Heartbreak for the Texas Outlaws, Jubilation for the Baltimore Blitz as a once-in-a-lifetime play gives Baltimore a stunning victory in Summer Bowl 2014, when all onlookers anticipated overtime. With only 9 seconds left to play, Baltimore eschewed the kneel down to head to overtime and called a play fake that should have been easy to defend had Texas believed at all that Ben Roethlisberger would put the ball in the air. They didn’t, he did, and history was made.   In a matchup that largely lived up to the hype of the past week, Summer Bowl 2014 saw two teams with outstanding offensive game plans battle back and forth until the final seconds.  Both quarterbacks played well, but it was yet another 400-yard day from Ben Roethlisberger that won him the Playoff MVP to go along with his win as the MVP of the season, and brought the Blitz the first title in franchise history. Roethlisberger would complete 18 of 25 passes, averaging 17.4 yards per completion in a display of vertical passing that netted him 435 yards and 3 touchdowns, including the stunning game winner. Joe Flacco also had a strong day, throwing for 293 yards, and got help from his run game as NFL import Chris Johnson rushed for 91 yards and a 5.1 YPC average. The game saw three receivers top the 100-yard mark:  Marques Colston for Texas (119), Javon Walker (123) and Darrius Heyward-Bey (145) for Baltimore. In a game with no interceptions thrown and only 1 fumble per team, it was all about the offense, and, in a bit of a cliché, about who had the ball last.   Big plays were the key for Baltimore all game long, beginning in the first quarter when they scored on a 76-yard completion on their opening possession. Texas had gone 3-and-out to open the game, and Baltimore responded with a drive that only lasted 4 plays.  After taking the punt at their own 15, the Blitz garnered a first down on a pair of running plays, one each to Dixon and Cedric Benson. The third attempted run cost Baltimore a key weapon in the game, as on his very next carry Anthony Dixon went down with an ankle injury that would keep him out of the rest of the game and force Baltimore to go with Benson as their primary back. On a 2nd and 9, the Blitz rolled the dice, faking the ball to Benson and Big Ben found Walker in single coverage. The slot receiver, who is rumored to be seeking a free agent deal this fall, took in the arcing Roethlisberger pass and raced down the sideline for the first points of the game. The deep ball proved to be the first of several important big plays for the Blitz passing game.   Texas would recover, though it took 2 more drives before they added points to the scoreboard. Early in the second an Outlaw drive that had seen Chris Johnson bust a 23-yard run, fizzled in Baltimore territory, forcing the Outlaws to settle for a 31-yarder from Kai Forbath to get on the board at 7-3. Baltimore got the ball back and looked in rhythm as they drove down to the Texas 27, but on a basic off-tackle run, Benson fumbled when hit by Texas LB Vontae Burfict, and when Clyde Adams recovered the ball, the Outlaws had momentum and a chance to take the lead.    Texas would march the ball into Baltimore territory, mixing effective off-tackle runs by Johnson with short to medium passes by Flacco, including a beauty of a catch on a low ball by Brandon Marshall. Just outside the red zone, Coach Landry called a double move to Colston, who had been staying short on most of his routes. The misdirection worked and Flacco found Colston in the corner of the endzone for 7, putting the Outlaws up for the first time.    The lead would not hold as Baltimore was able to equalize the score with a late Nick Folk kick from 57-yards out, a boomer for the veteran and his longest kick of the year, thanks in part to the artificial turf and controlled environment of the Georgia Dome. The two teams would head into the locker rooms feeling pretty good about the first half. Both had proven able to move the ball, and aside from the one Benson fumble, the game had been a clean one for both teams.   With the clubs in the locker room, the fans at the Dome got to enjoy a halftime show headlined by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. The teams came out fired up to keep the ball rolling in the second half, and Texas wasted no time reasserting that they were a 1 seed for a reason, connecting on another nice pass from Flacco to Colston to go up 17-10. It was a play-action made possible by the solid running of Johnson throughout the first half.  The safeties bit on the run fake and that small hesitation was all that Colston needed to get behind the defense. Flacco had a good pocket and put up a high arcing ball that came down just as Colston crossed the end zone. The lanky receiver brought the ball down in stride, dragged his toes, and fell out of bounds with another score.   Baltimore would take barely 3 minutes to respond, with Big Ben creating chunk plays, with long gainers to both Brian Hartline and Antonio Gates. Within 7 plays Baltimore had evened the score when a defensive PI called on SS Terrance Holt gave Baltimore the ball on the 1. Benson, who was not finding much room in the open field, had more success in the big formation and goal line offense, rumbling behind the left guard to take it in for 6.  All tied up with 9:44 left in the 3rd quarter.   Texas and Baltimore both traded 3-and-outs after that drive, both hindered by holding calls on the O-line. And on Texas’s next possession, the turnover count was evened as this time it was Baltimore’s Dre Moore forcing a fumble as Felix Jones coughed the ball up trying to stretch on a 3rd and 3 play. The ball popped from his hands and Moore was able to fall on it, getting credit for both the forced fumble and the recovery. Baltimore would turn that takeaway into 3 points on a Nick Folk field goal and the third quarter ended with the score Baltimore 20, Texas 17. But everyone watching knew this game was not over.   In a fourth quarter that saw 24 combined points scored, both teams largely abandoned the run and looked for mismatches in 3, and occasionally, 4-receiver sets.  Texas struck first, with Flacco finding Marshall on a 41-yard that initially looked like a touchdown, but was ruled out of bounds on the 2 after review showed the receiver’s foot touch the sideline before his final lunge into the end zone. It would take the Outlaws only 2 inside runs to first halve the distance and then punch it in, with Terrance West doing the honors. Texas now led 24-20 with just over 8 minutes to play.  Baltimore, not to be outdone, answered with a 9-play drive that saw Darrius Heyward-Bey catch his 5th ball of the day and his first score. It was a short, 3-yard inside move that got him open and Roethlisberger threw a low ball that only his receiver could get.  DHB made the catch, rolling along the turf, and held the ball up to prove it was in his control. The referee verified the catch on instant replay and Baltimore moved out in front once again, 27-24. With 4:31 left, Texas would have a chance to win the game, or at the very least kick a field goal to send this game to overtime.    The ensuing Texas drive was a bit erratic, with Baltimore turning up the heat against Flacco, hoping to either force a mistake or a missed 3rd down. They would get neither. The Outlaws wanted 7, but when their drive bogged down at the 20 yard line, a last attempt at a touchdown went out of the end zone without finding a receiver. With 17 seconds left, Kai Forbath came out to tie the game and send it to overtime, or at least that was the idea.    Forbath’s kick was good, the game was tied at 27 and everyone, from the announces, to the fans in the Dome, to the beer and peanut venders all expected a couple of kneel downs from the Blitz and a coin toss for overtime possessions. What they got instead was a play that will live in either glory or infamy, depending on who you are dealing with. For Blitz fans this play will forever be the one that finally won them a title, but for Outlaw fans it was an inexcusable lack of focus that cost them a chance at their first title as a franchise. The play was simple, Baltimore lined up with 2 receivers, 2 tight ends, and Cedric Benson in the backfield, a pretty standard inside run formation. It was clear that Roethlisberger was not going to take a knee, but would hand off to Benson. At least that was the expectation.  When Big Ben did not hand the ball off, but faked it and then proceeded to drop another 3 yards back in the pocket, Texas was stunned. Their safeties had crept too close to the line to recover, cornerback Nathan Vasher was fast, but Heyward-Bey was faster and soon had a step on his lone defender.  The Outlaws had not put in a shell or prevent defense, they had so assumed the game would end on a kneel down, that they were caught in man coverage.    Roethlisberger’s pass down the sideline was perfect, a long arcing ball that dropped right into DHB’s hands at full speed. He pulled away from Vasher, the Texas fans in the stadium screamed in disbelief, the Baltimore fans in sheer joy. As Heyward-Bey crossed the end zone, he raised his hands in the air, dropped the ball and then dropped to his knees in sheer celebration. It would take nearly 6 seconds for any other Blitz players to reach him in the end zone, but when they did the celebration was on. The referees and Baltimore coaches had to clear the field for kicker Nick Folk to deliver the extra point to make the final score 34-27.  Folk would then kick the ball, squibbing it to a Texas up receiver, who tried to lateral it only to have the ball roll out of bounds. The game was over and the Baltimore Blitz had stunned everyone with one of the most memorable plays in USFL history.   Ben Roethlisberger would be named game MVP. He and coach Caldwell would receive the John Bassett trophy from the Commissioner, holding it aloft before passing it around to the team. Fans in the dome stayed to celebrate with them, at least the Baltimore ones. It was the kind of game that none of them wanted to end. No one wanted to go back to their cars, hotels, or homes.  It was an amazing game between two very worthy adversaries, both of whom played a very solid, well-planned game, and both of whom had their magic moments, but the sheer spectacle of the game’s final play from scrimmage is what will be remembered in the annals of the USFL, perhaps the greatest single play in Summer Bowl history.

We will have a first time USFL Champion.  That is the result when you have two first time franchises battling it out in the Summer Bowl, and that is what we will have after the Baltimore Blitz and Texas Outlaws earned a chance to play for the title in this week’s Conference Title Games.  While technically this will be the Blitz’s 2nd trip to the Summer Bowl, it will be the first for the city of Baltimore, as the Blitz appeared in a title game in 1986 when they represented Chicago. Either way, the league champion will be a new one as Texas has never appeared in a Summer Bowl game.  The Outlaws got there by outpacing a very game Michigan squad, while Baltimore needed to turn to defense as the Atlanta Fire did as much as anyone has in recent weeks to slow down Ben Roethlisberger and the Blitz offense.  We will recap how both teams got to Summer Bowl 2014, preview the Game of the Summer, and update you on all the league news, including a very difficult decision from one USFL star to call it a career.  All right here, so don’t go anywhere. ATLANTA FIRE 17    BALTIMORE BLITZ  20 The Blitz will be making their first Summer Bowl appearance since moving from Chicago to Baltimore in 1987 after knocking off the Atlanta Fire in front of a very excited 55,672 at M&T Bank Stadium this Sunday. In a tightly contested game between the 4 and 6 seeds, Baltimore built up a 10 point lead in the 4th quarter and survived a late surge from the Fire to lock up the Eastern Conference title, their first ever, and send themselves to Atlanta, home to Summer Bowl 2014.   The Fire were hoping to represent the East in their home stadium next week, but fell just short as Baltimore got two 4th quarter scores to break a 10-10 tie and win their first conference title.  The Fire did all they could to disrupt the Blitz’s dynamic offense, succeeding in causing some errors as Ben Roethlisberger uncharacteristically threw 3 picks in the game, but in the end, they could not generate enough offense to overtake the Blitz.   The game began with both defenses proving tough to crack.  After a scoreless first quarter that saw Roethlisberger throw his first pick in 3 weeks, Atlanta finally found their way onto the scoreboard, with Kyle Orton connecting with veteran Jake Reed for a 23-yard touchdown. Baltimore responded with a field goal drive, their first foray into Atlanta territory in the game, but as the 2nd quarter ran down, Atlanta boosted their lead with their own 3-pointer in the final seconds to take a 10-7 lead into the break and keep the Baltimore fans a bit nervous through the halftime festivities.   The Third quarter saw Baltimore equalize the scoreboard as a very patient 15-play drive led to a 1-yard Anthony Dixon run for the Blitz’s first touchdown of the day.  The Blitz survived an earlier pick by Atlanta’s Luke Kuechley, who would finish the game with 2 takeaways in an impressive outing.  Now the Blitz were tied, and as the quarter ended, they were driving again.  With the teams switching sides as the 4th began, Baltimore had driven inside the Atlanta 30, and just 1 minute into the final period, Big Ben found his breakout star, Darrius Heyward-Bey on a 14-yard corner route to take their first lead of the game.   Atlanta could not immediately respond, and when Baltimore added a 32-yard Nick Folk field goal on the next drive, the fans at M&T Bank Stadium started to celebrate a 10-point lead and a possible trip to the Summer Bowl.  Atlanta would  not go away quietly, however, and on their next drive they found the endzone as Orton connected on a slant route to slot receiver Ted Ginn Jr.  Down only 3, but with just 1:38 left to play, the Fire tried an onside kick.  Baltimore recovered, but with Atlanta still holding all 3 time outs, they needed to secure a first down to ensure the win.    Failing to gain more than 4 total yards on the first two downs, Coach Caldwell took a chance on 3rd and 6 from his own 44.  He called a pass play.  It was a logical call to get that first down, but it was a risky one too, and the risk came to fruition as Luke Kuechley found himself in the path of a ball headed over the middle. He lept up, tipped the ball and caught it, falling to the ground at the 50 and giving Atlanta a chance to get a game-tying field goal.  Well, that was the plan at least.  The problem was that they were still a solid 15 yards away from John Bounds’s realistic range.  They would need to gain those yards quickly, as there were only 37 seconds left to play.   Forced to go to the air, Orton missed on the first down throw, then made a bad throw on 2nd down, forcing the ball into double coverage in an attempt to find Josh Reed. Baltimore was ready for it as the team’s top ballhawk, CB Nnambi Asomugha had safety support and was able to undercut the pass, bringing down Orton’s only pick of the day and allowing Baltimore fans to celebrate at last.  The Blitz had held on, they were going to the Summer Bowl, and Baltimore had a reason to party. MICHIGAN PANTHERS 27   TEXAS OUTLAWS 38 The question of who would face the upstart Blitz in the Summer Bowl was answered somewhat emphatically in the other Conference Title Game as Texas built up a 31-7 lead over 3 quarters and then coasted home to finish with a comfortable 11-point win over the Michigan Panthers.  It was the Joe Flacco show in San Antonio as the Texas QB completed 14 of 19 passing for 240 yards, not huge numbers, but when 4 of those completions net 6 points apiece, that is a good day.  Flacco found Brandon Marshall twice for scores and added one each for Marques Colston (the game’s only 100-yard receiver) and TE Bo Scaife.  It was too much for Michigan to defend as they simply could not get their feet under themselves until they were forced to chase a large Texas lead.   The game began with a 10-play Texas drive that concluded with Marques Colston hauling in an 11-yard toss in traffic to put Texas up 7-0. Michigan responded with a long drive of their own, 13 plays and a Mike Hart 4-yard TD run, but that is the last they would see the endzone until the 4th quarter.  In the meantime, Texas continued to demonstrate their offensive diversity, using Chris Johnson runs and a mix of play action and 3-wide passing to disrupt the Panther zone schemes.  In the 2nd quarter a field goal and a TD toss of 26 yards to Brandon Marshall gave the homestanding Outlaws a 17-7 halftime advantage.   That advantage burgeoned to 31-7 thanks to back-to-back TD tosses from Flacco to Scaife and Marshall.  With 5 minutes left in the 3rd, Michigan found itself down 24 points, unable to utilize LeVeon Bell as a weapon and forced to throw, throw, throw.  The Panthers would add a field goal to end the 3rd, and then another to open the 4th, but three-points each drive would not be enough. When Texas added a goalline QB sneak for Flacco’s 5th TD of the day, the lead was 25 and the fans in the Alamodome started to celebrate their team’s first ever trip to a Summer Bowl.  Michigan would add two late touchdowns to make the score a bit more respectable, but Texas never lost composure. They had this game won and they knew it, forcing Michigan to use up the clock on every drive.   The Outlaws celebrated in the dome as green and blue confetti rained down on them.  The Outlaws, after nearly 30 years, would be participating in their first Summer Bowl.  It would be Flacco vs. Roethlisberger in Atlanta for the USFL title, a game that provides all sort of firsts and all kinds of energy as two long-suffering fanbases gear up for a party in the Georgia heat of August.   Big Ben Wins MVP and Wants More Last Night at the USFL’s Award Gala, Ben Roethlisberger was named MVP for the USFL’s 2014 season, but does not seem satisfied with the individual accolades.  Big Ben was unable to attend the event live as he and the Blitz prepare for the Summer Bowl, but when interviewed this morning, he thanked the reporters and coaches who voted, but wanted to focus on his team and their goal to be the league champion.  The numbers for Roethlisberger were undeniable.  First in the league in yards passing, passing TDs and QB Rating, his 36:9 TD:INT ratio was the best of his career, as was his 118.5 QB Rating.  He was quick to thank his coaches and his teammates, but he remained focused on team success, not individual success, exactly what you would want from an MVP and from a QB prepping to take a team to their first Summer Bowl together.   Flacco Completes 14 Pass, but 4 are for Scores That is the number that amazes us about this past week’s Western Conference Final.  Kudos to the Michigan defense for limiting Texas to only 19 pass attempts, but when 4 of 14 completions are scores, there is a problem, and certainly the Panthers saw the problem clearly as they fell behind by 24 points and then 25 as Texas just kept putting points on the board.  It may not have been the biggest day for Joe Flacco as a passer, since he has had more than his fair share of 300-yard, and even 400-yard games in his 7-year career in San Antonio, but it is certainly a game he will cherish as he led the Outlaws to the franchise’s first ever Summer Bowl appearance only a month after an injury threatened to end his season.  So now he has a chance to do what no Texas Outlaw QB has ever done, raise high the John Bassett trophy. It will not be easy. Baltimore is a very dangerous foe and is actually favored in the title game despite being a 4-seed, but Joe Flacco is in the mix, in the game, and ready to take on the challenge.   Panthers & Fire Proud of Strong Seasons Losing a playoff game is never easy, and losing in the Conference Championship, when you are so close to the title game is even tougher.  It can be hard to look at the season positively when you find yourself on the losing end of the scoreboard, but in the case of both Atlanta and Michigan there is a lot to be proud of in the 2014 seaosn and a lot to look forward to in 2015.   Michigan came into the season after back-to-back 6-10 years with a lot to prove.  They started the year at 1-4 and for many the expectation was that another 10-loss season was well on its way, but the young core of the Panther squad turned things around, winning 9 of their final 12 games to not only qualify for the playoffs but to win the Central Division.  They finished the year with a Top 5 defense and an offense that could be dangerous when they were in synch.  They have young players at both QB and HB and they have some developing stars on the defensive side, including NFL import Justin Tuck, 3rd year CB Dre Kirkpatrick, and 2nd year LB Sean Porter.  This is a team that is on the front end of a playoff and championship window, not the tail end.  Lots to be excited about here. As for Atlanta, they qualified for the postseason as the 6 seed, their third consecutive trip to the postseason. It may not be the position they wanted, but they did the most with it, winning two tough road games against two division champions to reach the Eastern Finals.  They finished the year in the Top 10 in scoring, scoring defense and yards allowed.  That is a solid team.  Kyle Orton, despite missing 4 games, still finished the year with a QB Rating of 88.4 and a 7:4 TD:Int Rating, one of the best years he has had.  The run game also improved significantly, with Steven Jackson missing a 1,000 yard season by only 41 yards.  Demaryius Thomas developed as a potential true number one receiver, taking over for Josh Reed with more receptions(93-86) and was complemented by Matt Jones and Ted Ginn in the slot.  This is a team that could step up beyond a 6 seed in 2015.   So, chin up Fire and Panther fans.  You are still on the upside, with potential to do more next year than the impressive steps you took this year.  Not a lot of teams can say that.   Culpepper Makes Tough Announcement Bandit fans feared this day, and the rest of us wondered if it would come now or not.  But it is now official, after 15 years in the USFL, all of them in Tampa Bay, QB Daunte Culpepper has announced his retirement from the game.  The injury this year to his MCL may have been the straw that broke the QB’s back, but it is a decision which Culpepper acknowledges that he began the season contemplating.    The former UCF star spent his entire career in central Florida, and will retire with over 36,900 yards passing, 259 touchdowns and a lifetime QB Rating of 93.1.  For a team that has always prided itself on its QB play, from John Reaves through Troy Aikman and on to Culpepper, Daunte has been a stable force for the Bandits and a great member of the Tampa Bay community.  He leaves the game with 1 title under his belt (the 2011 championship) and 4 All-USFL designations.    So now the question is how Tampa Bay will bounce back from Culpepper’s departure.  Ryan Lindley played solidly to help the Bandits win in Week 16, but did not fare well in their lone playoff game.  The obvious possibility is that the Bandits will go hard to sign FSU quarterback Jameis Winston, a draftee with a lot of similarity in style of play and physical attributes to Culpepper.  Most in Tampa seem to believe this is the primary, if not the only, direction the Bandits should look.  Others think that a deal could be made to bring a veteran QB to the team, with some looking at LA’s Mark Sanchez, or potential free agent Chris Weinke.  There are options, but for the moment, the Bandits are a team without a clear number one in the most important position in the game.   Only one new injury to report as Texas will likely be without LB Jonathan Moulton after the backer suffered an ankle injury in the Western Final.  That may be good news for Anthony Dixon in particular, as Moulton is most frequently used as a run-stuffer more than a blitzer or cover guy.  Other than that injury, both teams are in pretty good shape, with Adam Archuleta again expected to play, despite appearing on the injury list.   BAL: G Andy Alleman (IR), QB Vince Young (IR), G Scott Tercero (Q), SS Adam Archuleta (P) TEX: DE Reynaldo Wynn (D), G Kyle Long (D), LB Jonathan Moulton (Q)   Pep Hamilton a Hot Commodity in HC Circles No surprise that the offensive coordinator of the best offense in the USFL is getting a lot of attention and a lot of buzz for a possible head coaching job.  But while teams watch and wait, Pep Hamilton of the Baltimore Blitz is focused on preparing his club for the game of their lives in Summer Bowl 2014.  Hamilton will have his time in the sun after the game, especially if the Blitz can outlast the Texas Outlaws and take home their first title as league champions.   Hamilton will certainly get calls from across the USFL.  He likely will have his pick of positions, from rebuilding a down and out Jacksonville squad, to returning a once-proud franchise like Birmingham to glory.  He could even get a shot at defining a team that has not really created an identity for itself, the Portland Stags.  The choice likely will be his.  For an offensive mind like Hamilton’s, the choice may well come down to QB options.    If Hamilton goes to Birmingham he has a locked in starter, and one with dual threat capacity, in Cam Newton.  If he heads to Portland, the odds are that he will be dealing with a rookie as the Stags are full in on the quest to land Oregon senior Marcus Mariota.  And in Jacksonville, well, we are not sure what awaits the new Bulls coach.  Will 2014 starter Tim Tebow still be there?  Will the new coach get a say in whether or not the Bulls try to jettison the erratic QB in favor of another option, and who would that option be.  Hamilton, were he to go to the Bulls, perhaps Hamilton would get to pick his preferred option among those available.  But perhaps there is just too much uncertainty for him in the Bulls’ organization.   For now the focus for Coach Hamilton and the Blitz is Summer Bowl 2014, but as soon as that whistle sounds, the phone will start ringing and this coach will have choices before him.  That is guaranteed.   Baltimore Blitz Claim 3 of 5 League Awards We mentioned Ben Roethlisberger ’s honor as league MVP already, but that was just the tip of the iceberg for the Blitz, who also picked up two more major awards, Offensive Player of the Year and Coach of the Year, for their surprise run to 12-4 and now to a Summer Bowl appearance.   Roethlisberger was not a unanimous pick, with Daunte Culpepper and Jake Plummer also getting first-place votes, but he was a runaway winner with 40 of 45 potential first place votes cast his way.  His teammate, wideout Darrius Heyward-Bey won his award, Offensive Player of the Year, by a tighter margin, with significant votes going to Houston rookie HB Carlos Hyde and to 100-reception, 15-TD receiver Early Doucet of the Breakers.    The third Baltimore award was a landslide, with Jim Caldwell , the first-year coach of the Blitz getting all 45 votes for the honor.  We need to remember that Baltimore had finished 8-8 last two seasons, and had looked very much like a team that was headed the wrong way, particularly in the passing game as veteran Tory Holt retired last year and essentially was not replaced.  The run game was also viewed with suspicion as Caldwell opted to stick with an undervalued Anthony Dixon as his lead back.  Caldwell came in with an updated passing game and a new OC in Pep Hamilton, and trusted in the players he had on the squad.  Baltimore added only backup and role players like  slot receive Roscoe Parrish and backup QB Vince Young (who would be lost to the season to injury), and Caldwell rolled the dice with his roster.  The result was the top ranked offense in yardage (406.6 yards per game) and the second highest in scoring at 28 points per game, just slightly behind 1st place Texas, the Blitz’s foe in this week’s Summer Bowl.   That was a result that impressed the voters and gave  Caldwell a trophy in his first year in Baltimore.   Baltimore’s award success left only 2 trophies left to award. The first, Rookie of the Year, was a pretty obvious choice.  Houston HB Carlos Hyde led the league in rushing and came in second in the voting for OPOTY, so choosing him as the year’s best rookie was a bit of a slam dunk.  The award for Defensive Player of the Year is perhaps the one where we will see some controversy, especially for Orlando Renegade fans who cannot believe that a 33-sack season was not enough for Calais Campbell to win the award for a third time.  The vote was close, but the voters looked at team record as well and could not give the award to Campbell’s 8-8 Orlando squad, despite his huge sack total.  They voted instead (by a 24-21 margin) for a member of the 13-3 Philadelphia Stars.  We say that like they could have picked anyone, but the season put up by Philly’s Terrell Suggs was a thing of pure beauty.  Not only did he lead the Stars with 93 tackles, but he finished 2nd behind only DE Anthony Hargrove with 11 sacks, added in 2 picks, 3 forced fumbles, and 20 tackles for loss. He was an all-around terror on the field for the Stars, and a worthy DPOTY, despite the protestations of the Orlando faithful.   ALL-USFL Team Named In addition to the season award winners, the USFL Award Gala also revealed the 2014 All-USFL Team.  