Search this site

We arrive at the season’s midway point with a lot of big stories, from the surprising decline of the Baltimore Blitz to the surprising successes in Memphis and Pittsburgh, this has been a season of big moves. Week 8 gave us strong performances from Arizona and New Orleans, the league’s two best records, and dramatic wins by Charlotte, Orlando, and Birmingham. We saw a lot of backup QBs in action, most with pretty poor outings, but we also saw a strong 2nd game from Lamar Jackson, and a possible sign that San Diego and Seattle are not done yet in the Pacific. We will recap all of this week’s games, talk about the strength of the Southern Division, and take a look at all 28 clubs at the season’s midway point, including team MVPs for each club, and a look at the latest power rankings, all coming up right now in This Week in the USFL. The South Has Risen Again After years of being seen as one of the league’s weaker divisions, the South is showing us this year that they are a force to be reckoned with. Led by the 7-1 Breakers, with Houston and Memphis only a game back at 6-2, and Birmingham still in the mix at 3-5, the South is proving they are a top to bottom brutal division right now, especially at home. The four Southern squads are currently a combined 16-1 in their home stadiums, and a combined 16-4 in interdivisional games, the best record of any division in the league.   The division includes the 2nd and 3rd leading scoring teams (New Orleans and Houston), the second best scoring defense (Memphis), the 2nd and 3rd best rush defenses (New Orleans and Memphis), and the 2nd best team in turnover differential (Birmingham). You also have the two top passers (yardage) in Colt McCoy and Drew Brees, and three of the top 5 receivers (Mike Evans, Jordy Nelson, and JuJu Smith-Schuster). It is a division that could place 3, maybe even all 4 teams in the playoffs if they continue to dominated inter-divisional games. This is a long way from only a few years ago when the division had a streak of champions with 9 wins (2013 & 2012), or even only 8 wins (2011) and most viewed the division as a weak sister to the NE and SE Division.   Now, one reason for the shift is a change of teams, with Nashville leaving for Las Vegas and replaced by Houston, who were a power in the Southwest and have brought that dynamic to their new division. The other reason may well be improved run games across the division, with Todd Gurley in Memphis, Carlos Hyde in Houston, and Leonard Fournette in New Orleans all looking stronger this year. Even Birmingham seems to have improved after the trade of T. J. Yeldon that brought Rex Burkhead to the Stallions.   While there are still many who would point to the NE Division as the league’s toughest, an argument can be made that it is the South where we see the most competitive teams and the potential for multiple playoff contenders. The second half of the season will tell the tale, of course, as there will be 6 more divisional games between the division’s 4 clubs, but, as a 4-team division the South also have a higher number of inter-divisional games, and if they continue to excel in those matchups, we could well see all 4 clubs finish at or above .500 and in the playoff mix.   ATLANTA FIRE 19  CHARLOTTE MONARCHS 24 With both the Fire and the Monarchs caught in a three way tie atop the Southeastern Division, you knew this Atlantic Coast rivalry was going to produce a hard-fought and close game, and that is exactly what we got. Both clubs stress defense, and both have outstanding linebacker groups, with Atlanta led by Luke Kuechley and Patrick Willis, while Charlotte boasts Rolando McClain and Jerod Mayo. One of those four would go on not just to be player of the game, but USFL player of the week, and it would not take long to see why.   It was on Atlanta’s very first possession of the game, taking over barely 10 minutes in, after Charlotte punted the ball with a perfect coffin corner kick to the 1 yard line by one of the league’s best, 11-year veteran Ken Walter. First and 10 from the 1 and Atlanta sends rookie Nick Chubb up the middle for a 1 yard gain, tackled by a combination of Mayo and Gabe Miller. Second and 9 and Jerod Mayo announces that has come to play. Coach Mora, expecting Atlanta to try to pass on 2nd down, sends Mayo on a blitz off the right guard, Mayo clears the guard with ease, cracks Aaron Murray across the right side, forcing out the ball, which he then gathers and falls on in the endzone for the game’s first points. The always coveted strip-sack-recovery-touchdown for Mayo would be the highlight play of the game, but only one of many plays that helped the Charlotte linebacker win POTW this week.   But while Charlotte’s defense had put the Monarchs on the board, Atlanta’s defense was also having a good first half. They held the Monarchs to only 1 first down in the half, absolutely stuffing HB Adrian Peterson, who would finish the game with only 11 carries and, yes this number is right, a total of exactly 0 rushing yards. It was a masterful performance from Keuchley in particular,, though Coach Arians was also quick to praise play of DT Sione Pouha, getting 37 snaps after only arriving with the club on Wednesday, traded over from Birmingham. Atlanta shut out the Charlotte offense in the first half, and over the course of the two quarters equalized the score on a Kenyan Drake TD run and then took the lead with two 2nd quarter field goals from John Bounds.   Down 13-7 at the half, Charlotte needed inspiration, and once again it would be Jerod Mayo providing it. On a 3rd and 1 from the Monarch 48, Atlanta did what most expected, handing the ball to their main man, rookie Nick Chubb, but Mayo was in the hole produced for Chubb and he just flat out stood up and knocked down the rookie, with a crash that could be heard in the announcers booth. It was just a loss of 1, but it was also a resounding message to Atlanta that the Monarch defense was not going to give an inch. The Fire were forced to punt, and the Charlotte offense got a jolt of adrenaline from the big hit. As teammates surrounded Mayo on the sideline with congratulations, fist bumps, and pats on the back, the offense finally found a rhythm. Mitch Trubisky, who had a solid outing, hitting on 20 of 25 passing, found Hakeem Nicks for a nice 16-yard gain on the opening play of the drive. He then connected twice with Brandon Pettigrew to get Charlotte in field goal range. When a 3rd and 3 toss to Isaiah McKenzie fell wide, the Monarchs sent out Stephen Earl and put 3 on the board to bring the game to 13-10.   The fourth quarter began with Atlanta moving the ball well, Aaron Murray surviving his 4th sack of the game, but then finding Roy Williams for a 35-yard catch and run on 3rd and 18, helping the Fire get in field goal range once again. John Bounds put them up by 6 once again at 16-10 with a short kick and Atlanta was once again on defense. But this time, Charlotte was feeling their mojo. It would take the Monarchs only 4 plays to take their first lead of the game. Following an initial first down on a short pass to John Stupar, Trubisky faked the ball to Peterson on first and 10, then found Isaiah McKenzie on a corner route, with the safety out of position. McKenzie cut inside the corner and took off for a 57-yard catch and run for 7 points. Charlotte’s first lead stood at 17-16 with just over 6 minutes to play.   Atlanta got the ball back and again found some success. This time it was the run game, with Nick Chubb hitting his best carry of the day, a 15-yarder, followed 2 plays later by Kenyon Drake taking a toss outside for 11. Atlanta was knocking on the door, but once again Jerod Mayo stepped up, this time taking down Murray for his second sack of the day, a key play on 2nd and 8 from the 12, creating a 3rd and 20 situation on the 20. Murray, flustered by the big hit from the Monarch linebacker, missed high on an endzone throw to Kelvin Benjamin, forcing the Fire to settle for 3 points, but they did have the lead back at 19-17 with 2:13 to play.   But, just as we saw with the 3rd down stuff of Chubb earlier in the game, Jerod Mayo’s big play not only fired up the Charlotte D, it gave the offense a lift as well. The Monarchs’ offense took the field with a sense of swagger, despite their absolute inability to run the ball. With just over 2 minutes to go, the run game would not be a factor anyway, and Adrian Peterson was replaced on the field by rookie 3rd down back Nyheim Hines as Charlotte prepared to attack through the air. Trubisky would not look Hines’s way, but would connect with Hakeem Nicks, then Justin Blackmon, the former Ohio Glory star. After scrambling for 3 yards, Trubisky then found Blackmon again, with a throw that split the safeties and got Blackmon all the way to the 3 yard line. With nearly 90 seconds left to play, and down only 2, Charlotte went with the run game on first and second down, but the Fire run defense remained stalwart. Hines gained 1 yard on first down, then lost that yard on 2nd, giving Charlotte a 3rd and goal at the 3. Atlanta loaded the box, expecting a 3rd inside run and then a field goal for the win, but Charlotte, threw them a curve. Trubisky faked to Hines, rolled to his right and found Hakeem Nicks, the lone wideout on the field, streaking across the goalline. The throw was low and outside, but Nicks dropped to the turf and picked it up for the score and the Charlotte lead with just 90 seconds left to play.   Atlanta was now down 5 with 2 timeouts and 90 seconds to find paydirt. But, once again, they had to face that Monarch defense and the very fired up Jerod Mayo. The Fire had a good first play, with Murray finding Benjamin on the sideline for a quick 9 yards. They converted the first down on a Kenyan Drake pitch outside, with the back getting out of bounds to stop the clock. But on 1st and 10 from the 41, it all started to fall apart again. On first down, Mayo pressured Murray, and while he did not get the sack, he forced an early throw that was off target, missing Dorial Green-Beckham wide and low. On second down, Mayo dropped into coverage, taking away the inside route of O. J. Howard, and forcing Murray to try to hit Roy Williams in double coverage. Another incompletion and now it was 3rd and 10. Murray lined up in the shotgun, 3 receivers to his right, and Jerod Mayo making a lot of noise in front of him. Again, the Atlanta QB, perhaps flustered by Mayo’s vocal display and presence on the line, made a bad read, trying to hit Howard over the middle and nearly having the ball picked off by Rolando McClain, who had dropped back in coverage. That made it 4th and 10 and one last chance for the Fire.   Murray again lined up in the shotgun, and again had 3 receivers to his right, Benjamin, Green-Beckham, and Howard. Williams was the lone receiver to the left. The ball would go over the middle to Howard, but once again Mayo was there, hitting the tight end with a textbook wrap tackle 8 yards down the field and 2 yards shy of the first down. It would be Mayo’s 11th tackle (technically his 15th, but with several shared tackles, he got only half credit) and it would be the one that salted away a vital division win for the Monarchs. There was no doubt in the stadium who the hero of the day was, though we should recognize Trubisky’s solid game as well. This game was dominated by, and the Monarchs inspired by, the play of their 10-year veteran OLB.   MEMPHIS 14  BIRMINGHAM 20  OVERTIME A huge win for the Stallions as they stay relevant in the brutal Southern Division by knocking off their archrivals. The Stallions got off to a great start, spurred by their defense, as Antonio Cromartie returned a poor throw from Paxton Lynch 37 yards for a defensive TD. Newly-acquired HB Rex Burkhead made it 14-0 with a 2nd quarter TD, but Memphis fought back in the second half, with Lynch finding both Robert Woods and Jamison Crowder for scores. The game went into overtime, where Cam Newton found rookie HB Kerryon Johnson for a short TD to end the game and give the Stallions the win. POTG: Stallion HB Kerryon Johnson: 13 Att, 50 Yds, 1 Rec, 1 TD   LOS ANGELES 10  SAN DIEGO 34 A rough start for LA interim coach Emmitt Thomas, as San Diego got two pick-sixes against Sam Bradford to run away with this one. Bradford was under pressure all game, taking 4 sacks, and throwing two picks, both of them returned for scores. The San Diego offense, led by backup Christian Ponder, was not exactly explosive, gaining only 278 total yards, but they did enough to keep themselves well ahead of the Express, building up a 24-3 lead by the half and controlling the ball in the second half to gain their 3rd win of the year. POTG: San Diego CB Tye Smith: 4 Tck, 1 Int, 1 Def TD, 1 FF, 1 FR   DENVER 17  NEW ORLEANS 38 Leonard Fournette had his best game as a pro, including 2 first quarter TD runs and 92 yards receiving, which included a 60 yard explosion that lead to a C. J. Spiller 1-yard TD run as New Orleans improved to 7-1 at the midway point. Denver stayed close through three quarters, with TDs from Murray and Crabtree pulling them to within 24-17 at the end of the third, but two late Breaker TDs sealed the deal for New Orleans. POTG: Breaker HB Leonard Fournette: 23 Att, 64 Yds, 2 TD, 3 Rec, 92 Yds   BALTIMORE 0  NEW JERSEY 34 In what may be the ugliest loss in Blitz history, the Generals utterly dismantled the Blitz for a blowout win. Maurice Jones-Drew ran wild, averaging 5.9 yards per carry on his way to a 160-yard rushing game. Odell Beckham Jr also came on strong with 7 receptions for 116 yards for the Generals, who had no trouble at all managing the Blitz’s defensive scheme. The Blitz offense had all kinds of trouble with the Generals, committing 2 turnovers, and converting only 4 of 11 third downs, but the huge issue for the Blitz was discipline as they racked up 14 penalties for 124 yards against them. An ugly display from a Blitz team that drops to 2-6 at midseason. POTG: Generals’ HB Maurice Jones-Drew: 27 Att, 160 Yds, 1 TD   PITTSBURGH 14  SEATTLE 23 The “Seattle Surge” is alive and well as the Dragons upset Pittsburgh to win their third in a row. Seattle built up a 20-0 lead by the half and held on despite a Rasul Douglas pick-six of Matt McGloin. The Dragons got TDs form Marshall Newhouse and Wendell Smallwood, but it was the defense that starred in the game, picking off Andy Dalton twice and limiting the Mauler run game to a measly 10 total yards. POTG: Seattle FS Donte Whitner: 3 Tck, 3 PDef, 2 Int   OKLAHOMA 20  DALLAS 17 A good divisional win for Oklahoma, moving them to .500. It was a close game throughout, with both teams making mistakes but also making some big plays. The Outlaws held a 20-10 advantage in the 4th but Dallas made a valiant effort to equalize the game, but a holding penalty pushed the Roughnecks out of range for a final field goal to tie the game, forcing Brandon Wheedon to try for a Hail Mary on the game’s final play. The play failed and Oklahoma held on for the W. POTG: Outlaw LB Jonathan Moulton: 7 Tck, 1 Int, 1 FR   PHILADELPHIA 9  WASHINGTON 19 A bad loss for the Stars as backup Tony Pike struggled to only 9 of 28 passing and was sacked 7 times by the Federals. Washington took advantage, with Anthony Allen having his best day of the year, with 94 yards rushing and 2 receptions. Keenan Allen scored both Federal touchdowns, enough to get the W and push Washington to .500 at the midway point, with Philly dropping to the same 4-4 record. POTG: Federal WR Keenan Allen: 7 Rec, 91 Yds, 2 TD   ARIZONA 20  LAS VEGAS 3 And to think we were worried about Coach Tomsula’s defense this offseason. Arizona is now ranked first in points allowed after holding Las Vegas, and backup QB Jeff Tuel, to only 3 points. Ryan Nassib again looked to be in command, going 14 of 21 for 206 yards and 2 scores with no turnovers. The D also held Las Vegas under 300 yards of total offens and produced 3 takeaways. POTG: Wrangler CB Joe Haden: 13 Tck, 1 FF, 1 FR   OAKLAND 27  TAMPA BAY 3 The Invaders take command with a 6-2 record in the Division, their defense keying the win once again as they hold Tampa Bay to 252 total yards and a lone field goal on the board. Jimmy Garoppolo was taken out of the game at the half, with Oakland up only 10-3, due to concerns about his thumb, after it got bent back when it hit a helmet on a late 2nd quarter throw. Bob Volek came in, threw for 144 yards and a TD. POTG: Invader SS Jaiquawn Jarrett: 6 Tck, 1 TFL, 1 Sck, 2 PDef, 1 Int   ST. LOUIS 21  CHICAGO 34 Chicago reaches .500 at the midway point by scoring 20 points in the 2nd half to pull away from St. Louis. The combo of Forte and Hill gained 10 yards on the ground against the hapless Skyhawk run defense. Lamar Jackson played well in the loss, completing 22 of 36 passes for 244 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also used his legs, with 3 scrambles, including one for a first down. But, Chicago was just too much, with balance producing 391 offensive yards. POTG: Chicago HB Matt Forte: 16 Att, 98 Yds, 1 TD   OHIO 28  PORTLAND 14 A nice road win for Ohio, as Troy Smith throws for 2 TDs and gets 2 more from HB Isaiah Pead. Kellon Clemons struggled for Portland, sacked 3 times and picked off once. The lone highlight for Portland was a 58-yard pick-six by CB A. J. Bouye. It was 14-7 Portland at the half, but Troy Smith came on in the 2nd half, connecting with HB Delone Carter and WR Eric Weems for scores. POTG: Ohio FS LaRon Landry: 8 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 Blck FG   JACKSONVILLE 10  HOUSTON 35 Houston has their way with the 1-7 Bulls, putting up 395 yards of offense, including 94 yards and 2 touchdowns from Carlos Hyde. Teddy Bridgewater threw 2 more picks, giving him 5 on the year with no touchdowns yet, which has some believing that Robert Griffin III may get the next start. For Houston, a huge game as well from JuJu Smith-Schuster, who had 128 yards and a score on 5 receptions. POTG: Gambler HB Carlos Hyde: 22 Att, 94 Yds, 2 TD, 1 Rec, 30 Yds   ORLANDO 23  MICHIGAN 20 A fabulous Sunday night matchup between two solid teams as Orlando gets the winning field goal in the final minute to upend the Panthers in front of nearly 60,000 at Ford Field. Russell Wilson threw for 269 in the game. Michigan played with 2 backups, with Taylor Heinecke and Drew Stanton both seeing action due to Kirk Cousin’s injury. LeVeon Bell rushed for 182 and a TD, but the Panthers just could not shake Orlando, who got TDs from Latavius Murray and Dwayne Bowe in the victory. POTG: Orlando WR Brashad Perriman: 10 Rec, 118 Yds Leonard Fournette Shines for League’s Best Breakers LSU’s Leonard Fournette has not been the immediate breakout player the Breakers had hoped for, but if this week’s performance against Denver was any indication, the 2nd year back may be gaining more and more trust in New Orleans, with big things ahead. Yes, his rushing total was only 64 yards, after a season-best 87 last week, but he also turned in 90 yards in the passing game, including a brilliant 60-yard catch and run on an outside screen play. Fournette was kept in on more 3rd downs than in the past, a sign that he is gaining the trust of the coaches and his QB as a receiver. Balance in the offense has long been a goal for Coach Lathon, and this season we are seeing a better distribution of run and pass plays, allowing Drew Brees a bit of respite from those 50-attempt games of the past. Sitting at 7-1 atop the Southern Division, New Orleans is hoping the recent surge in production from Fournette is a sign of things to come. The Breakers still have 4 divisional games to play this year, including 2 against the surprising Showboats, so they need to keep the pedal to the metal and not get complacent. If they can keep Brees’s arm loose by not overtaxing the passing game, they could very well be looking at a one seed, a bye, and homefield in a very tough Eastern Conference. MJD Looking for MVP Don’t tell Maurice Jones-Drew that the league MVP award almost always goes to a QB. He does not want to hear it. After a 160-yard rushing game this week against Baltimore, part of a 34-0 drubbing of the division foe, MJD is talking MVP in a big way. This week was his 3rd 100-yard game, the 4th time he has had over 150 yards of combined yards from scrimmage, and he also leads the league with 12 touchdowns, giving him more points this season than any of the league’s 28 kickers, something that we often see in weeks 1-2 but not after 8 weeks.   MJD is arguably having his best year in his 13th season, and at age 32. He is averaging 4.0 YPG, the first time he has done that in 3 years, and is on pace for 1,500 yards, which would eclipse his career best by nearly 200 yards. He is contributing in the passing game as well, with 15 receptions. The offense clearly runs through him, as Nick Foles is using play action to great effect, and teams are loading the box but still struggling to contain the “Pocket Hercules”. But is it enough to really put him in the MVP race? At 5-2-1, New Jersey could well be looking at a bye and possibly a top seed, so the answer may well be yes, it it. Atlanta Cannot Hold the Mayo Our game of the week saw Charlotte outlast Atlanta to claim a share of first place in the Southeast, tied with Orlando at 5-3, and while both teams had a lot of stars on display, it was Charlotte LB Jerod Mayo who shone the brightest. Mayo finished the game with 11 tackles, 2 sacks, and the play of the game, a strip sack, recovery, and touchdown on defense that opened scoring in the game. Had this one play early in the game been his only contribution, we would not be singing Mayo’s praises today, but what we saw in this game was a linebacker causing absolute mayhem on nearly every drive. His blitzes were devastating to the Atlanta line, leading to Aaron Murray being sacked 5 times. He also disrupte the Atlanta run game, helping to hold standout rookie Nick Chubb to only 3.4 yards per carry, well below his season average. Finally, Mayo was a vocal leader on the field, working alongside Rolando McClain to rile up the defense at key moments. In other words, he talked the talk and also walked the walk, exactly the kind of game the Monarchs needed, and the kind of game that won Mayo the Player of the Week. Blitz Bottom Out in 34-0 Drubbing Things are getting ugly in Baltimore. The Blitz, once thought to be among the contenders for the NE Division, have fallen to 2-6 on the season, and did so in one of the ugliest performances Baltimore has seen since the final scene of John Water’s 1972 Baltimore film “Pink Flamingos” (Don’t ask, you don’t want to know.) The 34-0 drubbing in New Jersey highlighted many of the problems the Blitz have evinced all season: a shaky defensive line that just does not stop the run effectively and cannot get to the QB, a run game that is hit or miss, but cannot be counted on for key 3rd down runs, poor route running by receivers who have been outstanding in the past, and a seemingly indecisive Ben Roethlisberger, something we are just not used to seeing.   Baltimore now ranks in the bottom half of the league in Scoring (17th), yards per game (16th), rushing (16th), points allowed (19th), yards allowed (17th), and, most notably, pass defense (240.6 YPG, 20th in the league). None of these numbers were expected from a Blitz team that some had as an outside contender for a Summer Bowl appearance. Coach Caldwell does not seem to have any easy fixes either. It is not like he is going to replace Big Ben at QB, or find a new starting HB who can gain a 3rd and 2 when needed, or suddenly have an epiphany with the defense. Nope, it just looks like Caldwell will have to find a way to motivate better play from across the roster, find some new schemes on defense, and open up the offense somehow. All tall orders for a team that is now solidly in last place in a very competitive and balanced NE Division. Denver Loses Suh to Broken Leg We often talk about teams or players getting a bad break, but in the case of Denver’s star DT Ndamukong Suh, we are speaking quite literally. Suh got caught up in a combination block, and had the center for the Breakers, Chris Spencer, fall across his shin. The impact was immediate and devastating. Suh fell to the ground in obvious pain, and while not quite as visible or visceral as the famous Joe Theismann injury, it was clear that bone was protruding from Suh’s leg. He was taken off the field on the cart, and by day’s end it was revealed that both the tibia and the fibula had suffered fractures, with the tibia suffering a clean break that did not break the skin, but protruded it outwards. Suh would be out for the rest of Denver’s 2018 campaign, a huge loss for a team that had started strong this year but was now fading at midseason.   The injury meant that Sharrif Floyd would be joining Amobi Okoye in the starting four on the D-line, but more than that it meant that Denver would now have to rely far more on more elaborate schemes to stuff the run or find pressure on the QB. Even with Von Miller and Justice Cole forming a pretty formidable duo outside, it had always been Suh’s inside pressure and blocker-occupying physicality that had given Miller and Cole favorable matchups outside. The impact was immediate, even after the initial shock was shaken off by both teams. For the remainder of the game, Breaker QB Drew Brees would not feel considerable pressure, completing 11 of his final 13 passes. Breaker HB Leonard Fournette also saw greater success running the ball with Suh out of the game.   Denver, looking ahead to the next 8 games, will need to find a way to generate pressure and also to contain the run. They face San Diego this week, the team with the top-rated run game in the league, so Suh’s absence will be immediately tested. What follows after that is a series of games where Denver will need to both pressure the QB and stop the run without their best inside defender. It was a bad break quite literally, but also figuratively as the 4-4 Gold must now try to find a new way to defend and a new leader for the defense.   The injury to Ndaukong Suh was hardly the only one this week as we saw 3 more players added to the IR list, as well as several more expected to miss a month or longer. Among the high impact injuries are HB Kenyan Drake in Atlanta, suffering a hairline fracture in his right arm; former Stallion and current Bandit T. J. Yeldon, with a partial PCL tear; Dallas WR Tim Wright also with a PCL injury; and Orlando’s young corner Dee Milliner, with damage to the meniscus in his right knee after an awkward landing atop a receiver’s foot. Add to these several shorter term injuries, and we have a pretty long and gnarly injury list to report this week.   OUT SS      Chuck Clark        STL         Hamstring         IR C             Marcus Martin         ATL         Torn Quad           IR DT        Ndamukong Suh    DEN      Fractured Leg         IR HB      T. J. Yeldon              TBY        Torn PCL             6-8 Weeks WR      Tim Wright               DAL       Torn PCL             6-8 Weeks HB      Kenyan Drake         ATL         Fracture              4-6 Weeks OT       Ryan Ramczyk         BAL        Broken Leg         4-6 Weeks DT         Ryan Carethers       ARZ       Neck                     4-6 Weeks C           Wesley Johnson      LV           Ribs                       4-6 Weeks CB         Dee Milliner             ORL       Miniscus             2-4 Weeks G           Logan Mankins       OAK      MCL                      1-2 Weeks C           Erik Cook                JAX         Concussion       1-2 Weeks QB        Taylor Heinecke       MGN     Hand                    1-2 Weeks   DOUBTFUL FS           Jamal Adams          DAL       Concussion C         Sean Harlow            POR      Hand G           Kyle Long                 WSH     Knee WR        DeDe Westbrook    OKL       Hamstring WR        Mike Wallace           SEA        Stress Fracture (Foot)   QUESTIONABLE G              Luke Joeckel                     OAK      Neck DE            Cliff Avril                             OAK      Hamstring G              Max Jean-Gilles              ORL       Wrist TE             David Njoku                      ORL       Hand   Mid-Season Report Cards With 8 weeks down and 8 to go, it is time to evaluate where our teams stand across the league. We have opted to provide a mid-semester report card, dishing out grades from A+ to F across the league. It is not just about wins and losses but met or missed expectations. With each club we will provide a key theme, while later on, in our Power Rankings, we will also award a midseason MVP for each club. So, we start with our division by division analysis of the 2018 playoff race and season to date at the midway point.   The Northeast has not played out the way we expected. New Jersey is what we thought we would see, a solid team with a strong run game. Pittsburgh has been surprisingly good on defense, Philadelphia strangely weak on that same side of the ball. Washington is plucky but feels very much like a one man show with David Garrard in the center ring. Baltimore is a clown car that just isn’t fun to watch.   New Jersey        A-           Solidly where we expected them to be with a huge game against the Maulers this week.   Pittsburgh          A             The game at Heinz Field this week could propel the Maulers into a lofty position atop a division few picked them to win.   Washington       B+          While 4-4 may not seem like much, it is a positive step for a Federals team that was seen as a rebuilding project.   Philadelphia     C             While 4-4 gives Washington a B+ it has to be seen as a poor situation for a Stars team many picked to win it all. Philly has time to make a push, but they cannot let either the Maulers or Generals get any further ahead.   Baltimore           D             This season has been a disaster, and there are no major injuries or controversies to explain it. It just feels like nothing that worked in the past is working now. We expected a balanced battle in the division, and that is what we have after 8 weeks, with 3 teams all battling it out for the top spot. We expected more from both Tampa Bay and Jacksonville, especially from Tampa’s offense and Jacksonville’s defense, both of which have not been as advertised.   Charlotte            B+          The Monarchs could be in a better position, but it seems like Mitch Trubisky is suffering a sophomore slump. If they can fix that, they could pull out ahead with a solid run game and a strong defense. Orlando               A-           We are still somewhat shocked that Orlando is winning with offense and not their defensive front. Imagine how good they could be if the defense tightens up a bit.   Atlanta                B             The Fire are hoping that defense will carry them forward. Despite a solid year from Aaron Murray, the offense is still not producing enough to win consistently.   Jacksonville      D             Not much was expected of the Bulls, and not much is what we are getting. But how long will the Teddy Bridgewater experiment last when he has yet to throw a single TD pass?   Tampa Bay         F             The addition of Dez Bryant was supposed to make this a dynamic offense, one capable of propelling Tampa towards the top of the division, but it just is not materializing. The addition of Memphis to the mix, and even Birmingham’s occasionally strong outing make the South our rising division this year. There is an outside chance that all 4 clubs could make the post-season, though our bet is that the top 3 will get in and Birmingham will fall just short once again.   New Orleans    A+          The defense is playing lights out, the offense is explosive and more balanced than ever. This is a very dangerous team, with a huge game in Houston this week to prove it.   Houston              A             The Gamblers are right there with New Orleans. If they can win the home matchup with the Breakers this week, they gain the upper hand in a very tight race.   Memphis            A             No one expected Memphis to be here, but the defense has exceeded expectations (especially with Bowman missing several weeks) and Paxton Lynch seems to be developing nicely as he gets more games under his belt.   Birmingham      C+          While 3-5 is not where Birmingham wanted to be, we are seeing better defensive play, a better run, game, and as their win over Memphis showed, the capacity to rise to the occasion, but can they do so consistently? Michigan is still atop the division, but their title defense is proving a bit tougher than many expected, with both Ohio and Chicago playing above our expectations. There is still work to do in St. Louis, that seems obvious, but Lamar Jackson is at least providing some excitement and some hope for the future in the Gateway City.   Michigan            B+          It still feels like Michigan’s division to win, but this does not feel like the club that had all the answers last postseason. They are still winning games, but the dominance we saw late last year has not returned, at least not yet.   Ohio                      A-           We are impressed with how well this club has weathered the injury storm that took out their top 2 QBs. With Hackenberg expected back, can we expect even more from the Glory in the second half?   Chicago              B+          Sitting at .500 is a solid spot for a Machine club that had a lot of question marks coming into the year. The offense is finding some answers and the defense is much improved over last year.   St. Louis              C-           While we love what we have seen the past two weeks from rookie QB Lamar Jackson, until Coach Reich can fix that defense, it will be tough to win games.   Arizona’s demise was apparently greatly exaggerated. We all feared their defense would be a shambles after all the offseason departures, but they are playing amazing team defense, leading the league in points allowed. They are solidly ahead of the pack, but both Oklahoma and Denver could close the gap if they could just play their best ball more consistently. Dallas has improved on defense but now lacks a true threat at QB, and Las Vegas has been very disappointing and seems to be intent on building for the future instead of winning right now in what could be Eli Manning’s final season.   