USA Today, August 17, 1986 The USFL league season may be over, but this wild offseason is just getting rolling. With the expansion draft format set and scheduled for mid-November, and the collegiate drafts (Open and Territorial) scheduled for December, the main action right now is on free agency, along with coaching and staff hires for both expansion clubs and teams in transition. A lot is happening so let’s get right to it. COACHING The USFL offseason began several weeks back with the usual “Black Friday Massacre” as teams let coaches go. Washington replaced Lee Corso immediately with OC Sam Rutigliano, but LA and Pittsburgh engaged in a full search, as did all 4 expansion teams. We know already about the hires in Chicago (Bugel), San Antonio (Gil Steinke), and Miami/Orlando (Schnellenberger), and now we know the remaining and final 3 positions. Los Angeles: After an up and down ride with former CFL coach Hugh Campbell, the Express have opted to go with a local boy, southern California legend John Hadl is the new Head man in LA. Hadl played with both the Chargers of the AFL/AFC and the Rams of the NFC (along with Green Bay and Houston), has also coached in both the NCAA, at Kansas, and in the NFL, with the Rams and Broncos. His new position will be his first stint as a Head Coach. Pittsburgh: The Maulers, after interviewing several USFL and NFL assistants, have decided that the best solution is right in their own back yard, and have promoted OC Roman Gabriel to be their next Head Coach. This comes as something of a surprise as Pittsburgh did not exactly light the league on fire offensively under Gabriel this year. It is believed that a strong endorsement from new Mauler QB Alan Risher may have been the swaying factor for the Maulers to stay in house rather than sign someone to come in fresh. Tulsa: More on why there is a USFL team in Tulsa below, but the still nameless final USFL expansion franchise has locked in their coach, former Steelers linebacker coach and defensive coordinator Woody Widenhofer, will take on the new franchise. Widenhofer has served in a variety of defensive capacities for the Steelers, the University of Minnesota, Eastern Michigan and Michigan State, and is known for his work with the Steel Curtain defense, but this will be his first head coaching position, and with the franchise both behind the 8-ball and behind schedule, it will be a tough task as he assembles his staff and tries to put together a roster. NFL SIGNINGS More USFL talent has headed to the NFL, and one huge name is still in limbo as we close in on the start of the 1986 NFL season. HOUSTON: Coy Bacon, the top DE on Houston's roster, played his first 2 seasons in Washington and now heads back to DC after signing with the Redskins. LOS ANGELES: The only kicker the Express have ever had, Tony Zendejas, heads to the Houston Oilers. MICHIGAN: The Champs lose two key players, and all eyes remain fixed on Bobby Hebert to see just how bad the NFL exodus will be. The St. Louis Cardinals have signed CB Clarence Chapman, and the Dallas Cowboys have signed LB Alonzo Johnson after Michigan successfully resigned MLB John Corker. PHILADELPHIA: Johnny Hector, who has backed up Kelvin Bryant these past 3 years is heading off to New York as the newest member of the Jets. TAMPA BAY: The Bandits lose two starters in Safety John Bostic (Detroit Lions) and LB James Harrell (LA Raiders). USFL RESIGNINGS But for every player lost, there is one either resigned or signed away from the NFL. Here are the biggest moves from across the USFL to keep the cupboards from going bare. ARIZONA: Resigned FB Mike Cade, HB Kevin Carter, and LB Stan White. BALTIMORE: Resigned WR Jackie Flowers, LB Ben Apuna, CB Leslie Frazier, and DT Roberto Daniel. DENVER: Resigned T Kevin Call, TE Bob Niziolek, and DE Laval Short. HOUSTON: Resigned WR’s Ricky Sanders and Clarence Verdin, along with S Keith Moody. LA: Resigned Tony Boddie after losing Kevin Mack to the NFL. MEMPHIS: Resigned LB Eddie Simmons. MICHIGAN: Has resigned WR Derek Holloway, DE Ronnie Paggett, and LB John Corker, but remain in negotiations with QB Bobby Hebert, who is getting a lot of NFL interest as well. NEW JERSEY: Team ownership sighed with relief when Herschel Walker agreed to a new 3 year deal. They have also resigned S Gary Barbaro for another 2 seasons. NEW ORLEANS: Has extended the contract of RB Richard Crump for 1 more year. Crump may still end up on the unprotected list, as he currently sits in a crowded backfield with Dalton Hilliard and Marcus Dupree. OAKLAND: Resigned LB Kurt Gouveia and TE Ray Chester. PHILADELPHIA: The stars have a lot of players up for new contracts, but have resigned TE Steve Folsom, WRs Tom Donovan and Gerald Phelan, LB Sam Mills and FS Rob Porter. PITTSBURGH: After his success on a 1-year deal, the Maulers have inked QB Alan Risher to a new 3-year contract. They also kept the Mauler faithful happy by signing league rushing leader Mike Rozier to a 3-year extension. TAMPA BAY: After losing James Harrell to the NFL, the Bandits were able to extend LB Paul Plurowski for another 2 years. WASHINGTON: With Neil Lomax slated to start for the Federals in 1987, and Reggie Collier’s situation now set, the Federals signed Mike Hohensee for another 2 years, likely to serve as the backup. TRADES & NFL SIGNINGS PHILADELPHIA: The Stars made the biggest splash on the NFL player market over the past few weeks (since Washington’s signing of Lomax) with the announcement that they were adding former Eagle wideout Mike Quick to their roster. Quick will instantly add new dimensions of size and speed to a Stars receiving corps that has largely been viewed as medium route possession receivers. TULSA: The newly-located Oklahoma expansion franchise has signed its first two players, both from the NFL. Under Widenhofer they are expected to focus on their run game, and have started to build that option by signing former St. Louis Cardinal HB Stump Mitchell. Mitchell will likely be the face of the (somewhat wayward) franchise, at least until they sign a QB. In addition to this, the new team has also signed former Packers kicker Al Del Greco. EXPANSION NEWS Yes, we let the cat out of bag with our player announcements, but the last 2 USFL expansion franchises now have homes. ORLANDO: The once-promising Miami expansion bid simply never matieralized, but when lead investor Woody Weisner was unable to secure a lease to the Orange Bowl, another investor, Donald Dizney (not that Disney family, note the spelling) was able to negotiate a very favorable 4 year contract with Orlando’s Citrus Bowl. This week the new franchise announced its new identity, the Renegades. The blue and silver-clad Renegades will be coached by Florida legend and former U. of Miami coach Howard Schnellenberger. TULSA: After failing to secure a lease in San Diego, William Tatham and his ownership consortium shopped their wares up and down the West Coast in search of a stadium deal. After several false leads and disappointing turns, the group settled on Tulsa, Oklahoma, where the University of Tulsa’s 30,000 seat Skelly Stadium was apparently the best option the team could find. From league sources we expect that the franchise will be approved on a probationary status only, allowing them to play the 1987 season in Tulsa, but with no guarantee beyond that point. Tulsa is not exactly the type of big-name, big-revenue location that the USFL is hoping to add, and there is widespread expectation that the league will try to get the Tatham’s to work with one of the ownership groups that missed out on expansion in 1987, Atlanta, Seattle or Portland. Just how a potential 1-year placement will fly with potential fans in Tulsa (and Oklahoma in general) is yet to be seen. With only a few weeks before the league owners meetings in New York, the new Tulsa franchise is now going to have to get ready in a hurry. They need an identity, a front office, local staffing, ticket sales teams, and a strategy to win over local fans in the Sooner state. They also need to start prepping for this November’s expansion draft. More to come next month, when we expect to see the protected players lists from all 16 continuing franchises, as well as news and notes from the Owners’ Meeting.