Baltimore again got a lot of love, placing 9 members of their squad on the honorary roster, a distant lead over the 4 players representing Summer Bowl opponent Texas and non-playoff club Las Vegas.  Washington, Charlotte, and Tampa Bay each had 3 players selected, though many were surprised that Bandit QB Daunte Culpepper was not among them. In all 18 of 28 clubs were recognized with at least 1 All-USFL representative.  Arizona, last year’s defending champion, managed to place only one player, CB Joe Haden on the squad just one year after having 6 players on the team to lead all clubs in 2013.  Sure to cause controversy, here is your 2014 All-USFL Team   QB: Ben Roethlisberger (BAL), Joe Flacco (TEX), Jake Plummer (LV) HB: Carlos Hyde (HOU), Deuce McCallister (WSH), Fred Jackson (CHA) FB: Quentin Johnson (BAL) TE: Antonio Gates (BAL), Kevin Everett (LV) WR: Darrius Heyward-Bey (BAL), Vincent Jackson (TBY), Marques Colston (TEX),           Early Doucet (NOR), Deion Branch (WSH) OT: Lomas Brown (TBY), Roger Saffold (TEX), D’Brickashaw Ferguson (BAL) OG: Eddie Brown (TBY), Derrick Dockery (LV), Charles Pitts (TEX) C:  Steve Wisniewski (DEN), Austin King (BAL)   DE: Calais Campbell (ORL), Aaron Kampman (NJ), Justin Tuck (MGN) DT: Albert Haynesworth (ORL), Sean Ellis (OAK), Ricky Jean-Francois (NOR) LB: Terrell Suggs (PHI), Channing Crowder (POR), Jerod Mayo (CHA),         Clay Matthews (LA), Jason Taylor (BAL), Bobby Wagner (SEA) CB: Antonio Cromartie (BIR), Asante Samuel (CHA), Joe Haden (BAL),         Nnambi Asomugha (BAL) SS: Grover Quinn (WSH), Adam Archuleta (BAL) FS: Willie Andrews (HOU), David Young (LA) K: Mike Nugent (PHI) P: Craig Jarrett (LV)    Here we are, Summer Bowl 2014 and we have two clubs very much new to the experience and very much unfamiliar with each other.  What can we expect from these two?  Well, considering that we have two of the very best quarterbacks, two All-USFL wideouts, and two innovative offensive head coaches, our guess is that this may be a shootout.  At least we hope it is.    In these two teams we have the number one and two scoring offenses, with Texas at 29.9 points per game and Baltimore right there at 28 points per game.  We have the number one and two passing attacks, with Baltimore at 319 yards per game, and Texas just a hair behind at 312.  They are also 1 and 2 in total yards, with Baltimore averaging over 400 yards per game, while Texas is right there at 390.  In other words, we have all the makings of a dynamic, offensively-charged highlight reel of a game.    So, is there an edge to one team.  The books in Las Vegas give a 3-point advantage to the Baltimore Blitz.  Why?  Probably because in addition to their top ranked offense, the Blitz also boast the number one scoring defense, allowing only 17.1 points per game.  Texas’s defense ranked 18th in that category, giving up 23.3 points per outing.  That is significant because this is a game that could come down to one possession or one turnover.  If that is the case, then we understand why the books would give a slight edge to Baltimore.    The other distinction may be the run game, where neither team is particularly strong, though we would argue that both Baltimore’s Anthony Dixon (969 Yds) and Texas’s Chris Johnson (735 Yds) are undervalued and often underutilized.   Both clubs tend to use the run as a means of keeping safeties honest and not as a primary form of attack, but, should one team get a late lead, the ability to run down the clock and gain first downs could become vital in this matchup.   This will be a close one, and likely a very high scoring matchup.  Just who will step up and become the hero? That is the question.  There are just so many options, from the two quarterbacks, to the two All-USFL wideouts, how about TE Antonio Gates?  Or Outlaw receiving TD leader Brandon Marshall?  Or could it be a surprise?  Could we have a defensive star stand out?   What about edge rusher Reynaldo Wynn (15 sacks) for Texas?  Or ballhawking cornerback Nnambi Asomugha for the Blitz?  If this game does come down to one possession a well-timed sack or a single takeaway could be the difference between victory and defeat.   We can debate how this will go all day.  The fact is that we have an intriguing matchup between two of the most exciting offenses in the league, with two outstanding quarterbacks, and we just need to sit back and enjoy this one, because at the end of the day we are going to have a new, and first time champion in the USFL on Sunday. BALTIMORE BLITZ (12-4) vs. TEXAS OUTLAWS (11-4-1) Sunday, July 27 @ 6pm ET The Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA

A six seed makes it to the Conference Title Game, a 1 seed is eliminated, and two players prove just how valuable a franchise quarterback can be.  That is the storyline as we enter Conference Championship Week in the USFL.  Sixth seeded Atlanta pulls of the divisional upset, taking down a Tampa Bay squad that is just not the same without Daunte Culpepper.  Baltimore rolls over rival Philadelphia thanks to another huge game from Big Ben. Michigan dominates the Houston Gamblers to return to their first Conference Title game since 2009, and the Texas Outlaws edge the Arizona Wranglers, thanks in large part to the return of Joe Flacco under center.  We will review all 4 divisional matchups, preview a pair of Conference title games that promise at least one first-timer will reach Summer Bowl 2014, and run through the news on front office hires and player retirements in this edition of This Week in the USFL. ATLANTA FIRE 23   TAMPA BAY BANDITS 20        OVERTIME The first of three intra-divisional matchups went to extra time to be decided, but in the end the 6th seed again survives and advances.  The Fire did it by being persistent, limiting big plays, and pounding the ball with both Steven Jackson and Marcus Lattimore.  Tampa Bay and QB Ryan Lindley did enough to get to overtime, but were unable to finish in the extra period.    The game started with both defenses looking solid as the opposing offenses probed and tested them. The only score in the opening quarter was a safety when Kyle Orton was sacked in the endzone by DE Jason Pierre-Paul midway through the period.  Tampa was unable to benefit from the ensuing kickoff and the game went into the 2nd quarter with a 2-0 score. The second quarter saw one team start to figure out how to beat the defense as Atlanta put together back-to-back scoring drives.  Orton, who would finish the day 21 of 30 for 233 yards, connected with veteran Josh Reed for a short TD to give Atlanta the lead.  They would follow that up with a 48-yard field goal from John Bounds to take a 10-2 lead into the half.   The Bandits would regroup at the half.  Ryan Lindley, who completed only 8 of 15 passes in the first half would look much better as the Bandits made adjustments.  Red Burkhead would get 50 of his 84 yards in the second half as well.  Tampa would score 14 points in the third quarter to wrest the lead back from the Fire.  The first was a nice catch and run by Santonio Holmes, the game’s only 100-yard receiver.  His 68-yard scoring play was the majority of his yards for the day, but in pulling Tampa Bay back to within 2 points, he made it possible for the home team to equalize the score with a two-point PAT.  On their next drive, Lindley again found the endzone, this time on a short route to TE Luke Stocker, a play set up by a nice 19-yard run by James Wilder Jr.    Tampa took a 17-10 lead into the final period, but Atlanta again took over, scoring 10 unanswered to take the lead back once again.  They added a second Bounds field goal, then, following a fumble by Burkhead, they marched down the field with Orton connecting with Matt Jones to pull out by 3, 20-17 with only 1:49 left on the clock.  But, as we all know, when down only 3, having nearly 2 minutes is more than ample time for a team to get the equalizer.   Tampa Bay moved the ball in fits and starts, but they moved it, eventually getting to the 29 yard line, where Nate Kaeding connected on a 47-yard kick to even the score with just over 17 seconds left, and the game was headed to overtime.  In the extra period, a costly mistake left Tampa Bay stunned and gave Atlanta the ball in field goal range.  The play, a pitch to Burkhead, turned into a scramble for a fumble when Burkhead whiffed on the ball, but thinking it was a forward pass he did not immediately pursue it.  Atlanta’s Patrick Willis did, and after a mad dash and a few odd bounces, Willis came away with the ball. The refs called it first down Atlanta, and three plays later, the Fire sent John Bounds out to kick a 30-yarder for the win.  He put the ball between the uprights and the Bandits fell to defeat, with only themselves to blame. HOUSTON GAMBLERS 10   MICHIGAN PANTHERS 33 The Houston Gamblers rolled nothing but lucky 7’s in Oakland, but in Michigan they came up snake-eyes.  Michigan dominated the game, outgaining Houston 360-207, holding Carlos Hyde to only 22 yards rushing and allowing only 1 touchdown to the visitors from Texas.  On offense Kirk Cousins was humming, completing 22 of 28 and throwing for 2 scores, despite being sacked by the Houston front 7 five times.  LeVeon Bell did not reach 100 yards, but his 23 carries for 74 were enough to keep the Houston defense honest, and Cousins did the rest, with Hines Ward his primary target.   Houston started the game well, scoring late in the 1st on a Hasselbeck to Roy Williams TD toss, but it would be their last trip to the endzone in the game.  Michigan took over in the 2nd quarter and would go on a 33-3 run, beginning with a short Bell run for the equalizer, and followed by two Matt Prater field goals to send the game to the half at 13-7.  Houston got a field goal to pull within 3, but at the start of the 4th quarter the Houston defense started to fail, and Michigan was there to pounce on it.   Michigan would score 20 points in the final 15 minutes, including TDs from Hines Ward, mario Manningham, and Mike Hart as the Panthers simply shut down the Gamblers and took control of the game against a tired Gambler D.  Matt Hasselbeck would finish with only 184 yards passing, while Cousins celebrated his first playoff win as the QB of the Panthers. BALTIMORE BLITZ 45    PHILADELPHIA STARS 24 This was the game most anticipated as the one with greatest potential to be a shootout, and for a half it felt very much like it would be.  The score at the half was 17-14 in favor of the Blitz, but it was a pretty even game up until that point.  Baltimore had secured two Antonio Gates TDs, but Philadelphia had matched them with scores by Stevie Johnson and Allen Robinson.  Only a late Nick Folk field goal separated the two teams.   But the balance in the game started to unravel in the 2nd half.  Ben Roethlisberger, who would finish the game only 9 yards short of back-to-back 400-yard games, found Darrius Heyward-Bey from 53 yards out on a back-breaking play that put Baltimore up by 10.  They would add to that lead only 1 minute later when Matt Gutierrez made a very bad read, throwing right into coverage only to watch Blitz safety Eric Waddle step right into the path of the ball and return it 36 yards to paydirt.  Up 17 at 31-14, Baltimore now controlled the tempo and the tenor of the game.   Philadelphia could muster only a field goal in the third quarter, but before the disastrous quarter ended, Big Ben struck again, hitting Hartline with a 24-yard TD that made the score 38-17 and clearly Baltimore was in control.  When the Blitz upped the lead to 28, thanks to a Roscoe Parrish TD catch, Roethlisberger’s 5th TD of the day, the Stars fans started to file out of the stadium.   A garbage time TD from Gutierrez to Celek did not change the situation.  Both the 1 and 2 seeds in the East were done, and the Summer Bowl would be guaranteed at least one first-timer as 6-seed Atlanta and 4-seed Baltimore would vie for the right to attend their first title game. ARIZONA WRANGLERS 21   TEXAS OUTLAWS 24 The final game of the weekend would be a lot closer than the prior two, not decided until the final 5 minutes in a back and forth game between two division foes who could anticipate each other’s moves and counter-moves.  Joe Flacco would suffer 8 sacks in the game as Arizona relied on pressure, while David Carr similarly saw a lot of pressure from the Outlaws, sacked 5 times.  Both teams would have solid run games, but with Frank Gore leading all rushers with 71 yards, this would be a game won by the defenses and the quarterbacks.    Texas controlled the first quarter, going up 10-0 thanks to a Marquise Goodwin TD catch, but the 2nd quarter saw the momentum swing towards the visitors as David Carr connected with Larry Fitzgerald from 32 yards out to pull within 3.  The Wranglers would pick off Joe Flacco on the next drive, and that takeaway turned into 7 when Frank Gore took a swing pass from Carr and took it 6-yards to paydirt. But, despite the apparent turn of momentum, Texas did not give the quarter to the Wranglers.  They rebounded with a half-ending drive that put them back on top.  Flacco found TE Bo Scaife in the waning seconds of the half, and the homestanding Outlaws took a tentative 17-14 lead into the break.   We saw only 2 scores in the second half, one per quarter, as the defenses continued to pressure both quarterbacks and limit both run games.  Arizona would score first, retaking the lead at 5:39 in the third.  Carr again found Fitzgerald, this time from 15 yards out.  That score would create the 21-17 lead which Arizona would take well into the final period.  But with 9 minutes left to play, Texas again put together a scoring drive, using 12 plays and aided by a somewhat dubious defensive holding call, the Outlaws marched inside the 10 of Arizona. Flacco then hit Brandon Marshall with a perfect fade route and Texas had the lead a third time, now 24-21 with 5:21 left to play.   Arizona had time, but not success as they got the ball back.  They failed on three straight plays, forcing a decision from Coach Tomsula.  He opted to punt the ball away, hoping his D could tighten up and get the quick 3-and-out.  They came close, getting to a 3rd and 4, but on that fateful play Joe Flacco found Chris Cooley for a 8-yard reception and a first down.  That was the end for the Wranglers’ hopes of a championship repeat.  Flacco took a knee twice and Texas was on their way to the Western Conference Title Game.  Texas would host Michigan with a chance at their first Summer Bowl in their grasp, and in their home stadium.   Flacco’s Return Sparks Outlaws There was little doubt on Sunday that the return of Joe Flacco to the Texas starting lineup was a huge motivator for the Outlaws and a big factor in their win over the Arizona Wranglers.  Flacco, who missed the season’s final two games after suffering an injury in a Week 14 matchup against Memphis, returned to action this week and was a driving force in the Texas victory.  We can point to his 320 yards passing or to the three TD passes to Bo Scaife, Brandon Marshall, and Marquise Goodwin as evidence of this, but it was more than that.   What we saw in the Outlaws this week was a team confident in its ability to win the game, sure of itself, and able to overcome early setbacks.  That is what a strong leader provides to a team, even when he is not on the field.  The Outlaws we saw in Weeks 15 and 16 did not have that.  Yes, they were able to get a Week 16 win to stay a half-game over Arizona in the SW Division, despite losing to the Wranglers the week before, but the team simply did not have the swagger that we saw on Sunday as they punched their ticket to a Conference Title Game at home next week.  The return of Joe Flacco made the difference in the team’s demeanor, their preparation, and the outcome to the game.  If we look at the parallel situation in Tampa Bay, where a very good Bandits team lost their starting QB for the playoffs, we saw a far less confident, less composed, and less effective team, and we saw the Bandits bow out of the playoffs in their opening game.  When we talk about a quarterback being a “Franchise Quarterback”, it is exactly what we saw in Texas and did not see in Tampa Bay that defines what that means.   Big Ben Does it Again In just over a week’s time the league will be handing out its awards, including two that recognize leadership and offensive production.  We would be shocked if Ben Roethlisberger did not walk away with one of those awards, either Offensive Player of the Year or, more likely, league MVP.  Why? Well the two playoff games the Blitz have won so far this postseason is evidence enough.  In the Wild Card matchup against Charlotte, Big Ben threw for 400 yards on only 19 completions, tossing three touchdowns in a close game against a good Monarchs defense. This week, against rival Philadelphia, another team with a Top 5 defense, Roethlisberger came only 9 yards shy of another 400 yard game, and, oh yes, threw for 5 touchdowns as the Blitz erupted for 45 points, taking out the East’s top seed and advancing to the Conference Championship.   Big Ben has been playing out of his mind all season, finishing the regular season as the league leader in passing yards, with 4,751; touchdowns, with 36, and QB Rating, with a score of 118.5.  That trifecta often comes with an MVP trophy, and when it also means that a team picked to finish last in the NE Division now sits one game from the Summer Bowl, you better believe it turns heads.  Roethlisberger has been a very good quarterback for his entire USFL career, but this year, the first for Head Coach Jim Caldwell (himself likely to garner Coach of the Year honors), Ben’s performance has simply gone to a new level.  He has helped make Darrius Heyward-Bey a household name, has all but assured an All-USFL honor for TE Antonio Gates, and has electrified a somewhat jaded and cynical Baltimore fanbase.  All this in a year when the owner of the franchise is looking to cash out and sell the team, a sale that now will bring in a significantly higher price thanks to the team’s success.  And what is more, it seems like the playoffs are bringing out the best in the 11-year veteran, a fact that likely scares the Atlanta Fire, Baltimore’s opponent next week, as it well should.   Panthers Look Fierce in Blowout Win It has been a while since we have seen the once-dominant Michigan Panthers looking like a true title contender, but this week’s victory over Houston looked very much like what we had come to expect of Panther teams in the past.  In Michigan’s 23-point victory, the Panthers dominated in yardage, time of possession, and third down efficiency.  They got contributions from across the roster, from stars like LeVeon Bell and Hines Ward, but also from role players like DE Michael Bennett, CB Drayton Florence, and backup HB Mike Hart.    It has been 5 years since the Panthers last won a playoff game and we have not seen them in a Summer Bowl since their 2008 title, but this year’s team is looking very much like a potential contender.  It will be a tough task to go into San Antonio and knock off the Outlaws, but what we are seeing in Michigan’s aggressive defense and balanced offense is a team that can win in a variety of ways and one that will not be intimidated by Texas.  The Panthers did not play the Outlaws in the regular season, but did face off against both Denver and Arizona, two quality SW Division teams, beating them in back-to-back weeks in midseason action.  And while the competition in the Central Division may not have been at the level of that in the Southwest, this Michigan squad is a dangerous one, as the Gamblers discovered this week.  Expect them to give Texas a very good run as they face off with a trip to Atlanta and Summer Bowl 2014 on the line.   Retirement Update A relatively slow week for retirement announcements across the USFL as we saw only a handful of starters and All-USFL veterans make their curtain calls this week.  It began on Monday when Birmingham (and former Philadelphia) cornerback Quentin Jammer held a small press event to announce he was leaving the game after 12 seasons. Jammer, a 4-time All-USFL selection during his time in Philadelphia, came to Birmingham this past offseason, hoping to regain the swagger he had held for so long as a Star.  It was an up and down year for him, as he garnered only 2 interceptions and started only 13 of 16 games.  He leaves the game with a lifetime total of 32 picks, 1,040 tackles, and 182 games under his belt.   Another Monday announcement came from Houston after their defeat at the hands of the Michigan Panthers. Linebacker James Farrior , after 16 seasons split between the Baltimore Blitz and the Houston Gamblers, announced he had put on the pads and helmet for the last time.  Farrior is a 7-time All-USFL honoree, and a very likely Hall of Fame Candidate when his eligibility opens in 2019. He won a title with the Gamblers in his first year in Houston (2010) and has recorded 100 or more tackles in 6 of the past 7 years, finishing his career with 120 this year.    Tuesday saw a press event in Washington D.C., where 12-year starter and 4-time All-USFL safety Ed Reed announced he was leaving the Federals and the game to enter retirement.  Reed came to Washington in 2002 out of the University of Miami and became an immediate starter for the club.  He would go on to record 562 tackles and 35 interceptions as one of the most feared safeties in the game,  Known as a brutal hitter with an instinct for the right angle and the right timing, Ed Reed helped Washington remain a contender in the NE Division for his entire career, though he never won a title with the club.   Finally, on Wednesday, a bit of an unexpected announcement as Charlotte halfback Fred Jackson announced he would not be returning to the USFL for a 12th season.  Jackson, who finished 2014 with 1,185 yards and 11 touchdowns, had been a centerpiece of the Monarch lineup since coming to the team in 2010.  Before that he had been part of halfback committees in both Michigan and New Orleans.  A product of tiny Coe College in Iowa, Jackson had his first 1,000 yard season in his first year in Charlotte, and would follow that with 2 more in 2013 and 2014.  He retires at the age of 32, with just over 8,400 yards in his career.  Teams continue to get healthy as the playoffs progress, with two notable exceptions.  Baltimore added a key player to their injury list, with   safety Adam Archuleta listed as probable.  We would be shocked to see Archuleta sit out a game as essential as the Eastern Title Game, especially in front of an adoring home crowd in Baltimore.  The other noteworthy additions to the injury report are with the Panthers, where both C Jeff Faine and LB Sean Porter are likely not going to be able to appear in the Western Title Game.  Faine has already been ruled out with a neck injury, while Porter, suffering from hamstring pull, is questionable.  Other than these new updates, the remaining injured players on all 4 teams either remain on IR or are seeing improved diagnoses after another week of rest.   ATL: DE Chris Kelsay (IR), HB J. J. Arrington (IR), DT Jason Ferguson (P) BAL: G Andy Alleman (IR), QB Vince Young (IR), G Scott Tercero (D), SS Adam Archuleta (P)   MGN: CB Dre Kirkpatrick (IR), C Jeff Faine (O), DT Jerrell Worthy (O), LB Sean Porter (Q) TEX: G Kyle Long (O)   Bulls Hire Former Patriots & Chiefs GM Scott Pioli The rebuilding has begun for the Jacksonville Bulls after their disastrous 0-16 season in 2014. The first new hire is made and it is at the GM position where former NFL GM Scott Pioli, who worked both in New England and Kansas City, will take over the reins of the Bulls scouting and player personnel work.  Pioli had moderate success with the two NFL squads, helping to build a Patriot squad that while competitive, could never get over the hump to win a playoff game.  In Kansas City he had more success, building a Chiefs team that competed in the AFC Championship twice during his tenure.    Pioli’s task now is to find a coach who can bring a new culture to a very downtrodden and dejeced Bulls franchise.  He will also be tasked with a major overhaul of the Bulls’ roster, one that may include trying to ship off college superstar but USFL question mark Tim Tebow. It will not be an easy task to build the Bulls up, and certainly won’t be completed in one year, but at least the Bulls have started on the road to recovery after a year they would very much like to forget.   Memphis Keeps it in the Family, hire Buddy Ryan’s Son Rex For the second time in a decade the Memphis Showboats have tapped the son of a legendary USFL coach to lead their team.  Back in the early 2000’s it was Jim Mora Jr, son of Stars’ legend Jim Mora, and current Charlotte Head Man, and now it is Rex Ryan, son of former Showboat coach Buddy Ryan.  Rex, often seen as a flamboyant and outspoken coach like his father, comes to the Showboats with a similar reputation as a defensive mastermind.  Memphis, while hoping they won’t see some of the sideline and press room antics that cost Buddy his position, are hoping that his son can bring the intensity and aggressiveness of the Buddy Ryan defenses back to a Showboat team that has not exactly been dominant on the defensive side of the ball.   Ryan will be tasked with building a defense in Memphis, but also with developing an offense around QB Eli Manning.  And while Ryan will almost certainly want to start adding pieces to the Showboat defense, his first task may be to find a running back.  The duo of Darren McFadden and Knile Davis was underwhelming in 2014, with the Showboats finishing the year in the bottom 4 in rushing yards, averaging only 72.6 per game.  Knowing the Ryan affinity for slowing games down and limiting offensive possessions, we would expect that a strong run game will be a priority for Ryan and his new club.   Hamilton & McDermott Still Off Limits Two of the hottest names among coaching candidates remain off limits as Michigan’s Sean McDermott and Baltimore’s Pep Hamilton continue with their squads into the Conference Title Games. Depending on your team’s interest, Hamilton, the OC for the Blitz and McDermott the DC for the revitalized Michigan defense could well be on the top of your list as your club seeks a new head man.  Both have built reputations for innovative play calling and a good eye for talent.    Many are crediting Hamilton for the breakout seasons by both Ben Roethlisberger and WR Darrius Heyward-Bey, while McDermott is recognized as the primary architect of Michigan’s blitzing defense, despite the presence of another defensive coach as the Head Coach in Michigan, Jim Johnson.  While both coaches are certainly targets of a lot of interest, until their clubs exit the postseason, league rules prohibit any team from contacting them to interview for open positions.  However, as soon as either club is removed from the playoff hunt, expect the phone to start ringing.      (6) Atlanta Fire (10-6) @ (4) Baltimore Blitz (12-4) Sunday, July 20 @ 2pm ET M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, MD Blitz -6   While we admire what Atlanta has done to get here, knocking off New Orleans in the Super Dome and Tampa Bay at Raymond James, our bullpen was pretty much unanimous that the party ends here.  Baltimore is playing lights out football.  Big Ben is looking very much like a league MVP, even if the votes don’t go his way, and the Blitz feel very much like a team of destiny after crushing the Monarchs and the top-seeded Stars in back-to-back games.    So how could Atlanta pull off the upset?  Well, first they have to find a way to cool off Big Ben.  With 800 yards passing and 8 TDs in the first two playoff games, Roethlisberger is clearly the key to Baltimore’s success.  But, shutting him down is no easy task.  He is outstanding at extending plays, playing through pressure, and his receivers know it, so they don’ t give up on plays. Atlanta’s D has to be ready to play hard for 5-8 seconds on every play, not the usual 3-4 seconds. OUR PICK:  You get the gist of what we are saying. We think Baltimore takes this one.  It was a nice run for Atlanta, but we are loving the product that the Blitz are putting on the field. And we remind everyone that we picked them to finish last and to have 10 or more losses when this season began.  Blitz 31-21.   (2) Michigan Panthers (10-6) @ (1) Texas Outlaws (11-4-1) Sunday, July 20 @ 7pm ET The Alamodome, San Antonio, TX Outlaws -3   This one is a lot harder to pick.  Michigan also has the feel of a team on a mission, but Texas has been one of the league’s toughest outs all season long.  Joe Flacco makes the Outlaws a very tough matchup and Chris Johnson has been coming on in the second half of the season.  But, we are also loving what Michigan is doing on defense, where they are just not allowing teams to make use of their primary weapon. What they did this past week to Carlos Hyde and the Gamblers is proof positive that the Panther defense can shut down the best player on your team.    So, do we think Texas can get past that? They have enough weapons to survive a bad game for Marques Colston, their star. They too have a solid defense, though perhaps not a shut down defense.  They can run the ball when they want, but they prefer to pass.  Can Michigan cope with a balanced offense and a pretty solid, aggressive defense? OUR PICK:  We are going to say “Yes” to that last question.  While we are not as confident as we were with our Baltimore pick, we are liking the 2-seeded Panthers to come into San Antonio and escape with a win and a chance to earn a 4th John Bassett Trophy at Summer Bowl 2014.  Our pick is Michigan 21-17.

