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PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Geno Smith turned it up down the stretch, leading the Breakers on a 4-game win streak to jump from 5-7 to 9-7 and qualify as the East's final Wild Card. In Week 17 he had his best game of the year, throwing for 408 yards and 3 TDs to guide New Orleans to the postseason. PLAYOFF PICTURE: With Week 17's results, we have our final playoff picture, with Birmingham and New Orleans earning the final two spots and Seattle, San Antonio, and Chicago wrapping up their divisions. The seedings for the 2022 USFL Playoffs are as follows: EAST: 1-TBY 2-SAN 3-NJ 4-ORL 5-BIR 6-NOR WEST: 1-ARZ 2-CHI 3-SEA 4-LA 5-STL 6-OAK

While there was certainly some excitement this weekend, particularly for the New Orleans Breakers, who defied the odds, won their final 4 games, and got the help they needed to wrap up the final USFL playoff spot, overall this was not a high point of pro football in the USFL. Far too many teams benched their stars and went with less-than-optimal lineups. That produced some pretty blah viewing, some low-effort games, and in several locations, a sheer lack of interest producing some of the lowest attendance of the season. It is to be expected when nearly all the playoff scenarios have been set and only a few teams have real reasons to put in the effort, but it is still not what you want. So, as we break down the 2022 season’s final week, we will focus on the future, the 12 teams that are headed to the postseason. We will also break down the draft order for the 18 teams that did not make the cut, discuss the results of Black Monday, with two coaches let go, and prepare you for the Wild Card games. So, stick around and get yourself ready for playoff football in the USFL’s 40th spring season. Showboats & Steamrollers Stumble, Breakers Bounce into Post-Season Three games to decide who would earn the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Going into the weekend, the Memphis Showboats controlled their own destiny. A win in San Antonio and the Showboats would claim the final spot, but that Gunslinger team was not going to roll over, fighting for their own playoff position and a chance at a Wild Card bye. Before that game, New England and New Orleans could put pressure on the Showboats. New Orleans would host the Oakland Invaders on Saturday; New England would be in Baltimore to face the Blitz at the same time as Memphis’s game. If either won and the Showboats lost, then Memphis would be out. If the Breakers won on Saturday, then New England’s chance to squeeze into the postseason would be lost as well. So, what happened? New Orleans, winners of 3 in a row, got some help from an Oakland squad that had nothing left to play for and which wanted to rest some starters ahead of the Wild Card round, but they also did their part, with Geno Smith throwing for 408 yards. The Breakers, who had fallen behind by 17 points at the half, owned the 2nd half, putting up 24 unanswered points, with Geno Smith throwing for 3 scores. The fierce comeback gave New Orleans a 30-20 victory, a win which both eliminated the New England Steamrollers from any playoff hope and put intense pressure on the Showboats. On Sunday, New England, fully knowing their chance to earn the franchise’s first playoff spot in their short 3-year history, showed up flat-footed and were knocked down and out by the Baltimore Blitz. That meant that 3 teams from the South would get into the postseason, but would it be the Showboats or the Breakers making the cut? New Orleans got in if Memphis lost, but the Showboats controlled their own fate. Unfortunately, the ‘Boats, unlike the Breakers, had a foe who had something to play for. San Antonio knew that a win locked up the 2-seed and would give everyone a bye. That was motivation enough for them to do their best to knock Memphis down and knock them out of the postseason. San Antonio, like New Orleans, turned up the heat late, turning a 17-14 deficit into a 28-17 victory with 2 unanswered scores in the fourth quarter. That surge at the end meant that the Gunslingers would fully earn their week off while the Showboats would drop out of the postseason picture, falling to 8-8 and failing to live up to expectations. New Orleans, with a surprising 4-0 surge in the final month of games, had locked up the final playoff spot and would be in New Jersey to take on the Generals in the Wild Card round. OAKLAND INVADERS 20 NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS 30 Over the years, you have probably noted that most weeks we choose the game with the most dramatic finish, perhaps a big comeback, or a back-and-forth shootout. That is true, we tend to focus on the action on the field rather than the records of the teams or the game’s impact on the standings. But there are times, and certainly Week 17 of the season is one of them, when you cannot ignore the importance of the game, its stakes. So, yes, there were some games that had closer final scores or more tension, including an overtime game between San Diego and Portland, but most did not have an impact on the playoff picture, and in the season’s final week, we need to recognize a game that had a significant playoff impact. The interconference finale between Oakland and Seattle was such a game. For the Invaders, who had already locked up the 6th seed in the West, the focus was on building momentum, providing confidence to a team that had been up and down all year, but which had 4 in a row to lock up a hard-earned playoff spot. For New Orleans the race towards the playoffs was hardly over. The Breakers, once 5-7, had won 3 in a row to stand at 8-7 and could, with the right results, leapfrog over a division rival and steal away the final Eastern Conference playoff spot. A win by the Breakers, one which would be their 4th in a row, would leave them at 9-7, and with Memphis traveling to San Antonio the next day to face a Gunslinger team that had its own motivations, the Breakers could find themselves in the postseason. They would need for the division champion Gunslingers to defeat Memphis, but first the Breakers would need to use their home field crowd and their grit to defeat Oakland and put themselves in position for what a month ago seemed a very unlikely Wild Card slot. In the first half of this season finale for both teams, the Invaders seemed to have the upper hand. Their offense found success against the Breaker front-seven. With Bryce Love taking the majority of the snaps as Christian McCaffrey saw only spot action (3 carries and 2 receptions on the day), Oakland was able to move the ball effectively. Love would finish the first half with 77 yards rushing, including a 38-yarder that helped set up the game’s 2nd touchdown. The first had been a 3rd and 8 draw that went horribly wrong for the Breakers. Christian McCaffrey had shifted out of the backfield, only to pull back in, take the handoff from Davis Mills and exploit a huge hole on the right side of the line. Forty-one yards later the speed back crossed the goalline and gave Oakland an early 7-3 lead. With Bryce Love’s run early in the 2nd, Oakland was poised to add more to what was a 10-3 lead. Love’s 38-yard juking, spinning run got the ball to the Breaker 12, and 2 plays later Mills found Austin Hooper in the endzone to expand the Oakland lead to 14 points. A field goal on the next drive would make it 20-3, a lead only marginally impacted by a nice Geno Smith 2-minute drill that allowed Randy Bullock to put up a second field goal on the last play of the half. Down 14 (20-6) as the third quarter began, Coach Lathon needed a play to bring the crowd back. With more than 55,000 in the Super Dome, the Breaker faithful had started the game loudly but had been largely silenced by the lack of production in the opening half. During the break, Lathon made two adjustments, the first was to shift away from man coverage to zones. That shift would keep more eyes in the backfield, a move that allowed fewer of the run plays to reach the 2nd line of defense before a swarm of defenders could arrive. But, for as effective as the defensive strategy shift was, it was Lathon and OC Byron Leftwich looking at video of the first half defense of the Invaders who opted to make a shift that would impact the second half in a big way. Leftwich, the long-time Seattle Dragons QB had come to New Orleans only 3 years after his retirement in 2016, joining the Breakers as the Passing Game Specialist. This offseason he took over as the OC, using his years of experience as a mobile, but not dual threat QB, to work with Geno Smith and the talented Breaker receiver group to develop a more effective outside-inside strategy for the passing game. Against Oakland, that strategy was proving difficult to execute. Oakland had been positioning the safeties outside the hashmarks, wider than one usually sees, which allowed DeMarco Murray some room inside, when he could get around or past Bobby Wagner, which was not easy. But what the wider positioning allowed was for Marquestan Huff and Jevon Holland to be in position to assist the corners with both Justin Jefferson and Olamide Zaccheaous, in the game for the injured Jordy Nelson. Neither receiver had more than a 7-yard reception in the first half because both were facing underneath coverage with immediate help over the top. Even Coby Fleener was having trouble getting free, with both Wagner and Baylon Specter focused on his position. The halftime adjustment was to shift the receivers closer to the line, forcing the safeties to return to more standard positions. That single adjustment, paired with some quick slant routes and even the occasional shift of Fleener to the outside, allowed Geno Smith to find his receivers both on in-cutting and out-cutting routes before the safety could support the corner. What did that do? Well, on the opening drive of the second half, it allowed Justin Jefferson to catch an inside hook route, spin past Huff and race for 22 yards into Oakland territory. Five plays later, a slant route created a rub that left Fleener uncovered on an out route. The big tight end brought in a perfect ball from Smith and rumbled 31 yards to the endzone for New Orleans’s first touchdown. That drive did two things, it got the crowd back into the game, and they would stay there, vocal when Oakland had the ball, cheering when New Orleans made a play, and high energy during breaks. The second was that it forced Oakland to play more soft zones, which, in turn, allowed DeMarco Murray a bit more space, especially as a receiver out of the backfield. Murray would catch 4 passes in the 2nd half, averaging over 20 yards per catch and forcing Oakland’s linebackers into uncomfortable responsibilities. One strategic shift led to a countermove, but one which ended up benefiting New Orleans even more. The Breakers would cash in later in the 3rd, when the soft zone forced Jaylan Watkins to try to keep pace with Justin Jefferson. That was a lost cause from the start and when Smith hit Jefferson with a deep pass along the sideline, the race was on and it was handily in Jefferson’s favor, to the tune of a 56-yard game-tying score. For their part, Oakland’s offense continued to rely on play action passing and their run game. They would produce good yardage, with Love finishing the game with 107 yards on 19 carries, but a missed field goal attempt in the 3rd would be their only scoring attempt of the half. Meanwhile, feeling the shift, New Orleans knew that the W they needed to potentially reach the postseason was in range, they took their first lead since early in the first quarter when Randy Bullock connected on a 43-yard field goal. Up 23-20, they needed a play to put the nail in the Oakland coffin and set themselves up. They got that play with 5:45 left to play, when once again Geno Smith recognized that the Oakland zone would leave them exposed to a double move by Jefferson. Smith adjusted the call, following the advice of Coach Leftwich if he saw 2-deep zone. Fleener would occupy the safety, Jefferson needed to make the corner step inside, and then the sideline would be free. The play worked to perfection and Jefferson brought in the ball at the 3, took a single step before diving to the ground inside the endzone. Up 30-20, the Breakers felt in control, the Invaders, who had nothing to gain by pushing to win their finale, went through the motions, but lacked the emotional drive needed to challenge in the final minutes, and when the final whistle blew, the Breakers were 9-7 and in position to finish off a 4-game streak that changed their season’s entire feel. They would need to wait until Sunday afternoon to learn if their late season surge would pay off. The team gathered at Breaker facilities in Metairie the next day to Memphis take on San Antonio, hooting and hollering every time the homestanding Gunslingers made a play. They would get the result they needed, a 28-17 Gunslinger victory, a win that not only gave San Antonio their coveted bye week as the Eastern Conference’s 2-seed, but which launched the Breakers into the 6-seed. They had done it, gone from 5-7 to 9-7 and in the process found themselves as a team. Now they would face another gritty team in New Jersey, happy to make the trip up north to face the Generals in the Wild Card playoffs. ST. LOUIS 7 PITTSBURGH 12 Lamar Jackson played only the 1st half, and St. Louis did not show much as they cycled in backups throughout the game, giving the Maulers the chance to earn a rare 2022 win. Pittsburgh got the W without scoring a TD as Brandon Aubrey’s 4 field goals proved to be enough in a game that had only 19,242 spectators on hand. POTG: Mauler WR Adam Thielen: 6 Rec, 101 Yds HOUSTON 29 WASHINGTON 24 The Gamblers avoided a 10-loss season, with Kellen Clemons throwing for 232 and the defense sacking Jacoby Brissett 5 times in another sparsely attended game, with only 20,014 in attendance at Audie Field. Brissett did throw TDs to all 3 of his starting receivers (Hill, Allen, Landry) but a Clemons to Keke Coutee TD in the 4th helped Houston come back for the W to finish 7-9 POTG: Houston HB Clyde Edwards-Helaire: 17 Att, 52 Yds, 1 TD, 4 Rec, 56 Yds ORLANDO 20 JACKSONVILLE 27 Another game with plenty of backups and young players involved as Russell Wilson played only the first half. Jameis Winston came in for Orlando, throwing for 2 scores, but it was the combination of Ben Dinucci and Cardale Jones for Jacksonville, each throwing for a score, who got the W for the Bulls as a surprising 30,000 showed up for the in-state rivalry game. POTG: Orlando DE Montez Sweat: 6 Tck, 2 Sck, 1 FF SAN DIEGO 33 PORTLAND 27 OVERTIME Only 20,442 showed up to watch the Stags fall in overtime as Mason Rudolph connected with Ronald Johnson in the extra period to help San Diego finish a respectable 8-8 for the year. Doug Martin, in what is expected to be his final game rushed for 95 yards and a TD, while Chris Givens and Ronald Johnson combined for 296 yards receiving for the Thunder. POTG: San Diego QB Mason Rudolph: 27/41, 423 Yds, 2 TD, 0 Int ATLANTA 27 TAMPA BAY 24 The Bandits rested most of their starters in this one, giving Atlanta a chance to earn a 4th win on the year. A. J. Green caught 4 for 146 and the combination of Chubb and Burkhead rushed for 107 yards against the Bandit backups. Dak Prescott played a pair of series, long enough to connect with Deebo Samuel for a score and to lock up his status as the league’s highest rated passer. POTG: Atlanta CB Darius Slay: 6 Tck, 1 Int, 1 Def TD, 1 FF, 1 FR BIRMINGHAM 13 SEATTLE 24 The Stallions lose their 4th in a row, backing into the playoffs at 9-7, while Seattle surges to 12-4 thanks to 91 yards and a TD from Knowshon Moreno. Cam Newton does not look like he is anywhere near his pre-injury status, throwing 2 picks, sacked 5 times, and rushing 5 times for -4 yards. Seattle, on the other hand, looks very ready to host a Wild Card playoff game as they cruise to the win in front of a rowdy 51,303 at Lumen Field. POTG: Seattle FS Quandre Diggs: 3 Tck, 3 PDef, 2 Int LOS ANGELES 36 OHIO 5 The Express dominated as they finished 11-5 with a mix of outstanding defense and opportunistic offense. E. J. Manuel played most of the game at QB for the Glory, looking very rusty as he went 6 of 26, was sacked 6 times and picked off once. No rust on the Express as Andy Dalton throws for 2 scores and Paul Perkins adds 2 on the ground as LA prepares to host a Wild Card game at Farmers Insurance Field this week. POTG: Express HB Paul Perkins: 23 Att, 74 Yds, 2 TD, 2 Rec, 52 Yds PHILADELPHIA 6 NEW JERSEY 10 A lackluster Turnpike Tussle as the Generals rest many of their starters, with Teddy Bridgewater getting only 7 attempts before hitting the showers. Ryan Lindley got the start for the Stars and neither offense did much in this snoozer. New Jersey got the win on a Connor Shaw TD to Pharaoh Cooper as New Jersey rested most of their stars ahead of their Wild Card game this week. POTG: Philadelphia DE Danielle Hunter: 5 Tck, 2 Sck NEW ENGLAND 10 BALTIMORE 23 The Steamrollers needed a win and some help to snag a playoff spot. They got neither as it seemed Baltimore, not New England, was primed to capture a Wild Card spot. Nate Sudfeld took advantage of his first start all season to throw for 2 scores while Josh Jacobs slashed the Steamroller D for 119 yards and a TD. The Steamrollers drop to 8-8, matching the Blitz’s record and failing to live up to their early season success, dropping their final 2 games to fall out of playoff contention. POTG: Blitz HB Josh Jacobs: 29 Att, 119 Yds, 1 TD MEMPHIS 17 SAN ANTONIO 28 The Gunslingers prove they are the better of the two 2020 expansion clubs, clinching not only their first playoff season but the Southern Division title in their 3rd season. San Antonio’s solid win over Memphis gives them the 2-seed and a well-earned bye week. Joe Flacco threw for 315 yards and 3 TDs, Raheem Mostert added 78 yards and a TD on the ground, and rookie Garrett Wilson made one more push for ROTY with 129 yards on 9 receptions as San Antonio removed Memphis from the Wild Card race with an 11-point victory. POTG: Gunslinger QB Joe Flacco: 27/33, 315 Yds, 3 TD, 0 Int DALLAS 19 DENVER 17 In a battle of backups, veteran Josh Freeman edges Mitch Trubisky as Dallas gets a 4th quarter field goal to knock off Denver and finish at 8-8 for the year. Trubisky outgained Freeman 284-145, but threw 2 picks, including a pick-six throw to Roughneck FS Jamal Adams, helping Dallas reach .500. Despite the bad game, Denver’s Golden Tate still shone, with 152 yards receiving in what most believe will be his final USFL game. POTG: Denver WR Golden Tate: 5 Rec, 152 Yds, 1 TD OKLAHOMA 17 LAS VEGAS 31 The Vipers also finish 8-8, thanks to 188 yards rushing from the combo of Matt Jones (99 yards, 1 TD) and Kareem Hunt (89 yards, 1 TD). Matt McGloin returned under center and threw for a Td, while the defense picked off Jalen Hurts 3 times and held the uninspired Oklahoma offense to only 41 yards rushing. POTG: Viper HB Matt Jones: 21 Att, 99 Yds, 1 TD CHARLOTTE 14 CHICAGO 10 In a troubling sign, Chicago played their starters for most of the game but could not defeat the Monarchs, producing a 3rd straight loss to end the season. The home loss cost them the 1-seed. They will still have a bye in the Wild Card round but could find themselves traveling to Phoenix if they reach the Conference Title Game. Charlotte improved from 3-13 in 2021 to 7-9 this year with the Week 17 win, with midseason acquisition Phillip Lindsay completing the year with 84 yards to reach 1,000-yards for the first time in his career. POTG: Charlotte SS Vonn Bell: 3 Tck, 1 PDef, 1 Int,1 Def TD MICHIGAN 24 ARIZONA 31 The Panthers played with pride in the finale, but Arizona, seeing a chance to lock up the 1-seed and home field advantage, roared back from a 24-3 deficit in the 2nd half to take the win on a Nassib to Maxx Williams TD in the 4th quarter. Nassib threw 3 second half touchdowns, finishing with 330 yards after a lackluster first half. Brandon Aiyuk (121) and Tyler Lockett (105) both went over 100-yards on the day, and Aikuk, Williams and Robert Tonyan all scored to help Arizona get the W and earn home field. POTG: Arizona QB Ryan Nassib: 24/39, 330 Yds, 3 TD, 1 Int Are Birmingham, Chicago, and St. Louis At Risk After Backing into Playoffs? It is one thing to clinch the playoffs and then take your foot off the gas. That is somewhat risky but also understandable as teams need rest and late season injuries can cause playoff heartbreaks. But we are not believing that is what is happening in Birmingham, Chicago, or St. Louis. All three teams had stakes on the table. Birmingham had a shot at a division title and a possible by when Cam Newton was hurt in Week 14. That they lost that game in New England and the follow up to Houston without Newton was not a surprise, but with Newton returning for Weeks 16 and 17, the division was still an option. But Newton returned but was clearly not at full strength. In season-ending losses to San Diego and Seattle, the Stallion QB was inefficient, ineffective, and more immobile than anyone expected. The result? Birmingham nearly saw themselves bounced out of playoff position altogether. Only losses by the Steamrollers and Showboats in the final month allowed them to back into the playoffs at 9-7. Similarly, St. Louis headed into Week 16 with a real shot at the Central Division title and even potentially a 1-seed. They had just defeated Chicago in a huge home victory that had the entire Gateway City excited about the possibilities. But St. Louis left it all on the field against Chicago, and in a Week 16 matchup against Orlando, they had to fight into extra time, eventually losing to the Renegades, 30-27 in overtime. Those two games, one a huge victory, the other a crushing and exhausting defeat, left St. Louis vulnerable this week. Pittsburgh took advantage of that vulnerability, and the fact that the hopes for the division had already been lost. St. Louis came out flat, lacking energy, and generally unsettled. The result? A surprising Mauler victory over the Skyhawks, one that cost St. Louis the 4-seed and now has them traveling to LA for the Wild Card round. Finally, the Chicago Machine, losers against St. Louis, but still atop the Central. Despite a very solid 12-4 record, Chicago is not looking ready for prime time. They followed up the defeat in St. Louis with a loss against a Tampa Bay team that rested their three biggest offensive weapons, falling 31-16 to a Bandits team led by rookie Matt Carol and without Dez Bryant or Dalvin Cook on the field. That loss stung. It hurt Chicago’s swagger, their sense of belonging as a frontrunner for the Summer Bowl, and it clearly impacted the decisions made on how to approach the season finale against Charlotte. Chicago, like the Skyhawks, came into the finale flat and lacking purpose. They sleepwalked through the game, eventually falling for a 3rd straight week as Monarchs players celebrated a 14-10 victory in Chicago. Can any of these three teams turn it around and make a push in the postseason? Certainly they all have the talent needed to make it happen, but momentum, confidence, and drive are not exactly feelings that can be turned on with the flip of a switch. Birmingham will need to find its early season form quickly as they head to Orlando, because the Renegades are very much feeling like they are on the right course and are peaking just when the need to. St. Louis now heads into LA, where the Express went 7-1 this year. They will face one of the league’s elite defenses and if their heads are not right, they could easily be one and done. As for Chicago, they get the bye as the 2-seed out west, but that means that in the 2nd round they will face a team already in full playoff mode. Could they be a potential upset victim? Or will they rediscover the focus that won them 12 of 14 over the seasons first 3 months? How each of these teams got to the playoffs now matters less than how they will show up, but fans of each club have to be worried that once momentum moves away from a team, it can be hard to recapture. USFL Never More Pass Happy Than 2022 The USFL has always been considered a pass-happy league. Its rules, its coaches, its focus on the QB position have made the spring league one known for the vertical passing game, the play action pass, and the deep ball. That has never been more true than in 2022, when the passing game took off once again and the steady gains of a run game were never less evident. It does not take much time to see just how enamored the USFL and its coaches are with the quick strike, the chunk plays, and the dramatic deep ball. Just take a look at the stats from across the league and you can clearly see how the USFL has embraced the passing game in 2022. The league had 26 quarterbacks out of 30 teams who finished the season with 300 or more pass attempts, including a whopping 14 who attempted more than 500 passes this season. There were 6 different quarterbacks who threw for over 4,000 yards, led by Geno Smith’s 4,620, and another 17 who crossed the 3,000 yard mark. While there were only 2 backs who hit 1,200 yards, with none topping 1,300 on the season, there was a grand total of 14 wideouts who topped 1,200 yards, including 5 who went over 1,400 yards. In total there were 28 different receivers who had over 1,000 yards. In total, 4 teams had two 1,000-yard receivers: Arizona (Robinson/Aiyuk), Denver (Tate/Mooney), New Orleans (Nelson/Jefferson), and San Antonio (Wilson/LaFell). If you add in teams with a 1,000-yarder and a 900-yarder, that number surges to 10 teams. 2022 also saw 4 players with more than 100 receptions, led by Portland’s Brandin Cooks with 116. That should be no surprise since 46 different receivers had more than 100 targets, again led by Cooks with 195 on the year. 12 receivers (with 30 or more receptions) averaged over 20 yards per reception, with Tyler Lockett of Arizona leading the league with an average of 25.2 yards per carry, followed closely by Dez Bryant’s 23.7 average and Christian Kirk of Arizona, who averaged 23.3 yards per catch. That is a lot of passing, a lot of big plays, and a lot of what has made the USFL so popular over the past 40 spring seasons. Your USFL Award Favorites as Regular Season Concludes The season is over, the stats are finalized, and we think we have a good sense of how the voters might break for this year’s USFL Awards. Here is our pick and the top contender for each of the league’s 5 major awards. MVP: Geno Smith, QB-NOR Not only did Smith nearly pull off the trifecta, finishing strong to end the year as the USFL leader in passing yards, passing touchdowns, and 4th in QB rating, but his late surge helped the Breakers rocket into a playoff spot. However, if the Breakers stumble in the Wild Card, we could easily see the voters, who are not supposed to look at the postseason, but who often do, lean towards Dak Prescott instead. OPOTY: Henry Ruggs, WR-BIR Yes, the Stallions (and Cam Newton) struggled down the stretch, but Ruggs’s numbers are just too good to overlook. He led the league with 1,592 yards and 15 touchdowns, and the voters love to reward up and comers who break out. With Knowshon Moreno winning the rushing title with a very low total of 1,283 yards, we think a receiver has to get the OPOTY this year, and that receiver should be Ruggs. DPOTY: Brian Burns, DE-TBY An absolute shocker as Burns had that one enormous 7-sack game, setting a new league record, but did more than enough to reach 30 sacks on the year (31 actually), becoming only the 2nd player to reach the 30 threshold after Calais Campbell. He edges out Montez Sweat (30 sacks) for the sack title and for DPOTY. ROTY: Garrett Wilson, WR-SAN An absolute revelation for the Gunslingers and a big reason why they are sitting pretty with the 2 seed and a bye this week. Wilson’s 1,384 yards, 102 receptions, and 8 TDs make him the run away winner of the ROTY this year. COTY: Chuck Long, SAN Kudos to Coach Long, who took San Antonio from expansion to division champion in only 3 seasons. Sure, he had some help thanks to the deal made when Oklahoma relocated the Texas Outlaws, so getting players like QB Joe Flacco helped, but even so, the job Long has done building up the Gunslingers is worthy of our recognition and respect. Draft Order: Picks 1-18 Set With the conclusion of the regular season, we have our initial 18 spots in the USFL Draft set, though more than a few tiebreakers had to be used to decide the order, particularly in that large cluster of 8-8 squads near the middle of the draft. Here is the order for the first USFL draft to not include separate Territorial selections in nearly 2 decades. 18-Dallas (8-8) The Roughnecks will almost certainly be looking for help for their 30th ranked run D. 17-Baltimore (8-8) Will Baltimore look for a QB to challenge Jake Locker or a TE to help bail him out? 16-Memphis (8-8) Blake Bortles is not the answer. Is a rookie QB? And will that require moving up? 15-Las Vegas (8-8) The league’s leading run game (122.5 YPG) may well mean a WR is the target. 14-New England (8-8) Tannehill faded down the stretch, so a QB pick could be on the way. 13-San Diego (8-8) San Diego needs to add muscle in the O-line to protect Rudolph & open lanes for Sims. 12-Charlotte (7-9) Protecting Paxton Lynch seems a priority and RT is the position of most need. 11-Houston (7-9) Is Houston going to look for a QB? Or can Colt come back strong in 2023? 10-Oklahoma (6-9-1) Jalen Hurts was a 1-man show. Oklahoma needs more playmakers on the O. 9-Ohio (6-10) The Ohio O-line was a shambles this year, so expect both OT and OG to be targets. 8-Washington (5-10-1) The Feds need to find a way to pressure opposing QBs. Could be an OLB or DE. 7-Pittsburgh (5-11) The 30th ranked run game demands an answer and that could be Texas HB Bijan Robinson. 6-Philadelphia 5-11) Rumors have Philly heavily scouting both Bryce Young and C. J. Stroud. 5-Jacksonville (5-11) The defense was putrid, so as many defensive playmakers as they can find, they need to sign a lot of talent on that side of the ball. 4-Denver (5-11) If Golden Tate retires, we think Denver looks hard at the WR position in the draft. 3-Atlanta (4-12) The secondary is in need of both ball hawks and big hitters. 2-Portland (3-13) If the rumors of Mariota’s departure are true, then QB is the move for the Stags. 