PLAYER OF THE WEEK: The Thunder blowout of Memphis was impressive on so many levels, including the incredible shade of red that Rex Ryan turned as the game got out of hand, but the biggest star of the day was absolutely Christian Ponder, who put up a second consecutive huge game to get the W at home. Ponder put up 4 touchdowns and 339 yards passing against a Memphis defense that is known for not giving up huge numbers.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: As impressive as St. Louis's Eddie Lacy and his 158 yards rushing was, we have to give the award to New Jersey QB Nick Foles this week. Foles threw for 313 yards and added 4 touchdowns in a huge win, New Jersey's 2nd in a row, to pull them to 3-5, only 2 games behind a Baltimore club still reeling from the loss of their star QB, Ben Roethlisberger. .

The midway point of the 2019 USFL season sees a lot of parity, a few surprises, and no shortage of teams that need to figure out how to improve over the next 8 weeks. We enter our Midseason Report with a survey of the top stories of the league, a rundown of all the Week 8 action, and, of course, our midseason power rankings, where we will see how teams have fared over the past month. All this, plus our picks for the 2019 USFL awards with half the season down. But, we kick it all off with the 5 biggest stories of 2019 to date.   The Top 5 Stories of 2019 at Midseason Two months in and 120 games completed, so what is making news, getting our attention, or being discussed around the league. We picked 5 stories that we believe are the biggest discussion points across the league’s fandom and among our bullpen of analysists, former players, and league experts. Here they are, five stories of 2019:   The Dominance of the Tampa Bay Bandits Offense The Bandits enter the 2 nd  half of the season at .500, and while there are all sorts of complaints about their sieve-like defense, you cannot knock the offensive production of this club under first year head coach Mark Trestman. The Bandits currently lead the league in 3 of the 4 major offensive categories. They are first in scoring, averaging 31.5 points per game, largely because they are also first in the league in yards per game at 393, led by Dak Prescott and the passing game, also first in the league at 305 yards per game.   Look at the individual stats and it is just as impressive. Prescott leads the league with 2,354 yards at the midway point, well on his way to a 4,000-yard season, while also leading the league with 18 passing touchdowns in 8 games. His two primary targets, Dez Bryant and Ryan Grant, are both over 500 yards at the midway point, with Bryant sitting at a very impressive 701 after 8 games. Add to that team TD reception leader Jordan Cameron (6), who is within 50 yards of the 500 mark, and a few flashes from rookie WR Deebo Samuel, who has begun to get more snaps in the slot, and you have a powerful attack. And, just in case you think this team is one dimensional, we should remind you that HB Dalvin Cook, while not featured in the offense as many backs are, is still on pace for over 1,100 yards rushing, with 7 rushing touchdowns already this year. The Bandits, for all their issues, are certainly an offensive show, with Bandit Ball, as fans love to call it, looking very much alive on the Gulf Coast.   QB Josh Allen Strikes Gold To say that Denver Gold fans were nervous about the torch passing from Matt Leinart to Wyoming Cowboy Josh Allen would be an understatement, but the first 8 games of 2019 have turned the 6’4” former JuCo QB into a fan favorite in the Mile High City. His personality is bubbly and fun-loving, his on-field play, exciting and effective. Allen clearly benefitted from his year of watching Matt Leinart orchestrate the office, and a year under the tutelage of QB Guru Jordan Palmer. The fears that his college accuracy issues would be a major problem in the pros have not materialized, with Allen throwing at a very respectable 61.7%. He has 16 TDs to 6 picks in what is essentially a delayed rookie year, and he has made some plays with his feet that have thrilled fans, even leapfrogging an incoming A. J. Klien in Denver’s big win over the Wranglers.   Allen still has some kinks to work out in his game, but everyone from teammates to fans are learning about the young QB’s heart, arm, and spirit. Perhaps happiest of all is veteran WR Golden Tate, who quickly developed a rapport with the new signal caller, resulting in 40 receptions, 607 yards and 8 touchdowns in the season’s first 8 games. With the recent acquisition of slot receiver Terrance Williams, the Denver attack may prove even more dynamic in the second half, and it all starts with Allen’s development as a starter.   The LA Express Defense Returns to Prominence When former Seattle Dragons’ coach Marvin Lewis returned to USFL duty with the Express, we expected the LA defense to improve, but a lot of attention was being paid to an offense reimagined with the aggressive moves to add rookies Kyler Murray and Hollywood Brown. Well, after 8 weeks, the offense is still very much a work in progress, putting up only 14.9 points per game (25 th  of 28 teams), but the defense caught on to Coach Lewis’s schemes almost from day one. The Express currently rank 3 rd  in points allowed (15.6), and in yards allowed (283 per game) while also sitting in the top 10 against both the rush and the pass.   In all 5 of the Express victories to date, LA has held their opponents to 17 or fewer points. And while a 2-game losing streak in Weeks 7-8 has some fans nervous, the expectation is still that LA will win or loss games in the teens, not the 30’s. So, who is shining for this revitalized squad? We have to start with the LB trio of Keith Rivers, Cameron Smith, and Uchena Nwosu. This is not a big-name trio, with Rivers likely the only player you have heard anyone speak of prior to this year. But between the three, they have 123 tackles in 8 games, and have also been a factor in the blitz game, with 7 sacks between them. We have also seen CB Stephon Gilmore playing at his best, and rookie Nick Bosa, after a slow start that saw him earn only 1 sack in the season’s first 5 games, has found his groove, adding 5 more sacks in just the past 3 weeks. If he can continue to grow into his role on the edge, and if LA can possibly find a solid RE option (perhaps through a mid-season trade), this Express team could be a surprise contender right away.   Ben Roethlisberger’s Back Reminds Us How Tough this Game is. We all know that players get hurt all the time in pro football. It is just a part of the game. But when a player of Roethlisberger’s size, strength, and reputation for toughness faces a possible career-ending injury, it strikes a chord with fans, it reminds us that these athletes are true gladiators, willing to put their health and their careers on the line each and every week. Not since Troy Aikman was forced out of the game by a series of concussions have we seen such a clear and indisputable example of just how tough USFL players are and just how tenuous their careers can be, where any one play can be the difference between being on the field and being permanently sidelined. The good news, of course, is that physicians are confident that Ben will not face any mobility or potential paralysis concerns, with the swelling diminished and mobility returning to his legs, but any injury to the vertebrae immediately makes future participation in the sport a serious health concern. We have not heard from Ben yet, at least not about any future decisions, but all indicators are that the 15-year veteran may be appearing only to wave to fans from the sideline in the future.   Parity is the Name of the Game For years the NFL has tauted team parity as a benefit of their salary cap and player compensation plan. The USFL, which helped usher in the age of free agency and gave more power to players has been equally devoted to building a league where any team could rise from the basement to the penthouse with shrewd drafting, free agency signing, and coaching hires. That commitment seems to be paying off this year, when, at the season’s midpoint, we are looking at a league where only 8 of 28 teams, barely ¼ of the franchises are not within 1 game of a 4-4 record.   As we look at the league standings, we see 6 teams perched at 5-3, three of them leading their divisions with that moderately positive record. We also see 9 teams with 4 wins (all but 1 at .500, Charlotte a half game up at 4-3-1), which includes two teams who sit at the bottom of their division (Birmingham & New Orleans) despite not holding a losing record). And finally, we have 5 teams with 3 wins, including 3/5 of the NE Division. That is a lot of parity, and a lot of teams who are going to be battling for a playoff spot well into the league’s 3 rd and 4 th  quarters.   By all accounts, this is good for the league, for viewership, for fanbases, and for sponsors. TV ratings often favor the big matchups, the battle of 7-1 teams or the fights atop the division, but what few notice is that when there are more teams sitting in the middle of the pack, ratings across all games is better, meaning that a league with more parity tends to average higher viewership (and certainly higher attendance). Of course we have, as most fans love to see, a few standouts. This year it is the 7-1 Panthers and Gamblers, and we have a few teams struggling to earn wins, with Dallas, Seattle, Atlanta, Jacksonville, and, most surprisingly, Ohio all sitting at only 2 wins. What we don’t have is a runaway title favorite with an unbeaten record, and we also don’t have any teams winless (or even with only 1 win on the year) at the midway point. Even the 2-6 teams still have a fighting chance to come back and move up the standings.   Parity means more teams fighting the good fight for longer, and that just makes the USFL season more engaging, tougher to predict, and more fun to watch. So, good for the league, and good for us as fans.   SAN DIEGO THUNDER 19  DENVER GOLD 16  OVERTIME The San Diego Thunder seem to be the Rodney Dangerfield of USFL clubs (those of you born after 1990 may need to look that reference up). They “Get no respect, no respect at all”. This is a club that has made the playoffs 3 years running, has won 30 games in those 3 years, is sitting at 6-2 atop their division, and yet, despite that, we find ourselves talking about the surprising LA Express, or the Oakland defense, or even the QB issues in Seattle or Portland. Heck, even the Thunder’s own leadership is seriously considering selling the team’s identity back to Portland and starting from scratch. Despite all of this, the Thunder just keep winning games. True, they have not won a title (not only in San Diego the past seasons, but in Las Vegas and Portland as well), but they have been about as solid a club as we have seen in the past 3 years. A lot of credit for that goes to Head Coach Dick LeBeau, who had great success with the Michigan Panthers from 2004-2013, bringing the Panthers a title in 2008. But without a lot of “big name” stars, the Thunder just seem to play as a team and generate wins.   That is exactly what happened in Denver this week. San Diego came into the game at Mile High (we struggled to call it Invesco Field and the new name “Empower Field” is also not sticking with us) as a 5-point underdog to a Denver club who had won 3 in a row (all at home) and had yet another home game to control. But San Diego was not intimidated. The Thunder went toe-to-toe with the Gold, staying lose throughout, sending the game to overtime with only seconds left on the clock, and then earning the win in the final minute of the extra period. It was a classic Thunder win, with one exception, this one included a singular performance the likes of which we just don’t expect from San Diego.   That performance, an astounding 458-yard passing game from Christian Ponder, simply stunned us all as we watched the Thunder QB escape Denver pursuit time and again (despite 2 Von Miller sacks) and find open receivers down the field. Ponder finished the game 24 of 38 for 458, and while he did not throw a TD in the game (rare for a 400-yard performance), he got the W by leading his team into position for a last second kick not once, but twice.   For Denver it had to be frustrating. Their run game was working to perfection, with Phillip Lindsay and DeMarco Murray combining for 168 yards on 33 carries. Josh Allen played within himself, not throwing a pick and finding Golden Tate for yet another TD this season, but the Thunder just would not go down. Ponder threw to 9 different receivers, including 106 to former Outlaw Marques Colston and 5 other receivers who finished with more than 50-yards receiving. Denver’s defense held more often than not, but even in holding San Diego out of the endzone, they could not keep them from putting points on the board.   This was especially true in the 4 th quarter, where both teams traded field goal tries. San Diego started off the 4 th by putting 3 on the board on the first play of the period, a 50-yard kick that gave them a 13-10 lead. Denver responded late in the quarter with Greg Zeurlein connecting from 40 yards out with only 1:33 left to play, giving them a game-tying score. When the ensuing kickoff ended with a fumble by returner David Clowney, Denver was able to add a go-ahead kick with only 55 seconds left to play. Surely that would secure the win for the Gold, right?   Not in this game. Ponder took the field with the Thunder offense and in only 6 plays, using both team timeouts and 3 separate throws to the sideline, he moved the Thunder into field goal range, setting up a 3 rd  and 7 field goal attempt with only 7 seconds left on the clock. Jeff Reed put the ball through and we were tied up at 16 and headed to overtime.   In the extra period both teams struggled to even cross midfield. Ponder made his first mistake of the game, throwing a pick on a deep throw to Colston, resulting in a change of possession on the first drive of ovetime. But Denver could not capitalize. On a 3 rd  and 7, Josh Allen scrambled to his right, but could not connect on a late throw towards Tate. It was his 15 th  target of the Gold’s leading receiver and for the 12 th  time he failed to connect, a stunning testament to the coverage provided by CB Justin Gilbert and safety Duke Williams, who blanketed Tate all game.   San Diego would get 3 possessions in the overtime period, with the final one coming again with less than 1 minute on the clock. This time it would take the Thunder only 3 plays to get in range for Jeff Reed, thanks primarily to a huge 1 st  and 10 throw to Nick Toon that covered 31 yards. That play, followed by a nice inside throw to TE Luke Wilson for 26 more, put the Thunder in position, and with 23 seconds left, Jeff Reed was again called on and again put the ball between the uprights.   The overtime win gave San Diego sole possession of first place in the Pacific, while Denver, who played well but just could not shut down the Thunder passing game, fell to 4-4 and slipped below fellow 4-4 club, Oklahoma, in the SW Division standings, both a game behind the division leading Wranglers. Would this be a win that finally has us talking about the Thunder? Maybe, but perhaps San Diego likes being somewhat disrespected. Maybe flying under the radar is what works for them. That could be tougher as we get deeper into the season, especially if they keep putting up wins like this.   CHICAGO 20   ST. LOUIS 28 A big win for the Skyhawks, in front of a crowd that showed their support but also repeatedly chanted “Kaw is Law” while pointing to the owner’s box, a protest against talks between team ownership and the Minnesota expansion team investors. On the field, it was Eddie Lacy giving the Hawks something to cheer for, rushing for 156 yards and 2 TDs, including a 40-yard TD run to open scoring in the first. Lacy got help from TE Rob Gronkowski, who caught 4 for 76 yards, including a 56-yard catch and run that gave St. Louis a 14-0 lead they would never relinquish. POTG:  Skyhawk HB Eddie Lacy: 27 Att, 156 Yds, 2 TD   DALLAS 25   OKLAHOMA 34 The Roughnecks came out fired up, taking a 16-7 lead early in the 2 nd , but Oklahoma just kept grinding away, coming back with TDs from Marquise Goodwin, Marshawn Lynch, and Mark Clayton to take a 27-25 lead before, in the game’s final seconds, LB Chad Greenway forced a fumble on the Dallas 2-yard line, that was recovered by CB Duke Shelley for a game clinching defensive TD. POTG:  Oklahoma LB Chad Greenway: 9 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 FF   TAMPA BAY 27   NEW JERSEY 35 That porous Bandit defense once again proved a major issue as Nick Foles shredded Tampa Bay for 311 yards and 4 touchdowns, including 117 yards and 3 scores from OBJ and 118 yards and the 4 th score from Muhamed Sanu. Tampa fell behind 21-0 on three consecutive drives that saw Foles hit Beckham for a score as the Generals just fired on all cylinders in the first half. It was too much for the Bandit offense to come back from, despite some big plays in the 2 nd  half. POTG:  Generals’ WR Odell Beckham Jr: 5 Rec, 117 Yds, 3 TD   ATLANTA 20  BALTIMORE 17 Aaron Murray returned, Big Ben did not, and that proved the difference as Atlanta earned their second win of the year over a clearly deflated Blitz squad. Jake Locker played well (24 of 39 for 211) but Murray had more in the tank, throwing for 214 and 2 scores, including the game-winner to Roy Williams. Baltimore’s offense accounted for only 10 points as 7 of their final 17 came from a pick six off a tipped ball. POTG:  Atlanta QB Aaron Murray: 22/37, 214 Yds, 2 TD, 1 Int   OAKLAND 17  LOS ANGELES 14 We said it last week, Oakland needed this one to have any hope for the division, and they got it, but it was not easy, requiring a late Garoppolo TD toss to rookie HB Bryce Love to make it happen. Both defenses dominated, leading to a combined 5 of 24 on third down between the two clubs. Kyler Murray threw for 2 scores, but could not get a game winner late as LA falls to 5-3, and Oakland now sits only 1 game back at 4-4. POTG:  Oakland DE Michael Bennett: 1 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 FF, 1 FR   ORLANDO 10   CHARLOTTE 21 Charlotte also had their backs to the wall and reacted with a win. The Monarch defense came up big, holding Orlando to only 16 yards rushing (due in part to an early injury to Rashad Jennings) and allowed only 4 converted third down attempts. Mitch Trubisky also came out of the game early, dealing with a nagging injury, and it was Tyler Thigpen who would go on to throw for 3 scores (and no picks, as many Monarch fans noted in post-game analysis). POTG:  Charlotte QB Tyler Thigpen: 26/34, 254 Yds, 3 TD, 0 Int   LAS VEGAS 20  ARIZONA 17 The Vipers do it again, this time on the road, completing a shocking sweep of Arizona thanks to a late Matt Gay field goal that put them over the top. With only 3 wins on the year and 2 of them against Arizona, the Vipers are an anomaly that defies explanation. In this week’s upset, they got a strong game from former Machine WR Aaron Dobson, catching 12 of 16 targets for 115 yards and a TD. They also benefitted from 5 sacks of Derrick Carr as the Arizona line struggled to protect his right side. POTG:  Viper WR Aaron Dobson: 12 Rec, 115 Yds, 1 TD   JACKSONVILLE 9 MEMPHIS 10 A very sloppy outing for both offenses, despite the fact that there were no turnovers in the game (there were 5 fumbles between the 2 teams, but all recovered by the offense). Penalties, dropped passes, and missed blocks were a huge story for both teams. Paxton Lynch would throw for only 105 yards and still get the win as the Showboat offense, without Todd Gurley, did not look like they had a Plan B. But, Jacksonville could not establish a Plan A, limited to only 3 field goals, so Memphis escapes and moves to 5-3. POTG:  Memphis DT Dan Williams: 4 Tck, 1 Sck, 2 FF   PHILADELPHIA 28  PITTSBURGH 16 Philly goes back-to-back in sweeping the Maulers, thanks in large part to a defense that stifled the Mauler run game and the contributions of backup HB Zach Stacy. Derrick Henry rushed for only 29 yards, apparently hampered by a hamstring injury, but Stacy got 78 and a TD in relief. Matt Gutierrez also looked a touch better, completing 16 of 22 for 144 yards and 2 scores, but this felt very much like a game controlled by the Stars’ defense, with LB Kirk Morrison’s pick-six the exclamation point on the Philadelphia sweep of Keyston rival Pittsburgh. POTG:  Philadelphia LB Kirk Morrison: 5 Tck, 1 Int, 1 Def TD   NEW ORLEANS 17   WASHINGTON 20 This was definitely a week for teams facing do or die situations, and Washington certainly fit that bill. The Feds saw Ryan Nassib get nabbed for a safety twice in the second half, and yet they were able to hold off New Orleans, thanks in part to 2 picks of Geno Smith to get the W. Statistically that should not have happened. The Feds were outgained a whopping 502 to 248 and gave up 23 first downs while earning only 9 of their own. But, with all those yards, the Breakers only found the endzone one time and just could not get the points they needed to escape with a win. POTG:  Washington CB Brandon Boykin: 10 Tck, 1 PDef, 1 Int   HOUSTON 24  SEATTLE 16 The Gamblers improve to 6-2 despite Seattle’s D doing a pretty solid job against most of their big playmakers. Carlos Hyde averaged only 3 yards per carry for a total of 66 on the day. Mike Evans had 5 receptions, but for only 33 yards, and Colt McCoy, while efficient, did not find the big play against a solid Seattle secondary. Brett Hundley got the start for the Dragons after a good game last week, but could not get the Dragons to paydirt often enough to avoid their 6 th loss of the season. POTG:  Houston WR JuJu Smith-Schuster: 5 Rec, 95 Yds   PORTLAND 17  BIRMINGHAM 14 The Stags used both Kyle Lauletta and Tony Pike at QB, but they got done what they needed to against a Stallion Team that loses their 3 rd  in a row. The Stallion offense was all Cam Newton, as their halfbacks again failed to provide much support. Meanwhile, Martin and Tate combined for nearly 100 yards (94 total) and the game winning score (a Tate TD reception) as the Stallions drop to 4-4 and Portland improves to 3-5. POTG:  Stags’ CB Taron Johnson: 4 Tck, 1 PDef, 1 Int   MICHIGAN 31  OHIO 24 This one was over early as Michigan got 3 first-half touchdowns from Kirk Cousins to take a 21-0 lead. The Glory tried to rally but the Panthers kept them at arm’s length all game. The one bright spot for Ohio was rookie WR Terry McLaurin, who scored all 3 Ohio touchdowns in their 6 th  loss of the season. Michigan HB LeVeon Bell added to his league leading yardage total with another 130 yards on the ground, and rookie LB Devin Bush got POTG for his standout game. POTG:  Michigan LB Devin Bush: 8 Tck, 1 Int, 1 FF   Eddie Lacy Powers St. Louis to a Big Division Win The Skyhawks improved to 4-4 and have to be considered a factor in the Central Division race after knocking off rival Chicago this week. The engine behind that victory was tailback Eddie Lacy. Lacy was a true workhorse, carrying the ball 27 times (with rookie David Montgomery only getting 5 touches), and with those 27 touches, Lacy produced 156 yards and 2 scores against a Machine defense that was clearly torn between Lacy and the threat of Lamar Jackson on the option play.   Lacy had his best game of the season in a game the Skyhawks absolutely needed. He ripped off a 40-yard TD run to start the game, a stunning run just 10 minutes into the game, and then ground out a 2 nd later in the half, all the while shedding tacklers and frustrating Chicago coach Lovie Smith, who feared pulling his safeties too far forward out of respect for Lamar Jackson’s arm.   Jackson had a solid game (13 of 24 for 162 and a TD), largely thanks to play action and run-pass options after the run game had been established. The defense also played well, but this was a game where Lacy showed us how important he could be to the Skyhawks’ offense. He reaches the midpoint of the season as the league’s 2 nd  leading rusher, admittedly over 200 yards behind MVP candidate LeVeon Bell, but 2nd overall, and on pace for 1,300 yards on the year, is certainly more than most expected and exactly what Coach Reich needed in order not to overburden 2 nd year QB Jackson and a Skyhawk passing game that still lacks for big plays.   Foles & Ponder Defy Odds with Huge Week 8 We highlighted the huge game Christian Ponder had for the Thunder in our coverage of the Game of the Week, but we should acknowledge that the former FSU star was not the only QB to have a surprising outing this weekend. In addition to Ponder’s 458-yard explosion, we need to highlight an outstanding game from New Jersey QB Nick Foles. Foles, who has been criticized of late for indecisive play and a somewhat single-minded focus on Odell Beckham Jr, responded to critics this week by throwing for 4 touchdowns in this week’s win over the Bandits. Yes, Foles continues to rely too heavily on OBJ, who finished the game with 118 yards and 3 of Foles’s 4 TDs, but we should note that in addition to Beckham’s production, Foles also hit Mohamed Sanu for 118 yards and a score and even got Maurice Jones-Drew into the passing game.   Foles and Ponder are not the names you think of when you talk about the elite QBs in the USFL, and statistically they are not there yet (Ponder sits 10 th  in this week’s QB Ratings, Foles is 11 th ), but the two are focused more on team success than individual stats. Ponder, in his first full year as the starter after an excellent 2018 campaign in relief of Joe Webb, is establishing himself first as a leader, and then as a solid passer. Foles, who is in his 3 rd  season as the starter in New Jersey, is just trying to get his team out of a hole. They started the year1-5, but have won their last 2 and are still in range in a division where no team has more than 5 wins. He has led New Jersey to the playoffs each of the past two years, so the leadership is there, and after this week, perhaps we will lay off him and let him play his game. He is not going to be Colt McCoy or even Joe Flacco when it comes to stats, but if he can get the Generals up and over the .500 hump, he will have succeeded in doing the most important thing a QB can do, generate wins.   Expect Some Deals as Teams Define Themselves as Sellers or Buyers The midway point of the season means we have only 2 weeks left for teams to make deals. The Trade Deadline will hit on Friday, May 24, just before Week 10 begins, so time is fleeting for teams that need help. And here is the thing, with so many teams sitting close to the .500 mark, there may well be few deals this year. Normally you need some teams that have given up on the season to be “sellers”, willing to trade away current talent to bolster future drafts and options within their cap. Of course, the other philosophy would say that with so many teams in the mix, but not clearly ahead of the pack, we have an excess of “buyers”, teams looking to add a piece or two to get them over the hump. So, what we may have is a seller’s market, where few teams are willing to give up talent, but many are looking to get it. That could bode well for the clubs that are sitting at 2 wins and looking to improve for 2020, while those at 5-3 or 4-4, even 3-5, who need a boost, may just have to overpay to get one. Looking across the league, here are the teams we see in the best position to make a deal (sellers) and a few who would certainly benefit from adding talent, even if the cost is high (buyers)   JACKSONVILLE (Seller) While it is not a comfortable situation for Coach Flores to be in after a 4-win 2018 campaign, the Bulls may well be looking to sell off some players to try to build for the future (a future that may not include Flores). So, who does Jacksonville have to offer? How about NFL import QB Ryan Tannehill? With the emergence of Teddy Bridgewater as a solid QB option, Tannehill would be a very expensive backup in 2020, so perhaps the Bulls opt to trade the former A&M quarterback to get some help in other areas. Others to consider, largely because they are in a contract year and could be good end-of-year additions for a team, include: DT Kedric Gholston (36 years old), LB Jarret Johnson (33), CB Dominique Rogers-Cromartie (32) and C Erik Cook (30)   OKLAHOMA (Buyer) The Outlaws are 4-4, and with Arizona taking some hits at 5-3, this could be a chance for the Outlaws to make a move and try to sneak into a possible division title picture. So, what are their immediate needs? The obvious need is their 23 rd ranked pass defense. Their deficiencies in that area are twofold, the pass rush, while solidly “middle of the pack” with 21 sacks in 8 games, is too dependent on blitzes. Edge rushers Jordan Willis, Chris Harrington, and Dorance Armstrong are just not getting pressure without Coach Stoops bringing safeties and backers into the mix. If they could find a solid DE to lock down one side, then rotate their current 3 best players on the other side, they could see much better results. Secondly, they need to find a 2 nd  option after Pacman Jones in the secondary. Jones is solid, no doubt about it, but Bradley Fletcher, while good in zone, is getting killed in man coverage. Adding a true man-coverage specialist would allow Coach Stoops to be more flexible in his calls and make Oklahoma a tougher team to throw against.   