The final film in the 2016 parade of Hollywood road & football movies is the lighthearted jab at the 1987 NFL strike, a film about the replacement players who took over during a lockout and what happened when the regulars returned. Starring Keanu Reaves as "never was" QB Shane Falco, the rag tag group of replacement players goof and spoof their way through a pretty fun piece of fluff. The 2015 USFL regular season came to an end with a few surprises and some confirmations. We confirmed that Baltimore, Pittsburgh, New Orleans, and Houston are pretty good teams, that Andy Dalton, Ben Roethlisberger, Matt Hasselbeck, and Joe Flacco can sling it, and that being hot at the right time can make all the difference. Just ask the Portland Stags, whose final month and Week 16 victory in Oakland propelled them from .500 all the way to a 2 seed, a bye, and a home playoff game in 2 weeks. Even fans in the Rose City did not see that coming 4-5 weeks ago. On the flip side, we saw Oakland swooning and Charlotte barely hanging on to their division as Orlando locked up the final playoff spot to be won. A big week to be sure, and we will recap it and preview the Wild Card Weekend to come in this week's edition. Portland Makes Huge Move in Season’s Final Week It was certainly not expected when the season began. Not suspected at midseason, when the Stags were 4-4 and had not yet won a road game, and not even on our radar just a few weeks ago, but the Portland Stags are the Pacific Division Champions.  How did they do it?   Well, it starts with the club finally figuring out how to win some road games down the home stretch.  Their first road win of the year came in Week 12, when they topped the LA Express.  They would win two more road games in the final two weeks of the season to finish the year at 10-6.  They would also get some help.  While Portland was winning 5 of their final 6 games, including 3 road wins, the Oakland Invaders, who at midseason were well out in front of the division at 6-2, were finishing the year with 3 losses in their final 4 games, including this past week’s 17-12 defeat at the hands of the one team that could take away their division title.   So it was a combination of Oakland’s late season swoon and Portland’s late season surge that gives the Stags their first division title since joining the league in 2008 and only their 3rd playoff appearance.  The 10-6 Stags not only captured the Pacific Title, but thanks to both Michigan and St. Louis going down to defeat in the season’s final week, Portland found themselves with an almost unthinkable 2 seed and a bye in next week’s Wild Card playoff.  These are lofty heights for a team that has never had 10 wins in a season and never escaped the Wild Card round in the two years they qualified for a playoff spot.   A lot of the credit for the success of the Stags has to go to first year coach Pep Hamilton.  The former Baltimore Blitz OC has brought with him some innovative offensive schemes and an air of confidence.  The Stags responded with a balanced offense, but also with one of the league’s most consistent defenses.  The Stags, and veteran QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, have been good enough to keep star rookie QB Marcus Mariota on the bench for most of the year.  The Oregon rookie’s only appearances were a Week 13 mop up duty and a Week 14 start as Fitzpatrick recovered from injury.    It was yet another 1,200 yard season for Jonathan Stewart, his 5th in the past 6 seasons, but it was also a good season for a very undervalued receiving corps.  Second year wideout Brandin Cooks became the main man, catching 85 balls for 909 yards, but it was a group effort, with Brian Quick and trade acquisition Alshon Jeffery also putting up solid numbers.  Add in TE Jordan Cameron’s 65 catches and you have an offense that distributes the ball to multiple targets. On defense Portland knew they could count on LB Channing Crowder, who again was among the league leaders with 118 tackles on the year, but they also got a strong year from DT Jason Fisk (69 tackles), and the secondary led by FS Donte Whitner.  The Stags played a lot of tight games, evident in their 18.3 PPG average and their 18.0 PPGA average.  They won more than they lost when games were within 1 score, taking a final 7-2 record in games with a margin of 8 or fewer points.  They rarely defeated themselves, and they believed they could make a late run.  Now that late run has them resting up for the Divisional Round and toting “2015 Pacific Division Champions” gear.   HOUSTON GAMBLERS 17   NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS 22 It was not the highest scoring game of the year, nor the most back-and-forth, but the sheer importance of the Gamblers-Breakers showdown, with the Southern Division Title on the line and both clubs entering at 12-3, that made this our obvious game of the week.  What also made it exciting was the way the scoring developed, with Houston looking unstoppable at 17-0 in the 3rd quarter, only to have New Orleans claw their way back and on top by game’s end.    Both clubs moved the ball well in this game, but momentum took a huge turn midway through the 3rd and Houston never recovered as the Breakers just kept chipping away at what had initially seemed an insurmountable lead.   Houston had built the lead after a very slow first quarter, when they opened the 2nd with a long 12-play, 7-minute drive that produced 7 thanks to Mike Evans’s  one-handed grab of a fade route ball in the endzone.  They added to the lead early in the 3rd when Matt Hasselback found Roy Williams open deep on the 2nd play from scrimmage, a perfectly executed play action fake that helped Williams get open for the 83-yard touchdown throw.  This play silenced the fans in the Super Dome, and by the time Houston added a 48-yard field goal on their next drive, fans were noticeably antsy about New Orleans’s lack of production.    The comeback would start off slowly, with the Breakers finally getting on the board, but only in a consolatory way, after failing to score on 3 tries from the 5-yard line, they settled for a 21-yard field goal.  The momentum shift would start to be felt on the very next play, when LB Kevin Minter stepped in front of a ball intended for Houston TE Vernon Davis, picking off the pass deep in Gambler territory.  The Breakers again had to settle for a field goal, but now down only 11, they had a newfound sense of urgency, and Houston began to sense that all was not going their way.    The final period began with New Orleans adding another field goal to pull within 8 at 17-9.  It got even worse for the Gamblers when Matt Hasselbeck, usually a paragon of accuracy, let loose a ball that was far too high for his underneath receiver, far too short for his deep receiver, but just right for CB Randall Gay.  Gay picked off Hasselbeck at mid field and only 6 plays later Drew Brees found Kenny Britt for a 7-yard TD.  A 2-pointer would even the score with 4:23 left to play, but Brees could not connect with Early Doucet and the Breakers found themselves down 2 with time left, if they could shut down Houston one more time.   They would do just that on a 3-and-out.  First down saw them stuff Carlos Hyde behind the line.  The Breakers had defended Hyde well all game. He would finish the day with only 33 yards rushing.  On second down, Hasselbeck connected with TE Dante Rosario, but only for 4 yards.  On third and 7, Hasselbeck would try to connect with Mike Evans, but Randall Gay was there again, this time breaking up the pass and forcing a quick punt from the Gamblers.  Down only 2, the Breakers knew that they had two missions on this last drive, to put at least 3 on the board and to use as much clock as they could.   The Breakers received the ball on their 33 after a solid punt from Houston.  With just over 2 minutes on the clock and 2 time outs left, they were certainly in position to get the ball into range for kicker Caleb Sturgis.  They used short passes to get the initial first down of the drive, connecting with Kenny Britt and Donnie Avery over the middle as Houston used a shell coverage to defend the sidelines.  After spiking the ball at the 48, a draw play to Jeremy Hill garnered 8 yards and a quick strike to Coby Fleener got the Breakers into Houston’s side of the field with just over 1 minute left to play.  Time out New Orleans.  They had one left.  Another draw play garnered only 4 yards, but on 2nd down, New Orleans got a nice gain as Brees hit Doucet for 18 yards, down to the Houston 30 and within field goal range.    Coach Lathon called for inside runs to set up Sturgis with an easier kick.  First down produced no yards, but on second down, as Brees came to the line, he noticed that his one wide out, Tyler Lockett, was left almost uncovered by a corner who was creeping towards the line to cut off any inside runs.  Brees audibled to a fly route for the diminutive Lockett, stunning Coach Lathon, but producing an easy 30-yard TD pass.  Yes, there was too much time left on the clock, but after adding the PAT, the Breakers were up 5 with only 33 seconds left, meaning that Houston would need to go the length of the field to score a TD.    Houston, who had struggled to move the ball ever since the midpoint of the 3rd quarter, continued to miss the mark, with consecutive passes to Mike Evans and Vernon Davis going uncaught and turning the ball back to New Orleans, who celebrated the win and the division title as they knelt the ball down one last time and then ran along the outer ring of the stadium, high fiving the fans in the front row.  The Breakers had won their 4th consecutive Southern Division title, and knocked off a very tough rival new to the division in 2015.   PORTLAND 17    OAKLAND 12 As we reported earlier, the Stags made good on their late season surge, winning the Pacific and earning a 2 seed with a big road win in Oakland.  This one goes to the defense, which held Oakland to only 12 points and picked off Joey Harrington twice, including a 4th quarter redzone pick that helped Portland hold off the Invaders.  On offense, the star was Qb Ryan Fitzpatrick, who had a 27 of 35 day, with 288 yards and 2 scores, far better than Harrington’s 167 yards. POTG:  Stags LB Channing Crowder: 8 Tck, 1 Int   ST. LOUIS 9   DENVER 27 No Eddie Lacy, and no energy led to the upset loss from St. Louis in Denver.  St. Louis converted only 1 of 13 third downs and Ricky Stanzi was sacked 4 times as Denver played with a lot of pride to reach 7-9 on the year.  DeMarco Murray rushed for 119 and a score and backup QB Dan LeFevour, getting the start in the season’s final week, threw 2 TDs as Denver simply outplayed the Skyhawks in a game St. Louis should have been very up to win. POTG:  Gold DE Justice Cole: 4 Tck, 2 Sck, 1 FF, 1 FR.   MICHIGAN 17   BALTIMORE 38   Michigan could not capitalize on St. Louis’s loss as they ran into a Balitmore buzzsaw.  Big Ben had another monster game, pushing for final MVP consideration with 345 yards and 4 touchdowns on the day.  Dixon and Williams combined for 92 yards and a score and the Blitz D held Kirk Cousins to a disappointing 6 for 19, 104 yard day in a truly shocking defensive show of force.  With the win, the Blitz capture the NE Division and the top seed in the East. POTG:  Blitz QB Ben Roethlisberger:  23/30, 345 Yds, 4 TD, 1 Int   PITTSBURGH 35    NEW JERSEY 24 The Maulers did their part, but are now slotted in as the 4 seed, set to host a Wild Card game this week.  Andy Dalton did it all In this game, with Lattimore sidelined.  He threw for 422 yards and 5 scores against a New Jersey defense that simply did not look all that interested in getting the win. Brett Hundley threw 50 passes for the Generals, completing 30 for 340 yards in a pretty nice game for the rookie, but it was well short of what was needed against the Maulers. POTG:  Mauler QB Andy Dalton: 15/27, 422 Yds, 5 TD, 1 Int ORLANDO 27   WASHINGTON 16 The Renegades made sure their playoff ticket was punched, taking care of business in Washington, with Connor Shaw looking good in a matchup against Federals’ backup Cleo Lemon.  Shaw went 23 of 39 for 239 yards and 2 scores as he helped Orlando claim the last playoff spot left to grab.  Michael Jenkins finished the year as the league leader in receptions, snagging 8 more for 106 yards and a TD as Orlando makes their first playoff appearance in 6 years.  Calais Campbell also sets a record for a DE, becoming the first edge rusher to ever record 100 tackles in a USFL season. POTG: Orlando DE Calais Campbell: 9 Tck, 2 Sck.   MEMPHIS 7   BIRMINGHAM 27 Despite watching the scoreboard all game, the Stallions easily dispatch backup the Showboats, knocking Matt McGloin out of the game and limiting 3rd stringer Ryan Mallett to 140 yards passing.  A. J. McCarron looked good, completing 19 of 27 for 270 and a score, but it was not enough to get the 8-8 Stallions into the postseason.  Orlando’s win officially eliminated Birmingham. POTG:  Stallion DE Greg Hardy: 4 Tck, 2 Sck   CHARLOTTE 16    LOS ANGELES 13 Charlotte did not give Orland a shot at the Division, holding off a game LA squad to take the W and the Division on Saturday night.  The Monarchs looked quite shaky, especially QB Brandon Wheedon, who threw 3 picks to the feisty LA defense. If not for a late Brandon Coutu field goal, the Monarchs could have been on the outside of the playoff pool, looking in.  But they got the job done and now will host a playoff game next week as the 3 seed. POTG:  Monarch WR D. J. Hackett: 9 Rec, 112 Yds, 1 TD   ARIZONA 10   TEXAS 39 As expected, Arizona rested several starters, including David Carr, Frank Gore, and Larry Fitzgerald.  The result?  A pretty easy but somewhat meaningless win by the Outlaws.  Playing at Bobcat Stadium in San Marcos, Texas got 262 yards and 2 scores from Joe Flacco, with Marques Colston getting just enough to snag the receiving yardage title away from Baltimore’s Darrius Heyward-Bey. POTG:  Texas WR Marques Colston: 5 Rec, 138 Yds, 1 TD   CHICAGO 9   OHIO 24 The Glory give Bart Andrus a parting gift, a home win to end the season at 5-11.  In the battle of teams already replacing their coaches, the Glory got 3 TDs from QB Troy Smith and a solid game from WR Justin Blackmon to take the win over a very flat Chicago squad.  With the loss, Chicago locks up the 1st pick in the draft.  Will it be a QB or has Trevor Siemian shown enough in an up and down rookie year? POTG:  Glory WR Justin Blackmon: 4 Rec, 125 Yds, 1 TD   LAS VEGAS 10   JACKSONVILLE 24 The Bulls improve by 5 games over 2014 with their fifth win and provide Las Vegas with a perfect 0-8 road record in 2015.  It was another battle of backups as Adrian McPherson and Jeff Tuel battled in Alltel Stadium.  Neither QB threw a TD but McPherson managed to avoid turnovers while Tuel threw two picks.  POTG:  Bulls CB Charles Godfrey: 2 Tck, 2 Int, 1 Def TD, 1 FF, 1 FR   SEATTLE 19    SAN DIEGO 11 The Dragons avoid a 10-loss season in this battle of 6-win teams, played before a pretty healthy 27,582 on a hot San Diego afternoon.  Byron Leftwich started, but after a scare on a sack was pulled for Mike Flynn.  Case Keenum got the start for the Thunder and looked solid.  Other than one nice 60-yard TD to Nate Burleson, this one was a bit of a snoozer all the way through. POTG:  Seattle LB Khalil Mack: 10 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 Sfty, 1 FF, 1 FR   ATLANTA 20   TAMPA BAY 30 Pride got the best of Tampa Bay as Pat White and the Bandits win the game over Brad Gradkowski, but in doing so drop from the 1st draft pick to the 2 spot.  Not a huge deal, but a weird time to develop a sense of pride in an otherwise disastrous 4-12 season.  Steven Jackson rushed for 106 for the Fire, and Gradkowski threw for 2 scores, but Tampa Bay got a pick six from Carlos Rogers and Tds from Rex Burkhead and Santana Moss to take the win in their home finale, played before only 17,202. POTG: Bandits CB Carlos Rogers: 9 Tck, 1 Int, 1 Def TD   PHILADELPHIA 13   DALLAS 16 Not exactly Eagles-Cowboys, but this non-rivalry helped produce the first winning season for the Roughnecks as they get the win and finish the year 8-7-1.  Tim Wright had a good game with 6 catches for 90 yards and a score, while the Dallas D held Matt Gutierrez under 200 yards and without a score.  POTG:  Dallas LT Vernon Carey: 11 Pancake Blocks Plenty of Backups See Action in Week 16 Yes, there were some tight games, some drama as teams tried to settle their playoff position, but what we noticed more than at any other time of the season was the preponderance of backup QBs in action this week.  Twelve of the league’s 28 teams started a backup at the position in Week 16, and several others turned to the backup by halftime.  Now, not all of these were for the same reason, and not all were getting their first start, but plenty were.   We saw some backups who have been thrust into action in recent weeks due to injury, players like Ricky Stanzi in St. Louis, Adrian McPherson in Jacksonville, rookie Connor Shaw in Orlando, or A. J. McCarron in Birmingham.  We saw New Jersey kick the tires on their rookie signing, USC QB Brett Hundley, and we saw several potential up-and-coming backups get a rare start, players like Nick Foles in Arizona, Case Keenum in San Diego, Brad Gradkowski for Atlanta, and Matt McGloin in Memphis.    The best performance of the week came from an unexpected place as Denver’s Dan LeFevour surprised us all with a solid 16 of 30, 2 TD game that helped the Gold upset the Skyhawks in a game St. Louis had to win to ensure themselves a bye week and a 2 seed.  We saw Connor Shaw help propel Orlando into the post-season, subbing for the IR-restricted Russell Wilson and throwing for 239 yards and 2 scores in a victory at Washington.  A. J. McCarron threw for 270 as he helped Birmingham finish the year at .500, and New Jersey rookie Brett Hundley may have given the Generals something to consider as Sam Bradford heads to free agency, completing 30 of 50 passes for 340 yards and 2 scores, not enough to beat the Maulers, but a very good first impression for the former Trojan.   It is Week 16, so we are not shocked that many teams played some younger players, that others opted to rest key starters to avoid injury, and with the rash of injured QBs we have seen this year, who can blame them.  Even so, fans that coughed up some big bucks to see their team one more time this season had to be a bit upset that they got largely matchups of backups in many games.   Oakland Swoons to Sixth Seed We have already focused on Portland’s unanticipated ascent to the Pacific Division Title, but we should also focus a bit on Oakland’s precipitous fall from a 6-2 start to a 9-7 finish.  Dropping 3 of their last 4 is not the way to enter the playoffs.  Dropping from a possible 2 seed down to a 6 seed is certainly not a good sign as the Wild Card round kicks off next week.  So what has been going wrong?   The easy answer to that question is that the offense has not done their part, forcing the defense to carry the load.  Since a 24-16 win in Week 12, the Invaders have scored 10, 19, 17, and 12 points.  Staying under 20 points per game forces a defense to do a lot of heavy lifting.  And while Oakland’s defense has been their strength all season long, they clearly tired down the stretch.  Bad enough that the Texas Outlaws demolished the Invaders 44-10 in Week 13, but that loss seems to have started a decline in defensive effectiveness, with LA scoring 19 in the only win Oakland garnered in the final month of the year, followed by 27 to the Thunder in San Diego, and this week a 17-12 loss that cost the Invaders the division. So now Oakland must go on the road in the first round of the playoffs. They head to St. Louis to take on a Skyhawks squad that may have Josh Freeman back (still TBD).  Oakland has been the better team all season, but the past month has everyone wondering if they spent all their energy earlier in the year and now have nothing left.  We already know that star HB Ryan Williams is unhappy as a platoon player and likely will leave this offseason.  Has that dissatisfaction infected the entire offense?  Can Joey Harrington pull them together for a playoff run, or will this be a second year in a row where the Invaders slump into the playoffs only to be one and done?   Baltimore Snags Top Seed with 5th Straight Win One team that is definitely not slumping into the postseason is Baltimore.  The  Blitz have won 5 in a row, caught and passed Pittsburgh to take the NE Division, beaten the Maulers head-to-head, and now enter the playoff defense of their league title as a 1 seed, very much in a position to become the 2nd team in league history to win back-to-back titles.  The Blitz are looking very much like the offensive juggernaut that won the title last year, with Big Ben throwing for either 400 yards, 4 TDs or both nearly every week.  The defense is also improved, though still not among the elite in the league, but when your club is first in both points per game and yards per game, maybe you don’t need a Top 10 defense to win another title.    HB Steven Jackson Announces Retirement at 30 Atlanta has not had the year their fans all hoped for, and now the Fire officially will lose one of their iconic stars.  Dropping to 6-10 for the year, Atlanta was a major letdown after many, including us, picked them to win the SE Division.  This week, following their 30-20 loss to Tampa Bay, one of their best players, NFL import HB Steven Jackson, announced that he would step away from the game at the age of 30.    Now, we all know the stories about tailbacks dropping in productivity after age 30, but we have also seen several exceptions to the rule, so the sudden announcement by Jackson is something of a surprise.  Yes, his numbers dipped slightly from 2014 to 2015, but only marginally.  And yes, in his 3 years since coming over from the NFL St. Louis Rams, Jackson has yet to earn a 1,000-yard season (topping out at 959 in 2014), but the Fire still very much felt that Jackson was in prime form and could take a run at 1,000 yards at any time.  Jackson must have felt differently.   Every player has that moment when they feel that either their body or their heart is just not ready for another season of wear and tear, disappointment and discipline.  And maybe Jackson just knew, but for a decision to come out this early in the offseason, just 2 days after his final game, that is a bit rare for a player of Jackson’s age.  So now Atlanta has to decide what to do at tailback.  They are not going to stick scatback J. J. Arrington with a bell cow role, so the question becomes one of free agency, NFL import once again, or a draft pick used on a potential starter.  For a club with a lot of questions, this one suddenly rises to the top.   Deion Branch Steps Away from the Feds & Football Perhaps less surprising, but still tough for fans in Washington to accept, is the announcement on Wednesday that 13-year veteran and lifelong Federals’ WR Deion Branch is calling it a career.  Branch had yet another 1,000-yard season in 2015, his 7th over a career that produced over 13,000 yards receiving, more than 1,000 receptions and 79 touchdowns.  It is true again that 2015 was not the best year for the veteran, dipping from 1,300 yards to only 1,076 in 2015, and from 13 TDs in 2014 to only 5 this year.  Still, a veteran leader, a 2-time All-USFL selection, and a team captain is a hard player to replace.  Washington will likely elevate rising star Brandon LaFell (68 Rec for 887 yards) to the 1 spot, possibly test out Kelvin Benjamin at the 2, but should also look to draft a young speedster to add to the WR room.  All of that still to come, but for now fans say goodbye to one of their favorites.   As we look over the four upcoming Wild Card games, the question of how injuries will impact games is one no one takes lightly.  Each team has their own story, some having dealt with major injuries for weeks now, others facing a new potential absence from the lineup.  Here is our breakdown of all 4 games and how we see injuries playing a factor.   ORL:  QB Russell Wilson (OUT), LB Anthony Barr (P) CHA: TE Brandon Pettigrew (OUT) Orlando’s Connor Shaw has played well since taking over for the injured Russell Wilson.  In 2 starts since the Wilson injury, Shaw has thrown for 386 yards with 4 touchdowns and no picks. Not too shabby at all. The bigger injury may be this week’s status for Charlotte TE Brandon Pettigrew, who could miss 2-4 weeks. He was a security blanket for Brandon Wheedon, who has been a bit careless with the ball lately, so that could be a problem for the Monarchs.     HOU: DT John Jenkins (OUT), LB Pat Angerer (D), G Jon Asamoah (Q) PIT: CB Reggie Smith (OUT), HB Marcus Lattimore (OUT), C Nick Leckey (P) The Houston-Pittsburgh game could be a shootout, even moreso now that we see that three key defenders will be out of the game, Jenkins and Angerer for the Gamblers and Reggie Smith for the Maulers. Throw in the fact that HB Marcus Lattimore is already ruled out and you can bet that the Maulers will be a pass-heavy team, depending on Andy Dalton to outduel veteran Matt Hasselbeck.     OAK: G Chris Kemoeatu (OUT), C Russell Bodine (OUT), CB Deon Grant (OUT), WR Travis Wilson (P) STL: HB Eddie Lacy (OUT), CB Vontae Davis (OUT), DE Olivier Vernon (OUT), DT Sheldon Richardson (D) The injury to Eddie Lacy is clearly still a major concern for St. Louis, especially after the poor performance by the offense in Denver this past week. Having two key defenders on the D-line also out could also be trouble for the Skyhawks, as Oakland will try to run the ball right down their throats if they cannot prove able to stop it.   MGN: G Vince Manuwai (P) TEX: CB Nathan Vasher (OUT) A much lighter injury list in this one, with Michigan expecting to have all their key players on the field. The loss of Nathan Vasher could be an issue for Texas, but we know that Michigan prefers to use a run-dominant offense and play action to protect Kirk Cousins, so that may not be as bad a loss as it would be against another foe.   Final Regular Season Power Rankings Here we go, the final regular season power rankings, with our playoff teams occupying the top 12 spots and the teams that are done for the year filling out the bottom 16.  How teams finished the year, especially the past month, is the biggest factor in who rose and who fell, but what we think each can do in the postseason is also a major consideration.  So, here we go, the rankings:   STRONG 1—BALTIMORE (13-3)                  UP 4 The Blitz have won 5 in a row and take the top seed in the west after a huge win over the Maulers in Week 15.   2—ARIZONA (12-4)                       UP 1 Ignore the Week 16 game with few starters playing.  Before that game, Arizona had won 6 in a row to wrap up the West’s top seed early.   3—NEW ORLEANS (13-3)           UP 1 The huge home win over Houston gives them the Division and only a tiebreaker cost them the top seed in the conference. The Breakers have won 5 in a row headed into the bye.   4—PITTSBURGH (13-3)               DOWN 3 A tough loss to Balitmore forces them into Wild Card weekend, but this is a team that could run the table on the road.   5—HOUSTON (12-4)                  DOWN 3 Another team that will be in the Wild Card round but has a shot to run the table, but losses to Philly and Birmingham do have us wondering if they are fully ready.   6—PORTLAND (10-6)                   UP 4 The Stags have won 5 of 6, including that big win in Oakland to claim both the Pacific Division title and a bye week.  It’s all about that defense and Jonathan Stewart in Portland.   7—TEXAS (10-6)                            UP 4 The Outlaws have won 4 of 5, but will have to play  on the road, even in their home Wild Card game, scheduled to be played in Dallas, not San Antonio.   SOLID 8—ST. LOUIS (10-6)                       DOWN 1 A bad loss in Week 16 did not cost them the Division, but did cost them a bye week and a spot in our top 7.   9—MICHIGAN (10-6)                    DOWN 1 The Panthers had a shot at the division title, but have lost 3 of their last 4, a troubling trend as they head into a road playoff game next week.                 10—ORLANDO (9-7)                     UP 2 The Renegades win their last 3 to go from 6-7 to 9-7 and a playoff spot.  They could be a tough out, especially with Calais Campbell playing at DPOTY pace.   11—OAKLAND (10-6)                   DOWN 5 The division was theirs for the taking, but going 1-3 down the stretch shows us that Oakland could be swooning once again.  They will be on the road as a 6 seed so a quick exit could be in the cards.   12—CHARLOTTE (9-7)                 DOWN 3 Yes, the Monarchs won the division on a tiebreaker, but they now face Orlando head-to-head, and the Renegades embarrassed them only 2 weeks ago, 30-13.  Could that happen again?   13—DALLAS (8-7-1)                       UP 1 The Roughnecks won 4 of their last 5 but it was too little too late.  This is a team on the rise and could be a real challenger in 2016.   14—BIRMINGHAM (8-8)             UP 2 The Stallions won 3 of their last 4 to get to .500.  They need more consistency in 2016 if they want to catch up to the two top teams in the division, the Breakers and Gamblers.   INCOMPLETE 15--WASHINGTON (7-9)             UP 4 The Federals had a shot at .500 but were sideswiped by Orlando in the season finale.  They will need to tweak some areas in 2016, including finding a replacement for Deion Branch.   16—SEATTLE (7-9)                          DOWN 3 A 5-game losing streak was snapped in the season finale, but it was too little to help them. This team has some talent, but needs to find more playmakers to threaten defenses.   17—DENVER (7-9)                         NO CHANGE Dick Jauron may be on his way out, but whoever signs on gets a pretty talented team, just one that has fallen behind Arizona and Texas in big play capacity.   18—ATLANTA (6-10)                      NO CHANGE The Fire were in it for about half a season, but lost 4 of their last 6, including tough division losses to Charlotte and Tampa Bay.  