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In the biggest regular season game in recent memory, the Stars outlast the Panthers to garner just a bit of payback for their Championship Game loss. In other action, winless Birmingham deflates the 4-0 Orlando Renegades, San Antonio shocks New Orleans, and Doug Flutie leads a Walker-less New Jersey to a key divisional win. SCORES BLT 19 PIT 3 Baltimore got just what they needed to bounce back from a bad Week 4 loss, a cakewalk in Pittsburgh. The Maulers just did not have anything going on offense as Baltimore loaded the box and held Mike Rozier to only 39 yards rushing. They dared Alan Risher to beat them and he could not. Despite the fact that for the second week in a row Baltimore could not mount a rushing attack of their own, they led from whistle to whistle and got the needed win. NJ 31 WSH 24 Once again Washington proves they simply cannot win divisional games as a Walker-less Generals squad came in and punched them in the mouth in their own stadium. Doug Flutie had a masterful game, going 21 for 29 for 321 yards and 4TD’s, with 3 of them going to 2nd year TE phenom, Brent Jones. Craig James had a good day, with 117 yards and 2 scores, but it just was not enough for the Feds to get a win. BIR 27 ORL 10 You knew the party had to end sometime, but there was a lot of skepticism that the 0-4 Stallions could be the team to knock 4-0 Orlando from the unbeaten ranks. No one apparently told Birmingham this as they built a 10-7 lead at the half and then scored 14 unanswered to throw Orlando out of their game. Ernest Givens was the BMOC today, with 112 yards receiving and 2 scores to help the Stallions finally notch a win. JAX 18 TBY 28 The Bandits took care of business at home as John Reaves threw for 3 scores to move Tampa to the top of the division at 4-1. Ed Luther had a rough day, sacked 3 times and completing only 55% of his throws. For Tampa, the combination of Anderson (68 yards) and Boone (40 yards) helped keep Jacksonville’s offense off the field and helped boost the Bandits over the hump. ARZ 34 DEN 7 Denver fell flat on their face as Robbie Bosco and the Arizona Wranglers found holes all over the defense. With James Wilder dinged up, 2nd year back, Darryl Clack took over the rushing load in the 2nd half and gained 45 yards on only 9 carrries, along with 2 scores to help put the game away. CHI 10 HOU 17 Chicago proved game again, but still cannot produce enough offense to win games as Houston struggled, but overcame the Machine on a 4th quarter Kelly to Sanders score. Kelly finished the day with 268 yards and 2 scores in the air, while the shift to Todd Fowler as starting HB again proved fruitful as he added 75 yards on the ground. NOR 17 SAN 31 This one will likely lead to a shakeup in New Orleans. They fall to 1-4 after another poor performance by QB Tony Eason. After the game, Dick Coury stated that it may be time to shake things up a bit in an effort to improve on what so far has been a disappointing year. For San Antonio it was Rick Neuheisel’s best game of the year, completing 66% of his throws and finding Carlos Carson for 2 scores along with one to Aubrey Matthews. OAK 27 OKL 24 It was the closest game of the week as the Invaders came back from 7 down to win by 3 in the final minutes, but very few were able to watch it as this matchup was not a premier game on ABC and was only shown in Oklahoma and the Bay Area. Too bad as both Brian Sipe and Blair Kiel had solid games. LA 23 MEM 15 Memphis’s 2-game win streak ends with a home loss as the Express, outgained in the air and on the ground, find the endzone and outlast the Showboats. Steve Young had a rough day throwing (only 180 yards) but added 35 yards rushing as his scrambles, including a 17-yard scoring dash, helped LA overcome a tough Memphis defense. GAME OF THE WEEK It was not the closest game of the year, but the matchup between the 4-0 Michigan Panthers and the 4-0 Philadelphia Stars was one of the most hyped games in several seasons. The rematch of last year’s Championship Game, was all that fans expected. The final score, a significant 19 point win by the Stars, may just end the argument that Michigan is as good with Jack Trudeau as they were with Bobby Hebert in last year’s title game. Trudeau struggled against the complex Philly defense, completing only 46% of his passes and throwing a key interception which led to a Stars score. And while Philadelphia’s offense was able to keep pace with the Panthers, it was often left to the foot of league leader David Trout to provide Philly with scoring. Trout hit on 5 of 5 field goal attempts, giving Philly enough points to hold off the Panthers. The Stars defense was clearly the story of the day, holding Michigan to 282 total yards and only 43 yards rushing. William Fuller scored 2 sacks and rookie LB Danny Lockett had his best game of the year, with 6 tackles (3 for a loss) and a key sack to end a late Michigan drive. The win makes Philly the team to beat and the only unbeaten club in the USFL after 5 games. PERFORMER OF THE WEEK While the Sporting News player of the week was TE Brent Jones of New Jersey, we recognize that Jones’s big game is not possible without another strong performance from QB Doug Flutie. Once again missing Herschel Walker, the Generals relied on Flutie to avoid the team’s third straight loss, and the young man from BC came through. Flutie connected with Jones for 3 scores and added another to Johnny “Lam” Jones, a beauty of an out-&-up that fooled the DB and which Flutie sold with a great arm fake. It was clear in the game that Ray Perkins had noted Washington’s issues defending tight ends and built a game plan around Flutie to Jones. Both of