Arizona                A+          He may not be among the front runners for Coach of the Year, but the work Coach Tomsula has done with this defense is nothing short of amazing.   Oklahoma          B-           The defense is holding this team together. They need to figure out why their emphasis on power runs is producing Marshawn Lynch’s worst statistical year of his career.   Denver                 C+          Denver looked very promising early, but have lost 3 of 4 after a strong start. They need to find their mojo again because this is a division that should produce 2 playoff teams, and they are a squad that can make that happen if they get their minds right.   Dallas                  C             The Manziel suspension was an unwanted distraction that turned into a much bigger problem. Fans who were upset that the Roughnecks did not prepare by signing a backup QB in the offseason are feeling pretty vindicated for their offseason concerns.   Las Vegas           C-           This was a team that many thought could challenge for a Summer Bowl berth, but this season has not produced enough energy on offense or consistency on defense, and it feels already like Coach Neuheisel is planning for 2019. The resurgence of the Invaders is a great story, as was a strong early season from Marcus Mariota and the Stags, but Portland seems to be fading, and San Diego, expected to win the division, may just now be finding their form, perhaps in time for a surge in the 2nd half. Seattle is hoping they can duplicate last year’s miracle finish after once again starting a bizarre 0-5, and LA, well, the less we say about the Expres, perhaps the better.   Oakland              A             The Invaders survived a rough start with 2 QB injuries, but now that Jimmy G is solidly in place as the starter, they are winning, winning ugly in many cases, but that is just another way to say that their defense is ahead of the offense and helping out a lot.   Portland              B             A 3-1 start surprised many, but the Stags have gone 1-3 in the 2nd quarter of the season, and now, with Mariota hurt, there are concerns that the early season success was as good as the team will be all year.   San Diego           B-           The season started poorly, with 3 consecutive losses, but San Diego seems to be on the precipice of finding their identity and making a run. If it materializes, we could see them catching Oakland, especially if they can win their head-to-head matchup in Week 10.   Seattle                INC        Incomplete is the only grade we can give this club, mostly because we are having a hard time believing they can really pull off another playoff run after a 2nd straight 0-5 start to the year. If they do, then the question has to be what they can do to start the season stronger next year.   Los Angeles       F             After a marginally successful 8-8 year in 2017, the wheels have fallen off this express train, and Andy Reid has left the building. This team has too much talent to continuously underperform, and yet they do.   Player Awards Midseason is not just a time to look at team success, but individual player success as well. With that in mind, we offer you our best guesses as to the top contenders for each of the USFL’s major season-ending awards, from what could be a very tight MVP race to a really interesting cluster of candidates for Coach of the Year, here is our assessment of the individual accolades and who is looking good for recognition this year.   MVP: While we are very much appreciative of the outstanding season Maurice Jones-Drew is putting together in New Jersey, and while we think he absolutely should be in consideration, we all know that the MVP award goes to a QB nine times out of ten, and this year there are some very strong candidates. Right now we see it as a 3 QB race, with New Orleans’s Drew Brees and Houston’s Colt McCoy clearly having topflight seasons, but we also love what David Garrard is doing in Washington. He has single handedly willed the Federals to 4-4, and if the Feds can reach a playoff, he may well get a lot of consideration. Right now, looking at the stats, the three are ranked 1-2-3 in yardage, with McCoy slightly ahead of Brees and Garrard. Brees has the edge with 16 touchdowns to 14 each for McCoy and Garrard, and when we consider QBR it is once again Brees, the league’s 2nd rated QB with the edge. If the Breakers continue to hold the league’s best record it could very well be a 3rd MVP award for the Breaker QB, a full 11 years since his last award.   OPOTY: If the MVP is locked in for a QB, then Maurice Jones Drew (HB-NJ) has to be considered a front runner for the Offensive Player of the Year. He will have competition however, particularly from Michigan’s main man, HB LeVeon Bell, who currently leads MJD by 29 yards for the league rushing title. Don’t count out a pair of receivers also, returning once again to the Southern Division to recognize the league’s top two receiving yardage leaders, Houston’s Mike Evans (882 yards) and New Orleans’s Jordy Nelson (49 yards back at 833). A strong second half from any of these four candidates could put them over the top.   DPOTY: While it was clearly Charlotte’s Jerod Mayo making a huge splash this week, we don’t see the Monarch LB as a top candidate for Defensive Player of the year. Right now we think it has to be a 2-man race, with our main “usual suspect” Calais Campbell of Orlando leading the league in sacks for the umpteenth consecutive year. But watch out as well for Oakland’s Bobby Wagner (LB-OAK). The Invaders are getting a lot of attention and it is their defense that is shining brightest, with Wagner the clear leader and impact player on that squad. If there is a possible dark horse for the award, keep an eye on another Invader, cornerback Chris Gamble, whose 6 sacks are well ahead of pace to set a league record, currently at 9 picks for the year. Gamble needs only 4 in the final 8 games to set the league mark, and that will certainly garner him some votes if he is successful.   ROTY: An interesting race for Rookie of the Year because we really only have one offensive standout, which means there is room for two strong first season defenders to get consideration. The odds right now are that the winner this year will be named Chubb, but will it be Atlanta halfback Nick Chubb or Washington DE Bradley Chubb. Both have had very nice starts to their career, with Nick currently 8th in the league with 544 yards in 8 games, on pace for 1,000, possibly 1,100 yards. Bradley has not gotten as much press in DC, but his impact is being felt. The NC State product has 5 sacks and 25 tackles (7 for loss) in his first 8 games. He has come on of late, with 13 tackles and 3 sacks in his last 3 games, a sign that he may have a strong second half ahead of him. The darkhorse here is in Denver, where LB Harold Landry has gotten more and more playing time each week, and now could have an even larger role as the Gold have to adjust to the loss of Ndamukong Suh on the D-Line. Landry has 37 tackles (5 for loss) and 2 sacks, and could be used more in passing downs as a blitzing outside threat, with hopes that teams cannot defend him and Von Miller on the same side.   COTY: With several teams outperforming expectations this season, there are plenty of Coach of the Year candidates. As much as we would love to see Arizona’s Jim Tomsula here, most considered Arizona a pretty solid division favorite before the year, so even the surprising success of a rebuilt Wrangler D is likely not enough to give Tomsula the award. Right now it is another defense and another defensive-minded coach who is getting a lot of attention, Memphis’s Rex Ryan. No doubt that the surprising start of the Showboats has a lot of folks praising the job the outspoken Ryan is doing in the home of the Blues. If Memphis fades, which does not seem likely but could happen, then we look at some other surprising squads and their coaches, including former COTY, Pittsburgh’s Vic Fangio, Oakland’s first year import from the NFL, Gary Kubiak, and a very respected coach out of Philly, former Star DC and new Federals’ HC Gus Bradley.     POWER RANKING The third and final part of our midseason report is always the most controversial, our mid-year power rankings. We look at who is hot, who is rising right now, and who may be overrated. Our list from 1 to 28 is sure to have some close calls and controversial placements, so get ready to debate the list, and just to add some fuel to the fire, we have not only made a quick assessment of each team, but offer you our best assessment of who the first half MVP has been for each club. Some are obvious, some perhaps not known to the casual fan, but in our minds, all worthy of recognition for their output this year.   1-NEW ORLEANS (7-1)                   Up 6 from Preseason Ranking Hard not to be near the top with the league’s 2nd rated scoring offense and 4th best scoring defense. First Half MVP: QB Drew Brees: 100.7 QBR, 2,197 Yds, 16 TDs   2-ARIZONA (6-1-1)                           Up 4 from Preseason Ranking Despite all the changes, Arizona now boasts the league’s best overall scoring defense, allowing only 13 points per game. 1st Half MVP: QB Ryan Nassib: Almost no drop off from Carr with 13:1 TD-INT ratio and league best 118.2 QBR. 3-HOUSTON (6-2)                            Down 1 from Preseason Ranking Houston boasts the league’s best passing attack at 291.5 YPG, and the defense has 30 sacks already, spread among 10 different players. First Half MVP: WR Mike Evans with 43 catches for 882 yards and 5 TDs.   4-NEW JERSEY (5-2-1)                    Up 5 from Preseason Ranking Lead the league in points per game, thanks in large part to balance between the 5th best rushing attack and the 7th ranked passing game. First Half MVP: HB Maurice Jones-Drew leads the league with 13 touchdowns, actually ahead of all 28 kickers in points scored.   5-MEMPHIS (6-2)                              Up 16 from Preseason Ranking Rex Ryan’s defense is solid in all areas, rating Top 10 in points per game (5th), yards allowed (2nd), passing (9th) and rushing (7th). First Half MVP: DE Mario Williams has picked up his game with 8 sacks in 8 games.   6-OAKLAND (6-2)                             Up 12 from Preseason Ranking The league’s 2nd best scoring defense has given Oakland time to get Jimmy Garoppolo up to speed. Despite the league’s 2nd worst passing yard average (157.6 ypg), Oakland is finding ways to win. First Half MVP: LB Bobby Wagner: Leads the team with 58 tackles, but also has 3 sacks, a pick, 2 forced fumbles, and 9 tackles for loss.   7-ORLANDO (5-3)                            Up 16 from Preseason Ranking Surprisingly, it has been the offense helping Orlando to 5 wins, thanks to a 25.6 PPG average, though the defense (4th best in yards allowed) has not been too shabby either. First Half MVP: WR Brashad Perriman, with 50 catches, 820 yards and 6 TDs, Perriman is making a name for himself this season.   8-MICHIGAN (5-3)                            Down 7 from Preseason Ranking Top 10 in both points scored (22.5 per game) and points allowed (17 per game), Michigan excels against the pass, allowing fewer than 200 yards per game. First Half MVP: CB Dre Kirkpatrick, not only has 3 picks, but leads the team with 64 tackles, playing a lot of pressure coverage and contributing against the run.   9-PITTSBURGH (5-3)                       Up 11 from Preseason Ranking The new offensive scheme is still a work in progress (21st in yards per game but 12th in points), while the defense is the league’s best against the run (62.1 YPG), forcing teams to be one-dimensional in their attacks. First Half MVP: CB Rasul Douglas, with 36 tackles, 3 picks, 2 returned for scores, and 13 passes defended.   10-CHARLOTTE (5-3)                      Down 6 from Preseason Ranking The Monarchs are middle of the pack in most categories, but are finding ways to win despite Mitch Trubisky developing an interception issue (leads the league with 12). First Half MVP: CB Derech Cox, with 46 tackles, 5 picks, and 10 passes defended, Cox is one of several defensive standouts for Charlotte.   11-OHIO (5-3)                                    Up 1 from Preseason Ranking The Glory have played 4 different QBs and are still 2 games over .500. They rank dead last in passing, but are top 10 in rushing, and their pass defense is among the league’s best, allowing only 195.8 YPG through the air. First Half MVP: LB Ryan Shazier, with 42 tackles (12 for a loss), 3 sacks and 2 forced fumbles, he is an OC’s worst nightmare, covering sideline to sideline and blowing up plays.   12-DENVER (4-4)                              Down 4 from Preseason Ranking The Gold are struggling on defense, ranked 22nd in points allowed at 22.6 per game, but still rank 5th in the league against the run, so it is pass defense that has to concern them. First Half MVP: QB Matt Leinart: 13 touchdowns with only 2 picks and the ability to audible to a wide playbook for Coach Hufnagel. He is keeping top draft pick Josh Allen on the bench.   13-OKLAHOMA (4-4)                      Up 2 from Preseason Ranking The “Smashmouth” offense is not working, ranked dead last in rushing (59.4 YPG) despite having bruising Marshawn Lynch as their lead back, but the defense is keeping them in games, and Joe Flacco can still pull out games. First Half MVP: CB Pacman Jones, leading the team with 3 picks, including a pick six, he also has 11 passes defended and 40 tackles.   14-CHICAGO (4-4)                           Up 5 from Preseason Ranking The Machine have rediscovered their defense, third in the league by allowing only 15.6 points per game, and the acquisition of Jeremy Hill has given them a boost in the run game, where they rank 3rd at 121.1 YPG. First Half MVP: HB Jeremy Hill: 548 yards and 5 TDs despite sharing carries with Matt Forte for most of the season. Hill’s arrival has helped bolster the Chicago run game.   15-WASHINGTON (4-4)                 Up 11 from Preseason Ranking The surprising success of the Federals is almost all David Garrard, as Washington has the league’s 3rd best passing attack, helping them overcome a defense that has been less than stellar (26th in points allowed, 24th in yards allowed). First Half MVP: QB David Garrard, with a huge season, throwing for 2,095 yards and 14 touchdowns in the first 8 games.   16-PHILADELPHIA (4-4)                Down 13 from Preseason Ranking A very up-and-down first half for the Stars, who expected better. The defense is dead last in yards allowed, a bad stat to be bad in. The big issue has been the pass defense, also last in the league, allowing 298.6 YPG despite a pretty solid 26 sacks this season. First Half MVP: QB Matt Gutierrez, with a very solid 100.4 QBR and 10 touchdowns, despite no receiver having more than 25 catches (not counting Doug Baldwin, who just arrived from Vegas).   17-ATLANTA (4-4)                             Down 5 from Preseason Ranking The Fire are solid against the pass, and are hoping that their new DT acquisition will help their mediocre run defense. Now, if they could just muster more out of the passing game, they could make a run. First Half MVP: Rookie HB Nick Chubb, with 544 yards, on pace for a 1,000-yard season.   18-PORTLAND (4-4)                        Up 10 from Preseason Ranking The Stags have looked good on defense (9th in scoring, 8th in yards allowed), but still fall just short on points, giving up 18.9 per game while scoring 18.8. That seems about right for a team sitting at .500. First Half MVP: HB Ben Tate came in when Doug Martin got hurt and has rushed for over 600 yards to help salvage the Stag run-first offense.   19-SEATTLE (3-5)                              Down 5 from Preseason Ranking Here we go again, with another 0-5 start and a 3-0 rebound. Can they really keep this up? Well, the secondary may well be the league’s best, with FS Donte Whitner playing lights out and 3 top tier corners in Xavien Howard, Richard Sherman, and Desmond Truffant. First Half MVP: Safety Donte Whitner has 4 picks, a sack, 25 tackles and is taking command of a true shut-down DB group.   20-SAN DIEGO (3-5)                        Down 16 from Preseason Ranking The Thunder started slowly, but with the league’s top rushing offense (126.6 YPG), they are a team to keep an eye on. They need to tighten up on defense and hope that Joe Webb can get more in synch with Marques Colston if they want to make a 2nd half run. First Half MVP: HB Ryan Williams, on pace for 1,200 yards and 10 TDs this year.   21-LAS VEGAS (3-5)                         Down 11 from Preseason Ranking We are not sure about some of the moves, especially trading away Doug Baldwin. The Vipers still have a Top 10 passing attack (when Manning is healthy), but have to be concerned with Eli’s 12 picks this season. First Half MVP: DE Mathew Judon, with 9 sacks, he is the primary threat on defense, where Vegas needs more production from some others.   22-BIRMINGHAM (3-5)                  Down 6 from Preseason Ranking The Stallions traded away T. J. Yeldon, but like what they are seeing from Rex Burkhead. That said, their offense ranks 26th out of 28 teams in both points scored and yards gained, not good numbers if you want to compete in a very tough division. First Half MVP: CB Antonio Cromartie is leading the team with 54 tackles, which may be more of a bad sign for the rest of the defense, but certainly also shows his effort level.   23-DALLAS (3-5)                                Down 6 from Preseason Ranking Thrown into chaos by the suspension of Johnny Manziel, Dallas is seeing improvements on their previously disastrous defense. They now rank 7th in yards allowed and are 4th against the pass, which is a good sign for the future. First Half MVP: Free agent acquisition, CB Patrick Peterson, is paying immediate dividends, with 3 picks, 2 sacks, a forced fumble and 46 tackles. He is also becoming a vocal leader on the improved Roughneck D.   24-ST. LOUIS (2-6)                            Up 3 from Preseason Ranking Not a lot has gone well for St. Louis this year, especially with the worst ranked defense in the league, giving up 30.2 points per game. But, the strong play from rookie QB Lamar Jackson these past two weeks has given St. Louis hope for the future. First Half MVP: Free agent acquisition, WR Stevie Johnson, has been all that was promised, leading the team with 31 receptions and 503 yards. He seems very happy to have Lamar Jackson in action as well, so his 2nd half numbers could see a further boost.   25-BALTIMORE (2-6)                       Down 14 from Preseason Ranking This is not where the Blitz expected to be, especially not with a 34-0 drubbing as their last outing. The Blitz are somehow in the bottom 5 in points per game at 17.5, while the defense has simply not done enough, ranked 19th at 21.5 PPGA. First Half MVP: CB Jabari Greer. Don’t blame Baltimore’s poor first half on Greer. With 3 forced fumbles and a pick, Greer has been doing all he can to keep the Blitz in games.   26-JACKSONVILLE (1-7)                Down 1 from Preseason Ranking The Bulls expected much more than this, but their defense has been pretty shaky, and it was expected to be the key to the team’s success. It does not hurt that their offense has the worst time of possession of any team, also leading the league in 3-and-outs. First Half MVP: LB Sean Lee remains the glue that holds Jacksonville’s D together, but he needs more help from the line and from a secondary that has not stepped up.                 27-TAMPA BAY (1-7)                         Down 3 from Preseason Ranking A lot has to fail for a team to be 1-7, and that is certainly true in Tampa, where the team is near the bottom in both points scored and points allowed. They give up an average of 9 more points per game than they score. That is not a stat that you associate with a winning squad. First Half MVP: NFL import Dez Bryant has been a bright spot on a pretty dark season for the Bandits, with 506 receiving yards and 5 TDs, he is proving a valuable addition.   28-LOS ANGELES (1-7)                  Down 6 from Preseason Ranking When your coach steps down after only 7 games you know it has been a rough year. LA is just not scoring points, 24th in the league at 17.9 per game, and the defense, once considered their strength, is also failing, giving up 24.2 per game and spending way too much time on the field with a pretty poor third down conversion rate. First Half MVP: DT Chris Jones is maturing into a very solid player, leading the team with 5 sacks and 2nd with 40 tackles, not bad for an interior D-lineman.   Only 5 divisional games in Week 9, but some great interdivisional matchups. We get off to a great start with the Friday night doubleheader. It kicks off with Atlanta taking on Memphis and then we get a battle of Southern Division titans with New Orleans traveling to Houston. Saturday starts with two NE Division clashes as Philadelphia travels to Baltimore, and the two top teams in the division face off in Pittsburgh, when the Generals visit the Maulers. Saturday also sees an interesting Western Conference matchup with Oklahoma at Michigan, then interdivisional play at night with Washington at Orlando and San Diego headed to the Mile High City to face the Denver Gold.   On Sunday it is do or die time for two 3-5 clubs as Las Vegas head into Birmingham to face the Stallions. Then at 4pm, we have the Pacific Division in the spotlight with Portland headed to LA and Seattle hoping to make it 4 in a row when they head down to Oakland to face the Invaders. The weekend finishes with an interconference matchup as the Monarchs head up to the Windy City to take on the Machine.   Friday @ 6pm ET         Atlanta (4-4) @ Memphis (6-2)                       NBC Friday @ 8pm ET             New Orleans (7-1) @ Houston (6-2)             FOX   Saturday @ 12pm ET     Philadelphia (4-4) @ Baltimore (2-6)              ABC Saturday @ 12pm ET     New Jersey (5-2-1) @ Pittsburgh (5-3)             FOX Saturday @ 4pm ET         Tampa Bay (1-7) @ Arizona (6-1-1)                ABC Saturday @ 4pm ET         Oklahoma (4-4) @ Michigan (5-3)                   FOX Saturday @ 7pm ET         Washington (4-4) @ Orlando (5-3)                 NBC Saturday @ 9pm ET         San Diego (3-5) @ Denver (4-4)                        ESPN/EFN   Sunday @ 12pm ET          St. Louis (2-6) @ Jacksonville (1-7)                   ABC Regional Sunday @ 12pm ET          Las Vegas (3-5) @ Birmingham (3-5)                ABC Regional Sunday @ 12pm ET          Dallas (3-5) @ Ohio (5-3)                                    FOX Sunday @ 4pm ET           Portland (4-4) @ Los Angeles (1-7)                   ABC Sunday @ 4pm ET           Seattle (3-5) @ Oakland (6-2)                           FOX Sunday @ 8pm ET          Charlotte (5-3) @ Chicago (4-4)                       ESPN/EFN

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: As good as the performances from MJD and Leonard Fournette were this week, we are going to give it to LB Jerod Mayo of Charlotte for one of the best all around best defensive performances of the season, and in a key divisional game that kept Charlotte atop the SE Division with their big win over Atlanta. Mayo was all over the field in this one, racking up 11 tackles, but also adding 2 sacks, including the ultimate defensive play, the sack-strip-fumble recovery TD. Mayo was a monster in this one and our POTW.

Player of the Week: We have to give it to rookie QB Lamar Jackson of the Skyhawks. To come into your first pro game and put up the numbers he did, throwing for over 300 yards and 2 TDs without a pick, that is impressive. Watch the replay of this game. You will see Jackson avoid pressure, make his reads, and throw the ball accurately. The Skyhawks could not have asked for a better first game from their big offseason signing.

Week 7 is in the books, and it is a week that brought us some big performances and a few surprises. We saw rookie QB Lamar Jackson throw for over 300 yards in his first action of the year, helping St. Louis snatch a victory in Las Vegas. We saw Seattle hold off Oakland to win their second in a row after an 0-5 start (sound familiar?). We saw Arizona’s defense again prove it is on the rise, New Orleans overpower another opponent to improve to 6-1. We also saw Orlando explode for 45 points after falling behind 20-0 in Atlanta, and we saw Pittsburgh show us they are a team to be taken seriously, as is Memphis, after they moved to 6-1 with a solid win in Charlotte. We also saw big games from HB Rashard Jennings (ORL), Jordy Nelson (NOR), Mike Evans (HOU), and Ryan Nassib (ARZ), but we start with the debut of the week, and perhaps of the season, with Lamar Jackson making a claim to the starting job in St. Louis and doing so with gusto.   Jackson In, Freeman Out? It has only been one week, just one game, but how quickly the tide has turned in St. Louis. With just one performance, former Louisville QB Lamar Jackson has Skyhawk fans believing and has management considering a permanent shift and a possible trade for former MVP Josh Freeman. All this from a single outing. But, that is the way things can sometimes go. Frustration with Freeman has been growing for several years as the veteran QB and 2012 MVP has just not been able to find the same swagger over the past few seasons. Following his 2012 MVP year, in which Freeman threw for 3,900 yards and 39 touchdowns, with a 114.3 QB rating, the St. Louis quarterback’s numbers have dipped considerably. He has not played a full 16 games since that 2012 season, suiting up for only 9 starts last year, and his production has slipped as well. From 39 touchdowns in 2012 to only 13 last season. He has not topped 20 touchdowns in a season since 2013, and the Skyhawks have also seen their fortunes take a major hit over the past 6 years as well.   Enter the newly signed former Heisman trophy winner. Following a 1-5 start with Freeman at the helm, Coach Reich, in something of a desperation move for the 2nd year coach, opted to give his rookie quarterback the start Week 7 in Las Vegas. And while it was hardly a perfect game by the rookie, the results were pretty stunning, including a road win for the first time this season. Jackson, expected to be something of a dual threat QB, stayed mostly in the pocket, throwing the ball 34 times, completing 25, and finding some big plays on the way to 301 yards passing.   The rookie QB looked poised, had good rapport with his receivers, and, most importantly, delivered a win for the struggling Skyhawks. Former Philadelphia Star receiver Stevie Johnson, who finished with 7 catches for 103 yards and a score, seemed more than pleased with his new QB, saying “This kid is special. I love Josh, but I am excited about what we have going on now.”. Coach Reich also praised Jackson, stating that his quarterback “made good decisions, played within himself, and executed the gameplan like a pro”.   It was, without a doubt, a strong start for the 2016 Heisman winner, one of only two “top tier” QBs signed by the USFL in this offseason’s wild QB frenzy. His fellow USFL signee, Denver’s Josh Allen, has yet to see the field, but in his debut, Jackson made a lot of Skyhawk fans very happy. It may be a while before his home crowd gets to see him play, with St. Louis at the front end of a 3 game road trip that sees him in Chicago next week and Jacksonville in Week 9, but number 8 jerseys are already selling well in St. Louis, and local sports radio is ready to anoint the kid as the new starter, with fans already expecting the Skyhawks to deal Josh Freeman in the coming weeks, with the trade deadline coming up in Week 10.   How realistic is that? Actually, the potential is there. With Kyle Boller a capable backup to Jackson, and with so many clubs across the league dealing with uncertain QB situations, either due to injury or lack of production, Freeman may never have more value than he does right now. St. Louis has to be ready to field offers and to consider making a move quickly. Of course, that can all change if Jackson struggles this week against Chicago. After all, one game does not prove much, but for fans in St. Louis, that one game is more than they could have hoped for from their new QB, and with discomfort over Freeman’s production and injury history the past few seasons, the time does seem right for a changing of the guard and a new face of the franchise in the Gateway City. OAKLAND INVADERS 17   SEATTLE DRAGONS 21 For the second straight year, Coach Mike Riley’s Seattle Dragons stumbled out of the gate, opening the season with an 0-5 start. And, for a second straight year, Week 6 proved to be a turnaround point, with Seattle earning their first win of the season, a 28-27 nailbiter in Los Angeles. But could the Dragons really go on a run again? That was the question when the club returned home to face division-leading Oakland, coming in at 5-1 and looking very much like the best club in an unsettled Pacific Division.   Oakland QB Jimmy Garoppolo was ready for his 4th start in the league, after mixed results statistically in his first 3 games, but 3 wins nonetheless. The Oakland defense was looking very solid, holding teams to only 14.9 points per game, and producing turnovers along the way. On paper, this looked like an easy win for the Invaders, but once again, the Dragons seem to be finding their way after a very rough first month of action, and they are doing so without starting QB Jacoby Brissett.   Since coming in for Brissett in Week 2, Matt McGloin has been impressive, throwing for 11 touchdowns and only 2 picks, and producing the Dragons’ first win last week, but in this game, he would not be the hero. Trailing 10-0 midway through the 3rd quarter, McGloin would go down after taking a hard hit, head to turf on a sack. McGloin had gone 11 of 14 to that point, but the Dragons had not been able to put any points on the board. Former Atlanta QB Brad Gradkowski would have to come in and finish the game, further darkening the mood of Dragon fans who were leery of their team’s chances.   But Gradkowski, while not perfect (throwing a pick on his 2nd attempt), did produce results. On his second possession in the game, he led a 2-minute drill that cut Oakland’s lead to 3 with a TD toss to Marshall Newhouse getting Seattle on the board with 30 seconds left in the period. Gradkowski went 2 of 4 on the drive, getting help from his backs as Knowshon Moreno had his best run of the game, a 15-yarder, and Wendell Smallwood took a toss for another 12. It was the first drive that saw Seattle enter the red zone and the first scoring drive for the Dragons.   Oakland was not impressed. They took the ball on the very next possession and pushed the lead back up to 10, with Jimmy G finding Davone Bess for a key 20-yard gain on a 3rd and 14 breaking the Seattle defense. Garoppolo, who had hit Davante Adams for a 64-yard score early in the 3rd to bust open what had been a 3-0 halftime lead, connected with Bess and then found Taylor Gabriel for 16 yards to put the ball at the 8. From there, Christian McCaffrey took the ball into the endzone to restore the 10 point lead at 17-7 with 11:35 left to play. Seattle would need to hold and to find more offense if they were to win their 2nd game of the season.   The Dragons did both. First came the defense, when FS Donte Whitner picked off Garoppolo on his first pass of the next drive, returning the ball 32 yards for a score and sending the Seattle crowd into a frenzy. The Seattle defense would rise in the final period, not only with this huge takeaway and score, but with two more big plays, shutting down Oakland on 3rd down twice more before the game was out. But, the offense also had to produce. Now down only 3 points, Seattle needed a drive. And when they got the ball back with 3:32 left to play, they would get one.   It was not the prettiest drive, and, admittedly, they were helped out by a costly defensive holding call on a 3rd and 8, but the ball just kept moving down the field, with Gradkowski hitting John Brown for 16, then C. J. Anderson gutting out a tough 3rd and 2 run to keep the ball in Seattle’s hands. Anderson also came up big with a 10-yard catch and run on 3rd and 7 as Seattle put the ball into the red zone. With time winding down, Gradkowski found TE Dennis Pitta on a seam route, lofting the ball over the linebacker and dropping it into his receiver’s hands. The score gave Seattle their first lead of the day, and gave the fans a reason to believe.   Oakland would get the ball back with just over 1 minute to play, needing a touchdown. The Dragon defense would not allow them even a first down, much less a last minute miracle. Pressure from Muhammad Wilkerson forced Garappolo to dump down the ball on first down, and good coverage from Seattle’s strong CB group of Richard Sherman, Xavien Howard, and nickel corner Desmond Truffant kept the ball from reaching the receivers on 2nd and 3rd down. On 4th and 8, Wilkerson, along with Calvin Pace, again collapsed the pocket, forcing Garoppolo to throw the ball too soon and it did not find a target, giving the Dragons the ball and the win.   Now, after only 2 wins, we are not willing to say that Seattle is going to duplicate their miracle run last year, one that saw them go from 0-5 to 9-7 and a playoff berth. But, what we do think we can say is that the Dragons are feeling more confident, and that they believe they are a much better team than the one that opened the year. They will get to prove that this week when they host the 5-2 Pittsburgh Maulers, and then the rematch with a stunned Oakland team in 2 weeks in the Coliseum.   