1-Michigan (3-13) They got Hutchinson in 2022, do they now add Wolverine teammate Mazi Smith? They could drop down a few spots, dealing with a QB-hungry team and still get Smith plus some picks. Seems a good idea to us. The final two playoff spots were secured in two very different ways. Birmingham backed into the 5-seed in the East, thanks largely to losses by the Steamrollers and Showboats. Despite losing their last 3 games, the Stallions get in at 9-7. New Orleans, once 5-7, did the opposite, getting hot late, winning their last 4 games and earning the 6-seed in the East, assuring that the Southern Division would have 3 teams in the mix. Meanwhile, seeding out West flipped as Chicago lost their 3rd in a row, creating room for Arizona to jump up and capture the 1-seed, which is exactly what they did. So, after 17 weeks, we will have Arizona and Chicago, Tampa Bay and San Antonio taking a well-earned breather, while the remaining 8 teams battle it out in the Wild Card round. In this week’s games it will be New Jersey hosting New Orleans, Orlando hosting Birmingham, St. Louis visiting LA, and the Oakland Invaders headed to Seattle to face the Dragons. Due to concerns about the heat in Orlando, the USFL opted to flip the Eastern and Western Wild Card games on Sunday, with Seattle getting a rare 1pm start (Pacific, 4pm Eastern) while Orlando will host their game at 8pm ET. As we look ahead to the Wild Card round, there is a mix of health concerns across the 8 contenders, with New Jersey looking like the healthiest team in the field, while both Birmingham and Orlando could be shorthanded in their matchups. Keep an eye as well on New Orleans wideout Jordy Nelson, if he cannot go, which seems to be the case, that could negatively impact the Breakers’ ability to exploit New Jersey’s secondary. St. Louis has to be looking at the absence of Stephon Gilmore in LA as an opportunity as well, one talented receiver Deionte Jackson could take advantage of. Finally, Seattle will likely be without WR Devin Funchess, so look for Amari Cooper to be the primary target for QB Brett Hundley as the Dragons host the Oakland Invaders for a 3rd matchup of these division foes. NOR: FB Curtis Nelson (OUT), WR Jordy Nelson (D), OG Michael Dunn (Q) NJ: OT George Fant (P) STL: SS Terrell Edmunds (D), LB Christian Sam (P), TE Kyle Pitts (P) LA: CB Stephon Gilmore (D), LB Aaron Wallace (P) BIR: LB Raekwon McMilian (OUT), OT Greg Robinson (OUT), WR John Metchie (D) ORL: WR Brashad Perriman (OUT), C Ethan Pocic (OUT), FS D. J. Swearinger (Q) OAK: OG Joshua Garnett (OUT), LB Shaq Barrett (OUT) SEA: WR Devin Funchess (D) Black Monday Claims Two Of all the traditions of pro football in both the fall and the spring, none is more dreaded than Black Monday, the annual culling of coaches who just did not meet expectations. Leading up to the dreaded day, the first day after the conclusion of the regular season, owners meet with team presidents, pros and cons are discussed, contracts are reviewed, and decisions are made. Has change come quickly enough? Does the team support their coach? Have we seen improvement? Has the team stagnated? Or, even worse, is the team headed the wrong way? You never know if any given Black Monday will be a major purge or a minor ripple across the league. Well, this year, with only two coaches let go, it is a surprisingly low-impact event. Of course, don’t tell that to the two coaches who were let go, Jim Caldwell from Baltimore and Kliff Kingsbury from the Dallas Roughnecks. Both clubs finished 8-8 this year, which actually places them in the upper half of the league, but the record alone does not tell the full story. Take Caldwell in Baltimore, for example. In Jim Caldwell you have a coach whose first season in the Charm City set a very high bar. Working largely with a roster built by his predecessor, Tom Coughlin, Caldwell did more than Coughlin ever managed, leading the Blitz to a 12-4 record and their first league title. The next year he returned with a 13-3 club but fell in their opening playoff game, upset by the Pittsburgh Maulers. Since those two heady years, the Blitz have been a solid team but not one which has found postseason success. Four playoff appearances between 2016-2020, all with 9-7 teams, led to 4 one-and-done departures. Las season the Blitz were again 9-7, but failed to qualify for the postseason. The pressure was on Caldwell to show he could get Baltimore over the hump, and early this year things looked good. The Blitz were 5-3 at the midway point of the year, but a 3-5 finish, including a 4-game losing streak between weeks 13-16, disqualified the Blitz from the post-season. That was not what was expected, the challenge of upping Baltimore’s win total and getting them past their first playoff game was not met, and so the Blitz have moved on. In Dallas, expectations for improvement were also the challenge set for head coach Kliff Kingsbury. Kingsbury came to the Bid D after back to back 6-10 seasons forced out Mike Sherman. The team struggled in Kingsbury’s first year, finishing 3-13, but saw improvement in 2019, doubling their win total to finish 6-10. Then, in the 2019-2020 offseason, the Roughnecks made a move that they hoped would help Kingsbury get the team out of the Southwestern Division basement and into regular playoff contention. The Roughnecks swung a deal with Portland to draft QB Justin Herbert. Dallas signed the former Oregon Duck, and saw immediate results, finishing 10-6 and making their first playoff appearance since moving from Boston. But the success proved short-lived. The club dropped back to 8-8 in 2021, and the pressure was on for Kingsbury to show that he could build around Herbert and get Dallas back to postseason football. A second 8-8 season this year was not what was expected and proved to be enough for Roughneck leadership to let Kingsbury go. Two coaches, two teams at 8-8 but not meeting expectations, and that is all it took. But what about the coaches whose teams sunk well below .500. How are they still standing? Well, to start, you have to assume that first year coaches will get at least 2 seasons to show improvement, which explains why Jacksonville’s Mike Vrabel, Portland’s Jim Harbaugh, and even Houston’s Ted Cotrell were not on the hot seat. You also have teams who had success in 2021, and for whom a collapse in 2022 could well be an anomaly, wth the team still believing that their head coach can get the job done. This is likely very much the case with Dan Quinn (PHI), Jay Gruden (OHI), Sean McDermott (MGN), and John Hufnagel (DEN). So, after only a few days of offseason we know of 3 coaching vacancies, the spot in Oklahoma vacated by Bob Stoops, and the newly-opened positions in Baltimore and Dallas. Now the hunt for a replacement begins in earnest. Las Vegas Loves the Bandits to Threepeat The die was cast last week, when the Tampa Bay Bandits handily defeated the Chicago Machine without even putting Prescott, Bryant, and Cook on the field. That set the stage for what we see this week, as the books in Las Vegas set up Tampa Bay as a prohibitive favorite to complete their season with a threepeat, a feat unseen in either the 40 seasons of the USFL or in the 100+ years of the NFL. According to the three biggest legal books in Vegas, Caesar’s, Westgate, and Circa, the Bandits sit at 5-2 to once again raise the John Bassett Trophy. Compare that very low line with even the 2nd place Arizona Wranglers, coming in at 10-1, and you see just how much the money is slanting towards the Bandits to win it all once again. The influence of the Bandits’ dynasty is so strong that when we look at the odds, it is not until 5th place in the odds that we find another Eastern Division team. With Tampa Bay at 5-2, Arizona at 10-1, Seattle now at 12-1, Chicago at 15-1 and St. Louis at 18-1, we don’t hit the next team, San Antonio, until we look at 25-1. They are then followed by both LA and Orlando, both at 28-1. The Tampa Bay effect even creeps to the bottom of the rankings, with Oakland (30-1) getting better odds than either Birmingham or New Orleans (both 35-1). In other words, tell us you think the Bandits are head and shoulders above every other team without telling us that they are. We get the picture. The 10 Greatest Teams in USFL History We have run through the 40 Greatest Players in USFL history, from punter John Carlton all the way to the GOAT, DE Calais Campbell. We ranked the 10 Greatest Head Coaches in USFL history, a group topped by the coach of the 2022 Western Conference One Seed Wranglers, Jim Tomsula, but what about the greatest teams? We all think you will already know who we are putting at the top of our list, but that is no reason not to count them down. So, here, with several caveats, is our Top 10 Greatest Teams of all time. Bur first, the caveats. We are ranking teams by a single season, so while there certainly have been dominant teams, dynasties with multiple titles in the same decade, we are not ranking teams based on multiple years, since every team has different rosters and different trajectories each year. This is single season only, and that will mean, in many cases, that teams with multiple titles close to each other will be competing with themselves as well as with others for their rankings. Before we hit our Top 10, here is a quick list of some of the teams that did not make the final cut, some very good teams that just were not dominant enough to make our Top 10: The 2016 and 2019 Arizona Wranglers: A combined 32-6 between them, but not the best of the Wrangler dynasty of the 2010’s. The 1988, 1992, 2010, and 2018 Houston Gamblers. Each had 4 or more losses, so while the Gamblers franchise leads the league in titles, only the best of those many very good Gambler squads makes our list. The 2021 Tampa Bay Bandits. A 17-2 team, which one would think would make the list, and this one could be the team most say is getting an unfair snub, but we went with another recent Bandit team, and that bumped the 2021 squad down just far enough to drop out of the Top 10. Several One-Hit Wonders did not make our list, not because they did not lead to dynasties, but because they were and still are viewed as flukes, as teams that outperformed their talent for one glorious moment, not indicative of a truly great team, but a team that got hot at the right time. In that cluster are the 2012 St. Louis Skyhawks, the 1999 Memphis Showboats, the 2000 Denver Gold and the 2014 Baltimore Blitz. So, who are the teams we deemed worthy of being among the 10 greatest of all time? Wait no longer, here is our list. 10—The 1996 Houston Gamblers (14-4-1) The only 4-loss team to make our list, but in our view the absolute best Houston Gambler squad of all time. These Gamblers won Houston and QB Jim Kelly their third league title. It was Kelly’s finest season in the league, throwing for over 5,400 yards and 47 touchdowns. It was also a team that could win with offense or defense, holding a 161 point margin between points scored and points given up. These Gamblers won the Central Division over a very tough St. Louis Knights squad, and then knocked off Michigan 31-28 and the Knights by a dominant 55-3 to reach Summer Bowl ’96, where they held off the Troy Aikman-led Bandits 38-35 in a thriller of a Summer Bowl. 9—The 1987 Philadelphia Stars (16-3) One of the most dominant and balanced teams in USFL history, the Stars scored 427 points and allowed only 281 in a 13-3 regular season. They would go on to knock off Tampa Bay and Birmingham in the postseason before winning their 2nd title in 3 years by knocking off Jim Kelly and the Gamblers 39-31 in the only Summer Bowl in the USFL’s first 25 years to be decided by a single point. Led by the inimitable Jim Mora Sr., these Stars featured a cavalcade of future Philadelphia Ring of Honor inductees, including QB Chuck Fusina, HB Kelvin Bryant, LB Sam Mills, and kicker David Trout. 8-The 1998 Tampa Bay Bandits (16-3) Perhaps the greatest offensive football club in USFL history, the 1998 Bandits put up 566 points, over 35 per game, on their way to a 13-3 regular season. They won their division by 6 games and they raced through the playoffs, putting up 34 against the Blitz, 48 in the Conference Title Game against Washington, and won Summer Bowl ’98 45-30 over a Jim Johnson defense and the St. Louis Knights. This was the team that saw Troy Aikman set league records with 5,675 yards and 54 touchdowns. This was prime Randy Moss, with Ben Coates gaining 1,453 yards. But with 3 regular season losses and a defense that made more than a few games nail biters, the high-flying ’98 Bandits can rank only 8th on our list. 7-The 2003 Ohio Glory (14-3) The first ever repeat champions, the 2003 edition of the Glory used the same formula as the year before to return to the title game. They played solid defense, controlled the ball, and relied on their Big 3: Kerry Collins, Eddie George, and Joey Galloway. This Glory team stumbled a few times during the regular season, but came on strong at the end of the year, winning the Central before knocking off Jacksonville and Washington on their way to the Summer Bowl. They had a challenge in the 2003 Breakers, but came out on top to cement their place in history as the first USFL team to repeat as champions. 6-The 1984 Michigan Panthers (14-2) It was hard to pick just one Panther squad from the many league champions, but the 14-2 team that won the league’s 2nd title was special. A dominant team on both sides of the ball, this squad, led on offense by Bobby Hebert and on defense by John Corker, was a force to be reckoned with. They had a 1,000-yard rusher in John Williams, two 1,500-yard receivers (Amazing!!) in Dereck Holloway and Anthony Carter, and one of the most intimidating defenses in the decade of the 80’s. Defeating Rollie Dotsch and the Stallions in the 2nd USFL Title Game, these Panthers are still remembered as one of the greats of all time and one of the earliest dynasties in the USFL. 5-The 1983 Tampa Bay Bandits (16-2) We cannot have the ’85 Panthers and not include the league’s first champions, the 1983 Bandits. Another 2-loss team, the ’83 Bandits helped put the USFL on the map, with Bandit Ball exciting fans across the country with their high-flying antics. This team, led by QB John Reaves, dual-threat back Gary Anderson, and the greatest receiver in USFL history, Eric Truvillion, ran roughshod through the league, winning the Central Division over the talented Panther squad before knocking off Philadelphia in the 4-team playoff and defeating Denver in a 37-33 thriller in the first league title game. 4-The 1993 Birmingham Stallions (17-2) Another deadly offensive squad, the 1993 Stallions were all about Brett Favre and the dual threat of Ernest Givens and Lawrence Dawsey. Sure, they had talent on the defense, with Chris Dishman bringing in a league best 8 picks, and Anthony Blaylock racking up 104 tackles, but the lone title winner in Stallion history is remembered for the big offensive plays, the wild gunslinging style of Favre, and their absolute dominance in the Southern Division. They won the division by 5 games, then escaped a shootout against Jacksonville 45-42 and a tough defensive matchup with the Federals, 27-21 before outlasting a talented Houston squad in Summer Bowl ’93, giving Birmingham their first (and so far, only) USFL title. 3-The 2013 Arizona Wranglers (18-1) The Wranglers have won 3 titles since 2013, and are looking really good for a run in 2022 as well, but when we look at all the great Arizona teams of the past decade, this 1-loss team is still the one that produces the most affection. This was not a traditionally dominant team. They scored only 367 points on the season, and while they did win the Southwest Division by 5 games, theirs was a season of close calls and skin-of-their teeth victories. That tenacity was the key to their success as they battled their way through the playoffs, beating Texas 20-15, then dominating the Invaders 20-6 before battling a very tough Philadelphia squad to a 29-26 victory to earn the first title in Arizona history in the club’s 31st season. Led by HB Frank Gore, QB David Carr, and a defense that gave up a league best 200 points this Wrangler squad was the team that started a decade of amazing seasons and title runs that already includes 5 trips to the Summer Bowl and 3 league titles. 2-The 2020 Tampa Bay Bandits (18-1) The only franchise to get 3 seasons on our list, we could not deny the 18-1 Bandits, the team that put Tampa Bay back on top and made Dak Prescott a national superstar. Prescott, along with WR Dez Bryant, led a dominant offense that brought Bandit Ball back into fashion. The Bandits dominated the opposition over 16 weeks, then cruised past Atlanta and Houston to reach Summer Bowl ’13, where they not only defeated, but dismantled a very talented Michigan Panther team, forcing turnovers and putting up big plays on their way to a dominant 33-13 victory. This Bandit squad came as close as any to perfection without making it through the year unblemished. 1—The 2002 Ohio Glory (17-0) Was there ever any doubt? The only unbeaten season in USFL history, a truly stunning achievement by a team that was only 7 years old and which had never won anything in the past. The Glory set the standard for league dominance, and got us all familiar with the idea of a truly deadly set of Triplets as teams simply could not contain the combination of Kerry Collins, Eddie George, and Joey Galloway. All three would have bigger statistical years than 2002, but as a team no squad ever did it better than this club. After their 14-0 regular season gave them the Central Division with 6 games to spare, the Glory almost stumbled in a 30-28 showdown with the Chicago Machine, before upending New Jersey 28-17 and dominating in Summer Bowl ’02 to defeat Memphis 38-14, a 24-point margin of victory that ensure them a perfect season, a place in football lore forever, and the top spot in our list of the greatest USFL teams of all time. Here is your preview of the first round of USFL playoffs, four games that should be highly competitive, with all the intensity and drama that Week 17’s backup-filled slate of games did not produce. 6-New Orleans Breakers (9-7) @ 3-New Jersey Generals (10-6) Saturday, July 9 @ 4pm ET Met Life Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ Generals -4 The Generals may be favored, but they need to be careful here. New Orleans has won 4 in a row, Geno Smith is on fire, and even without Jordy Nelson, the Breakers have the depth and talent in the receiver group to make the Generals’ secondary look bad. For New Orleans, the key is to put pressure on Teddy Bridgewater. When flushed out of the pocket he is far less effective than when he has time to look over the field. Looking at both teams, we tend to like what we see in the Breakers, who just feel like a team that is putting the pieces together at the right time. We go for the road dog here, Breakers 22-17. 5-St. Louis Skyhawks (11-5) @ 4-Los Angeles Express (11-5) Saturday, July 9 @ 8pm ET Farmers Insurance Field, Carson, CA Express -1 This one is tough, with the Vegas books liking the Skyhawks enough to nearly wipe out the usual 3-point home advantage LA should hold. Lamar Jackson will be a challenge for the LA defense. If they put inside pressure on Jackson, he could use his legs to make them pay. If they hold back too much, then he will have time to find his receivers. As for the Express offense, the key is getting Paul Perkins some good runs early. That will slow down A. J. Epenesa and the Skyhawk pass rush. If given time, Andy Dalton can be effective. We think defense has an edge here, especially a defense as good as the Express, so we are going to say it is very close, but that LA finds the right mix of pressure and coverage to slow down Jackson and the Skyhawks. Los Angeles 21-20. 6-Oakland Invaders (9-7) @ 3-Seattle Dragons (12-4) Sunday, July 10 @ 4pm ET Lumen Field, Seattle, WA Dragons -6 Seattle is the biggest favorite of the weekend, and at 12-4 that should be no surprise. After losing to Oakland in the season opener, they defeated the Invaders in the rematch, winning 13-6 in Oakland. Seattle has now won 6 in a row and has looked good doing it. Oakland had won 5 of 6 before resting some starters against New Orleans this week. This has all the potential to be the best game of the week, but with Knowshon Moreno in good form and Amari Cooper able to take the roof off the defense, we just think Seattle will have too much for Oakland. Our pick is Seattle 27-21. 5-Birmingham Stallions (9-7) @ 4-Orlando Renegades (10-6) Sunday, July 10 @ 8pm ET Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL Renegades -5 Unless everything clicks for Cam Newton, who has looked anything like the early season MVP candidate, we don’t think Birmingham can stick with the Renegades. Throw in a very annoyed Montez Sweat, who missed out on the Sack title by 1 sack, and you could have a very long day for the Stallions. The key for Birmingham, other than finding Newton’s mojo again, is Najee Harris. He leads the league with a 5.2 YPC average, so why is he not getting 20 touches a game? Orlando could be susceptible to the run if Coach Haley would just commit to it. But he has not shown any commitment to his tailback all season, so why start now. We think Orlando gets it done at home against a slumping Stallion team. Renegades 24-18.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: The LA Express were worried what the loss of Stephon Gilmore would be in their final regular season games. Apparently that worry was not needed as Jamar Taylor stepped into Gilmore's role perfectly, not only returning an interception for a touchdown but also forcing two fumbles and recovering both for a 1-man, 3-turnover, 7-point day all on his own. That is a very good indicator that LA is ready for the postseason. PLAYOFF PICTURE: Ten of twelve playoff spots are now claimed. This week saw Oakland lock up the last spot in the West, while San Antonio, New Jersey and Orlando all punched their tickets. The Generals locked up the NE Division title, while San Antonio and Birmingham will still battle for the Southern title. In the West, Seattle and LA have one more game to decide the Pacific title. Memphis, Birmingham, New Orleans, and New England are all alive for the final 2 Wild Card spots in the East, with Birmingham still in the running for the Division as they swept the Gunslingers in their two games this season.

We are coming down to the wire, the finish line in sight, and while Week 16 gave us some answers, there are still questions out there and playoff scenarios to be played out in the season’s final week. So, what did we learn this week? We learned the identity of the NE Division Champs, and that Oakland will finish out the Western Conference playoff roster. We learned that Tampa Bay is focused, forceful, and fully capable of making a run for an unprecedented threepeat. We also learned that at least 2 division races and 2 playoff spots will be up for grabs when Week 17 kicks off. Our coverage kicks off with a show of force from the Bandits, as they rested their “Big 3” offensive weapons and still dominated the Chicago Machine in Chicago, a sign that perhaps no one is on Tampa’s level right now. We will break down all 15 games from the weekend, take a look at what is at stake in the season’s final week, and give you a bonus 40th Season list, our ranking of the Top 10 Head Ball Coaches in USFL history, another list that is sure to produce some controversy and plenty of debate. It’s all coming to you right here, so let’s get to it.   Bandits Build Case for the Threepeat If there was any doubt about who should be seen as the favorite to hoist the John Bassett Trophy in D.C. this August, the Tampa Bay Bandits just wiped it out. The Bandits just went into Chicago and handily defeated the Chicago Machine with one hand tied behind their back. It was about as impressive a display of depth, quality, and domination as we have seen from a team in years. Chicago, who went into the game at full strength and with an identical 12-2 record as the Bandits had to come out of it feeling like the season, and their sense of self, was slipping away.   A 31-16 loss is bad regardless of the particular situation in the game, but for each team the final score sent a very different message. For Tampa Bay, who had decided to rest some starters now, rather than in Week 17, the clear message was that they were a very good, very deep team who could challenge even the best competition and come out on top even when they were not at full strength. For Chicago, coming off a loss in St. Louis, and now giving up back-to-back 30+ point games, when in their prior 13 games they had never given up more than 27 (Oakland), and only on that one occasion given up more than 20, well, the message could well be that they peaked too soon and now could face some real struggles.   Chicago’s confidence has to be shot after back-to-back losses, while Tampa Bay has to feel like the threepeat is now a probability if not an inevitability. The Bandits, hoping to stagger how they rested players, opted to go without their star QB, HB, and WR in this game, with the expectation that they would play in Week 17 to avoid rust, before their Wild Card round bye. So, without Dak Prescott, Dalvin Cook, and Dez Bryant, they went into Chicago expecting to show the Machine little, safe in their already assured 1-seed in the East. What they showed the Machine was actually quite different, a winning strategy that is sure to send shivers across the league as playoff teams from coast to coast are forced to recognize how good this team is.   Even without their three biggest offensive stars, Tampa Bay took a 24-7 halftime lead and never let Chicago get within 10. Matt Coral threw only 15 passes, but completed 12 and connected with Ryan Grant on a 24-yard strike. Halfbacks Matt Breida and Bobby Rainey combined for 138 yards, with Rainey scoring only his 3rd TD of the season in the game. The defense, which was at full strength, held the Machine run game to a paltry 40 total yards and picked off Sam Bradford twice, including a Jalen Ramsey pick-six in the 2nd half, putting the icing on the cake for the Bandits.   It was about as dominant performance as we have seen this year, including Arizona’s 42-0 trouncing of Oklahoma. And that it was done to the presumptive 1-seed in the West tells us that this Bandit team is poised to defend their title for the 2nd year in a row, and deep enough to withstand even a major injury in the playoffs. Coach Trestman has this team believing they are the best team in the league, but not taking their opponents for granted. Tampa Bay will finish their season with a home game against 3-win Atlanta, a game when we should expect several other key players to get a week of rest, including defenders like corners Asante Samuel and Jalen Ramsey, SS Derwin James, and LB DeMeco Ryans. We expect to see DE Brian Burns in action as he is chasing the sack title for the season and has only a 1-sack advantage over Orlando’s Montez Sweat. Jackson For Chicago, they have the Central Division title wrapped up thanks to tiebreakers, but a loss could cost them home field advantage and the 1-seed as the Arizona Wranglers are in position to snap both up if they can get a win and the Machine slip in Week 17’s home finale against Charlotte. A 3-game losing streak going into the playoffs is certainly not what the Machine want, as their confidence cannot be high after getting knocked off by the Skyhawks and then knocked down by the Bandits.   ST. LOUIS SKYHAWKS 27  ORLANDO RENEGADES 30  OVERTIME While the Tampa Bay-Chicago clash was the biggest draw of the weekend, bringing in the highest TV ratings in the history of the ESPN/EFN Saturday Night Football broadcast, it proved not to be the tightest or even the most energetic game of the weekend. That honor goes to an inter-conference matchup between two very good playoff teams both trying to peak at the right time and make a run deep into the postseason.   The St. Louis Skyhawks, fresh off a huge home win over Chicago, headed to Orlando to take on a Renegades squad that has won 5 in a row and 6 of their last 7, rising up the standings and securing a Wild Card. Both teams have had breakout seasons from some key figures, like QB Lamar Jackson and WR Deionte Johnson for the Skyhawks and HB Chris Carson and CB Michael Jackson for the Renegades, and both have proven more than capable of taking on the favorites in their conferences. In this game they would take on each other and produce a high-energy showdown of East v. West.   We got the usual slow start for an interconference game, with both teams very much unfamiliar with each other despite all the film study. The only points of the opening period came on a Mason Crosby field goal, the result of a poor punt from St. Louis and a short field for the Renegades. St. Louis would open the 2nd quarter by getting those points back, with Skyhawk kicker Zane Gonzalez connecting from 47. Not to be outdone, Orlando responded with a drive of their own and Renegade kicker Mason Crosby knocked the ball home from 50 to again give the homestanding Renegades a 3-point advantage.   Both St. Louis and Orlando focused on a balanced attack in the first half, with Chris Carson getting 11 carries for 51 yards while James Conner had 6 carries for 23 and QB Lamar Jackson rushed the ball 4 times for 17 yards. The first TD of the game would come from the Renegades as they got the ball back from the Skyhawks with 2:23 to play in the half. They used only 4 plays, fueled by the first big-gainer of the game, a 43-yard connection between Russell Wilson and former Portland Stag Josh Gordon. That put the ball deep in St. Louis territory, and another NFL import, Tarik Cohen, took it from there, sliding through a gap in the line, juking the linebacker and racing 17 yards for the score. The Skyhawks would get their 2nd field goal just as the half ended, but that Cohen score gave Orlando the 13-6 advantage at the half.   It was an advantage that would grow in the 3rd quarter as Tarik Cohen again found the endzone, this time leaping over the pile from the 1 to give Orlando a seemingly insurmountable 20-3 lead with 2:17 left in the 3rd. St. Louis, however, did not feel that the lead was too much to handle. They put together a quick scoring drive of their own, with Lamar Jackson connecting with David Nelson for 30 yards, then Jakobi Meyers for 26 more before James Conner had his own goalline leap for 6. Down 7, St. Louis decided to go big, surprising Orlando with an onside kick from the standard deep kick formation. The trick play worked, with WR Hakeem Butler recovering the pooch kick and giving the Skyhawks the ball only 50 yards away from a game-tying touchdown.   Butler would once again show up big 6 plays later, taking in the pass from Lamar Jackson for that game-tying score. Jackson had escaped a possible sack from Montez Sweat, rolled, pivoted, changed directions and found Butler in the endzone for the score. What had been a 20-6 advantage was now a 20-20 deadlock with 9:28 left to play.   The Renegades regrouped, slowed down the action, trusted in their run game, and that trust paid off with Chris Carson busting runs of 8, 10, and 17 on the next possession. But with the ball again deep in St. Louis territory, Carson came out and Tarik Cohen came in. The elusive back caught a short flat pass from Wilson and scampered to the endzone, diving over the pylon just as he was knocked out of bounds. The refs called it a score, the replay confirmed the call, and Orlando was back on top with 4:54 left on the clock.   You know that nearly 5 minutes is just too much time to feel good about a 7-point lead. St. Louis knew it too and they moved the ball effectively, racking up 3 first downs and then catching Orlando overplaying James Conner's run to the left. The Renegades nailed Conner behind the line, but the problem was that he did not have the ball, QB Lamar Jackson had it, and with a nice juke move on CB Kevin Johnson he had the sideline. Twenty-seven yards down the field and into the endzone to once again even up the score. St. Louis had come back again.   But, just as we knew that 5 minutes left too much time for St. Louis, Orlando getting the ball back with nearly 2 full minutes and 2 timeouts also felt like too much time. It could have been as well, but Russell Wilson, who is still criticized quite often for forcing the ball, did just that as he crossed midfield. A pass intended for Nelson Agholor found CB Damian Swann instead, giving St. Louis the ball at their own 33 with just under 50 seconds to play.   When Lamar Jackson’s first two passes fell to the ground, the Skyhawks opted to kill some clock, running the ball on 3rd down and punting to Orlando with 17 seconds on the clock. Orlando took a knee and we headed to overtime. Orlando won the toss, much to the delight of the more than 48,000 on hand for this game. But, when the Skyhawks shut down the Renegades on their own 44, there was no choice but to punt. St. Louis watched as the kick bounced and then rolled to the endzone.   St. Louis started on their own 25, moved the ball to the 48, but they too struggled to convert on a key third down and were also forced to punt. With both teams having possessed the ball, we were now in a sudden death situation, and Orlando knew that a field goal would be enough for them to earn the win. They were cautious, almost too cautious, but when A. J. Epenesa jumped at the snap count, the free play allowed Wilson to improvise, rolling to his right, pumping to get the linebacker up in the air, and then throwing the ball sidearm to Hunter Renfrew for a 14-yard gain and a first down inside Mason Crosby’s range. Orlando would run the ball on the next 3 plays, gaining another 9 yards, but on 4th and 1, they opted to let their kicker send the game to bed.   Mason Crosby knocked the ball through and the Renegades improved to 10-5, placing themselves solidly in 4th place in the East, which would mean a home playoff game in the Wild Card round, the best Orlando could hope for as they were still 3 games behind Tampa in their division. St. Louis dropped to 11-4, which gave the division to the Chicago Machine, but also meant that St. Louis would need only a Week 17 win to lock up their own 4-seed ranking and their own home game in the Wild Card round.   SCORES SEATTLE 28  HOUSTON 21 The Gamblers held their own against the Dragons, tying the game early in the 4th before Knowshon Moreno gave Seattle the win on a 7-yard TD run in the final minutes of action. Moreno led Seattle with 100 yards on 30 carries, while Brett Hundley found Devin Funchess, Jack Doyle, and Greg Jones for scores in a tough inter-conference road win. POTG: Dragon QB Brett Hundley: 27/36, 271 Yds, 3 TD, 0 Int   WASHINGTON 14  PHILADELPHIA 17 A good game between two clubs playing for pride. Derrick Henry was held to only 52 rushing yards, but scored both touchdowns for the Stars, who held off a late Washington drive to preserve the win. Philadelphia played most of the game with Jeff Tuel at QB after Jacoby Brissett was out early after catching a finger to the eye. POTG: Stars DE Danielle Hunter: 6 Tck, 1 TFL, 1 Sck   BALTIMORE18  DALLAS 26 The Blitz drop their 4th in a row and drop out of playoff contention after the loss in Big D. Josh Jacobs had a good game, averaging 9.2 YPC for 110 yards on only12 touches, but it was not enough as Samaje Perine and Duke Johnson combined for174 yards rushing and the Roughneck D picked off Jake Locker 3 times to improve the Roughneck record to 7-8. POTG: Dallas CB Ja’Sir Taylor: 4 Tck, 2 Int   ARIZONA 18  OHIO 0 The Wranglers complete back-to-back shutouts as their defense holds Ohio to a miserable 4 first downs and only 2 of 14 on third down in a game that clearly showed the difference between a team gearing up for a deep playoff run and another which is playing out the string after being eliminated from contention. Ohio held Justin Fields out of the game and Deshone Kizer was unable to get anything going, throwing for only 93 yards in the game. POTG: Arizona WR Brandon Aiyuk: 5 Rec, 131 Yds   PORTLAND 12  LOS ANGELES 20 The Express built up a 20-3 lead in the first half, thanks to a Jamar Taylor pick-six and a Dalton TD to Austin Pettis. From their they coasted to their 10th win and a chance to snatch the Pacific title away from Seattle next week. Paul Perkins came up big for the LA offense, rushing for 66 yards and catching a 53-yard pass to help LA earn a big early lead. Marcus Mariota’s 2 picks and 3 fumbles by the Stags were a big part of a rough day for Portland as the LA defense focused on takeaways. POTG: LA corner Jamar Taylor: 7 Tck, 1 Int, 1 Def TD, 2 FF, 2 FR   BIRMINGHAM 9  SAN DIEGO 14 A bad road loss for the Stallions as San Diego played spoiler and Cam Newton still did not look like he was back to form after missing 2 games. Newton completed only 19 of 45 passes and ended up with only 7 yards rushing as the Thunder held Birmingham without a touchdown. San Diego only had 6 first downs to Birmingham’s 17, but a 39-yard Charles Sims run was enough to put them over the top and potentially cost Birmingham the Southern Division title and a chance at a bye in the postseason. POTG: San Diego DE Malik Jackson: 4 Tck, 3 TFL, 1 FF   NEW ORLEANS 24  MEMPHIS 7 A big win for the visiting Breakers keeps them alive in the Wild Card hunt while hurting Memphis’s chances for the postseason. The Breaker defense allowed 23 Memphis first downs but forced 3 takeaways, while DeMarco Murray rushed for 130 yards and a TD to help New Orleans outpace their division rivals. Neither QB looked sharp in this one, with Geno Smith going 7 of 17 for only 84 yards, but it was Blake Bortles’ picks that set up 2 of the 3 Breaker TDs and gave the game to the visitors. POTG: New Orleans LB Jerome Baker: 4 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 Int   TAMPA BAY 31  CHICAGO 16 A statement game for the Bandits, as we have elaborated, as they rested several key offensive starters and still defeated the Western Conference leaders handily. With Dalvin Cook resting, Matt Breida and Bobby Rainey combined for 138 yards and a TD, while Matt Corral went 12 of 15 as Tampa Bay built up a 24-7 halftime lead and held Chicago at bay all game, the defense giving up only a lone touchdown and 3 field goals. POTG: Bandit CB Jalen Ramsey: 8 Tck, 2 Int, 1 Def TD   JACKSONVILLE 38  ATLANTA 32 It was a meaningless game between two 3-win teams, and only 23,057 were at Mercedes Benz Stadium to watch it, but this was a fun one as the Bulls and Fire put up 70 combined points and over 800 combined yards in a shootout. Trevor Lawrence threw for 317 yards and 4 scores, Kyler Murray 299 and 2 scores as both teams took advantage of each other’s defensive issues. Bulls fans may actually be upset, as the win means they will likely pick later than Atlanta in January’s draft. POTG: Bulls’ QB Trevor Lawrence: 17/23, 317 Yds, 4 TD, 0 Int   CHARLOTTE 7  SAN ANTONIO 17 The Gunslingers take over 1st in the South and control their own destiny next week, with a possible 2 seed and a bye on the table, thanks to their solid win over visiting Charlotte and the Stallion’s tough loss in San Diego. Both Raheem Mostert and Melvin Gordon scored as the two combined for 83 yards rushing and 3 receptions for 22 yards. The Gunslinger offense was outgained by Charlotte, largely due to Paxton Lynch connecting with rookie Drake London 7 times, but they held the Monarchs out of the endzone and got the W they needed to clinch their first playoff appearance. POTG: San Antonio CB Michael Carter Jr: 7 Tck, 3 PDef, 1 Int   NEW JERSEY 34  NEW ENGLAND 24 The Generals survive 3 Teddy Bridgewater picks, thanks mostly to a horrible 5-interception day form Ryan Tannehill. The win gives them the division title and put New England’s playoff hopes in serious doubt. Lano Hill had a pick six, and was one of 5 Generals to come down with a Tannehill pass in a game the Steamroller QB will have trouble shaking off. New Jersey took the lead midway through the 2nd and never relinquished it, earning their first division title since 2018. POTG: New Jersey SS Lano Hill: 9 Tck, 1 Sck, 2 PDef, 1 Int, 1 Def TD   DENVER 21  OKLAHOMA 27 Josh Allen left the game with a hip pointer and Denver used 3 quarterbacks but none could come close to matching Jalen Hurts’s numbers: 20 of 30 for 178 and a TD, and, oh, by the way, 184 rushing yards on 18 attempts, a 10.2 YPC average that included a 17-yard TD run and 10 of Oklahoma’s 21 first downs in the game. C. J. Prosise was the bright spot for Denver, rushing for 147 against a tired Oklahoma defense, but in the end Hurts’s production was too much as the Outlaws get the win that will keep them from a 10-loss season. POTG: Outlaw QB Jalen Hurts: 20/30, 178 Yds, 1 TD, 18 Att, 184 Yds, 1 TD   OAKLAND 26  LAS VEGAS 20 Oakland headed down to Sin City knowing this was a “play in” game, and they did what had to be done to get that playoff ticket. Las Vegas outgained the Invaders but could not find the game winner when they needed it. Oakland got 2 TDs from QB Davis Mills and a solid 128 yards form scrimmage from Christian McCaffrey, including a 48-yard touchdown on a well-timed screen pass. Oakland would score on all 4 possessions in the 3rd quarter, turning a 13-7 deficit into a 26-13 advantage and an eventual playoff-clinching win. POTG: Oakland LB Bobby Wagner: 8 Tck, 2 TFL, 1 PDef, 1 Int, 1 FF   PITTSBURGH 23  MICHIGAN 34 The Panthers turned their season-long frustration onto the Maulers, playing like they were contending for a division title and not the 1st draft pick. LeVeon Bell rushed for 116 and a TD for Michigan. The Panther defense, while allowing 136 yards rushing to the league’s worst running game, held Pittsburgh to 4 of 11 on third down, forced 3 turnovers, and held the lead from early in the game through the final whistle. Not the season the Panthers wanted, but at least the team is still playing with some pride. POTG: Michigan HB LeVeon Bell, 22 Att, 116 Yds, 1 TD    Generals Claim Northeast Division Title New Jersey’s 34-24 victory in New England was not exactly the prettiest game of the year, not with 10 combined turnovers in the game (4 for the victors and 6 for the homestanding Steamrollers), but it got the job done. That job, winning the NE Division, came with the New Jersey victory. It was the product primarily of a 24-point 2nd quarter that saw New Jersey get TDs from rookie Kyren Williams, slot receiver Pharaoh cooper, and a pick-six from the POTG, Lano Hill. New England would pull within 7 early in the 3rd, but New Jersey came back with a Victor Cruz TD and held their lead until the final whistle.   