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PLAYER OF THE WEEK: DeMarco Murray's 144-yard, 4-TD performance this week helped keep Denver in the playoff hunt, with the win vaulting the Gold into the 6th playoff spot at 7-6. PLAYOFF PICTURE: A big week for the playoff scene, with 3 more clubs locking up a playoff spot. Washington, Oakland, and Chicago all join the Wranglers and Stars in the postseason party. In addition to locking up playoff berths, the Wranglers and Machine now have a lock on division titles. Chicago is still a game behind Oakland for the coveted 2nd seed and the bye week that comes with it, but with a 3 game lead over St. Louis and a much better division record the title of Central Champions is theirs. We also saw the first official playoff eliminations this week with 6 teams now officially out of the running. That includes the four 3-win teams (Jacksonville, Memphis, Seattle, and Dallas) as well as the two 4-win clubs, New Jersey and Michigan.

Week 12 was a week defined by rivalry upsets.  Baltimore knocked off Washington, while Dallas snapped a 9-game losing streak to surprise the Houston Gamblers, Jacksonville dealt Atlanta a big blow to their playoff hopes, and Portland sent LA to 6-6 with a surprising road win in SoCal.  It was also a big week for blowouts in interdivisional play as St. Louis just manhandled Seattle, 41-7.  Oakland dispatched Birmingham by 14, Texas crushed Orlando by 21, and Denver outpaced Tampa Bay by 10.  The end result?  Two teams have clinched playoff spots, and a huge cluster of 6- and 5-win teams are all headed towards some potential tiebreaker clusters as the season gets serious.  We will have all this, plus an update on some key injuries and a look at the potential mess that the USFL has as they try to find new ownership in Las Vegas and Chicago. HOUSTON GAMBLERS 18   DALLAS ROUGHNECKS 19 If you are a struggling team, playing in their first season in a new city, this is how you build a rivalry.  Knock off an in-state competitor who are deep in the playoff hunt, late in the season, when an upset loss hurts the most.  That is what Dallas pulled off, earning their first win in 10 weeks by hanging tough against Houston and then pulling out the win in the final minutes of action.  Houston needed this win.  It would have set them up at 7-5, deep in the Wild Card pool, but instead their “little brother” from Dallas got the W and dropped the Gamblers to 6-6, putting a serious crimp in their Wild Card hopes, and making a statement that this Dallas club was looking to become a full-fledged part of the in-state battles in Texas. It was Jake Locker’s second game back after a 3-game benching, and the former 1st round pick of the then Boston Cannons, made good, completing 16 of 28 passes for 224 yards and one of the biggest plays of the season for the struggling Roughneck squad.  The Dallas defense also came up big, harassing Matt Hasselbeck, who returned to action this week, and limiting Michael Turner to only 52 yards on the ground. That combination of stingy defense and solid offence helped keep Dallas in the game all afternoon, and, in the end, helped them earn their third win on the season. The first half was very much Dallas’s as the enthusiasm of nearly 47,000 at the Cotton Bowl helped spark the team to early wins on both sides of the ball.  The offense struggled to get into the end zone, but solid drives provided points on the foot of Stephen Haushka.  Midway through the 2nd period it was Dallas up 9 on three Haushka field goals, and Houston struggling to make plays against a fired up defense.  The Gamblers would find a way, however, and on a well-executed play action pass, Hasselbeck did as he has done throughout his career, taking advantage of a misaligned Dallas secondary to hit Mike Sims-Walker on a 38-yard scoring strike that silenced the Dallas crowd. The Roughnecks finished the half with a fourth field goal, but the fans were visibly troubled by the fact that their club could not get the ball into the end zone.  A 12-7 lead was nice, but it was not enough to help the oft-disappointed Dallas fans feel good about their situation.  That feeling of discomfort with a 5-point lead was well-founded.  On their first possession of the 2nd half, Houston looked to have turned the tide.  A 12-play drive was capped off by a Cedrick Cobbs TD run from the 10, and after a successful 2-point play, Houston had themselves a 3-point lead at 15-12. Dallas would need to rediscover the early success they had in the first half.  They entered the fourth down three and feeling very much like they were again playing into a familiar script, a high-energy start leading to a fading down the road and an eventual loss. When Houston managed another drive, adding 3 off the foot of Dan Carpenter, the lead was now 6 and many in the stands seemed to be sitting on their hands, expecting their team to again fritter away a game. But, with 4:02 left to play, Dallas would get the ball with a chance to win the game if they could just find the end zone.  Jake Locker got the crowd engaged and on their feet with a beautiful throw on first and 10 from their own 20.  Hitting Justin Blackmon on a perfect out route, squeezing the ball just over the arms of the corner, the play not only gained 19 yards for the Roughnecks on their first play from scrimmage, but it got the Dallas faithful engaged and feeling like their club was not done yet. Locker would hit TE Robert Royal two plays later for another first down, and then solid runs from Rashard Mendenhall put the ball in Houston territory.  A Locker scramble on 3rd and 3 got the crowd even louder as the first down kept the drive alive.  Locker still had 2 timeouts to play with, so he had the whole field available.  He used the middle of the field to get the ball inside the Red Zone, connecting with big TE Brandon Manumaleuna on a 10-yard toss to the 17.  Mendenhall then ripped off a nice draw play down to the 8, giving Dallas a 2nd and 1 inside the 10 with over 1:40 left to play.  They would get the first on the next play, a dive over the center by Locker.  The former first rounder would then make the play that erupted the stadium. Taking a shotgun snap, Locker had to move into the pocket as the Houston outside rush crashed around his original spot, he stepped out to the left, and spotted WR Tim Wright streaking across the back end line of the endzone.  Throwing sidearm to avoid a rusher, he flung the ball towards Wright and the rookie hauled in the pass close to his knees, rolling to the ground before holding the ball aloft. The entire stadium erupted in cheers as the Roughnecks tied the score.  When Haushka put them up by one, the crowd again cheered, but more cautiously, with 1:32 still left on the clock.  Houston only needed a field goal to take back the lead and likely the win.  It would be on the defense to hold this game.  Three plays into Houston’s drive they would do just that.  DE Elvis Dumervil would pressure Hasselbeck on a 3rd and 6 throw, the Houston QB would try to hit slot receiver Jeremy Kerley, but DB Jason David saw the ball coming and outwrestled Kerley for the ball.  When the ref signalled Dallas ball, the crowd let out a huge sigh of relief and the win was assured for the Roughnecks. Dallas had upended the Gamblers, won their first game in 3 months and, very possibly, started a new rivalry. MICHIGAN 6   CHICAGO 34 It all went as planned for the Machine as they roll past the Panthers at Soldier Field.  Doug Martin went wild, rushing for 153 and 3 TDs against a Panther D that had no answers. The Panther offense did not fare much better, with Kirk Cousins picked off twice and LeVeon Bell limited to only 29 yards rushing as Chicago takes a strangle hold on the Central Division, with a chance to clinch next week. It was a big win for Chicago, but came at a big cost, as we will outline in our Top Stories. OAKLAND 31   BIRMINGHAM 17 Birmingham’s third consecutive loss drops them to 6-6, while Oakland takes a 2-game lead over Las Vegas in the Pacific with the road win.  Joey Harrington took advantage of a defense designed to stop the run, completing 21 of 26 attempts for 275 yards and 4 scoring tosses to 4 different receivers.  Pierre Garçon led all receivers with 133 yards and a score.   Cam Newton was sacked 8 times by an Invader defense that simply did not give up lanes for him to run as the Invaders move to 9-3. CHARLOTTE 13   PHILADELPHIA 20 After coming back on Atlanta last week, the Monarchs simply did not have enough in the tank this week to do it again. Matt Gutierrez had another strong game, going 31 of 41 for 276 yards and 2 TDs, despite playing without Stevie Johnson.  Fred Jackson rushed for 114 for the Monarchs, but Charlotte was shut out in the 2nd half by that tough Stars defense. MEMPHIS 10   NASHVILLE 24 With Birmingham’s loss, Nashville finds itself only 1 game back and after their win over Memphis they are still very much alive in a Southern Division that could see 8-8 take the title.  Ray Rice rushed for 119 and the Nashville D recorded 6 sacks of Eli Manning in this battle of brothers.  Peyton fared much better, sacked only 2 times and able to complete 26 of 35 passes for 235 and 3 scores. SEATTLE 7   ST. LOUIS 41 St. Louis stays alive at 6-6 with another offensive explosion against another week team.  The Dragons actually outgained St. Louis 320-260, but it was the ability of St. Louis to turn yards into scores that made all the difference.  Josh Freeman threw 3 TD passes and William Bethea ran for another as St. Louis built up a 21-0 lead at the half and coasted from there. BALTIMORE 27   WASHINGTON 19 If not for our GOTW, this would have been the upset of the week as that plucky Blitz squad went into Washington and cost the Federals a share of first place.  Washington had leads of 10-0 and 19-7, but could not hold them as the Blitz scored the final 21 points of the game on 2 Robert Ferguson TD grabs and a late Anthony Dixon TD run.  Joe Webb was picked off 4 times in his worst game of the year, and despite 132 yards from Deuce McCallister, those turnovers did in the Feds. DENVER 27   TAMPA BAY 17 A huge setback for the Bandits, and a needed win for the Gold as Denver came into Tampa Bay and stole a win.  DeMarco Murray and LaTavius James combined for 145 yards, rolling over the Tampa rush defense all game.  Throw in 2 Matt Leinart TDs and Denver is the one to move up to 6-6 after 12 weeks. JACKSONVILLE 24   ATLANTA 14 Another bad result for Atlanta as they come out flat against the Bulls and pay the price.  Despite being sacked 5 times, Tim Tebow completes 63% of his throws, including 2 scoring tosses.  The Bulls also held Steven Jackson to only 46 yards rushing and the entire Fire club to 44 total rushing yards. At 6-6, Atlanta is barely clinging to the 6th playoff spot, though they are still only 1 game behind Charlotte for the division. NEW JERSEY 6   PITTSBURGH 25 Switching back to Bryan Hoyer did not help the New Jersey offense, as they had only 63 rushing yards and Hoyer threw 3 picks on the day. Andy Dalton struggled as well against a pretty fair Generals defense, but got 6 Elliott Parson field goals to go along with a Robert Sands 67-yard pick six, and that was all the scoring the Maulers needed to get the home win. OHIO 21   ARIZONA 24 Ohio showed some character in this one, leading 21-14 at the half, but the Wrangler defense shut them down in the second half and the Wranglers found a way to win once again.  This time it was a game-shifting 75-yard TD from tight end Rob Gronkowski that set the tone of the second half and helped Arizona move to 12-0.  Gronk finished with 5 receptions and 121 yards to lead all receivers, while Frank Gore added another 91 yards to his MVP campaign. ORLANDO 13   TEXAS 34 Joe Flacco made it happen for the Outlaws, throwing for over 425 yards and connecting on 4 TD tosses, including 2 to Marques Colston to go along with the receiver’s 167 yards on the day.  HB Arian Foster also had a big game, with 102 yards as a receiver and another 64 on the ground.  Orlando struggled against the Texas blitz, with Moreno limited to only 3.3 yards per carry and Russell Wilson picked off twice. NEW ORLEANS 14   LAS VEGAS 11 A huge win for the Breakers, who even their record and take a share of first place in the Southern Division.  For Las Vegas, another game without Jake Plummer is another tough loss as the offense racked up 324 yards, but simply could not turn drives into points. It was not a pretty win for the Breakers, but at 6-6 they can still take the Southern Division on their terms. PORTLAND 20   LOS ANGELES 15 The Express’s win streak ends at 3 as Portland continues to improve as the season goes along. The Stags now sit at 5-7, only 1 game out of a playoff spot, after knocking off LA in Farmers Insurance Field.  Matt McGloin gets the W despite going only 18 of 31 and throwing for only 173 yards.  Mark Sanchez’s 3 interceptions, certainly helped the Portland cause as well.  LA now drops to 6-6 and is at risk of falling behind Portland if they don’t get back to winning games. Urlacher Lost to Broken Leg A bad  break for the Central Division leaders, literally, as All-USFL and team captain Brian Urlacher’s leg injury was confirmed as a fractured femur. That is a nasty break, especially for a veteran player, and one that will cost him the rest of the season.  It happened on a pretty humdrum mid-game play against Michigan, but it was clear immediately that Urlacher was in great pain.  He was helped to the sideline but then the cart took him to the locker room.  X-rays revealed a fracture, fortunately not a radial fracture, in the thigh bone.  It should heal well with time, but time is not what Urlacher was hoping would be the remedy. With Urlacher out for the rest of the summer, Chicago will move Kendrell Bell from the strong side to the MLB spot, bringing Beau Bell in at Kendrell’s old position, and will shift Alvin Bowen into a swing position behind both Bells. The Machine also brought Curtis Lofton in from the practice squad to fill the slot, but can anyone really take the place of Urlacher?  This could be a big blow for the title hopes of the Machine, to be sure. New Jersey Still Unsure of Bradford’s Best Path Medically Sam Bradford is on pace for a Week 15 return, but whether or not the 4-8 Generals want to have their star QB on the field is another question.  There are some who argue that getting Bradford even a few snaps in the season’s final weeks would be a huge boost to the team, and to their offseason ticket sales for 2014.  On the other hand, would they really want to risk a possible aggravation of the injury that put him out of action for most of the year, or risk another injury in meaningless games?  Were New Jersey sitting at 6-6, we might expect to see Bradford come in and try to get two season-ending wins to get to the postseason, but with the club at 4-8 and fading from playoff contention, the pressure may be to keep him sidelined and prepare for a healthy 2014 campaign.  The Generals still have 2 weeks to decide, and, should they go 2-0, they might still have a tough call on their hands, but if they lose even 1 more, we expect that Bradford will be placed on IR at this late date and plans for 2014 will begin. Philadelphia eyes Week 15 for Slaton Return Unlike the Generals, Philadelphia is not only in the thick of a playoff run, but looking to lock up a top seed, so their decision on halfback Steve Slaton is not a hard one.  If he is cleared to play in Week 15, you can bet he will be on the field.  He has begun light practice with the team, even as he continues rehab on his back and ongoing therapy. Slaton was having an outstanding season prior to his Week 8 injury, with 578 yards in his first 7.5 games.  In his stead, Philadelphia has turned to veteran Leon Washington (459 yards this season) and rookie Zac Stacy (164 yards), but they will certainly be eager to have Slaton’s dual threat skills back on the field for a playoff run. Will he start in Week 15?  That is to be seen, but can we expect a heavy dose of Slaton when the Stars start their playoff campaign?  You bet. Plummer Hopes for Clearance Jake Plummer missed last week’s matchup against New Orleans and the Thunder struggled, dropping their 2nd in a row.  They had previously lost to Houston 33-10 in the game that saw Plummer taken off the field, and against New Orleans, the Ingle Martin-led Thunder managed only 11 points.  Those two losses dropped them out of a tie for first in the Pacific and they now find themselves two games behind their division rivals and even in peril on the Wild Card front at 7-5. Plummer is listed as Doubtful in this week’s injury report, and reports out of practice say that his ankle is still very tender. But, of course, Plummer wants to be on the field.  He could potentially wear a brace on the ankle, which would limit his mobility quite a bit, but would allow him to play out of the shotgun.  We don’t think Coach Jones wants to risk him in that vulnerable position.  With a game this week against 5-7 Portland, it seems that Jones is content to go with Ingle Martin once again and to rely on the team’s solid defense to get a W.  That would allow Plummer to return to action, healthier and more mobile, when the club returns to Sam Boyd Stadium to take on the Denver Gold.  With a final 3 games against Denver, Oakland, and Seattle, all at home, the Thunder are hoping that they can have a healthy Plummer and get 4 wins to end the year. Can Culpepper Win MVP if Bandits .500? When you have a QB who is leading the league in passing TDs, with 33, 10 more than the 2nd place contender, and when that QB is also 2nd in the league with 3,451 yards, likely on pace to hit 4,000, and has a QB Rating on the north side of 110.  You expect that the QB would be an MVP frontrunner.  But, in the case of Daunte Culpepper, that is not the case, at least not at present. Tampa Bay’s 28th ranked defense and 5-7 record is making it hard for Culpepper to gain traction as an MVP candidate despite his top-of-the-league numbers.  The Bandits may be scoring over 27 points a game and Culpepper’s passing attack is among the league’s best, but that defense is giving up 382 yards per game and over 28 points, making it difficult for the Bandits to hold a lead or win close games.  Yes, in back to back wins Culpepper and the Bandits scored 44 against Texas and 52 against Jacksonville, but equally noteworthy, they lost by 10 to the Gold this week and were utterly thumped at home by Arizona, 45-17. Culpepper is almost certainly a frontrunner for Offensive Player of the Year, a more statistically-focused award, but without support from the rest of the team, he still lags behind other MVP candidates on winning clubs, players like Frank Gore (ARZ), Joe Flacco (TEX), Jake Plummer (LV), and Cam Newton (BIR), despite putting up numbers that are equal to or which surpass those other superstars. Delhomme Hints at Retirement “We will see what we see.” Those were the enigmatic words uttered by Charlotte Monarchs’ QB Jake Delhomme when interviewed by ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio this week.  Asked about his plans for 2014 and whether he was expecting to be back under center for the Monarchs in what would be his 18th season in the USFL, Delhomme seemed to hem and haw, and gave us an answer that certainly felt very noncommittal. Delhomme has missed all but 6 games this season due to injury, a year after he missed two of Charlotte’s 4 playoff games with another injury.  For a player who has had his share of injury-riddled seasons, and with the very real possibility that he would need to compete with Brandon Wheedon for a starting job in 2014, the veteran of 4 USFL teams (PHI, JAX, MEM, CHA) may well be considering another path.  There has been talk that FOX wants to hire the QB as an analyst for their weekend pre-game crew once his career is over, but to date the possibility of him handing the reigns over to Wheedon and stepping away from the game has always just been speculation. But with Wheedon having a strong season, leading them to a 7-5 overall record (3-3 as starter), and recording a very solid 92.7 QB Rating in his 6 starts, Whedon has proved very capable.  He may have slightly fewer yards than Delhomme, with both having started 6 games (1223 v. 1402) but his 5:1 TD:INT ratio is strong and the team has rallied behind him.  While Delhomme certainly did not want to go out on the terms of an injury, a playoff run for the Monarchs could be the perfect time for him to step away, perhaps get one last curtain call on the sideline from Charlotte fans, and transition to life after football. The first two playoff spots have been locked up and no one is surprised that it is unbeaten Arizona and 10-2 Philadelphia who have punched their tickets.  The Wranglers are one win away from locking up the SW Division, holding a 4 game lead over Texas with 4 to play.  Philadelphia now holds a 1-game lead over Washington, but that final game between the two will still be huge. At the other end of the table, none of the 3-9 teams are officially eliminated yet, because as of right now, both 6th seeds are sitting at 6-6, which means it is still mathematically possible for a 3-9 club to run the table and sneak in.  Not likely, but not impossible.  Right now LA and Atlanta hold the two six seeds, but they both have a lot of competition for those spots, with Denver, Houston, St. Louis, and New Orleans all also sitting at 6-6, and plenty of teams at 5-7 as well. Expect Chicago, Oakland and Washington to be the next teams to clinch a spot, with Oakland already up 2 games in the Pacific and Chicago holding a 3-game lead over the Central. With only 4 weeks left in the season the IR list is growing as more and more players are expected to miss at least 4-6 weeks, and that, in many cases, means their seasons are done.  We highlighted Chicago’s defensive captain and MVP Brian Urlacher, but several other key players are going to be out down the stretch, including young Aldon Smith of St. Louis, CB Shaun Springs in Houston, and center J. D. Walton for the Renegades.  Pittsburgh thought that Andy Dalton may have suffered a neck injury, but it was ruled a concussion, meaning that he is likely to return in Week 14 if not in 13. OUT CB          T. McBride          DAL         Groin                    IR FB          J. Felton              SEA        Hamstring         IR CB          S. Springs           HOU        MCL                      IR LB           B. Urlacher        CHI          Leg                        IR LB           A. Smith              STL         ACL                       IR C             J.D. Walton        ORL      MCL                      IR DOUBTFUL QB      A. Dalton            PIT Concussion QUESTIONABLE WR         G. Jennings        MEM        Neck CB          C. Finnegan       ORL       Concussion G            S. Locklear        CHA       Shoulder Is Chicago Sale a Done Deal Already? Reports out of Chicago seem to indicate that there is an insider deal ready to happen between Rocky Wirtz, current owner of the Chicago Machine and two members of the influential Pritzker family.  It appears that an investment group headed by cousins Thomas and J.B Pritzker have already been in negotiations with Wirtz for the sale of the Machine franchise, with numbers being cited that would make the Machine the most expensive USFL franchise ever sold. Wirtz has been hush on the sale of his franchise, other than filing with the league his intention to divest himself of the franchise which he inherited from his father.  The timing of the sale was considered a potential concern for the league in that it was seen as competition for the league’s efforts to find an owner for the Las Vegas Thunder franchise already under league control.  If, however, there is an internal agreement within the organization to sell to an already-identified ownership group, that could relieve the issue. The Pritzker family is well-known and somewhat highly regarded within Chicago circles.  Thomas and J.B. are both heirs to the Hyatt Hotels fortune produced by their two fathers, Jay and Donald Pritzker.  Between the two cousins, there is an estimated total worth of nearly three billion dollars.  Thomas is a major supporter of the Art Institute in Chicago, while J.B, who recently ran for congress in Illinois, has long been a figure in Democratic Party politics in the state, J.B. headed up the Illinois Human Rights Commission for then-governor Rod Blagojevich, and served as national Co-Chairman of Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign. The Pritzkers have strong Chicago ties, and certainly the financial portfolio to be approved by the USFL owners as a potential ownership group, so if the rumors are true, Chicago may be fast-tracked for sale, paving the way for the league to move ahead with the Las Vegas situation and the more complex dealings certain to be part of the transfer from private ownership, to league conservatorship, and then a new owner. A Look at the Draft From the 3-9 Perspective As most teams are fighting for playoff position, the five clubs sitting at 3-9 may be mathematically alive, but we all know they are already looking at 2014.  Draft position and filling key areas of need are top priorities for these basement dwellers.  So, who exactly should Dallas, Jacksonville, Memphis, Michigan, and Seattle be targeting?  How does their T-Draft look as a potential source of talent and who should they be scouting heavily in the Open Draft?   Let’s take a very early look at all 5 clubs and their positions of need as fans for each club start dreaming of draft day. DALLAS Best T-Draft Prospect:  Cornerback looks like a rich position for the Roughnecks, with TCU’s Jason Verrett, OU’s Aaron Colvin, and SMU’s Kenneth Acker all available.  But does Dallas also take a long look at SMU quarterback Garrett Gilbert? Likely Open Draft Target: Dallas needs to add more weapons for either Jake Locker or Landry Jones.  Justin Blackmon is doing it all alone.  So, how about a pure speed guy like Watkins, Oregon State’s Brandin Cooks, or USC’s Marquise Lee?  