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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

Back to a story based on true life, when a horrific plane crash all but ends football at Marshall University, it is up to the college president and an unlikely head coach to bring the school, a city, and a team back from the brink. Matt McConaughey puts down the hackey sack and puts in a good performance in this 2006 football film. Here we go, folks.  There is just something about hitting Week 10 of 16 that just makes every game seem pivotal.  We have a good sense of who is in the mix, who is fighting for bye weeks and homefield advantage, who is rising, who is fading, and who is already thinking about their short game on the links.  Nothing is official yet, but Week 10 brings with it a sense that time is running out.  If you are sitting at 6-4, 5-5, or 4-6, you have some work to do.  If you have 7 wins or more, you better not go easy now.  We saw several trades this week as teams in the middle of the pack sought to make deals to try to add something, and with the trade window now closed, we will see if these last second moves had an impact.  So, we start with that as our story of the week, last minute deals.  We will then review the games of Week 10 and take a look at some other stories to follow down the stretch. Deadline Deals Bring Hope for a Late Season Run That is the hope, of course, that a trade deadline deal can bring a spark of energy and help push a team over the hump.  That is each of the 4 big moves made in the 2 days prior to the Trade Window closing we saw a player move from a non-contender to a team in the middle of the pack. On the one hand you have teams trying to build up hope for the future by landing some extra draft picks.   On the other you have a team in the hunt, but not at the top of the pack, hoping that one new addition can help ignite a late run. So, just who was moved?  Well it was 3 of the players we highlighted and one who we mentioned as well in last week’s article.  Guess we were on our game last week.   HB Marshawn Lynch:  San Diego to Texas Lynch wanted out, and he got his wish, sent to the Texas Outlaws for a 3rd round pick in 2016 and backup HB Terrance West.  Lynch will now rotate with Chris Johnson in the Texas backfield (He already got 10 carries just 24 hours after arriving in San Antonio).  Lynch’s numbers have been pretty abysmal this year with the Thunder, and he is in the last year of his deal, so the Thunder opted to bring in the scatback West and to add a mid-round pick for a player who was going to leave in the offseason anyway.  Texas could sign Lynch to a longer term deal, but likely will wait until they see him over several weeks before considering a longer deal.  After all, if Lynch cannot produce with the Outlaws, the verdict may come in that he hit the running back cliff that so many backs drop off of after hitting 30 years of age.   WR Robert Woods:  Los Angeles to Memphis Talk about a team on the fringe of playoff consideration, Memphis, sitting at 4-5 was about as close to non-relevance as a club can be after 9 weeks.  But, they still had hope as they were only 1 game behind the 6-seed, something that remains true after Week 10 as well.  In Woods they hope they have found a reliable possession receiver, something that was not entirely evident in LA.  Woods has to see this as a 2nd chance, a reboot to a career that never really took off with the Express.  In return for the receiver, LA gets a 4th round pick.  They will now move rookie Nelson Aholor into a full time starting position opposite Roddy White.   TE Dustin Keller: Tampa Bay to Las Vegas Las Vegas is another fringe contender, but an even  more surprising one as many picked them to be the worst team in the league this year.  They have won 5 home games and lost 5 road games, but they are still hoping that they can get that first road win to possibly finish at 9-7, which would be a bit of a coup for Coach Greg Roman.  To help that cause, the Vipers sent a 5th rounder to the Bandits to acquire TE Dustin Keller.  Keller is a better receiver than former number 2 Bob Slowikowski, allowing Las Vegas to pair Keller with Tyler Eifert in 12 packages (1 back, 2 TE) or to rotate the two in 3-receiver sets.    DT Brandon Bunkley: Jacksonville to Seattle We mentioned Bunkley in our list of possible trade candidates, but thought that 34-year-old David Bowens was a more likely candidate.  Looks like Jacksonville decided to keep their edge rush rotation in place but swap out the 32-year-old Bunkley and go with younger players inside.  For Seattle, Bunkley adds a bit more raw power than Brendan Mbane.  We expect the two to rotate during games, keeping both fresh.  For the veteran DT, Seattle gave up only a 5th round pick, which is quite a deal if a more rested and active D-line helps the Dragons get into the postseason for the first time since 2008. TAMPA BAY BANDITS 35   TEXAS OUTLAWS 38 The USFL continues to surprise us.  We all had this one as an easy Texas win, and a week after being benched, we did not expect a Mark Sanchez sighting.  But what we got instead was a quick departure for Pat White, injured early in the 2nd quarter, and then Mark Sanchez returning under center and throwing 4 TD passes.  It felt very much like a redemption game for Sanchez, who would go 23 of 26 for 303 yards and 4 scores in only 42 minutes of action.    On the other side of the field we saw Joe Flacco struggle with a defense that had given very few teams any issues.  Flacco would be sacked 6 times, again raising issues of his sieve-like offensive line, and throw 2 picks.  Yes, he threw for over 400 yards again, but there was a desperation in his passing.   We also got our first look at Marshawn Lynch in an Outlaw uniform. He got 10 carries and looked good, rushing for 58 yards and a score.  Chris Johnson added 2 scores and both Brandon Marshall and Marques Colson went over 100 yards in what was a surprising shoot out in the Alamodome.   The game started a little slowly, with a Chris Johnson 11-yard run serving as the only points of the opening quarter, but it very much picked up in the 2nd quarter.  Before being removed from the game due to injury Pat White led a good-looking Bandit drive that ended with a Rex Burkhead TD run to tie the score.  Following an Outlaw field goal, the Bandits took to the field and on 1st and 10 from their own 22, they tried to use White’s running to surprise the Outlaws.  White had room to the outside, but when he was ankle tackled, he hobbled to the sideline in obvious pain.  We would eventually find out that it was a groin injury, a pull more than a tear is what is believed to be the situation, but White was  out, and after only a little more than a quarter as the backup Mark Sanchez was back under center.   Sanchez was impressive in his first post-benching action.  On the ensuing drive he would go 3 for 3 and toss a 7-yard strike to Santana Moss to put the Bandits up for the first time in the game.  The Outlaws would respond with a late drive of their own and would go into the half up 3 after Joe Flacco’s lone TD toss of the game.  Up 17-14 at the half, Texas had a fight on their hands.  That fight became obvious on the first possession of the 2nd half when Sanchez found TE Greg Olsen wide open up the seam against a 2-deep zone.  The big TE rumbled 66 yards for a score and Tampa Bay was feeling like they had a shot.   That feeling was seconded by a 3-and-out on defense and another touchdown drive on the next possession. When Sanchez found HB Jahvid Best on a swing route the Bandits pulled ahead by 11, 28-17. Texas would need a response before the game got out of hand, and they would get one.  On their next possession a penalty on 3rd down pushed them back and they ended up settling for a field goal, but the defense stepped up and forced a fumble by Rex Burkhead, giving the Outlaws the ball right back.  They would cash in, with Johnson running for his 2nd TD of the day, a short dive off the left side to pull Texas even with a successful 2-point try.   As the 4th quarter began, Texas again drove the ball down the field, this time using Marshawn Lynch in his first significant action of the day.  The former Thunder back looked good, ripping off runs of 19 and 9 yards before reaching the endzone on a 1-yard plunge.  Texas was up 35-28, but this game was not yet over.  Sanchez would lead Tampa Bay on a wild 15-play, 7-minute drive that included a successful fake punt on 4th and 3 to keep the ball with the Bandits.  They would equalize the score at 35 with a short pass from Sanchez to FB Roger Gregory, leaving only 1:12 on the clock for Texas to respond.   While Joe Flacco did not have a signature day, suffering through the 6 sacks and 2 picks, he did have one signature drive left in him, and that drive got Texas into field goal range with nearly 40 seconds left to play.  The Outlaws got a huge 18-yard play to TE Chris Cooley to cross the 50, and then another nice play to Brandon Marshall to get inside the 20.  The drive stalled there, but it was already too late.  Kai Forbath easily put the ball between the goalposts, leaving only 7 seconds on the clock for Tampa Bay.  There was nothing they could do with that time, and Texas got the W, but this was a Bandits team we had not seen all season and a quarterback in Mark Sanchez who clearly had something to prove.   