They will need to do more and now need to replace the core player in their offense after Jackson announced he would retire at only 30 years of age.   19—NEW JERSEY (6-10)               UP 1 It seems New Jersey is ready to move on from Sam Bradford, but do they have a real option on the roster or do they now have to go shopping for a starting QB?   20—LAS VEGAS (6-10)                  DOWN 5 The Vipers lost their last 5 games,  including 2 home games, and they have to wonder if they simply need some new direction, particularly on defense, where they dropped into the bottom 5 this season.   21—SAN DIEGO (6-10)                UP 5 Despite winning 3 of their last 4, a lot more was expected of this team.  The run game is nowhere to be found and we are not sure Joe Webb is the long term answer at QB either.   SHAKY 22--PHILADELPHIA (5-11)          DOWN 1 After an 0-7 start, the Stars went 5-4 down the stretch, but even that is not enough for us to see them as a possible bounce back team in 2016. They need more playmakers for Matt Gutierrez, and that includes finding a true lead back.   23--OHIO (5-11)                           NO CHANGE Bart Andrus is gone, and a new era will begin in Columbus, but with neither Troy Smith or Brock Osweiler playing well this year, QB will be a huge offseason question for the Glory.   24--MEMPHIS (5-11)                   DOWN 2 Memphis fans are already calling for the Showboats to go all in on U. of Memphis QB Paxton Lynch.  With Eli under contract for one more year, it could be a true transition year in 2016.   25--JACKSONVILLE (5-11)        NO CHANGE Winning 5 more games than in 2014 is a good sign that Coach Del Rio has started to change the culture.  We are still not sold on RGIII as the QB for the Bulls, but more importantly, they need to fix that horrendous defense.   26--LOS ANGELES (4-12)           DOWN 2 Coach Reid survives Black Monday, but he has a lot of work to do.  For an offensive genius, the results are not matching the reputation.    27—TAMPA BAY (4-12)               NO CHANGE A disaster season for Coach Shula’s Bandits, as the Mark Sanchez experiment was an abject failure.  Sanchez is now a free agent, and Tampa has to decide if they saw enough in Pat White or if they want to try to upgrade.   28—CHICAGO (3-12-1)             NO CHANGE Greg Schiano exited midseason. Dave Wannstadt got a few wins, but will not be hired for next year.  The Machine will start rebuilding, and with Brady Quinn now a free agent, it will either be around Trevor Siemian or someone new coming into town next year.   Black Monday a Non-Event For the first time in a long time we had a Black Monday with no surprises.  With Chicago releasing Greg Schiano from his duties over a month ago and Ohio letting Bart Andrus know last week that this week’s season finale would be his last game for the club, we already had two coaches gone or on their way out.  The question was whether any others would join them.  The answer to that question, at least at this point, is no.    Tampa Bay, the team with the 2nd worst record in the league at 4-12 had already assured Coach Mike Shula that he would be back for 2016, and they have stuck by that, buoyed by the fact that he won them a league title within pretty recent memory and acknowledging that the issues with the team are largely ones of personnel, not coaching.  It did not hurt, of course, that Tampa Bay got a season-ending win over a division rival, Atlanta, to maintain support for Shula.   Other teams that clearly did not perform this year either had new coaches just at the start of a rebuild, or have a coach with a pedigree that gives him a bit leeway. In that first group we have clubs like Memphis with 1st year coach Rex Ryan or Jacksonville, who improved from 0-16 to 5-11 under Jack Del Rio.  The obvious name in the second group is Andy Reid out in Los Angeles, who has issues with his club, especially on offense, but needs time to build a roster to align with his philosophy.  Seems that all three of these clubs are playing the waiting game to see if their coaches can do more with another year. The other big name out there now is Dick Jauron of Denver.  Nothing is official, but it does appear that the Gold have dragged their feet on a deal, which technically means that Jauron could opt to look elsewhere, and we are sure that there will be some takers, but as of right now he is still reporting for duty in Denver, wrapping up the year and prepping for the offseason.  If a deal is going to be cut, the Gold will want to do so in the next 2-3 weeks, because free agency opens up soon and you do not want to go into that with no clear sense of who is in charge.   Draft Order First 16 Set With the end of the regular season, sixteen of the league’s twenty-eight teams are now closing up shop and getting ready for the offseason.  A big piece of the puzzle for these non-playoff teams will be the 2016 Territorial and Open Drafts, and with the season ending,  we now know the order that the Open Draft will take, at least through pick 16.  Here is the draft order with each teams’ biggest need up front.   1—CHICAGO:  The Machine have a decision to make, build around Trevor Siemian or go after a new option at QB.   2—TAMPA BAY: The Bandits are in the same boat. Do they like what Pat White showed this year?  If so, they can try to fix their defense in the draft, but if not, then QB again is a priority.   3—LOS ANGELES: No doubt in LA that QB is a focal point.  Neither Aaron Murray or Tim Tebow showed us any sign that they can emerge as a true franchise option, so Coach Reid needs to prioritize the position.   4—JACKSONVILLE:  The Bulls are just awful on defense, particularly at LB, so expect Jacksonville to focus on the 2nd level of the D in this year’s offseason.   5—OHIO: Yet another team without a clear option at QB.  But can they really expect to land a top prospect at the 5-slot?  They need to either trade up or trade with someone for a T-Draft pick if they want a shot at a first year starter.   6—MEMPHIS:  Memphis may be in the cat-bird’s seat.  They don’t have immediate need at QB, though  many fans would disagree, but with Paxton Lynch in their T-Draft pool, they could build for the future and still use the Open Draft to address other needs.   7—PHILADELPHIA:  The Stars need a halfback who can earn 200+ carries, but they also have needs on defense, so they can be flexible in the draft this year.   8—SAN DIEGO:  If they want a new QB, they likely need to look in Free Agency. Their other big need is clearly at halfback, so expect them to give a long look to the rookie class of rushers.   9—ATLANTA:  With Steven Jackson retiring, Atlanta joins the long list of teams hoping to find a running back in the draft. Not their only need, but an immediate and pressing one.   10—LAS VEGAS:   The Vipers are likely to look at edge rushers, as they should.  Their pass rush simply did not put enough pressure on opposing QBs.   11—NEW JERSEY: Brett Hundley looked good, but it was one game.  If our suspicion is true, and they go with a veteran QB option in free agency, then the draft will be about defense for the Generals.   12—DENVER:  Von Miller had a great first year, but the secondary was disappointing, so we expect both safety and corner to be priorities for the Gold.   13—SEATTLE:  This is a team that has solid players but few gamebreakers. Whether it is at WR or HB, we think Seattle needs more to truly prove dangerous in the league.   14—WASHINGTON:  Deuce McCallister has not announced his plans for 2016.  If he stays with the Feds, then they can draft a HB in the later rounds, but if he retires, then suddenly they need immediate help.   15—BIRMINGHAM: The Stallions had a strong 2015 draft, acquiring both a starting HB and a potential Rookie of the Year in WR Amari Cooper.  So, now what?  How about an edge rusher and a shutdown corner?   16—DALLAS: The Roughnecks are definitely headed in the right direction.  We want them to add a true burner at WR, and they could also upgrade along the line, but they will be in a position to take the best player available once we get past the 1st round.   Here we go, playoff football.  We have some interesting first round matchups, teams that are questioning themselves, some rising to new heights, some slipping at the worst time.  Who will find it in themselves to pull out a win and move on?   ORLANDO (6) @ CHARLOTTE (4) Saturday, July 5 @ 3pm ET Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC Monarchs -2 The 9-7 Renegades take on the 9-7 Monarchs, but these do not feel like two teams evenly matched.  Orlando has won their last 3 games, including a convincing 30-13 win over Charlotte only 3 weeks ago. The Monarchs struggled down the stretch, losing 3 of their last 5.  They got the 16-13 win over the 4-12 LA Express in the season finale to hold onto the Division Title and get this game played in Charlotte, but they cannot feel too confident going into it.  Even with Russell Wilson out, Orlando has found ways to win over the last 3 weeks, and if there is one man Brandon Wheedon does not want to see on the field it is Calais Campbell.    OUR PICK:  We think Orlando has the momentum, the mojo, and the defense to win this game.   OAKLAND (6) @ ST. LOUIS (3) Saturday, July 5 @ 8pm ET The Dome at America’s Center, St. Louis, MO Skyhawks -4 A game of two teams who did not exactly impress down the home stretch.  Oakland has lost 3 of 4 and blew the division title to the Stags this past week.  St. Louis lost Eddie Lacy to injury in Week 15, and looked somewhat hapless without him in the season finale, a game they needed to win but in which they got blown out by non-playoff Denver.  At this time no decision has been made about Skyhawk QB Josh Freeman.  If he comes back this week, that could be a big lift to the Skyhawks, even though Ricky Stanzi has had some good games. For Oakland, the key is to see if they can use the run to control the tempo of the game, force St. Louis to be one dimensional, and then reduce the number of big plays.   OUR PICK: As badly as the Invaders have played lately, they are still the healthier team, and, on paper at least, the better team.  It will be more of a toss up if Freeman can play, but he will be rusty, so we are still going to pick Oakland for the road win in this one.   HOUSTON (5) @ PITTSBURGH (4) Sunday, July 6 @ 1pm ET Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, PA Pittsburgh -2 This is the marquee matchup this week. How often do you get two 12-win teams in a Wild Card matchup?  Both of these teams have legitimate paths to the USFL title, with Pittsburgh getting the added bonus of a home playoff game while Houston has to hit the road after their loss this past week in New Orleans.  This could easily be a game that ends up with both teams scoring in the 40’s, even though both also have some defensive talent.    OUR PICK:  Which QB do we trust more? That is what it comes down to.  Honestly, they both have been playing lights out football all year, but you have to give a nod to Matt Hasselbeck’s experience.  The man has a Bassett Trophy already.  So we think jitters may get the best of the Maulers and we are picking another road underdog, Houston, to win this game.   MICHIGAN (5) @ TEXAS (4) Sunday, July 6 @ 5pm ET Cotton Bowl Stadium, Dallas, TX Texas -5 Two very different styles on display in this one.  Michigan will try to use the run and their league best HB LeVeon Bell to control the pace of the game, limit possessions for Joe Flacco, and allow Kirk Cousins to maximize play action to avoid high pressure third downs.  Texas has a 1-2 punch at HB after the trade that added Marshawn Lynch to Chris Johnson in the backfield, but this is still a team that wants to go deep early and often, and has the talent to do it.   OUR PICK: Texas played well over the past month (4-1 down the home stretch), but with their home now cued up for demolition, they will have to play this game in a rival’s home stadium, Dallas’s Cotton Bowl Stadium.  We still think the Outlaws will have a strong home field advantage and that, plus Joe Flacco’s right arm, will be the difference and give the Outlaws another chapter in the very odd story of this year.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: No surprise that Andy Dalton and Ben Roethlisberger are both looking like strong POTW candidates for this week, but while both clubs won this week, we have to give the award to Dalton for yet another 400-yard and 5-TD game. Dalton was on fire against a pretty lackluster NJ team as Pittsburgh rolled to a very strong 13-3 final record. PLAYOFF PICTURE: A very different picture from last week as Portland snags the Pacific Division title and the 2 seed, Baltimore edges New Orleans on a tie breaker for the top seed in the East, and Oakland drops from the 3 seed down to the 6 after a home loss. With the Wild Card round next week, here are the seedings in both conferences: EAST: 1-BAL 2-NOR 3-CHA 4-PIT 5-HOU 6-ORL WEST: 1-ARZ 2-POR 3-STL 4-TEX 5-MGN 6-OAK

Player of the Week: Carlos Hyde did it all this week, running and catching the ball to help the Gamblers get the win. Hyde combined for 201 yards from scrimmage and 2 scores for the Gamblers. Playoff Picture: All 6 spots are decided in the West, and the East is down to 2 teams fighting for 1 playoff spot. Portland and Texas got wins this week and that put them out of reach for the Dallas Roughnecks. In the East, Orlando is in an interesting spot. They are tied with Charlotte atop the SE Division, but they are also in range for Birmingham, the lone remaining contender for a Wild Card spot. A win and a Charlotte loss and they win the division, a loss and they could be out of the playoffs entirely.

A holiday classic and one of the funniest road movies of all time, 1987's :John Hughes classic features the comedic pairing of John Candy and Steve Martin in a mismatched roadmates epic. In typical road movie format, the two very different men find themselves forced to travel together, each finding ways to annoy and befuddle the other. Throw in some sleep-driving, a shared bed, and a lot of heart and you have that rarest of films, a Thanksgiving story that is also a laugh riot. One week left, one playoff spot left, so much to play for all across the league.  This is what the end of the season brings.  We had 2 more teams lock in playoff berths with wins this week, and we now come down to a final week in which 5 of 6 division championships are still up for grabs.  We have New Orleans and Houston tied atop the South, Baltimore and Pittsburgh tied atop the Northeast, St. Louis and Michigan even at the top of the Centra, Orlando within a game of Charlotte, and Portland now within a game of Oakland.  All of these teams are vying for a title, a high seed, and in most cases a bye week.  We have only one slot uncertain, Orlando sitting at 8-7, with a shot at stealing Charlotte’s division title, but with Birmingham breathing down their necks only 1 game back.  This is late season football in the USFL and it is rarely more dynamic than this year.  Let’s run through all of this week’s action, take a look at the huge, and we mean HUGE week 16 clashes, and get ready for one fantastic finish across the league.  We start in Pittsburgh, where the Maulers may not just be the story of the week, but of the year.   Maulers Making Pundits Look Good in 2015 It has almost become cliché to say that our preseason picks are going to be way off.  We get it.  We often base too much on the year before, or get too excited about a promising rookie or a big free agent deal in the offseason. But this year we got one thing right.  We looked at Pittsburgh, a 5-11 team last year, a team that finished dead last in the Northeast Division, and we saw something ready to happen.    We picked the Maulers to emerge this year as the Cinderella story of the league, and we were not only right, but maybe underestimated what was possible.  The Maulers are not the 5-11 squad we saw last year, they now sit at 12-3 and are poised to potentially win the top seed in the entire Eastern Conference.  They have one game left, they do need some help, but we fully expect them to finish with a stellar 13-3 record after facing New Jersey this week.  What did we see in them, and what has emerged this year?  We saw talent across the roster, and now that talent is playing with a vision and with an identity and that is the entire story of this season.   Pittsburgh is good on both sides of the ball.  Their offense is ranked 2nd in the league, averaging over 425 yards per game (426.9 to be exact).  That is due in large part to the emergence of Andy Dalton as an elite USFL quarterback. Just look at 2014 AD vs. 2015 AD and you see what we mean.   The 2014 version of the Mauler QB threw for 3,725 yards, not bad at all, but had only 18 TDs to 13 picks.  The 2015 version is gunning for an MVP title, likely to pass 5.000 yards and already over 40 touchdowns on the year with one more game to add more.  His QB rating jumped from 78.7 to a whopping 128.6.  What changed?  Diversification.    Dalton is throwing the ball to multiple players he trusts.  Adam Thielen has emerged as a true number one threat, one likely to reach 1,600 yards this year.  But he is not alone. Victor Cruz is the big play receiver, looking at a  possible 900 yards and already over 10 touchdowns on the year.  Then there is Jimmie Graham, who is having a monster  year with over 1,000 yards while also leading the league in receiving touchdowns.  It is not a one man show by any means.  Add to that a solid run game with Marcus Lattimore over 900 yards and solid contributions from backup Toby Gerhardt.  This is an offense that can put points up and keep the defense fresh. Let’s talk about that defense for a moment. They rank 9th in points allowed at 19.1 per game, but 6th in yards allowed.  They have a 15-sack edge rusher in Jared Allen, oh, and another over 10 with Dwight Freeney opposite him.  They have one of the best MLB’s in the game in Paul Posluszny, and a corner in Dunta Robinson who could also finish with over 100 tackles. They have 4 players with 3 or more picks this year, including Poz, Robinson, FS Robert Sands, and the captain of the D, strong safety Sean Taylor.  This is a complete team, and a great story.  From 5-11, to 12-3 with one game left.  The Maulers are for real, and are without a doubt one of the stories of the year.   BALTIMORE BLITZ 34    PITTSBURGH MAULERS 27 The Blitz get their revenge for Week 11’s 38-24 loss at home by going into Pittsburgh and evening the series, while at the same time retaking first place in the NE Division and giving themselves a shot at the top seed in the East.  A pretty good day for Baltimore and their fans, and one heck of a game for the rest of us.   This was a game in which neither rushing offense could get much done and the quarterbacks had to take over, but when you are talking about Ben Roethlisberger and Andy Dalton, that is hardly a problem for either club. Dalton would go 19 of 34 for 353 yards and 2 TDs while Big Ben would put up 350 and 4 TDs on a 17 of 28 day, providing plenty of fireworks throughout the game. Pittsburgh had its chances as well, leading at the half and in the 4th quarter before the Blitz stormed back with huge games from both Darrius Heyward-Bey and Brian Hartline to overcome a late deficit and take the W.   The game started with Brian Hartline making a statement on a 34-yard TD catch and run.  The “possession receiver” showed he could also make a big play, escaping from the corner, juking the safety and turning an 8-yard completion into a touchdown.  The score put the Blitz on the board after barely 3 minutes of action. They would get back on the board again 5 minutes later after forcing a Pittsburgh punt and then hitting on another big play.  This time it was an over-the-top throw from Big Ben to DHB as Hayward-Bey was in single coverage (always risky) and got a step on the corner before Roethlisberger hit him in stride for the 51-yard touchdown toss.    The Maulers were beginning to look worried after falling behind 13-0, but Andy Dalton and Victor Cruz got the fans back on their feet with a beautiful 33-yard TD toss.  Cruz executed a double move, freezing the corner and giving him room to go deep.  Dalton hit him along the sideline and in an instant Pittsburgh was back in the game.  After a 3-and-out produced by a nice pass deflection by Mauler CB Keenan Lewis, the Maulers had the chance to take the lead with a TD (Baltimore had missed on their first PAT attempt, giving them only a 13-7 lead.)   Andy Dalton hit 4 of 5 passes on the drive, and Pittsburgh got a defensive PI against the Blitz to put the ball on the 3.  From there Marcus Lattimore would take it in. The PAT put the Maulers up 14-13 as the first quarter closed. There would be far fewer fireworks in the 2nd quarter as both defenses started to use more 2-deep safeties to avoid the deep ball, but the game still retained its energy level despite the more defensive focus.   Pittsburgh would keep the hot hand in the 2nd quarter, scoring the only points of the period, another big play, this time from league TD leader Jimmie Graham.  It was a perfect seam route, designed to break the 2-deep zone coverage.  Baltimore MLB Brandon Jenkins is a solid player, but he cannot keep pace with Graham in the open field, as the Mauler TE ran the seam, got steps on Jenkins and brought in the Dalton pass for 7 to give Pittsburgh a 21-13 lead, a lead they would hold through the half as Baltimore was unable to reach scoring position in the period.   The Blitz would find their game again in the third, another low scoring quarter but one that saw the Blitz pull even thanks to an 8-point score.  They did not get a big play against the Mauler D but were able to put together a 14-play drive, thanks in part to two costly defensive penalties against the Maulers, including a rare roughing call against Jared Allen as his swat at the ball turned into a blow to Big Ben’s helmet.  The Blitz would score on a short pass from Big Ben to 2nd TE Jacob Tamme out of the goal line formation.  With a 2-point conversion toss to Hartline, Big Ben evened the score at 21 and we were in for a dynamic 4th quarter.   Pittsburgh started driving with 3 minutes left in the 3rd, but it was a slow, methodical drive with no play of longer than 7 yards.  The drive would fizzle with a dropped 3rd and 5 pass causing the Maulers to settle for 3, but when Andrew Franks’s kick went through the uprights, the Maulers were once again on top.   Three minutes later they would add 3 more as a Baltimore 3-and-out turned quickly into another Mauler field goal, this one a 50-yarder from Franks.    Down 6 with 10:57 to play, there was no panic in the Blitz.  They started a drive from their own 33, and it did not take long for Brian Hartline to again make good on Baltimore’s big play strategy.  This time it was not a short pass turned into a long run, but a nice double move, a rare strategy for Hartline but one that caught the corner off his game.  Hartline made a move to the outside and Ben made a pump move that caused the corner to take an inside move hoping to intercept the ball, but the ball was not coming, and Hartline started upfield.  Big Ben reset, stepped up in the pocket and heaved the ball deep down the sideline.  Hartline grabbed the ball and was off to the races. With Sean Taylor too far to make the angle, Hartline was able to reach the endzone before Taylor could hit him.  Too little and too late as the points went up on the board.  But, for the second time in the game, Josh Lambo doinked on the PAT, a major concern for the Blitz as they head into the playoffs.  Lambo has not been reliable this year, and that could come back to haunt them.  So, instead of taking a 1-point lead, once again Baltimore was tied with the Maulers.   The play of the game would come only 5 plays later.  Pittsburgh, trying to get out of their own endzone after a bad decision by the return man left them the ball on the 5, pushed the ball with the run, got a first down on the 15, but then got caught with a bad play at a bad time.  After a short run by Toby Gerhardt, in for Lattimore, who had suffered an injury in the 3rd quarter, Dalton and the Maulers tried to catch Baltimore in a pass rush by setting up a screen to Graham. The ball was deflected by a rushing Robert Quinn and picked out of the air by LB Brandon Jenkins. Almost as if a revenge play for Graham’s earlier TD, Jenkins blasted past Graham and took the ball the 17 yards to paydirt, putting Baltimore up 7 with 8:02 left to play.  It would now be up to the Blitz defense to hold that lead.   Without Lattimore, Pittsburgh would have to use the passing game to move the ball, and Baltimore knew it.  The Blitz added pressure with blitzes from Jason Taylor and Adam Archuleta, forcing Dalton to get rid of the ball of risk a sack.  It would be a sack from Taylor that would end the Mauler’s first possession.  Baltimore got the ball back on their own 22, mustered one first down, but then were forced to punt the ball back to the Maulers with 3:33 left to play.  Pittsburgh would have one more shot.   The Maulers immediately connected on a nice play, with Dalton finding Adam Thielen for a 19-yarder on first and 10.  It would take 3 downs for them to get another first down, and after that they found it even tougher to move the ball.  A holding call brought back a 7-yard completion that would have gotten them to the Baltimore side of the field.  Now 2nd and 15, they got back only 3 on their next play, leaving them with a 3rd and 12. Dalton tried to connect with Victor Cruz, but a nicely timed shot from Archuleta kept the speedy Cruz from bringing in the pass.  Pittsburgh would have to go for it on 4th and 12.  Baltimore settled into a 2-deep zone, sending only 4 at the Mauler QB, but Ellis Wyms somehow broke through a double team to put immediate pressure on Dalton. The Mauler QB had to drop down to his safety valve, but Toby Gerhardt is not Marcus Lattimore.  The big back brought the ball in but was almost immediately undercut by the LB and taken down after a gain of only 3.  Baltimore took over on downs with 2:21 left to play.   If the Blitz could get a first down the game would end with a kneel down.  Ten  yards and the Blitz would reclaim first in the division.  Anthony Dixon got only 2 yards on first down.  On second down, Dixon did not gain anything, plunging into a compacted line that saw the inside run coming.  Third and 8 meant that Coach Caldwell would need to make a choice, try another run to kill more time or use the pass to give the offense a better chance to make the first down.  Caldwell chose the latter, trusting in his QB. Big Ben did not disappoint, finding Antonio Gates for his 6th catch of the day, and the biggest for the day, as Gates gained 10 yards, and the first down Baltimore needed.  With no time outs left, Pittsburgh could not stop the clock and 2 kneels later, the clock hit double zeroes and the Blitz celebrated a tough win, but a key win as they hope to return to the Summer Bowl.   Baltimore now controlled its own destiny.  The division and a bye week was theirs to claim next week when they faced off against the Michigan Panthers.  Pittsburgh was still headed to the postseason, but they would need help to avoid a Wild Card game in 2 weeks.  HOUSTON 41    MEMPHIS 26 The Gamblers get another huge game from Carlos Hyde and take care of business on the road.  Matt Hasselbeck threw for 309 and 4 TDs, including one to his HB as Houston pulled away after a tight first half.  The win keeps them on pace with New Orleans and sets up a huge face-to-face matchup next week for the division and a possible one seed. POTG:  Gambler HB Carlos Hyde:  21 Att, 143 Yds, 1 TD, 3 Rec, 58 Yds, 1 TD   MICHIGAN 20   ST. LOUIS 21 St. Louis gets the win they need, leapfrogs over Michigan and controls their own destiny, with a shot to win the Central next week.  Eddie Lacy came up big with 2 TDs and over 100 yards rushing and the defense held Michigan out of the endzone for the game’s final 3 quarters as St. Louis came back from a 17-0 deficit to win on a Bobby Rainey TD run in the final 70 seconds of action. POTG:  Skyhawk HB Eddie Lacy: 16 Att, 104 Yds, 1 TD   PORTLAND 18    OHIO 6 Portland gets another road win and now has an actual shot at the Pacific Division title at 9-6.  WR Brandon Cooks was cooking, with over 100 yards receiving.  Javon Ringer scored the game’s only touchdown and the Portland D held Ohio to only 57 yards rushing and 3 of 11 on third down to lock up a playoff spot and give them a shot at more. POTG:  Stags CB Donte Whitner: 2 Tck, 2 PDef, 1 Int   OAKLAND 17   SAN DIEGO 27 A bad loss for the Invaders as it now puts their division title hopes all on their finale against the Stags. Joey Harrington played well (288 yards and 2 TDs) but the usually dependable Invader D gave up 3 scores to Joe Webb and allowed the Thunder to rack up 283 yards passing.  LB Joey Porter’s pick of Harrington in the 4th was a backbreaker as the Thunder get the upset. POTG:  Thunder LB Joey Porter: 9 Tck, 1 Int.   WASHINGTON 24   PHILADELPHIA 10 Deuce McCallister looks ageless with 100 yards on 21 carries and 3 scores, while David Garrard survives 2 picks to get the W.  Both teams struggled on third down, going a combined 8 for 28, but Washington got the win thanks to their superstar back, moving to 7-8 and potentially finishing at .500. POTG:  Federals’ HB Deuce McCallister: 21 Att, 100 Yds, 2 TD, 2 Rec, 31 Yds, 1 TD   ATLANTA 3   ARIZONA 34 Arizona is the hottest team in the league, and they manhandled a Fire team that had everything to play for.  Both David Carr and Nick Foles threw for TDs and Frank Gore combined with Kadeem Carey to rack up 164 yards and 2 scores on the ground.  Kyle Orton was pressured all day, throwing a bad pick into coverage and taking 3 sacks as Atlanta is now eliminated from playoff contention. POTG:  Wrangler WR Larry Fitzgerald: 5 Rec, 105 Yds, 1 TD   NEW ORLEANS 24   CHARLOTTE 21 The Breakers take over the top spot in the Eastern Conference with this win, while Charlotte now has to worry about being caught in Week 16 by Orlando.  Charlotte made a game of it late, after falling behind 24-12 early in the 4th, but it was too little too late for the Monarchs as Quincy Carter gets the win, thanks in large part to two Jeremy Hill TD runs and a nice defensive effort. POTG:  Breaker CB Patrick Peterson: 6 Tck, 3 Int.   