They could also look at TE with Eric Ebron from UNC as a really good safety valve option for the Dallas QB, whoever it may be. JACKSONVILLE Best T-Draft Prospect: WR Sammy Watkins seems like a natural fit for the Bulls, who need to get Tim Tebow more options.  The other big need is defense, so a solid DT like Florida’s Dominique Easley could be another good target for Jacksonville. Likely Open Draft Target: Could Jacksonville be in the QB market?  Well, it depends who you ask.  Tebow has put up huge numbers, but he is also amazingly inaccurate, throwing way too many picks.  More likely the Bulls go for someone like Tajh Boyd in the T-Draft than make a huge deal for the Open Draft.  They need so much on defense, they need these early Open Draft picks to look that direction.  How about someone like LB Khalil Mack, unprotected out of Buffalo. MEMPHIS Best T-Draft Prospect: No real 1st round talent in Memphis’s protected pool, but some good mid-round options. We like DE Chris Smith from Arkansaw, and WR Donte Moncrief from Ole Miss as good fits for Memphis. Likely Open Draft Target: Darren McFadden has not worked out the way Memphis had hoped, so expect the Showboats to spend some draft capital on a back who could be a 3-down option.  This is not a great draft for halfbacks, but one possible target would be Ohio State’s Carlos Hyde, who has the inside run game that the Showboats love to see. MICHIGAN Best T-Draft Prospect:  The Wolverines and Spartans have been a constant pool of talent for the Panthers but this year is looking pretty lean.  We like CB Darqueze Dennard from MSU and, if Michigan wants a big run-blocking tackle, they could do a lot worse than Michigan’s Taylor Lewan, but outside of these two, there just is not much to be excited about. Likely Open Draft Target: Hines Ward needs some help out wide, and we love the idea of Michigan making a deal with either New Orleans or Houston to take a shot at LSU’s Odell Beckham or Texas A&M’s Mike Evans, both of whom would be ideal targets for Kirk Cousins and the Panthers. SEATTLE Best T-Draft Prospect:  HB Bishop Sankey could be exactly what Seattle wants from the T-Draft.  He won’t be a 3-down back, but in combination with Cadillac Williams, he could be a perfect 3rd down option and lightning to Williams’s thunder.  We also love safety Deone Buchanon as a plug & play starter for the Dragons. Likely Open Draft Target: A lot depends on Byron Leftwich.  If he steps away after an injury-shortened 2013, then QB becomes the top priority for Seattle, and they may take a long hard look at Teddy Bridgewater (unlikely to be picked by Baltimore in the T-Draft) or Derek Carr of Fresno State. Los Angeles Express Mix Old & New in 2014 Uniforms Adidas and the LA Express celebrated the release of their newly refashioned 2014 uniforms at an event at the LA Fashion District.  Tuesday night, following LA’s weekend victory over Seattle, the Express, along with several high-profile Los Angelenos were on hand for the reveal of the new look.  Modeled by QB Mark Sanchez, HB Reggie Bush, LB Lofa Tatupu and CB Marcus Truffant the new design blends elements of the past with a few new wrinkles for the team. For the traditionalists there is a strong return to Navy Blue as a primary color. This is not to say that Speed Blue, the lighter hue which has been the primary color in recent years is not present, but the jerseys return to using the darker Navy tone as the dominant color. Paired with a greater use of silver in the overall look, these new Express uniforms certainly harken back to the early years of Steve Young and Jo-Jo Townsell (a team history that is somewhat shared with the original franchise now located in Nashville). Along with the new Navy blue jerseys, the team revealed three pant sets, Navy, silver and a new white set, a first for the Express.  The jerseys feature offset color sleeves in silver with a three-stripe shoulder treatment, with two thick stripes containing a thin center stripe.  Much of the design plays off of the two-color LA monogram, complete with the con trails of a speeding jet.  Just as the logo has distinct top and bottom colors, the striping parallels this, both on the shoulders and on the horizontal pant stripes. The jersey numbers also follow the motif of the split color, divided by the contrail.  On the dark jerseys, the numbers are split with silver on the top and white below, while on the white jersey the lower portion of the number is in Speed Blue while the top is in Navy. But by far the most striking innovation in the new uniform set is the new helmet.  For the first time in team history (both the current iteration and the original 1983 franchise now relocated to Nashville), the Express will not boast an LA monogram on the helmet.  While the monogram remains the team’s primary logo, the helmet features only the streaking jet plane with its two con-trail stripes.  The helmet is metallic silver with a Navy blue facemask, and it features two large wraparound decals, depicting the jet in Navy, with an upper contrail stripe also in Navy and a lower stripe in Speed blue.  The two stripes do not meet in the back but are separated by the player number.  The striping and the jet are outlined in white to set them off from the silver helmet. It is a bold departure for a team that has toyed with various versions of the LA monogram for years.  There was a brief period when the Mercury secondary logo was tried on the helmet, but this new look represents a truly new direction for the Express, one that tips its cap to the past with its color profile, but also clearly looks to the future.  If the Express can garner a playoff spot (which they are in position to do at present, they will debut the new look for their playoff appearance, as is the custom in the league.  If not, then next March will see the debut of the new-look, no-monogram Express. Week 13 looks to be a huge week for divisional races, with 10 of 14 games pitting division rivals against each other and a ton of games between teams 1-game apart in the standings.  Friday Night sees the Philadelphia Stars hoping to avoid a trap game against a struggling New Jersey club.  On Saturday, we have several battles of 5-7 and 6-6 teams, including St. Louis v. Ohio, Houston v. Denver, Nashville v. Birmingham (all divisional matchups) and Tampa Bay @ Baltimore. Saturday ends up with the Invaders visiting Texas in a huge Western Conference game, then on Sunday it is back in divisional play with Atlanta facing Orlando in a key SE Division clash, while Las Vegas is in Portland and Seattle visits LA in two key Pacific clashes.  We end the week with a nice game between two 9-win teams, both hoping to reach 10 and a playoff berth with a win.  Chicago heads into Washington hoping to grind down the Federals. Blue = Divisional Games All games not indicated as "regional" are national broadcasts. Friday @ 8pm                PHILADELPHIA (10-2) @ NEW JERSEY (4-8)       NBC Saturday @ 12pm           TAMPA BAY (5-7) @ BALTIMORE (6-6)                    ABC Saturday @ 12pm           CHARLOTTE (7-5) @ JACKSONVILLE (3-9)          FOX Saturday @ 4pm             ST. LOUIS (6-6) @ OHIO (5-7)                                    ABC Saturday @ 4pm             HOUSTON (6-6) @ DENVER (6-6)                            FOX Saturday @ 7pm             NASHVILLE (5-7) @ BIRMINGHAM (6-6)              NBC Saturday @ 9pm             OAKLAND (9-3) @ TEXAS (8-4)                                 ESPN/EFN Sunday @ 12pm              PITTSBURGH (5-7) @ MICHIGAN (3-9)                 ABC Regional Sunday @ 12pm              NEW ORLEANS (6-6) @ MEMPHIS (3-9)               ABC Regional Sunday @ 12pm              ATLANTA (6-6) @ ORLANDO (5-7)                           FOX Sunday @ 4pm                LAS VEGAS (7-5) @ PORTLAND (5-7)                    ABC Sunday @ 4pm                DALLAS (3-9) @ ARIZONA (12-0)                             FOX Regional Sunday @ 4pm                SEATTLE (3-9) @ LOS ANGELES (6-6)                    FOX Regional Sunday @ 8pm                CHICAGO (9-3) @ WASHINGTON (9-3)                ESPN/EFN

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Joe Flacco had another huge game for Texas as the Outlaws move to 8-2. With over 400 yards passing and 4 TD's Flacco is making a late run at a possible MVP award. And with Jake Plummer out at least one more week, he will get another chance to impress in Week 13. PLAYOFF PICTURE: The first two playoff teams have been set, and to no one's surprise it is 12-0 Arizona in the West and 10-2 Philadelphia in the East who have punched their tickets to the postseason. Neither club has their division locked up yet, though Arizona, with a 4-game lead on the division, needs only 1 more win to do so. No teams have yet to be eliminated, with the gap between the 6th playoff spot and the 14th rated team in each division only 3 games.

A good week for Charlotte, Los Angeles, and Oakland, disappointing for Ohio, Atlanta, and Nashville.  Tough sledding for Las Vegas without Jake Plummer in action, and a heartbreaking loss for Baltimore as they let one slip away against the Maulers.  In a Week 11 that still has not produced any playoff clinches or eliminations, there is a lot of battling to be had over playoff position and the Wild Card spots in particular.  Las Vegas in particular has to be feeling nervous as they lose Jake Plummer for 1-2 weeks, and in losing to Houston they now fall a game behind Oakland and have a hot LA team right on their heels.  We will recap all of Week11’s games, take a look at the Las Vegas ownership situation, and at some more QB shifting near the bottom of the standings as teams try to find answers and coaches try to avoid a bad Black Monday.  All right here This Week in the USFL. ATLANTA FIRE 16   CHARLOTTE MONARCHS 19    OVERTIME The two top contenders clash in a late season game with a lot of potential impact.  Both came into the game with the same record, so the victor would put themselves in a position to control their own destiny.  It was a game that could decide the division, but it would take overtime to get there.  It was a game that was defined by penalties (15 total in the game), defensive stops, and drives ending with field goals, 7 in total over the game’s final 3 quarters.  Both defenses bent quite a bit (344 yards allowed for Atlanta, 321 for Charlotte) but did not break as drive after drive stalled before hitting paydirt. Atlanta came into the game having won 5 in a row to go from 1-4 to a contender at 6-4.  Charlotte had been atop the division since early in the season, but losses to Nashville and Tampa Bay had allowed others to draw closer to them. Both entered the game with Top 10 defenses, and that showed, particularly in the first quarter where neither team crossed midfield.  Defense and field position would play a major role the entire game, and while the 2nd quarter produced both of the game’s touchdowns, it did so largely because of field position. Atlanta got the first break when a poor punt from Charlotte’s Ken Walter went out of bounds at the Fire’s 48-yard line.  The Fire used that shank, as well as a costly roughing the passer call against Rolando McClain to get the ball inside the 10.  From there, Steven Jackson did the rest, crossing the plane for the first score of the game.  Jackson would finish the game with only 47 yards on 15 carries, but the threat of the run helped Kyle Orton stave off the Charlotte pass rush. Charlotte would respond, thanks again to field position, as a nice kick return from Hakeem Nicks helped shorten the field.  D. J. Hacket had his best catch of the day on this drive, a one-handed grab along the sideline that put the ball in the redzone.   From there Brandon Wheedon connected with Luke Wilson and we had a 7-7 game.  Atlanta would add a field goal to end the half, and after 30 minutes we had a 10-7 slugfest on our hands. In the third, penalties started to play an even larger role.  A 15-yarder against Andre Woolfork, and then a defensive holding call on a key 3rd down helped Charlotte get in range for a short Brandon Coutu kick that evened the score at 10.  Atlanta would follow that with a good drive, but a holding call on 3rd and 7 both negated a first down in Charlotte territory and pushed the Fire out of field goal range.  They would get another shot after Charlotte went 3-and-out, and this time it was a defensive PI call that helped the Fire, again putting them in field goal range.  Ollie Brody, the rookie kicker for the Fire, connected on his 2nd attempt of the game, and once again Atlanta held a 3-point lead as the game went into the 4th. Charlotte opened the final period with a nice drive, using up nearly 6 minutes and 14 plays, but again had to settle for a short kick when Wheedon missed on a 3rd down endzone throw to Mark Clayton.  The game was again tied up.  Atlanta would again go on top with yet another kick on a drive that saw Demaryius Thomas catch balls on three consecutive throws.  Thomas would end the game with 6 receptions for 122 yards, with half of those on this one drive.  But again a penalty cost Atlanta a shot at 6 and they settled for a 16-13 lead with 6:08 left to play. Charlotte would once again be seeking to equalize the score.  Despite a rough day for the Monarch run game (72 total yards), they stuck with it, and the Fire were forced to keep safeties closer to the line.  That allowed Wheedon to find space behind them to connect with Brandon Pettigrew and Luke Wilson as well as slot receiver Hakeem Nicks.  As time wound down, the Monarchs positioned the ball, setting up Coutu for a makeable 49-yarder.  Not the easiest of kicks, but one that the veteran kicker has made, and made again on this date. The game would go to overtime.  Atlanta won the toss and opted to receive.  After an initial first down on an Orton to Reed toss, the Fire cost themselves with a holding penalty and could not recover from 1st and 20.  They would punt the ball to the Monarchs.  With short passes to his backs (Jackson and FB Justin Green, Charlotte managed to break down the Atlanta zone.  They again bogged down around the Atlanta 30, but that was still within Brandon Coutu’s range.  This time from 50 yards out, Coutu would need to connect to end the game and give the Monarchs a 1-game lead in the division race. Coutu’s kick was straight down the middle and the home Monarch crowd celebrated a big win over their rival and a return to sole possession of first place in the Southeast Division.  With a bye week still possible for the SE Division winner, Charlotte now holds the advantage of 1 game and a much better divisional record (5-1) than Atlanta (2-3) or the rising Orlando Renegades (also 2-3).  That puts them in the driver’s seat with 6-5 Birmingham now a target as Charlotte hopes to lock up a 2nd seed and that coveted week of rest in the postseason. BIRMINGHAM 3   NEW ORLEANS 14 A big win for the Breakers and a rough game for Cam Newton, as the Breaker D held the Stallion QB to only 11 of 30 passing, 102 yards, and a grand total of -5 yards rushing.  Add to that 6 sacks, including 3 from LE Ty Warren, and you have defensive domination by a team that needs their D to help lead the way.  Matt Forte rushed for 95 yards for the Breakers, but when the New Orleans D limits Birmingham to a grand total of 14 yards rushing, 95 yards looks awfully good. TAMPA BAY 52   JACKSONVILLE 28 While the Breakers were winning with defense, Tampa Bay was simply scoring, over and over again.  Again it was 8 times in 10 drives, but this time those 8 scores included 7 touchdowns, 5 of which came off the arm of Daunte Culpepper.  The Bandit QB only put up the ball 19 times, but averaged 22.7 yards per completion for a stunning 432 yards passing and 5 TDs.  Vincent Jackson averaged over 35 yards with his 5 receptions.  Santonio Holmes averaged 49.7 yards on 3 catches, and between the two of them, they accounted for all 5 scores as the Bandits just “shock and awed” the Bulls. LOS ANGELES 24   ST. LOUIS 17 The Skyhawks needed a big win to set up a playoff run, but it was LA that declared that they will be a player down the home stretch.  The LA defense sacked Josh Freeman 4 times and picked the QB off as well.  While Eddie Lacy led all rushers with 114  yards on 18 carries, LA got touchdowns from FB Timothy Frederickson, TE L.J. Smith, and from Keyshawn.  The Express held St. Louis to 3 for 14 on third down and controlled the clock to take a huge road win if they want a shot at a Wild Card. LAS VEGAS 10   HOUSTON 33 Houston sacked Jake Plummer 3 times, knocking him out of the game early in the 2nd, and that was all she wrote for the Thunder.  Ingle Martin came in and was also sacked 3 times as the Houston D held the Thunder at bay all game.  Meanwhile Tim Rattay went 15 of 20 and Michael Turner had a huge game, his first big result as a Gambler, rushing for 187 yards and 2 scores to give Houston a much-needed W and put them over .500. NEW JERSEY 3   WASHINGTON 26 Another rough outing for the New Jersey offense, as Washington allowed only 28 yards rushing and did not give up a touchdown to Charlie Whitehurst and New Jersey.  Deuce McCallister rushed for 98 yards and Joe Webb hit Deion Branch for a score as the Federals consolidated their record at 9-2, and sent New Jersey to a precarious 4-7 record after 11 weeks. TEXAS 26   DENVER 24 The Gold gave it their all but could not come back against a solid Outlaws team.  Both Marques Colston and Chris Cooley went over 100 yards as Joe Flacco went 14 of 23 for 357 yards on the day.  Four Kai Forbath field goals were paired with TDs from Colston and HB Felix Jones as the Outlaws move their record to 7-4 and send Denver below .500 again at 5-6. ORLANDO 34   MEMPHIS 23 Don’t look now but the Orlando Renegades are in playoff position at 5-6 after knocking off the Showboats in Memphis.  Russell Wilson had his best day as a pro, going 20 of 26 and connecting for 4 TDs, including two to Michael Jenkins.  Add in a 115-yard day from Knowshon Moreno and the ‘Gades find themselves in the Wild Card mix with only 5 games left. ARIZONA 26  DALLAS 14 A 13-0 run in the 2nd quarter gave Arizona a 16-7 lead and they bolstered that with a Joe Haden pick-six in the third to pull away and secure their 11th win in 11 tries.  Dallas returned to Jake Locker on offense, and he actually fared pretty well against the nasty Wrangler D, throwing for 182 yards and a TD, but it was not enough as Dallas dropped their 9th consecutive game. PITTSBURGH 33  BALTIMORE 31 A bad loss for the Blitz, who were working their way into the playoff picture.  The Blitz give up 427 yards of offense to the Maulers, as Andy Dalton throws for 304 and 3 scores. Dalton also scrambled for 42 yards, which is a shocker to all who have seen him play before.  Victor Cruz is making a push for recognition as he catches 7 balls for 136 and a score as Pittsburgh shock the Baltimore crowd. CHICAGO 24   SEATTLE 17 Not the blowout win most Machine fans expected, but a win nonetheless.  Brady Quinn goes 25 of 33 for 302 yards and 2 scores, while Doug Martin adds 88 yards and a score as the Machine outlast a pretty game Dragon squad.  It was tied at 17 at halftime and through the 3rd before a fourth quarter TD from Quinn to Sanders broke the game for Chicago. MICHIGAN 29   PORTLAND 3 A rough game for Stag fans as they had hoped to get win number 5 at home against a 2-win Panther squad. LeVeon Bell found plenty of holes in the Stag D on his way to 128 yards rushing and Kirk Cousins went 9 of 18 with 2 TD tosses on the game as Michigan spoiled the Stags’ plans.  With Jonathan Stewart dinged up, the Stags could not muster a run game with LeGarrette Blount and Javon Ringer, and that doomed them against the Panthers. OHIO 13   OAKLAND 35 Ohio hoped this would be a statement game, but it was Oakland who spoke the loudest, with Pat White subbing for Joey Harrington.  The former Mountaineer threw for 204 yards and 3 TDs.  Not all good news for Oakland however, as Ryan Williams came up hobbling after only 1 carry.  The Invaders muddled through with BenJarvis Green-Ellis, but fans now have to wonder what this means for Williams. PHILADELPHIA 34   NASHVILLE 16 The Sunday nightcap game saw Peyton Manning return under center for Nashville, but it was a rough return for the veteran as Philadelphia sacked him 5 times and picked him off twice in a decisive road win for the Stars.  Matt Gutierrez went 14 of 20 for 152 and 2 scores but it was rookie HB Zac Stacy who had the biggest game.  Starting for the injured Steve Slaton, Stacy declared his presence with 82 carries and 3 touchdowns on the day as the Stars show just how deep their roster is. Muddle in the Middle as Playoff Race Heats Up While it is hardly a surprise that Week 11 has us staring at a cluster of teams all within 1 game of each other and all within 1 game of one of the season’s final Wild Card spots.  While no teams have clinched this early in the season, we have a pretty sizeable cluster of teams right around the .500 mark, all hoping that they can string together some wins and make a move into safe playoff position. Current count right now is 13 teams all within range for the sixth seed in each division.  Right now Orlando (5-6) and Los Angeles (6-5) have the advantage and sit in the sixth position, but there is no security in that.  In the East, there are 3 other 5-6 clubs right there except for the complex tiebreakers, with Tampa Bay, Baltimore, and New Orleans all tied with Orlando.  Add to that three more teams at 4-7 and only 1 game out (New Jersey, Pittsburgh, and Nashville).  In the West it is LA at 6-5, as are the Houston Gamblers, but sitting at 5-6 we find St. Louis, Denver, and Ohio.  All of this means that one bad week could lead a team to drop from playoff position, or one good week could propel another into the postseason mix. It also means that as the final weeks of the season progress, the pressure will build and teams will either make a move or peal off as pretenders. This very scenario is what the league hopes for with its playoff formula.  Not only are there 4-5 teams in each conference who are feeling good about their playoff lives, but these additional 13 teams are also in the mix, and that means13 more fanbases riveted to their tv screens, to the daily updates on their favorite teams, and on the results of games from across the league.  All in all, that makes 22 of 28 cities and regions still fully invested in the USFL season, and it is that kind of engagement that has helped build the USFL into the nation’s spring obsession. Outlaws lose their Marshall One team that is looking a bit shakier as the playoff push continues is Texas, who have lost 2 of their past 4 games, but who now have also lost a key contributor in wideout Brandon Marshall.  The 7-year veteran receiver got the news he feared on Monday when MRI’s revealed that he had ruptured his Achilles tendon.  It is both a painful and a slow-to-improve injury that will cost Marshall the rest of the season. Marshall was having a strong season with Joe Flacco back under center.  In 10 games he had accumulated 27 receptions, which is not eye-popping, but his 23.6 YPC average translated those 27 catches into 636 yards and 6 touchdowns.  And while the receiver is now on IR and will spend the rest of summer undergoing surgery and rehabbing his heel, the Outlaws will move forward towards what they hope is a playoff appearance without one of their biggest weapons. Texas currently sits at 7-4, good enough for 2nd place behind the unbeaten Wranglers in the Southwest division, but only 1 game ahead of Los Angeles and Houston in the race for 2 Wild Card spots.  Losing a key target for Joe Flacco could be a huge factor in their ability to hang onto the 5 seed.  With Marshall out, Texas will likely alternate possession receiver Reggie Brown and straight line speedster Marquise Goodwin in the position, hoping to equalize the number of targets between the two.  It also likely means that TE Chris Cooley and slot receiver Roscoe Parrish may also see more balls headed their way as the Outlaws try to diversify the offense and spread around the targets that had been going to their number 2 receiver. Plummer to Miss 1-2 Weeks with Ankle Injury More bad news out West, but not horrible news, as Jake Plummer’s ankle is a lower ankle strain, and not the dreaded High Ankle Sprain that can cost a player weeks of recovery time.  Plummer is expected to miss 2 weeks, but could be back in action by Week 13.  The problem for Las Vegas is that their three-point loss to Houston this week broke the tie atop the Pacific Division and gave Oakland a 1-game lead in the division. That is a bad situation for Las Vegas, but the upside is that Plummer is expected back in action well before the Week 15 showdown between the two contenders in the Pacific Division.  What has to be on the minds of the Thunder team now is that they need to keep that gap between themselves and the Invaders to 1 game.  They cannot drop another unless Oakland does likewise.  And while Oakland faces 3 tough games with a road trip to Birmingham and Texas before a home date with LA, Las Vegas does have an easier route to that Week 15 clash, as they start off at home against New Orleans, before a road game in Portland, and another home date against Denver.  Those are all winnable games, particularly if Plummer is under center, but now, with Ingle Martin expected to start those games, the question of an easier schedule gets a lot more complicated. Ryan Williams Injury a Pinched Nerve, Probable for Week 12 While Las Vegas is concerned about 1-2 games without Jake Plummer, their rival in the division, Oakland, is sighing in relief after learning that the injury that took lead tailback Ryan Williams out of action this past week was only a pinched nerve, not a muscular or ligature injury.  That means that with some treatment, massage, ice and heat, Williams should be good to go this week when the Invaders visit Birmingham.  Oakland has listed Williams as “probable” on the injury report, and we won’t get final word until Saturday, but the prognosis is certainly better than initially expected. No clinched teams yet, but we are getting close.  