them performed and the game plan proved effective in a tight game against the Federals. NEWS & NOTES After five weeks of action, we have a clear picture of who is looking dangerous and who needs to work on their game. As is typical this time of the season coaches are beginning to feel pressure and changes to the lineup are inevitable, particularly when we have 5 teams with 1 win or fewer. So let’s run through some of the disappointments so far and see what changes we should expect over the next couple of weeks. NEW ORLEANS (1-4) The move some fans have been hoping to see for several years may be happening this week. The sometimes excellent, often erratic, and occasionally horrible Tony Eason may be out at QB for the Breakers this week. Coach Dick Coury has been silent on the issue but there is a lot of buzz that former NY Jet, Bronco and Buffalo Bill backup Matt Robinson may be getting a shot at starting in the USFL. He spent one year sitting behind Doug Williams in Jacksonville, and now in his 3rd season with the Breakers, the 31 year old may very well start next week at Houston. PITTSBURGH (1-4) Alan Risher had a good game against San Antonio but completely flopped this week at home against the Blitz. Will Coach Gabriel pull him this week and put in longtime backup Glen Carano? It seems a risky move, as Pittsburgh committed to Risher with a 3-year deal just this offseason and pulling him now, despite his troubles, can only damage Risher’s confidence. No one sees Carano as a long term answer for the Maulers, but unless Risher can move the offense, the Maulers may be looking at another last place finish. BIRMINGHAM (1-4) The Stallions got their first win of the year this week, so change may not be immediate, and while Cliff Stoudt has never been close to being a Top 5 QB, he is also not usually a problem for the Stallions. The bigger concern is that if they reach mid-season with only 1-2 wins, there may be pressure to release Head Coach Rollie Dotsch, who has gone 11-21 since appearing in the 1984 USFL Championship. Could Dotsch be let go mid-season? Neither coordinator seems ready to step up. In all likelihood Dotsch needs to make a serious run at 9 wins or he may be out. With former Falcons head man Dan Henning and another former Falcons coach in Leeman Bennett recently let go by the Buccaneers, there are two former NFL head coaches, both with ties to the region out there to step in if Dotsch is released. OKLAHOMA (1-4) The pressure that established teams are feeling is not the same for the expansion clubs, and an injury to Doug Williams certainly provides some cover for the 1-4 start, but will it be enough to avoid some personnel shifts? Fans are giddy over the play of Brian Bosworth, and they seem to have accepted Doug Williams as a top notch USFL player, but the rest of the roster is quite a bit more in flux. Don’t be surprised if the Outlaws either scour the free agency pool for possible midseason additions or seek a trade to shore up a weaker position group, such as Wide Receiver, Defensive End, or Cornerback. CHICAGO (0-5) How long is too long to stick with Chuck Long? Yes, he is a rookie. Yes, he is on an expansion team. But when you have a veteran former starter in Todd Blackledge on the team, perhaps you should start him and let Long get occasional action as the season moves along. Admittedly, on a team that lacks firepower, Long has not been a disaster. Even with all his issues he is still rated higher than Tony Eason and Steve Young in QBR and he has thrown for more yards than Alan Risher, Vince Evans or Ed Luther, but Chicago is just not scoring points. We doubt they will bench Albert Bentley, and they don’t have better options at wideout than Willie Collier and Mike Friede (now that Reggie Langhorne is out at least 3 months), so what is Coach Bugel to do? Our best guess is that they attempt to sign some depth on the O-line, rotate more players in, and do their best to pound out a couple of wins with the run game and play action, but the reality is they may simply need another offseason to be competitive. It is something fans in Chicago may not have the patience to wait for. INJURIES This week was a tough one for Washington. Not only did they lose a tough game to New Jersey, but they lost Dexter Manley for the year with a fully torn achilles tendon. Manley, who already had 5 sacks on the year and was causing havoc lined up next to Jerome Brown at DT. With Manley down, Charles Haley and Jon Cade will have to step up. Baltimore also got unwanted news that their starting TE, Mark Keel will moss at least 10 weeks with a back injury, one which could also cost him the full season. Houston will be missing DE Simon Fletcher for at least a week with a stress fracture, while New Orleans will miss wideout Charlie Smith with a hyper extended knee. The Breakers will also be hunting for a new punter this week, as veteran Jeff Hamm likely fractured his kicking leg trying to make a tackle on a return. LOOKING AHEAD Another week with some great matchups as Philly heads to Baltimore in what should be the Blitz’s best shot to get back into the mix. Washington is in Pittsburgh while Memphis travels to Birmingham. The Bandits and Renegades have an unlikely matchup for first place, while New Orleans will try to get on track against the red hot Houston Gamblers. San Antonio will get its first taste of USFL elite when they travel to Michigan. In Denver, the Gold will try to get on track in a tough matchup against the division-leading Invaders, while Oklahoma, hopefully with Doug Williams back under center, head out to LA. Chicago will be in the Meadowlands to face the Generals and Arizona makes a rare cross-country flight to play in Jacksonville.