SAN DIEGO 20   BIRMINGHAM 16 The Thunder get a road win thanks to two late TDs in the 4th as TE Kevin Everett comes up big with 6 catches for 100 yards and the game winner in the waning moments of regulation.  A. J. McCarron got the start again for the Stallions and played well throughout, but could not get prevent San Diego from a final drive to take the win.  POTG:  Thunder LB Joey Porter: 8 Tck, 2 TFL   OAKLAND 24   MEMPHIS 21     OVERTIME The Showboats took Oakland to overtime, thanks to 10 points in the 4th, but could not get the W in the end as David Buehler kicked the game winner from 37 yards out in overtime.  Eli Manning went 31 of 45 for 292 yards, but was sacked 5 times, while Harrington did not suffer a single sack, threw for 249 and 2 scores for the Invaders. POTG:  Invader WR Davante Adams: 4 Rec, 140 Yds, 2 TD   PORTLAND 0   NEW ORLEANS 24 A bad loss for the Stags as Portland outgained the Breakers but could not get points on the board.  New Orleans locked them down every time they crossed the 50.  It was not a pretty win for the Breakers, but Drew Brees did what Ryan Fitzpatrick could not, putting the ball in the endzone twice as New Orleans played without Kenny Britt. POTG:  Breaker DE Ty Warren: 7 Tck, 1 Sck   BALTIMORE 23    OHIO 6 Big Ben throws for 292 and Darrius Heyward-Bey ropes in 5 catches for 158 yards, including an 87-yard TD as the Blitz roll over the Glory in Columbus.  Roethlisbergeronly threw to 4 players, but still outpaced Brock Osweiler and the Glory offense.  As a team Baltimore racked up 14 passes defended, and while they did not get a pick on the day, that number helped them force a lot of punts.  POTG:  Blitz WR Darrius Heyward-Bey: 5 Rec, 158 Yds, 1 TD   DENVER 6    LAS VEGAS 13 The Vipers’ strong home record continues as they stifle the Denver offense and take a low-scoring victory.  Neither team had much going on offense, with both defenses dominant.  The two combined for an 8 of 26 record on 3rd down, but a 4th quarter TD from Montario Hardesty broke the deadlock and gave Las Vegas their fifth home win in five games. POTG:  Vipers’ LB Angelo Crowell:  5 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 Int   PHILADELPHIA 12   PITTSBURGH 27 This Keystone Clash was tight early, but Pittsburgh would go on a 20-point scoring run to take the game over between the end of the 2nd and start of the 3rd quarters.   Matt Gutierrez got dinged midway through the game and Chad Henne was unable to generate offense.  Andy Dalton had a “light day”, only throwing 19 passes, completing 12, but he still racked up 307 yards and 3 touchdowns for the Maulers. POTG:  Mauler QB Andy Dalton:  12/19, 307 Yds, 3 TD, 0 int   ARIZONA 14   MICHIGAN 30 With David Carr out and Larry Fitzgerald on limited snaps, the Wranglers just did not have enough to keep up with the Panthers in front of a rowdy 52,505 at Ford Field.  Kirk Cousins had another strong game, throwing for 298 on 21 of 29 passing.  Nick Foles threw two picksm including a pick-6 to Dre Kirkpatrick, and a Daniel Graham fumble helped Michigan win the turnover battle 3-1. POTG:  Michigan CB Dre Kirkpatrick: 6 Tck, 2 Int, 1 Def TD, 1 FR   HOUSTON 52   CHARLOTTE 31 Houston had perhaps the best half of football of anyone this year, racing out to a 38-0 lead by scoring on 6 straight possessions, 4 of them being Matt Hasselbeck TD tosses. The Houston QB would add two more in the 4th quarter and this game got ugly and stayed ugly, despite a much better second half from the Monarchs.  With 6 TD tosses, Hasselbeck ties a record that went all the way back to 1983.  POTG:  Gambler QB Matt Hasselbeck: 23/28, 397 Yds, 6 TD, 0 Int   WASHINGTON 24   JACKSONVILLE 20 The Federals get back in the win column thanks to a solid game from David Garrard and a high-pressure defense against Adrian McPherson.  Garrard threw for 312 against a beleaguered Bulls’ secondary, with Deion Branch leading the way with 130 yards and a TD.  Jacksonville had success on the ground, with Williams and Jones combining for 130 yards, but a late Garrard TD toss ended their hopes of the upset.  POTG:  Federals’ QB David Garrard:  16/26,312 Yds, 3 TD, 1 int   ST. LOUIS 26   NEW JERSEY 19 It was New Jersey up 19-6 midway through the 3rd before St. Louis came alive and scored 20 consecutive points to end the game with the W.  Ricky Stanzi caught fire late, hitting Jordi Nelson with a pair of touchdowns, including a ridiculous 90-yarder.  New Jersey was doing well until Sam Bradford was knocked out of the game. Charlie Whitehurst came in and proceeded to throw 3 picks to help St. Louis come back and earn the win. POTG:  St. Louis LB Aldon Smith: 6 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 Int   DALLAS 16   CHICAGO 16   OVERTIME No one likes a tie, but when you have lost 5 in a row as Dallas has, or 9 in a row, as Chicago has, maybe a tie is a step in the right direction.  In a game both teams had circled on their calendars as a chance to break long losing streaks, both struggled to get the ball into the endzone, and in overtime it was clear that both were exhausted.  The overtime period included 3 missed field goals, the most egregious of which was a shanked 38-yarder from Dallas rookie Robert Lawson.  POTG:  Machine LB Manti Te’o:  12 Tck, 1 Sck   LOS ANGELES 12   SEATTLE 21 The Dragons had no trouble containing the LA offense and the combination of Byron Leftwich and Matt Flynn go the job done on offense.  Leftwich had to leave the game in the 3rd, but Flynn came in and threw a TD to Mike Wallace to help cement the win for the Dragons. LA’s defense could not do it all, but they did shut down Joseph Addai, limiting the back to only 19 yards on 22 carries.  POTG:  Dragon WR Mike Wallace: 6 Rec, 79 Yds, 1 TD   ORLANDO 17   ATLANTA 26 A real battle between two evenly matched SE Division clubs, and a game that could give Brad Gradkowski a shot at the full-time starting job.  Gradkowski went 22 of 35 for 206 yards and 2 TDs without a turnover.  He also led the Fire to two late FG drives that secured the win over a very game Orlando squad.  Calais Campbell got his 2 sacks, but it was Atlanta that got the better of the line play, sacking Russell Wilson 5 times on the day. POTG:  Atlanta HB J. J. Arrington: 15 Att, 100 Yds, 0 TD Matt Hasselbeck On Fire As Gamblers Roll Going 23 of 28 is a very good day for a USFL quarterback.  Throwing for 397 yards is exceptional.  Tossing 6 touchdowns is sheer brilliance.  That was the day that Matt Hasselbeck had for Houston as they carved up the Charlotte Monarchs.  By the half Hasselbeck already had 4 TDs and nearly 250 yards passing.  He also had a 38-10 lead.  It did not get better for Charlotte as they would lose by a tally of 52-31, but as Hasselbeck slowed down only a little in the second half, he still added TD tosses to Mike Sims-Walker and TE Vernon Davis to tie a league record with 6 TDs in a single game.  That record was set back in 1983, the league’s first season, when the quality of most teams’ DB’s was not what it is now.  Fred Besana, the Oakland Invaders’ first QB set the mark, and it took nearly 35 years for someone to match it.    That the man to do it was Hasselbeck and not Flacco or Roethlisberger would normally be a surprise, but not this year.  This has been Hasselbeck’s best season by far, eclipsing marks he set back in 2010 when the Gamblers won their 4th title as a franchise.  He is on pace for new personal bests in yards, touchdowns, and QB rating, and could eclipse 50 TDs.  He may even have a shot at another record, Troy Aikman’s 1998 record of 54 TDs in a season.  It is truly an amazing year for Hasselbeck and for Houston fans, many of whom only a year ago were calling for the veteran QB to retire.  On behalf of everyone who loves good offensive football, we are glad he was not listening.   Gradkowski Gets W and Opens a Can of Worms in Atlanta It was not an awe-inspiring performance, but Brad Gradkowski’s 22 of 35, 206 yard, 2 TD game against the Orlando Thunder was steady, it was error-proof, and it was a win. So now what happens in Atlanta?  Will Coach Ramsey stick with the career backup who is less of a risk taker, more of a ball control option, or will they return to the big-armed, but often overconfident Kyle Orton?  We won’t find out right away, as Orton is expected to miss at least one more week as he deals with inflammation and a pinched nerve in his right (throwing) shoulder.  Gradkowski will get at least one more start.  But, if he can play as well as he did this week, and if Atlanta wins again, well, that could make life difficult for Coach Ramsey and a starting job somewhat more precarious for Orton, even with a big contract renewal completed only this offseason.    Orton has been solidly entrenched in the starting gig for Atlanta since coming over from Chicago in 2009, but his numbers have been very up and down.  He has a career QB Rating of 87.5, which is solid, but hardly elite.  His TD:INT ratio of 140:91, roughly 5:3, is not horrible, but it is hardly the stuff of legends.  If Gradkowski can show a little more self-control than Orton, and if his more reserved style can get Atlanta another win, we could very well see Coach Ramsey declare him the starter for the rest of the season.  