Arizona needs only 1 more win to lock up a playoff spot, but with only a 3-game lead on the Outlaws, the division title will take more time.  Most of the other divisions are much closer, with Philadelphia and Washington tied atop the NE, Oakland, Charlotte, and Birmingham sitting on 1-game leads, and Chicago the other 3-game leader as St. Louis’s loss gives the Machine a 3-game advantage with 5 to play. The Wild Card race is looking very much like a battle to be over .500 as Atlanta (6-5), Orlando (5-6), Tampa Bay (5-6), Baltimore (5-6) and  New Orleans (also 5-6), all battle for 2 spots.  In the West, it is 6-5 LA, 6-5 Houston, 5-6 St. Louis, 5-6 Denver, and 5-6 Ohio all fighting for just 1 spot unless 7-4 Texas and Las Vegas start to slip. No eliminations from the playoffs yet, but we are watching both 2-9 clubs, Jacksonville and Dallas, as the final whistle is not far off for both clubs. We have briefly discussed the situations of Brandon Marshall, Jake Plummer, and Ryan Williams, and that certainly would have been enough this week, but as we have come to expect, there are more players with a range of injuries, including some concerns that likely mean the end of the regular season for several players.  Here is the rundown: OUT CB          Trumaine McBride         DAL       Groin                    IR FB          JeromeFelton                   SEA        Hamstring         IR WR         Brandon Marshall          TEX        Achilles               IR LB           Paul Posluszny                ORL       Leg                        IR CB          E. J. Bibbers                      MEM     Abdomen           2-4 Weeks LB           Nico Johnson                    BIR         Jaw                        1-2 Weeks QB         Jake Plummer                  LV           Ankle                    1-2 Weeks WR         Greg Jennings                   MEM     Concussion       1-2 Weeks DOUBTFUL WR         Stevie Johnson                 PHI        Finger LB           Alonzo Johnson               JAX         Appendicitis QB         Pat White                           OAK      Back QUESTIONABLE DT          Terrell Troupe                   TEX        Finger CB          Darius Slay                        ATL         Biceps DE          Tamba Hali                        CHI        Jaw TE           Anthony Fasano              CHI        Concussion QB Changes As Teams Scramble for Answers In football, the position of quarterback is the most pivotal and most scrutinized position on the field.  Get yourself a good one and your team can overcome a lot of weaknesses.  Struggle at the position and your franchise could be in for a very rough patch.  So it is no surprise that teams that are struggling to find success at the position often switch back and forth between their options, hoping that one player will step forward and make it clear that they should be starting.  This week, we have seen three teams announce changes as they try to either salvage the last month of the season or build to the future. NEW JERSEY:  Whitehurst to Hoyer The injury to Sam Bradford proves our point about the indispensability of a top QB.  With Bradford out at least the next 3-4 weeks after missing most of the season, the Generals have floundered.  They started the post-Bradford period with backup Bobby Hoying, made a deal with Charlotte to bring Charlie Whitehurst over, and then gave the former NFL player 5 starts to see what he could do.  Whitehurst went 1-4 over that span, including 4 straight losses, so this week the Generals announced that they will return to Bryan Hoyer at QB.  Will that help them salvage something out of the year?  We don’t know. But with Bradford expected to be cleared to play in Week 15, the question is now whether the Generals should put him out there if their season is already a lost cause.   For now it is Bryan Hoyer taking over once again. Here is a quick look at the comparison between Hoyer and Whitehurst. HOYER:              83 of 182 (45.6%), 815 Yards, 3:5 TD: INT, 52.8 QBR, 1-3 Record WHITEHURST:  122 of 213 (57.3%), 1409 Yards, 6:4 TD:INT,  78.9 QBR, 1-4 Record PORTLAND: Fitzpatrick to McGloin This one is a bit of a surprise as Ryan Fitzpatrick helped Portland get 3 consecutive wins, with upsets of Texas and Seattle during that run, but the Stags are sitting at 4-7 and are clearly thinking about 2014.  That desire to see what they had is the reason they are now turning to Matt McGloin.  Fitzpatrick’s numbers have not been bad, attested to by his 88.4 QB Rating, but with rookie Matt McGloin getting a short look during a 2-game Fitzpatrick absence (injury) earlier this year, the Stags clearly want to see more.  McGloin got 2 starts, but failed to throw a TD in those two games (he also did not throw a pick), and with both games against brutal defenses (Arizona and Las Vegas) the Stags feel that McGloin was certainly held in check and held back by Coach Mornhinweg.  It seems that ownership has said that they want a longer look, so they pushed for McGloin to finish out the year despite a healthy Fitzpatrick ready to go.  How McGloin fares could well determine Fitzpatrick’s future with the team.  Here again is a quick comparison of the two to date: FITZPATRICK: 192 OF 333 (73.4%), 1,681 Yards, 11:7 TD:INT,  4-5 Record MCGLOIN:      51 of 83 (61.4%), 468 Yards, 0:0 TD:INT, 0-2 Record DALLAS: Jones to Locker Another team trying to decide if their rookie pick is the future face of the program or if they should give their oft-criticized season starter another year.  Jake Locker started the season well, winning his first 2 games, but then lost 5 in a row, leading to his removal and the arrival of Oklahoma rookie Landry Jones.  Jones started the next 3 games, all losses, before Locker was reinstated for Week 11.  So, the question now is whether Locker can do anything to give Coach Sherman confidence in him going into his final contract year.  The drafting of Jones seemed to be a clear signal that Locker may be on the way out, but Jones struggled in three starts this year, and may have given Locker a shot to redeem his image with the coaching staff.  One last head to head comparison of the QB’s: LOCKER: 199 of 325 (61.2%)   1,956 Yards,  7:6 TD:INT,  79.0 Rating         2-6 Record JONES:    46 of 119 (38.7%), 493 Yards,  1:2 TD:INT,  47.4 Rating 0-3 Record Chicago Owner Rocky Wirtz Wants to Sell, League Concerned As if things were not confusing enough with the situation in Las Vegas and the potential for both new ownership from outside the league and for an owner seeking to sell off his club and get in on the Las Vegas market, now we have news out of Chicago that Machine owner Rocky Wirtz, son of the team’s founder Bill Wirtz, wants to cash out.  Chicago is having a strong season both on the field and at the ticket office, and that success has apparently signaled to Wirtz that the time is right for him.  Wirtz is not particularly engaged in the day to day operations of the club, preferring instead to focus his attention on the NHL Blackhawks, but it seems that he has decided that the time is right to get maximum dollar for his franchise. Chicago should be a very attractive market for a new ownership group.  The club is playing well, draws consistently between 38,000-45,000, right in the sweet spot of USFL attendance, and the deal with Soldier Field is a solid one, providing ample revenue from parking, ticket sales and concessions.  While the Machine have never really challenged the Bears within the market, they have certainly carved out a niche in the busy spring sports schedule of the city, competing alongside the Cubs, White Sox, Hawks and Bulls. The addition of Chicago as a possible market could actually pull away investors from the Las Vegas sale, as certainly there are several investment groups that would love to get into the USFL through the 3rd largest market in the nation, rather than Las Vegas’s glitzy but smaller metro area.  Sure, Las Vegas will have a shiny new domed stadium by 2015, but the team has neither the history nor the draw that Chicago can boast, partially due to the transient nature of the Las Vegas population and the inherent limitations of the current Thunder stadium (Sam Boyd Stadium).  Even with the promise of a new stadium, there will certainly be investment groups that see Chicago as a market with a higher ceiling and a better chance at long term financial viability. So, we now have 2 teams up for sale, a third in Nashville, that is throwing some questions out there, and ownership groups still trying to get teams to places like San Diego, Miami, Oklahoma City, and Minneapolis.  The question now is whether all this fluidity in the USFL leads to quick sales or long protracted issues of relocation and franchise uncertainty. Week 12 starts the sprint towards the season finale, and a series of weeks with heavy divisional action.  Seven of fourteen games will be divisional clashes in the week, starting on Friday with Michigan visiting Chicago. The Machine are having one of their best seasons in recent history, while Michigan is still trying to find themselves, but you know the Panthers would love to play spoiler in this rivalry game. While some of the most interesting matchups of Saturday are interdivisional games (Oakland at Birmingham, Charlotte @ Philadelphia), we also have some good old rivalry games, starting with Memphis at Nashville in the Battle of Tennessee, Baltimore and Washington in an always hard-fought battle, and Houston headed up to Dallas in what Roughneck fans see as their game of the year against their downstate rivals. Sunday has more divisional clashes with Atlanta hosting Jacksonville, New Jersey visiting Pittsburgh, and our nightcap, Portland heading to Los Angeles.  We also have three interdivisional games as one of the league’s best offenses, Ohio, heads out to Arizona to face the top rated defense of the Wranglers.  Denver is in Tampa Bay, with both teams 1 game under .500 and trying to stay engaged in a Wild Card hunt.  Finally, we have New Orleans visiting Las Vegas, and hoping they can reach .500 and get right back in the mix for the Southern crown against a Thunder team still unsure if Jake Plummer can suit up or not. Friday @ 8pm            Michigan (3-8) @ Chicago (8-3)                      NBC Saturday @ 12pm         Oakland (8-3) @ Birmingham (6-5)                 ABC Saturday @ 12pm         Charlotte (7-4) @ Philadelphia (9-2)                   FOX Saturday @ 4pm            Memphis (3-8) @ Nashville (4-7)                           ABC Saturday @ 4pm            Seattle (3-8) @ St. Louis (5-6)                                 FOX Saturday @ 7pm            Baltimore (5-6) @ Washington (9-2)                   NBC Saturday @ 9pm            Houston (6-5) @ Dallas (2-9)                                   ESPN/EFN Sunday @ 12pm            Denver (5-6) @ Tampa Bay (5-6)                             ABC Sunday @ 12pm              Jacksonville (2-9) @ Atlanta (6-5)                            FOX Sunday @ 12pm              New Jersey (4-7) @ Pittsburgh (4-7)                       FOX Sunday @ 4pm                Ohio (5-6) @ Arizona (11-0)                                        ABC Sunday @ 4pm                Orlando (5-6) @ Texas (7-4)                                       ABC Sunday @ 4pm               New Orleans (5-6) @ Las Vegas (7-4)                  FOX Sunday @ 8pm               Portland (4-7) @ Los Angeles (6-5)                       ESPN/EFN

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Daunte Culpepper is on a tear, with Week 11 sizing up as his best game in several years. Culpepper and the Bandits exploited the defense all game long, with the QB throwing for over 430 yards on fewer than 20 attempts. Throw in 5 TD passes and you have the formula for a huge win and a sense of confidence as the Bandits fight for a playoff spot. PLAYOFF PICTURE: Five weeks left and we are just now reaching the edge of when clubs might start clinching spots. Arizona has exactly a 5-game advantage over the 6th and 7th place clubs, so one more win will clinch it for them. The other clubs need a bit more, of course, but as of right now it is looking very good for Philly, Washington, Oakland and Chicago. No teams have been eliminated as of yet, but, as you might expect, the 2-win clubs, Jacksonville and Dallas, are getting very close to making it official.

For as long as the USFL has had a 16-game season, Week 10 has been seen as the start of the playoff run. By this time in the season we have a very good idea who the frontrunners are, who the bubble teams are, and who is likely thinking about their golf game already. But, with every season we also see teams that come out of nowhere down the stretch and others who spiral out of control in the season's final month. Did week 10 give us any hints as to who may be about to put it all together and who may be about to see their season fall apart? Well, read on and see what you find. BALTIMORE BLITZ 26   OHIO GLORY 23 Two teams on the fringe of the Wild Card race, Baltimore at 4-5 after winning 3 of their last 4, Ohio sitting at 5-4, but having lost 3 of the last 4.  Would this be a story of two teams headed in opposite directions or would Ohio’s big win over Washington the week before put them back on the right track.  The Glory still had a Top 5 offense, able to both run and pass the ball against most defenses. Baltimore relies on their defense, as they are still barely averaging 20 points per game despite good outings in recent weeks. The game would be played in the late afternoon on Sunday, and it would be perfect conditions for football, a high barely topping 80 degrees but dropping throughout the game, no rain, and little wind, a perfect setting for a big game.  The Blitz won the toss but deferred to the second half and Ohio, as they had done against Washington the week before, hoped to score on the opening drive. Using plays pre-arranged, as most teams did, the Glory moved the ball effectively on the opening drive.  In just about 3 minutes there were into Baltimore territory, and on the Blitz 34-yard line they got their first bi play of the game.  Isaiah Pead took one step to the left and then cut back to the right.  The Blitz defense overcompensated on the initial move and were out of position.  Pead was able to find a crease and before Baltimore knew what hit them, the big Ohio back was in the secondary.  A strong shoulder to the cornerback and Pead was off along the sideline, racing the full 34 yards to paydirt.  It was exactly the start that Ohio fans hoped for and the crowd of 41,304 made their voices heard. Baltmore would not have much luck on their first drive, with a third-down pass too high and out of reach for Darrius Heyward-Bey.  Following their punt, Ohio was again on the move.  This time it was the passing game that produced the bigger plays, with Weinke connecting with Javon Walker for 17 yards before finding Steve Smith for a scoring strike from the 29.  It was not looking particularly good for the Blitz with 6 minutes still left in the opening quarter but down by 14. Baltimore rallied, as Washington had done the week before.  They altered their strategy, picked up the tempo, and used Ron Dayne as a cudgel to force Ohio into more 8-man fronts.  With that in place, Ben Roethlisberger was able to find Robert Ferguson and Antonio Gates on consecutive plays to get inside the 10.  From there, Ron Dayne did his thing and pounded the ball in for the score.  The second quarter began with Ohio leading by 7. In the 2nd, again much like the week prior, both defenses stiffened up, both offenses lost their earlier rhythm and we only saw a lone Baltimore field goal in the quarter.  14-10 Ohio as the two went into the break.  As they came out for the second half, something odd was noticed right away.  It was Tony Pike, and not Chris Weinke who was taking warm up throws on the sideline as Baltimore started with the ball.  Weinke had not returned from the locker room.  As Baltimore slowly worked their way down the field, a drive that led to a go-ahead score for Dayne, fans in Columbus wondered where their starter was.  We would find out later that he was in the locker room trying to loosen up an ankle that he tweaked not in on-field action, but on his jog back to the locker room, when he caught the seam from field to concrete awkwardly.  A weird way to get hurt, but a concern nonetheless. After the Ron Dayne TD put Baltimore up 17-14, Ohio would rally behind Pike and would even up the score at 17 with a David Green field goal, but Baltimore felt that without Weinke they certainly had the upper hand.  They too drove down the field, but another miss, this time with Big Ben’s arm being clipped by an Ohio defender just as he released the ball, meant a fourth down and Baltimore settled for a 39-yard Nick Folk kick to end the 3rd at 20-17. Ohio would need to rally in the 4th, but down only 3, they still had the full support of their home crowd.  That crowd helped to rally support for the team as they worked their way into Baltimore territory to start the fourth quarter.  The drive stalled at the 32, which put David Green back on the field.  He connected from 49 yards out and once again we had a tie score.  This would be the them of the 4th quarter, with both teams moving the ball well within the 30’s but stalling out. There would be a grand total of 4 field goals in the period.  First Ohio’s to even the score, then a 22-yard kick from Nick Folk to put Baltimore up 23-20 with 6:28 left.  When Ohio again tied the game at 23 with a 30-yard kick from Green with only 1:04 left, many in the stadium started preparing for overtime.   But, Coach Caldwell and the Blitz were not going to play along. Caldwell put the ball in Ben Roethlisberger’s hands, and the big QB did what any franchise QB should, he led a quick-paced sprint down the field to get into range for Nick Folk. Connecting with his newly acquired target Robert Ferguson for 14 yards, then with Antonio Gates for 7 and Brian Hartline for 12, Big Ben got the team in range.  Not wanting to give Ohio any time, the Blitz ran Ron Dayne into the line twice before bringing Nick Folk out with just over 9 seconds left to go.  Folk would need to connect from 33 yards out, which was not much to ask of a veteran kicker.  Folks’s kick was good and Baltimore moved to 5-5, knocking Ohio to the same record. Roethlisberger finished the game with 314 yards, and while he did not throw a TD, he did what he needed to do to get the W.  Ron Dayne finished with 97 yards on 16 carries, including both Blitz TDs.  Both Robert Fergusion and Darrius Heyward-Bey just missed 100 yards, Fergie ending at 99, DHB with 97.  For Ohio, Isaiah Pead finished with 89 yards on 17 carries.  Steve Smith cracked 100 yards, with 7 catches for 108, and Tony Pike finished the game with a 12 of 17 performance, but no TD’s as the second half saw only field goals from the Glory. DENVER 41   HOUSTON 20 A big day for DeMarco Murray and an even bigger win for the Gold as they have a huge day on both sides of the ball.  CB Jamar Fletcher took advantage of Houston’s Tim Rattay with not one, but two pick-sixes, a 32- and a 52-yarder.  Murray rushed for 114 and a score, and Matt Leinart threw for 2 more as Denver took advantage of a Houston squad clearly not up to speed with Matt Hasselbeck sidelined. PHILADELPHIA 30   PITTSBURGH 21 Philadelphia bounces back from their home loss to Memphis by shutting out Pittsburgh in the 2nd half and focusing on the passing game with Matt Gutierrez.  Gutierrez threw for only 198 yards but his 4 TDs helped Philadelphia pull away after 2 early Tavon Austin TDs had Pittsburgh looking very competitive in this one. NASHVILLE 24   CHARLOTTE 17 A bit of an upset and a good outing for former Mauler QB Cody Pickett, subbing for a dinged up Peyton Manning.  Pickett threw for 262 and 3 scores on the day as Nashville built up a 24-10 lead before a late TD helped Charlotte get into striking range.  Pickett found a favorite target in WR Ahmad Merrit, who caught 2 of his 3 TDs. DALLAS 14   CHICAGO 38 The Roughnecks drop their 8th in a row as Chicago gets 3 TDs from Aaron Dobson, who is developing into a major weapon for Brady Quinn this season.  Dobson caught 7 of 10 targets and 3 scoring tosses as the Machine move to 7-3, alone atop the Central Division. TAMPA BAY 44   TEXAS 24 Texas was not expecting to see vintage prime Daunte Culpepper, but that is what they got.  The Bandit QB went 17 of 21 for 359 yards, connecting on several deep balls.  Santonio Holmes was the big weapon, catching 5 passes for 171 yards and 2 scores, including a 71-yard bomb that stunned and silenced the San Antonio crowd.  Vincent Jackson also had 2 TDs as Tampa Bay scored early and often against a seemingly overwhelmed and shellshocked Outlaw defense.   Arian Foster burst out for 188 yards on the day, but to no avail against a Bandit squad that scored on 8 of 9 possessions in the game. ORLANDO 10   ATLANTA 16 Two pretty solid defenses clashed in this SE Division matchup, but the best day of Steven Jackson’s short USFL career helped give the homestanding Fire the win.  Jackson busted out for 112 yards on only 18 carries, including a 26-yard TD run in the 2nd that gave Atlanta a 13-3 lead at that time.  Both QB’s limped out of this one, with Kyle Orton sacked 4 times but Russell Wilson getting the worst of it, surviving 8 Atlanta sacks, including 2 each from Chris Kelsay and Keyonta Marshall. LOS ANGELES 21   SEATTLE 12 Another divisional win for the Express as they move to 4-1 in divisional play this season.  Reggie Bush had his best game as a USFL back, rushing for 114 on 19 carries.  The game was close throughout but a Dominique Rogers-Cromartie pick-six of Matt Flynn turned out to be the game winner for the Express, who move to 5-5 after 10 weeks. LAS VEGAS 38   BIRMINGHAM 20 The Thunder, and especially QB Jake Plummer, continue to impress with a nice road win over a very tough Birmingham squad.  Plummer had a career day with 385 yards passing.  He also connected with T. J. Houshmandzadeh for 3 scores and added a 4th TD to TE Ben Watson as the Thunder pulled away in the 2nd half. WASHINGTON 7   JACKSONVILLE 6 A thunderstorm caused a 45-minute delay in the start of the 2nd half, and the entire game was something of a slop-fest as both Joe Webb and Tim Tebow tried and failed to create offense for their clubs.   Washington got an early TD from Jahvid Best and that held up as Jacksonville’s David Akers connected on 2 second half field goals but went only 2 for 7 on field goals attempts in the nasty conditions. OAKLAND 27   MEMPHIS 19 After seeing what the Showboats did to Philly last week, the Invaders were ready, and while Eli Manning was able to pass for 341 yards, the Memphis offense time and again  had to settle for field goals.  As for Oakland’s offense, Ryan Williams moved into the rushing leader board with 113 yards and a TD on the day.  Keenan Allen also continued his outstanding rookie season with 5 catches for 80 yards and 2 scores to win ROTW for Week 10. PORTLAND 21   NEW ORLEANS 7 We said we were concerned about the Breakers and a 14-point loss at home to Portland certainly shows that our concerns were valid.  Drew Brees was picked off 3 times and the Breakers were simply flat all throughout a game they needed to win.  It was hardly a dynamic performance by the Stags, but New Orleans just was not focused and it showed. ARIZONA 20   MICHIGAN 10 Tyler Thigpen got the start as Kirk Cousins was dinged up, and, well, let’s just say that going up against Arizona’s defense was not what he wanted to do.  The Michigan D had a halfway decent day, limiting Frank Gore to only 82 yards, and Arizona to only 2 touchdowns, but the Michigan offense just could not produce enough to stay in this one as Arizona moves to an impressive 10-0. ST. LOUIS 28   NEW JERSEY 13 The Skyhawks needed this one to return to 5-5, and they wanted to put on a show on ESPN’s Sunday Night Showdown.  They did both against a Generals team that just does not hold up well.  We will say that in his first start, replacing Michael Crabtree, Muhamed Sanu looked good, catching 7 balls for 134 yards and a score.  A bright spot for New Jersey.  St. Louis got 3 scores from Josh Freeman and David Nelson again proved to be a good sub for Jordi Nelson, leading the Skyhawks with 5 receptions and a TD. Another Great Week for Tailbacks It was another solid week for the league’s backs, especially some of the new faces across the league, as both of the big-name NFL imports finally cracked the 100-yard mark.  It was not the league leaders, Gore or McCallister that had the biggest days either.  Both were held under the century mark by defenses designed to limit their options.  It was a day for backs who were very much still trying to prove themselves. Steven Jackson (ATL) recorded his first 100-yard game, ringing up 112 yards and a TD on only 18 carries, a very nice 6.2 yards per carry against the Renegades. In Seattle, Reggie Bush (LA) had his best game as a USFL back, rushing for 114 yards in a key divisional win over the Dragons.  It was the most carries and the best results Bush had seen this year. Denver’s DeMarco Murray had been splitting carries with Lemichael James, and did so this week, but after racking up 114 on only 13 carries, including a 36-yard jaunt and a TD, we may see Murray finally emerge as the true starter for the Gold. In Chicago, Doug Martin has been a part of the Machine’s 2013 success story all year.  He had put up two 100-yard games earlier in the season, but it had been since Week 4 that we had seen the century mark eclipsed by the 2nd year back.  Against Dallas, Martin had a field day.  He carried the ball 32 times, putting up 142 yards along the way and helping Chicago move to 7-3 on the year. Oakland’s Ryan Williams has been one of several pleasant surprises for the Invaders this year.  After 10 games he is within 10 yards of his career best season and could easily crack 1,000 for the first time this year.  