SEATTLE (Seller) After back-to-back seasons with 0-5 starts, Riley is not faring much better with a 2-6 record at the midway point. What is worse is that it seems like he has two fairly evenly matched QBs, but evenly matched in that neither can get the club a win. Is he likely to be able to get a true franchise guy in a midseason trade? No. But what he can try to do is make some deals to free up cap space now, sell off some expensive players who are underperforming, and then have the bank needed to look for a true number one option at QB in the offseason, whether that is a veteran like possible free agents Joe Webb (SD), Cam Newton, or Matt Gutierrez, or taking a shot at a rookie like Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa or Oregon’s Justin Herbert.  Players possibly on the block due to the salary v. performance balance: DT Malik McDowell, G Laken Tomlinson, SS Terrell Edmunds, CB Xavien Howard, or LB Clavin Pace.   OAKLAND (Buyer) The Invaders were expected to be a serious contender this season, and while their 2 nd rated scoring defense is looking very solid, the offense is just not getting the job done, averaging only 16.8 points per game and currently ranked 27 th in rushing. Now, Oakland loves Christian McCaffrey, but even with a 4.2 YPC average, there seems to be a lack of big plays, and we point to the line as the issue. McCaffrey is being asked to break tackles in the backfield far too often. While we love the guards for the Invaders (Logan Mankins & 2 nd year stud Quenton Nelson), the team’s two tackles, D. J. Fluker and LaAdrian Waddle, are just not getting the job done. This is true in the run game and for QB Jimmy Garoppolo, who is under pressure on nearly 42% of his throws. So, a mid-season trade to bring in some help at tackle could be a move with immediate impact. If Oakland can just eke out 20 points per game, they could be a threat to San Diego and LA in the division.   OHIO (Seller) This is an Ohio team that won the Central last year, and was expected to battle Michigan for it this year, but Coach Coughlin’s team is struggling at 2-6, sitting 24 th in scoring and averaging only 78.6 yards per game in the run game. As much as Isaiah Pead gets our respect as a plugger, those 3-yard dives into the line are not enough to help Ohio get the chunks of yardage they need to sustain drives. We should also point out that it does not help that no receiver on the Glory roster is averaging more than 12.8 yards per catch, meaning that the deep ball is just not happening. So, what do you do if you are Coach Coughlin. You deal away some depth to get either a young receiver with speed or a back who can make outside runs. Potential rotational players who could be used as trade fodder: DT Akiem Hicks, DE Bruce Irvin, LB Steven Daniels, CB Eli Apple, or HBs Marion Mack or Delone Carter.   NEW ORLEANS (Buyer) The Breakers are sitting in the basement of the Southern Division, but, at 4-4, they are still very much in the mix if they can fix two major issues, the run game’s lack of big plays, and the run defense’s propensity to give up those big plays. What can be done to fix those two issues? Well, first, for as good as Coby Fleener and Dawson Knox are as receiving TE’s, neither one is even a mediocre blocker. Honestly, look at the film, they seem allergic to getting leverage on a LB, much less a good DE. So, you need to find a blocking TE, especially for short-yardage plays, a move that would help bust a 2-yard run into a 20 yarder. Then, on defense, you need to add an “in the box” safety. Both Terrance Brooks and Keanu Neal are far more comfortable in coverage than in the run game, and while that helps the Breakers on 3 rd  and long (3 rd  best rate of denial in the league), it is not helping them on 1 st  and 2 nd down.   ATLANTA (Seller) We are putting Atlanta here, instead of Dallas, because even with the return of Aaron Murray hopefully providing a spark, as it did this week. We think that the Fire would be better off building for 2020 than trying to come back from a 2-5-1 record in a more competitive SE Division this year. Why? Because Aaron Murray’s absence does not explain why the Fire have the 27 th  best run defense in the league, a weakness that will make a playoff run this year near impossible because teams can just dominate time of possession. So, what do you do? You trade maybe 1 high-priced player in his 30’s so that you have cap room to sign 1-2 defenders in the offseason. How does this sound? Trade WR Pharoh Cooper, who is making a ludicrous $3.5M this year and free up that cash to go after some D-line help in the offseason.   PITTSBURGH (Buyer) & BIRMINGHAM (Buyer) We went for a two-fer on this one, because both Pittsburgh and Birmingham could both really benefit by bringing in a true bell cow back. The Maulers are 24 th  in the league at 77.6 YPG from the combination of Sony Michel and Marcus Lattimore, neither of whom should be getting 25 carries a game. Birmingham would have no run game at all without Cam Newton’s contributions, as Newton is easily outgaining Rex Burkhead and Kerryon Johnson combined. Both need a back who can wear down defenses, gain key 3 rd  & short conversions, and help them protect a lead late by milking the clock. Just who would give up such a back is a bit of a question, but if you look at some of the teams using a 2-back system, there may be a few out there who have a clear preference among their 2 backs and would be willing to part with the other back. It is at least worth asking if either the Stallions or Maulers want to improve on their current .500 standing.   Roster Updates A few quick roster updates as we wrap up our league news.   First, the Blitz have made a move to back up Jake Locker as the new starter for the club. Baltimore signed former NFL, Monarch, and Generals’ QB Charlie Whitehurst to the practice squad as their emergency QB behind Locker and Trevone Boykin. In Denver, the Gold have added OT David Tremblay after losing Ronnie Stanley to the IR this week. Tremblay has played in Orlando the past 6 seasons, starting 17 games in that 6-year span. He will back up Ryan Clady at LT and David Bakhtiari on the right side. Philadelphia has broken off talks with former NFL star Carson Palmer, a combination of Palmer’s reluctance to sign after retiring from the NFL and the 3-game win streak that has Coach Jim Harbaugh feeling better about Matt Gutierrez’s role.   Two starters at QB will be missing games over the next month as Portland will be without recent starter Kyle Lauletta for at least a month after the QB suffered an abdominal strain in this week’s return to action, which means more Tony Pike at QB for the Stags. In Charlotte, Mitch Trubisky had to leave this week’s game after taking a finger to the eye. The accidental blow produced a scratched cornea, which could keep Trubisky out 2-3 weeks, meaning that Tyler Thigpen will continue as the Monarch QB for the next few appearances. Here is our full breakdown of the updates to the Injury Report for the league.   OUT OT       Ronnie Stanley        DEN      Torn Quad                       IR QB         Kyle Lauletta            POR      Abdomen                       4-6 Weeks LB           Alec Ogletree         WSH     Fractured Collarbone   2-4 Weeks CB          Tye Smith                SD          Broken Arm                       2-4 Weeks C             Owen Phillips           NJ           Fractured Arm                 1-2 Weeks QB         Mitch Trubisky         CHA      Scratched Cornea         1-2 Weeks WR         Dontrelle Inman      BIR         Neck                                 1-2 Weeks   DOUBTFUL SS           DaJuan Morgan      DEN      Hand TE           John Carlson           NJ           Turf Toe FB          Anthony Sherman   HOU     Concussion FS           Mark Barron            SD          Tendinitis (Knee) OT          Nat Dorsey             LV           Ribs   QUESTIONABLE C             Corey Linsley          PHI        Finger CB          Gustavo Carr          LA          Thigh Bruise DT          Josh Boyd               SEA        Groin CB          Jaire Alexander      PHI        Concussion   San Diego Fans Thunderstruck and Team Listens The San Diego Thunder took it to their fans, and the fans gave them a clear directive, the Thunder are here to stay. Both in polling within the season ticket base and a broader survey of the 5 counties closest to the San Diego market the message to team ownership was that there was no interest in selling the Thunder identity back to Portland. The team moved to San Diego in 2015, just as the NFL Chargers abandoned the city for a sweet heart deal at Farmers Insurance Field in LA. The result? Well it seems that the Thunder have quickly become a core part of the identity of San Diego football fans. Expect to see more of the Thunder's secondary logo as the team continues to build its identity in San Diego. Moving from the lightning-themed Chargers to an equally storm-related USFL club in the Thunder, has allowed San Diegans to thumb their nose at the NFL, and a big part of that is wrapped up in the Thunder identity, a team look that includes both athletic gold and a very light sky blue (the club is not allowed to call it "powder blue") along with navy and the team's signature "electric green". That transition from powder blue and yellow to the similar, but clearly unique Thunder colors helped San Diegans' deal with the NFL club's nonchalant departure. The use of lightning in both designs (NFL and USFL) also made the transition easier. And so, Thunder ownership heard loud and clear, the fans want their team to remain the Thunder and to continue to serve as a surrogate for the "lost love" of their former NFL and AFL club. In releasing the poll results, which skewed nearly 2-1 in favor of keeping the Thunder as San Diego's team, ownership agreed with the fans, promised to cut off talks with Portland, and strengthen the bonds between the Thunder and the city of San Diego. Seems a shrewd move, one that may not provide the immediate surge of sales that a rebranding could, but one that allows for continual support from the community. Midseason Power Rankings Halfway through the season and time to look at how we rank all 28 teams. Some have gotten hot over the past few weeks, others have struggled, and other still are trying to regroup after injuries have significantly impacted their season. Here are all 28 clubs and where we see them right now, along with a look ahead at their remaining schedules. 1— Houston (7-1) Up 2 The Gamblers get the top spot because more often than not they win going away, but they do have some tough games left: @ San Diego, 2 games against Memphis, and a season finale against a tough Oakland squad.   2— Michigan (7-1) No Change The Panthers rebounded well from their loss in Arizona by thoroughly dismantling their division rival, Ohio. Interestingly, at the 8-week mark, every single foe Michigan will face moving forward is at 4-4 or better. That could be a tough gauntlet.   3— San Diego (6-2) Up 1 The Thunder have won 4 of 5, and while they are in good position in the Pacific, many think their true test will be in 2 weeks, when they head to Houston to face the Gamblers.   4— Orlando (5-3) Up 11 This week’s loss in Charlotte ended a 5-game winning streak. Can Orlando rebound? Well they have 2-win Jacksonville this week, and face only 1 more team that currently sits above .500 the rest of the way, a Week 11 game in Arizona.   5— Arizona (5-3) Down 4 The Wranglers have struggled on offense in 2 of their last 3 games. Could teams be figuring out how to defend against them? Michigan certainly did not get the memo. Arizona has two important games against Oklahoma to come, but most of the rest of their schedule is looking favorable.   6— Chicago (5-3) No Change The loss to St. Louis this week hurts, but we all know that all eyes are on weeks 11 and 12, when the Machine face a rare home & away double dip against the 7-1 Michigan Panthers. They need at least a split there to have any shot at the division.   7— Los Angeles (5-3) Up 2 After a 5-game win streak, the Express have dropped back-to-back division games (Seattle & Oakland). That pulls them back to the pack. The two key games looking ahead are @ Michigan (Week 10) and @ San Diego. Other than those two, they should be favored in every other game.   8— Memphis (5-3) Up 3 The Showboats are averaging only 14.8 points per game (26 th  in the league). If it were not for that Rex Ryan defense, there is no way they would be 5-3 at this point. They are also about to hit the roughest part of their schedule, with a road game in San Diego next, then the Breakers and Monarchs before the first of two huge games with Houston in the final 5 weeks.   9— Oakland (4-4) Up 1 Beating the Express this week helped Oakland in the standings and with confidence. They will need some bravado as they head to Arizona this week. They still have 2 games left against San Diego, which will be huge, and finish the season with a tough matchup in Houston.   10— New Orleans (4-4) Up 2 The defense is keeping the Breakers afloat, and they will need that defense for a 3-game stretch in weeks 12-14, a period that includes two division games (Memphis and @ Houston) and a tough game against the Thunder as well.   11— New Jersey (3-5) Up 8 Back-to-Back wins over the Skyhawks and Bandits have helped boost the Generals. It also helps that they face only 1 team with a current winning record in their final 8 games, a Week 15 home game against Chicago. Other than that, they have quite a few winnable games. New Jersey could make a run.   12— Charlotte (4-3-1) Down 4 Yes, we put a 3-win New Jersey team ahead of a Monarchs squad that is over .500, but having watched the Monarchs closely over the past month, this feels right. The interceptions from Trubisky are a huge issue, but there are more problems than just that. The Monarchs have a pretty favorable schedule, with only Memphis and LA on their schedule and above .500 right now.   13— Baltimore (5-3) Down 8 The loss of Ben Roethlisberger just cratered all confidence in the Blitz. Yes, Jake Locker is a capable backup, but without Big Ben, the big play could be very tough to find. It could all come down to how much rookie Josh Jacobs can take on. The Blitz have a tough game against Houston this week, and another in Michigan as well, They end the season with a very tough game in Chicago, so this could be a tough run for a team in need of a pick-me-up.   14— Denver (4-4) Up 6 The Gold feel very much like a team that is a year away. They can win some good games, like their home victory over Arizona, but they also struggle with consistency. This week, hosting Chicago will be a good test for them. 15— Oklahoma (4-4) Up 7 The Outlaws have won 4 of 5 and have a nice stretch of winnable games ahead of them (@ Las Vegas, Home to Atlanta, then @ Denver). Not easy wins, but winnable games. They finish with Arizona and Michigan within 2 weeks of each other, which is not an easy way to end the year.   16— St. Louis (4-4) Up 11 The Skyhawks got a very nice win at home against Chicago this week and now face an even tougher test as they host the Michigan Panthers in Week 9. After that, they have 4 straight games against teams with losing record. Those are games they have to win to have a shot at a post-season berth.   17— Tampa Bay (4-4) Down 1 If the Bandit defense were not giving up nearly 30 points per game, this team could be a very tough out, but far too often teams have been able to score at will, and only need a couple of stops against the Bandit offense to get the win. The Bandits’ best shot is to win out in their remaining division games (Charlotte Wk 10, @ Jacksonville Wk 11, @ Atlanta Wk 14, and home to Orlando in Wk 15).   18— Philadelphia (3-5) Up 10 A 3-game win streak and the relative parity of the NE Division means the Stars still have a shot. They have 3 straight division games coming up, with Washington first, then a trip to New Jersey before facing off against the Blitz in Week 11. A 3-game sweep would be a huge boost, but even 2-1 would help their cause.   19— Pittsburgh (4-4) Down 5 The Maulers cannot be feeling good about their lack of consistency, not when they have some very tough games left on the schedule, starting this week with a trip to New Orleans. They also face Michigan in Week 13, andhavesometough divisional games ahead as well.   20— Washington (3-5) Up 3 The Ryan Nassib arrival has not been all that was advertised, but back-to-back wins have Federal fans hoping the team has turned a corner. They have a huge game at Philly this week, and still face the Generals, Blitz, and Stars again before the season is out.   21— Birmingham (4-4) Down 14 They dropped from 4-1 to 4-4 and now seem to be reeling. They have 1 game left against each of their divisional foes, but they need to also win those tough inter-divisional games, like this week's at Tampa Bay.   22— Las Vegas (3-5) Down 1 How does a team beat Arizona twice but also lose to St. Louis, Tampa Bay, and Denver? The Vipers better figure that out quickly, because they need to beat some other teams over the next 8 weeks, including 2 games against Oklahoma, a rematch with Denver and two Dallas games.   23— Ohio (2-6) Down 10 This was an Ohio team that won the Central last year, but does not look even competitive in too many games. Averaging fewer than 16 points per game, but giving up nearly 21 is a sign that they may have been punching above their weight with last year’s division crown.   24— Seattle (2-6) Up 2 Well, at least they did not start out 0-5 again, winning their opener, but then going 1-6 in the next 7 games. They are headed into Week 9 without a clear starter at QB, with Coach Riley frustrated with Brissett but not getting great results from Hundley either.   25— Portland (3-5) No Change With Mariota on IR and Lauletta now facing 4-6 weeks off the field, the QB position in Portland is looking quite dire, a fact that is reflected by the team’s miserable 14.5 points per game and 177.8 passing yards on average. They still have both Seattle games on the schedule, and perhaps can find some happiness if they can sweep the Dragons.   26— Atlanta (2-5-1) Down 2 Is this a team that can go on a late streak? Aaron Murray came back from an injury and led the Fire to a win against the Blitz, but they have some very tough matchups ahead, including a Week 11 game against Houston and a Week 15 visit from the Wranglers. It may be a case of Murray coming back too late to pull out of the spiral they were in.   27—Jacksonville (2-6) Down 10 If you want to complain about the Bulls, there is plenty to point out, but don’t point the finger at Teddy Bridgewater, who is averaging nearly 240 passing yards per game, has 15 TDs to only 3 picks, and a QB Rating solidly over 90. The Bulls have another NFL import in the wings with Ryan Tannehill, but they may consider trading him to a Qb-needy team to get more support in other areas.   28—Dallas (2-6) Down 10 I think we have hit the phase where we have to admit that Josh Freeman has dropped off the ledge. After dipping from an 83.9 QBR in 2017 to 69.0 last year, the hope was that a change of scenery would produce a bounceback season, but Freeman is sporting a miserable 61.8 QBR this year and has only 4 touchdowns in 8 full games. That in itself tells us why Dallas is sitting in dead last in our midseason ranking.   Midseason Award Leaders Five major awards, plenty of contenders, and 8 weeks left for each to make their case to the voters. And while every player knows enough to say that team victories far outweigh any personal numbers or accolades, we all know that these players love to compete with each other, and that includes the races for recognition at the end of the year. Here are the 5 major awards that will be presented at the Summer Bowl Gala the Tuesday prior to the big game, along with our top 3 contenders for each at the midway point of the season.   MOST VALUABLE PLAYER We have a real shot for the MVP award to go to someone other than a QB this yar. LeVeon Bell of the 7-1 Michigan Panthers has to be considered the frontrunner. While several QBs are splitting the various passing stats, Bell has all but run away with the rushing title (bad pun and all). With a 204 yard lead over second place in the race, Bell is well on pace to potentially eclipse 1,600 yards. His 5.1 YPC average is amazing for a back with 175 carries already this year, a pace that could see him hit 400 by year’s end, a rare feat in the USFL.   So, who is chasing Bell? Well, two QBs are pretty much taking up all the air in the conversation when it comes to passing stats. Tampa Bay’s Dak Prescott has been impressive this year, leading David Carr by nearly 200 yards for the yardage title with 2,354 after 8 weeks, and yes, that is a pace that could put him in range of a 5,000-yard season. He is also leading the league with 18 touchdown passes, 2 ahead of Denver’s Josh Allen. The only major passing category he is not leading is QB Rating. That title is currently held by Colt McCoy at 111.9 for the season. McCoy is our third choice, in part because Houston has a very good chance at being the 1-seed in the East, and he will get points for team success.   OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR If one of the QBs surges and snatches away the MVP trophy, then this has to belong to Bell, but if they do not, then this gets interesting. We could see Prescott or McCoy here, or we could see a bit of a dark horse, like Las Vegas’s Aaron Dobson, who leads the league with 51 receptions, on pace for yet another 100-reception season. Another name to keep watching is Houston WR Mike Evans. If Houston has second half success, there will be some momentum towards rewarding one of the best receivers in the game with the trophy.   DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR We love Calais Campbell for this. After all, he made the move to a new team, had to learn a new system, connect with new teammates, and yet, there he is, sitting comfortably atop the sack rankings again. He is not on pace for a league record, but with 13 sacks in 8 games he is once again looking to easily clear the 20-sack mark, something he seems to do without even trying, while others go an entire career without reaching that lofty total. If something holds Campbell back, then last year’s MVP, Oakland’s Bobby Wagner could be right there again. Or, if you want a new name, how about Houston’s Leodis McKelvin. He has 6 picks already this year, with 4 of them turning into pick-sixes. If he can reach the magic total of 10, the current league record, he could be rewarded with the DPOTY.   ROOKIE OF THE YEAR Recently we said this is a 2-player race, and we think it still largely is. Josh Jacobs, on pace to top 1,100 yards, seems like a safe bet, but with the loss of Big Ben, teams are now likely to devote a lot more attention to the Baltimore run game, and that could lead to a tougher second half for the former Crimson Tide back. Our second candidate was Orlando DE Montez Sweat, who was among the league leaders in sacks 2 weeks ago, but has not kept pace. He could have a surge in the second half of the year, and that would put him in the conversation. The third potential candidate has to be LA quarterback Kyler Murray. Murray has the Express at 5-3, and if he can get those same results in the second half of the season, even if his stats are middling within the QB rankings, he will get some votes for the ROTY.   COACH OF THE YEAR We have three coaches whose teams are clearly overperforming expectations, and with two of them new to their teams, they will get a lot of credit for quickly building a winning culture with their new teams. None of the three are new coaches to the league or to winning. Marvin Lewis in LA, Ron Rivera in Orlando, and Lovie Smith in Chicago are all veteran coaches and each has had success in the past. So, we are not really surprised that they are finding it this year with their clubs. Our current pick would be Lewis, just because of the fresh faces on his roster and the need to rebuild both talent and attitude in LA, but we could see either of the other two getting that late season buzz that puts them over the top. We kick off Week 9 with a battle of NE Division teams that still have hopes for the postseason but who both need a solid run of wins. Philadelphia, who have won 3 in a row, including back-to-back divisional wins over the Maulers, host the Feds, who got a huge win this week over New Orleans. The late Friday game is from Arizona, where the Wranglers face a tough challenge against a solid Oakland defense.   On Saturday, we have a lot of teams in the middle of the pack facing off, starting with a battle of 4-4 clubs as Pittsburgh heads to New Orleans to face the Breakers. We also have 5-3 Chicago at 4-4 Denver and a battle of 3-5 teams with New Jersey in Atlanta. The day caps off with a Cascade Clash as both Portland and Seattle enter this game with issues at QB.   Sunday kicks off with a good one as St. Louis will try to upset the 7-1 Michigan Panthers. We also have a divisional and in-state rivalry game on FOX regional coverage as the Bulls head down to Orlando to face the Renegades. In the 4pm slot we have Charlotte at Dallas and Ohio in Los Angeles, before we wrap up Week 9 with an interconference matchup as the Memphis Showboats hit SoCal to face the 6-2 San Diego Thunder.   Friday @ 7pm ET           Washington (3-5) @ Philadelphia (3-5)             NBC Friday @ 9:30pm ET       Oakland (4-4) @ Arizona (5-3)                        FOX   Saturday @ 12pm ET     Pittsburgh (4-4) @ New Orleans (4-4)              ABC Saturday @ 12pm ET     New Jersey (3-5) @ Atlanta (2-5-1)                 FOX Saturday @ 4pm ET       Chicago (5-3) @ Denver (4-4)                            ABC Saturday @ 4pm ET     Oklahoma (4-4) @ Las Vegas (3-5)                  FOX Saturday @ 7pm ET       New Jersey (3-5) @ Atlanta (3-5)                  NBC Saturday @ 9pm ET       Portland (3-5) @ Seattle (2-6)                          ESPN/EFN   Sunday @ 12pm ET      Michigan (7-1) @ St. Louis (4-4)                       ABC Sunday @ 12pm ET        Birmingham (4-4) @ Tampa Bay (4-4)              FOX Regional Sunday @ 12pm ET      Jacksonville (2-6) @ Orlando (5-3)                   FOX Regional Sunday @ 4pm ET          Charlotte (4-3-1) @ Dallas (2-6)                        ABC Sunday @ 4pm ET          Ohio (2-6) @ Los Angeles (5-3)                         FOX Sunday @ 8pm ET          Memphis (5-3) @ San Diego (6-2)                   ESPN/EFN

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: As much as Brett Hundley's surprising start for the Dragons made headlines, we cannot overlook the day that Houston CB Leodis McKelvin had against Charlotte. McKelvin not only picked off Mitch Trubisky twice, he ran them both back for scores, giving him a total of 4 defensive touchdowns on the year. That is more scoring than Marshawn Lynch, Ryan Williams, Jordy Nelson, or Odell Beckham Jr.