Sitting at 4-6, Atlanta could well make a run if they can string together some wins, and in a somewhat erratic SE Division, they are not at all out of the playoff picture.  It would be hard to take out the QB who won 2 key midseason games, even if Orton is getting paid nearly 4x as much as the backup.   Lynch Immediate Success in San Antonio If the saying “Happy Wife, Happy Life” could apply to football, Marshawn Lynch may have just proven that “Happy Back, Good Attack”.  Lynch had only been in San Antonio for roughly 36 hours when he got his first carry as a Texas Outlaw.  He would get 10 carries on the day, and he would produce with those 10 carries, averaging 5.2 yards per touch and scoring his first touchdown as a member of the team.    Chris Johnson remained the primary back for Texas, garnering just 1 carry more, 11 to Lynch’s 10, and Lynch clearly had the better game, with Johnson only accounting for 24 yards rushing, though he did score twice.  So, what does this mean for the Outlaws moving forward?  The obvious answer would seem to be that we will see a lot of both backs, something of a Thunder & Lightning approach, though neither back is really the smallish scatback you usually include in that combo.  It is more like Thunder and slightly louder Thunder.    Be that as it may, what it means for foes is that they will need to focus on more than just Joe Flacco’s propensity to pass for 400 yards per game pretty regularly.  They will need to be prepared for a two-back run offense in addition to the deep balls and frequent mid-range passes that have made Joe Flacco an MVP.  This could be a very good deal indeed for Texas.   Kicker Woes Cost Both Chicago & Dallas a W We had our first tie of the year this weekend, but it was not for a lack of trying to win.  What we did see was a lack of effectiveness out of the kicking game for both Chicago and Dallas.  In a battle of free agent rookie kickers, Chicago’s Robert Lawson went 3 for 5, missing a late potential game winner from 51 yards out and then missing on a 39-yarder in overtime.  Chicago’s William Hopper did not fare much better, not when it counted, missing a 38-yarder in overtime that would have given the win to the winless Machine.  Instead, we got two teams on long losing streaks who could not get a win.  Chicago is now 0-9-1 on the season, Dallas is a significantly better 4-5-1, but have not won in 6 weeks.    So, what are these two to do?  Well, we are not sure about Chicago, but Dallas made an immediate move, signing former New Jersey General Leigh Tiffin to their practice squad, to either push Lawson to succeed or to take over for him.  Tiffin, who played 6 seasons with the Generals, has a lifetime FG percentage of 75%, which is not great, but is a good sight better than the early 57.1% rate that Lawson has shown (16 of 28).    Las Vegas now 5-0 in Wynn Arena, 0-5 On the Road The Vipers continue to be pretty two-faced as a team.  Scary at home, shaky on the road.  Las Vegas is outdoing most predictions by sitting at 5-5 after 10 weeks, but the way they are doing it is the real story.  Here is a quick analysis of the difference between the Homestanding Vipers and the Traveling Vipers.   Points per game:    HOME  22.2           ROAD    13.2 Points allowed:         HOME  14.8           ROAD   29.0 TD:INT                 HOME  7:2              ROAD   5:7   That is a +7.4 advantage in points at Wynn Arena, but a -15.8 differential when they are on the road.  The defense is twice as good in Las Vegas as they are on the road, and QB Cody Pickett has very solid home numbers, a 7-2 TD to Interception advantage, but is sub par on the road, with two more picks than scores.  That is about as two-faced as you can get without Batman coming after you.  Will this pattern last all season, in what has to end as an 8-8 campaign?  Or will the Vipers turn to one side more than the other?  Most pundits had Las Vegas winning no more than 3 or 4 games this year, so the odds are still leaning to them dropping a home game or two rather than winning a one or two road games.  But so far this season it has been as predictable as clockwork, something the San Diego Thunder need to consider this week in a high stakes game as the team that left town now has to come back and face a team that has yet to lose a game in their new Sin City home.   Not much to report in the first official playoff picture of the year.  No one is clinched or eliminated, not even winless Chicago. What we do see is that we have a cluster of very good teams in each conference, and then another cluster sitting between 6-4 and 4-6.  Houston, Baltimore, NewOrleans, Pittsburgh and  Michigan are looking strong with 6 weeks left to play.  Memphis, losers of 3 straight, Birmingham (4 straight) and Dallas (5 straight) seem to be fading from contention, but there is still time for any of them to rebound.  The Dragons and Maulers have won 3 in a row and are very much in the mix right now.  We still find Portland and Las Vegas to be fascinating cases.  Both clubs are 5-0 at home and 0-5 on the road.  Will one of them find a way to break out of this pattern and actually reach for a road win?  Two starting QBs out at least this week as Philadelphia loses Matt Gutierrez for a second time this season and New Jersey will be without Sam Bradford after their starter suffered a concussion in the loss to St. Louis.  A third QB, Pat White of Tampa Bay, is also likely to miss this week, listed as doubtful after straining his abdomen in the GOTW at Texas.  New Orleans will also be without a key player this week as WR Kenny Britt injured his hip in Week 10 action.   OUT LB       Cameron Wake      WSH     Knee                     1-2 Weeks QB         Matt Gutierrez        PHI        Knee                     1-2 Weeks QB         Sam Bradford          NJ          Concussion       1-2 Weeks FS           David Darling          WSH     Hand                    1-2 Weeks WR         Kenny Britt               NOR      Hip                        1-2 Weeks   DOUBTFUL QB         Pat White               TBY        Abdomen FS           Eric Wolfe                TEX        Concussion   QUESTIONABLE WR         Dwayne Jarrett        ATL         Concussion SS           Brandon Taylor         NOR      Shoulder CB          Cedric Griffin          POR      Hip WR         Cody Lattimer        MGN     Finger   Teams Scramble to Re-Sign Stars With just over a month left in the regular season, teams are getting serious about resigning their talent and a wave of new deals were put in place this week.  We saw several QBs extend their contracts, and a lot of younger players get a payday as teams try to lock up key players before their contracts expire in July.  The biggest names, and the highest pressure was the QB position and we saw 4 teams make the big deal to keep their starters happy and well paid.  Michigan extended Kirk Cousins throught 2018, Oakland added 2 years to Joey Harrington’s deal, David Carr got himself a new deal through 2019, and Cam Newton got himself a big payday, adding almost $2M per year to his rookie deal and also extending through 2019.  Still out there to resign are 37-year old Matt Hasselbeck, having himself an MVP season, Portland starter Ryan Fitzpatrick, who has held Marcus Mariota out of the starting lineup all season, New Jersey’s Sam Bradford, and two starters who are under a lot of fire this year, Chicago’s Brady Quinn and Tampa Bay’s Mark Sanchez.  Throw into the mix two very intriguing backups who could hold out in hopes of a starting job either in the USFL or NFL, Seattle’s Matt Flynn and Arizona’s Nick Foles.   Linebacker was another big position for recent signings and extensions.  Among those locked up for more time are Arizona’s Karlos Dansby, Atlanta’s Luke Kuechley, Houston’s Pat Angerer, and Oakland’s Bobby Wagner. One player very happy with his agent is Seattle edge rushing LB/DE Khalil Mack, who landed a new 4-year deal worth nearly $20M.    Among other players who were locked up before their contracts expired we have CB Josh Norman in Chicago, DE Mario Williams in Memphis, another edge rusher, Texas’s Reynaldo Wynn also got a new deal.  Halfback Rashard Mendenhall is set to stay in Dallas for another 3 years.  New Jersey came to terms with their lead back Maurice Jones-Drew, and Tampa Bay extended Jahvid Best for another 2 years despite injuries that have kept him out of several games.   Others signed over the last 2 weeks are SS Ada Archuleta (BAL), WR Victor Cruz (PIT), WR Mike Wallace (SEA) and OT Levi Brown (TBY).   Among players who have made some noise that they may want to test the Free Agent pool are HB Ryan Williams (OAK), WR Santana Moss (TBY), TE L. J. Smith (LA), SS Idrees Basheer (MEM), LB Joey Porter (SD), and DE Robert Quinn (BAL).  Baltimore could be in trouble as both of their starting DE’s, Quinn and Joe Tafoya seem unhappy with the offers they have received from the defending champ.    We will continue to follow the signings and the players hoping to find greener pastures as the season heads into its final weeks.    USFL to Look at Options as Adidas Contract Set to Expire We are 5 years into the branding and uniform provision agreement with Adidas, but it appears that the USFL is already looking to move on.  