CHICAGO 10   OHIO 17 The Machine and the Glory came into this one both sitting at 3-3 and both knowing that a win would put them in position to challenge Michigan in the Central Division. Ohio got off to a fast start when CB Chimdi Chekwa returned a tipped ball 16 yards for a TD. And despite having to go to their 4th QB of the season, with Keith Null stepping in when Troy Smith was injured, Ohio managed to hold Chicago at arm’s length, thanks in part to 4 total picks by the Glory defense in a rough outing for Ryan Fitzpatrick. Isaiah Pead led all rushers with 79 yards and a decisive TD as Ohio step up at home to take the important win. POTG:  Ohio SS Tyran Mathieu: 8 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 Int, 1 FF   WASHINGTON 19  NEW JERSEY 31 Maurice Jones-Drew had 97 combined yards from scrimmage and 2 TDs as New Jersey held home court and knocked off the surging Federals. David Garrard threw for 308 yards but the Federals settled for field goals on 4 of 5 scoring drives while New Jersey got TDs from MJD, OBJ, and Muhammed Sanu to improve to 4-2-1 on the season. POTG:  New Jersey CB Aqib Talib: 7 Tck, 2 PDef, 1 Int   NEW ORLEANS 26  TAMPA BAY 13 The Breakers double up the Bandits, scoring the first 26 points of the game as Drew Brees and Jordy Nelson connected for 146 yards and a score. Leonard Fournette also had a strong game, rushing for 87 yards and a TD as the game got out of hand early for the Bandits. Dak Prescott threw late touchdowns to Bryant and Ryan Grant, but it was too little, too late as the Breakers move to 6-1 on the season, the mirror image of Tampa Bay’s disappointing 1-6 record. POTG:  Breaker WR Jordy Nelson: 7 Rec, 148 Yds, 1 TD   BIRMINGHAM 14   HOUSTON 20  OVERTIME The Stallions held a modest 6-0 lead at the half, but Houston came on with Colt McCoy hitting Mike Evans in the 3rd on a 34-yard strike. That was followed by a second scoring drive, with Carlos Hyde doing the honors. Birmingham evened the score when Cam Newton connected with Julian Edelman, and the game went to overtime, but in the extra period, McCoy found Hyde for a 2nd TD toss and the win went to the homestanding Gamblers. POTG:  Gambler QB Colt McCoy: 20/36, 348 Yds, 2 TD, 0 Int   ST. LOUIS 24  LAS VEGAS 14 Lamar Jackson makes a great first impression, throwing for 301 yards and 2 scores as the Skyhawks take down the Vipers in Las Vegas. Jackson went 25 of 34, and avoided any turnovers in his league debut. A much better day than Eli Manning, who suffered a late 2nd quarter injury and missed the second half. The Skyhawks’ much-maligned defense allowed only 251 total yards to the Vipers, and held Las Vegas to only 1 of 9 on third down to earn their 2nd win of the season. POTG:  Skyhawk rookie QB Lamar Jackson: 25/34, 301 Yds, 2 TD, 0 Int   SAN DIEGO 19   PHILADELPHIA 27 Joe Webb left the game early and NFL import Christian Ponder struggled against the Stars’ defense as Philadelphia moved back over .500 with the home win. Derrick Henry rushed for 109 and a score while backup Karlos Williams added 2 scores and 31 yards rushing for the Stars. Eight penalties by the Thunder meant that their 436 yards of offense went for naught, wasting a 104 yard rushing day from Ryan Williams. POTG:  Philadelphia CB Sam Shields: 7 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 Int   DENVER 13  LOS ANGELES 10 A good game from both defenses or an ugly one for both offenses, either way, Denver fought back from a 10-3 deficit, putting up 10 points in the 4th quarter as LA’s defense withered. It was Matt Leinart to Golden Tate for the equalizer and then Greg Zeurlein with 51 seconds left put up the winning points. The Express managed only 9 first downs in a game where Reggie Bush just could not get going against Denver’s front 7. Bush rushed for only 22 yards on 17 attempts, a paltry 1.3 yards per carry. POTG:  Gold QB Matt Leinart: 25/37, 271 Yds, 1 TD, 0 Int   MICHIGAN 22  JACKSONVILLE 16 The Panthers built up a 19-6 advantaged, but a late TD run from Bulls’ QB Teddy Bridgewater made the game close in the 4th. Bridgewater, who had suffered a safety early in the game, escaped another endzone situation and rambled 99 yards for a score as he got outstanding blocks from WR Mike Williams and TE Gavin Escobar on the called QB bootleg. Outside of that amazing play, however, it was all Panthers, with LeVeon Bell and Jerrel Jernigan scoring for Michigan and the defense holding Jacksonville to only 58 yards rushing outside of the one big play. POTG:  Panther DE Dee Ford: 7 Tck, 5 TFL, 1 Sck, 1 Sfty   PITTSBURGH 26  BALTIMORE 21 The Maulers make a statement with a big road win in the division. They now sit at 5-2 atop the Northeast after falling behind 21-10 in the 2nd. They went on to score the final 16 points in the game, thanks to a Rasul Douglas pick-six and 3 Andrew Franks field goals. The Mauler D struggled early, giving up two long Roethlisberger to Heyward-Bey touchdowns in the first half, but adjustments at halftime worked out for the Maulers, with DHB limited to only 1 catch for 8 yards in the 2nd half. POTG:  Mauler CB Rasul Douglas: 3 Tck, 1 Int, 1 Def TD   MEMPHIS 24  CHARLOTTE 10 Time to take the Showboats seriously as they move to 6-1 with a big win on the road in Charlotte. Todd Gurley 108 yards rushing and caught a 1-yard pass for a TD as Paxton Lynch had an efficient game against the tough Charlotte D. Lynch went 25 of 31 for 229 yards and 2 scores.  Mitch Trubisky did not look as smooth, completing 18 of 31 but throwing 2 picks. Rex Ryan’s defense held Charlotte to only 224 total yards and forced 2 takeaways to help Memphis stay atop the South. POTG:  Showboat HB Todd Gurley: 18 Att, 108 Yds, 2 Rec, 1 Yd, 1 TD   DALLAS 12  PORTLAND 7 A rain-soaked field in Portland produced a sloppy game for both the Stags and the visiting Roughnecks. Marcus Mariota would be sacked 4 times and throw a costly pick late in the game, while Brandon Wheedon avoided mistakes and the Roughnecks were content to settle for field goals to earn the W. Dallas’s Patrick Peterson had a monster game, with 12 tackles, a pick, and a forced fumble which he then recovered. Kiko Alonso was the star for Portland with 3 of his 5 tackles stuffing runs behind the line of scrimmage. POTG:  Dallas CB Patrick Peterson: 12 Tck, 1 Int, 1 FF, 1 FR   ARIZONA 24  OKLAHOMA 13 Ryan Nassib continues to impress, throwing for 252 and 2 scores, while Mason Rudolph, getting the start for a dinged-up Joe Flacco, looked a little flustered, taking 4 sacks and missing on several key 3rd down plays. The game was close, 17-13 Arizona going into the 4th, but a Nassib to Larry Fitzgerald TD early in the final period put Arizona up 11, and they would not relinquish another point to the Outlaws. With the win, Arizona moves to 5-1-1, while Oklahoma slips below .500 at 3-4. POTG:  Wrangler QB Ryan Nassib: 13/28, 252 Yds, 2 TD, 0 Int   ORLANDO 45  ATLANTA 23 The Renegades join a 3-way cluster atop the SE Division as they go down 20-0 in the first quarter and then outpace Atlanta 45-3 the rest of the way in a true momentum shift game. Atlanta got early TDs from Roy Williams and Kenyan Drake, but then started to self destruct, with Aaron Murray (8 of 8 at the time) knocked out of the game, Blaine Gabbert came in and struggled, throwing two pick sixes in the second half. Russell Wilson added TD tosses to Brashad Perriman and Jeremy Maclin and Orlando ran away with this one, scoring 6 touchdowns in their final 7 possessions. POTG:  Renegade LB Sean Spence: 7 Tck, 1 Int, 1 Def TD   Reid Steps Down as Express Lose 5th in a Row Rumors had been in the wind for a while, but this week, following another lackluster showing, Andy Reid put the rumors to bed, opting to step down as head coach of the LA Express rather than await a decision from ownership. The two-time Super Bowl winner in the NFL has just not been able to bring life to a moribund LA Express squad that has never tasted a championship in its entire existence. He came to LA with a lot of hopes and dreams of an Express title run, but the magic just never materialized for Reid and the Express.   After a strong first season that saw LA qualify for the playoffs as a Wild Card and upset Chicago to advance to the divisional round, 2014 saw LA regress, dropping to 6-10 and a last-place finish in the Pacific. LA dropped even further in 2015, sinking to 4-12, but with Reid bringing in talent via free agency, there was hope for a quick turnaround. The 2016 season bolstered faith in the head coach and his new squad as LA rebounded, improving from 4 wins the year before to 11, becoming one of the hot risers in the league. LA got a bye but fell in their opening game, a victim of payback as the Chicago Machine upended them 24-23. That defeat was followed by a disappointing 2017 campaign that saw the defending Pacific champions drop to 8-8 and finish out of playoff contention, third in the division.   The problem, consistently, had been offense. Despite talented players like QB Sam Bradford, HB Reggie Bush, and WR Demaryius Thomas, the Express simply could not generate points. Reid, who came to the USFL with a pedigree as an offensive strategist, has simply not been able to find the right combination of talent and execution to become anything like his dominant NFL offenses in Philadelphia. Seven games into the current season, LA ranks 22nd in points per game at only 19.0 (a number inflated by one ridiculous 48 point outing against St. Louis) and 19th in yards per game.   After becoming Seattle’s first victim of the season, a tough loss at home in Week 6, talk was getting loud that Reid would not last until the season’s conclusion. That talk apparently was very much happening behind the scenes. Following this week’s poor outing, again at home, a 13-10 loss to Denver, Reid opted to call his own number, announcing on Monday that he was stepping away from the team, resigning his position. Whether this is a true resignation or an indication that a firing was eminent is unknown, but the result is that the Express, languishing at 1-6 and in last place in the division once again, will be starting over with an interim head coach.   That interim coach is one familiar to USFL fans, former Orlando Renegades’ head coach and the DC for the Express the past 2 seasons, Emmitt Thomas. Thomas’s defense has been a bright spot for the Express despite poor game results this year. Thomas now takes over the top spot, though he is likely to continue to make the defensive calls. The offense will likely now be taken over fully by OC Greg Lewis, though we don’t expect a radical shift in either squads. Thomas is certainly going to lean into the defense, while Lewis might try to add more shotgun formations for Bradford, who has had some mobility issues this season. The Express were non-committal on whether or not Thomas would be given consideration for a permanent position as the Head Coach in LA, but certainly how the Express finish out the season over the next 9 weeks will go a long way to determining if the former Renegades’ coach will get a 2nd shot at a USFL head coaching gig. For now, the story is that Reid, so successful in the NFL, becomes just another in a long list of coaches who have simply not been able to find success with the Express.   Two More Trades as Teams Get Serious Midseason brings many things, panic in some cases, confidence in others, and trades as teams try to find the missing piece before the Week 10 deadline. Two teams very much in the playoff hunt made moves this week to try to do just that, find a missing piece and fill a need that, if well done, could help propel them into the postseason.   STARS ADD VETERAN RECEIVER Philadelphia, sitting at 4-3 and looking up at both Pittsburgh and New Jersey, made a move to add another option in the passing game. With Stevie Johnson off to St. Louis, Philadelphia has struggled to turn good passing yardage (268 yards per game) into big plays, with Randall Cobb struggling as the new number one target, having only 15 catches this season. Ronald Johnson has also struggled to clear coverages, despite having 10 more catches than Cobb. And so the Stars went dealing.   Philadelphia brought in a veteran known for his ability to slip coverage, nabbing wideout Doug Baldwin from the Las Vegas Vipers for a 3rd round pick in 2019’s draft. Baldwin, in his 8th season, already has more catches than any receiver on the Stars, with 42 in 7 games with Las Vegas this year. The former New Jersey General returns to the NE Division and could well become the top target right away for Stars’ QB Matt Gutierrez. He is expected to see a lot of snaps this week when the Stars take on the Federals at RFK. Now, Philadelphia is still expected to be a run-first offense, relying on HB Derrick Henry to pull defenders into the box, but having a bona fide weapon in Baldwin to diversify the passing game could make the 4-3 stars more of a challenge in a very tough division race.   FIRE HOPE TO STUFF THE RUN WITH POUHA Atlanta is also in a tough division race, currently mired in a 3-way tie atop the Southeast Division with Orlando and Charlotte.  But with the least productive offense of the three contenders, many expected the Fire to go after an offensive weapon, much as Philadelphia did. But, it seems Coach Arians is more concerned about the Fire’s 22nd ranked run defense, hoping to add more muscle in the middle to complement one of the league’s best pass defenses. The Fire sent LB Raekwon McMillian and a 4th rounder to the Birmingham Stallions to acquire that muscle, in the form of DT Sione Pouha.   Pouha, who 3 seasons in Denver and 3 more with the Stallions since coming over from the NFL, will slot in next to Nick Fairley, pushing Sylvester Williams into swing duty. The hope, of course, is that the Fire defense can be as stalwart against the run as they have been against the pass, believing that even with a middling offense, the strength on the defensive side of the ball will help them overtake the Renegades and Monarchs.   With one of the best 3-man linebacker groups in the game in Luke Kuechley, Patrick Willis, and Dannell Ellerbe, Atlanta could be a dominant defense if their front line can hold up and allow the linebackers to be more dynamic. Pouha is a space eater, and with Fairley’s aggressive style, the combination could both help shore up the middle of the line and give both Chris Kelsay and William Gholston more opportunities for single blocks outside.   As for Birmingham, they lose a solid contributor in the middle, but feel good about their combo of Corey Liuget and Montravius Adams. McMillians, who was not seeing many snaps in Atlanta, could slot in right away as a weakside linebacker next to MLB Reuben Foster and team captain, strongside LB DeMeco Ryans.   Several Starting QBs Set to Miss Time While there were fortunately no season-ending injuries to league QBs this week, there certainly were a fair share of signal callers removed from games for medical concerns and several likely to miss next week’s action if not more games. Here is the rundown of the QB injuries we saw this week:   Marcus Mariota (POR) The most serious and potentially season-impacting of the injuries this week. Mariota was forced out of the game after taking a vicious hit to the head. He was seen spitting blood, and it was clear that the team had to gingerly remove his helmet. X-rays would later reveal that Mariota had suffered a concussion, but also a broken jaw. With a significant fracture to his jawbone, Mariota could miss up to 6 weeks before he is cleared to return to game action. In the meantime, Portland is looking pretty thin at the position, with only career backup Kellen Clemons (who will get his first start this week) and rookie Kyle Lauletta behind Mariota on the depth chart. Expect the Stags to bring in another QB and to move someone to the practice squad so they can avoid putting Mariota on IR.   Matt Gutierrez (PHI) Gutierrez came out late in Philadelphia’s loss win over the Thunder with an apparent knee injury. X-rays were negative and it appears that there is no ligament damage, but the Stars’ QB did suffer a dislocated kneecap, which will hold him out of Week 8’s game at RFK, and possibly the following week as well. In his place, Philadelphia is expected to start former Ohio backup Tony Pike.   Eli Manning (LV) In what is being called a “groin strain” (sounds painful), Eli Manning was listed as “Out” for this week. The Vipers have been a bit secretive about exactly what the injury entails and its severity. It was clear when Manning left the field that he was having difficulty moving with any pace, so it is possible we are talking about a significant muscle strain or light tear, but the Vipers insist that they expect Manning to be back as soon as Week 9. So, for this week’s home game against the division rival Wranglers, expect the Vipers to have Jeff Tuel under center. Tuel has proven effective as a backup and when called on due to injury.   Joe Webb (SD) Another vaguely defined “groin injury” has Joe Webb listed as questionable this week when the Thunder take on the Express. Webb clearly came up a bit gimpy after a scramble against Philadelphia, and groin seems like a reasonable assessment, but again, we are not certain how severe the injury is, though being placed on the injury report as Questionable means that there is not a long term concern for Webb. When the Thunder take on LA this week they will have former NFL starter Christian Ponder under center, with Case Keenum as the number two, though Webb will dress as the emergency QB.   Kirk Cousins (MGN) Well, hamstring is not groin, but it can still be a tough injury to overcome. Cousins is also listed as questionable, though Coach McDermott has not ruled him out for this week’s game against the Orlando Renegades. If he cannot go in the Sunday night game it will be Taylor Heinecke getting the start.   Before we go, an update on some QB injuries from earlier this season with potential return dates: As we know, Arizona’s David Carr was placed on IR and is ineligible to return this season, but the word out of Phoenix is that his recovery is moving along well and he has attended the past couple of home games, sitting in the owner’s box. Oakland backup Ryan Lindley has moved from “Out” to “Questionable” in the Invader injury report, a sign that he might be ready to return to duty. Should he return, then expect the Invaders to release Kellen Moore, signed when Lindley went down. Ohio is still not fully sure that Christian Hackenberg can return. He was moved to Doubtful this week, and could be in action as soon as Week 9. Backup Brock Osweiler is still listed as “Out” and could miss at least another 2-3 weeks with his fractured arm. For this reason, expect Ohio to keep both Troy Smith and Keith Null active for the foreseeable future. Finally, Jacoby Brissett is considered 2-3 weeks from a possible return, meaning that we are likely to see Matt McGloin for the next few weeks, though with the quality of his play recently, Coach Riley may not jump to bring in a rusty Brissett unless McGloin begins to struggle. McGloin was knocked out of this week’s game, but is expected to start in Week 8. Is Seattle Going to Do It Again? It cannot be happening again, can it? For the second consecutive year, Seattle started the season with a deeply troubling 0-5 record, and for the second season in a row, weeks 6 and 7 have produced upset wins. Last year, it led to a 9-2 finish and a playoff berth. This year, with wins over two division foes the past two weeks (LA and Oakland), there are some saying that the Dragons are on a mission once again. It seems a mission no team should want to take on, to dig themselves out of a nearly bottomless 0-5 pit, but these Dragons believe they can do it again.   That belief will be tested the next two weeks as the Dragons face the 5-2 Pittsburgh Maulers this week and then head to Oakland for a rematch of this week’s narrow 21-17 victory. It seems very unlikely that Seattle can duplicate the success they had in the second half of 2017, an unprecedented run of victories that took them from last place into the divisional round of the playoffs. For one thing, unlike last year, this Dragon team is playing without starting QB Jacoby Brissett. While career backup Matt McGloin has impressed many with his performance since coming on in Week 2, throwing for 11 touchdowns with only 2 picks in his run, there are still doubts about the offense in general. It has been the Seattle D which has helped them earn W’s the past two weeks, but a defense that is still ranked among the league’s worst in several key categories, giving up 27.4 points per game, nearly 120 yards per game rushing and 391 yards per game overall. The numbers were certainly better against Oakland this past week, but with upcoming games against the Maulers, Blitz, Outlaws, Thunder and Panthers in the season’s second half, the defense will need to prove it is not the team that was simply run over and through in the season’s first five weeks. All this to say, yes, we know they did it last year, and we are not ruling out a late run, but to expect the same nearly miraculous comeback two years in a row seems a very tall order to us.   Are We Ready to Take Memphis Seriously Yet? Sitting at 6-1 after 7 weeks, and having knocked off some pretty good teams along the way (including New Jersey, Pittsburgh, Oklahoma, and the Monarchs this past week), maybe we need to reevaluate our perception of the Memphis Showboats. The Rex Ryan-led defense is among the best in the league, allowing only 16.1 points per game, and the offense is finding its stride, built on the run game of Todd Gurley and a much-improved Paxton Lynch, who has improved his QB Rating, accuracy, yards per game, and completion percentage over last season.   Memphis may not have the household names of division rivals Houston and New Orleans, but this team is playing complementary football and finding success with a simple formula of no-nonsense defense, a solid run game, and play action passing. The Showboats face off with the rival Stallions this week in Birmingham, but then have a run of games that could prove their real status within the league, including two matchups with the Breakers in a 3-week period. They finish the season at home against Houston in a game that could have huge playoff implications for both teams.   But before we get ahead of ourselves, we should stop to recognize some of the Showboats who have helped the club exceed expectations this season. We start with HB Todd Gurley, who currently sits in 5th place on the leaderboards. With Anthony Allen’s departure this offseason, Gurley was asked to step up and take on the full load of the run game, and with 536 yards in 7 games, he has answered the call. His role may need to be even greater moving forward as this week saw backup Jacob Hester added to the IR with a ruptured Achilles tendon. David Williams and newly promoted practice squad back Zac Brooks will get some carries, but it will be Gurley taking on the main load. The other player getting plenty of accolades on offense has been rookie TE Dallas Goedert, who trails only WR Mark Clayton with 30 catches this year. Memphis has distributed the ball to plenty of receivers with Clayton, Goedert, Robert Woods and Brandon Marshall all seeing plenty of action.   But the big story in Memphis has been the defense. Even with the injury to team captain NaVorro Bowman, the Memphis LB group has been playing outstanding ball. An unheralded group of Jarvis Jones, Ryan D’Imperio, Jason Williams, and Marcus Smith, has been containing the run, allowing only 68 yards per game, while the front four of Mario Williams, Dan Williams, Dontari Poe, and Sam Acho has also been outperforming all expectations, with Mario Williams among the league leaders with 7 sacks in 7 games. The secondary, led by yet another Williams, Marcus, has also come up big, with former Bandit and Gold DB Patrick Robinson showing he still has the juice at 31. It is not a big name defense, but it is a squad that is playing aggressive, downhill football, and that has Memphis sitting pretty at 6-1, well beyond what most saw for them this season.   Another rough week as we see several QBs hit the injury list, including Portland’s Marcus Mariota and Philadelphia’s Matt Gutierrez, both of whom will miss several weeks. Memphis loses backup tailback Jacob Hester for the year with the most dreaded ruptured Achilles injury, while Atlanta’s offense takes a hit as guard Trevor Canfield is out after tearing his MCL. While the news is not as bad for QB’s Eli Manning, Kirk Cousins, and Joe Webb, all three could be held out of this week’s action with minor injuries. Here is the full rundown of a pretty lengthy injury report.   OUT HB           Jacob Hester          MEM     Achilles      IR FS           Rudy Ford                       POR      Hip                 IR TE            Kellen Winslow II            WSH     Groin              IR G           Trevor Canfield              ATL         MCL                IR HB           Gus Edwards                STL         Foot                4-6 Weeks QB       Marcus Mariota            POR      Jaw                   4-6 Weeks QB        Matt Gutierrez            PHI        Knee                 1-2 Weeks C          Robert Vega                  PHI        Arm                  1-2 Weeks   DOUBTFUL QB          Eli Manning               LV           Groin                                    DE            Dante Fowler              HOU     Knee QB         Kirk Cousins                 MGN     Hamstring   QUESTIONABLE QB        Joe Webb                     SD          Groin LB           Rey Maualaga               NJ           Hamstring WR        Tandon Doss                 ORL       Concussion C           Jimmy Hook                  OKL       Arm   Four Possible Takers if St. Louis Trades Freeman With a great first performance, and likely more starts very much in the plans for Lamar Jackson in St. Louis, speculation has already begun as to what the Skyhawks will do with Josh Freeman. The 2012 League MVP has just not been able to replicate his success from that year, but he still certainly has value, the question is whether that value keeps him in St. Louis or has him headed elsewhere. Certainly a case can be made for having Freeman sitting behind the rookie starter, as plenty of QB injuries have shown us how important depth can be. But, with another year on his contract, there may be no better time than now for St. Louis to seek top value if they are open to trading their former starter before the Week 10 trade deadline. Just where a player like Freeman might make the most impact, and where he would likely be amenable to moving, is a very interesting question. We looked over all 27 clubs who are not St. Louis and we came up with four potential fits for the 9-year veteran.   OHIO GLORY: The fact that the Glory had to play their 4th QB of the season this week is a pretty good reason to add them to this list. They like what they have seen from Christian Hackenberg, but after the 2nd year player they have not exactly been overjoyed with the play of Osweiller or Troy Smith, and with both now dinged up, perhaps bringing in a known commodity, and a pretty solid QB may not be the worst idea. They could have him for this year, next year, and then decide if they want to hold him or let him walk in free agency, all depending on how Hackenberg shapes up.   DALLAS ROUGHNECKS: With Johnny Manziel on his second suspension for alcohol-related issues, the Roughnecks could very well be ready to cut the former Aggie loose. Even if they don’t, they cannot be feeling too confident with a QB room led by Brandon Wheedon. Adding Freeman could be an easy solution to both the current need and a long-term issue with the position. Many in our camp think that Dallas would be the slam dunk for a trade, but the issue is what St. Louis will ask for in return.   PORTLAND STAGS: Marcus Mariota is expected to miss at least 4-6 weeks, and after a strong start, the offense is sputtering, so bringing in a veteran like Freeman could be a true benefit for the Stags. Portland, very much like Ohio, could have Freeman see a lot of action this year, then use 2019 to determine if Mariota or Freeman is the future and make a decision on a new contract after a verdict is determined. For right now, Portland will go with Kellen Clemons at QB, with rookie Kyle Lauletta behind him, but adding Josh Freeman could be an immediate impact for the Stags.   LAS VEGAS VIPERS: Certainly less of an immediate play, but with only Jeff Tuel and Curtis Painter behind Eli Manning in Las Vegas, adding Freeman could also be a good move for the Vipers. What makes this intriguing is that Manning has struggled in a year many thought would be his victory lap around the league. He has thrown 12 picks this year, to only 8 touchdowns, and his rating of 75.6 has him among the worst of the league’s Week 1 starters. We could envision a situation where Freeman not only comes in but has a real shot to unseat Manning in his final contract year. The Vipers have shown a preference for adding veteran QBs rather than developing rookies, so a move for Freeman now could be a move for the future as well, even if Manning finishes out the year as the starter.   We probably should restate that there is no guarantee that St. Louis is in the market to move Josh Freeman. After all, behind Lamar Jackson they would then have only 31-year old Kyle Boller, but Boller has proven to be a solid player when called on, so it is not unthinkable that St. Louis would make a deal, get some value for Freeman, and rely on their rookie to finish out the year for them, gaining valuable playing time ahead of an anticipated passing of the torch in 2019. With only 2 weeks left before the trade deadline passes, the Skyhawks will have to make a decision quickly, and see what they can get if they do shop Freeman around.   League considering suspension for Viper’s Kareem Hunt Things are just not going Coach Neuheisel’s way right now. His QB got hurt, his defense is struggling, they just lost to a pretty bad St. Louis squad, and his shiny new NFL import may now be facing a suspension from the league. Of course, in the case of HB Kareem Hunt, this was not fully unexpected. Hunt was facing potential domestic abuse charges when he was let go by the Cleveland Browns of the NFL, and Las Vegas knew that should the charges lead to legal action, the USFL would have to act. Well, they have, and the league is now investigating, and could potential lead to a suspension in the next few weeks. The severity of the league action will likely be determined by the case against Hunt in the courts. If he reaches a settlement or a plea arrangement that removes any felony charges, well that could remove the threat of suspension, but if the case goes to trial, the league may feel pressure to suspend him for the season. For now, the Vipers must watch and wait.   While not the lead back for the Vipers, Hunt has seen considerable snaps this season. Montario Hardesty has more touches (87 to Hunt’s 59) but Hunt has been effective when called on, rushing for 294 yards (a 5.0 YPC average) and leads the team with 4 rushing touchdowns. If he is suspended, Las Vegas would likely add more carries for Hardesty and we are likely to see more of James Wilder Jr, who has only 14 carries so far this year.   Plenty of drama on tap in Week 8 as the USFL season hits the midway point. We kick it off on Friday night with the surprising 6-1 Memphis Showboats heading down the highway to Birmingham to face their archrivals, the Stallions. Later, Emmitt Thomas returns to the sidelines as the interim head coach in LA as the Express head down to San Diego to face the Thunder. On Saturday, we have a big game to start the day off, with 4-3 Denver heading into New Orleans to take on the 6-1 Breakers. Baltimore is in New Jersey for the other early game. At 4pm, Pittsburgh is hoping that Seattle cannot repeat their 2017 rebound this year, as they face the Dragons at Lumen Field.   Saturday night features a divisional double header, starting at 7pm on NBC with the Stars facing the Federals in DC. The late game features two Southwest foes as Las Vegas hosts the 5-1-1 Arizona Wranglers. Two more divisional games are on the slate on Saturday, with Atlanta and Charlotte fighting for a share of first place in the Southeast and St. Louis headed to Chicago for the Battle of I-55. But, perhaps the best game of the day is the nightcap, where the Orlando Renegades make a rare trip up to Detroit to face the Michigan Panthers, with both teams currently in first place in their divisions (Orlando being part of the 3-way logjam atop the SE).   Friday @ 6pm ET              Memphis (6-1) @ Birmingham (2-5)           NBC Friday @ 8pm ET         Los Angeles (1-6) @ San Diego (2-5)             ABC   Saturday @ 12pm ET     Denver (4-3) @ New Orleans (6-1)                 ABC Saturday @ 12pm ET      Baltimore (2-5) @ New Jersey (4-2-1)            FOX Saturday @ 4pm ET         Pittsburgh (5-2) @ Seattle (2-5)                       ABC Saturday @ 4pm ET         Oklahoma (3-4) @ Dallas (3-4)                         FOX Saturday @ 7pm ET        Philadelphia (4-3) @ Washington (3-4)             NBC      Saturday @ 9pm ET        Arizona (5-1-1) @ Las Vegas (3-4)                   ESPN/EFN   Sunday @ 12pm ET       Atlanta (4-3) @ Charlotte (4-3)                       ABC Sunday @ 12pm ET         Oakland (5-2) @ Tampa Bay (1-6)                   FOX Regional Sunday @ 12pm ET       St. Louis (2-5) @ Chicago (3-4)                       FOX Regional Sunday @ 4pm ET          Ohio (4-3) @ Portland (4-3)                               ABC Sunday @ 4pm ET            Jacksonville (1-6) @ Houston (5-2)                  FOX Sunday @ 8pm ET           Orlando (4-3) @ Michigan (5-2)                       ESPN/EFN

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: As much as we want to celebrate Maurice Jones-Drew's 4-TD game, we think we have to give the POTW to two Ohio linebackers who combined for 14 tackles, 2 sacks, 3 turnovers and a defensive touchdown. Both Ryan Shazier and Daniel Ellerbe made our list, with each snagging 7 tackles. Ellerbe also had a pick which he returned for a TD, while Shazier recorded 2 sacks, one including a strip sack which he then picked up. He also produced another fumble on a Kenyan Drake run play. Together these two dynamic linebackers helped Ohio go into Atlanta and upset the Fire on their turf despite playing with their 3rd string QB in the lineup.

