SCORES ORL 17 BAL 10 In a battle of 5-3 teams, Orlando was one score better than Baltimore as Reggie Collier and Wamon Buggs were an unstoppable combo. Collier found Buggs 9 times for 158 yards as Orlando overcame a rough day for Curtis Bledsoe (20 carries for only 48 yards) and the Orlando D came up big when they had to. Vince Evans spent a good part of the day on the run, rushing for 33 yards on 12 carries in addition to throwing for 221, but it was just not enough as Orlando’s D made big plays to halt Blitz drives. TBY 17 NJ 27 Tampa’s woes on defense continued as New Jersey rushed for 177 against the overmatched Bandits. Herschel Walker garnered 117 on 25 carries and fullback Keith Byars added another 60 on 11 carries. That success allowed Doug Flutie to effectively use play action to keep up with the Joneses (Brent and Lam), each catching a TD from the former Heisman winner. BIR 27 PHI 14 Birmingham contained Philly’s Kelvin Bryant and picked off the usually accurate Chuck Fusina twice as they outmuscled the Stars in Veterans Stadium. Joe Cribbs was held under 100 yards (93 in total) but scored twice as Birmingham ground out a win, aided by 11 Stars penalties. JAX 31 PIT 23 Jacksonville won their second in a row as the Pittsburgh D once again failed them. The Bulls gained 344 total yards, including a solid 264 and 3 TD’s from QB Chris Miller. Pittsburgh tried to keep pace, and depended heavily on Mike Rozier, who gained a seasons’s best 165 against the Bulls, but the Mauler defense just could not get stops when they needed them. MEM 16 WSH 23 The Federals started the second half of the season off the right way, Edging the Showboats on a Lomax to Bavaro TD and a key Ray Wersching field goal in the 4th. The Federals D focused on HB Greg Boone and were able to contain him, holding Boone to only 48 yards rushing. Memphis also had 2 turnovers, including a Mike Kelley interception in the red zone which killed a promising late drive. OAK 27 CHI 24 Gale Gilbert hit Henry Ellard with a last second TD to overtake and knock off the Machine in Chicago. Trailing 24-20 with less than 2 minutes left, Gilbert executed a perfect 2-minute drill and found Ellard open on a blown coverage, hitting the speedy receiver on a fade route with only 23 seconds to play to take the win. POR 7 HOU 45 Houston had its best offensive performance of the season at home against the overmatched Thunder, gaining 494 total yards. Kelly, Thomas and Sanders all shone in the game, with Thomas gaining 119 on the ground and another 59 in the air. The lone bright spot for the Thunder was the play of rookie Flipper Anderson, who scored the lone TD for the Thunder and gained 88 yards on 6 catches. ARZ 17 MGN 14 The Wranglers scored 10 unanswered in the second half to edge the Panthers in the Silverdome, and they did it without Robbie Bosco at the helm. Bosco was knocked out early in the 3rd and backup Kelly Stouffer came in and rallied the Wranglers to the win. James Wilder was a big piece of the plan as he had his best game as a Wrangler, rushing for 112 and catching 5 balls for 24 yards. Jack Trudeau again struggled, throwing 3 picks. LA 20 TEX 17 In a game the Express nearly blew, they found a way to win. The Express built up a 17-0 halftime lead only to watch momentum switch in the second half. A Stump Mitchell run, followed by a Najee Mustafaa pick-6 of Steve Young helped Texas tie the game back up at 17. But a late pick by Doug Williams led to an Express field goal early in the 4th, and that score held until the final whistle. GAME OF THE WEEK Denver Gold 15 New Orleans Breakers 17 Just when we make a big deal about how the only way the Breakers win is by shootout, they go and play a hard-nosed defensive game and get a quality win against a tough Denver squad. New Orleans held Denver to only 73 yards rushing and held Denver QB Cody Carlson (in for the injured Gagliano) to only 49% completion rate on their way to a big win. Denver was equally tough, holding New Orlens to only 53 yards rushing, and led by back-to-back Defensive Player of the Week Kurt Gouveia. Denver came into the game with concerns that with Carlson replacing the injured Bob Gagliano they had to avoid getting into a shootout with the high-powered Breaker offense, and early on it looked like their worst-case scenario was happening. New Orleans scored early in the first on a Marcus Dupree run, and then doubled up their lead with a Dan Ross TD catch midway through the 2nd. A late field goal got Denver on the board but trailing 14-3 at the half did not look good for the Gold. But, the Gold defense, spurred on by Week 8 Defensive POTW Kurt Gouveia (see story below) shut down New Orleans repeatedly, containing the vaunted Breaker run game and harassing QB Matt Robinson. The Breakers would add a field goal to build a 17-3 lead, but Denver then was able to chip away at the lead throughout the second half. They finished the 3rd quarter with a field goal and added another early in the 4th to make it a one score game. They would need 8 to tie, but they also needed to keep New Orleans from responding. The Denver D was staunch in the 4th, limiting the Breakers to only 34 total yards in the quarter, and with just over 2 minutes left Denver had to score. They did not hesitate, and on a brilliant play got their points in rapid fashion. On 2nd and 3 from their own 20, Cody Carlson handed the ball to speedy Timmy Smith on what looked to be a sweep right. Smith headed for the sideline, but then turned and tossed the ball back across the field to Carlson. Carlson then heaved it deep to a speeding Bill Brooks, all alone down the left sideline. Brooks hauled in the pass, fell to the ground, but rolled and got back up before the defenders could reach him. He raced the remaining 20 yards in for the score. It was a brilliant quasi-flea flicker that caught New Orleans off guard and unprepared. But it was not enough. The Gold had to go for 2 to tie the game. The Gold lined up at the 2 for the two-point try. Carlson motioned TE Jay Novacek across the formation, then, at the snap, rolled left and tried to find Novacek in the back corner. But, pressured by Breaker LB Marcus Marek, Carlson was off target and despite a leap with outstretched hands, Novacek could not bring the ball in. Denver still trailed 17-15 with 2:17 left in the game. The Gold had 2 timeouts left, plus the two-minute warning, so it was imperative that the Breakers get a first down to control the clock and end the game. On first down they trusted the ball to their “pounder”, HB Dalton Hilliard, who gained only 2 on the run. On second down they tried the more elusive Marcus Dupree, but Dupree was stopped after a yard, leading to a 3rd and 7 with the clock stopped by Denver’s 2nd time out. Coach Arnsparger called over the offense, and when they came back out on the field, they moved Matt Robinson into the shotgun position, with Hilliard to his left and Dupree to his right. The ball was snapped, and Robinson feigned that it had flown over his head, drawing in the aggressive Denver D. It had actually been direct snapped to Hilliard, who blasted past the distracted blitzers and found space in the secondary for a 9-yard run before sliding down to the ground. It was a brilliant misdirection play, and it gave New Orleans the ability to draw out the clock and finish the game in the victory formation. A tough loss for Denver, a hard-nosed win by the Breakers, and a dynamite game for the fans. PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK We have to talk more about the two-week run Kurt Gouveia has had for the Gold. It is rare that we honor a player on the losing side, and even more rare (a first?) that we honor the same player two weeks in a row, but after winning Defensive POTW last week, Gouveia came out even hungrier this week. The stat line is impressive, 9 tackles (2 for loss), two sacks, and a whopping 4 forced fumbles against the Breakers backs. But his presence was more than gaudy numbers, he was a force all day, rallying the defense, stuffing key 3rd downs, intimidating receivers, and threatening Matt Robinson almost endlessly. It was the type of performance we associate with the greats, a Dick Butkus redux. Yes, the Gold came up short in the game, but Gouveia did his part and more for the Gold. NEWS & NOTES Let’s talk attendance so far this year. The USFL is averaging just over 36k per game, which is solid, certainly above their target of 35k, but what may be more impressive is the way they are doing it. Unlike in past years where a few high-attendance teams would buoy the numbers for several low attendance team, there is more parity in the box office, just as there has been on the field, in 1988. With 9 games down, we see that only 3 teams are below the dreaded 25k revenue sharing number, and two of those (Portland and Texas) have no choice, as both play in stadiums with roughly a 24,000 capacity. The third, Chicago, was just horrible last year, and while they are not turning people away, their 22,392 average is better than one might expect. On the other side of the coin there are currently 10 of the 20 franchises averaging over 40,000 a game, with representation in all 4 divisions. It is no longer domination by the south with everyone else trailing. Birmingham currently leads the league with an average of 46.080, but not far behind are Baltimore (44,989), Philly (44,496), New Orleans (44,684), New Jersey (44,496), Orlando (43,957), and Denver (43,241). You know things are going well when even two of the most jaded fanbases, DC and LA, are showing up, with Washington averaging 38,506 and LA a very respectable 33,305. The league has to be pleased with the balance and with the overall numbers, as the overall attendance has now topped 3 million in only 9 weeks. With attendance holding above 35k per game and TV ratings also holding steady, the case can be made that the league’s early growing pains may now be leading into a stable and predictable level of support, one which makes the league even more attractive to partners, sponsors and networks. As the league continues to negotiate to develop expanded revenue opportunities, numbers like these will only help them make their case that the NFL is no longer the only game in town. INJURY REPORT This week saw some big hits taken by teams that cannot afford to lose quality players. Memphis got a Rookie of the Week performance from wideout Anthony Miller, only to see him go down late with what looked like a bad knee injury. Early reports seem to point to an ACL tear, which could keep Miller out for the rest of the year. Philly got bad news on their top rookie, TE Alex Higdon, whose wrist is worse than expected. Higdon could be out at least 2 months. Portland took another hit as wideout Flipper Anderson is expected to miss at least a month with a fracture in his left arm, just one week after losing HB Rodney Carter. Birmingham was also hit, as their top wideout, Ernest Givens, will miss at least 2-3 weeks with a rib injury, while in Arizona, there is concern that Robbie Bosco may be out at least 2 weeks after taking a bad hit to his left knee. Among those expected to return to action this week, we have Arizona HB Darryl Clack, Tampa DT William Perry, Arizona wideout Louis Lipps, and Jacksonville wideout Hassan Jones. LOOKING AHEAD We are back for 8 games of divisional play again in week 10, as the final stretch for the playoffs begins. New Jersey at Baltimore headlines the Saturday games. Pittsburgh travels to Philly for an in-state rivalry game. Jacksonville, winners of 2 straight, head to Birmingham, while Orlando hopes to steal a win from the Showboats at the Liberty Bowl. Texas will face another 1987 expansion team in Chicago, while New Orleans will try to make a statement in Michigan. It’s the Hwy 1 War as Oakland is in LA, while the Thunder stay on the road with a game in Tempe against the Wranglers. A couple of good inter-divisional games as well as Houston in in Washington and the Gold travel to Tampa to face the Bandits.