A potential career-ending injury to one of the game’s most recognized stars put a damper on the excitement of Week 7. Yes, there were exciting games, and we saw the last of the unbeatens fall unexpectedly. There were upsets, close finishes, and outstanding performances, but the images that will be burned into the minds of USFL fans everywhere are those of Ben Roethlisberger being carted off the field in Baltimore in a back brace, and the doctors several hours later confirming that while he will likely regain full mobility, the QB of the Blitz may never take the field again. It is a sobering and upsetting moment in what had been a strong opening to the season for the Blitz, a reminder of just how fickle this game is, and just how brutal it can be. We will start our report with the story of Big Ben’s injury, but we will also cover all the scores and look ahead to next week as the midpoint of the season. A tough week, to be sure, but we will continue to present you all the stories of the week. Hi, all. A quick note that a new San Diego Thunder Identity survey is open and ready for your votes. Use the link above to add your vote about the sale or retention of the Thunder identity. The poll will be open through the 28th of July and the result will be in our Week 8 Midseason Report on July 30. Big Ben Goes Down to Potentially Career-Ending Back Injury In the midst of a strong start, sitting at 4-2, and sitting atop the Northeast Division, it all seemed to be going the right way for the Blitz. Even in this week’s tough matchup against a plucky Ohio Glory squad, Baltimore had built up a 14-3 lead and looked solid on both sides of the ball, and then it happened. Ben Roethlisberger took a hit after releasing a pass, slumped to the ground, then lay down. He would not get up. The trainers came out, quickly assessed the situation and called for both a back brace and the cart. Roethlisberger had feeling in all extremities, could move his arms, but not his legs. He had taken a big hit right across the mid-back from Ohio LB Ryan Shazier, and just crumpled.  Big Ben in happier times, showing off his ring at last year's USFL Gala. The star QB of the Blitz for the past 16 seasons was being carted off on a back board with a neck brace. He gave a “thumbs up” to passing teammates as he rode out, but it was clear that this was not a stinger or a nerve pinch. Roethlisberger would soon be in Baltimore’s Johns Hopkins Hospital, one of the finest in the nation, attached to one of the finest med schools out there. He would be scanned and tested, and by late Sunday the medical team reported that the QB of the Blitz had suffered fractures in two vertebrae, that while there was initial swelling which impacted his motor functions, particularly in his legs, that the diagnosis was that Roethlisberger would gain full motion in time. But this was a serious injury, the kind of injury that many players might not come back from, that could cost the 2014 MVP and 5-Time All-USFL quarterback not only the season, but potentially his future in the game. It was a heartbreaking announcement, not just for diehard Blitz fans, but for all USFL fans. One of the biggest stars of the 2000’s might never step into a huddle again. That is the reality, and all from a legal hit, a clean hit, but a hit that nonetheless could produce a career-ending injury. Yes, Jake Locker came in and helped Baltimore earn their fifth win, and the Blitz certainly feel comfortable with Locker as their go-to now that Big Ben is headed to the IR, and to a lengthy recovery. But the spirit of the win was lost in the news that the team’s star and captain was facing a very long and trying recuperation and may well be forced to put the game behind him.   The Blitz will now start scouring the free agent lists for a 3 rd  QB, but, more importantly, they will start planning for the future, a future that may well be without their future Hall of Fame quarterback. It is the kind of planning no team wants to do, and the kind of exit no player ever wants. We cannot say for certain that Roethlisberger will never play for Baltimore, but the realistic interpretation is that this midseason game against Ohio could well be his last as a professional football player, and that is just a sad realization to make in the middle of what had been such a strong bounceback season for both Roethlisberger and the Blitz.   CHARLOTTE MONARCHS 35   HOUSTON GAMBLERS 38 This is a game that USFL fans won’t soon forget, one Gambler CB Leodis McKelvin certainly won’t, and one Charlotte QB Mitch Trubisky would like to. It was a game that Trubisky and the Monarchs certainly could have won. After all, they scored 35 points against a very solid Houston defense, and their QB threw for 310 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Monarch also held Colt McCoy to only 1 TD pass, held Carlos Hyde to only 40 yards rushing and no scores, and shut out Mike Evans, who had only 1 catch on the day. So how did they lose this game?   How about a 63-yard Trubisky pick six to McKelvin? Or a second pick-six, this one for 46 yards less than 3 minutes later, also to McKelvin? Or, just for kickers, after getting a 4 th  quarter TD from Nyheim Hines to post a 35-31 lead, how about a third pick-six, this time to LB Jelani Jenkins, a poor choice throwing from the shadow of their own endzone that produced a 14-yard score, the game winning score for the Gamblers. Yes, that is right, the Charlotte offense put up 35 points, held Houston’s offense to only 17 points, shutting them out in the 2 nd  half, and still lost because of three second half pick sixes thrown by the most prolific interception-throwing QB of the past 3 USFL seasons. It was exactly the kind of hyper-frustrating game that Trubisky regularly gives Monarch fans. He looked so hot at various points of the game, zipping the ball to Austin Prohl for the first of 3 TD passes, then connecting with Isaiah McKenzie on a perfect slant route, before connecting deep with HB Darwin Thompson on a wheel route, putting up 3 TDs and helping the Monarchs keep pace with the Gamblers, but those three picks, all of them returned for scores, were back-breaking.   In a first half that saw no turnovers, Charlotte and Houston seemed very evenly matched. The Gamblers got early scores from C. J. Prosise (a fun-to-watch 32-yard scamper) and JuJu Smith-Schuster, but Charlotte came right back with a TD from Hines (one of two on the day) and Trubisky’s late TD pass to Proehl. The Monarchs were right there, only 3 points down at the half, 17-14. But, just 1:46 into the 2 nd  half lightning struck. Trubisky underthrew an out route to Justin Blackmon and McKelvin swept in, snagged the ball and ran it back 63 yards, easily evading a half-hearted tackle attempt from the Charlotte QB. Trubisky came out for the next drive and only 4 plays into it he threw almost an identical pass, with an identical result, another McKelvin undercut and pick six. Fans in Houston were delirious, but you could also almost feel the folks in the Carolina’s throwing their remotes at the TV in disgust. What had been a very manageable 17-14 deficit was now a 31-14 gap.   Charlotte fought back, and Trubisky seemed to regain his composure, leading Charlotte on 3 consecutive TD drives against a Houston defense that did not seem right all game. First it was the slant to McKenzie, then the beautifully designed wheel route to backup HB Darwin Thompson, and finally, with just over 7 minutes on the clock, it was Nyheim Hines from the 1, diving over the pile to put Charlotte on top for the first time all game. Trubisky had brought them all the way back, and all the fans on the East Coast had to be turning back to Trubisky. He had survived two truly bad throws and led the Monarchs not only back, but into the lead. And when Houston could do nothing on their next possession, it seemed Charlotte was in very good position to get the upset road win.   But lightning struck a third time, this time an attempt to hit TE Brandon Pettigrew over the middle on a 3 rd  and 5. Trubisky never saw Jenkins lurking near Pettigrew. The linebacker jumped the route, a third undercut pick for Houston, and only 14 yards later he was celebrating in the endzone and the Charlotte QB was sitting on the sideline with a towel over his head. Trubisky would come back in to try to rally the Monarchs one more time, but he was clearly shaken. He delayed his throws, almost visibly double checking the coverage, and that led to late throws and off-target throws. Charlotte went 3-and-out in their final possession. Houston got a couple of runs from Hyde and a kneel down, and the game was over. A surprising win for a Gambler team that did not look their best, but a stunning series of mistakes by a Charlotte QB who has simply developed a penchant for putting the ball in the hands of the guys in the wrong uniform. Houston moves to 6-1 and Charlotte now slumps to a 3-3-1 record after 7 weeks, now 1.5 games behind division-leading Orlando and looking like a team that does not know how to avoid shooting themselves.   PITTSBURGH 17   PHILADELPHIA 23 The Stars win their second in a row, winning the first of back-to-back games against the Maulers, thanks in large part to their defense. In a game that saw the two starting QBs suffer 13 combined sacks (6 of Dalton, 7 of Gutierrez), the Stars won the game by forcing Pittsburgh to be one-dimensional. The Mauler run game was completely ineffective, gaining a total of only 28 yards. Derrick Henry easily bested that with 78 yards on 17 carries, including a key 4 th  quarter TD that helped Philadelphia win back-to-back divisional games after an 0-5 start. POTG:  Stars LB Kirk Morrison, 3 Tck, 1 TFL, 2 Sck   LAS VEGAS 10   DENVER 30 The Gold win their 3 rd  in a row, with Josh Allen putting up 295 yards and 2 scores against the division rival Vipers. The Gold defense completely shut down the Viper run game, limiting Hunt and Hardesty to a combined 35 yards total. Golden Tate had his 7 th TD in 7 games and rookie T. J. Hockenson scored on a beauty of a seam route that went for 44 yards. The game was 10-10 at the half, but Denver dominated the second half, scoring 20 unanswered to move to 4-3. POTG:  Gold QB Josh Allen: 22/30, 295 Yds, 2 TD, 0 Int   OHIO 16   BALTIMORE 21 The Blitz seemed headed for a dominant win, building up a 21-3 lead early in the 3 rd , but Ohio fought back, scoring the game’s final 13 points, but falling short when a Hail Mary was swatted down in the endzone on the game’s final play. In a game that saw Ben Roethlisberger suffer what may be a season-ending injury, Jake Locker stepped in and held the Blitz offense together as Baltimore paid a heavy price but moved to 5-2 with the home victory. POTG:  Blitz FS Eric Weddle: 5 Tck, 1 Int   NEW JERSEY 24  ST. LOUIS 21 The Generals break a 3-game losing streak, earning their second win on a late Ka’imi Fairbairn field goal. New Jersey had built a 21-0 lead over the first two quarters, with 2 touchdowns from Odell Beckham Jr and a third from Muhammad Sanu, but the Skyhawks bounced back, scoring 21 unanswered to tie the score with just over 7 minutes to play. Despite losing momentum in a big way, New Jersey rallied late, with Nick Foles pulling the Generals within range for a final game-winning kick with just 28 seconds left on the clock. POTG:  General WR Odell Beckham Jr: 4 Rec, 85 Yds, 2 TD   MEMPHIS 13   OAKLAND 6 The Invaders drop their 3 rd  in 4 weeks as the Showboats escape a foggy, drizzly Levi’s Stadium with a hard-fought W. The only TD of the game proved to be the game winner and it came on defense as Marcus Williams returned a Jimmy G pick 55 yards for a 3 rd quarter TD. Neither team could do much in the 4 th  quarter and Memphis escaped with the win as Oakland just could not get much going in the murky, wet game. POTG:  Memphis CB Marcus Williams: 3 Tck, 1 Int, 1 Def TD   SEATTLE 28  LOS ANGELES 13 A stunner as the Dragons surprised LA by starting Brett Hundley. The move obviously worked as Hundley 21 of 28 for 319 yards and 3 scores, igniting a Dragon offense that had been stagnant in recent weeks. Coach Riley made the move after a rough week of practice for Jacoby Brissett, and it seems Hundley was ready as he torched a solid LA defense. POTG: Seattle QB Brett Hundley: 21/28, 319 Yds, 3 TD, 0 Int   ATLANTA 10   ORLANDO 30 The Fire fizzle against a red-hot Renegade squad that has now won 5 in a row. Knile Davis scored twice, and Rashad Jennings added a third as the Orlando run game combined for 143 yards. The Renegades also continued racking up takeaways with 3 picks of DeShone Kizer. Atlanta is now the only 1-win team in the league while Orlando is sitting atop the SE Division at 5-2 after their initial 0-2 start. POTG:  Orlando LB Jonathan Bostic: 9 Tck, 1 FF   OKLAHOMA 21  TAMPA BAY 38 The Bandits are proving that offense can win games as they again outscore an opponent, putting up 21 unanswered in the 4 th quarter to pull away from the Outlaws. The Bandits got 2 rushing TDs from Dalvin Cook and added TD tosses to Dez Bryant and this week’s POTW, tight end Jordan Cameron, who had a huge game with 118 yards and a 79-yard TD. The Bandit’s D gave up 490 yards of offense to Oklahoma, including 380 from Joe Flacco, but they shut out the Outlaws in the final quarter and that got them their 4 th  win of the year. POTG:  Tampa Bay TE Jordan Cameron: 4 Rec, 118 Yds, 1 TD   JACKSONVILLE 21   WASHINGTON 35 The Federals finally get their offense clicking, with Ryan Nassib throwing for 3 scores and both Anthony Allen and FB Tommy Bohanan also scoring. The defense forced 3 turnovers, giving the Feds a 3-0 takeaway advantage, and while Teddy Bridgewater did throw for 3 scores, the Bulls were simply outpaced by a Washington offense that found its groove for the first time all season. POTG:  Washington TE Rob Housler: 4 Rec, 27 Yds, 2 TD   CHICAGO 17  DALLAS 10 The Machine hold Josh Freeman to a 33% completion rate (11 of 33) and hold them to a lone field goal until the final minutes of play in a defensive clinic. On offense, the Machine got scores from Jeremy Hill and Michael Floyd and held the ball for over 36 minutes in a classic game-shortening strategy that just did not give Dallas enough possessions to come back late. POTG:  Chicago CB Josh Norman: 2 Tck, 4 PDef, 1 Int   BIRMINGHAM 9   SAN DIEGO 16 Both defenses put pressure on the QB, with both Cam Newton and Christian Ponder taking 5 sacks apiece. Both also threw costly picks as Newton was picked off in the endzone late in the 3 rd and Ponder had one picked off in his own red zone, though the defense was able to hold Birmingham to only a field goal. And that was the key in this one, San Diego’s ability to hold the Stallions to only 3 field goals instead of getting 7. POTG:  Thunder DE Jonathan Newsome: 7 Tck, 2 Sck   NEW ORLEANS 28  PORTLAND 10 Geno Smith looked comfortable in the pocket, completing 23 of 28 passing and finding 3 different receivers for scores. It was another strong game for tight ends across the league as Coby Fleener finished with 117 yards receiving and a score while rookie Dawson Knox caught 4 for 27 and also added a scoring catch to his resume. Portland, still using 3 rd QB Tony Pike as they await Kyle Lauletta’s recovery from a concussion, struggled to get much going, only gaining 217 yards in the game. POTG:  Breaker QB Geno Smith: 23/28, 277 Yds, 3 TD, 0 Int   MICHIGAN 27  ARIZONA 41 Three touchdowns from David Carr and 123 yards rushing from Carey and Crowell proved too much for the Panthers’ D to contain as Arizona built up a 34-10 lead and just traded blows with the Panthers after that. LeVeon Bell again went over 100 yards, but this game was dominated by the Wrangler offense, who scored on 5 of their first 6 possessions against a very highly respected Michigan defense. Victor Cruz finished with 140 yards and a score while DeMarcus Robinson added 2 scores as Carr’s 2 nd option. Michigan drops their first game of the year, so we now have no unbeatens and no winless clubs in the league after 7 weeks. POTG:  Wrangler QB David Carr: 14/25, 256 Yds, 3 TD, 0 Int   Last of the Unbeatens Falls in Arizona Sunday night’s ESPN broadcast was the clear Game of the Week when the schedule came out, a matchup of two perennial powers and a rematch of Summer Bowl 2017. The unbeaten Michigan Panthers were headed out to the desert to face the 4-2 Wranglers, who had surprisingly dropped their last 2 games (@ Las Vegas and @ Denver), were still considered one of the league’s most dangerous teams, enhanced by the presence of Calais Campbell on their D-Line and still very capable of offensive fireworks. That is the version of the Wranglers that Michigan encountered, not the stifled and off-rhythm squad we saw lose in Denver, but the fully engaged and highly entertaining club that had rattled off 4 impressive wins to open the season. Michigan got the best Arizona had to offer, and it proved too much for the 2017 league champions. The Wranglers put up 41 points on Michigan’s usually stout defense, and dis so with a mix of everything, from an 81-yard bomb to Victor Cruz, to a 16-play drive that saw Peyton Barber score on a bruising run from the 5. It included a pick-six from Wrangler CB Jeremy Lane, three David Carr TDs, a combined 123 yards rushing from Carey and Crowell, and 140 yards from WR Victor Cruz, including that dynamic 81-yard score. Michigan had its moments, with leVeon Bell still on pace for a possible record-setting season with 107 yards and a 6.3 YPC average, but two costly turnovers, both Kirk Cousins picks, and too many missed opportunities left Michigan trailing for most of the game, and simply unable to keep pace with an Arizona team that had struggled on the road but was back home and enjoying some good ole’ fashioned home cooking at State Farm Stadium, home cooking with some southwest spice to it.   A Week for the Tight Ends It is rare that we spend much time celebrating the tight end position, but if ever we were going to do it, this week was the week to do so. In one week we saw Jordan Cameron of the Bandits earn the Player of the Week for his role in the Bandits’ win over Oklahoma, we saw the combination of All-USFL mentor Coby Fleener and his protégé Dawson Knox dominate the Stags, and a flowering of the position all across the league, with big games from Atlanta’s O. J. Howard, Seattle’s Dennis Pitta, Oklahoma’s Mark Andrews, and Washington’s Rob Housler.   It was a week that proved the value of the position as Housler scored twice, including the game winner for the Federals. We saw Fleener and Knox combine for 10 receptions, 143 yards, and 2 scores, and Oklahoma’s Andrews mature into the position with 6 receptions and a beautiful one-handed grab in traffic for an Outlaw touchdown. This has been a good year for the TE position, with 7 tight ends already over 30 receptions for the year and five already over 300 yards receiving. Both Cameron and Baltimore’s C. J. Uzomah have 5 touchdowns apiece, not bad for 7 games, and we are even seeing others without much name recognition, players like San Diego’s Isaac Nauta, Tampa’s Ryan Izzo or Jacksonville’s Taysom Hill (a converted QB), with 3 touchdowns. A good year for the position, and a great week as more and more teams are using their tight ends as deadly red zone and third down options.   Williams Gets His Trade Deciding that it was better to send former NFL receiver Terrance Williams to a new team than have negativity in their locker room, the Orlando Renegades made a deal to ship Williams off to Denver in trade for fullback Jay Ballard and a 5 th  round pick. The move allows Williams to get a shot with a 3 rd  USFL team after coming over from the NFL Cowboys. The receiver will fit in as a slot option for the Gold, allowing Kevin White to shift to a swing position on the outside which giving Williams consistent snaps. For Orlando the payoff is in the run game, where Ballard will step in to lead the way for the combo of Rashad Jennings and Knile Davis. Orlando also adds a mid-round pick, giving them 9 picks in next January’s draft after adding Denver’s pick to the 3 rd  rounder from Denver from the Calais Campbell deal.   Bulls add former Breaker Brandon Taylor Jacksonville looked at the trading block, but opted instead to go for one of the highest rated players still in the free agent pool, signing former New Orleans strong safety Brandon Taylor. Taylor’s arrival will essentially demote rookie C. J. Gardner-Johnson to a swing safety position behind both Taylor and FS Matt Elam. Taylor, who had hoped to cash in during the USFL-NFL Transfer Window, could not get a deal done and has sat waiting for a call since the window closed after the first week of USFL action. Gardner-Johnson got the start the first 7 weeks of the season, where he contributed 21 tackles and 2 forced fumbles. He will now back up both safety positions and potentially play some nickel coverage as well.                   Murray a Game Time Decision in Atlanta The Atlanta Fire have not been particularly competitive on offense since Aaron Murray went down to injury in Week 2. Since his injury Atlanta has gone 1-3-1 and has scored over 20 points just once, a surprising 47-41 win in DeShone Kizer’s first start. But it appears that there is a chance that Murray, listed as “questionable” in this week’s injury report, could see the field when the Fire take on Baltimore. What had been hoped to be a 2-week absence lasted 5 weeks, placing Atlanta in a tough position at 1-5-1, the worst record in the league after 7 weeks.   DeShone Kizer struggled at times, despite a strong game in his opener at Tampa Bay. After throwing for 4 TDs and 1 pick in his first start, he has since thrown 5 touchdowns and 7 picks in the 4 games since. He looked to be improving 2 weeks ago when the Fire and Monarchs fought to the season’s first tie, with Kizer throwing for 309 yards and 2 scores, but this week against Orlando it was 1 TD and 3 picks as the Fire fell by 20 points. And so Murray, the former Georgia Bulldog, may be back this week and Atlanta fans are hoping it is not too little too late for their season. They sit a solid 3.5 games behind Orlando and have a long road ahead of them, but Murray, who had a resurgent season last year, throwing for over 3,200 yards and 23 touchdowns, could be a pivotal factor in Atlanta’s ability to compete in a very competitive SE Division.   Obviously, the story of the week was the horrible injury to one of the league’s best quarterbacks. And while that story certainly cast a pall upon the week, we have to say that for the other 27 teams in the league this was one of the least impactful weeks for injuries. There will be a few players who miss action in Week 8, but for the most part teams are looking very solid heading into the season’s midway point.   OUT CB      Ken Webster               TBY        ACL Tear        IR QB         Ben Roethlisberger     BAL        Back               IR OT          Ryan Considine               WSH     Ankle              4-6 Weeks   DOUBTFUL DT          Geno Atkins                   WSH     Hand                    DE          Jerry Hughes               SEA        Jaw DT          Josh Boyd                       SEA        Groin   QUESTIONABLE DE          Montez Sweat                  ORL       Wrist DE          Donte Fowler                   HOU     Hamstring WR         Hakeem Nicks                 CHA      Shoulder HB         Todd Gurley               MEM     Concussion HB         Kerryon Johnson             BIR         Back DT          JasonHargrave            ARZ       Hand   A Thin Pool of Free Agents Remains for USFL Squads in Need We are nearly midway through the 2019 USFL season, well past the NFL-USFL transfer portal, and quicky coming up on the Week 10 Trade Deadline, so options for teams to replace an injured player are beginning to get thin. There are very few players who were considered 1 st or even 2 nd  string options who remain available and awaiting a call. Some are on the cusp of retirement, others failed to meet expectations or are viewed as potential locker room issues, so what is a team to do? We identified only 8 players in the entire remaining free agency pool who a team in need truly should consider. These are all players who have at least 2 more years of quality play in them, or who have shown moments of quality over their careers but who, for whatever reason, did not find themselves agreeing to an offer during the long offseason.   QB Johnny Manziel (29) We all know the issue here. Manziel has been suspended twice in the past 2 years for alcohol abuse issues, including a DUI. He was unceremoniously let go by Dallas this offseason, and while he claims to have things under control, there is a lot of concern that at any moment Manziel’s alcohol issues, as well as his ego, could flare up and cause real issues for a team. That said, as a starter in Dallas, Manziel certainly showed he had the talent to play this game, and if a team gets desperate enough, they might pull the trigger on a deal. We don’t see Baltimore doing that, as they are more than comfortable with Jake Locker as their Plan B, but if other starters go down, we could see a move.   HB T. J. Yeldon (26) Yeldon is not viewed as a locker room concern, but in the offseason he was asking for far too much cash to get a serious offer. The former Bama star may still be playing off his name and his college career, at least in his own head, because as a member of the Stallions for 3 seasons (and 8 games in Tampa Bay), he averaged barely 45 yards per game. Still, it is not as if the free agency pool is filled with Herschel Walker talents out there.   FB Sean Smith (32) Smith has played 12 seasons in the USFL, though rarely as more than a part-time starter, as most fullbacks are in the new age of 1-back and spread offenses. He is a talented blocker, but his lack of receiving skills makes him somewhat one-dimensional, and at 32, he may be considered only as a short-term solution for a team that loses their FB to injury.   WR Miles Austin (32) After 13 seasons with the Generals, Austin became a free agent, with many expecting the veteran to retire. He has not made that decision official, so he is still technically available, but we are just not sure if he has the drive to get back in football shape to help a team out. WR Tavon Austin (26) Austin was supposed to be a game-changing slot receiver. Quick, elusive, and with break away speed, but those talents, while providing the occasional highlight clip, never developed into dependability as a 3 rd  down or red zone option. We like Austin as a punt returner, and he is adequate in kick returns as well, and if a coach can find some formations that get him open in space, he can be dangerous, but so far his asking price, and his desire to be a featured player are keeping him unemployed, though there are rumors that the CFL has come calling, to no avail so far.   C/G Brian Schwenke The 29-year-old former Showboat and Breaker is available for a team that wants interior line help. Schwenke started every game his first two years in Memphis, but an injury left him wearing a knee brace and impacted his mobility to a degree where he has not started a game since 2014. Schwenke insists he can still be effective, but we see him as a backup even for a team who loses their starter at center or guard.   DT Terrell McClain The only solid contributor among free agent D-Linemen, McClain is another victim of steady decline of output and of opportunity. He was a full-time starter for the Bandits for his first 3 seasons, but from 2014-2018 he started a total of only 18 games (of a possible 80), not due to injury in most cases, so the question is whether or not he can step in right away and help a line rotation. We see McClain as an option primarily for teams in a 4-3, and primarily as a swing option behind the 2 starters. Still, it is a bit of a surprise that he is not on any roster at this point.   CB Jaylen Watkins (25) Perhaps the biggest surprise of any free agent, Watkins is a solid option who showed some real talent in both Jacksonville and Orlando. He was a full-time starter for the last 4 USFL seasons. The story on Watkins may be more about the mental game, not the physical one. He went into free agency expecting to get a big USFL deal, or maybe to jump to the NFL. We know he turned down offers from both Dallas and St. Louis, so he was not without options. Perhaps having missed a good part of the season will have softened up his position and he will take a deal to get back in the league, but so far no one seems to be asking around for him.   St. Louis Fans Protest at City Hall We reported last week that the lead investor in the Minnesota Iron expansion bid (Twin Cities Football Group) had been seen in Las Vegas meeting with ownership of the St. Louis Skyhawks. Well, in today’s web-linked world, it did not take long for St. Louis, or should we say, St. Louisians (is that a word?) to react. No sooner had the story broken than online fan groups started to organize, and by game day against New Jersey there was a well-organized pre-game protest that had more than 8,000 Skyhawk fans outside city hall, demanding a deal be made for a stadium to save the city’s team. Add to that the signs, chants and general hostility towards ownership within The Dome this weekend, and the pressure appears to be mounting for David Steward to confirm a commitment to St. Louis and for the city to work towards a stadium deal.   Skyyhawk fans letting their voices be heard. Now, we all know that even rabid fanbases can see their efforts fail. We have seen this in the NFL with fans of the Baltimore Colts and Cleveland Browns, and we have seen it with fans in Atlanta, Boston, Portland, and Nashville, but what could be different this time around is the use of the internet as an organizing tool, a means by which fans can enhance their numbers, their reach, and their ability to organize. It was impressive how quickly the protest this past weekend materialized, and how large the crowd got outside of City Hall. Is that enough to push a city with some pretty significant financial issues to explore stadium construction, particularly if the rumors are true that the Rams are already as good as gone, leaving only the USFL Skyhawks and a proposed MLS expansion club as potential tenants for a new facility? That could be a tough sell. Could the USFL step in to save the Skyhawks, or might there be real interest in allowing one of the 3 expansion finalists relocate the 2012 league champions and move them from one midwestern city to another?   This situation is tricky. The USFL (and any pro league) tends to be very wary of relocation or any sense that the league is not a stable prospect for fans. At the same time, stadium improvement and replacement is a constant topic of discussion among team owners, none of whom seem willing to pay the full cost of building their own facilities. League owners were impressed with many of the expansion bidding groups, so we could envision one being welcomed to the fold if there truly is an impasse in getting a new facility built. We also understand that money talks, and if St. Louis is not investing in the Skyhawks, then there could be pressure to find not only ownership, but a community that is willing to do so. The question now is whether this grassroots fan movement to save the Skyhawks has the political clout to get the ball rolling in St. Louis, or will the big money being discussed by investors and billionaire owners make the fan voice an unheard one?   Gamblers Stick to Tradition with New UA Designs Moving away from the heady business of pro football business, and back to more lighthearted topics, the Houston Gamblers, hot off their 5 th  win in a row, provided their fans with a bit of excitement as the revealed 4 new Under Armour looks, one or more of which could make an appearance in the 2019 USFL playoffs. Houston revealed new UA primaries, a throwback look sure to make fans of Kelly, Thomas, and Clarence Verdin happy, and a new alt look that takes a surprising turn on the club’s image.   The primary looks, including both a home black jersey and a road white, retain a lot from more recent Gambler designs, including the team’s ongoing use of a “Western Shirt” motif seen in the use of scrolling "embroidery” on the jersey’s chest and shoulder yoke. The font is slightly modified, the sleeve cuffs embellished, and the pant striping enhanced with a new secondary logo and a knee band in red, but for the most part this design is what we have come to know as the Gambler’s “Olde West” inspired look. We also should note that Houston has once again updated their "Lucky Star" logo, adding their fifth title as a fifth dot on the two red dice. That is it for the new primaries, and we really don’t have to say much about the throwback look, using the same helmet shell and classic uniforms with the very familiar original 1984-1991 striping that just evokes the club’s 4-year expansion-to-title run under Coach Pardee. Having just won their 5 th title, it seems more than appropriate to celebrate the club’s early success as the most elite member of the 4-team expansion in 1984 (along with Pittsburgh, Memphis, and Jacksonville).  But, what we do need to talk about is that “Whiteout” alternate. This was unexpected. We thought for sure we would see a red-heavy alternate, but what we get instead is perhaps the most complete “whiteout” look of any team in the league. We are talking about a white helmet shell, white facemask, white jersey, white pant set, even white socks with only a single black stripe. In fact, the uniform, rather than being red-dominant, is completely devoid of Houston’s bright red. It is a pure white with black look, stark, clean, but also almost generic in its use of black on white. It is certainly a unique look, highlighted by the all black logo, black piping, and black numbers with white and black piping. For a club that simply does not need to worry about summer heat, playing in a domed and climate-controlled stadium, it seems an odd choice. This is not a club that needs to address 100 degree game temperatures, at least not at home, so why go all white? The answer probably lies in the success of “white out” games in the world of college football (especially up at Penn State where the look really works on a cold November game). It certainly gives Houston a very different look from many alternates seen in the league, and one that does not infringe upon the color choices of other clubs, so it can be worn against pretty much anyone. Love it or hate it, the Gamblers are doing something different. That is a bet they are wiling to make.   Midseason matchups often feel like a kickoff for a playoff push (perhaps a bit too soon) but that usually also means a lot of divisional matchups, and that is certainly the case this season as the Week 8 lineup includes 7 of 14 games being divisional clashes. We start that off strong on Friday with two rivalry matchups. It kicks off on NBC at 7pm with the surprising 5-2 Machine headed down I-70 to face the St. Louis Skyhawks. Expect another big protest before that game and a crowd that will be hot about the Minnesota rumors. The later game, this week on ABC, features the USFL’s take on the Red River rivalry, with Dallas headed up to Oklahoma. A win by the homestanding Outlaws will pull them back to .500 and have them thinking about a run towards the leaders in the division.   Saturday features three divisional matchups, all in later games, with Oakland headed to LA in what feels very much like a “must win” for the 3-4 Invaders. A loss by Oakland would put them 3 full games behind the Express. The two night games feature Orlando heading up to Charlotte in another gut check game, this time for the 3-3-1 Monarchs. We finish the evening with Las Vegas headed to Arizona for the 2 nd  of two in this year’s series, and after having knocked the Wranglers from the ranks of the unbeatens, Las Vegas had better expect a fired up Wrangler squad for the rematch. But, despite all these solid games, we should also mention one more that looks like it could be a lot of fun, a battle between the Pacific Division’s San Diego Thunder and the Southwest’s Denver Gold. These are two teams chasing their division leaders and neither can really afford a loss in this game.   Sunday has only 2 divisional games, but one of them is a real slobberknocker as Michigan and Ohio clash at Ohio Stadium on Sunday Night. The Glory are a surprising 2-5 after 7 games and need to find a way to knock off the 6-1 Panthers to have any shot at a second half surge. The other divisional game is a Keystone Clash as Philadelphia, got their 2nd consecutive win by beating the Maulers last week, head into Pittsburgh for the only back-to-back series in the league this year. Other games with some “gut check” moments include 4-3 Memphis hosting the Bulls, 2-5 Washington hoping to upset the visiting Breakers, and 2-5 Portland still trying to figure out their QB situation as they head to the slumping Stallions for a game at Protective Stadium.   Friday @ 7pm ET             Chicago (5-2) @ St. Louis (3-4)                         NBC Friday @ 9:30pm ET     Dallas (2-5) @ Oklahoma (3-4)                       ABC   Saturday @ 12pm ET     Tampa Bay (4-3) @ New Jersey (2-5)                ABC Saturday @ 12pm ET     Atlanta (1-5-1) @ Baltimore (5-2)                      FOX Saturday @ 4pm ET        San Diego (5-2) @ Denver (4-3)                      ABC Saturday @ 4pm ET        Oakland (3-4) @ Los Angeles (5-2)                 FOX Saturday @ 7pm ET         Orlando (5-2) @ Charlotte (3-3-1)                    NBC Saturday @ 9pm ET     Las Vegas (2-5) @ Arizona (5-2)                        ESPN/EFN   Sunday @ 12pm ET         Jacksonville (2-5) @ Memphis 4-3)                  ABC Regional Sunday @ 12pm ET      Philadelphia (2-5) @ Pittsburgh (4-3)               ABC Regional Sunday @ 12pm ET      New Orleans (4-3) @ Washington (2-5)          FOX Sunday @ 4pm ET           Houston (6-1) @ Seattle (2-5)                            ABC Sunday @ 4pm ET          Portland (2-5) @ Birmingham (4-3)                   FOX Sunday @ 8pm ET         Michigan (6-1) @ Ohio (2-5)                            ESPN/EFN

