Tampa and Philly battled the elements and each other on Sunday. The Stars went up 24-21 on an Alex Higdon TD catch only to watch Troy Aikman lead the Bandits down the field for the game winning score, a toss to TE Chris Kelley with just over 2 minutes left to play. All 3 Aikman TD tosses in the game went to tight ends as Philadelphia held the Tampa wideouts in check, but in the end Aikman outdueled Fusina for the win. JAX 24 WSH 27 The Bulls showed signs of life but in the end it was Washington moving to 3-1 with a 2-point win. They pulled the game out despite losing Don Majkowski at the half to a possible shoulder injury. Mike Hohensee went 21 of 28 and threw two scores to help the Feds to their best start in team history. For Jacksonville, Chris Miller had his best outing, throwing for 267 and 3 scores, but it was not enough in the end as a Ray Wershing field goal was the difference in this one. LA 13 CHI 16 Despite 313 yards passing from Chuck Long, Chicago had to fight back from a 13-3 deficit in the 3rd to eke out a win against the Express. LA had a solid day from rookie Darrell Thompson, but it was the scrambling of QB Walt Lewis (6 runs for 62 yards) that had them in the game until the final whistle. Chicago tied the game up at 13 as the 4th quarter drew to a close, but the winded Express could not maintain and the Machine won the game on their first possession of overtime with another Carney kick. OAK 10 HOU 31 The Gamblers got Jim Kelly’s best game of the year (273 yards and 3 TD’s) and Thurman Thomas was back at 100%, gaining 111 on the ground and another 21 in the air, as Houston dominated the Oakland Invaders. Perhaps even more heartening for the Gamblers is that their defense showed up, picking Gale Gilbert off twice and keeping the Invaders at bay all day. ARZ 17 NOR 24 A close one but another victory for New Orleans as the Breakers scored the game winner in unorthodox fashion. After tying the game at 17 with a Tim Mazzetti field goal, the Breakers got a break when a Robbie Bosco pass was tipped at the line and fluttered into the awaiting arms of FS Frederick Wilder, who shook off the tackle attempt by the Wrangler wideout and sprinted down the sideline for what would be the decisive score. DEN 20 TEX 35 A huge day for the Outlaw passing game as Kelly Stouffer exploded for 368 yards and 4 touchdowns. Both Carlos Carson (6 for 137) and Eric Metcalf (6 for 129) dominated the Denver corners, and both scored 2 times each to lead Texas to a big win in San Marcos. The Texas D also contributed, holding rookie HB Barry Foster to only 17 yards rushing, with Brian Bosworth having another huge, 14-tackle, day. GAME OF THE WEEK Portland Thunder 16 Michigan Panthers 13 It may not have been the prettiest game to watch, and it did not go to overtime, but the sheer significance of Portland upending Michigan in the Silver Dome to move to 3-1 and first place in the Pacific should not be ignored. Coach Erickson has something going in the Pacific Northwest as the new-look Thunder are unrecognizable from their 1989 1-15 season. The defense is playing unselfishly, and the retooled offense is finding ways to move the ball even against solid defensive schemes. In this game, David Archer was not at his best, throwing 2 picks to only 1 TD, but the Thunder got solid contributions from HB Robert Drummond and TE Clint Didier to offset the Michigan emphasis on slowing down wideouts Webster Slaughter and Cris Carter (8 receptions combined). Meanwhile Portland’s D may have allowed John Williams to reach the 100-yard mark, but their zone schemes kept Jack Trudeau out of the endzone entirely and snagged 3 takeaways on errant Trudeau passes. All the scoring took place in the 2nd and 4th quarters as both teams seemed to amp things up at the end of each half. Portland got the only TD of the first half on a short Archer to Carter pass, and at the half they led the Panthers 10-6. In the 4th quarter Michigan would get their lone TD, a John Williams 1 yard dive, but two Al Del Greco field goals would bracket that score, leading to a 16-13 lead late in the game. When a deep ball with time running out was picked off by Portland DB Gill Byrd, the game was over and the surprising Portland Thunder stood atop the Pacific Division at 3-1, having defeated Denver, Houston, and now the previously undefeated Panthers to get there. We reach the ¼ mark of the season with Portland, Washington and Pittsburgh all at an unanticipated 3-1 while Birmingham, New Jersey, and Houston are shocked to find themselves at 1-3. It is a long season, so don’t lock in those playoff tickets yet, but so far 1990 has been a bit of a shocker around the league. PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK It comes down to which passing attack you want to celebrate this week, Texas’s 368-yard, 4 score performance against Denver or Orlando’s 417 yards and 5 TD’s in rough conditions in New Jersey. We have to go with the Renegades here. With wind gusts up to 35MPH we did not expect a lot of aerial attack in the Renegade-General battle, but Orlando, and Reggie Collier proved us wrong. Collier thew the ball for 314 yards and 5 scores before being rested in a blowout. He was aided by the strong hands of John Jefferson, who caught 8 balls for 177 yards, and Wamon Buggs who caught 4 for 113. Orlando utilized a lot of zone-busting slants and overload plays that found receivers open between layers of New Jersey defense. This strategy allowed Collier to gun the ball in on short to medium routes, rather than tempt the swirling winds with deep balls. What made the Renegade passing attack successful was the poor tackling of the Generals in the secondary, turning several 8-yard slants into 20+ yard plays over the course of the day. The other key aspect was Collier’s mobility, allowing Orlando to call several plays with either a shifting pocket or outright bootlegs to avoid New Jersey’s pass rush. Combine solid playcalling with receivers unafraid to go over the middle and you get a winning formula on a gusty day. NEWS & NOTES A good sign of financial stability for the USFL as some of their initial sponsorship deals have ended and new, more lucrative deals emerge. Commissioner Wayne Duke announced this week that the league has new arrangements with both Burger King and Pepsi. Add this to the recent shift from the somewhat poorly named athletic drink “Squelcher” to the more well-known Gatorade, and we see greater potential for USFL revenue and cross promotion nationwide. With sales of the USFL Tecmo Bowl game exceeding expectations, and with solid sponsorship deals already in place with major airline, automobile, and food industry sponsors, the league seems poised to increase their non-gameday and non-television revenue while also expanding their brand. The one missing piece of the puzzle is a major beer sponsor, though we anticipate news on this soon as the league has been engaged in high level talks with both Miller and Anheiser-Busch on this front. INJURY REPORT Some major setbacks this week as several players may be done for the year. New Jersey SS Gary Barbaro, who has had more than his fair share of injuries over his career, may be done for good after a ruptured disk in his back will likely cause him to miss the rest of what many thought would be his final season. Birmingham likely will be without CB Issiac Holt fo the year as well with a fully torn hamstring, while Washington is hoping that TE Mike Jones can return despite a partially torn ACL. Chicago’s newest acquisition, former Bill Darryl Talley will likely be out at least 4-5 weeks with a rib injury, while Denver FS Vencie Glenn could be out at least a couple of weeks with an ankle. Washington won this week despite losing QB Don Majkowski to a neck injury, and with the Majik Man listed as doubtful for week 5, it may again be up to veteran backup Mike Hohensee to lead the Feds. Some players expected back this week are Feds DE Charles Haley, Michigan wideout Daron Carter, Arizona wideout Trumaine Johnson, and Chicago wideout Michael Haynes. Memphis has listed Mike Kelley as probable but are still calling his return a game time decision. LOOKING AHEAD Back again to divisional play for Week 5 as Pittsburgh will try to get a road win at Baltimore and the surprising 3-1 Federals will face the surprisingly bad New Jersey Generals in the Meadowlands. Orlando will try to push Birmingham even further from the division race with a road win in Legion Field, while Tampa will be in Jacksonville, where they hope to move over .500. Denver and Arizona, both 2-2 will clash in Tempe, while the cinderella Portland Thunder head to Oakland to face the Invaders. Houston and Chicago meet in a battle of hard luck 1-3 teams, while Texas has the tough task of trying to steal a win in New Orleans. In the week’s two inter-divisional games we have a great Saturday Night matchup of 3-1 squads as Michigan hosts Philadelphia, and on Sunday we see Memphis, hoping Mike Kelley will be back in game shape, taking on LA in Angel Stadium.