Week Six of the USFL season was a week of statement games as teams across the country tried to prove their legitimacy by knocking off favored teams who came into the year with higher expectations. We saw this in Oakland, where the Invaders thoroughly dominated the defending league champion Michigan Panthers. We also saw it in Pittsburgh’s victory against the Philadelphia Stars, Portland’s road victory in San Diego, and Orlando’s 20-14 win over the Houston Gamblers. In a league that now has 9 teams at or within 1 game of .500, with no more unbeatens, and, after Seattle’s road win this week, no winless squads, the ability for teams to win the gams they are “supposed” to win has never seemed more tenuous.   We may be 6 weeks into the year, but it very much feels like we are not yet sure where this season will end up. A big piece of the mystery comes down to QB play, and just how effective the league’s 28 starting QBs can be each week. With that as our focus, we begin with our Big Story, the state of each club’s QB room, from elite to struggling. We will then review the week that was, our first big trades of the season, and take a look at the stats that are beginning to tell the tale of the season.   Quarterback Room Rankings Whether your team is at 5-1 or 1-5, we bet you have an opinion about their quarterback. Some fans are ecstatic that their club has a clear leader at the helm, a player who can pull them out of tough situations with a late rally or simply dominate a defense. Other fans are scratching their head and wondering how their team could ever have thought they were set at the position. We ranked all 28 QB rooms into one of 5 categories for you, so you can now start debating the merits of your team’s signal callers, and whether we got it right or not.   ELITE QB SITUATION BALTIMORE: No questions here. Roethlisberger and backup Jake Locker are both signed through 2019, so the Blitz are in a very good situation.   DENVER: They signed the player they see as their QB of the Future in Wyoming’s Josh Allen, and while Allen is impressing folks in the organization with his physical abilities, his presence also seems to be bringing out the best in Matt Leinart, who is having his best statistical season in years. He is sitting at a QBR of 96.1, his highest score since 2014, and with 11 TDs to only 2 picks, a lot is going right in Denver, at least at the QB position.   HOUSTON: The Colt McCoy era has started off about as well as anyone in Houston could have hoped. They have their 29-year old QB signed for another 3 seasons, and they like what they have in backup Landry Jones as well. Looks like Houston is out of the QB market for quite a while.   MICHIGAN: Kirk Cousins has one more year on his deal with the Panthers ,and you know they are working to sign their title-winning QB. The Panthers’ two backups, Taylor Heinecke and Drew Stanton are both in contract years. Our best guess is that Michigan signs one of them and takes advantage of what could be a rich QB pool in free agency to shore up the depth behind their starter.   OKLAHOMA: Joe Flacco may be a bit immobile, but he is still relatively young (31) and both he and his protégé, Mason Rudolph, are signed up through the 2021 season, so despite Oklahoma becoming something of a QB factory (Mayfield last year, Kyler Murray this year) the Outlaws don’t look to be shopping.   PHILADELPHIA: Before 2017 there was concern that Matt Gutierrez was not living up to the hype he got earlier in his career. But a fabulous 2017 campaign, and a pretty darn good 2018 so far have fans in Philly very happy with their QB situation. Behind Gutierrez, they have a solid, if a bit pedestrian, backup in Tony Pike, but they also like the development they are seeing in 22-year-old P. J. Walker, so it looks like the Stars are standing pat and feeling good about it.   SOLID QB SITUATION ATLANTA: We started the season saying Atlanta had a lot of questions at QB, but right now it looks like they have a pretty good situation. Aaron Murray is playing well, with a 9:6 TD-INT ratio and an 85.9 rating.  Behind him are young gun DeShone Kizer and former NFL starter Blaine Gabbert. Murray is a free agent after this year, so the priority now is to spend this season analyzing his play, and then signing him in the final weeks of the year. We think the Fire will do just that.   CHARLOTTE: We debated between Solid and Elite here, but with Trubisky struggling a bit more this year (8 TD to 9 picks) and some untested depth behind him in Tyler Thigpen and T. J. Yates, we think Charlotte is solid, but not in the elite category right now. The good news is that any choices to change things up will be voluntary, with none of their QBs in a contract year in 2018.   MEMPHIS: We had Memphis with a big question mark before the season, but Paxton Lynch is having a very nice 2nd season at the helm. His QB Rating has gone up about 8 points (75 to 83) and while we would not call him prolific (65.3% completions, 1,368 Yds, and 5:4 on TD:INT), he is playing smart and the Showboats are winning games. Kyle Orton is a solid backup, so we think the Showboats may be feeling pretty good about where they sit right now.   PITTSBURGH: 2018 is a make or break year for Andy Dalton. He had a very rough 2017 campaign, and Kevin Hogan seemed to be pushing him with some good outings, but this year is going much better for Dalton, with 1,135 yards and 7 TDs in 6 games. He is also avoiding the mistakes that got him into trouble last year. He may not be back at potential MVP level yet, but Pittsburgh is very happy with the Dalton-Hogan duo. Now, does Hogan want to sign on for more, or does he take off this offseason to find a starting gig?   PORTLAND: With the way Marcus Mariota is playing in his 3rd year as the starter, we think we have to say that the Oregon star may have arrived. His completion rate this year is the best of his career (67.2%) and he has 6 TDs to only 2 picks. What is more impressive is that he is making the right reads, something we all criticized his first 2 years under center. Signed through 2020, with rookie Kyle Lauletta behind him. Portland is no longer a team with a big red flashing alarm going off about their QB situation.   SAN DIEGO: The Thunder and their fans are still very high on Joe Webb, and while he may not be the most consistent performer, the big play capacity is always there. The biggest question in San Diego is if they keep Christian Ponder on the roster (He has 2 years on his contract) or if they feel good about Case Keenum as the number two. If the latter, we could see Ponder move at some point soon. There are certainly teams interested in finding another QB.   QB POSITION IN FLUX ARIZONA: You may have been surprised to not see Arizona in the Elite category, what with a 2-time defending MVP on the roster and a backup in Ryan Nassib looking like a quality starter with Carr out. But, here is the issue: Both Carr and Nassib, along with backups Tom Savage and recently signed Brooks Bollinger, are on the last year of their contracts. There is no way Arizona can afford to resign both Carr and Nassib, so they are in a bit of flux. They almost have to resign Carr, the 2-time MVP, despite being 34 years old and coming off a season-ending injury. That means Nassib could be on the market and a new Number 2 is needed.   NEW ORLEANS: The Breakers cannot count on Drew Brees to play into his 40s. While they like T-Draft signee Chad Kelly, it seems unlikely that they will hand him the reins without trying to add more competition. Pat White is a solid backup, but we think that the 2019 starter for New Orleans could currently be playing on another team. Bradford? Freeman? Maybe even an NFL starter available in the transfer window?   OAKLAND: While Jimmy G’s first ffew games have not been great, Oakland seems committed to the NFL import at least through 2019. They recently extended backup Kellen Moore, so we think that Ryan Lindley may be in the market this year. Expect Oakland to consider a QB if one stands out in the draft, but for now it looks like Jimmy Garoppolo is on a pretty long leash with time to improve.   ST. LOUIS: It looks like we are about to get our first look at Lamar Jackson, given the start in Week 7 against Las Vegas. Could this be a changing of the guard? Can the rookie handle the pressure? We will soon see. If he does well, it could be the end of an era for the Skyhawks. Josh Freeman has one more year on his current deal, but a good few games from Jackson and we could see St. Louis float their former MVP as a tasty trade bait morsel. If Jackson struggles, well, then the issue remains unresolved.   QB QUESTIONS CHICAGO: Here is the weird thing, Chicago could be considered solid, with Ryan Fitzpatrick playing very well this year, and with a solid backup in Mike Kafka and a young developmental player in Trevor Siemian, but they don’t seem to be happy where they are. That is why they went after Sam Darnold last offseason. With both Fitzie and Siemian in contract years, this could be a time when Chicago decides to either fish or cut bait. Do they build on what they have and focus on resigning their talent, or do they go a whole new direction?   JACKSONVILLE: Teddy Bridgewater got the start for the Bulls this week, and struggled. Now, if he starts to improve over the next few weeks, then we think the only question is whether Jacksonville tries to move Robert Griffin or just lets his final year wrap up and move to free agency. The issue is if Bridgewater continues to struggle. The Bulls may well be in the market for a QB by season’s end, and may be trying to sell off their two athletic, but seemingly erratic QBs.   LAS VEGAS: I think most folks believe that the 2019 starter for Las Vegas is not on the roster today. Eli Manning is struggling this year, and we think that even if he did not retire, with his contract ending this July, we think Vegas uses the lapse as a chance to bring in a youth movement. Backups Jeff Tuel and Curtis Painter are not QBs in training, so we think Vegas will be very seriously looking at NCAA talent like OU’s Kyler Murray, Duke’s Daniel Jones, Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins, or Missouri’s Drew Lock.   NEW JERSEY: The Generals have to have mixed feelings about Nick Foles. He has had moments, but he has also had some pretty bad games. His current QB rating of 78.1 is not what you want from a starter, and an 8:7 TD to INT ratio is also not ideal, not for a contender. Foles is in a contract year, and we think New Jersey will want to resign him, letting Brett Hundley go, but do they try to upgrade if there is a better option available?   OHIO: Yes, right now, Ohio has issues, with their top 2 players at the position injured, but both could be back in just a couple of weeks, so that is a short term issue. The bigger issue is what to do about Osweiler. The Glory like what Hackenberg has done as a starter, and he is under contract through 2020, so he is not going anywhere, but both Osweiler and Troy Smith are due for a new deal this year. We could see Ohio sign and trade one of the two, because they do not want to go into the offseason with 2 open spots.   ORLANDO: For the 2nd year in a row, Russell Wilson is missing time with injury. The Renegades like what they saw with Tim Tebow in the game, but Tebow does not seem like a long term solution. Orlando needs to decide if they renew Wilson this year or look somewhere else. We think Wilson’s best years are ahead of him, so we are a bit puzzled by Orlando’s lack of commitment, but those injuries are a concern.   WASHINGTON: David Garrard is showing us he can still play this game, especially the past couple of weeks, but at 36 and in a contract year, does Washington commit long term or do they let their starter for the past 9 seasons walk into the sunset? Garrard can still play, and certainly someone will sign him to a short term deal if he opts to stay in the game, but what is Washington’s future without him? It certainly is not either Mike Flynn or Tajh Boyd. So, big questions all around.   QB CUNUNDRUM BIRMINGHAM: No one doubts that Cam Newton has physical gifts, but he is struggling to turn those gifts into wins and consistent success. Folks in Birmingham are getting tired of the roller coaster, but with only A. J. McCarron and Byran Kohler behind him, Newton is not getting pulled. That said, he could very well be on the trade block this year, especially if ownership decides to blow it all up and start from scratch.   DALLAS: Too early to know if Wheedon can prove himself as a viable starter. His history of leading the league in picks has to have Coach Kingsbury feeling antsy about him. With Tyrod Taylor and Chase Daniel behind him, there is a chance we see multiple QBs this season. And what about Manziel? Clearly the most talented, but with this year’s suspension he will have lost 19 of the last 32 games to suspension, and there are voices both inside and beyond the organization saying that the club should let Manziel leave for the NFL. That is a classic QB Conundrum.   LOS ANGELES: There is no doubt that Sam Bradford has a talented arm, but he is just not getting results in LA. He has one more year on his contract and he is not getting challenged by either Nick Mullens or veteran Brodie Croyle. Is Bradford possibly a trade candidate in the offseason? If the coaching shift we are now expecting happens, that would be the time to make a wholesale change.   SEATTLE: Jacoby Brissett has had some very good moments, but the year Matt McGloin has put in for Seattle in the games since Brissett went down may well have created a real controversy. McGloin came out of nowhere to lead the league in passer rating after his 5 starts. He has over 1,200 yards, 11 touchdowns, and only 2 picks, is completing passes at a 71.4% clip, and Seattle is looking at only about 2 more weeks before they have to decide if they stick with the hot hand or go back to their Week 1 starter. That is a tough situation.   TAMPA BAY: We do not like Tampa’s QB situation at all. Not that Dak Prescott is a horrible option, but he has hardly been a consistent presence for the Bandits, and his contract is up in July. He is basically auditioning each and every week to keep his job. Not that E. J. Manuel or B. J. Daniels are going to steal it, but we could see Tampa Bay try again to find another answer, as they did this offseason. Unless Prescott really starts to put the pieces together, they may well start over once again.   BALTIMORE BLITZ 26   WASHINGTON FEDERALS 31 We love a good divisional battle, and when it is two teams separated by only 57 miles, you just know the two clubs will have a lot of bad blood, and the fanbases even more. Throw in the fact that both Baltimore and Washington came into this game at 2-3 and were fighting to reach .500 and you have a lot of motivation in this game.   The Blitz had started the season well, edging the Stars 15-10 on a rainy opening weekend in Philadelphia, but then went on to lose 3 in a row before rebounding last week with a thorough drubbing of the LA Express. Washington started very slow, beaten badly by the Maulers and the Stags before winning a shootout against Seattle. But a huge upset over New Orleans last week gave the Federals confidence that they were on the right track as they prepared to host their arch rivals in the Beltway Brawl at RFK.   And this one would truly be a brawl, a game initially dominated by the Blitz, but a game that Washington would not abandon as they clawed their way back, taking the lead, after trailing for much of the game, on their final drive, a game-winning drive that could well have broad ramifications for the season ahead for both teams. It was a game that saw veteran QBs Ben Roethlisberger and David Garrard battle it out over 60 minutes, with both defenses struggling to find answers as the two combined for over 600 yards passing.   Early on it appeared that the day might belong to Baltimore. After the Blitz were stopped on their opening drive, a coffin corner punt pinned the Federals back at their own 1-yard line, and on their first play from scrimmage DE Da’Quan Bowers drew a holding call in the endzone, giving Baltimore the safety and another possession after the free kick. Baltimore used that possession to put up 7 points as they mixed the run and the pass to get inside the 10 and Anthony Dixon punched the ball in from 8 yards out.   While the Federals struggled to find their groove, the Blitz were in full form already. On their 3rd possession of the game, Ben Roethlisberger found Brian Hartline on a fly route, gaining 32 yards in one fell swoop and placing on the ball on the Washington 9. Two plays later, Big Ben hit Jaydon Mickens, a little used target, for his only catch of the day, a 9-yard TD reception. Baltimore was up 16-0 after the PAT and the Federals looked to be struggling on defense.   But, sometimes the best defense truly is a good offense, and Washington finally found some positives on offense on their next drive. David Garrard used pistol and shotgun formations to survey the field, connecting on 4 consecutive throws and moving the ball 53 yards in those 4 plays. After a short run by Anthony Allen (held to 46 yards on the day), Garrard went back to the air, connecting with Brandon LaFell for the first Washington score of the day. But the defense was still struggling to contain the Blitz, and Baltimore used only 8 plays and 1:22 off the clock before they countered the Washington touchdown. This time it was Roethlisberger to Harry Douglas for 7, on a drive that began with a 20-yard Anthony Dixon run and finished with the Blitz back up by 16 at 23-7. Still, Washington was not going to go away. Garrard again moved the ball well, this time helped by some carelessness on a 3rd and 4, as Baltimore jumped offside and gifted a first down to the Federals. Washington did not waste the opportunity, with Garrard finding LaFell for a 2nd time, putting them at 23-14 with 2:36 left in the quarter.   Baltimore failed to pick up a first down on their next possession, giving the Federals a chance to get even closer with a final drive. They could not find the endzone, but with time running out Adam Vinatieri put the ball through the uprights and the Federals went into the half very much in the game, down only 23-17.   The Federals would put up the only points of the third quarter as Baltimore started to struggle to convert on third down, missing on 3 attempts in the quarter. The Federals opened the half with the ball and Garrard found Kellen Davis from 23 yards out for his third TD of the day. Garrard would finish the game with 351 yards, completing 31 of 43 throws as the Federals gave up on the run against Baltimore’s front 7, but had good success in the passing game. The TD drive spurred on the Federals and for the rest of the game they would keep Baltimore out of the endzone and struggling to string together first downs.   Both clubs spent most of the third and fourth quarters battling for field position, Baltimore trailing 24-23, but unable to get into range even for Josh Lambo to take a shot. That would change with 4:46 left to play when a poor choice by Washington’s Tyreek Hill would cost the Federals the ball. Hill caught a short slant and was on his way to a 17-yard gain, but thought he could spin his way past the safety and get even more. The spin move caused Hill to hold the ball out to his side and Baltimore safety Kendrick Lewis, stripped Hill of the ball. Baltimore recovered and had a short field to get in range for Josh Lambo.   The Blitz would convert on the drive, putting up 3 points and retaking the lead at 26-24 with just 2:22 left to play. But Washington had time, and, needing only a field goal to retake the lead, they would mount a drive that would send Baltimore home with a 4th loss. The drive lasted only 1:12 on the clock, but included 8 plays and a back-breaking TD toss, Garrard’s 4th of the day. Garrard hit Kellen Davis twice on the drive, including a 17-yarder on 3rd and 12, a brutal blow to the Blitz defense. Only 2 plays later, Garrard would find Keenan Allen on a fade route and the Feds would take the lead (and the win) with a 31-26 advantage.   The win put Washington at a surprising 3-3 after 6 games, while Baltimore slid to 2-4. Both teams clearly have problems to fix and a need for more consistent defensive play, but what we learned about Washington was that they were finding ways to compensate for issues in the run game by allowing David Garrard to use his experience and vision to pick apart a defense. A good win by the Federals and a short, but unhappy bus ride back to Baltimore for the Blitz. BIRMINGHAM 17   MEMPHIS 19 The Stallions’ absolute inability to sustain a run game may have cost them another game as Memphis held their arch rival to a truly pathetic 30 total yardsrushing, with both Kerryon Johnson and T. J. Yeldon held under 3 yards per carry, pushing the Stallions to make a mid-week trade (see below). The entire offense produced only 178 yards of offense as Rex Ryan’s defense kept Cam Newton in check. While it was not a banner day for the Showboat offense, with Paxton Lynch throwing 2 picks and Todd Gurley struggling to gain 66 yards on the day, it was enough as Memphis came back from a 17-10 halftime deficit with their three 2nd half Lewis Ward field goals the only scoring of the final 30 minutes. POTG:  Showboat rookie TE Dallas Goedert: 7 rec, 103 Yds   SEATTLE 28   LOS ANGELES 27 The Dragons earn their first win of the season as LA continues to find new ways to disappoint their shrinking home crowds. The Express went down 28-21 with 2:47 left, got a nice 2-minute drill from the offense, capped off by a Bradford to Demaryius Thomas TD toss with 1:35 left, only to have Dan Bailey shank the PAT into the right upright. Seattle got a stellar game from Matt McGloin, one of this season’s surprise successes, as the career backup completed 29 of 35 passing for 289 yards and 3 TDs. The Dragon defense also showed up, holding a somewhat gimpy Reggie Bush to only 18 yards on the day. POTG:  Dragon CB Xavien Howard: 7 Tck, 1 PDef, 1 Int.   OHIO 17  ATLANTA 13 A tough home loss for the SE Division-leading Fire as Ohio’s defense came up big with 5 sacks of Aaron Murray and, worst of all, a 4th quarter pick-six that gave the Glory the upper hand and the W. Tim Smith got the start at QB for the QB-shy Glory, completing 19 of 30 for 165, a TD and 2 picks. Isaiah Pead added 65 yards rushing, but the story of the game was the Glory defense, led by LB Daniel Ellerbe, whose 47-yard return of a tipped ball would be the deciding score of the game. The D produced 3 takeaways (1 pick and 2 fumble recoveries) and held Atlanta to only 236 total yards, with Nick Chubb gaining only 42 yards on 14 carries. POTG:  Ohio LB Daniel Ellerbe: 7 Tck, 1 TFL, 1 FR, 1 PDef, 1 Int, 1 Def TD.   TAMPA BAY 26   NEW JERSEY 35 Maurice Jones-Drew came up big with 122 yards rushing and 4 TDs (1, 1, 2, and 35 yards) as the Generals got the W despite Tampa Bay outgaining them 465-351. Dak Prescott did his best, throwing for 3 scores and 389 yards as the Bandits fell behind early and abandoned the run game, but it was not enough as New Jersey scored 4 first half touchdowns and controlled the clock in the 2nd half. Dez Bryant had his best game with the Bandits, catching 6 for 106 and 2 scores, but no one could outshine MJD on this day. POTG: Generals’ HB Maurice Jones-Drew: 24 Att, 122 Yds, 4 TD, 2 Rec, 24 Yds   MICHIGAN 17   OAKLAND 34 An absolute statement win for the Invaders as they try to gain respect they feel is due. The defending champs came into Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara and were bombarded early, with Oakland putting up the first 24 points of the game to take a dominant lead a the half. Touchdowns from Christian McCaffrey and Davante Adams got it started, but the true backbreaker was a 2nd quarter scoop and score of a fumble by former Panther Michael Bennett. The Invader D continued to impress, holding LeVeon Bell to 62 yards rushing, sacking Kirk Cousins 4 times and snagging 2 picks and 2 fumbles in a dominant win. POTG:  Former Panther, now Invader DE Michael Bennett: 3 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 Def TD, 1 FR   PORTLAND 13  SAN DIEGO 10  OVERTIME Another team trying to earn respect, Portland went into defending Pacific Division Champ San Diego’s back yard and came away with a hard-fought overtime win. It was not a pretty win, but it was a win as Portland forced two Joe Webb interceptions and limited Ryan Williams to 0.9 yards per carry in a very impressive defensive showing. The Stag offense was not impressive but did enough to get the win in overtime. Marcus Mariota completed 4 of 5 passes in the game-winning drive before Dan Carpenter put the W on the board with a 44-yard kick with only 1:42 left in the extra period. POTG:  Stags’ CB Dale Luong: 5 Tck, 2 PDef, 1 Int   DALLAS 7   ARIZONA 24 We are not sure if Arizona’s rebuilt defense is beginning to find its stride under Coach Tomsula, or if Dallas, with Brandon Wheedon at the helm, is just not ready to mount an offense yet, but this was a strong defensive showing for the Wranglers, holding Dallas to only 252 total yards and only 140 yards passing. It helps that the Wrangler ground game was in good form, with Carey and Gore combining for 162 yards on 35 carries. Samaje Perine had a solid outing for Dallas, with 82 yards, but Brandon Wheedon averaged only 4.5 yards per completion on the day, limiting Dallas to 3 of 12 on third down. POTG:  Wrangler HB Frank Gore: 16 Att, 66 Yds, 2 TD   PHILADELPHIA 22   PITTSBURGH 24 In a week of statement games, the Maulers announce to the league that they are to be taken seriously, with Andy Dalton putting up 3 touchdowns, Sony Michel and Marcus Lattimore combining for 134 yards rushing and the Pittsburgh D holding an admittedly hobbled Derrick Henry to only 18 yards rushing. Down 24-13 after 3 quarters, Philadelphia did mount a comeback in the 4th, but it fell short when DT Aaron Donald sacked Matt Gutierrez on 4th and 11 from the Mauler 44 in the game’s final minute. POTG:  Mauler QB Andy Dalton: 22/33, 240 Yds, 3 TD, 0 Int   JACKSONVILLE 10   CHARLOTTE 38 The Monarchs recaptured a share of 1st place in the SE Division by dominating the Bulls. Charlotte outgained Jacksonville 406-231, picking off NFL import Teddy Bridgewater 3 times and sacking him another 4 times. Mitch Trubisky threw for 253 and 3 scores, with Justin Blackmon catching 5 for 92 yards and 2 touchdowns, but it was Adrian Peterson’s 114 yards on 13 carries that kept Charlotte in control the entire game. POTG:  Monarch HB Adrian Peterson: 13 Att, 114 Yds   OKLAHOMA 7   NEW ORLEANS 17 Joe Flacco was forced out of a 7-7 game in the 3rd quarter and New Orleans added 10 points in the final period to move to 5-1 on the year. Another gimpy running back, Marshawn Lynch had only 8 carries in the game before being sent to the locker room. Both defenses played well, but with 3 turnovers, 2 in the final period, including a late pick from Flacco’s sub, rookie Mason Rudolph, Oklahoma simply could not counter New Orleans’s two scoring drives. POTG:  New Orleans DT Ricky Jean-Francois: 8 Tck, 1 Sck   LAS VEGAS 33  DENVER 23 Denver’s defense had a surprisingly poor outing against the Vipers as Eli Manning threw for 334 yards and the combo of Hunt and Hardesty combined for 87 yards and a score for the Vipers. In a game that had no turnovers, field position was key and on multiple occasions Denver simply could not get the ball out of their end. Despite this, it was Denver up 23-12 after 3 quarters, but the 4th quarter saw Las Vegas come alive, with 4 scoring drives, including touchdowns from Montario Hardesty, and the backbreaker, and 59-yard, game winning punt return from Arnold Brown. POTG:  Viper QB Eli Manning: 27/36, 334 Yds, 1 TD, 0 Int   CHICAGO 34  ST. LOUIS 6 In a game that may herald the end of an era, Josh Freeman completed only 6 passes for 53 yards as Chicago dominated, outpacing St. Louis with 412 offensive yards to a pitiful 121 for the Skyhawks. Ryan Fitzpatrick went 21 of 26, but it was the Chicago run game that dominated, with Matt Forte running for 88 yards and Jeremy Hill for 94 and 2 scores. St. Louis managed only 6 first downs all game, and by the third quarter the fans at the Dome could be heard chanting for Lamar Jackson to come in. He did not, but it looks like he will get the start in Week 7 as Josh Freeman’s tenure in St. Louis could be coming to an end. POTG:  Machine CB Josh Norman: 1 Tck, 1 Int, 1 Def TD   HOUSTON 14   ORLANDO 20 Russell Wilson finally looked back to his regular self, throwing for 229 yards and 2 TDs, while the Orlando defense made life difficult for Colt McCoy, and especially Carlos Hyde. Hyde finished with only 7 yards rushing as Orlando took an early lead and forced Houston to play catch up. Despite outgaining the Renegades, Houston just could not break into scoring position for most o fhte game, getting their 14 points in the 4th quarter when the game was all but locked up for Orlando. POTG:  Orlando DE Calais Campbell: 3 Tck, 2 Sck   Bridgewater Struggles after Surprise Start It is something of a cliché that teams should not count on their NFL imports to light things up in their first year. Trying to add a 2nd season into a year when you don’t give yourself time to rest and recover after a long NFL season is not easy. And yet, every year we get excited by players coming over from the fall league. Well, if Teddy Bridgewater’s first game is any indication, fans in Jacksonville may want to wait until 2019 before they expect much from their NFL import QB.   Bridgewater was a surprise start this weekend, with most indications being that Robert Griffin III would get another start against Charlotte. But when the Bulls’ offense took the field it was Bridgewater, returning to his college number 5 who took the field. Charlotte may have been surprised, but they were not flustered by the unannounced change of QB. The Monarchs proceeded to make the former Louisville Cardinal’s first start one he would like to forget. Charlotte’s D picked off the new USFL starter 3 times, got him to the ground with 4 sacks, and hit him more times than Coach Flores wanted to see. The result? A pretty easy 28-point win for Charlotte and only 231 yards of offense for Jacksonville. A rough start for the NFL import, but nothing we haven’t seen before. Expect to see Bridgewater back under center this week, when the Bulls pull a tough assignment, hosting the defending champion Panthers and their top ranked USFL pass defense. Skyhawks Moving On? Set to Start Jackson in Week 7 After an absolute stinker this week that saw Josh Freeman complete only 6 passes in a 34-6 drubbing by the Chicago Machine, it is no surprise at all that Coach Reich is now going to hand the keys to the offense over to rookie Lamar Jackson. With a 1-5 start and his job on the line, Reich has to do something. And while St. Louis’s problems on defense are sizeable, switching up the QB can potentially do some good, especially if it means keeping that miserable defense off the field for more of the game.   Jackson will start under center for the Skyhawks, but what does that mean for the St. Louis offense. Expect him to be given some pretty basic pass pattern combos to decipher, lots of opportunities to scramble if protection breaks down, and very possibly some planned runs. Jackson is far more mobile than Freeman, and Coach Reich would be a fool to try to keep him in the pocket. But, this will be Jackson’s first pro start, so we should also expect some issues with the speed of the game, with the complexity of defenses, and with indecisiveness. Going on the road for his first start will certainly not make things any easier, but Las Vegas is not a particularly aggressive defense, so there is a chance that Jackson will have a shot at putting together some drives and showing us his potential.   Two Big Trades Set Up Rush to Week 10 Deadline We have 2 more weeks until the trade deadline and only now did we get our first big trade of the season. Well, two trades actually. Will this trigger more movement, or are teams leary to make midseason deals? Well, four teams were not, and we got two pretty meaningful player swaps as a result.   Birmingham and Tampa Bay Swap Five as Both Seek to Bolster Run Game Two offenses both looking to shake things up and find a run game made a deal to swap backs, with Birmingham throwing in even more collateral to also upgrade at right tackle. The deal involves 5 players and 2 draft picks as the Bandits will send underrated but effective dual use back Rex Burkhead to Birmingham, along with starting right tackle Jake Long. In return, Birmingham, having already demoted former Alabama back T. J. Yeldon, now ships him off to Tampa Bay, along with swing tackle Brennan Williams, reserve DE Jarius Wynn and two 5th round draft picks (2019 and 2020).   For Birmingham, this is about trying to build a run game that has simply been ineffective with Yeldon. Burkhead can split carries with Kerryon Johnson, their 2018 draft choice, providing more of a pass-catching threat as well as some pretty good close-yardage skills. He will run behind Jake Long, who is certainly an upgrade on the right side for Birmingham.  Meanwhile, Tampa Bay adds depth at OT and DE, and has a back similar in some ways to their starter, Dalvin Cook, to utilize when Cook needs a breather. They also add a couple of draft picks, part of the addition of Long to the deal, without a doubt.                            Fire & Gold Exchange Starters  The Atlanta Fire made a deal with Denver in hopes of adding a solid 2nd option for QB Aaron Murray. The deal brings WR Kelvin Benjamin to the Fire after barely a full season in Denver. The former Federal had his best year in Washington in 2016, catching 66 balls for 1,026 yards before joining the Gold in free agency. In Denver, he started all 16 games in 2017 but dropped to only 671 yards receiving. He had 29 catches for 364 yards and 2 touchdowns with the Gold this season, but was being challenged for snaps by Michael Crabtree. In Atlanta, he will line up with Roy Williams as the starting receivers, with Pharoh Cooper and Dorial Green-Beckham sharing the slot. The deal for Benjamin is a clear sign that bringing Leonard Hankerson back from a short NFL stint has simply not worked out.   Meanwhile, with the deal Denver solves a question they had struggled with over their recent 3-game losing streak, who to line up alongside Shaquile Barrett and Patrick Onwuasor in their 4-3 LB group. Atlanta sends them veteran Justin Houston in the deal, along with both teams swapping 2nd round picks in 2019 for some reason (no one can figure out who wins that, at least not yet.)  Houston will likely share time with Harold Landry in the short term, but the goal, it seems, is to move Landry inside behind Onwuasor and to have Barrett and Houston outside.   