The win was New Jersey’s 4th in 5 weeks, and gave them the sweep over their rivals from New England. That sweep meant that even if the Generals lost in their finale, they would retain the division crown on the tiebreaker. For New England, the loss was doubly devastating. It not only gave the division to the rival Generals, but sent the Steamrollers to 8-7, and even worse, into 8th position in the playoff standings. That meant that they would not only need to get a W in Week 17, but they would need both Memphis and New Orleans to take losses in their closing games. Only that combination could send the Steamrollers to a 17th game. A tough situation for New England, and a feeling of satisfaction for the Generals.   Oakland Earns Final Western Wild Card The Invaders pulled out the other “play in” game this week, upending the Las Vegas Vipers at Wynn Arena to step into the 6th and final Western Playoff spot. The win is Oakland’s 4th in a row, a streak that saw them knock off rival LA and now claim a Wild Card and a very likely trip to St. Louis in 2 weeks. They will face New Orleans this week, and we could see some starters resting as no result will allow Oakland to jump up to the 5th seed, not with LA a game up on them and sporting the better division record.   Oakland has had their share of ups and downs this season, but over the past month they have put together a combination of solid defense, especially against the run, where they rank as the stingiest team in the league, allowing only 55.2 yards per game, and a balanced offense, highlighted by the running back combo of Christian McCaffrey and Bryce Love. The two backs are only 2 yards apart, with Love’s 794 yards slightly ahead of McCaffrey’s 792, and both have proven capable of taking over games this year. So, now Oakland is in, we likely see some backups this week, and then back to playoff football with a road trip in the Wild Card round.   Stallions Slip Gives Gunslingers the South Three seasons is all it took for former USFL quarterback Chuck Long to lead the San Antonio Gunslingers from expansion team to division champions. The loss this week by the Birmingham Stallions, paired with San Antonio’s 17-7 victory over Charlotte made it official. Champagne was popped in the San Antonio locker room as they celebrated a rapid rise to the top of the division. From a 3-13 opening season, to a modest improvement to 6-10 in Year Two, the Gunslingers made the leap this year, winning 10 games so far, and looking for more.   A win this week in their season finale at the Alamodome would be huge for the Gunslingers, as it would not only knock division rival Memphis from likely playoff position but also ensure the Gunslingers of the 2nd seed in the East, which comes with both a home playoff game and a bye. Expect San Antonio to come out guns blazing as they try to lock up the precious bye week and drive home their new position as champions of the South.   Outlaws & OKC Give Stoops a Fond Farewell Things have not gone the way many hoped for Coach Bob Stoops in his foray into pro football. Stoops joined the Oklahoma Outlaws in 2019 after a pretty illustrious career as the coach of the OU Sooners. He brought with him a lot of enthusiasm and a lot of fans, helping to make the Outlaws one of the league’s toughest tickets, but what did not come with him were the wins that fans in Oklahoma were used to with his OU teams. His first year saw the Outlaws finish 6-10. They improved to 8-8 in his second season, but have dipped below .500 both in 2021 (6-10) and again this year (6-8-1 presently). Having already announced that he was resigning from the team after the conclusion of this season, Coach Stoops headed into this week’s home finale against Denver with a rough streak of games behind him.   The Outlaws had not won a game since Week 8, earning only a tie in Washington in Week 9, and then proceeding to lose their next 5 games, including a humiliating 42-0 debacle in Arizona last week. So, the 27-21 victory over Denver in this week’s game not only stopped the bleeding but provided a nice opportunity for Stoops to go out in style in his final home game with the Outlaws. It was not a Gatorade pour, but fans gave Coach Stoops a nice round of applause and some old school Oklahoma Boomer Sooner cheers as the Outlaws left the field with the W. A nice tribute to a coach who is still very much respected in the state and among the Sooner fans turned Outlaw fans.   Josh Allen Out of Season Finale with Hip Issue The Outlaw-Gold game saw not only the end of Bob Stoops’ run at OGE Energy Stadium, but also became the on-field finale for QB Josh Allen of Denver, a week ahead of schedule. Allen took a tough hit on a scramble and seemed stiff as he headed to the sideline late in the 3rd quarter. Coach Hufnagel opted to keep him out for the rest of the game, and afterwards the medical team revealed that Allen had suffered a hip pointer, essentially a deep bone bruise on the pelvic bone. With the Gold at 5-10, with only a home finale against Dallas left on the schedule, it did not take long for the Gold to announce that Allen’s season would be shuttered and Mitch Trubisky would lead the Gold into their season finale.   While not at all the season that Allen and the Gold had hoped for after finishing 12-4 and battling their way to the Western Conference Final in 2021, the 5-10 Gold took a major step back this year. But despite the team’s issues, Allen had a very solid season, his final stats for the year now reading as 3,461 yards, 22 TDs to only 6 picks, a 64.6% completion rate and a very strong 111.6 QB rating. Often seen as a one-man offense, Allen certainly could have used more help from the rest of the roster, and now Denver will begin the process of retooling their roster as they approach the offseason.   A lot was settled this week, but there are still some questions to answer in the season’s final week, and some positioning to lock in as we get ready for the 2022 USFL Playoffs. Let’s start with what is known. We know 4 of 6 division winners, led by the Eastern Conference 1-seed, the 13-2 Tampa Bay Bandits. New Jersey has locked up the NE Division title and both Chicago and Arizona have their division titles in hand and are now fighting for that 1-seed.   We also know 6 other teams have locked up playoff spots, with Oakland, San Antonio, and Orlando joining LA, St. Louis and Seattle as playoff teams this week. We know Oakland will be the 6 seed in the West, but there is still plenty of shuffling of seeds to come, including division battles still alive in the South (San Antonio has a 1-game lead on Birmingham) and in the Pacific (where Seattle leads LA by a game). In the East, we still have 2 Wild Card spots unclaimed. After 16 weeks the Birmingham Stallions and Memphis Showboats hold those two spots, but one or both could fall out of position with Week 17 losses, giving both New Orleans and New England hope for a flip of the standings and a final week playoff ticket. There are a lot of permutations to consider, from top to bottom of the playoff standings, so check out our Week 17 preview to get the quick and easy options for your favorite team to snag a playoff spot, take the division, or capture that higher seed.     Outside of the Allen injury, the biggest impact will be for those teams still fighting for playoff position, as well as potential playoff-impacting injuries. Orlando, for example, will be without center Ethan Pocic next week, and possible for several weeks with a knee issue. Oakland will have both guard Joshua Garnett and LB Shaq Barrett out, with Barrett expected to miss the playoffs as well. St.Louis goes into their regular season finale with SS Terrell Edmunds listed as doubtful, while Arizona will battle for the 1-seed in the West without their breakout star receiver DeMarcus Robinson, expected to sit out the finale after suffering a shot to the eye that had swollen up considerably.   OUT DT          Dexter Lawrence    SD          Wrist                     QB         Josh Allen               DEN      Hip C             Ethan Pocic              ORL       Knee DE          Bradley Chubb       WSH     Jaw FB          Andy Janovich       OKL       Ankle G            Joshua Garnett       OAK      Concussion C             Wesley Johnson   LV           Back DT          DeVante Wyatt        ATL         Ankle LB           Shaq Barrett            OAK      Concussion   DOUBTFUL SS           Terrell Edmunds    STL         Wrist OT          Gabe Carimi         LV           Knee   QUESTIONABLE WR         DeMarcus Robionson   ARZ       Eye SS           Will Harris                     SAN       MCL G            Michael Dunn                   NOR      Migraines WR         Aaron Dobson                LV           Concussion CB          Justin Gilbert                  SD          Concussion   USFL POWER RANKINGS As we offer you the final Power Rankings of the regular season, with 1 more week of action left, we thought we would focus on each team’s MVP, the player who stepped up and gave it their all, even if the team record does not show a lot of victories. Some of these will be obvious, some not so much, but all deserving of kudos for the way they approached the game.   1—TAMPA BAY BANDITS (13-2) Team MVP Dak Prescott is likely also going to be the league MVP, as he closes in on 4,000 yards passing, having added another 30-TD season to his resume.   2—ARIZONA WRANGLERS (12-3) We have to give it to Ryan Nassib, who came off two horrible years in Washington, returned to the desert and has put up over 3,900 yards passing with a 13:6 (26-12) TD:INT ratio. Guess he is a system QB and Arizona has that system.   3—CHICAGO MACHINE (12-3) We could go 3-for-3 at the QB position, but we want to recognize just how huge a signing Odell Beckham Jr. has been for the Machine. He came in, opened up the Chicago offense and got himself a 1,000-yard, 10-TD season, a rebirth of sorts.   4—SEATTLE DRAGONS (11-4) The Dragons have a lot of talent, and while Khalil Mack again had a monster season (104 tackles, 6 sacks), we are going to celebrate one of the best corners in the game. Richard Sherman is closing in on 100 tackles and has 6 picks to lead the team. A man you just don’t want to throw to or run towards.   5—ST. LOUIS SKYHAWKS (11-4) It took several years, and a coach who finally figured him out, but Lamar Jackson has owned 2022. With over 3,200 yards passing, 22 TDs to only 7 picks, and nearly 700 yards rushing, the dual-threat QB has the Skyhawks soaring. And yes, we know A. J. Epenesa deserves kudos too, and he will almost certainly get them in this year’s award season.   6—ORLANDO RENEGADES (10-5) It would be easy to recognize Montez Sweat for his 28 sacks (shooting for 30 with 1 week left), but we need to recognize the impact that Chris Carson has had on the Renegades. With his 1,00-yards the Renegades have shortened games, won the time of possession game in each of their 10 wins, and kept pressure off Russell Wilson, which helped him flourish.   7—SAN ANTONIO GUNSLINGERS (10-5) Ask Joe Flacco what has been different about the Gunslinger offense this year and he will point to rookie Garrett Wilson, leading the team with over 1,200 yards and 8 TDs. The rookie sensation has made the San Antonio offense one of the league’s best and helped Joe Flacco have a career year.   8—LOS ANGELES EXPRESS (10-5) Look, we know we should celebrate the nasty LA defense, but the team was simply awful on offense until they made the deal for Andy Dalton. Dalton’s stats are not eye-popping, but his confidence, leadership and timely big plays have made LA a much more difficult offense to contain, and a much better overall team.   9--NEW JERSEY GENERALS (9-6) Third year edge rusher Yetur Gross-Matos came into his own this season. He has 16 sacks and 74 tackles, a true dual-use and 3-down lineman. He has also made Kony Ealy a better player, giving the veteran more single-blocks and more access to the QB. The combo has been great for New Jersey, producing 28 combined sacks and making life easier for the secondary.   10—OAKLAND INVADERS (9-6) We thought about a two-headed recognition for the McCaffrey-Love combo, but Jevon Holland is not letting us bypass him. Leading the league with 8 picks at the FS position, Holland has been a revelation in his sophomore season. He had no picks as a rookie, appearing in only 1 game, but he was given the starting job this year and has come up huge.   11—BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS (9-6) Let’s assume it is Cam Newton (it is), but just for fun, who else has been big for the Stallions? How about Henry Ruggs? The former Crimson Tide receiver is connecting with his Auburn QB in a big way, leading the league with 15 receiving touchdowns and over 1,500 yards. This combo has been lighting it up for Birmingham all year long.   12—MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS (8-7) In his 2nd year after jumping from the NFL, J. J. Watt is reviving the Memphis love affair with the sack. Not since Reggie White has the Liberty Bowl seen so many fans wearing a defender’s number on their replica jerseys, and Coach Rex Ryan is loving every minute of it, especially those minutes where Watt is bringing down the QB once again.   13—NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS (8-7) Geno Smith was brought to New Orleans for depth, but has emerged as a top flight QB. He is already over 4,200 yards for the year, has 31 TDs to only 12 picks, and is proving that a good system, a talented receiver group, and a bit of faith can turn around a QB’s career and our perception of them.   14—NEW ENGLAND STEAMROLLERS (8-7) It is hard to pick out a star on New England’s version of the No Name Defense, but the Rollers would not be anywhere without DT Aaron Donald. He has 7 sacks from the inside, is a nightmare to try to run through, and is a vocal and passionate team leader on and off the field. No shock, we knew this about Donald, but this year he has taken it up a level as New England fights for their franchise’s first playoff appearance.   15—SAN DIEGO THUNDER (7-8) When Mason Rudolph was named the starter, San Diego turned a corner. His numbers are modest, though there is nothing wrong with a 63% completion rate and a 15:5 (3:1) TD:InT ratio. But what Mason has brought to the Thunder is a belief that they are good enough, smart enough, and gosh, darn it, people like them (shout out to Stuart Smalley on that one.)   16—BALTIMORE BLITZ (7-8) The season has gone south on the Blitz, but one player who has always given it 110% has been HB Josh Jacobs, averaging 4.4 yards per carry and closing in on a possible 1,200 yards, Jacobs has been the one reliable piece of the puzzle for the Blitz this season.   17—LAS VEGAS VIPERS (7-8) Look around the crowd at any Viper game and you will immediately know who the MVP of this club is. Those mullet wigs are a visible sign of Minshew Mania. Gardner Minshew has breathed energy and a love of the game into the Vipers, and it is contagious.   18—DALLAS ROUGHNECKS (7-8) In the midst of a very up-and-down season, the brightest light has come from the emergence of Courtland Sutton as a top tier receiver. Sutton has 1,057 yards and 9 touchdowns, leading the team in both categories. He is 7 catches away from 100 and you very well know that the Roughnecks and Justin Herbert are going to try to get him those 7 in the season finale.   19—OKLAHOMA OUTLAWS (6-8-1) Name any player on the Outlaw roster who is not Jalen Hurts? Hard to do, right? That tells you what we all saw, that this is a 1-man team, which is why they are under .500 and why it is so important for Oklahoma to build more around their superstar QB.   20—CHARLOTTE MONARCHS (6-9) We thought about giving this to Paxton Lynch, just for consolidating the QB position into a non-liability, but when we look at the Monarchs this year, we have to celebrate a long-suffering, long-achieving star in LB Rolando McClain. He is leading the league with 129 tackles, and is the heart and soul of a defense that is much improved, currently 9th in scoring in the league.   21—HOUSTON GAMBLERS (6-9) A rough year with injuries, a weird QB situation, and one of the league’s worst defenses, but you know who has been his usual outstanding self, WR Mike Evans, ever the man you want going up for that 50/50 ball, ever the professional, ever open. It’s Mike Evans for the win.   22—OHIO GLORY (6-9) Early this season it was all Justin Fields, but as teams started to figure out how to defend him, his life got a lot tougher. And when that happened, another player took over as the heart and soul of the Glory, LB Ryan Shazier. One of two 100-tackle LBs on the team (Steven Daniels is the other), Shazier is the defensive QB, calling plays, lifting spirits, and delivering some of the nastiest hits in the league.   23—WASHINGTON FEDERALS (5-9-1) Keenan Allen may have more targets, catches, and TDs, but when you want a big play, the kind of play that deflates a defense, you look to Tyreek Hill. Perhaps the fastest man in the league, Hill has moves, quickness, and pure run-away-from-you speed. Now the Feds just need to find a way to use him more.   24—PHILADELPHIA STARS (5-10) Hard to find bright spots in a downright depressing year for the Stars, but you cannot question the effort that Derrick Henry is putting in. He is nearing 1,200 yards despite averaging only 3.5 YPC. And when you look at the film, what you see is a back who is getting almost no help from his line, hit in the backfield and carrying players forward time and again. Get this man a real line and he could chase Herschel Walker’s rushing record.   25—DENVER GOLD (5-10) As much as we want to say that Denver is a 1-man team much like Oklahoma, that would be unfair to WR Golden Tate. The man is turning 37 and is still putting up huge numbers. He has over 1,200 yards and 8 TDs when he is almost always double covered. He just finds a way to get open.   26—JACKSONVILLE BULLS (4-11) After that 11-sack game when Brian Burns basically tossed him around like a Doberman with a plush toy, we want to give this to Trevor Lawrence just for showing up the next week. Oh, and he showed up by throwing for nearly 400 yards and 4 TDs. He is a star on a player that needs a few more to have a shot.   27—PITTSBURGH MAULERS (4-11) The worst rushing offense in the league, a rookie QB after trading away the veteran mid-season, and the league’s worst scoring and yardage offense. How the heck did this defense not revolt? Well, they stayed solid and focused thanks to their captain, MLB Brian Cushing. Cushing and his D kept Pittsburgh in more games than their offense deserved them to be in.   28—MICHIGAN PANTHERS (3-12) An ugly year, a shockingly bad season, and yet, in the midst of it all a star was born. Rookie LB Aiden Hutchinson was a bright shining star in the darkness. With 22 sacks in his first 15 games, the former Wolverine is making Panther fans cheer in a year when they are also spending a lot of time with bags on their heads and sending boos down to the field.   29—PORTLAND STAGS (3-12) Complain all you want about the Portland Stag offense, they deserve a lot of criticism, but keep Brandin Cooks out of it. How did this man rack up 110 catches and 1,299 yards with this team? How are teams not putting 3 DBs on him and forcing Mariota to look elsewhere. The guy is a stud, too bad the team is a dud.   30—ATLANTA FIRE (3-12) The Fire fell apart when Aaron Murray went down. Just plain and simple, and the second half of the season if felt like many were just giving up and coming to the stadium just for the paycheck. But not WR A. J. Green. He was breaking tackles, blowing the roof off coverages, and making plays even when the game was out of hand. He will likely finish the year with over 100 catches (he is at 98 with 1 game left) and 1,400 yards, and with 3 different QBs over a very tough season. Kudos to Green for staying focused and getting open time and time again.   The 10 Greatest Coaches in USFL History We have ranked the 40 Greatest Players in USFL history, but what about the men in charge? Who ranks as the best motivators, play-callers, scheme designers, and forgers of team culture? We went through the entire history of the USFL, every coach who has ever led his team to the field, and while there were a lot of tough calls, we think we have the definitive Top 10 List of USFL Coaches. So, as we celebrate 40 years of USFL football, here is our list of the Greatest Coaches to Walk the USFL Sidelines.   Let’s start with some honorable mentions, because over the last 4 decades there have certainly been more than 10 coaches who deserve recognition. The first “HM” goes to former Knights’ coach Jim Johnson. Though he never won a title, in 18 years with the St. Louis and then Nashville Knights, Johnson’s .562 win percentage, 168 total wins, and12 playoff appearances make him perhaps the most celebrated USFL coach to never get that ring.   Our other two Honorable mentions each have 1 title in their repertoires, but both entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame for their combined USFL and NFL careers. However, in the USFL both also coached for only 8 years each, which makes it hard for them to rack up the win totals or even the reputations of some of the league’s elites. The Oakland Invaders have won only 1 title in their 40-year history, and the man to get them there, former Eagles’ head coach Dick Vermeil just missed the Top 10. His .544 winning percentage in Oakland (97-78-1) included 8 playoff appearances and that 1991 USFL title. The other coach who we had close, but not quite there was Washington Federals’ head man Sam Rutigliano. Rutigliano spent 8 seasons in D.C., producing 84 wins and 60 losses, 6 playoff appearances, and, with a bit of help from QB Don Majkowski, DT Jerome Brown, and DE Charles Haley, a league title in 1990.   Having recognized 3 very deserving coaches who just missed the cut, it is time to look at our Top 10, each boasting at least one championship ring.   10) Ron Ehrhardt (BIR 1992-2000)          Record: 88-56 (.611)   Playoffs: 6 Appearances in 8 years. Title: 1993 Hall of Fame: 2021   Ron Erhardt will forever be associated with a brash young QB who lit up the league with his enthusiasm, devil-may-care attitude, and rocket arm. Erhardt recognized the value of those traits and with Brett Favre at the helm he had the Stallions in the postseason in 6 of his 9 seasons at Legion Field. His crowning jewel was in 1993, when Favre, joined by WRs Ernest Givens and Lawrence Dawsey led a Birmingham offense that put up 545 points (over 34 per game) in a 14-2 season that won them a division title, before outpacing Jacksonville 45-42, Washington 27-21, and finally, Houston 38-36 in one of the league’s greatest Summer Bowls, taking home what is still the only league title in Stallion history.   9) Ray Willsey (HOU 1990-2000)             Record: 99-75-2 (.569)  Playoffs: 7 appearances in 11 seasons, including 4 Summer Bowl trips. Titles: 1993 & 1996 Hall of Fame: 2018   A two-time league champion, Coach Willsey lost some points in our ranking due to a lower win percentage than several others on our list. That aside, how do you knock a coach that took his team to 4 Summer Bowls, earning a 34-28 victory over Pittsburgh in Summer Bowl ’92, then, after losing to Birmingham in 1993 and Pittsburgh in 1995, Willsey again tasted victory, leading the Gamblers to a 38-35 victory over the Tampa Bay Bandits to give Houston and QB Jim Kelly their 3rd title as a franchise.   8) Dick Jauron (DEN 1998-2015)             Record: 167-106-1 (.618)   Playoffs: 13 appearances in 18 years, 3 Summer Bowl appearances Titles: 2000   The Denver Gold had always been an “almost” team, making the Summer Bowl in the league’s first season, but never able to get a title. Dick Jauron changed that. In his 2nd year in Denver, he returned the Gold to the Summer Bowl for the first time since that 1983 inaugural season. His team lost Summer Bowl ’99 to the Memphis Showboats, but they came back even more focused the next year, winning the 2000 title by upending the favored Philadelphia Stars 27-20. Then, in an attempt to become the first team to repeat as champions they made the Summer Bowl as a Wild Card team, but fell to Orlando 34-27. That 3-year run is not only the best 3-year span by a Denver team, but is also one of only 3 teams to ever appear 3 consecutive years (Stars 85-87 and Gamblers 2017-19).   7) Steve Spurrier (TBY 1983-93, 2004-10) Record: 151-117 (.563)   Playoffs: 12 appearances in 18 years Titles: 1983 Hall of Fame: 1998   It is hard to believe that Steve Spurrier’s lone league title was that 1983 inaugural season. Why? Because his teams were always near the top of the standings, always tough to gameplan, and always in the fight. Many look to the 2011 season and the league title won by rookie coach Mike Shula as a team built by, mentored by, and forged by Spurrier, almost a pseudo 2nd title. Spurrier does not need to take credit for the 2011 Bandits to get a spot on our list, his 151 wins and his impact on the game and the league in its early years more than did that.   6) Lamar Lathon (NOR 2012-Present)  Record: 109-65-1 (.664)                  Playoffs: 9 appearances, Title: 2015   The first of only 2 contemporary coaches on our list, Lamar Lathon bleeds Breaker blue. A player with the team for 15 seasons, the former Breaker linebacker returned to his old team 8 years after he hung up his cleats and immediately brought a fighting spirit to a team that had always been a “close but no cigar” squad, losing in the Conference Title Game 6 times, and in the Summer Bowl once before Lathon’s return. Lathon, and Drew Brees, of course, got the Breakers over the top, leading the Breakers to a 13-3 season, victories over Orlando and Pittsburgh in the playoffs, and a 23-17 Summer Bowl win over the Arizona Wranglers to give New Orleans their first (and only) title.   5) Jim Stanley (MGN 1983-93)                  Record: 106-70 (.603)   Playoffs: 6 appearances in 11 seasons Titles: 1984 & 1986 Hall of Fame: 1998   Coach Stanley was hardly a known quantity when he was hired as the first head coach of the USFL’s Michigan Panthers. A D-line coach for the unspectacular Atlanta Falcons, Stanley took the gig in the fledgling league and immediately became one of its premier strategists. His Panthers became the first repeat champions, alternating titles with the Philadelphia Stars over a 4-year span, even knocking off one of those great Star teams in the 1987 USFL Championship (before the name Summer Bowl had come about. Stanley’s teams made household names of players like Bobby Hebert, John Williams, Dereck Holloway, and John Corker. His Panthers could grind out a win with defense and an inside run game or go over the top to Holloway or Anthony Carter. Stanley left the game after only 11 seasons at the helm of the Panthers, but was recognized for his talent soon after, entering the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1998, along with Spurrier, two long-time rivals.   4)  Al Luginbill (OHIO 1999-2011)                 Record: 118-75-1 (.611)   Playoffs: 8 appearances in 13 seasons Titles: 2002, 2003 Hall of Fame: 2016   Back-to-Back. That is all you have to say. Or maybe, Unbeaten Season. You can say that too. Al Luginbill’s 2002 Ohio Glory team did what no team had done before or since, win every game on his schedule. He, along with NFL legend Don Shula, stand alone in that honor, but it is hardly the only honor he holds. His Glory team was also the first to repeat, following up their unbeaten season with a 2nd Summer Bowl in 2003. With a glorious triplet group of Collins, George, and Galloway, the Al Luginbill Glory are still regarded as one of the pinnacles of USFL excellence.   3)  Jim Mora Sr. (PHI 83-89, OAK 96-97, MEM 98-06) Record: 153-124-1(.552)   Playoffs: 11 appearances in 18 seasons, with 5 Summer Bowl Appearances Titles: 1985, 1987, 1999 Hall of Fame: 2011   It is one thing to lead a team to 2 titles in 3 years, including a 3-peat of appearances in the USFL Title Game, but then, to return 12 years later, with a different team, and earn a 3rd title, that is something special. And that is exactly what we get with Jim Mora Sr. The man who made the Stars the toast of Philadelphia, a notoriously tough city to win over, also became the hero of Memphis by taking the 1999 Showboats to their first league title, a gift to Showboat legend Reggie White in his swan song season. Famous almost as much for his hilarious “Playoffs rant” as for his record, Mora still stands as one of the early success stories of the USFL and one of its greatest coaches.   2) Wade Phillips (HOU 2001-2021)             Record: 194-126-2 (.613)   Playoffs: 16 appearances in 22 seasons, including 4 Summer Bowls Titles: 2010, 2018   The winningest coach in USFL history, with 194 career victories, all in one glorious 21-season run with the Houston Gamblers. Phillips’s teams appeared in 4 Summer Bowls, winning two a full 9 years apart, but always in the mix as one of the best teams in the league. With players ranging from Matt Hasselbeck, Ike Hilliard, and Kavika Pittman to today’s stars, Colt McCoy, Carlos Hyde, Mike Evans and Ramik Wilson, Phillips was able to ride his defense, or push his offense into the stratosphere. You don’t get to nearly 200 wins without being able to adapt and merge your system with a wide variety of player styles and talents, and that is exactly what Phillips did in his long tenure in Space City.   1)   Jim Tomsula (ARZ 2009-Present)    Record: 153-67-1 (.695)  Playoffs: 10 appearances in 14 seasons, with 5 Summer Bowl appearances Titles: 2013, 2016, 2019   Jim Tomsula, or Mr. Wrangler as the entire state of Arizona calls him, has turned a perennial also-ran into true dynasty. His Wrangler teams appeared in 5 Summer Bowls in a 7-year span, winning 3 of them, and his 2022 team seems fast tracked to a possible 6th appearance. A defensive specialist who has become one of the most respected QB whisperers in the league, Tomsula has seemingly worked miracles, like the 2019 title run when they lost David Carr and went on to win the title with an unheralded Ryan Nassib as QB. Tomsula certainly has had talent to work with, especially on defense, with players like Joe Haden, Troy Polamalu, Calais Campbell, A. J. Klien, Nate Allen, and Adam Carriker. His offenses are also masterpieces of complexity, misdirection, and, especially in the Larry Fitzgerald-Antonio Bryant years, with the big play.   Tomsula is showing no signs of slowing down, either, winning yet another Southwest Division title this year and gearing up his Wranglers for a possible run to yet another Summer Bowl. Not bad for a team that until Tomsula’s arrival, had not won a title in 30 seasons of play.   Here is your look at the Week 17 slate, with special scheduling designed to feature matchups of playoff contenders during the same timeslot, creating a scoreboard-watching frenzy and building drama from Saturday afternoon through Sunday night.   Sat @ 12pm ET   St. Louis (11-4) @ Pittsburgh (4-11)          ABC                                St. Louis earns 4th seed & home playoff game with a win.   Sat @ 12pm ET       Houston (6-9) @ Washington (5-9-1)        NBC                                 No Playoff Implications   Sat @ 12pm ET    Orlando (10-5) @ Jacksonville (4-11)      FOX                                 Orlando earns home playoff game with a win.   Sat @ 4pm ET        Oakland (9-6) @ New Orleans (8-7)       ABC                                  Oakland is locked into a road Wild Card game.                                  New Orleans earns Wild Card with win + MEM loss   Sat @ 4pm ET         San Diego (7-8) @ Portland (3-12)          FOX                                  No Playoff Implications   Sat @ 4pm ET        Atlanta (3-12) @ Tampa Bay (12-3)      NBC                                  No Playoff Implications                 Sat @ 8pm ET       Birmingham (9-6) @ Seattle (11-4)         ESPN/EFN                                  Seattle wins Pacific Title with a win.                               Birmingham wins South with a win + SAN loss.   Sat @ 8pm ET        Los Angeles (10-5 @ Ohio (6-9)            NBC                                   Los Angeles wins the Pacific Title with a win + SEA loss.     Sun @ 12pm ET  Philadelphia (5-10) @ New Jersey (9-6)   ABC                                New Jersey wins 2 seed with a win + SAN loss   Sun @ 12pm ET     New England (8-7) @ Baltimore (7-8)    NBC                                   New England clinches a Wild Card with a win + MEM loss   Sun @ 12pm ET     Memphis (8-7) @ San Antonio (10-5)     FOX                                   San Antonio wins a 2-seed with a win.                                Memphis earns a Wild Card with a win.    Sun @ 4pm ET       Dallas (7-8) @ Denver (5-10)                 ABC                                 No Playoff Implications   Sun @ 4pm ET       Oklahoma (6-8-1) @ Las Vegas (7-8)  FOX                                  No Playoff Implications    Sun @ 8pm ET      Charlotte (6-9) @ Chicago (12-3)            NBC                                Chicago wins the West 1 seed with a win or ARZ Loss.   Sun @ 8pm ET       Michigan (3-12) @ Arizona (12-3)      ESPN/EFN                                Arizona wins the West 1 seed with a win + CHI Loss

