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USA Today, February 10, 1986 As America enters what used to be a 6-month funk after the end of the NFL Season, awaiting the return of Football in September, it seems an appropriate time for those of us who call ourselves football fans to show some gratitude to the USFL for saving us from such a long hibernation. We are only a month away from the return of football as the 4th season of the USFL gears up. Teams are in camp, the limited scrimmage and preseason will begin soon, and those of us who were left wanting more after the Chicago Bear’s thrilling 26-24 victory over the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl XX, can get excited about the USFL Champion Philadelphia Stars, or the always dynamic Michigan Panthers, and maybe a Cinderella story like last year’s Jacksonville Bulls. The USFL is ready to liven up spring and engage us in another rousing season of entertaining football. We enter 1986 with a few changes within the USFL, we have two teams in new cities (Baltimore and New Orleans), some new head coaches in Ray Perkins, Mouse Davis and Vince Tobin, and some players familiar to us in new places, like former Rams QB Vince Ferragamo now in New Jersey, former KC Chiefs defensive disruptor Art Still in Birmingham, or former Raiders standout tight end Todd Christiansen staying in LA but trading Raiders Black for Express Navy. It’s a whole new year, with a lot to be excited about. As we look at what is new in each division, let’s cherish the fact that we have spring football at all, and that the USFL appears in this for the long haul. ATLANTIC DIVISION When one division has both teams from the prior year’s Championship, you know there is going to be a dogfight. With the Blitz relocating from Chicago to Baltimore, and joining the Generals, Federals and Stars, this division just became a bipolar beast. We are not sure how New Jersey and Washington will compete, though both made significant strides this offseason, because both Baltimore and Philadelphia look stacked. PHILADELPHIA STARS (12-4, League Champions) The Stars return with much of the same qualities as last year, sturdy defense, solid run game and a QB who does not turn the ball over. That QB may be in for a rude awakening this year as the Stars lost both All-USFL linemen (Oates and Eatman) to the NFL in the offseason. They did their best to replace them, signing former Seahawk Blair Bush at center and drafting Vanderbilt’s Will Wolford at tackle. The line may take time to gel, so Chuck Fusina may lean a little more on league rushing leader Kelvin Bryant and his more than capable backup, Johnnie Hector. With Philly also adding Cowboy Everson Walls at corner and drafting some defensive talent in safety Todd Bowles and DE Gary Baldiinger, we think the defense is ready to impose their will on the league. PREDICTION: 11-5 and another Atlantic Division Title. BALTIMORE BLITZ (13-3, Western Conference Champions—in Chicago) The Blitz make the move from the Windy City to the Charm City and they are already leading a charmed life. After 3 years at or near the bottom of attendance, the Blitz have a legitimate shot at leading the league in attendance in their first year in Baltimore. Snubbing their noses at the NFL while also embracing a very good Blitz teams, Marylanders have already purchased over 31,000 season tickets, eclipsing even Jacksonville in that category. And the team they are going to be supporting looks like a very solid contender again. Their only losses this offseason were some bit players, so the core of the Western Conference Champion team is very much intact. As far as additions, the Blitz added two solid NFL vets on defense, with CB Leslie Frazier boosting the secondary and former Bronco DE Rulon Jones adding another scary pass rusher opposite league leader Junior Ah You. That defense is going to be frightening. On offense, it will still be Evans, Spencer, Murphy and stud wideout Jackie Flowers. No real additions there, as the Blitz focused on defensive and O-line depth in the draft. Their only skill addition was drafting U of Maryland’s Stan Gelbaugh at QB, but he will be a solid #3 in the depth chart this year. PREDICTION: 10-6 and a Wild Card in a very tough division. WASHINGTON FEDERALS (6-10) The Federals were a plucky bunch in 1985, but just did not have enough consistency or enough firepower to keep up with the rest of the league. They used the offseason to try to draw closer to teams like the Blitz and Stars. If they are going to finally crest above .500 this year, it will be because of yet another strong defense in the division. Baltimore has the premier pass rush in the league, but Washington is trying to get there too, adding Dexter Manley from the Redskins and drafting another local product, James Madison wrecking ball, Charles Haley. This combination, with solid support inside from rookie Joe Phillips and returnee Bennie Smith at DT. The LB’s and DB’s are solid but not dynamic, though we like the toughness added when the Feds signed former Colt LB Cliff Odom. On offense it will be much the same, hand off to Craig James and Curtis Bledsoe, some timely scrambles from Reggie Collier, and maybe, just maybe the Federals have found a receiver to take some pressure off Joey Walters. Rookie Webster Slaughter has impressed in the opening days of camp. Paired with Walters and last year’s pickup, TE Mark Bavaro, this offense has potential. Despite the tough division, we are going to give Washington 8 wins. PREDICTION: 8-8, no playoffs, but a lot of respect. NEW JERSEY GENERALS (3-13) This is a Generals team that has a lot of talent, a lot of marquee names, and not a lot to show for it. Enter Ray Perkins, former Alabama and NY Giants head man, someone who knows the NY-NJ market, and who knows how to build a defense, which is one thing New Jersey has needed for 3 years. Gary Barbaro is back for one more year, and the Generals drafted for defense, signing LB John Offerdahl of Western Michigan, DE Eric Dorsey of Notre Dame, and another golden-domer in LB Tony Furjanic. But, once again we expect this is a team that will need a solid offensive game each week to compete. Doug Flutie needed help, and the Generals GM tried to oblige, bringing in a safety valve in pass-catching rookie TE Brent Jones. They also did their best to replace the league’s best FB, Maurice Carthon (off to the NFL), by spending an early draft pick on Buckeye FB Keith Byars. Byars is not the blocker that Carthon was, so we may see more 1 back sets, but he is an outstanding runner and pass catcher, so more play action may also be in the cards. The Generals also signed QB Vince Ferragamo, most recently of Buffalo, because after the beating that Doug Flutie took last year, a good backup is essential. A lot of new names, but we just don’t see the Generals leapfrogging too many teams this year to get to a playoff spot. PREDICTION: 5-11, no playoffs, but maybe another rushing title for Herschel. SOUTHERN DIVISION The collapse of the Birmingham Stallions and mediocre outputs by Tampa Bay had the Southern Division looking like the league’s worst last year. We don’t expect a repeat of that as we believe Tampa will rebound, Birmingham is better than their 4 wins last year, and Jacksonville is on the rise. Even Memphis has some new talent to crow about. Competitiveness and parity may keep any team here from reaching 11 or 12 wins, but the tough slog through the regular season could forge a solid playoff run for one of these teams. JACKSONVILLE BULLS (9-7, Division Champion) The Bulls in 1985 were a cinderella story that kept on providing happy endings, at least until they fell to Tampa in the first round of the playoffs. With a defense that was at its best mediocre, the Bulls thrilled fans with offensive explosions. They may have to do the same this year, despite spending a lot of draft and free agent capital on defense. The Bulls have brought in a lot of blue chippers to try to mend the defense, including Michigan DE Mike Hammerstein, WV linebacker Fred Smalls, Mississippi State DT Pat Swoopes and Kentucky DB Maurice Douglas. They also reached into the NFL and signed Giants LB Gary Reasons, but this is a lot of new to mold into a solid team. Expect Jacksonville to win by outscoring opponents. For 2 years Doug Williams has thrown for more yards than anyone, but he has also thrown far too many picks for Lindy Infante to be happy. Williams has a new weapon in wideout Hassan Jones, from Florida State, who will likely lineup in the slot with Kemp and Clark outside. Despite a rookie of the year campaign, HB George Adams still needs further touches, which means someone must tell Doug Williams to pass less. Good luck with that. PREDICTION: 9-7, but only a Wild Card this year. TAMPA BAY BANDITS (9-7, Wild Card) The Bandits had an uncharacteristically erratic year in 1985. They looked solid in beating teams like Michigan, but then fell to lesser teams like Memphis. John Reaves missed several games due to injury, and the defense never really gelled into a stalwart squad. So, what does Steve Spurrier do? Well, he signs a QB (Oliver Luck from the Oilers) and a TE (Mike Tice from Seattle) another QB (Mike Norseth, Kansas), another TE (Kevin Starks, Minnesota) and a lot of O-line and D-line. I have heard of playing to your strengths but filling some holes and adding some speed on defense might have been a better option here. We worry that Reaves is no longer an MVP quarterback, and that Tampa’s defense is still not solid enough. PREDICTION: 7-9, 3rd in the division and a wakeup call for Spurrier. MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS (4-12) Memphis has all kinds of issues last year, but Reggie White was not one of them. Barely beat out by the Blitz’s Junior Ah You for the sack title, White is the face and the future of the Showboats, but they needed more around him. The good news is that Memphis had very few contracts expire last year, losing only kicker Efran Herrera and FB Moe Davies. They replaced Herrera with former NY Giant Ali Haji-Sheikh and will likely shift to a 1-back offense as no solid FB prospect was signed. What Memphis did sign was a bookend for White in Ram DE Booker Reese, another 1-2 punch as this seems to be a trend in the league this year. In a pass-first league you need a pass rush to succeed. They also signed help for Walter Lewis, grabbing wideout Bobby Joe Edmunds from nearby Arkansas. Is that enough? Well, probably not. We are still waiting for former Sooner wunderkind Marcus DuPree to have a bust-out season, and until he does, we just don’t see the Showboats showing up in the playoffs. PREDICTION 5-11, 4th in division BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS (4-12) We don’t buy it. The Stallions are too deep and too talented to be a basement dweller. We are predicting the Stallions rise again and win the division because we like this team’s core. Sure, they must decide if it is