Sporting News, May 4, 1988 We are halfway through the USFL season and the key word this year seems to be “parity”. For the first time in a long time no team is moving into the season’s second half undefeated. No team has only 1 win, and nearly everyone has a legitimate path to a possible playoff berth. There are surprises at the top (New Orleans, Baltimore, Texas) and at the bottom (Tampa, Jacksonville, Washington) but what we have seen all year is that there is a lot of parity and a lot of potential all across the year. As we give our midyear grades to each team, let’s talk about what is working and what is not for each squad. WESTERN CONFERENCE New Orleans Breakers (6-2) OFFENSE: A The Breakers have been explosive in both the run and passing game. Matt Robinson has come out of nowhere to lead the league in QBR and TD’s, and the combination of Dupree and Hilliard is a powerful 1-2 punch. The Breakers lead the league at nearly 36 points per game, are rank second in both passing and rushing YPG. That is a deadly combo. DEFENSE: C- For all the accolades we give the New Orleans offense, we have to recognize that the defense is not helping them reach 6-2. They have given up 31 to Chicago, 40 to Texas, and 46 to Pittsburgh. The only game where they allowed fewer than 20 points was a blowout against Portland. That is not good. New Orleans needs to switch things up, perhaps play more zones to slow down offenses and allow their own offense to overpower their opponents, because this is not a team that will win a 17-14 game. TEACHER’S NOTES: If the offense can sustain them, we could see New Orleans keeping pace with Houston, but at some point they will have to play some D in order to win in the playoffs. Thay have a tough run against some good defenses (Denver, Michigan, Birmingham) to kick off the 2nd half, let’s see how that goes before we coronate the Breakers atop the Central. PROJECTION: 11-5, 2nd in Central. HOUSTON GAMBLERS (6-2) OFFENSE: B- We are still trying to figure out what is happening with Jim Kelly. Houston got him an outstanding dual threat weapon in Thurman Thomas and the receivers are the same, yet Kelly is having a down season even as the Gamblers keep winning. Yes, he has thrown for 2,026 yards and 15 TD’s, but he has also thrown 13 interceptions, often forcing the ball where he has no business throwing it. If Coach Pardee can calm Kelly down, keep him from making bad decisions with the ball, mix in more runs, the Gamblers can keep winning with defense and timely scores, but if the carelessness with the ball continues, they may stumble and fall. DEFENSE: A This defense remains the bread and butter of Houston’s success. They rank 4th in scoring at 18.1 PPG, but are 2nd in both total yards and passing yards allowed. That combo will win them a lot of games. Simon Fletcher has come on strong this year and already has 6 sacks, and if they can finally get Kiki DeAyala healthy, they will be well on their way to another deep playoff run. TEACHER’S NOTES: The Gamblers do not seem as strong as last year, not unless Kelly can regain his MVP form, but they are still the class of the West, at least on defense. That should be enough to help them garner a top seed, perhaps the top seed, in the Western Conference and home field will help them in the playoffs, to be sure. PROJECTION: 12-4, 1st in Central, likely #1 seed in West. DENVER GOLD (5-3) OFFENSE: C+ Denver has never been a flashy team, even with Mouse Davis bringing elements of his Run & Shoot to the Mile High City, but they are often effective in what they do. They are middle of the pack in scoring, but in the bottom third in every yardage category. They wil need to improve on that if they hope to challenge either Houston or New Orleans, because getting home field would be a huge advantage for the Gold. DEFENSE: A- The Gold are 5th in PPG allowed, but are #1 against the run. That is a good combo. Stopping the run can be a real benefit come playoff time, but if they want to win on defense, they will need to find a way to cause more turnovers. More turnovers will mean more short fields for their iffy offense, and that means more games that don’t come down to a key stop to determine the outcome. TEACHER’S NOTES: Denver is the Quaker Oats of football. They are never exciting, never flashy, but they are dependable and good for you. When they are hot, they are quite good, but when cold, like oatmeal, they can turn off fans quite quickly. If only they could find some tasty fruit to add to the mix and spice things up a bit. PROJECTION: 10-6, 1st in Pacific TEXAS OUTLAWS (5-3) OFFENSE: A- The Outlaws cherrypicked the best offensive players from the former Gunslingers and Oklahoma Outlaws, and that is helping them outpace expectations. Their early-season sprint through some of the other newer teams in the league helped them explode to a 4-0 start, but their offensive production has dipped since they started facing more stoic teams. They are still 2nd in scoring, and the combo of Doug Williams and Stump Mitchell gives them a solid 1-2 punch. NFL Transfer Carlos Carson is the 3rd Amigo in that trio, and his league leading 930 yards receiving is no mirage, but Texas needs to find a complement to Carson or teams will just focus on him and that could slow things down a lot. DEFENSE: C+ When they were scoring over 35 a game, this did not matter, but in the past few weeks, when they have gone 1-3, the defensive issues have become more noticeable. They are still strong against the run, allowing only 77 yards per game, and a lot of this falls on 2nd year study Brian Bosworth, but they are giving up nearl 250 yards a game passing, and in a pass-driven league like the USFL, that is not a good thing. TEACHER’S NOTES: Texas is the kid from the disadvantaged home who no one expects much of, but he ends up being a chess prodigy. Can the Outlaws remain prodigious for the next 8 weeks or is their recent slump a sign that they are this year’s Orlando Renegades? We think the former, because we like their stars on offense, and we think the defense can do just enough to keep Texas in games. PROJECTION: 9-7, 3rd in Central and a Wild Card berth. ARIZONA WRANGLERS (4-4) OFFENSE: B We like what we see each week from QB Robbie Bosco, and the Wranglers have some talented receivers. What we are still trying to figure out is why year in and year out their run game is sub par. They are only averaging 74 yards a game, a sad number and 17th in the league, despite having brought in a 1,000 yard NFL rusher in James Wilder. If they could ever find a run game, they would be a dangerous offense, but right now they feel like a team that can only win one way, in the air. DEFENSE: B Another B grade for another squad that is uneven and uninspiring. Arizona rarely gets blown out, but they also rarely crush anyone either. Dale Rogers has been a nice surprise at DE with 8 sacks, but that is about all the team has mustered. Bringing in Everson Walls (3 Interceptions) has helped, but they need to be more consistent all across the board. TEACHER’S NOTES: The Wranglers seem to be the definition of a mediocre club, one capable of putting together some solid wins, but also some headscratching losses. We are still not sure if this is a talent issue or an effort issue. Until we, and they, figure that out, we cannot see them going very far. PROJECTION: 8-8, 3rd in Pacific. LOS ANGELES EXPRESS (4-4) OFFENSE: B+ We are being generous to the offense because we expect that Christian Okoye will return this week. With Okoye LA has the balance needed to keep defenses honest. Steve Young can manipulate teams with play action, finding Eric Martin or Jo-Jo Townsell open on man coverage because the only way to stop Okoye is to load the box with LB’s and safeties. We see LA moving up from their current 10th rank in scoring once Okoye is back in full force. DEFENSE: A- LA is not the most flashy, high-impact defense, but they get the job done. They are allowing only 86 yards a game rushing and only 19.5 points a game, both numbers low enough to equate to wins. They are getting pressure, but not sacks (their leader has only 4), but the pressure leads to mistakes and CB Raphel Cherry loves when QB’s make mistakes. LA won’t put their foot on your neck, but they will trip you up often enough to be a problem. TEACHER’S NOTES: Every year we think that Steve Young will bust out with huge numbers, and every year he does OK but not great. He has the weapons to be better than a 20 point a game team, but something about the Express just seems to lead to a lot of 20-17 games. Our guess, however, is that they will be the 20 point team more often than the 17 point team the rest of this year. PROJECTION: 9-7, 2nd in Pacific, Wild Card Berth. MICHIGAN PANTHERS (4-4) OFFENSE: B- Hard to grade Michigan’s offense since they have had to alternate between Jack Trudeau and Ed Luther so much this year. If Trudeau can finally shake the injury bug the team might be a bit more consistent, and they still have deep ball weapons in Holloway and Carter, but something seems off. John Williams is solid, but rarely draws an 8 or 9 man box defense, and Michigan’s low completion rate offense (deep balls) means a lot of 3 and outs. That is not working as well this year as in the past. DEFENSE: B+ Here is the issue. In the past, a B on offense was fine for Michigan because they always had an A on defense. This year the D is struggling to maintain their usual standards. They are 13th against the pass, and Ronnie Paggett is being double teamed on nearly every down. The result? Fewer sacks and fewer turnovers. TEACHER’S NOTES: Michigan looks like a team on the decline this year. Some of their stars are just not attaining their usual levels of excellence, and the depth does not appear to be there. Maybe we are looking too much at the Ed Luther games and now that Trudeau is back it will shift, but we just cannot shake the feeling that this may be the year Michigan finally misses out on the playoffs. PROJECTION: 8-8, 4th in Central OAKLAND INVADERS (3-5) OFFENSE: C- Oakland started the year in horrible offensive shape. They have improved and we could see this rating rise if they can keep Richard Williams running and if Gale Gilbert can cut down on missed throws. They currently rank 19th in points per game and only 17th in passing yards, but if they can keep the ball moving on the ground, and find a way to keep Gilbert from being hit, they can improve. DEFENSE: C+ The Invaders still excel at stopping the run (2nd in the league), and rookie Ken Harvey is a dynamic playmaker for the D, but too many lapses in concentration in the defensive backfield have led to too many passing yards and big plays. Oakland can win some games if they can simplify their schemes and give their safeties less to think about. TEACHER’S NOTES: Oakland has been coming on over the past few weeks, and we think they are not as bad as their early season games showed, but it may be too little too late for them to make a run at