Orlando, Michigan and Philadelphia all move to 4-0 with convincing wins as they each score over 40 on their march to victory. Memphis upsets Oakland, Pittsburgh gets their first W of the year, the Stallions fall to 0-4, and Houston stuns Baltimore to move to 3-1. SCORES MEM 28 OAK 26 Memphis evens their record with 2nd straight win off a 4 TD performance from Walter Lewis. Oakland drops 2nd in a row to also end up at 2-2 as Sipe again has a rough outing against a fierce pass rush. JAX 23 LA 20 Bulls edge the Express as Ed Luther does just enough to win. Gary Clark catches 7 for 110 and rookie HB Tommy Agie makes the most of limited action, rushing for 55 yards on only 7 carries. BIR 19 DEN 29 Birmingham drops to 0-4 and rumors of a midseason coaching change are already swirling around Legion Field. Denver gets a solid game from Bob Gagliano as rookie wideout Mark Carrier gets into the mix. ORL 41 OKL 13 Orlando is just too much for their expansion rival as Reggie Collier and Curtis Bledsoe dominate. Oklahoma, playing with 3rd string QB Blair Kiel, cannot muster offense, but rookie Brian Bosworth has a breakout game in defeat with 13 solo tackles. PHI 41 NOR 28 Despite a good game for Breakers backup QB Matt Robinson (22 of 32 for 229 and 2 TD’s) the Stars are just too much for the Breakers as Chuck Fusina tosses 3 scores and the special teams kick in with a 78 yard punt return TD from Chris Snyder. NJ 10 MGN 44 The Panthers continue to impress as Jack Trudeau throws for 4 scores and 340 yards against a beleaguered Generals secondary. Without Walker the Generals offense sputters for a 2nd straight week. WSH 23 CHI 13 Chicago continues to have issues on offense, falling to 0-4 and gaining only 222 in total yards against the feisty Federals. Don Majkowski, in for the injured Neil Lomax, looks like a keeper, going 18 for 29 for 250 and 2 scores. HOU 31 BLT 17 The Gamblers are on a roll, moving to 3-1 with a convincing win over Baltimore. Houston outgained the Blitz 418 to 228, as Jim Kelly went 24 for 34 for 349 yards and 3 scores, but it was the Houston D that surprised many, as they held Tim Spencer to only 8 yards on 9 carries. PIT 33 SAN 16 The Maulers get their first win as Alan Risher finally finds his groove. Risher throws for 3 scores and the Maulers defense bends but does not break, allowing 311 yards to Rick Neuheisel, but keeping the Gunslingers out of the endzone. GAME OF THE WEEK Tampa Bay Bandits 27 Arizona Wranglers 24 A tough home loss for the Wranglers, who fall to 1-3 as Tampa’s John Reaves mounts classic final drive for a field goal to edge Arizona by 3. Tampa had held the lead for most of the game after starting off with two beautiful Reaves to Truvillion scores, a 34 yarder in the 1st and a 61-yard bomb in the second. Arizona slowly marched back, making the score 14-7 at half on a James Wilder 5-yard screen pass for a score. In the 2nd half, Reaves found Truvillion for a 3rd score, the teams traded field goals, and to start the 4th it was Tampa up 24-10. In the 4th QB Robbie Bosco found a groove, and within 8 minutes he had equalized the score with a touchdown toss to Louis Lipps and another to Curtis Duncan. But they left John Reaves too much time, and the veteran led the Bandits down field to a 35-yard FG from new kicker Benny Ricardo with 51 seconds left. Arizona mounted a desperation drive, but a 4th and 5 pass from Bosco to TE Keith McKeller was disrupted by Tampa linebacker Paul Plurowski, and fell harmlessly to the ground, ending the game. The win helps Tampa (3-1) keep pace with the surprising Orlando Renegades (4-0) while the loss drops the Wranglers to 1-3, but still only a game out of first with Oakland’s second straight loss. PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK Plenty of solid offensive performances this week, but we are going to give a team shoutout to the entire Houston Gambler defense. Not only did they hold the explosive Baltimore Blitz to only 228 total yards, but they also absolutely stuffed the run game. The Blitz were limited to 15 yards on 19 carries for the game, an astonishing lack of production. Add to this the ability to draw penalties on the Blitz O-line (6 false starts in one game), a safety, and the 0 for 9 third down debacle the Blitz put in, and you have a truly outstanding defensive day. What makes it even more impressive is that there was no one hero here. The top tackler had only 6 and 8 different players had at least 3 tackles. Houston managed to not only shut down the run, but an aggressive blitz scheme led to 5 sacks of the elusive Vince Evans. It was the kind of performance that made QB Jim Kelly’s day quite easy, as there was little pressure to score, and almost no serious threat of a late comeback. All in all an outstanding performance by a squad that simply does not get enough recognition around the league. NEWS AND NOTES We are four weeks in and time to look at the 1987 rookie class and see who is making waves. At QB the only rookie starter in the league is Chicago’s Chuck Long, who has struggled, throwing 2 TDs and 4 Ints so far. The big revelation may be in Washington, where UVa’s Don Majkowski, playing for the injured Neil Lomax, has looked like a very good value pick for the Federals. Admitedly, he has only played one full game, but he looked poised, elusive, and showed a strong arm against the Chicago Machine. At HB the rookies have really not had a chance to shine. LA’s Christian Okoye leads the bunch with only 120 total yards, while Tommy Agie (JAX) and Jaime Mueller (PHI) have seen some spot action only. We are still waiting to see if others like Brent Fullwood (BIR), Alfred Jenkins (WSH) or Paul Palmer (OAK) can get on the field behind stars like Cribbs, James, and Whittington. Defense seems to be where the early Rookie of the Year contenders are coming. With a 13-tackle day this week, Oklahoma’s Brian “The Boz” Bosworth is now the league leader in that category. Orlando CB Melvin Jenkins already has 33 tackles and 7 passes defended. Memphis LB Mike Junkin is a steady starter, with 28 tackles and 2 sacks to his name, while Michigan’s Hardy Nickerson has worked his way into a starting role and has racked up 22 tackles as part of the killer Panther D. It is very early, and in addition to the rookie class, there is a lot of quality play coming