Against Memphis he put up his 4th 100-yard game of the year, rushing for 113 and a score on 23 carries. We have been waiting to see the old Marshawn Lynch after he returned from an early season injury, and it looks like he is getting back to 100% just in time for a late season division title push. The big back averaged 5.1 yards per carry, rushing for 108 on 21 carries in a big road win against the Stallions. But, by far the biggest day was had in defeat as Texas’s Arian Foster put up a whopping 188 yards on only 20 carries, an eye-popping 9.4 yards per carry, but, with Tampa Bay scoring at will against the Outlaws, it was to no avail. Even with his huge day, the Outlaws suffered a 20-point defeat at home to the visiting Bandits. Could Season 17 Be the Golden Year for Jake Plummer? Jake Plummer may not be the league leader in passing yards (he sits 8th after missing a couple of starts), but his 19 TDs and his 124.5 QB Rating have many wondering if the two-time MVP is in line for a third award and, more importantly, his first championship.  Plummer is the kind of player fans of other teams root for when their club is not in the game.  A steady performer who used to thrill Arizona fans with his dual threat ability, but a player who in recent years has simply become one of the best passers in the gam while still retaining the swagger of a younger gunslinger mentality. Plummer is on pace for a possible 4,000 yard/30 TD season, but what he and his fans most want is for him to lift the John Bassett Trophy in his 17th season in the league.  But, with an almost cruel irony, the team that seems poised to prevent that for Plummer is none other than his former squad, the Arizona Wranglers.  Las Vegas is hoping to take the Pacific Title and to edge past Chicago for the 2nd seed in the West, but Arizona is already 3 games up on the Thunder for the top seed and home field advantage.  Riding a historically stingy defense, the Wranglers are very much looking like a team of destiny, but a destiny that Plummer and his fans hope is thwarted. In a season when the Las Vegas franchise is undergoing both turmoil and public humiliation due to the unethical and likely illegal actions of their principal owners, the team on the field is looking to be on solid ground.  The Thunder sit at 7-3, and have both a Top 10 offense and a Top 10 defense after 10 weeks.  Plummer led the Thunder to their first division title since moving from Portland in 2012, and the hopes this year were that the team could go one step further.  Plummer is playing some of his best ball, Marshawn Lynch is back from injury, and the receiving duo of Chad Johnson and T. J. Houshmandzadeh is one of the most dangerous in the league, combining for nearly 1,400 yards and 12 touchdowns so far this year.  But, many are wondering what it means if they find themselves up against an Arizona buzzsaw come the playoffs. Is ROTY Now a 2-Man Race? It certainly seems that way, with Oakland receiver Keenan Allen and St. Louis tailback Eddie Lacy looking like they have put a lot of space between themselves and the rest of the field.  Allen leads all rookie receivers with 48 receptions, over 670 yards, and 5 TDs. He has been so reliable for Joey Harrington that the club felt comfortable trading away Greg Jennings in a 3-team deal that brought the Invaders several draft picks.  Lacy is leading all rookie backs with 758 yards on the ground, and should have a fair chance of cracking 1,000 yards in his first campaign. The rookie has helped the Skyhawks emerge after a nasty 0-3 start and has them in the thick of the Wild Card race with a potential run at 1st place Chicago still in the cards. Voting will not take place until the first week of the playoffs, but as of right now, these two offensive stars in the making look like it will be a one-on-one showdown come award season. Can Steve Smith Win MVP as a Receiver? Speaking of awards, fans in Ohio are wondering if WR Steve Smith can do the nearly unthinkable, win a league MVP as a receiver.  Often seen as a position that is so dependent on good QB play that the receiver cannot win the title without pushing the QB ahead of him in the voting, Smith’s position seems uniquely located to give him a shot.  While Chris Weinke is certainly having a good year, it is Smith’s ability to maintain strong numbers regardless of the signal caller that is so impressive. He has done it with Weinke under center, but also looked strong with Vince Young and even Tony Pike putting the ball up. Smith has put up 100-yard games five times this season, including each of the past 3 games.  He has over 1,000 yards already, and is nearly 200 yards ahead of the 2nd place receiver, Outlaw Marques Colston.  In addition to leading the league in yards by a wide margin, he also has a 20 reception lead over Robert Meachem as we count receptions.  Yes, a 20-reception lead.  He is one of only 3 receivers (Keyshawn Johnson and Victor Cruz) with more than 100 targets, and he is racking up yards largely in smaller chunks, averaging only 12.2 yards per catch. But, the truth remains that MVP is almost always a QB-only category.  This year the QB’s being spoken about include Jake Plummer, Birmingham’s Cam Newton, and even Tampa Bay’s Daunte Culpepper, whose 26 TD passes is 7 more than the closest competitor.  Add to the mix the interest in recognizing Frank Gore for his amazing contributions to Arizona’s 10-0 season and you have a tall hill to climb for Smith, even though his accomplishments in Ohio this year have been very deserving of recognition. As is typical for the first Playoff Status Report of the year, Week 10 shows no teams clinched, but it certainly looks like that will change soon as Arizona sits at 10-0. They appear destined for a number one seed even if they are not able to keep their undefeated season intact.  Also looking good are the Philadelphia Stars and Washington Federals, though only 1 can be NE Division Champions.  Denver put their best foot forward this week and were rewarded with the 6th spot in the West. St. Louis and Ohio are right there as well, though currently outside looking in. In the East, Baltimore, with a 3rd consecutive win, is in the mix in the 6th spot, edging out a cluster of 4-6 teams.  Charlotte and Atlanta now sit tied atop the Southeast Division, while Birmingham holds a 2-game lead in the South. No one is eliminated at present, but at 2-8, Jacksonville, Michigan, and Dallas are on life support. We expect the Roughnecks would be happy just to snap an 8-game losing streak, but all three are on the edge as we enter Week 11. With 6 weeks left to play, we are seeing more and more teams opting to use IR as players come up against the reality that even a 4-week injury could mean that their regular season is done.  Four more players were added to IR this week, including two defenders who have had a big impact on their clubs, cornerback Nnambi Asomugha in Baltimore and LB Paul Posluszny, a defensive captain for the Renegades.  With the home stretch underway, every injury is a possible blow to a team’s playoff hopes, even moreso when that team is on the outside looking in or sitting right on  the fringe. Here is the full list of new additions to the Injury Report heading into Week 11. OUT CB          Nnambi Asomugha     BAL     Broken Leg                      IR FB          Jerome Felton                  SEA          Torn Hamstring          IR LB           Paul Posluszny                ORL       Leg Fracture                     IR HB         LeRon McClain LA          Knee                              IR DT          Corey Liuget WSH      Hip                                 4-6 Weeks OT          Willie Colon HOU         Knee                              2-4 Weeks FB          Tommy Bohanan         WSH        MCL                                2-4 Weeks DE          Fred Perry                     CHA         Knee                                 1-2 Weeks DOUBTFUL DT     Ellis Wyms           CHI Ribs QUESTIONABLE CB          Nathan Vasher         TEX     Finger QB         Joey Harrington           OAK      Concussion HB         Jonathan Stewart           POR       Thigh WR         Antonio Bryant               ARZ         Shoulder Evaluating the Last 3 Rookie Classes It is a Herculean task to try to accurately predict how a rookie class will fare, which teams found gems and chose wisely and which muffed their opportunity.  It can easily take 4-5 years to determine who has been a Prime Grade pick, who has been solid, and who has fallen short of their hype.  But, no one wants to wait 5 years to start assessing, including us.  So we are going to revisit the past three drafts and get a sense of what has gone well and what has not.  Yes, it is way too early, especially for the class of 2013, but that is the nature of the game.  We will go year by year, highlight 4-5 players who have made a huge difference for their teams, 4-5 who have become solid starters, and 3-4 who have yet to truly prove themselves and run the risk of receiving the dreaded “draft bust” moniker.  We start with the 2011 draft, which has given us a sample size of 52 games so far, then 2012 (26 games) and finally the very early assessment of 2013 (10 games). 2011 DRAFT Breakout Stars: While not every one of these 3rd year players is a household name, they are all major contributors and leaders on their teams already. HB Ryan Williams (OAK):  He is having his best year to date, but in 3 seasons, his 2,791 all-purpose yards and 19 combined TDs (rushing & receiving) have made him an indispensable part of a pretty solid Invader Offense. CB Patrick Peterson (NOR): Peterson has proven to be one of the most consistent and one of the more dangerous DB’s in the league.  He has 7 picks in 2.5 seasons, including 2 pick-sixes, and with his 176 tackles, he is fulfilling everything the Breakers could have wanted from a cornerback. LB Aldon Smith (STL): Selected a team captain this year, the 3rd year LB has a stunning 46 tackles for loss among his 218 tackles in 32 starts.  Add in 8 sacks and, oh yes, a league title in St. Louis, and you have a defensive stud to be celebrated. C Mike Pouncey (CHA):  The Monarchs found themselves an All-USFL center in the 2013 draft, and a big reason why the run game of Fred Jackson helped not only propel Charlotte to the playoffs last year, but two upset wins with rookie Brandon Wheedon at QB.  Pouncey is a nasty blocker and athletic enough to lead the way for Jackson and the Monarch run game. DE Robert Quinn (BAL):  Quinn has not gotten the press he deserves in Baltimore.  The Blitz have not been world-beaters, but Quinn, with 100 tackles and 25 sacks in 39 starts is looking very much the part of a future 20-sack edge rusher. Steady Contributors: These players have earned their way to a starting spot, and may be on the verge of something bigger.  Their path has not always been a straight upward trajectory, but they are valued team members and could develop into major factors for their squads. QB Cam Newton (BIR):  We were very tempted to put Newton in the Breakout category, and certainly this year he is playing the part of a superstar 1st rounder.   His rookie season was strong, but flawed, and his sophomore campaign was a bit of a setback, but if this year is any indication, Newton could well be a leaguewide superstar for years to come. DT Corey Liuget (WSH): Moving from a rotational player to a starter in his sophomore year, Liuget is proving to be an impressive inside pressure tackle.  He has 11 sacks and 91 tackles as  DT and is also a reason that Chris Long is having such a good year outside. DE Cameron Jordan (OAK):  A second strong pick for the Invaders in 2011, Jordan has 20 sacks in 42 starts and has been solid since he began taking snaps early in his first year.  We are still waiting for the breakout that puts him among elite edge rushers, but his role for the Invaders is certainly secure. DT Marcel Dareus (OHI):  Dareus was the consensus #1 DT on the board in 2013, but it has taken him a while to get his legs under him in the pro game. He is having a good season for Ohio this  year, and he does have 141 tackles in only 40 starts, so he has certainly earned a starting spot. QB Andy Dalton (PIT):  His 3,069 yards and a 20:18 TD:INT ratio are not exactly All-USFL numbers, but Pittsburgh liked him well enough to trade away Cody Pickett and hand the starting position to him as a sophomore.  If he continues to develop, he could be a player that Mauler fans can rally behind. Yet to Shine: These players came into the league with high expectations, but so far have struggled to make the leap from college accolades to the pro game.  It is not too late, but the clock is ticking for each. QB Jake Locker (BOS/DAL):  Locker was to be the golden boy for the Cannons, the next Drew Bledsoe, but so far he has been a bit more Ryan Leaf than Bledsoe.  He is currently battling with rookie Landry Jones to be the starter on a Dallas club that has lost 8 games in a row. WR Randall Cobb (OHI):  Cobb was expected to jump  right into the slot position and become a major target for Vince Young (now Chris Weinke), but he has yet to be able to supplant Javon Walker as the primary slot receiver.  With only 14 starts and 25 receptions in 3 years, it may just be that Cobb needs a change of scenery to find himself. OT Nate Solder (DEN):  While earning 30 starts in 3 years, the jury is still out on Solder.  Why?  Well, how about allowing 19 sacks in those 30 games.  That is not exactly the kind of success you expect of a highly rated college tackle.  Denver wants him to succeed, but cannot afford to keep putting Matt Leinart at risk if he just cannot handle the speed of USFL edge rushers. 2012 DRAFT Breakout Stars: A draft without a clear “cannot miss” QB prospect, the 2012 draft so far has been about players who may not have been the biggest names coming out of college, but who have started to assert themselves as pros. WR Justin Blackmon (JAX): Blackmon has been a rare bright spot in a pretty bad 2 season stretch in Jacksonville. With over 140 receptions and 2,000 yards under his belt already, Blackmon needs more help if Jacksonville is going to turn things around, but he is certainly doing his part. HB Doug Martin (CH): Martin is having a breakout season with the Machine, but it was the early signs of potential last season that gave Chicago the confidence to trade away veteran Michael Turner.  They have not regretted the choice, with Martin currently among the league leaders on the rushing list. CB Dre Kirkpatrick (MGN):  Originally slated to go to Denver, a violation of tampering regulations sent Kirkpatrick to Michigan instead, and the Panthers have been very happy with the result.  Kirkpatrick was an instant starter on a pretty weak Michigan secondary, and has paid off with 8 picks in 26 starts. LB Bobby Wagner (OAK):  Someone is doing their job at peak level in Oakland.  Another really strong draft pick in 2012, as Bobby Wagner has already become a leader on the Invader defense, and why not, with 159 tackles in only 24 starts, including a whopping 15 forced fumbles, Wagner is one of the most ferocious “enforcers” in the league. TE Coby Fleener (NOR): After hitting on Patrick Peterson in 2011, the Breakers found another solid pick in 2012 with Fleener.  The Stanford TE already has 94 receptions, 7 TDs, and 1,056 yards despite not becoming a regular starter until midseason last year. Steady Contributors: We are beginning to see a pattern in the teams we see doing well, with another Machine pick and another Charlotte player appearing now. WR Michael Floyd (CHI):  Floyd started 10 games last year and came to camp as the number one target for Brady Quinn.  A reliable possession receiver and red zone target, Floyd is not blazing past defenders, but his route running is helping Quinn lead a very strong Chicago squad to a possible division title this year. QB Brandon Wheedon (CHA):  We are not ready to anoint Wheedon the starter for the future, but in two different backup stints, he has proven that he is poised under pressure and can lead the squad.  From his stunning 2012 playoff run to his current stand-in role for the injured Jake Delhomme, Wheedon is not wowing us with huge numbers, but he is winning games, which sort of matters a lot. S Mark Barron (LV):  The Thunder have been thrilled with Barron’s leadership and his drive to the ball.  He has not put up huge numbers yet, but he has certainly been a major part of the success of the Thunder defense as they try for a division title in the desert. LB Luke Kuechley (BOS>ATL):  Kuechley came with a lot of expectations and, while 131 tackles and 10 TFL is nice, he has not yet had the kind of impact the Cannons expected, which is why he was available to Atlanta in trade this year.  We will need to check back on the former BC linebacker after he gets up to speed with the Fire to see if he pays off on the potential we saw in college. Yet to Shine: Way too early to write these players off, but the time is now for them to start showing that they are capable of living up to the expectations. OT Matt Kalil (LA):  Kalil has started every game in LA since arriving last year, but the 6 sacks he has allowed are a concern.  Still on the right side, LA was hoping to move him to LT this year, but he has just not shown them enough to make that move. WR Brian Quick (POR): The Stags hoped they were getting Mike Quick version 2.0 when they drafted the speedy receiver, but with only 1 start and 4 receptions to his name in 26 games, so far Stag fans are unimpressed.  Portland’s offense needed a playmaker and so far they are not getting that from Quick. DE Bruce Irvin (OHI):  Irvin was to be the solution on the edge, but he has yet to earn a start in his first 26 games.  He has 1 tackle and 1 sack on record.  This is not the production Ohio wants or needs. HB David Wilson (WSH): We are not shocked that Wilson has no starts for the Federals.  He was always going to be a backup for McCallister, but something triggered Washington to bring in Jahvid Best in the offseason, and that has pushed Wilson down to 3rd on the depth chart and a very possible offseason cap cut, not what Feds fans wanted from the tailback. 2013 DRAFT Breakout Stars: We are only 10 games into these players’ careers, but already we are seeing big things. WR Keenan Allen (OAK): You knew Allen would have to be at the top of this list. A ROTY frontrunner, the receiver not only got his first start in only the 3rd game of the year, but was so good in camp and in early games that the Invaders made a deal to send Greg Jennings away in trade. That is an impressive first impression. HB Eddie Lacy (STL): The other ROTY contender, Lacy has been everything the Skyhawks had hoped for after the retirement of Antowain Smith.  In his 10 starts he has averaged over 75 yards per game and has 7 TDs in his rookie campaign, with 6 games left to play. DE Barkevious Mingo (JAX):  Another good draft pick in Jacksonville.  The wins have not come yet, but Mingo is certainly doing his part with 6 sacks and a safety in his first 10 games. DT Star Lotuleilei (DAL):  Lotuleilei made a huge first impression, winning Rookie of the Week in the season’s opening week, and while his numbers have not continued at the same pace, his presence, even during the Roughnecks’ 8-game losing streak, has not gone unnoticed. DE Dion Jordan (POR):  The Stags may  not be knocking on the door of a division title, but don’t put that on Jordan. 7 sacks in his first 10 games have folks in Portland very happy with the local Oregon product. LB Alec Ogletree (WSH): The Feds feel they got a steal in Ogletree, who already has 33 tackles and 6 TFL in his first 9 starts.  He is not Antonio Pierce, but who is.  What he has shown is that he is not overwhelmed by the pace of the pro game and not afraid to lay hits on back, which is what the Feds were hoping to get. Steady Contributors: These players have seen quite a bit of action, with mixed results, but enough production that we think their roles will only increase in importance. CB Dee Milliner (ORL):  Another player who quickly got a starting gig, Milliner has been pretty solid, with 29 tackles and 2 picks this year, but has also gotten burnt on some double moves as a rookie. LB Manti Te’o (CHI): Teo’s on-field performance for Chicago has been solid, with 44 tackles and 2 sacks in his first 5 starts, but the off-field weirdness of an apparent catfishing scandal has left Chicago fans a bit leary of Teo and the Chicago sports radio crowd pretty harsh in general. HB LeVeon Bell (MGN):  In comparison with Eddie Lacy, Bell’s numbers have not kept pace, but he is still one of the bright spots for the Panthers, whose run game has been a joke for several years.  With 685 Yds after 10 weeks, Bell may not make the 1,000 yard mark, but he is still off to a decent start on an offense still trying to find itself. WR Tavon Austin (PIT):  We considered moving Austin down to the “Yet to Shine” category, because he has only 2 starts to his name so far, and has not even taken over the full-time position as the slot man.  But, he has been strong as a kick returner and the fact that of his 15 receptions this year, 4 are for scores, does show potential for a breakout once he is able to get on the field more consistently. Yet to Shine: S Kenny Vaccaro (HOU): Injuries have beent he biggest issue for Vaccaro. A preseason nick and held him out of the season opener, and when he did get into the starting lineup, he got dinged again and missed more action.  1 start in 10 games was not what Houston was hoping for when they drafted Vaccaro. WR Justin Hunter (NSH):  Expected to be an instant target opposite Robert Meachem, Hunte has yet to earn a start and has only 7 receptions on the year.  That is a major disappointment for the Knights, who have simply not been the team most expected this year. OT Eric Fisher (SEA):  Fisher quickly moved into the starting lineup in Seattle.  His run blocking has been solid, but 6 sacks already has some worried that LT may be a lot to ask even for a top draft pick. WR Robert Woods (LA): The USC star was expected to line up opposite his idol, Keyshawn, and form a 1-2 combo that would be hard to stop.  With only 3 starts and 2 receptions so far this season, it can be said that already fans in LA are disillusioned with Woods.  He has time to turn it around, but LA can be an unforgiving market, so he had better get to it. NBC got themselves a beauty for Friday Night Lights as the two co-leaders of the Southeast Division clash in Charlotte.  The winner of this one has the inside track and the ability to control their destiny moving forwards, so expect a major battle between the Fire and the Monarchs. Saturday starts off with what may be New Orleans’s last stand.  If they cannot defeat Birmingham at home in the Dome, well, they may just be sitting out the postseason.  But, if the Breakers can upend the Stallions, it puts them within 1 game of the division leaders.  There are a couple of really interesting 4pm games as well, with LA and St. Louis both sitting at 5-5, neither can afford a loss right now. Meanwhile Houston is struggling for their playoff life but have a big task ahead of them as they host Las Vegas.  QB Matt Hasselbeck is considered a game time decision, and that could be the key to any Gambler hopes. Denver is in a similar situation on Saturday Night, but a win over Texas means that we could have 3 teams in the Southwest all at 6-4 and chasing Arizona.  They cannot all get Wild Cards (technically yes, but realistically no), so every division game between the Outlaws, Gold, and Gamblers is huge from now on.   Then on Sunday we get a few seeming mismatches with Arizona (-14) @ Dallas, Chicago (-8) @ Seattle) and Philadelphia (-6) @ Nashville.  Perhaps the most interesting game is a late afternoon tilt between the 5-5 Ohio Glory and the 7-3 Oakland Invaders. The Invaders have been very tough at home, but Ohio needs this win to stay alive in the Wild Card hunt and if they want any chance of catching the Machine. Friday @ 8pm          ATLANTA (6-4) @ CHARLOTTE (6-4)                   NBC Saturday @ 12pm         BIRMINGHAM (6-4) @ NEW ORLEANS (4-6)        ABC Saturday @ 12pm         TAMPA BAY (4-6) @ JACKSONVILLE (2-8)             FOX Saturday @ 4pm            LOS ANGELES (5-5) @ ST. LOUIS (5-5)                   ABC Saturday @ 4pm            LAS VEGAS (7-3) @ HOUSTON (5-5)                       FOX Saturday @ 7pm            NEW JERSEY (4-6) @ WASHINGTON (8-2)              NBC Saturday @ 9pm            TEXAS (6-4) @ DENVER (5-5)                            ESPN/EFN Sunday @ 12pm              ORLANDO (4-6) @ MEMPHIS (3-7)                  ABC Sunday @ 12pm              ARIZONA (10-0) @ DALLAS (2-8)                             ABC Sunday @ 12pm            PITTSBURGH (3-7) @ BALTIMORE (5-5)                FOX Sunday @ 4pm               CHICAGO (7-3) @ SEATTLE (3-7)                            ABC Sunday @ 4pm                MICHIGAN (2-8) @ PORTLAND (4-6)                       FOX Sunday @ 4pm                OHIO (5-5) @ OAKLAND (7-3)                                  FOX Sunday @ 8pm               PHILADELPHIA (8-2) @ NASHVILLE (4-6)                ESPN/EFN

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Jake Plummer is back on top as the league's top-rated passer, and his outstanding season was highlighted by a 4-TD performance this weekend. Plummer threw for 385 yards as the Thunder stay neck and neck with Oakland atop the Pacific Division. PLAYOFF PICTURE: Week 10 does not have any teams ready to clinch, though the unbeaten Wranglers are not far off. The Wranglers have a 5-game lead over the 7th place clubs at 5-5, so it could come quickly for them. Currently no teams are eliminated either, with 2-8 clubs Jacksonville, Dallas, and Michigan all within range still of the 6th playoff spot in each conference.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: He has been the workhorse all season long and that does not appear to be changing any time soon. Frank Gore rushed the ball 27 times for 150 yards and 2 scores, and then, just to make things worse for the Bandits, the Arizona back also caught 3 balls for 43 yards and another TD as Arizona cruised to victory and a 9-0 record.