a playoff spot. They have some pieces as they retool from losing Sipe, Whittington, and Plummer, but they need time to gel and to add a few more. PROJECTION: 6-10, 4th in Pacific CHICAGO MACHINE (3-5) OFFENSE: C+ A far cry from the solid F they earned on offense last year. Chuck Long is improving as a signal caller, and the Machine hit the jackpot in the draft, signing three solid performers in key offensive positions. Michael Haynes has a shot for the Offensive Rookie of the Year with his 618 receiving yards after 8 games. HB Jamie Morris has been less consistent but has had some explosive games. This team will not win a lot of shootouts, but will edge some teams over the course of the second half of the season. DEFENSE: B- Coach Joe Bugel wants this team to be a defensive team. Heck, Chicago wants this team to be a defensive team, it is what the city is used to. Chicago’s offseason moves have begun to pay off as Dwayne Board has paid immediate dividends for his NFL transfer, with 6 sacks for the Machine, while former Stallion William Cesare has solidified the defensive backfield and snagged 4 interceptions for Chicago. TEACHER’S NOTES: We like the hard-nosed attitude of Coach Bugel and the Machine. They are not there yet, but they are clearly building towards an identity as a smashmouth club that no one will want to face the rest of the year. PROJECTION: 6-10, 5th in Central. PORTLAND THUNDER (2-6) OFFENSE: F When you are last in scoring and last in total yardage, an F seems the only option. That is not to say that it is all bad in Portland. They chose to start rookie Kerwin Bell at QB and he has had some moments. Receiver Flipper Anderson looks like a solid #1 receiver. They have not gotten what they need from the run game, and that may be in part due to a line that needs some more athleticism and power. The Thunder need time to build on a base of decent players, not unexpected in their first year. DEFENSE: C- There are some solid players here as well. We like CB Dwayne Galloway (4 Ints) and Putt Choate is molding the LB corps in his image. They need more dynamism on the D-line, which is last in the league in sacks, and they need to be tougher on 3rd down, but this D will keep Portland in some games that they should not really be competitive in. TEACHER’S NOTES: An expansion team looking a lot like an expansion team. Not much more to say. PROJECTION: 5-11, 5th in Pacific Division. EASTERN CONFERENCE PHILADELPHIA STARS (5-3) OFFENSE: B- The Stars are winning on defense this year, and while Chuck Fusina rarely makes poor decisions, the offense lacks the element of surprise. We like what we see from rookie Quinn Early, but Philly needs to find ways to push the ball and start gaining ground more than 4 yards at a time. DEFENSE: A+ This is the heart and soul of Stars football. They are #1 in both scoring and yards allowed and they hit you hard on every play. Sam Mills remains the leader of the D and his turbo engine does not look like it is going to quit. Signing Elmo Gardiner to play Free Safety has also worked out perfectly for the Stars as he leads the league in interceptions. If Philly goes back for a 3rd championship, it will be this D that makes it happen. TEACHER’S NOTES: A punishing defense and an offense that rarely makes big mistakes is a good formula to work with. Jim Mora has proven he knows what it takes to win in the postseason, so this Stars team is expected to be right in the thick of things come playoff time. PROJECTION: 11-5, First in Atlantic. BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS (5-3) OFFENSE: A Joe Cribbs is once again at or near the top of the rushing yardage list, and Cliff Stoudt is having one of his best seasons, leading Birmingham to a #3 ranking in PPG and placing them 2nd in the league in yards per game. That yardage number means that the Stallions can control the ball, the tempo, and the score in most games. That is a good sign that this Stallions team is ready to lead the Southern Division. DEFENSE: B- The Stallions are middle of the pack in most categories, despite the continued success of Bob Barker in pressuring quarterbacks. There are not a lot of playmakers in the defensive backfield now that Cesare is gone, but Birmingham can still ball-control teams to death. TEACHER’S NOTES: It is not the flash of the former Bandits, nor the intimidation of the Panthers, but the formula Birmingham is using is one which can win them a lot of games. We like them to stay on track to win the division. PROJECTION: 11-5, First in Southern Division NEW JERSEY GENERALS (5-3) OFFENSE: A- Herschel Walker still runs like a 22 year old, and that is helping New Jersey hold onto the #1 rushing attack in the league. That attack allows Doug Flutie to live on bootlegs and play action. While New Jersey’s passing attack still lacks consistency, it plays off Walker’s run game well and can, at times, impress. DEFENSE: A New Jersey invested heavily in defense in the offseason and it shows. They rank 2nd in the league, allowing a mere 16.5 points per game, and they are tough against the run and the pass equally. No one player is racking up sacks, but the entire D-line is forcing opposing quarterbacks to make quick decisions, and that always favors the defense. TEACHER’S NOTES: New Jersey still has a bit of an inferiority complex regarding Philly, but this team is capable of keeping pace in the Atlantic. In the end, they need to beat Philly to win the division, and we are not feeling that yet. PROJECTION: 10-6, 2nd in Atlantic ORLANDO RENEGADES (5-3) OFFENSE: C We are not sure how Orlando has won 5 games when they average only 16.8 points per game on offense. They are in the bottom half of the league in every major offensive category, and once again their fast start seems to be fading. DEFENSE: B+ The defense is likely the reason Orlando has had the success it has. They are stingy against the pass (only allowing 175 yards a game) but that is offset by a porous run defense, allowing 116 yards per game. Rueben Davis has been a strong addition, recording 9 sacks already this year, but his play against the run is suspect. TEACHER’S NOTES: Orlando, just like last year, looks a bit like a paper lion. They have come out of the gate strong, but teams are now realizing how to beat them (run the ball). That is not a good sign and we suspect that just like last year, these Renegades may fade down the stretch. PROJECTION: 7-9, 3rd in Southern Division BALTIMORE BLITZ (5-3) OFFENSE: B Baltimore is another tough team to figure out. They gain a lot of yards (319 per game) but they are 14th in scoring (19.4 ppg), so is it a lot of sound and fury signifying nothing? Their top stars are not getting any younger, and it does seem that Tim Spencer has lost a step. So, what happens when we get to the tough slog of late season hot summer days? DEFENSE: B When your sack leader is a linebacker (Ed Brady with 4) it means that you cannot consistently get pressure with your front 4, and that means that you have fewer defenders covering receivers. That is the story of the Blitz defense. They are solid but not spectacular in any aspect of the defense, and that screams “middle of the pack” to us. TEACHER’S NOTES: Marv Levy is getting the most out of this roster, but is it enough? Will they be able to match their success of the first 8 weeks now that playoff positioning turns up the heat? We like the effort, but we are not sure the Blitz have enough to take it through the entire season. PROJECTION: 8-8, Third in Atlantic MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS (4-4) OFFENSE: A- After last year’s surprise debut, Mike Kelley has repeated his early success this year. Not always the prettiest game in the league, the Showboats offense is nevertheless very competitive. The biggest surprise has been the success of Tampa backup Greg Boone, who has flourished as the lead back in Memphis. His work, along with the ageless Mel Gray, has helped Memphis stay in the top 10 in all three yardage categories (run, pass and total). DEFENSE: B We are still waiting for someone other than Reggie White to take a leadership role on this defense. White seems to dominate the minds of offensive coordinators, but who can force them to gameplan for something other than doubling up on White? If Memphis can either clamp down just a bit more or produce more takeaways, they could be truly dangerous. TEACHER’S NOTES: We like the effort and the speed of Memphis’s team. They are not elite at anything, except maybe Reggie White’s devastating swim move, but they can impress when all phases are working together. PROJECTION: 9-7, Second in South PITTSBURGH MAULERS (3-5) OFFENSE: B+ The Maulers have found a solid formula on offense. They are leaning on Mike Rozier less, which is good because he is not seeming as explosive as in past years, and Alan Risher is finding success throwing to TE Mike Shaw as a lead weapon. Don’t expect more 6-TD games from Risher, that was a perfect storm, but the Maulers can confuse most defenses when they are on their game. DEFENSE: D This is the issue. The Maulers are 19th in the league in both yards per game and scoring defense. You cannot hope to outscore every team and win consistently. The Mauler rush defense is particularly horrible, allowing nearly 140 yards a game. In a division that has Walker, Bryant, James and Spencer, that is the kiss of death. TEACHER’S NOTES: Coach Marchibroda was brought in to create offense, and he has certainly done that. Now he may need to look for a D-Coordinator who can do the same. Expect another losing season in Pittsburgh, but if they focus on D in the offseason, they could come out strong in ’89. PROJECTION: 6-10, 4th in Atlantic WASHINGTON FEDERALS (2-6) OFFENSE: C We would give them a D, but the Federals are still top 10 in passing, thanks to Neil Lomax. That they only score 17 points a game, and that Craig James is well off his pace of past years are bad signs. The O-line has a lot to do with this, as they are simply not winning their battles often enough for Washington to sustain offense. DEFENSE: B- Defense keeps Washington in most games, but they still could do more. They are getting pressure (Charles Haley leads the team with 7 sacks) but are not causing turnovers. They need to find a way to turn pressure into mistakes in order to help the offense out. TEACHER’S NOTES: This is already a major disappointment for a Federals team that saw itself as ascending to the top of the Atlantic power ratings. To finish behind Pittsburgh will be a major letdown for fans in DC after last year’s playoff appearance. PROJECTION: 5-11, 5th in Atlantic TAMPA BAY BANDITS (2-6) OFFENSE: A- Tampa has always been an offensive highlight reel and a defensive also-ran. This year that feels doubly true. The O is ranked 5th in points per game at 23.3, but they allow 28 ppg, so that is not good. They have the #1 passing offense, thanks to John Reaves and Eric Truvillion, but that has not led to wins. Teams are containing the offense, and running all over the defense. DEFENSE: F 20th in scoring defense, allowing 28.8 points per game, and, oh by the way, also 20th in yardage, allowing nearly 375 yards a game. They cannot pressure the QB, stop the run, or force turnovers. As former Bucs Head Man John McCay once said “We cannot block, but we make up for it by not tackling.”