SCORES BIR 13 BLT 20 Spencer’s 109 yard day powers Baltimore to the home win. MEM 9 NJ 30 Walker busts loose for 143 yards on the ground for the Generals. JAX 24 PHI 18 Williams leads Bulls to big road win in Philadelphia. ARZ 21 NOR 36 Breakers solidify playoff shot with 15 point win over Wranglers. DEN 16 PIT 19 Gold caught napping by opportunistic Maulers. LA 16 MGN 26 LA offense cannot keep pace against undefeated Panthers. HOU 41 OAK 18 Jim Kelly has career day as Gamblers upset Invaders. GAME OF THE WEEK Tampa Bay Bandits 21 Washington Federals 24 In a game that the Bandits dominated at the half, 21-10, Federals demonstrate their moxie by dominating the second half to pull of the upset. In a see-saw game, Washington started the game well but had a rough 2nd quarter before putting the pressure on Tampa in the second half. The Federals had a solid opening drive, ending in a Nick Mike-Myer field goal, but Tampa came right back and finished the 2nd quarter with a Reaves to Collinsworth score to flip the score and take the lead 7-3. Washington opened the 2nd quarter with a scoring drive that ended when FB Barry Word plunged in from a yard out. The rest of the quarter would belong to Tampa as Reaves found Collinsworth again to go up 14-10, and then, just before the half, added another scoring toss to TE Mike Tice to build up the 11-point lead. The faithful at RFK had seen this script before. But the Federals came out to start the second half resolved to fight through. The combo of Charles Haley and Dexter Manley pressured John Reaves and forced an uncharacteristic interception right into the hands of 2nd year CB Lester Lyles. Collier and the offense capitalized as the QB found Webster Slaughter for a score to pull within 21-17. The defense would again come up big in the 4th quarter as LB Bradley Swearingen blindsided Reaves with a blitz, causing the ball to pop out, recovered by Swearingen at midfield. With 3:44 to go, Collier had a chance for a game winning drive and the Federals fans came alive. Collier moved the ball down to the 21 on a pair of Craig James runs, a swing pass to Word, and a scramble for 7 yards. On 2nd and 10 from the 21, wideout Webster Slaughter found a hole in the zone and Collier found him before the safety could come over in support. Washington took the lead back at 24-21, a lead they would hold for the remaining 1:44 to win the game. The win ,coupled with Philly’s loss to Jacksonville, suddenly put Washington right back in the thick of the hunt for the final wildcard spot in the East. The loss knocked Tampa Bay out of a tie for first in the Southern Division as the Bandits now find themselves a game behind Jacksonville. PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK No one has doubted the talent or the toughness of Houston QB Jim Kelly in his 3 years in the league. He has taken more hits than any other quarterback, and while his team has not won a lot of games, he has clearly been the most talented player on the team. This week, against Oakland, the rest of the team stepped up and gave Kelly the type of game fans had been waiting for. Kelly threw for 394 yards against the Oakland defense, and added 5 scoring tosses to help Houston blow out the Invaders, 41-18. Kelly found 4 different receivers for scores: Gerald McNeil, Todd Fowler, Ricky Sanders and Clarence Verdin. Some kudos must go to the oft-criticized Houston line, which did not give up a sack for the first time in over 2 years. More kudos to Kelly and the coaching staff for implementing a quick call, limited huddle offense. The quicker pace, and greater autonomy for Kelly to call plays resulted in a tired Oakland defense, a confident Kelly, and a scoring barrage from a team that has had issues all year with underperformance. If Kelly can convince Coach Pardee to retain the quick-pace offense, the Gamblers may have found a formula to keep Kelly upright and allow his talents to shine. PLAYOFF PICTURE Here is where we stand with 4 weeks left in the season. Baltimore has clinched the Atlantic title, but still must worry about Jacksonville (2 games behind) catching them for the #1 seed. Out West, Michigan has no such concerns as they have clinched both their division and the top seed. Their mission now is to try to do something not seen since the 1972 NFL Dolphins, go undefeated. They play the Blitz this week in the toughest game on their schedule. A win now may propel them to history. In the South, Jacksonville takes a 1 game lead over Tampa Bay, meaning that the title is theirs to grab. They face the Bandits Week 16 in what may be a winner-take-all matchup. In the Pacific, Denver still maintains a 2 game lead, thanks to losses by both Oakland and LA. Those losses also mean that New Orleans has a game up on both Pacific teams for the first Wild Card spot and the easier matchup against a likely Denver Gold squad. Back East, Tampa trails the Bulls but has a 2-game lead on 3 Atlantic Division teams for a Wild Card. The three Atlantic Teams, Philly, New Jersey, and Washington are all essentially fighting for the 4th and final spot in the conference. Washington is at a distinct disadvantage due to an 0-4 division record, while the Generals and Stars sit at 2-2. INJURIES Good news for Arizona, stuck in a 6 game losing streak, as QB Rick Neuheisel has come off the injury list and is expected to start. Backup Robbie Bosco looked good but was unable to get the Wranglers into the win column in his 3 starts. On the down side, Baltimore will be without DE Rulon Jones for the rest of the season as he tore his ACL and will undergo surgery. This will make it easier for teams to double team league sack leader Junior Ah You. New Orleans QB Tony Eason had to leave last week’s game against the Wranglers with a concussion, but is expected to be back this week after a very solid performance by backup Matt Robinson. LOOKING AHEAD All eyes will be on the Baltimore-Michigan showdown as many expect the Blitz to be the only potential obstacle on Michigan’s road to an undefeated season. The USFL schedule-makers were shrewd to make this the Saturday Night game, typically the highest rated each week. In other games of interest, Philly has a tough matchup at New Orleans, Tampa Bay must face both the altitude and the Gold defense out in Denver, Jacksonville will head out to Arizona, and Washington is in Pittsburgh.