Divisional play resumes and injuries start to have an effect on games. Three teams remain winless, while only 2 remain undefeated as the season heats up. SCORES PIT 28 NJ 16 A fumble return touchdown by Eric Kumerow sparks a 21-0 run by the Maulers in the 2nd quarter to blow past the stumbling Generals. Pittsburgh races out to a 286 halftime lead despite a slow day for Mike Rozier (20 carries for only 37 yards), knocking Doug Flutie out early in the game and frustrating Timm Rosenbach all game long. WSH 16 PHI 28 Philadelphia wins their 3rd straight thanks to 104 yards and 2 TD’s from Kelvin Bryant. Washington backs Harmon and Jenkins combine for only 27 total yards as Philly loads the box and forces Don Majkowski to go it alone. Washington’s only TD comes on an errant pass from Fusina, picked off and run back by Mark Kelso. ORL 28 JAX 7 Jacksonville continues to struggle on both sides of the ball, giving up 332 yards passing to Collier and 112 combined between Bledsoe and Fowler. Chris Miller can only complete 44% of his passes on the day and James wilder only gets 10 carries as the Bulls go 2 for 16 on 3rd down and punt the ball 11 times on the day. TBY 14 MEM 31 Memphis gets a big divisional win on the strength of their run game. Boone rushes for 78 yards and 2 scores on 17 carries while Jordan adds 72 yards and a TD of his own on 13 carries as Memphis pounds the ball all day against the Bandits. Tampa, on the other hand, still is not getting the production they need from Tate and Bell, who combine for only 40 yards rushing. NOR 29 CHI 22 The Machine again cannot catch a break despite playing well on the day. Up by one with 3 minutes to go, the Chicago defense fails them, allowing New Orleans to march down the field and win the game on a Robinson to Charlie Smith TD with just over 1 minute left. Dalton Hilliard also has a field day with 133 yards on only 9 carries, including a 46 yarder and a 29 yard TD dash. OAK 6 ARZ 24 A strong day for the Wrangler defense, as they hold Oakland to 204 total yards, sack Gilbert 4 times and limit Richard Williams to only 83 yards rushing. On offense, the star was Louis Lipps who caught 6 balls for 98 yards and a score. LA 0 DEN 16 The Express are shut out for the 2nd time in their first 3 games as their offense simply could not get anything going. Denver kept the pressure on all day, and despite some offensive shortcomings, never gave the Express a chance to threaten their modest advantage. LA was sloppy throughout, committing 12 penalties for 115 yards on the day, a major factor in their inability to get on the scoreboard. POR 10 BAL 24 Portland comes back to earth after 2 season-opening wins as they struggle in Baltimore. Vince Evans tosses 2 TDs to Jackie Flowers and the Blitz defense limits the touches by Slaughter and Carter to contain the Thunder offense, holding them to 258 total yards on the day and controlling the clock for almost 37 minutes of the game. TEX 20 BIR 22 Texas comes back late but cannot catch the Stallions as Birmingham wins despite losing Joe Cribbs in the 1st quarter. Cribbs may miss several weeks, but backup Brent Fullwood proved he could carry the load, rushing for 112 yars on 18 carries for Birmingham. Despite 116 yards from rookie Reggie Cobb, Texas struggled to score, putting up only 13 points on offense (with a kick return TD their other 7). GAME OF THE WEEK Michigan Panthers 24 Houston Gamblers 21 A late Tony Franklin field goal gives Michigan their 3rd consecutive win and pushes the hard luck Gamblers to an 0-3 start. With Thurman Thomas returning from injury, a lot was expected of the Houston offense, and they did put up a combined 301 yards on offense, but they also gave up 410 as their defense continues to struggle against accurate passers. Jack Trudeau had a field day over the first 20 minutes of the game, tossing two touchdowns to wideout Danny Knight and setting up an easy 1 yard plunge for Richard Williams with a near-touchdown toss to Derrick Holloway early in the 2nd. It was 21-0 early for Michigan before Houston got their bearings and began to claw back. The Gamblers would do just that, scoring on a Kelly to Verdin toss, a Thomas run, a 2-pointer, and two Dave Jacobs field goals to take the lead with just 2:32 left in the game. Michigan, whose offense had been contained during the Houston comeback and throughout the 2nd half, found a second wind in the final minutes and got the Panthers in range for Franklin. In heartwrenching style, Houston fans watched as Franklin missed a 43 yarder only to see a yellow flag for offsides on the Gamblers move the ball up 5 yards and give Franklin another chance. He did not miss the second attempt, and with no time left on the clock the Panthers got the 3 points that put them on top and sent the Gamblers to a brutal 0-3 start under new coach Ray Willsey. PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK We are giving this week’s award to the two-headed halfback combo of Boone & Buford in Memphis. While neither back cracked 100 yards, each rushed for over 70 and allowed Memphis to own time of possession in their big matchup against Tampa Bay. They also accounted for 21 of Memphis’s 31 points, putting their stamp on the game and giving the Showboats a very early leg up on the competition in the very competitive Southern Division. In a league dominated by bell-cow backs like Walker, Bryant, Rozier, Cribbs and Thomas, Memphis, along with New Orleans, are showing that a 2-back rotation can be effective and can help a team control the clock, the pace of the game and the scoreboard. Greg Boone, since coming out of Gary Anderson’s shadow in Tampa has proven to be a particular