from the NFL transfers, but when we look at the true rookies, we are seeing a lot of potential, but perhaps the USFL has reached a point in its roster depth where top level rookies are not automatic starters or top performers on their team. While we are certain that several will become stars in the USFL, it is a good sign that the big names coming out of the draft are not automatically the best players on their teams from day one. INJURIES The good news around the league is that Week 5 should see the return of several starting QBs, though Doug Williams is still listed as questionable, as is Neil Lomax. LB Sam Mills is also expected back in action for the Stars, as is WR Vic James in Orlando, LB John Bunting in Oklahoma, and DT William Perry in Tampa. The bad news is that several key players may be missing some time. Chicago, who cannot afford to lose offensive playmakers, may have lost WR Reggie Langhorne for the year with a neck injury. Washington is now down two starting linemen, as both Tackle John Sherman and Center Joel Hilgenberg are out at least a month. And in New Jersey, all eyes are still focused on Herschel Walker. After two games out, and 2 losses for the Generals, they are hoping he can return, but is still listed as questionable this week. LOOKING AHEAD Week Five is a make-or-break week for several teams looking at the basement of the standings. We could start to see some changes if teams cannot get a win this week. Once again 16 of the 20 teams are in divisional play, so this will be a key week for many teams regardless of where they are in the standings. Baltimore hopes to rebound with a trip to Pittsburgh while New Jersey has a tough game at Washington. In the South, Birmingham, still searching for their first win, is in Orlando, who have yet to lose. Jacksonville and Tampa will renew their fierce rivalry as well this week. Arizona is hoping to get back in contention but face a feisty Denver Gold team on the road. Oakland is in Oklahoma, where we still are not sure who will play QB for the Outlaws. Chicago has a brutal 5th game, playing in Houston, while New Orleans hope to put all the pieces together against the Gunslingers. In inter-divisional play we have LA headed to Memphis, and what is certainly the best game of the first 5 weeks of the season we have a real slobberknocker ready to go in Veteran’s Stadium as the 4-0 Michigan Panthers come to town to take on the 4-0 Philadelphia Stars in a rematch of the 1986 Championship. This one should be a true clash of titans.

It was a rough week for the league's field marshals as several teams ended their games with backups trying to guide their squads to victory. Oklahoma lost two QB's in one game, New Orleans just opted to hand off the ball, and Washington fell just short with rookie Don Majkowski playing for an injured Neil Lomax. SCORES PHI 31 NJ 3 Without Herschel Walker, and with Philadelphia having a week to prepare for Flutie, the Generals did not have a shot in this one. The Stars defense smothered the Generals’ run game and contained Flutie. By the 4th quarter the game was out of hand and Jeff Hostetler got some rare snaps at QB for Philly. TBY 26 BIR 24 The Stallions were game and mounted a 4th quarter comeback to pull within 2, but with the return of John Reaves the Tampa offense was just too efficient. Eric Truvillion had a big day, catching 7 for 142 and two scores. MEM 31 JAX 21 The surprise of the week as the Showboats went down to the Gator Bowl and got a decisive win. The star of the day was Walter Lewis, who many were calling to bench prior to the game. Lewis threw for 306 and two scores. He also dove in for a score as the Showboats outperformed the Bulls in all three phases of the game. MGN 28 CHI 25 Chicago’s defense was the surprise of the game as they picked off Jack Trudeau twice, got a fumble return for a score and a safety. Michigan, in the end, was too much for Chicago’s offense, which was held without a touchdown until the 4th quarter. The Panthers pulled it out with a 4th quarter drive which ended with rookie Bobbie Morse plunging into the end zone from 2 yards out. SAN 6 HOU 30 In their first game against a non-expansion team, the Gunslingers fell hard to a motivated Houston Gambler team. After a 3 interception debacle last week, Jim Kelly rebounded with a 3 score, 0 interception game against the Gunslingers. Todd Fowler also had his best game in 2 years, rushing for 88 yards in the Houston win. LA 27 ARZ 20 The Express snagged their first win of the season, putting up 14 in the final quarter to overcome the Wranglers. Steve Young overcame 3 interceptions in the game, also throwing for 3 scores, including 2 to Jo-Jo Townsell. For Arizona, Robbie Bosco struggled with 3 picks of his own and former Buccaneer James Wilder came tantalizingly close to his first 100-yard USFL game, rushing for 99 on 17 carries. OKL 6 DEN 16 In a game that saw both starter Doug Williams and backup Brent Pease knocked out of the game, Denver’s defense finally lived up to its billing, holding Oklahoma to only 2 field goals and providing space for Denver’s offense to muddle through yet again. Despite a strong game from WR Bill Brooks, the run & shoot was not particularly effective as Gagliano hit on only 52% of his passes. Williams is expected to be back in a week or two, but Pease may be out for the year with his injury (more below). NOR 45 PIT 10 After two frustrating losses to Oakland and Michigan, the Breakers took out their frustration on the struggling Maulers. An injury to Tony Eason in the 2nd quarter may have actually given the Breakers a new path to victory, as they turned to the run game with both Marcus Dupree and Dalton Hilliard. Dupree rushed for 137 and 2 scores and Hilliard added 96 and 2 more scores in the Breakers rout of Pittsburgh. OAK 17 ORL 19 It may now be time to take Orlando seriously. After beating two perennial cupcakes (Memphis and Pittsburgh) many expected Orlando to struggle against the 2-0 Invaders, but the Renegades were well-prepared as Coach Schnellenberger focused on limiting Brian Sipe in the pass game. On offense, Reggie Collier did just enough to edge Oakland, throwing for two scores. GAME OF THE WEEK Washington Federals 25 Baltimore Blitz 28 Washington’s divisional game woes continued with yet another divisional loss as Baltimore