A huge week for the Western Conference as 5 of the 6 playoff spots are now claimed and only 2 teams remain in competition for the final spot. And, as fate would have it, those two teams, Oakland and Las Vegas, face off this week. In the East, not nearly as much was resolved as the Bandits remain the only team with a guaranteed postseason spot. In both the Northeast and the South we have teams tied atop the division, both looking good for a playoff spot, but none of the 4 locked in yet. We will break down all the playoff ramifications of Week 15 in our Big Story for the week, review all the games, look ahead to what could be a pivotal Week 16, and reveal the final two players on our 40 Greatest list. All this, plus a spectacular Game of the Week between the Machine and the Skyhawks in a Central Division classic.   Week 15 Puts Playoff Picture into Focus Let’s start off our report on Week 15 by saying what has been decided this week. We now know that the Arizona Wranglers have captured the Southwestern Division title, sitting at 11-3 with the 2 nd  place Vipers all the way back at 7-7. We also know that in the East, the 2-time defending league champion Bandits have wrapped up the 1 seed, holding a 3-game lead over the Renegades in their own division as well as the leaders of the South, with 4 games up on the Northeast co-leaders. We also now know five of the six Western Conference playoff teams, with Seattle, St. Louis, and LA all locking up playoff spots with 2 games left on the schedule. So, what is unknown. Well, let’s break it down.     The final spot will either be the Oakland Invaders (currently 8-6) or the Las Vegas Vipers (7-7). The two face off this week at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara and the winner will assume the 6 th  playoff position with 1 week left to play. If that winner is Oakland, they lock up the spot and Las Vegas is done. If the Vipers win, then it will come down to Week 17, and the Vipers would need to avoid a loss at home to the Outlaws to be able to claim a surprising Wild Card spot.   The other unanswered questions in the West are all tied to division titles. Arizona has theirs wrapped up, but neither Chicago nor Seattle can say the same. This week’s huge game between the Machine and the Skyhawks means that Chicago needs one more win to lock up the division. That win would guarantee no worst than to tie the Skyhawks atop the Central and Chicago would hold the advantage thanks to their division record. St. Louis needs the Machine to lose their last two and for their club to win out to steal away the division from the Machine.   In the Pacific, Seattle has won 4 in a row, they hold a 1-game advantage over LA, but their 5-3 division record does not guarantee them a tiebreaker. If LA can beat Portland this week, they would have a 6-2 division record, which means Seattle cannot win the division if the Express can get even with them in overall record. Seattle’s best path forward is to win out, with games at Houston and home to Birmingham to finish out the year. For LA it is also about winning out, but hoping that Seattle stumbles, producing the tie atop the division, a tie LA can win.   The last thing we know for sure is that Chicago, Arizona, and St. Louis are all guaranteed at least one home game in the postseason. All three, along with Seattle, are in the mix for the byes given to the 1 and 2 seeds, but those three can finish no worse than 4 th  in the seeding, which means all three will face their playoff foe at home, we just don’t know if it will be in the Wild Card Round or the Divisionals.    Aside from Tampa Bay locking up the Southeast Division and the 1 seed, there is not a lot settled here. If we start with the Northeast, we have New Jersey and New England tied atop the division at 8-6. The two play this week and the winner will have control over their own destiny with 1 game to play, as well as the upper hand on a division title. If the winner is New Jersey, they lock up the division because they would have a 6-1 division record while New England’s would drop to 3-4. If New England can get the win at home this week, they would only need to beat Baltimore in Week 17 to lock up the division. And, since they are still in the mix as well, the Baltimore Blitz do still have a path to the division title, but it is a tough one. They need to beat Dallas this week, hope New England defeats the Generals, then defeat New England in Week 17 and have New Jersey lose at home to Philadelphia. Not exactly an easy path to a title by any measure.   In the Southeast, Birmingham is currently in position to win the division, but it is precarious. If they drop one of their last two games, either this week in San Diego or in a Week 17 clash with Seattle, the Gunslingers could get a game ahead, the only scenario where the Gunslingers get the division due to Birmingham’s sweep of San Antonio this year. But San Antonio is not the only issue. If Memphis goes 2-0 (both division games) and the Stallions drop a game, then Memphis can claim the title. The Showboats swept the Stallions and a win over San Antonio in Week 17 would mean they split the series with the Gunslingers, so if Memphis ends up tied atop the division with either or both clubs, they win the tiebreaker with a 6-2 division record.   Basically, whether we are talking about division titles or even Orlando’s shot at a Wild Card at 9-5 or New Orleans’s chances at 7-7. The answer is any team that can go 2-0 over the next two weeks is in the playoffs. Any team that goes 0-2 is almost certainly out, and 1-1 is not a guarantee of anything. It is a bit more complicated for the Breakers since they need others to lose for a possible 9-7 record to get them in, but for nearly everyone else, a playoff spot comes with 2 wins and disappears with 2 losses.   So, yes, it’s a bit of a cluster, and we may not know 2 of the 3 division titles until Week 17 is concluded, but that just means that more teams are in the mix, more are playing meaningful football right now, and more games will have meaning. That is good for us and good for the USFL.   CHICAGO MACHINE 28   ST. LOUIS SKYHAWKS 33 We have had this one circled on our calendars for weeks. Chicago, atop the Central Division for the entire season, starting the year with 9 wins and holding the best record in the league at 12-1. St. Louis, the upstart, coming on strong with 5 consecutive wins and only 2 games back at 10-3. The league’s best defense against one of its best offenses. Lamar Jackson offering a dual threat against a front seven designed to remove options. Throw in the traditional rivalry between the two Midwestern cities, and you have all the makings of a classic, and that is exactly what we got.   The game could also be seen as a clash of styles, the traditional structure of Chicago’s attack, a pure pocket passer in Sam Bradford, a run game designed to create short 3 rd  downs to gain, and receivers who can take the ball deep or find holes in the underneath zone, facing the new spread offense, RPO, big play style with a mobile quarterback, multiple receiver packages and a run game designed as a complement, not a focal point. Would it be old school or new trend? This game would give us a look at a clash of philosophies, not just a clash of two contenders.   That clash of styles became apparent from the opening minutes as St. Louis wasted no time showing just what the spread offense and RPO could do. After a short 3-and-out from Chicago on the opening possession, St. Louis put 7 on the board in only 4 plays, and with a classic RPO play getting the job done. After a nice throw from Lamar Jackson to Deionte Johnson put the ball on the Chicago 47, Lamar Jackson called his own number on a run-pass option, and it proved the absolute correct call. With LB Manti Te’o taking the bite and crashing inside, Jackson was free to scamper to the outside, a clear lane into the secondary. A move placed on the corner and pure speed was enough to break him out and into the endzone for the 47-yard TD run that opened scoring and got the partisan crowd of 55,606 at The Dome on their feet.   It would be the start of a 21-point first quarter for the Skyhawks. As Chicago struggled to get their more traditional offense going against an underrated Skyhawk defense, St. Louis kept making plays. On their 2 nd  possession it was HB James Conner again benefiting from the RPO as he rushed off tackle and broke into the secondary for a 16-yard score. Only 2 minutes later, after a Bradford pick that would be the lone turnover of the game, Jackson found Deionte Johnson for the Skyhawks’ third TD in the quarter and the fans were in full voice, loving every moment of their quick start. Chicago needed to react, and quickly, or this game could get out of hand and out of reach.   The Machine took over with 4:12 left in the first and put together a 7-minute drive that lulled the crowd back down and built back up the division leader’s confidence. It was a methodical 15-play drive that saw 3 different backs carry the ball for the Machine and saw Sam Bradford finally start to connect with his talented receivers. A connection with Odell Beckham Jr. converted a key 3 rd down at midfield, and then, after a false start turned a 3 rd  and goal from the 6 to 3 rd  and goal from the 11, Bradford stood strong in the pocket, taking the hit after he released the ball, finding Chase Claypool in the endzone for the score.   That drive seemed to awaken Chicago’s pride. They would give up a St. Louis field goal on the Skyhawks’ next possession, but it would be the only score St. Louis would have until the 4 th  quarter. The defense would stiffen, giving up a couple of nice plays, but not a full drive. The shut down would give the offense a chance to get Chicago back in the game. The Machine offense would do just that, thanks in large part to the connection between Bradford and All-USFL receiver Odell Beckham Jr. The two would connect for a 15-yard touchdown just before the half to pull Chicago back within 10 at 24-14, and then again midway through the 3 rd  to pull the Machine within 3. The change of momentum and the sense that Chicago was very much in the game would quiet the St. Louis crowd, stunned at the change of fortune after what was a dominant first quarter.   As the 4 th  quarter began, St. Louis was again forced to punt after a failed 3 rd  down conversion, but the ensuing punt would turn out to be a godsend for the struggling Skyhawks. Punter Robbie Capps hit a perfect coffin corner kick, traveling 51 yards and bouncing at the 2 before a sideways spin out of bounds. Chicago would be backed up to their own goalline, giving St. Louis’s aggressive front seven a chance to make a play and change momentum once again. That energy-shifting play would come on Chicago’s first offensive play on the possession. With the offensive line concerned about A. J. Epenesa, the line shifted their blocks to the left side, hoping HB Marion Mack could help out the right tackle while the left guard and tackle took on Epenesa. The strategy failed as LB Micah McFadden took on the tackle with his blitz and end Charles Harris blew past Mack to lay out Sam Bradford on the ill-timed pass attempt. The safety not only gave St. Louis their first points since their 2 nd quarter field goal but shifted the energy in the dome.   Receiving the free kick after the safety, St. Louis was re-energized. It would take St. Louis only 5 plays to put the ball in the endzone for a 4 th  time, the first touchdown since their dynamic first quarter run. On the short 58-yard drive, Lamar Jackson connected twice with TE Will Dissley, escaped the Chicago rush to scramble for 11 on a key 3 rd  and 7, and then found WR David Nelson for a 16-yard TD on a perfect fade route. The pair of scores boosted St. Louis’s lead from 3 to 12 points, forcing Chicago to score twice to capture its first lead of the game.   The Machine would have to switch to a hurry up offense with 6 minutes to play. It was an unfamiliar position for Chicago, used to playing with a lead and using their defense to close out games. The offense shifted to a no-huddle style, and found success, but primarily through short passes and draws up the middle. The Machine drive would produce 7, but it would take over 4 minutes and 12 plays to do so, leaving them with only 1:33 on the clock after Marion Mack plunged into the endzone to reduce the St. Louis lead to 5.   Chicago would need an onside kick recovery and a much quicker 2 nd  drive to capture the lead and the game. Daniel Carlson gave them the first requirement, clipping the ball perfectly off the tee and sending it careening towards the left sideline, with that classic 3 rd  bounce going high in the air. That bounce allowed WR Willie Snead IV the time needed to race into the ball’s path and bat it backwards, where TE Tyler Eifert was ready to snatch it and fall to the ground. The volleyball-like “set” was beautifully executed, giving the small Chicago contingent in the SW corner of the dome a reason to jump to their feet and giving the ball to the Machine offense on their own 48, only 52 yards away from a come-from-behind victory and the division title. The Machine had 1:23 to work with, but only 1 timeout. A field goal would do them no good, and St. Louis knew it. They would stay in the no-huddle, relying on Bradford’s experience to call audibles at the line. They came to the field in an 11 formation, so called for its use of one back (rookie Rachaad White), one tight end (Eifert), and 3 outside receivers (OBJ, Claypool, and Snead. The opening play was a quick hitter to Snead on an inside slant. The play produced an immediate first down on the St. Louis 40 and a quick spike to stop the clock. The 2 nd  play was a miss on an out route to Beckham, but Bradford went right back to his favorite target on 2 nd  and 10 and found Beckham this time for a gain of 12 and another first down. The Machine still had over a minute of clock left and now had the ball on the St. Louis 28.   But St. Louis had gotten close to Bradford on the last 2 throws, pressuring him into the initial incompletion and closing in on the 2 nd  down throw. On 1 st  and 10 from the 28 they would finally get home. It would not be Epenesa, but backup safety and dime coverage specialist Roderick Teamer, blitzing out of his position opposite Snead and finding Bradford before the QB could release the ball. The sack produced a 2 nd  and 16 on the 34, but it also burnt off nearly 20 seconds before Bradford could snap the ball again.   Bradford found Claypool for 8 yards on the play, but that left 3 rd  and 8 and the clock still ticking. He would need not only a play to reach the first down but one that would get the ball out of play to stop the clock. But Bradford was a veteran who had seen more than his share of pressure moments. He called the right play against the shallow zones St. Louis set up, a clearing route that sent Beckham and Snead to the inside, creating space for Eifert underneath. His tight end brought in the pass and headed for the sideline, crossing out of bounds just past the first down marker before getting hit by LB Trey Hendrickson. The late hit would draw a penalty, moving the ball half the distance to the endzone and giving Chicago a first and 10 at the 8 with 27 second and a time out still in play for Chicago.   St. Louis was facing a 1 st  and goal with enough time for Chicago to run all 4 downs if they needed them. The tension in the stadium was palpable. The Sunday night EFN crew of former USFL QB Steve Young and play-by-play specialist Dave Fleming were building up the energy for the TV audience as everyone in the stadium recognized that regardless of the result of the next 27 seconds, this game was going to have one hell of an ending.   First and goal from the 8, Bradford looks for OBJ, but his favorite target is blanketed. He dumps the ball off to White, but he rookie does not get his head turned around in time and cannot bring in the ball.   Second and goal from the 8. Expecting a shallow zone, Bradford goes for the fade route to Claypool. The receiver stretches for the ball, brings it down, but his first foot down touches the line and as he crashes to the turf, the ball comes out, incomplete.   Third and goal from the 8. Bradford is flushed from the pocket by Epenesa, but just as the breakout defensives star gets to the knees of Bradford, he releases the ball and finds WR Jameson Williams along the sideline. Williamson gets a foot down, before stepping out, the ball now on the 2 with 1 play left and 7 seconds to decide the game.   Fourth and goal from the 2. As the announcers comment that Chicago essentially is set up exactly where they would be for a 2-point PAT, with Steve Young highlighting that the entire PAT playbook, typically 10-12 different plays, is now available, including draws, misdirection runs, and a wide range of short passing concepts. Chicago lines up initially with Beckham and Snead to the left, Claypool and Eifert to the right and White next to Bradford in the shotgun. Before the snap, Claypool shifts left to form a classic bunch formation, almost certainly setting up a rub route to free Beckham underneath the two interior receivers. St. Louis adjusts their coverage, the defenders calling out to switch coverage rather than cross each other in the inevitable cluster. When the ball is snapped, the play develops as expected, with Beckham crossing underneath Snead and Claypool, while Eifert crosses from the other side. White stays in to help block Epenesa, giving Bradford time, but the St. Louis defenders are ready, they don’t crash into each other or the various receivers, they trade off coverage, ensuring that Beckham’s crossing route is covered. Bradford looks OBJ’s direction, then quickly redirects towards Eifert. The tight end has a step on LB Micah McFadden, but pressure is closing in on Bradford. The Chicago QB lets the ball go towards Eifert, but just as he is finishing his release, DT Geno Atkins clips his arm, causing the ball to skew to the left and lower than Bradford wanted. Eifert is unable to reach the low throw before it hits the turf. Play over, drive over, game over.   St. Louis thought they had the game in hand early, watched as their lead slipped away, took advantage of a key defensive play and composed themselves, and then, when it came down to the wire, the Skyhawk defense, which for so many years had been not only sub-par, not only bad, but comically bad, came up huge, holding Chicago out of the endzone and winning the game. St. Louis not only knocked off the Machine, but did so with a balance of offensive fireworks and defensive grit. This was not the Skyhawk team that fans had started to give up on over the past decade. This was a new, gutsy, and very talented Skyhawk team, a message they sent loud and clear to the nation on the Sunday night broadcast, and, perhaps more importantly, a message they sent to the Chicago Machine. Chicago would head home still 1 game up on the division, but very much aware that neither the division nor a trip to the Summer Bowl would come easy.   SAN ANTONIO 24   NEW ORLEANS 28 The Breakers were on the brink of playoff elimination, down 10 to the Gunslingers as they entered the 4 th  quarter, but Geno Smith pulled them away from the edge with touchdown tosses to Dawson Knox and DeMarco Murray in a 14-point 4 th , to get the win and keep their chances for a Wild Card alive. San Antonio takes the L despite 122 yards from Brandon LaFell and a combined 127 yards from Mostert and Gordon. POTG:  Breaker QB Geno Smith: 17/33, 265 Yds, 3 TD, 0 Int   SEATTLE 40  DALLAS 18 Dallas is out after a bad home loss to a Dragon team peaking at the right time. It was 19-0 at the half with Seattle scoring on all 5 first half possessions (a Cooper TD and 4 Harris field goals). It did not get much better for Dallas in the 2 nd half, with Seattle adding 3 TDs in the 4 th  to put this one well out of range for a comeback. All 3 Dragon backs scored on the day as Seattle moves to 10-4 and locks up a playoff spot. POTG:  Seattle WR Amari Cooper: 6 Rec, 124 Yds, 1 TD   OHIO 20   ORLANDO 36 Ohio’s losing streak hits 4 games and this one also knocks them out of any playoff possibility as Orlando delivers the death blow. Russell Wilson threw for 2 scores, Tarik Cohen rushed for another 2 and the defense shut down Justin Fields, holding the Ohio QB to 190 yards passing and -6 on the ground. Throw in a pair of Montez Sweat sacks, one for a safety, and it was all Orlando. POTG:  Orlando DE Montez Sweat: 9 Tck, 4 TFL, 2 Sck, 1 Sfty   JACKSONVILLE 14   TAMPA BAY 33 Brian Burns is going to haunt Trevor Lawrence’s dreams after sacking the Jacksonville QB 7, yes, 7 times. Only a portion of 11 sacks given up by a clearly overwhelmed line. Lawrence also threw 3 picks in one of the ugliest outings of his career. For the Bandit offense, Ryan Grant had 2 scores, and both Cook and Breida rushed for a TD in this lopsided affair. POTG:  Bandit DE Brian Burns: 8 Tck, 7 Sck   LOS ANGELES 30   SAN DIEGO 20 The Express continue to show better offensive capability with Andy Dalton at the helm, but also got a pick-six from the D, part of a 17-0 run in the 4 th quarter to turn a potential upset into a victory. The loss eliminated San Diego from the postseason while locking in a spot for the Express. In the win, Dalton threw for 208 yards while the combo of Perkins and Montgomery added 122 on the ground. POTG:  Express CB Jamar Taylor: 5 Tck, 2 PDef, 1 Int   PHILADELPHIA 16   DENVER 23 The Gold put up 23 unanswered to race ahead of the Stars and secure another home win. Josh Allen threw for 332 and 2 scores, the defense held Derrick Henry to 68 yards and limited Carson Wentz to 192 yards passing as the two eliminated clubs battled for pride at Empower Field. POTG:  Denver QB Josh Allen: 15/25, 332 Yds, 2 TD, 0 Int   BALTIMORE13   MEMPHIS 17 A good win for the Showboats, a bad loss for the Blitz as Memphis improves to 8-6 while Baltimore drops to 7-7 and a game behind the leaders in the NE Division. Baltimore had a 13-3 halftime lead, but it was all Memphis in the 2 nd half, with touchdowns from Luke Stocker and David Williams proving to be the difference. Baltimore had a shot late, but Jake Locker missed on a crucial 4 th and 8 throw and the Showboats held on to get the win and move into the 6 th playoff spot. POTG:  Memphis QB Blake Bortles: 17/31, 184 Yds, 1 TD, 0 Int   HOUSTON 28  BIRMINGHAM 12 Tim Tebow looked rusty, completing only 18 of 44 passing as Houston got back on their feet thanks to Carlos Hyde’s 3-TD day. Hyde returned to action, rushed for 82 and the three scores and took pressure off Kellen Clemons, who would go 9 of 16 for 200 yards and a score on the day. The loss was not a death blow for the Stallions’ division title hopes as San Antonio also lost, but now Memphis is back in the mix at 8-6 as well. POTG:  Houston HB Carlos Hyde: 27 Att, 82 Yds, 3 TD   WASHINGTON 7   NEW JERSEY 27 The Generals played like a team that knew how big this game was for them, outgaining Washington 411-282, and putting up 27 unanswered after Washington’s initial score. The Defense held Washington out of scoring range for more than 3 full quarters, while the offense got TDs from Jonnu Smith, Tony Pollard, and Kyren Williams to move New Jersey to 8-6 and keep hold of the division lead thanks to a tiebreaker over New England. POTG:  General HB Tony Pollard: 22 Att, 99 Yds, 1 TD   NEW ENGLAND 29  ATLANTA 9 The Steamrollers kept pace with New Jersey, winning their 3 rd  in a row to move to 8-6 by knocking off Atlanta at Mercedes Benz Stadium. Ryan Tannehill threw for 231 and 2 scores while the defense held Atlanta to 2 of 12 on third down and limited Kyler Murray to only 161 yards passing. It was tight at the half, 10-9 New England, but the Rollers started the 2 nd  half with a safety against Murray and never looked back. POTG:  SS Jaiquawn Jarrett: 5 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 Sfty   PITTSBURGH 7   CHARLOTTE 14 The Monarchs double their 2021 win total with their 6 th  coming against the Maulers at Bank of America Stadium. The Monarch D sacked Kenny Pickett 7 times and held Pittsburgh to only 48 yards rushing on the day. Pittsburgh’s D was solid once again, but the offense just could not get anything going and that gave Charlotte all they needed to get win number six. POTG:  Charlotte HB Phillip Linday: 20 Att, 74 Yds, 1 TD   PORTLAND 14   OAKLAND 21 The Invaders let up on the gas a bit too soon, building a 21-0 lead after 3 quarters but then playing a bit too lax as Portland tried to roar back. Marcus Marriota had 2 touchdowns in the 4 th , but there was no success on an onside kick after the second, saving Oakland from a possible humiliating end. Christian McCaffrey was the star on offense for the Invaders, rushing for 107 yards and catching 5 Davis Mills passes for 44 more and a TD. POTG:  Oakland HB Christian McCaffrey: 19 Att, 107 Yds, 5 Rec, 44 Yds, 1 TD   LAS VEGAS 14  MICHIGAN 13 Don’t look now, but Las Vegas is in contention for a Wild Card, only 1 game behind the Invaders. The Vipers won their 3 rd  in a row thanks to touchdowns from Matt Jones and Ricky Seals-Jones and a defense that held Michigan to 192 yards passing and only a lone LeVeon Bell TD. Blake Martinez looks fully recovered from the injury that had him out for more than half the season, recording 8 tackles and a sack on the day. POTG:  Viper TE Ricky Seals-Jones: 3 Rec, 63 Yds, 1 TD   OKLAHOMA 0   ARIZONA 42 No team is in better postseason form than the Wranglers, which they proved with an utter dismantling of the Oklahoma Outlaws. Ryan Nassib threw for 326, including a pair of touchdowns to slot receiver Tyler Lockett, the run game produced 116 yards to Oklahoma’s 6, yes, 6 total yards rushing. And, as if we had to say it, the defense was stifling, absolutely deleting Oklahoma’s run game, holding Jalen Hurts to -2 yards on the ground, and recording 2 picks and 6 sacks. Looks like the Wranglers are ready for some playoff football. POTG:  Wrangler QB Ryan Nassib: 14/18, 326 Yds, 2 TD, 1 Int   Brian Burns Balls Out The two-time defending USFL champs are known for one thing, their big play “Bandit Ball” offense, but DE Brian Burns reminded us all this week that the Bandits are also a Top 5 defense, capable of shutting down opponents just as readily as they can roll the scoreboard. He did so not only by dominating an overmatched and clearly unprepared Jacksonville offensive line, but by setting a new USFL record in the process. The Bandits punished Bulls’ QB Trevor Lawrence, with 9 hurries, 12 hits, and 11, yes, 11 sacks. But what was more impressive than those horrific numbers was the league record set by Tampa’s lead edge rusher, Brian Burns. Burns recorded 7 of those 11 sacks of Lawrence, snapping the prior record held by none other than league legend and the man at the top of our 40 Greatest Players list, Calais Campbell (Set against Tampa Bay back in 2014).  Burns did it with speed, with power, and with a truly devastating swim move that had Bulls’ LT Taylor Lewan looking like an undrafted rookie instead of a 1 st round pick and 8-year veteran. Even with help from TE Eric Ebron, FB Zach Line, or HB Chubba Hubbard, the left side of the Jacksonville line was simply unable to address the pressure from Burns. The Bandits had 4 sacks in the first quarter, 2 in the 2 nd , 3 in the third, and finished with 2 more in the final minutes of the game, with Burns recording 4 of his 7 sacks in the second half, with Tampa Bay protecting a ludicrous 30-0 lead. It was a dominant performance from the Bandits on both sides of the ball, but nowhere more than on the left side of the line, where Brian Burns not only dominated the Bulls but lept over J. J. Watt, A. J. Epenesa and Montez Sweat, three far-more celebrated edge rushers, taking a dominant 3-sack lead over the field for the 2022 sack title, and almost guaranteeing himself a return to All-USFL status (2020 was his first).   Smith Keeps Breakers on Playoff Life Support In week 14 New Orleans knocked off a weakened Houston Gambler squad to end a 4-game losing streak and climb back to 6-7. This week they faced potential elimination as they traveled to San Antonio to take on the 9-4 Gunslingers. A loss and they would drop to 6-8 and be out of any Wild Card hopes. Coach Lathon made that reality clear in the pre-game preparations, and Geno Smith gave us a classic Lee Corso “Not So Fast, My Friend” performance to stave off elimination and pull the Breakers up to .500, still very much alive in the USFL Eastern Division playoff hunt.   With New Orleans trailing the homestanding Gunslingers 24-14 as the game entered the 4 th  quarter, Smith could be seen bucking up the offense, exhorting them to give it their all, and rallying the troops. When he was on the field, he was impeccable, going 7 of 8 in his final 2 drives, the first producing a 7-yard TD toss to Dawson Knox, the second, in the game’s final minutes, producing the game winning score, a perfectly executed screen to DeMarco Murray which was apparently an audible called by Smith after assessing the defense. Coach Lathon gave Smith full credit in the post-game interview. Stating that the original call was for a pair of out routes to try to get inside the 10. Smith recognized the outside leverage being taken by the corners and the safeties leaning for a drop back, and he made the switch, shifting TE Dawson Knox to the wide side to help block for Murray, and setting up the screen play that would win the game.   Now, at 7-7, New Orleans has 2 games to make a run, both played in the very friendly atmosphere of the Super Dome. They will likely need help to get there, but if they can knock off Charlotte this week, they could face a “Win & In” situation with the Memphis Showboats in Week 17. If they do find themselves there, they can point to this week’s game and Geno Smith’s leadership as the reason they have a shot at all.   Ohio Losing Streak Turns to Elimination The other side of the Week 16 emotional roller coaster has to be the feeling the Ohio Glory are living right now. They went into their road trip to Orlando knowing that a loss would push them to 6-8, two games under .500 and almost certain playoff elimination. After being 6-4, it would mean losing their 4 th consecutive game and turning a feel-good season into a major disappointment. Their season and their playoff hopes rode on this one game. And yet, by all accounts they came out flat, giving up an early touchdown, a safety, and slowly falling into a 12-3 hole, a hole that grew to 29-6 at its worst point. The Glory defense gave up too many 3 rd  down conversions, too many yards, and too many 2 nd  chances. The offense failed to produce, with Justin Fields losing 6 yards on his combined 11 runs and throwing for only 190 yards. It was a poor showing in every phase of the game, a clearly dominant performance by the 9-5 Renegades, and a sour end to what began as a season of hope for the Glory.   Ohio will go into the offseason with a lot of questions. They clearly have a playmaker at QB, but rookie Kenneth Walker Jr. looked tired all season, unable to reach the potential he showed at Michigan State, but perhaps capable of more when he has a full offseason to recover instead of the shortened hiatus between his NCAA career and his USFL debut. The Glory clearly need to find more weapons for Fields, with Terry McLaurin constantly struggling through double coverage. They also need to improve on a defense that faded down the stretch. But, with 2 games left, the Glory can still try to leverage some good feelings. Even though they are out of the post-season picture, snapping the losing streak and reaching .500 at 8-8 have to be the new goals for the club.   Oakland & Las Vegas Make it 3 in a Row The USFL has set us up with an unlikely but very exciting Week 16 situation: two teams on winning streaks, very much alive as they seek a single playoff spot left available, and playing head-to-head in what very much feels like an early playoff game. Oakland comes into the game having earned three much-needed wins against Memphis, LA, and Portland. They now sit at 8-6, occupying the final Wild Card spot and in full control of their own destiny, something very much in doubt back in Week 12, when a loss to the Dragons at home had them at 5-6. Their opponent, the Las Vegas Vipers were written off far earlier. They started the season 0-4 and were 1-5 after 5 weeks when Head Coach Greg Landry made the tough call. He benched 2021 and week 1 starter Matt McGloin and went with the more dynamic but riskier option in QB Gardner Minshew. That move paid off, with Las Vegas winning 6 of their next 8 games, including their current 3-game win streak, including a huge home upset over the Arizona Wranglers. They sit at 7-7, only 1 game behind Oakland.   