With 2 weeks left to go, and several teams still hoping to salvage the season or make a move to the top of their division, it is safe to say that the trading block is not done seeing deals yet. We may just be getting started. Denver Drops 3rd in a Row After Fast Start After a very sweet start for the Gold, one that saw them knock off Arizona, Las Vegas, and Dallas in consecutive weeks, things have turned sour over the past 3 games, with tough losses to Oklahoma (a 35-30 shootout) and then losses in the rematches with both the Wranglers and Vipers. The up and down season means that Denver is sitting at 3-3 not only in the overall standings, but within their division as well. They now embark on a 4-game out-of-division run (they have only 2 division games left all season), beginning with a Week 7 trip to LA before they face the Breakers, Thunder, and Stallions.   Clearly Denver feels a need to shake things up, otherwise they would not have traded Kelvin Benjamin to obtain more help at linebacker, but they are also looking at their offense and wondering what else can be done. The run game has been solid, with DeMarco Murray and rookie Phillip Lindsay combining to average 114.8 yards per game, good enough for 6th in the league, but Matt Leinart and the passing game have started to sputter after a good start. Denver ranks 24th in the league with only 195.3 yards per game, and while Matt Leinart’s QB Rating of 96.1 is good enough for 4th in the league, there is concern that he has cooled off after an opening 3-game stint in which he had 6 touchdowns to only 1 pick. Trading away Benjamin may not be a positive in this direction, though Coach Hufnagel stated that he has the utmost confidence in shifting Michael Crabtree into the 2 slot and having Kevin White take over in the slot.   The question, of course, is whether Hufnagel will consider putting rookie Josh Allen in to spark some big plays. For all of Leinart’s efficiency, he is not getting the ball deep, and there is a growing sentiment that if Denver continues to struggle with big play production, that giving Allen a shot may help spark some potential highlight plays that will make Denver both more challenging for defensive coordinators and more exciting for a fanbase that has been a bit underwhelmed with the style of play.   Oakland Does it with Defense The Oakland Invaders have started 3 different quarterbacks in 6 games, are ranked 28th in yards per game, and yet are sitting pretty at 5-1. How are they doing this? Defense. The old fashioned way to win games, just keep the opponent below 20 points a game. Well, how about under 14 points a game?  Oakland’s defense is currently ranked 1st overall in points allowed at an average of only 13.8 per game. The only team to top 20 points was Arizona, which is also Oakland’s only loss.   The stars of that defense are easy to spot. Linebacker and defensive captain Bobby Wagner is all over the field, racking up 43 tackles on the season. He and squadmate Tavares Gooden have also combined for 6 sacks in the early weeks of the season. Of course this week the big hero was former Panther Michael Bennett, who got a nice shot in on his former team with Oakland’s big win and his big game. He leads the club with 5 sacks, but with 6 different players currently with multiple sacks on the year, it is clear that Oakland’s pressure packages are varied and effective. We should also highlight the work of the secondary, with Chris Gamble sitting at 4 picks on the year, followed by CB Jahleel Addae with 3.   It has been a team effort, and not only playing tight D, but using the D to put points on the board, with 3 defensive touchdowns already this year, 2 from CB Chris Gamble and one on Bennett’s scoop & score fumble recovery this week. Oakland may not have the most explosive offense, and QB Jimmy Garoppolo may still be trying to find his way in his first USFL season, but the Invader defense is proving to be a formidable force and a big reason why Oakland is looking at the league from atop the standings.   After a few pretty light weeks on the injury front, Week 6 turned the tables, with significant injury reports across the league, including 4 new additions to the IR list, with Memphis LB and defensive captain NaVorro Bowman perhaps the toughest injury to account for in the list. Certainly Orlando will also miss CB Dee Milliner, though he is expected to return in time for a possible playoff run. The same for Portland tackle Roger Saffold. Both Baltimore and Atlanta lose a starter on their offensive lines, and Oklahoma may well play Week 7 without their starting QB and star HB, as both Joe Flacco and Marshawn Lynch appeared on the injury report this week. OUT TE            Kellen Winslow II            WSH     Groin                    IR G        Trevor Canfield               ATL         MCL                      IR CB         Artie Burns                       DEN      Hamstring         IR LB          NaVorro Bowman             MEM     Hamstring         IR OT        Ryan Ramczyk                  BAL        Leg                        6-8 Weeks CB         Dee Milliner                      ORL       Miniscus             6-8 Weeks C           Wesley Johnson               LV           Ribs                       6-8 Weeks OT         Roger Saffold                   POR      Hip                        6-8 Weeks G           MacKenzie Bernadeu      SD          Arm                       4-6 Weeks C             Robert Vega                     PHI        Arm                       2-4 Weeks LB         Rey Maualaga                   NJ           Hamstring         1-2 Weeks FS         Kyzir White                       MGN     Finger                   1-2 Weeks   DOUBTFUL HB         Zac Stacy                   PHI        Hip                        SS          Tarvarious Moore       MGN     Hamstring QB        Joe Flacco                      OKL       Concussion   QUESTIONABLE DE         Deshon Hall                  SEA        Concussion TE         Vernon Davis                  HOU     Back DT       Gabe Wright                    PIT         Neck G           Parker Ehinger               PIT         Broken Nose TE      David Njoku                    ORL       Hand DT       Fletcher Cox                   JAX         Shoulder HB           Marshawn Lynch              OKL       Concussion    A Quick Look at Team Rankings After 6 Weeks While we publish player rankings each week, highlighting the league leaders in several statistical categories, we rarely look at teams as a whole, so this week we decided to do just that, review the top and bottom of the league in six significant categories. This will give you an idea where teams are finding their success and where they may be struggling. Expect to see something of a parallel between wins and losses and success in these categories, though an occasional outlier can slip in, as you will see.   Passing Yards TOP 5                                                    BOTTOM 5 Tampa Bay         1,712                       Oakland              828 Houston              1,710                        Ohio                      981 Philadelphia     1,622                         Pittsburgh          1,135 New Jersey        1,586                         Atlanta                1,172 Arizona                1,585                         Denver                 1,172   Several surprises here, from Tampa Bay’s top position to the low output of Pittsburgh’s new spread offense. But, in nearly all cases what we are seeing are veteran QBs, solid receiving corps, and teams with solid O-lines among the leaders, while both Oakland and Ohio have used multiple QBs this season, explaining why their production has not been particularly strong.   Rushing Yards TOP 5                                                         BOTTOM 5 Michigan            844                           Oklahoma          352 San Diego           819                         New Orleans    359 Charlotte            729                            Birmingham      384 Pittsburgh          724                            Houston              410 Portland              700                            Washington       421   The biggest shocker here is the absolute failure of Oklahoma’s switch to a smashmouth, power run game. They are dead last in rushing despite focusing their attention on Marshawn Lynch. It seems defenses have also been able to focus on Lynch and the hoped-for ground dominance just has not materialized. No surprise that the Breakers, Stallions and Feds are struggling, but Houston seems to have de-emphasized Carlos Hyde, and that may be an issue for them. On the other side of the spectrum, Portland, Pittsburgh and Charlotte seem to have found life through their run games, something we knew would be the case for the Panthers and LeVeon Bell.   Pass Defense      TOP 5                                              BOTTOM 5         Michigan            1,060              Philadelphia      1,856         Ohio                      1,106               Seattle                1,690         Dallas                  1,128               New Jersey        1,661       Chicago              1,138             Denver                 1,627         Jacksonville      1,198               Los Angeles       1,626   When you look at defense, the best thing to do is first to look at both run and pass, because one can suffer if the other is really strong. Take the Generals, for example. Their run defense is very solid, so teams fall behind early and have to pass to catch up, leaving the Generals looking like a weak pass defense when the truth is that they are a strong run defense. Of course, if you can hold down the pass, especially in the USFL, that is often a good sign for your club.   Rush Defense TOP 5                                                     BOTTOM 5 Pittsburgh          323                          St. Louis              1,119 New Orleans    377                        Seattle                782 Memphis            390                           Washington       764 New Jersey        437                            Charlotte            716 Houston              443                            Arizona                697   No surprise to find Pittsburgh atop the run defense list. Their front 7 is so tough to run against. Memphis, New Orleans and Houston also do a great job making teams one dimensional. And if this list shows us anything it is that St. Louis may well be historically bad against the run. With nearly a 400-yard difference between the sad state of affairs in Seattle and the 2nd worst team up in Seattle.   Sacks TOP 5                                                 BOTTOM 5 Orlando               26                     Portland              5 Oakland              25                     Seattle                9 New Orleans    24                    Jacksonville      9 Houston              23                    Arizona                10 New Jersey        20                     Washington       10   Is anyone surprised that Orlando leads the league in sacks? Probably not, but did you expect Oakland to be right there with them. The Invader D has proven itself very worthy this year. Meanwhile the Wranglers are struggling to find a pass rush with their new defense, but not as badly as both Seattle and Portland, whose entire teams are not keeping pace with the top 5-6 edge rushing ends in the league.   Takeaways TOP 5                                              BOTTOM 5 Charlotte            17                     St. Louis              3 Oakland              17                     Houston              5 Dallas                  16                    Memphis            5 Birmingham      16                   Arizona                6 Orlando               16                    Michigan            7   What is the saying? Turnovers equals points? Yup. Turnovers lead to short fields, short fields lead to more scoring opportunities, and that can easily lead to wins. Charlotte and Oakland are living well thanks to the short fields (and defensive scores) put up by their defense. The same is not true for the 1-5 Skyhawks, though it is surprising to see 3 really good teams struggling to get takeaways (Houston, Arizona, and Michigan).   Stags Make Serious Inquiry to San Diego About Naming Rights It started as a fan petition, but it seems that the goal of reacquiring the “Thunder” moniker and history is very much of interest to the Portland Stags organization, not just for fan service, but as a way to re-ignite the passion of the region’s fanbase. With the San Diego franchise exploring a possible sale, the time may be right if Portland wanted to make a move. A new owner could subsidize his offer for the Thunder by accepting significant financial remuneration for the Thunder logo, name, and branding, allowing the new owner to craft an identity for their new investment, while also reducing their own cost of purchase.   It may sound crazy, but with the Thunder now in their third home, and with no significant ties to San Diego in their short history there, the option to secure a new identity might be quite attractive, and the fans in Portland would certainly welcome back a franchise that began in the city back in 1988. The Stags, while welcomed to the city when Columbia Sportswear Stadium was completed in 2008, the franchise has not had the type of rabid following that the Thunder saw in their best years in Portland.   So, while right now the talks between the Stags’ ownership and that of the Thunder are merely tentative, the true test when San Diego formally announces their intention to seek new ownership. When that happens, we could see immediate action from the Stags to petition the USFL for a transfer of franchise identity, paired with outreach to the selected ownership group to sweeten the pot towards the sale and ensure a smooth transition. It is certainly not a done deal, far too early to say that, but what began as a grassroots movement within the Portland football community could well be on the path to success.   Express Refresh Look for 2019 The Los Angeles, mired in a 1-5 start and potentially on the verge of removing former 2-time NFL Champion coach Andy Reid seem ripe for a change, and that change appears to be starting with the team’s aesthetics. The Express and Under Armour released their new look for 2019 and with that look comes a first for a franchise which has been in the USFL in one format or another since its inception in 1983.   Throughout the snake-bitten history of the Express, leaving for St. Louis in 1992, returning to the City of Angels in 1995, and nearly 40 seasons without a title in Tinsel Town, the Express have taken the field in a combination of navy blue, speed (pale) blue, and silver, but they have always sported silver helmets as their primary. No longer. The new LA helmet shifts from silver to a color-shifting blue, with the crown in the team’s proprietary Speed Blue, but darkening by the base and rear of the helmet to a medium navy blue.  The helmets remain stripeless and have the wrap around jet and contrail logo first introduced in 2011. The primary jerseys, pant sets, and socks all retain elements of the past few LA Express iterations, with the dominant motif being the “split” striping, a feature also present on the jersey numbers, always presented in 2 colors with an angled cut dividing the two. The team will have both silver and navy pants and white and Speed Blue jerseys with offset colored sleeves. The secondary “Mercury” head logo will appear on the sleeves, and the LAX logo on the chest. The jerseys also feature a thin side panel stripe, interrupted by the “slash” cut that separates colors. This extends into the pant sets as well.   The Express alternate designs feature the same basic design, but in the “Silver Streak” alternate, we return to the silver helmet, along with a light silvery-grey jersey and white pant set. The silver jersey is the only one to feature piping around the numbers, with white surrounding the twin-blue numbers and comprising the color-separating slash. LA will also have a true throwback look, harkening back to the early 1980’s with a look which had to be approved by the now Las Vegas Vipers (formerly the Express until 1992). The navy and white jerseys, silver pants, and navy trim with burgundy harkens back to the team’s 1983 season. Week 7 action kicks off with a divisional double header as Chicago visits Ohio in the NBC Friday Night Lights game, a matchup of two 3-3 teams looking to pursue Michigan in the Central. The late game, this week on FOX, features 5-1 Oakland facing the 1-5 Seattle Dragons, who, for a second season in a row, needed to wait until Week 6 to get their first win of the year.   On Saturday, the best of the early games features Washington at New Jersey in a Northeast clash. The Feds have won three in a row to reach .500 and face a New Jersey team that sits only a half-game up at 3-2-1. At 4pm, we are tuning in for Birmingham at Houston, a Southern divisional game that could determine if Birmingham is a potential factor in the division or destined for 4th place. The evening games include San Diego at Philadelphia and Denver heading to Los Angeles to take on the Express.   On Sunday, we start the day off with an intriguing matchup in the Northeast as the 4-2 Maulers visit the 2-4 Blitz, with the fortunes of both clubs seemingly reversed from preseason predictions. The national game on Fox in the noon hour features a surprising 5-1 Memphis team headed to Charlotte to take on the defending SE Division champion Monarchs. At 4pm we have a good one in the Southwest, as Arizona takes their 4-1-1 record to Oklahoma City to face the 3-3 Outlaws, possibly without either Joe Flacco or Marshawn Lynch able to play. We wrap up the week with another division clash, this time it is Orlando visiting Atlanta. A win by the Fire, with some help, could give them lone possession of first place in the division, while Orlando is hoping to get right into the heart of the division race with a win on the road.   Friday @ 6pm ET                Chicago (3-3) @ Ohio (3-3)                              NBC Friday @ 8pm ET               Oakland (5-1) @ Seattle (1-5)                          FOX   Saturday @ 12pm ET              Washington (3-3) @ New Jersey (3-2-1)         ABC Saturday @ 12pm ET               New Orleans (5-1) @ Tampa Bay (1-5)           FOX Saturday @ 4pm ET               Birmingham (2-4) @ Houston (4-2)                ABC Saturday @ 4pm ET                St. Louis (1-5) @ Las Vegas (3-3)                  FOX Saturday @ 7pm ET                San Diego (2-4) @ Philadelphia (3-3)             NBC      Saturday @ 9pm ET                 Denver (3-3) @ Los Angeles (1-5)           ESPN/EFN   Sunday @ 12pm ET                 Michigan (4-2) @ Jacksonville (1-5)           ABC Regional Sunday @ 12pm ET              Pittsburgh (4-2) @ Baltimore (2-4)          ABC Regional Sunday @ 12pm ET               Memphis (5-1) @ Charlotte (4-2)             FOX Sunday @ 4pm ET                   Dallas (2-4) @ Portland (4-2)                    ABC Sunday @ 4pm ET                Arizona (4-1-1) @ Oklahoma (3-3)        FOX Sunday @ 8pm ET                  Orlando (3-3) @ Atlanta (4-2)         ESPN/EFN

A big week for big performances, from LeVeon Bell’s combined 229 yards of offense to Ben Roethlisberger’s 379-yard, 4 TD day, and the surprising 5 picks taken from Drew Brees by a Washington Federal defense that has been one of the league’s worst so far this season. We also saw Todd Gurley rush for 128, Nick Foles throw for 416 in a tough loss, Wrangler QB Ryan Nassib throw for 320 and 3 scores, and rookie Nick Chubb help Atlanta move to 4-1 with 121 yards for his first pro 100-yard game. Week 5 was a week that brought us some surprises atop the divisions, with Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Memphis, and Oakland all now either atop or tied for the lead in their divisions. We will break down all the action, discuss the Manziel suspension, made official this week, and highlight several players who have not lived up to our expectations so far this season, but we start with the 2020 expansion and a group of owners putting together a pretty serious bid for a city most would not have included on their wish list. Could Hartford, Connecticut outperform some much larger cities and become the 30th USFL franchise? With some big money behind their bid, the group that wants to add Hartford as a major league city seems to think so.   USFL in Hartford? An Oddly Comprised Ownership Group Says Yes. When the USFL announced that it would return a franchise to San Antonio and add a 30th club, both in 2020, the usual suspects were named. Certainly the league would look at returning to Boston, despite two failed franchises in the past (largely due to the intransigence of NFL owner Robert Kraft and his hold on Gilette Stadium), that other cities under consideration would include Miami and the Twin Cities, and that we might see bids coming in from NFL cities like Indianapolis or Kansas City, with owners aligned with the local stadium authority to try to expand use of their very expensive facility. What was largely unexpected was the idea that a city with no current major league franchises would join the bidding process, but that is what we are seeing. The USFL opened up the first round of bidding in recent weeks and one of the first publicly announced bidding groups does not represent Boston, Miami, or another NFL city, but the capital of Connecticut, Hartford. Hartford, a metro area of roughly 1.2M inhabitants, and without a “Big 4” franchise since the departure of the NHL Whalers in 1997, seems an unlikely site for a new USFL franchise, but before we dismiss the bid entirely, there are some very strong points to be made by the bidding group, including the makeup of the group itself.   We start with the moneyed interests, the investors who bring the big checkbooks to the table. At the forefront of the Hartford USFL bid are two very deep-pocketed investors, Ray Dalio, head of Bridgewater Associates, and Sergey Brin, a co-founder of Google. Dalio has been co-Chief Investment Officer of Bridgewaters since 1985, a position that places his net worth at over $8 billion. Sergey Brin co-founded Google with Larry Page and is considered among the Top 100 richest men in the world. A Russian-born computer scientist, Brin’s connection to the city of Hartford is tenuous, but his association with Dalio seems to have brought him into the fold with the Hartford bid. But, just in case the money these two represent is not adequate influence for the USFL to consider Hartford, the investment group also added two minority owners well known to fans of sports in the region. Both Geno Auriemma and Jim Calhoun are listed among the minority ownership, and were on hand in Hartford when the bid was officially announced to local press. Fans of college basketball will recognize the two as icons of UConn basketball, as the incredibly successful coaches of the UConn Women’s and Men’s teams, with a combined 15 NCAA tournament championships between them.   So the money is there for this to be a successful bid. What about the stadium? That has always been the issue in places like Boston, where access to a suitable stadium has cost the city two teams. It seems the UConn connection is the answer here as well, with the University’s Pratt & Whitney Stadium, often referred to by its pre-naming rights title of Rentschler Field, as the home to a potential franchise. P&W Stadium currently has a maximum capacity in the high 30,000’s, but the proposal includes a 3-year plan to expand seating capacity to 49,000, on the lower end, but certainly within a sound capacity for a USFL franchise, as most clubs average between 39,000-45,000 fans per game.   And, of course, the Hartford franchise bid is not marketing itself as purely a local franchise, but a regional one, a New England franchise, with the initial plans calling for the team to draw fans from Connecticut, but also from Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and areas north of New York City. Looking at this potential regional fanbase, Boston proper is approximately 100 miles away, well within the 2-hour driving radius that the league uses to assess markets. The same can be said for New York, with Yankee Stadium in the Bronx also approximately 100 miles away, meaning that the northern borough, as well as Westchester, Rockland, and other northern suburb counties of the city might find Hartford a more amenable drive than the trip to East Rutherford.   There will likely be resistance from the New Jersey Generals for this very reason, and certainly we will see counter-arguments from a Boston-based bid, particularly if their proposal can break the logjam and place a franchise at Gilette Stadium, but for now, we have to acknowledge that in funding, logistics, stadium availability, and local connection, this Hartford bid has a lot of positives in its favor.   NOTE: As new bids go public, we will continue to review each and provide you with an updated list of potential expansion cities for the USFL’s 30th franchise. All bids should be known by the league-set deadline of September 1st.   NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS 24  WASHINGTON FEDERALS 31 It is not often that a 2-touchdown favorite goes down, especially not when they outgain the underdog by nearly 70 yards and have an even time of possession, but when your All-USFL quarterback throws 5, yes 5 picks against one of the worst-rated defenses in the league, anything can happen. In a game that did not see a single sack of Drew Brees, the Breaker QB threw for 311 yards and 3 scores, but it will be the 5 picks that will haunt him.   The problem for the diminutive Brees was getting the ball past his own line. He had 3 of his passes tipped in the air, which is how MLB Shawne Merriman of Washington ended the game with 2 picks, and 3 other Federals also nabbed interceptions, including one in the endzone that cost New Orleans a chance to even the score late in the 4th quarter.   But kudos should also go out to David Garrard and the Federal offense, which found ways to avoid the issues so many teams have had with the Breaker D. Garrard was sacked twice, but threw no picks and completed 17 of 32 passing with 3 touchdowns. Garrard had Washington up 14-0 by the end of the first thanks in part to a tipped pass interception by Merriman that gave them a short field after their first score. Following a nice drive that was capped off by Brandon LaFell’s 6-yard TD reception, Washington got the ball back only 2 plays later on the tip drill pick. In less than a minute they added a 2nd score, this one a 20-yard TD completion from Garrard to TE Kellen Winslow II.   When the Feds added a field goal early in the 2nd, you could see the panic in the Breakers. They largely gave up on the run game, forcing Brees to have 45 pass attempts, and we saw more tips along the way. Brees did find Jordy Nelson for a 2nd quarter TD, but with Washington responding with a Garrard to Keenan Allen TD toss, the score still showed a 17-point advantage for the Federals.   New Orleans would drop the lead to 10 with a late Kenny Britt score before the half, but they were flustered by more turnovers in the 2nd half. A pick by Washington CB Brandon Boykin helped Washington add yet another TD, a 2-yard Orleans Darkwa plunge to make the score 31-14. The Breakers would fight back, but, late in the 4th, with Washington’s lead down to 7 and the Breakers closing in on the redzone, the tipped ball mania would strike again. This time a Brees pass towards Jordy Nelson got tipped at the line, turning into a duck and was easy pickings for safety Kyshoen Jarrett, ending the threat and helping preserve the Federals’ lead.   Washington, despite struggling on defense all year, came up with a gameplan that took advantage of Brees’s pocket issues (height mostly) and were efficient on offense, efficient enough to turn 5 short field drives into 24 points. The 5-interception day for Brees was the worst of his 17-year career, ending the Breaker unbeaten streak at 4 games and setting up a 3-way tie atop the Southern Division with Houston and the surprising Memphis Showboats. For Washington, their 2nd win of the season means they are only 1 game out of first place, a position currently held in the NE Division by another surprising team, the Pittsburgh Maulers.   NEW JERSEY 21   PHILADELPHIA 38 Nick Foles threw for 416 yards as the Stars forced New Jersey to be one dimensional, but even the big numbers were not enough as the Generals trailed from the beginning. An early pick-six from Glover Quinn helped Philly take a 10-0 lead that they would never relinquish. With both top tier rushers severely limited on the day (MJD with 18 carries for only 16 yards and Derrick Henry with 14 for 39) it was the passing game that provided the offense. And while Foles outpaced Gutierrez 416-197, his two interceptions were very costly, with both returned for scores. POTG:  Stars’ CB Sam Shields: 7 Tck, 1 PDef, 1 Int, 1 DefTD   SAN DIEGO 31  SEATTLE 21 San Diego absolutely ripped the Seattle run defense, rushing for 292 yards as a team in an impressive display of zone blocking by the O-line. Ryan Williams led all rushers with 128 yards on 21 carries, with QB Joe Webb getting in on the act with 99 yards and 2 TDs as a rusher, and Lamar Miller and Terrance West combining for another 65 yards on the day. All in all, the Thunder had 43 rushing attempts and averaged 6.8 yards as a team against Seattle’s overwhelmed defense. POTG: Thunder QB Joe Webb: 14/25, 214 Yds, 1 TD, 1 Int, 13 Att, 99 Yds, 2 TD   MEMPHIS 17  TAMPA BAY 7 Two first quarter Todd Gurley TDs were more than enough for Memphis to take down the Bandits in Tampa Bay. Despite 244 yards passing from Dak Prescott, Tampa Bay simply could not find the endzone, while Memphis was happy to shorten the game with the running of Gurley, who finished with 128 yards on 22 carries. The Memphis defense held the Bandits to 3 of 11 on third down and grabbed two takeaways as the Showboats improve to an unexpected 4-1 record. POTG:  Memphis HB Todd Gurley: 22 Att, 128 Yds, 2 TD   ST. LOUIS 13   MICHIGAN 24 LeVeon Bell put up some MVP numbers against St. Louis’s abysmal defense, rushing for 157 yards on 23 attempts (6.8 YPC) and adding 5 receptions for 72 yards as well. Behind Bell’s 2 rushing TDs and a Rob Housler score Michigan built a 21-0 lead in the 2nd quarter and coasted from there as St. Louis just did not find any answers, with Josh Freeman sacked 5 times and completing only 11 of 25. POTG:  Panther HB LeVeon Bell: 23 Att, 157 Yds, 2 TD, 5 Rec, 72 Yds   JACKSONVILLE 3   CHICAGO 18 In a game that saw the two teams combine to go only 3 of 26 on third down, it was Chicago kicker Daniel Carlson who had the biggest role in the final outcome. Carlson scored 12 of Chicago’s 18 points (oddly missing a PAT while hitting on 4 field goals). With Matt Forte out, Jeremy Hill was Chicago’s main weapon, rushing the ball 30 times for 89 yards and the game’s only touchdown. Both QBs struggled on the day, with neither throwing a TD. POTG:  Chicago safety Bob Sanders: 9 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 Int   HOUSTON 29  OKLAHOMA 10 Houston’s D focused on Marshawn Lynch while the offense stayed balanced as the Gamblers built a 13-3 lead after 3 quarters and then added 16 points in the 4th. McCoy had TD tosses to TE Tony Moeaki and Mike Evans, while backup HB Alfred Blue scored the lone rushing TD. Joe Flacco struggled against the very solid Houston pass rush, sacked 5 times and throwing a costly pick right before the half on a drive that could have leveled the score. POTG:  Houston DE Antwan Applewhite: 3 Tck, 2 Sck, 1 Sfty, 1 FF   DENVER 16   ARIZONA 35 Ryan Nassib continued to impress as the new Wrangler QB, completing 17 of 22 for 320 yards and 3 scores. The ageless Frank Gore added 2 rushing TDs and Antonio Bryant caught 5 for 123 and 2 scores as the Wranglers got a definitive win in their rivalry game with the Gold. The win puts the Wranglers back atop the division at 3-1-1, a half game over both Denver and Oklahoma. POTG:  Arizona QB Ryan Nassib: 17/22, 320 Yds, 3 TD, 0 Int   BIRMINGHAM 13   PITTSBURGH 33 The Maulers looked solid in stepping over the .500 mark, while Cam Newton struggled, evident in his numbers: 16 of 37 for only 152 yards and 2 picks, sacked 4 times, but with 10 rushes adding only 2 yards for the day. Meanwhile, And Dalton rushed for 2 scores (both goalline plunges) and added a third by connecting with Adam Thielen for a 21-yard strike in a 4th quarter that saw Pittsburgh score 24 points on 4 possessions. Without an Antonio Cromartie 103-yard kickoff return, the final would have been even uglier for Birmingham. POTG:  Pittsburgh DE Dwight Freeney: 7 Tck, 2 Sck, 1 FF   LOS ANGELES 7   BALTIMORE 34 A huge day for Big Ben, and a rough one for the Express, as the Baltimore QB threw for 379 yards and 4 scores against an Express defense that was on the field for nearly 40 minutes. Darius Heyward-Bey came up big with 9 catches, 131 yards and 2 scores, while Brian Hartline and Harry Douglas also caught scoring tosses from Roethlisberger. LA simply could not sustain drives, going 0 for 10 on third down. POTG:  Blitz QB Ben Roethlisberger: 31/45, 379 Yds, 4 TD, 0 Int   ATLANTA 26  ORLANDO 10 The Fire took over sole possession of first in the SE Division with a nicely complementary game. The offense got TDs from Chris Ivory and rookie Nick Chubb, while the defense limited Orlando to only 47 yards rushing. Nick Chubb got his first 100-yard game, rushing for 121 on 20 carries as Atlanta used the ground game to keep pressure off Aaron Murray. Calais Campbell got 1 sack in the game, but the Orlando passrush was simply not a major factor as Atlanta controlled the tempo. POTG:  Atlanta HB Nick Chubb: 20 Att, 121 Yds, 1 TD   LAS VEGAS 17   DALLAS 21 In what is now confirmed to be his last game of the season, Johnny Manziel went 25 of 36 and led the Roughnecks to a divisional win against the Vipers. Freeman and Perine combined for 100 yards rushing, and while Las Vegas outgained Dallas with Hardesty and Hunt adding 135 yards on the ground, the Roughneck defense found ways to pressure and fluster QB Eli Manning, giving him one of his worst outings in years, a 4-interception debacle that included 2 picks from CB Brandon Carr and one each from FS Jamal Adams and LB Brandon Spikes. POTG:  Dallas K Chandler Catanzaro: 5/5 on Field Goals   OAKLAND 19  PORTLAND 13 A 4th quarter Garoppolo to Adams TD toss proved the winner as the Invaders escaped a tough game in Portland and moved to 4-1 on the year. Neither offense was particularly prolific in this one, with both teams held under 300 yards of total offense. CB Eric Wright of the Invaders led all players with 11 tackles, but it was 2 sacks from DT Tyson Alualu that helped spur the Invaders to victory, with both coming on key 3rd down plays for Portland. POTG:  Oakland DT Tyson Alualu: 3 Tck, 2 Sck   CHARLOTTE 16   OHIO 9 Another defensive showcase as both the Glory and the Monarchs dealt with a lot of setbacks on offense. For Charlotte it was turnovers, with Mitch Trubisky throwing 3 picks and Taiwan Jones losing a fumble on what appeared to be an early touchdown. Ohio had its own issues, with Isaiah Pead giving up a safety in the endzone and the Glory converting only 3 of 11 third down attempts. Charlotte did get 2 TDs in the game, one each from TE Brandon Pettigrew and FB Glenn Smith, and that proved enough against the Glory, who lost Brock Osweiler midway through the game and finished with Troy Smith at QB. POTG:  Charlotte LB Rolando McClain: 9 Tck, 2 TFL, 1 Sfty   Manziel Loses Appeal, Suspension Upheld Just 24 hours after leading the Dallas Roughnecks to a home victory over division rival Las Vegas, QB Johnny Manziel learned that his appeal had been denied by the USFL league office, and his full season suspension would be upheld. By Tuesday morning, Manziel’s locker had been emptied, teammates had said their goodbyes, and Manziel was on his way to his Arlington home to figure out how to spend the next 11 months.   