Cliff Stoudt’s team or if they return to Bob Lane one more time, but with Joe Cribbs at tailback, and with the addition of Louisville burner Ernest Givens to an already solid receiving corps, the offense should blow past last year’s troubles. Birmingham also strengthened a weak spot up front, signing 3 guards after losing Buddy Aydolette to the NFL. Mike Munchak will fill Aydolette’s shoes immediately, but rookies John Ionata and Lloyd Yancey will also rotate into the line. Now, if Birmingham can just recalibrate their defense, once a strong point of the team, they will surprise a lot of teams. Adding former Chief Art Still to the D-Line is a big step in that direction. This is a team capable of winning ugly or winning pretty. We like their potential to snap right back to relevance this year. PREDICTION: 10-6, and champs of a stunned division. CENTRAL DIVISION If you are a Michigan Panther, you are very happy with the way the Chicago ownership scramble ended. Losing the Blitz to another division and gaining the always-underachieiving Breakers is a gift for the Panthers. Sure, both Houston and Pittsburgh have improved, but this is Michigan’s division to win, and we expect they will win it going away. MICHIGAN PANTHERS (12-4, Wild Card) Michigan remains one of the most formidable teams in the league. Until the injury to LB John Corker they looked solidly on their way to a second title game. Well, Corker is back and raring to go, and Michigan added a huge piece to help free Corker up to terrorize offenses. Michigan landed former Bengal DT Tim Krumrie to fill space and free Corker up to blast opposing RB’s and rush opposing QB’s. With Krumrie in place and Corker back, expect this defense to again be a top 3 unit. On offense the pieces were already in place with Hebert, Williams and Lacy in the backfield, and the deadly combo of Carter and Holloway wide. Michigan drafted for depth behind these stars, signing Illinois QB Jack Trudeau both as backup to Hebert and as insurance in case the NFL comes calling when Hebert’s contract expires next summer. They added a new TE, Butch Rolle of Michigan State, to replace the departed Mike Cobb, and signed some O-line depth as well. This is a team with options, with the ability to draft for depth, because they have all the big needs filled. No reason to expect anything less than a division title here. PREDICTION: 13-3, Division Champions. NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS (8-8, Wild Card in Boston) A late season flurry got Boston to .500 and a lopsided divisional loss to Philly last year. So, now that they are in a new city (with a much larger fan base, already selling 22,000 season tickets in the Super Dome) what did the Breakers do to break out of a run of mediocrity? The first thing they did was build a support network around struggling QB Tony Eason. They signed QB-whisperer Paul Hackett as their new OC, and they snagged former Buffalo Bill QB Joe Ferguson to be essentially a player-coach on the bench. Ferguson is not going to impact games as a 3rd string QB, but his sage wisdom and hard-earned knowledge of the game is sure to help Eason develop this year. This will help but adding LSU tailback Dalton Hilliard to an already talented backfield (Crump and Jordan) is likely to signal just how New Orleans plans to play. Expect this team to seek a team rushing title with a 3-headed monster of a ground game. If Eason is not asked to bail them out, if they can get leads and grind out the clock, Boston could finish in the playoffs again. They have a solid defense, adding Mike Gann at DE (Falcons), and two new LB’s to assist Marcus Marek in the run game. But, can the Breakers actually break out. We are skeptical at this point. PREDICTION: 7-9, third in division, no playoff. HOUSTON GAMBLERS (7-9) The Run & Shoot was fun to watch, but it just did not protect Jim Kelly enough and all too often led to quick 3-and-outs which tired out the Houston defense. After two 7-9 years, the Gamblers are shifting things up, going with a more traditional offense under new OC Bruce Coslett. Epect a lot more action for halfbacks Steve Howell, Lynn Cain and Todd Fowler. And expect Kelly to have the option to dump the ball off if his speedy receivers are covered after Houston signed TE Jimmie Giles away from the NFL’s Buccaneers. On defense, LB Kiki DeAyala should welcome the arrival of DT Michael Carter from the 49ers, as well as raw rookie DE Clyde Simmons from Western Carolina. The signing of a new stud G-T combo in John Rienstra (Temple) and Jim Juriga (Ilinois) may also put a smile on Jim Kelly’s face and as Kelly goes, so go the Gamblers. PREDICTION: 9-7 and their first playoff berth. PITTSBURGH MAULERS (5-11) The Maulers are headed in the right direction, but fans would love if they could move just a bit faster. The roster improved greatly from 1984 to 1985, and it looks like it has improved again. Pittsburgh was the only USFL team not to lose a player to the NFL this offseason. That is partly an indictment of their talent level, but also of their status as a 2nd year team with a lot of 3-year contracts. A lot will depend on the development of Todd Blackledge under center. He has Mike Rozier, of course, and now Rozier has the option to rest a bit more as the Maulers signed former Bengal Stanford Jennings to share the burden. They also added a solid blocking and receiving TE in Chicago’s Emory Moorhead. In the draft, the Maulers focused on their porous defense, adding three DE’s, with Auburn’s Gerald Williams being the headliner. They also added Division 1-AA monster, Dino Hackett to occupy the MLB slot. These are all good steps, and should keep Pittsburgh in more games, but victories may still be hard to come by this year. PREDICTION: 5-11, 4th place again. PACIFIC DIVISION This division was fun to watch last year, with 3 teams all playing their best football in 3 years. LA ended up winning the crown, but both Arizona and Oakland were also solid playoff contenders. Even Denver got into decent form by season’s end. This year will be much the same as we see this as the most balanced of the league’s four divisions, but not the bad kind of balanced when in 1983 no team could apparently get above .500, the good kind where several could crash the playoff party. LOS ANGELES EXPRESS (11-5, Division Champions) What a difference a year makes. Not only did LA become a legitimate championship contender last year, but their attendance skyrocketed, in part due to the insurance of longevity which ownership and the NFL lawsuit provided, but also because it was just a much better team to watch play. The defense took a huge leap last year and may be better still this year with the addition of UCLA DT Mark Walen and Alabama DE Larry Roberts. The team lost Danny Rich to the NFL but signed a new LB in UCLA’s Tommy Taylor. On offense, the biggest offseason issue was the loss of TE Ricky Ellis to the NFL’s Eagles, but that was offset by the very cutthroat move of signing Todd Christiansen away from the in-town rival Raiders. LA also added another goalline pounder in Hawaii RB Nuu Faaola. This is a team with all the pieces in place for a deep playoff run again in 1986. We see it happening. PREDICTION: 11-5 and a 2nd Division Title. ARIZONA WRANGLERS (10-6) A late season slump cost the Wranglers the division, and they were quickly bumped from the playoffs in Chicago. But don’t be fooled, this is a solid team. They have a triple threat at wideout with All-USFL Trumaine Johnson, shifty Wamon Buggs, and an emerging star in Louis Lipps. Rick Neuheisel is more than capable of getting them the ball anywhere on the field. Running was not particularly strong last year, so the Wranglers signed two very different backs this offseason, speedy return man and 3rd down back Vai Sikahema and cloud-of-dust pounder Darryl Clack. These two paired with sophomore Owen Gill and FB Mike Cade may give Arizona a team-based rushing attack to balance out the pass game. On defense, the key additions were in the backfield, where former Ram Nolan Cromwell will play CB, and Buffalo’s Martin Bayless comes in to shore up the FS position. Arizona should challenge LA again this year and may even be able to hold on for a full 17 weeks. PREDICTION: 10-6 and a wild card again, just because they do tend to fade down the stretch. OAKLAND INVADERS (8-8) Oakland made great strides after their disastrous 3-13 season in 1984. Coach Dick Vermeil worked some magic with the roster, brought in a reliable leader in Brian Sipe and got the most out of his players. For this year, the key is bringing in more players who can contribute. Oakland lost LB Frank Manumaleuga, first to injury and then to the San Diego Chargers. Fortunately, the LB corps was deep to begin with, and adding rookie Leon White from BYU will help with depth. The other big loss was wideout Gordon Banks, but man, oh, man did Oakland find a way to replace him. Vermeil used his NFL connections to land a true superstar in Miami’s Mark Duper. Duper will be an immediate starter opposite Henry Ellard, forming a dynamic trio with returning TE Raymond Chester. And with another dynamic combo in the backfield with 2 1,000-yard rushers, Arthur Whittington (1984) and Albert Bentley (1985), this is an offense that can keep pace with anyone. We like what we see in Oakland, and I would expect them to give Arizona and LA a run for their money. PREDICTION: 9-7 and just missing out again. DENVER GOLD (7-9) Denver won 9 games in their first year, 8 in their second, 7 in their third, so why not 6 this year? Well, even six may be tough as the Gold have a new head coach, Mouse Davis, and a new philosophy, the Run & Shoot, but do they have the talent to run it? Well, Denver did land several wideouts to try to run the new offense, including Former St. Louis Cardinal J.T. Smith and rookies Bill Brooks (Boston U), Glenn Kozlowski (BYU), and Steve Griffin (Purdue). But they still have a line and a backfield built for power football. Will Mouse Davis stick to his guns on the spread offense or will he mix it up with a power run game? On defense the Gold remain what they have always been, solid but not sensational. They have David Martin back at CB, Putt Choate returning to MLB after a mediocre year outside, Manu Tuiasosopo and rookie Kurt Gouveia rounding out the LB corps, and Laval Short at nose. They could still use a top pass rusher (but who couldn’t?) and it will fall on rookie Vencie Glenn to play center field for the Gold. It is a lot of moving pieces, and a lot of adjustment for the Gold. Even if it works, we think they are a year or more away in this tough division. PREDICTION: 6-10 but with some flashes as things settle into form late in the year. USFL CHAMPIONSHIP PICK: Well, we have had 6 different teams compete in the USFL Championship in 3 years, so the odds are that 2 new teams will be there. We don't see it. We predict a matchup of the past 2 champions in this one: Michigan 30 Philadelphia 27.