. TEACHER’S NOTES: This is not the Tampa team we expected this year. It seems that focusing only on offense has begun to fail for Steve Spurrier. In what will almost certainly be Tampa’s first non-playoff season, there are already calls to replace the DC, and maybe Spurrier as well. 1983’s Championship feels like a long time ago. PROJECTION: 5-11, 4th in South JACKSONVILLE BULLS (2-6) OFFENSE: C- Chris Miller has flashes, but also makes some bonehead decisions. George Adams has good games and then disappears. Only Gary Clark is a consistent figure in Jacksonville, and that inconsistency across the offensive roster means that Jacksonville cannot expect to outscore many opponents. DEFENSE: C Can we just say “ditto” about the defense. The squad that shut out Orlando was the anomaly this year. While the Bulls D is more stalwart than the O is dynamic, it is still a step too slow and a second too late in too many key moments of games. TEACHER’S NOTES: If it were not for Portland being an expansion team, we would almost certainly be penciling in Jacksonville for the #1 draft pick this year. Lindy Infante was on the hotseat when the season began. That seat is now a flaming bonfire. We expect Infante will last the rest of the season, but he is a prime target for a Black Monday pinkslip. PROJECTION: 4-12, 5th in South. OUR REVISED SEASON PREDICTIONS PLAYOFFS: EAST 1-PHI 2-BIR 3-NJ 4-MEM 5-BAL Champion: Philadelphia WEST 1-HOU 2-DEN 3-NOR 4-LA 5-TEX Champion: New Orleans USFL CHAMPIONSHIP: We see a repeat for the Stars over a high-scoring but overmatched Breakers squad.

Mayhem seems the right term as 8 of 10 games went to the road team this week. We also saw a rare shutout in Orlando, a Chicago shootout in New Orleans and a game in Washington that felt more like 1940's football than the usually high flying USFL game of today. SCORES NJ 20 PIT 13 Herschel Walker dominates in a must-win game for the Generals. Walker’s 134 on the ground proved the difference in a hard-fought game at Three Rivers. In a game where neither team passed for over 180 yards, Walker shone while New Jersey contained Mike Rozier (who seems to be having a down year), helping the Generals move to 5-3 and a 3-way tie atop the Atlantic Division. PHI 10 WSH 3 Neither team could get much going on offense as the defenses held tough on a blustery afternoon in DC. Craig James outrushed Kelvin Bryant 94-55, but it was the ability of Chuck Fusina to connect with Mike Quick and rookie Quin Early that helped Philly score a late TD to take the win in a game that simply did not produce much excitement. JAX 27 ORL 0 A rare USFL shutout as the Bulls win their second game at the expense of an ill-prepared Renegades squad. Chris Miller had a solid day (playing only 3 quarters) and Tony Eason got his first playing time for the Bulls as Jacksonville simply handcuffed the Renegades, outgaining Orlando 306 to 188. It was 24-0 after 1, and the Bulls coasted the rest of the way for a rare win this year. MEM 27 TBY 17 A game-winning performance from the Memphis D as Eddie Simmons returned an early Oliver Luck interception all the way for 6, only to have his backer mate Mike Junkin do the same in the 2nd quarter. Those two scores, plus a solid “payback” game from Greg Boone against his former Tampa teammates (146 yards on 20 carries) was all Memphis needed to walk away with a 10-point win. CHI 31 NOR 41 Another shootout win for the Breakers, who have to be concerned after allowing Chicago rookie HB Jamie Morris romp for 115 yards and 3 scores. This was the best game by far for the Chicago offense against a Breakers D that just does not seem to be pulling their weight. Fortunately for New Orleans, Matt Robinson again had a banner day, throwing for 4 scores to lead the Breakers to another high-scoring win at home. HOU 24 MGN 10 Houston came to the Silverdome and took care of business against Jack Trudeau and the Panthers. A rushing score each from Thomas and Fowler, and a Jim Kelly toss to Greg Anderson were enough to keep Michigan at bay. The Panthers managed only 167 in the air as Trudeau struggled against a Houston pass rush that sacked him 5 times. With the win, Houston keeps pace with the Breakers at 6-2 while Michigan is an uncharacteristic 4th in their division. ARZ 14 OAK 24 Oakland contained the Arizona offense and got contributions from across the offensive squad to upend Arizona. Richard Williams teamed with Paul Palmer to provide 113 yards rushing (to Arizona’s paltry 52) and TE Raymond Chester gathered in 72 yards for Oakland. The win is Oakland’s 3rd and puts them right back in the moshpit that is the Pacific Division, only 2 games behind Denver. BAL 23 POR 20 The Thunder always seem to play tough in front of the home crowd, and they had Baltimore looking shaky for most of the game as Portland built a 17-3 halftime lead. But two hookups between Vince Evans and Jackie Flowers (38 and 32 yards) brought the Blitz back in the 3rd. A late Zendejas field goal tied the game and in overtime Baltimore got a chipshot kick for the win. BIR 34 TEX 24 Experience won out as the Stallions outlasted the Outlaws. Cliff Stoudt had a rare 4 TD day as he found Jim Smith three times on the day. Joe Cribbs was held to only 43 yards rushing but caught 5 for 24 yards as the screen game continued to work all day for Stoudt. Texas’s Dokie Williams caught 4 for 131, including a 64-yard score, but it was not enough as Birmingham came out on top. GAME OF THE WEEK Denver Gold 24 Los Angeles Express 21 A slobberknocker division game in Angel Stadium as the Gold ended a 3-game losing streak and pulled out a late victory against the Express. In a game that saw Bob Gagliano knocked out of the game early in the 3rd quarter, Cody Carlson came in and helped lead Denver to a key TD and a late FG to win the game. Steve Young had to shoulder the load as Christian Okoye was still not able to play. LA gained only 18 yards on the ground against the very aggressive Denver D. It was a game of momentum swings from the start. LA jumped out to a 10-0 lead after a Young strike to Mel Renfro, but in the 2nd quarter Gagliano found Mark Carrier for a score and the Gold went into the half down only 3. Denver opened the 3rd with a long 13-play drive that ended with a Harry Sydney bowling ball rumble into the endzone to give Denver a 14-10 lead. The drive was costly as QB Bob Gagliano, who has been something of an Iron Man since getting the starting gig several years back, will likely miss several weeks with what looked like a bad hamstring injury. LA came back on their next drive, as Steve Young found Eric Martin for a 28 yarder to get into field goal range. The drive stalled and LA had to settle for a Scott Olivera 26 yarder to pull within 14-13. On the next drive Denver caught LA napping. A well-timed play action pass call on 1st and 10 completely fooled the Express, who expected Carlson to hand off until he got a hang of the game. Instead, Carlson reared back and hit Mark Carrier for a 70-yard score, one play, 7 points on the board for Denver. The surprise deep ball hurt LA, and they went 3-and-out on their next drive. Denver’s O then shifted gears, using the clock and pounding the ball with Harry and Timmy Smith. Cody Carlson made a nice throw on a 3rd and 8 to keep the drive going, and eventually it ended with a Brian Speelman 44 yarder to build the lead to 24-13. LA would mount a drive, but Denver’s shell defense kept the ball in front of them and forced LA to use a lot of clock. The Express did score on a Young to Christiansen 2-yard pass, but with only a minute left in the game there simply was not enough time to do more. Denver took sole possession of first place at 5-3 while LA would drop back with Arizona a game behind at 4-4. PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK It’s a pretty common trope in sports for a player who was let go by one team to return with another and seek some measure of revenge. For Greg Boone, it was more about showing what he was capable of than actually hurting the Bandits. After backing up Gary Anderson for several years in Tampa, Boone was left unsigned when his contract ran out, a victim of Tampa’s salary cap issues, and so he moved on and joined the Memphis Showboats. In Memphis he got a chance that he never truly had in Tampa to be the clear bellcow back for the Showboats. He has responded with 692 yards (currently 5th among league backs) for Memphis, and this week he returned to Tampa not with animosity, but with a “look what you could have had” attitude, rushing for 146 yards on 20 carries as Memphis outpaced the struggling Bandits to win their 4th game and even their record at 4-4. Boone says he bears no ill will towards Tampa, and he still has many friends among the Bandits roster, but he is also happy to be with a team that is giving him a chance to shine. NEWS & NOTES We are midway through the season and while our Midseason Report Card will look at the teams and their seasons so far, we wanted to take a look at individual achievements at the midpoint of the season. So, here are our wholly unofficial Midseason Award Winners. Most Valuable Player: Matt Robinson, QB-NOR: While the Breakers hoped Robinson would be able to hold off Matt Dunigan in a QB battle, no one expected what we have seen from the veteran this year. He leads the league with a 121.9 QB Rating, has thrown 26 touchdowns, on pace for a league record, and has led New Orleans to a league best 6-2 record. Not bad for a “journeyman”. Most Improved Player: Nolan Franz, WR-NOR: Another Breaker, and while Franz has been a solid starter in the league since its inception, he has never been viewed as an elite receiver. That may be changing this year as his chemistry with Robinson has him leading the league in TD receptions (11) and near the top 5 in both receptions and yards. Franz is benefitting from a solid offense around him, but he is also showing that with age comes wisdom and that wisdom is helping him find openings in opposing defensive zones. Coach of the Year: While it is tempting to reward Texas’s Woody Widenhofer for a great start with a newly formed team, or to give first year coach Bill Arnsparger credit for New Orleans’s outstanding offense, we want to reward a coach who started the year on the hotseat but is turning things around. Baltimore looked to be on the way down, with a lot of questions on defense and an offense that simply did not seem talented enough for the Atlantic Division, but the Blitz have been outperforming expectations, earning big wins and building enthusiasm in the Charm City. Marv Levy, who many thought was a likely candidate for the chopping block, may