At least that is the clear message we are getting when the league office announced that they would not engage the automatic contract renewal after this year, opting instead to ask Adidas to potentially compete with other bidders for the right to remain the sole provider of uniforms, sideline apparel, and a significant portion of all team and league merchandise.  The announcement this week that the autorenewal clause will not be utilized would allow for other firms to propose their own 4-6 year contracts with the league.  This could open the door for a prior provider like Reebok or Nike to put in a competitive bid, or could allow a new bidder, with many, such as Champion, Russell Athletic, and Under Armour getting more and more involved in the team uniform market, with significant inroads in high school and collegiate contracts.    Cost is the primary issue for the league.  The deal with Adidas has been criticized for increasing the cost of merchandise for fans, and while the league’ s 28 franchises do not pay for their uniforms each year, there have been concerns that Adidas is not as forthcoming with adequate replacements as pants or jerseys become stained, ripped, or otherwise unusable.  Any new provider may well have to address that particular concern as part of their arrangement, but will also have to address the league’s interest into expansion of its online sales capacity, both domestically and on a global market.  Adidas’s deal will include designs which would debut in the 2017 season, but as far as 2018 goes, they may well have some competition to win the USFL contract.    Native American Suit Expands, Adding MLB, NFL Teams. The plot continues to thicken as the Native Peoples of Florida (NPF) lobbying group has joined with several other Native American nations and political groups to expand their impending lawsuit beyond the USFL to now include class action claims of civil right infringement against the Orlando Renegades, NFL Washington Redskins, and MLB Cleveland Indians.  The suit claims damage to the identity, dignity, and sovereignty of the more than 574 federally recognized Native American nations of the United States.  It is a broad, sweeping claim, one many feel is more about political and social pressure than actual legal standing.  The goal, to remove from the popular sports clubs elements of their identities which are deemed offensive or derogatory to Native American peoples.  This includes the Redskins moniker and the logo designs of both the Cleveland Indians and Orlando Renegades. To what degree the MLB Atlanta Braves have been able to dodge this particular legal action due to alterations to their team logos remains unknown, but it is also noteworthy that the legal action is not naming any D-1 college programs among the offenders, despite significant use of Native American imagery at several universities. Just what the effect of this larger suit will be remains unknown.  Legal scholars contacted about this case seem to be split on the true viability of a case of this magnitude, but the public-facing aspect of the suit seems undeniable.  Public pressure may well lead to change from one or more of the organizations long before the legal wrangling would produce a final decision.   Baltimore Blitz Sale Confirmed The deal has been cut and local investor Josh Harris, co-founde rof Apollo Global Management, a private equity fund, will be joining the USFL.  Harris, who also owns shares of the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils, came to an agreement with Louis Thalheimer, current majority owner of the Blitz, to buy a 43% share of the Blitz, with options to expand his share up to 51% within 8 years, a steady growth of 1% per year.  It is a very interesting deal, one that has a lot to do with Thalheimer’s seller’s regret after he put the team on the market in what would be a championship season.   Thalheimer had originally planned to sell the team off completely, but the on-field success of the Blitz helped to alter his plan, deciding instead to start with a minority share investor but offering the option to steadily increase shares over time until the minority owner would become the majority owner.   In the deal, Thalheimer retains his position as the managing partner for 3 more years, while Harris familiarizes himself with the franchise, its stadium deal, and revenue streams.  Then, in 2018, Harris would take over as CEO and President before increasing his share to 51% in 2023.  It is a unique deal, but one that allows Thalheimer to give up day-to-day operations while retaining a major stake in the franchise he bought in 1987 and moved from Chicago to Baltimore.   The deal is a relief for Baltimore fans, who not only can now rest assured that competing bids from investors from Boston do not move the team up to New England.  Harris is a Maryland resident, living in the wealthy D.C. suburb of Chevy Chase.  A Wharton grad, Harris, was born in Maryland, moved away after his studies at UPenn, spent much of his business career in New York, but returned to Maryland in recent years.  A marathon runner, Harris often delegates the operations of his NBA and NHL teams but has expressed interest in taking a turn at the rudder of the Blitz.  We would expect he might after paying nearly $340M for his initial 43% share of the franchise, a record price when recalculated on a percentage basis.  I guess that is what a championship franchise in the nation’s second wealthiest sports league will cost you.  Week 11 feels very much like a week of opposites.  We have so many 4-6 teams matched up against 6-4 squads and even some 3-7 vs. 7-3 games, that we wonder if this will be a week when upsets abound.  With everyone very aware of the first playoff picture of the year, this could be a week that sees a sense of urgency to it.    We start off the weekend with a game that is more about league politics than playoff pushes, as the Thunder return to Las Vegas only half a year after packing their bags for a new home. They will face off against the newest team in the league, the Las Vegas Vipers, imported from Nashville as a direct response to the sale of the Thunder.  Expect no love for the Thunder upon their return as the city seems to have fully embraced their new team, at the expense of the old.   Saturday features one of the best games of the season as 8-2 Pittsburgh and 8-2 Baltimore square off  at M&T Bank Stadium with 1st place in the NE Division very much on the line. This will be a hard-hitting, chippy, and very intense game.  The same could be said for the NBC evening game between the Atlanta Fire and their arch nemesis, the Charlotte Monarchs.  A Monarch win would be devastating to Atlanta’s playoff hopes, but a Fire win could send ripples throughout the SE Division as well.   Sunday has a fun one in the Northeast, as New Jersey heads to DC to face the Federals.  We then have Michigan in Portland, where the Stags have yet to lose a game, and we finish the day off with Birmingham, barely hanging on at 4-6 but always dangerous (if Cam Newton is cleared to play) as they head down to New Orleans to take on the 8-2 Breakers.    Friday @ 8pm ET             San Diego (3-7) @ Las Vegas (5-5)                 NBC   Saturday @ 12pm ET       Pittsburgh (8-2) @ Baltimore (8-2)                 ABC Saturday @ 12pm ET       Orlando (5-5) @ Memphis (4-6)                     FOX Saturday @ 4pm ET         Ohio (3-7) @ Oakland (7-3)                            ABC Saturday @ 4pm ET         Chicago (0-9-1) @ Seattle (6-4)                        FOX       Saturday @ 7pm ET         Atlanta (4-6) @ Charlotte (6-4)                         NBC Saturday @ 9pm ET    Texas (6-4) @ Denver (4-6)                               ESPN/EFN   Sunday @ 12pm ET         Tampa Bay (2-8) @ Jacksonville (2-8)               ABC Regional Sunday @ 12pm ET         Los Angeles (3-7) @ St. Louis (7-3)                  ABC Regional Sunday @ 12pm ET        New Jersey (5-5) @ Washington (4-6)             FOX Sunday @ 4pm ET           Michigan (8-2) @ Portland (5-5)                      ABC Sunday @ 4pm ET            Philadelphia (2-8) @ Houston (9-1)                 FOX Regional Sunday @ 4pm ET            Arizona (7-3) @ Dallas (4-5-1)                           FOX Regional Sunday @ 8pm ET            Birmingham (4-6) @ New Orleans (8-2)         ESPN/EFN

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: No surprise this week as Matt Hasselbeck throws for 6 TDs in a dominant performance over a pretty solid Charlotte Monarchs squad. Hasselbeck threw more TDs than incompletions as he went 24 of 28 and came close to 400 yards again. Not bad for a guy many thought was past his prime and ready to retire. PLAYOFF PICTURE: Much to early for teams to clinch, but we can say that the two teams that control their own destiny and have the most direct path to a top seed are the 9-1 Houston Gamblers in the East and the 8-2 Michigan Panthers in the West.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: The wild matchup between the Federals and the Glory gave us both an offensive and defensive POTW candidate, but while we love the 114-yard game that Deuce McCallister put up in the Washington win, we have to give kudos to a player on the losing side. CB Chimdi Chekwa had himself a whole season in one week, almost single handedly giving the game to his team to take. With three picks of David Garrard and one run back for a score, Chekwa will be in Garrard's nightmares for a while.