Sporting News, December 20, 1985 The USFL draft produces few surprises, but plenty of talent for the spring league. As the USFL concluded their two-part draft this week, it seemed apparent that teams were focused on shoring up areas which had been problematic league-wide in past years, lower cost and lower profile positions such as D-Line, O-line, tight end and cornerback were highly recruited, while very few teams used the draft to enhance their QB or RB positions. Teams also seemed to be concerned about their proximity to the league’s salary cap, as the majority of the players chosen were those cited as potential mid-round NFL picks, rather than top names in the draft. While fans in Birmingham were likely very disappointed that the Stallions did not list Auburn’s Bo Jackson among their territorial picks, it seems clear that, with a few notable exceptions, top 20 prospects were largely avoided in favor of solid, but less controversial selections. So, after 5 rounds of territorial picks, in which each USFL squad had exclusive rights to players from 4 protected schools, the league conducted 8 rounds of open picks in which teams could choose from all remaining eligible players, with a draft order determined by each team’s 1985 record. All in all 224 players were selected, and with USFL coffers bolstered by additional revenue from their successful lawsuit against the NFL, the league is hoping to top its signing rate of 44% over its first three years. In the Territorial Draft, most teams used the picks for depth, hoping for a higher signing rate by targeting lower-round projection players. That is not to say that there were not some notable signings from the group. Michigan went after one of the top LB’s in the draft, picking MSU Spartan LB Anthony Bell. The Express tried to improve protection for Steve Young by picking USC’s James Fitzpatrick at tackle, and two top tier defensive linemen were named by New Jersey (Notre Dame’s Eric Dorsey) and Pittsburgh (Pitt’s Bob Buczkowski), but the skills positions were a little sparse in this section of the draft. Perhaps the most dynamic offensive players taken were LSU running back Dalton Hilliard, selected by the newly relocated New Orleans Breakers, ASU halfback Darryl Clack (Wranglers) and Virginia rusher Barry Word (Federals). The only QB taken in the Territorial Draft was projected late round pick, Maryland’s Stan Gelbaugh, joining the new Baltimore-based Blitz. Top QB talent such as Purdue’s Jim Everett, Iowa’s Chuck Long, and Illinois’ Jack Trudeau would have to wait for the open draft to see if the USFL was interested. The Open Draft began with the shockingly bad New Jersey Generals, who mustered only 3 wins despite having a roster boasting 2 Heisman winners in Herschel Walker and Doug Flutie. The Generals pick with the #1 selection was symbolic of the entire draft, a team looking to shore up the less glamorous but equally essential pieces of their roster. New Jersey selected Western Michigan’s John Offerdahl at linebacker with the first selection. It was not a glamour pick, but a sensible one with a high signability quotient and in a position of need. Overall the first round of the draft followed this pattern. After Birmingham selected Louisville wideout Ernest Givens, we saw a parade of linemen and defenders. Memphis took DE Gerald Robinson of Auburn, Pittsburgh opted for Robinson’s teammate, Gerald Williams, Denver went safety with Indiana State’s Vencie Glenn. It was a very practical round, though not all selections were safe. Michigan used their first pick to select a backup to Bobby Hebert in Jack Trudeau of Illinois. With Hebert’s contract scheduled to end this year, the risk of losing the 3-time ALL-USFL signal caller made this pick more necessary than a backup QB might ordinarily be. Arizona also opted to go this route, choosing BYU’s Robbie Bosco with its first pick. The only other “skills position” selection was by the Washington Federals, who claimed SDSU wideout Webster Slaughter as a possible complement to Joey Walters in their passing game. Some of the more intriguing picks came in later rounds. New Jersey looked to revamp their offense by signing top talent in lower cost positions, FB Keith Byars of Ohio State and TE Brent Jones from Santa Clara. The Wranglers, still trying to build a reliable run game chose two backs, ASU’s Darryl Clack and BYU’s Vai Sikahema. Some top defenders were also taken, including LB Dino Hackett (PIT), OSU’s Pepper Johnson at linebacker (also PIT), FSU’s Garth Jax (New Orleans), and Alabama’s Larry Roberts (LA). In later rounds, the teams took some fliers on players who may be a little raw, or who projected as NFL free agents. This included Houston surprising many by taking a shot on USC QB Sean Salisbury, Arizona selecting wideout Aubrey Matthews from Delta State, and LA taking our favorite name of the day, Hawaii RB Nuu Faaola. All in all, it was a great day for defense and offensive linemen. Clearly USFL teams are finally seeking to play some D and to protect their big name QB’s. This year’s draft saw a record number of linemen taken on both sides of the ball. Perhaps the top rated of the bunch is Temple G John Rienstra (HOU), but he is joined by USC tackle James Fitzpatrick (LA), Vandy’s All-SEC tackle Will Wolford (PHI), Iowa’s Mike Haight (Tampa), Tom Newberry of UW-La Crosse (Baltimore), and Illinois’s Jim Juriga (Houston again). With the flurry of NFL-USFL poaching this offseason, this draft will prove an essential part of teams rebuilding or strengthening their rosters. Now all they must do is watch that salary cap, make good use of their newly added 4th exempt player, and develop chemistry as camps look to open in late January. For the players selected this week, the biggest choice of their life awaits. Do they sign with the spring league or hold out until April and the NFL draft to see if they can fare better with the senior league? Time for their agents to earn their 15%.

Sporting News, August 10, 1985 With the USFL in full Free Agency mode and NFL Camps in session, there are a lot of new faces in both league’s facilities this month. The USFL knew this would happen as many of their original 1983 contracts began to close out, the NFL would try to defang the league by signing some of its top players. Of course, the NFL could not have predicted that a court loss would give the USFL the financial wherewithal to do the same with NFL players, leading to a frenzy of action across the two leagues. While franchises in both leagues have done what they can to renew or lock in players at the end of their contract years, there was inevitable loss on both sides, players who became household names in their respective cities but who are now not only jumping teams, but leagues. Over the past few weeks the inevitable has happened. NFL Players seeking better deals have delayed resigning and have been using the USFL for leverage, with many signing with the upstart league, flush with recent anti-trust winnings. The NFL, still very bitter over their court loss has also been signing USFL free agents at a breakneck pace. The result is that there will be a lot of players in both leagues introducing themselves to both the fans and their own teammates this year. Looking from the USFL perspective, let’s explore who has left and who has come into each locker room. ARIZONA WRANGLERS Lost: CB V. Livers (CHI), SS L. Hale (TBY) Added: FS Martin Bayless (BUF), CB Nolan Cromwell (LARm) BALTIMORE BLITZ Lost: SS E. Brown (CLE), LB E. Smith (Retired) Added: CB Leslie Frazier (CHI), DE Rulon Jones (DEN) BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS Lost: G. B. Aydolette (ATL), DE J. Cline (PIT), LB R. D’Amico (NYG) Added: G Mike Munchak (HOU), DE Art Still (KC), DENVER GOLD Lost: SS D. Dumars (CHI) Added: QB Matt Cavanaugh (SF), WR J.T. Smith (STL) HOUSTON GAMBLERS Lost: LB K. Teel (STL) Added: DT Michael Carter (SF), TE Jimmie Giles (TBY), T Keith Van Horne (CHI) JACKSONVILLE BULLS Lost: FS B. Homer (NE) Added: LB Gary Reasons (NYG), T Steve Moore (NE) LOS ANGELES EXPRESS Lost: LB D. Rich (LARd), TE R. Ellis (PHI) Added: WR Mike Renfro (DAL), TE Todd Christiansen (LARd) MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS Lost: FB M. Davies (CIN), K. E. Herrera (DAL) Added: DE Booker Reese (LARm),K Ali Haji-Sheikh (NYG) MICHIGAN PANTHERS Lost: SS D. Greenwood (PIT), LB R. Bentley (IND). TE M. Cobb (SEA), G P. Novak (Retired) Added: G Ron Hallstrom (GBY), DT Tim Krumrie (CIN) NEW JERSEY GENERALS Lost: C K. Hull (BUF), FB M. Carthon (NYG), SS D. Thompson (Retired) Added: C Mike Baab (CLE), QB Vince Ferragamo (BUF) NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS Lost: LB B. Needham (KC) Added: DE Mike Gann (ATL), QB Joe Ferguson (DET) OAKLAND INVADERS Lost WR G. Banks (LARm), LB F. Manumaleuga (SD) Added: WR Mark Duper (MIA), G Ed White (SD) PHILADELPHIA STARS Lost: T. I. Eatman (KC),WR S. Fitzkee (TBY), C B. Oates (NYG) Added: CB Everson Walls (DAL). DT Jumpy Gaethers (NOR), C Blair Bush (SEA) PITTSBURGH MAULERS Lost: None Added: HB Stanford Jennings (CIN), G Steve Kenney (PHI), TE Emory Moorhead (CHI) TAMPA BAY BANDITS Lost: TE L. Gilbert (MIN), G J. Martel (DEN) Added: QB Oliver Luck (HOU), TE Mike Tice (SEA) WASHINGTON FEDERALS Lost: DT D. Hickman (SD), CB G. Butler (Retired) Added: LB Cliff Odom (IND), DE Dexter Manley (WSH) Let’s look at some of these shifts. What do we think of them and what does each team need to do in December’s USFL Draft? ARIZONA: We are not sure that Cromwell is going to be able to replace Livers, but Bayless is a solid pickup at safety. They still need to address the run game in the draft. BALTIMORE: Rulon Jones lining up opposite Junior Ah You is going to destroy offenses. In the draft they will need to look for some O-line help and depth at LB. BIRMINGHAM: The Stallions got two great additions in Mike Munchak (replacing Buddy Aydolette) and Art Still. They seem serious about winning at the line of scrimmage, but they are thin and weak at wideout and will need to find some talent there in the draft. DENVER: Mouse Davis wants to pass the ball, and bringing in J. T.Smith from the Cardinals is sure to help. Adding a solid backup to Gagliano in Matt Cavanaugh is also shrewd. The Run & Shoot can often be the Sack & Hit for QB’s. HOUSTON: If Denver is picking up the Run & Shoot, Houston is bringing in some more standard offense, so snagging a TE like ex-Buccaneeer Jimmie Giles is a big move in the right direction. They also improved the defense with the signing of DT Michael Carter. Now, in the draft, we expect them to look for some more help for their shaky O-line. JACKSONVILLE: Losing Homer in the defensive backfield hurts. Picking up LB Gary Reasons, while a good player, won’t fix that need. Expect a high draft pick in the safety position. LOS ANGELES: The Express lost two huge players, the league’s leading tackler in Danny Rich, and one of its best TE’s In Ellis. But, LA management did not hesitate to