be doing his best work in motivating and focusing the Blitz roster into a team that is more than the sum of its parts. Comeback Player of the Year: LB Putt Choate from Portland. Choate suffered a rough year in 1987 playing for the San Antonio Gunslingers. His numbers declined precipitously from his time in Denver, and he simply could not mesh with the rest of the linebacking corps in San Antonio. In Portland he is a team captain, a leader on a defense that has had some good moments. He leads the team with 56 tackles and has forced 3 fumbles already this year. He is surrounded by some young talent in rookie Cedric Figaro and NFL signee Billy Ray Smith, and he is molding Portland’s LB corps into a solid squad. Rookie of the Year: This is currently a 2-player race, with Chicago receiver Michael Haynes (54 receptions, 618 yards, but only 1 score) trailing slightly behind Houston HB Thurman Thomas (700 yards and 6 TDs) who is also second in receptions for a running back, trailing only Joe Cribbs. Haynes may be hurt in voting by the fact that there are 3 standout rookies on Chicago’s Squad (fellow receiver Wendell Davis and HB Jamie Morris), but that does not take anything away from Thomas’s outstanding rookie year in Houston. Breakout Performer of the Year: Washington LB Brandon Zavala. Zavala has been a tireless effort guy in Washington for several years but has never been able to gain the stats and the praise that a top defender normally sees. This year, however, Zavala is on pace for a 130-tackle season and he is being recognized as a sideline-to-sideline threat. Washington needs to win some more games if Zavala wants to have any chance for Defensive Player of the Year when the season ends, but his performance this year is turning heads and gaining the cautious attention of offensive coordinators around the league. INJURY REPORT Bob Gagliano’s leg injury garnered a lot of attention this week, and while it is rare for Battlin’ Bob to miss any time, he is only expected to miss a week or two as he rehabs the hammy. The same cannot be said Portland’s lead back, Rodney Carter, who is out at least 4-6 weeks with a broken collarbone. Philly rookie TE Alex Higdon may be out even longer after he broke his wrist this week during a scrum after a Stars fumble. Houston may be missing Kiki DeAyala again after a new injury, a broken finger, will force the team to devise a league-legal cast or splint. Michigan wideout Anthony Carter went out this week with a stress fracture in his right foot, and although he is upbeat and expecting to be back soon, we expect it will be at least 2-3 weeks before he returns to action. Finally, Memphis rookie TE Keith Jackson is listed as doubtful after he fractured his nose in a melee that broke out late in the Tampa-Memphis game. Video did not clearly show what happened, but it is possible that he caught an elbow from his own teammate who was grappling with a Tampa defender. LOOKING AHEAD We enter the second half of the season with the Southern Division visiting the Atlantic and the Pacific headed to face the Central Division squads. It will be a battle of 5-3 teams as Orlando head to Baltimore, and another as the Stallions face off against the Stars. Tampa has a tough draw at New Jersey, while 2-6 Jacksonville hopes to get to 3 wins against the 3-5 Pittsburgh Maulers. Washington, desperate to get back into 1987 form will face off against the 4-4 Memphis Showboats. In the Western Conference we are looking forward to a battle of styles as freewheeling Arizona heads to Michigan. Denver will try to keep pace with the explosive New Orleans Breakers in the Super Dome. Houston will prepare some home cooking for the Portland Thunder, while Texas hopes to get back to their winning ways as they host the LA Express. Finally, in a battle of 3-5 teams hoping to edge closer to .500, Oakland will be in Chicago to test the Machine.

SCORES BAL 19 JAX 6 Nothing was working for the Bulls as they got shut down by a resurgent Blitz defense. Baltimore outgained Jacksonville 312-172 on the day as Chris Miller threw for only 172 and George Adams was completely shut down, rushing for only 9 yards on 12 attempts. For Baltimore, 4 Luis Zendejas field goals were more than enough after an early Stanley Morgan TD gave the Blitz a 7-0 lead that would never be challenged. NJ 9 MEM 21 Touchdowns beats field goals every time. Both teams got 3 scores but Memphis was able to find the endzone while New Jersey was not. The Memphis D contained Herschel Walker (87 yards on 15 carries) and held New Jersey to only 1 successful third down on the day while Mike Kelley overcame two interceptions, with a lot of help from Greg Boone (42 yards) and Buford Jordan (53 yards) to take the win. PHI 20 ORL 6 Another game where a usually potent offense got shut out. Philadelphia’s D, led by Sam Mills and safety Scott Woerner, held the Orlando offense in check and Philly won the takeaway battle 2-0 to help the Stars escape the Citrus Bowl with a key win. Neither offense looked great as Philly only garnered 198 total yards, but two early Fusina TD tosses would be more than enough. PIT 14 TBY 25 After losing John Reaves for the year, Tampa traded to get Blitz backup Stan Gelbaugh for depth, but with a full week of practice to prepare, Oliver Luck looked solid, completing 20 of 35 for 248 and two scores. Eric Truvillion found gaps in the Pittsburgh D and ended the day with 118 yards and a score. Tampa’s D also contributed, holding Mike Rozier to only 52 yards rushing on the day. CHI 29 DEN 14 Chicago came to Mile High undaunted by the altitude or the Denver D, and gave their most complete game of the year. Chuck Long completed 73% of his passes, with rookie Michael Haynes catching 8 for 106, as the Machine dismantled the Gold defense. Chicago also proved they could play D, picking off Bob Gagliano 4 times (though 2 of those were tip drills). The win moves Chicago to 3-4 and proves that this is not last year’s sadsack Machine. HOU 24 LA 10 Jim Kelly had his best game of the year with 3 TD passes and no interceptions, as the Houston offense once again focused on a hurry-up format. Kelly found open receivers largely because LA had difficulty handling rookie HB Thurman Thomas. Thomas ended the day with 142 yards rushing and his ability to make men miss forced LA to clog the box, leaving Sanders, Verdin and others with man coverage. MGN 33 OAK 13 Jack Trudeau returned to action for the Panthers and immediately improved their offense, throwing for 325 yards and 3 scores. The Michigan D also held Oakland’s Richard Williams to only 59 yards on the ground and limiting the Invaders to 187 total yards of offense in a lopsided victory. NOR 51 POR 12 Sometimes it all goes wrong, and a game just gets away from you. That certainly was the case in Portland, where the Breakers built up a 20-3 halftime lead against the Thunder and then exploded in the second half, eventually taking a 51-3 lead before a softer defense and a lot of backups playing allowed for a Portland TD. New Orleans gained 555 yards on the day, including 373 for Matt Robinson, and a combined 116 for Dupree, Hilliard, and Williams. TEX 7 ARZ 31 It was a reality check for the Outlaws as they ran into a buzzsaw in Tempe. While statistically the game was close, the result was not. Robbie Bosco uncharacteristically ran in two scores (4 and 1 yards) and then found Trumaine Johnson for a 3rd to lead the Wranglers. And while Williams and Mitchell had decent numbers, they just could not produce points for the Outlaws this week. GAME OF THE WEEK Washington Federals 16 Birmingham Stallions 19 In a week with a lot of blowouts, the Feds-Stallions game was the only one with any real drama. In what was largely a battle between kickers, Birmingham’s Scott Norwood kicked 4 to Washington vet Ray Wersching’s 3 to edge the Feds. The star of the game was, as it often is, Birmingham’s Joe Cribbs, who averaged 7 yards a carry to gain 162 on the day. For Washington, Craig James was held to 63 total yards, and Neil Lomax, while efficient (73% competion rate) could not find the big play against a solid Stallion defense. Birmingham started strong, building a 13-6 halftime lead, but Neil Lomax found Mike Holmes for 6 to start the 2nd half, evening the score at 13. The Feds would take the lead early in the 4th on a 41 yarder from Wersching, only to watch Scott Norwood hit from 21 and 19 after two Stallion drives stalled in the red zone. It was not the type of game that the USFL will hype on their weekly recap show, but it was a solid win for the Stallions, who now move to 4-3 and edge closer to Orlando. For Washington, the loss drops them to a disappointing 2-5 as the season seems to be slipping away from a team that had high hopes after last year’s playoff appearance. PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK We are going to give this one to Houston’s dynamic rookie back, Thurman Thomas. The Oklahoma State product used a 142 yard rushing day to move into the Top 5 in the league, but it is his versatility that has fans in Houston cheering. Thomas is an excellent receiver and seemsto have a natural instinct for the screen game, using blockers to turn short passes into long gains, as seen this week when he wove his way through the LA defense on a screen for 26 yards and a score. Thomas was not the most highly-rated HB to come out of the college ranks this year, but he is proving that Houston chose wisely in drafting him. With Jim Kelly struggling with interceptions this year, Houston would be wise to make full use of their young back and incorporate him more fully into the passing game. NEWS & NOTES When the season started there was a lot of talk about how much stronger the East was than the West, but as we approach the midpoint of the season it seems clear that the Central Division is pulling their weight. New Orleans and Houston top the power rankings this week, and Texas has been a surprise at 5-2. Michigan is also on the good side of .500, and even Chicago has proven a tough out, as their 3-4 record attests. Meanwhile the two Eastern conference divisions are largely hovering around .500. Perhaps they are stronger, but that balance of strength means that every week they are knocking each other off. With Baltimore and Pittsburgh proving that they are not as far from Philly and New Jersey as we originally thought, the entire Atlantic Division could continue to knock each other down, avoiding a single team from jumping out to a 12 or 13 win season. The South is also tightening as Orlando has lost 2 of 3, Birmingham has won 2 straight to move to 4-3 and even Tampa seems to be trying to right the ship. We said earlier this year that this may be the most parity-defined season in the USFL’s early history, and with 11 of the league’s 20 teams at either 4-3 or 3-4, that certainly seems the case. The key to the second half will be the ability of teams to piece together win streaks. Even a 3-game streak could help a team pull away from the rest and secure a coveted playoff spot. INJURY REPORT The grind of a long season is clearly beginning to have an effect as several more players may be lost for the rest of the year. In Baltimore, DE Charles Buchanon will miss at least 8 weeks with a torn quad, and may be placed on IR. Texas may have to do the same for starting left tackle Rene Dudley who suffered a core abdominal tear. In Tampa a groin injury could keep guard Jeff Zimmerman sidelined for over a month, while Washington CB Eric Thomas is likely out at least 2-3 weeks with a hamstring. Good news in Chicago where Steve Beurlein was able to begin practicing with the team, an din Arizona they expect DT Dan Saleamua to be back in action next week after leaving their win over Texas with a sprained wrist. Others who left the game last week but should be able to play this week include Houston’s Greg Anderson, Oakland CB Tory Nixon, Orlando LB Winston Moss, and Washington CB Lester Lyles. LOOKING AHEAD Week 8 marks the halfway point in the season and we are back with 8 divisional games to build up some drama. In the Atlantic it is New Jersey at upstart Pittsburgh, while Philly travels to RFK to take on the Federals. In the South, Jacksonville has a tough matchup at Orlando, while Tampa will try to win a 3rd against the Showboats. Chicago heads down to the red hot New Orleans Breakers, while Michigan hosts Houston. Arizona will take on Oakland in Oakland, while Denver travels to LA in a key matchup of 4-3 clubs. Out of division this week we have Baltimore flying coast to coast to take on Portland, while Birmingham visits San Marcos and the Texas Outlaws.