The Michigan Panthers won their second USFL Championship on the strength of a 4th quarter surge that pushed them from a 1-point deficit to a 14 point margin of victory. In a truly exciting championship game, both teams played outstanding football. Michigan overcame a shaky start and an unprecedented 3 safeties to surge past the Philadelphia Stars, with the big play Panther offense hitting on two huge plays to overcome the usually patient Stars defense. Trailing 17-14 at the half, and 22-21 at the end of 3, Michigan took control in the 4th. From the onset, the Philadelphia Stars tried their best to imitate the defensive strategy which had worked to cause the 13-0 Panthers to lose their last 3 regular season game, a strategy of fierce 4-man pass rush paired with shell zone coverage to contain the big play. It was a strategy that Michigan was ready for and found ways to break it down using double moves and crossing patterns to find big plays. To start the game Philly got the ball, but after a 3-and-out on offense the Stars had to punt. All-USFL Punter Sean Landeta corner kicked the Panthers to a rough start on their own 4. After a John Williams run got bottled up at the 2, Bobby Hebert tried to use play action against the Stars, but DE Will Fuller was unphased, having been coached up to play the pass first even on early downs. He ripped past the LT and caught Hebert in the endzone for a safety. Getting the ball back, Philly quickly added to their lead as Chuck Fusina found his top receiver, Tom Donovan on a 35-yard scoring play. Only 7 minutes into the game the Panthers found themselves down 9. Michigan got a favorable return from Daron Carter and started on their 34. Hebert and the offense were able to move the ball effectively, dinking and dunking against the deep zone, until Hebert found rookie TE Buch Rolle for a 9-yard score. The game was on now, 9-7 Stars. Philly took the next possession and held a 12-play drive, with Fusina using TE Steve Folsom and his backs (Bryant and Hector) to move the chains. After Kelvin Bryant got the ball to the 1 on an 11-yard run that was ruled down before bouncing over the goalline, Fusina faked the pitch to Bryant and found Donovan open on a slant for a second score and the 15-7 lead. In an odd moment, the PAT snap was bobbled by the holder, backup QB Jeff Hostetler, who awkwardly tried to pick it up and run, but was quickly tackled, so the score remained 15-7. It was then that the first of two mental errors gave Michigan one of their trademark rainbow scoring passes. After a touchback on the kickoff, 1st and 10 from the 25, Michigan ran a crossing pattern that led to a brush-off pick by TE Rolle, the play left WR Derek Holloway open on the far sideline, and Hebert hit him in stride. Safety Scott Woerner was unable to get the angle, and 75 yards later Michigan was right back in it at 15-14. The next two drives were largely uneventful, both stopped short by untimely penalties. After another possession that went nowhere, Sean Landeta once again proved that special teams matter as, for the second time, he pinned Michigan within their 5 yard line with a perfect coffin corner kick. Two plays later, Hebert was again sacked in the endzone, this time by DT Jumpy Gaethers. Announcers quickly and prematurely began to joke that this may be the first football championship where the MVP would be a punter. And to be honest, had Philly won the game, Landeta may just have walked away with the MVP. The first half finished with the slim 17-14 Philadelphia lead. Michigan received the first half kick, and it took them only 4 plays to score, with the biggie being another blown coverage leading to a 64-yard gainer by former Michigan Wolverine Anthony Carter. Carter faked a hook pattern and suckered CB Everson Walls into biting, he then spun upfield and Hebert hit him in stride. Only the good angle taken by S Scott Woerner (playing deeper after the Holloway score) saved a TD. Carter was down at the 6 and on the next play, John Williams found paydirt to give Michigan the lead. Philly countered with another long, time consuming drive, but one that only produced a field goal after 13 plays. Michigan and the Stars both traded short possessions, and then Sean Landeta struck again. This time the ball went out of bounds on the 12, but after a Michigan holding call, the Panthers found themselves on the 6, and once again Hebert got caught up in a blitz and was sacked for the third safety of the game, something that had not happened in any USFL game in 4 years. Philly was back on top 22-21, but that would be as close as they got to taking home the big silver helmet trophy. After failing to build on their lead with the post-safety possession, Landeta punted and Michigan began at their own 37. After a short gain by Williams, Hebert again found the deep ball, this time on a well-designed flea-flicker, that fooled the safeties and left Holloway again open for a long score. Holloway raced 62 yards for the go-ahead score, and when Williams punched in the 2-point conversion, Michigan had a 29-22 lead. Philly had chances to get back on top, but their next drive ended with a missed David Trout field goal attempt (a long 54 yarder which had little chance in the swirling winds of the Gator Bowl. Michigan then put all doubts to rest as Hebert led the Panthers down the field and found TE Butch Rolle for a 2 yard score. Is it me or is every Rolle catch a touchdown? Michigan was now up 2 scores with time running out. Philadelphia mounted a fierce drive, but needing a TD, the Stars went for it on 4th and 2 from the Michigan 15 and LB John Corker stood up Kelvin Bryant at the line of scrimmage to get a turnover on downs and essentially end the game. By all accounts this was an outstanding game by both squads. Both defenses made some huge plays, special teams was a major player, and, by most accounts, the better team won, as Michigan found ways to make the big plays they always seem to make to win out. Bobby Hebert won his second Championship MVP award for his 4 TD, 340-yard day, but we also want to give kudos to Kelvin Bryant for 115 yards rushing, Ronnie Paggett for 2 sacks and 2 more TFL, and, as mentioned, Sean Landeta for an absolute clinic on coffin corner punting. Michigan, with the win, becomes the first USFL team to garner 2 Championships. Philadelphia, one of only 3 teams (with Tampa and Michigan) to make the playoffs all 4 years of the league, came close, and showed a lot of the grit and class that got them here. It was a clean game, with a minimal number of penalties and no turnovers, and it was a fun game, with big plays from both sides of the ball. And so, another USFL season comes to an end, another champion is crowned, and in a year where the offseason may prove to be as exciting as the season of play, the USFL continues to bring the show to the people.