The two teams, both on 3-game win streaks, will face off at Levi’s Stadium this Sunday, with the winner either clinching that last Western Conference playoff spot (Oakland), or in position to lock it up in Week 17 (Las Vegas). Amazing what a few wins strung back-to-back can do for a team. Both of these teams are feeling good, and focused on a game that could mean everything to them and their fans.   Allgeier’s Hamstring a Concern for Arizona The Wranglers were more than impressive this week, absolutely demolishing the Oklahoma Outlaws 42-0, but it was not all good news for the Southwestern Division Champions. Their star rookie, halfback Tyler Allgeier had just scored his 9 th touchdown of the season, took the ball on a routine pitch out on a 1 st and 10, but immediately fell to the ground, clutching his thigh. He would not return to the game, out with a possible partial tear of his hamstring. Allgeier, who had not only become a key feature of the Wranglers’ 2-headed rushing attack, adding 572 yards and 9 touchdowns to Ka’Deem Carey’s 868 yards and 7 scores, but was the preferred short-yardage option for the Wranglers. Peyton Barber, who had only 19 touches all season, would come in and perform well, but with the Wranglers looking ahead to a playoff run and still in the hunt for the 1 seed and home field advantage throughout the playoffs, could be without a key weapon.   Monday’s series of imaging showed no tears, a sigh of relief for the Wranglers, but a severe strain that needed rest. So, with 2 games left that could determine just what the post-season would look like for the Wranglers, Coach Tomsula announced yesterday that Allgeier’s regular season would be shuttered for the final two weeks. The hope being that with a potential bye week in hand, the rest would give Allgeier 3 full weeks to recover and get his hammie back to form for a divisional playoff game. The Wranglers face Ohio this week and finish with Michigan, two inter-divisional games where the Wranglers should be heavy favorites, and two games that could lock in that much-wanted bye. Arizona will go into both games as heavy favorites, which may just allow them to lose the talents of their star rookie and still come out on top when the regular season wraps up.     Having run through the scenarios for all the teams heading into Week 16 in our Big Story this week, we thought we would just use this space to offer our condolences to the 13 teams who are absolutely and mathematically eliminated from the 2022 playoffs. new to that group this week are Charlotte, Houston, Washington, San Diego and Ohio. They join Oklahoma, Denver, Pittsburgh, Portland, Michigan, Philadelphia, Atlanta and Jacksonville in that sad club. So, what are these teams fighting for? Pride mostly, perhaps positioning, or just trying to avoid a 10-loss season. Too late on that front for the Stars, Fire, bulls, Maulers, Stags, and Panthers, but for the others, getting to 8-8 or 7-9 is still possible. And if we look at the USFL Draft, the Panthers are essentially 1 loss away from locking up the 1 st  overall pick, something no one expected. Portland, Atlanta, and Jacksonville would be looking at potential picks 2-4, assuming all three stay at 3 wins for the year. Right now it would be Jacksonville sitting in the 2-spot, followed by Portland and then Atlanta.   Some key players will be out of some very important games, especially in New Orleans, where the Breakers need to win out to have any shot at a Wild Card, but will do so without both WR Jordy Nelson and FB Curtis Nelson. Las Vegas will be without edge rusher Brooks Reed for their huge game against Oakland and, if they make the playoffs, possibly for their entire playoff run as well. Birmingham, in a very tight race for the Southern title, will be without Raekwon McMillian down the stretch, and LA could be more vulnerable in the secondary with Stephon Gilmore expected to miss the final 2 games of the regular season.   OUT DE          Brooks Reed             LV           Back           IR FB          Curtis Nelson           NOR      MCL         4-6 Weeks LB           Raekwon McMilian        BIR         Hernia         2-4 Weeks DT          DeVante Wyatt                 ATL         Ankle             2-4 Weeks OT          Greg Robinson                BIR         Neck             1-2 Weeks WR         Jordy Nelson                NOR      Wrist             1-2 Weeks CB          Stephon Gilmore            LA          Hip                  1-2 Weeks   DOUBTFUL FB          Rod Benjamin          SAN       Knee G            Michael Dunn               NOR      Concussion   QUESTIONABLE TE           Jeff Heuerman           TBY        Knee HB         Trey Sermon                OHI       Concussion SS           Nick Scott                 PHI        Neck DT          Beau Allen                    JAX         Back   Stoops Stepping Down after 4 Years in OKC We have our first coaching change of the season as Coach Bob Stoops announced on Tuesday that he will play out the season but will resign from the team after their Week 16 matchup in Las Vegas. Stoops, a legend at Oklahoma University, was a hugely popular choice to take over the Outlaws when they relocated from San Antonio to Oklahoma City, but since taking over the team, he has struggled to get them over the hump and into contention in the Southwest Division. His first season (2019) saw the Outlaws go 6-10. They faced a bit of a rebuild after the 2020 Expansion allowed the new San Antonio Gunslingers to claim several veteran players, including QB Joe Flacco, but Stoops was able to rebuild and improve the Outlaws to 8-8 in his second year. In 2021 rookie QB Jalen Hurts arrived and there was a lot of hype as to what the OU quarterback and the OU ball coach could do together. But, after a 6-10 campaign in 2021, the Outaws again struggled for consistency this year, sitting at 5-8-1 and out of playoff contention after 15 weeks. Stoops did not provide much to the gathered media, using the standard tropes of spending more time with his family, thanking the team for the opportunity, and acknowledging the effort and spirit of his players. His foray into pro football was, overall, a forgettable one. His arrival certainly brought energy to a new fanbase that was already feeling pretty good about getting a USFL team for the first time since their 1-year experiment in Tulsa in 1987, but the Outlaws simply could not make waves in a very competitive division. Stoops will almost certainly get a fair amount of applause in his final home game this week, a tough matchup against the Denver Gold, and he will be on the sideline in Week 17’s road trip to Las Vegas, but the Outlaws will now be entering the coaching search mode, hoping to find a new leader who can bring the club’s first playoff run to the city and the state.   McDermott Not Taking the Fall in Michigan More coaching news out of Michigan, and in a move that is a surprise to no one, Panther ownership stood firmly behind Head Coach Sean McDermott. While expressing deep disappointment for a season that has Michigan sitting at 2-11, far from the playoff aspirations that opened the season, team president Jim Popp stated that he felt the team was more talented than their record displayed, and was going to be able to bounce back in 2023. He expressed full confidence in Coach McDermott, who had overseen 8 consecutive playoff seasons, including a league title in 2017. “One bad year does not define a man or a team.” Said Popp as he stated that he fully expected McDermott to be a Panther through the end of his contract in 2025 if not longer.   Yes, we have all heard the “vote of confidence” speech before, but this time we are willing to believe that this is not the first step before a firing. McDermott has done amazing work in Michigan, with 2 Summer Bowl appearances, a league title, and an overall record of 111-79, nothing to sneeze at. The Panthers certainly have issues, and we expect some major movement on the roster, both sides of the ball, but, as their team president said, no one season defines a team or a man, so we believe the Panthers this time around. Expect McDermott to be at the helm in 2023, though you should also expect some new faces up and down the roster, and, very likely a new pair of coordinators up in the booth.   40 Greatest Players in 40 USFL Seasons: Our Top 2 Here we go, the top two players in USFL history. Did you guess them from the get go? Are you surprised?  We had some debates, some lobbying for one of the other Top 5 players, but in the end, the choices were unassailable, two of the absolute greatest players in USFL history, the pinnacle for their positions, both players with league records that may never be topped, two icons of the game, and two superstars of spring football. 2)  WR Eric Truvillion ( 1983-1995) Quite simply the greatest offensive weapon the USFL has ever seen. The 13-year veteran of the Tampa Bay Bandits, from their first game through the 1995 season, Truvillion is not only a 12-time All-USFL player, or the 1995 OPOTY. He is not only a major player in the 1983 league title that made the Bandits an immediate hit in the Sunshine State, he is a league record holder who has put up numbers no one may ever top.  Eric Truvillion’s 174 career touchdown receptions remains the gold standard more than 20 years after he retired from the game. Despite the great success of Joey Galloway, Chad Johnson, Lawrence Dawsey, and Randy Moss, no one has been able to surpass Truvillion. And that is only one stat. How about the season records? Truvillion’s 25 touchdown receptions in 1985 is still the league record, a number only 1 player has ever even approached (Ernest Givens with 23 in 1992). No receiver has even topped 20 in the past 30 years. And that one is not the most impressive. Take a look at the greatest receiving seasons in USFL history. You will see Truvillion not only atop the list, but occupying the 1, 2, and 3 slots. All three have him over 1,900 yards, tantalizingly close to that mythical 2,000-yard mark. His 1986 season with 1,959 yards is amazing enough, but when you add in 1,944 yards the year prior and 1,932 yards in 1992, you have perhaps the most stunning offensive statistic in the entire USFL recordbook. There have been lots of amazing receivers in the spring league, but no one comes close to what we saw from Eric Truvillion, a true GOAT in the USFL history books.   1)   DE Calais Campbell (2008-Present) You had to know, you just had to, that if Eric Truvillion was in the 2 nd  position, ahead of Kerry Collins and Herschel Walker, that there was only 1 name capable of being the USFL GOAT. The fact that you can still buy a ticket to a USFL game and watch Calais Campbell play is just an amazing bonus for today’s fans.  The Sack Sensation in Orlando. When the Orlando Renegades drafted and signed Campbell out of “The U” in 2008, the hope was that they could help to address the huge departure of legendary edge rusher Chris Doleman. What they got was so much more than that. In his first year he had a solid start, a 12-sack season for a rookie, but he became a star in his 2 nd  year. As a sophomore Campbell became the first player in USFL history to record 30 sacks, destroying Phil Hansen’s league record of 28 sacks by racking up 34 that year. He would go on to top 30 sacks 4 times in his career, taking over the top 4 spots on the all-time greatest seasons for a pass rusher. Of course, he now also owns the 6 th spot and the 8 th , allowing room for only 3 other names on the entire Top 10 of USFl pass rushing seasons.   That dominance is amazing to us, but it is not even his most astonishing accomplishment. There are two that we would rate higher. The first is his ability to not only dominate in the passing game but be perhaps one of the best tackling DE’s of all time as well. Calais Campbell not only has 14 seasons of 20 or more sacks (he just landed his 20 th  for 2022 this week), but he, not once, but twice, finished a season with 100 tackles. That is a linebacker number, not an edge rusher number. He did it first in 2015, then again in 2018. In all he has 8 seasons where he recorded 80 or more tackles. Let’s compare that to some other greats, shall we?   Phil Hansen, 2 nd  in career sacks, never topped 80 tackles in a season. Kavika Pittman (3 rd  in career sacks) none, and only 1 season over 70. Reggie White, the Minister of Defense? None. Chris Doleman, the man Orlando was hoping to replace with Campbell, not a single season with more than 62 tackles. And Campbell had 2 years over 100. Sheer insanity!!  Campbell as a Wrangler Last, but certainly not least, is the record for career sacks. Calais Campbell did not squeak by Phil Hansens’ league record of 289 sacks, itself an incredible number when you consider that the NFL record holder is Bruce Smith with only 200. Well, Campbell left both Smith and Hansen in the dust, recording 380 sacks over his career, a career that is not over yet. That means he has 91 more sacks than the prior record holder. The Renegades brought him in to try to fill the gap that Chris Doleman left, and he already has more than 100 more sacks than Doleman.   We don’t know if this season, Calais Campbell’s 15 th , will be his last or if he will give it another go in 2023, but what we do know is that we are witnessing a career that may never be equaled. With Orlando, then Arizona, and now the Baltimore Blitz, Calais Campbell has been the very best the USFL has to offer and one of the all-time greats. And for the USFL he is the greatest player of all time, the GOAT of spring football.   So many meaningful games this week, so many permutations and calculations of playoff impact, draft order, and the like. So, which games do you not want to miss? Here is our pick of the games that absolutely have to be caught this weekend.   We start off on Saturday with a Breakers-Showboats clash that will mean almost certain disaster for the loser. New Orleans’s only shot at the postseason is to go 2-0 and get some help, but they face a Memphis squad that still has a real shot not only at a Wild Card but at the division title if they can go 2-0 to end the year.   On Sunday, New Jersey faces New England in a game that very well could decide the Northeast Division. The winner is poised to claim the crown, the loser could fall not only to a Wild Card, but potentially out of the playoffs altogether. The other big Sunday game is in Las Vegas, where the Invaders can lock up a Wild Card with a win and the Vipers can stave off elimination and give themselves a real shot in Week 17 if they can hold court at home.   But you all know what the Game of the Week is primed to be. It’s 12-2 Tampa Bay visiting 12-2 Chicago in what looks very much like a Summer Bowl preview. It’s the two best teams in the league going head-to-head. The concern, of course, is that Tampa Bay is already locked into the 1 seed in the East, so do they play a vanilla game, not wanting to show their hand to the Machine? Or do they go for the win, perhaps to capture a mental edge over the likely Western Conference 1 seed? Chicago has no room for error, not with St. Louis hot on their heels, so we know we will get all they have, but the Bandits could go a lot of different ways in this one.   Fri. 7pm ET         Seattle (10-4) @ Houston (6-8)                          NBC Fri. 7pm ET       Washington (5-8-1) @ Philadelphia (4-10)       ESPN/EFN   Sat. 12pm ET     Baltimore (7-7) @ Dallas (6-8)                           ABC Sat. 12pm ET     Arizona (11-3) @ Ohio (6-8)                              FOX Sat. 4pm ET      Portland (3-11) @ Los Angeles (9-5)               ABC Sat. 4pm ET       Birmingham (9-5) @ San Diego (6-8)                FOX Sat. 8pm ET      New Orleans (7-7) @ Memphis (8-6)              NBC Sat. 8pm ET       Tampa Bay (12-2) @ Chicago (12-2)                 ESPN/EFN   Sun 12pm ET   Jacksonville (3-11) @ Atlanta (3-11)                ABC Regional Sun 12pm ET     Charlotte (6-8) @ San Antonio (9-5)                  ABC Regional Sun 12pm ET   New Jersey (8-6) @ New England (8-6)          FOX Sun 4pm ET       St. Louis (11-3) @ Orlando (9-5)                      ABC Sun 4pm ET      Denver (5-9) @ Oklahoma (5-8-1)                    FOX Regional Sun 4pm ET       Oakland (8-6) @ Las Vegas (7-7)                      FOX Regional Sun 8pm ET      Pittsburgh (4-10) @ Michigan (2-12)                  EFN

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Can there be any doubt? Seven sacks in a single game? That is insane, and the fact that it thrust Brian Burns to the top of the season's stat leaderboard by 3 sacks over Montez Sweat makes it all that much more amazing. With only 2 games left, did this one incredible performance just give a very unexpected title to Burns? PLAYOFF PICTURE: A big week in the Western Conference as three more teams got themselves a golden ticket to the USFL postseason. St. Louis (11-3), Seattle (10-4), and Los Angeles (9-5) are all in, though the battles are not yet over as St. Louis still wants to catch Chicago for that Central Division title, while LA and Seattle have not yet settled the Pacific crown. It was also a big week for eliminations, with 5 more teams joining the "not quite, buddy" group. In the East, teams with 8 losses, including Houston, are out, while in the West, only Dallas remains alive, on life support thanks to some tiebreakers. Ohio, San Diego, Charlotte, Houston, and Washington are all officially out of the running with 2 weeks to go.

It was a Father's Day weekend to celebrate, and what better way than with some great USFL action. More divisional rivalry games, more close games, and a few upsets to throw into the mix in Week 14. We also saw the league's six teams with 6-6 records split their games this weekend, leaving three with a leg up at 7-6 and three in real danger that another loss could end their playoff dreams. That is our big story, reviewing the situation for every team that entered Week 14 at 6-6. We will start there, then run through all of the week's results, look at the potential impact of Cam Newton's potential absence in Week 15, after taking a tough loss in Week 14, and offer our thoughts on five teams that might want to shake things up this offseason. All this, and the 3rd and 4th Greatest Players in USFL history, at least from our estimation. It's all coming up right now.   The Fate of the 6-6 Clubs In Flux Some started the year strong, racing out to a solid record in the first weeks of the year, only to fade as the heat of summer began to take hold. Others have started to build up their resume over the past few weeks, building on early defeats and winning more games of late. This week we will look at 5 teams that came into the week at 6-6, and one who started at 5-7 but is now putting themselves in the mix. How did they fare and what could it mean for their final 3 games?   New England (7-6): Defeated Birmingham The injury to Cam Newton helped the Steamrollers put together back-to-back wins to improve from 5-6 to 7-6 and placed them in a 3-way tie atop the Northeast Division with the Blitz and Generals. If all three continue to mix wins with losses, the division winner could be the only club to qualify for the postseason, but if any can win their final 3, they pave their pathway to the playoffs. The good news for the Steamrollers is that of the three they are the club who can control their own destiny. After what should be a solid matchup against Atlanta this week, the Rollers face both New Jersey and Baltimore to finish out the year. They have the Generals at home, but even with a win there, it could come down to a Week 17 road trip to Baltimore to face the Blitz. The goal for New England now should be to win in Atlanta and home against New Jersey, pushing them to 9-6, which may make Week 17 a battle for the division, but not a battle to earn a playoff spot.   Ohio (6-7): Lost to Michigan Things are looking rough for the Glory, who have now lost 3 in a row and could potentially be eliminated from realistic (if not mathematical) post-season contention with just one more loss. That is not what you want to see when your next three games are against 8-5 Orlando, 10-3 Arizona, and 8-5 Los Angeles, all potential playoff teams who do not present easy matchups for the Glory. Ohio travels to Orlando this week in their last road game of the season. If they can get a win there, then they at least have hope with 2 home games, but a loss to the Renegades and what started out as a very hopeful season in Columbus could fade quickly into a mid-table finish and another year of “building for the future”.   Oakland (7-6): Defeated Los Angeles We don’t think it is possible to overstate how big the win in LA was for these Invaders. They are still trailing the Express and the Dragons in the division, but they are in range, and even if they cannot pull out a late surge for the division title, they are now solidly in the playoff picture, currently holding the tiebreakers over other 7-6 clubs to earn the final Wild Card spot. That means they control their own destiny moving forward. They finish up with 3 teams currently under .500 (v. Portland, @ Las Vegas, @ New Orleans), but cannot let up. Those two road games to end the year will not be cupcake games, but 9-7, and even 10-6 are not out of the question, and we think either gets the Invaders into the post-season.   Dallas (6-7): Lost to Chicago The Roughnecks had won 4 in a row, but Chicago is on another level right now. Dallas should shake off that road loss and refocus on their next 3 games. They are still alive, but need help from others as they are a game behind the current 6 th  seed (Oakland). The Roughnecks have two tough games coming up with Seattle and Baltimore both coming to town before finishing up with a road game in Denver. The goal has to be to win out, as that seems like their only shot at snagging a Wild Card berth. The problem is that none of those games will likely see Dallas favored, as Denver may be down this year but are always tough playing at Empower Field and will be looking to spoil things for Dallas if the Roughnecks are still in the picture by Week 17.   San Diego (6-7): Lost to Seattle The Thunder are still alive, which is more than we expected of this club, but they too need to win out and get some help to jump past Dallas and Oakland. That looks like a lot to ask for as they face LA and Birmingham in the next two weeks. Getting to 8-7 before their final week road trip to Portland would be a major coup. It is not impossible, as we have seen San Diego shock some teams, but both LA and Birmingham are in tough division races and are unlikely to dismiss San Diego as an easy win, so the Thunder will need to earn both wins.   Las Vegas (6-7): Defeated Denver We are adding the Vipers to the mix, though they were 5-7 going into Week 14, because their back-to-back division wins over Arizona and Denver puts them in the middle of the 6-7 cluster of teams only 1 game behind Oakland for that 6 th  playoff spot. What is more, in 2 weeks the Vipers will host the Invaders at Wynn Arena, a perfect chance to not only knock Oakland down a peg, but earn a tiebreaker over the Invaders. They have 2-win Michigan first, a must win game for them, but if they can get that win, they will be in position to help themselves immensely with a win over Oakland and then a home finale vs. Oklahoma. 9-7 is very much viable for the Vipers, a record which could get them a Wild Card, and something that should fire them up as they head to Detroit this weekend. For a team that started the year 0-4, and then 1-5, even finishing at 9-7 without a Wild Card would be a great comeback, but a Wild Card would be truly worth celebrating.   OAKLAND INVADERS 23  LOS ANGELES EXPRESS 21 The Oakland Invaders and some form of LA Express have been division rivals since the league first kicked off in 1983, and even though the original Express now live in Las Vegas and the current version has been in LA only since 1995, this is still a rivalry that is always worth the price of admission. The two have played 55 times (with Oakland leading the all-time series 32-23), and this time around it was a vital game for both clubs, with LA hoping to either stay even or move a game above Seattle in the division title race, while Oakland, 2 games back, wanted to get back in the picture and also get themselves into solid Wild Card position by moving over .500 once again.   So, what we had here was a classic rivalry, another great California Derby, between two foes who know each other well, two fanbases who love to hate each other, and two teams that need this win. That means intensity, big plays, and battles at every turn. We got that, plus a bit of West Coast chippiness, with a few skirmishes mixed into the official game action, and 5 lead changes, including 2 in the final 2 minutes of the game. That is just fun football, and when you add in a perfect 73 degree day with a colorful sunset, on Juneteenth and Father’s Day weekend, you get just about the perfect USFL experience.   While the season high LA crowd of 50,303 was loving the weather, the festive atmosphere, and the pre-game mini-concert by La’s own Snoop Dog (a huge USFL fan), the two teams were gearing up for a battle of wills. Once the game started, everything except the action on the field faded away and it was all about those 100 yards of muscle, sweat, and strategy. After a scoreless first quarter that saw both defenses dominate, Oakland took advantage of a nice punt return of 27 yards that put the ball at their own 44. The short field helped the Invaders put points on the board on the drive, moving the ball to the LA 29 before Roberto Aguayo put them up 3-0 to open the game.   The next two possessions, one for each team, produced little aside from a pair of punts, but on their 2 nd  possession of the quarter, LA, guided by their new QB, Andy Dalton, found their groove. They Expressed connected on a pair o big plays to get on the board, both involving HB Ty Montgomery. The first was a pitch out that led to a 21-yard run by the elusive back. The second a screen to Montgomery that got great up front blocking, leading to a 23-yard score to put the Express up 7-3 and got the crowd into full voice. Oakland would bounce back with another field goal as the quarter ended, with the scoreboard a 7-6 affair as the teams headed into the locker room.   The Invaders got two huge plays in the 3 rd  quarter, turning the tide of the game their way. The first was a sack of Andy Dalton, the first of 8 on the day. It came on a 3 rd  and 4. Dalton tried to set up a quick hitter to Jeremy Maclin, but his receiver was blanketed, forcing him to bring the ball back down, and giving Michael Bennett the time he needed to wrap up the Red Rifle and force a punt. That play led to a short field for the Invaders, who took advantage to add a 3 rd  field goal and take a narrow 9-7 lead. But the bigger play would come only 3 plays later. With a poor return putting the ball on the LA 11, the Express tried to run the ball out of the shadow of their endzone, but gained only 3 yards. After a false start turned 3 rd  and 7 into 3 rd  and 12, Dalton made a huge miscalculation, expecting LB Shaq Barrett to follow through on the blitz he was showing. Instead Barrett took a step forward only to back into coverage, just in time to fill the space where TE Jacob Hollister was headed, picking off the Dalton throw and cruising into the endzone for a huge defensive score for Oakland. That score, and the ensuing 2-point play from Mills to Hooper, put them up 17-7 as the 3 rd quarter wound down and the game headed to the 4 th .   Down 10 with only 15 minutes left to play, LA needed a momentum shift. After an early field goal (Aguayo’s 4 th  on the day) gave Oakland a 20-7 lead, some fans started heading out, but the diehards, who were more than enough to make some noise, stayed and watched as LA turned the tide. It began with a nice 8-play drive that ended with Paul Perkins plunging into the endzone to pull LA within 6 at 20-14. That score, coming with just over 5 minutes in the half, gave LA hope. A rare fumble by Christian McCaffrey on Oakland’s next possession, gave LA more than hope, it gave them purpose. MLB Keith Rivers had perfectly executed the punch-out of the ball on the play, falling on the ball for the FF/FR combo. That gave LA all they needed to get the crowd into the game. It would take LA 10 plays to move the 39 yards to the endzone, but when Hollywood Brown grabbed a laser throw from Dalton, the game was tied, with Dan Bailey sent out for the PAT that would give LA their first lead of the half.   With 1:47 on the clock, the Express held a narrow 21-20 lead as they kicked off to Oakland. A stand by their vaunted defense and they would move to 9-4 and be guaranteed at worst a share of first place. Oakland would fall to 6-7 and quite possibly be out of any serious playoff hunt. But Oakland was not ready to give up this game or their playoff hopes. They had 107 seconds, 2 timeouts and a pretty good kicker in Roberto Aguayo, who had already given them 12 of their 20 points on the day and who needed only 1 more shot to give them the win.   Oakland went to an interesting alignment, with two backs, Bryce Love and Christian McCaffrey, two receivers, Adams and Floyd, and TE Zach Ertz. It was not the normal hurry up formation, but with two backs and a TE who were outstanding receivers, it gave Oakland a multi-pronged attack through the air. They would run only once on the drive, a ball-positioning run just before their FG attempt. Davis Mills, who had gone 21 of 26 on the day, would go 5 of 6 on this drive. He would mostly hit short passes, good enough to move the ball across the 50 and close in on field goal range. But the play of the game would be a short pass that turned into something special.   It was a simple enough route, a slant from the outside, helped by Zach Ertz running a fly route to produce a natural rub or pick. Malcolm Floyd caught the ball 7 yards form the line of scrimmage, but spun just as the safety came up, and that spin gave him open field ahead. He would race 37 yards downfield before being tripped up by LA corner Jalen Ramsey. That put the ball on the LA 9. With 27 seconds left and LA without any timeouts, Oakland had Bryce Love run the ball to the middle of the field, gaining 5 yards on the effort and placing the ball at PAT range for kicker Roberto Aguayo. The 7-year veteran who had already hit 4 field goals on the day was looking at a 21-yard chip shot. The ball went through as the clock struck double zeroes and the small contingent of Invader fans in the stadium had their moment, while a disappointed Express crowd filed out.   The Express were still well in the playoff mix at 8-5, a game behind Seattle after the Dragon victory over San Diego this weekend, but not feeling good about their situation. Oakland, on the other hand, was now 7-6, 2 games behind Seattle, 1 behind LA, but in the mix for a Wild Card if nothing else. That, combined with an equalizer in their series with the rival Express, has them looking ahead to the next 3 weeks with a lot of optimism.     