SCORES PHI 15 BAL 23 The Blitz get a vital win at home to pull into a cluster of teams at 3-3 in the division. Stanley Morgan proved to be the key with Philly double covering Jackie Flowers. Morgan snagged 8 balls for 107 yards and a key TD to help Baltimore even their record at .500 and pull the Stars down to 3-3 as well. WSH 17 PIT 30 This may be a very different Maulers team, as Alan Risher again went off for over 300 yards and the Maulers now find themselves also at 3-3 and right in the thick of things. TE Mike Shaw was a big part of the offense today, catching 5 for 109 and a score while Mike Rozier racked up 106 yards and 2 scores to lead the Maulers over the Federals. MEM 17 BIR 44 A romp for the Stallions, who got key performances in all three phases, including an interception return for a touchdown, 3 TD’s from Cliff Stoudt and another from Joe Cribbs to defeat the Showboats. Mike Kelley played catchup most of the day, accounting for his 321 yards passing. TBY 18 ORL 28 Another “Changing of the Guard” game in the USFL as Orlando moves to an impressive 5-1 while sending Tampa deep into trouble at 1-5. The game was over midway through the 2nd quarter when John Reaves was hit hard and went out in obvious pain. Oliver Luck came in but was clearly unprepared to lead a comeback. For Orlando, Curtis Bledsoe had one of his best games in his 6 years in the USFL, racking up 144 yards on 23 carries, while Reggie Collier threw for 245 and 3 scores. NOR 27 HOU 21 Jim Kelly again struggled, and the Breakers were able to contain Thurman Thomas, holding him to only 73 yards rushing. Meanwhile, the Breaker run game was in full effect. All three backs, Dupree (76 yds), Hilliard (51 yds) and rookie Warren Williams (22 yards) combined to give New Orleans 150 yards rushing on the day. Add a TD from Robinson to Franz and New Orleans pulls even with Houston at 4-2. OAK 17 DEN 16 A rare home loss for the Gold as Oakland garners their second win on a last second field goal by Kevin Shea. Oakland outgained Denver 327 to 240 on the day, with the biggest performance coming from TE Raymond Chester, whose 84 yards helped Gale Gilvert to his best performance of the year. POR 16 LA 21 Portland has yet to win on the road this year, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t give LA all they could handle. With Christian Okoye still on the mend, LA had difficulty rushing the ball (84 yards total) and needed a stellar game from Steve Young to pull out the win. Young delivered, completing 82% of his passes and throwing 3 touchdowns, two to TE Todd Christiansen, as the Express move to 4-2 atop the Pacific Division. CHI 20 NJ 23 Chicago was game as John Carney hit on 4 FG and Chuck Long found Reggie Langhorne to take a 20-17 lead in the 4th, but New Jersey mustered a game-tying field goal to head into overtime, where Herschel Walker helped push the ball down the field and gave Dave Jacobs an easy 24 yard FG for the win. Walker would end the day with 120 yards rushing and the current rushing lead in the league. ARZ 28 JAX 21 The Bulls’ brutal season continues as they fall at home to an erratic Wranglers squad. Robbie Bosco threw for 296 and a key TD to Trumaine Johnson in the 4th, while the rushing attack for Arizona, which has not impressed most weeks, managed just enough. Darryl Clack found the endzone twice for the Wranglers as they edge Jacksonville to even their record at 3-3. GAME OF THE WEEK Texas Outlaws 27 Michigan Panthers 24 We mentioned that Orlando beating Tampa Bay was a “Changing of the Guard”, well, you can certainly look at this game as one as well. The longtime Central Division bullies, Michigan look very vulnerable this year, and the upstart Outlaws, in their first year since the merger of San Antonio and Oklahoma, are looking like they are for real. The key for Texas is the ability to alternate between the effective rush attack of Stump Mitchell and the deep ball of Doug Williams. In this game Houston chose to focus on Mitchell, holding the usually effective back to only 22 yards on 15 carries, but that left them vulnerable to the pass, and Doug Williams took advantage, completing 20 of 30 for 262 yards and 3 scores. Meanwhile, Ed Luther, who once again had to sub for the dinged up Jack Trudeau, threw two costly interceptions, which all but offset his own 3 TD passes. Michigan looked good early, building up a 17-3 lead on two TD’s from Luther to Jonathan Smiley and Johnny Holloway, but the 2nd half began poorly for the Panthers as an Ed Luther interception led to a Williams to Young TD pass. Texas added another, a Carlos Carson catch, on their next drive, and suddenly it was all tied at 17. At the start of the 4th, Doug Williams hit Dokie Williams for a third score and the Outlaws were up 7. Michigan drove, and Ed Luther found TE Butch Rolle for an equalizer, but there was still too much time on the clock and Texas had all 3 timeouts. Doug Williams managed the clock, moved the ball down the field, and with only 38 seconds left Nick Mike-Myer put the ball between the goalposts to give Texas the road win and knock Michigan to 3-3 and a solid 2 games behind the now 5-1 Outlaws. PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK Curtis Bledsoe is not the best known or the highest rated halfback in the league. After toiling behind Craig James for 4 years in Washington, he got his shot to start last year as a signee with the Orlando Renegades. It was a solid year for Bledsoe, who gained 956 yards in his first year as a starter. But, this year feels different. Orlando is looking more balanced and more dangerous, and Bledsoe is averaging a solid 75 yards a game. Still not superstar levels, but he currently ranks 10th in the yardage ranks, but what we are seeing from Bledsoe is solid contribution in all phases of the offense each week. He is a sturdy blocker, a solid runner, and he can catch the ball when called on to do so. His game this week was one of his best, averaging 6.3 yards per carry and breaking off a beaut of a 49 yard rush on a key 3rd and 4. He may not top the leaderboards, but Curtis Bledsoe is winning where it counts, and the Renegades are 5-1 and all alone atop their division in large part due to his steady performance each week. NEWS & NOTES Let’s talk New World Order. We admit, in our preseason picks we saw names like Michigan, Tampa Bay, Philadelphia and Denver and we thought we knew what to expect this year. But as we look at the Week 6 standings it is time to recognize that things may be shifting in the USFL. When the top two teams in the league are the newly-formed Texas Outlaws and the 2nd year Orlando Renegades, and when Jacksonville, Tampa, and Oakland are at or near the bottom of their divisions, there is something happening. It is undoubtedly a good thing that teams like Pittsburgh, Arizona and Memphis see themselves as contenders. It is also good that there are no givens, that we cannot just assume that Philly would beat Baltimore or that Houston would crush New Orleans. It adds excitement, it provides hope, and it shows that the league is not one of haves and have nots. Any Given Sunday used to be the theme in the NFL, but these days it seems that the senior league has more of a division between elites (San Fran, Chicago, the Giants, the Broncos) and also-rans, while the USFL is unpredictable and exciting to watch because you just don’t know who is going to come out on top. Here is to hoping that the balance breeds a long and dynamic playoff race, and that we get some new blood in to challenge the traditional powers. Change is inevitable, and it can be a very good thing, especially if you live in Orlando or central Texas. INJURY REPORT Tampa Bay’s already bad season got another major blow this week, as John Reaves was forced to leave the game on a cart. It took until Tuesday to get a final analysis, but it was announced then that Reaves’s season would be done, with a torn MCL in his left leg, his plant leg. The MCL tear was complete and will take several months and a surgery to reattach and rehab. That means that Tampa will have to rely on backup Oliver Luck to dig their way out of a 1-5 hole. Tampa was not the only team to receive season-altering news. Denver DT and core of the D-line Laval Short will also miss the rest of the season, again for a knee. Short has a tear of his anterior cruciate ligament, a tricky injury which can take a year or more to heel. He will be placed on IR and Denver will start scouring the waiver wire for a new DT to fill into their rotation. LA will miss their star CB Raphel Cherry for at least a month with a broken collarbone, while Jacksonville CB Terry Kinard could be out even longer with a broken wrist. On the positive side, players expected to return to action this week include LA wideout Eric Martin (knee), Oakland CB Derrick Martin (Thigh), Arizona DE AL Noga (Ribs) and Houston LB Kiki DeAyala (Ankle). LOOKING AHEAD Week 7 brings us closer to the midpoint of the season and this week we have key conference matchups as the Southern Division hosts the Atlantic and the Pacific hosts the Central. Key games to watch include Philly at Orlando, Washington @ Birmingham, Houston @ LA, Michigan @ Oakland and Texas & Arizona. In other action, New Orleans heads to Portland, Chicago is in Denver, Pittsburgh visits Tampa, New Jersey is in Memphis, and the Blitz visit Jacksonville.