The table is now set as two former champions showed their pedigree and returned for a 2nd USFL Championship. This will mark the first time that the Championship Game has repeat participants, and two teams that play very different games to get here. Before we preview the 1987 USFL Championship, let’s look at how Michigan and Philadlephia got here. PHILADELPHIA STARS 28 TAMPA BAY BANDITS 21 It is rare that the game-defining play of a pro football game happens only 3 minutes in, but that is exactly what happened when Philadelphia’s Jumpy Gaethers snatched up a Gary Anderson fumble and ran it in for a score to open the game. Anderson was laid out by DE Wiliam Fuller, and the ball bounced right up into Gaether’s open hands. That score set the tone for the game as the Philadelphia defense shut down Tampa’s run game and forced them to be one-dimensional. Meanwhile the Stars offense did just enough to keep them ahead of any Bandit comeback attempt. Kelvin Bryant was dominant, as he rushed for 138 yards and Chuck Fusina found three different receivers for scores, including a beautiful toss to Collier to build up a 28-7 lead in the 3rd which would hold for the game. The defending champs return to the Championship with a shot at repeating. MICHIGAN PANTHERS 48 NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS 14 Anyone who watched Michigan crush Arizona last week and still wondered if they Panthers had regained their swagger is not questioning any longer. The Panthers utterly dominated their division rivals, scoring 31 unanswered points in the second half to move from a modest 7 point halftime lead to a crushing 34 piont victory against an overmatched Breakers squad. The key for Michigan was their halftime adjustments, as Breakers HB Marcus Dupree had 85 yards rushing in the first half, but gained only 16 in the second. This was due in part to the quick need for New Orleans to play catchup after a half-opening Michigan score (a Clarence Chapman pick-6 of Eason), but also due to a shift in alignment which forced New Orleans away from their toss and sweep game towards an interior run game, which did not suit them well. Meanwhile, Bobby Hebert threw for 319 and 4 scores as the Panthers once again looked like the team that many thought could go undefeated. They return to the Championship after only a 1 year hiatus from their 1985 Championship. 1987 USFL CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW This looks like one for the ages, the two most recent USFL champions battling to be the first USFL team with two titles. Michigan, after losing their last 3 games of the regular season, has ripped through their two playoff opponts, winning by margins of 25 and 34 points. Philadlephia, slow and steady, had gotten here by beating two quality opponents, both from the state of Florida, where the Championship will be held. The Gator Bowl in Jacksonville will be the site, the Stars and the Panthers the opponents. Here are the keys to the game: 1. Philadelphia must establish the run in order for their play-action passing game to find success. To do so, they will have to break down one of the stingiest run defenses in the league. Michigan allowed only 98 yards per game during the season. Philadelphia averaged 111 a game, most of it on the efforts of Kelvin Bryant. Bryant’s success will be key to the Philadelphia offense. 2. Michigan must break the Philly coverage and find big plays. When they lost those late season games, it was because teams allowed the short game but denied the Panthers the long ball. That does not play to the strength of the Michigan skill players, who are there to hit on big shots. If the Panthers cannot get Holloway and Carter free down the field, and are forced to dink and dunk on long drives, they will not pose the threat that so many teams fear. 3. Half-time adjustments. We saw how important this was when Michigan shut down Marcus Dupree in the second half of last week’s game. How teams react at the half, and the battle of chess between Jim Stanley and Jim Mora will go a long way to determine the outcome of what most experts predict will be a one-score margin. 4. Avoiding the unforced error. Both Conference Championships turned on defensive takeaways and scores. Turnovers are always a big issues in playoff football, but the key here is to avoid making mistakes that lead to quick, momentum shifting scores. Our Prediction: While we expect Michigan to hold down Bryant to a degree, we do not think they can completely remove the play action game from the Philadelphia offense. The Stars are hot at the right time, winning 5 of 6 to end the year, and facing, quite honestly, a tougher road to get here. We like their balance, we like their cool, calm demeanor, and we like their depth. This is a team that will not beat itself. For Michigan to win, they need the big play, and we just don’t see Philadelphia making the mental mistakes that allow those to happen. Our pick is Stars 27 Panthers 21. OTHER LEAGUE NEWS AND NOTES The NFL-USFL pipeline has remained open during the playoffs, as non-playoff teams get an early start at free agency. They cannot sign any current USFL free agents, but they can ink NFL free agents to contracts (and the NFL can do the same) and that two way shuttle has been in effect over the past weeks. Just in the last week, we have seen these inter-league signings: NFL SIGNINGS The Washington Federals have lost DT Bennie Smith to the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks. After losing their divisional playoff game, Oakland suffered two more losses as starting Free Safety Willie Lyles has signed with the New York Jets, and backup running back Louis Jackson is headed to the Miami Dolphins. New Jersey loses another LB as Steve DeOssie has signed with the Dallas Cowboys. Jacksonville, after losing to the Stars in their playoff matchup, was also heavily hit by the NFL, losing three players this week. WR Perry Kemp will join the Green Bay Packers, LB Kevin Teel is off to Pittsburgh, and TE Trey Junkin has opted to join the LA Raiders. Denver lost another backup with wideout Brian Brennan signing with Cleveland. Arizona’s defense took a hit, losing both CB Frank Minnifield (Cleveland) and LB Jim Fahnhorst (San Francisco). USFL SIGNINGS In a shockingly aggressive move, the Washington Federals, with new head coach Sam Rutigliano, have made what many consider one of the boldest signings in league history, stealing QB Neil Lomax away from the St. Louis Cardinals. Lomax, who threw for over 3,200 yards for the Cardinals last year will almost certainly take the helm of the Federals, which begs the question of what Washington will do with Reggie Collier, who still has 2 years on his contract. In an odd move they have also signed longtime San Francisco kicker Ray Wersching to the team, which likely means that current kicker Nick Mike-Myer may be hitting the expansion market or be released. The Baltimore Blitz wasted no time after their playoff defeat in improving their offense, adding more veteran leadership in the form of wideout Stanley Morgan. The longtime New England Patriot will line up opposite Trumaine Johnson in the Blitz attack. Denver solidified its linebacking corps with the signing of former Packer Michael Douglass. Douglass started 15 games for the Packers last year. Oakland responded to losing a defensive stalwart in Willie Liles, but signing a player they hope will aid their passrush in former Dolphin DE Kim Bokamper. Bokamper started 12 games for the Dolphins in 1985, but recorded only 2.5 sacks. And finally, the Miami/Orlando franchise. Led by Howard Schnellenberger, is also trying not to fall behind on player acquisition as they still work on final arrangements for their team’s home, signing Dallas Cowboys Safety Bill Bates as their first signature player. Bates finished his rookie contract with Dallas with his best year to date, recording 4 interceptions and playing in all 16 games.