replace at least one of the two, stealing All-Pro TE Todd Christiansen from the cross-town Raiders. MEMPHIS: We love the signing of DE Booker Reese, and while the Showboats lose a solid kicker in Herrera, Haji-Sheikh should prosper in the Liberty Bowl. Now, in the draft, they need to look at the LB position and get some more receivers for Walter Lewis. MICHIGAN: The Panthers expected to lose some talent this year, and boy did they! Bentley and Greenwood will be hard to replace. The Panthers did not even try, but did shore up the D-Line with former Bengal Tim Krumrie. Now, in the draft, can they find a new Strong Safety? NEW JERSEY: The Generals got some insurance for Doug Flutie, signing former Ram hero Vince Ferragamo. They also replaced Kent Hull with a quality player in Mike Baab. The biggest loss may be fullback Maurice Carthon, a position difficult to fill in the draft. NEW ORLEANS: If the Breakers want to train up and toughen up QB Tony Eason, they could find no better player-coach than former Bills and Lions QB Joe Ferguson. Ferguson may be the 3rd QB on the roster, but he will likely serve a vital role in helping Eason mature. Expect defense to be the key to the Breakers draft as they go all in on a smashmouth philosophy. OAKLAND: Losing Gordon Banks was a shocker, and injured Frank Manumaleuga a major blow, but we like what Oakland did in signing Miami wideout Mark Duper. In the draft, expect the Invaders to look for a speedy 3-down linebacker and maybe some help for the D-Line as well. PHILADELPHIA: The problem with being champions is that everyone has their eyes on you. Those eyes translated into lost players, with Fitzkee, Eatman and Oates all departing for the NFL. We like the talent of the players signed, especially Everson Walls at CB, but they need to fill back in that O-line if they want to repeat. PITTSBURGH: The only team not to lose anyone to the NFL, that says a lot about the Maulers, most of it not flattering. But, Pittsburgh did spend some cash and sign some talent this year. We expect the biggest impact to come from HB Stanford Jennings, who might allow Rozier to rest from time to time. They need to think about helping Todd Blackledge by getting him some more targets in the draft. TAMPA BAY: The Bandits lost their best offensive lineman and John Reaves’ lifeline in TE Lewis Gilbert. Signing Mike Tice from the Seahawks might help, but we don’t expect the same production from him. In the draft they will need to shore up the O-line, and perhaps get some help at linebacker. WASHINGTON: Dexter Manley wanted to send a message to the notoriously cheap Redskins, and signing to play in the same stadium for the USFL Federals sure sends that message. The Feds are happy to have him as their pass rush needed a boost. In the draft I expect then to try to get a receiver opposite Joey Walters, and maybe to look for some additional D-line help.

USA Today, August 3, 1986 It was a celebratory scene when the 16 USFL Owners met for their annual summer meeting in New York, and who could blame them. The league, having won its anti-trust suit against the NFL is now on a better footing than ever and funds from the $675,000,000 finding will start arriving in USFL coffers within the year. Of course this does not immediately eliminate the issues the league must address, but there was a lot of positivity in the room as owners discussed and decided on league funding, relocation of two franchises, expansion in 1987 and new rules. There was a lot discussed, and some major decisions made at the 6 day conference, so let’s get right to it. ANTI-TRUST FUNDS The league voted to distribute 60% of the 3-year NFL fund distribution to franchises, with the current 16 teams receiving $14 million each in 1986, but with expansion teams to be added in 1987 (see below) the payments would shift for years 2 and 3, with each of the 16 current teams earning $15 million in 1987 and $14.5 million in 1988 as the expected expansion teams would each earn $8 million in 1987 and $12 million in 1988. The remaining 40%, or nearly $270 million over 3 years, would be retained by the league for three projects. 20% will be used for leaguewide operations, marketing, and investment in sponsor development. 15% would be directed towards capitol projects, with a select committee to determine which cities would be funded for assistance with stadium upgrades or other logistical support, and the final 5% would fund the league’s central office, with increased staffing for everything from rules review to NFL outreach. Not all owners were on board with a 60/40 split, but the case was made that by leaving significant funds within the league office, support could be provided on a needs-based formula, meaning that teams in expensive markets such as NY or LA could get support for the additional overhead, while teams with lagging attendance could get additional marketing support. The ability for both strong and weak teams, as well as large and small markets to tap into the additional funds helped the final formula pass by a 13-3 vote. SALARY & FREE AGENCY The league owners approved a salary cap increase from $30M per team to $35M, also granting a 4th exemption player to each team. It is clear that one of the strategies of the league is to reinforce their ability to sign NFL midrange talent and top collegiate stars through competitive salary structures. Adding the 4th exempt player to each squad may also allow some franchises to make a run at higher end NFL talent. With an anticipated player battle with the NFL over the next 3 years, as USFL contracts expire and the NFL negotiates a new collective bargaining agreement with its players, the USFL owners discussed strategies for retaining talent and discouraging NFL poaching. It was agreed that incentives would be built into contracts for renewal during the final year of the contract and that teams would be allowed to use annuity structures to enhance the financial viability of long-term and high-end contracts. While these rules do not come in time to avoid some NFL poaching this off-season, it is hoped that the 1986 and 1987 offseasons will see most USFL stars already renewed with 2nd contracts rather than playing the open waters of NFL-USFL free agency. USFL DRAFT The owners agreed to some alterations to the draft format. For 1986 the number of protected territorial schools for the league’s unique Territorial Draft would be reduced from 5 to 4, and the number of T-Draft rounds would also drop from 6 to 4. Balancing this is an expansion of the Open Collegiate Draft from 7 rounds to 9. The league, hoping to cash in on a more national audience, appears to be moving away from protected regional picks, always tricky particularly for the teams in the NorthEast due to the lack of major college programs in that region of the country. While owners stated that they do not expect to ever fully abolish the T-Draft, it seems clear that they wish to create better balance and a way to do that is by increasing the value of the Open Draft, especially as they look to add more teams. EXPANSION & RELOCATION The topic of expansion was huge going into the week, and the news was equally huge coming out of it. First off, the owners quickly confirmed the assumption that the relocated Blitz and Breakers franchises would swap divisional assignments. Baltimore’s Blitz now move to the Atlantic Division, while the now New Orleans Breakers join Houston, Michigan and Pittsburgh in the Central Division. The relocation means that the two 1986 USFL Championship, the Stars and the Blitz, would now be divisional foes. One can only imagine that the happiest team in the league is Michigan, which loses a major divisional foe and gains an 8-8 Breakers team. New Jersey and Washington are likely the least pleased by the shift as they now must battle with both Philadelphia and the Blitz twice a year. With the relocation finalized and optimism abounding about the potential for higher revenue in both the Charm City and the Big Easy, and with ABC/ESPN agreeing to the relocation, the league owners then shifted to the anticipated 1987 expansion. As part of the television deal it was agreed that Chicago would require a replacement squad for 1987 and the league has already begun extended talks with several parties who, reluctant to buy the Blitz, seem more open to developing their own franchise. It was expected that the USFL would add a second team to the expansion to retain balance between the two conferences and an even schedule with only 1 bye week per team. What emerged from the meeting is a clear sign that the league is feeling flush with confidence after the victorious anti-trust suit against the NFL. Commissioner Chet Simmons outlined a more aggressive expansion plan which will bring 4 new franchises to the league in 1987. Simmons specified that there would be a two phase expansion process, with open competition between proposals leading to an 8 bid finalist round this autumn. The expectation is that the league will include two Chicago bids in the 8 finalists as well as 6 bids for different cities, leading to the 4 team expansion. Simmons cited a desire from league owners to retain a 4 division format, with each division moving from 4 to 5 teams as the league expands to 20 franchises. Just how this will be executed will depend, according to Simmons, on the locations of the new USFL franchises. Simmons would not rule out the restructuring of the league or possible shifting of existing teams to new divisions depending on the breakdown of the 3 additional cities that would join Chicago in the 1987 expansion. While no owners within the expansion committee would go on the record about bids already received, it appears that they have already been in communication with ownership groups proposing franchises in San Diego, San Antonio, Miami, Seattle, Atlanta and Kansas City. USFL Championship USFL CHAMPIONSHIPS And finally, almost as an aside from the league, it was announced that the 1986 USFL Championship would be held at the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, while the 1987 Championship has been awarded to the AstroDome in Houston. Jacksonville seems a natural choice since the Bulls have led the league in attendance for two seasons. Houston, while no slouch in attendance, provides the league with the option of a daytime game, since the temperature-controlled AstroDome does not require the league to avoid scorching hot July weather common to many of its franchise homes. I think it is safe to say that this argument may mean that Arizona’s Sun Devil Stadium will not be hosting a championship any time soon. Well, there you have it. Big news on expansion, Anti-Trust funds, Free Agency, the Draft and Relocation. With discussion of a fall season done for now, and flush with both confidence and cash after their lawsuit victory, the USFL is ready to make a run for the long haul, to rival the NFL in more profound ways, and to make football a year round institution.