Week Six gave us some surprises, including a tie-game in Charlotte, Philadelphia’s first win, an upset of the Wranglers by Denver, and an absolute dismantling of the Chicago Machine by San Diego. It also gave us news about an unsatisfied expansion bidding group, an update on leaguewide player popularity, and a possible new frontrunner for Rookie of the Year. We kick it all off with our Big Story, as one expansion group is now exploring other options.   Twin Cities Football Group Not Satisfied, Speaking with Skyhawks Ownership We had a feeling that when the Boston area won out in the expansion derby, that not all bidding groups would be satisfied, we just did not know which one would be the most aggressive in pursuing other options. It appears that we now have our answer. The Twin Cities Football Group, headed up by NBA Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor is the first of the expansion groups to make a move towards a possible purchase and relocation of an existing team. Taylor flew out to Las Vegas this week, where he reportedly met twice with the owners of the St. Louis Skyhawks, out in Sin City to watch their victory over the Vipers.   Neither Taylor nor majority owner of the Skyhawks, David Steward, would provide statements to reporters, but the meetings between the two are believed to be the first steps towards a discussion of the future of the Skyhawks franchise and potential sale to the Twin Cities group. St. Louis has been making noise about the state of the Dome at America’s Center and the need for the city to consider a new facility, even speaking with Major League Soccer about a possible expansion club that would share a facility with the Skyhawks. The NFL Rams have already been making noise about the facility and there is significant evidence that the Kroenke family, who own the NFL club are considering a return to Los Angeles, something now on the table after the departure of the Raiders to Las Vegas.   While the NFL drama around the LA market (with the Raiders leaving, the Chargers moving in, and now the Rams considering a relocation) has largely not addressed the presence of the Skyhawks in St. Louis, the stadium facility has been an issue, and now the Skyhawks are echoing the Rams’ concerns about the domed facility. Franchises (in both leagues) pushing for a new stadium is hardly a rarity in the world of pro sports, and St. Louis’s dome is one of the older facilities in use in both the NFL and USFL (old without major renovation). The stadium first opened for events in 1995, and while it is structurally sound, it does very much feel like a vestige of an older model for fixed-roof domed facilities, lacking in many of the amenities of stadia built over the past decade.   So, the question now becomes whether or not Glen Taylor and the Twin Cities group can convince the native Missourian, Steward, to sell the team and make way for Minnesota to replace St. Louis as home to the Skyhawks, or if Steward is using Taylor’s interest as leverage to push the city and the state to acquiesce to the idea of a new multi-use stadium for the club. While we might cynically wonder how the combination of the Skyhawks, Rams, and MLS could not make a case without the threat of relocation, it seems both pro football teams may now be in discussions about an exit strategy if either St. Louis or Missouri cannot come through with funding for a new facility. What we do know is that Taylor is sincere in his efforts to get a USFL club for the Twin Cities, but whether or not St. Louis is that franchise, that just cannot be known at this point.   ST. LOUIS SKYHAWKS 24  LAS VEGAS VIPERS 21  OVERTIME We started this edition of This Week in the USFL by talking about the ownership of the Skyhawks, but the club also made news on the field as part of our Game of the Week selection. Meanwhile, Las Vegas makes it back-to-back weeks as our GOTW thanks to an overtime affair with the St. Louis Skyhawks that made for an exciting game and gave the victor the ability to move to .500 six weeks into the season. This was a matchup of two teams trying to redefine their identity, with St. Louis building on the late season success of 2018 rookie QB Lamar Jackson and Las Vegas retooling their offense around two free agents, QB Matt McGloin and WR Aaron Dobson. All three would play key roles in this matchup.   The game began with a pair of short “exploratory” drives between the two teams that simply don’t know each other very well. Both teams tried to establish the run, with middling success, and both failed on a 3 rd  and long and were forced to punt. St. Louis learned from their early drive and on their second possession found some effective plays, first a toss sweep to rookie David Montgomery for 10 yards, and then a nice inside route to Deionte Johnson that put them on the Vipers’ 8-yardline. Two plays later QB Lamar Jackson sprinted left, forcing the safety up and freeing WR Allen Robinson for the looping pass. The Skyhawks had the first strike of the game.   Las Vegas also learned from their 1 st quarter drive, and as the second quarter began they too found some success by mixing play action passing with the run game. Kareem Hunt had his longest run of the game, a 27-yard pitch to the right, with TE Robert Quinn and WR Arrelious Benn also making key catches on a pair of third downs. It would be a long, grinding drive of 14 plays, but when Montario Hardesty plunged over the right guard for the score, the drive had produced what Coach Neuheisel wanted, a tie score.   Las Vegas would score a second time in the half after a tipped Lamar Jackson pass ended up in the hands of Viper CB Antrel Rolle, giving the Vipers the ball at midfield. This time they moved quickly, with McGloin connecting with Aaron Dobson for 11 yards, then TE Dustin Keller, and back to Dobson for a 9-yard scoring throw. The score gave the Vipers a 14-7 lead at the half, but it seemed clear that both teams had found some answers on offense.   The third quarter would be one defined by St. Louis mistakes, and yet, despite 2 turnovers in the quarter (a second Jackson pick and a Lacy fumble) it was the Skyhawks who got the only points of the quarter. Las Vegas was able to move the ball, but bogged down after crossing midfield on two occasions and failed on a 4 th  and 1 on the third, with the often-criticized Skyhawk defense stepping up as DE Adrian Clayborn snagged Hardesty’s leg and dragged him down short of the line to gain. St. Louis managed one drive in the quarter, a 7-play, 56-yard drive following the turnover on downs, producing a 1-yard David Montgomery TD run to even the score once again.   Both teams would score in the final period, and both within the final 3 minutes. Las Vegas had its best drive of the half late in the quarter, avoiding long third downs by using the run game on 2 nd down, with both Hardesty and Hunt helping them set up makeable 3 rd downs. The 11-play drive concluded with Hardesty taking the ball off the left end and slipping past the tackle to score. For the 2 nd  time, the Vipers took the lead, and this time with 2:46 left in the game. St. Louis would need a touchdown to tie the game.   The Skyhawks went into hurry-up mode immediately, not waiting for the 2-minute warning. Lamar Jackson called plays from the line, and a series of short passes saw St. Louis drive the field as the clock ticked down. St. Louis got a bit of help on a missed call from the refs, as a 15-yard toss to Deionte Johnson should have been called an incompletion, with Johnson’s right foot landing across the sideline and out of bounds, but the referee missed it and with their challenges already expended, Las Vegas could not demand a video replay examination. The play stood and 4 plays later Lamar Jackson found Allen Robinson for a 2 nd  time in the endzone, this time on a nice fade route, with the 2 nd  year QB looping the ball over CB E. J. Gaines and into the arms of Robinson for the score St. Louis needed. Zane Gonzalez’s PAT evened the score at 21 with 50 seconds left.   Las Vegas would half-heartedly push to get a late field goal, but, in trying to avoid a late turnover they simply did not push the ball down the field fast enough and by the final play of regulation they were still outside of a reasonable range for kicker Matt Gay. They sent Gay out for a 63-yard attempt, but the kick fell well short of the mark and the game headed to overtime.   Las Vegas won the toss and chose to get the ball first. Their opening drive started well, with McGloin hitting Benn for a nice gain, but quickly fizzled as St. Louis found success pressuring McGloin. A sack on 2 nd  and 10 left them with a 3 rd  and 15. McGloin tried to hit TE Robert Quinn, but the pass was too low and the big TE could not scoop it off the turf, forcing the Vipers to punt. St. Louis took over on their own 29 after a solid return from HB Bobby Rainey. Jackson took over and in 7 plays had moved the Skyhawks to the Las Vegas 35. After pressure from Matthew Judon forced Lamar Jackson to throw the ball away on 3 rd  and 9, the Skyhawks sent Gonzalez out for a 52-yard attempt. The kick was a dead center shot with plenty of leg, giving St. Louis the win, sending them to 3-3 after 6 weeks and leaving the Vipers at 2-4 and looking for more over the next 10 weeks.   ATLANTA 20  CHARLOTTE 20  OVERTIME No joy for either SE Division club as overtime could not settle this rivalry game, giving both the Fire and the Monarchs a very unsatisfying tie. DeShone Kizer had himself a nice bounce-back game, throwing for 309 and 2 touchdowns, but Charlotte countered with their run game, with Murray and Hines combining for 131 yards and a TD. In extra time Atlanta had a chance to win, but John Bounds shanked a 38-yarder that would have helped the Fire crawl back into the division hunt. POTG:  Atlanta DE William Gholston: 3 Tck, 2 Sck   ARIZONA 6   DENVER 16 The first of several notable upsets this week as the Denver Gold pressured David Carr effectively, sacking the Wrangler QB 5 times and throwing off the entire Arizona offense. Josh Allen did not do much, throwing for only 183 yards, but DeMarco Murray put together a solid game against the Wrangler D, rushing for 97 yards and a 6.5 yard average. Golden Tate also looked solid, catching 8 balls for 111 of Allen’s 183 yards passing. POTG:  Denver DT Sharrif Floyd: 3 Tck, 2 Sck   PHILADELPHIA 17   BALTIMORE 16 The Stars get their first win of the season thanks to a Gutierrez to Cameron Brate TD pass with 1:38 left to play. The defense benefitted from Big Ben Roethlisberger’s nagging hamstring injury, with the Blitz QB having to leave the game early in the 3 rd . Jake Locker completed 6 of 8 but could not get a game-winning drive going in the game’s final minute, helping the Stars finally get that first W. POTG:  Stars CB Amani Oruwarije: 4 Tck, 1 Sck, 2 FF, 2 FR   NEW ORLEANS 20   JACKSONVILLE 17 The Breakers move to 3-3, avoiding the upset with a 4 th  quarter Smith to Kenny Britt TD toss the game winner. For Jacksonville, HB Matt Jones rushed for 117 and QB Teddy Bridgewater rushed for 94 and 2 scores, but it was not enough as the Breakers got scores from Britt and Jordy Nelson to eke out a road win and reach .500. POTG:  Bulls’ QB Teddy Bridgewater: 21/30, 178 Yds, 10 Att, 94 Yds, 2 TD   CHICAGO 17   SAN DIEGO 40 Sometimes a team just has everything go right, and that certainly was the case for San Diego this week as they poured it on visiting Chicago. Ryan Williams and Taiwan Jones combined to run for 3 touchdowns, Christian Ponder hit TE Isaac Nauta for a 4 th , and the Thunder defense was all over Sam Bradford, picking off the Machine QB twice and limiting Chicago to 3 of 12 on third down in a dominant San Diego performance. POTG:  Thunder LB Kyle Van Noy: 11 Tck, 2 FF   OHIO 7   OKLAHOMA 10 Both offenses struggled in this matchup. Unable to run the ball at all, Ohio went to the air, with Christian Hackenberg putting up the ball 53 times, but with no scoring throws. Marshawn Lynch did not fare very well either, averaging only 2.1 YPC on his way to only 44 total rushing yards. But, despite 2 picks, Outlaw QB Joe Flacco managed to get Oklahoma in range for a game-winning field goal from Kai Forbath to move to 3-3 on the season. POTG:  Oklahoma FS Deshon Elliott: 5 Tck, 3 PDef   MICHIGAN 15  NEW JERSEY 14 The Generals fell to 1-5 after a botched snap late in the 4 th  prevented a game-winning field goal from 42 yards from ever happening. The Panthers barely escaped to 6-0 thanks to the special teams gaff. Both teams struggled to turn drives into points all day, despite some solid individual performances like OBJ’s 125-yard day, or LeVeon Bell’s 102 yards rushing. POTG:  Michigan LB Odell Thurman: 7 Tck, 1 TFL, 1 Sck, 1 PDef   SEATTLE 20   OAKLAND 23 The Dragons made it look close thanks to two late TDs, but for most of this game Oakland was in control, building up a 23-6 lead midway through the final period. Seattle got late scores from Moreno and Newhouse, but it was not enough as Oakland hung on for the win to move to .500 on the season. Christian Mcaffrey was the star on offense for the Invaders with 106 yards rushing. POTG:  Oakland LB Tavares Gooden: 5 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 FF, 1 FR   PITTSBURGH 27  WASHINGTON 10 The Maulers send Washington to 1-5 thanks to a 17-0 scoring run in the 4 th quarter. The run broke up a 10-10 tie, as Andy Dalton connected with Allen Lazard twice in a span of 6 minutes. The unheralded WR finished with 6 receptions and 2 scores, but only 27 yards receiving as he proved to be a master of the short crossing route against the Federal LBs. POTG:  Mauler DE Shaquile Riddick: 3 Tck, 2 Sck, 1 FF   PORTLAND 21  MEMPHIS 18 The Stags get the upset win in Memphis as 3 rd  string QB Tony Pike connects with Brandin Cooks for 2 scores in the first half, building up a 21-3 lead that the Showboats could not equalize. Memphis got second half TDs from Dallas Goedert and Robert Woods, and with a 2-point PAT, they were within 3 with 1:16 to play, but the onside kick did not bounce their way and Portland held on for their 2 nd  win of the season. POTG:  Portland WR Brandin Cooks: 4 Rec, 67 Yds, 2 TD   TAMPA BAY 16   ORLANDO 21 The Renegades found the formula to slow down Dak Prescott and the Bandit passing game, constant, unrelenting pressure. Orlando got 6 sacks on Prescott, another 9 hurries, and kept the Bandits from finding a rhythm, thanks in large part to rookie Montez Sweat, looking very much like a worthy successor to Calais Campbell with a 9-tackle, 3-sack game in this rivalry. Dwayne Bowe caught 2 touchdown tosses from Wilson and the Renegades held Tampa Bay to only 2 third down conversions all game as they moved to 4-2. POTG:  Orlando DE Montez Sweat: 9 Tck, 3 Sck   DALLAS 3   LOS ANGELES 16 Josh Freeman struggled against the LA defense, sacked 5 times and throwing a pick-six which would prove to be the only TD of the game as once again it was Coach Lewis’s defense that won the day for the now 5-1 Express. Both Freeman and Murray spent the day running from defenders, with both sacked 5 times, but LA got more out of their possessions, with 3 field goals to Dalla’s lone score. Add in the pick-six and it is a 13-point home win for the Express. POTG:  Express LB Keith Rivers: 4 Tck, 1 Int, 1 Def TD   HOUSTON 28  BIRMINGHAM 17 The Sunday night game was all Houston for 3 quarters, as the Gamblers got early scores from Hyde, Smith-Schuster and Evans, putting the Stallions in a 21-3 hole they could not recover from, despite two late Newton TD passes. Colt McCoy threw for 279 and 3 scores, with JuJu Smith Schuster having a nice game with 129 yards. Mike Evans also nabbed 2 scores on the day and Houston moves to 5-1, all alone atop the Southern Division. POTG:  Houston QB Colt McCoy: 18/30, 279 Yds, 3 TD, 1 Int   Five Unheralded Players You Should be Watching As the 2019 season progresses, it is not only the expected superstars who are deserving of attention. Sure, Carlos Hyde, Ben Roethlisberger, and Calais Campbell are certainly having their moments and finding success, but there are also several largely unknown or uncelebrated players who are getting the job done and who could become bigger stories as the season progresses. We are not saying that these are all breakout players, as some have been in the league for a while, but what they are is players who we should be watching because they are making a difference for their clubs.   HB Matt Jones (JAX) Despite putting up consecutive seasons of 989 and 817 yards, Matt Jones has never really gotten much spotlight or much recognition as a solid performer for the Bulls. Even in Jacksonville there are many who could not name the starting back for the Bulls, despite Jones holding down that position for the past 2 seasons. However, this year, with six games in the books and Jones sitting at an impressive 5.2 yards per carry, perhaps we should be focusing in a bit more on the former Florida Gator. Jones is sharing carries with rookie Devon Singletary, and that has limited him to only 49 carries so far this year, but with that YPC average, more than 2 points above Singletary’s, we expect Jones will start to see the lion’s share of the touches moving forward.   WR Allen Robinson (STL) Stevie Johnson may still be considered the number one receiver in St. Louis, but when we look at the numbers Allen Robinson is more than getting the job done. Robinson is on pace for 80+ catches and his first 1,000-yard season, and, thanks to this week’s 2-TD performance in Las Vegas, is now the club’s leader in receiving touchdowns. St. Louis is building an offense around 2 nd  year QB Lamar Jackson and it seems like Robinson is becoming more of a consideration each week.   TE Richard Quinn (LV) If you ask almost anyone who the league leader for receptions is among Tight Ends, we expect most would point to New Orleans’s Coby Fleener or maybe Philadelphia’s Travis Kelce, but few would get the right answer, Richard Quinn. With 29 receptions, Quinn has 3 more than Fleener and 2 more than Kelce. He has proven to be a favorite target for Matt McGloin, a safety valve and play-action target for the new Viper QB and one who could be among the lead leaders as a receiving tight end by season’s end.   LB Trey Hendrickson (STL) We are back to St. Louis for a second unheralded player, this time a linebacker with a nose for the ball. Sure, in recent years it has been easy to dismiss pretty much anyone on the Skyhawk defense, but this year, with St. Louis now ranked a respectable 10 th in yards allowed and with their run defense no longer one of the worst in the league, we can recognize the efforts of their most dynamic linebacker. Hendrickson, a hybrid DE-OLB out of Florida Atlantic, has been playing the weak-side position in St. Louis’s 3-4 alignment. He currently leads the club with 36 tackles and has been a factor in the pass rush as well, with his 5 sacks leading all Skyhawks.   CB Tye Smith (SD) Playing in his 4 th season out of FCS Towson State, Tye Smith is not a name we hear often in discussions of the better corners in the game today, but the Thunder corner is proving that he worthy of some mentions, having already plucked 4 passes away from receivers and put a defensive score on the board. Smith’s 4 picks this year already surpasses his previous year-long best, a sign that the young receiver may be developing into a true threat on the outside and a player to watch over the course of this season.   Five Players Whose Teams Need Them to Up their Game For all the players who are emerging this year, or those living up to our expectations and beyond, there are others who just have not produced what we expected of them. Perhaps our expectations were too high, or perhaps they just have not hit their groove yet, but these five players have us scratching our heads and wondering if they just are not who we thought they would be this year.   QB Josh Freeman (STL) This one may be on us. There was a reason St. Louis opted to start rookie Lamar Jackson last season, and a reason they made the deal that sent the former MVP to Dallas, but certainly, even with those warning signs, Dallas had to expect more from Freeman than they have received this season. Dallas’s offense is ranked dead last in scoring, averaging only 10.2 points per game, and Freeman is putting up fewer than 230 yards per game in an offense designed to throw the ball as the primary option. Freeman’s numbers are not the worst in the league (Matt Gutierrez is also struggling), but with 6 picks to 2 touchdowns and a QB rating of only 63.3, Dallas is not getting from Freeman what they expected when they traded for him.   HB Anthony Allen (WSH) We hate to do this because we really like Allen, but we are going to list him as an early season disappointment for the 2 nd  consecutive season. Last year was his first in D.C., and he did start very slow, but picked up over the season’s second half to finish with pretty solid numbers (957 yards, 9 TDs), which we thought a good indicator that he would start 2019 strong. But, after 6 games, Allen is sitting at only 176 yards, an average of 44 per game, and at 2.6 yards per carry, he is just not fitting the bill as a lead back. The Feds are still looking at him as the primary back, but after trading for Jahvid Best, we may well see Allen’s touches drop, especially if results don’t start to impress when he does get the ball.   WR Kenny Golloday (CHI) When the Machine let 100-reception possession specialist Aaron Dobson go in free agency (largely against their will, we suspect), the goal was to replace Dobson’s targets with a combination of Kenny Stills and Kenny Golloday. And while Stills is playing well (23 receptions for 242 yards), Golloday has been practically invisible, with only 8 catches in 6 games. His targets have not changed from 2018, but his catch percentage has dipped, and with Stills looking like the more reliable option, we may see Golloday lose snaps in the rotation.   DE Mathias Kiawanuka (DAL) When your teams leading sack producers are your strong safety (Southward) and middle linebacker (Matthews), you have an issue. We could have listed either Connor Barwin or Kiawanuka here, but at least Barwin has 2 sacks on the season, not good, but something, Kiawanuka has yet to acquire his first sack of the season, and for an edge rusher, that is just not what you want. Look, we know Kiawanuka has never been a 10+ sack guy, but it now seems like the 13-year veteran simply does not have the burst necessary to get around his assigned blocker, or the strength to plow over him. Is it time for Dallas to see what rookie Charles Omenihu can provide?   CB Aqib Talib (NJ) Of all the names on this list, no one is more surprising to find here than Talib. An All-USFL performer last season, Talib was expected to be a true shut-down corner for New Jersey again this year, but teams have found ways to exploit Talib’s instincts, and he has allowed far too many big plays at big moments this season. His Catch to Attempt rate is currently the worst we have seen from him in his 6 seasons in the league. Teams are simply not throwing away from him, they are actually throwing at him and doing so when drives or games are on the line. Talib is far too talented to be on this list, but he needs to break some of his tendencies or teams will continue to exploit them.   Is Rookie of the Year Already Down to 2 Candidates? We admit that the season is still young, and there is certainly time for a rookie to come on strong over the next 10 weeks, but so far in 2019 the rookie class is looking very much like a flat one, with only 2 names rising out of the group to impress us. So, is ROTY now down to these 2 names?   Josh Jacobs, HB-BAL We knew that J acobs would have every chance to make a name for himself in the USFL, with Baltimore very much counting on the Alabama back to rework their offense into a more-balanced and more dangerous one. So far that plan has worked very well, with Jacobs drawing in safeties and linebackers and allowing Ben Roethlisberger to find those deep vertical routes he loves so much. Jacobs had his first 100-yard game in Week 5, and has 427 yards, an average of 71.2 per game that should only increase as he continues to get fed the ball. On pace for 1,100 yards, with a shot at a 1,200-yard rookie year, we have to put Jacobs at the top of the ROTY voting at this stage.   Montez Sweat, DE-ORL With a 9-tackle, 3-sack game this week as an exclamation point, Orlando’s Montez Sweat is the other clear frontrunner for ROTY consideration. This has to be music to the ears of Orlando management and their fanbase. After making a deal to allow 10-time sack champion Calais Campbell leave for Arizona, a lot was riding on Sweat as the heir apparent to perhaps the hardest-to-follow act in USFL history. Sweat has said from the beginning that he is not the “next Campbell” or even the “next Chris Doleman”, Campbell’s outstanding predecessor, but so far, with 7 sacks in his first 6 games, on pace for a 15+ sack rookie year, it certainly seems like Orlando has once again hit gold at the LE position, providing the Renegades with yet another defensive star on the line.   So, who is our dark horse for the award? How about a 6 th  round pick from Ole Miss who is proving to be a diamond in the rough for the Tampa Bay Bandit defense? Cornerback Ken Webster was certainly not the highest rated corner to come out in the draft, in fact he was not on most teams’ radar at all. He was bypassed by the Breakers in the Territorial Draft, taken by the Bandits in the Open Draft’s 6 th round, and expected to add depth to a pretty shaky secondary. Well, by the end of camp Webster had landed a starting gig opposite Jalen Ramsey, and after 6 weeks he is 2 nd  on the team with 33 tackles. Now, that is largely due to teams avoiding Ramsey and picking on the rookie, but, with 3 picks already, Webster is showing that targeting him is a risky proposition. If the 3-3 Bandits prove to be one of the surprise success stories this year, Webster could well have a shot to sneak into the conversation. And yes, we realize that the LA Express, with rookies Kyler Murray, Hollywood Brown, and Nick Bosa are sitting at 5-1, but while all 3 are starting in LA, none of them are putting up monster stats and the credit for LA’s quick start seems to be going to Coach Lewis and the defense as a whole rather than to any of the 3 big-name rookies.   OUT DT          Daniel Ekuale                      POR      Broken Leg         IR WR         Equanimeous St. Brown         JAX         Neck                     6-8 Weeks OT          Nat Dorsey                             LV           Ribs                       1-2 Weeks TE           Kaden Smith                         CHA      Eye                        1-2 Weeks DE          Dante Fowler                          HOU     Hamstring         1-2 Weeks CB          Kevon Seymour                       LA          Shoulder             1-2 Weeks DOUBTFUL CB          Eric Murray                      BAL        Concussion OT          LaAdrian Waddle            OAK      Concussion HB         Kerryon Johnson              BIR         Back LB           Luke Kuechley                 ATL         Hand C             A. Q. Shipley                   SEA        Wrist WR         Trey Quinn                       ATL         Neck   QUESTIONABLE WR         Hakeem Nicks                 CHA      Shoulder CB          Devin McCourty              NJ           Concussion LB           Ryan D’Imperio               MEM     Hip DE          Chris Long                  WSH     Finger OT          Gabe Carimi                     MGN     Neck   San Diego Holding Fan Vote on Thunder Name In what may be an unprecedented move, the San Diego Thunder are taking a major franchise decision to the fans, sending out ballots to all 2019 season ticket holders and holding an online poll for residents of the 4 counties in and around the city to make a major franchise decision. With a serious offer from the Portland Stags organization to purchase the Thunder name and identity, fans in San Diego will now be able to vote on retaining the name or selling the rights back to the franchise’s original home and creating a new identity for San Diego’s USFL franchise.  The Stags, facing a significant grassroots effort among its fanbase, have made an offer to the Thunder for the use of the Thunder brand, and while the actual figure is currently unpublished, rumors have it ranging from $10M to $20M in direct compensation. The goal for the Stags would be to make the switch in time for the 2021 season. The offer is on the table and the question now turns to San Diego as to whether they wish to retain the identity transferred from Las Vegas (and Portland before that) or create something new, and, it seems the ownership are more than happy to have that decision supported by fan feedback.   Votes from both the club’s season ticket holders and the broader SoCal fanbase will be taken over the next two weeks and will be given considerable weight in the club’s final decision. So, If you live in Southern California, particularly San Diego, Orange, Imperial, or Riverside counties, you can vote online for your preference at the dedicated poll website for the club . We did a quick poll in our bullpen and opinions were very much split, between those who would hate to see the Stags identity disappear and those who have nostalgia for the original Portland Thunder and love the idea that the Rose City could regain its original identity. So, we will soon see what fans have to say, and perhaps in 2 years we will see the Thunder back in the PNW and a brand new San Diego squad take the field.   A new poll link is live for all USFL Lives followers. No need to belong to the 4 counties listed in the article. We will keep voting open for the next 4 days, and then the results will be posted in the recap of Week 8, posted 6 days from now.   Top Selling Jerseys No Surprise The USFL this week released its list of top merchandise sales and there were few surprises, with Houston and Arizona topping all franchises in team-related sales, and five pretty obvious names atop the list for jersey sales. Team success, player accolades, and press coverage had a lot to say about who was hot. Among the top 10 player jerseys, the league champion Houston Gamblers had three players cited, including the top overall jersey, that of Gambler QB Colt McCoy. Wideout Mike Evans was 5 th and HB Carlos Hyde 7 th  among all jersey sales. The 2 nd place spot was taken by a player changing teams as Calais Campbell Wrangler jerseys rocketed up the list from the moment they became available. Of all the players changing teams, Campbell’s jersey was the only one to break the Top 10, with Ryan Nassib Federals jerseys the only other “relocated” player to make the top 20. Others in the Top 5 include league MVP LeVeon Bell of Michigan and QB Lamar Jackson of St. Louis.   A very hot item in stores around Boston and New England. It is very early to see rookies make the list, though the league did identify LA quarterback Kyler Murray, Baltimore HB Josh Jacobs and LA defensive end Nick Bosa as hot sellers in the first 2 months of post-draft sales. Among team sales, the Top 5, after Houston and Arizona, belonged to Memphis, San Diego, and New Jersey, all benefitting from strong 2018 seasons that boosted their bandwagons. San Antonio Gunslingers gear has only been available for a few months, but is already looking like a possible Top 5 contender for the next 6-month study, and we imagine that New England Steamroller gear will also be a hot commodity between now and kickoff for the 2020 season. The “Go You Rollahs!” t-shirts are already in their 3 rd  printing and remain nearly impossible to find in local stores throughout New England. Week Seven is here, and it is beginning to be time to put up or shut up. We have teams that could hit the very dangerous six-loss mark before midseason rolls around, and we have others who could set themselves up nicely with a 2-3 game margin above .500. It all kicks off on Friday with two divisional matchups, including a Keystone Clash between Pittsburgh and Philly on NBC and a Southwest Showdown between the Vipers and the Gold.   On Saturday we have two early games where 1 team desperately needs a win and the other simply wants one to get a leg up. Then at 4pm it is that time of year when the napping Seattle Dragons tend to wake up but can they do it against an LA team that has been one of the season’s biggest revelations, having won 5 in a row. Atlanta needs to start getting some W’s or their season could be done very early, but it won’t be easy against an Orlando squad that is looking very competitive.   On Sunday it is all inter-division and inter-conference play, but that does not mean there won’t be some drama. Oklahoma and Tampa are both sitting at 3-3 and feel the need to prove that they are contenders. Both the Bulls and Federals are under a lot of pressure to avoid another loss and get to midseason with some hope for the second half. We have a nice showdown of 4-2 clubs at 4pm on ABC as the Stallions head out to San Diego, but, without a doubt, the big game of the weekend is the Sunday Nighter, when unbeaten Michigan travels to Arizona, who are reeling a bit after back-to-back losses, but who certainly can still prove to be one of the league’s elite teams.   Friday @ 7pm ET             Pittsburgh (4-2) @ Philadelphia (1-5)     NBC Friday @ 9:30pm ET        Las Vegas (2-4) @ Denver (3-3)                FOX   Saturday @ 12pm ET      Ohio (2-4) @ Baltimore (4-2)                 ABC Saturday @ 12pm ET       New Jersey (1-5) @ St. Louis (3-3)          FOX Saturday @ 4pm ET         Memphis (3-3) @ Oakland (3-3)               ABC Saturday @ 4pm ET        Seattle (1-5) @ Los Angeles (5-1)          FOX Saturday @ 7pm ET        Atlanta (1-4-1) @ Orlando (4-2)                NBC Saturday @ 9pm ET      Charlotte (3-2-1) @ Houston (5-1)          ESPN/EFN   Sunday @ 12pm ET      Oklahoma (3-3) @ Tampa Bay (3-3)          ABC Sunday @ 12pm ET       Jacksonville (2-4) @ Washington (1-5)    FOX Regional Sunday @ 12pm ET     Chicago (4-2) @ Dallas (2-4)           FOX Regional Sunday @ 4pm ET          Birmingham (4-2) @ San Diego (4-2)     ABC Sunday @ 4pm ET         New Orleans (3-3) @ Portland (2-4)      FOX Sunday @ 8pm ET         Michigan (6-0) @ Arizona (4-2)                 ESPN/EFN

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: We are giving this week's POTW to LA Express linebacker Keith Rivers, who not only captained the Express defense to a 16-3 win, but also single-handedly produced the only touchdown of the game, a pick-six that had the big linebacker scrambling 67 yards, through and over tacklers on his way to the endzone. It was a huge play in a game defined by the Express defense.