The suspension, which now entails 13 games, plus the entire 2018 post-season, does not allow Manziel to participate in any team activities, including using the facilities for private workouts. He is permitted to receive support from the Roughneck medical team, but at an outside facility, and he is allowed to communicate with 2 Roughneck officials, the team GM and Head Coach Kliff Kingsbury, but for all intents and purposes, Manziel is now no longer a member of the Roughneck roster, though the club still holds his rights and his current contract remains intact.   The suspension also requires Manziel to undergo league sanctioned alcohol awareness programming and life coaching in order for reinstatement to be authorized for off-season activities beginning in December. Because his contract remains intact, Manziel is not free to sign with an NFL team in lieu of awaiting his USFL reinstatement. Despite this, Manziel’s agent has said that he continues to negotiate with the USFL and the Roughnecks to allow his client to pursue a possible NFL jump during the August-September transfer window. This would require mutual nullification of his contract with the Roughnecks. That seems unlikely, at least in the short term. For now Dallas will move on, with former Charlotte Monarchs’ QB Brandon Wheedon at the helm of the offense. The club also signed former Missouri QB Chase Daniel to bolster the QB room that also includes Wheedon and Tyrod Taylor.   Washington Upset Creates 3-Way Race in South The stunning 5-interception performance from Drew Brees and Washington’s unexpected victory over the unbeaten Breakers has had broad impact on the entire Eastern Conference. In addition to pulling Washington right into the mix in the Northeast Division, where their 2-3 record is just one game behind Pittsburgh’s and Philadelphia’s division-leading 3-2 mark, but the Washington victory also created a 3-way logjam atop the Southern Division, with the Breakers, Houston Gamblers, and upstart Memphis Showboats all sitting at an impressive 4-1 after 5 weeks.   New Orleans still holds the tiebreaker to lead the division, thanks to their 2-0 division record, but the loss to Washington, a team few believe will escape a 10-loss season this year, means that the Breakers have no margin for error. They will face the Gamblers and Showboats in back-to-back weeks, with both games on the road, in weeks 9 and 10. Houston, which lost to the Breakers 34-31 in Week 3, sits in 2nd thanks to their Week 2 win over the Memphis Showboats. They will next face Memphis in Week 16 to end the season, with the Breakers playing at NRG Stadium in Week 9. Memphis has yet to face the Breakers face-to-face, but will have two games against them in a 3-week span, playing at home in Week 10 and then heading to the Big Easy in Week 12. So, we could well be in for a very intense set of divisional games as all three clubs hope to come out on top of what may now be the league’s best division.   Northeast Division a Logjam As we mentioned, Washington’s upset of New Orleans, paired with Philadelphia’s 38-21 defeat of New Jersey and Week 4 victories by both the Blitz and the Maulers, has created a logjam in the NE Division, with every team within 1 game of .500. Pittsburgh actually takes over first place, thanks to their single division game being a W. Philadelphia is right there with them at 3-2, with New Jersey a half game back due to their tie game with the Wranglers, and both Washington and Baltimore now sit one game back at 2-3. Do we think it will stay this close throughout the entire season? No. We think space will develop, but we cannot tell you between whom.   So, with this cluster in the division, what should we be looking at in the next few weeks? Well, there are several big games that could start to give shape to the division. This upcoming weekend we have a huge Keystone Clash, with the two 3-2 clubs meeting in Pittsburgh with first place on the line. Baltimore will also be in Washington as the two 2-3 clubs renew their Beltway Brawl series. Then, in Week 7 we will see Washington head up I-95 to New Jersey and Pittsburgh heads to Baltimore. Week 8 wraps up the first half of the season with Baltimore now headed to New Jersey and Philadelphia visiting the Federals at RFK. In other words, every week from now until the midpoint of the season we have 2 divisional games in the Northeast, so we could very well find ourselves in Week 8 with a clear hierarchy of clubs, or quite possibly, an equal mess hovering around the .500 mark.  Bell Explodes for 229 Scrimmage yards We all remember that last year LeVeon Bell was shooting for a 2,000 yard season, but fell quite a bit short of that. This year, Bell has been hyping up the team, a Michigan squad seeking to repeat as champion and win a 6th title. He has been quiet on his personal goals, but with 572 yards rushing already this season, a pace well above 100-yards per game, he seems again on pace to challenge for the league title and perhaps even a league record. This week he reminded us that he can also be effective in the passing game, pairing his outstanding 157-yard rushing total with 5 receptions, adding another 72 yards to his offensive stats.   Bell has become a prolific pass-catcher in the somewhat run-oriented Michigan offense, rarely coming out on 3rd down. He had a career high 49 receptions in 2016, and added 41 in last year’s title run. This year he sits at only 9 receptions, but this week’s game jumped his per-catch average up to a career best 14.4 yards per game (compared with the prior best of 12.4 as a rookie). It seems that the MVP candidate wants to be a part of the offense in every way possible. We are still waiting for him to throw a pass, but you can imagine he is thinking about it. Big Ben Puts Blitz Back on the Map With three consecutive losses, it was beginning to look like Baltimore was not going to be much of a factor in the USFL NE Division hunt this year, but their performance this week against a struggling LA Express squad sent a message that this club, and particularly its All-USFL quarterback, are not done yet. In a thorough decimation of the LA defense, Roethlisberger put on a classic Big Ben game, standing in the pocket, extending plays, looking deep for receivers Darius Heyward-Bey and Ben Hartline, and putting the ball in the endzone. Roethlisberger finished with 379 yards and 4 touchdowns, including 2 to Heyward-Bey, and seemingly sent a message to the other 4 clubs in the Northeast, that the Blitz may not be frontrunners just now, but they are hardly out of the conversation. The Blitz will have a chance to drive that message home as they set up for a run of 4 consecutive divisional matchups, starting this week with a trip to DC and a game with the Feds. That is followed by a home game against the Maulers, a trip to New Jersey, and another home matchup as the Stars come to town. This 4-game stretch could well be the key to their entire season. Run the table and they almost certainly take over first place. Lose all 4 and they are likely out of any playoff hunt. It is a brutal stretch, but one the Blitz are preparing to take on as if their season depends on it, because they know it does.   No new injury reserve additions, but some key players who will be out in Week 6 and some for longer. Rookie Gus Edwards suffered a stress fracture in his foot, likely to miss up to 2 months in recovery as St. Louis promotes Bobby Rainey to the 2nd spot and brings rookie free agent Kenny Runyon into the active roster from the practice squad. A tough week for guards across the league, with 3 starters going out, all with various leg injuries. New Jersey and Las Vegas will also be without key defenders as LBs Matt Milano and DeAndre Levy are each expected to miss at least 1-2 weeks.   OUT HB           Gus Edwards          STL         Foot                 6-8 Weeks G              John Troutman        ATL         Leg                  4-6 Weeks G           Logan Mankins       OAK      MCL                 2-4 Weeks G         Ted Karras             NOR      Hamstring      1-2 Weeks LB           DeAndre Levy          LV           Knee               1-2 Weeks LB         Matt Milano            NJ           Hand                1-2 Weeks   DOUBTFUL CB          Stephon Gilmore  LA          Ankle TE            Vernon Davis          HOU     Back DT         Haloti Ngata           SD          Personal DT         Fletcher Cox           JAX         Shoulder   QUESTIONABLE FS          Tre Flowers             POR      Eye TE          Andrew Quarles     NOR      Concussion DT         Damon Harrison     LV           Ankle OT          Eric Fisher              SEA        Concussion WR        Robert Woods        MEM     Hamstring   Players Who Have Underwhelmed in 2018 While we certainly do not like to dwell on the negative here at This Week in the USFL, there are times were it is necessary to look at what is not working, at teams not living up to the hype, or, in our case today, at players of whom a lot was expected and from whom teams have not gotten what they had hoped for. We have chosen 10 players who had a lot of high hopes for a strong 2018, but who, so far, after 6 games, are not producing the kind of results, numbers, or impact that their teams had hoped for. There is still time, of course, and we tend to find that when we call out teams or players they often react with a strong on-field response, so in the hopes that by noting the weak starts we can inspire some strong finishes, here are 10 players who have underwhelmed us this spring.   Eli Manning-QB-Las Vegas The Vipers rode Eli to the playoffs last year and the club was very excited when the veteran QB said he would be back to do it again in 2018, but so far the results this year are just not meeting the expectation. While Eli Manning is 8th in the league with 1,561 yards passing, his QB Rating of 73.7 has him in the bottom third of all starters, below players like Robert Griffin III (benched already), Nick Foles, and Dak Prescott, all of whom are getting a lot of criticism. Manning’s 7:12 TD-to-Int ratio is one of his worst of a long career. The result is that Las Vegas is struggling to play consistent football.   Cam Newton-QB-Birmingham You had to know that Newton would be on this list. The Stallions are 2-4, Newton has only thrown 3 touchdowns as has not even cracked 700 yards yet. Now, part of this is due to injury, but that always seems to be the case with the Stallion QB. What is perhaps most shocking is that backup A. J. McCarron is looking mediocre with a 71.9 QBR, but Newton’s 59.1 score is just appalling. And when you add in 7 turnovers (3 picks and 4 fumbles), Newton’s play has folks in B’ham wondering if it is time for him to move on.   Marshawn Lynch-HB-OKL This shift midseason in 2017 to a power run game with play action vertical game seemed to produce instant impact for the Outlaws, and so they doubled down on that strategy this offseason, all in the hope that Marshawn Lynch, and not Joe Flacco, could become the engine that drives the Outlaws. But that train has gone off the rails, largely because Lynch’s numbers are just not good. He is averaging a pedestrian 3.0 YPC and has only 3 TDs in 6 games this season. Without more out of Lynch, the Outlaws could find themselves out of the running in a very tough SW Division.   Anthony Allen-HB-WSH Allen has improved after some pretty rough opening games, and with that improvement Washington has moved to .500, but a 3.0 YPC average and only 288 yards in 6 games is not what the Feds bet on when they pulled Allen away from his duties backing up Todd Gurley in Memphis. Yes, we hyped that move, because we too thought Allen could have a break out year in D.C., and yes, maybe some of the issue is Washington’s O-line, but what we are not seeing out of the big back is an ability to escape the initial hit and gain yards after contact, something we thought he excelled at with the Showboats.   Cordarelle Patterson-WR-MEM This was supposed to be the year for Cordarelle. After seeing both his targets and catches increase last year, this third year was his chance to become the multi-faceted threat that the Showboats expected when they drafted him. So, what do we have in 6 weeks? How about 11 targets and 1 catch? Those are numbers that get you benched. Yes, his one catch was a TD, but you have to do better than offer a 1 in 10 chance of catching the ball if you want to be a starter in this league.   Steve Breaston-WR-OAK Breaston came over to the Invaders after having some decent numbers in Washington with a pretty bad Federals team last year. But so far this year the former General, Monarch, and Federal has largely been a no-show. He has 2 catches for 17 yards after 6 games and seems to have lost snaps to former Bandit Davone Bess as well as Stallion castoff Donte Moncrief. If Breaston does not show something in the next few weeks, we could see him becoming a mid-season drop as Oakland makes room for more depth at some thin positions.   Robert Quinn-DE-OHIO The former Blitz end had put up solid, if not spectacular, numbers in his first 2 years in Ohio. The hope was that this year, with more help around him, we would see him return to double-digit sacks with the Glory. But, so far that has just not worked out. Quinn has only 1 sack in his first 6 games of the season, and is already losing snaps to backup Bruce Irvin, which is not a good sign for the veteran edge rusher.   Muhammad Wilkerson-DE-SEA After a very solid career in Philadelphia, Wilkerson dropped from16 sacks in 2015 to only 5 in 2016, with many wondering if his career was winding down. But he came to Seattle in 2017 and bounced back with 14 sacks in the Dragons’ surprise second half. No surprise that the Dragons were counting on another strong year from the edge specialist. And while 20 tackles in 6 games is pretty solid for a DE, what has not been as solid has been his ability to get to the QB. He has 3 sacks in 6 games, a pace that would give him only 8 for the year. There is still time for him to find his groove again, but with Seattle setting him up as the clear focal point of their pass rush, more has to happen or the Dragons will continue to struggle on passing downs.   Vontez Burfict-LB-OKL With only 1 tackle in his first 6 games, and with fewer and fewer opportunities coming, it seems very unlikely that Burfict will regain the form that saw him average just under 70 tackles per year the past 5 years. It seems Burfict’s penchant for getting unnecessary penalties called against him, a lack of discipline, and a bad temper, are all costing him snaps. It does not help that Oklahoma is using more nickel as a base, which leaves only Moulton, Greenway, and Scott on the field, but what we are seeing even more is a move away from Burfict’s aggressive but undisciplined play.   Stephon Gilmore-CB-LA Gilmore came to the Express with a lot of hype and a lot of anticipation. He was a very solid player in the NFL, and showed that he could be a true shut down corner against NFl competition, and last year he got off to a great start with 5 picks in his first campaign. But he seemed to wear down over the season, not uncommon for an NFL transfer playing over 30 games in 12 months. But, what we usually see from talented NFL imports is that they really start to shine in their 2nd year, after finally getting a full offseason. So far that has not been the case for Gilmore, who has only 1 pick so far this year (on a tip drill play) and has given up some pretty significant completions to receivers who are not always the USFL elites. LA is counting on Gilmore to be a leader in the secondary, and so far this year we are not seeing it on the field. Is Andy Reid On the Way Out? The press in Los Angeles made it back page headlines when the longsuffering LA Express signed former Philadelphia Eagles’ head coach Andy Reid to be the latest in a long line of Express head coaches. Reid, a two-time Super Bowl Champ in Philadelphia was thought of as one of the best offensive minds in the game, as well as a superior game strategist. After 5 seasons, the Express must be wondering what it is that made Reid so successful in Philly but has not translated to the West Coast.   Reid has amassed a 39-46 record in his 5+ years in LA. That does include two playoff seasons, a 9-7 mark in 2013 and an 11-5 Wild Card season in 2016, but it also includes two 10-loss campaigns, and a very frustrating lack of offensive cohesiveness over the entire Reid tenure. The hope had been that the former NFL coach could help elevate the Express offense, led by QB Sam Bradford and former USC star Reggie Bush. And yet, here we are again, five games into the coach’s 6th season and once again the Express seem to be running on empty.   LA currently ranks 20th in passing, 20th in points scored and 17th in total yards. That is hardly a dynamic or dangerous offense. Bradford, now in his 9th USFL season, ranks 16th among USFL QBs in yards, 19th in passing touchdowns, and has a pretty mediocre 85.2 QB rating, placing him below not only starters like Paxton Lynch, Matt Leinart, and Joe Webb, but also subs like Ryan Nassib and A, J. McCarron. Reggie Bush’s 379 yards places him a respectable 6th in the league, but he is only 4 for 11 on 3rd down conversions even though he has only been called on to convert when the yards to gain are 3 or fewer.   In other words, Andy Reid is in trouble. The Express sit at 1-4, having just put up only 7 points for the 2nd time in the season, and against a Baltimore defense that is not among the league’s elites. Other than the Express’s shocking 48-point outing against St. Louis, they have yet to score over 20 points. This is not the offense that ownership expected when it signed Reid back in the fall of 2012. While hardly the only head coach feeling some heat, the disparity between the hype when Reid was signed by LA and the general feeling of disappointment and unrealized promises now is perhaps the biggest gap among any USFL coach. Expect a lot of pressure between now and Week 16 to see both wins and offensive fireworks. If both are lacking, we do not see LA renewing Coach Reid’s contract, regardless of the reputation he brought with him from the NFL.   Four Other Coaches Feeling the Heat As we mentioned, Andy Reid is hardly the only coach feeling some heat right now. There are several who are being scrutinized this season, some for a lack of progression over several years, some for having apparently hit a ceiling of success. While every coach is always under some pressure and scrutiny to win games, we selected 4 who we think are beginning to feel some real heat to make improvements or risk a pink slip on Black Monday.   Frank Reich (STL) The former NFL and USFL quarterback is under intense pressure right now, in his second season with the Skyhawks. A 3-13 opener was considered the bottom of a curve that is supposed to start moving upwards, but not only are the Skyhawks sitting at 1-4 after 5 weeks, but they might actually be looking like a worse team than their 3-win season a year ago. The defense in particular has simply been shockingly bad, allowing nearly 190 yards per game rushing, a pace that would be a league record for poor rush defense if it holds all year. In addition to this, or perhaps because of it, they are also giving up over 386 yards per game and are dead last in scoring defense giving up an atrocious 32 points per game after 5 weeks. If those kinds of numbers continue much longer, we would say that Reich would be lucky to finish out his 2nd season with the squad.   Henry Ellard (BIR) Ellard is a legend in Birmingham. As a player he earned Hall of Fame credentials and has his name enshrined as one of the greatest Stallions in team history, but if he cannot prove that his coaching is leading to more W’s, that won’t keep him employed. Ellard is in his 4th season with the Stallions, and while the team has flirted with decency, finishing 8-8 in his first year and 9-7 last season, they have not yet made the playoffs in Ellard’s tenure. They now sit 2 games behind all three other Southern Division rivals, and will need significant improvement if they want to overtake division rivals for a possible playoff spot.   Unfortunately for Ellard, he is now inextricably tied to QB Cam Newton. Newton, who had such promise in his rookie campaign, winning the ROTY award with a stellar 2011 campaign, has been both injury-prone and inconsistent ever since. With a career passer rating of only 79.3 and not having completed over 50.2% of his passes the past two years (only 43.5% so far in 2018), Newton is very much looking like a flash in the pan, and if that is the case, then Ellard could be collateral damage. After all, there are enough moments of Newton demonstrating his dual threat talent that fans expect the player to be highlighted in ways that align with his skill set, but it seems Ellard has simply not been able to make that happen. Despite over 500 yards rushing last year, along with 9 rushing TDs, Birmingham struggles to put together consistent offense, ranked 17th in total offense this year. Ellard needs to find a way to make a quick change or he could be let go despite his history with the club.   June Jones (TBY) Only in his 2nd year in Tampa Bay, former Mouse Davis acolyte June Jones is another coach who needs to show that his offensive philosophy is providing results. Brought in to create a dynamic spread passing game, Jones is looking at a Bandit team that currently ranks 27th out of 28 teams with an average of 279.6 passing yards per game. Despite signing NFL superstar Dez Bryant, the Bandit passing game has just not produced the big plays expected of it.   QB Dak Prescott has some upside, we see that periodically, but he is taking far too many sacks (a 10.5% sack percentage is among the league’s worst) and he all-too-often locks into Bryant as if no other player is running routes. Admitedly, if it were up to us, we too would favor Bryant over the remaining receiving corps, a group that includes an aging Hank Basket, underperforming Sammie Coates and Ryan Grant, and a less than explosive TE in Jordan Cameron. But, regardless of the players, it is the system that Jones touted when he arrived, and that system so far has been more fizzle than sizzle.   John Fox (ORL) We all know the refrain about Fox and the Renegades. They have perhaps the greatest defensive player in USFL history and, according to most, they are “wasting him.” That is the complaint, that the Renegades should be among the league’s elites simply on Calais Campbell’s contributions alone. And while once again the Renegades are solid on defense, especially pass defense, where they rank 1st in the league at only 178 yards per game allowed, there is not enough support elsewhere. The offense is 22nd in rushing, the passing game has moments, and does include some break out stars in WR Brashard Perriman and Dwayne Bowe, but it is not producing enough week in and week out. The past two weeks included losses to both Jacksonville and Atlanta, leaving Orlando with a pretty sour 1-3 division record. They now have 3 consecutive games against 4-1 clubs (Houston, Atlanta, and Michigan) so things don’t get easier, but if Coach Fox wants to shake off the accusations of mismanagement of a talented roster, he needs to find a way to get this team to play complementary football.   Nine division games highlight a packed Week 6 across the USFL. Key matchups abound as teams either try to right the ship or pull away from their divisional rivals. We start on Friday with America’s Greatest Tailgate as Birmingham heads up to Memphis, ribs and pulled pork ready to go. Seattle is still seeking their first win as they travel to LA against an equally troubled 1-4 Express club. On Saturday it is Baltimore at Washington in a Beltway Brawl, with both clubs sitting at 2-3. Then Portland heads to San Diego in what could be another “Prove it” game for the Stags. Dallas will start Brandon Wheedon in a tough first assignment as they head to Arizona to take on the division-leading Wranglers. Sunday gives us another NE Division clash, a Keystone Clash to be exact, as Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, both 3-2 and atop the division, face off at Heinz Field. We also have a nice inter-divisional game as the Oklahoma Outlaws head to the Crescent City to face the 4-1 Breakers. Later in the day, Las Vegas is at Denver in a big game for the SW Division, Chicago faces a struggling St. Louis defense, with a chance to reach .500 on the table, and we finish up in Orlando, where the Renegades will try to pressure Colt McCoy and get a much needed win against a very tough Gambler squad.   Friday @ 6pm ET             Birmingham (2-3) @ Memphis (4-1)          NBC Friday @ 8pm ET             Seattle (0-5) @ Los Angeles (1-4)             ABC   Saturday @ 12pm ET       Ohio (2-3) @ Atlanta (4-1)                        ABC Saturday @ 12pm ET       Tampa Bay (1-4) @ New Jersey (2-2-1)    FOX Saturday @ 4pm ET       Baltimore (2-3) @ Washington (2-3)          ABC Saturday @ 4pm ET         Michigan (4-1) @ Oakland (4-1)                FOX Saturday @ 7pm ET       Portland (3-2) @ San Diego (2-3)              NBC      Saturday @ 9pm ET       Dallas (2-3) @ Arizona (3-1-1)                   ESPN/EFN   Sunday @ 12pm ET        Philadelphia (3-2) @ Pittsburgh (3-2)       ABC Sunday @ 12pm ET        Jacksonville (1-4) @ Charlotte (3-2)         FOX Regional Sunday @ 12pm ET     Oklahoma (3-2) @ New Orleans (4-1)       FOX Regional Sunday @ 4pm ET           Las Vegas (2-3) @ Denver (3-2)                 ABC Sunday @ 4pm ET           Chicago (2-3) @ St. Louis (1-4)                 FOX Sunday @ 8pm ET         Houston (4-1) @ Orlando (2-3)                 ESPN/EFN

Player of the Week: A bit of a no-brainer this week, despite Big Ben's big numbers we have to go with LeVeon Bell for the Panthers. Bell was both the leading rusher and the top receiver for the Panthers as they knock off St. Louis to move to 4-1 on the young season. Bell's contribution? How about 28 touches, including 5 receptions for 72 yards and then 23 carries for another 157 on the ground, with two of those carries going to the house for 12 Michigan points.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: This week it came down to two very successful QBs in Kirk Cousins and Joe Flacco, but we have to go with Oklahoma's main man, after all a 300-yard, 4-TD game is not just a strong performance, but a sign that the Outlaws' new smashmouth + vertical game is working just fine for the 3-1 Outlaws.

If the season were a single football game, we would now be wrapping up the first quarter and flipping sides of the field. Four games down in a 16-game season tells us that teams should be in form by now, and while we may still get some late bloomers, we are getting a sense of who is looking solid, who may be rising, and who is not meeting expectations. There are certainly some surprises across the league, some positive (Memphis, Portland, and Atlanta at 3-1) and some disappointing (Seattle at 0-4, San Diego and Baltimore at 1-3), and we have seen some players step into new roles, particularly with the rash of QB injuries the first quarter has produced. Whether it is Ryan Nassib in Arizona or Marcus Mariota in Portland, there have been some players impressing us with quick starts. We will break down the first quarter of the league, looking at this past week’s games, ranking all 28 teams, and looking at players making a name for themselves in the early part of the season, but we start with a player who once again finds himself in hot water with the league as Johnny Manziel faces a stiff suspension for the 2nd year in a row.   The USFL suspends QB Johnny Manziel for the rest of the 2018 Season It was not a surprise, well, not for anyone outside of the DFW region. This Wednesday the league offices in NYC announced the penalty for a 2nd alcohol related legal issue for Roughneck QB Johnny Manziel. The former A&M star would again be suspended, this time for the remainder of the season, potentially totaling 12 games. Manziel and his representation will, of course, appeal, but the league is expected to rule as early as Monday on the appeal, and that means that even with a 1-week reprieve, we could see Manziel miss 11 games this season.   For the Roughnecks, this is about as bad a turn of events as their season could get. Despite missing Manziel for 6 games last year, Dallas had not done anything to alter its 3-man depth chart at the QB position, meaning that if the suspension is upheld, it will likely be former Charlotte Monarch Brandon Wheedon who will be thrust into action for the lion’s share of the season. Wheedon started 7 games last year for the Roughnecks, and while his performance was better than expected (a 72.2% completion rate, a 6:3 TD:Int ratio and a QBR of 92.5) it was also clear that Dallas simplified the offense for Wheedon, focusing on the run and trying to make Wheedon’s reads as basic as possible. Why? Well, when you consider that in his last 2 seasons in Charlotte, Wheedon had twice led the league in picks, with 42 over the 2-year span, it seems obvious that Coach Landry did not trust his backup to have complex reads.   But, with a new coaching staff led by former Texas Tech HC Kliff Kingsbury, this was supposed to be a year when the Dallas offense would be opened up. They had signed former NFL and Clemson star Sammy Watkins, had brought in Austin Pettis from Chicago, and had signed SMU speed burner Courtland Sutton to provide Manziel with a more wide-open offensive scheme. Will Kingsbury give Wheedon a chance to play that style of offense, or will we see Dallas again confined to a more traditional pro style. We may not learn that this week, as Manziel is likely going to get the start when Dallas takes on Las Vegas in front of their home fans, but if the suspension holds, which many expect it will, then Week 6 in Arizona we will get our answer and Roughneck fans can decide if the 2018 season will be another disappointment or a possible revelation.   PITTSBURGH MAULERS 20   MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS 24 It certainly was not a high-profile game. The Maulers and the Showboats on regional FOX coverage, seen by only about 10 of the top 30 markets in the country on Sunday, but that does not mean it was not a great game to watch. Both clubs came into the game at 2-1 and the winner would be a surprising 3-1 at the ¼ mark of the season. Fans in Memphis came out on a lovely April Sunday to root on their Showboats, with nearly 48,000 in attendance. A small contingent of Mauler fans were found in the far East corner of the stadium, but otherwise it was a sea of scarlet and silver sky blue.   The two teams came in with very different plans, Pittsburgh hoping to spread the defense with a lot of 3- and 4-receiver sets, creating gaps for rookie Sony Michel and Marcus Lattimore to exploit. Memphis lining up in a lot of I-formation, hoping to spring Todd Gurley loose. Both defenses saw this coming and both were ready, with Michel only able to average 1.9 yards per carry on the day, while Gurley did only slightly better at 2.3. The game would come down to the two quarterbacks, Andy Dalton and Paxton Lynch.   This was not the most finely tuned game, with the two clubs combining for 13 penalties for over 100 yards, but it was a very entertaining matchup of two teams both hoping that early season success was a sign of more to come. The game started slowly, as so many do, but on their second possession, Pittsburgh found some success, mostly thanks to Andy Dalton connecting with his outside receivers Adam Thielen and Victor Cruz. The early drive success forced Memphis to spread their safeties out wider, so when Dalton got into the red zone, it was TE Anthony Hill and slot receiver Ted Ginn Jr who began to find space within the hashmarks. The drive ended on a quick inside route to Ginn, who took the quick pass to the house to give Pittsburgh the early lead.   But Memphis also found some answers in their second drive, a drive that started with a holding call to create a 1st and 20 but quickly turned around as Paxton Lynch found Mark Clayton after a double move, a play that racked up 36 yards, wiping out the penalty and getting a huge roar from the crowd. Only 4 plays later, Todd Gurley found room on the right side of the line and plunged into the end zone with the equalizer.   Memphis would take their first lead only 3 minutes later, when, after a 3-and-out by the defense, Lynch hit Dallas Goedert over the middle with a pass that took the ball into Pittsburgh territory. Aided by an unnecessary roughness call on the next play, Memphis found themselves in striking range, but a well-timed blitz brought confusion to the Memphis line and allowed Pittsburgh DE Dwight Freeney to find Lynch 8 yards deep in the pocket. The Showboats settled for a field goal, but had the lead at 10-7.   The two teams traded quick possessions before the Maulers again found a rhythm on offense. This time it was sparked by a 3rd and 3 run by Jay Ajayi out of the shotgun. The draw play worked to perfection and Ajayi gained 11 yards and a first down. Two plays later, Andy Dalton found Adam Thielen along the sideline for 30 yards, and the Maulers were in business. Marcus Lattimore got the ball down to the 2 on a nice toss sweep, and from there Dalton used a good run fake to Michel to freeze the linebackers and find TE Jerrell Adams wide open in the endzone. Pittsburgh was again on top, and that 14-10 score would carry over to the half.   The third quarter saw little success for either offense, with the only points coming on an Andrew Franks field goal for the visitors. The kick made it a 17-10 advantage as the game entered the final period. Memphis would have their best drive of the game to open the quarter, putting together 13 plays and using nearly 6 minutes before Gurley added a 2nd TD run to equalize the score at 17. When they held Pittsburgh on 3rd and 8, they were in perfect position to take the lead, starting off on their own 41-yard line after a mediocre punt by the Maulers. But, while the Memphis fans felt like they thought the game was turning their way, Strong safety Tyvon Branch of Pittsburgh had other ideas. After a dump-down pass to Gurley gained 6 yards, the back tried to fight for another yard only to have Branch swat the ball out of his hands and onto the turf. LB Tahir Whitehead recovered the ball and Pittsburgh took over with newfound momentum.   The Maulers would drive the ball down to the Memphis 15, all the while eating clock and grinding out first downs. The drive fizzled when a pass from Dalton to Cruz on 3rd and 4 was broken up in the endzone by Patrick Peterson, but the Maulers were well within Andrew Franks’s range, and the Pittsburgh kicker gave them a 3-point lead with only 1:38 left to play.  