got the edge in this overtime thriller. With Neil Lomax out after the half due to injury, rookie Don Majkowski helped keep Washington in the game, leading a game-tying drive in the final seconds to send the game to overtime, but in the the added period, Baltimore never let the Feds have the ball, scoring the winning fieldgoal on their first possession. Tim Spencer was key for the Blitz, as his 100 yards on only 11 carries powered the Blitz offense. Vince Evans, who has been struggling this year, had an efficient if unspectacular day (72% completions, but only 163 yards). For Washington, Craig James’ 128 yards helped keep the offense churning once Lomax was knocked out. Majkowski appointed himself well, going 17 for 23 for 159 and a score. Down 22-25 after a Tim Spencer TD and with 3:07 on the clock, Majkowski led the Federals on a desperation drive to tie the game. He found Webster Slaughter for 2 big completions to start the drive, and then dinked and dunked with several drop down passes to Spencer to get the Feds into field goal range. Ray Wersching hit an impressive 51 yarder to send the game into overtime, but the Feds would never see the ball again as Baltimore got the win with a 39 yarder to win this classic Atlantic Division clash. PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK We are going to have two teammates share this week’s POTW glory. With Tony Eason knocked out of the game vs. Pittsburgh and all eyes on the run game, Marcus Dupree and Dalton Hilliard still combined for 233 on the ground to crush the Maulers. Hilliard averaged 6.4 yards and left defenders in tatters on a bruising 14-yard TD score. Dupree did even better, rushing for an 8.1-yard average, despite never having a run over 17 yards. Matt Robinson, who subbed for Eason, only threw 10 passes in nearly 3 quarters of play because the combo of Dupree and Hilliard was so effective in creating short 3rd downs and converting them. It was a clinic on how to run the ball against a stacked defense as New Orleans used pulling linemen and misdirection runs to confuse the Mauler D, but it was also a story of two strong runners breaking tackles and refusing to go down at the end of plays. NEWS & NOTES Three weeks in and there are already some teams looking at their offensive production and wondering if a change is needed. The problem is many of the struggling teams don’t have a solid option to fall back on. Chicago must be frustrated by their lack of offensive production, and Chuck Long is clearly struggling, but this may be a teamwide issue, and it may not help at all to replace Long with either Blackledge or Beurlein, so we expect the Machine to stand pat and work on better scheming. In Pittsburgh, Alan Risher has not lived up to his performances from last year. He is currently the 2nd lowest ranked starting QB in the league, with only Vince Evans (8 Ints) below him. He is completing only 45% of his passes for the Maulers. Could Pittsburgh take a look at Glen Carano if Risher continues to struggle? In Denver, Bob Gagliano is still struggling in Mouse Davis’ Run & Shoot, though we suspect that his starting position is solid for now. Out in LA, it is the run game which has coach Hadl worried. Rotating Tony Boddie with Christian Okoye has not produced solid numbers yet, as defenses have regularly stacked the box on downs where Okoye is in the backfield and moved to a nickel to defend against the quicker Boddie. LA may just have to settle on one back and then use play action to open up the defense. Finally, the winless Stallions must be frustrated, having only scored 57 points in three games. Joe Cribbs cannot do it all alone, and Ernest Givens is putting up good numbers, but there is a huge drop off after Givens as Jim Smith seems to have lost a step and former NJ General Clarence Collins has been a no show. Part of the blame certainly falls on Cliff Stoudt’s shoulders, but the offense also lacks imagination as Coach Dotsch seems content to use the predictable run-run-pass three down strategy. Dotsch came into the year feeling a bit of heat, and if the Stallions cannot turn things around, this may be the end of his run in Birmingham. INJURIES This was a bad week for QB’s around the league. Washington lost Neil Lomax to an ankle sprain and may miss the week 4 game. New Orleans QB Tony Eason went down with a concussion but is likely to return next week. Birmingham’s Cliff Stoudt came out late in the game with a leg injury, questionable for next week. But the worst situation is clearly in Oklahoma, where starter Doug Williams suffered a stress fracture in his plant foot and may miss up to 3 weeks. His backup, Brent Pease, was also knocked out of the game, and perhaps the season, with a fractured fibula. It was an ugly injury as Pease was carted off the field, unable to put any weight on the leg. He is certainly out at least 8-10 weeks, but likely is out for the year. Oklahoma will start former Blitz backup Blair Kiel, who saw a lot of action in 1984 when Vince Evans was lost for a good part of the year but has played very sparingly over the past 2 years. In other injuries, expect Herschel Walker to miss a second week with his hand injury. Jacksonville will be without WR Hassan Jones for at least a month with a shoulder injury. Orlando loses one of its best receivers as Vic James will miss at least 2 weeks with a knee injury, and Tampa’s brand-new TE, Sam Bowers is out for two months with a fracture to the tibia on his left leg. Arizona will also be without a key weapon for at least 2 weeks as TE Terry Orr went down with ligament damage in his right knee. LOOKING AHEAD Week Four will be one of those rare weeks where no teams are in divisional play. That does not mean that we don’t have some intriguing matchups. The highlight game of the week may well be Philly at New Orleans, but we also want to tune in as Jacksonville heads out to LA and when New Jersey faces the Panthers in the Silverdome. Houston hosts Baltimore in another top match, and San Antonio will have a chance to get a 3rd win as they host Pittsburgh. In other action, Washington will head to Chicago to face the winless Machine, Orlando goes for 4-0 against a depleted Oklahoma squad, Denver hosts Birmingham, Oakland welcomes Memphis out West, and the Bandits head out to the desert to face the Wranglers.