USA Today, July 28, 1985 With the summer owner’s meeting just a week away and a lot expected to be on their plates, USFL teams seemed eager to settle coaching vacancies this week. Lets go around the league and look at the coaching shifts that will impact the 1986 Season. NEW JERSEY: Coach Ray Perkins is setting up his staff and there are some familiar names filling up the coordinator and assistant ranks. The most well-known is Perkin’s NY Giants OC Bob Lord, making the trip back to the Meadowlands with Perkins. He has also brought back another of his former NY Giants staff, former Special Teams Coach Romeo Crenell will be serving as the DC for the Generals. DENVER: The Gold have opted to go a totally new direction with their hire of Houston Gambler OC Mouse Davis as their new head coach. Davis, known as the architect of the Run & Shoot Offense, is a far cry from the ground & pound style of the Gold’s first two coaches Red Miller and Craig Morton. Expect to see Denver QB Bob Gagliano throwing a lot more, and expect Denver to sign more wideouts this year to implement the wide open offense Davis is known for. MEMPHIS: While it is not yet official, it appears that Memphis is looking very seriously at upgrading one of the worst defenses in the league by hiring Philadelphia Stars DC Vince Tobin to lead the Showboats. Tobin’s defenses in Philly have been consistently among the league leaders in scoring average and in takeaways. WASHINGTON: Many were surprised that the Federals retained head coach Lee Corso for a 3rd season after a very disappointing ’85 campaign, but the former Indiana coach is back, but with some veteran help coming his way. Former Cleveland Browns head man Sam Rutigliano is coming to Washington as their new Offensive Coordinator and Assistant Head Coach. Rutigliano’s Browns were known for a solid balance of run & pass and a propensity to pull out close games at the end, earning the moniker “Cardiac Kids”. PITTSBURGH: While Joe Pendry has been successful in building a running game for Mike Rozier, the Maulers have struggled both on defense and with the development of Todd Blackledge. Two new coaches are expected to remedy those issues. The new DC for the Maulers will be former Steeler player and Dallas Cowboy D-line coach Ernie Stautner. Brought in to help the Maulers passing game is new Offensive Assistant (Pendry will retain play calling) Roman Gabriel. Gabriel, a star QB in the NFL, served as OC for the Breakers in their first year before taking a hiatus, but returns to the USFL to help the Maulers. NEW ORLEANS: Speaking of the Breakers, coach Coury is hoping to fix a broken passing game and get Tony Eason some developmental coaching as well with their pick of Paul Hackett as their new OC. Hackett, who served as QB Coach with Joe Montana in San Francisco, Brian Sipe in Cleveland, and also helped USC develop a balanced attack in the late 70’s, will be responsible for building an offense around Eason. BIRMINGHAM: A lot went wrong for the Stallions in the ’85 campaign, but with Rollie Dotsch still having the full confidence of the ownership, the blame fell elsewhere. Birmingham’s defense was one of the worst in the league after two midling seasons in ’83 and ’84, so it was time for a new Defensive Coordinator. The Stallions looked to the NFL and Seattle Seahawks D-Line coach George Dyer. Dyer is expected to rebuild the Stallions line and bring some of the Chuck Knox toughness to Legion Field next season. HOUSTON: With the departure of Mouse Davis, the Houston Gamblers are very likely to go a new direction with their offense. Coach Jack Pardee likes a lot of what he saw with the Run & Shoot, but he could not have liked two consecutive 7-9 seasons or the number of hits that star QB Jim Kelly took. The Gamblers have brought in Bruce Coslet to run a more traditional, but likely still pass-heavy offense around Kelly and the Mouseketeers (now Bruceketeers?). Coslet, recently of the Cincinnati Bengals, is likely to look at the success of both Michigan and Tampa Bay and their long ball, vertical game. With Kelly’s arm, we would not be shocked to see a longball offense similar to Banditball work out well for the Gamblers.

If you are a fan of hard hitting, no nonsense, slobberknocker football, this year’s USFL Championship Game between the Philadelphia Stars and the Chicago Blitz had everything you could ever want. These two blue collar teams went at it for 60 minutes tooth & nail. It had big plays on both sides of the ball, big hits, key defensive stops and outstanding execution. And to think that next year, with the Blitz relocating to Baltimore, these two clubs will be battling it out within the same division, what a show that will be. The USFL’s final game of their 3rd season took place in front of 58,588 at the home of the New Jersey Generals, Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands. The crowd itself was a fascinating mix of neutral football fans from the NY-NJ area, a slew of Philly fans who made the drive up the turnpike, a decent number of Chicagoans who flew in, and perhaps surprising to some, a large contingent of Baltimoreans who were ready to root for the Blitz even before their first day in Baltimore was official. Let’s just say this was a happy, enthusiastic, and rowdy crowd all the way around. It was just the show the USFL wanted to put on. On the field, the action started with a rousing first quarter that saw 19 points scored between the two teams. It began looking like Chicago had all the right moves. On their first drive the Blitz found success in the air, and after only 6 plays Vince Evans hit their top receiver Eric Truvillion for a 30 yard score to open things up. Philly hoped to get off on the right foot, but when Tom Donovan bobbled the kickoff on the 2, the Stars were lucky to come up with the ball. But only 2 plays later, Chuck Fusina found himself wrapped up in the endzone by Chicago sack master Junior Ah You for a safety, the defender’s 2nd in the last 2 playoff games. Within only 7 minutes the score was 9-0 Chicago. However, when Philly kicked the ball back to Chicago after the safety the game saw the first of Chicago’s 4 turnovers in the game. On their first play from scrimmage, at their own 47 yard line, halfback Tim Spencer got sideswiped by Philly DE William Fuller, the ball popped out and was recovered by CB Chris Snyder, giving the Stars their first break of the game. Fusina and the Stars advanced the ball from there, ending up at the Chicago 27 with a 4th and 1. They chose to go for the 1st down, but a false start ended that idea and they settled for a David Trout field goal. On the next drive, the Stars defense again came up big, snagging a ball that tipped off the fingers of Chicago TE Mark Keel and getting a 2nd turnover of the quarter. 7 plays later the Stars’ biggest star, HB Kelvin Bryant, plunged over the pile to give the Stars another 6, and after the PAT it was Philadelphia 10 and Chicago 9, the first of 5 lead changes in the game. Chicago battled back, and over the course of the 2nd quarter both teams traded blows. The only score of the half was a Luis Zendejas 27 yarder to put Chicago back up 12-10 at the half. In the second half the score continued to bounce back and forth. Philly got another Trout field goal to make it 13-12, and then Chicago drove to the Philly 2 yard line, where the Stars mounted an epic goal line stand, one that would essentially lead to their victory. On first down from the 2, Tim Spencer tried to rush off tackle left, but was met by the diminutive but mighty Sam Mills, who drove Spencer back. On 2nd and goal now from the 3 a Vince Evans pass for Neal Balholm went too far outside, leaving Chicago with a 3rd and goal from the 3. The Blitz ran a HB fake, with Evans pulling the ball back from Spencer and bootlegging out left. Philly was not fooled, and safety Scott Woerner got enough of Evans to keep him out of the endzone. The disheartened Blitz settled for 3, and again Chicago took the lead 15-13. Chicago added to the lead in the 4th, with yet another Zendejas field goal, making it 18-13, but Philadelphia was not done yet. Following the Field Goal at the 13:25 mark of the final quarter, the Stars mounted a no-huddle quick-strike drive of only 5 plays as Fusina connected with both Scott Fitzkee and Steve Folsom on long strikes, the most impressive a safety-splitting seam route by Folsom which gained the Stars 38 yards in one fell swoop. After a 7 yard rush by Bryant, Fusina found a third receiver, Tom Donovan with the game winning score, a 10 yard fade pattern that Donovan snagged in the front corner of the endzone, sending the Philly faithful to their feet. With the score 19-18, Chicago got the ball back, a with over 9 minutes still left, they had all the time they needed. Vince Evans and a combination of Tim Spencer and Calvin Murphy moved Chicago to midfield, but they would get no further as the 3rd turnover of the day ended the drive and Chicago’s hopes. On a 2nd and 8 Philadelphia went off-character and blitzed Evans. Evans tried to hit Murphy in the flat but did not see backup linebacker Robert Gooch loitering just past the end of the line. Gooch tipped the ball and then caught his own tip, falling to the ground at the Philly 44. The Stars bench erupted and the offense took the field. It took Philadelphia, stretching the clock and keeping the ball on the ground with a combo of Bryant and Johnnie Hector, 6 minutes to finally end up with a short David Trout field goal, but that time burning was the end of Chicago. Evans and the Blitz tried valiantly to get down the field, but with 5 seconds left they were still out of range, needing a touchdown, so they tried the rarely effective multiple lateral play, but eventually the ball ended up on the turf, recovered by CB Loren Hawk, and the game was over. Philadelphia, one of only 3 USFL teams to have made the playoffs all 3 years of the league, had won the title. The Stars and their fans celebrated as you would expect for a city that has been hungry for a title of any kind for a long time, and even though they lost, the Blitz also got a lot of love from the Baltimore contingency that made the trip up to New Jersey. All around it was a great day for the USFL, a league that started with a crazy dream, but now feels more secure and more optimistic than ever.