NEW JERSEY 10   CHICAGO 16 The Machine win their 2nd in a row under Interim HC Dave Wannstadt. This one was close throughout, but the Chicago D was able to limit New Jersey to 2 of 10 on third down and kept them to only 247 total yards.  Trevor Siemian looked solid, completing 20 of 25 without throwing a pick, and the combo of Forte and Martin accounted for 125 yards on the ground as Chicago wins again. POTG:  Machine LB Manti Te’o: 8 Tck, 1 Sck   TAMPA BAY 3   ORLANDO 21 Orlando moves to 8-7 and can take a shot at Charlotte for the SE Division next week.  They dominate the Bandits despite playing without Russell Wilson (IR).  Connor Shaw looked good in his first pro start, completing 17 of 25 for 147 and 2 TDs, but the key to this game as the Orlando pash rush, which got to Pat White 7 times, including twice by DT Montori Hughes. POTG:  Renegade DT Montori Hughes: 3 Tck,  2 Sck   BIRMINGHAM 27    SEATTLE 13 No Cam Newton.  No problem, as the Stallions get 338 yards passing from A. J. McCarron to take out the Dragons and remain alive for a Wild Card.  McCarron connected with Dontrelle Inman for a 48-yard TD and with Amari Cooper for 133 total yards.  Yeldon and Barber combined for 99 yards rushing and Barber added 2 scores as Birmingham stayed alive. POTG:  Stallion QB A. J. McCarron: 20/27, 338 Yds, 1 TD, 0 Int   DALLAS 24    LOS ANGELES 12 A nice road win for the Roughnecks, but wins by Portland and Texas mean they are now eliminated from Wild Card contention.  C. J. Spiller spelled Rashard Mendenhall and rushed for 105 on only 17 carries.  Johnny Manziel added 3 scores and 238 passing and the defense picked off Aaron Murray twice on the way to doubling up the Express. POTG:  Dallas FS Will Allen: 4 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 Int   JACKSONVILLE 26   DENVER 10 The Gold fall apart and show nothing in a home game against the Bulls.  With RGIII out, Adrian McPherson again stepped in and helped lead the Bulls to a road win.  Matt Leinart threw 3 picks and was sacked 4 times in a game where the Gold seemed to have nothing in the tank, ensuring only their 2nd losing season in the past 14 years. POTG:  Bulls FS Matt Elam: 5 Tck, 2 Int, 1 Def TD, 1 FF   TEXAS 34    LAS VEGAS 19 Texas gives Las Vegas their first home loss since moving from Nashville, and along the way lock up a Wild Card berth.  Joe Flacco threw for 338 and 4 TDs despite being sacked 6 times.  Marshawn Lynch added 86 yards rushing and once again Marques Colston was unstoppable, catching 4 for 155, including a 50-yard score. POTG:  Outlaw QB Joe Flacco: 18/25, 338 Yds, 4 TD, 1 Int   One Playoff Spot Left, with Orlando in the Driver’s Seat While there is certainly a lot of seed swapping possible in Week 16, there is only one unclaimed playoff spot, the 6-seed in the East. Orlando currently holds the spot, sitting at 8-7 with a 6-5 conference record, but right behind them is Birmingham, sitting at 7-8 with an equal 6-5 conference record. Orlando controls their own destiny.  They finish the year with a road game in Washington.  Rookie Connor Shaw will get the start in this all-important game for the Renegades, his second after Russell Wilson’s injury.  A win and the Renegades are back in the postseason for the first time since 2009, a loss and the door is open for the Stallions.  Birmingham will be facing arch rival Memphis at home to close out their regular season.  If they can win the storied rivalry game, and if Orlando loses, then it is Birmingham which heads to the Wild Card round, thanks to a 7-5 conference record, compared to what would be a 6-6 record for the Renegades.  So, it is two backups who have all the pressure, with both Wilson and Newton now on IR, it all depends on Connor Shaw and A. J. McCarron to get the job done.   Lacy Lost for Season Finale & Playoffs St. Louis has a huge game this week as they head out to Denver, a win providing them the Central Division title and a possible bye as the 2 seed, but their playoff lives, as well as their shot at a division crown, were dealt a blow this week when x-rays revealed that HB Eddie Lacy’s hip injury was not a stinger, but an actual fracture in the hip socket joint.  That is a long-term recovery and means that Lacy will miss both this week’s pivotal season finale and the entire playoff run for the Skyhawks.  Lacy, who has racked up 1,112 rushing yards this year is shuttered for the remainder of the season, meaning that St. Louis will have to go with little used backup Bobby Rainey as their lead back.   Rainey has had only 48 carries all year, used more as a receiving back on 3rd down, but now he and 3rd stringer James Ridley will share carries as St. Louis battles their way into and through the playoffs.  This is a big hit for a Skyhawk team that has been playing with backup QB Ricky Stanzi under center for the past month.  Earning the bye week could mean that the Skyhawks will see Josh Freeman back under center in the divisional playoffs, giving them a better chance at compensating through the passing game for the departure of Lacy.  So it is up to Stanzi to get them there by winning in Denver against a Gold team with nothing to play for (and nothing to lose).    Week 15 Sets Up Huge Games in South, Southeast, and Pacific With only 1 division title locked up, there are important matches all across the league in Week 16.  The most dramatic will be Sunday Night when the 12-3 Houston Gamblers head to New Orleans to take on the 12-3 New Orleans Breakers, the winner coming out with the Southern Division title and a pretty good shot at the top seed in the Eastern Conference.  New Orleans currently holds that position, and would retain it with a win. Houston could grab the division with the win, but may need help to get the top seed even at 13-3.  Good news for the Breakers ahead of the game as it appears that Drew Brees will be back under center in what should be a dynamic matchup of two outstanding teams.   The NE Division situation is not quite as cut and dry, but the stakes are just as high.  Pittsburgh is in New Jersey while Baltimore hosts the Michigan Panthers.  A win by the Blitz and they are the NE Division champion and will get a bye week.  A loss to a very tough Panther team and the door is opened for the Maulers to jump ahead of them, claim the Division, the bye, and the chance to possibly snag the top seed in the East (if New Orleans falls to Houston).  New Jersey is rumored to be starting rookie Brett Hundley this week, which gives the Maulers a very good chance to move to 13-3, putting the pressure on Baltimore to outlast Michigan. Michigan is still in its own division race.  A win and a St. Louis loss in Denver gives the Central Division to the Panthers, with a possible bye week in the mix as well. Neither St. Louis or Michigan can catch Arizona, who is now guaranteed the 1 seed, but they can land the 2-seed which also comes with the much coveted bye and a home divisional game.     Finally, in the Pacific, Oakland’s loss last week opens the possibility for Portland to overtake the Invaders when the two face off this week.  A win by the Stags leaves both teams with identical 10-6 records.  The two would also post identical 5-3 Division records, but Portland would have the edge in Conference record at 8-4 to Oakland’s 7-5 mark, giving them the title in classic come from behind fashion.    Tampa Bay Sticking with Shula It is an understatement to say that Tampa’s current 3-12 record is a huge disappointment.  While many expected the Bandits to struggle with the losses of QB Daunte Culpepper to retirement and WR Vincent Jackson to the NFL, the acquisition of several free agents to fill the receiver spots and the trade with LA to acquire Mark Sanchez were at the very least expected to be stop gaps as the team rebuilt for the future.  Those stopgaps, especially the Sanchez acquisition, simply did not pan out and the Bandits fell all the way to the basement of the SE Division.   But, it appears this week that the ownership in Tampa Bay is not putting the blame for the collapse of the team on Head Coach Mike Shula.  Shula got a vote of confidence and a clear statement from the club that he will be back in 2016 to lead the Bandits once again.  This is really not a surprise since Shula did win the Bandits at league title in 2011 and posted a 12-4 record just last season.  With an overall record of 43-36 he has proven he can win in Tampa Bay and the club is ready to rebuild with Shula at the helm.  Expect some changes, especially at QB in the offseason, as Sanchez is a free agent as of 8 days from now, but it seems safe to say that Mike Shula will not be one of those changes. Andrus Coaching One Last Game in Columbus While Mike Shula got the vote of confidence in Tampa Bay, quite the opposite happened with Bart Andrus in Ohio.  Andrus was informed this week that he would finish the season in Columbus with this week’s home finale against Chicago, but that he would be released after that game, a bit of a pre-Black Monday nod to reality.  Andrus had the unenviable task of replacing Ohio Glory legendary coach Al Luginbill, who won back-to-back titles and ran an undefeated season in 2002. Andrus came in 9 years later in 2011 in a clear rebuilding mode.  Following two 5-11 seasons signs pointed to a recovery as Ohio won 8 games in 2013 and again in 2014, but this year saw the club take a huge step back, uncertain at QB and inconsistent elsewhere on their way to what is now a 4-11 season.   Andrus, who stepped in from DC to head coach has simply been unable to build either a strong defensive squad or a consistent offense in his 5 seasons with the Glory.  A loss this week to Chicago would drop Ohio below the Machine and into last place in the division, so a coaching change is hardly unanticipated.  Ohio will join Chicago in the search for a new leader as soon as the season begins. Only one playoff spot remains, with Orlando controlling their role and Birmingham hoping for some help.  Portland and Texas wrapped up Wild Card berths this week, and now the Stags could even take a shot at Oakland for the Pacific.  Arizona has clinched the one seed in the West.  The East is a lot messier.  New Orleans wins the top seed with a win against Houston, but Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Houston could all have a chance as well to get that coveted home field advantage. Washington, New Jersey, Atlanta, Dallas, Seattle, and Las Vegas join the other eliminated teams this week, though the Stallions, Generals and Roughnecks are still hoping for a moral victory of reaching 8 wins this season.   Eddie Lacy’s injury is a big hit for the Skyhawks and his is the only new IR injury to teams in the playoff field, with several other players missing one game as they join IR with non-playoff teams.  Other injuries that have the potential of impacting the playoff picture include the possible loss of CB Reggie Smith from the Maulers for up to 4 weeks, though a 2-week absence is also possible, and while expected to be back for the playoffs, the Maulers go into their game with New Jersey, a game that could win them the division, without starting HB Marcus Lattimore, who injured his wrist late in last week’s game.    OUT HB         Eddie Lacy                      STL         Hip                        IR G            Steve Edwards                 PHI        Hamstring         IR G            Chadwick Hodges          JAX         Ribs                       IR T              Jon Stinchcomb              LV           Arm                       IR CB          Reggie Smith                   PIT         Back                     2-4 Weeks C             Brad Meester                    POR      Ankle                    2-4 Weeks CB          Deon Grant               OAK      Wrist                     1-2 Weeks HB          Marcus Lattimore       PIT         Wrist                     1-2 Weeks   DOUBTFUL LB           Aldon Smith                  STL         Pinched Nerve G            Aaron Sears                  WSH     Back WR         Denarius Moore            LV           Hamstring   QUESTIONABLE CB          Mike Mickens                 ARZ       Hip QB         Jake Locker                      DAL       Hand WR         Mike Wallace                   SEA        Shoulder QB         Robert Griffin III              JAX         Concussion WR         Nick Toon                      SD          Concussion WR         Deion Branch             WSH     Neck   Playoff Scenarios We have already touched on the playoff picture in several other sections of the report, but thought we should make the situation as clear as possible for the teams in contention, so here is our team-by-team rundown of all the scenarios in play as we enter Week 16, starting with the most secure in Arizona and moving to the last remaining Wild Card hopeful in Birmingham.   ARIZONA (12-3) The Wranglers have locked up both the SW Division, with a 3-game lead on Texas, and the top seed in the Western Conference, with 2-game leads over the three 10-5 clubs. So, expect them to rest some starters in this week’s game as they coast into a bye week and prepare to face a Wild Card Game winner.   NEW ORLEANS (12-3) Neither the division nor the top seed are assured for the Breakers, but they have it all in their own control, so they are our 2nd rated team when it comes to playoff certainty.  A win at home over Houston and they lock up both titles, Division Champion and Eastern Conference Top Seed.  A loss and they drop all the way to the Wild Card round and could, conceivably even be a 5-seed with no home playoff games. Talk about incentive.   BALTIMORE (12-3) A win and the Blitz take the NE Division crown and earn a bye week.  If they also get a loss by New Orleans to Houston they likely outpace the Gamblers and reclaim the top seed in the conference.  Even without that, they would earn the bye as division champion.  A loss and they drop into the Wild Card round, though likely would find themselves as the 4 seed with a home game in the first round.   HOUSTON (12-3) Another club with destiny in their own hands. They win the South with a victory in New Orleans.  That could potentially land them a top seed as well, but they would need help to jump over the contenders from the NE Division.  Not impossible, but not in their control.  They do control their ability to earn a bye, so expect full intensity as they head to the Super Dome this weekend.   PITTSBURGH (12-3) The Maulers are rooting for Michigan to upend the Blitz, because a Baltimore loss paired with a victory over the New Jersey Generals would give Pittsburgh the NE Division and a bye week.  New Jersey is said to be staring their USC rookie QB, Brett Hundley, so there is a lot of confidence in Pittsburgh that the Maulers can get their part done, but they will be huge Michigan Panther fans as well, hoping to claim their first division title since returning to the NE Division from a long stint in the Central as a rival to the Panthers.   ST. LOUIS (10-5) Another team that controls their own destiny, the Skyhawks are depleted with the loss of Eddie Lacy and still with Ricky Stanzi at QB, but they face a pretty deflated Denver squad in the finale.  A win in Denver gives St. Louis both the Central title and the 2 seed, which comes with a very desirable bye, especially important for them as they hope to get Josh Freeman back over the next 2 weeks.   OAKLAND (10-5) The Invaders let one slip this week in San Diego, but they can recover by taking care of business at home against Portland in the finale.  A win against the upstart Stags and Oakland wins the Pacific.  If they get the added bonus of a Denver upset of St. Louis and a Baltimore win over Michigan and Oakland would earn the 2 spot and its lovely bye.  A loss to the Stags would be bad, dropping Oakland possibly as far as the 6 seed and all road games in the playoffs.   CHARLOTTE (8-7) Another club that has not taken care of business in the final weeks of the year and could see their division title fade away.  They have a very winnable game in LA this weekend, and a win would lock up the SE Division title for the Monarchs, but if they stumble again, the Orlando Renegades are right there and could jump over them to take the title, pushing Charlotte to the 6 seed and a road playoff game.   MICHIGAN (10-5) Things have gotten a little tougher for the Panthers.  They have a very tough matchup this week, heading into Baltimore to face a Blitz team that has a lot to play for.  They need to beat the Blitz on the road, and hope that Denver rises up against St. Louis if Michigan wants to reacquire the top spot in the Central that they have held for most of the year.  Anything short of that and they are a Wild Card team, and a loss in Baltimore could drop them out of even a home playoff spot.   PORTLAND (9-6) It is safe to say that very few people expected Portland to be in a position to snag the Pacific Division away from the Invaders, but if they can upend Oakland this week in the Colosseum, well, then the Stags are your Pacific Division Champions.  Pretty good for a club that spent most of the season unable to win on the road. They have won their last 2 road games, and a third would be the perfect way to finish up a surprisingly strong regular season and give them a nice home playoff game for the fans in the Rose City.   TEXAS (9-6) The Outlaws don’t have a lot on the line this week, but if they can get a win in their season finale against a Wranglers team that is going to rest some starters and the Outlaws have an outside chance of moving from a road Wild Card game to hosting the matchup.  They  need help to move from 6th to 4th, primarily victories by Oakland over Portland and Baltimore over Michigan, but both the Invaders and Blitz are favored, so this is not out of the question.   ORLANDO (8-7) The Renegades are in perhaps the most unique position of any team in this season’s final week.  If they lose, they could be out of the playoffs with a Stallions win.  If they win, they could take the division title if Charlotte stumbles.  We (and they) know that the key to their season is to get a victory over Washington this week.  That ensures them no worse than a Wild Card spot, and could get them the division.    BIRMINGHAM (7-8) Stallion fans will be rooting hard for the Washington Federals this week.  If the Feds can even their record at 8-8 by beating Orlando it gives Birmingham the window they need to jump over both clubs.  If the Feds win and the Stallions hold off Memphis in their big rivalry game, then the Stallions, and not Orlando, snag the final playoff spot in the East.  They will have to do it once again with A. J. McCarron under center, but it seems that Memphis may also bench Eli Manning and go with Matt McGloin, so Birmingham likes their chances.   Bell Cow or Committee? Fifteen weeks down, one to go, and we decided to look at one issue that is constantly debated across the country, in both the USFL or the NFL.  Is the Bell-Cow Back a thing of the past?  With more and more teams using a Runningback-By-Committee structure, we wondered whether we were seeing the last of the lead back, main back, or bell cow back concept for the position.  So, we did some digging, and we looked at the teams with balanced attacks vs. single back attacks.  What did we find?  Glad you asked.   First off, we found only 5 teams that had one back receive 70% of the team’s rushing attempts. Not surprisingly 4 of the 5 have backs who are among the league leaders.  They include Washington, with Deuce McCallister leading all backs in the league with 83.9% of the carries for the Feds.  Next up was the league leader, LeVeon Bell in Michigan, who has 77.7% of all carries for the Panthers.  The next three are Carlos Hyde in Houston (77.3%), MJD in New Jersey (72.6%), and, the one surprise, Jeremy Hiil in New Orleans (72.1%).  We found a few teams that have carries split among 3 players, often teams like Birmingham where the QB is a big run threat as well, and several teams where there is almost an even split between two backs.  This last category is who we would consider the true back-by-committee teams.   In the split backfield group we find Baltimore with an even 44/44 split between Anthony Dixon and Kerwynn Williams (152-144 carries each).  Next up is Texas, with a 42-40 split between Chris Johnson and Marshawn Lynch, though we must acknowledge that Lynch has not been with the team for the entire season.  Next up is Las Vegas, with Montario Hardesty and LeGarrett Blount creating a true Lightning & Thunder mix of 52%-48%.  The top five is rounded out by Oakland (50/46) and Philadelphia (48/42).  What do all these teams have in common?  They are all considered pass-first teams, teams near the bottom of the league in the number of carries overall, with Baltimore posting the fewest rush attempts in the league, a mere 316, fewer than several individual backs.    When we look at success, however, what we see is that it is possible to win with either strategy.  In Michigan, Houston, and New Orleans we have a 1-back system and we have 3 solid playoff teams.  But we also have solid playoff contenders in the split-back group, with Baltimore, Texas, and Oakland right there as well.  And, of course, your HB system does not guarantee wins, proven by Washington and New Jersey among the 1-back clubs and Las Vegas and Philly in the split back group.  So what is the message?   We think it is pretty basic.  If you have a guy who can make it happen, who can take the wear and tear and still produce big numbers, why take carries away?  Let LeVeon, Deuce, and Carlos eat.  But if you have two guys with very different styles, two guys who do better when fresher, then go with a twin-back strategy. Let Dixon run inside and Williams outside, or use Thunder & Lightning to keep teams guessing.  And, since we did not bring it up, if your QB can run as well, make use of that, but be careful, that comes with a price, as both Birmingham and Orlando discovered with recent injuries to their star QBs, both injured on run plays.   Three USFL Coaches Who Deserve HOF Consideration Two weeks ago we were treated to the 2015 Hall of Fame Class, six amazing players, but since then one of the discussions in our bullpen has been around how few USFL Head Coaches are in the Hall.  The Class of 1998 saw two coaches enter with Michigan head man Jim Stanley and Tampa Bay’s Steve Spurrier getting inducted. Two years later in 1998 it was Dick Vermeil and Sam Rutigliano, but since then we have only had one coach make the Hall, Philadelphia, Oakland, and Memphis coaching legend Jim Mora Sr.  That is it 5 head coaches in almost 35 years of USFL football.  And, yes, we recognize that with coaches often having short careers, bouncing teams, even bouncing between two leagues, it is hard for a coach to get such a reputation in one league to merit induction, but this seems to be a ludicrously low number.  So, we went back through the annals of the USFL, looked over every coach not currently in the hall, looked at titles, at records, and we think we have 3 men who deserve the attention of the Hall.  Here are our picks:   Ray Willsey (HOU 1990-2000) Our first pick is overdue.  How is Willsey not in the Hall of Fame with the 11-year run he had in Houston?  We are talking about a coach that won two league titles and had the Gamblers in the Summer Bowl 4 times.  His record in his 11 USFL seasons?  How does 99-75-2, a .562 winning percentage, for a decade.  That is a coach who deserves some kudos.   Al Luginbill (OHIO 1999-2010) You knew Al’s name had to be here.  Back to back titles, an undefeated season, and taking an expansion team from the bottom to the pinnacle of the league in only 3 seasons.  That is impressive.  Luginbill’s overall record in Ohio?  Let’s try on 113-64-1, a ludicrously good .635 career win percentage.  Oh, and he was also 9-6 in the playoffs, including those two 3-game runs to win the title in 2002 and 2003.  It has been 5 years, so why was Luginbill not inducted this year? Not even nominated?  Maybe it is because he could still come back.  After all the HOF was not really ready for Steve Spurrier to do so when they enshrined him back in 1998, but that should not be a reason to delay on such a clearly meritorious nomination.   Bill Parcells (NJ 2001-2006) We get it, a 6 year stint in the USFL is not enough to really be seen as a USFL legend and Hall of Famer.  But in those 6 years he did win 2 titles for the Generals.  When you add that to 2 NFL titles with the NY Giants, you have to recognize the man sometime.  The hope is that he will be nominated by the NFL this year, after extending his career first as a USFL coach and then returning to the NFL as a General Manager.  If not, then Bill Parcells may be the example needed for the Hall to consider a dual-league nomination process.  If not him, then we are sure when Tom Brady retires, after 2 USFL titles (with Parcells and the Generals) and three NFL titles with the Cowboys, something will have to be done.  Let’s not wait for Brady, let’s give the Big Tuna the honor of being the first dual league nominee.   Honorable Mention:  There are plenty of coaches with long tenures, plenty with 1 title to their name, but there are very few who can boast both.  Some who deserve potential consideration include Birmingham’s Ron Ehrhardt, Orlando’s George O’Leary, Pittsburgh’s Ted Marchibroda, Denver’s Dick Jauron (once he retires), and Houston’s Wade Phillips (also upon retirement.    Orlando Agrees to Update Logo It appears that a combination of legal and public pressure has made its way into the boardroom in Orlando.  The Renegades announced this week that out of respect for the concerns of the native peoples of Florida and the nation, they have agreed to work with Adidas and the USFL design team to reimagine their team imagery and remove references to Native American imagery such as the Tomohawk, a symbol which has adorned the Renegade helmets since the team’s inception in 1987. This decision is not one necessarily popular with Renegade Nation, as a recent fan poll showed that 68% of self-described Renegade fans wanted the team to retain their trademark tomahawk logo.  But, with real potential for the logo to be compromised by a lawsuit claiming civil rights violations and seeking to remove the trademark from the logo, a move that would make it impossible to protect its use, the team may have made the move despite pressure from their fanbase to retain it.    This is just one of several organizations and universities across the country that are recognizing the concerns of Native peoples and altering their name, logo, and identity.  Whether it is shifts such as the St. John’s Redmen to the Red Storm, the retirement of Chief Illiniweck at the University of Illinois, or recent shifts away from Native American imagery by the Cleveland Indians (replacing Chief Wahoo with a block C on their caps) or the Atlanta Braves (removing the tomahawk design on the jersey), the movement of several Native groups across the country, and the unity within that movement to file class-action suits in federal court, have produced enough negative press and potential legal entanglements to move the needle on this issue. The Renegades have not announced a timeline for a new identity, though they did say that they expect to be garnering direct fan feedback about logo options as part of the process. They also clarified that the name of the team will not be altered, the club will remain the Orlando Renegades, but that the ties to Native American imagery will be retired and replaced by another design that evokes the Renegades culture of “passion, strength, and aggressiveness”.  We will stay tuned to see how Orlando goes about this shift, and will include news as it is officially released.   Week 16 brings us the special 2-day schedule, with teams set up to scoreboard watch as they play.  We will give you the playoff implications of each game as we run through the schedule.   SAT. @ 12PM     LAS VEGAS (6-9) @ JACKSONVILLE (4-11)        ABC Regional                                  No playoff implications.   SAT. @ 12PM       CHICAGO (3-11-1) @ OHIO (4-11)                      ABC Regional                                No playoff implications.   SAT. @ 12PM          ATLANTA (6-9) @ TAMPA BAY (3-12)                   FOX                                 No playoff implications.                               SAT. @ 4PM         SEATTLE (6-9) @ SAN DIEGO (6-9)                      FOX Regional                               No playoff implications.   SAT. @ 4PM        PHILADELPHIA (5-10) @ DALLAS (7-7-1)            FOX Regional                                No playoff implications.   SAT. @ 8PM              ARIZONA (12-3) @ TEXAS (9-6)                               NBC Division is settled.  Will impact seeding for Texas.   SAT. @ 8PM           CHARLOTTE (8-7) @ LOS ANGELES (4-11)           ESPN/EFN Charlotte wins SE Division with a win.   SUN @ 12PM          MICHIGAN (10-5) @ BALTIMORE (12-3)                ABC Baltimore wins division with a win.  Michigan wins Central with a win and St. Louis Loss.   SUN @ 12PM         PITTSBURGH (12-3) @ NEW JERSEY (6-9)             FOX Pittsburgh wins division with a win and a Baltimore loss.   SUN @ 12PM          ST. LOUIS (10-5) @ DENVER (6-9)                            NBC                                 St. Louis wins division with a win.   SUN @ 4PM           ORLANDO (8-7) @ WASHINGTON (7-8)              ABC Orlando clinches playoff spot with a win. Paired with a Charlotte loss they win the SE Division.   SUN @ 4PM            MEMPHIS (5-10) @ BIRMINGHAM (7-8)                 FOX Birmingham can enter the playoffs as the 6 seed with a win and an Orlando loss.   SUN @ 4PM            PORTLAND (9-6) @ OAKLAND (10-5)                    NBC                               Oakland wins the division with a win.  With a loss, Portland ties for the division lead and we go to tiebreakers.   SUN @ 8PM           HOUSTON (12-3) @ NEW ORLEANS (12-3)            ESPN/EFN The winner of this game wins the Southern division and has a shot at the top seed in the East.