Three of Four expansion clubs win in a wild week of USFL action. New Jersey and Washington continue to look solid, Michigan looks scary, and the Invaders seem primed to repeat out west. SCORES BLT 7 NJ 24 A first quarter injury to Herschel Walker forces Doug Flutie to carry the Generals, and he does, along with a big assist from the defense. Flutie throws for 290 and 3 scores and the Generals’ D gets 4 takeaways as New Jersey gets a big home win early in the season. PHI 38 PIT 27 Pittsburgh is game for 3 quarters, but cannot keep pace with the Stars in the end. Kelvin Bryant contributes 112 yards and a TD and former BC star Gerald Phelan catches 7 for 110 as the Stars outmuscle the Maulers in Pittsburgh. BIR 17 JAX 24 Jacksonville gets their first win of the year and hold Joe Cribbs under 100 yards as the Bulls edge past the Stallions. Ed Luther again looks solid, going 22 for 33 and 263 yards in the Bulls first win of the year. CHI 7 SAN 21 Someone stop these Gunslingers, in their second straight expansion club showdown, the Gunslingers get 107 yards from HB Scott Stamper and another 117 from receiver Aubrey Matthews as they defeat the Machine in Alamo Stadium. MGN 33 NOR 22 Michigan is proving that the loss of Bobby Hebert is not going to be the doom of the team with a convincing win over a top rival in their division. Trudeau again goes over 300, but this week it was the run game, with John Williams gaining 169 and 2 scores, that secures the win for a very deep, very talented Michigan squad. LA 15 OAK 23 Oakland gets 153 yards from their workhorse, Arthur Whittington, as they build a 23-0 lead and then withstand a late Express charge to move to 2-0. Despite the win, Brian Sipe looked vulnerable against a blistering LA pass rush, going only 29 for 43 and 196. ARZ 20 OKL 21 In a game interrupted by a late afternoon thunderstorm, the Outlaws win their home opener, barely edging the Wranglers. Robbie Bosco throws for 309 and 2 scores, but Stump Mitchell’s 47 yard scamper on a screen pass proves the game winner against the Wranglers. WSH 28 DEN 23 Denver’s Bob Gagliano does all he can with 370 yards and 3 scores, but the Denver D cannot contain Federals’ wideout Webster Slaughter, who scores twice, including a 4th quarter strike for the lead and eventual win. Lomax again looks sharp and the Federals look like a contender this year with a solid win. TBY 44 HOU 10 Jim Kelly has a nightmare game against the Bandits defense, sacked 5 times and throwing 3 interceptions which help the Bandits blow out the Gamblers. Oliver Luck, in relief for an injured John Reaves, stays within his game, throwing for 212, 2 scores and no picks, as Gary Anderson and Speedy Neal add touchdowns to help Tampa score the road win. GAME OF THE WEEK OT: Memphis Showboats 35 Orlando Renegades 41 Two late scores give Orlando their second win of the year against non-expansion competition as Memphis cannot pull off the road win. In a game that saw 10 touchdowns and little semblance of structured defense, the Renegades pull off the minor upset and win their home opener in front of a rowdy crowd at the Citrus Bowl. Reggie Collier throws for 303 in the overtime thriller, including a late score to Wamon Buggs to tie the game at 35 and send it to overtime. Memphis was game, and Memphis had their first 100 yard rushing performance in a long time as Buford Jordan ran for 103 and 2 scores, but defensively the Showboats could not contain Collier and the Renegades. Another former Federal, HB Curtis Bledsoe ran for 116 and two scores of his own to lead the Renegades to their second win out of the gate for this expansion club. And while we cannot say that either defense had a good day in a 41-35 game, we should recognize Renegades rookie CB Melvin Jenkins, who helped in run coverage (totalling 15 tackles on the day) and also scored on a pick-six interception in the 2nd quarter to even the score at 14. Walter Lewis would throw 3 interceptions on the day, leading to 14 Orlando points. The Renegades’ Collier kept a cleaner stat line, with no interceptions and a single TD to Wamon Buggs. The win moves Orlando to 2-0 and atop the Southern Division. The loss moves Memphis to a familiar 0-2 as the Showboats continue to struggle to put together a three-phase game. PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK While not the most statistically impressive performance of the week, we are going to give kudos this week to New Jersey’s diminutive field marshall, Doug Flutie. We all knew the game plan for their game against Baltimore was Walker, Walker, and Walker, but when the All-USFL back went down with an injury to his dominant ball-carrying hand, Flutie stepped up and led the Generals to a big divisional win. The Generals still fed the ball to their rushers, with Jamie Covington getting the majority of carries (21 for 72 yards) but on drive after drive either a Flutie scramble or a well-placed pass to one of the tight ends moved the chains. 