nemesis for his old team, often having his best games of the year against his former club, while Buford Jordan, another castoff, from the Breakers to the Showboats, is a reliable 3 yards when you need 2 and a very effective goallline back as well. The combo play well in Memphis, and are much needed as the Showboats try to weather an injury to their gunslinging QB Mike Kelley. Their performance this week allowed rookie Cary Conklin to minimize his risks, play the game close to the vest and protect the ball, knowing that the Showboats could convert on 3rd down and keep the clock running. Jordan even had an uncharacteristic role in the passing game, catching 3 balls for 36 yards as Memphis debuted a wrinkle in their screen game, something usually reserved for when Boone lines up in the backfield. All in all a strong performance from the Showboats against a tough opponent, and one highlighted by the play of their 2-back rotation. NEWS & NOTES It is usually around this time of the season, 3 games in, when we start looking at the winless teams and wonder what changes they might make. But this year feels different. There are three winless teams in the league, Houston, Chicago, and Jacksonville, and in the case of at least 2 of them, we see something you usually don’t expect from an 0-3 squad, quality play. Jacksonville clearly has issues. Their defense has been atrocious and their offense anemic. They currently rank 19th in PPG (a measly 9.3 a game, with only LA’s 2 shutouts saving them from a 20th ranking) and their defense is also ranked 19th in points allowed, with an even 28 points a game scored on them. That is not only reason for concern, that is just miserable. But, when we look at the other two winless teams, we do not see the same signs of despair. Yes, Houston’s defense has not been its usual self. They currently rank last in PPG and YPG allowed, giving up nearly 34 points a game and 393 yards a game. That is a huge concern for a team that appeared in two title games and won a championship through tough defense and timely scoring. But, while the defense is struggling, the Houston offense has been able to keep pace and keep them in games. If they can figure out what the defensive issues are, they are not far from evening things out. Chicago is an even tougher case, as the Machine, by all accounts, have played well, certainly well enough to win a game, on both sides of the ball. They have given up 75 points in 3 games, and scored 60, a relative balance, though not in favor of them, and they have been in all 3 games, losing to Michigan by 5, Oakland by 3, and New Orleans by 7. So, the question seems to be whether or not the Machine know how to finish. They have talent, but they have not yet developed a winning attitude, one where they enter games expecting to win instead of hoping to win. Coach Bugel seems to have them on the right track, but the results do not bear that out, and if Chicago once again finishes with a .500 or sub-.500 record, it may force ownership to look in a new direction. This will be the 4th season for the franchise, and while there was clear progress between year 1 and 2, if that progress does not lead to a winning record in 1990, they may have to look elsewhere. INJURY REPORT One injury this week overshadowed all others. Joe Cribbs went down hard and looked to be in a lot of pain early in the game against Texas. While the team has not released all of the details of his injury, it does appear to be an ankle injury and the Stallions are saying that the optimistic timeline is for Cribbs to return in a month. Without more info, fans are left to wonder if the Stallions will have to rely on Brent Fullwood for a much more significant portion of the season. Apart from the Cribbs injury, there were some significant setbacks for some veteran players this week. LA guard Gary Zimmerman is likely to miss at least 2 weeks with a wrist injury. Michigan wideout Daron Carter will miss the same for an ankle. New Jersey QB Doug Flutie is listed as doubtful this week due to a neck injury suffered against Pittsburgh, while Memphis will likely be without Mike Kelley for at least another week. Chicago wideout Michael Haynes is listed as questionable after suffering a hamstring injurythis week, while Arizona is concerned about their star wideout, Trumaine Johnson, who seemed to suffer a knee injury late in the game this week. Finally, Washington will likely miss DE Charles Haley this week as he deals with turf toe. LOOKING AHEAD Week 4 offers some intriguing matchups as the Southern Division returns to the Atlantic to face off in the conference and the Pacific teams head to the heartland to take on the Central Division. We are not going to miss the matchup between the Bandits and the Stars in Veterans Stadium this week, and we also like the prospects of the Renegades at the Flutie-less Generals, the Showboats taking on the Blitz, and the Maulers looking to move to 3-1 if they can upend the Showboats. Washington also has a rare opportunity to reach 3-1 to start the year as they host the winless Bulls. Chicago will hope to get past their 0-3 start as they host the anemic offense of the LA Express, but the more engaging game out west is the 2-1 upstart Portland Thunder traveling to the 3-0 Michigan Panthers. That game will be a true test of the overhaul the Thunder did to their roster and a tough prep for new coach Dennis Erickson. Other Western Conference games to catch if you can include 2-1 Arizona facing 2-1 New Orleans in the Superdome and 2-1 Oakland looking to send Houston to 0-4. Finally, we have the Denver Gold traveling to San Marcos to take on the 1-2 but always dangerous Texas Outlaws.