USA Today, June 6, 1986 This has been a big week for USFL expansion news as two franchises are well on their way, revealing both their new Head Coaches and their team identities, while two others seem to be encountering some significant issues related to stadium rental, issues which may force one or both to consider relocation before a single game is played. Let's dive into all four franchise situations with the league's newest coaching hires and the two newest team identities. CHICAGO—Chicago’s Union Club: The Chicago expansion franchise headed by Blackhawks owner Bill Wirtz announced both their team identity and first head coach. Next Season the USFL will welcome the Chicago Machine to the Windy City. The team, whose name pays tribute to both the city’s long history of industrial innovation while also making a sly comment about the Chicago political “machine”, will play at Soldier Field beginning next March. At a press event which was followed by a fan rally at Soldier Field, the Machine revealed their logo, uniforms, and their new Head Coach, former Washington Redskins Offensive Coordinator Joe Bugel. Bugel, who has served as the OC for the Redskins since 1981 has built a reputation for his development of linemen and his devotion to a power running game. His offense has frequently been a top 10 unit in the NFL, and he is expected to bring a smashmouth style to the newly-formed Machine. Rumors had been circling that the Machine ownership had sought to speak with Bears’ defensive guru Buddy Ryan, but as the Bears ownership was hesitant to permit discussion with the coach still under contract, Wirtz and his management group quickly settled on the well-regarded Bugel. The Machine’s look is a basic one that incorporates elements of Chicago nostalgia, including a color scheme that borrows a deep maroon from the University of Chicago, sky blue from the city flag, and a medium metallic grey from, to quote the team reps present “the machinery and muscle that helped build the Second City”. The main logo will be a stylized M with gear notches along its side. The helmet will be deep maroon with the grey M logo on each side and a series of grey and sky blue stripes (pictured above). The uniforms will be predominantly maroon and grey, with a limited amount of sky blue (below). The team will begin building its coaching staff and roster over the upcoming months, with Free Agency beginning in late July, an expansion draft in November, and the league’s territorial and open collegiate drafts in December. Expect Coach Bugel to emphasize line strength on both offense and defense, and to seek out a power runner like Washington’s John Riggins. SAN ANTONIO—A public ceremony was held at San Antonio’s Alamo Stadium introduced the city to their USFL team, the San Antonio Gunslingers, and their new head coach, former Texas A&I coach Gil Steinke. Steinke comes to the USFL with no professional coaching experience, though he was an NFL player for 3 seasons in Philadelphia in the 1940’s. Steinke had served as the A&I coach in the NAIA for 22 years, from 1954 to 1976, and has served as their AD for another 6 years. The selection of Steinke, while certainly a local legend, is a bit of a headscratcher as there is expected to be a lot of space between leading NAIA players and a professional football team. Many expected San Antonio to go with former Longhorn Head Coach Darryl Royal. But, while Steinke will not be well-known outside of central Texas, his record at Texas A&I was impressive, including six NAIA titles, and 3 in a row in the 1970’s. As for the identity, San Antonio went with an Old West theme in the choice of “Gunslingers” as the team name, but more modern with the color scheme of Kelly green, royal blue, and silver. The Gunslingers logo (seen here) was designed by local cartoonist Bob Dale and portrays a squint-eyed and mustachioed Texas gunslinger ready to draw, enclosed within a silver circle reminiscent of a sheriff or marshal’s badge. The Gunslinger’s uniform will feature a green helmet with silver, blue and white stripes, a royal jersey with paired green and white stripes and silver pants with royal and Kelly stripes (see below). San Antonio will play their first season in Alamo Stadium, the league’s smallest stadium. It has a permanent capacity of just over 20,000, but ownership expects to use temporary bleachers in the open end of the stadium to allow for a capacity of up to 25,000. This is viewed as a short-term situation as San Antonio is in the process of developing a domed stadium within the city which is anticipated to open by 1990. And so, despite the concerns about another Nickerson Field (Boston Breakers) limiting the possible ticket revenue for the Gunslingers, the ownership is confident that they can be successful in the Alamo City. MIAMI—Reporting out of New York indicates that the plans for the Miami expansion franchise to obtain a lease for the Orange Bowl are in dire conditions. Negotiations have broken down and internal squabbling within the ownership group could lead to a hasty relocation or a postponement of the franchise joining the USFL. While lead owner Woody Weisner remains adamant that a deal will be possible with the Orange Bowl, minority owner Donald Dizney has offered the option of relocation to Orlando as a viable alternative plan for the Miami franchise. This certainly will not please John Bassett, owner of the Tampa Bay Bandits, as he balked at the idea of a third Florida franchise when Miami was the city chosen, and certainly would be opposed to a team even closer to his Tampa-St. Petersburg fan base. But, unless Mr. Weisner can pull a last-minute agreement to use the Orange Bowl in 1987 out of thin air, the Orlando option may be the only viable plan for the franchise, as certainly the USFL does not wish to see a delay in expansion or the prospect of scheduling for a 19 franchise league. SAN DIEGO—Another stadium issue may be a problem for the San Diego expansion franchise as well. There is still no signed contract for the use of Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego, and rumors have the team seeking potential alternatives if an agreement cannot be reached. Lead owner Ted Tatham has repeatedly said that he selected San Diego for his proposal because it is an ideal football city, but even he must recognize that the options in San Diego are very limited, so unless he can reach agreement with Jack Murphy Stadium, the question of relocation has to be considered. And, of course, the timetable is tight, with teams needing to set up local operations and ticket sales well before the March 1987 kickoff.

SCORES LA 30 BLT 17 LA’S defense comes up big in Baltimore to snap the Express losing streak. OAK 24 NJ 17 Invaders edge Generals on two 4th quarter TD’s from Sipe to Duper. ARZ 17 PHI 22 Philly comes back to win in 4th quarter on two clutch Trout kicks. DEN 34 WSH 27 Gagliano throws for 331 and 4 scores as Gold move to 8-3. MGN 20 BIR 9 Stallions D holds tough, but offense cannot generate points in loss. NOR 17 JAX 6 Williams frustrated all day as Breakers D keeps Bulls out of the endzone. PIT 21 TBY 35 Risher injury helps Tampa ease past Pittsburgh at home. GAME OF THE WEEK Houston Gamblers 25 Memphis Showboats 27 In a game between two teams playing for pride, the Showboats edge the Gamblers on a failed 2 point conversion as time runs out. Houston came back in the final minute of the game with Jim Kelly hitting Victor Hicks with the potential tying score with only 26 seconds on the clock. But, needing 2 to tie, Kelly missed Gerald McNeil in the corner of the endzone and Houston lost by 2, giving Memphis their second win of the year. The Showboats returned Damon Allen under center and the backup to Walter Lewis played well. Allen went 16 for 32 for 169 yards, threw one score to Willie Gault, but made no mistakes, helping Memphis control the clock for a good part of the first half. At the half the score was 16-14 Houston on two Steve Howell runs and a Jacobs FG (missed PAT for Jacobs as well). In the second half, Memphis would score on 2 field goals of their own, to take the lead 20-19. When, with 5:25 left in the game Memphis ended a long drive with a Buford Jordan TD, it seemed that the game was all but over. But, Houston did not quit and, down 8, they marched the ball down the field and scored in the final minute to pull within 2. But, a fingertip grab was not in the offing on the attempted 2-pointer, and Houston now finds themselves right in the hunt for the worst record in the league. Memphis has their second win in the last month, and heads off to New Jersey next week to try to get a third. PERFORMER OF THE WEEK This week we will celebrate a team effort as the New Orleans defense deserves a lot of kudos for shutting down the usually dynamic Jacksonville offense in the Gator Bowl. The Breakers gave up only 229 yards to the Bulls, picked off Doug Williams three times, and held HB George Adams to only 43 yards rushing. Jacksonville did not convert even one of their 9 third down opportunities and held the ball for only 26 minutes in the game. CB Andrew Kitchens shadowed Gary Clark all day, while the linebacking corps filled gaps and pressured Doug Williams on the way to a full team victory. With the win, New Orleans placed themselves in prime Wild Card contention, a game over 500 and even with Oakland and Los Angeles. While the offense has new life with HB Marcus Dupree and an improved Tony Eason, it has been the defense which has led the way and likely will as the Breakers seek to nail down a playoff spot. PLAYOFF PICTURE With 5 weeks left, no team has guaranteed themselves a division title, but both Baltimore and Michigan have locked up playoff spots. Denver has built up a 2 game lead in the division, but has some tough games ahead, while Tampa and Jacksonville look good to both make the playoffs but again it may come down to the season’s final week to determine who will win the division. Birmingham, Washington and New Jersey hurt their chances with losses this week, as Philadelphia pulled a game ahead for the final playoff spot in the East. Oakland, LA and New Orleans seem to be fighting for the two Wild Card Spots, with 5-straight losses by Arizona putting them a game off the pace and desperately in need of a turn around game. NEWS & NOTES Everyone is talking QB’s in the USFL this week. Whether it is the discord that is brewing in Jacksonville between beleaguered QB Doug Williams and management, the prolonged injury to Arizona’s Rick Neuheisel, the potential NFL poaching of Michigan’s Bobby Hebert, or the injury to Alan Risher in Pittsburgh, it is all about the QB. There is also concern for Jim Kelly, who is just floundering on a Houston team that cannot seem to pull it together, and with Reggie Collier now hurt, Washington may be in a tough spot as well. Other than Bob Gagliano in Denver, Brian Sipe in Oakland, Steve Young in LA and John Reaves in Tampa it seems like every team has doubts at QB. Some doubt the ability of their QB to stay healthy, some worry that their star QB will be lost to free agency, and some are still waiting for their supposed franchise player to start playing like a truly elite signal caller. So it goes in a league where the passing game often equates with wins. If that position is not secure, then the whole team is insecure. INJURIES We had a few scares this week as both Alan Risher and Reggie Collier were knocked out of their games. Neither Pittsburgh nor Washington can afford to lose them for long. Both are expected to be back within a week, perhaps two, so no major trauma there. The same cannot be said for Jacksonville defensive captain Vaughan Johnson, will is out for the rest of the year with a torn quad. Other injuries which will impact the end of the season include Houston TE Jimmie Giles, Breakers WR Nolan Franz, and Bulls LB Charles Bratton. LOOKING AHEAD The league’s 13th week feels a bit like a palette cleanser before the divisional rivalry games of weeks 14, 16 and 17. The only matchup of teams with winning records is 6-5 LA facing 11-0 Michigan in the Silver Dome. Otherwise each game is a bit of a one sided affair, with the possible exception of 5-6 Arizona at 6-5 New Orleans. Oakland is in Houston, Denver at Pittsburgh, Tampa in Washington and Jacksonville at Philly. Memphis will go for their third win of the year against 4-7 New Jersey, while the 9-2 Baltimore Blitz host the hard luck 4-7 Birmingham Stallions.