TAMPA BAY 28 BALTIMORE 19 Bandits race past a hobbling Blitz Squad. Baltimore came into the game with many picking them as the odds-on favorite to win the title this year, but when All-USFL QB Vince Evans went down with an ugly looking ankle injury early in the 1st quarter the complexion of the game shifted dramatically. In a battle of backups, the more experienced and more dynamic Jimmie Jordan outdueled the somewhat ill-prepared Blair Kiel, leading Tampa Bay on 4 touchdown drives to overcome the early 13-0 Baltimore lead. Without Evans the Blitz offense was just not firing on all cylinders, and Tampa Bay ate away at the lead and pulled ahead over the course of the game. For fans in the Charm City it was a disappointing end to a brilliant first season for Baltimore’s Blitz, but for Tampa fans, a rough 9-7 season might just be looking up as they advance. PHILADELPHIA 34 JACKSONVILLE 24 Philly’s experience pays off as they outlast the Bulls. For the second year in a row the Bulls earned the right to a home playoff game by winning their division, and for a second year in a row they could not take advantage. Facing the 1985 defending champions, who struggled to a 9-7 record this year, was a tough draw, but Bulls fans expected more out of their team. The more experienced Stars were solid in all phases as Kelvin Bryant led the team with 149 yards on the ground, while Chuck Fusina had a workmanlike 209 yards passing with 2 TDs. Jacksonville’s star, QB Doug Williams, may have played his last game for the Bulls, as he has been pushing for a new deal and threatening to head back to the NFL if one cannot be reached. He threw for 254 and 2 scoress, but also tossed 2 costly interceptions which gave Philly short fields to work with. The Stars took advantage and the subsequent 14 points were more than enough to give them the edge and the win. ARIZONA 6 MICHIGAN 31 Panthers rediscover their mojo as they trounce the Wranglers. The big question after 3 straight season-ending losses, was what Michigan could do to right the ship and get back to the form that had won them 13 straight to start the year. The answer was “face the 8-8 Arizona Wranglers”. The Panthers dominated this game from start to finish. Bobby Hebert was sharp, John Williams looked rested, and the defense, which had been so dominant all year, was up to the task. Arizona’s offense was stymied at every turn. Leading rusher Owen Gill ran for only 13 yards on 15 carries as the Panthers asserted their dominance at home. They will be home again next week, and they hope to see the same kind of performance. NEW ORLEANS 31 OAKLAND 24 Dupree & Franz star as the Breakers break hearts in Oakland. The joke around the league was that the Breakers were always ‘just happy to be there” when entering the playoffs. The expectation was that Oakland would once again send the Breakers home early. But, these Breakers, perhaps catching some of New Orleans’ fun-loving atmosphere, were a different team this year. They came out hot, scoring on 3 of their first four possessions and building a 17-7 halftime lead. An Eason to Lockett score to start the 3rd made it 24-7 and while Oakland would make the score closer, the outcome was never in doubt. The Breakers had 404 yards of total offense, led by Marcus Dupree’s 126 on the ground and a very solid 247 and 3 scores from the often erratic Tony Eason. While Brian Sipe had 333 passing, most of it was desperation catchup in the 2nd half, after being largely shut down in the first. So, New Orleans gets their first playoff win in 3 years, and now head to Michigan to face the Panthers. CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW Tampa Bay (9-7) @ Philadelphia (9-7) It’s the two Wild Cards that move on to the Eastern Conference Finals, held at Veteran’s Stadium, and a contrast in styles as the big-play Banditball game of Tampa Bay faces the slow and steady run-first, play action game of the Stars. Philly is the defending champion, and Tampa may very well be playing without John Reaves (considered a game time decision) so we have to pick the Stars in this one. The Philly crowd should be in full voice as they hope for a return trip to the USFL Championship, but Tampa will give them a game. Our prediction: Stars 28 Bandits 24 New Orleans (9-7) @ Michigan (13-3) If Michigan is truly back to form, they will be tough to beat. That New Orleans beat them only 2 weeks ago may be meaningless. It was a largely meaningless game for Michigan, while the Breakers were playing for their playoff lives. New Orleans has a chance, however, particularly if they can get a repeat performance from Dupree and if Eason can avoid any costly mistakes. For Michigan, they have to find ways to get the ball into the hands of Carter and Holloway. We expect their defense to be solid, but they cannot have the offensive duldrums which hurt them in the season’s final weeks. We look at their game against Arizona as a priming-the-pump experience and expect to see the old, dominant, Panthers again. Our prediction: Michigan 35 New Orleans 20 OTHER USFL NEWS & NOTES While the playoffs are in full swing for half of the USFL, the future is now, as unofficially moves can be made within the league and the non-playoff teams can also get a head start at looking over NFL rosters for players in contract negotiations. Add to this the 4 new expansion clubs, all looking to hit the ground running, and the free agency and NFL-USFL signing period has unofficially opened. And, of course, as USFL contracts expire, NFL teams are also hoping to grab some talent from the Spring league. It is always intense, and this year looks like it will be a real barnburner, with several big name players coming to the end of their first USFL contracts. Here are the moves we have seen in just the past 2 weeks as USFL squads try to add some talent before the official Free Agency period begins. Arizona: Despite a solid year from HB Owen Gill (866 yards, but only 2 TD), the Wranglers have announced that they have signed former Tampa Bay Buccaneer James Wilder to the position. This may likely mean that either Gill, rookie Darryl Clack, or both could be left unprotected in the upcoming expansion draft pool. New Jersey had a quick turnover on defense as they saw veteran Jim LeClair sign with Denver Broncos immediately after the season concluded. No sooner had that happened then the Generals designated one of their exemption slots for the signing of former NY Giant and LA Ram defensive End Gary Jeter. Jeter will come to New Jersey on a 3 year deal. Los Angeles also took a hit as rotating starter HB Kevin Mack quickly signed on with the Cleveland Browns. This almost assuredly returns Tony Boddie to the position of workhorse for the Express. Pittsburgh will need to seek out a new strong safety as one of their best defensive players, Dave Duerson, has signed with the St. Louis Cardinals. Pittsburgh has also opted to upgrade their kicking game, releasing Sandro Vitello after 3 years and signing NFL kicker Rafael Septien from the Dallas Cowboys. Memphis had not expected to resign WR Willie Gault, who, while capable of the big catch, seems to drop too many easy ones. Well, the decision is not needed as Gault has signed with the Chicago Bears, who originally drafted him out of college. Washington has already lost 2 players as backup QB Babe Laufenberg signed with the NFL’s Washington Redskins and DT Bennie Smith will be headed to San Diego. Expect a lot of shifting in DC, as new coach Sam Rutigliano has already expressed an interest in making some deals to get more draft picks, even floating the possibility that QB Reggie Collier might be on the market for the right price. And, lest you think that the expansion teams are not yet in the player market, we have our first “poachings” from the new clubs. The Chicago Machine have made two signings, including one which harkens back to the first USFL offseason, the only year when players from the recently concluded NFL draft were significantly poached by USFL teams in the middle of NFL contract talks. It seems Chicago is eager to settle their QB position and have signed Iowa Hawkeye and recent Detroit Lion draft pick, QB Chuck Long. Long, who did not sign with the Memphis Showboats when selected in the 1986 USFL Draft, became a free agent as soon as the USFL season began in March. The Machine, led by coach Joe Bugel, have swooped in during Detroit’s contract talks with Long and have convinced the Hawkeye star to sign with the new franchise. And, as if that were not enough, the Machine have also signed a defensive captain for their new club, snatching away Clay Matthews from the Cleveland Browns. Matthews, in a contract year with the Browns, was not expected to test the market, so the undisclosed terms of the deal must have been lucrative to lure the All-Pro to Chicago and the USFL. And the San Antonio Gunslingers have made their first “poaching”, signing longtime KC Chief, Carlos Carson (WR) as their first roster member. Carson, who had over 1,000 yards receiving in the 1984 season had been seeking a better situation as his contract expired with the Chiefs, and now joins a total mystery as he has no idea who will be throwing him the ball, although San Antonio has been making noise about trying to sign either a USFL or NFL veteran. Rumors have the team speaking with both former Invader Fred Besana and with NFL free agent Turk Schonert. So, the first volleys have been fired. Expect a lot more as the offseason builds up, especially after the USFL playoffs conclude and some of the league’s unsigned stars, names like Bobby Hebert, Herschel Walker, Mike Rozier and Junior Ah You are available to be poached. We expect a crazy offseason, and it appears that it has already started.