This weekend proved to be a tale of two very different days.  On Saturday both 6 seeds won on the road, knocking the 3rd seeded division champions out of the playoffs at home.  On Sunday the 4th seeded home teams both defeated the visiting 5th seeds.  It was a week that saw three of four games end within a single score, and on which creates 3 of 4 Divisional games as divisional battles.  In other words, it was what playoff football should be, unpredictable, high stakes, well-played football.  Let’s jump right into the game recaps in the order they happened.  We will then preview the 4 Divisional Round games, when the 1 and 2 seeds get their chance to shine, and we will look at both recent retirement announcements and the players from 20 teams that will, in all likelihood, be hitting the free agency pool on the Monday following Summer Bowl 2014. ATLANTA FIRE 20      NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS 17 It was a good win for the Atlanta Fire, a bad loss for a New Orleans Breakers squad that had high hopes of a return to the Conference Finals, or even more.  The Breakers came into the game feeling that this was their year.  They had cruised to a 12-4 record, easily won the Southern Division and would host this game in front of nearly 54,000 boisterous Breaker fans at the Super Dome, but a rough start and a third quarter injury to Drew Brees combined to sink the high hopes that New Orleans had brought to the game.   Atlanta was, to use a bit of a pun, on fire early in this matchup.  They owned the first quarter, hitting New Orleans with three consecutive scoring drives, with a Vance McDonald TD reception sandwiched by two John Bounds field goals.  New Orleans was down 13 before they managed to cross midfield for the first time.  They would rebound with a strong 2nd quarter, with Jeremy Hill rushing for a TD and a late Sturgis field goal pulling them to within 3 at the half, but that is as close as they would get.    The injury to Drew Brees in the third stunted the momentum for New Orleans, and Kyle Orton, who had himself a very good game (20 of 28 for 253 and 2 scores), found Demaryius Thomas from 13 yards out to boost the Fire lead to 10, a lead they held for most of the final period until a late Quincy Carter toss to Kenny Britt brought New Orleans back within 3.  But the Breakers would not get another shot.  Orton and HB Marcus Lattimore connected on a third down screen that gave Atlanta the downs it needed to end the game on a kneel down and the 6th seed Atlanta Fire would move on to the Divisional Round. POTG:  Fire WR Josh Reed:  4 Rec, 132 Yds HOUSTON GAMBLERS 23   OAKLAND INVADERS 14 Houston was a popular pick to upend the homestanding Pacific Division champs, so it was not a huge surprise that the Gamblers came back from a 14-10 halftime deficit to score 13 unanswered points in the second half and take out the Oakland Invaders. The Gamblers did so with a stingy defense that limited Ryan Williams to only 0.8 yards per carry (18 yards on 23 touches).  The Houston offense, while not explosive, was consistent. Oakland put a lot of energy into shutting down Carlos Hyde, and they largely did, save for one nice 17-yard TD run. But in doing so, they allowed Matt Hasselbeck to find 9 different receivers and complete 71.4% of his throws on his way to a 294-yard day.   Early on the game felt like one Oakland had in their hands.  They built up a 14-3 lead on TDs from Donald Brown and Keenan Allen, but a late first half response from Houston in the form of a Hasselbeck to Williams TD toss turned the momentum. Oakland would not score again, while Houston would take the lead on the 3rd quarter Hyde run and then add two 4th quarter Dan Carpenter kicks to build up their own 9-point lead.  Down two scores and with no run game to speak of, Oakland simply did not have the options needed to come back on Houston.  In two Saturday games two division champions and 3-seeds were out and both 6 seeds were on their way to the Divisional Round. POTG:  Houston QB Matt Hasselbeck:  30/42, 294 Yds, 1 TD, 0 Int   CHARLOTTE MONARCHS 24   BALTIMORE BLITZ 31 The story of the weekend set up by Saturday’s upsets did not carry through to Sunday, where both home favorites held serve.  It was not easy for either, as is evident in the close game between the Monarchs and the Blitz.  While Baltimore led most of the way, they could never pull out beyond  Charlotte’s reach as the Monarchs tied the game 3 times before the Blitz finally put up the game winning points.    It was a game that pushed both QBs over 300 yards passing, with neither run game able to do much against the opposing D.  Brandon Wheedon would finish the game 21 of 34 for 322 yards, but it was Big Ben with the upper hand against the Monarch defense, throwing for an even 400 on a day that saw him hit on several big plays, including a 62-yarder to Antonio Gates, a 47-yarder to Javon Walker, and a 43-yarder to Darrius Heyward-Bey.  Both DHB and Gates would finish over 100 yards on the day, and Walke was only 7 yards shy as Baltimore found all sorts of time for Roethlisberger, and the big guy came through play after play.    Baltimore led 17-14 at the half in a back-and-forth game.  They would build a 10-point lead on a Walker TD catch.  Charlotte fought back in the 3rd with a TD from Wheedon to TE Luke Wilson and a Brandon Coutu field goal, but in the 4th, Baltimore took the lead for good when Roethlisberger hit DHB for a short 3-yard TD with just 1:05 to play.  The late score did not leave Wheedon and the Monarchs time to equalize and the Blitz D got them the ball back when Wheedon tried to hit D. J. Hackett in double coverage.  Baltimore would move on to the Divisional Round. POTG:  Blitz QB Ben Roethlisberger:  19/22, 400 Yds, 3 TD, 1 Int. DENVER GOLD 20   ARIZONA WRANGLERS 25 The weekend’s final game was a rivalry game, a divisional battle, and a game of chess between two foes who know each other very well.  For a good part of the game it looked like Denver would cash in and sweep all 3 against Arizona this year, but the Wranglers came back strong after falling behind by 10 in the 3rd and scored the final 15 points to take the victory in front of a rabid home crowd.   Denver, playing without DeMarco Murray, depended on Matt Leinart and on the defense.  Leinart was up and down, but the D was the story of the first half, holding Arizona to only 101 total yards and keeping the Wranglers out of the endzone for the first 29 minutes and 21 seconds.  Down 13-3, following a Michael Crabtree TD and 2 Greg Zeurlein field goals, Arizona finally started to look alive in the 2-minute drill.  They moved the ball well despite Frank Gore going out of the game early.  Kadeem Carey would finish the game with 61 yards rushing, but on this half-ending drive, it was Larry Fitzgerald stepping up, making the TD grab in the final minute to pull Arizona within 3.   Denver would open the second half with a strong drive, expanding the lead back up to 10 with a LeMichael James TD run at the 6-minute mark of the third.  But from that moment on, Arizona turned up the intensity and the pressure as they slowly marched back.  They would pick off Matt Leinart twice in the final 19 clock minutes of the game.  On offense they did not panic, settling for field goals on their next 3 drives to pull within 20-19.  But with only 2:22 left on the clock, they got the ball back still down 1.    Arizona calmly moved the ball down the field, Carr hitting Carey, Antonio Bryant, and Larry Fitzgerald on short passes to get into Denver territory.  They then hit the big play that had eluded them all day.  TE Rob Gronkowski, set to become a free agent at the end of they year (barring a last second agreement), split the two safeties, hauled in a perfect arcing ball from Carr, and took it to the house for a 41-yard touchdown that won the game for the Wranglers.   It was not easy, but Arizona would move on to the next round and a rematch with another divisional foe, the Texas Outlaws. POTG:  Wrangler TE Rob Gronkowski: 4 rec, 118 Yds, 1 TD Flacco to Start vs. Arizona It is the news that Texas fans had hoped to hear.  In missing the final two weeks of regular season action, and with the extra bye week to rest and recover, QB Joe Flacco has had the time needed to heal and was cleared to practice in full this week, meaning that it will be Flacco under center for the Outlaws when they face Arizona in the Alamodome this upcoming Sunday.    While Flacco’s presence certainly does not ensure a win, after all Arizona won against Flacco back in Week 5, it certainly helps Texas feel confident in their offense going into the game.  Flacco finished the season 2nd in passing yards, behind only Ben Roethlisberger, third in TDs (Big Ben & Drew Brees), and fifth in QB Rating.  While Kyle Boller certainly helped the team out with their Week 16 win, having the main man back in the lineup on Sunday has to make Texas fans feel good about their chances.   Jake Plummer Makes it Official It was rumored last week, and it became official yesterday as Jake Plummer, standing in the Media Room at Sam Boyd Stadium, announced his retirement from the game.  A teary Plummer thanked the fans from both Las Vegas and Arizona who had supported him over the years.  He thanked several coaches who helped guide him, and he thanked his teammates.  He lamented the fact that he was never able to bring a title to one of his clubs, a pain that was clearly evident in his face.    Plummer retires with over 59,000 passing yards, 405 career touchdowns (not even including his 65 rushing touchdowns) and a lifetime QB Rating of 92.6.  Many expect that he may become the first QB to be nominated to the Hall of Fame in his first ballot without having won a title.  A premier rushing QB in his early days, Plummer evolved into a strong pocket passer who always remained at least a little dangerous when flushed outside.  He retires after 17 seasons in the USFL and 253 starts in his career.    Other Retirements to Report While Jake Plummer’s announcement was certainly the most-attended presser of the week, Plummer was certainly not alone in announcing his retirement.  As we have come to expect during the USFL playoffs, several other veteran players have publicly declared their intention to step away form the game and formally declare retirement with the league office.  Here is a quick list of the players who have said goodbye to the league and the game over the past 2 weeks. Charlotte OT Sean Bubin Chicago DE Anthony Weaver Dallas WR Cedrick Wilson Denver LB Hannibal Navies Jacksonville LB Mike Vrabel LA Safety Lance Schulters Memphis OT Maurice Williams New Jersey OT Orlando Brown Ohio FB Mike Karney Orlando CB Lito Sheppard Pittsburgh K Shayne Graham LV/SD CB Tyrone Bell St. Louis TE Jeramy Stevens and LB Wali Rainier   An impressive group, including elite players like Vrabel, Weaver, and Bubin.  They will be tough to replace.  We anticipate even more announcements as we move towards Summer Bowl 2014.  And as we wait for those announcements, speculation continues to grow about whether we will get an announcement from Tampa Bay QB Daunte Culpepper.   USFL’s Pre-Set Playoff Format Sets Up Divisional Games Unlike the NFL which matches teams from the Wild Card round with Division Champs based on their seeding, the USFL prefers to preset brackets, which has, and once again will, set up games where the 1 seed is not always facing the lowest seed.  That is the situation this year as the Arizona Wranglers, and not the 6-seed Houston Gamblers, will head to Texas to face the Outlaws, while the lower seeded Gamblers head to Michigan to face the Panthers.  The same is true in the East, where the 6-seed Fire defeated New Orleans and now head to Tampa Bay to face the 2 seeded Bandits, while the 4-seed, the Baltimore Blitz, get a rendezvous with their divisional rival, Philadelphia.   It is a different philosophy, but when it produces great matchups, particularly divisional matchups like Arizona-Texas and Baltimore-Philadelphia, no one is complaining.  No one that is except folks who would much rather see their top-seeded home team face off against the weakest opponent possible.  For the rest of us, the USFL system works when it produces great matchups like the ones we will see next week.   As we look ahead to the four divisional games, once again injuries might have a say in the outcomes of each playoff game.   Atlanta survived the absence of Chris Kelsay against the Breakers.  Can Tampa do the same without their starting QB.  A lot of pressure on Ryan Lindley to keep a great season going.  But Culpepper is not the only important player who could potentially miss the game.  Guard Steve Hutchinson is listed as probably, but is still nursing an ankle injury, while for Atlanta, both Darius Slay and Jason Ferguson have been upgraded to Probably for the outing. ATL:  DE Chris Kelsay (IR), HB J. J. Arrington (IR), CB Darius Slay (P), DT Jason Ferguson (P) TBY: QB Daunte Culpepper (IR), SS Michael Mitchell (O), DT Terrell McClain (D), G Steve Hutchinson (P)   In the only non-divisional matchup this weekend, the Panthers are looking quite healthy as they prepare for the Gamblers.  They would ideally like to have both Kirkpatrick and Porter available, but they have been playing without both for several weeks and seem to have found workarounds for both players’ absences.  As for Houston, all of their injured players continue to improve, and each was raised a level on the injury report, with Burgess the most likely of the three to take the field. HOU: FS Willie Andrews (Q), DE Antwan Applewhite (P), DE Derrick Burgess (P) MGN: CB Dre Kirkpatrick (IR), LB Sean Porter (Q)   Both the Blitz and the Stars have injuries that could certainly impact the game.  Adam Archuleta left the game early against Charlotte but is listed as probable.  Philadelphia has significant concern about their O-line with Matt Birk now placed on IR and tackle Jaimie Thomas listed as out for the game.  That will impact both Steve Slaton’s blocking as well as protection for Matt Gutierrez. BAL: G Andy Alleman (IR), QB Vince Young (IR), G Scott Tercero (O), SS Adam Archuleta (P) PHI: C Matt Birk (IR), CB Bradley Fletcher (O), OT Jaimie Thomas (O), FS Jairus Byrd (P)   The final game of the weekend could well be the one between the two healthiest teams in the postseason.  Arizona has two players listed, but Wade Smith is expected to play.  Texas has three as well, but we know that both Aaron Ross and Joe Flacco are fully expected to play on Sunday.  So, this should be a game where pre-existing injuries are no excuse if things don’t go right. ARZ: C Blake Schlueter (O), OT Wade Smith (P) TEX:  G Kyle Long (IR), CB Aaron Ross (P), QB Joe Flacco (P)   Stallions Hope to Interview Givens In a shock to no one, Birmingham has asked for permission to speak with New Orleans OC Ernest Givens.  The Hall of Fame receiver, who played 15 seasons in Birmingham, caught on with lamar Lathon’s Breakers and quickly moved from a position coach to the offensive coordinator position in 2013.  This was only his second year at the helm of the Breaker offense, but the upgrade in output by the Breakers impressed many across the country, and certainly this did not go unnoticed by the Stallions.    With New Orleans falling to Atlanta this week, Givens is now free to meet with franchises interested in  him, though with 2 more years on his contract in New Orleans, the Stallions did need to get permission.  New Orleans granted it, but required that any offer Birmingham made would have a chance for a counter from the Breakers.  It is unlikely that New Orleans could match a Head Coach deal for a coordinator contract, but this is a division rival, so the Breakers certainly don’t want to make it easy for Givens to leave.    Memphis meets with Cecil & Ryan The Showboats also jumped on the chance to get started on their coaching search, setting up meetings with both Chuck Cecil, the Express’s Defensive Coordinator, and with former New York Jets’ Head Coach Rex Ryan, son of former Showboat head coach Buddy Ryan.  Were the Showboats to select Ryan as their new coach it would be the second time that the franchise landed on  the son of a former USFL coach for their HC position, having already experimented with current Charlotte Head Coach Jim Mora Jr. back in the early 2000’s.    Ryan was let go by the Jets after a disappointing 2013 season that saw the Super Bowl contenders (on paper) stumble to an 8-8 record and miss the playoffs.  Ryan had had a good run with the Jets, but was never able to get them back to the Super Bowl.  He, like his father, is known for an aggressive defense, but has been criticized for his lack of imagination and progress at the QB position.  With a veteran like Eli Manning in Memphis, that would not be as big an issue as it had been in New York. Chuck Cecil would be coming over from an LA team that had barely more success this year than did Memphis, but with a defense that led the league in takeaways.  That would be a big focus for the Showboats if Cecil came over to the Mid-South.  Memphis’s defenses have been anything but dominating the past few seasons and it seems clear that the Showboats see the need for their new HC to be a defensive specialist, which would be the case for both Ryan and Cecil.   Free Agent Ranks Swell Two weeks into the postseason and we have yet to talk about the free agent pool that will open up on the Monday after the Summer Bowl.  With 20 teams now out of the playoffs (16 after Week 16, and another 4 eliminated this week), the potential pool of talent in the free agent ranks is looking pretty solid, with only 8 teams still alive in the league’s playoffs.  Here is our look at the 20 teams already eliminated and the players of most interest from each.   BIRMINGHAM: HB Joseph Addai, DE Quentin Groves, LB D’onte Curry, G Herman Johnson, DT Nick Eason   CHARLOTTE: HB Fred Jackson, OT Tyson Clabo, DE Kemerion Wemberley, HB Shonn Greene, QB Jeff Tuel   CHICAGO: DT Ellis Wyms, OT Xavier Fulton, CB Marlin Jackson, TE Anthony Hill   DALLAS: K Stephen Haushka, G Luis Vasquez, WR Ryan Whalen, P. Frank Whalen, LB  Manny Lawson, TE Robert Royal, LB Clint Simtim   DENVER: SS Roy Williams, TE Daniel Graham, G Matt Slauson, DE Bryce Fisher   JACKSONVILLE: SS Mike Brown, WR Johnny Knox, HB Lamar Miller, SS Atari Bigby, QB Josh McCown, WR Rashaun Woods   LAS VEGAS/SAN DIEGO: CB Josh Sewell, WR T. J. Houshmandzadeh, DT Linval Joseph   LOS ANGELES: LB Will Overstreet, WR Ronald Johnson, K Damon Duvall, DT Gabe Watson, WR Jerrel Jernigan,, FS Nick Collins   MEMPHIS: WR Greg Jennings, WR Lee Evans, QB Matt Cassell   NASHVILLE/LAS VEGAS: WR Robert Meachem, FB Sean Smith, FS Stevie Brown   NEW JERSEY: DT Ian Scott, LB Donterrious Thomas, G Paul Zakauskas, HB Tatum Bell, QB Bryan Hoyer, OG Sean Mahan   OAKLAND: LB Keith Bullock, SS Pearson Prioleau, LB Joe Odom, WR Tiquan Underwood, C Eric Olsen   OHIO: WR Arrelious Benn, QB Chris Weinke, TE Lee Smith, CB Corey Webster   ORLANDO: WR Doug Gabriel, CB Cortland Finnegan, TE Greg Olsen, WR Dwayne Harris, G Ben Hamilton, WR Roberto Wallace   PITTSBURGH: DT Dan Klecko, G Chester Adams, DE Jerome McDougle   PORTLAND: LB Mark Simoneau, G Mike Iupati, WR Koren Robinson, G Paul McQuistan, LB Jonathan Casillas SEATTLE: HB Cadillac Williams, DT Amobi Okoye, FS Corey Hall, WR Dwayne Jarrett, WR Kevin Kasper, OT Kenyatta Jones, TE Bennie Joppru   ST. LOUIS: DT Brandon Mbane, HB William Bethea, LB  Brandon Short   WASHINGTON: CB Sheldon Brown, SS Gibril Wilson, FS Ed Reed   We have 4 games this week, two with the 6 seeds facing the 2 seed and two with the 4 seed headed off to face the 1 seed.  Three of four are divisional matchups, which always adds another level of complexity to the planning, as well as a higher level of animosity on the field.  Let’s break down the 4 games and see who we think is headed to the USFL Conference Finals.   (6) Atlanta Fire (10-6)  @  (2) Tampa Bay Bandits (12-4) Saturday, July 12 @ 3pm ET Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL Bandits -2   The Fire split their series with the Bandits, with both games happening before Daunte Culpepper’s injury.  After upsetting New Orleans last week, the Fire seem primed to spoil Tampa Bay’s playoff party.  Atlanta has a team that can do it too, with a Top 10 offense as well as a Top 10 defense, including one of the best run stopping front 7’s in the game.    Tampa, playing with Ryan Lindley at QB, are sure to want to get the run going,  Jahvid Best and Rex Burkhead are a 1-2 punch that can do some damage, so expect Atlanta to play a lot of 1-back safety with DaJuan Morgan spending quite a bit of time near the line, daring Lindley to put the ball up.  How well the Bandit QB can locate Vincent Jackson will be a big piece of this game.   OUR PICK:  We know that without Culpepper, the Bandits are just not the same team, but this is a Bandits squad that has one of the best pass defenses in the league, so the challenge for Kyle Orton is just as daunting as that of Lindley.  We like the deeper roster that Tampa Bay has on hand.  Our pick is a narrow Bandit victory: Bandits 18-17. (6) Houston Gamblers (9-6-1) @  (2) Michigan Panthers (10-6) Saturday, July 12 @ 8pm ET Ford Field, Detroit, MI Panthers -4   Houston has been a solid club all year, but not the most consistent.  Michigan, after starting the year at 1-4, have jumped all over their opponents, winning 9 of their final 11.  Their defense came alive, and now sits as the 3rd best in the league in scoring, allowing only 17.6 points per game.  Houston will need a big game from their two rookie stars, Carlos Hyde and Mike Evans, to overcome the Panther D.   Houston will also need a good defensive game.  The Panthers are not the most explosive offense around, but they are balanced, able to pound the ball on the ground with LeVeon Bell or go up top with Hines Ward.  They lack alternative targets in the passing game, but Ward is the kind of receiver who will find ways to beat double coverage.   OUR PICK:  We are going with the hotter team  here, and that is the Panthers.  They looked really solid late, and that defense is an underrated squad.  Michigan 21-13. (4) Baltimore Blitz (12-4) @ (1) Philadelphia Stars (13-3) Sunday, July 13 @ 1pm ET Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA Stars -3   Ooh, this will be a good one.  These two know each other so well, and they tend to match up well also.  They split their regular season series, with both clubs winning on the road.  That has to make Baltimore feel good about heading to Philadelphia, but playoff football is a whole different animal.  The Blitz have the top rated offense in the league and they are also the best in the league in holding down the opposition scoring.  That is a nasty combination.   But don’t sleep on the 13-3 Stars.  Their stats don’t look quite as impressive as the Blitz’s, but you don’t get to 13 wins without a deep and talented roster.  Philadelphia can beat you in multiple ways, either with a tough ground game and a “slow the tempo” philosophy, or by going for the big play with Stevie Johnson and Travis Kelce.   OUR PICK:   We like the Stars here. They have so much playoff experience and they can attack you in so many ways that it is really hard to prepare for them.  The Blitz could be the right team to match up with them, but we still think Philadelphia has the edge here.   Stars 28-26.   (4) Arizona Wranglers (11-5) @ (1) Texas Outlaws (11-4-1) Sunday, July 13 @ 6pm ET The Alamodome, San Antonio, TX Outlaws -2   Another killer matchup as two more division foes go head to head.  Joe Flacco will be back, so that bodes well for Texas, but Arizona is playing about as well as anyone right now.  They beat the Outlaws 3 weeks ago by a count of 43-31, but that was with Kyle Boller at QB for Texas.  When the two met in Week 5 it was Texas on top 22-17.    Our best guess is that the team that can set up a run game will be the one that can win this one.  Frank Gore should be good to go after missing nearly all of the Denver game.  Texas has had some good outings from Chris Johnson, the NFL import as well, though they tend to be more pass happy than just about any other team in the league.  If either team can show balance, it will make it just that much harder for the defenses to keep pace.   OUR PICK:  We are going with the hot hand, and a team that has Summer Bowl experience, so we are picking the slight underdog.  Sorry, Texas, our pick is Arizona by a score of 24-20.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: All the pressure of playoff football fell on Kyle Boller and the Texas backup came through big, throwing for 4 touchdowns to help Texas not only hold on to the division, but home field throughout the playoffs. He came up big when the Outlaws needed it most. PLAYOFF PICTURE: The playoffs are now set. Neither Ohio nor Las Vegas could leap into the top 6 in the West, and both leaders for the 1 seed held onto that honor in Week 16 action. We also saw Philly, Tampa Bay, Michigan, and Oakland lock up division titles. Here is the seeding as we enter the playoffs, with the 1 and 2 seeds in each conference getting a bye in the Wild Card round. EAST: 1-PHI 2-TBY 3-NOR 4-BAL 5-ATL 6-CHA WEST: 1-TEX 2-MGN 3-OAK 4-HOU 5-ARZ 6-DEN