SCORES DEN 28 OAK 16 Denver’s Defense comes up big as the Gold build a 2-game division lead. LA 31 ARZ 13 LA’s Chip Banks makes a huge first impression as Express roll. MEM 14 TBY 31 Undermanned Showboats cannot keep pace with Banditball. JAX 31 BIR 3 Bulls look primed for a playoff run with 3-phases win at Birmingham. BLT 13 HOU 12 Houston slows the game down and almost pulls off a huge upset. NJ 10 MGN 42 Hebert’s 4 TD’s lead to another big Michigan blow out at home. WSH 38 NOR 13 Federals shock the Breakers in New Orleans on Collier’s 3 TD day. GAME OF THE WEEK Philadelphia Stars 20 Pittsburgh Maulers 25 Break up the Maulers!! After starting the season 0-7, Pittsburgh switched out their QB, signing former Wrangler Alan Risher, and the gunslinging Risher has given them 2 wins in 3 games. Sure, we cannot give him all the credit, after all, his stats show only 53% completion rate, but it is the lack of mistakes, and the ability to provide a credible passing threat to balance out Mike Rozier’s running that has made a huge difference for the Maulers. Risher threw two TDs in the game, both to TE Mike Shaw, and he avoided the big mistakes (only 1 sack given up and no interceptions) as the Maulers shocked the Philadelphia Stars. Philly was not expecting the Pittsburgh defense to hold, but they did, keeping Kelvin Bryant to only 3.2 yards per carry, while also blanketing WR Tom Donovan. And yet, things looked good for the Stars early. They built up a 14-3 lead in the first quarter, but then Pittsburgh slowed them down and slowly crept back. By the half it was 17-13 Philly and by the end of the 3rd quarter Pittsburgh had built up a 22-17 lead, bolstered by a brilliant tackle by rookie LB Dino Hackett on Kelvin Bryant in the Philly endzone for 2. In the 4th, Pittsburgh would hold and expand the lead, as both teams settled for field goals on their only scoring drives. Philadelphia was frustrated all day by Pittsburgh’s use of a 5-man line, and 2 LBs. It was unexpected and the Philly O-line never fully adjusted. LB’s Dino Hackett and Manu Tuiasosopo rarely came out of the game, while the line held the Stars run game in check. The win gave the somewhat sparse crowd in Pittsburgh something to cheer about in a relatively bleak season, and his performance gave QB Alan Risher a better foothold on the starting job, and a possible contract extension beyond 1986. PERFORMER OF THE WEEK LB Chip Banks had an LA debut fitting for a Hollywood Premiere. The Express took the risk of a mid-season NFL poaching to grab Banks from the Cleveland Browns, hoping he would help provide energy and leadership to their sagging defense. He did that in dramatic fashion this week, leading the team with 8 tackles, causing an Owen Gill fumble and then falling on another from Gill later in the game, and to put the cherry on top of the sundae, at the end of the 2nd quarter, with Arizona in their 2 minute offense, and the game tied at 10, Banks stepped in front of a poor throw by Robbie Bosco and ran it back for the score, setting the momentum for the second half where LA would outscore Arizona 14-3 and pull away. The entire LA defense looked better with Banks drawing attention from LA’s offense and drawing rave reviews. If this is the star performance LA is going to get from Banks each week, this show could run for quite a while and this team could make a playoff run yet. PLAYOFF PICTURE It is too early for clinching just yet, but with only 6 games left, Baltimore and Michigan have to be feeling good with 5 game leads in their divisions. These two have been head and shoulders above the rest of the league all year, and it seems fitting that they will be clinching in the very near future. On the other end of the spectrum, the wildcard races are going to be just that, wild. In the West there are 4 teams at 5-5 and only 2 spots. Denver has a 2-game lead on all 3 other Pacific teams, and New Orleans needs to keep pace or the Pacific Division could snag 3 playoff berths with both wildcards. In the East, Tampa has a 2-game lead over 4 teams at 4-6 for a wild card, and are more concerned with chasing the Bulls for the Southern Division, but the Stallions and all 3 teams in the Atlantic who don’t call Baltimore home are still itching for that final wild card position. Only 1 of them can have it, and with several intra-divisional games yet to play, this should be a real battle for survival. NEWS & NOTES News out of New York as the league this week is expected to review a potential share of the controlling interest in the New Jersey Generals from real estate developer Donald Trump to Malcolm Borg, a New Jersey based publishing and media mogul. Trump has been making noise about divesting from the USFL ever since the 1984 vote which retained a spring schedule. Trump had been the primary backer for a proposal to move the season to fall and potentially force an NFL-USFL merger. When that was rejected, and despite the court victory against the NFL which led to $675M in NFL restitution, Trump has clung to the idea that he was correct, that the USFL would always be “small potatoes” in the spring and that eventually the new car smell would come off the league and the combination of baseball and other spring sporting events would eat away at any profitability for the league. The sale of his controlling interest in the Generals is a logical next step for Trump, who is likely to make up to $50M in profit from the sale after only 3 years of ownership in the franchise. After all, having the controlling position in a New York based franchise which is viewed as a cornerstone for the entire league is a major growth investment, if the league survives. So, for Mr. Borg who holds a more optimistic view of the league than Mr. Trump, it is a win-win situation. He provides Mr. Trump with an immediate profit, and now holds the cards to potential profit should the USFL defy Mr. Trump’s prediction and survive moving forward. League owners, some of whom have grown quite tired of the constant tone of negativity and criticism coming out of New Jersey, are expected to approve the sale without much controversy. While Mr. Borg’s family is far less connected to New York than New Jersey, his media empire is expected to provide the market with greater regional coverage and a sense that the Generals truly will represent New Jersey rather than NY, potentially opening the option of a future expansion franchise for New York City, perhaps at Shea Stadium, as the largest market in the country can be split between NJ and NY for a natural rivalry. INJURIES This was a very good week for the USFL on the injury front. Yes, there were the usual twists, sprains and contusions, but no injuries of note, and no major players likely to miss the next few weeks. This is a rare thing to say in pro football, but this week most teams came out without major injury concerns. LOOKING AHEAD It is East v. West and North v. South in this week’s slate of inter-divisional play. With so many teams on the fringe of playoff contention, there is hardly a game without playoff potential. LA heads to Baltimore on a tough road assignment. Oakland will try to knock off New Jersey to get back over 500. Arizona and Philadelphia will tangle at Veteran’s Stadium, and the Washington Federals will try to solve Denver’s defense at RFK. Michigan will try to reach 11-0 at Birmingham, while the Breakers need to regain their winning ways but face a tough challenge at Jacksonville. Tampa will host the Maulers, and in a game that may determine who has the first pick in the draft, the 2-win Houston Gamblers are in Memphis to take on the 1-win Showboats.