2nd year TE Brent Jones finished the game with 121 yards and a score. Flutie also hit on big plays, finding Lam Jones for a 53 yarder and Brent Jones on a 81 yard catch and run. It was the kind of performance that Generals’ fans have hoped for from the former Heisman winner, and perhaps a sign that Ray Perkins’s plans for the Generals are starting to come together. NEWS & NOTES Before we all get too excited about having two expansion clubs atop their divisions at 2-0, let’s have a brief reality check. San Antonio, while led by a more than capable QB in Rick Neuheisel, have beaten two fellow expansion clubs, both at home, with wins over the Outlaws and Machine. Orlando, who also have capable leadership in Reggie Collier, have beaten Pittsburgh and Memphis, two perennial 10-loss teams. Let’s just hold on and see what happens when these expansion phenoms face off against some of the league’s better clubs. I am not saying that the Renegades and Gunslingers have not impressed early, I am just saying we need to see more, and against top opposition, before we start planning for playoff games in Orlando and San Antonio. INJURIES This always seems to be the case. After a relatively light week of injuries to start off the year, the second week comes around and players start to get knocked around. While we are fortunate that there are not a lot of long term injuries to report, there are some teams that will be scrambling for a week or two to cover for sidelined teammates. As you have heard, Herschel Walker had to leave the game against Baltimore. He is likely to miss at least one more week with a hand injury. Birmingham may be missing their signal caller, Cliff Stoudt, as he had to leave the Stallion’s game with a deep thigh bruise. He is listed as doubtful for week 3. So too are wideouts Vic James (ORL) and Richard Johnson (OKL), the first with a knee concern and the second with a broken foot. Could be 2-3 weeks for either of them. Philly is listing DE William Fuller as doubtful with a deep thigh bruise, and Tampa is in a similar state with DT William Perry, who has tendinitis in his left knee. Denver could miss DT Laval Short for at least a week with a pinched nerve, while Philly is hoping that Sam Mills can return next week but still list him as questionable. Tampa has listed John Reaves as probable, which almost certainly means that the “Old Man” will be back under center in week 3. LOOKING AHEAD Week 3 offers us another slate of 8 divisional games and 2 inter-divisional matchups. Folks in DC are excited for their trip to Baltimore this week as a 3rd win to start the year, and a victory over the Blitz, would both be very welcome. Philly will test whether New Jersey is for real when they clash in the Meadowlands. Down South the Bandits hope to have Reaves back for a rivalry game vs. the Stallions in Legion Field, while the Showboats will try to get their first win but face a tough Bulls team in Jacksonville. Michigan heads to Chicago in what looks like a mismatch, and San Antonio and Houston battle in the Astrodome in the first Texas Shootout. LA, still looking for a win, have a tough game, facing the Wranglers in Tempe, while the Outlaws travel to Denver. In what used to be a divisional game, the Breakers are in Pittsburgh to face the newly repositioned Atlantic Division Maulers, while Oakland will be a tough test for the Renegades at home in the Citrus Bowl.

Two expansion teams get solid wins, Washington makes an early statement, and Michigan reminds the league that they are still Champs. All this plus two overtime games to thrill USFL fans in the season's first week of action. SCORES BIR 16 BLT 21 Vince Evans won this game with his feet, a 31 yard run for a score in the 4th gave the Blitz enough to hold on against the Stallions despite 100 yards from Joe Cribbs and 125 yards for Ernest Givens. JAX 20 NJ 25 Despite a poor day from Doug Flutie (195 yards, 2 TD, 2 Int), Walker’s 158 yards helped power the Generals over the Bulls. Ed Luther played well and likely will get a 2nd start, but the Bulls need to tune up their O. MEM 6 PHI 26 This game was dominated by the Stars defense, which gave up only 2 first half field goals to Memphis. The Showboats only mustered 47 yards on the ground and went 4 of 14 on 3rd down. ORL 20 PIT 9 The Maulers thought they should win this game, but were outperformed by the Renegades. Rozier had 124 but could not find the endzone, while Collier hit Buggs and James each for a score on the way to a W. TBY 21 WSH 28 Neil Lomax shines in the 3nd half, leading the Federals back from 21-7 deficit with 3 unanswered scores. He finishes with 361 and 4 TD’s, two to a revived Joey Walters. Late in the game, John Reaves suffers an injury which could keep him out of action for 1-2 weeks. ARZ 23 CHI 3 Chicago just did not have an offensive rhythm in this one, going 1 for 11 on 3rd down and gaining only 38 yards rushing. Robbie Bosco looked ready for prime time with 301 yards and a 77% completion rate. DEN 3 HOU 28 Jim Kelly was in prime form, Bob Gagliano was not. Kelly threw for 354 yards and 4 scores to 4 different receivers while Gagliano could not mount a steady offense. LA 16 MGN 38 Michigan looks like they have not lost a step as Jack Trudeau does his best Bobby Hebert imitation, throwing for 375 and 4 scores against a bewildered LA defense. OKL 24 SAN 27 in OT In the first matchup of expansion clubs, both came out looking good. The Gunslingers got a late Neuheisel to Carson TD to send the game to overtime, where Mike-Myer got the home team the win. Both QB’s played well and threw for over 300 yards. Stump Mitchell also contributed 115 for the Outlaws. GAME OF THE WEEK OT: Oakland Invaders 34 New Orleans Breakers 31 We predicted a shoot out and that