Playoff Seedings EAST: #1 Baltimore (12-4) #2 Jacksonville (11-5) #3 Philadelphia (9-7) #4 Tampa Bay (9-7) WEST: #1 Michigan (13-3) #2 Oakland (10-6) #3 New Orleans (9-7) #4 Arizona (8-8)

USA TODAY, July 10, 1986 The best of plans are laid waste by circumstance. That is the message the USFL is learning as its anticipated 4-team expansion is not going the way the league had planned. While the franchises in Chicago and San Antonio seem to have all their ducks in a row, the proposed Miami and San Diego expansion franchises are finding that starting a new sports enterprise is anything but straightforward. Both are, after weeks of negotiations, now seeking alternative venues for their new ventures, with the Orange Bowl and San Diego’s Jack Murphy Stadium now seemingly out of the picture. The Miami venture, headed by owner “Woody” Weisner and recently signed Head Coach and General Manager Howard Schnellenberger are expected to announce that the franchise will be calling Orlando home for the foreseeable future. Negotiations with the Orange Bowl proved to be fruitless. With Miami opening a new stadium for the Dolphins NFL franchise, many expected the Orange Bowl to be readily available for the USFL, but apparently the University of Miami balked at the idea of sharing the stadium, even with a spring league, and their resistance ended up dooming the proposed Miami USFL franchise. In Orlando, Weisner finds a market and a stadium very much open to housing a USFL franchise. The city, which has been seeking to gain the cache and allure of Miami or Tampa within the sports world, has embraced the idea of a USFL franchise as its first foray into professional sports. The Citrus Bowl is readily available and makes a good venue for a USFL squad. While Tampa Bay Bandits owner John Bassett continues to protest the placement of a new team so close to his base, it seems very likely that within a matter of days, the USFL and the Citrus Bowl will announce the presence of a new Orlando franchise. San Diego is a messier issue.With pressure from both the NFL Chargers, the MLB Padres and San Diego State University, it seems the USFL has no other option in San Diego. League officials are openly questioning how the proposed expansion team’s owner, William Tatham convinced so many in the league that San Diego was a viable option when it was clear that the stadium was a major concern. So now the homeless franchise has only a few months to scout and negotiate a new home. With the other three expansion teams solidly placed in the Central and Southern regions, the league is likely going to restrict Mr. Tatham to options which could fit into the Pacific Division. It is anticipated that Orlando will play in the Southern divisions, Chicago clearly in the Central, and San Antonio ideally in the Central with Houston. Pittsburgh is expected to shift from the Central to the Eastern, which leaves only the Pacific Division with a 4-team format at present. Sources around the Tatham ownership group have indicated that the team is in discussions in several cities, including Honolulu, Sacramento, Seattle, and even Tulsa, Oklahoma, as potential relocation sites for the franchise. With so little time, and so much in the air, we anticipate that whichever city is able to house the franchise will be approved by the league, as league officials and owners would rather deal with a poorly placed team than attempt to run a 19-team season by delaying the addition of a 20th franchise. And, just to show that even the most solid of the 4 expansion teams is not without it's issues, the Michigan Panthers this week filed a formal complaint with the league office that the new identity of the Chicago machine, with burgundy red and sky blue as two of the team's primary colors, was a direct infringement on the Michigan identity, which also uses these same two colors. The complaint is not likely to go anywhere, but it does raise a question as to why a franchise which would be perfectly set up to be a natural rival to the Panthers would opt to select a look that so closely parallels that of Michigan's. Whether or not the complaint leads to legal action, or whether the USFL opts to address this issue is very much in doubt, but it is a curious sign of the lack of leaguewide coordination that this would come up with a franchise that otherwise seems to be the most prepared of the new entrants. So here we are, in Chicago we have a team already signing players, with an NFL experienced coach in Joe Bugel, and a deal to play in Soldier Field. In San Antonio, we have what seems to be a weaker setup, with a team playing in a 20,000 seat HS football arena, Alamo Stadium, and with a head coach whose claim to fame is NAIA level football. In Florida we have a team that hopes to have found a home, but at least has a football mind at the helm in Schnellenberger, and out west we have a team scrambling to find a home, and no word on football personnel as of yet. Hardly the smooth expansion we saw in 1984 when Pittsburgh, Memphis, Jacksonville and Houston joined the league.

SCORES With so many important games this week, let’s do a brief recap of each rather than focusing on one game of the week. We will go division by division for maximum impact. ATLANTIC BLT 7 PHI 37 As expected, the Blitz rested many of their starters while Philadelphia played theirs in hopes of locking up the #3 seed. The resulting lopsided win for the Stars places them as the #3 seed and now a trip to Jacksonville is in the works. WSH 49 NJ 17 With Philly expected to beat a resting Blitz team, Washington’s playoff hopes depended on a win in New Jersey and a loss by Tampa Bay. Washington did their part, though New Jersey also helped by opting to rest Doug Flutie and give Vince Ferragamo his first start in the USFL. The resulting score reflects the effort differential between the two clubs as Washington dominated from the start. While their offense was only marginally successful without Craig James, the defense came up big against the Generals, scoring 20 points with two pick-sixes of Ferragamo, a safety and a fumble return by J.D. Fuller. Washington would then have to watch the scoreboard to see what happened withTampa. SOUTHERN BIR 27 JAX 28 The Bulls also rested several starters, including QB Doug Williams, WR Gary Clark and HB George Adams, but their backups were still able to eke out a win over the Birmingham Stallions, despite Joe Cribbs’ 170 yards rushing. The Bulls scored the go ahead score in the waning seconds as backup QB Ed Luther hit Perry Kemp for the winning score, sending Birmingham’s slim playoff hopes crashing down. TBY 21 MEM 16 Tampa, playing without an injured John Reaves, was still not going to let their playoff hopes slip away. Backup Jimmie Jordan connected on all three Bandit scores and HB Gary Anderson had a solid game as the Bandits secured a wildcard by beating Memphis. The Showboats finish their injury-plagued year with their 3rd string QB, and a sad 2-14 which guarantees them the first pick in the draft. HOU 37 PIT 28 In a game between two teams that were a combined 2-9 at one point, the Gamblers won their 5th straight to finish at 7-9 for a third consecutive season. Whether the late surge, and the sudden realization that a fast-pace offense turned Jim Kelly loose, is enough to save Jack Pardee’s job will have to be seen. He survived Black Monday, but may face tough questions later this offseason. NOR 30 MGN 15 Michigan played their starters, minus an ailing John Williams, as they tried to get back in rhythm after 2 straight losses. In stead they again found their offense floundering as New Orleans locked up a 9-7 season with a 5 point win in the SilverDome. So, after starting the year 13-0, Michigan has lost three straight and has to figure out what is going wrong in time for a playoff game next week. PACIFIC ARZ 30 LA 10 The Wranglers needed to beat LA for a 3rd straight win and have Denver lose to edge their way into the playoffs on a tiebreaker at 8-8. They easily dispatched the unspirited Express as Rick Neuheisel found Trumaine Johnson for 117 yards and 2 scores. But, would they get the help they needed to wriggle their way into the playoffs? OAK 17 DEN 12 Denver could not get it done against the Division Champ Invaders, and with a tiebreaker disadvantage to the Wranglers, find themselves out of the playoffs after being 8-3 at one point this season. The 5-game season ending losing streak was primarily an offensive productivity issue as Bob Gagliano and the Gold offense finished they year with 5 straight games scoring below 20 points. PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK We are going to give this one to perhaps the league’s best backup QB, Jimmie Jordan of the Tampa Bay Bandits. In a year when John Reaves was able to stay on the field up until the season’s final week, Jordan stepped up when called and provide Tampa with a win in a game they had to have. He accounted for all three Tampa Bay scores, finding Truvillion and Gillespie for TD’s and bouncing Tampa into the playoffs. He may have to repeat that performance next week if John Reaves, the league’s second rated passer, is unable to go next week. NEWS & NOTES Before we talk playoffs (below), we have to acknowledge that the offseason kicked off in earnest with another Black Monday Massacre. As is typical in football, the Monday after the final regular season games is a day when disappointing teams put the onus on their poor seasons on the coach, often either firing their head coach or removing the coordinators in hopes of reviving the team with new coaches. This year was no different as 3 Head Coaches were let go on Monday, along with some coordinators, as teams looked to move on. Here are the changes of note from the non-playoff teams this Black Monday Los Angeles: After a strong start to the year, the Express lost 9 of 11 to finish in last in the division only one year after winning their 2nd Division Title. The collapse, in a year where injuries were not an