Of course, the problem is that 1:38 can be an eternity when the opposing team has all their time outs, as Memphis had.   The expectation from everyone in the Liberty Bowl was that Memphis would drive methodically towards field goal range, and the first few plays of the drive seemed to support that perception. Paxton Lynch scrambled for 6 yards, then found Goedert over the middle for 6 more. After a time out, the Showboats again found some room over the middle, with Robert Woods having his only catch of the game, a 15-yarder that started out as a 5-yard slant. But, with the ball at the 40 and the Showboats using their 2nd time out. Coach Ryan pulled out something a little different. Once again, he had Lynch in the shotgun with Woods and Marshall to one side, Clayton and Goedert spread wide on the other. When the play started, it seemed clear that Marshall was headed inside, while Woods set up an out route, but when the safety bit on the inside move, Marshall turned and made a bee line for the corner, a move that put the safety out of position and gave Marshall a clear line to the endzone. Paxton Lynch, sitting in a very nice pocket despite a blitzing Shaquille Riddick, found Marshall along the right sideline and the big receiver cruised into the endzone without being touched.   Memphis had scored the game winner with 38 seconds still on the clock, and while Pittsburgh tried valiantly to move the ball in the little time they had left, they needed a TD but simply could not find a way to get that done. The final play was a bit of a half-hearted Hail Mary that saw the ball swatted to the ground at the 5. Memphis would be 3-1, a very surprising start for a club picked by most to bring up the rear in the South, while Pittsburgh would drop to 2-2, but well in range in a very slow-starting NE Division.   Michigan 28  Charlotte 13 With Mitch Trubisky knocked out of the game early, a 14-10 halftime advantage for the Panthers turned into a pretty comfortable win. LeVeon Bell rushed for exactly 100 yards on 18 carries (a nice 5.6 YPC average) and Kirk Cousins threw for 309 and 3 TDs as the Panthers move to 3-1 with the road win over Charlotte. The one big positive for the Monarchs was the ageless Adrian Peterson, who rushed for 106 on only 14 touches, a 7.6 YPC average that topped even Bell’s numbers. POTG:  Panther QB Kirk Cousins: 27/41, 309 Yds, 3 TD, 1 Int   Portland 23   Seattle 20 The Stags are a surprising 3-1 after knocking off the equally surprising 0-4 Dragons. Marcus Mariota continued with his much-improved play, putting up a very nice game against Seattle’s secondary. Mariota completed 19 of 24 passing for 293 yards and a beautiful 75-yard TD toss to former Dragon Emmanuel Sanders. Both Sanders and Brandin Cooks went over 100 yards in the game. Seattle’s offense also found some inroads, with Knowshon Moreno racking up his first 100-yard game as a Dragon and with backup Matt McGloin going 25 of 35 for 236 and a TD as well. But, in the end, and we mean the very end, a short field goal by Portland’s Dan Carpenter with 14 seconds left was the game winner for the visiting Stags. POTG : Portland QB Marcus Mariota: 19/24, 293 Yds, 1 TD, 0 int   Orlando 17   Jacksonville 21 Our first upset of the week as Jacksonville edged Orlando thanks in part to Tim Tebow being knocked around by the Bulls. Tebow threw two picks and was knocked out of the game on an ill-conceived QB run. Meanwhile, Robert Griffin III mostly stayed in the pocket, completing 20 of 38 throws for 198 yards and 2 TDs. Mike Williams had a good game as well , catching 8 balls for 102 yards and a score for the underdog Bulls. POTG:  Bulls’ CB Dominique Rogers-Cromartie: 5 Tck, 1 Sck, 3 PDef, 1 Int   Chicago 18   Atlanta 21 The Fire got a very strong performance from Aaron Murray, completing 17 of 22 against Chicago and throwing 3 touchdowns along the way. Roy Williams caught 6 for 111 and a TD, while Nick Chubb averaged 4.8 yards per carry on his way to 87 yards for the Fire. Chicago hung close, thanks in large part to Ryan Fitzpatrick’s elusiveness, though the former Harvard QB did get sacked 5 times by the aggressive Fire defense. A TD and 2-point conversion got Chicago within 3 points, but they could not stop Atlanta from running out the clock late and took another tough loss. POTG:  Atlanta WR Roy Williams: 6 Rec, 111 Yds, 1 TD   Los Angeles 20   Las Vegas 23 Another tight game in the Wynn Arena as Las Vegas needed a 33-yard kick with 22 seconds left in the game to avoid overtime. With both teams struggling to run the ball, it came down to Manning vs. Bradford, with Eli throwing for 314 yards but also tossing 3 picks, while Bradford threw for 274 and 2 scores. But, despite the Manning miscues, Las Vegas put 13 points up in the 4th quarter, including a really nice 14-yard Kareem Hunt TD run to take the W and move to 2-2 after 4 games. POTG : Las Vegas WR Denarius Moore: 12 Rec, 113 Yds   Ohio 35  St. Louis 21 It was Ohio’s turn to take advantage of St. Louis’s absolutely horrid defense, and so they did, putting up 28 points in the first half and finishing the game with 177 yards rushing, led by former General Delone Carter’s 93 yards on only 8 carries. Carter had TD runs of 26 and 2 yards as well, with Isaiah Pead adding 85 yards as Ohio just ran over the Skyhawks. The Ohio D also played a part, sacking Josh Freeman 5 times and holding Eddie Lacy to only 2.5 yards per carry as Ohio took this one on the road. POTG: Ohio HB Delone Carter: 8 Att, 93 Yds, 2 TD   Oklahoma 35  Denver 30 A huge road win for the Outlaws as they got into a shooting match with Denver at Invesco Field. With TD passes to Julius Thomas (2) and Percy Harvin, it was 21-0 Oklahoma before the last of the Gold fans had even entered the stadium. Denver fought back, with Matt Leinart throwing 3 TDs and DeMarco Murray adding a late TD, but it was not enough as Flacco finished with 4 TDs, split evenly between Julius Thomas and Percy Harvin. POTG:  Outlaw QB Joe Flacco: 18/28, 252 Yds, 4 TD, 0 Int   Arizona 23  Oakland 3 A rough outing for new Invader QB Jimmy Garoppolo as Arizona held him to 183 yards passing while also keeping the run game to only 68 total yards. In a very good game on both sides of the ball for Arizona, Ryan Nassib went 14 of 23 for 218 yards and 2 scores, but the run game also came up big, with Gore and Carey combining for 163 yards rushing. It was Oakland’s first loss of the season and a win that puts Arizona at 2-1-1 and right in the thick of an exciting SW Division race. POTG: Arizona DT Grady Jarrett: 7 Tck, 1 FF, 1 FR   New Jersey 28  Baltimore 24 The Generals got 2 TDs each from Maurice Jones-Drew and QB Nick Foles as they slip past the Blitz, sending Baltimore to a 1-3 start. Nick Foles threw for 274 on the day, completing 19 of 23 passes and finding both OBJ and Zay Jones for scores. Jones-Drew added 87 yards rushing, which included two 1-yard TD plunges. Baltimore had a chance for a late score, but on 3rd and 3 from the New Jersey 22, LB Matt Milano got to Big Ben, stripping the ball away and ending the Blitz threat. POTG:  New Jersey LB Matt Milano: 6 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 FF   Tampa Bay 16   Birmingham 36 Turnovers and penalties doomed the Bandits as they outgained Birmingham 435-223 but just kept shooting themselves in the foot. The errors included a Will Allen pick-six and 2 additional drive-ending picks from Dak Prescott. Meanwhile, Birmingham just kept plugging, adding TDs from TE Hunter Henry and HB T. J. Yeldon to pull away from the sloppy Bandits. POTG:  Birmingham FS Will Allen: 4 Tck, 4 PDef, 1 Int, 1 DefTD   Dallas 15   Houston 22 With a possible suspension looming, Johnny Manziel struggled, sacked 5 times in the game, but so too did the Dallas run game, with Samaje Perine leading all Roughneck rushers with only 28 yards. For Houston it was a combo of Carlos Hyde (91 Yds rushing) and Mike Evans (102 Yards) as the Gamblers scored only 1 TD but added 5 Koo field goals to take the W. POTG: Houston DE Dante Fowler: 3 Tck, 2 Sck   Washington 10   San Diego 27 The Thunder finally earn their first win, thanks to 149 yards from HB Ryan Williams, and a 39-yard TD run from QB Joe Webb. Webb also threw for 161 yards and a score, finding TE Luke Wilson early in the 4th to take a commanding 27-3 lead over the struggling Federals. POTG:  San Diego HB Ryan Williams: 21 Att, 149 Yds   Philadelphia 10   New Orleans 27 Another big game win for the Breakers as the defense sacked Matt Gutierrez 7 times and inflicted a lot of hurt on the Star offense. Drew Brees was also on target, completing 17 of 29 passing and throwing TDs to TE Coby Fleener, quickly becoming his favorite target, and to speedster Kenny Britt. Throw in a C. J. Spiller TD run, and two costly Star turnovers and you have New Orleans sitting pretty as the league’s only 4-0 team. POTG:  Breaker DE C. J. Ah You: 1 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 FF, 1 FR   USFL First Quarter Award Winners A quarter of the way through the schedule and a good time to assess who is making an impression early on in the 2018 campaign. So, we look at the league’s five big awards and give some hints of who may have the early edge in each.   MVP: The MVP race looks like it will start off in New Orleans, where the Breakers are unbeaten, and their former 2-time MVP is looking like a possible 3-time winner. Drew Brees leads the league with a 125.1 QB Rating, and is playing some very efficient ball, with 4 TDs and not one pick in the opening month. Hot on his heels are two other QBs, one anticipated, one a bit of a surprise. Kirk Cousins of Michigan currently leads the league with 9 TD passes (tied with Matt Leinart and Aaron Murray, both surprised to be there), while another unexpected contender is emerging in Portland.   Yes, you heard that right, Portland. The 3-1 Stags have seen some of the best of Marcus Mariota this year, with the former Oregon Duck throwing for over 1,100 yards in the season’s first 4 weeks. He is completing nearly 70% of his throws (69.4) and seems to have really developed a rapport with speed receiver Brandin Cooks.  He is still a decided underdog to both Brees and Cousins, but fans in Portland are just happy he is in the conversation, because they have been waiting for his game to mature since he took over 2 years ago.   OPOTY: If the MVP is going to be a QB, then we are going to focus on HB and WR for our early season OPOTY candidates, and there is no shortage of candidates after the season’s first month. Among the backs we have league yardage leader and perennial OPOTY candidate LeVeon Bell of Michigan (415 yards and 3 TDs), but don’t count out New Jersey’s Maurice Jones-Drew, a bit behind at 388 yards but with 5 rushing TDs already. We also think that Carlos Hyde, sitting at 298 rushing yards, but also a solid receiver with 6 combined TDs this year, is going to be in the mix.   Among receivers, there are several surprising candidates, including Orlando’s Brashard Perriman (24 catches for 385 yards and 3 scores) and Las Vegas’s Denarius Moore (a league best 32 receptions, with 382 yards and a single TD), but our favorite of the bunch is league yardage leader Mike Evans, sitting pretty with 429 yards in only 4 games, the only receiver averaging over 100 per game.   DPOTY: Is there really any doubt who we are going to push for. Calais Campbell already has a 5-sack lead on his closest competition, and after 4 weeks is both the league’s leading sack artist and the leading tackler in the USFL, an incredible double dip if we have ever seen one. Honestly, barring injury, which we would never wish on Orlando’s main man, we think this one is all but wrapped up already. We like the season being had by Philadelphia LB Kirk Morrison, but this feels like another Campbell coronation.   ROTY: Rookie of the year is always very tough to gauge this early, simply because players are just getting used to the game. History tells us that a few of the players who stand out early will fade down the stretch, while others, who may be getting limited chances in the early weeks of the season, will come on strong down the stretch. With that said, we still think that we need to give some kudos to at least one early success story, and that is Tampa Bay safety Derwin James. James has provided some early highlights, including a Week 2 pick six that is still one of the plays of the season. The rookie has 2 picks and has also proven to be a nasty hitter when given a shot at the ballcarrier. If James is not your cup of tea, then it likely will come down to one of the backs, with Nick Chubb (Atlanta) and Sony Michel (Pittsburgh) the two top contenders form among the rookie class of offensive “skill” players.   COTY: Finally, we come to Coach of the Year, and right now all we can say is that there are three 3-1 teams that no one thought would be here. Whichever can hold momentum and surprise us with a playoff, or even division run, could walk away with this award. Right now, based mostly on how unlikely their early success has been, we would put Portland’s Matt LaFleur in first position, followed by Memphis’s Rex Ryan, and rounded out with former St. Louis coach Bruce Arians, putting together some good results with Atlanta. Vintage Flacco Helps Outlaws Outshine Gold While we have enjoyed Oklahoma’s dedication to a smashmouth approach, mostly because we love watching Marshawn Lynch go “Beast Mode” over tacklers, this week gave us a bit of a flashback to a time when the Outlaws were all about the deep ball and QB Joe Flacco was full on gunslinging across the USFL. Yes, his 252-yard total is more in line with the more recent power game of the Oklahoma Outlaws, his 4 touchdowns felt very much like the good ole’ days in San Antonio. Flacco was feeling secure in the pocket, something we have not said much in the past couple of years, and it showed, with the Outlaw QB connecting on several deep shots, including 2 TDs to slot receiver Percy Harvin.   What is clear is that this new Oklahoma offense is not a one man show. Flacco threw to 8 different receivers, with TE Julius Thomas leading all players with 5 receptions. But, with DeDe Westbrook getting 9 targets and Marquise Goodwin another 8, there were plenty of deep shots to go around. Marshawn Lynch still got 23 carries, but with the Gold bringing their safeties up to the line, it was a great chance for Joe Flacco to remind us of his former “mad bomber” days in the Alamodome.   Pick Sixes Set the Tone in Week 4 Whether it was Pacman Jones for the Outlaws, Will Allen for the Stallions, or Ohio’s LaRon Landry, some of the best moments of this week came via the pick-six. This has already been a good year for defensive scores, particularly off of the passing game, with 11 different players returning turnovers for scores (9 of them pick-sixes). This week we saw three that influenced the momentum of their games, but none more so than LaRon Landry’s late game spirit-killer in St. Louis.   Down only 7, St. Louis was in position to tie the score and possibly send the game to overtime, a big plus for a club that has been blown out in most of their games. Down 28-21 with just over 5 minutes left to play, the Skyhawks were looking to score on a 3rd consecutive drive, having been down 21 at the half. The momentum seemed to be on their side, but an overly ambitious throw by Josh Freeman did not find the intended receiver, instead finding the waiting arms of Landry, who grabbed the ball away and raced towards the St. Louis endzone. With a nice block from NFL import Tyran Matthieu, Landry high-stepped into the endzone, putting Ohio up 14 and breaking the late game spirit of the 1-3 Skyhawks. It was a moment the Ohio fans who made the trip to the Gateway City celebrated late into the night, and one that once again sunk the hopes of a very dazed and disappointed Skyhawk crowd.   Five Break Out Players of the First Quarter The first four games of the year have produced surprises on many fronts, from unexpected early season success to rising stars making a name for themselves. We picked five players this week who we see as first quarter break out stars, players who were little known or from whom little was expected, but who have showed us what they can do with a strong 4-game showcase.   WR Brandin Cooks-POR The first of two Stags we want to highlight from Portland’s surprising 3-1 start. Cooks is in his 5th year with Portland, and he has had some good numbers in the past, with 1,000 yard seasons the past 2 years, but he could be ready to break out in a big way if Marcus Mariota’s production continues to outpace expectations. Cooks already has 27 receptions and 389 yards, which project out to a 100-reception, 1,200 yard season. The missing piece? Scoring plays. Cooks is still waiting for his first TD of the year.   HB Ben Tate-POR Even before the season-ending injury to 2017 league rushing leader Doug Martin, Tate was impressing us with some big plays and consistency when called on. He had 83 yards in a backup role in Week 1, and then, with Martin going down, he exploded in Week 2 with a stunning 181-yard, 3 TD outing against the Federals. With defenses now keying on the bruising back, his numbers have dipped the past two weeks, but he is still among the league leaders, currently trailing only All-USFL backs LeVeon Bell and Maurice Jones-Drew with 372 yards rushing. His very solid 4.3 YPC average gives Portland hope that they can weather the loss of Martin and still have one of the league’s best run games.   WR Dwayne Bowe-ORL You generally don’t expect a player in his 12th season to become a break out player, but that is what we are seeing with Dwayne Bowe in Orlando. Bowe is on pace for a 1,000 season, which would be his first in a career filled with 300-yard seasons. He already has 17 catches and 310 yards, well ahead of his usual pace. He has moved from his usual backup role to a starting position opposite Brashard Perriman, and his success in the season’s first 4 weeks are helping Orlando fans forget the retirement of Michael Jenkins.   DE Matthew Judon-LV Long projected to be a major factor in the Viper defense, Judon seems to be coming into his own in his 3rd season. In both 2016 and 2017 Judon finished the year with 6 sacks, promising but not game-changing numbers. He already has 5 this year, and his speed has really begun to show as he has adjusted his pre-snap stance and his first move. The result is a much more dynamic first step and a quicker flash past the tackle on his way to the QB. His 5 sacks still put him 4 behind the pace of Calais Campbell, but it has been nearly a decade now where every other DE in the league just wants to reach that 2nd position.   QB Ryan Nassib-ARZ In two starts for the Wranglers, Nassib has gone from relative unknown to a major factor in the Wrangler game plan. With only 62 pass attempts this season, the 3rd year backup does not yet qualify for the QB Rankings, but were he to qualify, he would trail only Drew Brees and his former teammate David Carr at the top of the rankings. He has a 5:1 TD to INT ratio after 2 starts, with nearly 600 yards in those games. This is a best-case scenario for any team, for their back up to step in and play at almost the same level as the starter, something a lot of teams wish they could say but few can.                    After several pretty brutal weeks across the injury report, a relatively light one for Week 5’s action. Memphis places TE Luke Stocker on IR, bumping rookie Dallas Goedert into the top spot and bringing Alan Cross up from the practice squad. Other than that, mostly short-term concerns, with several players potentially making limited appearances this week.   OUT TE          Luke Stocker                  MEM     PCL       IR CB          Prince Amukamara       WSH     Foot      1-2 Weeks   DOUBTFUL G              Herman Johnson            OKL       Back CB          Isaac Yiadom                   NJ           Wrist DE           Dee Ford                   MGN     Hernia G            Max Jean-Gilles              ORL       Wrist DT          Damon Harrison             LV           Ankle CB        Joe Haden                      ARZ       Groin   QUESTIONABLE WR          Randall Cobb             PHI        Concussion LB         Nico Johnson            POR      Hamstring DE           Brooks  Reid            ARZ       Thigh OT           Jah Reid                        LA          Hip First Quarter Power Rankings Four games in and what do we think? Well, we are down to one unbeaten, and we have no winless teams. So, perhaps this is a season to be defined by parity or is it just that there are too many teams both in the realm of the very good and in the realm of the pretty troubled. We, of course, kick off our list with the last of the unbeatens, the impressive Breaker squad that has beaten Houston and Philadelphia on their way to 4-0, and we wrap up trying to guess which 1-3 club is truly the bottom of the barrel right now.   1—New Orleans (4-0) When you are the lone unbeaten after a month of play, and that record includes wins over Houston and Philly, you absolutely need to be in first position.   2—Mi chigan (3-1) A surprising loss to the 1-3 Machine in Chicago is the only blemish on the Panthers’ title defense run so far.   3—Houston (3-1) One could argue that the Gamblers should be in 2nd place, since their only loss so far was a 3-point squeaker to the unbeaten Breakers.   4—Oklahoma (3-1) The Outlaws have been impressive, winning all 3 of their division games to date, including a tough road game in Denver this week.   5—Atlanta (3-1) The Fire are doing it with defense and with a much-improved Aaron Murray. That said, they have yet to win a game against a team with a winning record, so there is some skepticism here.   6—Denver (3-1) A great start for the Gold, with wins over Arizona, Las Vegas and Dallas. They actually play 6 division games in the first 5 weeks, with Arizona and Las Vegas back on the schedule before they finally play an out-of-division game in Week 7.   7— New Jersey (2-1-1) The Week 1 loss to Memphis feels like early season jitters as the Generals have looked very complete in their wins over Baltimore and Birmigham. A huge game this week against the Stars could tell us a lot.   8— Oakland (3-1) The Invaders jumped out to a 3-0 record but struggled this week. With 3-1 Portland and 3-1 Michigan next up, we will get a quick sign of just how ready Jimmy Garoppolo is to jump in this year.   9— Arizona (2-1-1) The loss of David Carr is huge, but Ryan Nassib has been playing well, giving Arizona hope that this season will still be one with a lot of prospects for the club.   10—Memphis (3-1) Their season opening win against New Jersey was an eye-opener. Wins over Oklahoma and Pittsburgh have helped build some belief in Memphis. They will face Birmingham twice in 3 weeks coming up soon (Weeks 6 and 8) and that rivalry could prove whether these Showboats are for real.   11—Portland (3-1) Before you get too excited, Stag Nation, just look at the records of the 3 teams you have beaten. LA is 1-3, Washington, also 1-3, and Seattle is now 0-4. You have Oakland this week, let’s see if you can prove yourself to be a truly deserving team at this point in the year.   12—Philadelphia (2-2) Two tough losses (Baltimore and New Orleans) and two big wins over bad teams (Seattle and, we still insist, Portland). The Stars need to rise up to the level of their opposition, and with New Jersey and Pittsburgh up next, the time is now.   13—Las Vegas (2-2) After starting 0-2, the Vipers have had good back-to-back games and look like they have found their groove. They (and we) are still expecting the other shoe to drop in Kareem Hunt’s situation, but for now he is proving he can contribute to this team.   14—Charlotte (2-2) The Monarchs’ 2-0 start feels a long time back after two bad losses (44-13 to Tampa Bay and 28-13 to Michigan). They cannot afford to fall back into the mix in the division, so the next two weeks, at Ohio and home to Jacksonville, will be huge.   15—Ohio (2-2) A .500 record after 4 games is fine, but when you have beaten two 1-3 clubs and lost to two 3-1 clubs, it is hard to know if you are for real as a playoff contender.   16—Orlando (2-2) Another season, another Russell Wilson injury, though the Renegades are hoping he can be back this week. With a three-game stretch of Atlanta, Houston, and Atlanta again, the Renegades need all the help they can get.   17—Birmingham (2-2) The Stallions, like Las Vegas, have forgotten their 0-2 start and have added two nice wins the past two weeks. They too will be looking at the 3-week, 2-game series with Memphis as a key to their season.   18—Pittsburgh (2-2) The spread offense has really not produced the way Mauler fans had hoped, but the defense is playing better than many expected. They Maulers need to grind out wins, which means getting more from the offense, but also giving the D time to breathe.   19—San Diego (1-3) It took 4 weeks for the Thunder to look competent. So why are we putting them atop all the other 1-3 teams? Because we look up and down the roster and think they should not be here at all.   20—Baltimore (1-3) After knocking off Philly in Philly for their opening game, spirits were high in Baltimore, but they have not held up and have now dropped 3 in a row. Looking ahead, a series of LA, Washington, and Pittsburgh could help heal that pain.   21—Chicago (1-3) This has been a rough month, with Chicago losing to 3 different 1-loss teams. How they pulled off the win over Michigan is still a head scratcher, but this week the Machine finally face a team with a losing record. In fact, in their next 10 games they do not face any team that is better than 2-2 right now. Could Chicago climb up this list?   22—Los Angeles (1-3) Other than one big game against the sad sack Skyhawk D, the Express have not impressed on offense. 14, 7, and 20 points is not what makes for a winning record, even if the defense is solid (which this year is still not certain.)   23—Dallas (1-3) They have lost Tim Wright to injury, Sammy Watkins is also banged up, and at any moment the league office could decide that Johnny Manziel’s season is done. Not a great time to be a Roughneck fan, to be sure.   24—Tampa Bay (1-3) A huge blowout win over Charlotte, but three losses by 14, 18, and 20 points. That sounds like a team that has potential but has not put the pieces together yet. With Memphis ,New Jersey, and New Orleans on deck, things don’t get easier for the Bandits.   25—Jacksonville (1-3) After an 0-3 start, the Bulls got into the Win column this week over Orlando. They have more work to do, of course, but facing a 1-3 Chicago team on the road this week could tell us a lot about the desire in this team to do better.   26—Washington (1-3) The Feds got a nice win in a shootout with Seattle, but they have struggled in all 3 other games to generate offense. Facing the 4-0 Breakers and that solid Breaker defense this week does not feel like a moment when the Federal offense can turn it around.   27—St. Louis (1-3) When your defense averages 34 points given up each game, you are not going to win very often. The St. Louis defense is also giving up a ludicrous 175.5 rushing yards per game. That is historically bad after 4 games. So, who is coming up on the schedule? How about LeVeon Bell this week, then Matt Forte, then possibly Kareem Hunt. Yikes!!   28—Seattle (0-4) Haven’t we seen this movie before? Last year Seattle started 0-5 and then went 9-2 the rest of the season to join the playoff field. That is a once in a lifetime recovery. Not something we think the Dragons can or will do again, especially with Jacoby Brissett still expected to miss 4-6 weeks more.   New Jersey Generals Petition the USFL & Hall of Fame on Behalf of Phil Hansen We had a feeling this would happen after the league’s all-time sack leader was once again left off the Hall of Fame ballot. The New Jersey Generals have officially petitioned the league to force Hansen’s name onto the ballot in 2019. A 13-time All-USFL player, the 1991 ROTY and the 2001 DPOTY, Hansen not only holds the league record with 289 career sacks, but was the unquestioned best player at his position for much of his career. He retired in 2004, which would have made him eligible for the Hall back in 2009, but his controversial biography, one in which he not only admitted to steroid and HGH use, but insisted that use was widespread in the league in the 1990’s produced a huge backlash, and essentially blacklisted the former General.   But, after over a decade, New Jersey is making the case that nearly all of the claims made by Hansen have been proven accurate in the time since his 2006 book came out. With other players having made the Hall in that time, they argue that the league is trying to silence the messenger rather than deal with the situation. Hansen is certainly deserving based on his body of work, and the argument that his admitted use of steroids and hormones disqualifies him is absurd when we understand that others who were perhaps less vocal or even less honest about their use of the now-banned substances were not penalized, while one of the league’s all-time greats is paying a disproportionate price for blowing the whistle and being honest about his own career.   Dallas Reveals New Uniforms for 2019 This week, perhaps trying to take some attention off the looming suspension of QB Johnny Manziel, the Dallas Roughnecks, and league partner Under Armour, revealed a new look for the club, one they hope to debut on the field in the 2018 playoffs, but which will be the look for all of 2019. While the team is retaining their 2015 logos and wordmark, there are still quite a few changes afoot in Big D.   We start at the helmet, where the “oil slick” ombre effect is gone, leaving behind a sky-blue helmet with two thick black stripes surrounding a thin red pinstripe. The parallel with the club’s DR monogram, itself with a red pinstripe, is quite clear, and yet, that logo is no longer going to appear on the helmet. In its place is “Roddy Roughneck”, the gruff lineman shown in profile. The DR monogram is still a big part of the uniform, appearing on each sleeve, but no longer the helmet design. The rest of the uniform also gives up the oil slick look in favor of crisp lines and use of red as a contrast color. This can be seen on the shoulder and sleeve yoke, divided at the seam with an angled swath of bright red. The thin red line motif also returns to several places, including the collar, the pant stripes, and, particularly with the home blue jerseys, in the center of both the primary and shoulder numbers. On the white road jerseys’, the black primary numbers have a sky-blue insert, but the shoulder numbers, back on a black background, retain the red pinstripe.   The club also revealed one alternate look, not opting to remember their time in Atlanta or Boston with a throwback to another nickname, city, or color scheme. The new alternate, dubbed the “Black Gold” alt, is an all-black look, head to toe. It includes a black helmet divided only by a thin red pinstripe, and featuring the original helmet logo, the DR monogram, depicted in sky blue and white. The jersey is all black, with no offset yoke. It features white numbers with a thin blue pinstripe, red shoulder stripes, and the secondary monogram logo again on the sleeves. The pants are also all black, with the lone red pinstripe topped by a Lone Star. The 4th revealed look is not truly an alternate, it is simply another combination of the primary designs, with the white jersey paired with the white pant set instead of the sky-blue pair shown in the primary design. This is a look you can expect to see when the Roughnecks get stuck with a day game late in the summer and temperatures in the Cotton Bowl soar.   You know we at This Week in the USFL love a good rivalry game, and it does not get much better than when the Stars and Generals face off. With Both clubs sitting at 2 wins, this NBC Friday Night Lights game will be for first place in the NE as the 2nd quarter of the season starts. Later that same night we have two teams that hoped for much better starts as the two Pacific playoff teams from a year ago try to shake off a combined 1-7 start. One-win San Diego hopes they can keep Seattle winless as they head up to Lumen Field to take on the Dragons.   On Saturday, we have two great Southwestern clashes, both at night, as our 7pm NBC kickoff features the 3-1 Gamblers facing off against the 3-1 Outlaws in front of what we expect to be yet another very rowdy sellout crowd at OGE Energy Field in Oklahoma City. Then, at 9pm Eastern, we head out to the desert as the Arizona Wranglers, playing without David Carr, face a very tough, and very determined rival in the Denver Gold. Denver comes into this one at 3-1 and would love nothing more than to give Arizona their 2nd loss.   We wrap it all up on Sunday, with a pair of really interesting divisional games and a Sunday Night Special that has two 2-2 teams each hoping to get their mojo headed in the right direction. We start off at noon with the FOX national game, featuring a Southeastern clash between the 3-1 Atlanta Fire and the 2-2 Orlando Renegades. At 4pm we turn our attention to the Pacific Northwest, where we have a clash of 3-1 clubs in the Pacific. Oakland suffered a tough loss this past weekend, but they are still hoping they can prove that Portland’s strong start is more mirage than muscle. Finally, when Charlotte and Ohio clash, someone is going to top .500 and someone is going to drop below the line. Neither is eager to have to catch up in their own divisions, so this one could be a slobberknocker.   Friday @ 6pm ET             New Jersey (2-1-1) @ Philadelphia (2-2)       NBC Friday @ 8pm ET             San Diego (1-3) @ Seattle (0-4)                      FOX   Saturday @ 12pm ET       New Orleans (4-0) @ Washington (1-3)            ABC Saturday @ 12pm ET       Memphis (3-1) @ Tampa Bay (1-3)                  FOX Saturday @ 4pm ET       St. Louis (1-3) @ Michigan (3-1)                     ABC Saturday @ 4pm ET         Jacksonville (1-3) @ Chicago (1-3)                FOX Saturday @ 7pm ET       Houston (3-1) @ Oklahoma (3-1)                       NBC      Saturday @ 9pm ET       Denver (3-1) @ Arizona (2-1-1)                   ESPN/EFN   Sunday @ 12pm ET          Birmingham (2-2) @ Pittsburgh (2-2)             ABC Regional Sunday @ 12pm ET          Los Angeles (1-3) @ Baltimore (1-3)               ABC Regional Sunday @ 12pm ET        Atlanta (3-1) @ Orlando (2-2)                      FOX Sunday @ 4pm ET           Las Vegas (2-2) @ Dallas (1-3)                         ABC Sunday @ 4pm ET           Oakland (3-1) @ Portland (3-1)                     FOX Sunday @ 8pm ET            Charlotte (2-2) @ Ohio (2-2)                            ESPN/EFN

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: A lot of outstanding performances this week, but when the best defender in the game today has a monster game, you recognize it with a POTW award. Calais Campbell not only had 5 sacks in an absolutely devastating performance against the Skyhawks, but also added 9 tackles. That dual feat puts him atop the sack rankings, 5 sacks ahead of 2nd place, and also makes him the 2nd most prolific tackler in the league, an astounding double feat from an astounding talent.