Sporting News, July 20, 1985 With the third USFL Championship showcasing the two best teams in the league tomorrow, it seems appropriate that the USFL today released their 1986 ALL-USFL team and League Awards. In a year where there seemed to be a larger gap than ever between contenders and pretenders, the awards and All-USFL teams clearly seem to indicate a talent gap between the top 4-5 teams and the rest of the league. Looking at the All-USFL’s 44 players, it should be noted that 27 of the players picked came from only 5 teams (Chicago, Michigan, Tampa Bay, Jacksonville and Philadelphia) while 7 non-playoff teams had 2 or fewer players named, including Washington, which was shut out as Craig James was edged out of a HB spot by Pittsburgh’s Mike Rozier. The other key item to note is that within the 44 All-USFL players, there are several key players whose contracts end this year and who may be prime fodder for NFL poaching. This includes 3-time All-USFL fullback Maurice Carthon, Philly’s stalwart linemen Bart Oates and Irv Eatman, Birmingham G Buddy Aydolette, Jacksonville’s best defensive player-safety Buster Homer, Michigan’s David Greenwood, and league tackling leader, LA’s Danny Rich. That will be a story to follow up on as the hot stove portion of the summer and fall heats up. But, let’s start with a quick look at the 1986 All-USFL Team: At QB we had a lot of contenders, but the awardees are Bobby Hebert (MGN), Rick Neuheisel (ARZ) and Doug Williams (JAX). At RB we have no surprises with Kelvin Bryant (PHI), Joe Cribbs (BIR) and Mike Rozier (PIT) At WR there were some tough choices, but the league looked at yardage, catches and scores to select Eric Truvillion (TBY), Derek Holloway (MGN), Dwight Clark (JAX), Trumaine Johnson (ARZ) and Jackie Flowers (CHI). TE is not the most productive position in the USFL, but there were two who stood out, easily garnering the majority of votes were Lewis Gilbert (TBY) and Ricky Ellis (LA). It should be noted that both will be free agents this year. On the O-line we have both road paving run blockers and brick wall pass protectors. The 3 tackles are Irv Eatman (PHI), Anthony Gardner (MGN) and Ernie Yates (BIR). At guard it is Duval Love (JAX), Matt Vaugh (ARZ) and Curtis May (OAK). And at Center, Philly’s Bart Oates gets his 3rd straight nod, joined by Jonathan Hicks of Jacksonville. The Defensive Line is a who’s who of pass rushers and run cloggers. At DE we have 3-timer Junior Ah You (CHI), repeat awarded Reggie White (MEM), and newcomer Bob Barber (BIR). At DT it is Fred Nordgren of Tampa Bay, Denver’s Laval Short, and Arizona’s Earl Weaver. At LB, tackling prowess seemed to determine the winners as all the tackle leaders made the squad: Danny Rich (LA), Marcus Marek (BOS), Sam Mills (PHI), Kiki DeAyala (HOU), and Sam Norris (CHI). In the Secondary we have a mix of older vets and young guns. At Cornerback it is Raphel Cherry, the LA rookie star, David Martin of Denver, and Memphis rook Derrick Burroughs. At Safety we see David Greenwood (MGN), Joe Restic (BOS), Interception leader Willie Liles of Oakland and Buster homer of Jacksonville. On Special Teams we find kicker Zenon Andrusyshyn (TBY), punter Sean Landeta (PHI), and return men Reggie Sanders (HOU) and Ron Osborne (PIT). As for major awards, there were 6 given out this year, with the guideline that no player could win more than one award, allowing for recognition for more stars each year. Here are your winners: USFL MVP: Kelvin Bryant, HB, Philadelphia: Bryant had a breakout season after not finishing in the top 3 in rushing in either of his first two years. He finished the year with 1524 yards, 14 scores and a 4.2 average. As the focalpoint of the Stars’ offense, he helped guide Philadelphia to a 12-4 record and their third consecutive division title. Offensive Player of the Year: Eric Truvillion, WR, TBY. It was neck and neck between Truvillion and Bryant for MVP, and we are honestly surprised that in a pass-happy league it did not go to the wideout. Truvillion had a record-busting 1986, catching 93 balls for an astonishing 1,944 yards and unfathomable 25 touchdowns. Defensive Player of the Year: Junior Ah You, DE, CHI. After 3 years of leading the league in sacks, the big man for the Blitz finally gets the recognition he richly deserves. He only needed to have his best season yet to do so. 22 sacks, 65 tackles, 17 tfl, and two safeties (with a third this past week in the Conference Finals). Offensive Rookie of the Year: George Adams, RB, JAX. One of the big reasons the Bulls won the Southern Division and made their first postseason was the play of their rookie RB and the ability to balance his rushing with another Doug Williams 4,000 yard season. Adams, in his first year, ran for 1086 yards and 10 scores, but also participated in the passing game, catching 55 balls for 321 yards and another 5 touchdowns. Defensive Rookie of the Year: Brian Noble, LB, ARZ. The rise of the Wranglers was largely attributed to the offense, but their once-lightweight defense became a solid squad in large part due to the contributions of Brian Noble. In addition to 97 tackles, Noble added 3 interceptions, 7 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries and one lone sack. The consummate roving LB, Noble was a run stuffing monster and a coverage killer on the TE and RB position. Coach of the Year: Marv Levy, CHI. The rise of the Blitz from mediocre also-rans to the best record in the league was astonishing. Levy got the most out of his players, built a scheme around QB Vince Evans and a RB duo in Spencer and Murphy, and helped Chicago’s defense become fear-inspiring. The 2nd year coach with NFL experience at Kansas City, has his Blitz in the League Championship tomorrow, and could come away with the ultimate prize, a league championship.

Two great games between 4 solid clubs, and it all comes down to who wants it more. What else could you ask for? A perennial bridesmaid vs. a team in their last game in a city they are leaving behind. We couldn't make this stuff up if we tried. PHILADELPHIA STARS 24 TAMPA BAY BANDITS 17 Eric Truvillion may have won the league Offensive Player of the Year award this year, and his 25 TD’s and 1900+ yards set pro football records, but on this day he was outdueled by the unassuming, reliable play of Philadelphia’s Scott Fitzkee. Fitzkee does not garner the coverages that Truvillion faces regularly, and he rarely rips off 50+ yard sprints to the endzone, but his ability to get open on key 3rd downs, to keep drives alive, and to find holes in the zone proved essential to Philadelphia’s 7 point win in the Conference Finals, sending the Stars to their first USFL Championship. On this sunny and warm Philadelphia July day, the Bandits wilted against a ball-control offense and bend-but-don’t break defense. The game was close throughout, with both teams scoring twice in the first half. Tampa started out the game with a 48 yard Andrusyshyn kick, only to watch Philadelphia put together a 9 play, 7 minute drive that ended with Kelvin Bryant bursting through the line and glancing off tackles for a 12 yard score. Tampa would get a score of their own as Reaves found Truvillion on a fade route from the 16 to retake the lead at 10-7. But, Philadelphia mounted one more drive in the 2nd quarter, a drive that ended with Scott Fitzkee scoring the first of 2 TD’s on the day, this one a 37 yarder made possible by a collision between Tampa’s cornerback and safety, leaving Fitzkee still standing and able to race along the sideline for the score. In the second half, Philadelphia would build on its 14-10 halftime lead, and again it was Fitzkee. This time the Stars used Bryant and Johnnie Hector to pound their way to the Tampa 3 yard line before Fusina faked the ball to Bryant, rolled right and found Fitzkee crossing along the back line of the endzone. Not to be outdone, Tampa mounted a drive of their own, and Reaves hit his relief valve, TE Lewis Gilbert for the score to end it, pulling the Bandits back within 4 at 21-17. But the 4th quarter seemed to slow down the entire game. Perhaps it was the 87 degree heat, perhaps the sticky humidity on this July day, or perhaps the long grind of 17 games already played. Both teams had trouble moving the ball. The only player who seemed unaffected was Philadelphia CB Rob Herron, who jumped a hook route, intercepting John Reaves (Reaves’s second pick of the day) and returning it to the Tampa 20. That play allowed David Trout to increase the lead to 7 and it would be the last score of the day. On Tampa’s final drive, an ill-advised 3rd and 7 pass, deflected off of the shoulder pads of Tampa’s Cris Collinsworth and into the hands of an awaiting Philly defender, ending the threat and allowing the Stars to finish the game in the victory formation. The Stars head to their first Championship, and are likely to draw a very friendly crowd just up Highway 95 at the New Jersey Meadowlands. CHICAGO 29 LOS ANGELES 10 Philadelphia will face a Chicago Blitz team that dominated in their final game at Soldier Field before relocating next year to Baltimore. The Blitz had Steve Young’s number all day, and their defense limited the Express to 237 yards while Vince Evans and led Chicago to over 460 yards, including 367 yards passing. The Blitz led throughout and LA never found their groove as Steve Young was hemmed in, unable to scramble as Chicago’s D-line emphasized containment and forced Young to play from the pocket. The star of the game was Evans, who not only passed for 367, but also found 22 yards on the ground. After an early safety for the Blitz, Evans led Chicago on the short post-kickoff drive, eventually finishing the drive by handing the ball to Calvin Murphy, who burst over the goalline to build a 9-0 lead. In the second quarter both teams traded field goals and Chicago entered halftime with Marv Levy beaming about his defense, holding a 12-3 lead. In the second half, LA came out with a good drive to open the half, and within 5 minutes they had cut the lead to 12-10 with a Young to Hector Sharp pass. But, that was the last they would see of the Chicago side of the field. The remainder of the half was a combination of long Chicago drives, leading to 2 Evans TD passes (to Jackie Flowers and Neil Balholm) and frustrating 3-and-outs on offense. Chicago would end up holding the ball for over 35 minutes in the game, including 19 of the 30 minutes of the 2nd half. Junior Ah You would be named player of the game after recording 7 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and the game-opening safety. For Los Angeles it was a painful day as they simply could not sustain drives or keep Chicago from doing so. For the Blitz, it was a day to celebrate. Despite fears that no one would show up, out of protest of the team’s relocation, more than 27,000 came out to watch their team’s swan song, and the fans celebrated with the team when the final seconds ticked off the clock. The Blitz were heading to the USFL Championship, finishing 3 frustrating years in Chicago with flair. 