The second half kicked off with some major upsets as Washington fell in Columbus, Orlando edged New Orleans, LA toppled the Thunder, Baltimore knocked off Chicago, and  Memphis absolutely shocked Philadelphia and the nation with a huge road win.   It was a week that saw some outstanding performances across the league, with Jonathan Stewart (141 yards rushing), Joseph Addai (107 yards) and LeVeon Bell (139 yards) all putting up huge games for their teams.  Chris Weinke proved he could win the close won at the end, and Cam Newton proved he could run his team to victory.  Let’s kick off our coverage of Week 9 with one of the week’s big upsets as Ohio came back to beat the Federals in the final 2 minutes.  We will have all the game recaps and also take a look at where some of our middle of the pack clubs may be heading in the season’s second half. WASHINGTON FEDERALS 21   OHIO GLORY 24 A huge win for the Glory as they hault a 3-game losing streak and get back to .500 against a very tough Washington Federal squad.  Chris Weinke had his best game in over a month, throwing for 331 yards and avoiding any costly turnovers.  Washington’s Joe Webb also played well, but it was Ohio’s ability to control the line and limit Deuce McCallister to only 2.8 yards per carry that helped them carry the day. Will this be a formula that other clubs can repeat against the Feds or was Ohio just the right matchup to make it work? The game started strong for the Glory from the onset as they took the opening kickoff and put together a 10-play drive that ended with an Isaiah Pead TD run.  Ohio showed they could manage the Federal pass rush on a 3rd and 9, when Weinke had the time needed to find Arrelious Benn for the first.  On Washington’s first drive, the tone was set immediately by the Glory as they stuffed McCallister for negative plays on the first two snaps.  Washington would have to punt and the Glory would respond with a field goal drive that put them up 10. Washington got a break on their next drive as a defensive pass interference call gave the Feds strong field position. Joe Webb did the rest, connecting on 3 passes over 4 plays and hitting Bryant Johnson for the team’s first score.  The first quarter ended with Ohio up by 3.  The first half would end with Washington flipping the score.  In a quarter that saw both offenses struggle, Washington had the only scoring drive, a short 51-yard drive in 7 plays that saw McCallister plunge over on a goallline run to give the Feds a 14-10 advantage at the break. The third quarter saw more solid defense from both teams, but one big play helped Ohio get back on top.  Chris Weinke used a perfect 3rd and 1 play action fake to Pead to buy time and then found Steve Smith wide open for 27 yards and a first down inside the red zone.  From there, the Ohio QB would hit Javon Walker on a slant for six points.  Ohio finished the third up 17-14 and feeling good. Washington would strike first in the final period, but it would not come until the 2-minute warning had sounded.  Webb hit Bryant Johnson for his second TD of the day with only 1:21 left on the clock.  The score, capping off a 9-play drive, gave Washington a 4-point lead and would require Weinke to lead the Glory on a furious 2-minute drill to secure the win. Washington kicked off and Glory KR Ashton Youboty helped Ohio start strong with a 25-yard return up to the 31-yard line.  From there Chris Weinke gave the Glory fans what they have wanted to see from their QB, a confident hurry-up drill of 6 plays.  He connected with Walker for an initial first down, then a beautiful screen to Pead gained 29 yards.  After hitting Reggie Cobb and TE Lee Smith, Weinke finished off the drive with only 16 second on the clock when he hit Pead out of the backfield and the big back bulldozed his way past the safety and into the endzone for the game winner.  Ohio Stadium exploded with celebration and the Glory moved their record over .500 with a big home win.  It was only Washington’s 2nd loss on the year, but it was one that could foretell how teams will play them in the future.  Lots of run blitzes on defense and lots of max protect or play action from the offense is what Ohio used to get the win, that and a very solid final drive from a QB gaining in confidence this year. NASHVILLE 17   OAKLAND 37 Oakland is a tough team to beat in front of their home crowd, and when you go into the game with your backup at QB, it is that much tougher. Cody Pickett played well, throwing for 302 yards, but the result was still a lopsided win for the Invaders.  Both Keenan Allen and Pierre Garçon scored, and Eric Wright added a pick 6 of Pickett to drive the message home that Oakland were a team to take seriously. ARIZONA 45   TAMPA BAY 17 If Oakland is to be taken seriously, Arizona is to be feared. Tampa Bay did better than most by scoring 17 points against the Wrangler defense, but they still were blown out, losing by 28 points as Arizona was in full form on the road.  Frank Gore had 150 yards rushing, another 43 through the air and 3 total TDs as he makes his boldest statement yet for MVP consideration.  Add in 2 scores and another 81 yards from backup Steven Ridley and you have a dominant win by the unbeaten SW Division leaders. JACKSONVILLE 10   CHARLOTTE 16 In a sloppy game that saw 7 turnovers between the two clubs, Charlotte held a slight 9-3 lead into the 4th quarter before a Taiwan Jones 1-yard TD run put them in safe distance from the sluggish Jacksonville offense. Brandon Wheedon played conservatively as the Monarchs combined runs by Fred Jackson and Jones to control the clock and slog out a win at home in muggy conditions. LAS VEGAS 10   LOS ANGELES 17 Our first big upset of the week, but one of many, as the Express used a bit of home cooking and a late Mark Sanchez scramble to upend the Thunder and stay alive in the playoff hunt.  It was not a pretty game for either QB, but Sanchez was able to connect with Keyshawn Johnson for one score and then run in the second on a 17-yard scramble that caught Las Vegas completely by surprise. The loss drops Las Vegas behind Oakland again on tiebreakers. CHICAGO 10   BALTIMORE 27 The Machine clearly underestimated Baltimore as they entered this game expecting a W.  Baltimore was ready for them, holding Doug Martin to only 62 yards on 23 attempts and picking off Brady Quinn twice.  Meanwhile. Ron Dayne had 2 TD runs and Ben Roethlisberger added a 27-yard TD strike to Darius Heyward-Bey as the Blitz move to 4-5 and feel they have a chance to make a run for a Wild Card. DALLAS 3   HOUSTON 20 No upset in Houston, where the Gamblers took advantage of Landry Jones’s inexperience.  They pulled ahead even as their own QB, Matt Hasselbeck was knocked out of the game, forcing Tim Rattay to see action.  Rattay went 11 of 19 for 185 and a TD, giving him better numbers than Jones and helping Houston move over .500 at 5-4.  For Dallas it was a 7th consecutive loss, and one that might lead to a frustrated Mike Sherman returning to Jake Locker at QB. MEMPHIS 28   PHILADELPHIA 9 Another huge upset as Memphis went into Philadelphia and sideswiped the Stars.  The Showboats racked up 436 yards of offense against a Stars defense that looked like anything but a league leader.  Eli Manning went 22 of 31 for 360 yards and 4 TDs to earn POTW consideration.  Three of those four went to the newest, and quickly becoming the favorite, Showboat.  Greg Jennings caught 7 passes for 105 yards and 3 scores.  Lee Evans added another 124 yards as Memphis simply caught Philadelphia sleeping at the wheel. NEW ORLEANS 18   ORLANDO 21 The Renegades move to 4-5, proving they might still have something to say this season.  Russell Wilson threw for 246 and connected on 2 TD tosses.  Knowshon Moreno added 104 on the ground and the oft-maligned Memphis defense shut down the Breaker run game completely, limiting the team to 22 total yards on the ground and Matt Forte to only 12 yards on 10 carries. NEW JERSEY 27   BIRMINGHAM 30 A great game at Protective Stadium as Birmingham edged the Generals on a Cam Newton TD run in the 4th, his 3rd rushing TD on the day.  Newton finished with only 122 yards through the air, but had 86 yards and 3 scores with his feet.  Joseph Addai also found running room as Birmingham surprised New Jersey with a ground-based attack.  The tailback tallied 107 yards on 16 carries as the Stallions move to 6-3 and send New Jersey below .500 on the season. PORTLAND 27   SEATTLE 24    OVERTIME Portland evens their record with Seattle, now both sitting at 3-6, thanks to an overtime field goal from Mason Crosby.  They needed a Koren Robinson TD in the final 1:18 to send the game to extra time, but pulled out the win on the road.  James Stewart was the player of the game with 141 yards rushing, but it was a team effort as the defense held Seattle out of field goal range at the final whistle and the offense got the final points needed to earn the win, their second in a row. ATLANTA 24   DENVER 17 The Gold fall at home as Atlanta gets 17 points in the final period against a tiring defense.  Kyle Orton connected with Demaryius Thomas for one score, but the other was a self-inflicted wound as Matt Leinart threw a pass right to Atlanta’s Dannell Ellerbe, who ran the ball back 30  yards for the TD and a 24-10 lead.  Too much for Denver to come back from as Atlanta moves to 5-4 on the year. MICHIGAN 24   TEXAS 27 Michigan hoped the upset magic would help them, but Texas had just enough to edge the visiting Panthers.  TDs from Chris Cooley, Brandon Marshall and Marques Colston helped Texas overcome three Kirk Cousins TD passes as both teams found success in the air.  Michigan also got a strong 139-yard day out of rookie LeVeon Bell, almost enough to earn a road win, but not quite. ST. LOUIS 34   PITTSBURGH 13 The Skyhawks flexed their offensive muscles in this one, with Eddie Lacy and James Ridley both scoring, while the defense added a pick six on one of three Andy Dalton interceptions.  With Jordi Nelson out, Dave Nelson stepped up, catching his 2nd TD on the season as St. Louis moved to 4-5 and remained alive in the Wild Card hunt. Trades Heat up ahead of Week 10 Deadline With several teams still feeling close to making a playoff run, and others now resigned to finishing out the year and building for the future, the setting was right for USFL clubs to make some moves just before the Week 10 trade deadline.  We had 3 big trades, all involving at least 1 team in the 5-4 or 4-5 range that want to push for a Wild Card spot. We start in Atlanta, where the Fire made a huge move to improve their defense.  The Fire had been weak in the middle all season, and spent significant capital to solve that issue by trading for one of Dallas’s best defenders, MLB Luke Kuechley.  Kuechley had been a top prospect out of Boston College just a couple of years ago when the Roughnecks selected him in their T-Draft as the Boston Cannons.  He now heads to Atlanta where the Fire hope he will solidify the spine of their defense.  Atlanta may have gotten a steal, but it was still not cheap.  Dallas will receive WR Hank Basket, lB Clint Sintim, and the Fire’s 2nd round pick in the 2014 draft.  The Roughnecks needed depth at WR, and certainly are hoping that a 2nd round pick will bring quality to the franchise as they build for the future. Our next big move involved the Denver Gold and their lack of explosiveness.  They have solid possession receivers in Peerless Price and Golden Tate, but no one who scares safeties into playing the deep routes.  Enter New Jersey WR Michael Crabtree, a solid receiver who still has the speed that makes defenders worry about the fly route.  Crabtree was seen as expendable by New Jersey thanks to the development they have seen in Miles Austin, and the depth they have with Muhamed Sanu and Kevin Kraft. New Jersey sends Crabtree to the Gold for two 4th round picks, both 2014 and 2015.  Expect Crabtree to steal some snaps from Peerless Price and to appear in most 4-receiver sets as needed. Finally, a swap of Defensive Ends as Tampa Bay tries to upgrade a defense that once again got burned this week.  They send Derrick Burgess, who had fallen out of favor with Coach Shula, and in return get Jerry Hughes, a faster edge rusher, but one who has not fully lived up to expectations in Houston.  In addition to the two DE’s swapping teams, Houston and Tampa Bay also swapped picks, with the Bandits picking up Houston’s 4th rounder, while Houston upgrades with Tampa Bay’s 3rd round pick in 2014. There are still a couple of days left before the draft window closes.  Will these moves be the last we see or will another big name be changing teams before the week is out? Richie Incognito Suspended for Remainder of 2013 Season The league has spoken on the Richie Incognito suspension and their decision has been to extend the suspension put on the lineman through the remainder of the 2013 season.  The Ohio Glory had suspended Incognito pending league review of his case and the league has completed that review, one centered around comments caught by microphones during a game in which Incognito used both homophobic and racial slurs in trash talking during a game.  The league, using references to the standard language found in all league contracts regarding appropriate conduct and actions unbecoming of the league as the standard to set the suspension.  Ohio had previously placed Incognito on an indefinite suspension, with the league now setting the timeframe for his potential return. The question now for Ohio will be whether or not they wish to retain Incognito for the 2014 season.  His contract is set to run through the 2015 season, but they could opt to avoid the potential blowback and distraction of having him remain with the team by releasing him come August.  A spokesman for Incognito again reiterated the player’s remorse and stated that they hope to appeal the duration of the suspension while also hoping to work with the Glory to ensure that the player can return to the team once any final suspension is completed. Stars lose both Steve Slaton and Stevie Johnson in Memphis Game Not only were the Philadelphia Stars stunned by the offensive output of the Memphis Showboats in their game this weekend, but perhaps more troubling, they also suffered two significant injuries on their own offense, injuries likely to impact their playoff hunt over the next month, perhaps longer.  Philadelphia lost two of their primary offensive weapons, with Steve Slaton going down in the first quarter with an ankle injury that could keep him out of the lineup for up to 6 weeks.  Later in the game, Slaton was joined on the training table by WR Stevie Johnson, who suffered a dislocated, and later confirmed, broken finger on his right hand. Johnson is expected to miss no less than 2 weeks of action while the finger is splinted.  The loss of both starters was a big factor in Philadelphia’s offensive woes this week, limited to only 9 points.  They were already missing WR Reche Caldwell, lost for the season back in Week 6 with a shoulder injury.  They are now without their two season-starting receivers for at least the next 2 weeks, putting a lot of pressure on the rest of the offense to step up. The team has already announced that rookie Zac Stacy will start at halfback, allowing Leon Washington to retain his role primarily as a 3rd down back.  The Stars also signed former New Orleans tailback Kenny Irons to a 1-year deal with hopes that he could provide some short yardage support in the run game. At receiver, Philadelphia will now be starting Marshall Newhouse and James Hardy out wide, with Williamson still retaining his slot receiver role, at least for the next 2 weeks until Johnson potentially returns to duty.  In a division race where the Stars are tied with Washington and every game is pivotal, these offensive absences could prove decisive, but Philadelphia has succeeded in the past with players stepping up, most famously the promotion of Matt Gutierrez last season, and they do have one of the league’s best defenses, so we won’t count them out just yet. Coach LeBeau Issues Challenge to his Panther Squad Sitting at 2-7, it does not look like the Michigan Panthers will be attending the Big Dance this year, but that is not keeping Coach Dick LeBeau from trying to rally his troops and get signs of life from them.  The veteran coach, while not happy with the tough season his squad has endured to date, is looking to the future and hoping that he has some pieces in place to build on for the future. Working with an untested QB in MSU grad Kirk Cousins, and with a rookie HB, the offense has struggled at times.  The defense has also not lived up to his usually high standards, but Coach LeBeau is not making any excuses, saying in this week’s presser that he expects to see his team improve week to week and that despite their struggles this year, he has been pleased with the team’s effort. He went one step further in a team meeting on Wednesday, asking this team to commit to this season, to commit each week, and to push themselves each game to improve over their last game. His challenge to them, to win 5 games in the season’s second half, in other words, to finish the year with a winning record over the final 8 weeks.  That may be a tall task, having already lost their first game of the 2nd half and looking ahead to tough games at Chicago, vs. Ohio, and St. Louis, and even games where they will be the underdog at Portland this week, then against Pittsburgh and Baltimore. There is a good chance the 2-7 Panthers will not be favored in any game this year, so asking the club to win 5 of 8 is a big ask.  What it may also be is a standard ownership will hold him to when it comes time to decide if LeBeau will be a Black Monday casualty or will be granted a chance to continue to build a young team into a contender. Only 2 new IR additions this week, with one being Ohio QB Vince Young, anticipated since last week’s injury, and the other being Nashville safety LaRon Landry, who suffered a back injury that wil require significant time to resolve.  Outside of these two IR additions, the big news is in Philadelphia, where Steve Slaton is expected to miss 4-6 weeks. That won’t put him on IR, which would eliminate any chance for a playoff run return, but will force Philly to go with rookie Zac Stacy for most of the rest of the regular season.  Here is the full rundown of newly-added Injury Reports: OUT SS           LaRon Landry                  NSH      Back                     IR HB         Steve Slaton                   PHI        Ankle                    4-6 Weeks OG         Brett Williams                  LA          Foot                      4-6 Weeks OT          Todd Wade                      POR      Hand                    1-2 Weeks DE          Chuckie Nwokorie         DAL       Toe                         1-2 Weeks WR         Stevie Johnson                PHI        Finger                   1-2 Weeks QB         Matt Hasselbeck            HOU     Hamstring         1-2 Weeks DOUBTFUL CB          Jordan Poyer                  CHI        Concussion CB          Reggie Smith                  PIT         Neck DT          Brandon Mebane            NJ           Shoulder QUESTIONABLE OG         Aaron Sears                     WSH     Toe DT          Kevin Vickerson              MGN     Pinched Nerve QB         Kyle Orton                       ATL         Shoulder WR         Deion Branch                  WSH     Hip Pointer In the Hunt or in the Tank? Nine weeks in and we have 10 teams sitting either at 5-4 or 4-5.  We know some of these teams will make the postseason, likely sitting at 9 wins, though 8 is not out of the question, but a good number will not.  So we asked ourselves, who in this Group of 10 is a team to fear?  Who could be headed the right way?  Who could be in trouble?  And who is a pretender?  Here is our assessment of the 10 and where we think they are headed. A Real Threat Atlanta Fire (5-4) The Fire have won 4 in a row after a rough 1-4 start, and appear to have figured out just who they are.  They have a solid, Top 5 defense, and they hae shown they can beat some solid clubs, upending Houston, Tampa Bay, Birmingham and Denver in that streak.  We think they are on the way to challenging Charlotte as they did last year and could still be in the hunt for a Division Title. Houston Gamblers (5-4) Maybe we are overestimating the Gamblers, but this just does not feel like a .500 team to us.  Yes, most of their wins have come against lesser opponents, but they have beaten both Chicago and St. Louis this year.  The problem is that they have not proven they can win on the road, with a 1-4 record so far this year.  If they cannot get more road success, they will be destined for 8-8 at the best, though it might help that their remaining road games are at Dallas, Denver, and Jacksonville, not exactly a Murderer’s Row. St. Louis Skyhawks (4-5) The defending league champions have won 4 of the last 6 games, with tough losses to Chicago and Las Vegas.  We think they are much better than their record, and with a Top 5 offense, they are always dangerous. They have some very winnable games on the horizon with New Jersey (Wk 10), LA (Wk 11), Seattle (Wk 12), Michigan (Wk 15) and Denver (Wk 16) on the schedule. The key will be the 2-game tough run of playing at Ohio and then at Chicago in weeks 13-14.  If they can go even 1-1 in those 2 games, they could well be in the playoff mix. Headed in the Right Direction Baltimore Blitz (4-5) We disparaged the Blitz, and particularly their offense, earlier this season, but Baltimore has won 3 of their last 4, including this week’s upset over Chicago. The offense looks much better after the trade for Robert Ferguson, and the defense is still a pretty solid group.  This is a team that could make a run, at least at a Wild Card.  It won’t be easy, with a lot of solid teams still on the schedule, but the Blitz do seem to be playing to their capacity right now. Los Angeles Express (4-5) Every time we praise LA they seem to tank, and every time we say they are done they impress us.  They just finished a brutal run of Vegas, Oakland, Chicago and Vegas again.  They lost the first three but impressed us this week with a good in in Las Vegas to move to 4-5.  Their schedule does get easier in the next few weeks, with 2 games against Seattle and 1 against Oakland.  That could help propel them towards a winning record.  Their final 3 games include a huge derby matchup at Oakland and a season finale at home against Charlotte.  Those two games could make or break their season. Possibly in Trouble New Jersey Generals (4-5) No surprise here, as the General have lost 3 of 4 and are looking a bit lost without Sam Bradford.  They face St. Louis, Washington, and Philly in the next 4 weeks.  If they cannot win 2 of those 3, they likely fall behind Baltimore and should start looking at 2014.  We just don’t see them doing enough to push for Sam Bradford to come back for the final 1-2 games of the year if they cannot get to Week 14 with at least 8 wins. Ohio Glory (5-4) The early season success seems to have faded, with 3 losses in their last 4.  The win this week over Washington was a big one, however, and may indicate that they are not done yet.  They have a tough run coming up (Baltimore, @ Oakland, @ Arizona, St. Louis), and will need to win 2, maybe 3 of those games to have any shot at the division or possibly even for a Wild Card. New Orleans Breakers (4-5) The breakers won 3 in a row, including victories at Oakland and vs. Philadelphia, but the way they lost to Nashville, and this week’s loss to Orlando has us worried that they have lost the juice they need to make a run.  They Have a winnable game at home against Portland this week and then a big matchup with Birmingham in Week 11.  Win those two and we might just believe there is a second wind for this club. A Pretender Denver Gold (4-5) Yes, Denver has won 3 games in the past 5 weeks, but are we really impressed with 2 wins over Dallas and a 4-point win over Orlando?  Denver is just not impressing us on either side of the ball.  Under Coach Jauron they are always a hard-working team, but we just don’t see the firepower to do much, unless, of course, the Michael Crabtree trade turns out to be a huge move, but we are not feeling it is a game changer and our gut tells us Denver is not going to finish the year above. .500. Orlando Renegades (4-5) Maybe we are biased because of the poor season they had last year, or because Russell Wilson has had some real rough patches, but we have a hard time seeing a 4-5 Orlando team as potential 9-7 Wild Card.  They have no wins over teams that are currently over .500, and with Texas, Atlanta, Charlotte, and Washington still on the schedule, we just don’t see much out of the Renegades (Calais Campbell excepted) that scares us. A look at the possible 2014 QB Draft Class Will it be Manziel Mania for the USFL in the 2014 Draft?  Or will other potential top picks like Louisville’s Teddy Bridgewater, Clemson’s Tajh Boyd, or Alabama’s A. J. McCarron be all the rage by January’s Draft?  We would need a crystal ball to know for sure, but what we do see is a pretty deep pool of potential early round QB picks.  In addition to those named above, we have intriguing prospects in players like Central Florida’s Blake Bortles, Fresno State’s Derek Carr (Brother of Arizona’s unbeaten David), LSU’s Zach Mettenberger, or potential darkhorses like Virginia Tech’s Logan Thomas or Jimmy Garoppolo from Eastern Illinois, the same school that brought the NFL star Tony Romo. Right now Manziel is the player that most scouts are talking about, sometimes praising his playmaking instincts, other times criticizing his character.  He seems to be a gunslinger who mixes the bravado of Jim Kelly with the elusiveness of Doug Flutie, perhaps a perfect match for the more wide-open USFL than for the stodgier NFL.  As a Texas A&M product, he would fall under the territorial rights of the Houston Gamblers, but will Houston invest in Manziel?  With Matt Hasselbeck turning 36 this season, the Gamblers may very well be looking for a young gunslinger. Teddy Bridgewater is an intriguing option, again very agile, elusive, and with a strong arm, the 5-star recruit who led the Cardinals to a huge upset win over Florida in the 2012 Sugar Bowl, could be a very big get for the USFL by January, after one more year in Louisville.  He could be protected by Baltimore in the T-Draft, but the Blitz are hardly a team that seems to be QB-needy, which could open up a trade war to get the Blitz’s first T-Draft pick.  Any team could potentially make a move to land the Louisville QB. Other possible T-Draft impact picks include Jacksonville’s rights to Clemson’s Boyd, Washington’s rights to Va Tech’s Thomas, or Oakland’s claim to Dereck Carr.  We could certainly see the Bulls and Invaders taking at shot at their potential QB options, but unless David Garrard’s injury is worse than reported, we are not so sure they need to take a shot on Logan Thomas. Blake Bortles is an interesting case.  His rights are held by Orlando, but they are investing a lot of effort on developing Russell Wilson, so do they undermine that by selecting Bortles, or do they let him go to the Open Draft.  Just how many of these QB’s make it to the Open Draft is always a big question, as is how many will wait out competing bids from the NFL before deciding their pro football destiny.  Of course, there is an entire college football season ahead of all of them, so a lot can change, but what we see right now is a very hot QB market come January.  Just how well the USFL will fare and who will come away with a potential franchise QB is yet to be seen. Week 10 starts our official playoff countdown, and we have plenty of games that will impact that first playoff status update.  We start on Friday where the divisional clash between Denver and Houston is also a fight for playoff positioning.  If Houston wins they would move solidly into the mix at 6-4, if Denver wins, then both teams sit at 5-5 and we could be in for a dogfight down the stretch. Saturday opens with a fun matchup that could regain its former glory as the Keystone Clash between the Stars and Maulers is once again a twice-a-year divisional rivalry.  We also have two nice evening games, including a big matchup of 4-5 vs. 5-4 as Orlando tries to prove our skepticism wrong as they head to Atlanta.   LA is in Seattle in the late night game, and that could be huge for the Express if they can even their record at 5-5 with a win. On Sunday we start the day off with Las Vegas at Birmingham, a game that highlights two division leaders.  The best of the afternoon games has Baltimore (4-5) at Ohio (5-4) in another clash of teams that are trying to prove they can be dangerous down the stretch.  The nightcap is St. Louis at New Jersey, a rare game between these two, but a nice opportunity for the Skyhawks to prove they are back to championship form. Friday @ 8pm            Denver (4-5) @ Houston (5-4)                           NBC Saturday @ 12pm         Philadelphia (7-2) @ Pittsburgh (3-6)              ABC Saturday @ 12pm         Nashville (3-6) @ Charlotte (6-3)                       FOX Saturday @ 4pm            Dallas (2-7) @ Chicago (6-3)                             ABC Saturday @ 4pm            Tampa Bay (3-6) @ Texas (6-3)                         FOX Saturday @ 7pm            Orlando (4-5) @ Atlanta (5-4)                            NBC Saturday @ 9pm            Los Angeles (4-5) @ Seattle (3-6)                    ESPN/EFN Sunday @ 12pm            Las Vegas (6-3) @ Birmingham (6-3)                  ABC Sunday @ 12pm              Washington (7-2) @ Jacksonville (2-6)             FOX Sunday @ 12pm              Oakland (6-3) @ Memphis (3-6)                     FOX Sunday @ 4pm                Portland (3-6) @ New Orleans (4-5)                ABC Sunday @ 4pm                Arizona (9-0) @ Michigan (2-7)                  ABC Sunday @ 4pm               Baltimore (4-5) @ Ohio (5-4)                            FOX Sunday @ 8pm               St. Louis (4-5) @ New Jersey (4-5)                     ESPN/EFN