issue, was too much for ownership, who released founding head coach Hugh Campbell from his duties on Black Monday. A coaching search will begin in earnest as this offseason is not a good one for an open position. Pittsburgh: Not surprisingly, after a 3rd straight 10-loss season, the Maulers have parted ways with coach Joe Pendry. And after a year when the team finished last in points allowed and 2nd from last in points scored, don’t expect the new Head Coach to be an internal hire. Expect a major house cleaning. Washington: The Federals, despite winning 4 of their last 5 to finish 8-8, finished their 4th straight year outside of the playoffs. But not all was bad news as the Federals finished the year with the #2 scoring offense in the league. That combination, combined with the fact that many in the organization felt that it was OC Sam Rutigliano, and not HC Lee Corso who was contributing the most to the team’s success, led to the predictable move of releasing Corso from his position and immediately promoting the former Cleveland Browns head man to the top spot as Head Coach. Houston: Despite yet another 7-9 season, it appears that coach Jack Pardee will be sticking around for another year, perhaps saved by the 5-game win streak and newly revamped offense which seemed to change Houston’s fate at the end of the season. Many had Pardee heading out the door, but unless a late coaching change is made, it looks like he will get another year to get the Gamblers over the hump. Birmingham: A late playoff run and an improvement over the disastrous 1985 campaign also seem to have saved Rollie Dotsch’s position for another year. Birmingham released their OC George Dyer on Monday but seem content with Dotsch. We will likely see some changes on offense as the success of Joe Cribbs has not been translating into success for the Stallions. Is QB Cliff Stoudt in danger here? INJURIES Looking ahead to the playoffs, here are the injuries which could impact matchups: PHI @ JAX Stars: C Blair Bush (out), WR Gerard Phelan (out), LB Sam Mills (Probable) Bulls: WR Dennis Breach (Out), LB Vaughan Johnson (Out), SS Aaron Mitchell (Doubtful), TBY @ BLT Bandits: DE Theodore Brooks (out), QB John Reaves (Doubtful), LB Jeffery Noel (Doubtful) Blitz: FS Tommy Wilcox (out), E Rulon Jones (out), CB Leslie Frazier (Questionable) ARZ & MGN Wranglers: C Morris Vaughan (out), WR Wamon Buggs (Probable), TE Rosendo Howe (Probable) Panthers: T Arnoldo Gardner (out), C Hubert Hicks (out), G Ron Hallstrom (Doubtful) NOR @ OAK Breakers: G Harry Grimminger (out), T Brian Marvin (Probable) Invaders: CB Tory Nixon (out), HB Albert Bentley (Questionable) PLAYOFF PREVIEW Well, here we are. 17 weeks of USFL action completed and only 8 teams remain. As we noted above, it is the "usual suspects" back to battle again as this year's playoff teams feature frequent playoff participants in Michigan, Philadelphia, Tampa Bay and Jacksonville. Baltimore and New Orleans are new cities, but the Blitz and Breakers have been here before. The only newcomers are the Oakland Invaders, who have steadily risen in the Pacific Division since hiring Dick Vermeil as their coach. Let's kick the postseason off as we look at the 4 games to determine who goes to the Conference Championships. Stars (9-7) @ Bulls (11-5) Vegas: Bulls by 3 It’s a battle of tortoise and hare in this one. Philadelphia is known for a ball control offense and sturdy D, while Jacksonville likes to air it out and outpace their opponents. The advantage in experience definitely goes to the defending champions, who have been in the playoffs all 4 USFL seasons and who have veteran leadership on both sides of the ball. Jacksonville will test the Philly defensive backfield with league reception leader Gary Clark, but they will need to get George Adams the ball also if they want to compete with the balanced Philly offense. Expect Philly to rely on Kelvin Bryant to draw a crowd, allowing Chuck Fusina to use play action for the occasional big hit. We like Philly in this one, despite the Vegas line, simply based on experience and calm under pressure. Bandits (9-7) @ Blitz (12-4) Vegas: Blitz by 8 Baltimore has been atop the conference since the very beginning of the season, and we see them coming out on top on this one. No doubt that Tampa is a tough out. They have experienced leaders and some serious offensive firepower, but Baltimore can match scores with almost anyone and they have a clearly superior defense to Tampa. And, lest we forget, it is not the cool, calm John Reaves under center for the Bandits, but the more-freewheeling Jimmie Jordan. We expect Junior Ah You and the Baltimore D to take advantage of Jordan’s more erratic nature. We also expect the Baltimore offense, led by Vince Evans, to find a way to get the ball into the gamechanging hands of Jackie Flowers. We think the Blitz will cover the spread in front of a raucous Baltimore crowd. Wranglers (8-8) @ Panthers (13-3) Vegas: Panthers by 7 The Wranglers barely squeeked into the playoffs with help from Oakland, and their reward is to face the Panthers. Now, the question is, will they face the Panthers who cruised to a 13-0 record, or the seemingly lost squad that finished the year 0-3. We are not sure what has happened to the Panthers’ confidence or swagger, but we see Arizona as a good team to rediscover it. Rick Neuheisel is dangerous, but across the board the Panthers are a better team. We expect the Panthers to win big. Breakers (9-7) @ Invaders (10-6) Vegas: Invaders by 5 I like the Breakers. Solidly coached, low profile team that just seems to make the playoffs each year. But, that is where it always seems to end. The Breakers have yet to win a playoff game, and we don’t see Oakland as a team they are likely to break that dubious streak again. Brian Sipe has been playing lights out football all year, and the balance they show with the run game is tough to gameplan against. We are still not sold on QB Tony Eason for New Orleans, and while Marcus Dupree has had a great year since being traded from Memphis, he is still young and inexperienced compared to Arthur Whittington for Oakland. We like the Invaders to get the W and face Michigan next week.

SCORES NJ 10 BLT 27 Evans to Flowers for 2 scores and Baltimore wins at home. MEM 24 BIR 28 Stallions keep playoff hopes alive with tough 4 point win. JAX 34 TBY 27 Bulls clinch the South with a huge road win at Tampa Bay. PIT 28 NOR 24 Alan Risher finds his groove against the Breakers. MGN 13 HOU 20 Gamblers stun the Panthers as Michigan loses 2nd straight. DEN 17 ARZ 27 Neuheisel’s 3 scores lead to Gold’s 4th loss in a row. LA 20 OAK 27 Invaders take over 1st place with a big home win over LA. GAME OF THE WEEK Philadelphia Stars 33 Washington Federals 27 If Washington misses the playoffs they will have to point to one key factor, their inability to win division games. The Feds fall to 0-5 in the division, vs. 7-3 outside the Atlantic. In their most important game ever at RFK, the Federals fell just short of a key victory which would have put them in the driver’s seat for their first ever playoff spot. Philly’s win all but guaranteed them a playoff spot, as they were able to hold off a late Washington comeback to take home the W. It was a game of swings, as a 14-13 Philadelphia lead at the half blew up in the 3rd quarter as Philly scored on 4 straight possessions. It started with a safety as Curtis Bledsoe could not escape the endzone, then Fusina found Folsom wide open on a blown coverage for a 56 yard score. After a 3-and-out by Washington, the Stars boosted the lead on a Johnnie Hector plunge from the 1, and then David Trout hit on a 44 yarder to give the Stars a commanding 33-13 lead. In the 4th Washington fought back, scoring twice in the first 4 minutes of the quarter, a Curtis Bledsoe touchdown, followed 3 plays later by a Brendan Zavala pick-six. But, now down only 6, the Federals would never challenge again. Philly used the legs of Kelvin Bryant, who finished the day with 125 yards, to slow the game down and milk the clock. Washington QB Reggie Collier watched and waited but never got his shot for a game-winning drive and the Stars finished the game and quite possibly the Federals playoff hopes. PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK Alan Risher staked his claim to be the Mauler’s long term quarterback solution this Sunday. In an otherwise meaningless game for the Maulers, Risher did more than manage a game and hand off to Rozier, he was surgical in the pass game, completing 73% of his passes and finding both John Jefferson and Danny Buggs for two scores each on the way to a 28-24 win. Playing on a 1-year contract after being cut by the NFL Buccaneers, Risher is trying to unseat top draft pick Todd Blackledge and secure himself a long term deal in Pittsburgh. The former Arizona Wrangler demonstrated the same penchant for playmaking and escapability that he had shown the Arizona fans before taking a shot at the NFL. And while the Maulers’ season has been a lost cause since an 0-7 start, finding a QB like Risher may be just the thing to provide some hope for the hard luck Maulers. PLAYOFF PICTURE One week left and here is what we know. Baltimore and Michigan are the #1 seeds in each conference. Jacksonville is the #2 seed in the East. Oakland is in. LA is now out of contention. And the clinching scenarios are complex. Here are the best shots for those teams not locked into a slot: JOCKEYING FOR POSITION New Orleans: They are in, but #3 vs. #4 depends on a win this week or loss by Denver. Oakland: Win and they win the division. Lose @ Denver and they are a wildcard. IN CONTROL OF THEIR DESTINY Philadelphia: Win and they are in as the #3 seed. Still have good odds with a loss. Denver: Win at home v. Oakland and they take the division. A loss plus an Arizona win and they are out. Tampa Bay: Win and they are in. Lose and they could be bumped by a Federals win. NEED SOME HELP Arizona: Their best hope is a win and for Oakland to take out Denver. They would be the #4 seed. Washington: Win + TBY/BIR losses and they are the #4 seed. They cannot leapfrog Philly for #3. Birmingham: A win over Jacksonville and a Tampa loss and they are 2nd in the division. Add a Philly loss and Birmingham could slip in as the #4 seed. NEWS & NOTES With only one week left, and a lot of playoff impact games in week 17 to boost attendance, the league has to be pleased with the advances in gameday attendance this season. 