In a week that saw the last of the unbeatens fall, and the last winless team get a W, and with so many teams hovering around .500, the question of who is actually good is a tough one to answer. Houston is 4-1 but Jim Kelly is playing horribly. Texas is 4-1 too but are they really that good? Is Denver someone to fear this year? Is Orlando? In a year when it seems teams are struggling to put together 2 or more wins in a row, we could be in for a long season of upsets and a potential logjam come playoff time. Or, will the quality teams start to pull away once depth becomes an issue? A lot of questions after 5 weeks. SCORES BAL 35 PIT 24 A high-scoring affair in Three Rivers as the Blitz score 22 points in the 4th quarter to upend the Maulers. The Maulers blow a 24-13 lead, allowing 3 scores in the final 15 as fans watched in disbelief. Spencer, Flowers and Vince Evans all scored as the Blitz steal one that looked lost after 3 quarters. NJ 21 WSH 13 A tough fight in RFK as the Generals score 14 in the first to open up a lead and then hold on as the Feds try to claw back. Flutie again looked good with 3 TD passes, despite only throwing for 149 yards. Neil Lomax threw for 235, but just could not consistently find a path to the endzone as Washington drops another heartbreaking divisional game. BIR 25 ORL 28 Despite a furious comeback by the Stallions, it was too little, too late against an Orlando team that is looking pretty solid this year. Reggie Collier was 19 of 26 for 285 in the win, while Cliff Stoudt threw more than Coach Dotsch usually likes, completing 31 of 43 for 316 as the Stallions tried to erase what started as a 28-10 Renegade lead. JAX 28 TBY 30 OVERTIME One of the weirder walk-off plays ever seen as Jacksonville sent the game to overtime with a Gary Clark pass from Chris Miller, only to have them lose on a botched snap. First and 10 on their 2nd possession in overtime and the ball sails over Chris Miller’s head and into the endzone. Both teams scramble for it. George Adams falls on it for Jacksonville, but he is still in the endzone, so it is a safety and Tampa walks off the field with their first win of the year, but a bizarre one. ARZ 10 DEN 32 Either Arizona is just inconsistent, or Denver is just that good. The Gold shut down the Arizona offense, holding the Wranglers to only 171 total yards. Meanwhile, Timmy Smith and Harry Sydney both carried the ball 13 times, and between the two combined for 124 yards and 2 scores. Things were so good we even got a rare Cody Carlson sighting, when Gagliano was allowed to rest after building up a 32-3 lead. OAK 13 POR 26 The Thunder double up the Invaders for their second home win of the year. Al Del Greco gets Man of the Game honors for his 4/4 field goal day as Portland wins despite being outgained 332 to 163 for the game. The key? Four Oakland turnovers, including 2 forced fumbles by Portland LB Billy Ray Smith. CHI 13 HOU 27 As we will comment below, Houston moves to 4-1 but Jim Kelly does not look sharp, throwing for 3 INT’s and keeping the Machine in the game. Despite his struggles, Kelly finds Sanders for 122 yards, while Thurman Thomas rushes for 104 and a score. MGN 7 PHI 6 The Saturday Night game was played in just horrific conditions in Philly. A rainsoaked turf left players sliding all over and made any offense pure luck. For Michigan, Jack Trudeau came out early and Ed Luther was left to play in the rain. Luther threw an early TD to Derek Holloway and Philly spent the rest of the game settling for field goals, as Michigan pulled out an unlikely win with an even less likely final score. LA 17 MEM 19 The Memphis defense just would not allow anything on Sunday, as Christian Okoye averaged less than 1 yard per carry. Meanwhile, Mike Kelley found some open spots and hit rookie Anthony Miller on a key 2nd half TD to build their lead. The lead held and Memphis picked up their 2nd win of the young season. GAME OF THE WEEK New Orleans Breakers 42 Texas Outlaws 40 What is it with the Breakers and offensive shootouts? First they score 40 in a loss to Pittsburgh, and now they outgun the Outlaws to win another 80+ point offensive explosion. The star of the day was Matt Robinson, who tied Alan Risher’s recent record, throwing 6 touchdowns in the game, 3 to the elusive Charlie Smith. Doug Williams and Stump Mitchell kept pace for Texas, as Williams threw for 250 and 3 scores while Mitchell rushed for 93 and 2 scores of his own. But, unlike the Breaker-Mauler game, this one was not as close as the score would indicate. After 3 the Breakers led the homestanding Outlaws 42-24 and then let up a little too much on the gas. Texas scored 17 in the final quarter to make it interesting, but in the end the clock was a foe they could not beat. The game did not set records as the earlier Mauler game had, but it was still an amazing show of offensive talent. With the win, New Orleans moves over .500 and both they and Houston find themselves only one game behind the Outlaws in the Central Division. PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK Of course we could, and maybe should, recognize Matt Robinson for his 6 TD game in Texas, but with the way New Orleans is playing these days (all scoring, no defense) we feel we will have plenty of chances. Let’s also celebrate when a player knows his team needs something extra and he takes the reins. That is exactly what 5-year veteran John Reaves did for the previously winless Bandits. Reaves knew that an 0-5 start in the tough Southern Division meant the end of the season. He knew that in facing Jacksonville and Chris Miller, it would take a major scoring flurry to keep pace, and he delivered. Reaves threw for 335 yards and threw a TD pass in each of the game’s 4 quarters, finding Eric Truvillion twice, but also getting Willie Gillespie and Chris Collinsworth into the game. With Jacksonville shutting down Gary Anderson and the ground game, the Bandits needed Reaves to step up, and like a true leader he led by example. NEWS & NOTES After 5 games, one of the big mysteries this season is “What happened to Jim Kelly?”. After setting team records last year, leading the Gamblers to a 13-3 record and walking away with the MVP tropy, Kelly is starting this year in a definite funk. Yes, the Gamblers are 4-1, but Kelly is one of the 5 lowest rated QB’s in the league, having thrown only 10 TD’s to 11 INT’s in the league’s first five weeks. It just does not look like the same man as we saw last year. Some of this is on the line, which has allowed more sacks to date than in 8 games last year, but it may also be the strategy. Unlike last year, when Houston used a hurry-up offense nearly 80% of the time, this season the huddles are longer, the check-downs more frequent, and Houston is just not tiring out the opposing defense over the course of the game. Yes, some of the issues have to lie with Kelly, but it also seems that others around him are not putting him in a great position to excel, even if the Gamblers keep finding ways to win. INJURY REPORT Normally we go around the league to look at how injuries might impact different teams, but this week we just have to look at what just happened to the Chicago Machine. In one game, this week’s matchup against Houston, Chicago lost not one, not two, but all three centers on their roster to injury in the same week. And, to make it worse, all three are out at least 6 weeks. Starter Frank Winters looks to have a disc issue in his mid-back, an issue that could cost him even longer if he cannot rehab it properly. Backup Charles Sikes, partially tore his ACL just minutes later, and emergency center Doug Gamboa went out later in the game with a shoulder injury that will also keep him out at least 6 weeks. So what do you do when this happens, well, in the moment you move tackle Brian Williams over to Center to finish the game. Then you sign the most able bodied former college centers you can find. For Chicago that is Melvin Wallace, a former Alabama product who has been kicking around the CFL and some USFL practice squads for the past 5 years. Chicago is likely to keep Williams as their starter, but now have to carry 4 centers on their roster unless they decide to move one of the three onto Injured Reserve, ending their play for the year. LOOKING AHEAD Week Six has some fascinating divisional games on the docket. In the East, Baltimore will host Philadelphia, hoping to gain ground and bring the entire division to 3-3. That cannot happen of course as both Washington and Pittsburgh will be at 2-3 when they meet this week. The other Eastern player, New Jersey, is hosting Chicago and hoping they can move to 4-2 and take over first place. In the South Tampa hopes to win a 2nd in a row with another in-state game, visiting the Citrus Bowl and the 4-1 Renegades. Memphis, fresh off their 2nd win, will be in Birmingham, also at 2-3. Two huge games among contenders in the Central as New Orleans heads to Houston while Texas is in Michigan. In the Pacific, 1-4 Oakland gets no favors as they head to 4-1 Denver, while Portland will be in LA to take on the Express. Our final game of the week is a rare clash between Arizona and Jacksonville at the Gator Bowl.