TAMPA BAY 16  ATLANTA 13 The Fire shocked many, including Bandits coach Mark Trestman, by finding a way to slow down the Bandits offense, forcing two Dak Prescott picks and limiting Tampa Bay to only 2 of10 on third down, but it was all for naught as Atlanta’s offense was unable to take advantage, falling by 3 despite putting up 10 fourth quarter points. A lone Dez Bryant touchdown and 3 Harrison Butker field goals proved just enough for the Bandits to escape Atlanta with their 11 th win. POTG:  Bandit WR Dez Bryant: 6 Rec, 107 Yds,1 TD   OHIO 24   MICHIGAN 27 OVERTIME The Panthers finally showed some offensive coherence, with 103 yards from LeVeon Bell and 312 yards from Kirk Cousins as they upset the road favorite Glory at Ford Field. Cousins went to some unexpected targets, throwing TDs to Ryan Izzo and Khari Blasingame to help Michigan pull off the upset despite Justin Fields rushing for 109 and going 18 of 26 for 189 in the game. Down 10 in the 4 th , the Panthers not only evened the score late, but got the win in overtime on a 41-yard Chase McLaughlin field goal. POTG:  Michigan DE Aiden Hutchinson: 7 Tck, 2 TFL, 1 Sck, 1 FR   NEW JERSEY 23   JACKSONVILLE 27 Another upset as Trevor Lawrence survives 6 sacks (3 from General DE Yetur Gross-Matos) to throw for 344 yards and 3 scores as the Bulls knock off New Jersey. Tee Higgins returned to action and caught 3 for 79 and a score, while Mike Williams hauled in 5 for 102 and a TD of his own. Christian Kirk rounded out the TD trio and a late Blankenship field goal gave Jacksonville the 4-point upset victory in front of only 22,018. POTG:  Bulls’ QB Trevor Lawrence: 15/25, 344 Yds, 3 TD, 0 Int   ORLANDO 13  CHARLOTTE 12 The Monarchs came close, putting up the first 12 points of the game, but a brutal mistake early in the 4 th  quarter cost them the game. Up 12-6, Paxton Lynch forced a ball to Calvin Ridley only to have D. J. Swearinger pick it off and return it 42 yards for what would end up as the game winning score. The Monarchs had a shot late, but a sack of Lynch forced them out of late field goal range and they were forced to attempt a Hail Mary. The play failed and the Renegades hung on to improve to 8-5. POTG:  Orlando FS D. J. Swearinger: 3 Tck, 1 Int, 1 DefTD   WASHINGTON 20   ARIZONA 34 Ka’Deem Carey’s 104 yards helped offset Travis Etienne’s 116 and Ryan Nassib carved up the Federals’ secondary for 319 yards and 3 scores. The one-time “failed” Federal QB went 20 of 32 with both Brandon Aiyuk and DeMarcus Robinson going over 100 yards in a bit of a revenge game for the short-lived Washington starter as Washington rebounded from an upset loss last week and clinched the Southwest Division Title with the win. POTG:  Wrangler QB Ryan Nassib: 20/32, 319 Yds, 3 TD, 1 Int   SAN DIEGO 10   SEATTLE 26 San Diego’s winning streak ends at 4 games as the Dragons used 4 Jeffery Harris field goals, a Knowshon Moreno TD run and a Siemian to Funchess TD toss to upend the Thunder. We credit the offense, but it was the defense’s ability to shut down Charles Sims (15 yards on 12 carries) that truly gave Seattle the edge. With Brett Hundley expected to return to action next week, the Dragons are right back in the hunt for the Pacific crown at 9-4. POTG:  Dragon HB Knowshon Moreno: 25 Att, 113 Yds, 1 TD   PHILADELPHIA 20  BALTIMORE 13 The Stars play spoiler with Ryan Lindley stepping in when Carson Wentz went down with a possible dislocated shoulder. Lindley threw for 201 and a TD, avoided turnovers, and found Randall Cobb for a 66-yard strike to shock the Blitz. The Stars’ defense also came up big, holding Josh Jacobs to only 41 yards rushing and keeping Jake Locker off balance all game as Philadelphia keeps Baltimore from taking advantage of the New Jersey loss, retaining a tie atop the division. POTG:  Stars’ QB Ryan Lindley: 13/19, 201 Yds, 1 TD, 0 Int   BIRMINGHAM 0  NEW ENGLAND 13 Cam Newton crumbled to the ground on a scramble and that was all she wrote for the Stallions. Newton’s knee was the issue and while Tim Tebow went 10 of 13 in relief, the Stallions never challenged New England. Breece Hall rushed for 108 and Ryan Tannehill found Zay Jones for the only TD of the day as a scoreless first half turned into a Steamroller victory in the third quarter. Newton is doubtful for next week, while New England now joins a 3-way tie atop the NE Division. POTG:  Steamroller HB Breece Hall: 19 Att, 108 Yds   OKLAHOMA 27  PITTSBURGH 34 Where has this offensive production been all year? That is the question Mauler fans are asking after their club put up 34 points, including 3 TD passes from Pickett to Brian Quick. Even the run game was adequate, for perhaps the first time all season. For Oklahoma, a familiar story as Jalen Hurts tried to do it all, though he did get some help from Eddie Lacy’s 108 yards rushing. But, once again it was just not enough as Oklahoma fell behind 34-20 and ran out of time for a comeback. POTG : Mauler WR Brian Quick: 6 Rec, 120 Yds, 3 TD   SAN ANTONIO 29  MEMPHIS 28 Down 28-16 at the start of the 4 th  quarter, Joe Flacco rallied the Gunslingers to victory with a pair of late touchdowns, first finding Julius Thomas to pull within 5 and then hitting rookie Garrett Wilson with the game winner with 1:32 left to play. Up only 1, it was the Gunslinger defense that pulled out the win, forcing a 2 nd  Blake Bortles interception thanks to a well-timed blitz. The win moves San Antonio into a tie atop the South, while sending Memphis 2 games back and likely into Wild Card territory. POTG:  San Antonio QB Joe Flacco: 28/35, 275 Yds, 3 TD, 2 Int   DALLAS 14   CHICAGO 27 The Machine just keeps producing wins, the defense again the star as Chicago holds Dallas to 219 total yards and only 61 yards rushing. The Machine picked off Justin Herbert twice, including a pick-six from Jason Verritt as they overcome an early 14-0 deficit and score the game’s final 27 points to claim victory again. TDs from OBJ and rookie Rachaad White helped pave the way for the 12-1 Machine. POTG:  Chicago CB Jason Verritt: 5 Tck, 3 PDef, 1 Int, 1 DefTD   ST. LOUIS 30  PORTLAND 10 Portland proved no challenge for the Skyhawks, with QB Lamar Jackson throwing for 2 scores and running a third in. The Stags actually outgained St. Louis 369-314, but never led in the game, with 3 Mariota picks sealing the deal for the Skyhawks. The win is St. Louis’s 10 th  on the season and has them on the verge of clinching a playoff spot for the first time in nearly a decade. POTG:  St. Louis QB Lamar Jackson: 14/20, 204 Yds, 2 TD, 0 Int, 9 Att, 16 Yds, 1 TD   NEW ORLEANS 16  HOUSTON 13 Believe it or not, Houston was down to their 4 th  QB in this game as Kellen Clemons went down late, sacked 6 times. Practice squad QB John Williamson came in, completed 2 passes but also threw 2 interceptions in the 4 th quarter to help New Orleans retain their lead and move out of the basement of the Southern Division. POTG:  Breaker QB Geno Smith: 18/35, 339 Yds, 1 TD, 0 Int   DENVER 17   LAS VEGAS 27 Viper backs combined for 126 yards and 2 touchdowns, Gardner Minshew found TE Ricky Seal-Jones for another, and the Denver offense sputtered with Golden Tate sidelined. Josh Allen completed only 11 of 25 passing for 174 yards and the Gold simply could not keep pace with the Vipers, dropping Denver to 4-9 and near certain playoff elimination just one year after winning the division. POTG:  Viper LT Gabe Carimi: 12 Pancakes, 0 Sacks allowed   Newton Out, Birmingham Down It was not the diagnosis that everyone feared. No ACL tear, no MCL damage, just a dislocation of the patella without ligament or tendon damage, easily treated, but it was enough to knock Cam Newton out of the game and make his status for a Week 15 matchup against Houston very uncertain. And, what was worse, it was enough to completely shut down the Birmingham offense against a very solid New England Steamroller defense. Newton’s departure from the game in the 2 nd quarter, just 2:02 before halftime, not only shut down a promising Stallion drive, but meant that the Stallions would go into a 2 nd  half of a scoreless game without their playmaker.   Tim Tebow came into the game before the half but could not put points on the board. That would be the story for the rest of the game, with New England frustrating Tebow and the Stallions all game long. Birmingham would not cross the Steamroller 40, nor try even a field goal all game long. The Birmingham defense did their best to keep them in the game, but even a meager 13 points from the Steamrollers in the 2 nd  half proved sufficient to win the game and produce a rare shutout for a USFL team. And now, with a division rival coming to town in Week 15, the Stallions, who still sit atop the Southern Division, must hope they can get their backup ready to go because even a single loss down the stretch could be the difference between a bye week and home playoff game and a possible road trip in the Wild Card round.   Lawrence Leads Upset Minded Bulls To say 2022 has been a disappointing campaign for both QB Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Bulls as a whole would be an understatement. Losers of 5 straight and sitting at 2-10, the Bulls have been one of the most disappointing teams of the season. The blame is not Lawrence’s. In his 2 nd  season he has looked solid, throwing for over 2,900 yards, earning a 103 QB Rating, well above his 84.8 rookie campaign, and with 19 touchdowns, Lawrence had done what he could. But the league’s worst defense (30 th  in both points allowed and yards allowed) and a run game that never materialized (28 th  in the league) have made the 2022 campaign a big letdown form preseason hopes.   That frustration got a nice venting this week as Lawrence helped the Bulls pull off a major upset over New Jersey. With three TDs and 344 yards passing, it was one of the Bull QB’s best games of the year. He hit Mike Williams, Christian Kirk, and Tee Higgins for scores, showing that the Bulls do have weapons outside. He also got help from a defense that has done little all year, with a pair of drive-killing sacks against Teddy Bridgewater, a timely interception that avoided a New Jersey field goal in the 3 rd , and a nice stop in the final minute of action to preserve the win. The bulls have 3 games left in a pretty dismal 2022 campaign, but if they can muster a couple of wins in the season’s final weeks, perhaps Coach Vrabel and the club can go into the offseason with some hope and with a strong plan to improve the defense, get 2022 rookie James Cook more space in the run game, and maybe come out stronger in 2023.   Panthers Pounce on Stumbling Ohio If Jacksonville has been a disappointment, the 2022 Michigan Panthers have been more like an abject failure. This was a team that many picked to win the Central Division, but that team has just not shown up. Coming into the week at 1-11, with an ugly 11-game losing streak following their Week 1 victory over Charlotte, the Panthers have been brutal to watch. Their offense rarely topping 20 points, their defense unable to contain even modest rushing attacks, and the club shooting themselves in the foot time and time again.   That was the scene as the Panthers hosted rival Ohio at Ford Field. But Ohio, who came in on an 0-3 slump of their own, were perhaps the perfect foils for the desperate Panther squad. The rivalry status of the game helped boost Panther attendance back over 45,000 for the first time in 5 home games. The energy from the fans was there, and the Glory seemed to be as bumbling and unfortunate as the Panthers. The combination was just what Michigan needed.   LeVeon Bell put in 103 yards, Kirk Cousins made a few key plays, and the Panther defense, despite giving up 109 yards and a TD to Justin Fields’ feet, did not allow the Glory to get the early upper hand. They built a 14-0 lead in the first half, fell behind 24-14, in head-slapping manner, but then rallied, scoring the final 13 points of the game to pull out a 27-24 victory and end their horrific losing streak at 11 games. They still hold a 1-game lead over Portland, Jacksonville, and Atlanta for the 1 st  pick in this year’s draft, a huge prize due to the change in draft rules that remove the T-Draft as a separate entity and put more value on the early picks of the Open Draft. It is a small consolation for a lost season, but the feeling of beating a rival and still getting that first pick may be all Michigan has to hold onto right now.   A big week in the USFL playoff picture as 2 more teams punch their ticket for the postseason and 2 more are officially out of the running. Arizona locked up the Southwest Division at 10-3, 4 games up on their closest rival. Tampa Bay also locked up the Southeast Title and now have a 2-game lead over the Stallions for the 1 seed. Meanwhile, close races in the Southern and Northeastern Divisions, with Birmingham currently holding the tie-breaker over San Antonio, while New Jersey, Baltimore, and New England all sit at 7-6 in the Northeast. In the Pacific, Seattle holds a tenuous 1-game lead over the LA Express, while both Oakland and San Diego remain in the Wild Card mix. Denver and Portland join the Panthers, Bulls, Fire, and Stars as teams playing out the string, eliminated from playoff contention. Pittsburgh’s upset win this week keeps them alive for one more week, while Houston, Charlotte, and Oklahoma still hold hopes for a 3-game sweep and a shot at a Wild Card at 8-8 (8-7-1 in Oklahoma’s case.)   A very light week around the league with no new IR additions and the most serious issue being a quad injury to Brandon Pettigrew that could be 2-4 weeks. But, look deeper at the list and what you see are some injuries that are sure to impact the big Chicago-St. Louis showdown in the Central Division. The Skyhawks will be without WR Allen Robinson, and could also be missing LB Christian Sam, while Chicago knows that G Patrick Omameh is out, but are hoping they can get CB Josh Norman ready to go, because he would be a big absence in that Machine secondary, especially with the Skyhawks looking to exploit the passing game.   OUT TE     Brandon Pettigrew  CHA      Torn Quad        2-4 Weeks LB           Aaron Wallace         LA          Arm                      1-2 Weeks WR         Allen Robinson       STL         Abdomen                1-2 Weeks G            Patrick Omameh     CHI        Neck                       1-2 Weeks TE           Kyle Pitts              STL         Shoulder                  1-2 Weeks   DOUBTFUL LB           Christian Sam                  STL         Concussion C             Bradley Bozeman           MGN     Hernia CB          Ronald Darby               PIT         Turf Toe QB         Cam Newton                BIR         Knee CB          Josh Norman                CHI        Concussion   QUESTIONABLE DE          Adrian Clayborn         JAX         Concussion LB           Bobby Wagner              OAK      Knee HB         Chris Carson               ORL       Pinched Nerve     Five Teams that Need to Shake Things Up for 2023 Every offseason there are teams trying to build on what they have in place, others just beginning to put the pieces together, and others who need to blow it all up and consider starting from scratch. And, though you would expect that these are all teams at the bottom of the standings and on their way to an early draft pick, that is not always the case. Sometimes it is a team that has gotten as far as they can get with their current identity, roster, and style of play, even if that is a regular playoff spot. So, who do we think needs to give serious thought to a reboot? Here are 5 teams our crew agrees could use some shaking up, from the top down to the bottom.   Denver Gold (4-9) Yes, the Gold were 12-4 last year, but this season has shown just how fragile that success was. We love Josh Allen, but not the offense that Coach Hufnagel has him in. They already blew up their run game mid-season, but even so, they may want to do a lot of reworking, from the defense (at every level) the receiver group, the HB options, and, perhaps most importantly, at the OC position. We think Coach Hufnagel can get them back to a division title, but not with the conservative way they have been using Allen. They need to get him out of the pocket more, plan some runs, send somebody deep on occasion. With Golden Tate turning 37 this offseason, the time is now to reinvent the passing game, find the next Garrett Wilson or Christian Watson, add some dynamism and unpredictability to the offense, oh, and maybe consider getting a true playmaker at the tailback position, maybe a Bijan Robinson (Texas) or Jahmyr Gibbs (Alabama) in the draft.  Ohio Glory (6-7) The Glory are not a bad team, not a great team, they are just stuck in the middle. There are players we love, like QB Justin Fields, WR Terry McLaurin, and FS Mark Barron, but Ohio, like Denver is just too conservative on both sides of the ball. The fact that Fields is leading the team in rusining is an obvious sign that tailback needs some attention, but with a huge drop off after McLaurin, receiver is another area where more “pop” is needed. The Glory have a steady defense, (10 th  in the league in both scoring and yards allowed) but lack the big playmaker who can destroy an offensive gameplan. We would recommend perhaps looking for a more aggressive defensive coordinator, focusing free agency on an edge rusher or blitzing LB, and then maybe a HB in the draft. Or flip that if any true lead backs come out in free agency, and use what seems destined to be a mid-round draft pick to look at a defensive playmaker like Texas Tech’s Tyree Wilson or Georgia’s Nolan Smith. Oakland Invaders (7-6) Can Oakland actually finish with a record other than 8-8? The Invaders have been stuck in neutral for 3 years, all 8-8, and this year has great capacity to finish the same. Coach Kubiak could be gone if that happens, but more might be needed. We are OK with the year that Davis Mills has put together, and the combo of Bryce Love and Christian McCaffery looks solid, but what if the Invaders used the trading block to ship off McCaffrey, invest in Love, and get a ton of value for their star back? That might help them address needs at WR and across the line, and maybe get them a young DE who can rotate in for the aging Vinny Curry and Michael Bennett. Some speed at corner would also help the league’s 26 th  ranked defense. That and a new energy seem needed in Oakland, where mediocre has gotten too comfortable.  New Jersey Generals (7-6) Getting rid of Norv Turner 2 years ago to bring in Robert Saleh was supposed to add toughness, aggression, and energy to a Generals team that lacked all three. But 2 years into Saleh’s tenure in East Rutherford and what do we see? 7-6 this year, 9-7 last year. Not much different from 7-8-1 in 2020, 9-7 in 2019, 9-6-1 in 2018. The Generals are not a bad team, but they are a team that does not seem to improve year to year. We think Saleh is fine, but something else is needed. Maybe it is a new OC, someone who can maximize Teddy Bridgewater’s talents, or maybe the issue is that neither Bridgewater, nor his predecessor, Nick Foles, is the kind of playmaker that a team needs to be dynamic on offense. The Generals have needs on defense, but they also just need someone who gives the team energy. OBJ used to do that before he got disillusioned and eventually traded. They need someone to shake things up for sure.  Baltimore Blitz (7-6) Again, not a bad team, but the Blitz have finished 9-7 each of the past 3 years and, like Oakland, a 4-peat of the same record does not feel good. Pair that with going 1-and-done the past two years in the playoffs and you have to wonder what the Blitz can do to get out of their solid, but still unsatisfying rut. We might go big, and say that the time has come to put someone else at the helm. Jim Caldwell’s record in Baltimore is a solid 83-58), but he has not reached 10 wins since 2015 and the Blitz don’t look like they are a true contender this year either. We also think they have been “getting by” with Jake Locker at QB. We all know he is no Big Ben Roethlisberger, and he certainly has not been a disaster, but imagine what Baltimore could do with Josh Jacobs, Christian Watson, Michael Pittman Jr., C. J. Uzomah and a QB with the flair of a Lamar Jackson, Justin Fields, or even Josh Allen. Could Alabama’s Bryce Young be that guy? What about C. J. Stroud from Ohio State, or even Anthony Richards of Florida. Now may be the time to think bigger than 9-7.   40 Greatest in USFL’s 40 Seaons: 3-4 We are coming down to the wire, the best of the best, and this week that includes our top-ranked quarterback and halfback of all time. Yup, the top 2 positions will not be the 2 historical glamour positions of quarterback and tailback. Those spots are held at number 3 and number 4. We expect that if you have been following our ranking you have a very good idea who those two USFL icons are. And while you may not agree with our rankings, you at least recognize that these two players are iconic stars whose impact on the league was enormous, both on the field and well beyond. So, here they are, the greatest Quarterback and Halfback in 40 years of USFL football. 4) QB Kerry Collins (1998-2009) The top QB in our ranking comes in at number 4, with a league record career QB Rating of 113.6. Kerry Collins does not lead the league in career yardage (8 th ), or passing touchdowns (3 rd ), largely because he played only 12 seasons in Ohio, but no player has been more efficient or more productive. Look at season-by-season records and you find Collins’ name twice in the Top 5 for passing TDs in a season (52 in 2003, 51 in 2001), with the 3 rd  best yardage output ever (5,466 in 2001), and 4 of the top 10 QB Rating seasons of all time, including a massive 143.6 QBR in the 2003 season.   But, of course, what most people think of when they think of Collins and his Ohio Glory teams was the 2-year run in 2002-2003 in which Collins led the Glory to an unbeaten 14-0 season in 2002 with a clean run to a title and the USFL’s only perfect season, only to return the next year, going 11-3, but repeating as champions for the first time in league history. Yes, those Glory teams had talent across the roster, including the “Triple Threat” of HB Eddie George, WR Joey Galloway, and Collins, but it is the QB who tends to get the credit, and deservedly so with the offense that Ohio had in that run. You can debate a lot of things about the QB position, and you may prefer Brett Favre, Jim Kelly or Troy Aikman as the GOAT of USFL QB’s, but it is hard to argue with perfection, which is what Collins and the Glory showed in 2002.   3) HB Herschel Walker (1983-1995) Any player who can set a league record in 1983 and have it hold up 40 years later, well, that must be some special player. Herschel Walker is that and more for the USFL. For many he is the reason the league exists at all. It is impossible to oversell how important the signing of Walker was to the USFL in 1983. An absolute stud at Georgia, widely recognized as the best player in college football since his freshman year, Walker followed up a Heisman winning junior year by stepping out of the NCAA and into a New Jersey Generals uniform for the USFL, a league willing to sign the junior when the NFL would not. That move started a wave of signings, including 3 straight Heisman winners, that helped give the league legitimacy and star power.   But that signing would not have meant much had Walker not panned out as a pro, but did he ever. With Walker’s 1,767 yards in 1983 set a league record which has amazingly stood ever since, despite challenges from some of the best backs the league has ever produced. Walker followed up that record-setting rookie year with 10 more 1,000-yard seasons, nine All-USFL seasons, and a league title in 1989 that also saw Walker win the MVP and Playoff MVP for an impressive upgrade to his trophy room. Still one of the most popular and sought-after USFL faces of all time, Walker is about as big a star as the league has ever produced and remains an icon of the game and the league. So, who could possibly be ahead of him in our rankings?   Week 15 has 8 of 15 games with division foes going toe to to, starting Friday night when San Antonio heads to the Super Dome to face the New Orleans Breakers. The other Friday game could be a must-win for the homestanding Dallas Roughnecks, sitting at 6-7 and knowing that 8 losses could kill any Wild Card hopes.   Saturday has more divisional matchups like Houston at Birmingham, LA @ San Diego, and the Bulls in Tampa Bay to face the Bandits, but the game we are keeping an eye on is in Memphis, where the 7-6 Showboats host the 7-6 Baltimore Blitz. Neither club can afford a loss right now, so this could be a real slobberknocker of a game.   Sunday is a mix of divisional and interdivisional games, but only 1 game features two teams with winning records. That game, Sunday night’s EFN showdown between 12-1 Chicago and 10-3 St. Louis should be huge. The homestanding Skyhawks can pull within a game of the Central Division lead with a win, but the Machine are primed to capture that division crown, and a win against the ‘Hawks would get the job done and let them focus on securing the 1 seed and possibly resting some starters down the stretch.   Fri. 7pm ET       San Antonio (9-4) @ New Orleans (6-7)           NBC Fri. 7pm ET         Seattle (9-4) @ Dallas (6-7)                             ESPN/EFN   Sat. 12pm ET     Ohio (6-7) @ Orlando (8-5)                               ABC Sat. 12pm ET   Jacksonville (3-10) @ Tampa Bay (11-2)          FOX Sat. 4pm ET      Los Angeles (8-5) @ San Diego (6-7)              ABC Sat. 4pm ET       Philadelphia (4-9) @ Denver (4-9)                     FOX Sat. 8pm ET       Baltimore (7-6) @ Memphis (7-6)                  NBC Sat. 8pm ET      Houston (5-8) @ Birmingham (9-4)                  ESPN/EFN   Sun 12pm ET   Washington (5-7-1) @ New Jersey (7-6)        ABC Sun 12pm ET     New England (7-6) @ Atlanta (3-10)                FOX Regional Sun 12pm ET     Pittsburgh (4-9) @ Charlotte (5-8)                  FOX Regional Sun 4pm ET      Portland (3-10) @ Oakland (7-6)                     ABC Regional Sun 4pm ET       Las Vegas (6-7) @ Michigan (2-11)                 ABC Regional Sun 4pm ET      Oklahoma (5-7-1) @ Arizona (10-3)                 FOX Sun 8pm ET      Chicago (12-1) @ St. Louis (10-3)                    EFN

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Pittsburgh has not had much to cheer about this year, but in this week's win over Oklahoma they got a cheer-worthy performance from WR Brian Quick. Quick turned in 120 yards and 3 scores on 6 receptions, meaning 50% of his catches went for 6. That is worth a round of applause for sure. PLAYOFF PICTURE: Two divisions locked up this week as Tampa Bay and Arizona both claim the crown and a playoff spot. They join Chicago in the mix for the 2022 postseason. On the outside, looking in, we add Denver and Philadelphia to the list, now at 6 of the league's 30 teams with 3 games left on the schedule.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Pick your favorite dual threat QB in a Week 13 that had offensive explosions across the schedule. Do you prefer Cam Newton, who threw for 326 on only 11 completions and then added 128 rushing, with 4 total TDs (1 passing, 3 rushing)? Or would you go with Lamar Jackson, who destroyed Michigan with 173 yards passing, and 20 carries for 210 yards, putting 3 total TDs on the board? We could not decide, so we are giving these two amazing QBs a shared POTW honor. PLAYOFF PICTURE: Chicago becomes the first team to lock in a playoff spot, thanks to a 5-game lead over the cluster of 6-6 teams battling for the 6 spot. With 4 weeks to go, Chicago has not yet won the Central, but they are in the postseason and have a 2-game lead over the Wranglers and Skyhawks for the 1 seed. In the East, Tampa Bay is close at 10-2, but with 3 teams at 7-5, only 3 games back, they have not yet locked up anything. We do have 2 more teams locked out of the postseason, as both the Atlanta Fire and Philadelphia Stars are now too far back to do anything but tie the 3 clubs at 7-5, and with only 2 conference wins each, the Stars and Fire would lose on the 2nd tiebreaker, so they have no mathematical path to a Wild Card, which really is not surprising for teams that have 9 losses with 4 games left to play.

The theme of Week 13 was without a doubt the intensity of rivalry games. Even when the two teams in question were on two different ends of the success spectrum in 2022 we still got an intense game with a lot of passion and a competitive result. We had some classic rivalry games like the Turnpike Classic between the Generals and Stars, our Game of the Week, and the Beltway Brawl, between the Blitz and Federals. We had some regional rivalries that have had some history to them, like the “Piedmont War” between Charlotte and Atlanta, or the two as-of-yet nameless Central Division rivalry games between Michigan and St. Louis, and between Ohio and Chicago. We even had two new rivalries, just starting to ramp up in intensity, the “Red River Rivalry” between Dallas and Oklahoma, or the “Desert Duel” between Arizona and Las Vegas. All in all we saw 8 different higher-intensity matchups this week, some with surprising results, but all 8 with great effort and great energy. We will focus on those games, but, as always, will bring you all the news of the week, including an injury that seems to be the nail in the coffin for a club that is nowhere near meeting expectations for the season. All that, plus two absolute legends of the USFL are added to our Top 40 players, and we have the 2022 Hall of Fame class, with even more legends of the game being honored. Houston Hobbled Again as Landry Jones Latest to Fall Fans in SE Texas may want to hire a shaman to cleanse NRG Stadium and smudge some sage around Houston Gambler facilities, because this year is beginning to feel like someone put a voodoo curse on the city’s favorite team. The Gamblers have lost 5 of their last 6, still have Carlos Hyde on the injury list, have Colt McCoy on IR, and now appear to have lost their 2nd string QB to a season-ending injury as well. If that is not the sign of an evil eye curse, then what is? Landry Jones, getting his first start after the loss of Colt McCoy to a fractured tibia, survived the entire game, but was clearly limping through the entire 4th quarter. His drop back was affected, his ability to deliver the ball or adjust to pressure, and while Ted Cottrell did not bring in Kellen Clemons, to the surprise of the game’s announcers, it was clear that Jones was struggling. It was not until Monday morning that we found out why, Late in the 3rd quarter Jones suffered a partial tear in the quad muscle of his right thigh. While no one can speculate whether it began as a strain and became a tear with Jones continuing to play, what is now known is that the tear is significant and will require surgery. That surgery, scheduled for this weekend, means that Jones will be joining McCoy on the injured reserve, leaving Houston with only their 3rd string QB, Kellen Clemons, and recently signed journeyman Jeff Driskel at QB. It also, by any assessment, means the end of any hopes for a rebound for the struggling Gamblers. Houston, which had been the favorite to win the division during the preseason, now sits at 5-7, sharing the basement of the division with the New Orleans Breakers. Down to a 3rd string QB and with no solid word on when Carlos Hyde will be able to return, the prospects seem very good that the Gamblers will finish the year in 5th place in the division. They have 4 games left, including a matchup with the Breakers this week, with the winner crawling out of the basement. They then face the 9-3 Stallions in Birmingham, host the 8-4 Dragons, and finish the year in Washington to face the Federals. It should be expected that the Gamblers will be the underdog in each of those games, and with 4 consecutive losses already, it would be no shock to see them finish the year at 5-11. That is a long way from where the Gamblers, and Gambler Nation, expected this team to finish in 2022. Call it a curse, a whammy, a series of unfortunate injuries, or just bad luck, the 2022 Gamblers are not getting the season they planned for, and Coach Cotrell’s first year at the helm is not the introduction to the top job that any coach wants. TAMPA BAY BANDITS 35 NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS 32 OVERTIME With so many great divisional rivalry games this week, it may seem a bit odd that our chosen GOTW is not a battle of long-time rivals. Not to say that these two teams do not have a long history, since it was the Boston Breakers visiting Tampa Bay for the first game in Bandit history back in 1983, but the two have not exactly been an annual grudge match, facing each other only 20 times in 40 years of USFL football. Being in different divisions, and even different conferences for a short stint, will do that. But, even two teams not very familiar with each other can still put together a great game, and that is exactly what happened in this matchup of two of the league’s most dangerous offenses. The Friday night game on ESPN pitted two of the league’s best receiver groups as Breakers Jordy Nelson, Justin Jefferson, Coby Fleener and Dawson Knox hosted Bandits Dez Bryant, Ryan Grant, Jordan Cameron, and Deebo Samuel. With those kinds of targets, it is no surprise that the two passing games put up a combined 817 passing yards, and that both QBs finished the week 2nd and 3rd in the league in passing yards (both trailing only Cam Newton). Dak Prescott finished 23 of 29 for 392 yards and 3 touchdowns. His rival, Geno Smith of New Orleans, went 18 of 30 for 425 yards and 3 scores of his own. The game saw a 32-yard strike, a 55-yarder, and, to top them all, a 75-yarder. Yet, with all the fireworks and an ever-changing scoreboard, this game would not be decided in regulation, a late field goal sent it to overtime, where a winner was finally decided. Believe it or not, this game, which saw the two teams combine for 67 total points, started with a scoreless first quarter, though not one without drama. After a slow initial start, New Orleans was driving late in the quarter, but a deep shot to Jordy Nelson found the hands of Jalen Ramsey instead, producing the first turnover of the game and a kickstart to what would become a scoring festival. Tampa Bay took the turnover, drove 64 yards in 7 plays and capped off their drive with a short Prescott to Bryant TD to open scoring in the game. New Orleans would need only 55 seconds to respond. After getting the ball at their own 19 after the kickoff, they ran DeMarco Murray into the Bandit line twice, producing a 3rd and 4 on the 25. Rather than throw the ball underneath to Fleener on the 3rd down play, Smith pumped, then turned to the sideline and found Justin Jefferson behind the Bandit coverage. Smith connected with the speedy receiver and Jefferson was off to the races, 75 yards downfield for the equalizer. The two offenses were off and running. The 2nd quarter would not see another TD, but the Bandits managed to put up 3 more field goals, thanks in part to a second Geno Smith turnover, this time a tipped ball at the line that was brought in for a 2nd pick. That allowed the Bandits to take a 9-point lead into the half at 16-7, but there was no doubt in the stadium that the lead would not hold. When the Breakers received the 2nd half kickoff, they wasted no time getting the ball into Bandit territory. A 38-yard completion from Smith to Fleener, paired with a nice run from Murray got them down to the Tampa Bay 10, but they would advance no further and were forced to settle for a Bullock field goal to drop the Bandit lead to 6. After forcing a punt with an Ezekiel Ansah sack of Prescott on 3rd and 7, the Breakers got the ball back and again made short work of the Bandit defense. New Orleans marched 66 yards in 11 plays, using Murray frequently (he would finish with 93 yards on the day) and giving him the honor of returning the lead to the Breakers with a TD run from short range. The PAT made it 17-16 Breakers, but with 1:39 left in the quarter, the scoring was not finished. It would take only 2 plays for the Bandits to reclaim the lead. After a very nice kickoff return from HB Matt Breida, put the ball on the Bandit 40, they got 5 yards from Dalvin Cook on 1st down and then went for it all, with Ryan Grant beating CB Xavier Crawford with a double move before hauling in the Prescott deep ball, producing a 55-yard touchdown that had Tampa Bay on top once again. The 2-point try failed, so the Bandits led 22-17 when the quarter wound down and the teams switched sides. Again, the quick strike would be the story, with New Orleans needing only 2:25 to move the ball 80 yards and into the endzone once again. Geno Smith would go only 2 for 5 on the drive, but the two both mattered, the first a 49-yard swing pass to Murray, and the second an 18-yard touchdown throw to TE Coby Fleener. The Breaker 2-pointer was good, giving New Orleans a 25-22 lead with 12:35 remaining in the game. That Breaker score inspired the club, who shut down Tampa Bay for a rare 3-and-out on the Bandits’ next possession. Now, with the full voice of the Super Dome crowd behind them, the Breakers again made short work of the Bandit defensive backfield, with Smith connecting with Dawson Knox, Fleener, and Jordy Nelson on the drive. The Nelson catch was a deep post pattern that initially was ruled down at the 1, but when replay showed that the talented Breaker receiver “surfed” across the body of his tackler before going to the turf in the endzone, the ref raised his arms and the TD was called. The Breakers had a 10-point lead, 32-22, with 9:47 left to play. But you don’t win back-to-back titles by letting close games slip away, and the Bandits were not giving up on this game. They opened their next drive with 3 consecutive Prescott completions, moving the ball from their own 20 to the Breaker 49. Five plays later, they had