USA Today, May 20, 1986 Ten weeks down, seven to go, and with all 16 USFL teams completing the divisional bye weeks, we are down to the home stretch, where seasons will be made or lost. Let’s take a look at all 16 USFL teams and assess the year to date, the stars on the rise, and the outlook moving forward. BALTIMORE BLITZ (8-1) STATUS: The Blitz look poised for another Championship run, after falling just short last season. With a 4 game lead in their division, the 4th rated offense and the 3rd rated defense, there is not a lot the Blitz need to improve on as they head towards a postseason bid. Their biggest test is likely to be a matchup with the currently undefeated Michigan Panthers in week 15. STAR ON THE RISE: Most of the Blitz’s big hitters are not new to the squad: Evans, Spencer, Flowers, Ah You and Eddie Ray Walker, but if we wanted to highlight a contributor who is not getting a lot of press, we would look squarely at TE Mark Keel, second on the team with 40 catches for 433 yards. Keel has been a solid escape valve for Vince Evans on those plays where Evans cannot run his way to daylight. FUTURE: The biggest concern looking ahead is not whether or not Baltimore can make the playoffs, it is whether the Blitz can retain their talent once the free agency period (and NFL raiding period) opens. With Junior Ah You, Jackie Flowers, Keel, LB Ben Apuna and LT Ronnie Delaney all up for new contracts, the Blitz may find themselves short a few star players after the free agency period. PHILADELPHIA STARS (4-5) STATUS: A losing record and 4 games behind Baltimore is not where the defending champs expected to find themselves at this point in the season. After 3 straight Atlantic Division titles, the Stars are scrambling just to catch a Wild Card berth. The team has been solid, but has lost some games that should not have gotten away from them. Early losses to New Jersey and Birmingham hurt, but more recently the Stars have not won the close games against top competition like Baltimore, Denver and Oakland. STAR ON THE RISE: Two veteran acquisitions on defense have been all that was advertised. CB Everson Walls has 39 tackles, 10 pass defenses and 2 interceptions on the year, while DT Jumpy Geathers has 7 tackles for loss among his 35 tackles. Both came to the Stars from the NFL and have helped Philly hold onto the 3rd best pass defense in the league. FUTURE: The Stars have a favorable schedule the rest of the way, with upcoming games against Pittsburgh, Arizona, and two against the Federals, a team they tend to dominate. We expect they will make the playoffs, and then their experience might prove invaluable. Looking at Free Agency, the Stars will put a priority on keeping LB Sam Mills and SS Scott Woerner. Chuck Fusina is also up for a new contract, but we expect him to sign soon. NEW JERSEY GENERALS (4-5) STATUS: While their record still leaves a lot to be desired, the Generals are clearly a much-improved team this season. With victories already over Philly, Arizona and Los Angeles, the Generals are a more balanced, more dangerous team. They still have defensive issues (14th in yards allowed) but have not allowed teams to score at will. Their offense is 5th in the league, and has shown a much better balance of Walker’s rush game and Doug Flutie tossing the ball. They need to find a way to win more of the close ones as they have already lost to New Orleans by 6, Jacksonville by 4, and Baltimore by 4. If they can turn a few more of those close games into wins, they could find themselves in the playoff mix. STAR ON THE RISE: Rookie TE Brent Jones is making a good first impression. He leads the team in receptions with 43 and has become a security blanket for Doug Flutie. He has also proven an adequate, if not solid, blocker, something which was projected as a problem coming out of college. Now, if the Generals would start utilizing Jones in combination with FB Keith Byars to diversify the offense some more, they might be tough to defend. FUTURE: New Jersey has a rough road ahead, with games against Michigan, Oakland and Baltimore, but they also have several games where they should be favored. They need to realistically look at going 5-2 over these 7 weeks to have a solid shot at a playoff spot. And, if that is not tough enough, they need to do this while also working with the front office to ensure that this is not Herschel Walker’s last year in New Jersey. The flagship player of the team, if not the league, has to be top priority, even if that means letting other talented players like Gary Barbaro and Jim LeClair go. WASHINGTON FEDERALS (3-6) STATUS: Once again the Federals went into a season with a lot of optimism, and once again by week 10 they appear to be out of the running. So what is the answer? Do they blow it all up and rebuild? Is this the end of Lee Corso’s time in the capital? Our guess is that they look for a major retooling and that means Corso will go. The Federals need to do something dramatic in order to finally expand what is one of the league’s smaller fan bases. STAR ON THE RISE: Not everything in DC is a sad story. There are some young players, particularly in the receiving corps, who the Feds can look to for the future. This includes 2nd year TE Mark Bavaro, who has 30 catches and 5 TD’s this season, and rookie Webster Slaughter, who has missed some games to injury but has shown some flashes of real talent too. On defense, LB Brandon Zavala has been a bright spot on a pretty bad squad. Safety Mark Kelso should also be retained as he has tried to steady a weak backfield. FUTURE: We expect the Federals to pull out a few more wins, but once again to miss the playoffs. Then there will need to be a purge. They have some players to keep and build on, but it might just be time for a new coach, new quarterback, and new philosophy if this team is ever going to leave the divisional basement. JACKSONVILLE BULLS (6-3) STATUS: After falling behind Tampa Bay for 1 week, the Bulls were able to once again rise to the top of the Southern Division. But for many around the league, the Bulls success remains a paper lion. The Bulls are only 7th in yards per game and scoring, while also coming up middle of the pack in most defensive categories. They are 3rd in the league against the run, but is that enough to truly compete. That they have 6 wins to date is impressive, especially with their star QB, Doug Williams, in the middle of what appears to be an ugly contract negotiation with the front office. STAR ON THE RISE: The signing of LB Gary Reasons away from the NY Giants was a bold step for the Bulls defense, and while the D has not exactly been “lights out”, Reasons has been a very solid starter, recording 53 tackles (2nd on the team) and 3 sacks (tied for the team lead). They will need him to improve in pass coverage as Jacksonville tends to give up too much in the middle of the field, but Reasons has been a net positive for the squad so far. FUTURE: The Bulls are in a neck-and-neck race with the Bandits for the division title, just as it was last year. They have faced their toughest foes already and now have no one on the schedule ahead of them with a record above 5 wins. They need to win the games they should and look at Week 16 for their rematch with the Bandits as a key game for their season. As an ’84 expansion team the Bulls have fewer free agents to be concerned about as other teams, but they have to find a solution to their Doug Williams issue, either by signing him or creating a sign & trade option that Williams will accept. It is a distraction, and one a team in this tight a playoff race cannot afford. TAMPA BAY BANDITS (5-4) STATUS: After a rough start (0-2) the Bandits have again put themselves in a position to compete for a playoff spot. The loss this past week to Michigan may also act as a wakeup call for a team that is trying to be one of the league’s elites. The Bandits, as always, are an offensive powerhouse, 1st in yards and passing, and 2nd in scoring, but they need to improve on their 15th ranked scoring defense. Too many games see them keep foes in the game by not clamping down and preventing shootouts. STAR ON THE RISE: We wish we could clearly spotlight a new face in Tampa, but the Bandits are living on borrowed time with all their major contributors, at least on offense, being in their 3rd or 4th year in Tampa. Steve Spurrier has drafted for depth, not starters, and that means that we are still looking to Reaves, Anderson, Truvillion and Gillespie