Five weeks into the season and we are down to 1 unbeaten team, as Michigan prevails while Arizona is upset in Las Vegas. The Panthers are now the lone unbeaten heading into a Week 6 matchup with New Jersey. On the other side of the standings, Philadelphia remains winless after being shut down by the LA Express defense. In between we had a lot of great action this week, including a few more upsets as St. Louis stunned San Diego, Tampa Bay knocked off the Monarchs in Charlotte, and Chicago got the road win in Ohio. We start with our Big Story, an early kick off to the mid-season trading block, and then we will recap all the action, focus on some highlights for the week, and finish up with a preview of what should be an exciting Week 6 across the league.   Week Five Sees Trade Wire Catch Fire The trading block got active a week or two earlier than usual as several teams tried to address issues, either performance issues or injury concerns, with some trades in the first few days of the season’s fifth week. We saw 3 substantial trades just in the past 4 days as teams tried to fix areas of concern ahead of Week 6 action.   The moves began with New Orleans . Having lost both starting safeties to season-ending injuries (along with injuries to their top 2 defensive tackles), New Orleans felt compelled to act before the season got away from them. A team built on their defense, with an uncertain QB situation, the Breakers had no choice but to do something to shore up the secondary. They did that in a deal with Seattle that would bring SS Keanu Neal to the bayou.   Neal, who was part of a 3-man group at the position in Seattle, will now come to New Orleans and be shuttled not into the SS position, but shifted to free safety in an attempt to bulk up the position. In return, Seattle obtained a 4 th  round pick and a roster spot which allowed them to bring DE Joe Jackson off the practice squad to bulk up their line rotation. In New Orleans, Neal will now take on the new FS position, replacing Clyde Adams, while Terrance Brooks steps up to replace Will Harris at the strong safety position.   The second trade of the week was also injury-induced, as the loss of lead receiver Adam Thielen forced Pittsburgh to reconfigure their WR group. They moved Jarvis Landry to the lead position this week, placing untested Allen Lazard in the 2-slot so that Brian Quick could continue to occupy the slot, but that left some gaps in the team’s depth chart and their 3 and 4-receiver sets. So, this week, the Maulers agreed to send a 3 rd  rounder, along with LB Ulysses Gilbert to the beleaguered St. Louis defense in return for WR Albert Wilson. Wilson, a 5-year veteran of Atlanta and the Skyhawks, had only 14 receptions in 2019, and likely will only see limited snaps in Pittsburgh, but he gives Coach Fangio some depth behind Landry and Lazard on the outside.   Gilbert, a rookie who had 9 tackles in limited action with Pittsburgh, now joins the Skyhawk LB group, very likely acting as the primary swing backer, filling in for Nick Perry, Roquon Smith, or Trey Hendrickson if and when one needs a breather. It is rare to see a rookie traded this early in his career, but the Maulers were struggling to find a way to best use him and the need at WR was simply too serious to ignore, so when St. Louis made inquiries about Gilbert, Pittsburgh opted to swap youth for experience and add a needed receiver to their offense.   The third move of the week, and the only one not motivated by injury, occurred when Washington , hoping to add a bit more dynamism to their offense, went on the market to find a 3 rd  down back, a player who could prove effective in the passing game in a way that neither Anthony Allen or Orleans Darkwa had shown. Their hope was to find a team looking for some short yardage help, dangling Shane Vereen as a HB option in a straight swap of power for speed. They found exactly what they wanted in Oklahoma.   With some very good early outings from rookie Justice Hill, and with Hill clearly moving into the 2-spot behind Marshawn Lynch, Oklahoma was seeing little value in veteran Jahvid Best, but they could certainly use a back who could substitute for Lynch on some short yardage plays, and Shane Vereen would do just fine. And so, the Feds and Outlaws got to talking. Best is clearly a more versatile and productive back, so Oklahoma insisted on some draft day compensation and eventually got Washington to throw in a 3 rd  rounder along with Vereen to make the deal complete.   While all the newly traded players are likely going to have a steep learning curve in their new systems, with new coaches and new teammates, we expect that all three will get called into action this weekend as each of these teams tries to start the 2 nd  quarter of the season off with a win.   ARIZONA WRANGLERS 27   LAS VEGAS VIPERS 33 What looked like yet another Wrangler domination turned to one of the best comeback victories of the season as the Las Vegas Vipers came alive late in the third quarter and scored the final 21 points of the game to shock the unbeaten Arizona Wranglers and give Viper fans in Las Vegas a signature win they will be talking about for a long time.   It did not look like such a change of fortune was possible, as Arizona had largely dominated the game through most of three quarters, building up a 27-12 lead. David Carr had put up over 300 yards and had thrown TDs to both Victor Cruz and Chester Rogers, the defense had held Las Vegas to only 37 yards rushing and had battered Matt McGloin. In fact, it was not until McGloin was pulled after a nasty hit and Jeff Tuel was put in that the rally really began. But for most of the game, this looked very much like another convincing win for the Wranglers on their way to a 5-0 start.   The shift came after Arizona had increased their lead to 15 with a Ka’Deem Carey TD run with only 2 minutes left in the third. Up until this point, Las Vegas had managed only a lone McGloin to Dobson TD and a pair of field goals. They had amassed only 198 yards of offense, and their QB was getting hit on nearly every play, sacked 3 times, but certainly hurried and taken off rhythm a lot more than that by the Arizona front 7. When Coach Neuheisel opted to pull the battered QB from the field with 2 minutes left in the third, most Viper fans felt this game was a lost cause and the coach was saving his newly acquired signal caller for another day.   Jeff Tuel, a 7-year veteran with both Charlotte and the Vipers, came in, ostensibly to mop up the game and avoid any major turnovers that would make the score worse. And yet, Coach Neuheisel trusted the veteran backup, showing this with a play-action pass call on his first snap. Of course, Arizona bit on the run, you would expect a run on the first down with a replacement QB in the game. That assumption burnt them as Tuel immediately hit Arrelious Benn on a 25-yard completion that got the crowd’s attention. A short screen to Kareem Hunt turned into 18 yards, and just 4 plays later Aaron Dobson caught his second TD of the game, a 4-yard in-cutting route with a low throw that only Dobson could snag. The Wranglers seemed stunned, the Las Vegas crowd overjoyed, and the Vipers re-energized. They were now within 8 points and seemed to have snatched some momentum away from the swaggering Wranglers.   The defense picked up on the shift of energy and on the next drive got the first sack of the game against David Carr, an 8-yard loss on 2 nd  and 7 that set Arizona up with a tough first down to make. When they failed and the punt team came out, you could feel the shift in the winds throughout the (admittedly domed) stadium. The Vipers were pumped up, the Wranglers still a bit stunned. Las Vegas started the next drive from their own 18, and they slowly and thoroughly picked apart the Wranglers, demoralizing the Arizona defense with each successful play.   On the long drive, the combo of Hunt and Hardesty finally started to have some success. Hunt broke off a 9-yard run, Hardesty a 12-yarder, and while the drive did take 13 plays and nearly 5 full minutes, when Hunt took a pitch off the right side of the line from the 5, juked past the first tackler and dove into the endzone, you could feel that this game had completely changed, and that Arizona was simply reeling. Coach Neuheisel called for a 2-point PAT to tie the game, and Jeff Tuel delivered a perfect pass to TE Dustin Keller to tie the game at 27.   But, not all ties are truly ties. In this case, it was a tie, with over 9-minutes left to play, that signaled the end of Arizona’s success and sparked Las Vegas’s belief in their ability to win the game. Arizona would gain only 2 more first downs in the final period, and would suffer their 2 nd  turnover, a pick of David Carr that put Las Vegas in position to take the lead. While the Wrangler defense held Las Vegas out of the endzone, a chip shot field goal by Matt Gay put Las Vegas on top for the first time in the game. In the final minute of the game they would add another, removing any chance that a late kick would send the game to overtime.   But Arizona would not mount a late threat. They simply did not have it in them. Las Vegas held them off in the final seconds, sacking Carr for a 2 nd  time on the final play of the game, a fitting end that saw the unbeaten Wranglers stunned, staggered, and knocked out by the end. It was a Las Vegas title fight, and the underdog had come up with the upset. The Vipers improved to 2-3, which is hardly something to crow about, but knocking off the 4-0 Wranglers may well prove to be a pivotal moment for the club, a team just beginning to realize their potential. And while Jeff Tuel will return to his backup role next week, he may well have been the catalyst for a new start in Sin City, as the Vipers used his spark to ignite their hopes for the season.   WASHINGTON 12   PITTSBURGH 24 Jarvis Landry stepped into the “lead receiver” role and proved he deserved it with 6 receptions and 100 yards, but it was a whole team effort as the Maulers knocked Ryan Nassib out of the game after only 2 pass attempts, then CB Rasul Douglas scored on a pick six of a bad Tajh Boyd throw and Josh Cribbs returned a punt 81 yards for a score, all this in a 21-3 first quarter that the Feds simply never recovered from. With Boyd at the helm, the Washington offense ground to a halt and Pittsburgh kept the pressure on to move to 3-2 in the topsy-turvy NE Division. POTG:  Mauler CB Rasul Douglas: 8 Tck, 1 Int, 1 Def TD   MICHIGAN 26  OAKLAND 11 The Panthers are now the lone unbeaten as they knock off the Invaders in Santa Clara. LeVeon Bell had another 100-yard game, while Kirk Cousins went 24 of 29 and threw for 2 scores, but it was the defense once again that proved just too tough. Jimmy G was sacked 4 times and the Invaders only converted 3 third downs all game as Michigan’s defense proved the better of the two highly regarded squads. POTG:  Michigan DE Dee Ford: 5 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 Sfty, 1 FF, 1 FR   TAMPA BAY 35  CHARLOTTE 28 Dak Prescott earned POTW honors for his 378-yard, 4-TD effort as the Bandits once again win a shoot out to take a share of first and knock Charlotte back to the pack. Charlotte got 391 yards from Mitch Trubisky, who again escaped a game without throwing a pick, but two 4 th quarter Bandit TDs, one each to TE Jordan Cameron and rookie Deebo Samuel turned a 28-21 Monarch advantage into a 35-28 Bandit victory. POTG:  Bandit QB Dak Prescott: 16/26, 378 Yds, 4 TD, 0 Int   ORLANDO 34  JACKSONVILLE 27 Orlando joined the 3-way tie atop the SE Division by knocking off the Bulls in Jacksonville thanks toa Russell Wilson to Dwayne Bowe TD pass with 65 seconds left in the game. Wilson had 2 TDs on the day, both in the 4 th  quarter, and the Renegades held the ball for over 34 minutes, thanks largely to Rashad Jenning sand Knile Davis, who combined for 176 yards on the ground. POTG:  Orlando HB Rashad Jennings: 14 Att, 138 Yds, 1 TD   BALTIMORE 17  NEW JERSEY 12 Josh Jacobs recorded his first 100-yard game of his career, helping Baltimore survive the early departure of Ben Roethlisberger after a nasty hit by NJ DE Vic Beasley. Jake Locker only completed 9 passes, but it was enough to preserve a 17-6 halftime lead as the Generals, with MJD back in the lineup, simply could not get the ball into the endzone, settling for 4 field goals, and dropping to 1-4 because of it. POTG:  Blitz HB Josh Jacobs: 21 Att, 130 Yds, 1 TD   DALLAS 8   DENVER 14 A mid-spring snow squall dumped nearly 7 inches of snow on Denver during the Dallas-Denver game, and it made life miserable for both Joshes, Freeman and Allen. Freeman was sacked 4 times (2 of them slips on the slick surface and threw for only 154 yards. Josh Allen did not fare much better completing 18 of 28 for only 169 yards, though he did throw for both Denver scores. He also had 2 picks as he tried a bit too hard to play hero ball in the snow. The real heroes for Denver may have been the combo of Demarco Murray and Phillip Lindsay who managed to trudge out a combined 119 yards rushing despite the miserable footing and sloppy field. POTG:  Denver HB DeMarco Murray: 17 Att, 75 Yds   ATLANTA 7   BIRMINGHAM 37 Atlanta fans cannot blame this loss on Deshone Kizer, because it was not his job to defend Cam Newton, who finished the day with only 87 yards passing, but added 80 and a TD on the ground. HB Rex Burkhead added 2 rushing touchdowns, and little used Bo Scarbrough added his first career TD, as the Stallions moved to 4-1 by running the ball and playing solid red-zone defense. POTG:  Stallion LB DeMeco Ryans: 9 Tck, 2 Sck, 1 FR   CHICAGO 21  OHIO 16 The duo of Forte & Hill combined for 130 yards rushing and Sam Bradford completed 15 of 19 to help Chicago secure a road division win in Columbus. Chicago was outgained but not outscored as they forced Ohio to go for field goals on their first 3 red zone trips. Only a late Hackenberg TD pass made the game look as close as the final score does, but that score came with 45 seconds left and Chicago recovered the onside kick to put the game away. POTG:  Chicago LB Courtney Upshaw: 11 Tck, 1 TFL   HOUSTON 35  NEW ORLEANS 13 The defensive injuries just keep mounting for New Orleans, who lost a second DT to go with both starting safeties. And when you have that kind of loss, you get what we got, Carlos Hyde running wild for 175 yards, 3 TDs and a 9.7 YPC clip. Add to that TDs from Vernon Davis and Juju Smith-Schuster and Houston gets an easy win even without Colt McCoy, who sat this one out due to his jaw injury last week. POTG : Houston HB Carlos Hyde: 18 Att, 175 Yds, 3 TDs   PHILADELPHIA 17  LOS ANGELES 22 The Stars came out hot, with Derrick Henry scoring (on what would be a 144-yard day for him) and a pick-six in the opening quarter, but LA did not panic, coming back slowly over the remaining 3 quarters. Kyler Murray hit Hollywood Brown with their first rookie-to-rookie TD connection late in the second and the Express D held Philly scoreless in the second half, thanks in part to interceptions from Stephon Gilmore and Rahim Moore, with Moore’s occurring in the endzone for a soul-crushing turn against Philadelphia and Matt Gutierrez. POTG : LA HB Reggie Bush: 21 Att, 106 Yds   SAN DIEGO 10   ST. LOUIS 27 The Skyhawks stun San Diego thanks to a very solid game from Lamar Jackson, including a beautiful cross-body throw to Stevie Johnson for a score, and some surprising defensive fortitude. The Skyhawk D sacked Christian Ponder 4 times, held Ryan Williams to only 58 yards rushing and permitted only 2 San Diego third down conversions all game. POTG:  St. Louis QB Lamar Jackson: 27/36, 279 Yds, 2 TD, 0 Int   PORTLAND 10 OKLAHOMA 30 Kyle Lauletta was out of this game after tweaking his ankle in practice on Friday, and it was clear that recent signee Tony Pike was just not ready to start for Portland. Oklahoma took advantage, and a tired Portland defense gave up 61 of Marshawn Lynch’s 124 yards in the 4 th quarter as the Outlaws simply ran the Stags out of town. POTG:  Oklahoma HB Marshawn Lynch: 25 Att, 124 Yds, 1 TD   SEATTLE 14   MEMPHIS 17 The Dragons took a 14-7 lead into the 4 th quarter, but Paxton Lynch found Robert Woods for the equalizer and then moved Memphis into position for the game winner as the Showboats improve to 3-2 and drop Seattle to 1-4. Both Lynch and Jacoby Brissett would throw for less than 190 yards, and both back, Moreno and Gurley, struggled to reach 70 on the day as the defenses were ahead of the offenses all game. POTG:  Memphis CB Rashaan Gaulden: 7 Tck, 1 Int, 1 Def TD, 1 FF   Burfict Suspended for Head Shot Things are not going Vontez Burfict’s way this season. The veteran LB, in his 8 th  season with the Outlaws, lost his starting job this year to former Philadelphia Star Greg Lloyd Jr., has seen his snaps as a swing LB limited to about 20 per game, and now faces a 4-game suspension after taking a cheap shot at Portland HB Ben Tate. Tate had secured a first down on a 3 rd  and 2 run, but had lost his helmet in the process. While on the ground, Burfict came into the play late and laid a forearm to the back of Tate’s head and neck. The blow was seen by several Portland players, who pulled Burfict off their back, a move which produced a small melee before the referees pulled the players apart. Burfict was hit with a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty, but while Portland coach Matt LaFleur argued that an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and ejection were warranted, Burfict was allowed to remain in the game.  Burfict on a bad trajectory. Burfict would get his penalty this week from the league. He receives a 4-game suspension for hitting the un-helmeted back, along with a fine of $75,000 for the hit. While he could appeal the suspension, Burfict was informed by Coach Stoops that he would be sitting this week regardless, so it appears that Burfict will start his suspension without appeal. It marks another step in the wrong direction for the often-hot-headed linebacker. Burfict, who was once a mainstay of Oklahoma’s defense, with 70+ tackles from 2013-2016, has seen his role on the team drop considerably the past two years, with only 7 starts and 39 tackles last year, and his relegation to a rotational player this year. Adding on the 4-game suspension is certainly not a step in the right direction for the former ASU Sun Devil. With Burfict on suspension for the next 4 weeks, Oklahoma has brought undrafted rookie Lon Gannon up from the practice squad to fill the LB spot.   WR Terrance Williams Not a Happy Camper in Camping World Stadium When Terrance Williams signed with the St. Louis Skyhawks after 5 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, his goal was to be a featured receiver, a potential breakout star in the USFL. He had put up some good numbers in Dallas and hoped to do even more in the USFL. Well, that has just not materialized. Williams had only 11 receptions in his first USFL season, and was then sent to Orlando, where he again would have to fight for snaps and targets. His numbers increased slightly in 2018, with 19 receptions on 31 targets, seeing the field largely in spread formations. Well, things have not gotten better for Williams this year. Gimme the ball or gimme a trade. While Williams has seen 14 targets over the season’s first five weeks, bringing in 9 of them, he is also seeing his targets and his snaps being eaten away at by a mid-round rookie selection who has impressed Coach Rivera and the Orlando offensive coaches. Hunter Renfrow, a 4 th round pick out of Clemson, has started seeing the field more, and has made some nice plays on the 12 targets he has received in the past 3 weeks. He is not cutting into the snaps for either Brashad Perriman or Dwayne Bowe but is getting snaps in the 3-WR sets and spread formations that had been Williams in 2018. That has Williams upset, upset enough to make a public statement after this week’s game. It was not exactly a demand to be traded, more a plea to be seen and appreciated, but as we know with WR antics, very often a push for snaps or targets quickly becomes an off-ramp to another team. Williams has talent, and there are teams that have thinner WR groups than Orlando, so a trade may well be something Orlando has to consider, but their immediate issue is that they have a player who just does not believe his talent is being used right and is not afraid to say so.   Rumors Have Philadelphia in Talks with retired NFL QB Carson Palmer Sitting at 0-5, and with their longstanding starting QB Matt Gutierrez having the worst start to any season in his career, the Stars seem to be getting nervous. With few options available on their own roster, unless they want to start rookie Trace McSorley, a move that seems very unlikely, the Stars may well be looking for a Hail Mary to try to either motivate or mitigate Matt Gutierrez’s performance this year. We are hearing from reputable sources that Stars’ personnel staff have been in communication with retired NFL quarterback Carson Palmer, trying to see if the former All-Pro starter would be interested in jumping to the spring.   Would Palmer give up golf for a football encore? Palmer, who played 15 NFL seasons, primarily with Cincinnati, before shorter stays with the (then) LA Raiders and the Arizona Cardinals, retired from the NFL after the 2017 season. That puts him nearly 2 years out of his last game, and yet, there is interest. As an official NFL retiree, Palmer is not prohibited from signing with the USFL or from doing so outside of the NFL-USFL transfer windows. His status allows him to play for the spring league if he so desires. The issue, of course, is whether his 39-year-old body is able, and whether he wants to risk his health to do so. Palmer had several injury issues in the latter years of his NFL career, and certainly, after nearly 2 years of inaction, he likely is not prepared for the rigors of joining a USFL club midseason. So, is this for real? Is there a real effort to bring the retired NFL star to the USFL, or is this a feign? A move to push Matt Gutierrez? If so, it feels a bit extreme, the kind of psychological move that could backfire and even further corrode Gutierrez’s confidence and his standing with the team. It is certainly an intriguing possibility. It would also be a real world test of a theory some have had about NFL imports for a while. We know that many struggle in their first USFL season because they bodies have not had time to recover after playing in the fall, but would a player who was retired for 18 months be able to jump right in and have success? Palmer could be a very interesting case study if it happens. Finally, while we are not sure whether Coach Harbaugh is fully on board with the move, whether the personnel team is acting in advance of any directive from Harbaugh to find a solid 2 nd  option, or if this is all just a lot of smoke with no fire here at all. What we are sure of is that the Stars are beginning to look like a team that is cracking, and that is not good for Coach Harbaugh or anyone on the team. Yes, Gutierrez has struggled this year, but it is also true that the Stars have struggled getting Derrick Henry on track, that their defense (even with Channing Crowder providing much-needed leadership) has struggled to get teams off the field on 3rd down, and that the Stars have lost 4 of their 5 games by less than 7 points, meaning that they have been in every single game this year. Is blaming the QB really the solution?   New Orleans continues to face issues on defense as a 4 th  starter is lost. The Breakers are now down both starting safeties and their top two defensive tackles. For a team that built some playoff runs off their defense, this year could be a true test of Coach Lathon’s ability to plug and play on that side of the ball. And while the list of players certain to miss action this week (and beyond) is nice and short, there is no shortage of names on the lists of doubtful and questionable for action this week, including some pretty big names on defense across the league.   OUT DT        Daniel Ekuale              POR      Broken Leg         IR DT          Ricky Jean-Francois      NOR      Back                     IR LB           Vontez Burfict                  OKL       Suspension       4 Weeks HB         Kerryon Johnson              BIR         Back                     1-2 Weeks   DOUBTFUL DT          Kevin Vickerson              MGN     Eye WR         Donte Moncrief               OAK      Miniscus TE           Jack Doyle                    DEN      Hernia LB           A. J. Hawk                        SD          Shoulder LB           Bobby Wagner               OAK      Hand DT          Gabe Wright                  PIT         Hamstring     QUESTIONABLE LB           Roquon Smith                STL         ACL Strain CB          Chimdi Chekwa              OHI       Abdomen G            Ross Pierschbacher      LV           Knee TE           Luke Wilson                     SD          Eye LB           Ryan D’Imperio               MEM     Neck   San Antonio’s Unique Expansion Outlook While both the San Antonio Gunslingers and New England Steamrollers are gearing up for a summer and fall of ticket sales, marketing, hirings, and draft preparation, the Gunslingers have one more task to complete. As part of the deal that allowed the Texas Outlaws to be sold to a group of Oklahoma investors and relocated to OK City, the expansion San Antonio Gunslingers will be able to hold a small, and very focused, expansion draft exclusively of Oklahoma Outlaw players. The terms of the agreement have been known since the deal was cut back in 2016. The new club in San Antonio can sign up to 8 players who are members of the Outlaw roster as of Week 16 of the 2019 season and who were also members of the 2016 Texas Outlaws. Essentially, they get to “bring home” 8 players known to the fans in Texas and San Antonio.   Eight players does not a roster make, and yet, when we look at the names of those who were members of the 2016 Texas Outlaws and are current members of the 2019 Oklahoma Outlaws, it seems clear that the new Gunslingers could very well pick up some major talent, the kind of talent an expansion club rarely has access to, while also simultaneously gutting the Outlaw roster. Among those who would qualify for the “Back Home” Outlaw-to-Gunslinger expansion pool are QB Joe Flacco, HB Marshawn Lynch, receivers Marquise Goodwin and Justin Hunter, tight end Julius Thomas, and 3 of Oklahoma’s 5 starting O-linemen: LT Roger Saffold, RT Dennis Kelly, and RG Herman Johnson.  On defense, there is veteran DT Luis Castillo, DE Chris Harrington, and three quality Outlaw linebackers in Chad Greenway, Jonathan Moulton, and Casey Matthews. We should also throw in cornerback Pacman Jones and both Oklahoma’s punter, Jeff Locke, and kicker, Kai Forbath.   