cut the Breaker lead to 3, with Prescott finding TE Jordan Cameron for a red zone touchdown to make the score 32-29. With 4:29 left on the clock, they needed a stop on defense. The Bandits would get exactly what they wanted when, on a simple 1st and 10 run from their own 33, the Breakers nearly gave the ball away. On an outside run, DE Brian Burns caught the left arm of DeMarco Murray, popping the ball out around the hashmark. Players scrambled to recover it but a misstep by LB Devon Kennard caused him to boot the ball towards the sideline, it bounced off a Breaker player and out of bounds. The play was a loss of 7, but not a turnover. New Orleans would have 2 more plays to kill some clock, but after a 3rd and 11 run went for only 2 yards, they had to punt the ball back to the Bandits with 1:17 left on the clock. Dak Prescott and the Bandits knew that to score a winning TD would be tough, with no timeouts and 66 yards to go, but getting the ball in range for Harrison Butker was possible. They used the sideline, forcing the Breaker defenders to play outside, then Prescott found Murray over the middle for a 17-yard gain that had them in field goal range. After spiking the ball, Tampa Bay advanced it with two quick throws to the sideline, giving Butker a very makeable 37-yard attempt to tie the game as time expired. Butker’s kick was good and the Bandits prepared for overtime. The extra period would produce 3 drives, the first by both teams stymied by dropped passes, both makeable but not easy catches on third down. When Tampa Bay got the ball back for a 2nd time, they focused on making 3rd down as easy as possible. On their game-winning drive, they faced third and 3, third and 1, and 3rd and 4, with the first two made, and the final one producing an inside run to place the ball for Butker to come out again. The Bandit kicker had a straight shot at the goalposts and put the ball through to extend Tampa Bay’s win streak to 6 games and send New Orleans 2 games below .500. For neutral observers it was a fun game to watch, full of big plays and big moments. For the Bandits it was a test, and one they passed by fighting until the last minute and never doubting their ability to pull the game out. That is the type of mental toughness that helped Tampa Bay win 2 titles, and helped to set them up for a run at a 3rd. NEW JERSEY 37 PHILADELPHIA 35 We love a good rivalry game, and this one was a beaut. We had Carson Wentz throwing for 4 scores, Victor Cruz and Muhamed Sanu both over 100 yards, with Teddy B. throwing for 398, and we had a game that was not decided until the clock struck double zeroes. It was a back-and-forth affair that saw each team score at least once in every quarter. New Jersey went ahead early in the 3rd and held their lead, but it was never easy as every time they put up points, Philadelphia replied, The final difference between the two teams was a 1st quarter safety when Yetur Gross-Matos sacked Wentz in the Philly endzone. Without that score, this would have been overtime. POTG: Generals’ QB Teddy Bridgewater: 24/38, 398 Yds, 2 TD, 0 Int BALTIMORE 24 WASHINGTON 34 Another NE Division clash of longstanding rivals as the Feds knock Baltimore out of first with a big win at home. Washington got 97 yards and a TD from Travis Etienne, 3 Keenan Allen TD receptions, and 2 picks of Jake Locker to pull this one out despite 113 yards from Josh Jacobs. Allen, in particular, was deadly in this game, nabbing 3 touchdowns all from within the 10-yard line. The lose ties Baltimore with the Generals, who take over 1st on a tiebreaker, while Washington pulls within 1 game of .500. POTG: Feds’ WR Keenan Allen: 6 Rec, 61 Yds, 3 TD ORLANDO 24 PITTSBURGH 21 The Renegades thought they had this one won, leading 24-3 at the half, but a furious 2nd half from the Maulers almost pulled them all the way back. They got a Pickett to Gronkowski TD with 2:18 to go, held Orlando and got the ball back with 39 seconds, but just could not get in range for Brandon Aubrey. The star for Orlando was, MLB Clay Matthews, who finished with 10 tackles in the game, including a huge one on Pittsburgh’s final drive, preventing the Maulers from reaching field goal range. POTG: Renegade MLB Clay Matthews: 10 Tck, 1 TFL HOUSTON 3 LOS ANGELES 10 Landry Jones made it through the game but was clearly not 100%, diagnosed post-game with a season-ending tear to his left quad. Hobbled, he went 10 of 20, and got little help from his run game as Houston put up only 47 yards rushing. The Gamblers blitzed Andy Dalton relentlessly, producing 9 sacks, but Dalton’s 4th quarter TD toss to Hollywood Brown proved enough to win the game for the Express, who now step up to an 8-4 mark. POTG: LA wideout Hollywood Brown: 4 Rec, 92 Yds, 1 TD MEMPHIS 17 OAKLAND 20 Down 17-14 at the half, Oakland’s D stepped up in the 2nd half, shutting out the Showboats. The offense did just enough to get the W, with two Roberto Aguayo field goals to pull out the home win and return Oakland to .500. Bryce Love was the star for the Invader offense, still subbing for Christian McCaffrey, Love rushed for 123 on 24 carries. POTG: Oakland HB Bryce Love: 24 Att, 123 Yds DALLAS 35 OKLAHOMA 28 Jalen Hurts did all he could, rushing for 105 and 2 TDs and throwing for 229 and 2 more, but it proved again to be too little as Justin Herbert threw for 5 scores, connecting with WR Courtland Sutton for 3 as Dallas improves their record to 6-6 with a solid road win in the division. The Roughnecks were helped by 3 Oklahoma turnovers and 5 penalties as they came back from a 21-7 deficit and took the win with 1:04 to play on Sutton’s 3rd TD catch. POTG: Dallas WR Courtland Sutton: 9 Rec, 77 Yds, 3 TD ARIZONA 23 LAS VEGAS 30 A stunning upset at Wynn Arena as Gardner Minshew went 27 of 32, throwing for 3 scores to help Las Vegas shock the Wranglers. The Viper D sacked Ryan Nassib 6 times, held Ka’Deem Carey and Tyler Allgeier to a combined 47 yards rushing, and limited the Wranglers to only 8 first downs on the day in a surprising, but very welcome defensive gem at home. POTG: Viper QB Gardner Minshew: 27/32, 243 Yds, 3 TD, 0 Int BIRMINGHAM 35 SAN ANTONIO 28 A classic USFL shootout that turned into a showcase for Birmingham QB Cam Newton. Newton threw for 326 yards and a score, rushed for 128 more, with 3 rushing TDs, and held off a very game Gunslinger squad who saw Raheem Mostert rush for 143 yards on the day. The score was 28-28 in the 4th, with San Antonio looking to go ahead, when Joe Flacco was picked off in the red zone, producing a 14-point swing as Cam Newton burned the San Antonio defense for his third rushing TD of the day, the game winner. POTG: Stallion QB Cam Newton: 11/15, 326 Yds, 1 TD, 1 Int, 9 Att, 128 Yds, 3 TD JACKSONVILLE 14 NEW ENGLAND 31 The Steamrollers got the win they needed, halting their losing streak at 4 games and returning to .500 by thrashing the Jacksonville Bulls. T. J. Yeldon rushed for 2 scores, Doug Baldwin had one through the air, and Junior Galette returned a Trevor Lawrence pick for a score as New England came together and got their first win in a month. POTG: Steamroller DE Tashawn Bower: 5 Tck, 1 TFL, 3 Sck ATLANTA 27 CHARLOTTE 33 OVERTIME We got overtime in Charlotte as the Monarchs got a late field goal to tie the game and send it to extra time, where Calvin Ridley caught the game winner from Paxton Lynch. Lynch went 32 of 43 for 255 yards and 3 Charlotte scores as the Monarchs get their 5th win of the season. Kyler Murray, in defeat, had his best game since coming over from LA, throwing for 315 yards, with 3 TDs, but it was just not enough as Charlotte gets the overtime victory at home. POTG: Charlotte HB Phillip Lindsay: 24 Att, 114 Yds, 3 Rec, 13 Yds, 1 TD DENVER 17 SAN DIEGO 20 Denver seems to live to get close and just barely lose this year, as they drop to 4-8 after another tough loss. This one was all San Diego in the 1st 3 quarters, building up a 20-3 lead before Josh Allen hit on two 4th quarter touchdowns to make it a contest. Allen continues to get beat up behind a porous line, sacked 7 times in this one. San Diego gets their 4th win in a row and is in serious contention for a playoff spot at 6-6. POTG: San Diego HB Charles Sims: 19 Att, 82 Yds, 1 TD, 2 Rec, 63 Yds PORTLAND 29 SEATTLE 34 The Dragons and the Stags put together a really entertaining game at Lumen Field, and in the end the homestanding Dragons pulled out the win with three 4th quarter TDs, including a Quandre Diggs 34-yard pick six. Portland had built up a 23-13 lead over three quarters, thanks to 108 yards from Javonte Willams, but the pick-six, paired TD runs from Moreno and Smallwood, reversed the script and got Seattle the win. POTG: Seattle HB Knowshon Moreno: 22 Att, 67 Yds, 2 TD ST. LOUIS 37 MICHIGAN 27 Lamar Jackson rushed for 210 yards, including a 61-yard TD in the first and another long TD scramble in the 2nd quarter. Michigan was still in it, however, down only 24-20 after three quarters, but after St. Louis added 2 field goals to expand the lead to 30-20, Kirk Cousins pressed, and that led to a pick-six for Deionte Thompson, putting the game away for the Skyhawks. POTG: St. Louis QB Lamar Jackson: 10/21, 173 Yds, 1 TD, 1 Int, 20 Att, 210 Yds, 2 TD CHICAGO 20 OHIO 17 A late field Fields-to-Mitchell TD got Ohio within 3 in the final 2 minutes, but the Glory could not recover the onside kick and Chicago held on to win their 10th and become the first team to clinch a playoff berth. Ohio’s run game was a disaster in this one, with the Chicago D holding them to only 13 yards total. The defense contained Fields, who rushed for only 8 yards and completely shut down Kenneth Walker, who averaged only 0.8 YPC on the day. POTG: Chicago DE Jason Pierre-Paul: 3 Tck, 1 TFL, 1 Sck, 1 FR Newton, Jackson, & Hurts Showing Off in Week 13 If you were still on the fence between a traditional view of the QB position as a pocket passer who leaves the running up to the halfbacks or a new style of play that asks the quarterback position to option between the run and the pass, well, this weekend in the USFL may have just closed down the debate. Performances from some of the league’s best dual-threat quarterbacks made about as convincing a case for the Run-Pass Option as could be made, and while there is always room for a pure passer, it seems undeniable that the QB of the future will be one capable of extending plays, escaping the pocket, and even more importantly, using the run as a legitimate weapon. Using the run as a primary tool of his arsenal is certainly nothing new to Birmingham quarterback Cam Newton. The former Auburn star has been at this for a while, rushing for over 500 yards in 5 of the past 7 seasons, but this year Coach Haley seems to have Newton more comfortable than ever with choosing to use his legs. With 11 rushing touchdowns and a 5.2 YPC average, Newton ranks among the best rushers in the game, but he is also using the threat of the run to open up the passing game, with no better example than this week’s win over division rival San Antonio. Newton shares POTW honors this week because he was both an incredibly devastating runner, rushing the ball 9 times for 128 yards and 3 touchdowns, including a 75-yard monstrosity of a run that proved to be the game winner, while also proving that he could have a deft and dangerous touch passing the ball, throwing for 326 yards against a pretty solid San Antonio defense. Those kinds of numbers are hard to deny when it comes time to look at MVP votes or the value of a running quarterback. But Newton was not alone this week as a model for how to utilize the dual threat QB. Coach Brian Schottenheimer has Lamar Jackson using the RPO style of offense in ways his predecessors in St. Louis failed to accomplish. The new philosophy and the maturation of Jackson were also evident this week when the Skyhawks took on Michigan. While Jackson is not quite as savvy in the passing game as Newton, with more modest numbers this week (10 of 21 for 173 yards and 1 TD), as a rusher he is proving he can make plays from anywhere on the field, rushing the ball 20 times for 210 yards, including 2 touchdown runs, one of 61-yards. And when needed, he can get the ball down the field as well, evident in a pair of deep balls that included a 62-yard touchdown toss. The focus on the dual threat QB does not end with these two examples. Oklahoma feels they have found their future in OU and Alabama product Jalen Hurts. After rushing for only 4 yards in his rookie campaign, and a modest 225 last year, Coach Stoops has joined in on the RPO wave, evident in Hurts’s 2022 numbers, his 590 yards rushing and 8 touchdowns so far this season showing the change of philosophy. This week was another showcase of Hurts’s skills, though once again Oklahoma failed to back up their QB and fell to Dallas 38-35. Hurts went 19 of 31 for 229 yards and 2 TDs as a passer, but it was his 105 yards and 2 touchdowns as a rusher that got the Outlaw faithful excited and helped keep the Outlaws in this game. While the USFL has always produced dual-threat quarterbacks, from Doug Flutie, Reggie Collier and Walt Lewis in the early years through Jake Plummer and now Newton, Jackson, Hurts, and others, there has been no era where the dual threat was as threatening. The RPO Offense is here, and if this week’s results are any indication, it is not going away any time soon. Big Numbers from Unexpected Sources The huge offensive numbers put up by RPO quarterbacks were not the only big numbers this week. Over 15 games the defenses were definitely on their back heels all week as the USFL turned outright offensive in this week’s actions. And what is more fascinating is that it was not always the usual suspects, the league leaders or superstar players who had huge games. This was a week for the undervalued and unheralded to step up and make huge contributions, and there were many. Let’s start with 100-yard rushers. How about 123 yards on 24 carries from Christian McCaffrey’s stand in, Bryce Love. Love’s contribution was a huge factor in Oakland’s 20-17 victory over visiting Memphis. With McCaffrey nearing a return, the Invaders are now feeling like they have a 1-2 punch that could help them make a run at a playoff spot. Up the coast in Portland 2nd year back Javonte Williams went for 108 and 2 touchdowns, helping the Stags put a scare into the Seattle Dragons, that is until a 21-point 4th quarter gave Seattle the win. Williams has been improving slowly over his first two years, but is now beginning to show signs that he could be a true lead back in this league. In San Antonio it was backup Raheem Mostert , a true speedster who has had limited opportunities this year behind Melvin Gordon, who stepped up with a huge game, rushing for 143 yards after Gordon tweaked his ankle. It is Mostert’s best game by far, and one that may well force Coach Landry to consider giving the speedy back more opportunities. Finally, Charlotte is finding in former Denver Gold back Phillip Lindsay , just the kind of effort and production they were hoping for, with the 5th year back putting up 114 yards and helping the Monarchs upend Atlanta to move to 5-7. Since coming to Charlotte in Week 7, Lindsay has rushed for 520 yards, averaging nearly 90 yards per game, a far cry from his early season results with the Gold. This week’s performance marked his first 100-yard game of the season and his first as a Monarch. But it was not all about backs this week, this is the USFL after all, and that means we also got some surprisingly strong receiving games from the wideouts and a few tight ends as well, and not exclusively the big name receivers we all expect to put up 100 yards per outing. In Jacksonville, NFL import Christian Kirk recorded his first 100-yard outing of the season, bringing in 4 passes for 112 yards. New Jersey got a huge game from Victor Cruz , who had been struggling in recent weeks with a low point being a 2 reception, 15 yard game against New England. Against the Stars this week the numbers were far better, 5 receptions for 141 yards and a long TD catch and run to help the Generals get the W in a 37-35 shootout. And in Tampa Bay, with Ryan Grant a bit dinged up, it was TE Cameron Jordan coming through in a big way. The Bandit receiver brought in 5 Prescott passes for 134 yards and a score, including a 49-yarder and a 33-yarder along with his red zone score. It was a week of big scores, high octane offense, and some surprisingly big performances across the league, the kind of week that reaffirms the USFL as a wide open game where at any time a player can get hot, make plays, and rack up big numbers, the kind of game fans love. Congratulations to the Chicago Machine, the first USFL team to clinch a playoff spot in 2022. The Machine are not done yet, with both the division title and the 1 seed still in play, but they sit at 11-1 and are in the catbird seat in the west, hoping to make the Western Conference playoffs run through Soldier Field. And while a playoff road game in the Windy City is perhaps not as intimidating in June or July as it would be for NFL teams showing up in January, it will be no easy task to get past the Machine in their own stadium if they can win the 1 seed. Tampa Bay sits at 10-2 after their exciting overtime win in New Orleans, but they are only 3 games up on the 5th, 6th, and 7th seeded teams, which means that they will need a win and some help next week to wrap up their playoff bid, and, if they can get an Orlando loss, possibly a division title as well. Arizona is also in a position to possibly wrap up the division this weekend, if they can get a win over Washington, and get some help from Chicago, who host Dallas, they too can lock up a division crown in Week 14. For others it will not come this week, with Seatle and LA both locked up at 8-4, new Jersey and Baltimore even at 7-5, and Birmingham holding only a 1-game advantage over upstart San Antonio, with Memphis still in the mix as well. As for the lower end of the standings, we saw two more teams officially eliminated from contention this week. Both Philadelphia and Atlanta could reach 7 wins with a 4-game win streak, but even in 2 of the 3 current 7-5 teams lost all 4 games, the tiebreakers would still break in favor of any one of them (Memphis, Orlando or Baltimore), which means that the Stars and Fire are mathematically eliminated even if they did reach 7-9 and form a cluster with current 7-win teams. So, we now have 4 teams out, 1 in, and 25 still in play with 4 games left on the schedule. Houston will be without not only QB Landry Jones, but DT Nick Fairley for the foreseeable future. And while not nearly as severe, Chicago has to be worried about this week’s game, with 3 starting defenders likely sidelined, CB Josh Norman with a shoulder injury, LB Kevin Minter with a nerve issue in his neck, and DE Ifeadi Odenigbo with a concussion. That is three starters from the league’s best defense, meaning that this is a week when Chicago may be vulnerable. One last injury to highlight, Tampa Bay is not going to put center Frank Ragnow on IR, but he is not likely to return until at least the 2nd round of the playoffs, so clearly the Bandits are hoping they are well on their way to another Summer Bowl and will be having their center rejoin them deep in the playoffs. OUT QB Landry Jones HOU Torn Quad IR DT Levi Onwuzurike BAL Groin Tear IR WR Geronimo Allison MEM Back IR DT Nick Fairley HOU Broken Wrist IR C Frank Ragnow TBY Stress Fracture 4-6 Weeks CB Josh Norman CHI Shoulder 1-2 Weeks LB Kevin Minter CHI Neck 1-2 Weeks DOUBTFUL DT Quinnen Williams WSH Back G Connor McGovern BAL Ribs DE Ifeadi Odenigbo CHI Concussion DT Vincent Taylor OKL Wrist CB Rashaan Gaulden HOU Concussion LB Bobby Wagner OAK Knee QUESTIONABLE WR Golden Tate DEN Miniscus WR Austin Proehl CHA Knee DE Vinny Curry OAK Concussion FS Tyree Gillespie STL Scratched cornea DT Raekwon Davis POR Tendinitis Hall of Fame Class of 2022 Announced The expanded Hall of Fame Class, in recognition of the USFL’s 40th season gives us not 6 new inductees, but 8, including the new Contributor category and a long overdue introduction of a special teamer to the Hall. The Class of 2025 includes 2 wideouts, one in his first year of eligibility, two pass rushers, two offensive lineman, only the 2nd league owner to join the hall, and the first USFL punter to make the Hall. It is a group that spans the full length of USFL history, from the league’s first season to the retiree class of 2017. It is also a group that may produce one of the most engaging enshrinement speeches ever, as Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson, ever the showman, is sure to entertain as he takes his place in Canton. Here, along with the exhuberant 85 is the class of 2022, the 28th USFL Hall of Fame Class in the USFL’s 40th Season. WR Chad Johnson (OHIO 2000-02, BOS 2003-11, LV/SD 2012-17) The only 1st Year nominee to the Hall this year, Chad Johnson played 17 seasons, for 3 teams, with 2 different names (who could forget his ‘Chad Ochocinco” phase). He was more than an outstanding player, he was a phenomenon, known as much for his off-field and on-field antics as for his outstanding play. The record books demonstrate his skill--1,128 catches, 21,047 yards, 157 touchdowns, and 12 All-USFL appearances--they only tell half the story. Yes, Johnson retired as a Top 5 receiver in yardage (2nd only to Joey Galloway) and TDs (3rd behind Galloway and Truvillion), what we remember most is the extreme extrovert, the stunts and gimmicks, and the sheer joy of how he played the game. Who can forget the time he gave CPR to the football after a score? Or the time he donned a sombrero and sarape after another? How about the famous River Dance jig after his 3rd touchdown on an opening weekend on St. Patrick’s Day? Or, late in his career, when he scored once again, walked to the sideline and donned a Hall of Fame jacket, as if to say “this is already mine”. Well, now it is, officially. C Jeff Faine (MGN 2003-16) Perhaps the exact opposite of “Ochocinco” in personality, Jeff Faine was the ultimate team player, never wanting to take credit for the success of his line or his team, Faine played 14 seasons with the Michigan Panthers, locking down the pivot on the O-line and helping the Panthers make 8 playoff appearances, 3 division titles and a league championship in 2008. Faine enters the Hall in his 2nd year of eligibility, becoming only the 3rd center to don the yellow jacket from the USFL’s 40 seasons. Faine joins Mike Baab and Jeff Saturday in the Hall, representing the Panthers as their 13th Hall of Famer, standing proudly along Panther legends like Anthony Carter, John Corker, Bobby Hebert, and Hines Ward. DE Reynaldo Wynn (NJ 2008, TEX/OKL 2009-16) Ask Wynn what drove his insatiable hunger on the field and he will tell you that it was the trade from New Jersey to Texas after only 1 season in the pros. Wynn felt that the Generals had given up on him despite an 11-sack rookie year. The reality is more complex than that, but the result was a motivated, some would say angry, Reynaldo Wynn playing 8 seasons with the Outlaws, racking up double digit sacks every season, and becoming perhaps the best dual-use edge rusher of his generation. Wynn’s 9-season career means he is not going to be among the all-time greats in sack totals, but his average of 15.2 sacks per season is impressive, and when you consider how he played the run as well, with every 1 of 5 tackles he made being a Tackle For Loss, and you can understand why the one-time General, and lifelong Outlaw has made the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his 2nd year of eligibility. DE Justin Smith (LA 2001-04, TEX 2005, OAK 2006-15) Another edge rusher, undervalued by fans, but not by his coaches and not by opposing tackles, Justin Smith racked up 208 sacks, 609 tackles, 128 TFL, and 34 forced fumbles in his 14-year career. Smith played for 3 teams, but had his best years in Oakland, where he had a run of 9 consecutive 10-sack seasons, including his career peak of 22 in 2012. Smith was named All-USFL in his rookie campaign in LA, after racking up 14 sacks for the Express, and would win the honor twice with the Invaders. Smith waited 3 years to hear his name called and his spot in Canton assured, but he now joins a murderer’s row of edge rushers that stretch all the way back to the Class of 1995, the Hall’s first USFL Class, and sack specialist Junior Ah-You. WR Donald Driver (ORL 1999-2002, CHI 2003-12, NFL 2013-2015) Never the loudest player on the field, or the flashiest, but always a threat and always a target who would find his way open, Donald Driver enters the Hall in his 4th year of eligibility. Ranked 7th all-time with 1,186 receptions, Driver had 14,165 yards receiving and 88 touchdowns for the Renegades and Chicago Machine before finishing his career in the NFL. Driver was only recognized for All-USFL honors twice, but he shares with many Hall of Famers a championship ring, having won a title in 2001 with Orlando. G Duval Love (JAX 1985-98): Legacy The first of two legacy selections in the expanded 40th Year Class, Duval Love should not have had to wait this long to be recognized. But, when you play for a team that has a history of struggles and no league championship in 38 seasons, it is possible to be overlooked unfairly. Love certainly falls into that category. A devastating run blocker and one of the best pass protectors to ever don a USFL jersey, Duval Love was a 4-time All USFL player at guard and now becomes only the 2nd full-time offensive guard after Gary Zimmerman to make the Hall from the USFL. P Sean Landeta (PHI 1983-91): Legacy We had a feeling that the legacy committee would realize that having absolutely no punters in the Hall was a bad look. They used their additional pick this year to remedy that situation, adding the obvious choice to become the first punter to join the Hall and the second across both pro leagues behind former Raider Ray Guy. Sean Landeta actually could be a dual-league selection, playing 10 USFL seasons (beginning with the league’s founding in 1983) and another 14 in the NFL with 8 different teams. But despite his NFL wanderings, Landeta will always be remembered as a member of the Philadelphia Stars and their 1985 and 1987 title teams. Myles Tannenbaum (PHI 1983-2010): Contributor We cannot mention the Philadelphia Stars without recognizing the career of Stars’ owner Myles Tannenbaum. An early believer not only in the USFL, but in the City of Philadelphia as a community that would embrace the USFL, Tannenbaum was right on both accounts. His early Stars teams were among the early success stories of the USFL, not only on the field, but in the box office and the public perception game. His first Stars team, filled with former Penn Staters and an undervalued HB out of North Carolina, went 12-4. Two years later, that team, and Kelvin Bryant, would win their first league title. They would appear in the title game in both of the next 2 years, winning a 2nd title in 1987. In 1994 they would earn their 3rd and by the time he stepped away from team leadership in 2010, they would make 2 more Summer Bowls. Tannenbaum was an influential leader in the debate about a spring vs. fall schedule, in the NFL suit that helped buoy the league in the 1980’s, and in the eventual expansion of the USFL’s profile to become the nation’s 2nd most successful sports league, proving that the country’s love of football as a year-round sport. With the league’s new Contributor category, there is no doubt that the selection of Tannenbaum to become the 2nd owner enshrined as a USFL giant, behind only Bandit owner John Bassett, is a well-earned honor. Top 40 Players in USFL’s 40 Seasons: 5-6 We are getting close to the end of our 40 Greatest ranking, with only 2 more weeks to go after today. So it is a bit obvious to say that this week’s new entrants are legendary players. Everyone in the Top 10 is a household name and a highly decorated USFL star. What we can say is that both of our new reveals today are the greatest at their position in USFL history, two defenders who terrorized opponents for well over a decade, and both Hall of Famers with no shortage of records and recognition. 6) LB Brian Urlacher (2000-2016) The all-time leading tackler in USFL history, with 1,904 tackles in 17 seasons, Brian Urlacher was a college safety who bulked up and became the epitome of a USFL middle linebacker. Able to stuff the run but also hold his own in coverage against speedy inside receivers and box-out tight ends, Urlacher never came off the field. He started 242 of 244 games on the roster for the Chicago Machine, averaging 112 tackles per season, had 36 sacks, 18 picks, and 51 forced fumbles. But perhaps the biggest impact of Urlacher was in the evolution of the MLB position because it was Urlacher’s versatility and ability to stay with receivers that made 2-deep safety man-under coverage a staple in USFL defenses. A 10-time All-USFL player who won Defensive Player of the Year 3 times in a 4-year span (2005, 2007, and 2008), while also leading the league in tackles five times in the 2000’s, Urlacher holds the career record, but was never able to hold aloft the John Bassett Trophy, his Machine teams appearing in two Summer Bowls during his tenure, but losing out to upstart Seattle and the Memphis Showboats in those two title games. Despite the lack of team titles, there is no doubt that Urlacher represents the very best of the USFL, a fearless player who was a natural team leader, an outstanding player, and a legendary figure in his franchise’s rich history. 5) DT Jerome Brown (1987-2002) Known lovingly as “Big Jerome”, “Big J”, and “The Big Man” by Federals players and fans, Jerome Brown was known by other names among opposing teams and their offensive line coaches. Names like “game wrecker”, “human wrecking ball”, and “TNT at the NT” all seem appropriate. A 12-time All-USFL performer for the Washington Federals, Jerome Brown was the centerpiece of some of the best defenses ever to take a USFL field. At defensive tackle, Brown could shut down even the best run games, closed down the middle of the field, and force double and triple teams, making life easier for edge rushers who benefitted from his interior dominance. With Brown, like most interior D-linemen, most of the numbers don’t scream at you. 767 tackles, 80 for a loss, those are solid but not eye popping. But how about this one, 119 sacks from the interior line. That is not normal. That is barely human. Brown was a disruptive force inside and a huge reason for the success of the Federals teams of the 90’s including title runs in both 1990 and 1997. For both seasons, Brown was a force to reckon with, and a leader who helped his defensive teammates become a dominant squad. Brown sadly passed far too early, succumbing to injuries from an automobile accident only 2 years after his retirement in 2002. A legend on the field, and a legendary figure of the USFL, Brown is very deservedly the highest ranked DT on our list, and one of the 5 greatest players in USFL history. Four games left, no time for missteps, mistakes, or missed opportunities. Nearly every game will be a high-pressure game, nearly every matchup a chance for someone to move towards post-season football, or a chance to fall out of the race, but, hey, no pressure. It is also a weekend with a lot of games that look like mismatches, which means a chance for a truly shocking result if an underdog can put the pieces together in just the right combination to pull off a huge upset. It starts on Friday night, when Atlanta hosts the 10-2 Tampa Bay Bandits and 1-11 Michigan, already well outside the playoff race, has the Ohio Glory visiting. Can either hard-luck team find the right formula to surprise everyone and upset their division rival? Saturday has more of the same with Orlando heading to Charlotte, where the Monarchs are amazingly still in the mix after showing steady improvement this season. We also have San Diego, a surprising 6-6, hoping to take another step towards national recognition by knocking off Seattle in Seattle. We have Philadelphia headed to Baltimore in a NE Division clash, and we have Oakland in LA for what could be a very high stakes edition of the California Derby. Sunday has 3 divisional games (San Antonio @ Memphis, New Orleans @ Houston, and Denver @ Las Vegas), but perhaps the most intriguing game is in Chicago, where the Machine, having locked up the first USFL playoff spot, have to worry about a letdown as a 6-6 Dallas team comes to town. The Roughnecks are right in the mix with fellow 6-6 clubs in the West, with very possibly only 1 Wild Card spot available for the team that can close out the season with the strongest showing. So, Week 14 is a week where we look for the upset, but we also look at those Wild Card spots and just who is in form to claim one. Fri. 7pm ET Tampa Bay (10-2) @ Atlanta (3-9) NBC Fri. 7pm ET Ohio (6-6) @ Michigan (1-11) ESPN/EFN Sat. 12pm ET New Jersey (7-5) @ Jacksonville (2-10) ABC Sat. 12pm ET Orlando (7-5) @ Charlotte (5-7) FOX Sat. 4pm ET Washington (5-6-1) @ Arizona (9-3) ABC Sat. 4pm ET San Diego (6-6) @ Seattle (8-4) FOX Sat. 8pm ET Philadelphia (3-9) @ Baltimore (7-5) NBC Sat. 8pm ET Oakland (6-6) @ Los Angeles (8-4) ESPN/EFN Sun 12pm ET Birmingham (9-3) @ New England (6-6) ABC Regional Sun 12pm ET Oklahoma (5-6-1) @ Pittsburgh (3-9) ABC Regional Sun 12pm ET San Antonio (8-4) @ Memphis (7-5) FOX Sun 4pm ET Dallas (6-6) @ Chicago (11-1) ABC Sun 4pm ET St. Louis (9-3) @ Portland (3-9) FOX Regional Sun 4pm ET New Orleans (5-7) @ Houston (5-7) FOX Regional Sun 8pm ET Denver (4-8) @ Las Vegas (5-7) EFN

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: As tempting as it is to recognize Calais Campbell one more time, in what most expect is his swan song season, or to give kudos to the one bright spot on the Michigan roster, rookie DE Aiden Hutchinson, this week's POTW is going to the offense, and to Chicago WR Odell Beckham Jr. OBJ came over from the Generals this offseason and has helped turn Chicago into one of the most diversified offenses in the league. Not always getting the spotlight, OBJ has been a solid team player, and this week he got the focus we know he loves. Targeted 8 times by Sam Bradford, he brought in 6 passes for 125 yards and 2 scores. PLAYOFF PICTURE: It is still too soon for us to have any teams with a playoff berth in hand, though Chicago certainly is drawing close with 5 games left to play. A win this week could do it for the Machine. What we do have is the first eliminated team, and for Panther fans it is an embarrassing realization. They have dropped from a perennial contender to the first club out of postseason consideration and the only 1-win team in the league after 12 weeks.