to do the heavy lifting. FUTURE: Tampa has a tougher schedule ahead of them than Jacksonville, so they may need some help if they are going to win the division. They also have to avoid a slip-up with longtime rival Birmingham right on their heels. In the front office, the priority will be to resign Eric Truvillion before the season ends and he has a chance to scamper off to the NFL. There are a few others on the roster who Tampa would like to retain, but Truvillion has to be the top priority. BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS (4-5) STATUS: After a disastrous 1985 campaign, the Stallions are at least relevant again, if not back to the top form they showed in ’84. They still lose too many games against top competition, while racking up wins against some of the league’s weaker teams, and their offense still suffers from being too one-dimensional around Joe Cribbs, but they are a team that could put together a late run. STAR ON THE RISE: Rookie wideout Ernest Givens is making the most of his shot in Birmingham. He has been named the rookie of the week on several occasions, and his 640 yards receiving is best on the squad. Coach Dotsch needs to be a bit more innovative, to get the ball in his hands more often, but when he does make a catch, he has shown some great moves to build his YAC totals and prove dangerous. FUTURE: Other than a tough matchup against the Panthers, Birmingham has a pretty favorable schedule and could pull together a string of wins. It is a tough hill to climb with both Tampa and Jacksonville ahead of them, but the Stallions are still in this thing. As far as contracts go, the Stallions are in pretty good shape. While they would like to retain players such as Jim Smith, Earl Gant or Issaic Holt, none of these players is absolutely essential, giving Birmingham some room to shop or negotiate to build up the team. MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS (1-8) STATUS:New year, new coach, same old issues. Despite the presence of sack master Reggie White, the Memphis Defense remains pretty atrocious. They rank near the bottom of the league in several categories, including being #16 against the rush. On the offensive side, Memphis has suffered with injuries to key players like QB Walter Lewis and WR Mel Gray. The trade of HB Marcus Dupree to New Orleans is looking worse each week as Dupree has found new life as a Breaker. It is just a bad year in the Mid-South. STAR ON THE RISE: It is hard to find anyone on the squad other than White who you would want to highlight. What is concerning is that even free agent pickups have been less than advertised, particularly DE Booker Reese, who simply is not getting free from initial blocks. He has only 9 tackles on the year, which for a team that most others run against is a bad sign. FUTURE: Not so bright they need to wear shades. Memphis needs an infusion of talent, and a year without injuries. They have a long way to go to produce a winner in Memphis. As an expansion team they have fewer big names coming up for contract renewal, and with a lot of underperformers, the Stallions may let a lot of players like WR Willie Gault or CB Jeff George go as they seek the greener grass on the other hill. MICHIGAN PANTHERS (9-0) STATUS: Michigan once again looks to be the dominant team in the league, and a frontrunner for the Championship. They have managed to win all 9 games, but they do have a few challenges in their future schedule, with the biggest being a showdown against the Baltimore Blitz in Week 15. The Panthers have managed to avoid any major injuries this season, and if that streak continues they will be tough to slow down. They have the #1 scoring defense, #1 yardage defense and pass defense. In addition to this they are in the top 3 in points per game, yardage per game, and passing. Those signs demonstrate their dominance this year. STAR ON THE RISE: Many predicted that the loss of TE Mike Cobb to the NFL this past offseason would negatively impact the Panthers’ pass game, but the shrewd scouting of Butch Rolle out of college has proven that the Panthers do not rebuild, they just reload. Rolle has 26 catches for 205 yards (both 3rd behind the Big 2 receivers) and has proven to be an adept pass blocker when held in to help protect Bobby Hebert. He could improve his run blocking, but in this offense that is a tertiary requirement. FUTURE: What can you say about an undefeated team except that the odds are still against Michigan to finish the season 16-0. That said, they should easily win the Central Division and the #1 seed in the conference playoffs. That means everyone has to come to the Silver Dome and that is bad news for everyone else. But, that said, we saw in 1983 how a dominant Michigan team was felled by an injury to Bobby Hebert, so they also have to start to think about protecting their most valuable players. Speaking of that, this offseason may be the end of the Panther dynasty, as they have a lot of free agents to protect from both USFL and NFL poaching. Chief among them is Hebert, but with John Corker, Ronnie Paggett, Derek Holloway, CB Clarence Chapman and LB Alonzo Johnson also up for contract renewal, the reality is that Michigan simply cannot keep everyone. Do they retain their top notch defense and try their hand with Jack Trudeau at QB, or do they spend the huge numbers to retain Hebert and risk losing Corker, Holloway and others? NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS (5-4) STATUS: The Breakers may have changed divisions but their view has not changed at all. Every year they seemed to be limited to playing for a wild card because they simply could not keep pace with the Philadelphia Stars, and now they find themselves 4 games behind the Michigan Panthers. The more things change, the more they stay the same. The good news for New Orleans is that they have developed a pretty solid fanbase in short order and that the expected challenges from Houston and Pittsburgh have just not materialized. They stand in a good position to get a wild card, but have to watch out for competition from the Pacific Division. STAR ON THE RISE: The Breakers have always seemed to find a running game regardless of who the lead back was. First it was Richard Crump, then Buford Jordan, then many expected rookie Dalton Hillard to take the lead, but the early season trade with Memphis to bring Marcus Dupree to the Big Easy has proven to be sheer genius by the Breakers’ front office. Since arriving at the Super Dome Dupree has been reborn, jumping from an average around 60 yards a game in Memphis to over 100 yards a game for the Breakers. What this means for Hilliard and Crump remains to be seen, but the Breakers seem dedicated to the run game and that could help them in the long run. FUTURE: The Breakers likely need to do no worse than 4-3 in their final 7 games, but they expect to do better than that. Can they compete once they get into the playoffs, or will it be another one-and-done situation for them? That is the big question. On the contract side, they do have a few players they might need to fight for, including LB Marcus Marek, TE Dan Ross, WR Frank Lockett, and FS Bobby Melendez. They will likely need to restructure Marcus Dupree’s contract and may want to lock in Tony Eason as well, though many are still somewhat leary of Eason’s growth to date, so that could be a tough sell this year, when it is a luxury, not a necessity to resign him. HOUSTON GAMBLERS (2-7) STATUS: So many predicted so much more for this squad, but the addition of new OC Bruce Coslett has not produced better results for QB Jim Kelly and the Houston offense. Far too often the offense sputters and Kelly is still running for his life on too many plays. The Houston defense is actually looking pretty solid, 3rd in the league in yards per game, and 2nd in pass defense, but the offense ranks 15th, which is stunning for a team with Kelly and those receivers. STAR ON THE RISE: Simon Fletcher is turning into a frightening pass rusher before our eyes. He leads Houston with 6 sacks and is regularly getting double teamed. If Houston had more to offer on the defensive line, we could easily see Fletcher joining the ranks of White, Ah You, and Paggett atop the sack rankings. FUTURE: It is not coming together this year that seems clear. Rather than their usual 7-9 finish, the Gamblers may find themselves with 3-4 wins and that may mean the end of the Jack Pardee era with the team. They need to draft better for