That is a lot of starting-caliber talent (or even All-USFL talent) still on the Outlaw roster and very likely to be there for San Antonio to select. So what do we think will happen in September, when this targeted draft occurs?   If we had to name players we think San Antonio will jump on, we start with Joe Flacco. While not the nimblest of quarterbacks, Flacco is a proven commodity, a former All-USFL player and a face for the franchise. Even if Oklahoma had the option to protect him, we think they would let him go, because he is likely only looking at 1 to 3 more years of action. That works for San Antonio to draw back fans, but for Oklahoma, they can then move on and look at a younger option in the position, and a more mobile QB who fits better with Coach Stoops’s spread concepts.   We don’t think the same is true for HB Marshawn Lynch. Yes, he is having a revival of sorts this spring, but the expansion Gunslingers are more likely to find quality HB talent in the general expansion pool, including significantly younger talent, than if they opted to sign Lynch. We think he stays. The same is likely true for other players in their mid-30’s like DT Luis Castillo or LB Chad Greenway. They are savvy and talented vets, but at most the Gunslingers might get 1 year out of them. Better to look at some players who were new to the Outlaws back in 2016 and who could have 5+ years of playing time for the expansion Gunslingers. We like Pacman Jones, Casey Matthews, and OT Roger Saffold as good options for San Antonio, and they may also look at speedster Marquise Goodwin (not really young, but still quite capable) and tight end Julius Thomas. Regardless of which players the Gunslingers select, they will have a bit of a leg up on the other expansion club, New England, who does not have that additional player pool, and they may well weaken Oklahoma at the same time, though some fans of the Outlaws would argue that freeing up cap space could be as valuable if not more valuable than retaining some veteran players. An interesting point, and one we will see play out in the weeks following Summer Bowl 2019.    Atlanta Reveals New Look and it is “Fire” The first of four new Under Armour looks for USFL clubs was revealed last night in Atlanta, where the Fire showcased their uniforms for the 2020 season. The new look retains many of the elements of recent looks, leans into an ombre effect to produce a “fiery” look, and includes a new alt uniform that focuses on the team’s secondary logo, a firefighter’s shield.   The primaries are very much in line with past Fire looks, including orange jerseys with navy sleeves and side panels of navy with a stripe of orange to gold ombre. This same striping continues on the pants, creating a single stripe from knee to chest. The team’s secondary logo appears on the sleeve and the tertiary “ATL” logo is above the nameplate. The primary includes two pant sets, a white set and a navy blue set. The helmet is unchanged, remaining navy with a navy facemask and the stylized orange and gold flames unaltered. The Fire also revealed a throwback look, not to their 2006 rebirth, but, with permission from the now-Dallas Roughnecks, to the 1995 look. This look features the original helmet flame decal, more traditional striping, and the team’s original “Flaming A” logo on the navy sleeves.   The biggest splash, however, is with the ALT look, called “Station 404”, a reference to Atlanta’s primary area code. For the first time, Atlanta will wear a helmet with their secondary logo instead of the large wraparound flame decal. The logo, featuring a firefighter’s shield with two crossed fire axes is placed on a “spark gold” helmet. The helmet also features an orange stripe which shifts to navy both at the front plate and the rear bumper. In both transitions the number “404” forms part of the transition. The area code number also appears on the pants, which are gold with a thick navy stripe that includes an ombre center stripe morphing from orange to navy. The alternate look also features the team’s first ever navy jersey. The jersey has gold numbers, trimmed in white, orange sleeve cuffs, and a single side panel stripe in an ombre effect from gold at the waist to orange at the arm.  Fire fans have been in love with the alternate logo ever since it was released back in 2006 with the expansion “rebirth” of the Fire. Now they can see it on the field in the new alternate look. The Fire, of course, hope to suit up in the new look in the 2019 post-season, but sitting at 1-4, they are going to have to “catch fire” to have an opportunity to do so (sorry for the bad dad-joke pun there.)  Week six offers up a Friday Night double header of solid divisional rivalries as Atlanta heads to Charlotte and Arizona has their rematch with Denver. Those are two really nice matchups and sure to produce some fireworks to kick off the weekend. Then, on Saturday, we get more divisional play with Phillly at Baltimore and Seattle at Oakland, but our favorite Saturday game is an inter-divisional matchup of teams off to strong starts as the surprising 4-1 Chicago Machine travel to SoCal to face the 3-2 San Diego Thunder. These two don’t face off very often, so it could be a game with some surprises in it.   On Sunday we start off the day with a Northeastern battle as 3-2 Pittsburgh heads into DC to face the 1-4 Washington Federals. We also have a battle of 3-2 clubs in the Southeast who are hoping to erase bad memories from 2018 as Tampa Bay heads into Orlando for a heated Florida Derby. At 4pm we have St. Louis and Las Vegas, both hot off upset wins this week, going head-to-head in Wynn Arena, and then for the weekend’s “dessert” it is Houston at Birmingham, a battle atop the Southern Division between the defending league champions and the upstart Stallions under new head coach Todd Haley.   Friday @ 7pm ET              ATLANTA (1-4) @ CHARLOTTE (3-2)                     NBC Friday @ 9:30pm ET        ARIZONA (4-1) @ DENVER (2-3)                             ABC   Saturday @ 12pm ET      PHILADELPHIA (0-5) @ BALTIMORE (4-1)         ABC Saturday @ 12pm ET      NEW ORLEANS (2-3) @ JACKSONVILLE (2-3)    FOX Saturday @ 4pm ET      CHICAGO (4-1) @ SAN DIEGO (3-2)                       ABC Saturday @ 4pm ET     OHIO (2-3) @ OKLAHOMA (2-3)                              FOX Saturday @ 7pm ET         MICHIGAN (5-0) @ NEW JERSEY (1-4)                  NBC Saturday @ 9pm ET      SEATTLE (1-4) @ OAKLAND (2-3)                           ESPN/EFN   Sunday @ 12pm ET   PITTSBURGH (3-2) @ WASHINGTON (1-4) ABC Regional Sunday @ 12pm ET        PORTLAND (2-3) @ MEMPHIS (2-3)           ABC Regional Sunday @ 12pm ET         TAMPA BAY (3-2) @ ORLANDO (3-2)                    FOX Sunday @ 4pm ET         ST. LOUIS (2-3) @ LAS VEGAS (2-3)                        ABC Sunday @ 4pm ET          DALLAS (2-3) @ LOS ANGELES (4-1)              FOX Sunday @ 8pm ET        HOUSTON (4-1) @ BIRMINGHAM (4-1)               ESPN/EFN

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: As much as we love a good Carlos Hyde outing, we have to give it to Dak Prescott in Tampa Bay, who knows that every game it is his job to simply outscore the opponent, and once again he did just that, throwing 4 touchdowns and adding 378 yards to his season total as the Bandits moved to 3-2 as part of a 3-way tie atop the wide open Southeastern Division.

A good week for fans of down-to-the-wire football as we had several games with slim margins, from an overtime battle between the Breakers and Stallions to games decided by late scores in San Diego, Philadelphia, Tampa Bay, Ohio, Los Angeles, and Oklahoma, this was a week for edge-of-your-seat fandom.  With the week’s results we are now sitting at 2 unbeatens (Arizona and Michigan) and only 1 winless club (Philadelphia) at the one-quarter mark of the season.  We have some emerging stars, some surprising teams, and a pretty good first quarter for the 5 new coaches in the league.  We will cover all the action of the week, give you some first quarter analysis, and take a look at our first Power Rankings of the season. It’s all happening now, so let’s get to it with our big story, two players on pace for record-breaking seasons. Are several  “Record Pace” First Quarters on Pace to Make History? We don’t want to ruin this, and we know that pointing it out after only 4 weeks might jinx the whole idea, but we have some serious thoughts about record breaking seasons already in the USFL.  We have seen this before, of course, and we know that there are times whereas the heat and humidity pick up in the summer, teams and players tend to melt a little, and what started as a potential record-breaking season turns into a very solid but just shy of record book season.  But, this year, more than most in recent years, we are seeing several players who are legitimately ahead of the pace to set some major league records, and we thought we should point that out so you can follow their progress for the remaining 12 weeks.  Bell is living large so far this season. LeVeon Bell, who, two seasons ago, set 2,000 yards as  his target, challenging himself to not only break Herschell Walker’s 30+ year old record of 1,767 yards rushing, is well on his way perhaps not to 2,000, but to over 1,800 yards.  Now we know that with Eric Dickerson setting the NFL record at 2,105 yards it seems odd that Walker’s record has held so long in the USFL, but we have to remember that the spring league has always been more pass-heavy than the NFL.  Three yards and a cloud of dust has never been the USFL way, so it is not surprising that Walker’s 1,767 has held this long.  Just look at the difference in rush attempts. The NFL practically has a player with 400+ attempts every year, and certainly 350+ from several players every season, while the USFL has only ever had one player in its 37 seasons cross the 400-yard plateau, Michael Turner with the 2008 Chicago Machine had 402.  Even Walker, in his record-setting debut season only had 396.   LeVeon Bell, so far, has topped out at 377 attempts and 1,617 yards, but this season, in his first 4 games he has 458 yards, an average of 114.5 yards per game, and on pace for over 1,800 total.  Can he sustain this all season?  Will Coach McDermott let him?  Those are two huge questions, but you know that Bell wants that record, and, if Michigan keeps winning by feeding their bell cow that ball, why would they stop.  This could be a record Aready to break if Bell can stay healthy and keep grinding out those 100-yard games.  Man, we hope we did not just double jinx him. Bell is not the only player on pace for a major league record.  Mike Evans may actually bust open an even bigger one.  The Houston wideout has 512 yards in 4 games, and you can do the math. Multiply that by 4 and you get well over 2,000 yards.  That has been a magical number that USFL receivers have had as a dream since the league began.  All USFL fans know that Eric Truvillion remains the only player in either the USFL or NFL to top 1,900 yards, having done it 3 times (1985, ’86, and 92) with his 1986 total of 1,959 yards setting the USFL record.  It was the pro football record until 2012 when NFL receiver Calvin “Megatron” Johnson topped him by 5 yards with a 1,964  yard season.  But still, that 2,000 number would be momentous, and Evans is on an offense that will certainly not shy away from feeding him the ball.      If that were all we had, we would be very excited to follow Bell and Evans through the season, but we are only 4 games in and we already have a DB with 5 picks, meaning that in ¼ of a season he is halfway to tying the league record of 10 in a season.  Charlotte Free Safety Tre Boston has those 5 picks, and he certainly has the talent to keep snapping up more.  But, we have come so close so often, and it is so hard for a stat like this to be fed by the team, since it depends not on his own teammates so much as the other team’s actions.  Can Boston break Elbert Shelley’s 1997 record as the only 10-pick season in league history?  Can we see 11?   Calais is loving his role in Wranglerville. Oh, and lest we forget, Calais Campbell is still a monster, still destroying left tackles and terrifying QBs.  He has 8 sacks in 4 games, which is a pace we have seen before.  It would put him at 32 for the season, an insane number, but still 2 shy of his 2009 record of 34.  Think about this though.  Campbell remains the only player in league history to score 30 or more sacks in a season.  He has done it 4 times, and his record is from 10 years ago.  Could he bookend his career by tying or setting a new record in his 12 th  season?  As if this legendary player needs anymore career highlights, could Campbell have two record-setting seasons a decade apart?  Are you going to tell him he can’t?  Sure, he is the nicest guy you would ever want to meet off the field, but he is an absolute force of nature between the white lines, and I, for one, am not going to bet against him.   Oh, and just to throw this out there, while at present there are no USFL QB’s on pace to cross the 5,000 yard marker this year, we do have 7 different QBs on pace to cross 4,000 yards, which would be the highest number to do so in one season in league history.  It is no easy feat, but there are some great QBs on that list of 7, including league leader Dak Prescott, overdue MVP candidate Colt McCoy, 2-time MVP David Carr, two other former MVPs in Dallas’s Josh Freeman and Baltimore’s Ben Roethlisberger, along with 2018 breakout player Matt McGloin in Las Vegas and our early pick for the 2019 breakout player, strong armed Denver QB Josh Allen.  We could legitimately see a league record for passing yards (by all QBs) and for the most 4,000-yard passers in one season.   That is a lot of records and a lot of excitement on the individual level.  For all you fantasy players out there, we expect you are also very much on board with these record-pace performances, so let’s sit back and enjoy as the USFL continues to provide great sports entertainment and performances to amaze and delight us.  (OK, call marketing, I think I just sold the USFL to America right there!)   DENVER GOLD 28    OKLAHOMA OUTLAWS 31 It may have been something of an undersold matchup between a 1-2 Denver squad and a winless 0-3 Oklahoma team, but this Southwestern Clash turned out to be one of the most entertaining games of the early 2019 season.  The Outlaws could not let themselves fall to 0-4.  Denver had a shot at getting to 2-2, so both teams were playing with a lot of passion.  We also got to see a player who may be emerging as one of the stars of 2019, as Josh Allen threw for 4 touchdowns in a game that showed off a wide range of skills.  We got to see Marshawn Lynch return to being the human battering ram we want him to be.  We saw Oklahoma find some weapons in TE Mark Andrews and free agent acquisition Mark Clayton, and we saw a huge defensive play turn the tide.   The game started off with Josh Allen and the Gold offense picking apart an Oklahoma defense that has come under a lot of fire. It took the Gold barely more than 3 minutes to march down the field before Allen found Michael Crabtree on a nice 27-yard TD toss.  It was a play that showed off Allen’s mobility and arm strength, as the big QB escaped the pocket, rolled to his right, and just as he headed out of bounds he launched the ball up the field to an open Michael Crabtree.  It was a play that looked unlikely to work, but produced the first score of the game.   Oklahoma responded with a drive of their own, powered by a pair of solid Lynch runs, but also one in which Joe Flacco relied on his tight ends, completing 3 passes to the combo of Andrews and Thomas, with the latter catching the 3-yard TD that evened the score.  Oklahoma would take their first lead 6 minutes later when Flacco again hit on a short TD toss, this time to former Showboat Mark Clayton.  The back-and-forth continued with Allen guiding the Gold down the field for an equalizer, connecting with Golden Tate for the scoring play, but also getting a very nice 27-yard scamper from Phillip Lindsay on the drive.   This back and forth continued into the third quarter.  Oklahoma got a go-ahead field goal just before the half, to go into the locker room up 17-14.  They added another midway through the third to take a 6-point lead, but that was undone by an Allen to Tate TD toss, his second of three on the day as that combo has become red hot over the first three weeks of the season. Allen would return to Tate for a 3 rd  score midway through the 4 th  quarter, giving the Gold an 8-point lead with 6:47 to go, and with the Gold defense playing better in the 2 nd  half, it looked like Oklahoma may be in trouble.   But, after a nice punt from the Outlaws pinned the Gold back at their own 5, the play of the game helped Oklahoma reclaim momentum, even the score, and deflate the Gold.  Unheralded defensive end Jordan Willis made the play of the game, chasing down a bootlegging Josh Allen, and clipping his arm just as the QB looked to dump the ball off.  The ball fell from Allen’s hand rolling into the endzone, where Willis was able to fall on it for the fumble, recovery, and defensive TD combo.  It was a play that caused OGE Energy Stadium to erupt, and when Joe Flacco hit Justin Hunter with the 2-point conversion pass, the game was tied and Oklahoma was feeling that their losing streak might just be ready to end.   The Oklahoma defense was energized, and with 3:18 left on the clock, they would not give Denver a chance to take back the lead.  A near pick on 2 nd down and a sack of Allen, the 4 th  on the day, on 3 rd  down forced the Denver punt.  Joe Flacco would do the rest, hitting Dede Westbrook for a 20-yard gain on the first play of the ensuing drive, then connecting with Andrews for a first down on a key 3 rd and 9, a play that put them in range for kicker Kai Forbath. Three plays later, after a shot at the endzone nearly produced a touchdown (Westbrook’s right foot hit the edge line and it was ruled incomplete), Forbath would come in and kick a 42-yarder to give Oklahoma the lead with only 12 seconds left.    The Outlaws and Gold both now sit at 1-3, but both see reasons to be hopeful for the rest of the season.  Allen will recover from his costly fumble, and it seems clear that he is looking very much like a playmaker.  Oklahoma seems to have finally found an offense that works for them, utilizing a 2WR-2TE-1HB formation to provide options for Joe Flacco and keep Marshawn Lynch as a power runner without sacrificing play action possibilities.  Both defenses still have question marks, but this game showed that these two teams are capable of playing entertaining and winning football.     WASHINGTON 13    NEW JERSEY 6 The Federals notch their first W thanks to their defense, and, honestly, the absence of Maurice Jones-Drew from the New Jersey lineup. The Generals got only 38 yards rushing without MJD, and with Washington sending pressure (6 sacks of Nick Foles) the New Jersey offense was simply not able to get anything done. Washington did have Anthony Allen back and with 76 yards rushing he helped the Feds do just enough to get their first win. POTG:  Federals’ FS Adrian Amos: 3 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 Blk FG   LAS VEGAS 13   SAN DIEGO 16 Another low-scoring affair as the Vipers held San Diego to only 175 total yards and 8 first downs.  But Las Vegas could only muster 252 total yards, and a paltry 31 total yards rushing.  San Diego got one big play all game, a 17-yard TD from Ponder to Marques Colston, but that was enough to give them a 16-6 lead through 3 and ½ quarters, until a late Aaron Dobson TD catch got Las Vegas within 3, but that was as close as they would get. POTG:  San Diego DE Kony Ealy: 4 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 FF   MEMPHIS 5   ORLANDO 37 A rough day for the Memphis offense as Paxton Lynch only completes 14 of 32 passing, and not much better for Memphis’s defense as Knile Davis and Rashad Jennings combined for 115 yards and a TD, while Russell Wilson threw for 2 scores and completed 17 of 20 passing. Scores from Rashad Jennings, David Njoku, and Brashad Perriman, as well as a pick-six from LB Anthony Barr helped Orlando pull away to build a 27-5 halftime lead, and Memphis never recovered. POTG:  Orlando LB Anthony Barr: 3 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 Int, 1 Def TD   JACKSONVILLE 28   TAMPA BAY 35 Winning shootouts is apparently the way forward for Tampa Bay as again the defense struggles but the passing game flies.  Ryan Grant was the star for the Bandits, catching 4 balls for 154 yards, while Dez Bryant had another 4 for 93 and a touchdown. Teddy Bridgewater kept Jacksonville in it, accounting for all 4 Bulls’ touchdowns, while Dalvin Cook was the TD man for Tampa Bay, scoring 3 times on the day as the Bandits hold on to move their record to 2-2. POTG:  Bandit DE Tank Carradine: 11 Tck, 2 FF, 1 FR   PORTLAND 3   MICHIGAN 17 The defense continues to be the story for the unbeaten Panthers as they hold Portland to a lone field goal in Kyle Lauletta’s first start for the Stags. Lauletta could not be happy with an 11 of 29 performance in which he passed for only 81 yards on the day.  Meanwhile, Michigan got 103 rushing and a TD from LeVeon Bell and added another Antonio Bryant TD catch to pull away early. POTG:  Michigan HB LeVeon Bell: 27 Att, 103 Yds, 1 TD, 3 Rec, 71 Yds   NEW ORLEANS 13   BIRMINGHAM 16   OVERTIME A huge win for the Stallions, who move to 3-1 and sit atop the Southern Division thanks to a solid defensive performance. Geno Smith completed 21 of 42 passing but only threw for 1 score, and while the Stallion offense struggled against New Orleans’s defense, they got enough to get the game to overtime and then put Chris Boswell in position for the game winner. POTG:  Birmingham CB Antonio Cromartie: 6 Tck, 1 FF, 2 PDef   SEATTLE 17   CHICAGO 37 Three Chicago backs combine for 219 rushing yard to overwhelm the Seattle defense and give Chicago a healthy time of possession advantage as well as the W.  Jeremy Hill led all backs with 115 yards and 2 TDs, but Matt Forte’s 55 yards and a 47-yard TD run by Brandon Boldin help Chicago keep pace, one game behind the Panthers at 3-1. POTG:  Chicago HB Jeremy Hill: 17 Att, 115 Yds, 2 TD   HOUSTON 17    PHILADELPHIA 13 Philadelphia came to play, but even with Colt McCoy knocked out of the game after a blow to the jaw, the Gamblers found a way.  Landry Jones hit Josh Reynolds with a back-breaking 74-yard TD throw in the 4 th  quarter to crush Philadelphia’s hope for an upset and send the Stars to a tough 0-4 start.  Matt Gutierrez survived 5 sacks and 2 picks, but could not rally the Stars late, despite 125 yards from WR Randall Cobb. POTG:  Houston SS Budda Baker: 4 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 FF, 2 FR   BALTIMORE 24    PITTSBURGH 13 Big Ben threw for 3 scores, including two to TE C. J. Uzomah, and the Blitz defense held the Mauler run game to an astonishingly bad 10 total yards as the Maulers struggled to get anything going on offense. While Roethlisberger connected only 17 of 37 throws, he hit some big ones and he helped Baltimore rack up 17 first downs to Pittsburgh’s 9.  It helped that the Blitz went 8 of 17 on third down. POTG : Baltimore QB Ben Roethlisberger: 17/37, 279 Yds, 3 TD, 1 Int   OAKLAND 10     OHIO 12 This was another defensive showdown, with the winning score coming on a safety as Glory safety Tyran Mathieu, the Honey Badger, got to Jimmy Garoppolo in the endzone for the pivotal 4 th  quarter score that helped Ohio avoid overtime.  Earlier in the game Christian Hackenberg had connected with HB Marion Mack for the Glory’s only TD.  Oakland trailed 12-3, put up a late Davante Adams TD in the final 2 minutes but could not get the onside kick to bounce their way and went home with their 2 nd  loss. POTG:  Ohio safety Tyran Mathieu: 2 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 Sfty, 1 FF   ST. LOUIS 17   LOS ANGELES 20 The Express move to 3-1 thanks to their defense and run game.  C. J. Anderson came up big with 95 yards on 16 carries while Reggie Bush contributed 63 more.  Kyler Murray also had a strong game, completing 13 of 19 attempts and connecting with both Reggie bush and Nelson Agholor to give the Express a 20-10 advantage late in the 4 th .  St. Louis added a late David Nelson TD, but it was too little as the Express defense shut them down on their final drive, preserving the win and moving LA into a tie atop the Pacific with the Thunder. POTG:  LA tailback C. J. Anderson: 16 Att, 95 Yds, 5.9 YPC   DALLAS 3   ARIZONA 38 This one was all Wranglers as Arizona put up 493 yards of offense on the Dallas D, while the Wrangler D bent (331 yards allowed) but would not break (no TDs in 4 Dallas red zone trips).  Ka’Deem Carey was the star for the Wrangler offense, rushing for 133 yards and a score on only 15 carries.  Jimmie Graham added 2 scores and 110 yards for the Wranglers, while Samaje Perine’s 89 yards rushing did not help Dallas turn yardage into points. POTG:  Wrangler HB Ka’Deem Carey: 15 Att, 144  Yds, 1 TD   CHARLOTTE 34   ATLANTA 10 Mitch Trubisky returned to action and had his best game of the year, throwing for 3 scores and suffering neither a pick nor a sack as Charlotte’s O-line dominated. Latavius Murray also benefitted, scoring his first 100-yard game as a Monarch with 125 on 23 carries.  Trubisky threw TDs to three different receivers (Proehl, Hines, and K. Smith) while Deshone Kizer had a huge drop off from last week’s game, throwing for 3 picks against the Charlotte D. POTG:  Charlotte HB Latavius Murray: 23 Att, 125 Yds   Five Breakout Players in the Season’s First Quarter Only four games into the season but there are already some players making news and getting their names out there in 2019.  We picked five players who have shown up in a big way this year, some quite surprisingly. So let’s look at who some of the new names being talked about are.   Denver QB Josh Allen While Gold fans are not overjoyed by the team’s 1-3 start, they are certainly not blaming 2 nd  year QB Josh Allen, who has been lighting things up for the Gold offense. Allen currently leads the league with a 125.6 QB rating, has over 1,000 yards in his first four games and an impressive 11 touchdowns to 3 picks.  He has also shown elusiveness in the pocket, even hurdling an Oklahoma tackler in this week’s game.  There may be some issues with Denver, particularly on defense, with Von Miller out for up to a month, but Allen has been among the biggest breakout players so far this season.   Jacksonville QB Teddy Bridgewater Another QB who is topping all expectations is Jacksonville’s “Teddy B”. Bridgewater is tied for 2 nd  in the league with 10 touchdowns, has thrown only 2 picks, is closing in on 1,000 yards and has a very nice QB rating of 102.3.  With play like this, the Bulls’ other NFL import at the position, Ryan Tannehill, is likely to have a nice long wait before he sees action. Bridgewater has Jacksonville sitting at 2 nd in the league with an average of 30.2 points per game.  