The final week of the season sees 4 teams lock up playoff berths, 5 teams nab division titles, and two very disappointed squads miss out on a chance to extend their season.  Texas and Tampa Bay get season-ending wins without their starting QBs to secure in Texas’s case the division and the top seed in the West and in Tampa’s the division crown and a bye week.  Las Vegas and Ohio disappoint their fans as weak second halves to the season mean they miss out on postseason play, while Houston avoids a last-minute stumble, losing to the Denver Gold but maintaining the 6 seed in the West thanks to the Thunder and Glory losses.  We will break down all the games of the week, preview the Wild Card round of playoffs, and give you all the news from Black Monday right here, right now.   TEXAS OUTLAWS 28    BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS 23 With Birmingham sitting at 7-8 and eliminated from playoff contention, this game could have easily been a playoff warmup for the Texas Outlaws, but with Joe Flacco out, and having lost in Week 15 with Kyle Boller at QB, the pressure was on the Outlaws.  A loss and they very likely would drop from the top seed in the West all the way to a 4 seed Wild Card.  That was the reality for the Outlaws, who needed to see that Boller could lead them to victory, a victory that would assure Texas the top seed and a very needed bye in the playoffs.   With a bye next week, Texas would almost assuredly have Joe Flacco back in action for their playoff premiere, a result that could allow them to take home field advantage all the way to the first Summer Bowl appearance in team history, possibly the first title for the club as well.  So, when Birmingham announced that they would not shutter Cam Newton to protect him in the final, and that all regular starters would be on the field, it forced Texas to bring everything they could to this game to ensure the win and their seed in the playoffs.   Birmingham did not make it easy on Boller or the Outlaws, but, called upon to provide leadership and guide Texas towards that top seed, the backup came through.  The Outlaws came in with a focus on the passing game, providing only 10 carries to Chris Johnson while Kyle Boller threw for 306 yards and 4 touchdowns.  While this was partly the result of falling behind 17-0 in the 2nd quarter, it was also very much the strategy of the Outlaws, to feature the skills of receivers like Marques Colston, Brandon Marshall, and Marquise Goodwin against a Stallion secondary that had shown a tendency to lose focus.   Despite their desire for a fast and decisive start, Texas found themselves very much in trouble early.  Birmingham got the only score of the first quarter on a Newton TD toss to Dontrelle Inman as the Texas passing game was not finding success early.  That lead expanded to 10-0 and then 17-0 for Birmingham when Cam Newton broke containment and raced 59 yards for a score on a play that could have broken the spirits of the Outlaws, but with over 9 minutes still left in the 2nd quarter there was time for Texas to regroup and recover, and the Outlaws did both.   Texas put 14 points up in the second half of the quarter, first with an absolute momentum-shifting play as Boller hit speedster Marquise Goodwin with an 83-yard catch and run for the first Outlaw points of the game.  That was followed by the first of 3 turnovers by the Stallions, a tipped ball that was picked by Nate Vasher, putting Texas in position to cut the lead to only 3.  Texas marched the ball down to the 6 as time ticked down, with Boller hitting TE Bo Scaife for the score in the final minute.  From a 17-0 deficit, Texas had quickly jumped back in the game with two 2nd quarter scores, signaling that this game was by no means over.   The third began with a pair of three and outs as both defenses adjusted to their first quarter failings.  Birmingham would add a field goal on their 2nd drive, following a nice set or runs by much maligned HB Joseph Addai.  Texas was down 6 and would respond with their first scoring drive of the second half.  Once again it was Boller and the passing game at the center of the attack, with Brandon  Marshall the hero of this drive, first with a 31-yard play on a 2nd and 3, and then with the 10-yard TD play from Boller, his third TD toss of the game.   Down 21-20 as the 4th quarter began, Birmingham seemed content to feed the ball to Addai and Marion Barber, to slow the game down and sneak out with a win at the end.  They retook the lead early in the 4th on another Hartley field goal, but now would have to hold that lead for nearly 12 minutes.  With Texas having all but abandoned any semblance of a running game, Birmingham stayed in nickel and dime coverage for the remainder of the game.  This worked at first, with Texas forced to punt on the post-field-goal drive, but it proved ineffective after a Barber fumble gave the Outlaws the ball back at their own 48 with plenty of time left.    It would take the Outlaws only 3 plays to score after the turnover.  The lead-changing play was another deep ball, this time to Marshall as a bunch formation allowed the taller receiver to find himself matched on Birmingham’s shortest corner, with safety help trapped in the middle of the field.  Boller got the protection he needed and lofted a deep ball to Marshall. The bigger receiver went up for the ball at the 3, brought it down and fell into the endzone for the decisive score, Boller’s 4th TD toss of the day, and a 28-23 lead.   That play seemed to break the spirit of the Stallions, who put up little resistance in the final minutes.  Texas would get the ball back for the last time with only 57 seconds left, allowing Boller to take a knee and the Outlaws to douse Coach Landry with the sideline water coolers, champions of the SW Division and the 1 seed in the West, guaranteeing both a bye week and a run through San Antonio if the Outlaws wanted to punch a ticket for Atlanta and Summer Bowl 2014.   We are going to do things a bit differently this time, going through the weekend based on the game start times. So that you can get a feel for how the final week impacted playoff position at different points of the weekend.  We start with three games on Saturday that locked up the top seed in the East.   Saturday @ Noon PHILADELPHIA 30   WASHINGTON 24 The Stars locked up both the NE Division and the top seed in the East with this victory on the road in DC.  At first it looked like it might be a cakewalk, with Philadelphia racing out to a 24-0 lead, but Washington showed some moxy, scoring 24 unanswered to tie the game before a late Travis Kelce TD catch sealed the win for the Stars, who finish the season atop the East at 13-3. POTG:  Stars WR Stevie Johnson: 7 Rec, 117 Yds, 1 TD   BALTIMORE 36   NASHVILLE 20 The Blitz tried to avoid scoreboard watching, but after going up 16-7, the got a bit lax and Cody Pickett brought Nashville to a 17-16 lead.  That is when Baltimore went on a 21-0 run and put the game away.  They would end up stuck as a Wild Card and the 4 seed, but they kept from falling behind Charlotte or Atlanta, so a home playoff game will start their postseason. POTG:  Blitz QB Ben Roethlisberger; 18/29, 358 Yds, 3 TD, 0 Int   NEW JERSEY 19   NEW ORLEANS 30 The Breakers played their starters, still hoping for an outside shot at a bye.  That did not work out, but they did get a solid win over New Jersey and avoided any Week 16 injuries as well.  Drew Brees threw for 3 scores and both Kenny Britt and Early Doucet went over 100 yards as the Breakers found plenty of room against New Jersey’s struggling secondary.  POTG:  New Orleans QB Drew Brees: 28/40, 345 Yds, 3 TD, 0 Int    Saturday @ 4pm SEATTLE 22    OAKLAND 21 Oakland led most of the way, but let up in the second half. That was enough for Mike Flynn to rally the Dragons with a TD in the final 3 minutes and a field goal at regulation to upend the struggling Invaders.  Oakland would need help now to hold on to the Pacific Division lead.  Joey Harrington played well, but Seattle’s Mike Wallace showed that the Oakland D is not what it had been earlier in the year. POTG:  Dragon WR Mike Wallace:  7 Rec, 131 Yds, 1 TD   LAS VEGAS 17   DALLAS 24 If the Thunder could knock off Dallas, they would be the Pacific Champions, but the Roughnecks have been gelling as a team lately and were game to play spoilers.  Johnny Manziel threw for 2 scores and the defense frustrated Jake Plummer all game.  With the score tied at 17, it would be a Plummer mistake that would cost Las Vegas the game and a playoff bid.  Manny Lawson picked off a Plummer ball and returned it 22 yards for the game winner, a pick-six that ended Las Vegas’s playoff bid. POTG:  Dallas LB Manny Lawson: 3 Tck, 1 Int, 1 Def TD   PITTSBURGH 23   MEMPHIS 26 A pretty decent game considering that both 5-10 teams were playing only for pride.  Memphis recovered from an early 13-0 deficit with 21 straight points in the third quarter.  Eli Manning threw for a TD and got help from HBs Darren McFadden and Anthony Allen as the Showboats roared back and took the win. POTG:  Showboat CB Keith Smith: 5 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 Sfty   Saturday @ 8pm ST. LOUIS 10   MICHIGAN 31 Saturday wrapped up with the Michigan Panthers locking up the Central Division crown in convincing fashion.  Kirk Cousins looked primed for the playoffs, completing 23 of 28 passes and throwing for 4 scores as the Panthers rolled to the division title and a bye in the Wild Card round.  Rookie Cody Latimer had 2 TDs in one of his best games as a pro, while LeVeon Bell added 73 yards on the ground and another 27 through the air. POTG:  Panther QB Kirk Cousins: 23/28, 238 Yds, 4 TD, 0 Int   Sunday @ Noon CHARLOTTE 27    ATLANTA 10 It was a battle to finish 2nd in the SE Division, even though both teams knew that they would be starting their playoff run on the road, thanks to Baltimore’s earlier win.  While the starters played quite a bit, both teams also subbed in some backups as well, particularly after Charlotte had a solid 24-0 lead and the game was all but done.  Kyle Orton threw 3 picks trying to come back in the game, but wiwth Fred Jackson rushing for 155 yards the run game of Charlotte just wound down the clock. POTG:  Monarch WR D. J. Hackett: 5 Rec, 180 Yds, 1 TD   ORLANDO 20   TAMPA BAY 31 Orlando looked to spoil things for the Bandits, but QB Ryan Lindley responded well, despite being sacked by Calais Campbell a stunning 6 times, and with the home crowd behind him, the Bandits put away the Renegades and claimed the SE Division title at 12-4.  Lindley came close to cracking the 300-yard mark, and connected for 4 TDs, including 2 to Vincent Jackson, giving Bandit fans hope for the playoffs.  Lindley and the Bandits will get a bye as the 2 seed, time to prepare Lindley for playoff football. POTG:  Orlando DE Calais Campbell: 10 Tck, 6 Sck, 1 FF   CHICAGO 23   JACKSONVILLE 19 Fans with a morbid curiosity about the Bulls got to watch the club on FOX as they blew their 16th and final game of the season.  At one point it was 19-7 Jacksonville, but the Bulls collapsed at the end, with Chicago scoring the final 16 points to take the win. To no one’s surprise, Mike Nolan was let go the same day.  POTG:  Chicago WR Aaron Dobson: 9 Rec, 96 Yds, 1 TD   Sunday @ 4pm PORTLAND 7   LOS ANGELES 34 A somewhat meaningless game played before barely 12,000 fans in LA saw the Express dominate a lackluster Portland squad, leaving both teams at 6-10 for the season.  Aaron Murray played only a series before Coach Reid put Mark Sanchez back in.  The running theory is that he is hoping to get a little interest going on the trading block for Sanchez.  A 10 of 20 showing for Sanchez may not be what Coach Reid was hoping for. POTG:  LA halfback Reggie Bush: 16 Att, 130 Yds, 2 TD   OHIO 13   ARIZONA 30 With Michigan having won on Saturday, Ohio had already been eliminated from playoff contention.  That showed as they faced the Wranglers, who were hoping for a Texas loss to propel them to the 1 seed.  They did not get the help they needed, but did their part with a solid win over the Glory.  Rob Gronkowski, set to become a free agent, showed his worth with 122 yards and a TD for Arizona. POTG:  Wrangler CB Joe Haden: 5 Tck, 2 Int   Sunday @ 8pm HOUSTON 13    DENVER 24 With Las Vegas and Ohio both losing, this game was not for a playoff berth, but for positioning within the Wild Card round.  The winner would go to Arizona, the loser to Oakland.  That is an odd scenario because by most accounts these two teams would both prefer to play the Invaders than the Wranglers.   It seems Houston understood the mission more than Denver as they kept Hasselbeck out of harm’s way, let Hyde run the ball, and came away losing by 11, but perhaps winning the bigger battle. POTG:  Denver LB Hannibal Navies:  12 Tck   Boller & Lindley Get the Job Done The pressure was on, the playoffs, or at least each team's role in them, was on the line, and backups Ryan Lindley and Kyle Boller were on the spot to guide their teams into the postseason with a season ending win. Both were subbing for injured starters, with Joe Flacco expected back in action as early as the Divisional Round of the playoffs, while Tampa's Daunte Culpepper was lost for the year, putting Lindley in position to guide a team that had been among the league's elites all season. In the finale for each, pressure was on to get a W and secure the division title and a bye week for both clubs. Both, with losses, could slip out of first in their divisions and into the Wild Card mix. For both clubs, this would be seen as a disastrous result after leading not only their divisions, but the conferences as well for much of the season. First up was Tampa Bay, playing in the Sunday noon slot. In their game against rival Orlando, Ryan Lindley absolutely did not have it easy, sacked 11 times by a ferocious Orlando pass rush, 6 alone from DPOTW and likely DPOTY Calais Campbell. And yet, despite constant pressure from the Orlando front 7, Lindley succeeded in 20 of 28 passing, for just short of 300 yards (296) and 4 TDs as the Bandits put up 31 on the Renegades and locked up a SE Division title. Boller had it only slightly easier in Birmingham, where he was not shown quite the same violent welcome. Birmingham played mostly conservative zones, but the Stallions had the lead at the half and required Boller to put up some scores in the second half. He did just that, connecting with Brandon Marshall twice in the final 30 minutes to give Texas the win, and with it the SW Division title and the top seed in the Western Conference playoffs. The win means that Boller may just have seen his last action. While there was concern about bringing Joe Flacco back for the Wild Card round, the bye week that the top seed receives means that Texas will get a week off and Flacco could and should be back under center for the Outlaws in 2 weeks. For Lindley, the win also gives him two weeks to prepare for his next action, as he will be the starter when Tampa Bay takes on its first opponent in the Divisional Round. Houston & Denver in, Las Vegas Out… Again We speculated about it and it came to pass, four teams from the same division have made the 2014 playoffs, with Texas as the 1 seed, and all three Wild Card spots now held by Arizona (4), Houston (5) and Denver (6).  That means that for the second year in a row the Las Vegas Thunder have fizzled down the stretch, turning what looked like a possible Division Title into a non-playoff year.  This is a trend we used to see from the Texas Outlaws with late summer swoons, but now it seems that Las Vegas is the squad that cannot finish a year out strong. We should also mention that this is also the case with the Ohio Glory, who spent the first half of the year looking like the team to beat in the Central only to be overtaken by a rising Michigan Panther team, dropping out of first place and now dropping out of playoff contention with an 8-7-1 record.  For the SW Division however, this is great news, a situation that acknowledges if not confirms what many have been saying, that the Southwest is the best and toughest division in the league this year.  It also means that two of the three Wild Cards from the SW Division will face off in Week 1 of the playoffs.  Those two will be the Arizona Wranglers and the Denver Gold, who will meet in Glendale on Sunday.    Seattle Upsets Oakland, but Invaders Get Last Laugh The Dragons played spoilers on Saturday, upsetting the Invaders in Oakland and sweeping the season series, but to no avail.  The hope among Dragon players was that a win over Oakland would lead to the club falling all the way out of the playoffs at 9-7.  And while that would have been the case had Las Vegas beaten Dallas, it was the Roughnecks who got the honor of knocking a club out of playoff  position with their upset of the Thunder.   The Seattle win helped the Dragons avoid a 10-loss season at 7-9, a better record than most predicted for them, but the win did not produce the additional pleasure of ruining the season for Oakland fans, long disliked by Dragon faithful.  Oakland may be limping into the postseason at 9-7, having lost 4 of 8 in the season’s second half, including 2 losses to the Dragons, but they still managed to hold onto the Pacific Division title.  The only potential joy for Seattle is that Oakland’s lost makes them the 3 seed, costing them a chance at a bye week and forcing them to take on a tough Houston squad next week.  A pyrrhic victory, but for the Dragons, winning over the Invaders is still a good feeling.   League Leaders Include Lots of New Names Every year brings rising stars and surprises in the standings. It also brings surprises in the statistical leaderboards, and 2014 is certainly no exception. Preseason picks had names like Joe Flacco and Daunte Culpepper listed among the potential passing leaders, with Deuce McCallister, LeVeon Bell and Steve Slaton expected to compete for the rushing title, and perennial contenders Hines Ward, Marques Colston and Deion Branch expected to battle it out for the top spot on the receiving lists.    What no one predicted, either on a team level, or on an individual level, was the rise of the Baltimore Blitz.  Along with Baltimore’s win-loss success came a lot of statistical success.  As we look at the end of year stat leaders, we see Baltimore’s success written into their passing game.  Ben Roethlisberger had his best year as a pro, throwing for over 4,700 yards to finish as the yardage leader, while also topping the boards in both TD passes (36) and QB Rating (118.5), a very nice trifecta for the big guy.  With his success we also saw Darrius Heyward-Bey have a huge year, breaking out as a top tier threat in the passing game.  His 1,650 yards are among the best ever by a Blitz receiver and good enough to get him third on the yardage list, behind only Colston and Tampa Bay’s Vincent Jackson.    The other big surprise was in Houston, where the Gamblers connected with two outstanding rookie picks.  While WR Mike Evans has looked more than solid as a number one receiver, it is Carlos Hyde who sits as the almost locked-in Rookie of the Year.  His 1,456 yards was the best of any back this year, and serves as a warning to all run defenses across the league that Houston has themselves a stud at tailback.  Throw in 13 rushing TDs, a league best as well, and Hyde is quickly becoming a player to follow in the league.    Before we wrap up we should also acknowledge one ludicrously consistent stat leader. It just seems that no one is going to be able to remove Calais Campbell from his throne as the king of the QB Sack.  Campbell once again ran away with the title after a purely nasty 6-sack game against Tampa Bay’s Ryan Lindley.  That gave him 33 sacks in 16 games, another absolutely mind-boggling total.  The closest competitor was Aaron Kampman of New Jersey with 18.  Think about that for a second, Campbell had 15 more sacks than the closest competitor.  That is the same as having Kampman at 18 and a second DE on the team with 15.  We would consider that a truly amazing edge rush duo, but in the case of Campbell it is all just him.  Truly stunning.   Jacksonville Joins Worst Team Ever Discussions at 0-16 What more can we say about the 2014 Jacksonville Bulls.  They, by every measure of a team, just flat out stunk. No one is surprised that Mike Nolan is out after only one year when it is a year that saw the Bulls go 16 games without a win, and with major blow outs in several outings.  The Bulls did wrong just about everything you could do wrong, from a complete lack of blocking to some truly horrible tackling, to more turnovers than a Danish bakery.  It was ugly.  So now what?   Well, they start by overhauling the front office, from GM to Head Coach and most of the staff as well. They will start all over.  Then you look at the roster.  Do they cut Tim Tebow loose?  There are still many Floridians who give him a lot of love and seem hesitant to see his role in the team’s failures this year. The Bulls need a more reliable run game, some breakaway capacity in the receiving corps, much better O-line play, and, well, maybe 11 new starters on defense.  Whoever takes on the job of GM in Jacksonville will be a busy man, and whoever signs on as the team’s new head coach is likely to turn grey before the Bulls reach playoff contention.  Best of luck to both, you will need it.   DeMarco Murray Out for Denver Wild Card Game Denver will be shorthanded in their playoff matchup with rival Arizona.  After leaving the game by hopping off the field, it was determined that HB DeMarco Murray fractured the big toe on his left foot.  The injury could be addressed with extra taping and perhaps a special splint in a week or two, but there is little that can be done right away other than to not attempt to practice or play.  That means that Denver will be without their lead rusher (844 yards this season) as they face one of the league’s best defenses in the Arizona Wranglers.    Arizona currently ranks 2nd in the league in both scoring and yards allowed, and their run defense in particular is strong, allowing fewer than 90 yards per game.  Denver will now go into Glendale with 3rd year player LeMichael James as the likely starter, though we expect to see a good deal of Andre Williams as well.  James has had a good year, with 646 yards on only 212 carries, but at 3 yards per carry he is a full yard off of Murray’s pace.    Denver will likely try to compensate by putting more on Matt Leinart and the passing game, but it is exactly that type of one-dimensional attack that Arizona is so capable of snuffing out.  Without a strong threat from the run game, expect Matt Leinart to be under constant pressure from the Wrangler front 7.    There was a lot on the line this weekend, and yet, as seems to happen nearly every year, the teams in position to earn berths after Week 15 all held that position and qualified in Week 16.  Losses by both Las Vegas and Ohio meant that the 6 teams already in playoff position in the conference survived, including Oakland (who lost to Seattle) and Houston (who lost their season ending matchup against Denver).   When the dust settled Sunday night, we had our 12 playoff teams, with the Invaders, Panthers, Gamblers and Gold all locking in their spots.  Texas held on to win the top seed in the West, while Philadelphia’s win gave them the best record in the East at 13-3.  The Stars join Tampa Bay, Texas, and Michigan with Wild Card Round byes, while Oakland, Arizona, New Orleans and Baltimore will all host games next week. The week also settled the first half of the draft.  No surprise at the top, where the Jacksonville Bulls locked up the top pick several weeks ago.  They will be followed by 3-13 Nashville, 4-12 St. Louis, and then a cluster of Dallas, Pittsburgh, and New Jersey at 5-11.  The full draft order will be known once the playoffs conclude, with the 12 playoff teams assigned their slot based on their success in the postseason paired with their regular season standings. We look over the 4 Wild Card games and see quite a few known issues, and just a couple of new concerns among the 8 teams that will be in action next week.  Here is the breakdown, game by game.   The Fire are certainly hurting on defense with Kelsay on IR and questions around CB Darius Slay and DT Jason Ferguson.  New Orleans certainly will miss Chris Spencer on the line, but seem the healthier team. ATL:  DE Chris Kelsay (IR), HB J. J. Arrington (IR), CB Darius Slay (Q), DT Jason Ferguson (P) NOR: C Chris Spencer (D), CB Mark Donohue (Q), SS Brandon Taylor (P)   Houston is hoping that both Andrews and Applewhite can go, though the former seems a bit more unlikely. For Oakland, the key is how Justin Smith looks on game day.  They would hate to miss his pressure on the outside. HOU: FS Willie Andrews (D), DE Antwan Applewhite (Q) OAK: DE Justin Smith (P), FS Sean Jones (P), G Logan Mankins (P)   Charlotte is looking quite healthy, while Baltimore has possible concerns if Tavares Gooden cannot go. They have him as probable, so the hope is that he is good to go on Sunday. CHA: FS Tre Boston (D) BAL: G Andy Alleman (IR), QB Vince Young (IR), HB Cedric Benson (P), LB Tavares Gooden (P)   Arizona has some concerns on the O-line, but both Smith and Schlueter seem to think they will be able to go on Sunday.  That is not the case for DeMarco Murray, which puts Denver in a pretty sizable disadvantage as they plan for a very solid Wrangler D. DEN: CB Patrick Robinson (IR),  HB DeMarco Murray (Out) ARZ:  OT Wade Smith (P),  C Blake Schlueter (P)   Black Monday Taps Out Four USFL Coaches For as long as the USFL has been around, the Monday after the final regular season games has been a date when teams release head coaches from their duties after a rough season or after a series of disappointing ones.  This past Monday saw four teams change directions, removing their head coach on the day after season, concluding games.    Mike Nolan: Jacksonville It should not come as a surprise that the coach of an 0-16 team is let go.  Even as a first year head coach, Nolan could not survive a year in which his Bulls squad simply did not look like they were up to par with any of their opponents.  Nolan joins a franchise-wide purge that includes the GM, the head of scouting, the Director of Football Operations and all of the assistant and position coaches.  Only a few scouts and the medical staff survived the purge.  And now the Bulls start from scratch.  Expect them to seek a GM as well as a new Director of Football Operations first, before landing on a head coach. Brad Childress: Memphis Three seasons, three bad years.  Yes, Childress saw the Showboats improve each year, but going from 4 to 5 win, then 5 to 6 is just not the pace of change that Memphis, or any other team, would accept as a positive.  Three consecutive 10-loss seasons doomed Childress, as did the expectation that this was the year for the Showboats to compete with New Orleans for a possible division title.  Their inconsistency and the fact that they finished in the bottom 4th of the league on both offense and defense (scoring and points allowed) was enough for ownership to move on. Mike Shanahan: Birmingham Birmingham was a bit of a surprise, as they were in the mix for most of the season, trailing New Orleans, but alive in the playoff hunt. But, when you have a dynamic talent like Cam Newton at QB and the club still finishes 22nd in offense (yards) and 17th in scoring, something has to change.  Add yet another year of mediocre to just plain bad defense, and Childress was the piece to go. Childress finishes his tenure at Birmingham with a record of 21-27 and a playoff appearance with the 8-8 squad in 2013.  Marty Mornhinweg: Portland The Stags seemed to have gone in reverse with Mornhinweg at the helm.  The former Chicago Machine head coach raised hopes in the PNW with a 9-7 Wild Card season his first year.  But the club fell to 7-9 in 2013 and this year finished at 6-10.  Along the way, Mornhinweg experimented with Matt McGloin at QB, only to go back to Ryan Fitzpatrick.  James Stewart proved to be a star, but one many felt was underutilized and not complemented with a viable passing game.  Add to that a defense that struggled to stop the pass or to keep foes out of the endzone, and ownership decided they could do better.  We anticipate that this is just the first in a series of changes, including at QB, where all indications are that the Stags will lobby hard to sign Oregon senior QB Marcus Mariota, a lock to be protected by the club in January’s Territorial Draft.   Several coaches rumored to be on the cusp were able to survive their team’s non-playoff seasons, including New Jersey HC Norv Turner, St. Louis’s Bruce Arians, Dallas’s Mike Sherman, and Chicago’s Greg Schiano. Late season wins by Dallas over Tampa Bay and Las Vegas seem to have proven the case that Sherman had his club playing hard in his second year.  