A football movie for all of us who like to think of ourselves as members of the player personnel teams, criticizing our favorite team's free agency strategy, draft, and roster decisions. Draft Day tells the story of an embattled GM wheeling and dealing on draft day. Sure, it's the Cleveland Browns, and should have been the LA Express instead, but it's still a pretty good movie. Dallas gets a huge win over their in-state rival.  Orlando pulls within a game of Charlotte by knocking off the Monarchs.  Chicago stuns the Skyhawks.  And Portland sets themselves up for a Wild Card berth with another home win.  It was a week of action that saw several top teams assert themselves, but which also saw teams in the middle of the pack vying for playoff position.  The Panthers, Invaders, and Skyhawks all locked up playoff berths, St. Louis even with the loss, and the Charlotte Monarchs also backed their way into a playoff spot despite their loss to Orlando. It was a week that also saw two big injuries for teams that are still in the Wild Card mix as both Russel Wilson and Cam Newton are lost for the remainder of the season.  We will break down all the news of the week, both on the field and across the league. We start with our story of the week as one of the longest standing coaching positions may be about to shift.  Denver’s Dick Jauron is apparently not happy with how Gold management has been stocking the roster and with the lack of voice given the veteran of 18 seasons.  We will explore the very real possibility that Jauron could walk away from the Gold, review the week’s games, and preview what could be a pivotal Week 15 slate of games.   Free Agent Coach? It is one of the most rare occurrences in pro sports, for a longstanding coach, one with a winning record and a league title, to potentially become available on the open market.  Teams typically lock their winning coaches up well before there is any risk of their contract expiring, but Coach Dick Jauron, who has been at the front of the Denver Gold for nearly 2 decades, is looking at only 2 weeks before his deal with the Gold expires, and from what is being reported, there may be interest in both sides moving on. Now, this is no 3rd year coach who has not turned the corner with his team.  This is a coach with 18 seasons of play with the Gold.  In that time Coach Jauron has an overall record of 177-143 with 13 playoff seasons and a league title.  That said, it has been over 14 years since the Gold made a Summer Bowl, with the 1999-2001 run of three consecutive appearances far enough back that many Gold fans don’t remember those glory years.  But we are also talking about a coach that has had his team at or above 10 wins in the past 2 seasons.  The Gold won’t reach 10 wins this year, not with a 6-8 record right now, but they are still in playoff contention.  So what is the issue?   On Jauron’s side it is a question of control.  For all his success over the years the Gold have not offered Jauron the option to take on a GM role in addition to his coaching duties.  He has always had to work with a separate personnel office, and, many would argue, with an  ownership group that is always looking for success but rarely spending the kind of cap money needed to ensure it.  Yes, they have made some big signings in recent years, highlighted by the cross-town signing of Von Miller this offseason, but Denver year in and year out is among the teams at the lower end of the salary pool.  That has bothered Jauron for a long time but it has still been a manageable situation.  Perhaps that is changing as Jauron closes in on 2 decades with the team.  Or perhaps the deal put on the table by the Gold for Jauron’s services is equally frugal, which cannot sit well with a coach of his caliber.   On the side of Gold management, this may simply be a matter of seeking to go in a new direction.  For all the success that Jauron has brought to the club over his 18 seasons, the Gold have not won a division title since 2001, and have made a lot of early exits from the playoffs.  That has been a concern over the years, and sometimes, as may be the case now, a team just feels like it needs to do something different.  Is the Gold’s lowball offer to Jauron just a gesture so that the team can save face while also sending a message that the time may have come for Jauron to move on?   The Gold and Dick Jauron have been a steady pairing since 1998, but the time may be approaching when the two will go their separate ways.  There is no doubt that if Dick Jauron wants to keep coaching (in the USFL or even jumping to the NFL) he will have little trouble securing a position.  As for Denver, it will be interesting to see if they allow Jauron to walk  just what the deal they will make with a new coach could look like.  Will they stick to their reputation as one of the league’s stingiest franchises, or will they offer a new coach more than they had offered to their longstanding coach to stay?   WASHINGTON FEDERALS 18   NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS 21   OVERTIME Sometimes a game’s score can be deceiving.  When we see 21-18 in overtime, we should be intrigued, because overtime means that New Orleans did not score 3 touchdowns to reach 21.  At some point the game was tied.  This game got to that score the hard way, with 2 safeties, 7 field goals and only 2 touchdowns.  It was a game that saw both clubs struggle to reach the endzone while both moved the ball pretty well.    In what turned out to be a pretty even matchup, despite the records, Washington outgained New Orleans 362-328, with 20 first downs to the Breakers’ 14.  We saw both run games working, with the Feds rushing for 106 yards on 35 team carries and New Orleans get 167 yards, thanks in part to an effective combo of Jeremy Hill and David Wilson, the former Federal.  We also saw both QBs, David Garrard and backup Quincy Carter for New Orleans, make plays to keep drives alive, but struggle to get the ball in the endzone.    The game started with both clubs playing well on defense.  Three straight three-and-outs opened the game before the Breakers finally busted out for an extended drive.  In the Breakers’ second drive, Hill had his longest run of the day, a 13-yarder, and Quicny Carter hit Kenny Britt for a key 3rd down conversion before hitting Demetrius Byrd for the first, and only TD, of the day for the Breakers.  New Orleans would score a 3rd straight 3-and-out against a struggling Federals offense and by the 12-minute mark of the 2nd they would up their lead to 10 with a 43-yard Caleb Sturgis field goal.   Washington finally responded, putting together a 9-play drive that finished with Adam Vinatieri connecting from only 31 yards out.  It would be a story we would see all game long, both teams moving the ball into range but failing to connect on endzone strikes and forced to settle for three points. Washington would do just that on their next drive as well, settling for a 45-yard kick from Vinatieri when Garrard could not connect with Kelvin Benjamin on a deep shot.    New Orleans would add three more to their total just before the half, but it looked like it could have been more.  With the ball on the Washington 6-yard line, Quincy Carter missed on a shot to Donny Avery and then was forced out of the pocket and scrambled for no gain on 3rd down.  With only 13 seconds left, Caleb Sturgis put 3 more on the board and New Orleans went into the half with a 13-6 lead.  Washington would even the score with their lone TD of the day on their first possession, and their best drive, of the second half.  Garrard hit Brandon LaFell with a 17-yard completion and then found Kelvin Benjamin from the 15-yard line for the 6-pointer.  The third would end with both teams knotted up at 13 points and neither offense looking particularly in rhythm.   The final period began with Breaker HB Doug Wilson breaking out for a 29-yard run on 2nd and 7.  The drive would fizzle however, and once again Caleb Sturgis would be called out to put points on the board, giving New Orleans a 16-13 lead.  They would add to it on Washington’s next possession. Federals returner Jalen Saunders would muff the ball in the endzone and try to take it out, but would be tripped up at the 5, giving the Feds horrible field position.  After a McCallister run was stuffed at the line, Garrard backed up to pass on 2nd and 11.  Breaker rookie LB Kwon Alexander blitzed on the play and had a shot at Garrard when guard Chad Ward all but tackled him with a grab of his shirt.  The refs called holding on the play and with it occurring in the endzone that produced a safety and 2 more points for the Breakers.    New Orleans could not capitalize on the safety kickoff drive and were forced to punt to the Feds.  Washington then got a big play as Garrard connected with Kelvin Benjamin for the longest play of the day, a 46-yard catch and run.  But, as had been the case all game, Washington could not capitalize on their field position and after 2 penalties on 3 plays they were forced to punt the ball to the Breakers.  Punter Sam Koch placed a perfect coffin corner kick out of bounds at the Breaker 3, and now Washington would have their shot at a safety.    That is exactly what they got when Mathias Kiawanuka caught Jeremy Hilli in the backfield on 1st and 10.  The call was sent to video review but the call of a safety was upheld when video showed that Hills’ knee touched down in the endzone before the ball was stretched over the line.  With the score now 18-15, the Feds needed only a field goal to send the game to overtime.  It would take them until the final 20 seconds of the game, but the Federals were able to move the ball into position for Adam Vinatieri, and the veteran kicker put the ball between the goalposts to bring the game to an 18-18 tie and send the action into overtime.   Washington won the toss and took possession to start the extra period, but they could not cross midfield and were forced to punt, allowing New Orleans the ability to end the game with only a field goal.  That was well on point for this game, and that was exactly what happened after a combination of short passes to Doucet and Lockett were paired with a good pair of runs by Wilson.  New Orleans slowly moved the ball into position for Sturgis to win the game with a 37-yard attempt.  But, not everything is so easy in the USFL.   The attempted field goal went south quickly when the snap was off target and punter Matt Allen was unable to wrangle it and bring it down for Sturgis.  But, just as Washington’s sideline erupted, the yellow flag came out.  The Federals had jumped the snap, the incursion having affected the snap.  A neutral zone infraction was called and Sturgis would get another attempt, now from 32 yards out.  This time the snap was perfect and the kick sailed through, giving New Orleans their 11th win of the season and sending Washington down to 6-8 after 14 weeks, still alive in the Wild Card hunt, but on life support.   Ohio 3   Michigan 23 Michigan dominates the Glory despite losing Kirk Cousins early in the game.  Taylor Heinecke came in and pretty much did a Cousins impression for 3 quarters, completing 18 of 23 passes for 154 yards and 2 TDs.  LeVeon Bell was also key to the Michigan win as he carried the rock 24 times for 139.  We should also acknowledge the Panther defense, which held Ohio to 283 total yards and only 3 points on the day. POTG:  Panther HB LeVeon Bell: 24 Att, 139 Yds   Pittsburgh 21   Philadelphia 14 Andy Dalton had a modest day yardage-wise, with only 196 passing yards, but his 3 TDs, including two to Adam Thielen, were enough to deliver the W in Philly.  The Stars’ run game was just not happening against the Mauler front 7, with Leon Washington leading all Star backs with only 19 yards on the ground.  Linebackers Paul Poszuzsny, Buster Davis, and Brian Cushing were at and behind the line all day, combining for 8 Tackles for Loss.  POTG: Mauler LB Buster Davis: 7 Tck, 5 TFL, 1 Sck, 1 FF   Arizona 27   Las Vegas 10 The Vipers break their Home/Away duality, but not in the way they wanted, losing their first home game of the season as Division Champ Arizona got 2 TD from David Carr and another from Kadeem Carey to outpace the punchless Viper offense.  Arizona played solid team defense all game, limiting the Vipers run game to only 57 total yards. POTG:  Wrangler OT Brandon Scherff:  11 Pancakes   St. Louis 17   Chicago 18 Chicago deals their rivals a huge blow with this upset win.  Doug Martin was the star for Chicago, with 111 yards on only 12 carries.  The defense also did their part, sacking Ricky Stanzi 3 times and holding Eddie Lacy to only 1.6 yards per carry on the day.  Brian Urlacher recorded a safety, and Chicago stunned the Skyhawks in a game that most thought would be a St. Louis blowout. POTG:  Machine HB Doug Martin: 12 Att, 111 Yds, 1 TD   Los Angeles 19   Oakland 21 The Invaders built a 21-7 lead but LA chipped away over the final 25 minutes of play to make the game a bit too close for comfort for the Pacific Division leaders.  Aaron Murray got the start for LA, and after a rough 1st half showed signs of life in the 2nd half,  The Express got within 2 on a Murray to Whitten TD with 1:45 to play, but the failed 2-point PAT helped Oakland avoid overtime. POTG:  Invader QB Joey Harrington: 16/29, 211 Yds, 2 TD, 2 Int   Seattle 17    Houston 41 The Gamblers were close to unstoppable on offense, with 5 TD drives in their first 8 possessions.  Carlos Hyde rushed for 3 scores, despite gaining only 75 yards on 20 carries.  Mike Evans went 4 for 116, and the Houston defense sacked Byron Leftwich 5 times, also forcing 2 picks in a dominant performance. POTG:  Houston LB Ramik Wilson: 7 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 Int, 1 Def TD   Baltimore 38    Atlanta 19 Ben Roethlisberger has another dominant game, throwing for 364 yards on only 19 attempts, oh, and 5 of his 17 completions were for scores as Big Ben connected with 9 different receivers on the day.  Heyward-Bey, Gates, Hartline, and Quinn Johnson all received TD tosses from Roethlisberger as Atlanta simply had no answers.  The run game also worked for the Blitz, with Dixon and Williams combining for 133 yardson 25 carries. POTG:  Blitz QB Ben Roethlisberger: 17/19, 364 Yds, 5 TD, 0 Int   New Jersey 20   Tampa Bay 17 With Sam Bradford back in action, New Jersey stayed alive in the East with another big day from their run game.  Maurice Jones-Drew averaged 7.1 yards per carry on his way to a 163-yard day.  Bradford added a TD to MJD as well.  Pat White was sacked 5 times by the Generals’ D, led by 2 from Aaron Kampman.  POTG:  Generals’ HB Maurice Jones-Drew: 23 Att, 163 Yds, 1 TD, 3 Rec, 49 Yds, 1 TD   Memphis 31   Jacksonville 9 A balanced attack and a solid defensive outing helped Memphis put away the Bulls in Jacksonville.  The Bulls could not find the endzone and only managed 9 first downs and 141 total yards as the Memphis defense dominated.  LBs Jarvis Jones and NaVorro Bowman combined for 15 tackles and2 takeaways to help Memphis garner their 5th win of the season. POTG:  Showboat LB Jarvis Jones: 10 Tck, 1 Int, 1 Def TD   Birmingham 20  Portland 27 The Stags stay perfect at home, scoring on their final two drives to come back against a very game Stallion squad.  Mason Crosby tied the game at 1:31 with a short field goal, then helped Portland pull off the regular time win with a perfectly executed onside kick.  Three plays later QB Marcus Mariota (getting his first start for an injured Fitzpatrick), found Brian Quick on a beautiful deep ball for a 65-yard game winning TD.  Not a bad first game for the former Oregon Duck. POTG:  Portland CB Cedric Griffin: 5 Tck, 1 Int, 1 Def TD   Denver 10    San Diego 22 A bad loss for Denver and any hope they had for a playoff spot.  San Diego kicker Jeff Reed went 5 of 6 on field goals, including a 52 and a 49 yarder to help the Thunder pull off the upset victory.  Neither team moved the ball well once on the opposition’s side of the field, but Reed’s right foot was all the ammunition San Diego needed as Denver was held to only 9 first downs and 190 total yards by a Thunder D that was not seen as a threat pre-game. POTG:  Thunder DE Lamar Houston: 6 Tck, 1 TFL, 1 Sck, 1 FF, 1 FR   Texas 16   Dallas 43 Joe Flacco went out early, victim of yet another sack, and that was all she wrote for the Outlaws.  Rashard Mendenhall rushed for 148 on only 9 carries and Johnny Manziel threw for 301 and 2 TDs as Dallas rolled over a lackluster Outlaw squad. The Roughneck D got 3 sacks apiece against both Flacco and Boller, with DE Larry English leading the way, and the Roughnecks find themselves only 1 game under .500 and still alive in the Wild Card hunt. POTG:  Dallas HB Rashard Mendenhall: 9 Att, 158 Yds   Charlotte 13   Orlando 30 A big game to tighten up the SE Division as Orlando takes down division-leading Charlotte, moving within 1 game of the Monarchs.  Russell Wilson survived 2 picks and found Jeremy Maclin for a score, while Knowshon Moreno scored as well in the Orlando victory.  Trailing 13-7 at the half, Orlando scored the final 23 points of the game, utterly dominating the 2nd half as they picked off Brandon Wheedon 3 times. POTG:  Renegade CB Dee Milliner: 11 Tck, 3 PDef, 1 Int Orlando Loses Russell Wilson to Injury As tough situation for a team on the fringe of playoff position as Russell Wilson is ruled out for the rest of the season after suffering a shoulder injury in this week’s victory over Charlotte.  Wilson left the game midway through the 2nd quarter with his left arm (non-throwing arm) hanging somewhat limply.  Wilson went immediately to the locker room.  Initial thoughts were that he might have suffered a dislocation of the shoulder joint, but it was revealed by team officials later that day that the initial diagnosis was complicated after x-rays showed both a fracture to the humerus and an apparent chip of the shoulder ball joint free floating in the joint.   Wilson will require surgery to remove the chip, and likely will need several months to regain full motion in the shoulder joint.  This is a big blow for a team that is currently 7-7 and sits in the 6th position in the Eastern playoff race.  Connor Shaw, the 2nd year QB out of South Carolina, came in for Wilson to finish the game with Atlanta, going 7 of 8 for 47 yards and a TD.  It is expected that Shaw will fill in for Wilson moving forward, with 4-year veteran Terrelle Pryor taking on the number 2 spot and Orlando expected to sign a player to their practice squad as a third option.   Shaw, a 3-year starter for the Gamecocks, had appeared in 4 games and had 1 start for Wilson as a rookie.  In his limited action he has a total of 356 yards passing, but also a 4:0 TD:Int ratio.  But, subbing into games due to injury or mopping up at the end of a game is very different from starting for a team in a playoff hunt. While Coach Fox has expressed confidence in Shaw’s ability to pick up the offense and find success, the Renegades cannot afford a long learning curve.  They need Shaw to be successful immediately.  The ‘Gades have two games left, home to Tampa Bay this week and then on the road at Washington.  They control their own destiny and a 2-0 mark would assure them a playoff spot, but any slips and they could be supplanted by one of several teams currently at 6-8.   Cam Newton Injures Hip, Placed on IR One of the 6-8 Wild Card contenders in the East is also going to be without their starter for the next 2 weeks as Birmingham announced that their superstar QB Cam Newton suffered a hip injury in the team’s loss to Portland.  An MRI revealed significant damage to Newton’s hip following a rough out-of-bounds tackle late in the game against the Stags.  Newton, who is known for his dual threat of running the ball as well as passing, will need further analysis to determine if a surgery is needed to repair the damaged him.  While the full extent of the injury is unknown, what has been made certain is that Newton’s season is over, which could very well mark the end for the Stallions as well.   Newton will be replaced by former Alabama QB A. J. McCarron for the 2nd time this season.  McCarron got 3 starts between Weeks 8-10 when Newton was down with an unrelated injury. Now it is McCarron who will have to lead the Stallions if they can gain ground on the Orlando Renegades and earn a Wild Card spot.  McCarron played solidly in his earlier 3 starts, throwing 6 TDs to only 2 picks, but the Stallions lost all three matches before Cam Newton’s return in Week 11 got them a win in New Orleans.   Behind McCarron, the Stallions have Colt Brennan, a 7-year backup, and Cole Mullen, a free agent rookie signee from the Citadel.  Birmingham is currently in the 10th position, losing out on tie breakers to 3 other 6-8 clubs and 1 game behind Orlando for the 6th playoff spot.  They will face the Dragons in Seattle this week before finishing the year at home against rival Memphis.  If Orlando should stumble, Birmingham would likely need 2 wins and help from other 6-8 teams in order to qualify for a postseason berth.  A loss this week could eliminate the Stallions altogether.  Not an easy position for a backup to face.   Portland & Texas Need 1 More Win to Lock Up Playoff Spots On the positive side of the playoff table we find the Portland Stags and the Texas Outlaws.  Portland has won 3 of their last 4, including their first road victory of the year in LA.  They will need to keep that up as they finish the year off with two road games, at Ohio and a season finale at Oakland which could be a vital game for both teams. As the current 5-seed, the Stags control their own destiny, and a 2-0 final run would place them in the postseason regardless of other results.  Even going 1-1 might suffice as they currently have a 1.5 game lead over 7th place Dallas.   Texas is in a similar situation, sitting at 8-6 with 6-7-1 Dallas a game and a half back, and the trio of Denver, Las Vegas, and Seattle another half game back at 6-8. Essentially one more win will be enough for the Outlaws to lock up a spot in the postseason tournament.  However, with a trip to Las Vegas next and then a season finale against the 11-3 Arizona Wranglers, the road ahead will not be easy for the Outlaws.  After a bad loss this week to Dallas, one in which Joe Flacco had to be removed from action after yet another sack, the Outlaws cannot assume that they have a clear path ahead of them.  It is anything but assured.   Could Houston Have ROTY Again? Last year the Rookie of the Year award came down to two Houston stars, HB Carlos Hyde and WR Mike Evans. Well, it seems that the Gamblers’ personnel team has done it again with this year’s breakout star, linebacker Ramik Wilson.  Wilson is only 5 tackles away from 100 for the year while also leading the team with 4 picks, including one this week that he returned for 6 points.  But the path to a ROTY will not be easy for this player who seems to have had no issues shifting from the college game at  Georgia to his pro debut.   Offensive players tend to have an easier path to the league’s major awards, and there are two contenders in this year’s rookie crop who would make for tough competition for Wilson, with both not only competing for attention, but also competing in the same division as the Gamblers.  Amari Cooper, Birmingham’s acrobatic and speedy receiver, has 64 receptions for 981 yards and 9 TDs.  He is almost assured of hitting 1,000 yards and could finish the year with double-digit touchdowns.  In Memphis, HB Todd Gurley arrived in the league with a lot of hype and has started to make plays as the season has progressed.  He sits at 824 yards, within range to top 1,000.  He has only 4 total touchdowns, which could be a knock against him, and Memphis is certainly not in the solid playoff position that Houston holds, but Gurley is still a player to watch.   We would still put the odds on Amari Cooper to take the title, but with Cam Newton out for the remainder of the season, there is a gap where Ramik Wilson can make a move, especially if he can have more impressive outings like this week’s ROTW outing against Seattle. Four more playoff spots are locked up this week, two by teams that took a loss on the week.  Michigan and Oakland both earned wins to move to 10-4 and lock in playoff spots. Charlotte and St. Louis both  lost this week, but due to other results around the league, the two have backed into a playoff spot as well.  That means that there are 3 spots left to be claimed.  Portland and Texas are each 1 win away from locking up a spot, with both sitting at 8-6 and the closest Western Conference playoff hopeful being Dallas at 6-7-1.   In the East, Orlando is in the 6 slot at 7-7.  After defeating Charlotte, they are only 1 game out of first place in the SE Division, but they are also only 1 game up on a pack of 4 teams sitting at 6-8.  With Russell Wilson now out of action, could New Jersey, Washington, Atlanta, or Birmingham rise up and overtake the Renegades for the final playoff spot in the East?  A bad week for IR and season ending injuries as the USFL loses two dynamic QBs (Wilson and Newton).  Birmingham also loses a key piece of their defense, with LB Ernie Simms now ruled out for the remainder of the season.  Texas will be without CB Nathan Vasher down the stretch as well, though they hope he could return for a possible Wild Card game.  St. Louis will be without CB Vontae Davis, and likely will not have WR Erik Decker available this week either.  They are in the playoff field, and both players are expected to be back in time for the postseason, but if they want to chase down Michigan for the Central Division title, they may need to do so without these two key pieces.   OUT QB         Russell Wilson                 ORL       Shoulder                IR QB         Cam Newton                   BIR         Hip                          IR DT          Kawann Short                 TBY        Neck                       IR LB           Ernie Simms                     BIR         MCL                      IR CB          Nathan Vasher                 TEX        PCL                           IR LB           Pat Angerer                    HOU     Groin                         1-2 Weeks WR         Leonard Hankerson      DEN      Pinched Nerve         1-2 Weeks CB          Vontae Davis                 STL         Jaw                           1-2 Weeks   DOUBTFUL OT          Levi Brown                      TBY        Concussion       WR         Reuben Randle               JAX         Concussion TE           Tyler Kroft                         SEA        Hamstring LB           Greg Lloyd Jr                   PHI        Hand WR         Erik Decker                      STL         Hip   QUESTIONABLE WR         Muhamed Sanu               NJ           Eye G            Jahri Evans                      MEM     Concussion CB          Shaquille Richardson   NOR      Finger LB           James Laurinaitis           OHI       Patella   Outlaws Fear Alamodome a Total Loss With a second section of the Alamodome roof collapsing this past week, and with additional deterioration of the structural supports on the west side of the facility, it appears very much that the entire facility will be a loss, requiring a full rebuild of the Alamodome and not a partial reconstruction.  That does not bode well for the Texas Outlaws, who have already started making plans for 2016 at alternative facilities.  This latest setback could well extend the team’s gameday issues well into 2017 if not 2018.    That reality is a tough one for San Antonians, especially Outlaw fans, to stomach.  It may be an impossible situation for team owner Red McCombs to handle as well.  Estimates for just this year already look to account for the team suffering major losses in revenue.  A season on the road, whether in Dallas, Houston, Austin, San Marcos or elsewhere, would certainly put a strain on the franchise, even with USFL support, but a 2-3 year relocation could be catastrophic.   On top of this concern, there is increasing attention brought to the stadium upgrades which took place in 2011-2012, with some stating that shoddy workmanship and cutting corners in the redesign of the Dome’s interior structure could be partially to blame for the level of structural instability the building faces and the degree of destruction produced by the Category 4 tornado which struck the facility. If those accusations lead to an actual investigation of the design schematics and construction process for the remodel, there is a very real chance that the underwriting insurers for the facility will balk at making full restitution for the rebuild, if one is approved by the city.   If there were issues which limited insurance coverage for the facility, that would put the cost of a rebuild fully on the city, something not likely to go over well with voters and a very real danger that could delay reconstruction or even scuttle the plans, all at the expense of the facility’s primary tenant, the USFL Outlaws. It seems almost certain that the insurers will fully explore any potential issues with the rebuild, and negotiations with the city of San Antonio are not likely to begin until they have fully explored this possibility.  In the meantime, plans will have to be made to demolish the entire structure as it is unsafe at present and poses a liability risk the longer the remaining sections remain standing.   All this to say that the saga of the Alamodome and the future of the Outlaws is just now beginning to come into view, and it is not a view that owner Red McCombs or the fans of the Outlaws are feeling particularly good about.   Smith Says He Will Not Re-sign with Glory He has been a team leader for the Glory for the past several years, but in what has become another disappointing season in Columbus, it seems Steve Smith is no longer enamored with his role and the team’s prospects and he feels it is time to go.  Smith has been one of the league’s leading receivers, both in Philly and in Ohio, for a decade, and until this year he was also one of the loudest cheerleaders for the franchise, but this has been a trying season in Columbus, and it seems that what Smith is seeing from the Glory management is not filling him with team spirit.  Whether the current QB situation is at the heart of the problem, or the Glory’s lack of midseason moves, when they were still viable for a playoff spot, but something has Smith feeling disrespected and unheard in the organization, and that has pushed him to look for alternatives.   Smith is a free agent after this season, and it now seems pretty evident that he will not be open to offers from the Glory, not unless he sees other positive steps.  So that means that a third team may now be able to acquire one of the game’s most dynamic playmakers and one of the best route runners in the league.  Smith won’t be alone in the free agent pool, but he is certain to be at the top of a lot of planning boards as teams look to add talent this fall.    Five More Potential High Impact Free Agents As we look across the league at other potential “high value” free agents, six names come to the forefront.  Steve Smith is certainly at the top of the list, but as we look at other players who seem ready to move on, and whose contracts expire in just 2-6 weeks, we see some real difference makers.   DE Robert Quinn (BAL) The 25-year old Quinn is an up and coming edge rusher who could easily have another 10 years of quality play in him. In his 5 seasons with Baltimore he has racked up 40 sacks, and while he has only cracked 10 sacks once in his early career, that is partly due to his role within the Baltimore defense.  On another team we could quite easily imagine Quinn becoming a 12-16 sack monster.  That will make him a very hot commodity in free agency and a very expensive resigning for the Blitz if they don’t want to lose him.   LB Kevin Burnett (HOU) At age 31, Kevin Burnett still has some good football left in him, but cap restrictions and some contracts that just have to be extended have Houston considering Burnett as possibly expendable.  Both injuries and LB rotation have limited Burnett’s production in the past 5 seaosns, following a strong 2010 campaign when he finished with 103 tackles.  We could easily envision several teams making offers to bring Burnett in to add more “thump” to their linebacker group.  Houston has other priorities it must address, so Burnett is very likely to be available.   CB Marcus Truffant (LA) After a long career in Seattle, it was believed that Truffant would finish up in LA, but his contract expires this year, Truffant’s 13th season, and it appears that LA is going to let the veteran CB test the waters.  Truffant has 32 career picks (2 so far this year) and can still do a very solid job with topflight receivers, so we would not be surprised to see him find a new home on perhaps a 1-2 year deal.   QB Brady Quinn (CHI) A 9-year veteran and 9-year starter at QB does not come around every year, but it seems clear that Chicago is going to make some big changes this offseason, and that very likely means not resigning Quinn, who has now been benched twice this season.  This is a QB who has over 24,000 yards passing in the USFL, a TD:INT ratio of 155:94, and a career rating of 88.3.  Yes, he has not topped 80 in QBR in 2 years and his TD-INT numbers were upside down in his last full season, but there are still plenty of teams with worse numbers across the league, and Quinn is considered a good team player, a benefit in the locker room, so we think there will be a market for the former Golden Domer.   HB Ryan Williams (OAK) Other than Steve Smith, we see Williams as the most dynamic player likely available in August.  Williams has been sharing carries with Donald Brown in Oakland, a situation he has no taste for, as he has said at various points in the season. He leads the Invaders with 946 yards rushing, but Donald Brown has cut into his carries, and with 779 yards and 5 more TDs than Williams, it does appear that the Invaders trust Brown more in the redzone.  The combo has been strong in Oakland, but for Williams the desire is there to be a true lead back and bell cow for a team.  Oakland, happy with both backs, may just opt to stick with their NFL import and let Williams go, because promising him a much higher snap count does not appear to be something that ownership or Coach Green are likely to do.   Two weeks left, both filled with meaningful games, tough divisional matchups, and playoff implications. We kick off Week 15 with a big one. Baltimore is in Pittsburgh with the NE Division on the line. A win and the Maulers take the title, a loss and Baltimore leapfrogs them with 1 week to go. It is the difference between a possible 1 seed and a Wild Card slot. Saturday we move to the Central, where Michigan has a 1-game lead on St. Louis, with a chance to go into The Dome and put away the division. St. Louis, like Baltimore, needs a win to stay in the running. On Sunday we have a big inter-divisional game with 11-3 New Orleans traveling to 8-6 Charlotte. The Monarchs have Orlando trailing by only 1 game, while New Orleans cannot afford a loss if they want to overtake Houston in the South. Orlando hosts Tampa Bay with a shot at taking a share of the division. It is a week for teams to make their move. Friday @ 8pm ET              Baltimore (11-3) @ Pittsburgh (12-2)             NBC   Saturday @ 12pm ET      Houston (11-3) @ Memphis (5-9)                      ABC Saturday @ 12pm ET     Michigan (10-4) @ St. Louis (9-5)                     FOX Saturday @ 4pm ET         Portland (8-6) @ Ohio (4-10)                             ABC Saturday @ 4pm ET         Oakland (10-4) @ San Diego (5-9)                FOX       Saturday @ 7pm ET        Washington (6-8) @ Philadelphia (5-9)           NBC Saturday @ 9pm ET         Atlanta (6-8) @ Arizona (11-3)                          ESPN/EFN                 Sunday @ 12pm ET       New Orleans (11-3) @ Charlotte (8-6)              ABC Regional Sunday @ 12pm ET         New Jersey (6-8) @ Chicago (2-11-1)               ABC Regional Sunday @ 12pm ET          Tampa Bay (3-11) @ Orlando (7-7)                  FOX Sunday @ 4pm ET           Birmingham (6-8) @Seattle (6-8)                      ABC Sunday @ 4pm ET            Dallas (6-7-1) @ Los Angeles (4-10)                 FOX Regional Sunday @ 4pm ET            Jacksonville (3-11) @ Denver (6-8)                   FOX Regional Sunday @ 8pm ET           Texas (8-6) @ Las Vegas (6-8)                          ESPN/EFN

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: For the second time this season Maurice Jones-Drew has proven to be an unstoppable force, rushing for over 200 yards in a game. This week it was against the Bandits in a tight 20-17 win. MJD's 210 yards, included a rushing TD and he added a receiving TD as well to help New Jersey stay only 1 game behind Orlando for the final Eastern playoff spot. PLAYOFF PICTURE: Charlotte, St. Louis, Michigan, and Oakland all punch their tickets to the postseason as the number of unclaimed slots drops from 6 to 3. Arizona also locks up the SW Division and is 1 game up on the other two division leaders for the top spot and homefield throughout the playoffs. Orlando currently has a one game lead on 4 other Eastern Conference teams for the final Wild Card, and could still strike at Charlotte for the Division. In the West, Portland and Texas will clinch a Wild Card with wins in Week 15. Dallas, Denver, Las Vegas and Seattle all need one or both of the 8-6 clubs to drop 2 games if they want to sneak into the mix. Eliminated teams now include San Diego, Ohio, Los Angeles, Jacksonville, Tampa Bay, and Chicago.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Cam Newton does it again. Truly stunning numbers as Newton throws for 255 and a TD but also goes off for 170 yards rushing and another score, this one a 93-yard play that is just crazy to watch. Birmingham remains a game under .500 but Cam Newton is putting on a show nearly every week. PLAYOFF PICTURE: Arizona becomes the fifth team to lock up a playoff berth, largely because they were the only one of the 4 Western squads who went into the weekend at 9-3 to actually win. That extra win locked them a place in the post-season. St. Louis also garnered a spot, despite their loss, as their superior W-L record within the conference means that none of the three 6-7 teams can suprass them. Believe it or not, Chicago remains the only team that is mathematically eliminated as even the 3-10 teams in the East still have a mathematical chance to snag that last Wild Card spot. It is a minimal chance but at least as of today it is still greater than 0%.