Eight weeks down, eight left to play, and a season still in the balance.  We have surprises galore, like the unbeaten Wranglers and their league best defense, the struggles of the Skyhawks, and the struggles of the league to keep some of their top QBs healthy and on the field.  We seem to say this every year, but 2013 has not been the season we anticipated.  Sure, there are some teams at the top who we absolutely expected to be there, and there are some at the bottom of their divisions who we foresaw as having issues, but there are many stories we did not anticipate, and many yet to be written.  In this special midseason edition of our USFL reporting, we will review the Week 8 action and then focus on where we are and where we think we will be heading in the second half, starting with Week 8’s game of the week, an upset as the Tampa Bay Bandits try to stay in the hunt in what is shaping up to be a hard to predict SE Division. CHARLOTTE MONARCHS 27   TAMPA BAY BANDITS 34 It started as a dominant performance from the division-leading Charlotte Monarchs, but something happened in the second half and the Bandits rallied behind their offense and a boisterous crowd to score the final 21 points of the game, surging past their division rivals to claim a much needed victory at the midway point of the season. It was very much a game of two halves, with the Charlotte defense and run game dominating the firs half before Daunte Culpepper and the Bandit passing game found its groove in the second, rattling off 4 touchdowns in just over 19 minutes to shock the visiting Monarchs.  The stats bear out this storyline with Charlotte racking up 176 yards rushing (117 from Fred Jackson) while Tampa’s final stat line included 322 yards and 3 TDs from Daunte Culpepper. The first half did not start well for the Bandits.  On only the 5th play from scrimmage, Culpepper threw behind his receiver and was picked off by Asante Samuel.  It was a poor throw and Samuel made the Bandit QB pay, returning the ball deep into Tampa’s end of the field.  Only 4 plays later Shonn Greene was plunging into the endzone for the game’s first score.  Charlotte would dominate the first half, with the line creating alleys for Fred Jackson and Greene and with the offense consistently pushing deep into Bandit territory. In the 2nd quarter, Charlotte would add a Brandon Coutu field goal and a Fred Jackson TD run before the Bandits ever sniffed the Monarch endzone.  Down 17-0, the Bandits started to move the ball late in the quarter and were able to put up two Kaeding field goals to pull within 11 at the break, but they still did not look like a club that was capable of exploding in the second half, and at first they did not. Charlotte took the opening kick and again moved the ball well, with Brandon Wheedon working mostly through play action, the Monarchs got into range for Coutu and the Monarch kicker added 3 points to make the score 20-6.  Tampa Bay needed to find their offense and find it fast.  They would find it in the big play just 3 plays after getting the ball back.  Using a fake to McGahee to freeze the safety, Culpepper found Santonio Holmes in one-on-one coverage and heaved the ball along the sideline to the big receiver.  The corner mistimed his jump and Holmes found himself uncovered with the ball in his hands.  Sixty-seven yards later the Bandit receiver scored the first TD of the game for Tampa Bay, pulling them within 7. But Charlotte proved themselves still capable of moving the ball, going on an extended drive before Wheedon hit TE Brandon Pettigrew for an 18-yard TD strike that built the lead back up to 14 for the visitors.  Tampa Bay was very much behind the 8-ball as the 4th quarter began. A loss would drop them to 2-6 and a solid 4 games behind the 6-2 division leaders.  They needed to rally. That rally began as soon as the 4th quarter hit, with Culpepper hitting Vincent Jackson twice on their next drive, a 33-yard strike followed by a 22-yarder that at first looked like a TD before being called back to the 2-yard line after replay.  From there McGahee took the ball to the right pylon and the Bandits had again cut into the lead.  With 12:44 left, Charlotte did not anticipate an onside kick, but that is exactly what the Bandits did, and did it well, with LB Jerod Mayo falling on the ball after breaking through the thin line of Monarch defenders. That play seemed to spark the turning of the tide, shocking the Monarchs and rallying the Bandit faithful to make some noise and be a factor in the game. When Culpepper, 8 plays later, used a shovel pass to his fullback to pull the Bandits within 3 points, the 48,207 in attendance moved from engaged to rowdy, the noise level increased dramatically, and the Bandits themselves began to believe that they could pull it off.  There was still time, and momentum was clearly on their side.  They had tied the score and could win it before overtime would be a factor. The Bandits blockaded the Charlotte run game on first and second downs and when Wheedon’s pass to D. J. Hackett was off target, the Bandits had successfully shut down the Monarch drive and burned only 1:02 of the clock. They would have time for one more drive and a shot at a major comeback victory.  They had confidence now, and a look at the Monarch bench showed the concern and feelings of inevitability that had taken over the visiting side.  Culpepper led the drive, which took only 7 plays, six in the air, to reach the red zone.  From the 11, the Bandits added 7 yards on a screen to McGahee, and then went for the win.  Using a 3 receiver stack on the left side of the line, Culpepper spotted the quick slant to Davone Bess, who had not caught a pass all game, and Bess found the endzone.  The bandits had wiped out a 14-point deficit in the final period and were now on top by 7. Charlotte was spent.  They had seen this game as won when it was 20-6, and even at 27-13 at the end of 3 quarters, but the Bandits had put 21 points on the board in the final 15 minutes, and the Monarchs simply could not rally in the remaining time.  When the final whistle blew and the teams walked off the field, one was celebratory, greeting the fans in the tunnel, the other dispirited, having let their chance to own the division slip away. LOS ANGELES 7   PHILADELPHIA 30 The Stars rebound from their Week 7 loss with a resounding victory at home over the Express.  Philadelphia outgained the Express 375-268 and put up the first 30 points in the game before a late garbage time LA touchdown in this blowout.  Steve Slaton rushed for 2 scores and 113 yards for the Stars to take the Game MVP. OHIO 14    CHICAGO 31 Chicago is staking their claim to the Central title, with a balanced attack that saw both Doug Martin and Ben Tate score on the ground while Malcolm Floyd scored through the air.  Ohio went through all 3 QBs as Chris Weinke got knocked out in the 2nd quarter, then Vince Young suffered an injury after only 2 pass attempts, leaving Tony Pike as the last QB standing for Ohio. PITTSBURGH 28   WASHINGTON 31 The Feds thought they had this one in hand at 31-7, but a furious comeback by Andy Dalton and the Maulers fell just short as they pulled within 3 with 10 minutes left to play but could not get that one additional score they needed.  Deuce McCallister takes over the rushing lead with another 100-yard day while Joe Webb survives 2 picks, including a pick-six to Mauler CB Patrick Surtain, to get another W for Washington. TEXAS 14   PORTLAND 21 The first big upset of the weekend as the Maulers shock the Outlaws.  Two touchdowns and 250 yards from Ryan Fitzpatrick helped the Stags pull it off, but it was a defense that sacked Joe Flacco 7 times and held Arian Foster to only 33 yards rushing that did the most damage. OAKLAND 24   MICHIGAN 16 The Invaders get TDs from BenJarvis Green-Ellis, Pierre Garçon, and Derek Hagan to upend the Panthers at Ford Field.  Michigan played well, but two picks from the league leader in interceptions, Kirk Cousins, helped Oakland take the W on the road. NEW ORLEANS 17   NASHVILLE 35 A week after knocking off Philadelphia, New Orleans struggles on the road and helps Nashville keep their playoff hopes alive in the clustered Southern Division.  Ray Rice rushed for 69 and added another 57 through the air for Nashville.  Peyton Manning also tossed 3 TDs, including one to a rare target, FB Peyton Hillis in the Knight victory. ST. LOUIS 21   LAS VEGAS 34 The Skyhawk offense struggled against that nasty Thunder defense as Josh Freeman was sacked 6 times.  Jake Plummer had a great game for Las Vegas, throwing for 3 scores including a 41-yard strike to Chad Johnson that gave the Thunder a 31-7 lead that they would not relinquish.  Johnson went over 100 yards on 4 receptions and T. J. Houshmandzadeh contributed a score as well. BIRMINGHAM 13   ATLANTA 25 Though not a divisional game, the Atlanta-Birmingham rivalry carries over from the college game, so this was a good win for the Fire.  Steven Jackson may not have had many yards (only 25 on the day) but he did add 2 touchdowns to help knock off the Stallions.  The Fire D held Cam Newton to only 188 yards passing and -3 yards on 5 running plays as Atlanta evens their record at 4-4. JACKSONVILLE 3   ORLANDO 27 Orlando found some offense against the Bulls, with the run game producing 170 yards, led by Knowshon Moreno’s 94.  Touchdowns from Moreno, Murray, and McCaerins were enough to knock off a Bulls team that just could not sustain drives. NEW JERSEY 20   BALTIMORE 34 Charlie Whitehurst threw for 2 scores, but between Big Ben and Ron Dayne, the Blitz had 4 offensive drives end with 7.  That was enough for the Blitz to get their 3rd win on the year and to drop New Jersey to 4-4.  Big Ben threw for 338 on 17 of 25 and connected with TE Antonio Gates for 122 yards in one of the best offensive outings all season for the Blitz.  New WR Robert Ferguson added 98 yards and a score in his debut with Baltimore. MEMPHIS 51   SEATTLE 7 The absolute shocker of the season so far. Sure, we expected Seattle to struggle a bit with Mike Flynn at QB, but we never saw Memphis exploding like this.  Eli Manning threw for 3 scores, and even backup Matt Cassel got in a TD pass late.  Throw in rushing TDs from Knile Davis and Darren McFadden and this game got out of hand quickly.  It was 20-0 Memphis at the half and just got worse for Seattle in the second half. DENVER 23    DALLAS 3 Dallas started Landry Jones at QB and the rookie looked very much like a rookie, completing only 17 of 44 pass attempts and throwing 2 picks to the Denver defense.  For Denver, Matt Leinart found Peerless Prices 7 times for 108 before connecting with Golden Tate for a 39-yard TD.  Denver would outgain Dallas 395-224 as the Roughnecks drop their 6th in a row. HOUSTON 12   ARIZONA 27 Houston managed to score more than 10 points against the Wrangler D, but four field goals were not enough as Arizona got 3 TD from Derrick Carr, one each to Larry Fitzgerald, Mike Williams, and Antonio Bryant.  The Wranglers trailed 6-0 early, but then came alive and put away the Gamblers to stay unbeaten at the half-way mark of the season. MIDSEASON REPORT CARD Let’s get right to the analysis as we go division by division to look at the stories of the season and what we can expect from the second half.  We will discuss each division’s major stories and surprises, and then look at each team, what they have accomplished and what unfinished business remains. The Story of the First Half: Quarterback injuries and how to overcome them is the biggest takeaway from the first 8 games in the NE Division.  Both New Jersey and Washington have lost their starters for the year, but the ability of the Federals to overcome that and continue to win games (6 in a row) despite moving from Garrard to Webb has made all the difference.  Washington now stands toe to toe with the Philadelphia Stars at 7-1, while New Jersey is 3 games back at 4-4 and looking like a team that just cannot absorb the loss of Bradford. The Surprise of the First Half: New Jersey going 0-4 in the division.  With Bradford gone, we did expect some issues, but in particular two losses to the Blitz have really hurt the Generals’ chances of surviving in playoff range long enough for Bradford to come back.  With a tough second half, the Generals need to find some answers, or the season may be done before Bradford is even able to throw passes on the sideline, much less enter games again. What We Expect Moving Forward: It clearly looks like a 2-horse race, with the Stars and Federals battling it out for the title.  The two will clash in Week 15, and that could well be for the division title as these two clubs have looked solid at every step of the way through 8 weeks.  Baltimore and Pittsburgh both sit at 3-5 and could conceivably make a run for a Wild Card, but they will both need to do more and do it consistently to make any headway. CURRENT RECORD: 7-1 STRENGTH: A defense that does not allow many yards (7th best in USFL) and even fewer points (2nd in USFL).  Philadelphia is allowing only 11 points per game, 9 fewer than they average on offense. WEAKNESS: Not many.  When they have balance on offense they can be very tough to match up with.  The key seems to be shutting down Steve Slaton to force Matt Gutierrez to carry the full load of the offense. PLAYER TO WATCH: Rookie TE Travis Kelce is seeing more and more snaps, and with that more targets as well.  He is already 2nd on the team, beating out the injured Reche Caldwell and slot receiver Troy Williamson.  Expect Philadelphia to focus on him as a target even more as the season progresses. PREDICTED FINAL RECORD: 13-3, and if they can beat Washington in Week 15, they likely rest their starters in Week 16. CURRENT RECORD: 7-1 STRENGTH: The Federals are top 10 in several categories, but it is their #1 rated run game that makes the entire team function.  Even with Joe Webb at QB they have been able to be the #2 offense in the league thanks to that run game. It also tends to allow them to control the clock, meaning fewer plays for their defense, which is one reason the Feds give up significant yardage but not a lot of points. WEAKNESS: The passing game has certainly taken a dip with Webb replacing Garrard.  Washington now ranks 22nd in the league in passing yards, so the secret to beating them may well be to get an early lead and force them to look to the air more, but that means having a great plan from the start to deal with that defense. PLAYER TO WATCH: QB Joe Webb. The pressure will be on Webb to continue winning.  He has not lost a game since coming in at QB, despite only averaging only 210 yards per game.  If the Federals want to avoid being made one-dimensional, they will need Webb to add a bit more to the passing game. PREDICTED FINAL RECORD: 12-4—We think they will struggle to upend Philadelphia, but we are not going to say for sure that they cannot.  They have the tools to be a very tough foe each and every week. CURRENT RECORD: 4-4 STRENGTH: The Generals have developed a solid run game and a pretty good scoring defense.  If they can allow their QB to be a game manager, they could win more games than they lose, but if not, they could dip below .500 as the season progresses. WEAKNESS: We are impressed that New Jersey is giving up only 19 points per game, because they are giving up nearly 360 yards on average.  They have done well at getting key 3rd down stops and in producing takeaways.  If that remains a consistent pattern, great, but if not, then the defense could easily wear down. PLAYER TO WATCH: HB Maurice Jones-Drew.  MJD is having his best season as a General, perhaps of his career, and the Generals need that.  His 4.3 YPC is a solid .4 yards better than in any past season, and he has already contributed 8 touchdowns.  If MJD can take on the role of a dominant back, then the Generals stand a chance regardless of their QB play. PREDICTED FINAL RECORD:  We are not sold on the Generals as they could go either way over the final 8 games. For that reason we are going to say another 4-4, giving them an 8-8 final record. CURRENT RECORD: 3-5 STRENGTH: The run game is solid, even with Ron Dayne slowing down a bit, and the defense has had its moments.  Baltimore’s strength is in slowing down and shortening games. Where they have been able to limit opposition play totals, they have had a chance.  Their worst losses have been when they fall behind early and have to abandon the run. WEAKNESS: The passing game is still not there. We like what Robert Ferguson brought this past week, so there is hope, but it is still very much a work in progress. PLAYER TO WATCH: WR Robert Fergusion arrived from Memphis via trade, and now he steps in and is expected to immediately have an impact.  That is a lot to ask of an older receiver who now has to learn a new system. PREDICTED FINAL RECORD: We think Baltimore is a pretty middle-of-the-pack team, and we think they can finish 4-4 over the final 8, which leaves them at 7-9 overall, which feels about right. CURRENT RECORD: 3-5 STRENGTH: The secondary has proven to be about as good as anyone in the league.  All 3 starting corners, Robinson, Bouye, and Smith, have 2 picks apiece, and safeties Sean Taylor and Robert Sands have been intimidators over the middle.  If they could get a bit more pressure out of the front 7, they could be a very good defense. WEAKNESS: The offense has had some good games (42 against Memphis ,29 against Jacksonville), but they have also had some real stinkers (6 points against Chicago being the worst).  They are young, are still relying on a HB rotation, and Andy Dalton is still learning.  This may be a team to worry about in 2014, but right now they are just too inexperienced. PLAYER TO WATCH: It has to be the two rookie receivers who are now starters.  Adam Thielen has looked like a good reliable option for the Maulers, with 29 catches on 50 targets, including 4 for touchdowns, but they have just not gotten their money’s worth out of slot receiver and return man Tavon Austin yet.  He was the bigger name coming out of the draft and fans are still waiting for him to make dynamic plays. PREDICTED FINAL RECORD: We think 3-5 was fair in the first half and would be fair in the 2nd, so that gives us a final record of 6-10. The Story of the First Half: Charlotte had the chance to run away with the division, but have not been able to do so and now we have Atlanta, Orlando, and Tampa Bay all within range (2 games) of the leaders.  If anyone can string together even a short winning streak, they could take over the lead.  There just does not seem to be a dominant team in the bunch, and while Jacksonville is looking like the weakest club in the division, it is not by much. The Surprise of the First Half: The road struggles of the Bandits.  Tampa Bay is 3-1 at home but 0-4 on the road.  The main culprit seems to be the defense, which is ranked dead last in the league in points allowed (27 per game) and they struggle against the run in particular.  If they cannot get that sorted out, their odds of catching the Monarchs, even with this week’s win over them in Tampa, are not good. What We Expect Moving Forward: Charlotte will have their chance to make a move and put some space on the rest of the division as they face the Bulls twice and only 1 team with a winning record (Philly) in the final 8 games.  Can they be consistent and just wear down the rest of the division, or will someone get hot and make a run at them? CURRENT RECORD: 5-3 STRENGTH:  Going into the season we thought it would be the defense, but the Monarch offense is ranked 3rd in the league, largely due to the success of Fred Jackson and the run game.  Charlotte is averaging just under 110 yards per game, and the run game is helping Brandon Wheedon adjust to taking on the starting role after the Delhomme injury. WEAKNESS: Charlotte is very solid against the run, but they have been taken advantage of in the passing game, giving up an average of 240 yards per game.  When you look at their 3 losses (Dallas, Philadelphia, Tampa Bay), in each they simply gave up too many conversions on 3rd and more than 5, almost all through the air. PLAYER TO WATCH: LB Rolando McClain. The trade of Rey Maualaga in the offseason has absolutely had an impact on the Monarch defense.  McLain needs to take charge if the Monarchs are going to repeat their late season success from last year. PREDICTED FINAL RECORD: We think Charlotte is vulnerable, so we are going to give them another 5-3, but not more than that.  Will 10-6 be enough to win the Southeast?  Maybe. CURRENT RECORD: 4-4 STRENGTH:  Honestly, it has to be balance, because we look at the numbers and there is no one area where the Fire are Top 5 in the league. They are solid on defense, but not spectacular, they can run at times, though Steven Jackson has not been the breakout star they hoped for, and Kyle Orton has had some decent days.  But, this team is 4-4 for a reason and that reason is that they have no squad that is elite just a lot of pretty solid components. WEAKNESS: We could say consistency, but a better answer may be that this is a team that is not explosive.  They can grind out wins, but they are not going to overwhelm anyone.  That makes them susceptible to teams that gain momentum or are just hot. PLAYER TO WATCH:  HB Steven Jackson.  Since starting in Week 4, Jackson has struggled.  Marus Lattimore has a better per-carry average than the NFL veteran.  This is not a huge surprise as we often see backs coming to the USFL on tired legs after a full NFL season, but Atlanta simply needs more from the run game, so either Jackson finds a second wind or Atlanta may need to consider putting Lattimore in for more snaps. PREDICTED FINAL RECORD: We like Atlanta’s toughness and they are well-coached, so we give them a shot.  But they would need to possibly go 6-2 to catch Charlotte, and we don’t think that is very viable. We can see perhaps 5-3, which puts them at 9-7 overall and a possible Wild Card. CURRENT RECORD: 3-5 STRENGTH: Other than the obvious answer of DE Calais Campbell, the run game has been a pleasant development this season. Knowshon Moreno is over 600 yards on the year and he is getting decent support from rookie Latavius Murray, whose 4.5 YPC is a nice change of pace for Moreno. WEAKNESS: The WR group is just not that scary.  Yes, they can make first downs, but now, with Greg Olsen out for the year it is going to be a rough run for 2nd year starter Russell Wilson.  He loses his security blanket and must try to find other options. PLAYER TO WATCH: WR DeSean Jackson.  We expect to see Orlando go to more 1-back offense and keep either Barnidge or Schouman in to block at TE, which  makes Jackson the best underneath option.  Jackson can be explosive, so maybe this will work, but he has only 16 catches so far this season, and 5 drops. PREDICTED FINAL RECORD: We think Orlando will be lucky to reach .500.  They just have too many issues, and in this league a weak passing game is one of the worst weaknesses you can have.  We see another 3-5 and a 6-10 final record as pretty reasonable. CURRENT RECORD: 3-5 STRENGTH: The offense is still pretty darned scary, 2nd in yardage and 4th in scoring.  Vincent Jackson is having a big season, Willis McGahee is among the rushing leaders, and Daunte Culpepper is leading the league in TD passes.  This team can be a very tough opponent when they have their mojo intact. WEAKNESS: If the offense is the mojo, the defense is the “oh no”.  Tampa Bay has blown leads in so many games this year that fans are afraid to get excited when they build one.  Now, they have won 3 of their last 5, and the defense did very well against Charlotte in the 2nd half this past week, but no one has confidence in it yet. PLAYER TO WATCH: DE Jason Pierre-Paul.  If Tampa Bay is going to get off the field more often, it will be because JPP is getting to the QB and making him get rid of the ball.  So far only 4 sacks for the LE, but if Tampa Bay can get just a bit more out of him a bad defense can become mediocre, which is all a team with this offense needs for success. PREDICTED FINAL RECORD: We are going to double down on our preseason enthusiasm for the Bandits.  We say they go 6-2 in the second half (with no evidence as to why) and that puts them at 9-7, which may just get them into the postseason. CURRENT RECORD: 2-6 STRENGTH: Um, no state income tax, maybe?  A lot more was expected of this offense, but it is just not happening.  They are 28th in scoring, 28th in total yards, and Tim Tebow is again looking like a potential league leader in only 1 category, interceptions thrown.  None of that is a strength.  We do like the season rookie Barkevious Mingo (6 sacks) is having, so that is a good building block for the future. WEAKNESS: Name a position on the field, perhaps other than RE.  The defense is not good, the offense is horrific.  This feels very much like a team that needs a new direction, which is surprising after a halfway decent 2012. PLAYER TO WATCH: We are struggling to pick one, honestly.  Maybe keep an eye on LE David Bowers.  As more teams shift their blocking towards Mingo, it should give Bowers a chance to match up one on one with the left tackle, and that could be a good situation for him. PREDICTED FINAL RECORD:  We look at the Bulls schedule and we are not sure where they manufacture more than 1-2 wins over the final 2 months.  