Rumors were that Schiano might have been out had the 5-10 Machine managed to lose to the 0-15 Bulls, but their win in Jacksonville appears to have given Schiano another shot to improve the standing of the Machine.   Jake Plummer Hints at Retirement, Is Culpepper Next? While no official announcement has yet to be made, the rumor mill in Las Vegas has been stirring with expectations that a retirement announcement from QB Jake Plummer is eminent.  Plummer, who has been with the club since 2009, turns 38 this summer and after 17 years of USFL play is certainly feeling the pain of yet another failed playoff hunt.  For the second year in a row the Thunder faded down the stretch, missing out on a playoff spot this week when they were upset by the 5-11 Dallas Roughnecks.  If the rumors are true and the Thunder field marshal is hanging up his cleats, that means a fresh start for the Thunder at QB when they open their inaugural season in San Diego next March.  With Kevin Kolb and Case Keenum still under contract, the Thunder and head coach Dick LeBeau could go after a high profile free agent (from within the USFL or NFL), look for a trade, or we could see a true QB competition, with Keenum in particular getting a long look in the offseason.    Discussion of Plummer’s potential retirement also stirs conversation about the status of another All-USFL quarterback.  In Tampa Bay there are rumors all over town that MVP candidate Daunte Culpepper may be struggling with his late season injury and the wear and tear his body has taken over 15 USFL seasons.  Culpepper will also turn 38 over the summer, and is in the process of recovering from a fully torn MCL.  Were he to also announce the end of his pro football career, Tampa Bay would almost definitely be looking longingly at the Territorial Draft and the prospect of FSU quarterback Jameis Winston being a top offseason target.  But that may well be putting the cart before the horse.  The Bandits are embroiled in a playoff hunt, and no one expects Culpepper, even if his decision is made, to distract from that while his club is still in the midst of a playoff run.   Brown Seeks Release from Maulers Four years after jumping from the NFL Dolphins to the Pittsburgh Maulers, halfback Ronnie Brown is dissatisfied with his role on the team, the inability to escape a HB-by-Committee system, and the subsequent numbers he has produced.  This week he publicly demanded an opportunity for his agent to seek a trade partner.  Brown is stil under contract with Pittsburgh through 2017, so a trade would be his way out of town.  The Maulers have yet to respond to the demand, and obviously, were they to lose their rushing leader they would expect significant compensation.  The other option would be for the Maulers to release the disgruntled back, which would free up nearly $1.6M in cap space, though it would not bring either players or draft picks to the cash-strapped squad.    In his 4 years in Pittsburgh, Brown has rushed for 3,188 yards, averaging just under 800 yards and 6 touchdowns per season.  Those are pretty solid numbers, but in a league that saw 16 different backs cross the 1,000-yard threshold, they are not the kind of numbers that are going to bring either big money offers or a clean shot at a lead back position.  Brown may just find that takers are harder to come by than he imagines.   First Retirement Announcements Made While we expect a run of season-ending retirement notices to come over the next month, the first few days saw very few immediate announcements.  We had only 3 starters across the league notify the media and their teams that they were indeed stepping away from the game they love.    Dallas LB Dat Nguyen was the first to announce on Monday.  The 15-year veteran, who spent most of his career with the Denver Gold, played 4 years with the Boston/Dallas franchise, starting only 24 games in those 4 seasons and serving as a swing player this year, subbing across the LB group for starters all season.  He finished this year with only 6 tackles, a career low.   Another veteran LB made the announcement later the same day as LA’s Lofa Tatupu announced he was retiring after 9 seasons, all with the Express.  Tatupu, unlike Nguyen, started all 16 games for his club this year, finishing 4th on the team with 74 tackles.  The Samoan son of former NE Patriot HB Mosi Tatupu came to the Express in the T-Draft out of USC.  He became a starter in his rookie season, scoring 83 tackles in his 2005 rookie year.  The next year he had his first of two 100-tackle seasons as a full-time starter.  This season was more of a battle for the 32-year old linebacker as he played through the pain of ongoing knee issues.  While LA certainly hoped he would be able to return for 2015, unofficial sources had said this season that there was some expectation that it could be the last for Tatupu.   Finally, early Tuesday, cornerback Mike Rumph of Portland announced he would be stepping away from the game after 12 pro seasons.  Rumph, a 2006 All-USFL corner with New Jersey, came into the league with the Generals, where he played for 8 years before joining Portland in Free Agency in 2010.  Rumph started all 16 Stag games this year at CB, racking up 83 tackles (2nd only to LB Channing Crowder) and adding a sole pick this season. Playoff football begins with four games this weekend as all 6 Wild Card teams as well as the two 3-seed Division winners are in action.  Will we see all 4 home favorites hold serve or will we get upsets in the opening round of the 2014 playoffs?  Here are our picks as well as some notes on each game.   (6) Atlanta Fire (10-6) @ (3) New Orleans Breakers (12-4) Saturday, July 5 @ 4pm ET Mercedes Benz SuperDome, New Orleans, LA Breakers -5   Most money is on the Breakers in this one, and for good reason.  New Orleans averages 3 more points per game than Atlanta and has a defense that is about even with the Fire in points allowed.  However, when we look closer, we see that these two teams are very even across the board.  Atlanta ranks 10th in rushing, New Orleans 12th.  Atlanta is also 13th in passing while the Breakers are 17th.  The Fire also had a 5-game winning streak going before dropping their final 2 to Orlando and Charlotte.  New Orleans had won 6 in a row before dropping an odd “trap” game to Memphis in Week 15, but they recovered nicely this week against New Jersey.   OUR PICK:  The big difference for us is that we see that Ryan Denney is out for Atlanta, and we just trust Drew Brees more than Kyle Orton on offense, so we are going with the home favorites.  New Orleans wins 28-24.   (6) Houston Gamblers (9-6-1) @ (3) Oakland Invaders (9-7) Saturday, July 5 @ 8pm ET Oakland-Alameda Coliseum, Oakland, CA Invaders -1 Houston seems to be very much the model of the “play at the level of their competition” kind of team.  That is how they managed to tie Texas but lose to Dallas.  Their loss to Denver this week has us wondering if they may have miscalculated in preferring to face Oakland over Arizona.  On the other hand, when we look at the Invaders what we see is a team that was 6-3 at one point and only went 3-4 down the home stretch, including two losses to Seattle.  They got a good win against Philly in Week 13, but other than that they have just not been impressive.   OUR PICK:  We see this as the most likely upset of the weekend, just as the gambling books in Vegas do.  They give Oakland a meager 1-point advantage as the home team.  We don’t  think that is enough.  We are picking Houston to win, 21-17.   (5) Charlotte Monarchs (11-5) @ (4) Baltimore Blitz (12-4) Sunday, July 6 @ 1pm ET M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, MD Blitz -4   The Monarchs have won 10 of 11 games, with only a letdown in New Orleans in the L column since Week 6, and yet, they get no respect.  They are the Rodney Dangerfield of USFL clubs this season.  Baltimore has been looking very dangerous all year long, 9 of 11 themselves, so this is a matchup of two teams that are accustomed to winning.  Charlotte is the healthier team, and they may have a chip on their shoulder for being disrespected by the line.    OUR PICK: We think this could be a surprise.  We are going to take the more experienced Charlotte squad, a team with a lot of players still there from the 2012 Summer Bowl run.  Charlotte stuns the crowd in Baltimore, 27-23.   (5) Denver Gold (10-5-1) @ (4) Arizona Wranglers (11-5) Sunday, July 6 @ 5pm ET University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, AZ Wranglers -5   We love divisional rivalries in the playoffs and Denver-Arizona is one of the best.  They have only faced each other once in the postseason, with Denver getting the win.  But, while they may only be separated by ½ game in the standings, we just cannot get over how good Arizona has looked lately.  That said, the Gold have had their number, winning 16-13 in Week 1 and then sweeping the series with a 30-20 victory in Denver during Week 10 play.  Since that loss, Arizona has rattled off 5 wins in a row, including blow out victories over Dallas, Houston, and Nashville.  David Carr is in rare form, Frank Gore looks rested, and the defense has risen all the way to 2nd in the league in both scoring and yards.   OUR PICK:  Denver is a very solid team, but we think Arizona is a clear Summer Bowl contender, and we think they just have more ways to beat you.  Denver always keeps it close, but we see Arizona coming out on top in the 3rd meeting of the year.   Wranglers win 19-14.

Fifteen weeks down, only one to go and we still don’t know who the top seeds in either conference will be. The injuries to Culpepper and Flacco have complicated the end of the season and given hope to teams like Baltimore, Philly, Michigan, and Arizona. The Wranglers looked good and by knocking off Texas could once again claim the top seed in the West, something no one wants to see outside of the Grand Canyon State.  Tampa fell to Dallas in a thriller, and Philadelphia got a win in Baltimore, so the race in the East is as tight as ever.  All this, plus we still have 5 of 6 divisions to determine, and 4 of 6 Western playoff spots in what may be the most down-to-the-wire USFL season yet.   TAMPA BAY BANDITS 28    DALLAS ROUGHNECKS 31 This is every Bandit fan’s nightmare.  They lose Daunte Culpepper right as the season is winding down, but before they can lock up the top seed in the East.  The offense has some struggles, and the defense is overwhelmed, and they cannot win down the stretch, potentially dropping not only out of that top seed, but possibly out of the division title altogether.  Tampa Bay’s road trip to Dallas this week brought out the worst fears of Bandit Nation, and with Dallas getting the win, Tampa Bay has already slipped out of the top seed and now find themselves a game behind the Philadelphia Stars.   For Dallas, the feeling was very different.  Yes, the Roughnecks are eliminated from the postseason, and have been for a while now, but this game would give them the chance to play spoilers, even if a minor injury to rookie Johnny Manziel meant they would go into the game with Jake Locker under center.  This was their Summer Bowl, their shot to knock off a playoff team and build for next year, and they were going to take it.   Dallas started the game on fire, spurred on by a very nice crowd at Cotton Bowl Stadium on a pretty hot day.  The Roughnecks started off with a field goal on their first drive, then followed that up with a C. J. Spiller TD run on their next, taking an early 10-0 lead on a Bandit squad that was clearly not yet firing on all cylinders.  Tampa would start to show signs of life with their second possession, with Ryan Lindley over the initial nerves and finding targets downfield.  He got some help from HB Rex Burkhead, who started the game strong with 10 carries for 51 yards in the first half.  At the end of a 67-yard drive, Lindley connected with Santonio Holmes and the combination dropped the Dallas lead to 10-7 as the 1st quarter wound down.   In the 2nd, Tampa Bay would briefly take the lead.  Following a shanked punt by Dallas, Tampa Bay got the ball at their own 47, and shortly after were in the red zone.  Lindely did well to find Vincent Jackson for what at first appeared to be a score, but was ruled out at the 1-yard line after video review.  Rex Burkhead would run the ball in from there on the next play, and Tampa Bay was on top 14-10.  But, that lead would not last.  Locker and HB Rashard Mendenhall helped lead Dallas right back down the field, with Locker connecting with Ben Watson for a 15-yard play, then Hank Basket for 12, and Mendenhall contributing a 17-yard run as well.  The Dallas drive ended with Locker hitting Tim Wright on a crossing route to put the Roughnecks up 17-14.  That would remain the score into halftime.   The second half started badly for Tampa Bay, and for their new QB, Ryan Lindley.  On his second play of the quarter Lindley threw a ball to where he thought Davone Bess would be, but found Dallas CB Trey McBride instead.  McBride returned the ball to the Tampa 21, and from there, 4 plays later, Jake Locker connected with Hank Basket to boost the Roughneck lead to 24-14.    Tampa and Lindley would rebound, putting together a 13-play, 71-yard drive on their next possession, helped by a defensive pass interference call and a lucky bounce on a deflected ball, finding the arms of TE Dustin Keller and not a defender.  They would end the drive with another Santonio Holmes TD grab, and would trail at the end of 3 quarters, but only by 24-21.   The teams continued to trade touchdowns in the 4th quarter, making Dallas’s initial 1st quarter field goal the main difference between the two teams.  Dallas again scored first, this time a Mendenhall run from the 3 with barely 3 minutes gone in the period.  Tampa Bay would once again pull the score down to a 3-point difference as they put another touchdown on the board at the 6-minute mark.  This time it was Jackson from Lindley, reducing Dallas’s lead to 31-28.  They still had time to get the ball back and try to get a game tying field goal, or even a game-winning touchdown. The Tampa defense gave up one first down, but then forced a punt on the next set of downs.  They would give the Bandits the ball back with 3:10, more than enough time to get three, maybe even seven points on the board.  But, while Bandit fans were eager to see the team mount a comeback, they were soon heartbroken when once again it looked like Lindley and his receiver were not on the same page.  From all accounts it looked like Lindley expected Holmes to run an in-cutting route, but the veteran receiver, seeing the CB on his inside shoulder, cut to the outside, towards the sideline.  Lindley’s ball stayed inside and was easy pickings for Dallas corner Brandon Carr.  The 7-year vet knew what to do.  He ran to the middle of the field and slid to end the runback.  No sense risking a fumble.    Dallas’s offense took over with just under 2:30 left to play.  They rushed the ball 3 times, and on 3rd down picked up just enough for a new set of downs.  That was the end of Tampa’s hopes.  With two kneel downs the game was over, Tampa Bay was now no longer the East’s top seed, and fans had to hope they could somehow find a way to win in Week 16 against Orlando, or potentially face a road trip in the playoffs instead of home cooking.   NEW ORLEANS  16    MEMPHIS 26 The Breakers came out flat after clinching the division and Memphis made them pay.  NaVorro Bowman had a big week, including a pick-six, and the Memphis offense did just enough to hold off the Breakers late.  The run game for New Orleans, in particular, was a disappointment as 14 carries between Hill and Tolbert were not enough, but neither was 31 total yards rushing.  Did the Breakers peak too soon, or is this just a let down after clinching their division and taking the Showboats too lightly? POTG:  Showboat LB NaVorro Bowman: 6 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 Int, 1 Def TD   ST. LOUIS 13   OHIO 30 Ohio stays alive and can still win the Central with a victory next week if St. Louis rebounds and somehow upsets the Panthers in the finale.  Ohio doubled up the Skyhawks and rookie Tajh Boyd, largely by pounding the ball in the run game.  Isaiah Pead had a huge game, rushing for 166 on only 18 carries and scoring on a 49-yard run in the 2nd quarter.  Steve Smith also had a big day, going over 100 yards again with 103 on 7 catches. POTG:  Ohio HB Isaiah Pead:  18 Att, 166 Yds, 1 TD   JACKSONVILLE 14   CHARLOTTE 37 Charlotte had no difficulty dispensing with the winless Bulls as Fred Jackson and Shonn Greene combined for 100 yards and 3 TDs on the day.  The defense also was a problem for Jacksonville, with Adrian McPherson being knocked out of the game in the 3rd quarter.  The Win moved Charlotte to 10-5 and, more importantly, to 6-1 in the division.  That means that a Monarch win next week paired with a Bandit loss and Charlotte will win the division on a tiebreaker for better division record. POTG:  Monarch DE Jevon Kearse: 1 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 FF, 1 FR   MICHIGAN 23   LAS VEGAS 28 A good game between two potential playoff dark horses as Las Vegas had a pretty decent home field crowd for a change.  The Thunder raced out to an early 14-0 lead and then hung on as Michigan tried in vain to make up ground. Thanks to 107 yards and 2 scores from HB Marshawn Lynch, the Thunder remain in position to possibly take the Pacific Division, while Michigan could still lose the Central if they cannot get a W next week against the Skyhawks. POTG:  Las Vegas HB Marshawn Lynch:  23 Att, 107 Yds, 2 TD   PITTSBURGH 20   OAKLAND 34 The Invaders struggled at first but then put the game away late, thanks to a strong day from Ryan Williams (115 yds & 2 TD) and Bobby Wagner (2 FF).  The win means that Oakland holds onto their tiebreaker lead over Las Vegas.  A win next week and the Pacific Division is theirs, along with a bye in the playoffs. POTG:  Invader HB Ryan Williams: 30 Att, 115 Yds, 2 TD   ATLANTA 12   ORLANDO 16 Orlando is going down swinging, and they took down Atlanta in the process.  Neither team could mount a run game in this one as the Renegades gained only 41 yards on the ground and the Fire only 52.  In the end it was a short Tim Hightower plunge that gave the Renegades the lead late and the win.  The loss drops Atlanta into a tie with Charlotte for 2nd place, with the two facing off next week. POTG:  Orlando DT Albert Haynesworth: 11 Tck, 3 TFL   ARIZONA 40   TEXAS 31 Kyle Boller was game, throwing 3 TD passes for the Outlaws, but he also threw2 picks, and one of those was returned for 6 in this wild shootout.  Arizona lost David Carr to a blow to the head early, so Nick Foles again came in and performed admirably, throwing 2 TDs and keeping the Wrangler offense on the field.  Frank Gore added 74 yards and 2 scores and Antonio Bryant had a day with a 41-yard touchdown and 110 total yards as Arizona now sits only ½ game behind the Outlaws and could steal away the SW Division and maybe even the top seed with a win next week and a Texas loss. POTG:  Wrangler WR Antonio Bryant: 3 Rec, 110 Yds, 1 TD   PORTLAND 26   NEW JERSEY 9 The Stags picked off Sam Bradford 3 times and backup HB Javon Ringer went for 106 and a score in his first start of the season as Portland laid some lumber on the Generals.  Pressure from Dion Jordan and Tyrone Crawford led to too many Bradford mistakes as the QB seems very insecure in the pocket, sacked 3 times but throwing the ball away far too often as well. POTG:  Stag CB Mike Rumph:  6 Tck, 1 Int, 1 FF   DENVER 14     NASHVILLE 7 The Gold did not exactly look dominant against the 3-win Knights, but they did enough to get the win, and that is what matters.  Matt Leinart connected with Crabtree and Graham for scores, but Golden Tate was his favorite target, catching 7 balls for 107 yards on the day.  The defense held Nashville to 255 yards and only 2 of 12 on third down as Nashville and QB Cody Pickett continued to struggle to sustain drives. POTG:  Gold DE Justice Cole:  3 Tck, 2 Sck   BIRMINGHAM 23   WASHINGTON 26 The Federals got the better of the Stallions thanks to 13 unanswered points in the 4th quarter, including a 37-yard TD toss from Joe Webb to Brandon LaFell.  Webb got the start as David Garrard dealt with soreness in his throwing shoulder.  The backup, who may well be on the trading block, looked pretty good, completing 28 of 41 for 343 yards, 2 TDs and 1 pick.  Both teams now sit at 7-8 and can finish the year at .500 with a win in their finales. POTG: Feds’ WR Brandon LaFell: 8 Rec, 116 Yds, 2TD.   SEATTLE 17   LOS ANGELES 37 Aaron Murray made a case for consideration as the starter in 2015 thanks to a 25 of 34/, 241 yard, 2 TD day against division foe Seattle.  The Express also got a rushing TD from Murray, who scrambled for a 3-yard score in the 2nd quarter.  The defense did the rest, holding Cadillac Williams to only 55 yards and picking off Byron Leftwich twice. POTG:  Express FS David Young: 4 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 Int   CHICAGO 16   HOUSTON 34 Houston looked solid in a comfortable home win over the Machine.  Mike Evans caught 5 passes, including a 2-yard TD on a perfect fade route, and Carlos Hyde rushed for 98 yards and 2 scores as Houston took care of business. They next head to Denver for a huge game for playoff positioning, with a lot riding on their game and others to determine who is at home in the Wild Card round. POTG:  Houston LB Steve Tulloch: 2 Tck, 1 Int, 1 Def TD   PHILADELPHIA 26    BALTIMORE 17 It was billed as the game of the week by ESPN and did not disappoint.  Baltimore and Philadelphia battled it out all night, with several small skirmishes along with a lot of hard hitting. Baltimore had an early lead but two Gutierrez to Kelce touchdowns in the 2nd quarter gave Philadelphia the lead for good.  Baltimore clawed their way back but could never get ove the hump as Philly added field goals to keep them just out of range despite 147 yards from Darrius Heyward-Bey on the night. POTG:  Philadelphia TE Travis Kelce: 5 Rec, 120 Yds, 2 TD   Arizona Can Still Be Top Seed Again Early this season we were wondering what was wrong with the defending champs and now we are talking about the very real possibility that they could win the SW Division and quite possibly steal away the top seed in the West.  Now, we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves, but the possibility is there.  Here is what would need to happen:   First off, Arizona has to defeat Ohio, but it is a home game, so that feels very possible.  Then, Texas has to lose in their Week 16 matchup in Birmingham.  That also seems possible, especially if the Stallions pressure Kyle Boller, which we expect they will. Those two results alone mean that Arizona, not Texas, is the SW Division Champion at 11-5, with Texas second at 10-5-1.  An 11-5 record also means that Arizona is a game up on Michigan and on Oakland, which means they are not only the SW Division Champion, but also the top seed in the West, something that has to be striking fear into anyone who saw what the Wranglers did in the playoffs last season.    After a very shaky start, one that had Arizona at 4-4 after 8 weeks, the Wranglers have been on fire, winning 6 of their last 7 games.  An 8th win could very well have them in the driver’s seat for the playoffs, something that seemed very unlikely earlier this season.  With blowout wins in several of their recent games and with both the offense and defense looking very potent, no one wants to face this Wrangler club in the postseason, but especially not in Glendale in front of a wild and riled up fanbase.  But it very much could happen.   How Ohio and Las Vegas Can Get Into Playoff Mix For both the Glory and the Thunder, the season has pretty much come down to one week.  Either both will have had fast starts melt away (Las Vegas for a 2nd year in a row, or they could rise up and snatch a playoff spot on the final weekend of the year.   In both cases, the future is not entirely in their hands. For Las Vegas it is a little more cut & dry.  If they win, they are very likely in the playoffs.  Why?  Well, because Houston is playing Denver this week.  If either team wins, it means the loser is 9-6-1.  A win by Las Vegas puts them at 10-6 and would give them that last Wild Card spot.  A win and an Oakland loss against the Seattle Dragons, and Las Vegas jumps all the way up to a Divisional Title, and possibly a bye (depending on Michigan’s situation).  So, the Thunder have to be happy knowing that their playoff berth is in their hands (assuming the Gamblers and Gold don’t tie their game).  With a little help they can go from the 7th seed up as high as the 2nd seed.  As for Ohio, they cannot do it alone.  Sitting at 8-6-1, and with no tiebreaker advantage against the loser of the Denver-Houston game, they have one shot and one shot only.  They can edge out Michigan for the Central Division if they can upend Arizona in Glendale and, at the same time, the Michigan Panthers are upset at home by the St. Louis Skyhawks.  That is not an easy combination to picture, but it is the one combination of results that would provide Ohio with a path to the postseason.  Once again, a huge shift could be possible.  Ohio is currently in 8th position, but a win over Arizona, a loss by Michigan, and a loss by Oakland at  home to Seattle, and Ohio could also leap all the way up to 2nd place and get a bye.  That is how volatile the Western Conference is this year.   One Last Chance for Bulls and Nolan The Jacksonville Bulls have been a disaster all year long. They sit at 0-15, one game away from a winless season.  They have given up 445 points in 15 games, more than any other team (by a healthy margin), and their 191 total points scored is also easily the worst in the league (Nashville is next at 217).  Coach Mike Nolan’s first year has been an utter disaster.  He even went so far as to pull Tim Tebow, a local legend from his days at Florida, to try to win games, and has not been successful.    So, what now with 1 week left?  Well, the Bulls are home to Chicago, another team who have disappointed this year, but not nearly to the same degree.  They will likely be playing that game in front of a sparce and angry crowd, many with paper bags on their heads, and the chant they will hear across the stadium won’t be “Bulls Hit” but it will sound a lot like that.  In other words, they have one game to try to salvage some shred of dignity, or to become a part of history as perhaps the worst team in USFL history.    That reality, that possibility, will almost certainly mean a full and unwavering housecleaning.  Nolan, his assistants, the GM and many scouts are very likely gone.  We expect many will be gone regardless, but to go 0-16 with a club that has had a lot of pride over the years, well, that is just not going to be a forgivable offense.  It has gotten so bad in Jacksonville that fans have started to ask if it is too late for the Bulls, their coaches, owner, everyone to move to Las Vegas and for Nashville’s team to relocate to Jacksonville to start over.  That is not happening, but what could and should happen is a total reboot, starting at the top and working its way through every aspect of the team and its roster.    