1985 USFL CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW Chicago Blitz (13-3) vs. Philadelphia Stars (12-4) It took three years for it to happen, but this third USFL Championship will pit the two #1 seeds against each other. Both teams have a lot in common: tenacious and aggressive defenses, offensive playmakers, solid coaching, and a blue collar attitude about preparation and execution on the field. Philadelphia is less flashy, more meaty, relying on a combination of Kelvin Bryant as their workhorse and Chuck Fusina play action passing to lull teams to their defeat. Chicago’s offensive personality reflects their quarterback, a bit edgier, wiley but also unpredictable. Vince Evans, after an injury-shortened 1984 seaosn, emerged this year as a dual threat quarterback, able to make plays when the scripted part of the play breaks down. Fusina, on the other hand, is a by-the-book manager, rarely turning the ball over, making clutch throws on key downs, and distributing the ball to an underrated group of receivers. On defense we have two of the best squads, both able to get to the opposing QB and both featuring ball-hawking secondaries. For Chicago the star of the defensive show is league sack master Junior Ah You, who pulled in a record 22 sacks this year. He is backed up by solid players such as LBs Ben Apuna and Ed Brady. Philadelphia’s counterparts are DE William Fuller, LBs John Bunting and Sam Mills and one of the league’s best defensive backfields, led by safety Scott Woerner. We expect this will be a close game, a hard-fought game, a game with few penalties and even fewer turnovers, but one which will come down to just a few key plays. We don’t expect Chicago to keep pace with Philadelphia’s run game, but we anticipate that Evans will outpace Fusina, so there is balance there as well. Both teams will try to make the other one-dimensional on offense, both will likely avoid blitzing and focus on solid coverage in the passing game. Las Vegas has Philadelphia as only a 1 point favorite, but we think that in the end it will be the Stars who take the victory. Our prediction is Philadelphia 20, Chicago 14.

A good week of games, with a few surprises and a lot of defense as the USFL playoffs kicked off with the divisional round. PHILADELPHIA 27 BOSTON 10 Philadelphia Head Coach Jim Mora was heavily criticized for his strategy of resting starters over the final 3 weeks of the season, which led to 3 defeats, but it may have just been a stroke of genius. The Stars, having clinched the division title and #1 seed in the conference spent the final month of the USFL regular season almost sleepwalking, losing games as ALL-USFL players such as Kelvin Bryant, William Fuller, Sam Mills and Chuck Fusina had at least 1 week off each, in a weird rotation, but the playoff Stars looked focused, rested, healthy and hungry as they dominated the Breakers. The scoreboard shows a 17 point win, but it could have easily been far greater. The Stars jumped out to a 17-0 lead at the half and looked totally dominant doing it. The defense intercepted Boston’s Tony Eason twice while the offense rolled up over 200 yards in the half, including 87 yards on the ground for Kelvin Bryant and 2 scores from Chuck Fusina. In the second half the Stars were clearly in clock management mode but still put up another 10 points, including a painfully long 12 minute drive that ate up most of the 4th quarter, leading to a Johnnie Hector 1 yard plunge to put the game away. It was domination from a team that had looked anything but dominant down the stretch. Maybe Coach Mora was actually on to something after all. TAMPA BAY 19 JACKSONVILLE 13 Speaking of coaches perhaps having a psychological edge, Steve Spurrier proved again that he is no slouch. The Bandits played a vanilla game against the Bulls in the regular season’s final week, a game that Jacksonville won, giving them the division title and home field for this week’s rematch, but in doing so, Tampa may have simply set the table for this week’s win. While we certainly cannot condone giving up home field, at least in this case, it worked out for Tampa. Unlike the Phlly-Boston game, this one was a nail biter as the Bulls and Bandits are two evenly matched teams. The difference in the game seems to have been on the line of scrimmage, where, unlike last week, the Tampa D spent most of the game stunting and confusing the Bulls offensive line. The usually unheralded Bandits defense held the Bulls to only 45 yards rushing, scored a safety on an ill-advised play action pass call by Jacksonville from their 1 yard line, and pressured Doug Williams into 2 poor throws that were picked off by awaiting Bandit defenders. In a game where both offenses struggled, that difference gave Tampa what they needed to win the day. CHICAGO 13 ARIZONA 10 The Wranglers had spent the entire season living off of their offensive production, Chicago had mixed offensive firepower with defensive might, and on this day it was Chicago’s versatility which won out. In a game that many predicted would be a high-scoring shootout, the defenses came to play. Neither team gained more than 210 yards total in the game (CHI 209, ARZ 206) and neither team was able to get much out of the run game, with Arizona HB Owen Gill leading all rushers with only 59 yards. It was a smash mouth slugfest for 60 minutes, one which likely put many of the 19,000 fans in attendance to sleep, but which pleased those who love solid defensive football. The stars of the game on defense for both teams were the linebackers. For Arizona it was Defensive Rookie of the Year Brian Noble who led the team with 10 tackles, including 3 for loss. And for Chicago it was veterans Ed Brady and Ben Apuna who kept the Wranglers in check. Not a pretty game, with a 7-3 scoreline at the half and Arizona’s only TD coming with les than 2 minutes left, but it was a win, and Chicago will take that win and move on to the Conference Championship. LOS ANGELES 38 MICHIGAN 17 We had suspected that Michigan’s late season swoon might have indicated that the team had lost its edge, and LA clearly proved that to be the case. With the loss of John Corker to injury the Panthers D had struggled down the stretch, and the Express proved that the struggles were real. Michigan can also look to the injury to Anthony Carter to explain why the offense had cooled down. LA was able to hold the remaining star wideout, Derek Holloway to only 3 catches for 30 yards, largely due to the ability to keep him in double coverage without concerns about Carter opposite him. LA’s offense proved too much for Michigan as Steve Young threw for 307 yards and 3 scores with both rookie wideout Eric Martin and star TE Ricky Ellis going over 100 yards each. On the ground Kevin Mack pounded the ball into the heart of the Michigan D for 96 yards on 17 carries, and scored twice as the Express built up a 38-10 lead early in the 4th. They outgained the Panthers 412-298, and for the 2nd time in three years the Panthers can look at injuries as the reason for their early demise. In 1983 they played without QB Bobby Hebert and were ousted by Denver in their first playoff game. This year it was the combo of Corker and Carter that may have cost them the game, and in 1984, when they were healthy, they cruised through the playoffs and won the title. Something for Panther fans to consider as they head home after this defeat. LOOKING AHEAD TO THE CONFERENCE FINALS The conference finals will pit Tampa Bay at Philadelphia and Los Angeles at Chicago. These are both really intriguing games with a lot of star power and a lot on the line. Only Tampa has been here before, so we have 3 teams who are not used to the pressure that these games will bring. That said, we like Philadelphia to win out at home. They have great balance with a power running attack complemented by Chuck Fusina’s cautious but effective passing game. The Philly D is also stout, making Tampa’s Banditball offense have to rely on big plays rather than sustained drives. With home field advantage, that may be enough for Philadelphia to muscle out a win. Home field advantage is not a factor in Chicago, where again we expect a smaller crowd to take in the action. This will be the final game in Chicago before they head off to Baltimore with their new owners. Without that home team support, and facing a red-hot LA offense, we think this one will play out in LA’s favor. Vince Evans has played well all year, but we like the dual threat of Steve Young, including a solid 1-2 punch at wideout (Martin and Townsell) to take advantage of the Chicago DB’s. And after mustering only 13 points against Arizona this week, Chicago will need a lot more if they are going to keep pace with the Express. COACHING NEWS In a week when coaching changes are traditional, we saw 2 firings and 1 hire in the USFL. After a dismal 4-12 season, and with a 2 year record of only 9-23, Memphis’s flamboyant Pepper Rodgers was asked to step down. The outspoken coach simply could not muster enough in 2 years with the Showboats, and with a truly horrible defense this season, despite the presence of Reggie White on the D-line, the Showboats were more often than not blown out in games. That never bodes well for a coach. It is likely the Showboats will look to address their defense as they look for a new leader. The firing of Craig Morton in Denver may actually have more to do with a couple of wins than the 9 losses this season. Morton, known for a grind-it-out strategy, worked well for the Gold’s original owners, who wanted to emphasize defense (in part because a low budget did not give them much firepower on offense) but the new owners seemed infatuated with QB Bob Gagliano, and late in the year, when the season was already lost, Gagliano was able to open things up and impress with some high-scoring, high-flying games. This may have actually doomed Morton as the ownership believed that this type of offensive flair was just the ticket for selling tickets at Mile High. Despite pulling Denver up to a middle-of-the-pack 7-9 by season’s end, the offensive mindset of Morton vs. the possibilities shown by Gagliano may have been too much. Expect Denver to seek an offensive-minded coach to replace Morton. And in New Jersey, the short stint of interim head coach Joe Mazur has come to an end. The Generals finished last in the USFL at 3-13, and perhaps even worse, their biggest star, HB Herschel Walker, had his worst season, just barely topping 1,000 yards and finishing outside the top 5 rushers in the league, and after 2 seasons as the league rushing champion, that is seen as a waste. Well, that is likely to change with the hiring of former NY Giants and Alabama Head Coach Ray Perkins. The Generals lured Perkins back to pro football with a 5-year contract and the ability to mold and shape the team’s persona. This past season we saw Walker carry the ball fewer than 300 times while rookie QB Doug Flutie attempted more than 500 passes, and the team went nowhere. Expect Perkins to institute a power run game with play action passing, and to emphasize defense. This may go against the grain of the high-flying USFL, but it matches well with the talent of the Generals, where positions like TE, DL, and FB are strongest, along with Walker’s abilities. Perkins feels like a good fit for the Generals, and we know he can handle the pressure of coaching in NY as his time with the Giants showed.