It's a wild start to the USFL season as Portland, Washington and Philadelphia all climb to 2-0 while Houston and Birmingham have yet to taste victory. We highlight a field-goal driven comeback for the Gold and potential trouble for a founding franchise in this week's recap. All this plus all the John Jefferson you expect and deserve. SCORES BAL 3 ORL 31 Orlando jumped out to a 21-0 lead on Baltimore and never gave the Blitz a chance to bounce back. In a game where John Jefferson was responsible for 185 yards of the team’s 256 yards passing, the Blitz were burnt repeatedly by the deep ball. Balltimore’s offense also floundered as Tim Spencer could not have back to back strong games, falling to only 30 yards on 13 carries. NJ 24 TBY 13 After an embarrassing loss at Philly, New Jersey came into Tampa with a plan and executed it to perfection. The game began with a Kirby Jackson 99 yard TD return of the opening kickoff and the Generals kept the pressure on, picking off Troy Aikman twice and mixing up the passing game, with Jones, Birden, Spek and Walker all having significant catch totals. PHI 23 BIR 14 The Stars aimed to prove that their win against NJ was not a fluke, and a pretty resounding win in Birmingham may announce to the league that they are a team on the rebound. Joe Cribbs gained 116 yards, but was outshone by Kelvin Bryant’s 123. Add in 5 field goals by David Trout and a Mike Quick TD catch and Philly comes away with a win in a tough place to do so. PIT 23 JAX 14 The Maulers get a big day from Mike Rozier (158 yds, 1 TD) against a suspect Bulls defense and the Maulers earn a rare road win in the Gator Bowl. The Bulls hurt their own cause, going only 2 for 12 on 3rd down and failing on two 4th down attempts. WSH 23 MEM 17 A huge road win for the Federals, who are trying to prove the pundits who predicted a 5th place finish wrong. Despite a weak run game, the Feds had success on offense as Don Majkowski completed 73% of his passes for 275 yards and 2 scores. Rookie Terrance Mathis contributed 88 yards on 4 receptions for the Feds. Memphis was in trouble from the beginning when Mike Kelley went out with an apparent concussion and rookie QB Cary Conklin was forced into action. CHI 19 OAK 22 OVERTIME A great game between two up and coming teams as the kickers shone. Kevin Shea kicked a go ahead FG with 1:17 left, only to watch Chicago’s John Carney make a desperation 50-yarder with only 13 seconds left and the clock ticking. In overtime it was Shea who got the first shot at winning the game and he came through to give the Invaders their 2nd win to start the season. Chicago has been solid in both games this year, but fall short again. HOU 34 POR 42 Portland’s offseason investment in offensive playmakers is clearly paying off as the Thunder win their second straight thanks to their ability to play in a shootout with the Gamblers. Playing without Thurman Thomas, the Gamblers got 125 yards from Keith Woodside, but watched as the combination of Robert Drummond and Terrance Flagler gained 136 on the ground to help David Archer avoid a constant pass rush. New arrival Gill Byrd also picked off Jim Kelly and returned it 78 yards for a score in the day’s most electric play. MGN 34 ARZ 14 Jack Trudeau and John Williams had big days as the Panthers shut down the Arizona offense and moved the ball well, scoring an unanswered 27 points in the second half to put the game away. Arizona led 14-6 at the half but wore down in the 2nd half. TEX 14 LA 20 The Express get a big win, but again attendance was down, only about 20,000 were on hand as the Express built up a 20-0 lead through 3 quarters before Texas made it close in the 4th. The star of the game was LA linebacker Chip Banks with 12 tackles and a sack. A decent game despite the fact that each team went 1 for 13 on 3rd down and each had 7 penalties as the early season sloppiness had not yet been worked out. GAME OF THE WEEK New Orleans Breakers 16 Denver Gold 19 Another classic USFL comeback as the Breakers faded down the stretch at altitude and the Gold came back from a 16-7 deficit to score the game’s final 12 points on four Brian Speelman fieldgoals, including the game-winner in overtime. New Orleans looked good early, though they struggled to find paydirt, settling for 3 fieldgoals on their first 3 scoring drives. Denver struggled to contain Matt Robinson in the first half, but was effective in the red zone, forcing the Breakers to trot out Tim Mazzetti three times. In the second half, the strategy of using rookie Barry Foster as a battering ram began to wear out the winded Breakers. Foster would finish the day with 89 yards and his backfield mate, Timmy Smith added another 50 to help Denver slowly march back from the halftime deficit. Bob Gagliano spread the ball around, frustrating the Breakers’ defense. Odessa Turner led all Gold receivers with 7 catches, followed by Jay Novacek, Mark Carrier, Bill Brooks and Kenan Travis. Brooks scored the only TD on the day for Denver, but thanks to the foot of Brian Speelman they came out victorious. Denver’s biggest success came against HB Marcus Dupree, who averaged a paltry 1.6 yards per carry against a stacked Gold front. The defense was led by, of all players, rookie Marvcus Patton, who had 8 tackles, including 2 for loss against the Breakers’ run game. Kurt Gouveia and new DT Dave Butz were not far behind. All in all the Gold defense logged 12 tackles for loss and 3 sacks on the day. Just Denver Gold football at its most effective. PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK This week’s POTW goes to veteran wideout John Jefferson, who has not made a lot of headlines in Orlando, but has proven to be reliable when called on. This week he took over the game against Baltimore. Reggie Collier only completed 11 passes all game and Jefferson had 5 of them. Add to that a ridiculous 37 yard average on those 5 catches and you can see why he is this week’s POTW. His receptions included a 55-yarder that would have gone the distance if not for an errant foot out of bounds, and a beautiful 29 yard TD reception on a perfectly run corner pattern. Jefferson, who was a 3-time 1,000 yard receiver for Pittsburgh before coming over to the Renegades in the expansion draft, has yet to crack 1,000 yards for the Renegades. He lost most of the 1988 season to injury, then came back last year with 951 yads on 72 receptions. Already this year he has 299 to lead all receivers but only 10 receptions. Renegades fans hope that his numbers will continue to rise, and along with them the Renegade’s win total. NEWS & NOTES Should the league be worried about what seems to be happening in LA? The Express, after losing both Steve Young and Christian Okoye saw a major drop in season ticket purchases, from 19,000 in 1989 to just over 11,000 this year. Overall attendance has also been surprisingly low, with an average of only 21,555 in their opening two games, compared to over 34,000 per game in their first two games last year. The team saw declining attendance all season last year as they struggled to a 7-9 season, but losing their two biggest box office draws, and not doing much to replace them with top notch players (or highly attractive prospects) there should be concern that the LA franchise, with another poor season a real possibility, could start to have some real problems with their fanbase. It is not time to panic, and a win this week might help the notoriously finicky LA market see some hope for the Express, but if they cannot prove to be a solid squad this season, with their low Q-value roster, the Express could see significant dips in attendance and viewership in a very sports-ambivalent market. With the Dodgers winning the World Series in ’88, and with stars like Orel Hershiser and Kirk Gibson on the roster, the Express have some immediate competition for fan dollars. Even the mediocre Angels could be seen as a draw opposite the Express, and while the Lakers are in the playoff hunt this year you have even more options for fan dollars. LA has always been a tough market, but having Young and Okoye seemed to provide fans what they wanted, even when the team as a whole struggled. Without them the Express need to win games to keep fans excited. INJURY REPORT Week two brought some bad news for several teams as multi-week injuries started to appear. Oakland will be without their top receiver, Henry Ellard for at least 6-8 weeks after he suffered a broken collarbone. Tampa LB Keith DeLong will miss even longer, perhaps the entire season, with a torn posterior cruciate ligament. Baltimore TE Mark Keel will miss a month with a high ankle sprain, while Houston rookie safety Robert Blackman may miss a few weeks with a torn abdominal muscle. The injury to Memphis QB Mike Kelley does not appear bad, but any time there is a possible concussion with neck compression as well, it will likely require a couple of weeks before he is cleared to play. That means rookie Cary Conklin will be on the spot to perform right away. LOOKING AHEAD Back into divisional play for week 3, with a lot of intriguing matchups on tap. 2-0 Washington heads to 2-0 Philadelphia in a matchup of teams that have gotten off to surprisingly good starts. In another good matchup, Pittsburgh is at New Jersey in a battle of 1-1 squads. In the south, Jacksonville will try to get their first win of the year as they host Orlando. Tampa has a big matchup with Memphis in the Liberty Bowl. Chicago’s home opener is a tough one as they face New Orleans, while Michigan at 2-0 will try to send Houston to 0-3 with a win in the Astrodome. In the Pacific, Oakland puts up their 2-0 record against a 1-1 Arizona team in Tempe, while the LA Express head to Denver to face the Gold, with both teams at 1-1. Surprising Portland takes the cross-country trip to face the Blitz in Baltimore while Texas has a much shorter trip as they face the Stallion’s in Birmingham’s Legion Field.