Now, if the defense could be just a touch stingier, the Bulls could be on the way up in the Southeastern Division.   Tampa Bay WR Ryan Grant Second only to Houston’s Mike Evans, Grant is having himself a huge season, outpacing even NFL import Dez Bryant on Tampa Bay’s wide open offense. Grant has exactly the same number of receptions as Bryant (16), but has averaged nearly 28 yards per catch on his way to 439 yards in 4 games.  That is a blistering pace, and certainly, with Bryant right there as an option, teams simply cannot overcompensate for Ryan’s early success by shifting coverage, because Bryant will make them pay if they do.   Birmingham LB Reuben Foster Tied for 3 rd in the league with 33 tackles, Foster, the 3 rd  year linebacker out of Alabama, is proving to be yet another gem on the Tuscaloosa to Birmingham highway.  In addition to his team-leading tackle total, Foster is showing his diverse skills, blitzing on key downs (1 sack so far), dropping back on others (1 interception as well), and even has a defensive touchdown. He is a big reason why Birmingham, despite their offensive issues, is sitting at 3-1.   Charlotte FS Tre Boston Our final Breakout player is no newcomer to the league, but Charlotte safety Tre Boston is playing at a level we just have not seen before.  He leads all defenders with 5 picks in only 4 games, but he is also proving to be effective against the run, and, like Foster, he has himself his first defensive touchdown of the season as well, a pick-six in Week 3.  It is hard for safeties to stay in the spotlight in this league, but we think Boston is worth keeping an eye on, especially if you are a USFL quarterback, because he is out there waiting for you to forget.   Five Teams Whose Records Are Not What We Expected We already know that our preseason picks are often amazingly off base. Sure we get some obvious things right-- Arizona will be pretty good, LeVeon Bell will run the ball a lot, it will be sunny in July-- but every year we just don't see what is coming until it arrives. That seems to be the case again this year, as there are several teams that are already surprising us. Some we hinted could make a move, others we just did not see coming. Here are 5 surprises on the team level from the season's first month. Baltimore (3-1): First Place in the Northeast The Baltimore Blitz are a surprise frontrunner in the Northeast Division, largely thanks to a revival of their high-flying offense.  This is something many anticipated as the arrival of a true bell cow back in Josh Jacobs demands that teams respect the run, which frees up Big Ben and the deep ball for the Blitz offense.  While Jacobs’ numbers so far this year have not been eye-popping (260 yards in 4 games, an average of just 65 per game), his presence has forced defenses to alter their coverage and that has been just what Roethlisberger and the Blitz passing game needed.   It also helps that the defense, led by LBs Jarvis Jones and Brandon Jenkins, has been playing solid conceptual and team defense.  In their three victories, the Blitz have held their opponents to 12, 13, and 13 points, providing a margin of victory of 16, 10, and 13 points.  That has to make Coach Caldwell happy.  It certainly has Blitz fans feeling good, After three straight division wins, Baltimore has seen over 10,000 tickets sold for their next home game against Philadelphia in Week 6.   Birmingham (3-1): First Place in the South The Stallions are off to a fast start, sitting atop the South with Houston at 3-1, and they are doing it despite being 17 th  in scoring and 19 th  in points allowed, both the result, in large part, of their lone loss, a 27-7 home defeat at the hands of rivals Memphis.  So, how are they 3-1, with those numbers?  They are hanging close in games, bending but not breaking on defense, and finding solutions in the 4 th quarter.    In Week 1 against Philadelphia, it was a game-winning field goal with just over 2 minutes to play, followed by a solid defensive stop on Philly’s final drive.  Against Charlotte, Reuben Foster’s Pick 6 in the 4 th  gave them a 4-point lead, which turned into only a 1-point lead before Chris Boswell gave them 3 more in the final minutes and forced the Monarchs to score a touchdown or lose the game.  They lost the game.  Finally, this week, in a huge home win over the Breakers, the Stallions were taken to overtime, but found a way to get Chris Boswell into position and pulled the game out in extra time.  This is not a team that is going to blow others away, and they may still have some stinkers like the Memphis game in them, but they will largely be in every game and they seem to have figured out how to turn that into W’s.   Los Angeles (3-1): First Place in the Pacific Marvin Lewis and the Express are feeling very good about their transformation of the Express in the offseason as the 2019 version of LA’s team is looking very solid on defense (2 nd  in yards allowed, 5 th  in scoring at 15.0 PPG) and showing they can put together a run game (112 YPG, good enough for 7 th in the league).  The passing game, with rookies Kyler Murray and Hollywood Brown is still very much a work in progress, but while Murray is not exactly lighting it up (averaging 142 YPG passing), he is being smart with the ball and avoiding costly turnovers.   That combination of a run game, solid D, and lower turnovers has helped the Express rebound from an embarrassing 20-0 shutout in Oakland on opening weekend, and has them now atop the Pacific, with some very winnable games on the horizon, with 0-4 Philadelphia this week, 2-2 Dallas the week after, and then 1-3 Seattle before a rematch with the Invaders.   New Jersey (1-3): Fourth Place in the Northeast Of all the 1-3 clubs, the Generals may be the biggest surprise. They simply have not found their mojo on either side of the ball, ranked 24 th  in scoring defense, while only averaging 16.2 points per game on offense.  They have moved the ball, averaging nearly 365 yards per game, but they are failing to turn yardage into points, with only 6 this week to Washington the biggest example of that issue. Maurice Jones-Drew has yet to top 100 yards in any game, Nick Foles is completing less than 55% of his passes, and there just don’t seem to be any big plays in the General assault.    New Jersey was picked to take the division, but already find themselves 2 games behind Baltimore and sitting on an 0-2 division record. They need to figure this out quickly or they could easily be too far back to make a late run, if that is even something they are capable of.   Philadelphia (0-4): Fifth Place in the Northeast As bad as the season’s first quarter was for New Jersey, Philadelphia has them beat.  Some had the Stars competing for a Wild Card, as I seem to recall we did, but now, at 0-4, the question becomes, who can this team beat?  And how do they do it?   The Stars are averaging under 11 points per game, giving them the worst scoring offense in the league.  After 4 games, Derrick Henry is averaging barely 50 yards rushing per outing, and that is largely because no one is respecting the threat of the pass. They are focused on the run, and Matt Gutierrez is simply not making them pay for that. The Stars’ QB is the lowest rated in the league (of 3-4 game starters) with a QBR of only 56.6.  he has 8 picks already, to only 4 TDs, and he is just not hitting receivers even when they are open. If it were not for the defense, which is playing pretty solidly, keeping all 4 opponents to 20 points or fewer, the Stars would be in very desperate straits.  But how long can a defense hold up if the offense simply cannot produce? With back-to-back games against division leaders (LA in Week 5 and Baltimore in Week 6) Philadelphia could well be staring down an 0-6 start and be out of any realistic playoff hunt before we even hit Memorial Day.  That is not a good look for a team that was 13-3 only 2 years ago.     Maulers lose Thielen to ACL Injury Another week, another big injury that could impact a team’s entire season.  This week in Pittsburgh we saw Mauler star receiver Adam Thielen go down late in the game as he landed awkwardly on a jump ball, with his leg almost bending backwards.  The pressure of the jolt landing was enough to cause significant injury to Thielen’s right knee, and by Monday we learned that it had produced a complete ACL tear, an injury that would take several months to heal.  Thielen would be lost for the season.    The Mauler wideout was coming off his second consecutive 1,200-yard season, and had already racked up over 350 yards in 2019, with 4 scores to his name in the first 4 weeks of action.  The Maulers, having allowed an unhappy Victor Cruz to walk in free agency, were looking at Thielen as their undisputed number one.  With him now sidelined and placed on IR for the year, it will be NFL import Jarvis Landry who will now be thrust into that role.  With Brian Quick settled into the slot role, this means that unheralded backup Allen Lazard is now slated to start opposite Landry, and the Mauler receiver group looks very much unsettled.   McCoy Questionable After Shot to Jaw It was not a cheap shot, but the blow from Philadelphia’s Malik Jackson to the jaw of Houston QB Colt McCoy was clearly a penalty.  In an attempt to connect with McCoy before he got the ball away on a 2 nd  and 7 pass early in the 4 th  quarter, Jackson raised his arm, hoping to clip McCoy’s arm, but instead it slipped under McCoy’s facemask and the elbow cracked the QB in the jaw.  The penalty was called, but fans wanted more.  McCoy staggered back after the blow and looked a bit shaken as he was led off the field.  Landry Jones would finish the game (and provide the game-winning TD to Josh Reynolds, while McCoy went into the locker room.    The eventual verdict was a possible concussion and a pretty nasty bruise across the jaw.  No fracture was detected, so McCoy could potentially play this week, but he is listed as questionable, and Jones could well get the start for Coach Phillips.  Fans, of course, are crying foul on social media and sports talk radio, but few within the league, including network pundits, see this as anything more than a bang-bang play that simply saw Jackson’s elbow miss the mark and find its way to McCoy’s jaw.  Bad for McCoy, but not dirty play.   Outside of the injury to WR Adam Thielen for Pittsburgh and guard Chadwick Hodges of Jacksonville, this was, by all accounts, a light week on the injury list, a good shift away from the very long injury lists we have seen over the season’s first three weeks. OUT WR        Adam Thielen            PIT         ACL Tear                 IR G            Chadwick Hodges      JAX        Torn Hamstring       IR G            Andy Alleman                BAL       Torn MCL              4-6 Weeks WR        Donte Moncrief             OAK      Miniscus              1-2 Weeks DE         Anthony Hargrave        PHI        Hand                       1-2 Weeks DT          Star Lotuleilei                 DAL       Hamstring                1-2 Weeks TE          Jack Doyle                    DEN      Hernia                      1-2 Weeks DT          Kevin Vickerson            HOU     Eye                           1-2 Weeks C            Frank Ragnow               TBY       Toe                           1-2 Weeks   DOUBTFUL G            Chris Lindstrom           NJ           Back WR        Ameri Cooper                BIR        Concussion LB          Roquon Smith               STL        Hamstring DT          Andre Neblitt                  TBY       Foot   QUESTIONABLE OT          Greg Little                   OHI       Hand SS          Marqui Christian          DEN      Hip QB         Colt McCoy                     HOU     Jaw TE          Martellus Benneett     MGN    Thigh   One Month “Way Too Early” Evaluation of the USFL’s New Head Coaches Just like grading a draft the day after the players are selected is a ludicrous practice, but we all do it, rating a head coach only 1 month into their first season is equally insane, and yet, we are going to do it.  Maybe not an evaluation, so much as a check-in to see how the first four games have gone and what we see happening with each team.  From 3-1 surprises to some slow 1-3 starts, the range of first impressions has been pretty variable.  So, who is looking like they have something cooking and who needs to bake that dough a bit longer?  Here is our look at all 5 new head coaches and where they are after a month of action.   Todd Haley (BIR) With the Stallions sitting at 3-1 and having already taken a game from the Breakers, things are looking very good for Haley’s new direction in Birmingham. The offense still has some sorting out to do, ranked in the bottom half of the league in most major categories, but the defense has had some success, and the Stallions have shown some fight in them, winning some tight games and knocking off two very solid teams in the past two weeks. Birmingham will have a real test coming up with back-to-back games against the Gamblers and San Diego Thunder, but this already looks like a team that is more focused, and more capable than in past seasons.   Marvin Lewis (LA) It is still very early to determine if all the off-season moves and the young players brought in are truly the sign of a new direction for the Express, but what fans have seen so far, particularly in their 14-13 win over San Diego, has many excited about what new leadership has brought to the team.  The offense will need time to find itself, though we do think it is smart that Coach Lewis is leaning on the run, especially after the late signing of C. J. Anderson has created a bit of a Lightning & Thunder option between Anderson and Reggie Bush.  The defense is looking much better, and while rookie DE Nick Bosa has yet to record his first sack, the overall impact has been positive.   Ron Rivera (ORL) It took a couple of weeks, but we are beginning to see what the new Orlando Renegades will look like.  They will be a team that looks for chunk plays on offense and uses zone coverage and solid shells to force QBs to throw the ball into coverage.  Orlando already has 9 interceptions (tied for 1 st  with Charlotte) on the year and trails only Oakland at +9 in turnover margin.  Rivera wants to get the run game going but seems willing to let Russell Wilson lead the way on offense as the mobile QB is calling more and more run-pass options.  The Renegades sit at 2-2, so we need more time to see if they can creep up the standings or if they will linger around .500 for most of the year.   Bob Stoops (OKL) After an 0-3 start, the Outlaws got their first win this week, but as we look at their 4 games, this is not a team that has been out of any game.  They held close to Arizona in the opener, losing by 3 in a hard-fought game.  They again lost by 3 in Dallas, taking the Roughnecks to overtime.  Jacksonville had their number in Week 3, winning by 15, but they had a nice bounce-back win at home this week against Denver.  They have some winnable games on the schedule, with the next game against a team currently over .500 not coming until a Week 14 rematch with Arizona. Can they make a push to get back into the hunt in Stoops’s first year?   Mark Trestman (TBY) A 2-2 start is not half bad for the Bandits, and “not half-bad” feels very much like the perfect way to describe what we have seen from Trestman’s Bandits this year.  The half that is pretty darned good is the offense, averaging 34 points and 414 yards of offense per game.  The defense, well that is the half-bad part for sure, giving up 33.2 points and 393 yards per game. So, what we are saying is that the Bandits are going to have to win a lot of shootouts if they want to stay at or above .500, either that or Mark Trestman is going to have to find some answers on defense.     Week 4 Power Ratings Here we go, our first power ratings of the season, rankng all 28 clubs from the best of the best to the bottom of the barrel. No real shockers at the top and bottom, with unbeaten Arizona and Michigan on one end and winless Philadelphia on the other, but it is in the middle where the debates can be held. Is there a poser among the 3-1 squads, a 1-3 club that is just waiting to go on a run, a 2-2 team that should be much higher or much lower? We leave those questions to you. For us, this is how we see them, from 1 to 28: 1—Arizona (4-0) The Wranglers may have almost completely retooled their roster over the past two seasons, but they are still looking very much like a dynasty in the Southwest.   2— Michigan (4-0) That defense, paired with a reliable run game, has the Panthers looking to return to the top of the Central, and possibly back to a Summer Bowl.   3—Houston (3-1) The Gamblers got caught in a trap game up in Portland, but aside from that hiccup it has been everything we expect of the defending champs.   4—San Diego (3-1) The defense is getting the job done, the offense has the capacity to be special as well.  After 4 weeks they fall only 2 points short of being unbeaten.   5—Balti more (3-1) The Jacobs Effect has been all the Blitz had hoped for, forcing defenses to respect the run, which has made the vertical game that much more potent.   6—Chicago (3-1) With back-to-back 30+ point games, it seems Coach Smith has found his offense, a blend of Sam Bradford and a 2-back system that is producing nearly 120 yards per game.   7—Birmingham (3-1) It may seem like Birmingham is doing it with smoke and mirrors, but another way to look at it is that Coach Haley has this team believing they should win every game, so they find a way to do it.   8—Charlotte (3-1) Fans may be worried about Trubisky’s picks, but so much else is working well for Charlotte, that it seems they can absorb those hits.  The defense, in particular, is looking as good as it has in recent memory.   9—Los Angeles (3-1) A great start for Coach Lewis, even without the passing game really clicking yet.  The defensive success early on may be the key to this team being able to develop Kyler Murray and the passing game over time.   10—Oakland (2-2) The Invader D, allowing only 12.8 PPG, is legit, but Oakland needs more out of the offense if they want to keep pace in a division that could be more balanced than people initially thought.   11—Memphis (2-2) A 2-0 start has morphed into a 2-2 record as Memphis has scored 12 and 5 in back-to-back games.  We know that Rex Ryan is a defensive guy, but some attention may be needed if this offense is going to be more than a drag on the Showboats going forward.   12—New Orleans (2-2) Geno Smith has been up and down, and so has the entire Breakers’ offense. The D is still there, but winning 12-6 and losing 13-16 is not what anyone wants to see from this club.   13—Ohio (2-2) The Glory have won 2 games scoring 15 and 12 points.  That does not feel sustainable.  They need to get Christian Hackenberg on track, open up the offense a bit, and prove they can beat a team that has offensive weapons.   14—Pittsburgh (2-2) A .500 record after 4 weeks is not too bad for a Mauler team that many had bringing up the rear in the Northeast.  They simply exploded against Jacksonville, scoring 44, but that seems the exception.  More from the run game will be needed, especially now, with Adam Thielen on the shelf.   15—Orlando (2-2) The last 2 weeks have been a nice rebound from an 0-2 start.  Las Vegas and Memphis are quality wins.  Now, let’s see how they do as they enter a 5-game divisional stretch. This next quarter could well determine their entire season.   16—Tampa Bay (2-2) The offense is there.  1 st  in the league in scoring, yards per game, and passing.  That is giving them hope, but a defense allowing 33.2 points per game is absolutely not what any winning team wants.  If the Bandits want to get and stay over .500, they need to address that and quickly.   17—Jacksonville (2-2) Our third consecutive SE Division team in the middle of the pack.  That is better than what most people saw for these three Florida squads. For Jacksonville it has been their offense, led by Teddy Bridgewater and a lot of no-name contributors that has helped them prove competitive each week.   18—Dallas (2-2) The Roughnecks started hot, knocking off Denver and Oklahoma, but when the competition stiffened with back-to-back games against unbeatens (Michigan and Arizona) we saw that they have not yet arrived.  They may be better than this ranking, but will need to string some wins together to rise.   19—New Jersey (1-3) The run game has not found its groove yet, the defense has been a shadow of what we all expected, and Nick Foles is just not good enough to carry the entire team.  So, a 1-3 record, while surprising based on what we thought this team would be, is not a surprise when we look at what they have actually been.   20—Denver (1-3) If Coach Hufnagel can get the defense to stiffen up a bit, Denver could be dangerous. They are giving up far too many yards and too many scoring opportunities.  As much as we have loved the start to Josh Allen’s career, he needs more from the rest of the team.   21—Las Vegas (1-3) McGloin is over 1,000 yards already, but when your lead rusher is averaging only 40 yards per game, you have some issues.  Add to that a defense that is giving up over 320 yards per game, and you can see how Las Vegas has not been able to pull out a lot of games. They are close to being a good team, but close is not close enough.   22—Oklahoma (1-3) They finally got their first win in 4 tries, but it was a close call even then.  While Marshawn Lynch has been really good so far this year, Joe Flacco has not produced the way Oklahoma counted on, and, well, the defense is looking a bit slow and a bit old, giving up over 25 points per game.   23—Washington (1-3) So is it that Ryan Nassib was overrated because he was playing with Arizona’s talent last year, and now he is crashing to earth, or is it that the Federals are just not maximizing his abilities with appropriate play calling?  All we know is that the numbers so far are nowhere near what he was doing in the desert.   24—Atlanta (1-3) The Fire thought they had caught lightning in a bottle when Deshone Kizer put up 4 scores in his debut, but he crashed back to Earth this week against Charlotte.  Fire fans better hope that it was this week where we saw the anomaly and not in Week 3, because Kizer is your man for this season and there are a lot of games left to play.   25—Portland (1-3) Similar to what we see with Kizer, Kyle Lauletta is going to have to show he can play at a high level for the rest of the year.  He looked good in his first action, coming on in relief, but in his first start the offense sputtered and Porland managed only 3 points.  That was against Michigan, in Detroit, so maybe not a fair assessment.  This week in Oklahoma, Lauletta has to show more.   26—Seattle (1-3) Fans in Seattle are beginning to question whether the Dragons let the wrong QB leave this offseason.  Jacoby Brissett is struggling, as is the entire offense. Even in their 1 win, a rain-soaked opener, they only scored 10 points.  They have yet to cross 17 all year.   27—St. Louis (1-3) The Skyhawks opened strong, traveling to Baltimore and knocking off the Blitz 29-27, but they have now lost three in a row, have not scored more than 17 in any of those games, and struggled, as most expected, to stop the run.   28—Philadelphia (0-4) Where is Derrick Henry?  Has he not really recovered from his 2018 injury?  Or is it that the Stars just don’t have what they need to keep defenders off of their star back?  Henry is averaging barely 50 yards per game, and, as we have outlined, the issue may really be that no DC is worried about the Star passing game.   Easter Weekend brings us a modified schedule as the USFL experiments with going heavy on Saturday and cutting out all noon games on Sunday.  I guess that means more egg hunts and ham for everyone, but it also means that we are looking at 6 games available only in regional coverage rather than national broadcasts.   No changes on Friday, where we still have our double header, starting with the Feds and Maulers, each hoping to get into the mix in the division.  The late game is from Oakland where the Invaders take on the unbeaten Michigan Panthers. This will be a defensive slog that may see very low scoring from both clubs.   Saturday is jam-packed, with three games in both the Noon timeslot and at 4pm.  We start the early games with three divisional matchups as the Bandits head to Charlotte, Orlando is in Jacksonville, and Baltimore travels to New Jersey, where the Generals hope a win can get them back in the mix. At 4pm we have 3 more games, with Chicago visiting Ohio in a key Central Division showdown, Denver in Dallas, and regional coverage of Atlanta at Birmingham.  The Saturday night two-fer should be a good one Houston at New Orleans early and Philadelphia hoping against hope for a turnaround against a 3-1 LA Express club.   Sunday will be light, with the first games starting at 4pm to allow for holiday celebrations.  The national game on FOX will see Arizona in division as they head to Las Vegas to face the Vipers.  In regional action we have San Diego in St. Louis and Portland facing the Outlaws in OK City.  We finish up the week with an 8pm kickoff from Memphis, where the Seattle Dragons make a rare trip to the Mid-South to face the Showboats.   Friday @ 7pm ET              Washington (1-3) @ Pittsburgh (2-2)                NBC Friday @ 9:30pm ET       Michigan (4-0) @ Oakland (2-2)                     ABC   Saturday @ 12pm ET    Tampa Bay (2-2) @ Charlotte (3-1)            ABC Regional Saturday @ 12pm ET     Orlando (2-2) @ Jacksonville (2-2)          ABC Regional Saturday @ 12pm ET      Baltimore (3-1) @ New Jersey (1-3)                 FOX Saturday @ 4pm ET       Dallas (2-2) @ Denver (1-3)                           ABC Saturday @ 4pm ET        Atlanta (1-3) @ Birmingham (3-1)                    FOX Regional Saturday @ 4pm ET     Chicago (3-1) @ Ohio (2-2)                      FOX Regional Saturday @ 7pm ET          Houston (3-1) @ New Orleans (2-2)              NBC Saturday @ 9pm ET     Philadelphia (0-4) @ Los Angeles (3-1)     ESPN/EFN   Sunday @ 4pm ET       San Diego (3-1) @ St. Louis (1-3)                    ABC Regional Sunday @ 4pm ET           Portland (1-3) @ Oklahoma (1-3)                    ABC Regional Sunday @ 4pm ET          Arizona (4-0) @ Las Vegas (1-3)                   FOX Sunday @ 8pm ET        Seattle (1-3) @ Memphis (2-2)                        ESPN/EFN

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Michigan's LeVeon Bell does it again, not quite the 215-yard outing he had in Week 2, but no one is going to complain aobut 174 combined yards, with 71 in teh air and 103 on the ground. Bell is a big reason why the Panthers reach the 1/4 mark unbeaten.