Road movies tend to be either action thrillers or comedies tied to unlikely pairings of personality, but this week's selection, 1986's "The Hitcher" is neither of those. It is straight up horror and chills. Rutger Hauer does his spooky best, and the film contains one of the better high-tension tugs of war you can imagine. Not the most well known film on the list this year, but one well worth a watch. A big week for a few teams, an even bigger week for a few players, and a bad week for Greg Schiano.  That is what Week 13 of the USFL season produced.  Two teams locked up playoff berths, Arizona with a win, and St. Louis despite a loss.  Several players had monster weeks, with Cam Newton’s record setting TD run being the biggest play of the week, and in Chicago ownership decided that the clock had run out on their head coach.  After going 1-12-1 over the 13 weeks of the season and after declining the “request” from owners to give the starting nod back to rookie Trevor Siemian, the Machine decided the time had come to let Schiano go.  So, one coach is out 3 weeks before Black Monday and Chicago remains the only team fully out of playoff contention.  We start with the Schiano firing this week, will review all 14 games, take a look at Cam Newton’s historic scramble, and finish off by looking at the 10 top rated draft prospects and where they might find an ideal USFL home.  All right here, right now on This Week in the USFL   Schiano Out with 3 Games Left It is rare, but not unheard of for a team to let their coach go midseason.  We have seen this before when teams start the year winless, as Chicago had for 10 weeks, but typically when we see this we see it in Week 15, allowing the team 1 week with an interim coach.  We have seen a few before that but often it is due to something beyond wins and losses.  That may well be the case in Chicago, and we have our theories, but this week’s firing of Greg Schiano with 3 weeks to go in the season is a bit out of the norm, so it does raise questions.   No one within the Machine organization would speak on the record, but it appears that the issue was less the fact that Chicago had mustered only 1 win all year and more the issue of just what the priority should be at the quarterback position.  From what we were able to gather, ownership, having already given up on the 2015 season, wanted to see more from rookie Trevor Siemian, looking for potential growth and enough improvement to determine if he would be a viable option for 2016.  Schiano, on  the other hand, wanted to try to win now, even if his tenure with the Machine would likely end after Week 16.  He replaced Siemian after Quinn made an injury-related appearance in Week 10.  Since then Quinn has been the starter once again.  It seems that by trying to salvage the year in some small fashion, Schiano actually hastened his release, butting heads with ownership over the QB position. Whatever the internal discussion may have been, Chicago now finds itself looking very much like a club that will finish with the worst record in the league, and quite possibly with no sense of what their QB situation will be in 2016.  Defensive Coordinator and former head coach of the NFL Bears (1993-1998) will step up as the interim head coach.  He has already agreed to have Siemian finish the year as the starter, allowing the team’s personnel folks to evaluate the young QB.  What other changes are eminent are unknown, though most expect that Wannstedt’s career as head coach of the Machine is likely only a 3-game tenure.  Chicago fans have no love for Wannstedt after a pretty rocky period with the Bears, so we don’t see Machine management trying to appeal to a disgruntled fanbase by hiring a coach they already don’t trust.  Expect a full search as soon as the season ends.     HOUSTON GAMBLERS 28   BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS 34 So close. That is what the Gamblers have to be saying after what could have been a miraculous comeback falls just short. For Birmingham a game defined by two of the most amazing plays you will ever see, but almost given away in the final seconds.  It was a wild one in Birmingham as the Gamblers and Stallions faced off in a newly reborn divisional rivalry game.    The first half was dominated by the home team and highlighted by two incredible plays from Cam Newton. The second half showed the moxy of these Gamblers as they nearly completed a miraculous comeback. In the end, Birmingham came away with a win they absolutely had to have if they were to remain alive in the Wild Card hunt, but it got very tense in the waning moments of the game as Houston came within inches of winning this game on the final play.    The game started out like any other, both teams struggling to make plays on their opening drives, both forced to punt after short possessions. On Birmingham’s second possession they got some things going, a good run from T. J. Yeldon for 12 yards, a nice bubble screen to Dontrelle Inman, and a key 3rd down completion to Edelman put Birmingham in position to score.  Yeldon did the honors with a short run to open up the scoring with 2:11 left in the first.    After a quick 3-and-out by Houston, Birmingham got the ball back and got the first of two huge plays from Cam Newton to double their advantage. After another nice Yeldon run and a short completion to Holloway gave Birmingham a 1st and 10 at the 47, it was Cam Newton on a designed run, a perfect option run that went for 63 yards and a score.    The Gamblers and the Stallions would do little more in the 2nd quarter, and with Birmingham pinned back inside the 10, little more was expected in the final seconds.  But, as we will describe in detail below, in one of our week’s big stories, Newton turned a possible kneel down into a 93-yard mad dash, bringing the partisan crowd to their feet and leaving everyone feeling really confident for a Stallion victory over the halftime break.   That confidence would only grow when a missed field goal from Dan Carpenter gave Birmingham the ball on their own 32 and Cam Newton led a quick and productive drive, capping off the 7-play push with a 2-yard TD to Amari Cooper. Now up 28-0, the Stallions appeared to be cruising to a lopsided victory.  But, this is Matt Hasselbeck, and he just does not quit.   On Houston’s very next possession, Hasselbeck started building the comeback. It began with a huge play of his own, a 63-yard TD strike to TE Vernon Davis, but as the quarter ended the Gamblers were still down 21 and now had only 15 minutes to battle back. Birmingham would add a field goal early in the 4th, building their lead up to 24, but Houston would come right back, Hasselbeck connecting with Roy Williams from 21 yards out at the 6:50 mark.  Birmingham now up 31-14 and seemingly safe.   We always worry when a team feels a game is secured, because they start to let up and that can lead to errors. Only 26 seconds after Houston’s score the error came that would put some fear into the Stallions.  Backed up to his own 11, Cam Newton dropped back to pass on a 2nd and 13, but he was clipped by a blitzing Willie Andrews, causing the ball to fly out of his hand and back towards the endzone. After a short scramble, Andrews would recover the ball in the endzone, combining his forced fumble with a fumble recovery for a touchdown. With 6:24 to play it was now 31-21 and Houston was feeling like the momentum had swung again.    Birmingham tried to calm down the situation, turning to the run, and had some success.  They drove the ball into Houston territory and added another Hartley field goal to expand the lead to 13 at 34-21, but with 2:23 left, Houston still had a chance to make up two scores. The Gamblers wasted no time on their next drive, using 2 time outs and  several out-breaking routes to get into scoring position before Hasselbeck hit TE Vernon Davis from 21 yards out to pull the Gamblers to within 6. The onside kick would be up next.   Carpenter kicked a high looping bouncer and when Birmingham’s Bo Scaife could not wrangle the ball, Shaun Springs recovered the ball and Houston was in business.  With only 47 seconds left on the clock, and only 1 timeout, they would need to march 57 yards to get a touchdown. On their first play they got 7 before Carlos Hyde stepped out of bounds. On 2nd down they added 5 more for a first down. Hasselbeck spiked the ball with 17 seconds left.  Lined up on the Birmingham 47, they first attempted another out route to Williams, but the ball sailed over his head and out of bounds. 12 seconds left. This time Hasselbeck tried to find Mike Evans also outside hash marks but had to throw the ball away when DeMeco Ryans closed in for the sack. Third and 10 from the 47, 8 seconds left.    Hasselbeck took the snap from the shotgun, scanned to his right, then to the left, and with the pocket breaking down, heaved up a deep ball towards Mike Evans.  Evans, who had caught only 2 balls all day, was double teamed at the 10, but somehow lept above both defenders, came down with the ball and was able to turn to the middle of the field. This would be the last play of the game and Evans was now 5 yards from the endzone. He took a step, then another, but safety Baccari Rambo caught his ankle just as he tried to pick it up off the turf. Evans stumbled, lunging his body forward, but his elbow hit the turf at the 1-yard line, the ball in his other hand stretched out but not enough. Replay showed the ball was only inches from the goalline, but it was short. The referees announced that the game was over.  Birmingham had pulled off the victory by a shoestring.  SAN DIEGO 16    PORTLAND 15 A tough loss for the Stags as they drop their first home game of the year and at a time when they could have solidified their status as a true playoff contender. The 3-win Thunder come up to Portland, a place where fans still hold a grudge for their departure early in the 2000’s and shock the Stags with a last-minute field goal to steal a win.  Portland had led for most of the game, relying on Jonathan Stewart’s 103 yard effort, but the late Jeff Reed field goal snatched their win away from them. POTG:  Thunder FS Mark Barron: 5 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 Int, 1 Def TD, 1 FF   TAMPA BAY 16   BALTIMORE 28 The Blitz take care of business at home with Brian Hartline having a big game after paying a $30,000 fine for his role in a skirmish in Washington last week.  Hartline responded with 130 yards and 2 TDs as Big Ben targeted his slot receiver in the red zone early and often.  Kerwynn Williams also looked ready to rumble into the playoffs with 51 yards on only 10 carries.  The Blitz still remain a game behind Pittsburgh in the NE Division but look focused. POTG:  Blitz CB Nnambi Asomugha: 7 Tck, 1 Int, 1 Def TD   PHILADELPHIA 27    NEW JERSEY 13 The Stars continue to impress in the season’s second half, winning their 5th of 6 games and upending the Generals’ hopes of staying right in the playoff hunt.  Matt Gutierrez returned to action and found both Stevie Johnson and TE Brent Celek for scores.  Leon Washington had himself a day as well, rushing for 122 yards on only 12 touches.  Charlie Whitehurst continued to struggle, pushing some General fans to start calling for rookie Brett Hundley to get into the game.  No such luck as Whitehurst finished the game out for the Generals. POTG:  Stars HB Leon Washington: 12 Att, 122 Yds, 1 TD   PITTSBURGH 26     MICHIGAN 6 The matchup of the week turned pretty once sided quickly as Pittsburgh shut down Kirk Cousins and limited LeVeon Bell to only 38 yards rushing (1.7 YPC).  Meanwhile, Andy Dalton threw for 297 and 2 scores as Pittsburgh was in control for most of the game.  Both Adam Thielen and Jimmie Graham went over 100 yards and both scored on the day, giving Graham yet another score, his 17th in 13 games. POTG:  Mauler WR Adam Thielen: 5 Rec, 131 Yds, 1 TD    DALLAS 20   ARIZONA 27 No easy win for the Wranglers as Dallas hung tough all game.  Jake Locker get the start, but not the finish as Landry Jones came in late in the game after a ding to Locker’s head.  Dallas tied the game with 1:56 left to play, but any thoughts of overtime were wiped away when David Carr hit Larry Fitzgerald with the game winner in the final minute.  Carr finished with 327 yards and 3 scores as the win, Arizona’s 10th, locked up a playoff berth and gave Arizona a 1-game lead on the field for the top seed and home field advantage in the West. POTG:  Wrangler QB David Carr: 16/27, 327 Yds, 3 TD, 1 Int   ATLANTA 20    ORLANDO 14 A good defensive game from both sides came down to the offenses as Brad Gradkowski found Demaryius Thomas to build a 20-7 lead in the 3rd.  Knowshon Moreno (112 Yards) got a late rushing TD, but it was not enough as Atlanta held on to take this one on the road.  Gradkowski finished with 2 TD passes and managed to avoid the Orlando pass rush for the most part.  Russell Wilson was not that lucky, sacked 6 times by the Fire and picked off 4 times, including 3 from the game’s POTG. POTG:  Fire CB Brandon Boykin:  4 Tck, 3 Int   OAKLAND 10   TEXAS 44 The Invader D looked unprepared and uninspired as Joe Flacco and the Outlaw offense built a 28-3 halftime lead and coasted from there to a 34-point victory.  Playing outdoors in front of a full 27,000 seat Bobcat Stadium, the Outlaws were firing on all cylinders, with Flacco throwing 3 touchdowns, and the combo of Lynch and Johnson adding 126 yards rushing in an utter dismantling of the Invaders. POTG:  Texas WR Marques Colston: 6 Rec, 118 Yds, 2 TD   CHARLOTTE 33   JACKSONVILLE 10 The Monarchs cruise to victory with Tyler Thigpen at the helm. The substitute QB went 19 for 30 and threw for 3 scores, all 3 to WR D. J. Hackett as Charlotte helped secure their spot atop the SE Division.  Robert Griffin III threw 3 picks and a bad fumble by rookie HB Matt Jones led to him being benched as Jacksonville could not respond  when Charlotte started pulling away in the 2nd half. POTG:  Monarchs WR D. J. Hackett: 8 Rec, 98 Yds, 3 TD   CHICAGO 14   WASHINGTON 30 Washington moves to 6-7 and remains alive in the playoff hunt with a convincing win over the Machine.  Cleo Lemon outperformed veteran Brady Quinn and the Washington D showed more backbone than we have seen in a while.  Of course, Chicago has hardly been an offensive juggernaut this week, so it could be an illusion.  Deuce McCallister added 113 on the ground and Brandon LaFell continued to flourish, with 2 TD receptions. POTG:  Federals WR Brandon LaFell: 8 Rec, 74 Yds, 2 TD   ST. LOUIS 9   OHIO 17 The Stags looked sluggish and perhaps unprepared for a tough game in Ohio, yet still clinched a play off spot this week.  It was not a good game for either offense, as both struggled to move the ball.  Ohio got all 17 points in the first half, and St. Louis tried to come back but settled for field goals on 3 redzone drives.  The two teams combined to go 8 for 30 on third down and kept both punters busy. POTG:  Ohio SS Pearson Prioleau: 7 Tck, 2 PDef, 1 Int   LAS VEGAS 27   DENVER 30 The Vipers still do not have that elusive road win, though this one was closer than most Denver fans would have wanted.  Denver had built up a 20-7 lead only to watch as Las Vegas clawed their way back in.  Cody Pickett threw 3 touchdowns but also tossed up 4 picks, including 2 to the POTG, Patrick Robinson.  The win keeps Denver alive at 6-7. POTG:  Denver CB Patrick Robinson: 6 Tck, 2 Int   SEATTLE 6   LOS ANGELES 31 A true shocker as 7-point home dog Los Angeles came out on fire.  It was the run game that sparked the win for the Express with a 3-headed attack of Shonn Greene (64 Yds), LeRon McClain (31) and Reggie Bush (55) accounting for most of the Express offense.  McClain would finish with 2 TDs and the Express D added a late Jamar Taylor pick-six to keep Seattle from mounting a combeback with backup Mike Flynn at the helm. POTG:  LA middle linebacker Clay Matthews: 10 Tck, 1 TFL   NEW ORLEANS 26    MEMPHIS 12 The Breakers not only get the division win over Memphis, but thanks to rival Birmingham they gain back their game on Houston and retake 1st place in the division.  Quincy Carter was shaky, with 2 picks and no TDs, but got a lot of help form a defense that sacked Eli Manning 4 times and forced 2 picks, including a 21-yard Patrick Peterson pick-six to lock in the win for the Breakers. Peterson got the points, but it was CB Randall Gay who stole the show for New Orleans with 5 pass defenses and a pick. POTG:  Breaker CB Randall Gay: 5 Tck, 5 PDef, 1 Int   Cam Newton's Highlight Reel Runs Are All We Can Talk About We have gotten pretty used to Cam Newton scrambling.  We are even used to him being a deliberate rusher and racking up 70, 80, even 100 yards in a game. But what we saw this weekend, there is no getting used to that. Newton rushedthe ball 9 times, averaged 18.9 yards, and scored two touchdowns on the ground, but it was how he did it. First quarter, up 7-0 on Houston and on a 1st and 10 from his own 47, Newton calls his own number.  It was an option play to Yeldon and the OLB went with Yeldon, which was a mistake. Newton was off and running. The corner chased him down but dove too early, allowing Newton to step out of the tackle and score a 63-yarder. That play would have very likely been the play of the week in the USFL had it not been for what happened in the 2nd quarter.   In a quarter where both defenses stepped up, neither team had scored. Neither team had even gotten to the opponent’s 40, and Birmingham got a Houston punt with only 21 seconds left.  A mishandle on the punt had left returner Richard Iverson stuck at the 7.  So you know what is coming, it’s kneel down time, with Newton and the Stallions happy to take a 14-0 lead into the half.  Seems pretty straightforward to everyone.  Everyone except Newton.    With his offense in the kneel-down position, Newton spies that there is no outside coverage beyond his tight end. He signals a change, but no one on the offense moves, not until the ball is snapped.  At the snap of the ball, the defense half-heartedly crashes into the center of the line, expecting a kneel.  But Newton, who had taken a step back, does not kneel.  He follows FB Jalston Fowler to the right, turns the corner and is off. There is no one within 10 yards of him and no one is going to catch him. Yes, some Gambler defender pursue, but after getting untangled from their teammates and Birmingham linemen, the gap is way too great.  Now Newton is not setting any 100-yard dash record, but he is moving pretty well and by the time he crosses the endline 93 yards later, the defenders have given up and have already started to point fingers.    Newton sets a team record with the 93-yard run.  He now holds the 3rd longest TD run in league history, and believe it or not two of the top 3 longest runs in the 30+ years of the USFL are now held by quarterbacks. Jake Plummer still holds the league record with a 99-yard TD run back in 2001, Marcus Dupree is 2nd with a 97-yarder in 1988 and Newton now enters the record books at number 3 with the stunning 93-yarder.  Yes, Birmingham would let Houston back in the game, to make it our game of the week, but these two runs by one of the most exciting players in the league were very much a part of history this week.   Texas 2-0 in Temporary Homes It is one thing for a team to go on a modest 2-game win streak.  Another thing altogether to do so playing both games in temporary homes while players, coaches and the community are dealing with the devastation of a tornado that took out a long swath of central San Antonio, including the Alamodome where team offices, training facilities and practice equipment was stored.    On the same day that a local resident returned 2 helmets and a bag of footballs to the team, found in his yard nearly a mile away, the Outlaws won their 2nd game in 2 weeks, both “home” affairs, but both played in temporary homes. The grit of the Outlaws team has become a rallying cry for the city, with players helping out on Monday in the community, distributing water and supplies to families impacted by the tornado. There are over 3,000 families currently in temporary shelters, and several Outlaws players are now living in a local hotel as their homes are assessed for safety and repairs, but the game goes on, and the Outlaws are pulling together as a team, for themselves, but also for the community.   Chicago and Ohio Make QB Moves Again With 3 weeks left to the season it is pretty common that we see teams starting to evaluate younger players, and that seems to be what both the Machine and Glory are planning to do at the QB position. Just one day after Dave Wannstedt stepped in as the interim coach of the Machine, following the firing of Greg Schiano, he announced to local press that Brady Quinn would again be benched and Trevor Siemian would be given the start for the final 3 weeks. It seems clear that ownership, dealing with a lost season, wanted to assess whether Siemian could do more than he showed in his earlier stint under center. The goal, of course is to determine if QB is truly a top 1-2 priority for the Machine this offseason or if they will focus on other areas of need.  If Siemian can show some development, he could well be named the 2016 starter and Brady Quinn could become expendable.   In Ohio, the situation is a bit more uncertain. Brock Osweiler got the W for the Glory in their upset win over St. Louis this week, but struggled, throwing 2 more picks to raise his totals to 10 TDs and 13 picks.  It appears that either ownership or Coach Andrus (also on the hot seat right now) wants to see if Troy Smith can do much better. Smith did have a 6:4 TD:INT ratio before being benched, but with both he and Oswielier mired in the high 60s in QB Rating, there is no sense that Ohio is going to feel confident at the position. This week, the move to give Smith back the ball seems to be an attempt to test out the Ohio State grad to see if he could be an option long term. Right now there is general feeling among Glory fans that if the club is going to compete in the very tough Central Division, they will have to recognize that their 2016 starter is likely not currently on the roster.   The Wranglers and Skyhawks are in, joining the 4 Eastern Conference teams who clinched last week. That leaves 6 slots to fill and 21 teams still mathematically alive for them.  The biggest cluster is in the East, where 4 teams sit at 6-7 and only 1 Wild Card is still up for grabs. In the West, Texas is looking solid at 8-5, having won their two displaced home games the past two weeks. Portland’s loss this week puts them within 1 game of the 3 teams clustered at 6-7. And we are still looking at 5-7-1 Dallas and wondering if they can make a late run.    If you are looking to see who could clinch next, well there are two teams in the West sitting at 9-4 who almost guarantee themselves a spot with a win in Week 14. Oakland and Michigan should be motivated to lock things up as they head into the weekend.  Charlotte could also be next, sitting at 8-5. If they can gain one more game on Atlanta and Orlando (both 6-7) they will lock up the SE Division.   Three more players added to IR, which, of course, is easier to find this late in the season as even a 1-mont injury can be a season ender.  We also see several players who may be back in time for a playoff run but may miss the games that would qualify a team for the playoffs. Atlanta will be without DT Nick Fairley perhaps for the remainder of the regular season. St. Louis is down a corner and a wideout this week, and Dallas is happy to have Johnny Manziel back at practices because Jake Locker is likely out at least 2 weeks after breaking a finger on his throwing hand this week.   OUT G             Zach Martin                  CHI        MCL                      IR CB          Deon Grant                    OAK      Wrist                     IR CB          Reggie Smith                 PIT         Back                     IR DT          Nick Fairley                      ATL         Collarbone        2-4 Weeks OT          Levi Brown                    TBY        Shoulder             2-4 Weeks CB          Vontae Davis              STL         Neck                     1-2 Weeks WR         Muhammad Sanu          NJ           Eye                        1-2 Weeks DE          Jean Pierre-Paul              CHI        Arm                       1-2 Weeks WR         Eric Decker                      STL         Hip                        1-2 Weeks QB         Jake Locker                      DAL       Finger                   1-2 Weeks WR         Mike Wallace                SEA        Shoulder             1-2 Weeks   DOUBTFUL HB         LeMichael James           DEN      Finger                   DE          Quentin Groves             ARZ       Eye   QUESTIONABLE FS           Quinton Carter                NJ           Hamstring LB           Jerod Mayo                    CHA      Broken Nose WR         Santonio Holmes           TBY        Concussion QB         Ryan Fitzpatrick              POR      Toe G            Vince Manuel                 MGN     Knee   2 Teams Surging At the Right Time, and 2 Who May Be Fading We are in the final month of the year, and if ever there was a time to be playing your best ball, this is it.  We are going to highlight two teams we think are doing just that, and two that seem to be fading in the heat of summer.  With 3 weeks left to play, a surge now can be the difference between playoff football and a July golf tournament.  For all 4 of these teams the time is now to put 110% into every game. ARIZONA: The Wranglers have taken control of the SW Division with a 3-game win streak, part of an 8-win-in-9-games domination over the past 2+ months.  They are back to having the top scoring defense in the league, a bad sign for their opponents, and their offense is humming as well, with David Carr and Frank Gore both playing some of their best ball.  Carr went for 3 scores this week and Gore is closing in on 1,000 yards.  With both Bryant and Fitzgerald expected to cross the 1,000 yard mark this season, the Wranglers are looking very dangerous and can control their path to home field advantage. TEXAS:  The other surging team is in San Antonio (sort of) as Texas has won both relocated home games to move to 8-5, 3 games over .500.  They are still 2 games behind the Wranglers, so the division may well be out of reach, but they could be a player as a Wild Card.  The addition of Marshawn Lynch has helped Coach Landry balance the offense a bit more, but it is still all about Flacco, Colston, Marshall and that passing game.  With a Top 5 offense and a bottom 5 defense, the Outlaws rely on outpacing teams with scoring to win games, but the strategy is working right now.   SEATTLE: The Dragons have dropped 3 in a row, slipping from 6-4 down to 6-7 and pushing them out of the current playoff picture. They can still rebound, but they are going to need more out of both the offense and the defense.  After giving up 44 to St. Louis and backup Ricky Stanzi in Week 12, this week they got rolled by the most unexpected of teams, the LA Express.  That is not a good sign for where this defense is headed.  With Houston up next, they had better figure out how to put the brakes on teams, or they could drop right out of Wild Card contention quickly. ORLANDO:   The Renegades are a tough team to figure out, losing 3 of their last 4. They have a very solid defense, 2nd in both scoring and yards allowed, and their offense is top 10 as well, but somehow they just keep blowing games. Their only win in the past month was an ugly 9-3 win in Memphis.  They had two bad losses to division foe Atlanta and another to Texas in the past month.  If they want any shot at a Wild Card, they have to find more consistency, and that may largely fall on QB Russell Wilson, who can look great for a series and then look utterly helpless the next.  They are still in the mix, and with back-to-back home division games these next two weeks (Charlotte & Tampa Bay) a short win streak could go a long way for a team that no one would want to face if they did make the postseason.   Top 10 Draft Prospects & Their Perfect USFL Homes The 2015 college football season is still over a month away, and we do not know exactly what will occur over the course of the fall and winter, but that has not stopped our intrepid scouting team from assessing the rising senior class, and a few juniors, and determining who they think may be at the top of everyone’s draft wish list.  What we have done is pull the top 10 from their rankings, looked at their T-Draft status (with 9 of 10 at protected schools) and then wondered aloud just where the player might best match a team in the USFL.  Sometimes it is the squad that will hold their T-Draft rights, but in others that does not seem probable.  So, where should these players go, assuming they come to the USFL at all?   Here is our best assessment of the ideal USFL placement for the players we have ranked as the best of the best for the 2016 draft.   CB Eli Apple (Ohio State)                             Apple is an aggressive ball hawk, a bit undersized as many corners are, but a dynamic player ho can turn a pick into a score on almost any play.  Playing for the Buckeyes his rights will be in the hands of the Ohio Glory.  The Glory have a solid player in Chimdi Chekwa at one corner, but could be looking to improve their other starting spot with Ashton Youboty now 32 years old and going into the final year of his deal.  Is CB an immediate need?  Not really.  Could Ohio go for Apple anyway, possibly.  If they don’t where should Apple go?   Our pick is the Portland Stags.  The secondary, particularly the corner spot, is a definite weakness on the Stags’ defense, evident in the fact that the Stags to date have only 4 total team interceptions in 13 games.  That is not a winning number.   QB Paxton Lynch (Memphis) The third of the three QBs we see at the top of the draft, but possibly the first in the hearts of Memphians, and in the eyes of the Showboats.  With Eli Manning struggling, and with only 1 more year on his deal, the timing is perfect for the Showboats to go all out for Lynch, let him watch and learn, or maybe get in some late season action in Manning’s last year before his contract ends, and then make the transition.  Memphis is a logical choice, a good fit, and a smart move for Lynch, who could cash in on the local fame as he turns pro.  Now, will Rex Ryan prioritize offense enough to go the obvious route and pick Lynch in the T-Draft?  A lot of folks in Memphis hope so.                                                                                 DE Shaq Lawson (Clemson) For the second year in a row, Jacksonville finds itself with the rights to perhaps the best edge rusher in the draft, but with 2 players on the Bulls roster who are both over 10 sacks this year (Mingo and Bowers), it is just not a position of need for the Bulls.  So, if they are smart, what do they do?  They could take trade offers for either of their current DE’s, but that risks alienating one or both.  The better option is to make a deal to trade away their top T-Draft prospect to another team, picking up an Open Draft pick (perhaps even 2 quality picks) in the deal.  Who should make that deal?  How about a team whose two DE’s this year have a combined 5 sacks in 13 games?  That team would be the Las Vegas Vipers.  Dee Ford and Mario Addison have been good against the run, but as pass rushers they are just not getting the job done.  Bring in Lawson, particularly for 3rd downs, and now they may have something.  We would advise the Vipers to get on the phone and start dealing with the Bulls to try to get a shot at Clemson’s disruptive DE.   