Just when you thought we could not come up with a weirder interpretation of a "road movie" we throw Pee Wee Herman at you. But, while the character is certainly an oddball, the story has a classic road movie quest at its heart. Pee Wee's long trek to the Alamo in search of is bicycle includes truckers (Large Marge), musical numbers (Tequila), biker gangs, and mayhem. So basically Easy Rider 2, right? Week had its share of surprises, but the dominant theme was that home field advantage is still a thing.  It did not work for all 14 home teams, but we did see 10 of 14 home teams take a W, including some significant underdogs.  That included Orlando shocking the New Orleans Breakers and Texas getting a big win over the favored Michigan Panthers.  We also saw Las Vegas run their home record to 4-0 while Portland proved once again that they cannot win on the road as both teams have only won at home all season long.  And, of course, we also watched as Arizona came into Tampa Bay and handed the Bandits one of the worst beat downs they have ever suffered.  So, while home field can help quite a bit, it cannot overcome every issue a team has.  We will run through all the games of the week, and also provide you with our pick for each team’s midseason MVP, but first, we need to talk about the QB position.  We have already seen several teams make a swap at QB, and this week we added another to the list, along with a club likely going back to their original Week 1 starter.  It’s all about leadership and composure, and some teams have it in spades while others simply do not.   QB Chaos Reins in the USFL That is the only way to describe what we are witnessing this year as the Tampa Bay Bandits become the 5th team to voluntarily replace their Week 1 starter with a new QB.  Then we add teams in who have been forced by injury to do the same, and we have a few more where the position has come into question.  In other words, if your team does not have one of the league’s top signal callers, you may be suffering from QB Chaos.    The news this week was out of Tampa Bay, where a humiliating 43-0 defeat at the hands of the Arizona Wranglers has forced Coach Mike Shula to do what fans have been calling for over the past month, bench Mark Sanchez .  The former LA Express starter has just been a disaster with the Bandits since coming over in trade from LA late this offseason, when the Bandits failed to sign top draft pick Jameis Winston. Sanchez currently sits 34th in the league in QB rating, which means there are 6 backups in addition to all 27 other starters who have had better success than him.  It still puts him ahead of Brady Quinn, Troy Smith, Eli Manning, and Tim Tebow, but it is not a good number for a supposed solid starting QB.  He has 6 TD passes in 9 games and 12 picks, also not what you want from your starter.  And so, Shula this week announced that Pat White , who arrived with the team in trade with Oakland only 2 weeks ago, will be the starter for the Week 10 game in Texas this Sunday.    Sanchez was not the only QB to get word that they would be benched this week.  Coach Schiano in Chicago pulled rookie Trevor Siemian midway through Chicago’s loss in Baltimore, returning Brady Quinn to the starting job, a position he is expected to retain  next week.  Quinn is the first ousted starter to return to action, but he may not be the last.  Of the 4 previously benched quarterbacks, including Quinn, we could very possibly see 2 back in action if their replacements cannot start getting more done on the field.  Only Brock Osweiler in Ohio has put up decent numbers, throwing for 8 TD and only 4 picks and holding an 84.5 QB Rating, well above that of season starter Troy Smith.  The other two, Jacksonville’s Robert Griffin III (currently injured) and Los Angeles’s Tim Tebow have struggled in replacing Adrian McPherson and Aaron Murray.    We should also note that Sanchez’s benching may not be the last.  In addition to Chicago now flip-flopping, poor QB play has been cited as a major issue in San Diego, where Joe Webb is struggling with 6 TDs and 7 picks. Memphis cannot be happy with what appears to be a regression for QB Eli Manning , who has 8 TDs but 12 picks, and whose QB Rating is a dismal 64.8.  Could we see Matt McGloin get another shot to start?  Dallas’s Johnny Manziel is also struggling in his 2nd year, underwater with 9 picks to 8 TDs, but at least his rating is in the 80’s (81.3).  Finally, while Kyle Orton will sit out Week 10 with an injury (pinched nerve), he risks being outperformed by understudy Brad Gradkowski .  With a 76.4 QB Rating and a 1:1 TD:Int Ratio (10 to 10), Orton is not safe, even with the contract extension signed in the offseason.    In other words, there are a lot of teams who are not feeling like they are getting quality starts out of their QBs. Compare that to teams like Pittsburgh, Michigan, or Orlando, where younger QBs Andy Dalton, Kirk Cousins, and Russell Wilson, seem to be rising to their best selves this season.  That is certainly the case with the first two, but even Wilson’s erratic play has stabilized quite a bit.  And then there is Portland, where “transitional” QB Ryan Fitzpatrick has played well enough to keep the Stags’ star rookie QB on the bench.  Marcus Mariota has yet to take a single snap in regular season play, despite a major investment by the Stags to sign him.   The USFL has been a QB-driven league since the early years of Kelly, Flutie, Young, and Doug Williams, but this year we are seeing just how dramatic the gap between quality QB play and uncertain QB play can be.  Tampa Bay is just the most recent team to determine that their supposed starter for the year is just not doing enough, not playing winning football, and attempts to find an alternative are being sought in earnest. WASHINGTON FEDERALS 38    OHIO GLORY 36 We got a barnburner of a game, but it was not a game where we expected a lot of fireworks.  We all looked at Federals-Glory and thought this game would end up in the teens as each club has had issues putting points up, but not this week.  We saw a combined 74 points between these two clubs and the only thing that kept it from heading to overtime was a failed 2-point PAT.   David Garrard had his best game of the year and with Deuce McCallister looking good with 114 yards on the ground, Washington thought they had this one.  It was 31-10 Federals after three quarters, but got some breaks and came back huge with 26 points in the 4th to make this one razor thin.  What 5 Federals turnovers, including 3 in the final period helped Ohio stay in the game and have a shot to send it to overtime.   The game actually started off pretty slow, with only 1 score in the first quarter, a Garrard to Kellen Davis 3-yard TD toss.  In the second we saw both teams start to have success, with each scoring 10 points.  Washington got another short TD to Davis, Ohio got a Brock Osweiler 29-yarder to Justin Blackmon and at the half it was 17-10 Federals on top.   The third quarter was dominated by the Federals, who got an early Deuce McCallister TD and then finished up the quarter with a Jacob Hester 9-yard run.  Ohio’s Osweiler went 1 of 9 in the quarter, helping Washington take control of the game, but Osweiler and the Glory would get hot late.  It began on defense, where CB Chimdi Chekwa snagged his second pick of the day, this one run back 30 yards for a Glory TD.  That TD sparked Ohio.  It pulled them to within 2 scores at 31-20, which would be cut to 31-23 after another David Green field goal for Ohio.    But, just as Ohio started to feel the comeback, Washington hit on a couple of long passes and with an 11-yard strike to Kelvin Benjamin, the Federals bumped the lead back up 38-23.  Ohio would need to hurry.  With only 3:23 left in the game they would go to the hurry up offense. That technique worked as they moved back within 1 score with a Steve Smith TD with 1:50 left on the clock.  But with only 2 time outs Washington could attempt to run out the clock.  They ran the ball on first down, but attempted a swing pass out to Hester.  The back, instead of catching the ball, tipped it up into the air, and there to nab it was Chekwa for his 3rd pick of the day, giving Ohio a shot with 1:02 left to play at the Washington 29.    It would take only 4 plays for Ohio to get the TD they needed, another short TD toss to the league’s leading receiver, Steve Smith. But, they needed 2 more to get the game to overtime. Osweiler lined up in the shotgun with Rashard Jennings to his right and 3 receivers to the left. It would be a classic rub play, but when Blackmon crossed the other two receivers, Bradley Fletcher followed him, avoiding the other two receivers.  The pass was a little behind Blackmon and Fletcher got a hand in to break it up.  The Glory would remain down by 2 and a failed onside kick would mean that Washington would, and did kill the clock.  A big win for the Federals, a bad loss for the Glory, and a game that did not at all follow the script we all predicted. NEW ORLEANS 10   ORLANDO 38 The Renegades are hard to figure.  Last week they lose to Jacksonville.  This week they utterly dominate a very good New Orleans team.  Orlando got off to a great start thanks to a Dee Milliner pick-six in the 2nd quarter.  They led 17-0 at the half and while New Orleans improved in the 2nd half, it was not nearly enough.  POTG:  Orlando HB Latavius Murray: 22 Att, 93 Yds, 2 TD   ST. LOUIS 10   PITTSBURGH 45 Ricky Stanzi struggled, and Andy Dalton flourished as the Maulers ran away with this one, taking a 21-3 halftime lead and not letting up on the gas in the 2nd half. Dalton finished with 3 TDs, with Jimmie Graham adding 2 more to his league leading total.  Eddie Lacy had 108 for St. Louis, but it was not enough as Stanzi only completed 19 of 43 throws.  POTG:  Mauler WR Victor Cruz:  4 Rec, 102 Yds, 1 TD   CHICAGO 6   BALTIMORE 38 The Machine looked utterly overwhelmed against Baltimore, with Coach Schiano reversing course and going with Quinn in the 2nd half.  