So, that means 4-12 is what we see as the end result, which is not good news for Leslie Frazier. The Story of the First Half:  Birmingham has been the talk of the Southern Division.  Cam Newton has this team believing they are the best squad in the South and early wins over Nashville, and New Orleans put them in a very good position, even if their lead over the Breakers is only 1 game.  They have a Top 5 defense in total yards and particularly against the run, and the Stallion passing game has been outstanding.  We would love to see more out of Joseph Addai and the run game, but for now, they seem like the class of the division. The Surprise of the First Half: The decline in Peyton Manning’s abilities.  Let’s be honest, even with the neck injury, most of us expected that if Manning was able to play we would be seeing the 3-time NFL MVP and 2-time Super Bowl winner carve up the division and possibly the league.  What we have seen this year, with Manning both healthy and rested is a passing offense that is not horrible, but hardly dynamic.  The Knights have had some good games, particularly in Week 4 against Atlanta and this past weekend at home vs. New Orleans, but it has been inconsistent.  Some bad losses make us question whether the Knights would not be better off retooling around former Mauler Cody Pickett instead of trying to squeeze one more season out of Manning. What We Expect Moving Forward: The Breakers suffered a bad loss in Nashville this week, but prior to that they had run off 3 straight wins.  We think they will make a run at the Stallions, who they face again in Week 11.  If they can get the wins they will be favored to get the next 2 weeks (Orlando and Portland), then that Week 11 matchup at home against Birmingham could be a huge springboard for them. CURRENT RECORD: 5-3 STRENGTH: While we have all been focused on Cam Newton and the 5th ranked passing defense, Birmingham has also put together a pretty solid defense, especially against the run. They are giving up only 77.8 YPG on the ground and that has helped them keep games from getting out of hand. WEAKNESS: The Stallions’ success in the air has hidden to a great degree their issues with rushing the ball. They are averaging only 64.8 yards per game rushing, and Joseph Addai is not looking at all like the player he was in the NFL.  He is averaging a decent 4.1 YPC but has only 63 touches, so maybe it is less a talent issue than a mindset issue. PLAYER TO WATCH: HB Danny Woodhead.  As much as defenses focus on the nasty combo of Moss and Owens (each over 600 yards at the midway point this year), having a back like Woodhead who can be Newton’s safety valve on 3rd down is a precious thing. PREDICTED FINAL RECORD: We like Birmingham’s makeup, how they pass first and ask questions later, and how they limit team’s ability to control the clock with the run. That is a nice combo when put together.  So, for that reason, we are looking at 11-5 and a division title for Birmingham. CURRENT RECORD: 4-4 STRENGTH: The Breakers have won 3 of their last 4 largely on the strength of their top rated passing game. Yup, guess you missed that, but Drew Brees and company are averaging 276 yards per game. Early Doucet is the big target, with 43 catches and 743 yards already, but Brees is spreading the ball around, with LaFell, TE Coby Fleener, and slot receiver Santana Moss all getting their looks as well. WEAKNESS: Despite the strength of the passing game, New Orleans has trouble putting games away.  Maybe it is the lack of a big bruising back, maybe just play calling, but their games tend to be close because they just don’t pull away and break the spirit of the opposition. PLAYER TO WATCH: Third year DE Cameron Jordan is finally beginning to look comfortable on the right side. He is on pace with Ty Warren and that combo has been a tough one for the opposition.  If he can reach 10-12 sacks, New Orleans might have something on defense to crow about. PREDICTED FINAL RECORD: We like the Breakers, but not enough for them to catch Birmingham.  We think 5-3 over the 2nd half, giving them a 9-7 record and a shot at a Wild Card. CURRENT RECORD: 3-5 STRENGTH: The run defense is pretty solid, but that may just be because teams are not scared to pass against them.  The Passing game for Peyton Manning is also pretty good (7th in the league) and yet somehow the Knight just don’t produce consistent scoring chances.  They clearly miss Frank Gore. WEAKNESS: Ray Rice is having a decent year, but he just does not do as much for the Knights as Gore had.  That puts more on the WR group, and they have been somewhat underwhelming this year.  Robert Meachem’s per catch average has dropped below 10 yards and Denarius Moore has been injured, or ineffective in far too many games. PLAYER TO WATCH: The ability of Nashville to compete will likely come down to whether or not they can get more out of Ray Rice.  He has started to play a role in the passing game, and now they need to find ways to get him in space in the run game, rather than asking him to drive the ball into the line on power run plays. PREDICTED FINAL RECORD:  We think 4-4 over the second half would be a good upward direction, but it puts them at 7-9 overall, which will be another season without a playoff run, and that could be enough for the team to say goodbye to the coach with the longest tenure in the league, Jim Johnson. CURRENT RECORD: 2-6 STRENGTH: This week’s 51-point explosion may seem an anomaly to most, but when we look at the numbers, the Eli-led Showboats have been solid on offense, ranked 1st in yards, 2nd in passing yards, and 8th in rushing yards.  They can run the ball, and now, with Greg Jennings having a great 1st game in town, they could be a real offensive threat. WEAKNESS: Which means, of course, that the issue is the defense, and, yes,  it is an issue.  The showboats average 318 yards against each week, and 23.8 points allowed as well.  They are not getting to the QB early and often enough, and they are struggling against teams that can spread the ball out.  If you want to know why the top yardage offense in the league is 2-6, that is your answer. PLAYER TO WATCH: Rookie HB Knile Davis has been explosive, averaging 4.8 YPC and able to break open a play at any time.  He is a bit slight, so don’t expect him to be getting 25 carries a game, but he can be a dangerous weapon. PREDICTED FINAL RECORD:  Memphis is better than a 2-win team, but that defense is holding them back.  We think a 6-10 finish would be a very good sign for this team and perhaps enough to keep Brad Childress in the big chair. The Story of the First Half: As much as we want to point to Chicago’s success, it has to be the 3-5 first half put out by the Skyhawks.  Many went into this season looking at St. Louis as a club that could challenge to repeat for the title, and without any major injuries the Skyhawks have just not been that team. Call it a Championship hangover, or just that everyone is giving St. Louis their best effort, but the Skyhawks have some losses that are just not easy to explain. The Surprise of the First Half: OK, now we can talk about Chicago.  Coach Schiano has this club believing.  Their defense is just crushing it against the run and allowing only 15.6 points per game.  The offense is buzzing and balanced, thanks to Doug Martin and the run game.  They have won 5 in a row, including huge wins over Ohio and St. Louis the past 2 weeks.  They have a 2-game lead over the Glory and are unbeaten in divisional play.  All of that points to the Machine potentially earning themselves a bye week and a nice home schedule in the postseason. What We Expect Moving Forward: The real battle in the division could be for a Wild Card.  Ohio and St. Louis both look like teams capable of doing better, though Ohio’s 3-game losing streak does have us worried that their early success was a mirage.  If either can go 5-3 over the second half, they could just find themselves in the playoff picture, as this looks very much like a season where 9-7 or even 8-8 could do it. CURRENT RECORD: 6-2 STRENGTH: There is a lot we could point to, the 2nd rated rush defense, 3rd rated scoring defense, or the 3rd best run game in the league.  All of those are factors that have moved Chicago from potential Wild Card contender to the frontrunner in the division.  Wins over St. Louis and Ohio the past 2 weeks have propelled the Machine into first place and they look like a team that could stay there. WEAKNESS: Brady Quinn is averaging only 190 yards passing per game.  Part of that is strategic, but it also may point to a team that would have trouble if they ever fell behind by more than a few points.  That is something to watch as they face rematches with both the Glory and the Skyhawks in the season’s final 3 weeks. PLAYER TO WATCH: DE Tamba Hali has found a place in Coach Schiano’s system.  After mediocre seasons in both New Jersey and Chicago (last year), Hali is beginning to find his groove.  He has 6 sacks already this year and could be on pace to set a personal best, just what the Machine were hoping for. PREDICTED FINAL RECORD:  We think the Machine could drop a couple down the stretch, but by then they may have the division to themselves.  We are going to say 11-5 overall and a possible bye. CURRENT RECORD: 4-4 STRENGTH: The Glory hold the top scoring offense in the league, lthanks in large part to the emergence of Chris Weinke as a legitimate option at QB.  Wienke’s passing offense is rated 6th best in the league and that is making space for Isaiah Pead to get some big runs in. WEAKNESS: The defense is ranked 23rd out of 28 teams in points allowed, a big reason the Glory sit at 4-4 instead of 6-2.  In their 3-game losing streak they have given up 32 points to St.  Louis and 31 to Chicago.  Both of those divisional losses hurt doubly. PLAYER TO WATCH: It is still QB Chris Weinke.  While he has not thrown a pick in the last 3 losses, he has also not produced the kind of offense expected of him (Week 8 was really not his fault since he was knocked out of the game early.)  To be successful in the 2nd half, Ohio needs to see the numbers that Weinke put up early in the season. PREDICTED FINAL RECORD:  We still like what we see from Ohio, enough for us to say they go 5-3 in the second half, giving them a 9-7 record and a shot at the postseason. CURRENT RECORD: 3-5 STRENGTH: It is pretty simple for the Skyhawks.  They need to outscore opponents, and by that we mean they need 30+ points a game to win games.  They have the weapons to do it, but nothing has come easy for them this season. WEAKNESS: That defense has been, well, woof.  26.5 yards per game allowed.  316 yards allowed.  It just has not been good at all.  They have a grand total of 3 picks from the entire defense after 8 games, and they are not shutting down the run either.  This is a huge problem for a team with championship repeat aspirations. PLAYER TO WATCH: LB Aldon Smith is the undisputed leader of the D.  He needs to sit down the entire squad and shake them out of their stupor.  Without a more aggressive and more successful defense, St. Louis may not even make the postseason. PREDICTED FINAL RECORD: We still see enough in the Skyhawk offense to worry about this club as a potential blowout winner each week.  We think they can win 5 or 6 games in the 2nd half if they can focus.  If we say 5, they likely miss the playoffs, finishing 8-8. CURRENT RECORD: 2-6 STRENGTH: We are not sure if the Panther pass defense is actually good or if they get a pass because teams are able to run so easily against the D.  We will also acknowledge that the combo of LeVeon Bell and Mike Hart has been far better this year than the Cason-Hart pair was last year, when Michigan finished last in the league in rushing. WEAKNESS: There is some talent on defense, but the two DEs have produced only 4 sacks so far this season.  That is putting a lot of pressure on the DB’s, and, with no run defense to speak of, the safeties and corners are forced to play the run far too often.  That might explain why the Panthers have a grand total of 2 interceptions as a team. PLAYER TO WATCH: DE Michael Bennett was considered a huge signing away from the NFL, but so far in Michigan he has been underwhelming . The Panthers need a lot more from their big acquisition.  2 sacks in 6 games is not what they expected and not what they need. PREDICTED FINAL RECORD:  With Kirk Cousins leading the league in picks and the defense not able to stop opposing backs, this is going to be another long season in Detroit.  We think 4-12 is very likely here. The Story of the First Half: The Arizona defense and just how dominant it has become.  The Wranglers have played 8 games and allowed fewer than 70 points this year. They are unbeaten, and they face only 1 team with a winning record the entire 2nd half, a Week 16 clash with Texas.  Do we think they can run the table?  No, because that is such a big ask.  But can they win the division going away?  Oh yes, we see that as nearly inevitable if this defense keeps playing like this. The Surprise of the First Half: Denver’s early struggles were surprising.  And if we are not going to talk only about Arizona, that is one we can point to. They started off 1-3, but have found their way the past month to even their record at 4-4 by the midway point.  If the current run is more indicative of what Denver can do, well, they may just be back in Wild Card contention.  They have already lost twice to Arizona, which means that they don’t have much of a shot to catch the Wranglers, but they could be a menace to both Texas and Houston and may well be a playoff contender by season’s end. What We Expect Moving Forward: While we all watch to see if anyone can upend the Wranglers, the real fight will be for 2nd place and a possible Wild Card.  Right now Texas has the upper hand at 5-3, but both Denver and Houston are only 1 game back at 4-4.  The games among these three teams will all be vital as we look at the 2nd half.  That means pay close attention to Denver @ Houston in Week 10, Texas @ Denver in Week 11, Houston @ Denver in Week 13, and, Houston hosting Texas in Week 15.  Those 4 games will tell us all we need to know going down the stretch. CURRENT RECORD: 8-0 STRENGTH: The unbeaten Wranglers are the story of the year, and that defense is being compared to the 1985 Bears.  That is some company to keep. They are allowing only 8.6 points per game, and only 260 yards, that’s total yards, per game.  That is scary good. WEAKNESS: Arizona’s passing game, despite the good season from Larry Fitzgerald, is still ranked as the worst in the league.  Now, a big part of that is because they are grinding Frank Gore up the middle and finding success, rushing for 123 yards per game, but you do not want to be one dimensional.  Arizona needs more out of Carr, Fitzgerald, Gronkowski, and Antonio Bryant. PLAYER TO WATCH: We highlighted Bryant in our players to watch, so we are going to stick with him here.  He is slowly taking snaps away from Mike Williams and could be a consistent number 2 opposite Fitzgerald. PREDICTED FINAL RECORD: It is so hard to go unbeaten, and with road games at Tampa, Houston, and Texas still on the schedule, we think Arizona drops 1, but that may be it.  15-1 is still pretty impressive. CURRENT RECORD: 5-3 STRENGTH:  Joe Flacco is back and the passing game is looking very dangerous.  Flacco is over 2,000 yards at the half-way point, with a stellar 15:2 TD:INT ratio.  He is mixing it up too, with 4 different receivers, including HB Arian Foster, over 20 targets so far. WEAKNESS: While Foster has worked his way into the passing game, the run game has not been stellar for the Outlaws.  90.2 yards per game is likely adequate, but not enough to force teams to think run first and free up Flacco even more.  The Outlaws will want to try to get more production from the run game if they hope to disrupt some defenses. PLAYER TO WATCH: Last year’s DPOTY, Reynaldo Wynn has not made headlines this year, and with 7 sacks so far he is a bit off the pace, but he could and should surge in the second half of the year as Texas has some games against shaky lines, like those of Michigan, Orlando, Dallas, and even Houston to a degree. PREDICTED FINAL RECORD:  Were it not for the Wranglers, we think Texas’s path to the playoffs would be assured.  They have a huge matchup in Week 16, but we expect Texas to be locked into a Wild Card by that point . We place them at 11-5 after 16 games. CURRENT RECORD: 4-4 STRENGTH: The Gamblers are balanced across all 4 major stats (rushing, passing ,and the defense for both), which can mean that they can beat you in a variety of ways, or that they are pretty good at several things but not outstanding at any.  That is not unusual for a team sitting at .500 WEAKNESS: The big Achilles heel for the Gamblers has been their pass defense, which is giving up 275 yards per game. In the USFL a weak pass defense often means big trouble.  They also have shown an offense that is spotty, scoring 17 or fewer points in all 4 losses and 28 or more points in their 4 wins.  If they could score 24+ consistently, they would be 6-2 and not 4-4. PLAYER TO WATCH:  HB Michael Turner has looked good when he is in the lineup, but he has already missed 4 of 8 games and he does not seem fully healthy, though his 109  yards in Week 7 was a nice perk for the Houston offense. If he can stay healthy, Houston’s offense could be what they need it to be. PREDICTED FINAL RECORD: We are going to say that Houston gets a healthier Turner and that helps them to 1 more win than in the first half, so that means 9-7 overall, which puts them in the Wild Card race. CURRENT RECORD: 4-4 STRENGTH: The Gold have a solid D, the best in the league against the pass (only 172 yards per game), and they can run the ball when they focus on it, but it seems like too often they give up on the run too early.  This is a team that wants to keep games close and grind them out in the end, and they have the roster to do just that. WEAKNESS: Explosiveness is what is lacking in Denver.  Neither Peerless Price nor Golden Tate are going to turn an 8-yard out into a 50 yard TD.  LeMichael James and DeMarco Murray are not exactly turning 3-yard runs into 30 yarders either, with both averaging less than 3.5 yards per carry.  Denver needs to find themselves a gamebreaker if they want to truly compete in this division. PLAYER TO WATCH: DT Ndamukong Suh has started to look like a strong interior pass rusher, not just a run disruptor.  He is tied with Bryce Fisher with 4 sacks on the season, which is not a lot overall, but for a true nose tackle is pretty impressive.  Now if Denver could get a true edge rusher next to Suh, they would be on to something. PREDICTED FINAL RECORD:  When we look at Denver and Houston, we see Houston as the better team overall.  We think that comes out in the 2nd half of the season, so we pick Denver to finish 7-9 overall, which may just be the mark that costs Dick Jauron his tenure with the club. CURRENT RECORD: 2-6 STRENGTH: After a surprising 2-0 start, Dallas has lost 6 in a row.  Still they do have some bright spots to build on.  HB Rashard Mendenhall continues to be a solid option with over 640 yards after 8 games.  The defense, though ranked 27th in yards allowed, does have a rising star in DT Star Lotuleilei, who leads the team with 49 tackles, a rarity for an interior lineman. WEAKNESS: Other than Mendenhall and Lotulelilei the Roughnecks roster is still very much in flux and very much undermanned.  Perhaps the biggest issue remains the QB position, where Coach Sherman is going to experiment with rookie Landry Jones from Oklahoma. Jake Locker’s numbers were not horrible (9 TDs, 6 picks, 223 YPG), but he was just not putting the Roughnecks into scoring position consistently. PLAYER TO WATCH: QB Landry Jones.  This is his team to lose.  With one start under his belt he has a lot of growing left to do, but if he can find some success, he could find himself locked in as the starter in 2014. PREDICTED FINAL RECORD:  We don’t think the Roughnecks go 0-8 in the second half of the season, though they likely will be the underdog in all 8 games.  With 2 games against Arizona, plus matches at Chicago and LA, and home against Philadelphia, Texas and Houston, a 2-14 finish is not out of the question.  We will give them 1 upset to finish 3-13. The Story of the First Half:  The upsets.  Seattle knocking off Las Vegas, LA edging Oakland, and Oakland manhandling Las Vegas.  Each was a big upset, and each has kept this division interesting.  We still see Las Vegas and Oakland atop the standings, as we predicted preseason, but there is enough firepower among the other three teams in the division to cause some issues as the season progresses. The Surprise of the First Half: Honestly, the ability of the Las Vegas Thunder players to stay focused with all that is happening around them.  Their primary owner is likely headed to prison.  The team is being run by the league and a sale could be eminent.  The team could even potentially relocate.  Honestly, there is no security or consistency at all in the team’s standing, and yet these players are putting it out there every week on the field and have a real shot at a division title and possibly a bye week as a top seed.   That is impressive. What We Expect Moving Forward: It may all come down to Week 15 when the Thunder host the Invaders.  Yes, we could see both stumble a bit before then, but we think this division will end up as 2 teams battling for 1st place, and that game will be the game to determine who gets the division and who may be traveling on the road in the Wild Card round. CURRENT RECORD: 6-2 STRENGTH: Apparently focus is the key to this club.  Despite all that is happening around them, the Thunder are playing very focused and efficient football. The Defense is Top 10 across the board and the offense is now 8th in scoring, their highest mark in a very long time.  They have lost 2 divisional games, which is troubling, but they have scored 30+ their last two games, with Lynch back in the fold, so watch out in the 2nd half. WEAKNESS: The run game was one of the league’s worst with Lynch out.  Let’s assume that is going to improve with him back, so then what is the weakness?  How about something pretty minor, third options.  We love the duo of Chad Johnson and T. J. Houshmandzadeh, but Las Vegas could really use a great 3rd option for Plummer.  He likes Kevin Everett at TE, but Everett is not a major weapon.  Willie Ponder and Marty Booker have also not shown much in the slot. PLAYER TO WATCH: HB Marshawn Lynch.  He is back from injury and his return could make the Thunder offense one of the toughest to plan for.  Plummer has weapons, but the passing game is just that much better when Lynch is intimidating tacklers and forcing safeties to play close to the line. PREDICTED FINAL RECORD: We like Las Vegas to match their 1st half success, so that puts them at 12-4 and likely gets them the number 2 seed in the West. CURRENT RECORD: 5-3 STRENGTH: The Invaders pair the league’s 4th best scoring defense (15.9 PPGA) with an offense that may not blow you out, but will control the ball and put more than enough points on the board each week to earn wins.  Ryan Williams is having a strong season with over 600 yards already and Joey Harringon, while not as dynamic as he once was, is adapting well to having rookie Keenan Allen as his top target. WEAKNESS: Consistency on offense has been the biggest issue.  When Oakland loses it is because they cannot get into rhythm and they fall behind, which makes play action less viable.  They need to play with a lead to be most effective. PLAYER TO WATCH: Rookie WR Keenan Allen is a frontrunner for ROTY after catching 38 of 59 targets for 488 yards in the season’s first half.  Coach Green so liked the combo of Allen and Garçon that he felt OK trading away veteran Greg Jennings and putting the rookie into the number one slot after only 8 games in the league. PREDICTED FINAL RECORD: We like the look of Oakland’s 2nd half, with 5 games against teams at or below .500 and a huge Week 15 matchup at Las Vegas.  We think they win 5 of the 8 games, which puts them at 10-6 and a likely Wild Card. CURRENT RECORD: 3-5 STRENGTH: This is tough because LA ranks between 16th-28th in every measurable stat.  in their 3-game win streak, they showed both defensive fortitude and an ability to score, but that streak was surrounded by 5 losses where both squads struggled. WEAKNESS: Overall we think the biggest issue is the inability of the offense to consistently build drives.  They get the occasional good outing or big play, but they just don’t put together 10-15 play drives and force teams to adjust on defense. PLAYER TO WATCH:  Former NFL and USC Halfback Reggie Bush has yet to top 85 yards in any game.  We know it can be tough to play a full NFL season and then add on the USFL games, but the Express need Bush to be the dynamic double threat that he was at USC if they are going to build an offense around him. PREDICTED FINAL RECORD:  We think LA still has a way  to go to build a winner.  We are going to put them at 5-11 on the year because there is no unit we fully trust. CURRENT RECORD: 3-5 STRENGTH: Cadillac Williams has given Seattle a solid option at HB, something they have lacked since the retirement of Corey Dillon.  His 600 yards is a great start for an offense that has struggled, and is likely to struggle now that Byron Leftwich is ruled out for the rest of the season. WEAKNESS: Pretty  much everything else.  The defense gives up way too many yards (321 per game) and third down conversions.  The offense only scores 15 points per game, and seems to lack a true identity, a situation not helped at all by the QB shift.  Basically, we think the rebuild is only starting. PLAYER TO WATCH: It has to be QB Matt Flynn, whose 2 games so far have been nothing to write home about. If Seattle has any hope of reaching .500 this year it will because Flynn steps up.  Right now that looks like a longshot. PREDICTED FINAL RECORD:  We are going to keep Seattle matched up with LA in the division, so 5-10 for them as well. CURRENT RECORD: 2-6 STRENGTH: Well, we can look at this week’s win over Texas, a pretty hefty upset, as a sign that the Stags are still playing hard for Coach Mornhinweg.  That is something, not enough, but something. WEAKNESS: The roster.  Look, we could candy coat it, but that is the issue. This is not a roster that can win 10 games, maybe not even 8.  The receivers are not dynamic enough, the defense is too slow and the passing game still does not trust Fitzpatrick as their QB.  He has moments, but not enough quality play game in and game out. PLAYER TO WATCH: HB Javon Ringer came over from Denver to help relieve Jonathan Stewart, but has only gotten 23 attempts this year.  He is the only Portland back with a 4.0 YPC average, so we think that Coach Mornhinweg needs to give him more touches to see if he can be a viable number 2. PREDICTED FINAL RECORD: Were it not for the fact that we are also unimpressed by Seattle and LA, we might pick Portland to go 0-8 down the stretch. But, they have Seattle this week, then potential winnable games against LA, Michigan, and maybe even Ohio.  We think 4-12 is possible. REEVALUATING OUR PICKS FOR THE USFL AWARDS We have reevaluated the six divisions and all 28 clubs, so now we have one task left to accomplish, to reassess our picks for the five major league awards. Once again, our preseason picks were a bit off the mark, but that is why they play the games.  Here is our revised look at all five awards and where we see the race at the midway point. MVP We saw it as a battle between two of the league’s best QB’s, and it made sense at the time that this would be between St. Louis’s Josh Freeman and Texas’s Joe Flacco.  