both O-line and D-line and they clearly need to do more to help Jim Kelly succeed. The good news is that most of their best players are still under contract through 1987. They have to decide if they want to keep wideout Clarence Verdin and SS Keith Moody, but both could easily fit under their salary cap, which leaves them in much better position than most of their division. PITTSBURGH MAULERS (1-8) STATUS: We think it is safe to say that the Todd Blackledge era in Pittsburgh may be over. After leading the Maulers to 7 consecutive losses, Blackledge was pulled for newly arrived former Wrangler Alan Risher, and Risher produced a win in his first outing. The Maulers will likely try to move Blackledge to a team seeking a backup, but that means they need to shore up the QB position this offseason. The other area that clearly needs work is their last-ranked scoring defense. They do not rank higher than 11th in the league in any category. You are not going to win with poor QB play and even worse defense, and that will not play for long in the Steel City. STAR ON THE RISE: Hard to find a budding star on the Maulers roster. This team is Mike Rozier and then what? Duerson is a solid safety, rookie Bob Buczkowski started the year strong with all 5 of his sacks in the first 6 weeks, but has faded. LB Dino Hacket has played well as well, but none of it has added up to wins. FUTURE: The masochistic among us are sad that the Maulers do not play the Showboats this year. Of their upcoming games we like the matchups against Washington and a rematch against Houston (their 1 victory) as the best changes for future wins. They will certainly have a top 3 draft pick this year, and we expect they will be looking at QB with that pick. As for their free agency situation, again, as a 1984 expansion team they have fewer players than most who need a new contract. Mike Rozier is one of them, but we anticipate he will be signed long before free agency opens. The same is likely true for SS Duerson and WR Danny Buggs. Alan Risher signed a 1 year deal, so the Maulers will be looking at the next 7 weeks as an audition for a long term deal. If he struggles as much as Blackledge has, he too may be gone in favor of a big name rookie hurler like Vinny Testaverde or Jim Harbaugh. DENVER GOLD (6-3) STATUS: The Gold are this year’s Cinderella story. Under new head coach Mouse Davis last year’s Pacific Division bottom dwellers are taking a legitimate shot at winning the division. Davis came in with the reputation as an offensive mind, chief proponent of the wide open Run & Shoot offense, but it has been the defense which has raised eyebrows. Denver is the 2nd rated scoring defense, behind only undefeated Michigan, and is first against the rush, allowing a paltry 52 yards per game. And while the offense has improved, it is not a full-fledged run & shoot as Davis has adapted to some of the personnel still in place, which were signed with a power run game in mind. Denver has some competition and tough games ahead, including 2 matchups against the Oakland Invaders, but their formula of efficient offense and shut down defense positions them well to take the division title. STAR ON THE RISE: Let’s give kudos to two rookies who have become immediate contributors. On defense LB Kurt Gouveia has had a strong season, and shown flexibility, moving between an OLB position on most downs to taking over as the team’s MLB on passing downs. He has a firm grasp of the defensive scheme and has shown an ability to adjust on the fly. On offense WR Bill Brooks has quickly become a fan favorite for his bravery going over the middle and his timely 3rd down catches. He has 42 grabs for 434 yards so far this season, just a handful behind team leader Vic James, and he has proven to be a reliable 3rd down target. FUTURE: We like the direction that Mouse Davis is taking this team. They have some weapons, between James, Brooks, J.T. Smith and 2nd year TE Jay Novacek, and they have a defensive mentality that avoids big mistakes and big gains, while stifling opposing rushers and making teams one-dimensional. This is a team that could pull an upset or two in the playoffs, though an eventual trip to Michigan’s Silver Dome is a daunting task. Looking at the offseason, the Gold have their main interest in preserving their offensive line and their LB corps. They may not be able to retain all however. They have 4 different starting linemen up for renewal and on defense both Putt Choate and Greg Gerkin from the LB corps are also in negotiations for a new contract. With both free agency and the expansion draft on the horizon, the Gold should be busy trying to figure out who is dispensable and who is not. ARIZONA WRANGLERS (5-4) STATUS: The Wranglers started out the season with a bang, going 5-1 and taking command of the division, but injuries, particularly to QB Rick Neuheisel, and poor play on defense have led to a 3 game losing streak as Arizona now find themselves tied with a surging Oakland squad behind Denver. Arizona will be testing out rookie Robbie Bosco at QB after three tough weeks for veteran Greg Landry. Their hope is that Bosco’s athleticism will rekindle the offense. They will need to do something as they have a tough road ahead, with games against LA (twice), Philadelphia, New Orleans, Jacksonville and Denver. If they can find some offensive continuity, they will have a chance, but if not, expect them to get leapfrogged by Oakland and perhaps LA as well. STAR ON THE RISE: This has been a breakout season for former Cornhusker Owen Gill. He seems to have gotten a wakeup call when the Wranglers drafted Darryl Clack in the offseason, and he has taken charge of the backfield with 595 yards on the season. His average is still only 3.8 yards, but he has shown the ability to break some big gainers, and a toughness which has gained him confidence in the coach’s eyes. Expect Clack to cut into his carry load going forward, just to avoid a late season slowdown, but Gill still has a shot at 1,000 yards if he can get the ball steadily. FUTURE: This season’s future likely lies firmly at the hands of the quarterback. If Robbie Bosco can perform well and stop the team’s slide, or if Rick Neuheisel can return, and return to top form, in the next few weeks, the Wranglers could make a late season surge. If QB play continues to hinder the offense, they likely fade further away. And then, this offseason the Wranglers need to focus on resigning some of the low-profile positions that help the team stay steady. Center Jeremy Wilkins is a top priority, as are aging LB’s Stan White and Jim Fahnhorst. The future for veteran QB Greg Landry is very much in doubt as the 38 year old is likely to retire if Bosco pushes past him on the depth chart. The Wranglers would also very much like to resign CB Frank Minnifield and tackle Jason Totten. A lot of mouths to feed and a lot of pressure to upgrade other positions as well means a busy season for the front office. OAKLAND INVADERS (5-4) STATUS: After losing their first two games, Oakland has found their stride, winning 5 of 7 and their last 3 games, including convincing wins over top teams such as Philadelphia and Jacksonville. One of their losses was also a very solid game at Baltimore. This is a team on the rise. Brian Sipe has found the fountain of youth and is playing his best ball. Arthur Whittington has returned to pre-injury form and has an iron grip on the lead back position, with 992 yards already. The offense is #1 in scoring, 2nd in yards, and 1st in rushing, all strong signs that this team will continue to ascend. They have two games vs. Denver on the horizon and those are likely to define the year for the Invaders. If their unstoppable offense can overwhelm Denver’s immovable defense the Invaders could claim the division title for the first time in franchise history. STAR ON THE RISE: He is no rookie, but newly arrived Mark Duper has clearly brought the flash he showed as a Miami Dolphin with him to Oakland. His 664 receiving yards and 19 yard average have helped Brian Sipe take the top off defenses. He leads the team with 6 TD receptions and is now drawing the double coverage that used to hinder Henry Ellard. With both receivers in top form, defenses have to play a dangerous game of doubling only one at a time. Duper’s presence opens up the field, making life easier for Ellard, TE Raymond Chester, and even for Arthur Whittington, who finds far fewer 8 and 9 man fronts to face. FUTURE: Offense has