Week three saw yet another major injury story develop as defending 2-time MVP David Carr is lost for the season, our lead story for the week. It was also a week that saw several 0-2 teams secure their first win and avoid the dreaded 0-3 start. Birmingham got their first win by upsetting the Baltimore Blitz at Protective Stadium. The Vipers went into San Diego and knocked off the Thunder, who now surprisingly sit at 0-3 themselves. Washington surprised us all with an offensive explosion that got them past Seattle in a battle of winless teams, again shocking Dragon fans who expected a much better start to the year. And Chicago pulled off a major upset on a cold and windy night at Soldier Field, shutting down LeVeon Bell and the Panthers to snag the first Machine win of the season. We will recap all the games, all the stories, but we begin with the moment that could change the entire season for the Arizona Wranglers, one moment that has huge lasting impact.   Carr Lost for the Year as QB Carnage Continues They say football is a game of inches, but it is also a game of moments, and one moment can alter a drive, a game, and an entire season. The Arizona Wranglers may have just become the latest team to discover just what a moment can mean for a football team, as it was one moment, one play gone awry, one painful instant that may have cost them the 2-time MVP for the year.   The play in particular was nothing astounding, a 3rd and 4 from the New Jersey 33. Convert it and the Wranglers could take advantage of the blocked punt that put them on the Generals’ side of the field. Miss it and they likely trot out the field goal team. The call was a simple one, an attempt to flood the zone with outside-breaking routes on 3 levels, with either Larry Fitzgerald or TE Jimmie Graham as the most likely targets. But, on this play, RT Shaun Lauvao expected a chip block from Frank Gore, but Gore had chosen to take on a blitzing Chase Blackburn, and that left Lauvao on his own with DE Aaron Kampman.  Kampman used a swim move to get past Lauvao, caught David Carr around the waste, and spun him to the ground. The problem was that in that spin, his right foot was atop Carr’s, which meant that Carr’s leg could not spin fully as his body was brought to the turf.   You could hear the pop of the hip joint on the replay. While it did not look like a particularly hard hit, the odd torque created by the spin combined with Carr’s foot being pinned, forced the hip joint to pop out of its hold, and caused tearing to the tendons that keep the ball in the socket. The end result, which would not be known until imaging that evening, was that Carr’s hip had not only dislocated, but a chip had come off of the femur in the process, along with significant tendon and ligament damage to the hip. Carr would not be able to return in the game, and for the remainder of the season.   The 2-time MVP was placed on IR on Monday. He released a brief statement to the press, thanking fans for their concern and wishing his team the best in his absence. Surgery to remove the bone chip, clean up some cartilage damage, and reconstruct the hip was conducted on Wednesday. It will be at least a month before Carr can even attend games and sit in a seat, and no less than 4 months before he can even consider throwing a ball, or doing any workouts beyond the prescribed and highly monitored PT that will accompany his recovery.  All this the result of one moment.   For Coach Tomsula and the Wranglers, the 2018 season will continue without pause. The Wranglers were buoyed by the strong performance of 3rd year backup Ryan Nassib, who entered the game in New Jersey and mounted a comeback that put up 21 points, all on long pass plays very reminiscent of Carr. In the end, neither the Wranglers nor the Generals could score in overtime and the game ended in a tie, but that has to be considered a win for Arizona, playing without their starter and with a backup who has only appeared in mop-up duty and one Week 16 “rest the starters” game in his 2 years with the team.   Nassib went 22 of 39 for 367 in the comeback attempt in New Jersey, and that has given the Wranglers confidence that he can handle the job moving forward. After all, he has been with the team since coming to Arizona in the 2015 draft out of Syracuse, and he is as familiar as any QB in the country outside of David Carr with the system. The Wranglers did make a move to add some depth, signing veteran backup Brooks Bollinger as the QB3 behind Nassib and 24-year-old Tom Savage. But, for the foreseeable future, the Wranglers, already considered to be suffering from a depleted defense after an offseason of departures, will now be led by Ryan Nassib, casting even more doubt on their ability to dominate the SW Division as they have over the past 4 years. Amazing what a single moment can do.   HOUSTON GAMBLERS 31  NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS 34  It is about as big a game as you can expect in the season’s first month. Two unbeaten division opponents facing off in an early season showdown for first place. Ever since the Houston Gamblers were transferred to the Southern Division in 2015 it has been the Gamblers and the Breakers battling for surpremacy. The Gamblers have won the division the past two years, but New Orleans has been right there, battling them every step of the way. So you know that when the schedule came out these two both had this Week 3 showdown circled on their calendars.   Just as we had hoped, this one proved to be an action-packed, momentum shifting game that kept us all riveted for 3 hours. The two teams did it in different ways, but despite the stylistic differences, this was a nip and tuck battle throughout. Statistically the two ended up looking somewhat similar, with Houston putting up 346 yards to New Orleans’s 356, with less than 1 minute separating the time of possession, and with an even count of one turnover apiece. But those statistics don’t tell the whole story, because this was a game that swung back and forth all day.   It did not always look like it would be a close game. The first half was dominated by the homestanding Breakers, putting up a 24-7 lead by the break. It began with New Orleans’s first drive, a 12-play steady march down the field that concluded with 3rd down back C. J. Spiller getting a pitch to the wide side and finding a crease to score from 5 yards out. Houston struggled to keep their first quarter possessions moving, and soon New Orleans had the ball a 2nd time, and again a nice, slow and steady drive yielded 7 points. This time, on the first play of the second quarter, Drew Brees hit his favorite redzone target, Coby Fleener with a short TD and the Breaker lead was extended to 14-0.   That lead would expand again only 6 minutes later when a bad punt from Houston gave New Orleans the ball on their own 47. Drew Brees moved the Breakers down the field efficiently, which was what we saw all day in what would be a 20 of 28, 243-yard outing for the veteran QB. In only 7 plays and in less than 2 minutes Brees boosted the Breaker advantage to 21-0 with a nice over-the-middle pass to Tyler Lockett for the third New Orleans score of the half.   But, Houston being a quality team, the Gamblers did not give up, down 3 scores. They responded by putting together their first scoring drive, a quick strike drive that saw Colt McCoy hit Mike Evans for a 40-yard gain, then find HB Carlos Hyde, who would finish as the game’s leading receiver, for the score, a screen play from 10 yards out that found its blocking and enabled the multi-talented Hyde to find the endzone. New Orleans would add 3 points to make the score 24-7 at the half, but Houston would take momentum from their drive and would turn the tables on New Orleans in the second half.   Houston’s momentum did not show up initially in the 2nd half, as the Breakers took the opening kickoff and in only 4 plays built their lead up to a seemingly insurmountable 31-7. The key play was a seam route that saw Fleener get open along the left hashmarks and rumble 56 yards for a score, helped by a nice block by WR Jordy Nelson on backup safety Shalom Luani, in for the injured Budda Baker. The half-opening quick strike drive should have dashed any hopes Houston had of a second half comeback, but the Gamblers apparently did not take the hint.   Houston came right back with a touchdown drive of their own, an 11-play march that was capped off by a Carlos Hyde TD run for his second score of the day. Still down 17 points, Houston needed a big play and a quick strike to get back in the game, and they got both from CB Leodis McKelvin. McKelvin read the route to Kenny Britt perfectly, timed his break and snatched Drew Brees’s throw in full stride. From there it was 55 yards down the sideline for an untouched pick-six. Houston was back in action, now down only 10 at 31-21 with 20 minutes of game time still to play.   The Breakers appeared to be buckling, and Houston felt they had all the steam now and would be able to make up the difference as the game transitioned to the 4th quarter. On their next offensive possession, Houston drove the ball effectively, McCoy hitting Vernon Davis and rookie Austin Sefarin-Jenkins on consecutive plays to get the ball inside the 25. But, SS Brandon Taylor’s second sack of the day, a beautifully-timed blitz between the RG and RT send McCoy to the ground on 3rd down, and the Gamblers had to settle for a field goal. Still, that score put them within 1 drive of tying the game, possibly even going ahead. For New Orleans, the once confident Breakers were now looking decidedly nervous.   The Breakers opted to slow things down on their next possession, and they found success with both Leonard Fournette and C. J. Spiller finding holes in the Houston defense. Fournette had his longest run of the game, an 11-yard rumble, on the first play of the drive, then Spiller bettered it with a 13-yard scamper only 3 plays later. The Breakers continued to move the ball, and the drive continued to eat time. By the time Houston put a stop to the drive, the ball was on the 6 yard line, with New Orleans having failed on a 3rd and goal throw to Fleener. New Orleans would bring out Caleb Sturgis for 3 pointss, but, more importantly, they had eaten up over 8 minutes on the clock. When Sturgis put the Breakers back up by 10, Houston was back to needing 2 scores but now had only 1:43 to achieve it.   The Gamblers did not waste any time on the ensuing possession. McCoy hit Carlos Hyde on another effective screen pass, this time gaining 13 yards on the first play from scrimmage of the drive. The second play was even better, with New Orleans blitzing, JuJu Smith Schuster was left in single coverage and McCoy found him on a hook & go, with the 2nd year receiver racing 51 yards before finally being knocked out of bounds. Only 2 plays later McCoy found Hyde for the back’s third score of the game, a 19-yard strike that once again brought Houston back to within 1 score, down 31-34.   With 1:05 left on the clock and only 1 timeout left, Houston would have to go for the onside kick. They lined up and the kick looked like it could cause New Orleans some trouble, but with both Tyler Lockett and C. J. Spiller on the side of the field where the kick was bouncing, the Breakers had some good hands available, and it would be Lockett who would snatch the ball out of the air and immediately fall to the ground. With only 1 timeout available, Houston simply could not stop the Breakers from running out the clock. A sigh of relief emerged from a very tense Breaker crowd in the Super Dome as the final seconds rolled off the clock and the two teams congratulated each other. The Breakers, who had looked so dominant early, had survived a major shift in momentum and a very potent comeback from the Gamblers. New Orleans would remain unbeaten, but Houston would know that they almost had the comeback against their new division rival, and that they would have a chance to avenge the loss in Week 9, when the Breakers would make the trip to NRG Stadium for the rematch. Arizona 21  New Jersey 21  Overtime Our first overtime game of the season and our first tie as the Generals and Wranglers fail to score in overtime and end the game locked up at 21 apiece. New Jersey came out strong, putting up the first two scores to take a 14-0 lead on TDs from MJD and Nick Foles to John Carlson, but they simply could not shut down the Arizona deep ball, even after what could be a season ending injury to David Carr. Backup Ryan Nassib cme in and hit on 3 long pass plays, all for scores, as he found Larry Fitzgerald for a 57-yard TD, then Antonio Bryant from 33 yards out, and finally Jimmie Graham with a 27-yarder. But New Jersey got a late TD when Nick Foles found Jones-Drew on a circle route and MJD took it in for 7 to tie the game with 1:03 left. Neither team could get into scoring range in overtime, so this one ends all knotted up. POTG:  Arizona WR Larry Fitzgerald: 7 Rec, 171 Yds, 1 TD   Jacksonville 20   Atlanta 27 The Fire built up a 24-6 lead, but two late Jacksonville scores made it close in the end. Aaron Murray threw TDs to both Roy Williams and Dorial Green-Beckham, and rookie Nick Chubb had his best game to date, rushing for 75 yards and a score as Atlanta held a 24-6 lead early in the 3rd, but a Robert Griffin TD toss to TE Taysom Hill brought them closer, and a late score to Reuben Randle had them within 7, but the Fire recovered the onside kick and successfully bled the clock to hold on for a 7-point win. POTG:  Fire QB Aaron Murray: 20/30, 178 Yds, 2 TD, 1 Int   Seattle 34  Washington 41 A pure and simple shootout in D.C. as neither defense had any answers. Washington put up 390 yards, including 130 on the ground, while Seattle had 312 yards passing and 401 total yards in a wild game. David Garrard went 26 of 38, with 2 scores, but also threw 3 picks, which helped Seattle stay in this one. Matt McGloin went 25 for 35 for 312 yards as he took over for Jacoby Brissett, connecting for 3 TDs and 1 pick. For the Feds, Anthony Allen and Joique Bell combined for 124 yards rushing, with Allen scoring on the ground and through the air in his best game as a Federal. POTG:  Feds’ HB Joique Bell: 4 Att, 63 Yds, 2 TD.   Oklahoma 19   Memphis 21 In a game that came down to a failed 2-point play, Memphis raced out to a 21-3 lead with TDs from Cordarelle Patterson, Toddy Gurley, and Robert Woods, but Oklahoma scored 16 points in a furious 4th quarter comeback. A late TD to DeDe Westbrook put the Outlaws down 2 with 1:11 to play. But on the conversion attempt, Memphis CB Patrick Robinson swatted the ball out of the hands of Marquise Goodwin, preserving the win for the Showboats. POTG: Memphis QB Paxton Lynch: 27/33, 224 Yds, 2 TD, 1 Int   Oakland 32  Ohio 13 In a battle of new QB’s Brock Osweiler failed the test, throwing 4 picks, while Oakland let the run game dominate, with Jimmy Garoppolo going only 7 of 18 on the day for a measley 38 yards. But with Christian McCaffrey (102) and Knile Davis (51) combining for over 150 yards, Oakland still had more than enough to defeat the mistake-riddled Glory. FS Jahleel Addae had 2 picks and Cliff Avril had two sacks as Oakland’s defense made life tough for Osweiler all game long. POTG: Oakland DE Cliff Avril: 2 Tck, 2 Sck, 1 Sfty   Baltimore 6   Birmingham 16 Amari Cooper caught 7 for 111 and A. J. McCarron scored the only TD of the game on a 15-yard toss to Julian Edelman in the 4th quarter to give Birmingham their first win. Baltimore moved the ball but simply could not get into the endzone. In a game that saw 5 field goals and only 1 TD, it was the Birmingham defense that earned the win for the home team. POTG: Stallion CB Ladarius Webb: 6 Tck, 2 PDef, 1 Int   Las Vegas 38  San Diego 27 The Thunder fall to 0-3 despite an impressive 11 reception, 146 yard game from Marques Colston. The Thunder D struggled all game, with Las Vegas putting up 408 total yards, and Eli Manning tossing 3 touchdowns for the Vipers. Denarius Moore led the Vipers with 101 yards receiving on 7 catches and HB Montario Hardesty ran for 84, but it was NFL import Kareem Hunt that stole the show for the Vipers with two hip shaking scores. POTG:  Viper DE Mario Addison; 4 Tck, 2 Sck, 2 FF, 1 FR   Charlotte 13   Tampa Bay 44 Bandit fans got themselves a dream game from the Tampa Bay offense as the Bandits could do no wrong against a shorthanded Charlotte defense. With Chandler Jones and Rolando McClain both out, Charlotte struggled to slow down the Bandit attack. Dez Bryant caught 5 for 114 and 2 scores and HB Dalvin Cook rushed for 152 yards and a score as the Bandits rolled in this one. Dak Prescott finished with 3 TDs on only 9 completions as the Bandit run game racked up 231 yards against the defending division champs. POTG:  Bandit HB Dalvin Cook: 14 Att, 152 Yds, 1 TD   Orlando 38   St. Louis 10 Calais Campbell and the Orlando defense dominated for 4 quarters, but was still only up 14-10 after 3 quarters, but an explosion of offense in the final period gave the Renegades a comfortable win when it was done. Tim Tebow had a TD run and hit Jeremy Maclin for another score in the final 15 minutes, with Latavius Murray scoring his second TD on the day, on his way to a 132-yard performance as Orlando took over in the final period and turned a close game into a blowout. POTG: Orlando DE Calais Campbell: 9 Tck, 5 Sck   Portland 19   Philadelphia 34 Philadelphia put up 21 points in the first quarter thanks to 2 long TD tosses from Matt Gutierrez to Randall Cobb and James Hardy, and a Malik Jackson fumble return, and from there it was just a steady dose of Derrick Henry as the Stars kept Portland at arm’s length for the remaining 3 quarters. Marcus Mariota threw for 369 in the comeback attempt, but just could not muster enough points, and the Stars added more points on a Gutierrez to Kelce TD as they move to 2-1 on the year. POTG:  Philadelphia DE Malik Jackson: 7 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 Def TD, 1 FF, 1 FR   Denver 20  Dallas 7 Johnny Manziel was picked twice, sacked 4 times, and Denver dominated on the ground as the Gold move to 3-0. Rookie Phillip Lindsay is becoming a real weapon for the Gold, rushing for 95 yards on only 14 carries. Denver, despite going 0 for 9 on third down, slowly built a 20-0 lead before a late touchdown finally put Dallas on the board in garbage time in a game totally dominated by the visitors. POTG:  Denver HB Phillip Lindsay: 14 Att, 95 Yds.   Pittsburgh 16  Los Angeles 7 It is exactly this kind of inconsistency that drives Express fans crazy. They score 44 against St. Louis last week, looking like an offensive juggernaut, then come home and lay an egg against the Maulers. After a 200-yard game last week, Reggie Bush could only muster 34 yards on 18 carries this week, a 1.9 YPC average. Meanwhile, Sony Michel has his first 100-yard game as a pro, rushing for 118 on only 13 touches. Andy Dalton ran in a TD, and the Maulers added 3 field goals and that would be all they needed against a Los Angeles offense that simply could not get out of its own way. POTG:  Mauler HB Sony Michel: 13 Att, 118 Yds   Michigan 7   Chicago 13 A shocker on a frigid evening in Chicago as the Machine upset the Panthers, thanks in part to gametime temperatures in the high 20’s and a wind that chilled to the bone. LeVeon Bell was held in check by a surprisingly sturdy Chicago front seven, gaining only 21 yards on 13 attempts. Chicago fared quite a bit better with Matt Forte and Jeremy Hill combining for 97 yards rushing and the only Chicago TD of the game. Aaron Dobson added 98 yards receiving as Chicago held off the Panthers and got their first win of the season. POTG:  Chicago CB Josh Norman: 7 Tck, 2 PDef Manziel Greeted After Game with Summons & Suspension To say that Sunday did not go the way that Johnny Manziel would have liked is a bit of an understatement. Denver dominated the game at Cotton Bowl Stadium, building a 20-0 lead and only allowing a Dallas score in the last 30 seconds of action. While Manziel’s numbers looked solid (32 of 48 for 272 yards), an early interception from Denver’s DaJuan Morgan set up the first Gold score, and later in the game, a tipped ball at the line turned into a pick from MLB Patrick Onwuasor, setting up another 3-points for the Gold. Manziel was also sacked 4 times, including one bad sack that left the QB on the turf for a few beats before being helped up. So, the game itself was not good.   What awaited Manziel after the game was worse. As he left the stadium, Manziel was met by two members of Dallas’s finest as well as two sheriffs from Oklahoma County, home to OK City. The four presented Manziel with a summons to appear before a judge in Oklahoma City on Wednesday. Charges had been filed against the Dallas Roughneck quarterback for his actions both within and outside of the OK City hotel where the team had stayed ahead of their Week 2 clash with the Outlaws. Manziel appeared in court on Wednesday, making his initial plea and setting a court date for early September. Of course, this will cost him a day of practice, but it will also inevitably bring with it a league investigation, one already underway after the initial incident, and, quite possibly a second suspension in as many years.   Manziel did not speak to the press after the summons were issued, and his agent declined to comment.  His attorney did state that Mr. Manziel was going to seek a deal that would allow for probationary status, and that he anticipated that the QB would not be headed to trial, with plenty of time between now and September for a deal to be brokered with the DA in Oklahoma City. The charges are all misdemeanors, so such a deal would not be out of the ordinary. However, just how the league reacts to a second significant alcohol-related incident is another issue. After a DUI arrest last offseason, Manziel faced a 6-game suspension from weeks 4-10 in 2017. A second violation, even if the charges are reduced or a plea allows for only financial restitution, could lead to a season-long suspension as well as potential requirements for reinstatement. So, the bad Sunday for Manziel could very soon be a much longer bad spell.     Murray, Cook, Nassib, and Mariota Surprise with Big Numbers Week Three was a good week for players who we don’t usually see atop the weekly leaderboard, as several surprise performances highlighted the weekend. We have already outlined the strong performance put up by Arizona backup QB Ryan Nassib, throwing for over 300 yards and 3 scores to help Arizona salvage a tie against the Generals. But Nassib was not the only unheralded player to have a good day this weekend.   Orlando back Latavius Murray, who has had a few good outings, but who also was pretty well-adjusted to sharing duties with Knowshon Moreno over the past few years, made a case this week that he is a legitimate starter, rushing for 132 yards and 2 touchdowns against St. Louis. With Russell Wilson out and Tim Tebow at QB, the Renegades focused on the run game, and gave Murray every chance to show his stuff. He did just that, averaging a whopping 13.2 yards per carry, helped by a pair of long runs, including TD runs of 16 and 22 yards and a 40-yarder that set up a Jeremy Maclin TD catch. Murray still split carries in the game, with Rashad Jennings also getting touches, but it was clear that on first and second down, the Renegades were happy to have Murray lined up behind Tebow.   In Tampa Bay it was less a surprise player than a surprise outing for 2nd year back Dalvin Cook. Cook, who missed 7 games last year to injury, is trying to show that he was worth the draft capital used to land him with the Bandits. More performances like this week’s 14 carry, 152-yard outing will certainly send that message loud and clear. While we acknowledge that St. Louis’s defense is notably one of the league’s worst, especially against the run, what Cook did, including a 50-ard run to daylight and an elusive, spin & juke-filled 22-yard TD, was impressive.   Finally, while the final score in Philadelphia is not what Coach LaFleur wanted from his Portland Stags, he had to be pleased with the day put in by QB Marcus Mariota. The 3rd year starter had one of the most prolific games of his career against a very stout Star defense. Mariota finished the game 30 of 43 passing, amassing 369 yards, with 2 touchdowns and one pick. It may not have been enough to get Portland the win on the road, but Mariota showed poise in the pocket and threw some very nice balls to receivers who were not always particularly open. One pass in particular, an inside-breaking corner route to Brandin Cooks, saw Mariota loop the ball over the linebacker and catch Cooks in stride before he reached the safety. The play went for 31 yards, the longest of the day, but was just one of several nice throws by the Stag QB.   Others stepping up in Week 3 include Mauler rookie HB Sony Michel, with his first 100-yard game of the season; Oklahoma TE Julius Thomas with a 5-catch, 71-yard day; and Washington 3rd down back Joique Bell, whose 2 touchdown, 63-yard rushing effort helped the Feds get their first win of the season.   A Look at the Rookies Starting Strong Speaking of players who are stepping up, we are three weeks into the season and it is time to see which rookies are impressing us in the early season. Some players need time to adjust to the speed of the pro game, to learn a new system, and to find a place in the gameplan, but these seven rookies seem to be fast learners and have already started to pay dividends for their new teams.   HB Phillip Lindsay (DEN) Expected to mostly spell DeMarco Murray in Denver’s 1-back system, Lindsay is proving he has lead back potential. He currently leads the Gold with 210 yards rushing to Murray’s 155, and his 4.4 YPC average is a nice plus for the Gold. Lindsay has yet to score his first rushing TD, but is proving to be an asset for a run game that depends on consistent positive yardage.   HB Sony Michel (PIT) With his first 100-yard game this week, Sony Michel is quickly stepping into the roll as the bell cow back for the Maulers. He leads fellow backfield mates Marcus Lattimore and Jay Ajayi with 36 touches to their combined 30, and his 5.8 YPC average, bolstered by a strong Week 3, is among the league’s best.   HB Nick Chubb (ATL) Michel’s running back mate at Georgia, Nick Chubb, is also finding success in the early part of the USFL season. Chubb’s 3.6 yards per carry is not quite as formidable of that of Michel, but he is leading all rookie backs with 53 touches and has helped Atlanta start off strong, with a 2-1 record, despite sharing carries with Kenyan Drake and Chris Ivory in the run-heavy Fire attack.   WR Courtland Sutton (DAL) Sutton has made a nice start for himself, and has built a good rapport with QB Johnny Manziel in Dallas. With 26 targets, he has been the top target for Manziel, helped in part by this week’s injury to NFL Import Sammy Watkins. He sits at 12 catches, tied for second with TE Ben Watson, and his 90 yards and 1 touchdown are all signs that he is definitely part of the offensive plan for the Roughnecks.   TE Dallas Goedert (MEM) Despite splitting snaps with veteran Luke Stocker, Goedert is showing signs that he can be a productive player for the Showboats. He is currently 4th on the team in targets, but third in catches with 10. Still awaiting his first touchdown, we are seeing Goedert not only in 2-TE formations, but as a lone TE in some formations. The true key will be to watch and see if the rookie starts being added to the team’s 3rd down packages. For now, Luke Stocker still occupies that role.   SS Derwin James (TBY) We move to defense, and no rookie defender has had a better start than Tampa Bay safety Derwin James. The hard-hitting safety already has 10 tackles and 2 picks to his name. One of those was a pick-six against Orlando in Week 2, a beautiful 66-yard return that showed off his elusiveness as a ballcarrier, a skill we don’t often see from a safety.   LB Harold Landry (DEN) Denver gets a second rookie on our list, as Landry, a 2nd round pick out of Boston College, has not just broken into the starting 11 on defense, serving as the weakside LB in Denver’s 4-3 alignment, but is also making plays. Landry is second to MLB Patrick Onwuasor with 18 tackles, has his first NFL sack, and 3 tackles for loss already this season. The former BC Eagle is showing off his range in pursuit of backs and is also included in blitz packages.   A bad week for the Wranglers, certainly, but they were not alone in dealing with some significant injuries and some key players being ruled out of action for the upcoming week or longer. Here is the full breakdown of the week's new injury report additions. OUT QB David Carr ARZ Hip IR WR Tim Wright DAL PCL Tear IR C Robert Vega PHI Arm 6-8 Weeks FB Jason Cabinda STL Foot 1-2 Weeks LB Johnathan Casillas DAL Nose 1-2 Weeks DOUBTFUL HB Matt Forte CHI Toe DE Adrian Clayborn STL Back DT Haloti Ngata SD Concussion G Sean Locklear CHA Knee LB Nate Irving LV Concussion LB Myles Jack SD Ankle WR Sammy Watkins DAL Concussion OT David Tremblay ORL Arm QUESTIONABLE WR Robert Woods MEM Hamstring TE Crockett Gilmore STL Eye LB Anthony Walker JR WSH Neck DE Brooks Reed ARZ Thigh USFL & Hall of Fame Announce Class of 2018 Semi-Finalists We have the 2020 USFL Class for the Hall of Fame and it is a very diverse bunch. While some may be upset that no movement has been made on former New Jersey DE Phil Hanson’s eligibility, there are certainly many worthy players in this year’s list, including some we think will be easy first ballot choices. Let’s start with the two returning candidates before breaking down a very deep 8-man first year class for 2018’s 5-spot final roster of enshrinees.   QB Brian Griese (2nd Year) The former quarterback of both the Dragons and Panthers, Griese makes his return for a second year. With over 38,000 career passing yards and 262 touchdowns, the statistics for Griese are solid, as should be his leadership of the Panthers in their 2008 Championship run. Add to this the fact that Griese was named OPOTY twice in his career and we are still somewhat surprised he did not get nominated in his first year. We think he is a sure fire entrant in his second year of eligibility.   HB Antowain Smith (2nd Year) Smith is a tougher case. Yes, he had a brilliant final season in St. Louis, helping to spur the Skyhawks to a title in 2012. He also has strong overall career numbers, with over 15,000 rushing yards and 136 career touchdowns. But here is the thing. Other than that magical 2012 season, Smith was not considered an elite back for most of his career. A good back, certainly, but not someone you would immediately name when listing off the best players in the game. Is that impression enough to keep him out in his 2nd attempt? With such a strong 1st year group, it well could be.   WR Randy Moss (1st Year) If Randy Moss is not a first-ballot Hall of Famer, then we do not know what one is or who would qualify. Moss’s numbers are staggering: 1,033 receptions, nearly 20,000 yards (19,841) and 144 career touchdowns. Those are HOF numbers, but even those numbers do not fully explain what Moss brought to the game. It was the athleticism, the ability to win contested balls, and to just pull away from defenders in the open field. The very fact that we still call a player being outjumped for a ball being “Mossed” should tell us that this player is among the very best the game has ever seen. An easy vote.   HB Willis McGahee (1st Year) Moss’s teammate for several years in Tampa Bay, McGahee also has a strong case for the Hall. He played 10 years in Tampa Bay, including a title-winning 2011 season. He racked up over 12,000 yards rushing, 97 TDs, and was the 2012 Offensive Player of the year. The potential issue is that while these are very strong numbers, they don’t blow Antowain Smith out of the water, so how do you put McGahee in now, with Smith still waiting?   FS Tebucky Jones (1st Year) Safety is a hard position to measure with statistics. The numbers just don’t pop the way they might for a WR, CB, or DE. But, when you ask players who were in the USFL from 1998-2013, they will certainly tell you that Jones was an elite player and one of the toughest players to scheme against. The former Memphis Showboat was named to 4 All-USFL teams, won two titles in Memphis, and racked up 36 picks, 4 defensive TDs, and nearly 700 tackles essentially playing center field. We think Jones should be a first-ballot entrant, but again, safety is a tough position to gauge.   HB Ron Dayne (1st Year) If Smith and McGahee want to see the Hall this year, they may have to get through Ron Dayne to do it. A lifelong Baltimore Blitz star, Dayne retired in 2013 after 14 seasons bowling over defenders and turning simple run calls into dynamic runaway train footage. The former Wisconsin Badger retired after the 2013 season with 15,791 yards rushing, another 3,500 receiving, and 125 combined touchdowns. His 4.2 YPC average does not describe the kind of impact he had on defenders, both physically and psychologically, when he would simply run them over. We love Dayne’s game and we love his chances to be a first year nominee.   QB Jake Delhomme (1st Year) What to do with a QB who had several solid years, including 2 All-USFL years, but who was never able to bring a title to his teams. Delhomme played with Philadelphia, (97-00), Jacksonville (01-09), Memphis (2010) and Charlotte (2011-13), and put up over 37,000 yards passing, but may not have the team accolades or record of consistent winning to make the hall, at least not in his first year and not with Brian Griese still among the nominees.   WR Peerless Price (1st Year) How can a 3-time All-USFL performer, a player with over 1,200 catches and nearly 15,000 yards be boring? We are not sure, but somehow Price has simply never been a hyped-up player. Part of that comes from playing in Denver, where offensive highlights have never been the bread and butter of the Gold, but even within a drive-sustaining, low-risk offense, Price made some plays that deserved our attention. His numbers are certainly Hall-worthy, but we are not sure that in this class there is space for a player who just never made fans ooh and ah.   CB Chris Canty (1st Year) Canty could be a tough sell to voters this year. He was an outstanding player for Michigan (along with a few years in New Orleans and Houston), but even with 1,143 tackles and 42 picks, it may be tough for Canty to be seen as a truly elite cornerback. He was voted All-USFL only once, and, much like Peerless Price, was never a media hound. He just came to work every day, did his job, and helped Michigan win a title (2008). We hope that is enough for Canty to make the Hall, but perhaps not in his first year.   HC Jim Johnson (1st year) Our final nominee for 2018 never played a down on the field, but his coaching prowess makes him a strong candidate for first year nomination. Jim Johnson came to the USFL as a defensive guru, a designer of exotic blitzes and brutal run-stuffing schemes. He brought those talents to the expansion St. Louis Knights in 1995 as the club’s first head coach. He would go on to coach the Knights, both in St. Louis and in Nashville, for 19 seasons. In that time he amassed a record of 157-119-2 and helped the franchise make 12 playoff appearances, including a trip to the Summer Bowl in the club’s 3rd year of existence. So, what is the downside? You guessed it. Johnson never won a title. His teams were always tough, had defenses that could shut down the best player on any team, but he often lacked offensive imagination and the Knights simply could not get over the hump in most playoff years. That led to Johnson’s playoff coaching record being a troubling 5-12. That record, paired with his lack of a ring, could tarnish what otherwise was a very meritorious career with the Knights.   So, if we had to pick 5 names from this group of 10, who would we go with? We think Moss and Jones are shoe-ins. After that, we think there is a good argument for Brian Griese, Ron Dayne, and Antowain Smith, but we also think that there are voters who will reward Jim Johnson for his contributions to the game and for his character as one of the league’s most respected and respectful head coaches. So, two likely locks and 4 others fighting for 3 spots this year. Add to this group a Legacy selection, and we will have our Class of 2018.   ESPN to Add USFL Legends to Broadcast Teams This Week ESPN announced two changes to their broadcast teams for both ESPN and EFN games starting in Week 8 of this season. The Network announced that they will be adding former USFL wideout and Class of 2017 Hall of Famer Joey Galloway to the Saturday Night ESPN broadcast and will have former USFL Head Coach Baltimore safety Adam Archuleta joining the EFN crew for their Sunday night games. These two will join former Denver Gold head coach Dick Jauron, who joined the studio team for the pre-game both nights. The booths will be a bit crowded starting in Week 8, with the mid-season additions joining, not replacing the current crews. So, as of midseason, here is your ESPN broadcast team:                   USFL Tonight Studio Show: Louis Riddick (Host) with Steve Young, Todd McShay, Brian Griese, Randy Moss and Dick Jauron                   USFL on ESPN Saturday Night Crew: Jim Nantz, Troy Aikman, Joey Galloway                   USFL on EFN Saturday Night Crew: Ian Eagle, Ronde Barber, Doug Flutie                   USFL on ESPN Sunday Night Crew: Chris Myers, Craig James, Lee Corso                   USFL on EFN Sunday Night Crew: Mike Tirico, Chris Collinsworth, Adam Archuleta,   Week Four lines up with some great early season clashes, starting with NBC’s Friday Night Lights, where the Panthers and Monarchs face off in Charlotte. Both teams come off surprising road losses and both want to finish the week 3-1. The nightcap is a must-win for Seattle as they face Cascade Clash rivals Portland at home. Dropping to 0-4, while not absolutely unresolvable (as Seattle showed us last year) is not what anyone in the Dragon organization wants.   Saturday kicks off with a divisional game between Orlando and Jacksonville, with the Bulls also looking to avoid a nasty 0-4 start. We also have a great non-divisional Western clash between LA and Las Vegas, with both hoping to reach .500 with a win. Saturday Night gives us a great early season SW Division clash with the 2-1 Outlaws traveling to Denver to play the 3-0 Gold, one of the league’s most impressive teams early in the season. Then on Sunday it is New Jersey at Baltimore in a nice Northeastern showdown. At 4pm, it is a battle for Texas with Dallas headed to Houston to play the Gamblers. We expect Johnny Manziel to start, but will that be enough against the defending Conference Champs? We wrap it all up with two of the best teams in the league going head to head as Philadelphia heads down to the Big Easy to face the undefeated Breakers. A good week to get your friends together and settle in for some USFL football.   Friday @ 6pm ET             Michigan (2-1) @ Charlotte (2-1)             NBC Friday @ 8pm ET           Portland (2-1) @ Seattle (0-3)                    ABC   Saturday @ 12pm ET   Orlando (2-1) @ Jacksonville (0-3)          ABC Saturday @ 12pm ET     Chicago (1-2) @ Atlanta (2-1)                    FOX Saturday @ 4pm ET       Los Angeles (1-2) @ Las Vegas (1-2)         ABC Saturday @ 4pm ET     Ohio (1-2) @ St. Louis (1-2)                      FOX Saturday @ 7pm ET     Oklahoma (2-1) @ Denver (3-0)              NBC      Saturday @ 9pm ET       Arizona (1-1-1) @ Oakland (3-0)               ESPN/EFN   Sunday @ 12pm ET      New Jersey (1-1-1) @ Baltimore (1-2)       ABC Sunday @ 12pm ET        Pittsburgh (2-1) @ Memphis (2-1)             FOX Regional Sunday @ 12pm ET        Tampa Bay (1-2) @ Birmingham (1-2)      FOX Regional Sunday @ 4pm ET         Dallas (1-2) @ Houston (2-1)                      ABC Sunday @ 4pm ET          Washington (1-2) @ San Diego (0-3)        FOX Sunday @ 8pm ET          Philadelphia (2-1) @ New Orleans (3-0)  ESPN/EFN