Opening weekend in the USFL and we are off and running on one of the most anticipated, wide open and unpredictable seasons in league history. A lot of new faces in new places, a lot of excitement around the league, and a lot to be played for. As we kick off the 8th season of USFL spring football, it's time to lace them up, put on those helmets, and play football once again. SCORES BAL 17 WSH 23 It took overtime, but the Federals pulled out their season opener against rival Baltimore. Vince Evans tied the game up early in the 4th with a scoring toss to Jackie Flowers, but neither team could get a game winning field goal in the final minutes so it went to overtime. In the extra period, a costly fumble by Derrick Fenner gave Washington the ball deep in Blitz territory and they finished the game with a walk off touchdown as Majkowski hit HB Kevin Harmon for the win. NJ 9 PHI 24 The defending champs did not look ready to play for keeps when they faced off with rival Philadelphia in Veterans Stadium. Philly got an early pick 6 to take the lead, and then added 2 scores from Kelvin Bryant to build up a healthy lead, which their revamped defense held, thanks to 6 sacks of Doug Flutie. Despite the poor output offensively, Herschel Walker gained 114 on the ground. BIR 6 TBY 16 Another huge rivalry game to kick things off. The Bandits D held Joe Cribbs to only 30 yards rushing, and Troy Aikman hit Eric Truvillion for two scores as a big crowd in Tampa was thrilled by all three phases of the Bandits’ game in their season opener. JAX 6 MEM 33 It was all Showboats from the opening kickoff as Memphis held Jacksonville to 167 total yards on the day. Mike Kelley threw two TD’s, both to recent signee Robb Thomas, as the Showboats overwhelmed the Bulls pass defense. Mel Gray, still defying his age, caught 9 balls for 116 yards on the day as Memphis rolled. CHI 19 MGN 24 The Machine and the Panthers came out like two heavyweights, jabbing and looking for a quick kill all day, but the game stayed close throughout. A 4th quarter 19 yarder from Trudeau to Smiley would be the key to the Panther win. Chicago’s defense was tough, though, finding Trudeau seven times for sacks from 7 different players. HOU 17 TEX 35 Kelly Stouffer made a huge first impression as he found Carlos Carson for 3 scores and threw for 296 yards and 4 scores on the day. Rookie Reggie Cobb had a solid debut as well, rushing for 79 yards on 17 carries and scoring twice (one rush, one reception) in his Outlaw debut. Texas also got 2 sacks from Bob Buckowski and 3 interceptions of Jim Kelly, who did not start the year well, completing only 53% of his passes. ARZ 35 LA 0 The Wranglers blanked the Express in front of a smallish crowd in LA (only 23,000 on hand for the season opener). New Express QB Walt Lewis looked rusty in his first start in 2 years, while Robbie Bosco threw for scores to Steve Wilkes and Trumaine Johnson as Arizona cruised to a win. How bad was LA’s offense? Well, rookie Darrell Thompson was the leading rusher with 7 yards. That’s right, 7 yards. Lionel James for Arizona had 70, and the Wranglers as a whole rushed for 136 to LA’s 24 total rushing yards. PIT 7 NOR 47 Pittsburgh came out of the gate without a plan to stop the Breakers’ multifaceted attack and it showed. Matt Robinson completed 77% of his passes and hit on two TD tosses, while Marcus Dupree ran wild for 136 yards on only 17 carries. Dalton Hilliard not only ran the ball 12 times, but was the team’s leading receiver with 6 for 42 yards. It was over by the 4th, allowing backup QB Matt Dunigan to get some playing time in this snoozer. ORL 13 OAK 28 Oakland started off fast, building a 19-0 lead before Orlando could react. 4 field goals from Kevin Shea helped lock up the win as Oakland won the game despite being outgained 300-241. Mark Duper had a good game, catching 7 for 92 yards and 2 scores. Curtis Bledsoe struggled against Oakland’s front four, rushing 12 times for only 19 yards in the game. GAME OF THE WEEK Denver Gold 17 Portland Thunder 21 As if league champion losing to last year’s 5th place Atlantic Division Stars was not enough to prove that a lot can change in the offseasn, we have this game. Denver played in the USFL Championship in July while Portland was coming off a 1-15 season, the worst in USFL history. But, a lot happens during the offseason and it seems clear that Portland were not going to let another season go by the wayside. They spent a great amount of effort this summer updating their roster for new head coach Dennis Erickson, and the investment in both players and a new leader seem to have paid immediate dividends. One of the first investments the Thunder made was to pull a QB over from the NFL in former Atlanta Falcon signalcaller David Archer. Archer repaid the Thunder with a strong season opener, completing 27 of 33 passes (a stunning 82%) against the usually stingy Denver defense, and accounting for all 3 Thunder touchdowns. After a shaky start which saw Archer get caught in the endzone for a safety, he rebounded in the second quarter, hitting another new NFL import, WR Cris Carter with a 17-yard touchdown. This was followed by a TD to former Washington Federal wideout Webster Slaughter in the 3rd, and, the coup-de-gras, a short TD pass to halfback Terrance Flagler with only 1 minute left to play to give the Thunder the lead, and 60 seconds later, the win. It seems clear that with high impact additions like Archer, Carter, Slaughter, and CB Gill Byrd (10 tackles and an interception on the day), this will be a very different Portland Thunder team. Meanwhile, Denver has to worry that their offseason departures, HB Harry Sydney, CB Solomon Wilcots, and DT Laval Short, may be a bigger worry than the team anticipated. New DT Dave Butz contributed only 2 tackles on the day and rookie HB Barry Foster was held to only 12 carries and 40 yards rushing. And while Bob Gagliano had a solid outing, the paucity of big plays for Denver has to be alarming. Portland outgained the Gold, and deserved the win, something we did not hear much last year, but may soon have to get used to. This is the USFL, and team fortunes can rise and fall quite easily in the course of one offseason. We will see if today’s game is an indicator of such as shift, or perhaps just opening night jitters for the Western Conference Champions. PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK There are any number of Texas Outlaw players who we could award with POTW for their game against Houston. Rookie Reggie Cobb had a very solid 4.6 yards per carry against the Gamblers, and added two scores, while newly acquired QB Kelly Stouffer had a rousing debut, throwing for 4 scores. Brian Bosworth had 10 tackles, 4 pass defense and a rare interception, while veteran DE Bob Buczkowski added two sacks. But, all those accomplishments aside, we are choosing to celebrate WR Carlos Carson, whose 150 yards on only 4 