CB Jalen Ramsey (FSU) The Bandits have a lot of needs, with QB being perhaps the biggest, but with Carlos Rodgers now in his mid-30’s and on the downside of his career, and with no QBs in their T-Draft pool, we would absolutely urge the Bandits to open up the checkbook (if they can with their cap situation) and sign Ramsey to anchor their secondary. No need to be fancy about it, he is theirs if they want him (well, except for NFL competition), so they should do what needs to be done to get him in red & silver, and then deal with QB elsewhere.     LB Leonard Floyd (Georgia) We are not sure what to do with Floyd.  He is a solid linebacker, perhaps not explosive enough to be a true edge rusher, but certainly strong against the run.  He is also protected by the Atlanta Fire, who currently have no real need for him.  With Luke Kuechley in the middle and a pretty solid tandem of Patrick Willis and Dannell Ellerbe outside the LB spot is just not a major area of need right now.  Perhaps the best thing Atlanta could do is ensure that Floyd does not land with a division or even conference foe.  Enter the Dallas Roughnecks, a team with a major need at LB, especially Floyd’s natural strong side LB position, and a team in the opposite conference.   This should be a pretty acceptable trading partner for Atlanta if the Roughnecks are willing to pay what could be a significant cost to make it happen. OT Laremy Tunsil (Ole Miss)      Memphis has a lot of needs, including on their line, but LT is really not a position in trouble.  While we think that going after Paxton Lynch makes a lot of sense for the Showboats, we are not feeling that same way about going after Tunsil as a classic blindside protector.  Memphis is in pretty good shape there with Tyson Clabo locked up through 2017.  So, let’s trade Tunsil, again, out of conference if we can. Who is concerned about pass protection?  Well, Joe Flacco is the most sacked QB in the league.  Part of that is his mobility (or lack thereof), but part of it is also a pretty shaky group along the line.  We are not huge fans of Roger Saffold as a left tackle.  His style and skills would be far better suited on the right side, where run blocking is key.  Bring in Tunsil and you can move Saffold to the right and really help Flacco out.   QB Carson Wentz (NDSU)                           Here is the Wild Card. The only Top 10 player we have on our list who is not at a Territorial Draft protected school.  Carson Wentz, out of North Dakota State, looks the part of a franchise QB.  He is tall (6’5”), has a cannon for an arm, and has proven a winner with the Bison.  He is also guaranteed to be available in the Open Draft. That means he immediately becomes the most interesting player on our board.  Chicago could go for him with the first pick, especially if their experiment with Siemian looks like a flop.  If they stick with Siemian, then we could see a team like Ohio try to swap picks to get a shot at Wentz.  New Jersey could be in that mix if Sam Bradford is truly not signable, and, let’s throw one more option out there, the Tampa Bay Bandits.  Right now they would have the number two pick, so it would not take much to move up one slot and go for Wentz.  But here is the rub.  They went hard for Jameis Winston last draft and got burned. Will they do it a second time and hope for better results?    HB Ezekiel Elliott (OSU)                               Without a doubt the best back in the draft, and our second of 3 players the Ohio Glory could target out of OSU.  But again, this is not a huge need.  A possible need, but not a top tier need.  Isaiah Pead is a solid back, one still in range for a 1,000 yard season, so the urgency is not there.  Now, that said, Ezekiel would be an upgrade, there is no doubt about that.  We could see Ohio trade away Pead to land Ezekiel.  Not a stretch. If they don’t, however, if they trade the T-Draft pick instead, who could be a taker. San Diego is the obvious choice.  Since trading Marshawn Lynch to the Outlaws, the Thunder have been absolutely horrible in the run game.  Adding a sure fire bulldozer like Elliott would be a no-brainer for the Thunder, especially if they decide that Webb’s first year with the team has shown signs that QB is not an immediate need.   DE Joey Bosa (Ohio State)                           The third of OSU’s three big guns in this draft, and this is the one the Ohio Glory should absolutely be giddy about.  The Glory need a pass rusher desperately.  Isaac Hilton, the team’s leading sack man, is 37  years old and while his 12 sacks this year are impressive, there is no doubt that adding a player like Bosa would be a huge upgrade across the board for the Glory defense.  We cannot imagine a scenario where Ohio lets Bosa slide through the T-Draft and join the Open Draft pool. This is a pick just teed up for the Glory to get right.   QB Jared Goff (Cal)                  The consensus top QB in the draft this year, Goff could well be the number one pick in both the USFL and NFL drafts, if he gets past Oakland and the T-Draft.  Oakland just resigned Joey Harrington to a deal that extends through 2017, but the former Oregon Duck is 35, and a pretty ragged 35 after all the hits he has taken over the year. Would Oakland invest heavily in 2 QB’s, hoping to have a 2-year transition from Harrington to Goff?  That would be some serious, long-range thinking, but Dennis Green is solidly entrenched and can take that kind of chance.  But, just for the sake of argument, let’s say he does not want to sink that much salary cap into a backup QB for the next year or two.  Who could be in the market to make a deal for the T-Draft pick.  Two teams that would be likely suitors for Goff, Los Angeles and San Diego, have almost no shot because they are division rivals of the Invaders, and no franchise wants a player of Goff’s quality to go to a division foe.  That leaves possibly Chicago, if they prefer Goff to Wentz. They could trade their first overall Open Draft pick for the Goff rights.  That would make sense.  We could also see Tampa Bay making a serious pitch for Goff, and their early pick in the Open Draft would be a good option for the Invaders.  But don’t count out New Jersey. We could see them, again if Bradford truly does leave in free agency, packaging players and picks to entice the Invaders.   So, 10 players, 10 very interesting situations, and a lot of potential for a wild Draft Week if T-Draft picks are the hot commodity we think they could be.   USFL & HOF Announce Class of 2015 The greatest honor in professional football, induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, will be bestowed this October on 6 more USFL legends.  This week the USFL and the Hall announced who those six would be. As expected, it was a mix of first-time nominees and members of the very strong Class of 2014, along with a legacy player many had been clamoring for over the past decade.    Three players made the hall in their first year of eligibility this year. Wideout Antonio Freeman , a 9-time All-USFL receiver who won a title with the Gamblers in 1996 and finished his USFL career with 1,011 receptions and nearly 16,000 yards before a short 2nd career in the NFL, was elected with the highest vote tally among the nominees. He was followed by a more controversial figure, halfback for the Breakers and Invaders, Ricky Williams . Williams, a 5-time All-USFL performer, is also a well-known activist for legalization of marijuana, an issue that got him into hot water with the league on more than one occasion. But, his politics aside, Williams also rushed for over 11,000 yards and 97 TDs in his USFL career, spanning 12 seasons. The third and final first-year nominee was another of the league’s highly regarded edge rushers. Birmingham DE Mike Rucker was a terror for opposing tackles and quarterbacks over his 12-year career. Rucker was nominated to 5 All-USFL teams and retired with 199 sacks, 6th all time.   Joining the first-year nominees were two players who just missed the cut in the stacked Class of 2014. Quarterback Drew Bledsoe , who played his entire USFL career with the Boston Cannons, was the 2004 league MVP, and won both a title and playoff MVP honors in 2009, his last year in the league. With 176 TDs to only 66picks and a lifetime QB Rating of 105.2, this 4-time All-USFL QB now joins other 2009 retirees Brett Favre and Kerry Collins in the Hall. He is joined by one of the best halfbacks of the millennium period, Seattle’s bruising back, Corey Dillon . Dillon played only 7 seasons in the league, inactive but not yet retired in 2008 and 2009 as he tried to come back from injury. In his 7 years, however, he rushed for over 10,000 yards and was named to the All-USFL team every year.    These five players are joined by a legacy player who many have waited a long time to get his due. DE Bob Barber played in the league’s inaugural season with the Washington Federals, but he will always be remembered for his 8 years with the Birmingham Stallions, a period that saw him play as one of the best dual-use defensive ends in the game. Barber recorded 71 tackles for loss in the run game and 104 sacks in the passing game as a member of the Stallions, including 7 seasons with more than 10 sacks. He was an aggressive tackler, producing 23 forced fumbles in his career, but also a beloved teammate. Fans in Birmingham and players from those early years of the league, including QB Cliff Stoudt and HB Joe Cribbs have been actively campaigning for Barber to be included among the legacy picks for the Hall, and their efforts have borne fruit. Bob Barber will join other great edge rushers, names like Junior Ah-You, Derrick Manley, Reggie White, Charles Haley, and Chris Doleman in the Hall, where they can still get a good scare out of some QB’s. Joking about Barber’s inclusion, USFL Hall of Fame QB John Reaves stated “Just keep his bust far away from mine, because I saw enough of his face bearing down on me when I played. I don’t need to see it now.”   So, there you have it, the Hall of Fame Class of 2015. The induction ceremony will be held on October 17 in Canton, and you can expect a lot of fans and a lot of great players from the past to be there to welcome in Freeman, Williams, Rucker, Bledsoe, Dillon, and Barber.   Week 14 and again the divisional matchups are huge as we have 6 playoff spots still being contested and a lot of playoff positioning to determine. The Weekend kicks off on Friday night where the Michigan Panthers will be home to rival Ohio.  A win here pretty much guarantees Michigan a playoff spot, but they are also tied with St. Louis atop the Central, so the division title is still in play.  On Saturday Washington is in New Orleans for an important inter-divisional game for both clubs.  Washington can reach .500 with a win and the Breakers are tied with Houston atop the Southern Division, so a loss could be a huge issue for New Orleans.  Philadelphia has been on a roll and now they get a shot at Pittsburgh.  The Maulers have their playoff ticket punched but if they want to retain that top seed in the conference, they cannot afford to look past the Stars.    Also on Saturday afternoon we have important matchups out West with Arizona @ Las Vegas and LA @ Oakland.  The day caps off with Seattle visiting Houston.  The Dragons can also reach .500 with a win, but don’t expect an easy go of it in Houston as the Gamblers are fighting to get that Southern Division crown.  On Sunday we start off with Baltimore @ Atlanta, and yet again you have a playoff team battling a team 1 win away from .500.  The Fire also currently hold the 6 spot in the East and do not want to cede ground to the other 6-7 squads.  Birmingham will visit Portland in a cross-country clash that has playoff implications for both teams.  Texas goes back on the road for the first time since the tornado struck the Alamodome, visiting Dallas at Cotton Bowl Stadium.  Can they stretch their win streak to 3 with a win over the Roughnecks?  Finally, it is Charlotte @ Orlando with both teams hoping they can finish strong and get a postseason bid.   Friday @ 8pm ET               Ohio (4-9) @ Michigan (9-4)                            NBC   Saturday @ 12pm ET       Washington (6-7) @ New Orleans (10-3)        ABC Saturday @ 12pm ET       Pittsburgh (11-2) @ Philadelphia (5-8)              FOX Saturday @ 4pm ET         Arizona (10-3) @ Las Vegas (6-7)                      ABC Saturday @ 4pm ET         St. Louis (9-4) @ Chicago (1-11-1)                     FOX       Saturday @ 7pm ET        Los Angeles (4-9) @ Oakland (9-4)                   NBC Saturday @ 9pm ET        Seattle (6-7) @ Houston (10-3)                         ESPN/EFN   Sunday @ 12pm ET         Baltimore (10-3) @ Atlanta (6-7)                     ABC Sunday @ 12pm ET          New Jersey (5-8) @ Tampa Bay (3-10)             FOX Regional Sunday @ 12pm ET          Memphis (4-9) @ Jacksonville (3-10)                FOX Regional Sunday @ 4pm ET            Birmingham (6-7) @ Portland (7-6)                 ABC Regional Sunday @ 4pm ET            Denver (6-7) @ San Diego (4-9)                       ABC Regional Sunday @ 4pm ET            Texas (8-5) @ Dallas (5-7-1)                              FOX Sunday @ 8pm ET            Charlotte (8-5) @ Orlando (6-7)                       ESPN/EFN

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: This week's POTW came down to two QBs who are not only fighting for a division title but for MVP as well. Big Ben threw for 438 yards and 3 TDs in teh Blitz's win over rival Washington, but we are giving the title to Andy Dalton, whose 330-yard, 4-TD day helped the Maulers stay atop the NE Division and clinch their first playoff berth since their 2011 Summer Bowl appearance. PLAYOFF PICTURE: We have our first four playoff berths clinched, all in the East, and we have our first team eliminated, in the West. At 10-2, both Pittsburgh and Houston have locked up no worse than a Wild Card appearance. The same is true for 9-3 Baltimore and New Orleans as their conference record guarantees that they will outpace the 4 teams sitting at 5-7 in slots 7-11. No western teams are in the postseason dance, but we can say that the 1-win Chicago Machine are now officially done.

This one is a tough watch, especially if you are one of those men who insists that men should never cry. the story of Bears' halfbacks Gayle Sayers and Brian Piccolo, this one is more about friendship and the spirit of the two NFL players than football itself, though the game is given a fair treatment too. Don't expect a triumphant finale in this story of perseverance and tragedy. You won't get it. Week 12 brought the first signs of clarity in the playoff race as 4 of the 6 Eastern Conference spots were claimed.  It also brought some clarity to the situation of the Texas Outlaws at least for the remainder of the 2015 season as deals were made for the remaining home games for the now homeless Outlaws.  It was also a week in which backup quarterbacks were the story, with teams from coast to coast forced to test their depth at the position with the starters sidelined.  We will recap all the action, talk about the playoff picture, and share our thoughts on players who are peaking at the right time and others who have just not produced so far this year, but we start with a special feature on the 5 best players under 25 years of age. The 5 Best Players Under 25 If there is one thing that is certain in football it is that to be a good team you have to be prepared for players to leave and you have to be able to bring in good young talent to fill the gaps.  This week we look at five players who are not only filling the gaps for their teams but have quickly become focal points for each club, leaders and producers despite their youth.  We had plenty to choose from, but we have chosen five players from the Under-25 crowd who we think will be huge factors for their teams for years to come.   LB Luke Kuechley (ATL), 24 Kuechley was originally drafted out of BC by the then Boston Cannons.  The Cannons saw what we all saw of Kuechley in college, a player capable of roaming sideline to sideline and making plays in both the run and the pass game, but with the move to Dallas and a change in the coaching staff, the club became more open to a possible trade of their LB, and the Fire pulled the trigger on a deal to bring Kuechley to Atlanta.  With the fire, the young LB has flourished, He is more involved in blitz schemes, but also able to bring in picks over the middle.  He became a team captain in only his 2nd year with the Fire, and is now on the cusp of All-USFL honors.   DT Aaron Donald (PIT), 22 The Maulers had no doubt that former Pitt DT Aaron Donald had to be a priority in the 2014 draft.  They went all out and landed the pressure lineman, with immediate payoff. Donald produced 5 sacks as a rookie and in his 2nd year is spearheading a Mauler defense that is built on shock and awe.  Quick pressure, no safe spot for quarterbacks and disrupted run lanes, that is the key to Pittsburgh’s defense and Donald is right there.  His impact on the game does not always appear in numbers, but just watch film and you can see just how devastating his presence can be in the middle of the D-line. We see in Donald a future Defensive POTY for sure.   QB Cam Newton (BIR), 24 The talent is undeniable, the focus, well, that is still developing.  With his unique combination of arm talent, speed, and physical power, Newton is a very different type of dual threat QB.  We were used to the smaller, slighter scramblers like Doug Flutie, Randall Cunningham, or even a young Jake Plummer, but in Newton you have a runner more in the mold of a one-cut running back, but one who can hit receivers 50 yards down the field.  Yes, decision making, consistency, and accuracy remain works in progress, but every DC in the  league will tell you that Newton has the ability to destroy a defensive game plan when he is on his game.   DT Star Lotuleilei (DAL), 24 Mired on some pretty bad Dallas teams, Star Lotuleilei was still very much a diamond in the rough.  He is the heart and soul of Dallas’s defense and his effusive personality has made him something of a shining star in the region, appearing in commercials for everything from used cars to Buccee’s gas stations.  On the field, Lotuleilei is a classic space eater.  He won’t get you 10+ sacks in a season, but he will make life miserable for centers and guards, disrupt the inside run, and free up the linebacker to fill gaps and stuff runs. Already an All-USFL player, things are well on their way for a long term position as one of the league’s best.   HB LeVeon Bell (MGN), 23 When he came out of Michigan State and signed with the home town Panthers, Bell was joining a franchise in need of a personality.  The Panthers had not been a contender for several years, and in comes this brash, dynamic back.  He started his career with over 1,200 yards as a rookie, and now, with the development of another Spartan in QB Kirk Cousins, Bell is helping to build a contender.  The Panthers now boast the #2 rush offense in the league, and Bell is the cornerstone, already over 1,100 yards with 4 games left to play, we could be looking at the next regular 1,500 yard man in the USFL.   Honorable Mentions:  We said there were a lot of choices, so we want to recognize at least a few of them.  Just missing our list were three receives in Pittsburgh’s Adam Thielen, New Jersey’s Odell Beckham Jr and Chicago’s Aaron Dobson. We also thought long and hard about the best O-lineman to come out in recent years, Seattle LT Eric Fisher, and then there are the defenders like Orlando CB Dee Milliner and Michigan LB Sean Porter.  I think when you realize that the Maulers and Panthers both have two players named, you understand why both are now looking like solid Summer Bowl contenders and possibly teams that will be at the top of their game for years to come.   BALTIMORE BLITZ 33    WASHINGTON FEDERALS 27     OVERTIME Ordinarily, when you see an 8-3 team headed to play a 5-6 club, and you know that the 5-win team has the worst defense in the league and is also going to be starting a backup QB who has never started a pro football game, you are going to expect a pretty serous beat down.  But, when the game in question is the Beltway Battle between the Baltimore Blitz and the Washington Federals, you know you will get something different. Different is what we got as the Feds took the game to overtime before the Blitz were able to eke out a win on the road against their rivals.   Washington came in a clear underdog, with David Garrard unable to go and Cleo Lemon stepping into the starting role. Yes, the Federals do have the league’ s worst rated defense, but hey also have won their last 3 games, so they were not a helpless cupcake on the Blitz schedule.  Washington knew that a win would help propel them to .500 and possibly keep them focused on a potential playoff push. For Baltimore, the hope was for a solid victory, perhaps paired with a Pittsburgh loss, to put them atop the NE Division once again.  What we all got was a slugfest with 5 lead changes and a lot of heart from both teams.   As these clashes of familiar foes often do, the game started off slowly, with both teams struggling to deal with the opposing defense’s schemes, but it opens up as the two teams start to find solutions. The score in this clash was 3-3 after one quarter, with both teams bogging down outside the 20 yard line of their opponent. Baltimore would break through on their first drive of the 2nd quarter, catching their first break when an obvious offsides by Washington DE Chris Long gave Roethlisberger a free play. He took a shot on a deep ball to TE Antonio Gates and came through with a 34-yard touchdown strike.    Washington responded with a solid 13-play drive, led by backup Cleo Lemon, who completed 3 of 4 passing before Deuce McCallister pounded the ball in from the 7 to equalize the score at 10.  The Washington defense, heavily criticized in local media, stepped up on the next drive with LB Aaron Curry taking the ball right out of the hands of TE Jacob Tamme to give the Feds the ball in Baltimore territory.  Seven plays later the Feds were back on top as Lemon hit McCallister with a short swing pass and the back did the rest, carrying a defender into the endzone to give the home team a 7-point lead. Baltimore would kick a field goal right before the half, but at the break, the underdog Federals held a 17-13 lead.   Washington got the ball first and put up a 52-yard Adam Vinatieri field goal to extend their lead to 20-13, but Big Ben once again found Antonio Gates for a score, this time an even more impressive 63-yard play that saw Gates get an absolutely devastating block against the safety by WR Darrius Heyward-Bey, a speed guy not known for his blocking.  DHB caught the safety off balance and just laid him out, clearing the way for Gates to rumble to the endzone and equalize the score at 20.    As the 4th quarter began, it was clear that this game would come down to the wire. The game was getting a little chippy with frequent pushing and shoving after plays concluded.  Penalties became an issue, with the two teams combining for 12 on the day, largely due to the post-play animosity. It was a key late hit penalty against Baltimore that helped Washington keep their next scoring drive going.  Falling short on a 3rd and 4 run, the late hit on Deuce McCallister by LB Brandon Spikes gave Washington the yards they needed for a new set of downs and Cleo Lemon found Brandon LaFell on the very next play for a 17-yard gainer down to the Baltimore 4-yard line. Two plays later Lemon, who would finish the game 31 of 40 for 238 yards and 2 scores, connected with Steve Breaston for the go-ahead score.    Down 7 with just over 4 minutes to play, Baltimore showed no sign of panic.  Big Ben conducted a drive that only took 1:23 to find paydirt.  Big plays to Hartline and then the scoring toss to his favorite receiver, Darrius Heyward-Bey tied things up at 27 with just over 2 minutes to go.  Washington would have a chance to end the game in regulation if they could get in range for Vinatieri.   It looked like the Feds would do it, reaching the Baltimore 37 with 37 seconds left to play, but they wanted to get their kicker closer and that proved fatal to their drive.  Lemon made his first true mistake of the game, trying to force the ball to Kelvin Benjamin on an out route that was well covered by Baltimore CB Nnambi Asomugha.  The corner had inside position and was able to bring in the errant Lemon pass before falling out of bounds. Baltimore would take a couple of shots, before taking a knee and settling for overtime.   Washington won the coin toss for the extra period but were unable to do much with the ball as Baltimore returned to their aggressive blitz scheme against Lemon. They punted to the Blitz and would not see the ball again. Baltimore drove down the field against a tired Washington defense, combining solid runs by Anthony Dixon and Kerwynn Williams with short passes from Big Ben to Gates, Tamme, and Hartline.  Earning a first and goal on the 7, Baltimore simply ground out yards on their way to the endzone. When Jacquizz Rogers subbed for Dixon, his fresh legs were too much for the tired Federals and he easily scooted around the right side for the game winner.   It was the result most expected, a Blitz win, propelling them to 9-3, but it was not the one-sided affair that most had anticipated. The Federals had shown a good deal of grit and determination, but in the end they just could not pull off the upset against their rival.     MICHIGAN 18   CHICAGO 15 We anticipated a blowout here, but the Machine held up pretty well, with QB Brady Quinn having his best game of the year by a longshot.  Quinn completed 35 of 51 attempts, throwing for 331 yards and a TD against a Michigan D that rarely gives up big games to opposing QBs.  It was a far better day than Kirk Cousins’ 10 of 21 for 117 yards, but it was Cousins who had the last laugh, connecting with Hines Ward for the game winner right at the 2-minute warning.  Chicago could have tied the game, but rookie William Hopper missed on a 42-yarder, his 2nd miss of the game. POTG:  Panther SS Corey Chavous: 9 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 FF, 1 FR   NEW JERSEY 24   PITTSBURGH 41 Another MVP game from Andy Dalton, featuring 4 TD passes, and that was all she wrote for the Generals.  Charlie Whitehurst, subbing for the injured Bradford, threw 3 TDs but New Jersey just could not keep up against the Mauler machine.  Marcus Lattimore rushed for 103 and both Thielen and Jimmie Graham had over 100 yards on the day. POTG:  Mauler QB Andy Dalton: 16/23, 330 Yds, 4 TD, 0 Int   CHARLOTTE 13   PHILADELPHIA 17 This is not the year the Stars wanted or expected, but now they are in the role of spoiler, and they are reveling in it.  They upset the Monarchs despite playing without Matt Gutierrez.  TDs from Leon Washington and Steve Johnson gave the Stars a 17-10 lead and they just would not give up the game tying TD over the final quarter, holding on for the W. POTG:  Stars LB Terrell Suggs: 7 Tck, 1 Sck   NEW ORLEANS 23    SAN DIEGO 6 Quincey Carter got the start for the injured Drew Brees and dinked & dunked his way to an easy win, completing 21 of 34 for only 188 yards, but adding 2 TDs to the scoreboard.  The Thunder have just not had a run game after trading away Marshawn Lynch, limited to only 31 yards combined from Alfred Blue and Larry Miller. POTG:  Breaker WR Donnie Avery: 4 Rec, 50 Yds, 2 TD   LAS VEGAS 7   DALLAS 30 Dallas had no intention of being the Vipers’ first road win, building up a 20-0 lead over the first half and then keeping the Vipers contained in the 2nd half.  Jake Locker played well, throwing 2 TDs and the combo of Mendenhall and Spiller contributed 99 yards rushing as Dallas managed the clock and the Vipers offense all day. POTG:  Roughneck WR Tim Wright: 5 rec, 63 Yds, 1 TD   ORLANDO 26    TEXAS 33 Chris Johnson had his best game of the year, gaining 118 yards on only 9 touches, and Joe Flacco survived 6 more sacks to throw 2 TDs and complete 14 of 22 passing.  Orlando got a good game from WR Jeremy Maclin (6 Rec, 102 Yds, 1 TD), but struggled to get the Outlaws off the field in front of a rowdy 28,202 in Alamo Stadium.  The Outlaws dedicated all the gate revenue to the relief effort for the recent tornadoes, but also lifted the city’s spirits with a solid win. POTG:  Outlaw HB Chris Johnson: 9 Att, 118 Yds   OAKLAND 24    BIRMINGHAM 16 The Invader defense shut out Birmingham in the second half, turning a 16-14 deficit into a 24-16 victory.  They held T. J. Yeldon to only 12 yards rushing and double teamed Amari Cooper all game long, a winning strategy for Oakland as they also had offensive success, with Donald Brown rushing for 99 yards and Joey Harrington going 24 of 29 with 3 TDs. POTG:  Invader LB Bobby Wagner: 7 Tck, 3 FF   JACKSONVILLE 10   ATLANTA 23 The Bulls were hoping for another division upset, but Atlanta was having none of it.  They outscored Jacksonville 13-3 in the second half and limited Robert Griffin to only 190 yards passing to earn a 5th season victory.  Brad Gradkowksi got the start again and looked solid.  Steven Jackson and J. J. Arrington each ran for exactly 68 yards, with Jackson adding a TD as well as Atlanta earned the home victory. POTG:  Atlanta CB Darius Slay: 4 Tck, 1 FF, 1 FR   SEATTLE 17   ST. LOUIS 44 The Skyhawks played lights out in the 4th quarter, outscoring Seattle 24-0 to break open a 20-17 game and coast to victory.  Eddie Lacy had 3 TD runs and once again Ricky Stanzi looked poised, completing 19 of 35 passes for 204 yards and 2 scores. Joseph Addai was the highlight for Seattle, rushing for 118 yards, but with 89 of those in the first half, he disappeared down the stretch.  POTG:  Skyhawk CB Vontae Davis: 5 Tck, 1 FF, 1 FR, 1 Int   MEMPHIS 7    HOUSTON 30 Another 300-yard game for Hasselbeck, with 2 passing TDs to halfback Carlos Hyde and a third to Mike Evans, the young studs for Houston came up big again.  Houston outgained Memphis 411-226 and clinched a playoff berth by moving to 10-2 on the year. POTG:  Gambler QB Matt Hasselbeck: 19/24, 317 Yds, 3 TD, 1 Int   PORTLAND 17    LOS ANGELES 16 It took a game-winning TD from Antwan Randle-El with only 19 seconds left, but Portland finally won a road game.  Neither team was smooth on offense, but both defenses played tough in this divisional fight.  Ryan Fitzpatrick found Randle-El and Brian Quick for scores to help Portland break their odd home-away differential and move to 7-5 with their first road victory. POTG:  Stags CB Cedric Griffin: 8 Tck, 1 FF, 1 FR   OHIO 13   ARIZONA 19 Four picks from Osweiler helped Arizona keep Ohio at bay and edge them out for a win on a day when Derrick Carr did not look sharp.  Carr was sacked 6 times by the Glory, but avoided turnovers, which is something Osweiler could not say.  With 9 penalties and the 4 picks, the Glory were their own worst enemies in a game that could have gone either way. POTG:  Wrangler LB Karlos Dansby: 4 Tck, 2 Int   DENVER 14    TAMPA BAY 19 The Sunday night game gave us a minor upset as Tampa Bay won their 3rd game of the year.  Neither offense was particularly smooth in this one, with plenty of penalties, missed opportunities, and failed third down conversions, but in the end two late Nate Kaeding field goals helped the Bandits hold off the Gold and take a rare win this season. POTG:  Bandits QB Pat White: 36/46, 293 Yds, 1 TD, 1 Int Four Eastern Teams Lock In a Playoff Berth It took 12 weeks but we have our first playoff berths locked in. Not surprisingly we are looking at 2 teams that sit at 10-2 and two at 9-3.  