A big week for the USFL as the league reveals the second 2020 expansion team, a return to a familiar setting, while also announcing the 2019 Hall of Fame semi-finalists. It was also a big week on the field as the number of unbeatens drops to 2. Charlotte, Houston, Memphis, and San Diego all fell from the ranks of the unbeaten, leaving only Arizona and Michigan unblemished. We also a pair of 0-2 teams notch their first wins as both Portland and Orlando got upset wins to move to 1-2. It was a week that saw backup QB Deshone Kizer rip the Tampa Bay Bandit defense apart, Darrius Heyward-Bey propel Baltimore into first place, Calais Campbell notch another 3-sack game, and several pick-sixes impact games. We start with the expansion news, but we will cover all the Week 3 action, and take along at the 10 men in the hunt for 5 Hall of Fame positions.   Boston is Back as New England Steamrollers Announced as USFL’s 30th Team “Go You Rollahs!” is the catchphrase already being sold on t-shirts as fans of USFL football in the Boston area, and throughout New England celebrate the announcement that the 30 th  franchise to join the spring football league will be housed at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts, the third USFL team to call the Boston area home, and the first to play in an NFL stadium.   The announcement came this Monday at a pomp-filled ceremony at Boston’s famed Hynes Convention Center. A who’s who of Beantown legends were there, from the current Governor, Charlie Baker, and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh to local football legends Doug Flutie, Steve Grogan, and Tiki Barber, pro basketball star Larry Bird, Red Sox fan favorite David Ortiz, and local celebrities Mark Wahlberg, and even Captain America himself, Chris Evans. But no one was more celebrated than new team owners Robert Hale Jr. and Bill Alfond, who will serve as CEO of the newest USFL club.  The new owners, surrounded by the dignitaries and Boston celebrities made the announcement that their expansion bid was named the winning bid and that, beginning in March of 2020, USFL football would be played at Gillette Stadium. The announcement included the reveal of the team’s inaugural uniforms (on mannikins only, as no players have yet signed to play for the new club) and the grassroots slogan of “Go you Rollahs” (spelled as Bostonians would say it, of course), a slogan which came from a fan group and has been adopted by the club. The two co-owners and founders of the New England Football Group declared that they hoped that the Steamrollers would be a team that the entire region would be proud of, a statement some interpreted as a dig against the NFL Patriots who have struggled for relevance in the local sports market, or at Patriots’ owner Robert Kraft, currently embroiled in a sex scandal involving a Florida massage parlor. But, for most the reference was an invitation for Mainers, Vermonters, New Hampshirites, Rhode Islanders and Nutmeggers (as apparently folks from Connecticut are called, who knew?) to join the Roller Nation and come out to games next spring.   The team will now begin the tough tasks of setting up a new franchise, from picking a team office, staffing and hires up and down the organization, scouting for both the 2020 USFL Draft and the expansion draft that will largely stock both the Steamrollers and the San Antonio Gunslingers. It has been confirmed that New England will be joining the Northeastern Division, displacing Pittsburgh, who will return to the Central Division and their rivalry with the Ohio Glory. So, New Englanders can anticipate visits from New Jersey, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington among their 8 home games in 2020. The schedule, of course, will not be revealed until the fall, the roster not defined until February, but the fans don’t need to wait. The team hopes to have merchandise ready as soon as next month, and season tickets will go on sale in September. The Steamrollers' primary uniforms will combine orange and grey, with black trim.  For Indianapolis and the Twin Ciites, as it was for the other 4 bid groups that did not get this far, it is a bitter day, filled with disappointment that their city would not get a chance to host year-round football. Owners from the two groups released statements of congratulations to the NEFG investors, and words of thanks to their communities for supporting their bids, but it was known from the beginning that only 1 city and 1 bidding group would get the 30 th USFL club, and in the end the size, population, economic strength, and stadium option for the New England Steamrollers was simply viewed by the 28 league owners as the optimal path forwards. And so, for the third time in league history, following the 1983-1985 Breakers and 2002-2012 Cannons, the city of Boston and the region of New England will be part of the USFL family. New England also revealed a black pant set and an alternate set, an all white design with almost no orange, called the "Noreaster". ATLANTA FIRE 47  TAMPA BAY BANDITS 41  OVERTIME This was not the way Bandit fans saw their week 3 matchup with the winless Atlanta Fire going. Atlanta was limping in, having come up short against both Jacksonville and Las Vegas, and forced into starting untested Deshone Kizer at QB after Aaron Murray’s Week 2 arm fracture. This was going to be Tampa’s shot at starting the year 2-1, and maybe, just maybe, a kick start to a season defined not by their shaky defense but by their explosive offense.   Well, the Tampa Bay offense was certainly explosive, with a 105-yard kickoff return by rookie Deebo Samuel, TD runs from Dalvin Cook and David Wilson, and TD catches from Dez Bryant and Jordan Cameron, but it was also a game that saw Dak Prescott exit early, replaced by B. J. Daniels, and a game that saw the suspect Bandit defense look a lot worse than suspect. Despite getting 5 sacks of Kizer, the Bandit defense just could not contain the 2 nd  year QB. Kizer would complete 32 of 52 passing, rack up 328 yards and 4 touchdowns against the Bandits. He got help, of course, with Roy Williams catching 5 for 110 and 2 scores, Kelvin Benjamin adding 8 receptions, 69 yards and a score, and TE O. J. Howard adding a TD as well.   In a game that ended up tied at 41 in regulation, both teams had their moments. There were 3 unusual scores in the game, with Samuel’s long kickoff return, but also two pick-sixes for the Fire, with both Darius Slay and Earl Thomas returning poor throws for scores, both truly poor decisions by Dak Prescott. We also saw some consistent offense from both teams, with the two combining for over 800 yards of offense and 35 first downs. The Bandits did a bit more on the ground, with Cook rushing for 98 yards on 20 carries, but Atlanta also got some good play out of Nick Chubb and Kenyan Drake, combining for 76 yards. But it was the passing game of Atlanta, something few expected to be a major factor, that got them their first win.   The two teams traded scores for most of the game, With Tampa Bay building up a 17-10 halftime lead, but Atlanta responded in the 3 rd  with Roy Williams evening the score with a 34-yard catch and run. That play was followed almost immediately by Dak Prescott’s first of two picks, a late throw over the middle that allowed CB Darius Slay to step in front of the ball and then return it 35 yards for an Atlanta lead. On the very next possession Earl Thomas tipped, caught, and ran back another Prescott throw for a 66-yard pick-six and suddenly Atlanta was up 14, a 21-point turnaround.   The Bandits fought back, helped by the Samuel kickoff return, and when Harrison Butker hit on a 51-yard kick to tie the game at 41, it looked like anyone’s game to win. But, that was not the case. Atlanta won the toss, ground out 2 first downs, and then found the coverage they wanted. Kizer rolled out on a 2 nd and 3, and there was Roy Williams a yard past the coverage and racing down the sideline. Kizer hit his receiver in stride and Williams cruised in for the game winner. A huge sigh of relief for Coach Arians and the Fire, a huge letdown for the Bandits and their fans at Raymond James, as they now find themselves sitting at 1-2 and tied with both Atlanta and Orlando, all three a game back of the Monarchs and Bulls.   NEW JERSEY 30  OHIO 27  OVERTIME It took overtime but the New Jersey Generals notch their first win by knocking off the Ohio Glory in Columbus. Nick Foles threw for 2 scores and moved the Generals into range for Ka’imi Fairbairn to give the Generals the much-needed win. Ohio got 101 on the ground from Isaiah Pead, but the defense could not hold New Jersey down at the end of regulation, giving up a game-tying touchdown and then a game-winning drive in overtime. POTG:  New Jersey safety Quinton Carter: 1 Tck, 1 Int ,1 Def TD   LAS VEGAS 10   ORLANDO 24 Orlando gives up 318 yards passing to Matt McGloin but also picks off the Viper QB twice on their way to a solid 14-point victory. The Renegades got TDs on a Russell Wilson 32-yard scramble and TD runs from both Rashad Jennings and Knile Davis as they racked up 128 yards on the ground while the D held Las Vegas to only 3 points over the game’s final 3 quarters. POTG:  Renegade DE Arthur Moats: 4 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 FF, 1 FR   BIRMINGHAM 27  CHARLOTTE 23 Cam Newton had one of those Cam Newton games that frustrate defensive coordinators so, throwing for 236 and rushing for 90 as Birmingham edged Charlotte to move to 2-1. Newton scored on the ground as well, while Birmingham also got a TD from HB Kerryon Johnson and a pick-six from LB Reuben Foster to knock off the homestanding Monarchs, who started Tyler Thigpen for the injured Mitch Trubisky. POTG:  Stallion LB Reuben Foster: 7 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 Int, 1Def TD   BALTIMORE 23  WASHINGTON 13 The Blitz get 13 points in the 4 th  quarter to take over the rivalry match between them and the Federals. Darius Heyward-Bey scored his 2 nd TD on the day to kick off the Baltimore run, finishing the game with 121 yards and 2 scores. Without Anthony Allen the Washington offense struggled, rushing for only 27 total yards and forcing Ryan Nassib into far too many third and long situations. POTG:  Blitz WR Darius Heyward-Bey: 6 Rec, 121 Yds, 2 TD   ST. LOUIS 14   CHICAGO 34 The Machine picked off Lamar Jackson 4 times, producing 21 points off turnovers, more than enough to down the Skyhawks. Forte & Hill combined for 98 yards rushing and Sam Bradford returned to action and threw 2 touchdowns for Chicago, while St. Louis kept shooting themselves in the foot, with those 4 picks, but also 12 penalties for 120 yards. POTG:  Chiago SS Lano Hill: 1 Tck, 3 PDef, 2 Int   JACKSONVILLE 25  OKLAHOMA 10 Another solid game from the Bulls as the defense holds the Outlaws to only 3 points until the final 2 minutes of action. David Akers was kept busy, putting up 6 field goals, which, paired with a Dominique Rogers-Cromartie pick-six were all the points the Bulls needed. POTG:  Bulls’ kicker David Akers: 6 for 6 on Field Goals.   MEMPHIS 12   PITTSBURGH 23 The Maulers move to 2-1 by knocking off the previously unbeaten Showboats. They too got a pick-six, this one coming from Rasul Douglas with only 2:13 in the game to lock it away for the homestanding Maulers. Lynch, who was also sacked 4 times and completed only 23 of 49 throws, struggled against an aggressive Mauler pass rush. POTG:  Mauler CB Rasul Douglas: 8 Tck, 4 PDef, 1 Int, 1 Def TD   DENVER 20   ARIZONA 27 The Gold put up a good fight, outgaining Arizona 370-306, but a late TD from Carr to Cruz was enough for the Wranglers to stay unbeaten. Carr had 3 TDs on the day, including 2 to Cruz, while Josh Allen threw for 306 with a TD, but also was sacked 3 times by Calais Campbell, one producing a fumble deep in Denver territory. Neither team could get much on the ground, with the leading rusher being DeMarco Murray with only 51 yards on 14 attempts. POTG: Arizona DE Calais Campbell; 6 Tck, 3 Sck, 1 FF, 1 FR   NEW ORLEANS 12  PHILADELPHIA 6 A defensive slugfest between the Breakers and Stars, with both teams held under 250 total yards. The difference was Caleb Sturgis, hitting on two long field goals to give New Orleans the win in a game that saw no touchdowns. Surprisingly, with the score this low, there were no turnovers and only 7 total penalties. POTG:  New Orleans LB Tim Williams: 9 Tck, 2 TFL, 1 PDef   OAKLAND 20  SEATTLE 6 A rough day for Jacoby Brissett as the Invader D keyed on him, recording 2 picks and 7 sacks. Jimmy Garoppolo fared better, throwing for 198 yards and a TD. The Seattle defense focused on Christian McCaffrey, holding the Invader back to only 22 yards rushing and 3 receptions, but the Dragons simply could not do anything on offense, with Knowshon Moreno averaging only 1.3 yards per carry. POTG:  Oakland LB Shaq Barrett: 6 Tck, 3 Sck, 1 FF   MICHIGAN 20  DALLAS 3 Dallas may have outgained Michigan (314-301), but this game was another dominant performance from the Michigan defense, holding the unbeaten Roughnecks out of scoring position for nearly the entire game. Kirk Cousins found Antonio Bryant, the former Wrangler, for both Panther touchdowns, and the defense did the rest as Michigan remains unbeaten at 3-0. POTG:  Michigan QB Kirk Cousins: 19/26, 201 Yds, 2 TD, 0 Int   HOUSTON 28   PORTLAND 31 A huge shocker as Marcus Mariota went out early in the 2 nd  with Portland down 14-7, only for backup Kyle Lauletta to lead Portland to victory with a TD pass to Jordan Shipley with only 20 seconds left to play. Colt McCoy threw for 378 and 3 scores, but the numbers were hollow after the Stags got the W in the final seconds. It was the run game that kept Portland in it, with both Doug Martin (100) and Ben Tate (107) each going over the century mark in the game. POTG:  Portland HB Ben Tate: 12 Att, 107 Yds, 1 TD   SAN DIEGO 13   LOS ANGELES 14 The Express were home underdogs against San Diego but come up big as Kyler Murray throws TDs to both Demaryius Thomas and Nelson Agholor to shock the Thunder. The LA defense did their job as well, limiting the Thunder to only 7 first downs and 219 total yards in the game. Reggie Bush was LA’s primary weapon, rushing for 130 yards and averaging 6.8 YPC to help power LA to a 2-1 record. POTG:  Express HB Reggie Bush: 19 Att, 130 Yds   Mariota Lost for 8-12 Weeks, but Lauletta Gets Big Upset Win It was exactly the kind of injury that you just know is bad as soon as it happens. Marcus Mariota was rolling to his right, never saw the linebacker coming in, and took a shot right on his left knee. He would not get up, not on his own. The leg had bent inwards in a way that everyone could tell was a sign of ligament damage, and, sure enough, by Monday it had been revealed that the Portland QB had suffered a PCL tear. Not quite as devastating as the ACL, but the kind of injury that would rule out Mariota for the rest of the season.   So, in came Kyle Lauletta, the Richmond Spider drafted in 2018 by the Stags before Mariota had a very solid season. Brought in to challenge Mariota, Lauletta now looks to be his replacement for 2019. And while no one expects that the inexperienced QB can replicate what we saw from backups Ryan Nassib and Matt McGloin last season, what we saw in his first game action was pretty darn good. Lauletta came in with Portland trailing the defending league champions 21-14. He would lead them to a 31-28 victory, connecting with Jordan Shipley at the end of a frantic 2-minute drill that produced the game winner with only 20 ticks left on the clock. Not a bad start at all.   So, Lauletta, who appeared in 4 games in his rookie season, throwing for 765 yards, 6 TDs and 6 picks, will almost certainly inherit the starting job for the Stags as a sophomore. He will be backed up by Kellen Clemons and the just-signed veteran of both Ohio and Philly, Tony Pike. Mariota, after putting up his best season in 2018, will now miss his 5 th  USFL season after playing in only 2 and a half games and throwing for 447 yards.   Shaq for the Sack as Oakland Rolls We said before the season that the signing of Shaq Barrett from the NFL could be a coup for the Oakland Invaders, especially because he would be lined up right next to 2018 Defensive Player of the Year Bobby Wagner. Three games into 2019, that seems to be a pretty good prediction. Barrett was all over the place this week as Oakland turned away the Seattle Dragons 20-6. The former NFL backer, who is currently 3 rd  on the Invaders with 18 tackles, had 6 in the Seattle, game, but also added 3 sacks, his first of the season for Oakland, and added a forced fumble as well.   Barrett, Wagner and the Oakland D currently sits in second for scoring, allowing only 6 points to the Dragons after having shut out the LA Express in Week 1. They had issues in Week 2 against the Breakers, losing 33 -27, but bounced back well with a solid defensive game plan for the Dragons. This week they travel to Ohio, where Christian Hackenberg will have to worry about both Wagner and Barrett, a dynamic duo for the Invaders.   Campbell Right Back Where He Belongs When we say Campbell is back where he belongs, we don’t mean Glendale, Arizona, we mean atop the league’s Sack Leaderboard. With a second straight 3-sack performance, the undisputed King of the Hill is once again sitting at the peak of the game. He benefits from a strong defensive team around him, led by LB A. J. Klien and CB Joe Haden, but it is clear that the big man is fully capable of being a one-man demolition team all on his own. While Denver did what they could to protect 2 nd  year QB Josh Allen, and the big QB had a few quality escapes, using his legs to get out of a crumbling pocket, Campbell still found him three times, helping Arizona hold off the plucky Gold squad to take the home win 27-20. Campbell is smiling on the sideline, chumming around with fellow defenders, and still very much keeping offensive coordinators from getting much sleep. Next up for Campbell, a home game against another division foe as Dallas comes to town this week. All apologies to Josh Freeman, who is likely not loving that prospect.   Gutierrez Strugging as Stars Lose Third All is not rosey in the City of Brotherly Love. The Stars are sitting at 0-3 after dropping a rough 12-6 game to New Orleans, a game that saw neither team able to cross into the endzone, with all 18 points coming off of a kicker’s foot. With that loss, Philadelphia has scored only 30 points in 3 games, a pretty easy average to figure out of only 10 points per game. They currently rank dead last in scoring and yards, with the 24 th  best passing attack and 26 th in rushing, despite having a healthy Dereck Thomas. There is lots of blame to go around, from poor line play to predictable play calling, but the man taking the most heat is QB Matt Gutierrez. The 13-year vet, who became the Stars’ starter way back in 2012, has had up years and down years, but so far in 2019, it is looking like a truly poor start. After 3 games, Gutierrez has twice as many picks than touchdowns (6 to 3), has completed only 51.5% of his passes, and sits dead last among QBs with at least 50 attempts, with a QB rating of 50.9. That is the kind of start that would get a less-established QB happy feet and a coach a quick hook. And while Coach Harbaugh still expresses confidence in his QB, the reality may be that he does not see another good option. Philadelphia’s two backups are 3 rd  year backup P. J. Walker, who has thrown a grand total of 36 passes in his USFL career (nearly all in an end of season mop-up game last June) and rookie Trace McSorley, a Penn State product that has only taken a few snaps late in a preseason game.   So, for now, Harbaugh sticks with Gutierrez, but after dropping from 13-3 in 2017 to a surprising 7-9 last year, how long can the Coach stick with his man? What if, as many calling in to local sports radio were saying, Gutierrez has hit the dreaded QB cliff, that point where their bodies simply stop providing the QB with the tools, reflexes, and instinctual movements that make them successful?   Another long injury report this week, including several players placed on IR. That group includes Mariota, but also Breaker DT Justin Ellis and Orlando wideout Jeremy Maclin. Several other significant injuries will impact their teams, including the loss of Von Miller from the Gold for potentially a month or longer. St. Louis loses its young LB Roquon Smith to a hamstring, but perhaps for only a week or two. Among the Doubtfuls and Questionables we have two huge targets for Charlotte QB Mitch Trubisky, with both Blackmon and Pettigrew potentially out this week. New Jersey looks to be without two key players as well, with both MJD and CB Devin McCourty likely to miss action this week.   OUT DT       Justin Ellis                    NOR      PCL                  IR QB         Marcus Mariota               POR      PCL                   IR WR         Jeremy Maclin                 ORL       Back                 IR DE          Shane Ray                      STL         Foot                 8-12 Weeks SS           Will Harris                       NOR      MCL                 8-12 Weeks CB          Trumaine McBride         TBY        Back                 4-6 Weeks DE          Von Miller                      DEN      Ankle                2-4 Weeks OT          Jamarco Jones               LV           Jaw                   1-2 Weeks LB           Roquon Smith                 STL         Hamstring        1-2 Weeks TE           Gavin Escobar                 JAX         Collarbone      1-2 Weeks FS           Ha Ha Clinton-Dix          PHI        Ribs                1-2 Weeks   DOUBTFUL CB          Jaquan Johnson           MEM     Hand                    OT          Greg Little                     OHI       Finger CB          Devin McCourty              NJ           Miniscus WR         Cody Latimer                MGN     Eye CB          Dee Milliner                   ORL       Concussion HB         Maurice Jones-Drew     NJ           Neck   QUESTIONABLE WR         Brian Hartline                  BAL        Hand WR         Justin Blackmon             CHA      Hamstring TE           Brandon Pettigrew         CHA      Concussion OT          Marcus Gilbert                NOR      Ankle DE          Anthony Hargrove          PHI        Shoulder OG         Jahri Evans                     MEM     Knee   Hall of Fame Semifinalists Revealed As has become something of an early April tradition, the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, and the USFL have announced the slate of semi-finalists for this October’s Class of 2019, ten former USFL players or coaches to be considered for the five available slots for induction. The 2019 group contains 7 new nominees in their first year of eligibility, players who retired from the game after the 2014 season, the largest contingent of first-year nominees in the past 5 years. It is a group that contains several legitimate “first ballot” nominees, and we know that with 5 spots on the line, no fewer than 2 first year nominees will make the roster of 2019 enshrinees, though it could certainly be more. Here, without further ado, is the USFL Hall of Fame semifinalist list for the Class of 2019.   QB Jake Plummer (ARZ 97-08, LV 09-14) Plummer has to be considered the surest bet to be a first ballot nominee. The former Wrangler and Las Vegas Thunder quarterback was a 10-time All-USFL player, threw for nearly 60,000 yards (59,759 to be exact), with a stunning 470 touchdowns (65 rushing touchdowns) and a lifetime QB Rating of 92.6. Plummer was a dual-threat QB in a time when those were far more rare than today, rushing for over 3,500 yards in his career, including some absolutely stunning long TD runs. He never won a title, but seems absolutely destined to garner this honor and it’s famous gold jacket.  QB Duante Culpepper (TBY 04-14) A second QB in the group, and one who was able to put a ring on his finger as the leader of the Bandit offense that helped Tampa Bay earn a league title in 2011. Culpepper was the playoff and Summer Bowl MVP that season. A 4-time All-USFL awardee, Culpepper played his entire USFL career with the Bandits, throwing for 36,966 yards, 259 TDs to 124 picks, and retired with a 93.1 QB rating. The former Bandit may have a hard time cracking the Hall in his first year primarily because of the sentiment behind Jake Plummer’s nomination.   DE Anthony Weaver (CHI 02-14) An 8-time All-USFL player and one of the most well-rounded defensive ends of his day, Weaver was Chicago’s “Sackmaster” for over a decade, racking up 199 career sacks, but he was also a very solid D-lineman against the run, with over 530 tackles in his career, including 84 tackles for loss. He retired in 2014 having recorded 7 safeties in his career, along with 26 forced fumbles. Weaver did not win a title with the up-and-down Machine squads of the 2000’s but still holds the Machine record for sacks in a career and in a season.  LB Mike Vrabel (POR 97-99, JAX 00-14) A consummate tackler, renown for his form and discipline, Mike Vrabel was an 11-time All-USFL player and last season joined Jacksonville’s Ring of Fame. He never won a title playing for the hard luck Bulls, but his numbers are undeniably outstanding: 1,882 career tackles, including 153 behind the line of scrimmage, 49 sacks, 10 interceptions, 72 forced fumbles and 23 fumble recoveries. Vrabel seems very much prepped to be a first ballot nominee as well. LB James Farrior (BAL 02-09, HOU 10-14) A 7-time All-USFL player at linebacker, Farrior’s numbers are solid as well, but it is his leadership and the quality of the Houston defenses that he captained that likely will get him into the Hall. Not that his numbers are bad: 1,359 career tackles, including 184 for a loss, 62 sacks and 9 forced fumbles. But, fans of the game view Farrior as a thinking-man’s MLB, guiding both the Baltimore and the Houston defense and helping the Gamblers stay in the hunt nearly every year, winning a championship ring in 2010 with Houston.  CB Quentin Jammer (TEX 02-03, PHI 04-13, BIR 14) One of the premier “shut down” corners of this generation, “Jammer” was a perfect name for the way Quentin played the game. He could take on receivers on the line, or block them out down the field. In his 13 USFL seasons, Jammer accumulated 32 picks, but it is his 343 Passes defended, a huge number, along with 1,040 tackles and 24 forced fumbles that stand out most. Jammer retired after a lone season in Birmingham, having played 10 years in Philadelphia and 2 in Texas, as a 5-time All-USFL nominee.  FS Ed Reed (WSH 02-14) The man you did not want to meet over the middle of the field, Ed Reed was known for his knock-down hits, as well as his savvy positioning in the defensive backfield. One of the premier safeties in USFL history, Ed Reed was only a 4-time All-USFL nominee, which stunned us when we discovered that. In 13 seasons in Washington, he was a force over the middle, racking up 562 tackles, 27 sacks, and 35 interceptions, but numbers do not tell the whole story. We often look at the MLB position as the QB of the defense, but when Ed Reed was on the field it was like having a QB and a Defensive Coordinator in the defensive huddle.  HB Willis McGahee (TBY 03-13) The first of the three returning nominees in this year’s semifinalist cohort, McGahee played 9 seasons with the Tampa Bay Bandits, helping them achieve a league title in 2011, and winning the Offensive Player of the Year in 2012. Despite only being nominated to 1 All-USFL team, McGahee has very strong career numbers with 12,138 yards rushing, 97 career touchdowns and nearly 2,000 yards as a receiver.   WR Peerless Price (DEN 99-13) Perhaps the best in a long line of Denver Gold “Possession” receivers (Golden Tate being the latest), Peerless Price was a bit more of a speed guy early in his Gold career, but worked on his craft over 14 seasons, becoming a deadly route runner in his later years. He retired in 2013 with over 1,200 receptions, 14,495 yards, and 80 career touchdowns. He was nominated as an All-USFL receiver three times.  HB Antowain Smith (LA 97-02, JAX 03-09, STL 10-12) A sentimental choice in his 3 rd  year of eligibility, especially for fans in St. Louis, Smith racked up 15,925 rushing yards in his 16 years on the field, an eternity for a back. He contributed 126 career touchdowns to his three teams, and saved the best for last, winning a title with the Skyhawks in his final season in 2012.   Five of these nominees will join the Legacy Committee’s nominee for a pre-2010 retiree as the six new members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame this October. If we had to lay odds, our bullpen believes that Plummer and Vrabel are practically locks, followed by Ed Reed, James Farrior and then it gets a bit murkier. Would the voters give all 5 spots to first-year candidates by selecting Daunte Culpepper or Anthony Weaver? Or do they look at McGahee or Price and say that it is their turn? We will find out in just about 10 weeks as we await the official announcement of the Class of 2019.   You can almost smell the desperation in the air as three USFL clubs remain winless heading into Week 4, including one of our Friday night combatants. It will be the winless Washington Federals heading to New Jersey to face the Generals that kicks off Week 4 of the USFL schedule. New Jersey got their first win this past week and look to hit .500 with another, but the Feds have absolutely no interest in dropping to 0-4, so you know they will be up for this one.   Saturday sees another winless club trying to get that first notch in the win column, as Oklahoma will get a chance to earn that W at home as they host the Denver Gold in a divisional game they can ill afford to lose. Other key games on Saturday include Memphis at Orlando, Portland heading to unbeaten Michigan, and a really interesting matchup in the South on NBC as the Breakers and Stallions face off at Protective Stadium.   Our last winless team is on display this Sunday, when the 0-3 Stars host the Houston Gamblers. That seems almost unfair as the defending league champions will be a very tough opponent for Philadelphia, even at the Linc. Another game to catch in the Northeast is Baltimore at Pittsburgh, with both clubs sitting atop the division at 2-1 and hoping to get to 3-1 and a great first quarter of their season. Other games we don’t want to miss include Oakland at Ohio, Charlotte at Atlanta, and a very intriguing Southwest battle as Dallas at 2-1, having suffered their first loss this week to Michigan, head to Arizona to see how they match up with the unbeaten Wranglers.   Friday @ 7pm ET           Washington (0-3) @ New Jersey (1-2)            NBC Friday @ 9:30pm ET       Las Vegas (1-2) @ San Diego (2-1)               FOX   Saturday @ 12pm ET     Memphis (2-1) @ Orlando (1-2)                        ABC Saturday @ 12pm ET   Jacksonville (2-1) @ Tampa Bay (1-2)               FOX Saturday @ 4pm ET     Denver (1-2) @ Oklahoma (0-3)                     ABC Saturday @ 4pm ET       Portland (1-2) @ Michigan (3-0)                      FOX Saturday @ 7pm ET     New Orleans (2-1) @ Birmingham (2-1)            NBC Saturday @ 9pm ET       Seattle (1-2) @ Chicago (2-1)                         ESPN/EFN   Sunday @ 12pm ET        Houston (2-1) @ Philadelphia (0-3)                ABC Sunday @ 12pm ET      Baltimore (2-1) @ Pittsburgh (2-1)                  FOX Regional Sunday @ 12pm ET      Oakland (2-1) @ Ohio (1-2)                              FOX Regional Sunday @ 4pm ET          St. Louis (1-2) @ Los Angeles (2-1)                  ABC Sunday @ 4pm ET         Dallas (2-1) @ Arizona (3-0)                             FOX Sunday @ 8pm ET         Charlotte (2-1) @ Atlanta (1-2)                         ESPN/EFN