receptions blew the lid off of Houston’s defense. His 3 touchdowns were enormous for the Outlaws, particularly in the final quarter, when Carson caught both a 72-yard score and, just for good measure, a 52-yarder as well. With Houston closing the gap in the game to a Texas 21-17 lead, Carson’s explosive 4th quarter helped quell any thoughts of a late game slide and a Houston comeback. Carson, in both cases, made easy work of both cornerback Domingo Bryant (who shadowed the former Chief all day) and new Houston SS Robert Blackmon, whose rookie nerves clearly showed. In both of the long plays, on almost identical routes, Carson used a quick juke move to convince the CB that the route was cutting short, and then sped past the safety to snag the deep ball from Stouffer. It was a clinic in double-move routes by the veteran wideout. If Carson has achieved a synergy with Kelly Stouffer this quickly, as the 3 TD’s seem to indicate, it could be a banner year for the Outlaws. NEWS & NOTES With excitement about the 1990 USFL season at a peak, the league today announced that the 1990 USFL Championship in Orlando this upcoming July would indeed have a name. The league announced that its annual finale would be called the “Summer Bowl”, and would represent all that is loved about the season. Not just the culmination of the season for the spring and summer league, the Summer Bowl would include several days of events, taking advantage of the sites and unique summer opportunities available in each city. With Orlando being the host this year, and Los Angeles in 1991, it is clear that the league is ready to push the “summer fun” motif. Expect pool parties, sand volleyball, open air concerts, and lots of bikinis and board shorts as the league turns their championship into a midsummer blowout. It is already rumored that the Orlando organizers are trying to line up a big name Florida-identified musical act for the halftime show. Among those under consideration are Gloria Estefan, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, and Lynryd Skynyrd. The league presented the 1990 USFL Summer Bowl logo as well this week, a stylized league trophy in gold and orange, with a summer sun behind it and magenta lettering. A very tropical, very summery design. it is expected that each year the host city will help to design the Summer Bowl logo, so it is LA's turn next as they prepare to host the big game at the LA Coliseum. INJURY REPORT Opening week means the first injury report of the year. Only one significant injury in a relatively clean and healthy week for the league. Bob Otto, the veteran DE now with the Portland Thunder ,will likely miss 4-6 weeks with a broken arm. All others are listed as doubtful or questionable, meaning that they will likely miss only 1 week at most. On the doubtful list we find Memphis WR Robb Thomas and Houston guard John Rienstra. Questionables for this week include Houston HB Thurman Thomas and Denver TE Demetrius Davis. Among players who had to come out of week 1 games but who are likely to play this week we find NJ guard Dave Widdell, Mauler’s rookie TE Charles Arbuckle, Denver wideout Odessa Turner and Philly DE William Fuller. LOOKING AHEAD After kicking off the season with some divisional rivalries, we move to conference inter-division games in Week Two, as the Southern teams host the Atlantic squads and the Pacific teams host the Central Division. Highlights of the week feature New Jersey @ Tampa Bay and New Orleans @ Denver. Orlando hosts Baltimore, Birmingham will play the Philadelphia Stars, Pittsburgh is in Jacksonville, and the Washington Federals are facing the Memphis Showboats in the Liberty Bowl in the Eastern Conference. In the West it is Chicago traveling to Oakland, Houston in Portland, the Michigan Panthers at Arizona, and the Texas Outlaws visiting Angel Stadium to take on the LA Express.

Sporting News, February 11, 1990 The story in the Western Conference is all about the quarterbacks. Texas and Los Angeles were forced to make major trades to replace NFL departures Doug Williams and Steve Young. Houston is trying to figure out what happened to Jim Kelly last year. Oakland and Arizona are still unsure about what they have at the position. Portland imported David Archer from the NFL to try to gain some traction in their division, while Michigan is just hoping that Jack Trudeau will stay healthy. It is going to be a wild ride all season as the 10 teams out west battle to define themselves and string together enough wins to avoid road playoff games. CENTRAL DIVISION PREVIEW Predicted Order of Finish: New Orleans Breakers (11-5), Houston Gamblers (10-6), Michigan Panthers (8-8), Chicago Machine (8-8), Texas Outlaws (6-10) NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS (11-5 in 1989, Division Winner) Biggest Change: The departure of SS Joe Restic will hurt the Breakers defense, but they still have some solid performers on the defensive side of the ball and their offense remained intact and very dangerous. Biggest Question: The Breakers have quietly won the division 3 of the past 4 years. Can they win a third in a row and, more importantly, can they finally get over the hump and appear in their first Championship? They have the weapons to do it, do they have the focus? Rookie to Watch: We love the addition of Lamar Lathon at LB with the Breakers’ first round pick. Lathon is a thumper who will make opposing backs fear the big hit. If Lathon can help New Orleans cause more turnovers, or even get off the field on more third downs, the Breakers could be in for that Championship run they covet. Outlook: New Orleans has to be the favorite for the division. They are solid at every key offensive position and have made some good additions on defense. After two straight division titles, the Breakers will want more. They want a shot at the title. HOUSTON GAMBLERS (10-6 in 1989, Wild Card) Biggest Change: Houston lost two big contributors in WR Ricky Sanders and DE Simon Fletcher. Sanders has been the #1 receiver for Jim Kelly since both began with the Gamblers in 1984. While Clarence Verdin and Ernie Jones remain from a deep receiver group, neither is a true #1. On defense, the loss of Fletcher may force the Gamblers to be more creative to generate pass rush. Houston signed USFL DE turned NFL DT, and now back to DE with the Gamblers, Adam Carreker, but he is not a pure pass rusher. Biggest Question: Just how will new head coach Ray Willsey change up the Houston formula for success? The Gamblers already looked to shore up lost positions with 2 WR’s chosen in the draft along with three D-linemen, but just how will the Gamblers be different this year? And will any changes Willsey makes help Jim Kelly avoid the costly interceptions that plagued him last year? Rookie to Watch: Houston drafted 2 wideouts, and if camp is any indication the plan will be to run more 2-WR sets with new TE Keith McKellor helping