Blitz HB Kerwynn Williams had 109 yards rushing on only 12 attempts and Darrius Heyward-Bey impressed with 135.  Chicago got very little from their run game, with only 61 yards combined from Forte and Martin as they drop to 0-9. POTG:  Blitz QB Ben Roethlisberger: 15/21, 317 Yds, 2 TD, 0 Int   ATLANTA 22   DENVER 30 The Fire challenged Denver, but the Gold held on to get a needed home win.  James and Murray had a lot of success, each going over 90 yards rushing and rookie Kevin White scored on a 32-yard bomb as Denver moved back to 4-5, hoping to hit .500 next week. Kyle Orton was hurt in the game and we saw both Brad Gradkowski and Kellen Clemons in the game for Atlanta.  Orton could miss several weeks, so now Atlanta needs to pick his replacement. POTG:  Gold HB DeMarco Murray: 13 Att, 94 Yds, 1 TD   MICHIGAN 17   TEXAS 38 Texas needed this one to avoid dropping below .500 and they played very much like the conference champions from last year, with Joe Flacco throwing for 4 scores despite only garnering 195 yards passing.  Brandon Marshall snagged 2 scoring passes and the Texas defense stymied Michigan despite 102 yards from league leader LeVeon Bell.  POTG:  Texas QB Joe Flacco: 14/25, 195 Yds, 4 TD, 0 Int   ARIZONA 45   TAMPA BAY 0 “Pathetic”, that is the word Coach Mike Shula used to describe his Bandits’ performance at home against Arizona.  Outgained 466 to 183 and utterly dominated on both sides of the ball, it was as bad a loss as any in Bandit history.  Frank Gore rushed for 110, and backup QB Nick Foles, playing for the injured David Carr, threw for 270 and 2 scores as the Wranglers win a laugher. POTG:  Arizona FS Nate Allen: 1 Tck, 1 Int, 1 Def Td   PORTLAND 10   SEATTLE 20 The Stags remain winless on the road as Seattle takes the home win and leaves both teams at 5-4 on the year.  Byron Leftwich completed scoring tosses to TE Dennis Pitta and WR Emmanuel Sanders as the Dragons doubled up the Stags.  Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for 251 but tossed 2 picks in an up and down game. POTG:  Dragon QB Byron Leftwich: 14/24, 209 Yds, 2 TD, 0 Int.   JACKSONVILLE 10   CHARLOTTE 27 The Monarch win streak reaches 5 games as Brandon Wheedon completes 73% of his throws, including 3 TDs and Darren McFadden rushes for 118 against the Bulls defense.  Adrian McPherson again got the start for the injured Robert Griffin III, but was largely ineffective despite completing 25 of 45 passing.  POTG:  Charlotte CB Derech Cox: 6 Tck, 1 Int, 2 FF, 1 FR   NEW JERSEY 34    BIRMINGHAM 20 The Generals impress in Birmingham as A. J. McCarron struggles against their improved defense.  Sam Bradford found both Odell Beckham Jr. and Doug Baldwin fo r2nd half TD tosses as the Generals improve to 5-4 and send Birmingham under .500.  POTG:  Generals QB Sam Bradford: 19/28, 254 Yds, 2 TD, 0 Int   MEMPHIS 19   PHILADELPHIA 23 The Stars got the 2nd half of the season off to a solid start with their 2nd win of the year.  Stacy and Washington combined for 144 yards rushing and Matt Gutierrez found TE Cameron Brate for the game-winning touchdown as Philly built up a 23-10 lead and then hung on despite a 102-yard kik return from Memphis’s Antwaun Molden. POTG:  Stars DE Muhammed Wilkerson: 7 Tck, 2 Sck   DALLAS 13    LAS VEGAS 14 The Vipers remain perfect at home, edging the Roughnecks in a war of attrition at Wynn Arena.  LeGarrett Blount scored both Vegas touchdowns and rushed for 44 yards on only 7 carries to be the player of the game.  Dallas outgained the Vipers, but could not get the ball into the endzone when they got to the redzone, settling for 2 field goals. POTG:  Viper HB LeGarrett Blount: 7 Att, 44 Yds, 2 TD   SAN DIEGO 8   LOS ANGELES 16 Marshawn Lynch looked disinterested as his Thunder sleepwalked through a bad offensive performance.  Tim Tebow did not look great, but he got a third win for LA in 4 starts by allowing the run game of Shonn Greene and LaRon McClain to wear down a tired Thunder defense.  LA rushed for 138 and controlled the clock, with a 38-22 minute advantage.  Joe Webb struggled again for San Diego and Lynch rushed for only 34 yards on 15 carries.  Not exactly making the case for a high profile trade. POTG:  LA cornerback Tracy Porter: 4 Tck, 1 FF, 1 FR   HOUSTON 31   OAKLAND 16 The Gamblers, seeing New Orleans lose earlier, left nothing to chance, blowing the game open early and holding Oakland at arm’s length all game.  Matt Hasselbeck threw for all 4 Houston TDs, including two to TE Vernon Davis, while the Houston D picked off Joey Harrington twice and held Ryan Williams to only 52 yards rushing in a convincing victory.  Oakland has now lost 2 in a row, and fans might be worried that they are fading again, as they did in 2014. POTG:  Gambler QB Matt Hasselbeck: 12/16, 219 Yds, 4 TD, 0 Int Baltimore, Charlotte, and Arizona Streaking Just take a look at the USFL standings and it is easy to see who the hottest teams in the league are.  You have Baltimore now winners of 6 in a row, and both Arizona and Charlotte sitting on 5-game streaks.  Not surprisingly, all three of these teams now lead their divisions. The leads are slim, but each currently occupies first place.  Baltimore is in first thanks to tiebreakers in the NE Division as Pittsburgh, also at 7-2, has 3 less divisional games under their belts.  Charlotte has a 1-game lead on the Orlando Renegades, and would win the tiebreakers currently if that lead vanished.  Arizona has the biggest gap, 2 games over Texas, with Denver, Dallas, and Las Vegas all at 4-3, 3 games back.   Charlotte and Arizona are doing it with defense, sitting at 2nd and 1st in the league for fewest points allowed (Charlotte at 16 per game, Arizona at only 14.7).  Baltimore, on the other hand, is all about offense, leading the league at 34.2 points per game.  All three had some stumbles early, but have been unbeatable for the past month and then some.  So, which could face trouble first as we head into the final 7 weeks of the year?  Well, Charlotte will have a gut check as they face the 8-1 Houston Gamblers this week. The game is at home, but Houston will be a true test of the Monarchs’ defense.  Baltimore will have a big test in Week 11 when they host the Pittsburgh Maulers, a team that has also proven to be an offensive dynamo this year, but with a higher ranked defense as well.  Finally, Arizona has a big road challenge this week, heading to Michigan to take on the 7-2 Panthers.  All three are looking to prove themselves, though at this point with the win streaks they have had, they really have shown us plenty already.    Dallas, San Diego, and Birmingham Sliding On the opposite side of the coin we find the Roughnecks, Thunder, and Stallions.  Dallas has now lost 4 in a row after a very solid 4-1 start.  That includes three divisional losses (@ Texas, home to Denver, and at Las Vegas this week).  San Diego has also dropped 4 in a row and now sit at only 2-7, far from the divisional leaders we anticipated.  Their last 4 losses include 2 to the offensively-challenged Express.  Of course, sitting at 10.8 points per game and with their star halfback demanding a trade, the Thunder are far from adequate on offense either.  Finally, Birmingham, once 4-2, have now dropped 3 straight, though all 3 have been out of division.  They face San Diego at home this week and could hope to use that game to rebound before heading to New Orleans the next week.  For Dallas, a road game in Chicago could serve the same purpose, as they gear up for a challenging run which will have them play Arizona twice in 3 weeks, with Las Vegas sandwiched between them.   For all three teams, a bad run over the next few weeks will all but eliminate them from playoff contention.  So the time to improve and get some W’s is now.   Kyle Orton latest USFL QB Injured We mentioned Orton’s injury in our QB Chaos story, but right now the situation is very much in flux. The injury was listed in this week’s report as a pinched nerve. That typically is an injury that can sort itself out in just a week or so of treatment, so we could see Atlanta’s recently re-signed QB back in action in a Week 11 game at Charlotte.  Orton and the entire Atlanta offense has been struggling, averaging only 17 points per game, but unless Brad Gradkowski can show a lot more spark for the Fire’s offense this week against that tough Orlando front 3, we expect Orton to be back as soon as he is healthy. His contract is too pricey, and his prior success too recent (2014 playoff run) to expect Coach Ramsey to make a permanent change.   Chad Johnson to Miss a Month or Longer for Thunder Dick LeBeau and the San Diego Thunder are not having the season they anticipated, and now, in addition to Marshawn Lynch’s very vocal complaints, the offense will be without its best receiver as Chad Johnson will miss at least 2 weeks and possibly quite longer with a partially torn quad muscle.  Johnson, who had gone 4 seasons without a missed game, will be out as the Thunder head to Birmingham this week and will be out for the “Homecoming” game in Las Vegas in Week 11.  That leaves Nick Toon as the team’s top receiver, with Danny Amendola and Legedu Naanee as the other potential starters in the receiver group.  That feels like a big hit to us for the Thunder offense, which is already pretty anemic this season.  It will be a tough couple of weeks for Joe Webb, who is already hearing the calls from fans to bench him and test out either Kevin Kolb or Case Keenum as the new starter.    Five Players Who Could Be Dealt This Week There are three days left until the Week 10 trade deadline goes into effect.  Do we expect any last second trades? Well, history tells us that we should see some movement in the final days, but there is no way to know where, who, or what players.  As we look across the league, we certainly see some teams potentially willing to sell of players to acquire draft picks, usually teams that are just not in the race anymore.  