Hard to believe, but we really only had one change to the playoff situation this week.  Arizona locked up a berth thanks to a 10-5 record.  Beyond that we saw absolutely no teams capture their division, leaving 5 of 6 open (New Orleans being the exception), and we still have 4 open slots in the West, with 6 teams in the mix.  As we look over the playoff situation with one week left, here is what we each club involved needs or wants as we enter Week 16.   PHILADELPHIA:   Easy, win and you are the NE Division Champion and top seed in the Eastern Conference. Not a bad incentive to motivate the guys.   TAMPA BAY:  A win gets them the SE Division title, if paired with a loss by Philly and the Bandits would regain their position as the top seed.  But, with concern at QB, a win over Orlando is not at all guaranteed.  A loss and they could drop as far as the 5 seed.   NEW ORLEANS:  The Breakers have the division title, but really want a bye.  Their best shot at one is a win this week and a loss by the Bandits.  That would bump them up to the 2nd position. A win and losses by both Philadelphia and Tampa Bay and they could even get home field throughout the playoffs.  A loss and they are still the 3 seed as they are right now.   BALTIMORE: The Blitz’s ideal situation is a win and a Stars loss, that gives them the NE Division and a possible bye if both Tampa Bay and New Orleans lose.  Conference records are a key tiebreaker and Baltimore trails both so they really want to get a game up on the Breakers and Bandits.  A loss and they could drop as far as the 6 seed.   CHARLOTTE: A Win and a Bandit loss and Charlotte is your SE Division champ.  If not, then a road Wild Card game seems in the mix.   ATLANTA: The Fire would need a lot of help to steal the SE Division.  We see them as a Wild Card, but losses by Charlotte and Baltimore could at least get them a home opener in the Wild Card round.   TEXAS:  From a nearly guaranteed division title to now playing for their playoff lives.  Texas is only ½ game up on Arizona.  If they lose and the Wranglers win, they drop down to the Wild Card round, which is absolutely what they do not want.  They need that extra week to get Joe Flacco back. But if Kyle Boller can come through and get them the win against Birmingham (Boller’s former team), then Texas is golden, King of the Western Conference mountain.   OAKLAND:  The Invaders have the tiebreaker over Las Vegas, so a win means they win the division and the 2 seed, with its automatic bye. A loss and all bets are off.  They could even drop all the way out of the playoff picture if Michigan, Houston, Las Vegas and Ohio all win.   MICHIGAN: A win and the Centra is theirs.  A loss and an Ohio win and they are in trouble. Like Oakland, they could drop all the way out.  Best to stay positive.  A win with Oakland and Las Vegas losses and Michigan is the 2 seed.   ARIZONA: From a 4-4 start to a potential 1 seed in the West.  That is quite a late season run. But the situation is basic.  Win next week, get help from the Stallions with an upset of Texas and the Western playoffs will run through the desert.   HOUSTON: Win & In. That’s the mantra.  The winner of the Gold-Gambler game is assured a spot, the loser is likely out.  Harsh but fair.   DENVER: Same story, win & in, lose and you are at great risk of sitting home in 2 weeks.   LAS VEGAS:   Best case scenario is a win over Dallas and an Oakland loss. That gives the Thunder the title in their last season in Sin City. A loss and they are almost certainly out of the postseason again.   OHIO: Another pretty simple one.  Beat Arizona in Arizona and get help from St. Louis (beating Michigan) and Ohio jumps back to the top of the Central Division, with a shot at a bye if Oakland and Las Vegas both lose.  Did we say simple?  Beating Arizona in Arizona is anything but simple.   Following several absolutely brutal weeks of injuries to key performers and top stars, we finally get a week with no new IR additions and only a pair of minor injuries (both concussions).  This is exactly what the league needed as it prepares for its final week and then the playoffs, some belief that teams will be in good shape and healthy for the postseason.  After losing so many big names—Culpepper, Flacco, Stewart, and Kelsay just in the last week, we needed a week like this one.   OUT SS           Michael Mitchell       TBY        Concussion       1-2 Weeks LB           Nate Irving                NSH      Concussion       1-2 Weeks   DOUBTFUL CB          Dunta Robinson       PIT         Back FS           Matt Elam               JAX         Knee C             Chris Spencer        NOR      Concussion   QUESTIONABLE DT          Ego Ferguson         ORL       Toe DE          Justin Smith               OAK      Abdomen QB         Adrian McPherson    JAX         Shoulder FS           Jairus Byrd                PHI        Shoulder   Five Coordinators Who Could be Head Coaches by 2015. As we get closer and closer to the end of the season, we also sidle up to Black Monday, when we expect several positions to open up as Head Coaches who have not produced are let go.  And while there are certainly many viable candidates for those newly-vacated positions, we know that a coordinator can rocket up the list with some good years under his belt.  So, who are the hot prospects among USFL coordinators?  We have picked 5.   Sean McDermott: DC-Michigan Jim Johnson gets a lot of the credit for the revival of defense in Michigan, but his DC, Sean McDermott is also being recognized as a key acolyte of Johnson’s philosophy and as an excellent defensive playcaller.  Will he get a shot to break out on his own after following Johnson from Nashville to Michigan?   Pep Hamilton: OC Baltimore One year does not a career make, but the explosive gains in Baltimore’s offense make for quite a one-year resume.  Yes, Jim Caldwell is the main man, but the offense is Hamilton’s and it has turned Darrius Heyward-Bey from a draft bust into perhaps the breakout player of the game.  Big Ben has never looked better, and the Blitz have a run game that does not have a star but still works like clockwork.  There are plenty of teams that would love that kind of turnaround with a new coach.   Rick Dennison: OC Houston Another club with a surprising offensive output, the Houston Gamblers have two rookies looking like MVP candidates and a veteran QB looking as good as he ever has. With Wade Philips clearly on the defensive side, the kudos are going to his OC, Dennison, and deservedly so.   Ernest Givens: OC New Orleans That’s right, the USFL Hall of Fame WR and former Stallion great is getting a lot of kudos for the work he is doing in New Orleans under Lamar Lathon.  Givens is only in his 2nd year as an OC after working his way up as a position coach, but the Breakers are proving to be a dynamic offense under his tutelage, especially the receiver group, with Early Doucet likely an All-USFL selection this year and very solid production from up and comer Kenny Britt.    Chuck Cecil: DC Los Angeles Why would a defensive coordinator from a 5-10, fifth place Express team be getting looks?  One number tells the story, 41 takeaways, the league’s best.  Believe it or not Andy Reid’s team is actually in the Top 10 in scoring defense, and they lead the league in takeaways.  Cecil is getting a lot of credit for that.  The hardnosed former NFL safety is a no-nonsense taskmaster with his defense and there are plenty of teams who need the discipline, grit, and aggressiveness he has fostered in the Express D.   Adidas Announces 4 Teams for 2016 Redesign As fans have already started snapping up new jerseys from the Generals, Machine, Stags, and the new San Diego and Las Vegas Vipers gear, the league and Adidas are already moving on to their next round of design updates.  This week Adidas announced that 4 USFL squads will be getting an update in 2016.  As we have seen in past years, some may just be tweaks, retaining much of the current look and all the current logos.  Others may see new wordmarks, secondaries, and even occasionally a more dramatic transformation.  So, who will the teams be that get a new coat of paint?    Adidas announced that Seattle, Charlotte, Denver and Ohio will be getting updates.  This will be the first refresh for the Monarchs since they arrived in the league in 2008.  Seattle was last updated in 2010, so there must be some desire within ownership to go in a new direction.  Ohio was last updated in 2010 as well, and while we don’t expect them to move away from their updated logo, we do think they may try to recapture some of the magic of the early 2000’s with their refresh.  Denver is the final club in the group. They had their last refresh in 2009, so they too have a relatively recent look.  That said, the Gold are a team with a long history and a lot of nostalgia.  Could we be seeing a return to the starburst logo or will the “Pick-D” remain the primary in the Mile High City.    We will get our answers during the 2015 season, with all looks revealed in time to have playoff teams wear the new look when they take the field, something we won’t see this year as the only newly-redesigned team in playoff position are the Thunder and no one believes that trotting out new San Diego uniforms would be a good idea for the team’s final action as the Las Vegas Thunder.   USFL’s Greatest Rivalries:  Memphis v. Birmingham There is just something about rivalry football in the South.  Whether it is Alabama-Auburn, Florida-Georgia, or the Stallions and the Showboats, there is just a different vibe to it. Maybe it is the tailgating, where rival fans can go head to head over some barbecue.  Maybe it is the heat and humidity.  Or maybe it is just that the South loves its football and loves to get into it with a rival.  Whatever the reason, the twice annual duel between Memphis and Birmingham is always a party and always a good game.  Even when both teams are not at their best the fans come out in droves and the action on the field is always intense.   The two have been duking it out for Southern Pride ever since Memphis joined the league a year after the Stallions in 1987.  They have played each other 64 times, including two Memphis playoff wins.  The Showboats trail in the overall 30-34, but with both clubs having won titles, the debate over who is the top dog is a fierce one. The arrival of Brett Favre as a Showboat after winning a title as the Stallion QB only stoked the fires between these two big fanbases.  Winning Memphis a second John Bassett trophy in 2007 only made the enmity between the two teams even more heated.  Not that it needed any more heat.  This is one of the best pro sports atmospheres in the country and a game that every USFL fan should try to attend at least once, even if both squads are not at their best right now.   Let’s get right to each matchup on this specially scheduled Week 16, because there is a lot on the line in a lot of these games.   SAT @ 12pm                      Philadelphia (12-3) @ Washington (7-8)              ABC A win and the Stars are the top seed in the East.  A loss and they could drop to a 4 seed.   SAT @ 12pm                      Baltimore (11-4) @ Nashville (3-12)                       FOX Regional Baltimore needs a win and a Stars loss to take the NE Division and the East’s top seed.   SAT @ 12pm                      New Jersey (5-10) @ New Orleans (11-4)            FOX Regional New Orleans is locked in and may be one of very few teams to rest their starters.   SAT @ 4pm                        Seattle (6-9) @ Oakland (9-6)                                   ABC Regional Oakland wins the Pacific Division with a win against the Dragons.   SAT @4pm                         Las Vegas (9-6) @ Dallas (4-11)                               ABC Regional If Seattle upsets Oakland, the Thunder can finish their run in Vegas as a Division Winner.   SAT @4pm                         Pittsburgh (5-10) @ Memphis (5-10)                      FOX This game has only pride on the line as two 10-loss teams face off.   SAT @ 8pm                        St. Louis (4-11) @ Michigan (9-6)                            NBC Michigan locks up the Central Division and a bye week with a win.   SUN @ 12pm                    Charlotte (10-5) @ Atlanta (10-5)                            FOX Regional The winner of this game has a slim chance to host a Wild Card game instead of being on the road.   SUN @ 12pm                    Orlando (8-7) @ Tampa Bay (11-4)                          FOX Regional The Bandits need to avoid losing and possibly slipping out of a bye or even the Division title.   SUN @ 12pm                    Chicago (5-10) @ Jacksonville (0-15)                     ABC Will the Bulls pull this one out and avoid a winless season?    SUN @ 4pm                      Portland (6-9) @ Los Angeles (5-10)                       ABC Regional Two teams that underperformed now playing for pride in a game that few will attend.   SUN @ 4pm                      Texas (10-4-1) @ Birmingham (7-8)                        ABC Regional The Outlaws need this win to lock up the SW Division and the West’s top seed.   SUN @ 4pm                      Ohio (8-6-1) @ Arizona (10-5)                                    FOX If Texas Falters, Arizona has a real shot to repeat as the West’s top seed, which no one else wants.   SUN @ 8pm                      Houston (9-5-1) @ Denver (9-5-1)                           ESPN/EFL A playoff spot could be on the line, depending on what happens with Ohio and Las Vegas.  No guarantee that either make the postseason so a win here is vital.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Memphis has not had much to celebrate this year, but we are going to celebrate a strong Week 15 effort from Showboat LB NaVorro Bowman, who did a little bit of everything this week, recording a sack, picking off a ball and returning it for 6 in the Showboats' surprise win this week. Bowman has been playing hard every week and finally gets a W thanks in large part to his efforts. PLAYOFF PICTURE: Week 15 may have shaken up things around the league in some ways, but the playoff picture was not one of them. Only 1 change has been recorded after the league's penultimate week, with Arizona clinching a spot in the playoffs. All three division titles in the West, and 2 more in the East will go to the final week to decide. We also still have 6 teams vying for 4 playoff spots in the West, with Las Vegas and Ohio still in the mix, though both will need some help to overtake Oakland and Michigan. Seattle is the only club to be added to the list of eliminated teams, as their loss this week removes any chance that they could catch the Invaders and Thunder.

Week 14 saw some huge performances, tight games, tough losses, and big wins.  It saw the first club in the West lock up a  playoff spot, to no one’s surprise Texas took that honor, and it saw the Eastern playoff lineup secured, with the final two spots locked up by two Southeastern clubs, Charlotte and Atlanta. It saw a 562-yard passing effort in our overtime GOTW, but it also saw two injuries that could have devastating effects as both Daunte Culpepper and Joe Flacco were unable to finish their games.  Tampa Bay received the devastating news that a full MCL tear would mean the end of action for their MVP candidate QB, while Texas got word that their MVP quarterback would likely miss both of the two final games, potentially putting the Outlaws at risk of losing not only the top seed in the West, but the division title that had seemed to be theirs all season long.  A lot to cover on this action-packed, and season-altering Week 14, so let’s get right to it.   BALTIMORE BLITZ 41    SEATTLE DRAGONS 35   OVERTIME One of the great aspects of the final month of the USFL season is that a game that has little history in its matchup of teams, where both teams are not only in different divisions, but different conferences, and where they play each other very rarely, can take on huge implications for the playoffs and bring out playoff-like intensity.  That was absolutely the case this weekend when the Baltimore Blitz flew across the country for a rare matchup against the Seattle Dragons. Seattle, a team not expected to do much this year, had played themselves into contention for a playoff spot, thanks in large part to a 3-game winning streak, but needed to maintain momentum to have a chance.  Baltimore, a team picked to finish last in its division, had outperformed all expectations and were on the verge of not only winning the division but having a shot at the top seed.  For both clubs, a win in this inter-conference matchup was essential if they hoped to fulfill the promise this season had provided, and they played like the game was absolutely do or die.   The game saw the two teams combine for over 1,000 yards, 76 points, and 40 first downs.  Both quarterbacks were at their best with Ben Roethlisberger and Byron Leftwich combining for over 900 passing yards in an incredible display of aerial innovations.  Five different receivers went over 100 yards in the game, including 4 just on the Blitz roster alone.  It was, by all accounts, the shootout of the year.  And yet it began slowly, as so many games between unfamiliar opponents do.   Both Baltimore and Seattle began the game a bit cautiously, with short drives leading to punts.  But, Seattle, on their second drive, found some room in the Blitz’s zone schemes, moved the ball well on first down, creating shorter 2nd and 3rd downs and converted 3 third downs on the drive, leading to the game’s first score as Leftwich found Kevin Kasper from 7-yards out to put Seattle up nearing the end of the quarter.   That first score seemed to open up the game, as Baltimore too started to take more risks.  The Blitz, realizing that the run game was struggling on early downs, started to call more first down passes, and finding success in the air, largely gave up on the run, providing Anthony Dixon with only 12 carries on the day, while Ben Roethlisberger would have 45 pass attempts, many of them medium and deep throws.  Baltimore’s shift to a pass-first offense had immediate effects as the Blitz scored on their first drive of the 2nd quarter, a 12-yard seam route to Antonio Gates, one of 7 catches the TE would have on the day.    Seattle responded with their own long drive, one that took nearly 7 minutes and regained the lead for the Dragons just before the half.  A goalline sprint out led to a 2-yard TD toss from Leftwich to Mike Wallace and the Dragons went into the half up 14-7.  So, only 21 total points scored in the first 30 minutes, not at all a harbinger to the 49 points we would see in the 2nd half as both teams went back and forth down the field in what could be seen as a failure of both defenses, or as an intense game of chess with the offenses simply finding more opportunities to strike.   Baltimore began the second half and found the equalizer in the form of a 30-yard strike to the break out star of the season, Darrius Heyward-Bey. It would be one of 9 catches and 2 TDs on the day for DHB, who shared the spotlight with 3 other 100-yard receivers on the Blitz this day (Gates, Walker, and Hartline also went for a century.)  Just 3 minutes later, Seattle would again take the lead on a beautiful deep ball to Mike Wallace for his 2nd score on the day, a 54-yard strike that had the crowd on their feet.    But Baltimore did not get to 10-3 by folding when challenged.  They responded immediately, with a drive that took only 5 plays (all passes) and concluded with Big Ben finding slot receiver Roscoe Parrish for a 10-yard strike to again even the score.  A rare turnover (there were only 2 in the game) by Seattle, a strip-fumble of C. J. Anderson, gave Baltimore the ball back almost immediately, and the Blitz struck again, using a deep ball to Hartline to get the ball to the 7, and then fooling Seattle with a draw play to Dixon that put the ball in the endzone.  The 3rd quarter ended with this score, the 4th TD of the period, and the one that put Baltimore up 28-21.    The Blitz would extend that lead early in the 4th, as Seattle pressed and Byron Leftwich made an error in judgement which led to a pick by Baltimore’s Eric Weddle.  The second turnover of the game gave Baltimore a chance to go up by 14, and they did just that, with Big Ben connecting with Darrius Heyward-Bey for his second score of the game.  It felt very much like the Blitz had stolen all of Seattle’s momentum and energy, but only to the fans and viewers, to the Dragons themselves, this game was far from over.   Seattle rallied, and on their next possession, they halved the Baltimore lead, going on a 10-play drive that ended with Leftwich finding his big TE, Dennis Pitta from 6 yards out to pull within 7.  With 8 minutes left, it was a 7point game.  Baltimore would try to switch to a bit more of a run game to kill more clock, but this proved a poor choice, as Seattle’s front 7 limited Dixon to only 6 yards on 4 carries, causing the Blitz to have to punt after only garnering one first down on their drive.  Seattle got the ball back, with nearly 5 minutes to play still on the clock, and they wasted no time getting back into the action.    Cadillac Williams had his best run of the day, a 17-yarder on the Dragons’ first play, and Seattle used the threat of a protracted 4-minute drill to lure Baltimore into dedicating more attention to the run game, a ploy which eventually led to Seattle’s biggest play of the game, a fake to Williams and a deep ball to Nate Burleson that produced the tying score.  Baltimore sent safety Eric Weddle on a blitz to disrupt the run on a 2nd and 2, but Leftwich evaded the initial rush and found Burleson in single coverage.  He dropped the ball in perfectly and Burleson did the rest, racing for a 47-yard touchdown that tied the score at 45 with just 1:20 left to go.   Baltimore would have time to get into field goal range to end the game.  Big Ben connected on 4 consecutive passes on the Blitz drive, getting the ball down to the Seattle 20 with time to set up a Nick Folk kick.  The pressure was on the Baltimore kicker, having missed from 47 and from only 28 earlier in the game, Folk was feeling the yips, so Baltimore tried on 1st down to get him closer, throwing the ball down to the 10, but it was broken up by CB Richard Sherman.  On 2nd down and with time winding down, they used a Kerwynn Williams dive play to get the ball centered, and brought out Folk on third and 9 with 11 seconds left on the clock to kick the game winner.   Folks’ yips were real and the ball sliced to the left, just outside the goalposts.  Baltimore’s hopes for a last second game-winner were dashed and the shootout would go to overtime.  Seattle would get the ball first and Byron Leftwich would lead the Dragons down to the Baltimore 29 in 7 plays, including a brilliant one-handed catch by Burleson on the sideline.  But, now it was time for their kicker, Dave Rayner to have his own struggles.  The 46-yard attempt sailed far to the right and Seattle gave the ball up to Baltimore on their own 36.    The Blitz would not try another kick.  Instead they would push the ball down the field, again a drive with no rush attempts as Big Ben was now over 500 yards passing.  Strikes to Walker, Gates, and DHB got them closer and closer, a shot to Hartline looked like it might be the winning score, but the receiver was mugged in the endzone before the ball arrived, producing a pass interference call that placed the ball on the 1 and gave Baltimore the ability to take the win with one successful play from in close.     The Blitz got that play, a dive over the pile by Williams to end the game with a final score of Blitz 41 and Dragons 35.  Ben Roethlisberger would be recognized as the POTG with a 33 of 45 day that produced 562 yards passing and 4 touchdowns.  Leftwich would finish with 365 yards and 5 scoring tosses in a game we hated to see end, one of the best offensive shows of the year. HOUSTON 36    ST. LOUIS 14 Tajh Boyd struggled and was even pulled for a portion of the game as Seneca Wallace saw his first action in 2 years, but Houston had this game in hand from the start, and a 26-0 scoring run assured the win fo the Gamblers.  Carlos Hyde went over 100 yards again, taking over the league rushing lead, and Matt Hasselbeck hit 8 different receivers on a 23 of 37 passing day. POTG:  Gambler FS Willie Anderson: 1 Tck, 1 Sck, 2 Int, 1 Sfty, 1 FF   OAKLAND 26   NEW JERSEY 16 The Invaders took the cross-country trip and got the W they needed to get back in the hunt for the Pacific title.  The Invader D sacked Sam Bradford 5 times and the offense got scoring tosses to Zack Ertz and Pierre Garçon to knock off New Jersey and move back into a tie for first place with the Thunder. POTG:  Invader LB Bobby Wagner: 8 Tck, 1 FF, 1 FR   OHIO 31    CHICAGO 14 Ohio stayed alive in the Central Division and the hunt for a playoff spot with a road win in Chicago.  Chris Weinke had himself a game, going 23 of 32 for 311 yards and 4 TDs to power the Glory to the W.  The Glory defense held Chicago to 2 of 14 on third down and sacked Brady Quinn 6 times on their way to the divisional win. POTG:  Glory QB Chris Weinke: 23/32, 311 Yds, 4 TD, 1 Int   MEMPHIS 28    TEXAS 45 A costly win for the Outlaws as Joe Flacco went down in the 3rd quarter.  Kyle Boller took over and tossed 2 touchdowns to help Texas outpace the Showboats, but now all eyes turn to Boller as he will have to lead the Outlaws for the next two weeks.  Chris Johnson had a great game for the Outlaws, rushing for 135 and a score to help Boller keep Memphis at bay. POTG:  Outlaw HB Chris Johnson: 20 Att, 135 Yds, 1 TD   DALLAS 20   DENVER 27 Dallas mounts a late comeback to make it close, but the Gold hold on to win their 8th of the year. Rashad Mendenhall rushed for 108 for the Roughnecks, but Matt Leinart connected with 3 different receivers on scoring tosses to help Denver get the win.  Denver wins despite losing both the yardage battle (360-308) and time of possession (32:43-27:17) to the Roughnecks. POTG:  Denver LB Shaquille Barrett: 7 Tck, 1 Sck, 2 FF   CHARLOTTE 12    NEW ORLEANS 23 The Breakers stop the Charlotte win streak at 7 games, thanks to a defense that held the visitors to only 229 total yards and held them without a converted third down all game.  On offense, the story was Kenny Britt, who had his first 100-yard game of the season, catching 6 balls for 113 and a touchdown to help power New Orleans to a win and an 11-3 record. POTG:  Breaker WR Kenny Britt: 6 Rec, 113 Yds, 1 TD   LAS VEGAS 6   PORTLAND 35 A bad loss for the Thunder, not just on the field, but in the standings as well, with Oakland’s win producing a tie atop the Pacific Division.  Las Vegas could not protect Plummer, who was sacked 6 times and hurried on almost every pass attempt.  Ryan Fitzpatrick had a much easier day, sacked only once and able to complete 24 of 29 with 3 TDs to lead Portland to the upset. POTG:  DT Atiyyah Ellison: 4 Tck, 3 Sck, 2 FF, 2 FR   ATLANTA 30    JACKSONVILLE 6 The Fire take care of business against the hapless Bulls, who are now two games away from total ignominy.  