OK, If you called it that Texas would be 4-0 and that Tampa Bay would be 0-4 at this point, maybe go get a lottery ticket, because you are on a hotstreak. Week 4 proved that our preseason prognostications may have been a bit off. But, we also remember Orlando starting 1987 at 4-0 and Birmingham at 0-4, so maybe a grain of salt is needed as well. That said, we love a season when “any given Sunday” is in full effect and no teams feel completely outmatched each week. We love seeing Chicago at 2-2 alongside Michigan. It means that a lot of fans in a lot of cities still see good things coming for their home town team, and that is good for everyone. SCORES JAX 21 LA 24 Eric Martin caught 6 for 116 and Steve Young found Todd Christiansen and Jo-Jo Townsell for early scores as LA built up a 24-10 lead and then held on to win at home, moving to 3-1 on the year. For Jacksonville, Chris Miller played well, but just did not have enough time to come all the way back. TBY 23 ARZ 38 Tampa’s defense once again let them down, and 3 picks by John Reaves didn’t help either as the Bandits fall to an unexpected 0-4 start. Robbie Bosco threw for 303 and James Wilder punched it in 3 times to give Arizona a needed home win and evened their record at 2-2. BIR 18 DEN 21 Another nail biter in Denver where the Gold held off Birmingham, containing Joe Cribbs to only 70 yards on 20 carries. Bob Gagliano threw for 3 scores, including a beaut of a deep ball to J.T. Smith in the 3rd to build up a 21-10 lead that would hold until the final seconds, when Stoudt hit Danta Whittaker for a very late score, but too late for Birmingham to get a shot at the win. ORL 20 POR 9 Orlando once again starts the season strong, building to a 3-1 record with a tough win in Portland. Reggie Collier threw for 2 scores and despite 95 yards by Portland HB Rodney Carter, the Thunder could only cross the endzone once as they fall to 1-3. PHI 23 NOR 38 New Orleans rebounds from the tough loss v. Pittsburgh by keeping the offensive pressure on. Matt Robinson throws for 4 scores, including a 57 yarder to new arrival Herman Fontenot. Philly gets 93 from Kelvin Bryant, but cannot keep pace as the Breakers show some firepower at home. NJ 34 MGN 17 New Jersey came ready to roll in the Silverdome. The Panthers held Herschel Walker to only 69 yards on the ground, but he also caught 4 for 56 and a score. Flutie would throw for 3 scores on the day and Kerry Glenn ran back a punt 73 yards for a back-breaking score for the Generals. The win puts New Jersey at 2-2 and sends Michigan to the same record. WSH 17 CHI 18 Chicago grinds out a second win as rookies again come up big. Former Michigan HB Jamie Morris runs for 148 and a score in the close win. Chuck Long completes 68% of his passes and avoids turnovers as he guides Chicago to another home win. For Washington it was a frustrating day as Craig James is held to only 69 yards rushing and Neil Lomax gets picked twice in the loss. BAL 16 HOU 19 Baltimore’s D pressures Jim Kelly all day, but the Gamblers have just enough to hold on for a three-point win. The Houston D also had all sorts of issues with Vince Evans, who rushed for 77 yards, including a dynamic 39 yarder on a 3rd and 17. Houston got 4 FG from Dave Jacobs and a late Kelly to Fowler TD pass to hold off a tenacious Blitz team. PIT 27 TEX 33 The Outlaws hold off the Maulers in San Marcos to move to a shocking 4-0 on the season. Doug Williams has a brilliant game against the suspect Pittsburgh pass defense, throwing for 306 and 4 scores. Alan Risher tried to keep pace for the Maulers, throwing for 270 and 3 scores of his own, but Texas maintained focus on Mike Rozier, holding him to 43 yards, far below Stump Mitchell’s 101. GAME OF THE WEEK Memphis Showboats 31 Oakland Invaders 34 We seem to be developing a trend where teams in low profile games on the weekend ABC package end up playing some of the best football. That was the situation when 1-2 Memphis headed out to play 0-3 Oakland. The Invaders finally got to see the Richard Williams they signed this offseason as the former Showboat showed up against his former club, rushing 22 times for 200 yards and 2 scores. That effective run game slowed the game down for Gale Gilbert, allowing him to have a solid game, including a drive that ended with the winning score, a short pass to Henry Ellard, with 5:27 left in the game. The other star of the game for Oakland was rookie LB Ken Harvey, who picked off two Mike Kelley passes while playing in a cover 2 rover position. Harvey, who also sacked Kelley once and garnered 8 tackles, was a monster in the middle for the Invaders. For Kelley, it was not pressure but an apparent blindspot for the MLB that led to the two picks. In both cases he was looking to dump the ball to his top receiver, rookie TE Keith Jackson, and both times he simply did not see the Harvey closing on Jackson. The game, despite the picks, was Memphis’s to win. They had a 31-24 lead with 13 minutes to play, but the Invaders were aggressive in the final quarter and followed a 45 yard Kevin Shea field goal with a long drive ending in the Ellard TD catch to take the lead back at 34-31. The Invader D then held Memphis without a first down the rest of the way to take the win, their first of the year. PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK While the Offensive Player of the Week went to Richard Williams, we are going to give our POTW to Doug Williams of the Texas Outlaws. And this is perhaps more of a lifetime achievement award highlighted by his 4 TD performance this week. Williams has been a top calibre QB in the USFL for 4 years now, and after suffering a simply horrific year in Oklahoma last year, Williams and the newly-formed Texas Outlaws are making up for lost time. Maybe the distribution of talent from last year’s Oklahoma and San Antonio teams was too generous, or maybe Williams and Coach Widenhofer finally have the pieces in place, but the 1988 Outlaws are a totally different experience than 1987’s 2-16 Outlaws. Williams is now the top-rated QB in the league, has real weapons in Carlos Carson and Dokie Williams at wideout, and a run game in the combo of Stump Mitchell and Scott Stamper that is keeping defenses honest. Yes, the Outlaws have played 3 potential lightweights in Portland, Chicago and Pittsburgh, but their win in Houston proves that this team is dangerous, and a big reason they need to be feared is the experience and skill of QB Doug Williams. NEWS & NOTES Four weeks in and we are already seeing that the rookie class of 1988 may be one of the best yet. We already highlighted the great game by Oakland LB Ken Harvey, but he is not alone among first year phenoms. Former Gator Kerwin Bell is the only starter at QB, but despite the struggles of the Thunder, he is looking like a solid starter already. Houston’s Thurman Thomas is a dual threat in Houston, where his receiving skills have shown almost as much as his ability to tote the rock. Brian Blades is now a regular in the Bulls’ receiving corps, and Keith Jackson is quickly becoming a favorite target for Mike Kelley in Memphis. On defense, DE Al Noga (ARZ), LB Fred Strickland (DEN), LB Marcus Cotton (LA), and LB Chris Spielman (NJ) have all proven to be key contributors. But no team seems to have had more success in the draft, and more opportunities for their rookies than the Chicago Machine. Rookie HB Jamie Morris leads the team with 305 yards, while rookie wideouts Michael Haynes and Wendell Davis are first and third in receptions on the team. Chicago had room to grow, and these rookies are showing they are ready to step up. While there is a lot of football left to play, the rookies of 1988 are showing they are ready for prime time. INJURY REPORT A rough week for defenders in the USFL, and not just because of the dynamic offenses they faced. Jacksonville’s Terry Kinard broke his wrist when a receiver landed on it awkwardly. He will likely miss at least 6 weeks. In Baltimore, DE Nate Hill will miss at least 3 weeks after a hip injury. Texas CB Gregg Butler is a bit luckier, after a suspected broken arm is just strained tendons. Orlando LB Winston Moss is listed as doubtful with a hamstring, while Pittsburgh CB Quintin Jones is questionable after suffering a concussion. Jack Trudeau had to come out late in the Michigan game after getting shaken up, but is expected to be back this week, while Philly wideout Mike Quick is expected to play despite a hyper-extended knee. LOOKING AHEAD We are back to divisional play in Week 5, with a few early season pivot matches where both teams need to get their season kickstarted. Baltimore is hoping to get back into the mix as they head to Pittsburgh. New Jersey and Washington, both 2-2, hope this is the game where they can set a tone for the year. In the South, 2-2 Birmingham is hoping to upend Orlando in the Citrus Bowl while the two other Florida teams are both desperate for a win as 1-3 Jacksonville heads to 0-4 Tampa. Arizona has a tough road ahead as they head to Denver, while the Invaders hope to garner a 2nd win up in Portland. In Houston, the surprising Chicago Machine will face off against the Gamblers, while the Breakers head to Ft. Worth, for Texas’s “Across the State” game away from San Marcos. In inter-division play the Showboats host the Express, and in a great Saturday Night matchup, the Panthers are in Philly for a rematch of the 1986 Championship.