We also see plenty of teams who are playoff contenders but may feel that they are missing a piece.  So, the situation is ripe for a deal if two teams can agree on a fair swap.  That is usually where the issue is.  As we looked across the league, we tried to identify players who may potentially be moving by the weekend.  We came up with 5 potential trade recipients.  Will they move, will they stay put. No way to know, but these are the 5 we think will garner last second attention.   HB Marshawn Lynch (SD) Lynch has asked to be traded, has made it clear he wants out, but has also struggled this year.  Many may feel he has hit the RB cliff at age 31. He has only 293 yards this year, averaging under 3 yards per game, so this may be a tough sell for a lot of teams.  That said, the price could be cheap, because Lynch is on the last year of his deal and will be leaving San Diego regardless, so the Thunder could be motivated to get something for him.   TE Dustin Keller (TBY) The arrival of Greg Olsen has largely limited Keller to run formations, which is not his strength.  If the Bandits can find a contender who wants to upgrade at TE, we could see Keller go.   WR Robert Woods (LA) Woods was seen as a prototype “possession receiver” coming out of USC, but he just has not done much with the Express.  He had 57 receptions last year, but is on pace for fewer than 50 this year, having largely been bumped out of the number 2 slot by rookie Nelson Aholor.  If a team feels they can better use his talents, we could see Woods moved, particularly to a club that may be down a receiver due to injury (looking at you Chicago and San Diego).   DE David Bowens (JAX) The 34-year old Bowens is part of a 3-man rotation with 2nd year player Barkevious Mingo and veteran Robert Ayers.  We could see Jacksonville opt to go with the two younger players and try to get good value for Bowens.  The same could be true for DT Brandon Bunkley (32), or for CB Charles Godfrey (30).   DE Tamba Hali (CHI) The Machine have been rotating Hali and Victor Abiami opposite of Jason Pierre-Paul, and while Hali has more sacks, Abiami is younger and is better against the run.  We could see Chicago holding a major “yard sale” of players over 30 if they truly are in the midst of an overhaul, which their 0-9 record should indicate that they are.   OUT CB          Nathan Vasher                 TEX        PCL Tear             IR G            Chris Kemoeatu              OAK      Wrist                     IR C             Nick Leckey                     PIT         Neck                     4-6 Weeks CB          Keenan Lewis                PIT         Wrist                     2-4 Weeks C             Zach Williams                  TBY        Arm                       2-4 Weeks QB         Kyle Orton                        ATL         Nerve                   1-2 Weeks DE          Mario Williams                MEM     Shoulder            1-2 Weeks DOUBTFUL LB           Alec Ogletree                   WSH     Collarbone OT          Tayo Fabuluje                   OHI       Illness TE           Dion Simms                      MGN     Neck HB         Knowshon Moreno         ORL       Groin   QUESTIONABLE C             Ethan Albright              NJ           Finger G            Robert Myers                BIR         Wrist WR         Brian Quick                     POR      Concussion WR         Larry Fitzgerald               ARZ       Foot TE           Brandon  Pettigrew        CHA      Knee DT          Dontari Po                    MEM     Migraines DE          Anthony Hargrove          PHI        Concussion First Half MVPs for Each Team We had our midseason review last week, but we wanted to go back one more time and talk about the players on each team who are providing hope, leading a resurgence, or guiding the team to playoff destiny.  Here is our evaluation of each team’s first half MVP.   ARIZONA: HB Frank Gore It has been a team effort in Glendale, but the one thing everyone has seen is that Frank Gore is in good form this  year, especially for a 34-year old back.  He is back over 4 yards per carry and is on pace for another 1,000-yard season, helping Arizona weather the rough seas of the SW Division and the loss of David Carr.   ATLANTA: LB Luke Kuechley Not a lot has gone right for Atlanta this year, but you cannot fault Kuechley, who has been having a career year.  He has a shot at his first 100-tackle season with the Fire, and is the undisputed leader of the defense.  Now, if the rest of the defenders could just play to his level, they might have something.   BALTIMORE: QB Ben Roethlisberger Over 3,000 yards, 26 TDs and a QB Rating above 140, yes, this one was an easy pick as Big Ben is not only the MVP for the Blitz but has a real shot at being MVP for the league.   BIRMINGHAM: QB Cam Newton Newton still catches a lot of flack from fans for his erratic play, but let’s be honest, without him, this club would have nothing going.  He had his QB Rating over 100 for the first time this year before his injury, and with a 12:3 TD:INT ratio he is well on his way to his best season ever, not to mention that his 209 yards rushing put him 2nd on the team behind rookie T. J. Yeldon.   CHARLOTTE: LB Rolando McClain With 77 tackles already, McClain is making a case for DPOTY and is a big reason the Monarchs have won 5 in a row.  He is all over the field and is proving effective on all 3 downs and in any situation.  If Charlotte make a deep run this year, McClain is sure to be one of the reasons why.   CHICAGO: LB Brian Urlacher There is so little that can be said for an 0-9 club.  What we can say is that while he is not the dominant force he once was, Brian Urlacher can still bring the hurt.  Currently 2nd in the league with 74 tackles, Urlacher is the one bright star in a pretty murky roster.   DALLAS: CB Brandon Carr The Dallas defense helped them to that strong 4-1 start, and while the past 4 games have been rough, the main issues seem to be on offense.  Carr has been solid in the defensive backfield, producing 3 picks and 14 pass defenses for a club that needs all the stops it can get on defense.   DENVER: WR Michael Crabtree Denver may not be a big play team, but Crabtree is the closest thing they have to a gamebreaker.  The wideout is only averaging 12 yards per catch, but with 85 targets and 50 catches for over 600 yards, he is the clear focal point for the Gold’s offense.   HOUSTON: QB Matt Hasselbeck No surprise here.  Hasselbeck is having a career year and putting up MVP numbers.  He has a legitimate shot at 50 TDs this season and has thrown scoring tosses to 8 different Gambler players.   JACKSONVILLE: MLB Sean Lee The Bulls’ biggest improvement from 2014 to 2015 has been on defense, where they are currently a pretty solid 16th in yards allowed this season.  The key to the new defense is free agent acquisition Sean Lee, who took over the MLB slot and is calling the defensive plays for coach Del Rio.   LAS VEGAS: HB LeGarrett Blount Blount may be trailing Montario Hardesty in carries (114 to 93) and yards (455 to 381), but the big guy’s value is seen on third down and at the endzone.  Blount leads the team with 5 rushing touchdowns and has been all but unstoppable on 3rd and 2 or less.  He has 11 converted third downs in 13 tries.  That is about the best stat any Viper player has this year.   LOS ANGELES: LB Clay Matthews Another club with a decent defense and a just horrible offense.  LA is 8th in points allowed and 2nd in yards per game.  The key, as with so many clubs, is their defensive captain and MLB.  In that role Clay Matthews has held together this defense even as he watches the offense flounder week in and week out.   MEMPHIS: FS Calvin Pryor Memphis’s improved defense includes a more aggressive focus on takeaways and no one has been more successful in forcing turnovers than Pryor.  He is a league leader with 5 picks so far this year, but also has 2 forced fumbles as he works to dispossess receivers of the ball.  He could be the lone All-USFL selection for the Showboats this year.   MICHIGAN: HB LeVeon Bell As good as the Panther D has been this year, we cannot look past the league leading rusher, LeVeon Bell as the MVP for Michigan. He is on pace for 1,500 yards or more, leads the league in carries, and is helping keep pressure off of QB Kirk Cousins.  His ability to keep drives going has helped keep the defense rested and shortened games.   NEW JERSEY: LB Rey Maualaga He leads the team with 66 tackles and has proven to be effective as a blitzer as well, with 5 sacks this season.  He is about as good a run stuffing OLB as you will find, and is helping the Generals stay in the hunt with his passion for the game.   NEW ORLEANS: WR Kenny Britt Yes, Early Doucet is still the number one receiver, with more catches and yards, but Kenny Britt has become the big play receiver, forcing teams to juggle their coverages and allowing Doucet to get more single coverage looks. Britt is averaging 18.9 yards per catch and has 6 receiving TDs to lead the team.  His presence opens up the field for Doucet, Fleener, and Donnie Avery.   OAKLAND: DE Cliff Avril The Invaders are atop the Pacific Division because of their Top 5 scoring defense, and Cliff Avril’s dual role as a pass rusher and a run stopper is a big reason why. In combo with Justin Smith, Avril’s 11 sacks have made Oakland one of the toughest teams to go deep on.    OHIO: WR Steve Smith No doubt in our mind that Smith is both the best player on the Glory roster but also the spiritual leader of the team, encouraging younger players, getting in the face of those who are not pulling their weight.  He is coaching as much as he is playing with this up and down squad.   ORLANDO: DE Calais Campbell While the Renegades would love to see more potential candidates here, they cannot be upset at Campbell for being utterly dominant.  He has 17 sacks in 9 games and is also leading the team in tackles, unheard of for an edge rusher.   