A week with some really fun rivalry games, like Memphis @ Birmingham, Seattle @ Oakland, Ohio @ St. Louis, and Orlando @ Atlanta. It was also a week that saw the 9-1 Wranglers clipped by a road trip to the Atlantic Coast and Baltimore’s M&T Stadium. We got a great game from San Diego QB Mason Rudolph, and a tough season-ending injury for the 2021 MVP as Colt McCoy went down in the same game. We will break it all down for you, starting with a look at the “Chutes and Ladders” nature of the 2022 season, a recap of this week’s games, an update on Colt McCoy and the Gamblers, and a familiar face making himself a menace to opposing quarterbacks once again. All that plus two legends of the USFL get called up to our Top 40 Greatest USFL Players list. It is a week with a lot to report, so let’s get to it.   2022 Proving a Year of Chutes & Ladders Some seasons seem to protect the status quo, like having a USFL champion repeat, or having 10 of the 12 playoff teams from the year before find themselves in the playoffs again. Other seasons are what we call “Chutes & Ladder” seasons, years in which the standings see huge changes from one year to the next, teams climbing the ladder from irrelevance to contention, while others drop off precipitously. 2022 is absolutely shaking out as a Chutes and Ladder season. Here, in our Big Story this week, we look at 4 teams climbing the ladder to a possible 17 th  game or more, and 4 who have started sliding down the chute towards an early draft pick.   Ladder: St. Louis (5-11 to 8-3) With 3 more wins than all of last year, a position 5 games over .500, and still 5 more games to go, the Skyhawks are in great position to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2015. Coach Brian Schottenheimer has found the formula to make Lamar Jackson’s physical gifts part of an effective offense (6 th  in scoring and surprisingly 8 th in passing), while the defense has taken a huge leap up, now ranked 2 nd in the league by allowing only 17.2 points per game. A. J. Epenesa is perhaps the breakout star of 2022, and WR Deionte Johnson is already over 1,000 yards for the season. It is a new day in the “Battledome” as the Skyhawks are flying once again.   Chute: Michigan (10-6 to 1-10) From Conference Champions to first team out of the playoff picture in 2 seasons. That is not a good look, and for the most part it is one no one saw coming. Last year’s 10-6 season was not the best Panther performance in recent years, but still, compared to their current 1-10 debacle, it was a solid year. So, what is going wrong? Well, the offense is averaging only 14.4 points per game despite not being in the lowest third of the league in any other category, but the defense, wow, even more surprising. Ranked 25 th against the run and giving up 24.9 points per game. Not much is going right for Michigan. Throw in a league worst -10 turnover differential and and a 36 of 137 third down conversion rate (only 26.2%) and you can certainly see how their 10-game losing streak is happening.   Ladder: San Antonio (6-10 to 8-3) This preseason we thought San Antonio had a shot at a significant improvement in their 3 rd  season, and the Gunslingers have certainly had one. They are already 2 wins ahead of their 2021 total, with 5 games to play, are sitting at 5 games over .500 and have a share of 1 st place in the division. Joe Flacco is having a great season, with the Gunslingers ranked 3 rd  in passing, averaging 285.6 yards per game. Melvin Gordon has had a solid year and rookie Garrett Wilson could be a lock for Rookie of the Year. In other words, this year is going about as well as anyone in the Alamo City could have hoped.   Chute: Philadelphia (10-6 to 3-8) We did not see this one coming. Philadelphia was solid last year, with Carson Wentz looking like a very good NFL import call and Derrick Henry emerging as one of the league’s best backs. Henry is still getting it done, with 898 yards so far, but little else is working for the Stars this year. They are 27 th  in scoring defense and 22 nd  in scoring offense, and have had losses by 22, 10, 14, and 22 again, which means they are not even staying close in their 8 losses. Even with a perfect 5-game run, they will finish .500 and out of the playoffs, so this is absolutely an unwanted setback for a team that surprised many with a division title last year.   Ladder: Los Angeles (7-8-1 to 7-4) The Express may have finally found themselves an offense to go with their outstanding defense. It took a while, and the 3-team trade that brought Andy Dalton to town, but in their last 3 games they have scored 27, 26, and 27, all well above their average over the first 8 weeks. Combine that with a defense that averages 18 points allowed each week and LA could well be on their way to the division title and a return to the playoffs.   Chute: Pittsburgh (8-8 to 3-8) After an 0-5 start to the year, the Maulers have clearly moved into full-on rebuild mode. They traded away their veteran QB, are going the rest of the way with a rookie at the helm, and are trying to build pieces for a defense that can win them some games. It won’t happen this year, as their 30 th  ranked offense, scoring barely 13 points a game, is not going to produce many wins. They have the worst run game in the USFL and will need to address not only the HB position but the O-line as well this offseason. From playoff hopeful to blowing it all up in less than 8 weeks, that may be a record.   Ladder: Memphis (6-10 to 7-4) This may be more of a rebound than a ladder situation. Memphis was 13-3 in 2020 and last year’s drop to 6-10 was unexpected. We think their current standing, competing for the Southern Division title is right about where they should be. The offense is still not great, 12 th  in scoring, 14 th  in yards per game, but the Rex Ryan defense is keeping them in games and helping them get some short fields to work with.   Chute: Houston (10-6 to 5-6) At 5-6, we would not normally rule out Houston for a late run, but now, with Carlos Hyde still out, with Colt McCoy lost for the season and still trying to sort out one of the league’s worst defenses there is not a lot of hope that Houston can avoid their first losing season since 2013, and maybe their first 10-loss season in over a decade.   MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS 26  BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS 22 Another Southern Division classic in perhaps the best rivalry in spring football (don’t tell folks between Philly and NYC). The Showboat-Stallion game kicked off at 7:12 on Friday night, but there were fans camped out in the parking lot since about 10am, with every imaginable shape and size of grill and smoker ready to go. When kickoff finally arrived, it was standing room only in the 52,000 seat Protective Stadium, with a large Memphis contingent on the NE corner and a lot of scarlet and gold everywhere else.   The fans got what they came for, a nip and tuck game that 4 lead changes in the 2 nd half alone and a last minute touchdown for the win, though a win that did not make the home crowd happy. Stallion Nation watched their man, QB Cam Newton, playing like a true MVP candidate, throwing for 382 yards and 3 touchdowns while also scrambling 5 times for 32 additional yards. Former Crimson Tide standout Henry Ruggs was huge in the game, catching all 3 Newton TD tosses and gaining 124 yards on 6 receptions. They also saw a handful of solid tailback runs, with starter Najee Harris gaining 67 yards on only 6 carries. All in all a very good outing for the Stallion offense against a traditionally tough Rex Ryan defense.   But, the Memphis contingent in the stands had to be happy with their offense as well. Blake Bortles played within himself, made good decisions and threw for 2 scores and 274 yards on 27 of 35 passing. Jameson Crowder had only 2 catches, but both were scores, while Robert Woods put up 98 yards on 9 catches. The run game was also working for the Showboats, with Todd Gurley rushing for 51 on 13 attempts and David Williams adding 24 more on 6 touches.   So, a more offensive-minded game than either coach prefers, but certainly an entertaining one for the rowdy Protective Stadium crowd. And a game that heated up as it progressed into the Alabama night. The showdown started off slowly, as rivalry games often do, with both teams struggling to find the formula to string together first downs. But on Memphis’s 2 nd  possession, they found some plays that worked, a 12-yard Gurley run, a key 3 rd  down toss to Dallas Goedert, and, at the end of a 10-play drive, a short slant to Crowder that went the final 9 yards for the score.   Memphis added another 3 points early in the 2 nd  quarter to take a 10-point lead, but that finally got the Stallion offense sparked. Birmingham had its longest drive of the day in the 2 nd  half of the 2 nd quarter, a 15-play, seven and a half minute drive that produced a Newton to Ruggs 5-yard TD toss on a beautiful short corner route. The Stallions went into the half trailing by 3, but feeling momentum was on their side.   The opening drive of the 2 nd  half would prove them right, with Harris and Isaiah Pead doing just enough to force Memphis into a standard alignment instead of nickel coverage, they got the matchup they wanted, Henry Ruggs in man coverage against Memphis corner Josh Jackson. It was an immediate mismatch and Newton exploited it for a 40-yard strike that put Birmingham up 4 and was the first official lead change of the game. Memphis drew the game back to 1 point with a second Lewis Ward field goal, but as the 4 th  quarter began, Birmingham retained their lead.   Memphis got a break on Birmingham’s first possession of the final period when a catchable ball glanced off the hands of Devonta Smith, allowing Josh Jackson to make amends for his poor coverage of Ruggs earlier. Johnson brought down the “tip drill” ball and gave Memphis possession on the Birmingham 33. It would take 7 plays for Memphis to cash in on the turnover, but they did when David Williams plunged over the line from the 1 to change the lead to 19-14 Memphis. The Showboats went for 2, but failed, giving them a precarious 5-point advantage with 7:54 left to play.   Birmingham responded quickly, with Newton hitting his two tight ends, Hunter Henry and Tre McBride on 3 consecutive plays (Henry, McBride, and Henry) to move from their own 24 to the Memphis 47. After a Harris run of 9 yards and a Newton scramble on 2 nd  and 1, they had a new first down on the 35, then another on the 20. And, on 1 st  and 10 from the 20, they found paydirt, Newton again hitting Ruggs on a corner route, this time against double coverage. The Stallion tandem’s 3 rd  touchdown connection of the day, and a successful 2-point PAT throw to McBride gave Birmingham a 3-point lead with 4:26 on the clock.   But, as we all know, 4 minutes is certainly enough time for a good offense to put together a drive, and on this day Memphis’s offense was playing well. The Showboats started off slowly, using Gurley to push the ball and finding short passes to Goedert and Geronimo Allison, but their pace lulled Birmingham into a rut, a comfort zone of defending short to long instead of cutting off the deep ball first. The Showboats recognized this, and on a 2 nd  and 6 from the Birmingham 45, they used it to their advantage. Jameson Crowder started what looked like a standard slant, but when he drew in the safety, he turned it to a slant-and-go and got the advantage. Bortles hit him in stride and with only open field in front of him. Crowder cruised to the endzone. This time the Showboats went for 1, and when Lewis Ward’s kick went up and through the uprights, the Showboats had a 4-point advantage with 1:54 to play.   Again, 1:54 is certainly enough time to mount a drive, but unlike the Showboats, Birmingham knew that a field goal would not cut it. They needed a 7-point score, and that meant picking up yards in chunks. Memphis knew that too, and that meant bringing pressure. J. J. Watt and Sam Acho would both get to Cam Newton on the drive. Cornerback Mike Williams would deflect away two passes, and suddenly, with 33 seconds left, the Stallions were down to 1 time out and faced a 4 th  and 5. They needed a big play. The call came in, a zone-beating multi-level route combo for Ruggs, Henry, and HB Najee Harris. The choice for Newton was clear, with Henry getting position 7 yards down field, but the throw was not ideal, coming in too low and forcing Henry to try to crouch and roll to the turf to bring it in. The ball bounced off his forearms, up into the air, and down to the turf. Turnover on downs and time for the Memphis section of the stadium to cheer. Birmingham, winners of 7 in a row, had gone down, and Memphis, had picked up a win, putting them 3 games over .500 and only 1 game back of the co-leaders in the South (San Antonio and Birmingham). What is more, with a 4-1 record in the division, Memphis, if they could make up that game, could find themselves in 1 st  place over both the Gunslingers and the Stallions. A huge win for the road team and a tough loss for the full house of Stallion fans on Friday night.   SEATTLE 13  OAKLAND 6 An ugly win for the Dragons, but they will take it, especially in a tough place to play like Oakland (Well, Santa Clara, really). Despite both teams racking up 15 first downs apiece, this was very much a defensive battle. The only TD of the game was a 1-yard run by Moreno set up by a defensive penalty. Trevor Siemian got the win, with 177 yards passing, but it was Richard Sherman, Khalil Mack, and Kamal Martin that gave this win to the visiting Dragons. POTG:  Seattle LB Kamal Martin: 5 Tck, 2 TFL, 1 PDef   ARIZONA 19   BALTIMORE 21 Arizona eked out a win in Denver last week but could not find the same magic this week in Baltimore as Jake Locker hit rookie Christian Watson with 2 TDs and found TE Mike Gesecki for a third. That was barely enough to get the W, but Baltimore will take it. Arizona was down 21-12 until the final 2 minutes, when Ryan Nassib found Robert Tonyan for a score, but the onside kick was recovered by Baltimore and they ended the game with the ball in their hands. POTG:  Blitz QB Jake Locker: 25/34, 245 Yds, 3 TD, 1 Int   ORLANDO 16  ATLANTA 14 Another close game, but another win for the Renegades, who now stand above .500 at 6-5, solidly in the playoff mix. This one was all Chris Carson, who averaged 7.2 YPC against the Fire defense, rushing for a season high 130 on the day. Throw in another 2 sacks from Montez Sweat and an 8-tackle, 1-Int game from CB Michael Jackson and you get Orlando victorious once again. POTG:  Renegades’ HB Chris Carson: 18 Att, 130 Yds   MICHIGAN 24  LOS ANGELES 27 The Panthers finally cross the 20-point margin, but it is not enough as they drop their 10 th  in a row. LA gave up Cousins to Bennett TDs on back-to-back drives in the 4 th  but still held on for the home win. QB Andy Dalton could become a very popular figure in the City of Angels if he plays like this every week, throwing for 3 scores with no picks. Behind Dalton, LA built up a 24-3 lead, which was challenged in the 2 nd  half, but with just one more field goal they had enough to improve to 7-4 and hold on to 1 st  place in the division. POTG:  LA quarterback Andy Dalton: 14/27, 210 Yds, 3 TD, 0 Int   NEW ORLEANS 31   SAN ANTONIO 34 The Breakers cannot catch a break as once again they lose out in a close battle. Geno Smith hit Jordy Nelson for the pair’s 2 nd  TD combo of the day in the 4 th , but that only equalized the score and San Antonio did what it had to, putting up a chip shot field goal with 1:37 left to play, to avoid overtime. Garrett Wilson continues to impress, with 6 catches for 64 yards and a TD while Melvin Gordon rushed for 71 yards on 14 carries for the Gunslingers. With the win, San Antonio is looking solid at 8-3 on the year. POTG:  Gunslinger CB Jaquan Johnson: 7 Tck, 2 PDef, 1 Int   OHIO 7  ST. LOUIS 27 The Skyhawks firmly establish themselves as the 2 nd  team in the Central by thoroughly outperforming the Ohio Glory. It was 24-0 at the half and Ohio did not put any points on the board until the final 30 seconds of action in a thoroughly one-sided game. Lamar Jackson threw for 262 and 3 scores and the defense came close to the shutout but gave up 7 late in garbage time. POTG:  Skyhawk QB Lamar Jackson: 13/15, 262 Yds, 3 TD, 1 Int   TAMPA BAY 37  PHILADLEPHIA 15 The Bandits had this one in hand all game long, despite two turnovers, thanks to a defense that sacked Carson Wentz 5 times and held Philadelphia to 249 total yards. Dak Prescott threw for 295 with 2 TDs, and both Deebo Samuel and Dez Bryant went over 100 yards as the Bandits improve to 9-2 and retain their hold on the 1 seed in the East. POTG:  Bandit WR Dez Bryant: 6 Rec, 148 Yds, 1 TD   PORTLAND 7  PITTSBURGH 16 Signs of life in the Steel City as the Mauler defense held the Stags to only 21 yards rushing and 4 of 13 on third down. The Mauler offense still struggled, rushing for only 32 yards themselves, but Kenny Pickett found Brian Quick on a deep 61-yard throw and the D did the rest, giving the Maulers their 3 rd win on the season, sending Portland to an identical 3-8 record. POTG:  Mauler QB Kenny Pickett: 18/29, 196 Yds, 1 TD, 0 Int   JACKSONVILLE 24   CHARLOTTE 25 The Bulls thought they had this one, up 24-9 at the end of 3, and they should have, but Charlotte put up an unanswered 17 points in the 4 th  to steal away the win. Touchdowns from K. J. Hill and Ben Mason got Charlotte to within 2, and a perfectly executed 2-minute drill from Paxton Lynch got the Monarchs in range for a 36-yard game winner at the buzzer. POTG:  Charlotte LT Penei Sewell: 12 Pancake Blocks, 0 Sacks Allowed   OKLAHOMA 17   NEW JERSEY 28 Teddy Bridgewater threw 4 touchdowns to account for New Jersey’s 28 points, hitting 4 different receivers and helping the Generals build a 21-7 and later a 28-10 lead over visiting Oklahoma. Jalen Hurts passed for 230 and rushed for another 67, but he also threw 3 picks, two to MLB Matt Milano as he tried to force the ball to Mark Andrews. It was too much for the Outlaws to overcome on the road. POTG:  General LB Matt Milano: 8 Tck, 2 PDef, 2 Int   DALLAS 24  NEW ENGLAND 21 The Steamrollers seemed to have their act together as both T. J. Yeldon and Breece Hall scored on 3 rd  Quarter TD runs to give New England a 21-17 lead at the end of the 3 rd , but the offense fizzled in the 4 th and Dallas got what they needed when Ryan Tannehill threw a ball right to LB Samson Ebukam, who rumbled to the endzone with a Roughneck caravan for the game winner. Dallas was outgained 345-250 and only converted 3 of 13 third downs, but the big defensive play gave them the road win and sent New England to defeat for the 4 th  straight week. POTG:  Dallas LB Samson Ebukam: 2 PDef, 1 Int, 1 DefTD   HOUSTON 15   SAN DIEGO 24 Any hope Gambler Nation had for a late season surge may have just flown out the window as the Gamblers not only lost to San Diego but lost Colt McCoy for the remainder of the season as their star QB suffered a fractured tibia in the late 1 st  quarter. Landry Jones finished out the game and will now have to finish out the season for the 5-6 Gambles. For San Diego, the win moves them to 5-6, but with a far more positive vibe as Mason Rudolph went 13 of 21 for 244 and threw 3 TDs. POTG:  Thunder WR Chris Givens: 3 Rec, 111 Yds, 1 Td   WASHINGTON 28  LAS VEGAS 25 The Feds get a nice 3-TD game from Jacoby Brissett and a solid defensive performance to edge past the Vipers in Las Vegas. The game was not quite as close as the final score indicates as Washington built up a 28-10 lead before Las Vegas finally started making plays on offense. A late Minshew-to-Dobson TD made it a 3-point game, but the onside kick attempt failed and that was all she wrote for the Viper comeback. POTG:  Washington LB Patrick Queen: 11 Tck, 5 TFL, 1 Sck, 1 FF   CHICAGO 28  DENVER 13  The Gold are getting sick of playing 1-loss teams as the Machine knock them off at Empower Field one week after Arizona did the same. This one was not quite as close as last week, with Chicago scoring 28 unanswered between the 2 nd and 3 rd  quarters, including 2 Bradford-to-Beckham TDs to put Denver out of range. Denver’s shorthanded line had no luck slowing down the Chicago pass rush, with QB Josh Allen sacked 9 times in the game, including 2 each for Arik Armstead and Jason Pierre-Paul. POTG:  Machine WR Odell Beckham Jr: 6 Rec, 123 Yds, 2 TD   Campbell Still Kicking He is 36 years old, in his 15 th  USFL season, and he is not ready to go gently into that good night. Calais Campbell, after 12 consecutive seasons as the USFL sack leader, had to share the title last year, when he ended the season tied atop the leaderboard with his replacement in Orlando, Montez Sweat. This year, with J. J. Watt and A. J. Epenesa getting off to very fast starts, we have not spoken much about Campbell and his performance in Baltimore. But this week, after putting up 4 sacks against a pretty solid Arizona line, we probably should send a bit of attention his way. The 4-sack outburst marks the first time Campbell has recorded more than 2 sacks in any game this season, and yet, despite a drop off in multi-sack games, the big man, the future first-ballot Hall of Famer, is only 4 sacks behind the league leaders, sitting in 6 th  position with 15 sacks. Are we saying he will once again surge to the top of the leaderboard by season’s end? No, not really, but we are also not saying he can’t.   Roughnecks Pour Fuel on the Fire for New England Last week we reported about the sideline scuffle and locker room divisiveness that had been ignited by a 3-game losing streak. This week, as the tally rose to 4 losses in a row, the Dallas Roughnecks simply added fuel to the self-destructive fires within the Steamroller locker room. Playing without both WR Davante Parker and CB Benjamine St. Juste, both sitting out the first game of their 2-week suspension, the Steamrollers were in the game through three quarters, holding a 21-17 lead, but in the final 15 minutes New England fizzled and faded, while Dallas not only took the lead on a pick six of embattled Steamroller QB Ryan Tannehill, but held the Steamroller offense in check time and again. It was the kind of loss that again pushes emotions to the surface, and it was clearly not a happy team heading into the locker room after the final whistle blew. We did not get sideline hysterics this week, but what we all saw was a team that just does not believe in itself. The Steamrollers have a chance to bring back at least a portion of their early season mojo as they face the 2-9 Jacksonville Bulls this week, but if they drop this game, we could again see a lot of finger pointing and back stabbing in what is beginning to look like a roster at war with itself in Foxboro.   Three Man Race for ROTY With 5 games left for all 30 USFL clubs, the race for the Rookie of the Year seems to be down to three men, and, in part, could come down to how their teams perform overall. The men in question are San Antonio receiver Garrett Wilson , Baltimore wideout Christian Watson , and Michigan DE Aiden Hutchinson . Hutchinson’s numbers are impressive, sitting in 5 th  place on the USFL sack board, only 2 sacks behind the league leader. His 17 sacks as a rookie are impressive, and with a shot at 20+ this season, he certainly will be a contender, and yet, with Michigan now in a 10-game losing streak and already eliminated from postseason play, it seems unlikely that even a 20-sack season would bring Hutchinson the ROTY trophy. While it is not an indictment of Hutchinson’s play, the fact that his individual achievements have not helped Michigan escape the worst record in the league will, almost certainly, be a factor in the voting this season.   That reality leaves us with two wideouts. In raw numbers, Wilson seems to have the edge. The San Antonio wideout has 70 receptions to Watson’s 56, he has 274 yards on Watson (975-701) and has produced only 1 fewer touchdowns than his counterpart with the Blitz. But, of course, we need to also watch as both teams battle down the stretch for their overall record and their playoff seeding. Currently, Baltimore sits in 1 st  place in the NE Division with a 7-4 record. San Antonio has a game on the Blitz, sitting at 8-3, and they are also in their divisional race, tied with Birmingham atop the South, bumped only by a difference in conference record. While we think the edge in the ROTY race has to go to Garrett Wilson, based primarily on statistical achievement, a late run from Watson and the Blitz could make this race very tight very quickly.   McCoy Fractures Tibia, Could Miss Final Month A season of struggles for the Houston Gamblers just got a lot tougher as they lose their starting QB, and the 2021 MVP, to a season-ending injury. QB Colt McCoy went down in Saturday’s loss to San Diego, taken down by DE Malik Jackson, with an awkward twisting of his right leg. That twisting produced a fracture in McCoy’s tibia, not a full break, but a bad enough crack that the defending MVP will have to be put on IR and kept off the field for the rest of the season. It is another blow in a season that has already seen HB Carlos Hyde miss 6 games to an MCL injury, with more likely as he remains on the team’s injury list as “Out” for Week 13. Houston, in Hyde’s absence, has lost 4 of 5 and now finds themselves under .500 and looking up at the playoff contenders without their field general available to help them pull out of the downward spiral.   Houston has already made a move to add another QB, bringing back former Gambler Jeff Driskel, who last played a game in 2017, but has been off and on rosters the past 4 seasons. He will be third on the depth chart behind new starter Landry Jones and veteran backup Kellen Clemons. Jones, who has seen action in every game this year due to the fatigue-inducing syndrome that McCoy revealed only weeks ago, will now take over as the starter and will be tasked with trying to reverse the direction of the club, not easy considering Houston has a very tough outing at LA this week, followed by 3 more very tough games against the Breakers, Stallions, and Dragons. Without Hyde, and now, without McCoy, what started out as a very positive year, with Houston opening 3-0 and 4-1 out of the gate, now looks like a season that will be remembered as one of the team’s toughest in recent memory.   Twelve weeks and 11 games in for each team and we still have 29 teams active in the playoff hunt, with none locked in yet and only 1, the 1-10 Panthers, eliminated. Michigan received the dubious honor of being the first team removed from mathematical possibility for a playoff spot with their 10 th consecutive loss this week. Everyone else, including 2-9 Jacksonville, is still mathematically alive, but we expect some will not be able to say the same next week. As far as clinching goes, with 5 games left, the frontrunners to clinch soon have to be 10-1 Chicago, who have a 4.5 game lead over 7 th  place Oklahoma. A win this week and they will lock up no worse than a Wild Card. Arizona has a 3.5 game lead, so they would need a win and an Oklahoma loss to lock up a spot. With only a 3-game lead over 7 th  place New Jersey, as well as 6-5 Orlando within the division, the Bandits will need 2 good weeks to claim a playoff spot. Teams on the edge of elimination start with Jacksonville (4 games behind 6 th  place Orlando) and the 4 teams at 3-8 (Atlanta, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Portland). A rough week all over, with 5 more players now added to the Injured Reserve, including Colt McCoy. Washington loses 2 to IR in the same week and Memphis’s defense takes a blow with Rakeem Nunes-Roches out for the rest of the year. Tampa Bay could be weakened this week if both Ryan Grant and Jalen Ramsey are not able to go, while Chicago will be without Manti Te’o at least this week, but possibly longer.   OUT FS       Adrian Amos                    WSH     Torn PCL             IR DT          Rakeem Nunes-Roches  MEM     Neck                     IR G            Kenyon Green               LV           Shoulder             IR LB           Anthony Walker Jr       WSH     Torn ACL             IR QB         Colt McCoy                     HOU     Leg Fracture     IR DT          Vincent Taylor             OKL       Wrist                     1-2 Weeks WR         Austin Proehl                  CHA      Knee                     1-2 Weeks LB           Manti Te’o                     CHI        Shoulder             1-2 Weeks   DOUBTFUL CB          Asante Samuel Jr.           TBY        Pinched Nerve DT          Sheldon Richardson        OHI       Knee LB           Vince Biegel                PIT         Bruised Jaw   QUESTIONABLE DE          Dante Fowler           BIR         Groin WR         Russell Gage                  NOR      Hip G            Dan Feeney                    BAL        Hand HB         Travis Etienne                  WSH     Concussion WR         Nick Toon                         OKL       Concussion WR         Ryan Grant                      TBY        Shoulder                   Third Quarter Power Rankings As we look at our third quarter 1-30 ranking of the USFL clubs, let’s take a moment to celebrate a pretty solid rookie class by highlighting each team’s top 1 st  year performer.   1—Chicago Machine (10-1) HB Rachaad White is leading the team with 515 yards rushing and a 3.8 YPC average.   2—Tampa Bay Bandits (9-2) P Matt Azaiza is averaging 45.7 yards per kick and has placed 14 inside the 20.   3—Arizona Wranglers (9-2) HB Tyler Allgeier has slowed down a bit after a fast start, but is still averaging 4.0 yards per carry and has a team-best 7 rushing touchdowns.   4—Birmingham Stallions (8-3) TE Tre McBride is 4 th  on the team with 30 receptions, good for 304 yards and a lone TD.   5—San Antonio Gunslingers (8-3) WR Garrett Wilson is leading the pack for ROTY with 70 receptions, 975 yards, and 5 TDs for the 3 rd  year Gunslinger franchise.   6—St. Louis Skyhawks (8-3) LB Micah McFadden is 3 rd  on the team with 51 tackles, 5 for a loss.   7—Baltimore Blitz (7-4) WR Christian Watson has to be another ROTY contender with 56 catches, 701 yards, and 6 TDs, all team best for the resurgent Blitz offense.   8—Seattle Dragons (7-4) DT Jordan Davis has seen more snaps in rotation lately and has 2 sacks in the past 4 games.   9—Los Angeles Express (7-4) DT Zachary Carter is still playing behind Chris Jones and Linval Joseph, but is seeing more snaps on 1 st  and 2 nd  down in the past month.   10—Memphis Showboats (7-4) CB Alonte Taylor has played sparingly but has picked up his first pro pick and pro sack in recent weeks.   11—Orlando Renegades (6-5) C Luke Fonner has no starts at center, but is seeing some plays in relief for Ethan Pocic.   12—New Jersey Generals (6-5) HB Kyren Williams has not had the huge impact many expected, but has 4 TDs rushing and a 5 th  from the passing game.   13—Ohio Glory (6-5) LB David Ojabo has 30 tackles and a pick as a rotational player in the Ohio LB group.   14—Oakland Invaders (5-6) OT Trevor Penning has started 4 games and has looked solid in rotation as well.   15—San Diego Thunder (5-6) G Sean Rhyann started from Week 1 and has 39 pancakes in his rookie campaign.   16—Oklahoma Outlaws (5-5-1) DT Perrion Winfrey got 1 start in Week 7, recording his first sack and a forced fumble.   17—Dallas Roughnecks (5-6) CB Ja’Sir Taylor struggled early, but has com eon in the past month, with 17 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, and a fumble return for TD in the last 3 games.   18—New Orleans Breakers (5-6) OT Charles Cross has been solid all year, with a whopping 75 pancakes in his first 12 games as a pro.   19—Houston Gamblers (5-6) DE Kingsley Enagbare has been a starter all season and has racked up 5 sacks and 18 tackles.   20—New England Steamrollers (5-6) HB Breece Hall is leading the team with 663 yards, but has seen T. J. Yeldon cut into his touches, especially in the red zone, where Yeldon has 6 TDs to Hall’s 3.   21—Washington Federals (4-6-1) CB Sauce Gardner is 3 rd  on the team with 61 tackles, but his lone interception is less than what Feds’ fans had hoped for form the highly touted corner.   22— Denver Gold (4-7) OT Evan Neal has struggled at left tackle, giving up 7 sacks and missing 2 games to injury.   23—Las Vegas Vipers (4-7) OG Kenyon Green has played well for the Vipers, particularly in pass protection, where he has 45 pancake blocks and has given up only 2 sacks.   24— Charlotte Monarchs (4-7) WR Drake London leads the Monarchs with 57 catches, 652 yards, and 4 TDs   25—Atlanta Fire (3-8) DT Devante Wyatt has been a revelation as an interior run stuffer. He has 53 tackles, second only to Luke Kuechley on the Fire defense.   26—Philadelphia Stars (3-8) OG Logan Bruss has seen spot action with 3 starts due to injuries as he continues to play the swing guard position.   27—Pittsburgh Maulers (3-8) QB Kenny Pickett was thrust into action early, and while wins have been hard to come by, Pickett’s play has been solid, especially for a rookie: 2,173 yards, 9 TD, 6 Int, and a 75.2 QB rating after 10 starts.   28--Portland Stags (3-8) K Cameron Dicker has hit on all 21 PAT attempts and on 78.3% of his kicks, which, in soggy Portland, is no small feat.   29—Jacksonville Bulls (2-9) HB James Cook leads the Bulls with 453 yards and 4 TDs. His 3.9 YPC average is solid, but with only 9 receptions, Bulls fans are hoping to see more in the passing game.   30—Michigan Panthers (1-10) DE Aiden Hutchinson is a bright spot in a dark season for Michigan. The former Wolverine is 5 th  in the league with 17 sacks and very well could hit the coveted 20-sack total by season’s end.    40 Greatest USFL Players in 40 Years: Numbers 8 & 7 We are getting down to the true legends of the USFL and this week we have two of the very best to ever play the game, including a 3-time league champion at QB and the USFL’s all time career leader in rushing yards. Now it is not about merit, it is about those debates over who is the USFL GOAT. With both a QB and a HB ahead of our two players today, we are saying that they are both so close, but not quite the player we would list as the GOAT at their position. Feel free to disagree with us on that.   8) QB Jim Kelly (1984-1996) One of the league’s brightest stars during its formative years, Kelly not only brought 3 titles to the Gamblers, starting in 1988, but was voted MVP three times, Playoff MVP 3 times, and All-USFL 10 times. He still ranks in the Top 10 in Attempts, Completions, Yards, and TDs, his 412 scoring throws only trailing Brett Favre. The original Run & Shoot gunslinger retired with 5 seasons of over 4,000 yards and 8 seasons with 30 or more TDs. When you think of the USFL as a passing league, designed around QBs who were willing to go deep at any time, you are seeing the influence of Kelly and the early Gamblers.   7) HB Deuce McCallister (2001-2017) In 17 pro seasons, a ludicrously long career at the HB position, Deuce McCallister put up 15 consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, rushed for over 19,000 yards, and earned 11 All-USFL awards. And yet, despite all his individual accolades, his Federals teams never won a title during a career that spanned nearly 2 decades. But, when it comes to those individual stats, McCallister is unparalleled, with all-time career records for carries and rushing yards, retiring 5 th  in career touchdowns as well.   Fans will, of course, debate between McCallister, Rozier, Walker, Bryant and Eddie George. Each had their own style, their own impact on the game, and their own strengths as running backs. McCallister was not the receiver that George was and was not the inside grinder that Walker or Bryant could be. He was a classic slasher, making one cut and leaving defenders leaning the wrong way. He did retire with 495 receptions and 4,207 yards through the air, so he was certainly not a one-dimensional back. And he could block as well, so in “The Deuce” you got a well-rounded and very productive back, technically the most productive in USFL history. More rivalry games to spark excitement this week, starting with the Turnpike Classic in Philly as the Generals come to town. This one may not have the drama of a season where both are at the top of the standings, but you still know it will be intense at the Linc on Friday night. The other Friday game includes a matchup of two teams who first faced off in Week 1 of the league’s inaugural season.   Saturday also gives us some great rivalry games, with Baltimore at Washington to renew the Beltway Battle, Dallas and Oklahoma engaged in their own Red River matchup, and the Wranglers headed on their shortest road trip of the year, only 300 miles separating Phoenix from Las Vegas and the Vipers. We also have 2 highly important inter-divisional games on Saturday afternoon, when 5-6 Houston limps into LA to play the 7-4 Express and with 7-4 Memphis hoping to escape the tough home environment in Santa Clara for the 5-6 Oakland Invaders, who need this win to get back in the playoff hunt once again.   Sunday has 4 divisional games, including Charlotte and Atlanta’s budding rivalry, a Cascade Clash between the Stags and Dragons, and two Central Division grudge matches. It is Michigan heading into St. Louis and hoping to knock the rising Skyhawks back down to earth. Then, in the nightcap, it is 10-1 Chicago hoping to put the Ohio Glory in their rear view mirror. A win by the Machine would give them a 5-game lead over Ohio, removing the Glory as a contender for the division title.   Fri. 7pm ET       New Jersey (6-5) @ Philadelphia (3-8)       NBC Fri. 7pm ET         Tampa Bay (9-2) @ New Orleans (5-6)            ESPN/EFN   Sat. 12pm ET   Baltimore (7-4) @ Washington (4-6-1)           ABC Sat. 12pm ET     Orlando (6-5) @ Pittsburgh (3-8)                     FOX Sat. 4pm ET       Houston (5-6) @ Los Angeles (7-4)                 ABC Sat. 4pm ET       Memphis (7-4) @ Oakland (5-6)                      FOX Sat. 8pm ET      Dallas (5-6) @ Oklahoma (5-5-1)                    NBC Sat. 8pm ET      Arizona (9-2) @ Las Vegas (4-7)                       ESPN/EFN   Sun 12pm ET   Birmingham (8-3) @ San Antonio (8-3)         ABC Sun 12pm ET     Jacksonville (2-9) @ New England (5-6)         FOX Regional Sun 12pm ET   Atlanta (3-8) @ Charlotte (4-7)                        FOX Regional Sun 4pm ET       Denver (4-7) @ San Diego (5-6)                       ABC Regional Sun 4pm ET      Portland (3-8) @ Seattle (7-4)                           ABC Regional Sun 4pm ET      St. Louis (8-3) @ Michigan (1-10)                    FOX Sun 8pm ET      Chicago (10-1) @ Ohio (6-5)                            EFN