always been the name of the game in the USFL, and with the show the Invaders are putting on, this team can go far. Coach Vermeil would certainly like to see the defense play a little more cohesively but if he has to win by shootout, this team seems ready to do that. The Invaders, having had a major roster purge since their 1984 4-12 season are a lot like an expansion team, with few key players coming due for new contracts. The biggest name will be TE Raymond Chester, and beyond that it is about assessing the depth on the team. With that being the case, the Invaders are one of few teams that perhaps have more to lose in the expansion draft than in free agency and NFL poaching. LOS ANGELES EXPRESS (4-5) STATUS: It all started out so well, what happened? The Express started they ear 4-1, but have now lost 4 straight, and to be honest, we cannot pinpoint exactly why. The easiest target is the run game. LA has a solid passing game but are 15th in the league in rushing, despite having talent in the tandom of Tony Boddie and Kevin Mack. Of course we should probably also critique the defense, as many have, as the Express allow nearly 400 yards a game in offense (380 to be exact), which is second worst only to Pittsburgh. They come off a bye this week, just one week after providing the sad sack Memphis Showboats with their only win on the season. They signed former Cleveland Brown LB Chip Banks to help shore up the defense and rumor has it that they have been focused on new run schemes during their 2 week hiatus, but will this be enough? STAR ON THE RISE: He hasn’t played a down in LA yet, but all eyes are on Chip Banks. The Express badly need a run stuffer and a potential blitzer to scare opposing offenses. Banks was both in Cleveland and will likely get a lot of snaps from day one. FUTURE: LA will likely need some help to move back into playoff contention. They start off the 2nd part of their season with a brutal 3-game road stretch, at Arizona, Baltimore, and Michigan. That could push them to 4-8 and out of contention right there. They need to pick up at least 1 of those games, preferably next week against Arizona, to have a shot. With both Tony Boddie and Kevin Mack up for new contracts this year, the run game will be vital not just for LA wins but for evaluation of talent moving forward. If Boddie can not improve on his YPC, he may be a salary cap victim as the Express go with the younger, bigger Mack.

SCORES BLT 24 NJ 20 Vince Evans hits Jackie Flowers with 3 bombs to blow up the Generals. PIT 16 BIR 29 Rookie Ernest Givens shines in Stallions win over the 1-win Maulers. NOR 20 MEM 12 Reggie White’s 3 sacks are not enough as Breakers get win #5. HOU 24 JAX 27 Houston loses another heartbreaker as Williams finds Clark to win. MGN 33 TBY 19 Over 50k watch Michigan move to 9-0 with another dominant win. BYES: Arizona, Denver, Los Angeles, Oakland GAME OF THE WEEK Washington Federals 22 Philadelphia Stars 27 The Stars took advantage of a rowdy Philadelphia crowd to edge past the Federals in familiar fashion. In a game that was closer than many expected, the Federals proved a lot to themselves, but still came up short against the heavily favored Stars. Reggie Collier took the game on his shoulders as the Stars defense held Craig James to only 35 yards on 17 carries. Throwing for 271 yards and 2 scores, Collier, and a solid defensive performance, kept Washington in the game. Philadelphia broke out early on two first quarter scoring drives as, in both cases, Fusina found Tom Donovan for six. The 14-0 lead faded in the second as Collier hit Webster Slaughter for the Feds first score, and then came back on their next drive with a field goal. At half it was 21-10 after a late Kelvin Bryant run from 2 yards out. Bryant would end up with a tough 101 yards on 20 carries, bolstered by a 54 yard run in the 3rd that broke him out of what otherwise was a very tough day. The third quarter belonged to Washington, as they scored 10 straight to pull within 2 at 21-19, failing on a 2 point conversion that would have tied the game. In the 4th, neither team would see the endzone, but Philly kicker David Trout’s two field goals outdueled Washington’s Nick Mike-Myer, allowing Philly to let out a sigh of relief with a hard-won 6 point victory over the feisty Federals. The win places Philadelphia right back into the thick of the wild-card scramble, while dropping to 3-6 means the Federals will need to string some wins together to get into the fray. PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK Two weeks ago it was Joe Cribbs who put away a game with a 200+ yard performance. This week it was Baltimore receiver Jackie Flowers. Flowers had only 5 catches, but when three of them are 44 yard, 71 yard and 75 yard touchdown catches, you have to be impressed. Flowers finished with 229 yards receiving, thanks in large part to those three scores. What may be even more impressive is that only the 44 yarder was really a deep deep throw. The 71 yarder was actually about a 20 yard throw, with Flowers evading a hit from the safety and burning past the CB to take it to the house. The 75 yarder was even more impressive, as the pass itself was a 17 yard deep out on 3rd and 14, but somehow, Flowers absorbed the hit from the CB, placing one hand on the turf while retaining possession with the other. He then spun back up to his feet, got another 10 yards and then juked left to avoid the scrambling safety, giving him a clear path to the endzone and what would be the winning score for the Blitz. Not a busy day for sure, but certainly a spectacular one for the 4 year veteran. NEWS & NOTES Having finished the last of the bye weeks, we can now look at all teams with 9 games in hand, and begin to ponder the playoffs. Michigan (9-0) and Baltimore (8-1) look like clear favorites to take their divisions and each conference’s #1 seeds. Denver, with their dominant defense, have a 1 game lead in the Pacific, but Oakland is charging with 3 straight wins. LA and Arizona seem to be fading, but a comeback after this week’s bye could be in order. In the Southern Division, Jacksonville has a 1-game lead over Tampa Bay, but we expect these two to be battling all season long. That leaves one Eastern Wild Card left, and we have 3 teams at 4-5 in the hunt, Philly, New Jersey, and Birmingham. In the West, the Wildcard slots will likely come down to New Orleans (5-4) and the Pacific Division, as all 3 trailing teams could be in the hunt. Pittsburgh and Memphis at 1-7 are just looking to play spoiler, as is Houston at 2-7. Washington, at 3-6, has a shot to claw back into the hunt, but they need a solid streak of wins to keep pace and catch up to the others in the race. INJURIES Arizona will be without G Morris Vaughan for the rest of the season after his Week 9 neck injury was fully diagnosed. Jacksonville backup WR Dennis Breach also suffered a scary injury as he landed awkwardly and appeared to lose feeling in his legs. Doctors believe he will recover, but his season is done. Washington SS Claude Gorman will also be out for the year after suffering an ACL tear in his left knee. And, Eddie Simmons, the Memphis LB who just this week found himself atop the tackles league leader list, will likely miss up to 3 weeks with a hip injury suffered at the end of the game this week. In a season with so many tough injuries, Memphis just cannot catch a break. They also lost their 2nd QB, at least for a week or two, as Damon Allen suffered a dislocated shoulder. The Showboats are now down to their third string QB Lowell Garrett, and will have to activate Mike Livingston from their practice squad just to have a backup ready to go this week. LOOKING AHEAD After 4 weeks of divisional byes, we are back to a full slate of 8 games this week. In Pacific matchups, which will loom large as we head down the stretch in the league’s tightest division, Denver will face the streaking Oakland Invaders with first place on the line. Slumping LA and Arizona also meet with one of the two breaking their losing streak and getting back into the playoff hunt. The Southern Division is also playing in-house this week, with 1-8 Memphis hoping to spoil things in Tampa while Jacksonville visits Birmingham. The other 4 games pit the Atlantic teams against the Central, with Baltimore at Houston, New Jersey in the SilverDome to face the Panthers, Philly heading across the state to play Pittsburgh and Washington hoping to get a win down in the Big Easy against the Breakers.