is just what we got in this overtime thriller. At the half the Breakers looked like they would run away with the game, up 31-10, but Oakland stormed back with 21 unanswered in the second half to tie the game and send it to overtime. With momentum on their side they found the will to win after multiple overtime possessions led to a 31 yard Kevin Shea game winner. The Breakers had it all working in the first half. Eason found Dan Ross for a score, then hooked up with Franz on a beauty of a fly pattern for 57. Dupree and Hilliard also punched in scores of their own and the home team was sitting pretty up by 21 at the half. In the second half, Oakland, either out of design or out of desperation, abandoned the run game of Whittington and just let Brian Sipe sling the ball all over the field. He would end the day with 405 yards passing and in the second half he found Henry Ellard 9 times. Ellard would not score, but the need to double cover him made it possible for Mark Duper, Ray Chester and Wyatt Henderson each to find open spots in the dicey Breaker zones and Oakland was back in the game. In overtime, both teams had 2 possessions each before Oakland managed to get close enough for Kevin Shea to boot the game winner. A lot of good football in this one. Sipe was the star, but we saw good games from multiple players on both teams (mostly on offense). Eason had 2 picks, but otherwise looked solid, throwing for 247 and 2 scores. Dupree and Hilliard split carries and ran for a combined 106 with 2 scores. Ellard finished with 12 receptions and 124 yards on the day and Mark Duper caught 6 for 108 and 2 scores as well. A fun game in the Super Dome, and a clear sign that both of these clubs are going to light things up this year. PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK Rather than pick one player on a day when so many had strong games, let’s give this award up to the new faces in new places. In some cases, like Jack Trudeau’s 375 yard day for Michigan or Robbie Bosco’s strong game for Arizona, it was a strong first act for a player replacing a legend. In others, like Neil Lomax or Carlos Carson, it was an NFL star shining for the first time in the USFL. And for several others, like the shootout between Doug Williams and Rick Neuheisel, it was proof that the expansion clubs made good calls in spending draft capital to sign a veteran QB. It’s a new season, and we are all trying to figure out which teams made good offseason decisions and which did not. So far there is a lot of positivity around the league surrounding the big moves. NEWS AND NOTES Week One is in some ways still a version of pre-season in the USFL, where teams only have a couple of controlled scrimmages and 1 pre-season game to prep for the year. So we should not take the first week’s results as gospel for the rest of the year. After all, the only Southern Division team with a win was expansion Orlando, and while we like what we saw out of Michigan, Oakland, Philly and the Feds, let’s not book those playoff ticket purchases yet. Sure, if you are a fan of Denver, Chicago, or Pittsburgh you need to be concerned about the lackluster first week, but these are teams still trying to gel and find their mojo for the year. INJURIES While the John Reaves injury is getting most of the press, he will likely miss only a game or two with his injured right foot. Baltimore is likely to be without CB Leslie Frazier for up to 2 months after a likely MCL tear, and Philly will be without their most experienced wideout as Tom Donovan will be out at least 2 weeks with a wrist injury. New Jersey is likely to miss their new NFL acquisition as DE Gary Jeter also hurt his wrist in their win, but may be able to play with a cast as soon as week 3. Finally, Philly LB Sam Mills suffered a concussion in their game, but will likely be out no more than one week. LOOKING AHEAD Week Two offers us a full slate of divisional games and another battle of expansion clubs. Chicago will travel to San Antonio in hopes of getting their first win, while Michigan takes on New Orleans in an important early test for both clubs. Baltimore takes on the Generals at the Meadowlands and Philly will face Pittsburgh at Three Rivers as the Penn Rivalry renews this year. In the South, Birmingham heads to Jacksonville and Memphis is in Orlando. Out West, LA heads up the 1 to Oakland and Arizona heads to Tulsa to face the Oklahoma Outlaws. With each division having 5 teams, there will always be two interdivisional games in weeks when all other teams are fighting divisional battles. In this first week of intra-divisional battles we also find Washington flying out to Denver to face the Gold and Tampa Bay, with untested Oliver Luck at QB, in a tough matchup against Jim Kelly and the Gamblers in the Astrodome.

It's your chance to give us your best predictions for the 1987 season. Use the Comment section to tell us who you pick for: 1987 USFL Champions & Runners Up 1987 MVP 1987 Rookie of the Year All the games are simulated, so I am not controlling game outcomes or player performance (once players are set up in the simulation, they improve or decline in their ratings independent of me), so I have as little control as possible and no guess who will come out on top except my knowledge of rosters. Once at least 3 people make their picks, I will show you my picks for the year.