1986 looks to be the best year yet for attendance, after 1985 saw a significant slip (30,738) from 1984 (35,918). Current year attendance average leaguewide stands at 36,830 and only 3 teams --Memphis, Pittsburgh, and Washington-- have been unable to pull their average above 30,000 a game. The relocation of Boston and Chicago to New Orleans and Baltimore is a big reason for the boost as both teams have found solid fanbases in their new homes and now lead the league in attendance. Baltimore tops the league at 47,955, with New Orleans at 46,380, just ahead of Jacksonville (45k), and Denver (44k). With 9 teams at or above 38k per game, the league seems solidly on their way to financial viability. Pair this with a strong TV contract and growing local and national sponsorships and we could see a financially profitable league as soon as 1988. A lot will depend on the success of the 4 expansion franchises, and the ability to avoid teams at the bottom of the standings from losing fans if they cannot improve year to year, but it looks like the long-term viability of the league may be getting more and more secure each season. INJURIES Week 17 will see some teams resting players and others hoping to win without some key starters. Craig James is still questionable for the Feds. Birmingham may be without SS William Cesare after a foot injury. Denver will miss DE Larry White, and New Orleans is hoping that a mask worn by Marcus Dupree will allow him to play more snaps in this vital week. Tampa is still without John Reaves, and will depend on Jimmie Jordan, while Memphis, who are simply wrapping up a lost season, will do so without their top 2 quarterbacks, as Damon Allen is out with a broken arm. LOOKING AHEAD For many teams, it all comes down to this week. Philly may have an easier path to the playoffs as Baltimore is expected to rest some starters. Jacksonville may do the same, which helps Birmingham and potentially hurts Tampa. The Bandits have what should be an easy game against the shorthanded Showboats. Michigan, after 2 tough losses, is unlikely to rest Hebert against New Orleans as they need to get their rhythm back before the playoffs. In the Pacific division the game of the year is Oakland at Denver. The Gold win the division with a home victory, and if the Wranglers can win at LA, Denver would be out of the playoffs altogether with a loss. The only game without playoff implications is in Pittsburgh, where the Gamblers will try to win their 5th straight to once again finish the year at 7-9 (a dubious streak) while the Maulers are hoping to snag one more win to finish 5-4 after an 0-7 start.

SCORES MEM 27 BLT 37 Blitz overcome 21-0 deficit to overtake the Showboats. BIR 27 NJ 24 Cribbs is too much for Generals D, with 130 rushing. TBY 16 PHI 24 Stars rounding into playoff form with big win vs. Tampa. JAX 23 WSH 38 Big day from Craig James squash Bulls and get Feds to .500. DEN 10 NOR 31 Crump comes off the bench for 86 yards and a score in Breakers win. ARZ 29 PIT 12 Maulers are just what Arizona needed to snap 7 game losing streak. LA 24 HOU 27 Houston win 3rd straight as LA blow a chance to gain on Denver. GAME OF THE WEEK Oakland Invaders 31 Michigan Panthers 6 Has the mystique of the Panthers been figured out? Last week the Blitz held Michigan to 12 points in a tough 12-11 loss, but this week the Invaders used much the same formula to take down the unbeaten Panthers in brutal fashion. Oakland combined a suffocating 2 deep zone defense with second half offensive fireworks to take down the Panthers in dramatic fashion. For the second week in a row the vaunted Panthers passing game struggled to sustain drives, going 4 for 14 on third down, and this time around, the Panthers D failed them as Oakland was able to score on 4 consecutive drives in the second half to blow past Michigan. At the half it looked like a repeat of last week’s game between the Panthers and the Blitz, with a 6-3 score and neither team moving the ball effectively, but then the dam broke. Oakland began the half with a long 73 yard drive that ended when a swing pass out to Henry Ellard got the Invaders the final 2 yards they needed and put them on top to stay at 10-6. On their next drive, the Invaders again drove the field, this time with TE Raymond Chester catching the scoring pass. After a Michigan fumble, and only 28 second after the Chester score, Henry Ellard caught his second scoring pass of the day and Oakland had a commanding 24-6 lead. Michigan would press, and fail on 3rd down, leading to yet another long Oakland drive, this one 67 yards, ending in a Whittington dive over the top for the final score of 31-6. The loss was complete for Michigan, as every aspect of their gameplan failed against the white hot Invaders. Bobby Hebert was held to 237 yards passing, no scores and an interception, while HB John Williams was able to gain only 64 yards on 19 carries. Meanwhile, Brian Sipe completed 65% of his passes and threw for three scores, and the combination of Whittington (98) and Bentley (31) produced 129 yards rushing. Gary Plummer, the veteran Invaders LB, was the defensive star, with 9 tackles. Tory Nixon and Will Lyles combined for the game’s big play, the fumble and recovery that allowed Oakland to score a quick and decisive backbreaking TD only seconds after their second score of the day. Perhaps Michigan came out flat after clinching the #1 seed in the Western Conference, or call it a case of a team that was just hungrier, but many are now concerned that the Panthers’ formula has been revealed and the once unbeatable Michigan squad may now be due for a comeuppance as the playoffs draw near. PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK Despite Craig James winning Offensive Player of the Week, we want to give this weeks POTW to the entire Washington run game. Not only did James rumble for 154 yards and 2 scores, but backup Curtis Bledsoe also scrambled for another 103 yards and 2 scores of his own after James left the game with a knee concern. We knew that with Vaughan Johnson out of the Bulls LB corps, run defense would be a concern, but no one, not even the Washington coaching staff, could have expected such dominance on the ground. Kudos to the team’s offensive line for opening massive holes all day, to OC Sam Rutigliano for recognizing a weakness and exploiting it, and to both James and Bledsoe for shedding tackles and finding cutback lanes that shredded Jacksonville on the way to an important victory for the Feds. The win moves Washington to 7-7 and gives them a legitimate shot at the franchise’s first playoff berth in team history. If this is the way they can run the ball, they will be a team that no one will want to face these last 2 weeks, and maybe in the playoffs. PLAYOFF PICTURE With two weeks of divisional play to come, here is the big picture. Michigan, Baltimore and Jacksonville are in. Denver, Tampa, New Orleans and Philadelphia control their own destiny. Washington and Oakland can also stamp their tickets with a 2-0 finish. And while Birmingham, LA and Arizona are still technically alive, they are on life support. NEWS & NOTES Things are getting heated in Jacksonville where Doug Williams this week publicly requested a trade from the embattled Bulls. Despite leading the team to another playoff berth, Williams expressed frustration with the contract negotiation tactics of Bulls management, stating that he felt disrespected by their lowball tactics and threatening to return to the NFL unless Jacksonville could find a new USFL home for him. With 4 expansion teams coming into the league next year, there is a good opportunity for Jacksonville to get top value for Williams, as all 4 new teams will be desperate to lock down the game’s most vital position in their first year. The Bulls could come away with multiple #1 picks (in the Open and Territorial Draft) if they opt to move Williams. It is rare for a Top 5 QB to be on the market, but with a toxic relationship between Williams and ownership in Jacksonville, getting good trade value for the QB may be the best option in front of Fred Bullard, Lindy Infante and the Bulls personnel team. INJURIES With the final playoff push on the horizon for many USFL teams, this Is a bad time to lose key players even for just a week. LA lost two contributors in backup TE Cap Boso and DE Larry Roberts. Philly lost their starting center, Blair Bush for at least 2 weeks with a knee injury. Oakland will be without CB Tory Nixon at least until the first week of playoffs after suffering a foot injury vs. Michigan. Craig James, who had such a great game vs. Jacksonville may also miss the next week, or more, with fluid on his knee. Tampa may be the hardest hit, as QB John Reaves suffered an abdominal injury, perhaps a hernia, this week and could miss the remaining regular season. That is a lot of playoff implicating injuries to deal with, but this is why depth is a factor each and every season. LOOKING AHEAD Here we go. Final two weeks, all divisional games. The stakes are way up, so the action should be especially fierce as teams fight for their playoff lives. In Week 16 we have huge matchups between Philly and Washington in RFK, Jacksonville @ Tampa Bay, Denver @ Arizona and LA in Oakland. Each of these games has major playoff implications. Meanwhile other playoff teams and contenders hope to snag an easy win against lesser competition as Baltimore heads to New Jersey, Michigan to Houston, New Orleans faces Pittsburgh in the Super Dome and Birmingham hosts 2-win Memphis.