The gap between these 4 clubs, Pittsburgh, Houston, Baltimore, and New Orleans and the 7 slot, held now by New Jersey at 5-6 is formidable.  But, as I am sure some shrewd readers already noticed, these 4 teams sit in two divisions, meaning that half of them are currently in Wild Card position.  There are only 2 division titles to be won so the 1-game gaps between the Maulers and Blitz and the Gamblers and Breakers are huge. They mean that we could very well go 16 weeks before we know who will win each division.    The 2-team races in both the Northeast and Southern Divisions are going to be fascinating, and what is even better is that we could see huge head-to-head battles as the key to both. Houston and New Orleans don’t meet until Week 16 in what could be a huge game with a bye and home field on the line.  The Maulers and Blitz play a week earlier, so we are looking at 2 enormous games in 2 weeks as the season wraps up.  That is just perfect scheduling from the league and great football for all of us.   Portland Breaks Home/Away Rut but Vegas Cannot Both the Las Vegas Vipers and the Portland Stags went into this weekend at 6-5, both having won all 6 home games this season and having lost all 5 road matches.  Both were playing on the road and both were hoping that they could break their odd two-faced season with a road win. A win for either would put them 2 games over .500 and in very good standing as we head into the final 4 weeks of the playoff hunt.  What we got this week was one team able to snap the trend and get their first road win and one who could not.  Portland knew it would be a defensive slugfest in Los Angeles, and they were prepared to win a war of attrition.  Both the Stags and the Express struggle to put up points but both have solid defenses, so the 17-16 Stags victory was right on script. Neither team cracked 300 yards of offense and neither produced a 200-yard passer or a 100-yard rusher, but in the end a late Fitzpatrick to Randle-El TD in the final minute gave Portland what they needed. With their road win they now sit at 7-5 and occupy the 5th playoff spot, winning a tie-breaker over Texas for that position and a full game up on the 6-6 teams who are on the outside looking in. Las Vegas is one of those 6-6 teams sitting 1 game behind the playoff pool.  They traveled to Dallas and were pretty handily dispatched by a 5-6-1 Roughnecks squad that has their own designs on a first playoff appearance since relocating from Boston.  The Vipers actually outgained the Roughnecks in the game (313-299) but suffered from too many penalties and too many turnovers, allowing Dallas to pull away and win handily.  The loss now puts them at 6-0 at home and 0-6 on the road, a very odd pattern for the year and one that will be tested once again as the Vipers travel to Denver for their 7th road game, a tough matchup in a stadium that provides the Gold one of the best homefield advantages in the league.   Philadelphia Playing Spoiler They may be realistically out of the playoff hunt, and their season is certainly a huge disappointment after a 13-3 Division Title in 2014, but the Stars are still a proud franchise and they are not ashamed to play spoiler down the stretch.  The past two weeks the Stars have looked a lot more like their 2014 club than the disappointing 2015 version.  Back-to-back victories over the now 10-2 Houston Gamblers and the now 7-5 Charlotte Monarchs have been momentum killers for both of those division leaders.  In the two games the much maligned Stars defense has looked like a different team, disrupting the quarterback, plugging gaps in the run game, and playing effective zone coverages. No real clear reason for the shift either, no change in coordinators, no new role for head coach Jim Harbaugh, just better play.  If you are a Stars fan that may be enough for now.   The Stars finish the season with 3 division games and a season-ending trip to Dallas in a matchup of cities known for their NFL rivalry (Eagles-Cowboys).  They face New Jersey next, and could tie the Generals with 5 wins if they can get the home victory.  That might be enough to pull the Stars out of the NE Division basement.  They then host the Pittsburgh Maulers for the 2nd Keystone Clash of the season, after going down to the Maulers 27-12 in Week 10.  In Week 15 they host the Washington Federals, also currently sitting at 5 wins. A good streak from the Stars could see them leapfrog both New Jersey and Washington down the stretch to finish 3rd in the 5-team division.  After the start they have had, a 3rd place finish would certainly be a good sign heading into the offseason.   Outlaws Find Temporary Home, but 2016 is Still Unclear There is still a lot to be done in San Antonio, and we still have no clear idea on what the future holds for the Outlaws as crews continue to assess the damage done to the Alamodome, but we have some answers to immediate issues.  After playing their first post-tornado “home” game at the undersized and somewhat decrepit Alamo Stadium, Texas this week announced that a deal had been reached for the club’s final two home games, this week against Oakland and a season finale against Arizona, to be hosted at 27,000 seat Bobcat Stadium in San Marcos, Texas, home to the Texas State Bobcats.  The club had initially sought to play at Darryl K. Royal Memorial Stadium at the University of Texas-Austin, but the sheer size of the stadium and the cost to staff it for a game in Austin, along with the charges to be billed by the University, made it an untenable option.  They also looked into playing their last home games at either NRG Stadium in Houston, home to the Gamblers, or the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, home to the Roughnecks, but a monster truck rally in Dallas this weekend, a Kenny Chesney concert in Houston in Week 16, and the two home games for the Roughnecks and Gamblers made both impossible.    The Outlaws were able to make a deal with the Gamblers and NRG stadium should Texas qualify for a home playoff game. They are currently the 6 seed, which would require that they play all playoff games on the road, so this may  not be an issue, but it is still feasible that at least 1 home playoff game (Wild Card Round) could be hosted in Houston if the Outlaws qualify to host.   For now, they are playing in front of a much smaller crowd than usual, in an open air stadium in the heat of June, not ideal by any measure, but you do what you must in a crisis. The bigger issue is what the Outlaws will do for the 2016 season.  While we don’t know the final status of the Alamodome, it seems clear that the building suffered significant structural damage.  There is a chance that it could be partially rebuilt, but many are saying that a full tear-down and rebuild may be required, which could put in jeopardy not only 2016, but 2017 as well.  We also have no idea how the breakdown in costs between insurance on the facility, team and league funds, and city/state funds will go.  There is real concern that we could be looking at a $1B-$2B project here, and while insurance is sure to be a factor no one believes that the full cost of such a rebuild will be assured by the city’s insurance on the facility.  More on the fate of the dome, on the rebuild, and on the plans for the Outlaws in the meantime as we move forward.  For now, they plan to host the Invaders in what may be a must-win game for their playoff aspirations in a cozy, intimate outdoor atmosphere at Bobcat Stadium.   Four teams are in, 1 team is out, and 23 others are still in the mix as we start to see the playoff picture come into shape.  With victories this week, combined with losses by New Jersey and Birmingham, the Maulers, Gamblers, Blitz, and Breakers are all guaranteed a playoff spot.  Since only 1 game separates each of the pairs in both the NE and Southern Divisions, we may not be able to move the “x” for a clinched spot to a “y” for a division title until the very last week of the season. On the other end of the spectrum, and to no one’s surprise, the 1-9-1 Chicago Machine have become the first team officially eliminated from the playoff hunt.  All 23 other teams remain alive.  So who might clinch next? Well, the 4 Western teams all bunched up at 9-3 have the easiest path.  Losses by Seattle and Las Vegas this week ensure that all the 9-win teams are in with a 10th victory this season.  So, expect to see some movement in the West this week.  The remaining spots, held by 7 or 6 win teams, are far more precarious, with Charlotte now holding only a 1-game lead on Orlando in the SE Division.  Wild Card holders in the West, Texas and Portland hold a 1 game lead over the next contenders (LV and Seattle) but with 4 games left, there is plenty of time for the final spots in the postseason to change hands.   A good week in that no players listed on the new injury report will be placed on IR or even miss the end of the regular season, but still a pretty long list overall, with 2 more quarterbacks potentially missing action next week.  OUT LB           Pat Angerer                   HOU     Groin               1-2 Weeks OT          Eric Fisher                      SEA        Biceps              1-2 Weeks QB         Byron Leftwich              SEA        Wrist                1-2 Weeks DE          Quentin Groves               ARZ       Eye                  1-2 Weeks   DOUBTFUL DT          Dan Klecko                    LA          Hamstring DE          Anthony Hargrove        PHI        Concussion CB          Joe Haden                      ARZ       Neck   QUESTIONABLE C             Matt Tenant                    BIR         Foot QB         Brandon Wheedon         CHA      Shoulder SS           Sean Taylor                     PIT         Finger DT          Jerel Worthy                  MGN     Concussion DT          Sheldon Richardson     STL         Concussion DE          Cameron Jordan          NOR      Knee DE          Von Miller                        DEN      Hamstring   Seven Teams with Big QB Decisions to Make It is the most important position on the team, the hardest to scout, and the easiest to mess up.  So it is no surprise that we look around the league and say a full ¼ of the teams in the USFL have major QB issues.  We picked these seven not because they have the 7 worst QBs in the game, but because they each have a tough call to make over the next year.  Sometimes tied to performance, or lack thereof, and sometimes a matter of finances; each of these clubs has to deal with a major issue at QB and a major decision on which direction to head.  Here are our 7 QB Quandaries:   Dallas: What to do with Jake Locker? The Roughnecks have a funds issue. They have a starter in Johnny Manziel who seems pretty entrenched in the position (despite only an 81.7 QBR) and they have a backup in Jake Locker who is eating up $4.7M a year, the highest contract on the team. Locker has one more year on his deal, so he could be shopped in an offseason trade, but no one is going to want to pay the full $4.7M for a QB who has not proven he is a reliable starter. Dallas may be forced to find other cuts for their cap this offseason if they cannot shop Locker to another club, and that will hurt their rebuilding project.   Los Angeles:  After trading away Mark Sanchez, which still seems smart, they found themselves with Aaron Murray as their starter and Tim Tebow brought in to compete.  We are 12 weeks into the season and the general consensus is that neither Murray (60.2 QBR) or Tebow (63.2 QBR) is the answer.  Muray seems like he might develop over time, but time is something Andy Reid likely does not have. Tebow has been in the league long enough to show us his ceiling and it is not one that a team would want to rely on.  With both QBs on expensive contracts through 2016, we expect LA will take the hit on Tebow’s deal, cut him loose, and try to figure out a plan if Murray cannot show growth.   Tampa Bay:   I think we can all agree that Mark Sanchez was not the answer.  The Bandits kinda indicated this in the offseason, going hard after FSU rookie Jameis Winston but failing to land the Seminole QB. Only then did they make a deal with LA to get Sanchez.  Midseason things were so bad that they then traded with Oakland to bring in Pat White. Is white a long-term answer? Well, his numbers are better. His QBR is over 90, and he did orchestrate this week’s upset of Denver, but we expect he is a stopgap at best.    San Diego: Joe Webb had looked so good in DC, competing with Garrard to be the starter, so the Thunder thought they had made a very shrewd move in trading for him.  It has not worked out as they had hoped. Given a larger body of work, Webb has struggled.  His 8:13 TD:INT ratio is not what any team wants, and a 69.0 QB Rating is what you might expect of a backup thrust into a game with no snaps in that week’s practices, not what you want in a 12-game starter.  So, now San Diego has to decide if they see hope to build up Webb, or will they cut him loose and go for an as-of-yet-unformed Plan B.   Portland: A very different problem exists for the 7-5 Stags.  They drafted their “QB of the Future” in Marcus Mariota, figured he would spend a few weeks observing and then get into the game.  What happens?  Well Ryan Fitzpatrick has his best year as a pro, has the Stags positioned for a playoff spot, and is sitting at a very solid 91.2 QB rating with 17 TDs to only 8 picks. Now what do you do?  Do you maximize Fitz-magic’s value by trading away the QB and going with the untested Mariota? Or do you take the hit to the salary cap, keep both on board for one more year and see if Mariota can somehow unseat Fitzpatrick in camp next Winter?  The fans want Mariota, but they also want to win, and Fitzie is giving them that. If he gets them not only into the playoffs, but perhaps a round or two deep, fans may well be happy to keep him on.    Ohio:  We are back to the 2-QBs = No Qbs situation. We have two pretty shaky options here.  Troy Smith started 5 games and built up a 69.4 QB rating and a 3:2 TD:Int ratio (6:4).  Not great.  Coach Andrus made the call to switch to NFL import Brock Osweiler.  He has put up a 67.4 QBR and a 9:11 TD:INT ratio. He has also lost 6 of 7 starts.  So, do you go back to Smith?  Do you recognize that NFL imports often struggle in the first year after they come over from the fall league, or do you scuttle the entire thing and start over. Other than some delusional fans who seem to think Texas will trade the Glory Joe Flacco for a 6th round pick and a pack of smokes, most everyone thinks Ohio has to pick a QB and stick with him, and then see what the offseason might bring as an option.   New Jersey: This one might be a surprise to many of you. Sam Bradford is the clear number one in New Jersey. He had a fabulous 2012 and a pretty solid 2014. Yes, he has dealt with injuries in both 2013 and this year, but after what we have seen from Charlie Whitehurst, there is no doubt that Bradford is the starter. Here is the problem. Bradford wants out.  He has not been happy with the Generals’ negotiations on his contract, and it does expire at the end of this year. He has also been unhappy with the play calling and protection he has received from a pretty iffy O-line.  So, with his contract year up right now, he could very well walk. There would be no shortage of both USFL and NFL teams interested in Bradford, so we expect he will be leaving. So, does NJ try to develop 3rd stringer Brett Hundley, drafted from USC this offseason, or do they too have to start from scratch and try to find a short-term solution until they get a true franchise QB to sign on?  A tough situation to be sure.   Just to contrast, we thought we should also mention our picks for the 5 teams that have the best QB situations in the league. That is pretty easy to see. In our top 5 we see Baltimore, with Big Ben in the prime of his career and a solid backup option with Tyrod Taylor and Vince Young behind him. We also see Texas as having a very solid plan.  Flacco is only 28 and coming into what should be some very good years ahead. If something happens to him, the Outlaws are very happy with backup Kyle Boller as an option. Arizona is looking good, with David Carr locked in through 2019.  Nick Foles is on a contract year and the Wranglers would love to keep him as a backup, but if he cannot go, they could still find a young backup with a skillset similar to Carr so they can keep one offense if Carr goes down. Our 4th team in this pool (not ranked, just listed) is Houston. Matt Hasselbeck is having a career year, but he is 37, so there is a chance that he won’t be around much longer. That is OK according to many Outlaw staff as they really like what they have seen from Colt McCoy, their 26-year-old backup. McCoy has been patient, as every year we hear rumors that Hasselbeck will step away, and for now he is just watching and learning, but we think he will be the guy once Matt does hang up his cleats. Finally, we have to say that what we have seen from Ricky Stanzi this year has us very pleased with St. Louis’s situation. Freeman is the clear starter for the Skyhawks, but having Stanzi able to step in and win games is a luxury most teams just don’t have. The backup is sitting with a 10:6 TD:INT ratio and over 1,200 yards since he came in for Freeman in Week 8.  Not too shabby at all. Third Quarter Power Rankings Here we are, 12 weeks into a 16 week season, and time for our next peek at the power rankings across the league.  How has the last month updated our assessment of the 28 teams in the league?   Who is moving up and who is slipping?  Let’s get right to it.   THE STRONG   1—PITTSBURGH MAULERS (10-2)     UP 4 The Maulers continue to impress, going 4-0 over the last quarter and gaining the advantage over the 2014 champion Baltimore.  This is beginning to feel very much like a team of destiny, and not just because we are so pleased to have called them the Cinderella of 2015 in our season preview.   2—HOUSTON GAMBLERS (10-2)   NO CHANGE Houston fans are going to be upset with us for not bumping the Gamblers to the top of our list, but they went 3-1 this quarter and the Maulers went 4-0, so we had to give the nod to Pittsburgh. Not to worry, Houston, there are still 4 games left to prove that we screwed up.   3—ARIZONA WRANGLERS (9-3)    UP 4 The Wranglers may be the hottest team in the league right now, having regained their defensive swagger and are now looking very much like the team to beat in the West.    4—BALTIMORE BLITZ (9-3)   NO CHANGE We are not going to punish Baltimore for a 3-1 quarter and we are not entirely convinced that they are any worse off than they were at midseason, so they stand pat at 4.  This is a very good team and one that can still take the NE Division if they can get past the Maulers at season’s end.   5—NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS 9-3)   DOWN 4 A 2-2 third quarter drops the Breakers from first to fifth.  They can rebound quickly, especially once Drew Brees is back to 100% but for now we see them as weaker than 3 other teams in the East.   6—OAKLAND INVADERS (9-3)   NO CHANGE The Invaders are a solid team, to be sure, but are they explosive enough to get out of the conference?  The defense is there, we know that, but when we look at their offense we are still not sold.   7—ST. LOUIS SKYHAWKS (9-3)   UP 1 We moved the Skyhawks from “Solid” to “Strong” because they are showing us that they are more than just Josh Freeman making plays.  Ricky Stanzi has been playing way above anything that Skyhawk fans could have anticipated and that has saved the Birds from slipping when Freeman went down.   THE SOLID 8—MICHIGAN PANTHERS (9-3)    DOWN 6 Why have we dropped the Panthers 6 spots?  Well, going 2-2 in this past quarter and dipping below St. Louis in the divisional race is a start, but perhaps more troubling is that the defense has started to show some flaws, and that could prove their undoing.  Either that or we just like to shake things up.   9—CHARLOTTE MONARCHS (7-5)  DOWN 3 It feels very much like we should have put the top 8 teams all in one category and then had a gap, because we are just not seeing Charlotte or the others in this category as being on a par with the 8 teams above them.  Charlotte has gone 1-3 over the past month, and that has to be troubling for them, especially with Orlando right there.   10—PORTLAND STAGS (7-5)   UP 1 Should we reward the Stags more than a 1 spot bump after they broke out of their home/away rut and got that first road victory?  Well, no.  We cannot put them ahead of any of the teams above them on the list, even Charlotte, because they always seem to be on the edge of defeat, even when they win.   11—TEXAS OUTLAWS (7-5)   DOWN 2 Yes, the Outlaws have gone 3-1 in the past quarter, and getting a win this week after what happened in San Antonio last weekend is impressive, but this feels like a very flawed team, even with the addition of Marshawn Lynch.  Of course, a strong 4th quarter could make us eat those words.   12—ORLANDO RENEGADES (6-6)   UP 4 Sure, they were 4-4 after 8 weeks and are now 6-6, which means that they have not changed much, so why the bump up the list?  Placement is a big piece of it.  Charlotte’s slide means Orlando is in range for a late division title run, and we think they can do it if they can get more consistent play from the offense.   13—SEATTLE DRAGONS (6-6)   NO CHANGE Here is a case where we think we had them just about right (middle of the pack) and we don’t see anything in the past 4 games (2-2 record) to move them one way or the other.  Honestly, with the talent on this team we are still wondering why they are not looking at 8-4 right now.   14—DALLAS ROUGHNECKS (5-6-1)   UP 3 Maybe we are looking at Dallas with rose-colored glasses.  After all, they have gone 1-2-1 in the past quarter, but there is something about this team that makes us feel like they are very much on the upswing as a franchise.  It may not always be paying off with wins, but this is a team that is putting some pieces in place.   THE INCOMPLETE 15—LAS VEGAS VIPERS (6-6)   UP 6 The Vipers continue to be two-faced, but they went 3-1 in the past quarter, with all 3 wins at home.  If they could just break through on the road, they could actually finish with a winning record this year, which would be a major accomplishment for a club we predicted would be the worst in the league.  Still not sure how Greg Roman is getting this done, but he is.   16—BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS (5-7)  DOWN 4 The Stallions have the most exciting player in the league in Cam Newton, but they just don’t seem to be able to parlay that into regular wins.  They went 1-3 this past quarter, and they have just not shown us that they can put points on the board in a game where Cam is not wearing a cape and doing his Superman impersonation.   17—DENVER GOLD (5-7)    UP 1 After a 2-2- quarter, we think Denver is just about right at 17.  They are not a bad team, and they can win some games with better clubs, but they always seem to play to the level of their opposition, which is not enough to get wins in this league.  You have to win the games you are expected to win, and a few that you are not. Denver is not proving they can do that.   18—ATLANTA FIRE (5-7)   UP 1 The Fire are another team that should be better than their record indicates.  We picked them to win the division, but right now they are looking up at .500.  Ask us why and we would have to say that the offense is just not consistent enough and the defense is getting worn down over the course of games. Not a good combo.   19--WASHINGTON FEDERALS (5-7)  UP 5 The Federals are not quite dead yet.  After a 3-1 third quarter, the Feds may still be fighting for a Wild Card, which is great news if you are Sean Payton, because at the midway point his seat was getting awfully toasty.  If they can boast a winning record over the final half of the year, we think Payton could be back for 2016.   20—NEW JERSEY GENERALS (5-7)   DOWN 5 The 1-3 run this quarter has helped sink our estimation of the Generals. They have moments where they look very solid, but those moments are getting fewer and further apart.  What we saw this quarter was a team that just does not intimidate anyone on either side of the ball.   21—PHILADELPHIA STARS (4-8)   UP 6 Have the real Stars finally arrived?  After a 1-7 first half, they went 3-1 with some major upsets in the third quarter.  It may be too late to save their season but this is going to be a team that no playoff contenders want to face down the stretch.  Spoiling other teams’ playoff chances may be the closest to a playoff run that the Stars will have.    THE SHAKY 22—MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS (4-8)   DOWN 8 Yup, an 0-4 quarter will drop you pretty fast down the rankings.  We had seen glimmers of hope in Memphis at midseason but they seem to be fading fast.  The fact that fans are hyping up U. of Memphis QB Paxton Lynch and questioning Eli Manning as the team’s future pretty much tell you how bad it has gotten in the past month.   23—OHIO GLORY (3-9)   DOWN 3 We probably should have dropped Ohio further after they went winless over the past 4 weeks, but when we look at the teams remaining, we think Ohio is the best of the final 6.  They at least have some playmakers, and besides, if we drop them too low we are sure that Steve Smith will call us mean names on national TV and we don’t want that grief. 24—LOS ANGELES EXPRESS (3-9)  UP 2 We are giving LA points for effort, at least on defense.  This is a pretty horrible offensive football team, but every week that defense does its job and makes life difficult for the opposition.  If they could just score 20 points a game, this Express club would be right in the heart of a playoff push.   25—JACKSONVILLE BULLS (3-9)   NO CHANGE The Bulls went 1-3 this quarter, which is not great but is improvement over last year, so we keep them where they are.  They will still be picking early in the draft, but not first, so a sign that they are beginning to fix the issues that had them winless in 2014.   26—SAN DIEGO THUNDER (3-9)   DOWN 3 We ares still somewhat surprised that this club is as bad as they are.  Scratching our heads at the Lynch trade, they are now really struggling on offense to find anything that works. Coach LeBeau is not known for offensive innovation, so the odds of a fourth quarter improvement seem faint.   27—TAMPA BAY BANDITS (3-9)   DOWN 5 Will turning to Pat White really be the answer for the Bandits?  Maybe not this year, but at this point in the year they are just trying to see how desperate their QB situation is after the Mark Sanchez experiment flamed out.  Do they need a QB as their top priority or is White going to show us some potential over the season’s final weeks?   28—CHICAGO MACHINE (1-10-1)   NO CHANGE We wanted to recognize that the Machine went 1-2-1 this quarter, which is their best quarter by far after two 0-4 chunks, but how could we move them ahead of anyone?  This is a club that feels very much iike a tidal wave of change is coming. We would not be shocked to see Schiano, Brady Quinn, and even Brian Urlacher gone by next March.    Seattle Makes Major Change for 2016 Uniforms A major change for the Seattle dragons as they switch from a green helmet shell for the first time in team history. The 2016 Dragons will sport a white helmet with their wrap around dragon logo, leaving behind the dragon green helmet for the first time since the club was born in 1995. It is part of a trend we are seeing in all the Adidas designs this year, a minimalist style, simplifying the look for Ohio, Denver, and Charlotte, with Seattle now in on the trend.   In addition to the white helmet shell, the Dragons significantly reduced their use of striping in the uniforms overall. The two jerseys feature no sleeve stripes, only the secondary “S” logo on each sleeve. The numbers are single color, either white or green, and the only use of red on the jerseys is a thin triangular tapered stripe that runs from the beltline up the side panel towards the armpit area. This shirt stripe lines up with a similar tapered stripe on both the white and green pant sets. Just a single red tapered stripe on both sets. The team’s socks will also be quite minimalist, a single-color block in either red or green. The design, according to Adidas, is sleek and modern, while also retaining a traditional aspect. The design is such that the team could opt for 4 different color combinations: White over green, Green over white, a full green look or a whiteout look.  A big week for divisional games, as you would expect in Week 13. We have 9 of them on tap, and with playoff position still a huge issue right now, you know these will be intense games.  We start with San Diego at Portland on Friday night. Another win and the Stags will be 3 games over .500 and looking very good for a Wild Card at the least. On Saturday we have Philly at New Jeresy, a favorite rivalry game and one where the Stars could once again play spoiler by ruining New Jersey’s playoff hopes. We also have Dallas at Arizona and Alanta at Orlando. The winner of the Fire-Renegades game could be ready to make a run at Charlotte for the SE Division, the loser, well, maybe not. On Sunday, we love the Las Vegas-Denver game as a real measure of both teams.  Can the surprising Vipers get that elusive first road win or will Denver get back in the hunt with a win at Invesco? Seattle is at LA, Charlotte is at Jacksonville, St. Louis is at Ohio, and one more divisional matchup has New Orleans at Memphis on Sunday Night. These are not all well-matched games, but we know they will still be hard fought and intense, and we love that.  Oh, and if that was not enough, we have a huge game between Pittsburgh and Michigan on Saturday afternoon. That is a possible Summer Bowl preview right there. I am definitely tuning in for that one.   Friday @ 8pm ET                San Diego (3-9) @ Portland (7-5)             NBC   Saturday @ 12pm ET            Tampa Bay (3-9) @ Baltimore (9-3)          ABC Saturday @ 12pm ET            Philadelphia (4-8) @ New Jersey (5-7)     FOX Saturday @ 4pm ET                Pittsburgh (10-2) @ Michigan (9-3)         ABC Saturday @ 4pm ET                Dallas (5-6-1) @ Arizona (9-3)                  FOX       Saturday @ 7pm ET              Atlanta (5-7) @ Orlando (6-6)                NBC Saturday @ 9pm ET               Oakland (9-3) @ Texas (7-5)                 ESPN/EFN   Sunday @ 12pm ET             Charlotte (7-5) @ Jacksonville (3-9)         ABC Regional Sunday @ 12pm ET               Chicago (1-10-1) @ Washington (5-7)      ABC Regional Sunday @ 12pm ET                Houston (10-2) @ Birmingham (5-7)      FOX Sunday @ 4pm ET                 St. Louis (9-3) @ Ohio (3-9)                      ABC Sunday @ 4pm ET                 Las Vegas (6-6) @ Denver (5-7)                FOX Regional Sunday @ 4pm ET                  Seattle (6-6) @ Los Angeles (3-9)           FOX Regional Sunday @ 8pm ET                 New Orleans (9-3) @ Memphis (4-8)         ESPN/EFN

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Cadillac Williams has himself a monster of a day, rushing for 131 yards on only 15 carries, an average of 8.7 yards per attempt as he helps Jacksonville get an upset win in their Florida Derby rivalry with the Tampa Bay Bandits. PLAYOFF PICTURE: No teams clinched, but we had a switch at the top as losses by Baltimore and Michigan helped the Pittsburgh Maulers and St. Louis Skyhawks take over the top spot in each conference. We have 4 teams all tied at 8-3 in the West and 4 teams at either 8-3 or 9-2 in the East, so the fight for the 2 bye weeks available to the top 2 teams in each conference is just beginning.