the run game, but when they do go 3-wide, look out for rookie Ricky Proehl in the slot. Verdin almost certainly will move outside, and the quick-footed Proehl could excel as a slot receiver. Outlook: Houston has a new Head Coach, and the losses of Fletcher and Sanders will certainly hurt, but this is a team with a ton of talent on defense, a gunslinger at QB and a dual threat RB in Thurman Thomas. We expect good things from this roster, but can they get back for a 3rd Championship game appearance? MICHIGAN PANTHERS (10-6 in 1989, Wild Card) Biggest Change: If the loss of Sanders hurts Houston, the signing of Anthony Carter by the NFL’s Vikings is a mortal wound for the Panthers. When paired with Derrick Holloway, Carter was nearly unstoppable. He is one of football’s great deep threats. Without him the Panthers may have to look at multiple options to help free up Holloway. They brought in Danny Knight from Birmingham, and drafted Wolverine Chris Calloway, but neither bring the breakaway speed that Carter possessed. Biggest Question: Can the Panthers return to defensive dominance? The big names are still there, Corker, Paggett, Nickerson, Bostic and Carnell Lake, but the fire was just not there last year. With John Williams definitely losing a step, and no Carter to take the roof off the pass game, the Panthers will need that defense to be at least a Top 5 squad if they want to return to playoff glory (and wins). Rookie to Watch: Michigan spent an early pick on DE Renaldo Turnbull from West Virginia, in the hopes that they could replicate the 1-2 punches we have seen have such success in Birmingham and Memphis. If Turnbull brings what his film promises, it could lead Ronnie Paggett to return to 20 sack form again. Outlook: Michigan looked like the best team in the league until Jack Trudeau got hurt and the offense fizzled. If Trudeau can stay healthy, and if the new receivers can help free up Holloway, the Panthers could be a surprise division winner, but that is a lot of ifs for us to predict such a thing at this stage. CHICAGO MACHINE (7-9 in 1989, 5th in Division) Biggest Change: Chicago lost one of their premier players in LB Clay Matthews, but they gave as good as they got in free agency, signing not only a high quality LB for themselves in Buffalo’s Darryl Talley, but also snagging a local favorite to shore up the run game in DT Dan Hampton of the Bears. These two should help an already good Machine defense become even stronger. Biggest Question: Is this the year that Chuck Long makes the leap? Chicago has been very patient with Long over the past 3 seasons, but even as his production has increased, he remains middle of the pack among USFL quarterbacks. Chicago needs more. It may be time to take a look at former NFL QB Rusty Hilger. Chicago also took a flyer on Auburn QB Reggie Slack, but he is seen as a developmental player who is likely to be the emergency quarterback only. Rookie to Watch: Joe Bugel wants to win at the line of scrimmage, and adding 3 D-linemen, all early round picks, may be another step to building a solid rotation on the line. NC State’s Ray Agnew will likely start opposite Dwayne Board outside, while Memphis’s Torey Epps could work his way into the DT rotation. Outlook: Chicago has a defense that could propel them to their first playoff appearance. And they have young talent on offense, so the pressure is on both Coach Bugel and Chuck Long to make the offense just good enough to keep ahead of their opposition and let the defense help them hold leads and salt away winnable games. TEXAS OUTLAWS (8-8 in 1989, 4th in Division) Biggest Change: No team was hit harder than Texas by NFL raids. Bad enough they lose veteran QB Doug Williams, but they also saw HB Stump Mitchell return to the NFL. Then, as if that were not tough enough, backup HB Scott Stamper announced his retirement. So, what does Texas do. They trade with Arizona to bring in Kelly Stouffer to lead the team, a move that has to upset both Glen Carano and Mike Shula, both of whom thought they would get a shot at starting. To replace Mitchell, the Outlaws got Lee Rouson from Denver and then drafted a potential lead back in Tennessee’s Reggie Cobb. Biggest Question: Did Texas do enough to stop the bleeding? We like Stouffer, but he is no Doug Williams, and while Reggie Cobb has potential, there is no guarantee that he can match the consistent production of Stump Mitchell. And in the process of trading to acquire replacements for Mitchell and Williams, Texas gave up a lot of draft picks, ending up with only 5 signees this year. We cannot help but think that the Outlaws took a big step back this year. Rookie to Watch: Cobb is the obvious choice, but don’t sleep on DE Lester Archambeau. He has the athleticism and drive to be a special player on a relatively weak Outlaws front line. Outlook: Texas got slammed this offseason, and we are just not confident that they come into 1990 looking better than the team that lost their last 4 games last season, sliding from 8-4 right out of playoff contention at 8-8. We think this year’s team will be very happy to be back at 8 wins. PACIFIC DIVISION PREVIEW Predicted Order of Finish: Denver (10-6), Oakland (9-7), Arizona (7-9), Los Angeles (5-11), Portland (4-12) DENVER GOLD (10-6 in 1989, Championship Runner Up) Biggest Change: Denver had both NFL raid issues and salary cap concerns, which made for an awkward offseason just after climbing all the way to the USFL Championship Game. Harry Sydney, a constant presence for the Gold, is now gone. CB Solomon Wilcots also left for the NFL, and the Gold sent both DT Laval Short and HB Lee Rouson to Texas for DT Dave Butz, a lateral move that helped save cap space but did not improve the team. Biggest Question: Did Denver’s gambit on trading players for picks pan out? The Gold had an impressive 8 draftees sign on with the team, but now we have to see if any of them pan out and help the Gold improve on their 10-win finish and playoff run. They have tasted success, and now they have the title in their sights. Can the youth movement help them get there? Rookie to Watch: Two rookies from the Gold’s 8-player stash stand out to us in camp. HB Barry Foster from Arkansas looks like a perfect fit to take over Harry Sydney’s roll as Thunder to Timmy Smith’s Lightning. And adding UCLA linebacker Marvcus Patton also looks like an immediate upgrade for the Gold linebacking corps. Expect him to line up alongside Kurt Gouveia, John Roper and Fred Strickland from day one to provide Denver with one of the best 3-4 linebacking groups in football. Outlook: Denver has a legitimate chance to repeat as both Division Champ and Western Conference rep in the Championship. With added youth and energy on defense, a solid mix of run and pass, and a dependable line protecting Bob Gagliano, the Gold are poised for another good year. OAKLAND INVADERS (10-6 in 1989, Wild Card) Biggest Change: Oakland came on strong in the second half of 1989 and hope to carry that momentum into 1990. Losing Kevin Gogan on the O-line is tough, but it was the only major loss for the Invaders. They were also a non-player in free agency, choosing to resign their own instead of searching for new talent. That consistency and coherence may serve them well this year when so many other teams are trying to redefine themselves. Biggest Question: Is Gale Gilbert the long-term answer at QB? Gilbert had his best season and did finish 5th in the league in QB Rating by season’s end, so the answer may be “yes”. And while he has been efficient, the Invaders are hoping for more than his 17 TD’s last year in order to fully trust him. Waiting in the wings is former NFL QB Jeff Kemp. Gilbert needs to show this year that he can be more than a game manager if Oakland is going to make a return to the playoffs. Rookie to Watch: Oakland played it safe in free agency, putting faith into their draft, but when we look at the players chosen we are not sure we see any immediate help here. DT Jeff Alm from Notre Dame will likely see some playing time, as will U. of Houston CB Chris Ellison, but we just don’t see any breakout stars in this bunch. Outlook: Oakland could go 12-4 or 8-8 and we just don’t know which is more likely. They are clearly better than several teams in the division, but with a strong Central Division even a 2nd place finish may not be enough to garner a Wild Card slot. ARIZONA WRANGLERS (6-10 in 1989, 4th in Pacific) Biggest Change: Arizona’s big issue this offseason was the cap. They started free agency significantly over the cap, but through some shrewd trading were able to get back to a comfortable surplus to be able to sign a decent rookie class. They traded away QB Kelly Stouffer, so now they have to hope that Robbie Bosco does not repeat his injury-filled 1989. They also traded away HB James Wilder, who never produced his strong NFL numbers for the Wranglers. In his place they signed scatback Lionel James from the NFL Chargers and will likely promote Darryl Clack to the starting position. Biggest Question: Will Arizona finally put together a solid year on defense. The talent is there. We love Brian Noble and Broderick Thomas at LB. There is also good talent on the line with veteran Earl Weaver and massive Dan Saleaumua, and they can now rotate in rookie Mike Lodish from UCLA to avoid tiring out the vets. Everson Walls and Nate Odoms are also a solid 1-2 combo at corner. Safety is still a question, but the Wranglers signed 2 rookies in hopes that one of them would emerge. Rookie to Watch: Arizona garnered a lot of picks with all their trades, and they ended up signing a record 11 drafted players. Of those, the best of the bunch may be Lodish at DT, though we also like guards Mike Brennan and Glenn Parker. They also used a territorial pick to sign QB Scott Mitchell of Utah, who will likely end up 3rd behind Bosco and Blair Kiel, who was acquired from Texas in the Kelly Stouffer trade. Outlook: If the defense can play up to their potential, and Bosco can stay upright, this Wrangler squad could see major improvements in their record and playoff hopes, but we feel like we have said this before and it has not panned out. LOS ANGELES EXPRESS (7-9 in 1989, 3rd in Division) Biggest Change: You all know what we are going to say. We like Walter Lewis, and he was certainly serviceable in Memphis before being supplanted by Mike Kelley, but he is no Steve Young. Losing Young was a major blow for the Express. It is basically Van Halen losing David Lee Roth. People showed up just to see him, even when the Express were losing. Without him we already see that season ticket sales have taken a 33% dip in the fickle LA market. Add to this the loss of HB Christian Okoye and SS Chuck Cecil and we are looking at a very different LA Express team, and one that looks to be in full rebuild mode. Biggest Question: Who is going to run the ball for the Express. We fully expected the Express to take a serious run at a topflight back such as Blair Thomas, Emmitt Smith, or Rodney Hamption. While we like Darrell Thompson from Minnesota, we are not sold that he can carry the load for LA’s preferred power run game. And what is behind him on the roster? Tim Richardson, Mel Gray, and Spencer Tillman (acquired from Jacksonville) do not fill us with a sense of security about the Express run game. Rookie to Watch: Thompson is the biggest name in the small LA draft pool (they signed only 6 rookies), and is likely the only one of the six to get a lot of early season playing time. Safeties Pat Eilers (Notre Dame) and Anthony Shelton (Tenn State) will have roles to play but will not be reminding anyone of Chuck Cecil. Outlook: LA feels very much like a team on the ropes and in need of rebuilding. Walter Lewis is a stopgap for them on offense, and their ramschackle backfield does not inspire confidence either. They still have a strong receiving corps in Eric Martin, Jo-Jo Townsell, and Todd Christiansen, but is that enough? PORTLAND THUNDER (1-15 in 1989, 5th in the West) Biggest Change: Portland had a ton of cap room and while their defense was pretty atrocious last year, they spent most of their cap money on offense. Portland was far and away the most aggressive team in NFL signings, bringing in QB David Archer, WR Cris Carter, and trading for WR Webster Slaughter. They did sign former Charger Gill Byrd at CB and their draft was almost entirely defensive, so we still expect improvement on what was one of the worst pass defenses we have eve seen last year. Biggest Question: Are the Thunder headed in the right direction? It seems so. The Kerwin Bell experiment at QB does not seem to have worked, and the signing of David Archer seems to indicate that the Portland front office recognizes this. They did lose Flipper Anderson to the NFL, but signing both Cris Carter and Webster Slaughter (from Washington) seems a clear upgrade in the receiving corps. We still do not trust HB Robert Drummond to be a 1,000-yard bellcow, but maybe he will get a boost from the presence of rookie Derrick Loville. And we are all waiting to see if Byrd and the rookies on defense can improve that sad sack group. Rookie to Watch: Portland drafted and signed 5 players on defense, and the most promising by far seems is LB Bobby Houston from NC State. He looks like a plug and play guy to us and will likely lineup on the Strong side, next to veteran Mike Weddington and opposite Billie Ray Smith. Another to watch out for is CB Le-Lo Lang who could move from the Nickel to the #2 CB as the season progresses. Outlook: Are the Thunder ready to challenge for the division title? No. But will they win 3 or fewer games again? Also no. We think they will be a better team but are still a year or two away from truly challenging. Their goal this year should be to play in more close games, and win a few of them too.