SCORES NJ 31 BOS 32 Eason and Flutie provide a barnburner in a game with little to play for. PHI 20 WSH 23 Stars back into playoff with a 3rd straight loss after clinching division. MEM 31 BIR 17 Both teams play out the string, both finish with 4 wins. PIT 13 CHI 30 Chicago takes care of business against Maulers in front of under 9,000. MGN 6 HOU 24 Michigan loses third in a row, giving Chicago the division title. DEN 17 ARZ 14 Wranglers look spent, losing final 2 games and division title to LA LA 45 OAK 14 Express are dominant in division crown clinching win over Oakland. GAME OF THE WEEK Jacksonville Bulls 21 Tampa Bay Bandits 20 The Bulls break out to a 14-0 lead and never look back against a Tampa team that seemed to be playing things very close to the vest. With a guaranteed rematch next week in the Divisional Playoffs, it appeared that Tampa was holding back against Jacksonville, despite playing in front of their largest crowd of the season and vying for a home game next week. The Bulls came out of the gate looking the more intense team, scoring on a 48 yard TD pass on their first drive, and then on a George Adams run to start the 2nd quarter. It was a lead that Tampa would cut into thanks to a 25th TD on the season for Eric Truvillion. By halftime the score was a reasonable 14-10, but even so, it was clear that Tampa was rotating in more players, calling a more vanilla gameplan, and sizing up Jacksonville all day. When the Bulls scored in the 3rd to pull the lead back up to 11 at 21-10, Tampa responded with a field goal, but it was not until late in the 4th that they scored again to provide what looked like a razor’s edge scoreline, but for those in attendance it seemed clear that Steve Spurrier was using this game like a scouting combine, less concerned about the win than the potential for a playoff rematch. That rematch will happen next week, in Jacksonville, as the Bulls take the Southern Division title. So, in 7 days we will see if Spurrier’s gambit, to give up home field for a chance at a playoff win, pays off. PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK We did not see a lot of stunning numbers this week, and in several cases teams used the final week of the season to either rest starters for the playoffs or to see what some young players could do. Our performance of the week is one of those young players who got a shot this week. With only 5 wins on the year and out of playoff contention, the Washington Federals decided to give their starting QB, Reggie Collier the final week off and take a look at former Indiana star Babe Laufenberg. The Hoosier product came through, leading the Federals with 309 passing on a 29 of 42 day, and tossing 2 TD to rookie wideout Herman Fontenot as Washington edged past a half-hearted Stars team 23-20. Despite being sacked 5 times by the always aggressive Philly front 4, Laufenberg maintained his poise and guided the Federals to a season-ending win. While he may not overtake Collier with this performance, Laufenberg proved his value to the Feds and likely assured that he would have his contract renewed to back up Collier in ’86. NEWS & NOTES With the final week of the year we have the final attendance numbers for the league, and at best we can say that they reached their stated goal of an average of 30,000 per game. The final tally was just barely over that goal at 30,736. The strongest markets remain in the South, where Jacksonville again led the league at 45,266. Tampa was also solid, but the weak seasons, paired with early season rain days, hurt attendance in Birmingham (33,636) and especially Memphis (23,418). There were some strong signs of improvement, particularly in LA, where a better Express team, and more aggressive marketing, led to a respectable 31,587 average. 3 of 4 Western teams were above 30,000, with only Oakland, who needed time to build up support after an abysmal 1984 season, trailed at 25,715. The biggest issue, as one might expect, was in Boston, where the combination of a small, outdated stadium and a season of suspicion and eventual confirmation of relocation for the Breakers led to a season average of only 18,734, including a final home game with only 7,894 in attendance after the relocation was confirmed. Chicago, in large part due to their outstanding play, fared better, averaging just over 25k for the year, a number that would have been much higher had the relocation not been announced mid-year. Chicago’s last 2 home games before the announcement were 42,444 and 31,220, and their 2 games post-announcement were only 11,422 and 8,454. League officials, with guarantees of anonymity, seemed to be pointing to an expectation that while these numbers are enough to sustain the league, the goal for 1986 would be higher, and the hope would be that the two relocated franchises, now to be in Baltimore and New Orleans, would provide much higher averages. To be honest, that seems very reasonable, as early indicators show that both cities are welcoming their new teams with enthusiasm. INJURIES Looking at the Divisional Playoff matches, there are some key contributors who will be out for nearly all teams. Boston @ Philly: Boston will miss WR Nolan Franz, but DE Richard Byrd is expected back. The Stars will be without DT George Litte, but TE Steve Folsom and G Rory Culver are very likely to play. Tampa @ Jacksonville: The Bulls will likely be without DE James Lockette and DT Donald Gagne. Tampa will miss G Jonathan Martel, CB Herb Welch, and T Matt Behning. They should get LB Paul Plurowski back. Arizona @ Chicago: Wrangler RB Mike Pruitt is doubtful for the game, but DE Calvin Clark should be able to go. For Chicago the only player on the injury list is LB Ed Brady. Michigan @ LA: The Panthers have several players listed as Doubtful or Questionable, including Anthony Carter, Ronnie Paggett, and Clarence Chapman, but the biggest issue remains John Corker’s absence, as he is certainly out this week. For LA, only 2 players on the injury report, and both could play. Most important is the likelihood that SS Al Burleson is back. PLAYOFF PREVIEW Boston @ Philadelphia (Stars by 6) The Stars are expected to win this one going away, but, after 3 straight “tune up” games, all of which the Stars lost, there are questions as to whether they can turn it back on again. Perhaps their greatest advantage is at QB, where it is Chuck Fusina’s calm experience against Tony Eason’s erratic enthusiasm. Eason has been hit-or-miss all year, and the pressure of a road playoff game does not bode well. That, and a rested Kelvin Bryant, make us choose Philly. Prediction: Stars 27 Breakers 17 Tampa Bay @ Jacksonville (Bulls by 3) This is a tough call as both teams are quite evenly matched. Both Doug Williams and John Reaves are capable of breaking a game wide open and neither defense has been particularly solid all year. Looking at talent alone we like Tampa Bay, but there is a spark in the Bulls squad that indicates they may be the hungrier team. This one really is a toss-up, but we have to pick, so we go with the home team, expecting the league’s attendance leader to have a riled up crowd. Prediction: Jacksonville 23 Tampa Bay 21 Arizona @ Chicago (Blitz by 6) Can you have home field advantage if no one shows up to watch? Chicago has been playing its best ball of late, but resentment about the relocation may lead to a very small home crowd. Both of these teams surprised the league with their sudden rise to playoff contention, but both have a lot of talent. We like both QB’s, Evans and Neuheisel. Chicago seems to have the more balanced offense, as the loss of Pruitt puts the burden on rookie Owen Gill for the Wrangler run game, and Chicago has the clearly superior defense, despite some good individual performers on the Wranglers, so we will go with the Blitz. Prediction: Chicago 21 Arizona 13 Michigan @ Los Angeles (LA by 3) The oddsmakers are still leary of betting against the Panthers, who for 14 weeks looked like last year’s dynamo, but who finished the year on a very odd 0-3 slump. The loss of John Corker has clearly led to a defensive letdown, but this is a Panthers team that should be able to score against even LA’s stout defense. If we are going to pick an upset this week, this game seems a good option. Experience and firepower on offense favor the Panthers, even without Anthony Carter on the field. Prediction: Michigan 28 Los Angeles 24

Playoff Picture EAST: #4 Boston (8-8) @ #1 Philadelphia (12-4) #3 Tampa Bay (9-7) @ #2 Jacksonville (9-7) WEST: #4 Arizona (10-6) @ #1 Chicago (13-3) #3 Michigan (12-4) @ #2 Los Angeles (11-5)