SCORES PIT 31 HOU 16 Alan Risher & Mike Rozier spark the Maulers to their first win of the year. MGN 37 NOR 16 Panthers overwhelm Breakers with 27 first-half points. BIR 13 DEN 24 Denver D comes up big again as Stallions fall at Mile High. JAX 24 OAK 38 Brian Sipe throws for 5 scores as Invaders win 3rd straight. TBY 37 ARZ 13 Landry struggles and Tampa Bay catch Bulls in Southern Division. BYES: Baltimore, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Washington GAME OF THE WEEK Memphis Showboats 13 Los Angeles Express 10 It is not often an 0-7 team is going to have some highlights, so the Showboats need to celebrate this win. Memphis traveled out to the coast and held LA’s Steve Young to only 187 yards passing, while mustering just enough offense to pull out their first win of the season. To be honest, this game could have been a lot more in Memphis’s favor, but an incredible 18 penalties for 145 yards kept LA in the game and kept Memphis from expanding on a halftime lead of 10-3. Memphis QB Damon Allen was at times flustered, at times effective, as he led the Showboat attack. He threw for only 168 yards, but no picks, and his 24 yards rushing helped Memphis do just enough to win. Richard Williams contributed 72 yards rushing of his own, but this was clearly a game where the defense was the true star. The oft-maligned group came up big, holding LA to only 39 yards rushing on the day, while sacking Young three times and picking him off for the game’s only turnover. LB Nathan Adams had a big game with 7 tackeles, 3 for a loss, and a sack, while All-USFL DE Reggie White, double teamed most of the game, still scored 5 tackles, 2 for losses and a sack of his own. The Express, who have now lost four in a row after a 4-1 start, have plummeted all the way down to the basement of the Pacific Division. While a single win is not going to be enough to raise spirits in Memphis, that this team rebounded from a 41-0 shelling by Birmingham to take out the Express is a sign that the players are still playing hard for first year coach Vince Tobin. The Express host New Orleans next week and it is not out of the question that they could pull off a 2-game win streak if they play this type of defense again. For LA, this has to be a major disappointment as they clearly underestimated the Showboats. They go into their bye with a sour taste in their mouth and desperately in need of some retooling before facing a brutal streak of games against Arizona, Baltimore and Michigan. PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK While he was outgained by Jacksonville’s Doug Wiliams 317 to 292, there was no doubt who had the better game as the Bulls faced the Invaders. Brian Sipe hit on 20 of 31 passes, many off of play action to Arthur Whittington, and found 3 different receivers for a total of 5 touchdowns. This year, with Sipe having one of the better receiving corps at his command, the veteran QB has been slowly rising up the QBR rankings. With this game’s 134.7 rating, he is sure to find himself in the top 5 again. Sipe found TE Ray Chester six times for 68 yards and 2 scores, former Dolphin Mark Duper 5 times for 145 and a score, and 3rd year receiver Henry Ellard for 2 scores on only 4 catches against double coverage. And while Whittington certainly did his part, with 150 yards rushing, it was Sipe who demonstrated total command of one of the league’s best offenses. With LA and Arizona fading, Oakland looks ripe to jump into a division battle with Denver and their first playoff appearance. NEWS & NOTES Most teams on their bye week find it hard to get in the news. Sure, there is the occasional QB replacement, or off-field incident, but the norm is for teams to fade from the spotlight as they rest. No one bothered to tell that to New Jersey Generals owner Donald Trump. In addition to some choice bulletin board quotes about the “overrated” and “over the hill” 3-time division winner Philadelphia Stars, Trump also let it slip that he is actively working with the league to sell of the controlling share of the Generals. Never one to shy away from a microphone or a camera, Trump was pretty clear that he felt the decision of the USFL to stay in the spring meant that it would never be, in his words “a big time player”. He added that his goal was to own the best franchise in pro sports, and that was not going to happen in a “small potatoes spring league”. Those are certainly words that will not go over well in the league’s main office, and may provide extra incentive for the league’s Ownership Committee to speed the process of a sale, just to divest themselves from the often-contrarian Trump. So, stay tuned, the Generals Soap Opera is getting interesting on the field and off. Across the country from this drama the LA Express have drama of their own. After a 4-1 start, the Express have lost 4 straight. The offense which was so dynamic in the opening weeks has sputtered, and the defense has simply not been able to get to opposing QB's. The Express looked to remedy both situations this week. While Young and his receivers are working with the offensive coaches to adjust the passing game, Coach Campbell has announced that he is benching popular HB Tony Boddie in favor of 2nd year HB Kevin Mack, who is more of an inside power runner than the elusive Boddie. On defense, the Express did something even more drastic, using their Week 10 bye to bring in a new player and hopefully get him ready to start in Week 11. And this is not just any starter, the Express have signed LB Chip Banks, who was disgruntled with leadership at the Cleveland Browns and who comes to the Express as either the latest NFL signing of 1986 or the earliest post-season signing ever. Banks is expected to be incorporated into blitz packages and 3rd down defense immediately, with an eye on having him serve as a 3-down LB in short order. INJURIES In another week where we saw almost no significant injuries, it is a good time to look at players who should be coming back into the lineup. Washington will be glad that the timing of their bye allowed Craig James a chance to rest his hamstring and they expect him to play next week. The same is true for Philly tackle Will Wolford, who may finally be ready to return from several weeks on the bench with an issue with his right leg. Bill Brooks, after missing this week’s game, should be back for Denver after their Week 10 bye, and Arizona is hoping to get back both LB Jim Fahnhorst and SS Vincent Edwards. Not so certain to return are New Jersey deep threat Lam Jones (Hip) and Memphis DE Booker Reese (Foot). Arizona will not be able to get CB Nolan Cromwell back (biceps) and we expect the Wranglers to also use the bye week to get Robbie Bosco ready at QB after two rather poor performances from Greg Landry. When starter Rick Neuheisel will be able to return is still uncertain. LOOKING AHEAD The last of the bye weeks sees the Pacific Division getting their chance to heal and rest before big Week 11 matchups. In Week 10, a with most post-bye weeks, the bye week returnees face off. Baltimore has a big game at New Jersey, while a stunned 3-5 Philadelphia team is home to the Federals who are also 3-5 but far less shocked by it. In other matches, the Central Division will be hosted by the four Southern squads. Of those games the best is sure to be in Tampa Stadium, where the undefeated Panthers run up against the red hot Bandits. Pittsburgh, fresh off its first win, has eyes on a second as they head to 3-5 Birmingham, while the other 1-7 squad, Memphis, hopes their fortunes have also turned as they host the Breakers. Finally, the Houston Gamblers try to change their stars as they face a 5-3 Jacksonville Bulls squad in the Gator Bowl.