PHILADELPHIA: WR Stevie Johnson In a bad year, you look for the player who is giving it his all each week, and on the stars that player is WR Stevie Johnson. His numbers are not astounding, 42 catches for 517 yards, but his effort is on display.  Yes, he is a bit of a diva and a loudmouth, but he is backing it up each game.   PITTSBURGH: QB Andy Dalton If we had a category for Most Improved player, Dalton would be running away with it this year.  He is on pace to crush his personal bests in yards, touchdowns, and rating, and could well be the league MVP if Pittsburgh can stay hot.   PORTLAND: LB Nico Johnson The Stags are over .500 and it is largely due to their defense.  We honestly could have picked any of the 3 staring linebackers as their stats are so close.  We chose Johnson over Crowder because last year it seemed like Crowder, the 2014 tackle leader, was all on his own, but Johnson has picked it up this year, as has Kiko Alonso, creating a much more dynamic LB group for the Stags.   SAN DIEGO: SS Coy Wire The veteran safety is only 1 tackle behind LB A. J. Hawk for the team lead, has 3 picks, and continues to be one of the best at his position.  This year is not going as fans of the Thunder expected, sitting at 2-7, but Wire is about as solid a player as they have right now.   SEATTLE: WR Mike Wallace Nate Burleson has more catches, but for yards and scores this year has been about Mike Wallace.  His emergence after a couple of pretty nondescript seasons, is one of the reasons the Dragons are making a run at the Pacific Division and why their passing game is helping them compete every week.   ST. LOUIS: LB Aldon Smith The 8th ranked defense (yardage) of the Skyhawks is largely the product of Aldon Smith’s intensity.  He leads the team with 66 tackles, but also leads them in sacks with 7.  Throw in his hitting, his pressures on backs and the QB, and Smith is proving himself to be a disruptive force for St. Louis.   TAMPA BAY: FS Antrell Rolle The Bandit D has been bad this year, a huge step back from a solid 2014, but don’t put that on Rolle.  His 5 picks is tied for the league lead, and he also has been active in the run defense with 33 tackles.    TEXAS: WR Marques Colston As much as folks like to praise Joe Flacco, we have to give the highlight to Colston this year.  He is on pace for 1,500 yards or more and is nearly uncoverable unless you throw 3 guys on him.   WASHINGTON: TE Kellen Davis Second on the team in catches and leading them in receiving TDs, the big TE has become David Garrard’s escape hatch, his security blanket, his go-to.  With issues on the O-line, Garrard is often dodging defenders and when that starts happening it is Davis he looks to for help.   Ohio Governor John Kasick Moves Ahead with Canton Plans It appears that the Eastern Ohio Recovery Plan (EORP) may well have some momentum in the Ohio State plan, and with that, so too are plans for a new stadium in Canton, Ohio, seen as a possible home for the Ohio Glory.  Governor Kasich’s ambitious plan to develop communities in Eastern Ohio, including Akron, Canton, Youngstown, and Massillon among others, calls for major infrastructure spending in the economically depressed corridor that runs from outer Cleveland exurbs down I-77 to the border with West Virginia.  Financed largely through increased hotel, gasoline, and restaurant taxes across the state, the EORP still faces some tough hurdles, but early word is that it may have the votes it needs, and particularly the support of enough of the region’s representatives, to move to the state senate.    The plan, in addition to some targeted road, bridge, and airport upgrades, also calls for creation of 3 large “economic growth zones”, one of which includes Canton, home to the  Pro Football Hall of Fame, and calls for additional funding, through a combination of bonds and statewide allocations, to create a 53,000 seat stadium in Canton.  The state would fund construction of the facility, but as part of the larger plan, two state universities would be required to relocate their football programs to the location in 2018, Kent State and Youngstown State.  Efforts would also be made to have both the Ohio Glory and The University of Akron also sign on as tenants.    Ownership of the Glory have welcomed the possibility of a new “right-sized” facility, despite the fact that it would mean leaving their current Columbus hub and moving closer to competing markets in Cleveland (NFL) and Pittsburgh (NFL and USFL).  The Glory have long struggled with their status as a 2nd tier tenant at Ohio Stadium, a stadium with a capacity of over 102,000, which makes even well-attended Glory games seam half empty.  A series of deals between the Glory, the state, and the Ohio State University, have improved the revenue stream over the past 2 decades, but Ohio still remains one of the lower end generators of game day revenue in the league, largely due to a lack of control over parking, concessions and luxury suite revenue.  The new stadium in Canton, were it constructed as proposed, would give the Glory a far more significant role as the lone professional franchise to utilize the stadium, and exclusive use of the stadium, as the  prime tenant, between March and July, without the Ohio State spring practices and July camps impinging on their use of the facility.    It was a proposal that seemed a pipe dream when announced by Governor Kasich during his reelection campaign, but as we have progressed into his second term, there is growing momentum to “rescue” eastern Ohio from its Rust Belt past and current decay, to enliven the region with new spending, construction, economic zones, and quite possibly its own USFL football team as a rallying point.    Adidas Reveals Retro Look for Ohio Glory We stay with the Ohio Glory for our final story, as Adidas this week presented the designs for the 2016 Glory uniforms and branding.  This is the third of 4 anticipated updates, with Charlotte and Denver having revealed their looks earlier this season.  As with the other two designs, the Ohio look does not deviate much from the historical designs of the club with Reebok and Nike.  In fact, you might even call the 2016 look a throwback to their earliest designs.  The look features the same flag blue helmet with the screaming eagle logo we have seen since its redesign several years back.  The same design appears on the sleeves of both jerseys, while the secondary logo (state outline with banner) appears on the hip of the two pant sets (blue and white).  The new jerseys are significantly simplified, with the blue jersey having white numerals with no outline, and thick red, white, red striping at the cuff, a look very reminiscent of the New York Giants in many ways.  The white jersey uses the same pattern on blue sleeves, with blue numbers also without an outline.  This new simplified look is repeated on the pants where thick vertical stripes run up ¾ of the thigh before cutting at an angle to reveal the secondary logo on each hip.  The socks will be a simple red block or blue block with no additional striping.  A very toned-down, minimalist look for the Glory, but one which also evokes their early days and their championship seasons from 2002-2003.  Week 10 features another diminished slate of divisional games, only 4 once again, but there are still some very good matchups to tune in for.  We are particularly intrigued by two matchups of Pacific clubs headed to the Southern Division for inter-conference play.  5-4 Portland will be in New Orleans, where the Breakers are hoping to bounce back after a bit of a stinker in Orlando.  Oakland, losers of 2 in a row, head to Memphis, hoping to right themselves against the Showboats. Both of those games are early on Saturday.   Later that same day, we have Denver at Las Vegas in a key game for both 4-5 clubs as they try to reach .500. The Saturday nightcap on ESPN/EFN is a good one as well, with Arizona headed to Michigan. The Wranglers have won 6 in a row, but heading into Ford Field will be a tough 7th win.   On Sunday we start off with Houston visiting Charlotte in a national game on ABC. We also have an interesting regional coverage game on Fox as 6-3 St. Louis heads to 5-4 New Jersey with Ricky Stanzi still subbing for the injured Josh Freeman.  The later games include LA at Seattle in a Pacific Division clash, and Orlando headed to Atlanta in a SE Division game to finish off the weekend.   Friday @ 8pm ET               San Diego (2-7) @ Birmingham (4-5)       NBC   Saturday @ 12pm ET            Oakland (6-3) @ Memphis (4-5)                ABC Saturday @ 12pm ET            Portland (5-4) @ New Orleans (7-2)         FOX Saturday @ 4pm ET              Baltimore (7-2) @ Ohio (3-6)                     ABC Saturday @ 4pm ET               Denver (4-5) @ Las Vegas (4-5)                FOX       Saturday @ 7pm ET              Philadelphia (2-7) @ Pittsburgh (7-2)       NBC Saturday @ 9pm ET             Arizona (7-2) @ Michigan ( 7-2)               ESPN/EFN   Sunday @ 12pm ET               Houston (8-1) @ Charlotte (6-3)              ABC Sunday @ 12pm ET                Washington (3-6) @ Jacksonville (2-7)     FOX Regional Sunday @ 12pm ET                St. Louis (6-3) @ New Jersey (5-4)            FOX Regional Sunday @ 4pm ET                    Dallas (4-5) @ Chicago (0-9)                 ABC Regional Sunday @ 4pm ET                    Los Angeles (3-6) @ Seattle (5-4)            ABC Regional Sunday @ 4pm ET                  Tampa Bay (2-7) @ Texas (5-4)                   FOX Sunday @ 8pm ET                    Orlando (5-4) @ Atlanta (3-6)              ESPN/EFN

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Week 8's award goes out to one of the breakout players of the year, Pittsburgh QB Andy Dalton. Dalton's 3-TD, 346-yard game helped the Maulers finish the first half of the year with a share of first place in the NE Division and a stellar 6-2 record. He also finishes the first half as a Top 5 passer in our midseason rankings.