What list of road movies could be complete without a Burt Reynolds film? We initially thought of Cannonball Run, but could not deny the sheer brilliance of Smokey & the Bandit, with Reynolds at his smirking best and comedy legend Jackie Gleason going full sumbitch as Sheriff Buford T. Justice. Throw in Sally Field and the musical stylings of Jerry Reed and you have a road classic. A sad week in San Antonio as the home to the Texas Outlaws was at the heart of a tornado strike that ran through the Texas city.  While there were fortunately no deaths from the weekend’s tornadoes in south-central Texas, the damage to homes, businesses, and the Alamodome is very real.  Texas will have to find an alternate home for their remaining 3 home games, and the players return home from a tough loss in Denver to deal with the aftermath.  It was a rough week for several other teams as well, with both Michigan and Baltimore losing their spots atop their respective conferences as both were knocked down a peg this week.  We start our reporting with the story out of San Antonio, but will cover all the games, the shifting standings, and the playoff picture before we look ahead at Week 12, and the first game for the Outlaws in a temporary home.   Memorial Day Weekend Tornadoes Strike San Antonio & Alamodome In a rarity for south-central Texas a series of Memorial Day Weekend storms struck the San Antonio area, including rare category two through four tornadoes.  One such tornado touched down in the city itself, creating a swath of destruction nearly 2 miles long, with the Alamodome facility dead center of the destructive path.  While all in the area feel very fortunate that no deaths have yet been reported, the damage is extensive, with more than 34 buildings now classified as unsound, including the home to the Texas Outlaws football team.  Far from the northern plains of Texas and Oklahoma, San Antonio is rarely a location that sees strong tornadic winds of the ferocity witnessed this weekend, but in the span of 3 days, from Saturday through Memorial Day Monday, the area had no fewer than 5 tornadoes of at least a category 2 status reported.  Perhaps the biggest of these was the tornado which struck the city itself, now classified as a high-end category 3 twister.  This mid-city strike was also the most damaging to the region, with cost for reconstruction and repair estimated as between $2B-$4B.  In addition to the damage done to the Alamodome, which was extensive, there are over 30 additional structures now deemed unsafe, including 3 apartment buildings, 17 businesses, and nearly 15 private homes.  Families have been placed in temporary shelters by FEMA as damage assessments are completed, with many expected to be placed in temporary FEMA housing (trailers) until their homes can be repaired or rebuilt.  The Alamodome, the largest and most well-known structure in the path of the tornado, suffered structural damage to its south- and west-facing end, including a partial removal of several roof sections, and the partial collapse of the SW corner of the main structure.  Early estimates place the cost of reconstruction at nearly $500M, stating that the entire structure is impacted by the damage to the roof, southern and western sides, with significant damage also seen on the eastern side of the building.  Reports indicate that seats and debris from the dome have been located up to 1 mile away, along the path of the tornado. While there will certainly be more stories to come about the recovery from this tragic natural disaster, the immediate feeling in San Antonio and among the USFL family is one of relief, as the weekend storms struck at a time when the facility, was not in use and both Alamodome and Outlaws staff have been fully accounted for, with no significant injuries.  The Outlaws spent this weekend in Denver, facing the Gold, but also watching the reports of the destruction back home.  Several players, as well as Coach Landry, have since stated that their homes were not affected by the tornado, though some had hail damage as a result of the wider storm activity.  We expect a statement from the Outlaws as well as the USFL in the coming days to address the situation for San Antonio’s USFL club as well as league efforts to support the San Antonio community in the wake of this tragic weekend’s events .   The Outlaws were scheduled to return to the Alamodome for a 2-game homestand, beginning with Week 12’s matchup against Orlando.  The Week 12 game has been relocated to Alamo Stadium, with the team forced to refund nearly 20,000 tickets due to the limited capacity of the facility. No decision has yet been made about the Week 13 game against Oakland or the home finale in Week 16 against the Arizona Wranglers, but it is expected that an announcement will be made within days as the team and the league scramble to find a home for the Outlaws. Based on the extent of the damage, the league and team owner William Tatham are going to need to think longer term, as it seems doubtful that full repairs to the Alamodome will be completed in time for the 2016 season, even assuming that the structural damage to the facility is reparable without a full rebuild.  Whether that is possible may not be known for several weeks as emergency crews work around what appears to be a very unstable structure to determine the full extent of the damage and its impact on the structural integrity of the facility. TEXAS OUTLAWS 27   DENVER GOLD 29 With storms racing through central Texas, the Outlaws might have initially figured that they were better off playing this week’s game in Denver on Saturday night, but the Gold posed their own difficulties for the Outlaws, edging out their rival to take a key win and keep them alive in the Wild Card hunt.   This was an odd game in that it was Matt Leinart who racked up nearly 350 yards while Joe Flacco was held to a pretty solid (but hardly Flacco-esque) 282 yards.  But, with 4 TDs on the day, we certainly cannot lay the blame for Texas’s loss on their QB.  Both teams struggled to run the ball, but both still moved the ball well in the air and we ended up with a classic “who has the ball last” situation.   The game started very well for the Outlaws, with Joe Flacco finding Marques Colston for a 57-yard strike on their first possession of the game.  But, much to the surprise of the Outlaws, Denver also uncorked a deep ball early in their first drive, with Matt Leinart catching the Texas secondary flat footed on a 56-yard toss to Golden Tate.  The two opening drives would contain the longest and most explosive plays of the entire game.  Both defenses would start to use shell coverage to avoid another embarrassing big play, but that meant that both teams were able to march the ball back and forth down the field with more controlled attacks.   Denver was the first to make good on a more traditional drive, adding a field goal in the final seconds of the first quarter to take their first lead of the game.  Early in the 2nd Texas responded and again it was Flacco to Colston, though this time only from 4 yards out.  The game’s 2nd lead change saw Texas go up 17-13 with 11 minutes left in the half.  Denver would then tighten the game to a one point difference with another field goal drive, but after a Texas punt, they would get a chance to take the lead once again.   Denver drove 77 yards on their final drive of the half and once again Leinart connected with Tate.  Once again, like with Colston, it was a short throw for the score that gave Denver the lead once again.  The game went into the half with Denver up 20-14.  With the only score of the 3rd quarter they would expand that lead to 9 points, taking a 23-14 lead into the final period.    In the 4th, Denver expanded the lead to 12 with yet another Zeurlein touchdown, but after nearly 30 minutes of futility, Texas responded with a touchdown, and yes, for the third time in the game it was Marques Colston, this time from 15 yards out that brought Texas within 1 score at 26-21 with just under 4 minutes to play.   The Texas D did their part and gave Joe Flacco the ball back just outside the 2-minute mark. Flacco got Texas the lead at 27-26 in only 4 plays, all passes, as he connected with Marshawn Lynch on a 36-yard catch and run, then dinked and dunked before hitting TE Julius Thomas with the go-ahead score. Up 27-26, Texas went for 2 to make it a 3-poing game, but failed on the attempt. That missed PAT would cost them as they had left Denver 1:11 and 2 time outs down only 1.  The Gold would get 3 big plays on their next drive, the first a 19-yard completion to Michael Crabtree.  The second a roughing the passer call on a missed Leinart throw, and the final a 14-yard connection to rookie Kevin White. Those three big plays put Denver on the Texas 32  yard line with 12 seconds to play.  After a dive to the right hashmark to set up Zeurlein, the Gold sent out their kicker for a 5th attempt, having converted his first four.  Zeurlein did not miss and Denver took the lead with only 11 seconds left.   When Texas got the ball back, it was desperation time, but the deep drop by Flacco made it easy for DE Von Miller to bring him to the ground for a 4th sack on the day, four of nine from the Denver defense on the day.  That sack ended any hope that Texas could get into range for their kicker and gave Denver a much needed win to move to 5-6 and stay alive in the West.  SAN DIEGO  16   LAS VEGAS 23 The relocated Thunder got quite a reception in Las Vegas as their former fans now loudly and unanimously backed the Vipers in their win over the city’s former club.  The Vipers keep their unblemished home record intact thanks to 2 TD passes from Cody Pickett and a nice day from Hardesty and Blount as the Thunder & Lightning duo gaines 114 yards on a combined 32 carries. POTG:  Vipers LB Nate Irving: 6 Tck, 2 TFL, 1 FF, 1 FR   PITTSBURGH 38    BALTIMORE 24 The Maulers get a huge win in Baltimore as Andy Dalton throws for 3 scores and Ben Roethlisberger is picked off twice.  The win leapfrogs Pittsburgh into 1st place on a tiebreaker over Baltimore.  Jimmie Graham caught 8 for 118 and 2 scores.  Adam Thielen added 6 for 128 and a score as the Maulers grab the reins of the NE Division with this huge road victory. POTG:  Mauler QB Andy Dalton: 21/26, 310 Yds, 3 TD, 0 Int   ORLANDO 9    MEMPHIS 3     OVERTIME In a game that saw only 2 field goals in regulation, Orlando pops an OT touchdown to take the win In an ugly game. Knowshon Moreno had 108 yards rushing, while Memphis combined Gurley, Davis, and Anthony Allen for 123 rushing as both QBs struggled.  The win puts Orlando over .500 at 6-5, while Memphis drops to 4-7. POTG:  Memphis LB NaVorro Bowman: 7 Tck, 2 Sck   OHIO 6   OAKLAND 48 An ugly road loss for the Glory as Brock Osweiler throws 3 picks and Oakland gets 14 points off of those turnovers.  They did not need them as the Ohio defense cannot do anything to slow down the Invaders.  Both Donald Brown and Ryan Williams scored twice apiece and Joey Harrington also added 2 TD passes in a pure and simple blowout of the overmatched Ohio Glory. POTG:  Invader HB Donald Brown: 24 Att, 91 Yds, 2 TD   CHICAGO 23    SEATTLE 20       OVERTIME The Machine get their first win of the season as the defense forces Byron Leftwich out of the game and the offense gets 5 field goals, including a 45-yarder in OT,  from kicker William Hopper to earn the 3-point win.  Brady Quinn was back under center and goes 32 of 45 for 276 yards and a TD as Chicago holds down the Dragons with Mike Flynn at QB. POTG:  Chicago kicker William Hopper:  5/5 on field goals.   ATLANTA 10   CHARLOTTE 17 The Monarchs improve to 7-4 with a solid defensive game, highlighted by a pick-six from CB Derech Cox.  Brad Gradkowski struggled, with 3 sacks and 3 picks in an up and down game.  It was 10-10 into the 4th when Brandon Wheedon connected with D. J. Hackett for the game winner. POTG:  Monarch CB Derech Cox: 6 Tck, 1 Int, 1 Def TD, 1 FF   TAMPA BAY 18   JACKSONVILLE 20 Tampa Bay had no answer for Cadillac Williams as the Bulls score the only 2 touchdowns of the game, one of them on a 34-yard Williams dash.  Tampa Bay mustered 6 Nate Kaeding field goals, but could not get in the endzone as Jacksonville stopped them twice from inside the 10.  Santana Holmes had 5 catches for 153 yards, but did not score as Tampa Bay drops to 2-9 and the Bulls climb out of the SE Division basement for the first time in nearly 3 years. POTG:  Bulls HB Cadillac Williams: 15 Att, 131 Yds, 1 TD   LOS ANGELES 10   ST. LOUIS 18 The Express defense continues to play well, but again to no avail as the anemic LA offense cannot get them the points they need.  Tim Tebow went 14 of 36 for only 138 yards, while Ricky Stanzi gets another win for the Skyhawks.  Eddie Lacy rushed for 106 and Jordi Nelson caught the game winning TD in the 4th as St. Louis takes over the top spot in the Central and in the West with the win. POTG:  Skyhawk HB Eddie Lacy: 25 Att, 106 Yds   NEW JERSEY 7   WASHINGTON 29 McCallister and backup Jacob Hester combined for 150 yards and a TD while the defense completely stymied Charlie Whitehurst and the Generals’ offense.  After David Garrard went down to injury, Cleo Lemon connected with Heath Miller to help Washington build a 29-0 lead before a late garbage time TD for New Jersey avoided the shutout. POTG:  Feds’ kicker Adam Vinatieri:  5 for 5 on field goals   MICHIGAN 11   PORTLAND 19 Portland, like Las Vegas, remains perfect at home, using solid defense and Jonathan Stewart’s run game to knock off the Central-leading Panthers.  Ryan Fitzpatrick went 20 of 27 and Stewart scored the Stags’ lone TD as Portland held off Michigan to move to 6-5, with all 6 wins coming at Columbia Sportswear Stadium, and all 5 losses on the road.  The Panther loss, combined with the St. Louis win, bumps Michigan to 2nd in the Central. POTG:  Portland LB Nico Johnson: 9 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 FF, 1 FR   PHILADELPHIA 27    HOUSTON 20 A huge upset in Houston as the Stars get 145 yards and 2 scores from the combo of Zac Stacy and Leon Washington.  Chad Henne adds a score and completes 23 of 36 as Philadelphia stuns the Gamblers.  Mat Hasselbeck threw for 294 but had a costly interception late in the game.  Henne connected with 9 different receivers and Philadelphia’s much maligned defense held Houston  to 3 of 12 on third down in one of the bigger upsets of the year. POTG:  Stars CB Jason Verritt: 3 Tck, 2 Sck   ARIZONA 27    DALLAS 25 Dallas came close to the upset, but a late Elliott Parson field goal helped Arizona pull out the game in the final seconds.  David Carr threw for 358 and 3 scores in the game, while Dallas used 3 quarterbacks, with Manziel going down late in the 2nd and backup Jake Locker also knocked out of the game late. C. J. Spiller rushed for 2 scores for the Roughnecks, but it was just not enough as Larry Fitzgerald and Antonio Bryant both went over 100 yards in the Wrangler victory. POTG:  Arizona QB David Carr: 20/44, 358 Yds, 3 TD,  0 Int   BIRMINGHAM 13    NEW ORLEANS 12 A much-needed win by the Stallions as they upend the Breakers inside the dome.  Drew Brees went down with an injury after only 2 pass attempts and Quincy Carter struggled to lead New Orleans.  For his part, Cam Newton completed 20 of 42 passing, with 2 TD tosses, both in the 4th quarter as they roared back from a 12-0 deficit to take the win.  Dontrelle Inman caught both of the late TDs, while TE Jabari Holloway caught 7 balls for 123 yards in the upset win for the Stallions. POTG:  Stallion DE Greg Hardy: 6 Tck 2 TFL, 1 Sck   Skyhawks Assume Top Spot In Wild Week It has been a strange run for the Skyhawks, but one they will certainly take.  They lost Josh Freeman to the IR back in Week 8, but somehow managed to pull out that game against San Diego.  The injury to their starter thrust Ricky Stanzi into the starting role.  The career backup who had no starts in his first 4 seasons in the league, but 5 last year, was now on call for the rest of the season.  He struggled in his first game, a 45-10 beat down by the Pittsburgh Maulers, but has now put together two solid outings, beating both New Jersey and Los Angeles to move the Skyhawks to an impressive 8-3 record on the year.  At the same time Michigan, the division and conference leader struggled to beat Oakland, then lost on the road in Texas, rebounded with a big win over Arizona, but this week was shocked by Portland as they fell to the Stags and their perfect home record.    That set of results has allowed St. Louis to equal Michigan at 8-3, and places St. Louis not only atop the Central Division, but currently also in the driver’s seat for the top seed in the West as losses by Arizona and Oakland have created a 4-team cluster at 8-3 across the West’s three divisions.  Somehow it is St. Louis that comes out on top of that grouping, which means that they can control their own way forward.   They will have some tough games down the stretch, including a vitally important rematch with Michigan in Week 15 and a pair of inter-conference games against Seattle and at Denver (in Week 16), but with 11 weeks down, St. Louis is one of the surprises of the year. We don’t think even they can believe they are sitting atop the entire conference, and they are not the only ones shaking their heads at that prospect.   Garrard, Brees, Manziel, & Leftwich All To Miss Action A rough week for QBs across the league, and while none of the injuries are considered long-term concerns, you never want to see players miss action this late in the year.  We have Washington starter David Garrard out 1-2 weeks with an abdominal issue, Seattle’s Byron Leftwich also likely out for 2 weeks with a sprained wrist, New Orleans field general Drew Brees, having a very solid year, will now miss at least Week 12’s game after suffering an injury to his non-throwing shoulder this week.  Finally, we have Johnny Manziel dealing with a jammed toe. Add this to earlier injuries to Josh Freeman (IR), Pat White, Matt Gutierrez, Cam Newton, Sam Bradford, and Kyle Orton and there are almost as many starting QB’s in civvies as there are on the field this week. It is not a good look for the league and not a good situation for teams desperate to get hot as the season winds towards the post-season.   Chicago & Philadelphia Get Upset Wins on the Road The Stars and Machine have been two of the biggest disappointments of the season, both mired at or near the bottom of the standings, but this week both got a shimmer of hope from strong performances on the road.  With Chicago a 7-point underdog at Seattle and Philadelphia a 10-point dog in Houston, these were not wins that anyone had penciled in for this week, but apparently no one told the Machine and the Stars that they were not supposed to try. Chicago got three 50+ field goals from their rookie kicker and Brady Quinn found Matt Forte for a score as the Machine stunned the Seattle Dragons with an overtime win.   The kicker in question, William Hopper, connected on a 50-yarder to send the game to overtime and then found the range again from 43 yards out to win it in the extra period, giving Chicago their first win in what has been a very long season. Philadelphia went into their game at Houston not only a 10-point underdog, but without their starting QB Matt Gutierrez, out with his second injury of the season.  So it was Chad Henne, who struggled mightily early in the season when Gutierrez went down the first time. This week he fared quite well, completing 23 of 36 passing for 226 yards, 1 score and 1 pick.  Philly also found holes in the Houston run defense, with the combo of Stacy and Leon Washington combining for 145 yards.  The Stars’ defense also came through with a huge pick of Matt Hasselbeck late in the game and a solid day against Carlos Hyde.  It was an unexpected but very welcome win for the Stars, who were not expected to be sitting at 3-8 after 11 weeks, but who are happy to not be 2-9.  Will Portland & Las Vegas Get 1st Road Wins? Both the Vipers and the Stags seem to be defying the odds with their 2-faced seasons.  Both are 6-5 but with 6 home wins and 5 road losses.  Can either of them break the whammy on their road performances next week and jump 2 games over .500?  Well, they both have a real shot, and if not now, when? Las Vegas has a divisional game against 4-6-1 Dallas. That is not the easiest assignment in the world, especially with Dallas’s home crowd sure to be in full voice, but it is a game where the Vipers should be competitive.  The Vipers barely edged Dallas 14-13 in Wynn Arena, but now they need a bit more if they want a W, a road W, the most elusive goal for their season. Portland has an even better scenario as they head down to LA to face the 3-8 Express, a team that could not score on an empty field.  Yes, the Express defense is pretty solid, which could be a concern, but they have yet to score 20 points in a game and have been held to 10 or fewer points 4 times already this season.  If Portland can mount any sort of offense against them, they should garner their first road win. They beat them by 10 in Portland, so a similar performance should be all that is needed, if that is something they can do.  So, is this the week either the Vipers or Stags break the pattern and get a road win?  We have to wait and see, but this is as good a time as any.   We have not yet seen our first team to clinch a playoff spot, but with both Baltimore and Michigan going down to defeat, we have two new conference leaders, both considered Cinderella stories this year.  The Maulers now sit at 9-2, with a perfect 4-0 division record, while St. Louis sits atop the West at 8-3, also with a perfect 3-0 division record and a 7-0 mark in the conference.  Houston shares a 9-2 mark with Pittsburgh, with Baltimore and New Orleans each a game back, while in the West we have 4teams all at 8-3, with Oakland, Arizona, and Michigan losing out to St. Louis on tiebreakers. On the bottom end of the playoff group, Orlando sits in 6th position at 6-5, with 3 teams a game back (New Jersey, Washington, and Birmingham all at 5-6). Out West, it is even tighter, with 4 teams all sitting at 6-5, but only 2 currently within the playoff pool.  Seattle and Portland have the tiebreakers for now, but Las Vegas and Texas are right there with them.  Despite their win, Chicago still sits in the 28th spot at 1-9-1, a half game ahead of Tampa Bay.    A bad week for quarterbacks as we are likely to see 5 or 6 fewer of the league’s starters in Week 12 than we did in Week 11.  Drew Brees, David Garrard, Sam Bradford and Johnny Manziel will not be in action.  It seems Matt Gutierrez will also be out, and we it is not looking good for Kyle Orton either.   OUT DE          Travis LaBoy                     SEA        Collarbone                    IR CB          Joe Haden                      ARZ       Broken Nose                 1-2 Weeks QB         David Garrard                 WSH     Concussion                   1-2 Weeks QB         Drew Brees                  NOR      Neck                              1-2 Weeks WR         Eric Weems                     STL         PCL                                 1-2 Weeks WR         Deion Branch                   WSH     Concussion                   1-2 Weeks QB         Johnny Manziel             DAL       Toe                                 1-2 Weeks QB         Sam Bradford                  NJ           Concussion                 1-2 Weeks QB         Matt Gutierrez                 PHI        Knee                               1-2 Weeks LB           Vontez Burfict                  TEX        Eye                                 1-2 Weeks   DOUBTFUL LB           Ryan Shazier                  OHI       Concussion                       LB           Rolando McClain           CHA      Illness DT          Jerel Worthy                  MGN     Concussion QB         Kyle Orton                       ATL         Pinched Nerve DE          Cameron Jordan             NOR      Knee SS           Darren Sharper                PHI        Wrist   QUESTIONABLE OT          Tayo Fabuluje                   OHI       Illness OT          Mike Pearson                    ORL       Finger CB          Pierre Desir                       POR      Scratched Cornea CB          Dominique Rogers-Cromartie        JAX         Toe   Coaches In Trouble with 5 Weeks Left Five weeks left in the regular season and five weeks for some USFL coaches to save their skins.  The life of a USFL coach is a precarious one and we have plenty of coaches feeling the heat right now.  Not all will be on the chopping block, but our list of 7 potential coaching changes could produce a pretty big and nasty Black Monday unless some of these teams can show something down the stretch.   Sean Payton (WSH) After six straight 10-win seasons and six playoff appearances, Sean Payton slipped to 7-9 last year and right now, sitting at 5-6, there is no guarantee he can avoid another losing season.  Is that enough to see him ousted in DC?  Maybe not, but when you are the Federals, with their long history of shut down defense, and you find yourself ranked 28th in both scoring defense and yards allowed, the pressure will certainly be there to go a different direction.  With 5 games left, we think Payton may need more than a 3-2 record, he will need to show that this defense has some teeth.   Mike Shula (TBY) Yes, Mike Shula has a 112-66 record as the coach of the Bandits, and that includes a league title in 2011, but since that magical first season it has been a rollercoaster ride in Tampa.  The departure of both Daunte Culpepper and Vincent Jackson have dramatically altered the feel of the Bandits, and the desire to clean house and reboot the team could easily extend to the coach, especially if Bandits record their first 10-loss season since 2003.   Dick LeBeau (SD) After a long and solid run with Michigan, Dick LeBeau came to the Thunder with the promise of finally getting the franchise over the hump in the Pacific Division.  Last year looked very positive, with the club finishing 9-7.  Settled now in San Diego, the hope was that a new “lower drama” situation would help the Thunder, but they now sit at 3-8 and are looking like another team dealing with a potential reboot.  LeBeau has a lot of buy in from the owners, so it may be that he would not be included in any house cleaning, but he cannot feel good about having only 3 wins at this late stage of the year.   John Fox (ORL) It is pretty easy to see what Fox’s issue is in Orlando.   2013 he finished 8-8.  2014 he finished 8-8.  He is currently sitting at 6-5 and there is a concern that 8-8 is just inevitable.  If he can get the Renegades to 9-7 he has a real shot at a Wild Card and the first Orlando playoff trip since their 2009 title season.  But if they fall to 8-8 once again, that could be a sign that Fox is not the man to turn things to the positive side.   Bart Andrus (OHI) As the hand picked successor to Ohio legend Al Luginbill, Bart Andrus has been given a lot of leeway and a longer tenure than most coaches with a .388 winning percentage could ever expect, but now sitting at 3-8, it is not looking promising for Andrus.  He had hopes raised after back-to-back 8-win seasons, but that looks like a far goalpost to reach with 8 losses already on the books.  If he hits 10 losses, we think the clock will strike and Ohio will go a different direction in 2016.   Andy Reid (LA) Reid had astonishing success with the Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL, but has not yet been able to transform the sad sack Express into a winner. He had a strong first season in LA back in 2013, earning a Wild Card berth with a 9-7 record, but a dip to 6-10 last year and a current record of 3-8 do not look very convincing that Reid has this project underway. What is worse is that Reid is considered an offensive guru but the Express are just horrible on offense, averaging only 13.2 points per game.  There now appears to be no clear path forward towards having a franchise QB and Reid could simply be considered a bad fit.    Greg Schiano (CHI) Schiano’s first 2 years seemed like he was building something solid.  He went 7-9 as a new pro coach, then jumped up to 10-6 in 2013, but a slide in 2014 (6-10) has now turned into a cliff, with the Machine sitting at 1-9-1 and looking very much like a team without a direction. They cannot score and they give up way too many easy plays to opposing offenses.  A mid-season flip-flop on starting QBs between Brady Quinn and rookie Trevor Siemian did not help at all, and with Brian Urlacher making noise about retiring, it could mean curtains for Schiano.   Ranking the 6-5 and 5-6 Teams Eleven weeks into a sixteen-week season and we have a nice cluster of teams all in range for a final push to the playoffs.  When we look at the 9 teams that sit at either 6-5 or 5-6, there are cases to be made for and against each as a possible playoff contender.  This is especially noticeable with two teams in the group who have yet to win a game on the road and yet to lose one at home, but it is true of all 9 of them.  So here, as a bit of a guide, is our best guess at the rankings of just these 9 teams.   STRONGER (Possible 9-7 teams) TEXAS (6-5):  This is a Texas team that cannot seem to get out of their own way. They are Top 5 in scoring, have the 2nd best passing attack in the league, but also give up over 25 points per game.  We just don’t think the defending Western Conference Champion is a mediocre team.  We think they have been playing down to the opposition, and that they need to do more in the run game, but they just landed Marshawn Lynch, so we are predicting a pretty strong final 5 games.   SEATTLE (6-5):   The Dragons are pretty solid on both sides of the ball, averaging nearly 24 points per game on offense, but allowing only 19.8 per game on defense. They are also plus 9 on takeovers, so why are they only 6-5?  Well, consistency is an issue, as this week’s loss to Chicago goes to show.  Nine wins may well be a lofty goal for them if they cannot play solidly week in and week out.   ORLANDO (6-5):   Every time we predict a good week for the Renegades they bring out a stinker. This is a team that should have 8 or more wins, but they keep finding ways to come out flat.  They are 2nd only to Charlotte with a +14 turnover margin, have one of the most dominant players in the game in Calais Campbell, and still cannot get over the hump.  Well, this year in the East, over the hump may be 9-7, which feels very doable.   MIDLING (Likely 8-8 teams) PORTLAND (6-5): Look, the pattern is clear, they win at home, they lose on the road.  We have seen this for 11 games, why should we expect this to change any time soon?  So, that means 8-8. LAS VEGAS (6-5): Look, the pattern is clear, they win at home, they lose on the road.  We have seen this for 11 games, why should we expect this to change any time soon?  So, that means 8-8.  Nope, this is not a printing mistake.  Las Vegas and Portland are apparently on the exact same path, so why write two different descriptions?   BIRMINGHAM (5-6): When we look at all the 5-6 teams and ask “Which one could reach 8-8?”, Birmingham has the best argument, and that argument is Cam Newton.  Get a few 80-yard rushing games from him, and just fewer turnovers and the Stallions could be there.  We like the defense a lot more this year than in recent memory, and they have good young talent in their rookie class, so we like their odds more than the next three.   WEAKER (Potentially 7-9 teams) NEW JERSEY (5-6): We want to like the Generals, we really do, but they are just not there yet, especially on offense, and absolutely when Sam Bradford is not there.  This week was pretty good evidence that the defense is not good enough on its own, and the offense is just too inconsistent to trust.   WASHINGTON (5-6): Just the fact that the league’s worst defense is on a 5-6 team is pretty amazing.  David Garrard and Deuce McCallister have kept this club afloat when they ought to have folded up shop by now.  But…even with that, the defense is so bad, giving up nearly 30 points per game and almost 370 yards every week, this is a team with issues.  And just when was the last time you thought of Washington as a bad defensive team?  Seems so out of character.   DENVER (5-6): Maybe we gave up on Denver too soon.  They always do seem to pull out at least a Wild Card appearance, but something this year seems off.  They are not particularly good at running or passing the ball. The defense has Von Miller, who has been turning it on lately, but it seems like not much else.  They just feel to us like a team that needs to shake things up a bit, and a 6-10 or 7-9 season might inspire that to happen.   Is Eli at Risk in Memphis? It seems a weird question to ask after all the trouble Memphis went to in acquiring Manning from the Renegades, but Eli has struggled this year, and there is a possible 2016 rookie coming out of the U. of Memphis who has folks in this part of the country pretty excited about the chance to see him in a Showboat uniform.   Manning’s 2015 numbers are not good.  With 2,113 yards passing in 11 weeks, he sits 18th in the league.  His TD:Int ratio of 9:14 is among the worst of any starter, which happens when you lead the league in interceptions (Mark Sanchez, for all the critiques is still better at 10:12), and his QB Rating of 66.6 is “satanically bad” for a starter.  Consider for a moment that just compared to a pretty mediocre 2014, Manning’s QBR is a nearly full 20 points lower than last year’s 86.0.    Now throw in the excitement being generated about Paxton Lynch, QB of the U. of Memphis Tigers. Considered one of the top QB prospects likely for the 2016 draft, along with Cal’s Jared Goff, North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz, and Penn State’s Christian Hackenberg, Lynch is seen as perhaps the most athletic of the four.  He would be a T-Draft prospect for Memphis, and if Eli is not providing what fans want or expect from a veteran QB, then it is very possible that we see a change of direction for the Showboats.  That would not necessarily pose a challenge for Manning this year but could provide some offseason drama for sure.    In the meantime, Memphis has 5 weeks to determine if they trust Eli for another season (he is under contract through next year) or do they bring in the rookie and hope he can step in next year?  Seems like a good time for Eli to start playing up to his capacity, if, that is, he has capacity left. Week 12 kicks off with what would normally be a Central Division grudge match, and may still be, but with the Panthers sitting at 8-3 and the Machine struggling at 1-9-1, there are plenty of concerns that NBC may have a blow out on their hands. Saturday also has some blowout potential with a very scary Pittsburgh team hosting New Jersey with no Sam Bradford.  Charlotte is in Philly in another early game, while the later afternoon slots have Las Vegas hoping to get that elusive road win in Dallas.  We open the night games with the Beltway Brawl as the Blitz head down to DC to face the Feds.  The late game was supposed to be in the Alamodome, but now will be played at Alamo Stadium as the city tries to recover from this past weekend’s tornadoes.    Sunday opens up with Orlando at Birmingham and an interesting western clash  between the Dragons and the Skyhawks.  The afternoon slot has Portland also trying to get their first road win as they travel to LA.  We cap off the weekend with Denver visiting Tampa Bay, with the Gold hoping to reach .500 and stay right in the mix in the Wild Card hunt.   Friday @ 8pm ET               Michigan (8-3) @ Chicago (1-9-1)              NBC   Saturday @ 12pm ET             New Jersey (5-6) @ Pittsburgh (9-2)      ABC Saturday @ 12pm ET              Charlotte (7-4) @ Philadelphia (3-8)        FOX Saturday @ 4pm ET       New Orleans (8-3) @ San Diego (3-8)      ABC Saturday @ 4pm ET               Las Vegas (6-5) @ Dallas (4-6-1)               FOX       Saturday @ 7pm ET                Baltimore (8-3) @ Washington (5-6)          NBC Saturday @ 9pm ET                Orlando (6-5) @ Texas (6-5)                   ESPN/EFN   Sunday @ 12pm ET             Oakland (8-3) @ Birmingham (5-6)         ABC Sunday @ 12pm ET             Jacksonville (3-8) @ Atlanta (4-7)            FOX Regional Sunday @ 12pm ET                Seattle (6-5) @ St. Louis (8-3)                   FOX Regional Sunday @ 4pm ET                  Memphis (4-7) @ Houston (9-2)              ABC Regional Sunday @ 4pm ET                  Portland (6-5) @ Los Angeles (3-8)           ABC Regional Sunday @ 4pm ET                 Ohio (3-8) @ Arizona (8-3)                        FOX Sunday @ 8pm ET                  Denver (5-6) @ Tampa Bay (2-9)            ESPN/EFN