SCORES NJ 23 HOU 24 Houston wins its second in a row, edging the Generals by 1. PHI 24 NOR 20 Stars slow down a Breakers offense without its top wideout. WSH 20 PIT 14 Craig James’s 115 yard day gives the Federals the edge. BIR 14 LA 7 Both offenses have trouble finding a groove as Stallions get the W. JAX 24 ARZ 21 Rick Neuheisel’s return not enough as Wranglers lose 7th straight. TBY 20 DEN 13 Eric Truvillion finds just enough space to upend Denver at Mile High. MEM 10 OAK 49 Sipe and Whittington run wild against ineffective Memphis defense. GAME OF THE WEEK Baltimore Blitz 11 Michigan Panthers 12 This was not the game we were promised, but it was still a USFL classic. Both teams had defensive schemes perfectly matched to take away the other’s top weapons. Hebert was only able to connect for 180 yards, while Baltimore’s Spencer was limited to 49 yards on the ground in this defensive slugfest. The Blitz slowed the game way down, converting on 10 of 17 third downs to keep long slow drives moving, but failed to reach the endzone, settling for 3 fieldgoals and a safety for their scoring. Michigan was unable to get the big play downfield, and found themselves down 11-3 at the end of three quarters. But, in the 4th, the Blitz defense began to tire and Michigan did just enough to pull out the win. When the two stars of the game are Michigan LB John Corker and Baltimore backer Sam Norris, the league’s two leading tacklers, you know this is a smashmouth affair, and it certainly was. If not for a blown coverage, which let Michigan’s little used rookie WR Johnny Holloway score to start the 4th quarter, the game may have ended without a touchdown. Holloway’s score, coupled with a late Novo Bojovic field goal were enough for Michigan to pull ahead of Baltimore in a classic game of field position, hard hits, and playoff potential. PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK Oakland did just about everything right in their game against Memphis. On offense both Whittington and Sipe were on fire, but the big moment in the game came from FS William Liles, who had a season-defining game. In addition to his 70 yard pick-six at the end of the game (an add-on score that did not really impact the final outcome) Liles had a monster play in the 2nd to crush any hopes Memphis had of sticking with the Invaders. The Showboats were driving, and had reached the Invader 17 when Damon Allen hit Roy Delarosa on what looked like a possible scoring play, but as Delarosa dove towards the endzone, ball out in front of him. Liles swatted the ball out of his hands. It rolled back to the 5, where Liles picked it up and raced down the field. He would have scored if not for the speed of Memphis’s Willie Gault, who shouldered him out of bounds at the Memphis 7. The 89 yard fumble return shifted the tide of the game, and the following score, putting Oakland up 21-3, all but ended any chance that Memphis had. It was a top level play in a top level game for Liles. PLAYOFF PICTURE OK, here is what we know with 3 weeks left to play. Michigan is Central Division champ and the #1 seed in the West. Baltimore is the Atlantic Division Champ. Jacksonville is guaranteed a playoff spot. Denver needs 1 win to clinch a spot as well. Tampa can do the same with a win and losses by Philly and Washington. Pittsburgh, Houston, and Memphis are out. Other than that it is a total cluster as many teams linger on for potential playoff spots. As we have come to expect in the USFL, a lot will come down to the final two weeks of intra-divisional play as the cluster of teams in the 6-8 win range will battle it out to the final whistle. NEWS & NOTES As expected, USFL teams have begun extending or resigning players on contract years in hopes of staving off an NFL raiding of their rosters. Some of the biggest names (Walker, Hebert, James, Rozier, Mills) but many USFL stars have already opted to remain with the league (assuming as well that they will be protected in the USFL Expansion draft and remain with their teams). Some of the names signed this week include: Pittsburgh HB Mike Rozier (4 year deal) Michigan LB John Corker (3 year extension) Michigan DE Ronnie Paggett (2 year deal) Arizona LB Stan White (2 year deal) Baltimore LB Ben Apuna (3 year deal) Baltimore WR Jackie Flowers (4 year deal) New Orleans LB Marcus Marek (3 year deal) Philadelphia TE Steve Folsom (2 year deal) Philadelphia QB Chuck Fusina (3 year deal) Tampa Bay WR Eric Truvillion (4 year extension) Memphis LB Eddie Simmons (5 year deal) LA HB Tony Boddie (2 year extension) Houston WR Ricky Sanders (3 year deal) Denver DT Laval Short (2 year extension) That still leaves some big names in negotiations, and we anticipate that several will wait out the process to see what the NFL has to offer. A busy time for GM’s across the league as they have to weight the salary cap, the impending USFL expansion draft, and the anticipated heavy NFL interest this offseason. INJURIES Marcus Dupree had to leave New Orleans’ game this week with what appears to be a broken nose after receiving an elbow to the face. He may have to miss this week’s game but is expected back for Week 15. New Orleans should have Nolan Franz back after he was sorely missed this past week. Jim Kelly, during his second straight high-octane game, jammed his finger but is expected to play this week. Overall a good week around the league’s recovery rooms. LOOKING AHEAD In the season’s last inter-division week we have the Atlantic hosting the Southern Division and the Central hosting the Pacific. Several games have playoff implications as well. Birmingham and New Jersey, both 5-8, need to win to stay in the Wild Card race. Philly has a tough game, hosting Tampa. Denver and New Orleans also both need the win. Jacksonville is hoping to hold its lead with a win over the Federals while Arizona is looking at Pittsburgh as its best chance to break a 7 game losing streak. Baltimore hosts Memphis, the Invaders travel to Michigan, and the LA Express hope to return to .500 with a win at Houston.