Jackson and Lattimore combined for 129 yards, but it was WR Josh Reed who had the game of the season, catching 7 balls for 189 yards and a TD against an overmatched and, quite frankly, spiritless Bulls defense. POTG:  Fire WR Josh Reed: 7 Rec, 189 Yds, 1 TD.   TAMPA BAY 20   BIRMINGHAM 24 A truly horrible day for the Bandits and their fans. Not only do they go down to defeat in Birmingham, costing them the top seed in the East at present, but they also lose QB Daunte Culpepper for the rest of the season and the playoffs with a torn MCL.  Ryan Lindley will have to take the reins for the Bandits moving forward. Despite the win and a nice 3-TD day from Cam Newton, the Stallions, now 7-7, were eliminated from playoff contention, but may have dealt the Bandits a deadly blow along the way. POTG:  Stallion LB Nate Webster: 5 Tck, 2 Sck, 1 FF WASHINGTON 35   PITTSBURGH 17 The Feds and Maulers play for pride and Washington gets a healthy win thanks to 136 yards from the ageless Deuce McCallister.  Both David Garrard and Joe Webb saw action in a move that may be designed to stoke the trade value of the Washington backup.  Rumors are that Webb could be on the trading block and there is no shortage of teams that would have interest.  POTG:  Feds HB Deuce McCallister: 19 Att, 136 Yds   ORLANDO 10   MICHIGAN 20 Orlando drops out of playoff contention while Michigan comes close to locking up the Central Division as they double up the Renegades for win number 9. LeVeon Bell had a good game, and the Panthers limited Orlando to only 2 sacks of Kirk Cousins as Michigan shut down Russell Wilson and the now-anemic Orlando run game. POTG:  Panther HB LeVeon Bell: 19 Att, 114 Yds, 1 TD, 3 Rec, 30 Yds, 1 TD   NASHVILLE 0   ARIZONA 27 Cody Pickett may not be the long term answer for Nashville.  The Knight QB struggled and seemed flustered by the Wrangler D, throwing 2 picks and sacked 3 times as the Knights could not mount any type of offense against Arizona.  The Wranglers held Nashville to 206 total yards, while getting scores from Antonio Bryant and James Casey. CB Joe Haden added a third on a pick six and the route was on. POTG:  Wrangler corner Joe Haden: 4 Tck, 2 Int, 1 Def TD   LOS ANGELES 6   PHILADELPHIA 26 Aaron Murray continues to struggle for Andy Reid and the Express again fail to mount much offense as Philadelphia dominates with LA garnering only 122 total yards on a sad outing for the Express.  Philadelphia was happy to slow down the game, use the run game to control the clock and protect Matt Gutierrez in a game that never felt competitive. POTG:  Philadelphia LB Sean Lee: 3 Tck, 2 Sck, 1 Sfty   Culpepper Lost to Injury, Can Bandits Still Compete for a Title? This is exactly what a team dreads down the stretch.  Looking great, locked up a playoff spot, playing for home field advantage, and a relatively meaningless game against a team you expect to beat turns into not only an upset loss but costs you one of your star players.  Daunte Culpepper, who was having an MVP candidate season with nearly 3,500 yards and 27 TD passes is lost for the season, including your postseason run.    The devastating play happened early in the game, just as the 2nd quarter was beginning.  Culpepper took the snap from under center, looking to his right to try to connect with Vincent Jackson, but the left tackle whiffed on his block of Derreck Harvey, and the big man hit Culpepper full on. As the QB fell to the ground, his leg got caught under the big DE and bent awkwardly.  Culpepper knew immediately that something was wrong.  He tried to get to his feet but could not.  Helped to the sideline by his teammates, he was quickly carted off to the locker room.  Later that day an MRI would reveal the issue, a full MCL tear.  Culpepper, with a partial tear, could wear a brace and hope to play in a few weeks, but this was a full tear, meaning surgery was required and a long PT recovery leading well into the winter.  The potential MVP’s season would be lost for the rest of the season.   The injury means that Tampa Bay, which for most of the year has looked like a clear Summer Bowl favorite, is now going to have to find a way to win without their QB.  Ryan Lindley, the 3rd year backup who has appeared in only 6 games (mostly mop-up duty) since coming to the Bandits from San Diego in the 2012 draft will have to step up.  Lindley will have help.  The Bandit defense has morphed from an afterthought to one of the league’s best, currently ranked 4th in scoring and 7th in yards allowed.  Lindley could also get help from the run game, as not only has Rex Burkhead looked strong in the past month, but season starter Jahvid Best is expected back from injury next week.    Tampa Bay will need to adjust their strategy going forward, and while we still expect plays to target Vincent Jackson and Santonio Holmes, we don’t think we will see the same vertical game with Lindley that teams had feared with Culpepper under center.  Tampa Bay has Dallas this week, and Orlando the next, and with both those clubs out of the playoff running, their path to the top seed is not as tough as for others, but even with the extra week of rest, the Bandits will need to do some reinventing with Culpepper out of action.   Flacco to Miss Season’s Final 2 Weeks Another scary moment in another game as Joe Flacco also went down in Texas’s game against the Showboats.  Flacco also got rolled onto by a defender, and also hobbled to the sideline, and while the timing of his absence is not good, the verdict that he has a slight fracture in a small bone in his mid-foot is a far better result than what we saw in Culpepper’s case.  The verdict is that Flacco should sit out this week’s game, could potentially play in Week 16, though that seems doubtful, but would certainly be ready for a divisional  playoff game.    That timeline puts pressure on the Outlaws to take the next two games and secure the top seed in the West.  Doing so would mean a bye week in the Wild Card round and a very good chance that their first playoff game will see Flacco up and ready to roll.  Loss one or both of the season’s final games and Texas could drop below the Panthers, which would not cost them the bye but could mean they lose homefield advantage.  Even worse, if they lose both and the Wranglers win out, then Texas would be a Wild Card team and would very likely have to go into the playoffs with a backup at the helm.   That backup is former Birmingham starter Kyle Boller.  Boller started 25 games for Birmingham in 2009 and 2010, but then left for New Orleans, where he only saw action in 5 games over 3 years.  He came to Texas this offseason as the backup for Flacco, and now the Cal product is going to be on call for the two final games for Texas, including a huge game against Arizona this week before finishing the season at Birmingham in a game that could decide if the Outlaws need to suit up for Wild Card weekend.   Orlando a Victim of Tie Breakers They cannot blame anyone but themselves, because while the 7-4 Renegades were right in the mix of the playoff hunt, a 3-game losing streak, including a bad loss to a 5-9 Mauler squad, has wiped Orlando from the Wild Card hunt.  The Renegades were official ousted this week when a study of the tie-breakers showed that their poorer divisional record made it impossible even with 2 wins in the final 2 weeks, to overcome Charlotte’s 2-game advantage.  If the two were to tie, Orlando would still be out, due to their current 2-4 division record compared to Charlotte’s 5-1 mark.  Even with 2 division wins, they finish at 4-4, while Charlotte with 2 losses would still be 5-3 in division, so the tiebreaker stays with the Monarchs.    Orlando faces Atlanta and Tampa Bay over their final two games, and while they can no longer hope for a postseason appearance, they can play spoiler, sending both the Fire and the Bandits to potentially tougher playoff trajectories by knocking off their divisional and regional foes.   Could SW Division Really Put 4 Teams in Postseason? That seems very possible at present, with Texas currently occupying the conference’s top seed and Arizona, Houston, and Denver all sitting in playoff position.  Thanks to the ties that have occurred for the Gamblers and Gold, they sit a half/game up on Las Vegas and a full game up on Ohio for the Wild Card spot.  Now, they cannot afford to go 0-2 down the stretch, but if they can win out, we could well see 4 of 5 teams from the same division in the playoffs and all three Wild Cards held by the SW Division.     Of course, Las Vegas, Ohio, and even Seattle are still mathematically alive, and with Oakland sitting at only 8-6, we could see the Invaders drop from the playoff picture even if all three SW teams get in, but right now the best hopes for the Thunder, Dragons, and particularly the Ohio Glory is for each club to finish with a 2-0 streak and hope that one or more of the Southwest teams falters down the stretch.   With Arizona headed to Texas this week, and Houston facing Denver at Invesco in Week 16, there is a chance, but as of right now the odds are still in favor of the SW Division being a major player in the Western Conference Playoffs in 3 weeks.   Week 14 locked up the East and finally got us our first ensured spot in the West.  We now know that the Eastern Conference playoffs will consist of the Blitz, Bandits, Breakers, Stars, Fire and Monarchs.  We don’t know the seeding yet, with 4 teams all sitting at 11-3, but we know which six teams will be vying for a title.  As of Week 14, we have Baltimore as the top seed, but they face Philadelphia in a game that could decide both the NE Division and the top seed.  Tampa Bay is also 11-3, but now has a lot of questions with Daunte Culpepper’s season shuttered.  The Wild Card in all of this are the New Orleans Breakers, winners of 6 in a row, and finishing up their season with a pretty cushy pair of games, at Memphis and then home to the New Jersey Generals.  If they can go 2-0, they may just jump over the other division winners and snag an unanticipated 1 seed.   In the West, Texas locked up the first of the conference’s playoff spots with their 10-3-1 record.  If they can defeat Arizona this week, a game they will play without Joe Flacco, they would not only lock up the SW Division, but also the top seed in the West.  Lose and they could face a serious challenge form both Arizona (for the division) and the Michigan Panthers (for the top seed).  The Gamblers, Gold and Invaders currently fill out the Western playoff group, but Oakland is still potentially in trouble with Las Vegas, and even Seattle, on their heels for the Division, while losses by either the Gold or Gamblers could provide a window for the Ohio Glory to get back into position for a Wild Card berth.  The weeks’ results now mean that we have 13 eliminated teams.  We also know that Jacksonville, to no one’s surprise, has locked up the 1st overall pick in the 2015 USFL Open Draft.  With losses this week Ohio and Seattle could soon be joining the list, but with wins, their chances still remain alive.   A bad week for several playoff contenders as we saw not only Flacco and Culpepper sidelined, but Atlanta will also head into the playoffs without their star edge rusher Chris Kelsay, who went down with a back injury. Add to that the loss of Patrick Robinson for the Gold and this is truly an impactful weekend of injuries across the league. All this and we have not even mentioned Jonathan Stewart now lost for the Stags' final two games and unable to compete for the league rush title after leading the rankings for much of the year, and this was certainly a week to concern the league.   OUT WR         D’Juan Woods                CHI        Neck                     IR DE          Chris Kelsay                       ATL         Back                     IR QB         Daunte Culpepper           TBY        MCL                      IR CB          Patrick Robinson               DEN      Leg                        IR CB          Devin McCourty              NJ           Shoulder             IR HB          Jonathan Stewart              POR      Wrist                     2-4 Weeks G            Max Jean-Gilles               NSH      Hip                        1-2 Weeks QB         Joe Flacco                        TEX        Foot                      1-2 Weeks   DOUBTFUL HB          Cedric Benson            BAL        Shoulder WR         Johnny Knox                   JAX         Concussion LB           DeMeco Ryans                BIR         Foot CB          Darius Slay                        ATL         Foot   QUESTIONABLE LB           Buster Davis                  PIT         Hip CB          Morris Claiborne                WSH     Hand DE          Dwight Freeney                 PIT         Toe QB         David Garrard                  WSH     Hamstring CB          Ashton Youboty                OHI       Back   Las Vegas Sportsbooks Adjust Odds After Culpepper & Flacco Injuries Never wanting to be caught napping, the various sports books in Vegas were quick to adjust their Summer Bowl odds following the injuries to both Joe Flacco and Daunte Culpepper.  Confidence in both Texas and Tampa Bay to hold onto the top seed in each conference withered first, and then the Summer Bowl odds followed.  Tampa Bay went from a 4-1 favorite to a drop down to 7-2, falling below all three fellow 11-3 teams. The current odds in nearly every book have New Orleans as the favorite, with Baltimore only slightly behind them and Philadelphia still slightly ahead of the Bandits.  Charlotte, despite currently sitting in 6th place, is still favored over Atlanta, but both clubs remain quite a bit behind the cluster of 11-3 clubs.   In the West, Texas had been a 4-1 favorite, but now slips to 6-1, second to Michigan in the rankings.  A loss this week to Arizona and we would expect the Wranglers to suddenly make a move and possibly unseat Michigan as the favorite in the west.  After, all these are the defending USFL champions and the Wranglers have won 5 of their last six, most in impressive fashion.  Of the teams currently not in playoff position, Las Vegas is given the best odds, with many expecting them to overtake Oakland in the season’s final weeks.  Ohio is seen as a slim 20-1 to surpass Michigan and claim the Central, while Seattle is seen as a 100-1 shot to take the Pacific at 8-8, largely because they require both Oakland and Las Vegas to lose out in order to avoid elimination.   A Sneak Peak at the Top 10 Prospects for the 2015 Draft With 13 teams already ousted from playoff contention, and forced to start looking at next year, it may be time to start scouting the 2015 draft.  We will likely have a bit of movement in the rankings as the 2014 college season progresses, but for now, we have 10 names on our list as potentially big targets for USFL teams and their player personnel staffs. As always, the T-draft will be huge as nearly all top prospects tend to come from protected schools, but as we have seen time and time again, if need does not align with players in the T-Draft teams are more than willing to either pass on a top prospect in a position of low need, or to trade away their T-Draft selection to another team willing to give up precious Open Draft picks.   That said, here are the 10 players we expect will get the most attention in the upcoming college season:  QB Marcus Mariota-OREGON Territorial pick of the Portland Stags With Portland clearly unsatisfied with another losing season and with QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, we could easily see Mariota being a top target for the Stags. They thought they had a prospect in Penn State QB Matt McGloin, but poor play and a still-mysterious personal issue cost McGloin the starting job and now we think Portland may fixate on Mariota as a local hero who could elevate the 2008 expansion club in what is a weak Pacific Division.    QB Jameis Winston-FLORIDA STATE Territorial Pick of the Tampa Bay Bandits We don’t see the Bandits pursuing Winston unless, and this is always possible, Daunte Culpepper were to announce his retirement.  Honestly, the injury to Culpepper may actually decrease the chances that he retires after this year.  No player wants to go out with the memory of an injury costing him a shot at playoff glory as his final pro experience.  If Culpepper returns, which we think is likely, then that means the Bandits may be open to trade offers.  The one team that likely should give up on that hope is Jacksonville, who would do well to land a QB like Winston, but with whom the Bandits would never make a deal.   WR Amari Cooper-ALABAMA Territorial Pick of the Birmingham Stallions Talk about a perfect fit!  The Stallions need weapons for Cam Newton, and the Crimson Tide can provide them.  We would be shocked if the Stallions did not use two of their three T-Draft picks on Cooper and on HB T. J. Yeldon.  That combo would be absolute dynamite for a Stallion club that has been on the cusp but unable to turn the corner over the past few years, despite Cam Newton’s talent.   OT Brandon Scherff—IOWA Territorial Pick of the St. Louis Skyhawks. With Bryan Bulaga firmly locked in at LT, the question becomes whether St. Louis would pursue Scherff to be a RT and if so, would Scherff go to a team that does not want him on the more lucrative and desirable left side.  If Scherff sends a message that he expects to be a left tackle in either the NFL or USFL, St. Louis may just address other areas and let the big Hawkeye drift into the Open Draft.    DE Donte Fowler—FLORIDA Territorial Pick of the Jacksonville Bulls The Bulls need a lot of help, but DE does not seem like the position of most need.  We could easily picture Jacksonville entertaining offers for their T-Draft pick so that they can focus on rebuilding their offense, linebacker group, and secondary.  Let’s face it, they need more picks, not one big pick to make themselves relevant again.  That may be good news for Fowler, who would likely not be too happy to head to a potentially 0-16 Bulls squad.   HB Todd Gurley—GEORGIA Territorial Pick of the Atlanta Fire If the Fire go after Gurley it will be a bit of a luxury pick.  With Steven Jackson and Marcus Lattimore already providing Atlanta with a very solid 1-2 punch at halfback, they really don’t need to spend the big money it would take to sign Gurley.  We see the Bulldog back as a very likely top overall pick in the Open Draft unless someone jumps in and offers the Fire some solid draft choices to nab him in the T-Draft first.   DE Leonard Williams—USC Territorial Pick of the LA Express The Express need help on both sides of the ball, but we think the biggest issue for Andy Reid is that he does not yet have a QB he trusts to run his offense.  If he is eager to land a QB, he could try to make a deal with Tampa Bay, one that would allow the Bandits to pursue Williams while LA went after Jameis Winston.  That may be a bit of a far-fetched scenario, but we just don’t see LA spending big on a DE when their coach is so focused on his legacy as an offensive mastermind.   HB Melvin Gordon—WISCONSIN Unprotected in Territorial Draft The shifting of the T-Draft this year had the surprising effect of leaving Wisconsin as an unclaimed school, which makes Melvin Gordon the absolute top commodity of the known unprotected players.  Gordon will possibly be competing with Todd Gurley to be the top pick.  Honestly, Jacksonville, who is guaranteed the top pick in the Open Draft, will be happy to land either one, so the scouting this season could be huge for the Bulls.  CB Trae Waynes—MICHIGAN STATE Territorial Pick of the Michigan Panthers We could see the Panthers try to land Waynes as a counterpart to Dre Kirkpatrick, especially if Deltha O’Neal decides to retire, but if O’Neal remains in plum & champagne, then we think Waynes becomes a far less enticing target for the Panthers.  If he slips into the Open Draft, we can picture quite a few teams that need help in the secondary, so he won’t likely last more than 3-5 picks in.   WR DeVante Parker—LOUISVILLE Territorial Pick of the Baltimore Blitz This one could go either way.  Either the emergence of Darrius Heyward-Bey this year means that Baltimore sees WR as a low priority position and looks elsewhere, or they want a strong number two opposite DHB and they jump all over the speedy Parker.  If he hits the free market, we expect he too will be a top 5, maybe top 8 pick.  When you look at who is likely to be drafting early in the first round, it is not hard to find teams that are in need of skilled weapons in the passing game.    USFL Greatest Rivalries: Houston v. Texas Houston joined the USFL in 1984 as the first Texas-based team.  Three years later the short-lived San Antonio Gunslingers were added in the 1987 expansion and a potential rivalry was born.  When the Gunslingers merged with the Outlaws and opted to locate in San Antonio as the Texas Outlaws the rivalry flourished, and for 30 years it has been one of the best in the league.   The two have played each other 54 times over the years, with Houston holding a 32-20-2 advantage over their rivals from San Antonio.  The Gamblers have also seen significantly more success than the Outlaws, snagging 7 conference titles and 4 league titles since 1988, while Texas has yet to appear in a Summer Bowl in their long and somewhat jinxed history.  The Outlaws win the duel this year with a tie and a win over Houston, but the playoffs may be where we see the real test of this rivalry in 2014.   Sadly, the relocation of the Nashville Knights to Las Vegas has forced a tough call from the league and the USFL has opted to realign Houston into the Southern Division for 2015, meaning that the Houston-Texas rivalry may have a bit of a hiatus, with the two clubs only facing off in years when the South’s inter-conference are against the SW Division.  That is a huge shift from the twice-a-year pair of games that the two were accustomed to for most of their existence.  Hope, of course, is that with either future realignment or expansion the chance will appear to reunite the two Texas squads and reignite one of the league’s oldest and best rivalries. Week 15 and so much on the line.  We still have 5 playoff spots to claim in the West, and 8 teams hoping they can put together the right combination of wins and opponent losses to make it happen.  In the East the 6 playoff teams are set, but only 1 division title has been won and we have 4 teams all sitting at 11-3, any one of which could capture the top seed and home field.  It starts Friday night, where Nashville hopes to avoid a letdown over a Memphis team that they should beat handily.  They are hoping to see the Bandits and Blitz struggle so they can leapfrog them for that top seed.   On Saturday  we have one playoff hopeful, Ohio, hoping a home division win gives them a shot at the Central title.  Currently in first place, Michigan has a 1.5 game advantage on the Glory, but they face a tough task going into Las Vegas to face the Thunder.  If Las Vegas falters, Oakland hopes they can get a game up in the Pacific with a home victory over eliminated Pittsburgh.  We also have a huge game in the SW Division, where surging Arizona heads into San Antonio to take on an Outlaws team that will be putting Kyle Boller in at QB for the injured Joe Flacco.   Sunday sees a lot of games with playoff implications.  Denver visits Nashville, hoping to lock up a spot with a win.  Houston hosts Chicago, also eager for a playoff spot and a possible Texas loss to get back in the mix for the division.  Tampa Bay needs to find a way past Dallas without Daunte Culpepper or they risk losing out on the top seed in the East.  Philadelphia and Baltimore have a head to head clash that will almost certainly decide the NE Division and could propel the winner to the top seed.  So it is a week where you might want to send the family to visit your in-laws, because you will need to stay focused all weekend long.   FRI @ 8pm ET             New Orleans (11-3) @ Memphis (4-10)           NBC   SAT @ 12pm ET              St. Louis (4-10) @ Ohio (7-6-1)                         ABC SAT @ 12pm ET              Jacksonville (0-14) @ Charlotte (9-5)                 FOX SAT @ 4pm ET                 Michigan (9-5) @ Las Vegas (8-6)                     ABC SAT @ 4pm ET                 Pittsburgh (5-9) @ Oakland (8-6)                      FOX SAT @ 7pm ET                 Atlanta (10-4) @ Orlando (7-7)                         NBC SAT @ 9pm ET                 Arizona (9-5) @ Texas (10-3-1)                        ESPN/EFN   SUN @ 12pm ET             Portland (5-9) @ New Jersey (5-9)                    ABC Regional SUN @ 12pm ET             Denver (8-5-1) @ Nashville (3-11)                     ABC Regional SUN @ 12pm ET             Birmingham (7-7) @ Washington (6-8)              FOX  SUN @ 4pm ET               Seattle (7-8) @ Los Angeles (4-10)               ABC SUN @ 4pm ET               Chicago (5-9) @ Houston (8-5-1)                   FOX Regional SUN @ 4pm ET               Tampa Bay (11-3) @ Dallas (3-11)                   FOX Regional SUN @ 8pm ET               Philadelphia (11-3) @ Baltimore (11-3)             ESPN/EFN

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: The Blitz-Dragons game produced two of the best QB performances we have ever seen, with both Byron Leftwich and Ben Roethlisberger just going off against each other's defenses. But we have to give the award to Big Ben for the just staggering total of 562 yards passing. Yes, Leftwich had 5 TDs to Ben's 4, but you don't put up that many yards, get the win in overtime, and not win POTW. PLAYOFF PICTURE: The Eastern Conference locked in their slate of playoff teams, though 2 of 3 divisions remain to be decided. Texas also becomes the first team in the West to lock up a spot. Atlanta and Charlotte became the 5th and 6th club in the East to secure their spots, meaning that all 8 other clubs in the conference are now eliminated. In the West, 5 slots remain open and 8 teams remain mathematically alive, with Las Vegas, Ohio, and Seattle all needing some help to jump into the Top 6.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Two weeks in a row we see a QB throw for 5 scores. Last week it was Jake Plummer for the Thunder and this week David Carr for the Arizona Wranglers as he helps his club leap over both Denver and Houston into 2nd place, now only 1.5 games behind the Texas Outlaws. Carr went 14 for 23 PLAYOFF PICTURE: A huge week in the East, where 4 teams clinched playoff berths, with New Orleans also locking up the Southern Division. The Breakers join Tampa Bay, Philadelphia, and Baltimore as playoff teams for 2014. Things are a little tighter in the West, where no team has yet to guarantee themselves a slot in the postseason. We now also have 11 teams who are out of the mix when it comes to the postseason. Birmingham, Washington, Pittsburgh, Portland, LA, and St. Louis join Dallas, Jacksonville, Nashville, Memphis, and New Jersey as teams on the outside looking in. That still leaves 3 teams in the East fighting over 2 spots and 9 teams in the West, where all 6 spots are still on the table.

Four teams locked in playoff berths this week, all from the Eastern Conference. We also saw a change at the top of the NE Division, where the upstart Baltimore Blitz now control their own destiny, with a chance to take the division for the first time in nearly 2 decades.  Charlotte continues to rack up wins, now 7 in a row, and the Arizona Wranglers are beginning to scare some people in the Western Division as they dominate Houston in a huge SW Division game.  We will start, as always, with our game of the week, featuring the Monarchs and Renegades, run through the scores, look at a couple of coaches who got the often-problematic “vote of confidence” and reveal the Hall of Fame USFL Class of 2014.  All that and a look ahead to Week 14 in the USFL, right here, right now.    CHARLOTTE MONARCHS 24    ORLANDO RENEGADES 21 Seven wins in a row does not just happen.  It takes planning, execution, a bit of luck, and a lot of resilience.  The Monarchs showed just that in their comeback win over the Orlando Renegades this week. Charlotte had built a 17-3 lead only to watch Orlando run off 17 unanswered points, but they found a way, a dramatic way, to pull out the victory in the final minute, giving them their 7th win in a row and setting them up as a truly dangerous team as we look ahead to the USFL playoffs.   It was billed as a make or break game in Orlando.  The Renegades were trailing not only Tampa Bay, but both Atlanta and Charlotte in the division.  They were coming off a shocking loss to the Pittsburgh Maulers, breaking their own winning streak after only 3 games.  Now they faced a team that was ahead of them in the division, with a chance to get themselves into the thick of the playoff hunt, but the game did not start off looking like one Orlando would use to springboard themselves towards the postseason.    Charlotte dominated the first half, with the return of Brandon Wheedon under center proving to be an immediate benefit as the 3rd year QB found veteran receiver Mark Clayton on the 5th play of the game for a  75-yard catch and run.  Clayton had found a gap in the zone, and then used a perfectly timed juke to get past the safety and off to the races.  The play stunned the Orlando crowd, who threw their hands up in disbelief.  The score put Charlotte up early, and for most of the first quarter the two teams did not find much else to contribute.  Orlando needed to wait until their third possession before they got their initial first down conversion.  They were clearly dealing with issues in the run game as neither Tim Hightower nor recently acquired Jonathan Starks found any room against Charlotte’s D.  But, despite the issues on the ground, Russell Wilson’s elusiveness and ability to find receviers late in plays had gotten them into field goal range.  With 12 minutes left in the 2nd quarter, Orlando got on the board and pulled the ‘Gades within 4 at 7-3.   But the rest of the 2nd quarter clearly belonged to the Monarchs.  Fred Jackson was running well on his way to a 116-yard day, and that run game kept Calais Campbell from pressuring Wheedon excessively.  The Renegades would finish the day with 7 sacks of Wheedon, but 6 of the 7 came in the second half.  In the 2nd quarter the Monarchs used play action effectively, with Wheedon connecting again for a score, this time a short pass to D. J. Hackett to expand the lead to 14-3.  A late field goal just before the half pushed the advantage to 17-3 and it was looking very much like the Monarchs had this game in hand.   But, as so often happens, the halftime break gave the Renegades a chance to regroup, adjust their schemes and shift momentum.  They came out of the half intent on passing the ball on 1st down, mixing in the run primarily through draw plays, and using more 3-receiver sets.  That proved effective on the opening drive of the half, a drive which could have produced 7 except for a badly timed holding call that stunted the Renegades’ progress. They again settled for 3, but seemed to have found an answer on offense. The defense also seemed to have figured out how to address the play action pass.  Coach Fox called up more run blitzes, which not only slowed down Jackson but gave Campbell and Haynesworth more options to quickly convert to pass rush when Wheedon held the ball.  The strategy worked and Charlotte saw their offensive production grind to a halt in the 3rd.  Orlando took advantage of two quick outs on defense and fought their way back into the game, eventually into the lead.  The big break for Orlando came when Renegade punter Adam Podlesh pinned the Monarchs back at their 3 yard line.  Immediate pressure produced a sack-fumble by Wheedon and when Albert Haynesworth fell on the ball it was 6 points for the renegades, pulling them to within 4 at 17-13 after the PAT.    The score would stay at 17-13 well into the 4th quarter, with both teams struggling on the ground and both defenses finding ways to disrupt their opponents, particularly on 3rd down.  Charlotte failed on 3 straight third down attempts, Orlando faired little better, garnering only 1 first down between their defensive TD and the 5-minute mark of the 4th quarter.  But their final drive of the quarter was the one they needed.  Orlando found some rhythm and produced 3 consecutive first-downs without reaching 3rd down, thanks largely to the short passing game between Wilson and the combination of TE Greg Olsen and WRs Dwayne Harris and Doug Gabriel.  They worked their way deep into Monarch territory, and with a short toss from Wilson to Greg Olsen took their first lead of the day with only 53 seconds on the clock. Now up 21-17, the Renegades did not have to worry about defending field goal position, just not giving up the big play.   Denying the big play seems easy on paper.  You set up a shell zone, keep the safeties deep, and force the team to dink and dunk their way down the field, hoping the clock would do as much damage to the attack as the defense.  In most cases that works quite well, despite the criticism of the prevent defense that so many fans hold.  But on this day, it failed, and failed spectacularly.  Orlando kicked off to the Monarchs and got a touchback to put the ball on the Charlotte 25.  The Monarchs would need to march 75 yards in only 53 seconds.    As it turned out, they would need only 10 of those seconds.  With Orlando predictably in a prevent shell, three deep in the secondary, Coach Mora decided not to fool around with quick out routes.  He called the kind of play you usually only see with 5-10 seconds left as the first call of the new drive.  On first and 10 from their own 25, Charlotte lined up with 3 wide outs and TE Brandon Pettigrew on the field, Taiwan Jones as the lone back, and largely there to chip Campbell on the play.   Wheedon took the snap from the shotgun, surveyed the field and quickly found D. J. Hackett about 8 yards deep in the middle of the field.  Two safeties converged on Hackett, hoping to bring him down before he could reach the sideline and force Charlotte to use their 2nd timeout. But this is what the play called for, with the safeties geared up to lay a hit on Hackett, the receiver flipped the ball to a passing Pettigrew, a classic hook & ladder play.  The design worked perfectly, the safeties now out of position, Pettigrew had a clear line down the middle of the field.  Even better, he had Doug Gabriel falling in behind to pick off the next defender. Gabriel obstructed Shane Welton’s pursuit, frustrating the safety and allowing Pettigrew the space he needed to make a line for the endzone.  Seventy-five yards and a game winning score in the final minute of the game thanks to an aggressive play call and a perfectly executed “trick” play.  Charlotte had their 7th win in a row, and with it may well have removed a potential threat from the playoff hunt, at least the realistic playoff hunt.   PITTSBURGH 17    BALTIMORE 45 The Blitz responded after a tough 13-9 win over New Jersey with an offensive outburst at home against the Maulers.  The Blitz put up the first 28 points on the board before the Maulers managed even a field goal, and led 31-3 at the half.  Ben Roethlisberger threw for 346 and 4 scores, with both Darrius Heyward-Bey and Javon Walker going over 100-yards in this one.  Even better, the win, paired with a Stars loss, moves Baltimore into 1st place in the NE Division. POTG:  Blitz QB Ben Roethlisberger: 15/17, 346 Yds, 4 TD, 0 Int   BIRMINGHAM 13   ATLANTA 44 Another blowout win, this time the Fire taking it to Birmingham in a game the Stallions could not afford to lose. Kyle Orton returned to action and had a solid game, going 17 of 23 for 261 yards.  The scoring came from the defense (a fumble return TD and a pick-six) and from the run game, where Lattimore and Jackson combined for 3 touchdowns.  The defense held Birmingham to only 47 rushing yards (including Newton) and picked off the Stallion QB twice in the lopsided win. POTG:  Fire FS Earl Thomas: 4 Tck, 1 Def TD, 1 FF, 1 FR   TEXAS 24   NEW ORLEANS 30 A standout win for the Breakers, one that may finally garner them some respect as a legitimate Summer Bowl contender.  Drew Brees threw for 2 scores and the Breakers got a third on a Patrick Peterson pick-six, his second this month, but it was the D-line that should get the credit this week as the Breakers sacked Joe Flacco 7 times, including 2 from DT Ricky Jean-Francois and 2 more from DE Cam Jordan.  Texas had a shot late, but missed on a Hail Mary from the Breaker 39. POTG:  Breaker CB Patrick Peterson: 7 Tck, 1 Int, 1 Def TD   ST. LOUIS 16   CHICAGO 21 Chicago wins the Double Nickle rivalry game thanks to a big day from HB Doug Martin.  After falling behind 13-0, Chicago rattled off three consecutive touchdown drives in the 2nd half, with Brady Quinn hitting Dobson, Floyd, and Fasano for scores, but it was Martin’s 134-yard day that made it happen.  That, and the fact that the Machine knocked Ricky Stanzi out of the game, and possibly out for the season, forcing rookie Tajh Boyd into action. POTG:  Machine HB Doug Martin: 25 Att, 134 Yds, 0 TD   LOS ANGELES 12   PORTLAND 46 An ugly loss for the Express and an ugly game for Aaron Murray, who was sacked 3 times, hurried constantly, and whose 2 picks helped Portland pull away in what had been a 10-9 game at the half.  The Stags scored 38 unanswered points in the second half, including 4 TDs in the final period (one on defense) as they turned a close game to a blowout with 3 Javon Ringer TD runs and a Donte Whitmer pick six. POTG:  Stags HB Javon Ringer: 5 Att, 22 Yds, 3 TDs   TAMPA BAY 28   WASHINGTON 21 The Federals’ disappointing 2014 continues as they give up a 14-0 lead with 28 unanswered points from the Bandits.  Daunte Culpepper threw for 390 yards and 3 scores and Vincent Jackson was the main target once again, catching 8 for 161 and two scores as the Bandits lock up a playoff spot with the win and eliminate the Feds at the same time. POTG:  Bandit WR Vincent Jackson: 8 Rec, 161 Yds, 2 TD   ARIZONA 41    HOUSTON 21 It may have come late, but it looks like the defending champion Wranglers are back in form.  A huge game from David Carr (391 yards and 5 TDs) and a defensive showing, holding Carlos Hyde to only 43 yards on 26 carries, helps Arizona leapfrog over both Houston and Denver to take second place in the division.  Don’t look now, but the Wranglers are looking very dangerous. POTG:  Wrangler QB David Carr: 14/23,391 Yds, 5 TD, 0 Int   SEATTLE 20   NEW JERSEY 22 A big upset that throws a wrench into Seattle’s late season surge. New Jersey gets TDs from Delone Carter and Miles Austin and they upend the Dragons in a shocker.  Byron Leftwich was sacked hard in the 3rd quarter and never looked quite the same after, while Cadillac Williams was held to only 53 yards by a Generals defense that was not getting much respect. The loss drops Seattle back under .500 and puts a serious crimp in any playoff hopes. POTG:  Generals LB Donterrious Thomas: 7 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 FF   MICHIGAN 33    JACKSONVILLE 20 The Panthers become the latest team to knock off Jacksonville as the D sacks Adrian McPherson 6 times.  A 101-yard day from Bulls HB Lamar Miller was not enough as Jacksonville drops to 0-13 and Michigan holds sole possession of first place in the Central at 8-5.  A safety and a pick-6 highlight a strong day from the Panther D, while Kirk Cousins throws for 287 and 2 scores. POTG:  Panther CB Deltha O’Neal: 5 Tck, 1 Int, 1 Def TD   DALLAS 24   LAS VEGAS 38 The Thunder retained sole possession of first in the Pacific with a nice win in front of a home crowd that actually seemed to support the Thunder, despite their impending move.  Jake Plummer threw 3 picks but also put up 4 TDs in a hot-and-cold game, while Chad Johnson made up for the absence of T. J. Houshmandzadeh by catching 5 balls for 117 yards and 3 touchdowns.  POTG:  Thunder WR Chad Johnson: 5 Rec, 117 Yds, 3 TD   NASHVILLE 13   MEMPHIS 24 Memphis sweeps the series with Nashville, taking the last of the Tennessee Tussle games (with the Knights moving next year) and claiming victory in the short-lived rivalry.  Eli Manning threw for 2 scores, both to TE Jay Finley, and the defense sacked Cody Pickett 5 times on the way to a Showboat victory. POTG:  Memphis DE Mario Williams: 5 Tck, 2 Scks   DENVER 27   OHIO 27   OVERTIME Another tie involving a SW Division team as neither Ohio nor Denver could get a field goal in overtime to earn the win.  Greg Zeurlein for Denver missed from 47 and Ohio’s David Green could not connect from 49 in the waning seconds of the extra period, which meant these two teams go home with a tie score.  POTG:  Ohio HB Isaiah Pead: 12 Att, 79 Yds, 2 TD   PHILADELPHIA 20    OAKLAND 26 The weekend concluded with Oakland holding serve at home in a game they absolutely had to have.  A 4th quarter touchdown toss by Harrington to Derek Hagan was the difference in this one as both clubs slugged it out for 60 minutes.  Reche Caldwell was huge for Philly, catching 6 balls for 134 yards and a score, while Oakland’s Pierre Garçon stepped up with 4 for 82 and a score for Oakland. POTG:  Oakland DE Cliff Avril: 6 Tck, 1 Sck, 1 FF   David Carr Explodes for 5 TDs & 391 Yards Don’t look now, but the Wranglers appear to be back in championship form, especially on offense. The Wranglers have now won 3 of their last 4, and the offense is more than pulling its weight, as evidenced by David Carr’s huge game this week against a very tough Houston squad.  The Wrangler QB put up 391 yards and tossed 5 touchdowns against the Gamblers, only one week after Arizona just humiliated Dallas 51-3.  Carr over the past 4 games has thrown 11 touchdowns and no picks, a nasty streak that could spell very good things ahead for the Wranglers.  Add to that a solid month for Frank Gore, racking up 365 yards in the past 4 games, and you have a very potent Arizona attack that could spell trouble for Texas and the rest of the Western Conference.  The defense is still not quite where they were in 2013, but sitting at number 3 in both scoring and yardage allowed, it is certainly good enough to challenge for a title, especially if Carr and the offense continue to roll.  Arizona will face Nashville before a huge showdown with Texas in Week 15, so watch out Western Conference, the champs may well be back in form.   Baltimore Makes a Statement Arizona is not the only team surging at the right time.  Baltimore has won 7 of their last 8, and their blowout win over Pittsburgh this week, paired with Oakland’s win over Philadelphia, now puts the Blitz in the driver’s seat in the NE Division.  Baltimore has a huge rematch with the Stars in Week 15, in a game that almost certainly will decide the NE Division title and very possibly whether or not the Blitz (or Stars) can earn a bye in the playoff seedings.   The Blitz are doing it on both sides of the ball, with the league’s top ranked scoring defense, allowing only 14.8 points per game, as well as the 3rd ranked offense, scoring an average of 27.2 points each outing. That combination is a tough one to match as Baltimore continues to prove week in and week out that all the pundits, including our own, were  idiots to pick them last in the division.    Ben Roethlisberger remains a viable MVP candidate, Darrius Heyward-Bey continues to shine, now at 1,273 yards for the year, and the defense, led by a ballhawking secondary and a fast, aggressive LB group headed by former NFL Dolphin Jason Taylor, is making waves in the East.  The Blitz have not won a division title since 1996, but this year they have momentum and a lot of talent on their side.  Can this be the year for the longsuffering Blitz faithful?   New Jersey Ownership Stands By Turner To say the Generals have been underwhelming this year is pretty fair, perhaps even kind. But, following a surprising win over Seattle, their first since Week 5, Generals ownership has come out to say that first year coach Norv Turner is at no risk of losing his position with the team now at 5-8 on the year. While the team stated that they hope this week is a sign of things to come and that they hope the team can make a push for 8-8 and a .500 finish, they gave Coach Turner the vote of confidence that he would be given time to work with the GM on the club’s roster and to develop a new culture in East Rutherford.    New Jersey was considered by many to be a darkhorse for the NE Division, with many looking back at a 12-4 run in 2012 and expecting that the return of Sam Bradford would rebound the club’s record after a horrific 2013.  But, despite starting the year at 4-1, a 7-game losing streak took all the wind out of New Jerey’s sails.  The offense has struggled, currently averaging only 19.5 points per game and sitting in the bottom 8 in yards, scoring, passing and rushing.  The D has been a bit better, currently 12th in scoring at 20.7 PPG and 16th in yards allowed, but overall this has not been the year that Generals’ fans expected.    Norv Turner took over the team after last year’s 4-12 debacle, and as an “offensive guru” was expected to work with Bradford, back from injury, to revive an attack that was quite solid in 2012.  That has not yet manifested, despite the early success of rookie Odell Beckham Jr. and a solid run game with Maurice Jones-Drew.  Given a second year to get things to where they need to be to win more games, expect Turner to focus on improving the offensive line, which has been shaky this year, and to perhaps seek another weapon for Sam Bradford to diversify the passing game a bit.   Arians Gets Vote of Confidence Another coach on the potential hot seat, St. Louis’s Bruce Arians, got his own vote of confidence from ownership this week.  Hard to believe that the leader of the 2012 league champion Skyhawks would be in trouble only 2 seasons later, but when you see that the defending champions fell to 8-8 in 2013 and this year are guaranteed a losing season with their 4-9 record, it is understandable that Arians would be feeling some heat.  It has been a tough  year for the Skyhawks all around, as their defense currently ranks 21st in both scoring and yards allowed, far from the success of their 2012 title run. The offense has not been any better, and that was once seen as the strength of the club.   St. Louis currently ranks 23rd in passing (due in part to the loss of Josh Freeman at QB), 21st in total yards, and only 24th in scoring, far from the dominance they showed only 2 years ago.  Of course, this Skyhawk team is not the 2012 squad.  With the retirement of Antowain Smith and the departure via free agency of Taylor Jacobs, the offense is just not the same.  Josh Freeman has seen his QB Rating dip from 114.3 in his title season to 84.7 last year and 82.6 in an injury shortened 2014.    But, all this said, winning a title, especially a club’s first, has its advantages and for Bruce Arians one of those advantages is a longer leash before ownership starts tugging.  The club has confidence in their head coach, though we do expect some changes in the front office and among the coordinators this offseason, and Arians will be given every opportunity to show he can rebound with the club in 2015.  At least that is what we are hearing today.  If St. Louis continues to struggles and finishes the year at 4-12, that may not be the same story.   St. Louis Turns to Rookie Boyd The Skyhawks’ final month will be even more challenging than this year has been already.  The injury suffered by Ricky Stanzi this week has been confirmed as a torn hamstring, sufficiently damaged as to require surgery and forcing the backup to Josh Freeman to also be placed on the IR list, ending his season.  That injury means that Bruce Arians and the Skyhawks will have to roll with rookie QB Tajh Boyd at quarterback the rest of the way.  Boyd, who had not taken a single regular season snap until this week’s action, will take over an offense that has struggled, and will have a steep learning curve with Houston, Ohio, and Michigan on the docket for the season’s final 3 weeks, all three being teams in the playoff hunt.    Boyd will be backed up by former Tampa Bay Bandit Rhett Bomar, signed as the emergency QB when Josh Freeman went down, and by 31-year old veteran Seneca Wallace, signed this week.  Bomar has not thrown a regular season pass since 2010, and Wallace has not been on a roster since 2012, when he last suited up for Seattle.  So, the rookie from Clemson will get his first action as a pro in a less than ideal situation, but he will get to see the field.   A big week for playoff clinching performances in the East as 4 of the 6 slots are wrapped up. Wins by the Bandits and Blitz lock up their playoff berths, while New Orleans goes one better, pairing a win with a Stallion loss to win the Southern Division.  Philadelphia, despite losing in Oakland, also nabs a spot with their 10-3 record.  With most of the rest of the Eastern Conference now eliminated from contention, Atlanta and Charlotte control their own destinies as the two hold a 2-game lead over Orlando for the remaining Wild Card spots.  The ‘Gades have lost 2 in a row and could be eliminated with another loss or wins by their two division rivals.   In the West no spots are locked up yet as there remain 9 clubs in contention for 6 spots.  Texas has a 1.5 game lead over a surging Arizona squad in the SW Division. Michigan’s lead over Ohio is now 1.5 games as well, and Las Vegas is 1 game up on the Oakland invaders in the Pacific.  Chicago, Portland, LA, St. Louis, and Dallas are out of contention, while Seattle, Ohio, and Oakland all need some help to get back into playoff position.  A rough year for the Skyhawks continues as they place their 2nd QB onto the IR list.  For the Stars, they will be without cornerback Bradley Fletcher for the rest of the season, and they also lose Kirk Morrison potentially for the remaining regular season games, though a playoff appearance is possible.  Several contenders, including Texas, Tampa Bay, and Las Vegas will be missing key defensive players at least for Week 14.  Is that going to open the door for an upset or do they have the depth to survive some short-term injuries at this vital stage of the season?  Here is the full Week 14 Injury Report, with all newly-listed players cited.   OUT QB         Ricky Stanzi               STL         Groin                    IR CB          Bradley Fletcher        PHI        Neck                     IR FS           Tre Boston                  CHA      Shoulder             2-4 Weeks LB           Kirk Morrison             PHI        Knee                     2-4 Weeks CB          Aaron Ross                 TEX        Knee                     1-2 Weeks DT          Kawann Short            TBY        Concussion       1-2 Weeks DT          Kyle Williams              LV           Concussion       1-2 Weeks WR         Dontrelle Inman         BIR         Hamstring         1-2 Weeks   DOUBTFUL CB          Nate Clements          NJ           Concussion       TE           Michael Egnew           STL         Hand   QUESTIONABLE LB       Jonathan Goff                 TBY        Concussion CB          DeAngelo Hall                 POR      Neck   USFL ANNOUNCES 2014 HALL OF FAME CLASS The USFL and the Hall of Fame had some very tough decisions this year to pick only 5 At-Large nominees for the Hall and one Legacy player.  While debates will certainly rage about some of the players who did not make it this year, players like Corey Dillon, Drew Bledsoe, and Hugh Douglas, it would be hard to argue that any of the five players selected do not belong enshrined in Canton.  Here is your 2014 USFL Hall of Fame Class.   QB Brett Favre (BIR 91-05, MEM 07-09) There was little doubt that Favre would be a first ballot Hall of Famer.  After all, the numbers speak for themselves:  232 consecutive starts, over 67,500 yards passing, 558 TDs, an 11-time All-USFL performer who took two different teams to a title.  Favre was also a 4-time Offensive Player of the year, 2-time MVP, and playoff MVP three times.  There is absolutely an argument to be made that Brett Favre was the greatest QB in USFL history.   QB Kerry Collins (OHI 98-09) Not so fast says Kerry Collins.  The numbers may not be as gaudy, but the success is absolutely there.  Collins played 12 seasons for the Glory, including leading the team to the only undefeated season in USFL history as well as the only repeat championship in league history.  His numbers may  not be quite as high as Favre’s (49,800 yards passing, 407 TDs, a career QB Rating of 113.6), but the accolades are there:  10-time All-USFL, 3-time league MVP, two titles, a playoff MVP trophy and an OPOTY trophy.  Collins is absolutely in the debate and another easy first-ballot choice.   OT Jonathan Ogden (LA 96-09) Linemen don’t have the stats to fall back on like a QB would, but that is not to say that we do not recognize greatness when we see it and in Ogden we have another of the all-time USFL greats.  The big man came to the Express in 1996, their second year of existence as a reborn expansion franchise.  He would stay with them for 14 seasons, racking up 200 starts and 9 All-USFL honors.  By some estimates he has over 1,500 pancakes as well, a gaudy number for a humble man.   OT Wayne Gandy (BAL 94-04, NSH 05-07, CHA 08-09) Right there with Ogden is another left tackle that was among the game’s best for over a decade.  Wayne Gandy played for 3 teams over his USFL career, a career that spanned 16 seasons.  In that time, he had 206 starts and was voted All-USFL six times.  Like Ogden, he never won a title, but is still recognized as one of the best of the best among all-time USFL linemen.   DT  Pat Williams (ORL 97-08) The only repeat candidate to make the cut, DT Pat Williams was a mountain of a man on the D-line for the Orlando Renegades, where he was able to line up alongside some of the best edge rushers ever, including fellow Hall of Famer Chris Doleman and surefire future HOF first ballot nominee Calais Campbell.  Williams was the block absorber who freed up both edge rushers. He won a title with the ‘Gades in 2001, was chosen as All-USFL five times, and finished his career with 39 sacks and 20 forced fumbles.   WR Louis Lipps (ARZ 84-91, PIT 92-97) The USFL has had so many game-changing receivers that sometimes it is hard for all of them to get the recognition they deserve.  Louis Lipps is absolutely in the category of underappreciated players that deserve more attention.  Lipps played 14 seasons, splitting his time between the Wranglers and Maulers.  He was a part of Pittsburgh’s high flying 1995 title team, and is still among the all-time career leaders with over 1,000 receptions and over 14,000 yards.  He caught 94 TDs in his career, and was voted All-USFL twice, once with each of his clubs.  Lipps is a very deserving Legacy Pick for this year’s class.    Las Vegas Update:  A Name and a New Division It is decided.  The fans have voted and by an overwhelming majority the pick is the Las Vegas Vipers.  That identity won nearly 70% of the votes in the month-long competition, with Posse a distant second.  And so, as of August the Nashville Knights will cease to be and the Las Vegas Vipers will take residency in Wynn Arena, the newest stadium in the league and a showplace for the city of Las Vegas.  The team will sport the silver, black, and Deseret blue uniforms announced with the contest, and will begin play in Sin City in March of 2015.  Here once again is a look at the logos and uniforms of the league’s newest team.  The other big news this week about Las Vegas’s newest pro sports team came directly from league headquarters. We knew that there would have to be some shuffle of divisions with Nashville moving to Las Vegas and the Thunder relocating to San Diego, and now we know what it is.  San Diego will hold onto their position in the Pacific Division, maintaining rivalries as the Thunder with Seattle, Portland, LA and Oakland.  The new Las Vegas Vipers will play in the Southwest Division, perhaps making new rivals with Arizona and Denver, their closest divisional foes.  The addition of Las Vegas to the division means that someone has to move out, after all, we cannot have a 6-team SW Division and a 3-team Southern Division.  So, who is getting bumped?    The Houston Gamblers will join the Southern Division in 2015, splitting up the rivalry with Texas across two different conferences, but potentially building a new one with nearby New Orleans or Memphis.  Houston ownership was surprisingly not all that upset to jump divisions and conferences, citing their proximity to the Gulf Coast as a natural reason for the Gamblers to build rivalries with other Southern clubs Birmingham, Memphis, and New Orleans.  So, Houston replaces Nashville, Las Vegas replaces Houston, and the Thunder remain just where they were, but now have even more reasons to get riled up about games against LA.   USFL’S GREATEST RIVALRIES: DENVER v. ARIZONA We have had a lot of news about the Southwest Division today, so it seems only fair that our USFL Rivalry of the week is also a SW Division affair, the longstanding clash of the Gold and the Wranglers.  This is another one that dates all the way back to 1983, when Denver and Arizona formed part of the 4-team Western Division.  As two founding franchises who have been in the same division with each other for over 30 years, the Gold-Wrangler matchup is one of the rivalries with the most matches over the years, 63 in total, with Denver holding the advantage at 36 wins and only 27 losses to the Wranglers.    The clash has often been one of home field advantage, with both Mile High and Invesco being havens for the Gold, while Sun Devil Stadium and University of Phoenix Stadium have been kinder to the Wranglers.  This is also a rivalry that has seen their share of wild weather games, with Denver hosting several “Snow Bowls” against the Wranglers, while Arizona has had more than their share of scorching games against Denver in the desert heat.  Always a huge date on the schedule, the games between these two can be nasty, ugly, and sometimes very chippy, but they are always fun and usually meaningful in the standings as well.   Week 14 feels very much like the lull before the storm, with fewer divisional matchups than most weeks, and certainly fewer than in Weeks 15 and 16.   But, this is not to say that there are not games that will have a huge impact on the remaining playoff races as well as on seeding for both conferences.  We have several teams in games where they will be expected to win over opponents already eliminated from contention, as is the case for Houston on Friday night visiting St. Louis, or others in the weekend like Oakland (@ New Jersey), Texas (v. Memphis), Denver (v. Dallas) or Las Vegas (@ Portland).    Perhaps the most intriguing game of the weekend has Charlotte (9-4) visiting New Orleans (10-3) in a matchup of two teams who have been quietly playing some of the best all-around football all season.  Brandon Wheedon returns under center for the Monarchs as they face a tough road matchup.  Sunday’s best game looks to be Orlando visiting Michigan, with the Renegades needing to win out and get some help to catch up to division rivals Atlanta and Charlotte.  We also like the Baltimore-Seattle matchup, where the upstart Dragons also may need to win out to have a shot at a playoff game.   FRI @ 8pm ET                  Houston (7-5-1) @ St. Louis (4-9)               NBC   SAT @ 12pm ET              Oakland (7-6) @ New Jersey (5-8)             ABC SAT @ 12pm ET              Ohio (6-6-1) @ Chicago (5-8)                      FOX SAT @ 4pm ET                 Memphis (4-9) @ Texas (9-3-1)                 ABC SAT @ 4pm ET                 Dallas (3-10) @ Denver (7-5-1)                 FOX SAT @ 7pm ET                 Charlotte (9-4) @ New Orleans (10-3)     NBC SAT @ 9pm ET                 Las Vegas (8-5) @ Portland (4-9)                ESPN/EFN   SUN @ 12pm ET             Atlanta (9-4) @ Jacksonville (0-13)             ABC Regional SUN @ 12pm ET             Tampa Bay (11-2) @ Birmingham (6-7)      ABC Regional SUN @ 12pm ET             Washington (5-8) @ Pittsburgh (5-8)          FOX  SUN @ 4pm ET               Orlando (7-6) @ Michigan (8-5)                  ABC SUN @ 4pm ET               Baltimore (10-3) @ Seattle (6-7)                FOX Regional SUN @ 4pm ET               Nashville (3-10) @ Arizona (8-5)                  FOX Regional SUN @ 8pm ET               Los Angeles (4-9) @ Philadelphia (10-3)     ESPN/EFN