At the midway point, Flacco is still very much a possibility, but now he joins a crowded field that also include Las Vegas veteran QB Jake Plummer and the breakout player of the season, Birmingham’s Cam Newton.  The voters love a new face, so if his second half can look like his first, we think it will go to Newton rather than a veteran like Flacco or Plummer. OPOTY We said Deuce McCallister was the frontrunner, and we think he is certainly still in the mix.  The surprise for us is Ohio’s Steve Smith, who certainly has had good years in the past but seems to be taking on a much bigger leadership role.  He is very dependent on Chris Weinke, which does have us a bit nervous about his odds.  Right now, we would have to say that McCallister, or Arizona’s Frank Gore, have the two inside tracks. DPOTY Last year it went to Reynaldo Wynn, as a bit of a knock on picking Campbell, who plays on a losing team.  So, what happens this year if Wynn’s numbers are down and Campbell’s team is sub-500 again?   One possible avenue is to look over the Arizona lineup and pick the most deserving member of what has been true team defense this year.  That very likely would be team captain Karlos Dansby, but could also be safety Troy Polamalu.  Another option would be to look at someone like Philadelphia’s Anthony Hargrove or Washington’s Chris Long, a new face in the sack leaderboard, even if they finish behind Campbell in total sacks. ROTY Our original pool included LeVeon Bell, Eddie Lacy and Keenan Allen.  Lacy and Bell have been good, but not jaw-dropping.  Allen may be in the lead from that trio, but watch out as well for a dark horse like Star Lotuleilei, despite playing on a 2-win Dallas team.  Barkevious Mingo in Jacksonville is another very good player on a pretty bad team.  But, if wins matter, it may be Keenan Allen who is in the best position to take this award. COTY How can it not bee Jim Tomsula?  Sure, we love what is happening in places like Birmingham and Chicago, but what Tomsula has done with this Wrangler team is just astounding. They may well have an all-time defense and they will make a major run at an unbeaten season.  That is certainly a huge surprise for a club that went 6-10 last year and gave up nearly 27 points per game, 19 more on average than this season. If we consider a good week on the injury front to be one where no new players are added to the IR, then we have to say that Week 8 was a good week.  We are still not sure if Vince Young will be placed on the reserve, testing is still underway to determine the extent of his injury, but it does not appear that any of our other players are headed to IR.   That is not to say that they won’t be missed over the next week or few weeks.  Certainly the loss of Peyton Manning is going to impact the Nashville Knights, as will Jordi Nelson’s 2-4 week absence.  But, if IR is what we want to avoid, well, Week 8 has apparently done that. OUT QB         Vince Young                      OHI       Groin                    6-8 Weeks WR         Jordi Nelson                      STL         Neck                     2-4 Weeks LB           Carl Ihenacho                  SEA        Leg                        2-4 Weeks CB          Marlin Jackson                 CHI        ACL                       1-2 Weeks CB          Ricky Manning                 ATL         Nerve                   1-2 Weeks QB         Peyton Manning              NSH      Ankle                    1-2 Weeks DOUBTFUL WR         Antonio Bryant                 ARZ                       Shoulder WR         Kevin Johnson                  PIT                         Foot G            Damien Woody                JAX                         Hamstring WR         Sam Hurd                           HOU                     Knee QUESTIONABLE LB           Joe Odom                        OAK                      Hip LB           Chad Greenway              TEX                        Concussion LB           Buster Davis                     PIT                         Personal QB         Ingle Martin                       LV                           Back Protect v. Pamper: The QB Safety Conundrum In a season that has seen the USFL lose the services of Sam Bradford, Byron Leftwich, Jake Delhomme, and David Garrard, it is natural to ask if anything could be done to ensure that fewer teams see season-ending injuries to their leaders and often the most important person on their roster. At the same time, there are many who complain that the USFL, like the NFL, have done too much to protect their start QB’s, often at the expense of defensive football.  The push for more offense, and for everything from more protective “in the grasp” and more liberal “intentional grounding” options, has certainly had its share of detractors, those who feel as if QB’s are being overly-pampered, protected to the point that playing defense is near impossible and that the two leagues are over-legislating a game that is inherently violent and where injuries are to be expected. The balance between protecting the player most fans want to see, and the player who is often the key to success and retaining the hard-hitting, high risk nature of the game itself is a very tricky one.  On the one hand very few fans want to sit through game after game of rotating backup QBs who cannot sustain drives or put points on the board, and yet, at the same time, no one wants to see two-hand-touch any time a DE or LB gets within 3 yards of a QB.  So what can you do? Technology can help to a degree.  Better pad structures, items like rib vests, neck rolls, and knee braces can help avoid a good number of injuries.  Concussion protocols can also keep a player from suffering one brain injury on top of another, but no padding or high-tech design for uniforms is going to eliminate all the hits in the game, not to mention non-contact injuries such as hamstring, calf, ankle, or even ligament injuries caused simply by running, turning, stopping and starting.  Those are just not avoidable. So, what is the USFL (and the NFL as well) to do about their highly marketable, highly paid QBs and how to protect them.  While we at This is the USFL agree that rules against body-slamming a QB, or crashing your entire 300 lb body on top of him are good additions to the rule book, we worry that calls of Roughing the Passer are already too frequent and too often based on actions a defender could not prevent, like being blocked into a QB or having the QB duck their head so that it connects with the defender instead of it being a hit to the chest. One possibility is to further amend the “Intentional Grounding” rule, allowing QB’s to dispatch the ball as a defense mechanism.  After all, by its very nature, IG is a loss of down, which for many drives is already a bad outcome.  Does there need to be a penalty thrown as well?  What if it was just the loss of down, or perhaps placing the ball at the spot where the QB threw the grounding ball.  Giving QB’s the chance to ditch the ball without taking a huge hit seems a better one than forcing him to hold it and take the hit. Other options which have been floated in recent years seem to go to far.  Suggestions that the league limit blitzers to allow only a total of 5 rushers on any play, or that offenses be required to keep 6 players in to block, with either a back or a TE required to not join the passing routes on a play seem too artificial and too detrimental to the innovation that the game needs.  We don’t want to see defensive coordinators forced to stick to dense zones with almost no chance of a successful pass rush, and we don’t want to take the talents of the halfback or tight end out of the passing game so they can attempt to block a blitzing LB or free DE. As we look at the injuries to USFL QB’s over the past few years, including not only this year’s 4 big losses, but also last year’s injuries to Kurt Warner and Joe Flacco, we understand the desire of the league and its teams to keep their stars healthy, but there has to be a way to do this that does not turn the USFL into the Big 12, where no one seems to play defense at all and scores are in the 50’s regularly not because of impressive offense, but pathetic defense.   What the USFL needs is a way to balance protection for their stars with respect for the nature of the game. Philadelphia Extends Harbaugh for 3 More Years Turning to coaching news, the Philadelphia Stars, who sit atop the NE Division at 7-1, have rewarded head coach Jim Harbaugh with a 3 year extension onto his contract, locking him up through the 2017 season.  Harbaugh, who has led Philadelphia to six consecutive playoff appearances, the past two NE Division Titles and a Summer Bowl appearance in 2010, once again has Philadelphia looking very much like a Summer Bowl contender.  The transition from Kurt Warner as starter to last year’s hero, Matt Gutierrez has been relatively smooth, even though Gutierrez is not putting up MVP numbers as he did in relief last season.  The defense remains one of the league’s best, and Harbaugh continues to make good decisions both on the field and in the draft, having pushed for the signing of TE Travis Kelce, who is turning out to be an excellent selection. Compared with other longstanding coaches such as Dick Jauron, Jim Johnson, and Dick LeBeau, all of whom appear to be on the hot seat right now, Harbaugh is looking very much like a coach who is in for the long haul and a long run of success with his Stars franchise.  Adding 3 more years and another $15M to Harbaugh’s contract seems to be pretty good insurance that the Stars have their coach in place for the foreseeable future. Will John Join Jim in USFL? So, with Jim Harbaugh faring so well with the Stars, the question arises as to the future for his brother John.  The current coach of the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens has had some good years since taking over the team in 2008, but a 4-12 season in 2012 has John potentially on the outs with the Ravens.  Could we soon see him in Philadelphia along with his brother?  Or would another club in the league take a chance on the former Special Teams and Defensive Coordinator?  If his brother Jim has anything to say about it, he will get a shot.  Jim was recently asked about his brother’s status in Baltimore, and Jim was not shy about saying that it would be a mistake for the NFL Ravens to let his brother go, but that if they did, he would, as he said, “be overjoyed to face off against him every year in the USFL”. It would certainly add a new dimension to some of Philadelphia’s rivalries.  Of course, it does not look like Washington or New Jersey are looking to change things up and Baltimore just signed Jim Caldwell to a 3-year deal, so the only divisional team that might even be considering a shift is in Pittsburgh, where Ron Rivera has also taken some flack in recent years.  For now, Rivera seems pretty secure in the Steel City, and who knows, perhaps the NFL Ravens will see value in retaining their Harbaugh rather than letting the USFL corner the market on Harbaughs. St. Louis Announces 2014 Uniform & Logo Changes Following a “Pick the Helmet” contest that ran over 6 weeks of the USFL season, the Skyhawks this week introduced not only the vote winner, but a full uniform redesign.  The team will retain its primary logo, the hawk’s head emerging from the Gateway Arch with 3 jets flying through it.  The team has added, however, a new secondary logo, one in which a pair of wings surround an upright sword.  This new “crest” will tie in with the new helmet, selected by the fans. That is right, the fan vote skewed heavily towards removing the Skyhawk primary from the helmet and going instead with two wrap-around wings.  The new helmet will retain its Clear Sky Blue shell and navy facemask, but will now feature two stylized hawk wings emerging from the facemask and covering both sides of the helmet.  Between the two wings is a curved silver stripe, outlined in white and navy, which forms an arc similar to that of the famous landmark of the city, the Gateway Arch. The Uniforms also update the team’s look along similar lines, with both the white and Clear Sky jerseys now having colored sleeves and a shoulder stripe.  The Clear Sky jersey will have navy sleeves and a silver shoulder stripe, while the white jerseys sport a Clear Sky Blue sleeve, and a navy blue shoulder stripe.  Both uniforms also have team logos on the sleeves, with the hawk primary appearing on the home jersey and the triangular secondary appearing on the white jersey.   The pants move to a wide primary stripe, outlined in two colors, such as silver outlined in white and navy on the Clear Sky pant set, or a Clear Sky stripe with white and navy on the silver pant set.  A new navy blue set is also featured in the team’s new look. With 8 weeks left to the season, the 3-5 Skyhawks are hoping to see significantly more success in the second half of the season. Were they to qualify for the playoffs, the new uniform set would be available to them as they gear up for the postseason.  If they do not qualify for the postseason, then these new looks would debut next February during the preseason games prior to the 2014 season. Friday @ 8pm          Nashville (3-5) @ Oakland (5-3)                            NBC Saturday @ 12pm   Arizona (8-0) @ Tampa Bay (3-5)                            ABC Saturday @ 12pm    Jacksonville (2-6) @ Charlotte (5-3)                    FOX Saturday @ 4pm    Washington (7-1) @ Ohio (4-4)                               ABC Saturday @ 4pm     Las Vegas (6-2) @ Los Angeles (3-5)                    FOX Saturday @ 7pm       Chicago (6-2) @ Baltimore (3-5)                            NBC Saturday @ 9pm      Dallas (2-6) @ Houston (4-4)                                   ESPN/EFN Sunday @ 12pm     Memphis (2-6) @ Philadelphia (7-1)                       ABC Sunday @ 12pm    New Orleans (4-4) @ Orlando (3-5)                        ABC Sunday @ 12pm     New Jersey (4-4) @ Birmingham (5-3)                FOX Sunday @ 4pm        Portland (2-6) @ Seattle (3-5)                                 ABC Sunday @ 4pm       Atlanta (4-4) @ Denver (4-4)                                      FOX Sunday @ 4pm       Michigan (2-6) @ Texas (5-3)                                     FOX Sunday @ 8pm        St. Louis (3-5) @ Pittsburgh (3-5)                          ESPN/EFN

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: WR Greg Jennings made about as good a first impression as you can make with a new team, catching 6 passes from Eli Manning and putting 2 scores on the board as the Showboats got a stunning win, only their 2nd of the season.

Philadelphia loses a heartbreaker to a backup QB.  Arizona cruises to 6-0.  Another QB sent to IR has the league worried.  And, oh yes, one of the best games of the year as Baltimore discovers their offense.  All this plus a fine week for offensive football and the run game in particular.  Week seven has a lot to talk about as teams try to position themselves for the season’s second half.  All this, plus a potential big move on the Las Vegas Thunder ownership front as a new bid makes a splash with a big offer.  Stay right here for all the USFL news as we recap Week 7 and get you up to date on all the league happenings. WASHINGTON FEDERALS 43   BALTIMORE BLITZ 37   OVERTIME The Blitz did everything they could to take this game, scoring 17 points in the 4th quarter to come back from a 34-21 deficit and take the lead with 1:26 left, but it still was not enough as Washington rallied for a game-tying field goal and then added the heartbreaking touchdown in overtime to move to 6-1, but what a game we got along the way.  The Blitz came into this game with real questions about their offense, the Feds with Joe Webb starting his second game since losing David Garrard in Week 5.  What we got as a result was a gem of a game with two longstanding rivals who left everything on the field. The game started off looking very much like a battle of a 5-1 team and a 2-4 squad, with the better record belonging to the visiting Federals and Washington taking control early. Washington scored on their first two drives, a quick Shayne Graham field goal followed by a long drive that led to Deuce McCallister scoring from the 6 to give the Feds a 10-0 lead.   But Baltimore got a huge play from Ron Dayne as time waned in the 1st quarter to get back in the game.  Dayne broke 3 tackles on his way to a 49-yard romp to the endzone to put Baltimore on the board. The second quarter was much the same, with Washington again adding 10 points, again from Graham and then from Deuce McCallister.  The big back for the Feds would finish the game with 109 yards on 22 carries, and with two first half touchdowns as Washington again pulled out ahead, now leading 20-7. But, once again in the final minutes of the quarter, Baltimore battled back.  This time it was an 11-play drive led by Ben Roethlisberger, who connected with Donte Do for a 56 yard bomb before hitting TE Antonio Gates for the score 2 plays later.  Baltimore had the game in range at the half and they had found some offense as well.  Big Ben would finish the game with an even 400 yards passing, but his day was just beginning as the second half began. Washington’s Joe Webb would also have a productive day, throwing for 314 yards on 28 of 42 passing, and out of the gate in the second half he again stretched the Federals’ lead, connecting with Kellen Davis for the Feds’ third TD of the day, pushing the lead to 27-14.  Baltimore responded with another long drive, this time connecting with Jacob Tamme, Darius Heyward-Bey and Gates again to get the ball to the 3, and from there Dayne would score his second TD of the day. Baltimore was again within 1 score, but again Washington would find a big play on offense, this time with Webb connecting with Bryant Johnson for a 43-yard play that put the ball on the 20.  Two plays later, backup HB David Wilson scampered into the endzone, giving Washington a 34-21 lead at the end of three.  Every time Baltimore closed the gap, Washington would stretch it out again.  But that would not be the story of the 4th quarter. In the final period, Baltimore racked up 17 consecutive points, shocking Washington with quick strikes and forcing a takeaway as they punched the ball out of the hands of TE Heath Miller to get a short field.  After scoring on a 9-play drive, with Donte Do catching a 9-yard TD toss from Big Ben, the Feds took the field, but on the first play from scrimmage, Miller caught a short pass and was immediately hit by Baltimore safety Adam Archuleta.  The ball popped out of his hands and was recovered by the Blitz on the Washington 10.  Baltimore advanced the ball to the 2, but failed on a 3rd and goal throw.  Rather than risk it on 4th down, Coach Caldwell brought in the kicking team for an easy 19-yarder, pulling the score to only 3 at 34-31 Washington. The Feds could do nothing on their next drive as the Blitz defense, spurred on by the crowd at M&T Bank Park, stifled the Federal offense and got the ball back in the hands of the offense with 4:22 left to play.  Big Ben took it from there, connecting with 4 different receivers, including TE Jacob Tamme, who brought in the 10-yard TD toss with 1:21 left to play that brought Baltimore its first lead of the game, 37-34.  But the luck for the Blitz ran out with that drive.  Nick Folk clanked the PAT off the right upright, meaning Baltimore had only a 3-point lead, not the 4-points that would have forced Washington to go for a touchdown in the final minute. Needing only a field goal to tie the game and send it to overtime, Washington was methodical in moving the ball down the field.  Runs by Jahvid Best and McCallister were paired with short passes to Darnerien McCants and TE Kellen Davis, and with 16 seconds left on the clock, Shayne Graham did what he was called on to do andtied the game up with a 34-yard field goal, sending the game to overtime. In overtime, Washington got the ball first, and they would never give Baltimore a chance to steal the win away. They drove 77  yards in 13 plays, again dinking and dunking their way down the field, using the run to keep the defense honest and hitting receivers over the middle against the Baltimore zones. On a 2nd and 7 from the 12-yard line, they went for the win, using the threat of Deuce McCallister to pull in the safeties with their 2-TE formation.  Webb kept the ball and found Kellen Davis in single coverage over the middle.  He crossed the endline and gave the victory to the visiting Federals, ending one of the best games of the season and one of the best in the long history of the Federals-Blitz rivalry. LOS ANGELES 12   LAS VEGAS 31 Jake Plummer and his starting receivers were all back in form and it showed as they simply overwhelmed LA’s defense.  Plummer connected for TDs to both Johnson and Houshmandzadeh on the way to a 19-point victory as LA simply had no answers.  The Thunder scored first and never gave up the lead.  Midway through the third, with LA having no luck against the Vegas defense, Coach Reid sent Mark Sanchez to the bench and brought in Brody Croyle, but that also failed to produce results as Las Vegas dominated from kickoff to final whistle. CHARLOTTE 32   BIRMINGHAM 20 The Monarch defense was ready for Cam Newton and the Stallions, as they raced to a 26-3 lead on TDs from Fred Jackson (2) and D. J. Hackett.  They then picked off Newton three times in the second half to preserve the win despite two Terrell Owens TDs.  Brandon Wheedon looked good once again, going 17 of 23 for 198 and throwing for a score. OHIO 14   NEW JERSEY 21 Charlie Whitehurst’s first start as a General was not perfect (2 picks) but he did enough to get the W, with a lot of help from Maurice Jones-Drew, who rushed for 107 and scored all 3 New Jersey TDs.  Ohio struggled to run the ball against the Generals, who held Isaiah Pead to only 33 yards on the day, and a late TD was called back on a holding call, disallowing the potential game-tying play as New Jersey steps up to 4-3 after 7 weeks. PHILADELPHIA 19   NEW ORLEANS 24 A huge win for the Breakers and for backup Kyle Boller, who stepped in for a concussed Drew Brees and went 23 of 31 for 257 with two scores, including the game winner with only 4 seconds left to play.  Trailing 19-17, Boller found Santana Moss on a miraculous Hail Mary to give New Orleans the surprise win against the formerly unbeaten Stars.  Matt Forte topped all rushers with 106 yards and a TD, but it was Boller to Moss for the play of the week as New Orleans knocks Philly form the unbeaten ranks. ORLANDO 10   HOUSTON 28 Russell Wilson was sacked 5 times by the Gamblers and Michael Turner returned to action this week with 109 yards to help spark Houston to victory.  Matt Hasselbeck also had a strong game, completing 17 of 24 passes and tossing 3 touchdowns, including 2 to Michael Sims-Walker, who stepped in for the injured Roy Williams. The win puts Houston above .500 with a huge game at Arizona next week. ARIZONA 21   DENVER 10 The Wranglers now stand alone as the only unbeaten team left after a nice rivalry win in Denver.  Matt Leinart was knocked out of the game after throwing 2 picks in the first half, and Dan LeFevour could do little to muster the Gold against that nasty Wrangler defense.  David Carr suffered 7 sacks but held it together to throw 2 TDs, including a beauty of a seam route to TE Rob Gronkowski as the Wranglers move to 7-0 on the season. TEXAS 22  JACKSONVILLE 17 The Bulls did not make it easy, but in the end the Outlaws survived thanks to a 4th quarter Flacco to Colston TD pass for the win. Colston finished the game with 124 yards receiving and 2 Texas touchdowns, while CB Michael Boulware scored the third on a 72-yard pick six as the Outlaws moved to 5-2 on the season. PITTSBURGH 42   MEMPHIS 30 A surprisingly high scoring affair between the Showboats and Maulers as the two teams combined for nearly 1,000 yards of offense.  Memphis racked up 526 yards, including 382 through the air as Eli Manning went 24 of 38. HB Knile Davis rushed for 127 as he proved a tough back to bring down.  But it was not enough as both Kenny Watson and Ronnie Brown topped 100 yards rushing on the day, each averaging an equal 8.3 yards per carry against a Memphis D that had no answers at all for the Mauler run game. TAMPA BAY 25   ATLANTA 29 With 3:09 left, the Bandits thought they had pulled this on out with a Nate Kaeding field goal, but Atlanta had one drive left in them and with 47 seconds still left on the clock Kyle Orton found TE Matt Schobel for the go ahead TD to give Atlanta their 3rd win of the season.  It was Orton’s 3rd TD of the day, equaling Culpepper’s total and giving the Fire a divisional win. SEATTLE 9   OAKLAND 38 The Invaders roll at home, thanks to 116 yards from Keenan Allen and another 93 with 2 TDs from Pierre Garçon as Oakland just demolishes the Seattle secondary.  It was a bad day all around for Seattle, who saw Byron Leftwich go down to injury early in the 4th quarter, an injury that will cost him the rest of the season. PORTLAND 24   NASHVILLE 28 The Stags got 3 TDs from Ryan Fitzpatrick, but a costly interception late in the game gave Nashville the chance to steal the win and when Peyton Manning hit Denarius Moore for the game winner, the Stags had no response.  Manning finished with 250 yards and 3 scores as the Knights win their 2nd game of the year, and push Portland to a miserable 1-6 record. DALLAS 14   MICHIGAN 23 The Roughnecks drop their 5th in a row, prompting a QB change for Week 8. Michigan got a pick-six and three Matt Prater field goals to break a 7-7 tie and take the win.  In a game where neither team could convert on third down (3 for 28 combined), Michigan just made fewer mistakes and was able to pull out an ugly win. CHICAGO 23   ST. LOUIS 7 The Chicago D had an answer for everything St. Louis threw at them, limiting Eddie Lacy to 88 yards rushing and sacking Josh Freeman 4 times. Meanwhile Doug Martin’s 92 yards and 2 Brady Quinn TDs proved to be enough as the Machine took over first place in the Central with the win. Former NFL receiver Emmanuel Sanders had only 3 receptions but two were for scores as he helped Chicago get the big divisional win. Byron Leftwich The Latest QB Injury This is getting to the point where the league may have to investigate what, if anything, can be done to protect quarterbacks. Byron Leftwich became the 4th starter in 7 weeks to go down for the year with a significant injury.  Seattle was already down big to the Invaders (28-6 in the third) when Leftwich scrambled to avoid the rush, only to take a nasty hit and hard tackle at the line of scrimmage.  When he did not immediately get up, the Oakland crowd knew something was wrong.  The trainers from Seattle came out, followed by the Oakland team, and both would end up helping to put Leftwich in the cart to be wheeled of the field.  He would be taken to a local hospital where it was confirmed that he had suffered both a dislocated hip (a very painful injury) and a chipped pelvic bone. The combination of the two would require isolation and traction to allow the hip joint to reform around the femur, a diagnosis that meant no less than 3 months without taking the field. In other words, Leftwich was done for the year. Mike Flynn wrapped up the game for the Dragons, and now looks to be the starter for the rest of the year.   Seattle had brought Flynn in from Baltimore as a free agent backup, but  now he appears to be the man they will have to rely on if the 3-4 club hopes to compete in the Pacific conference.  He will be backed up by longstanding Dragon reservist Alex Brink, and by former CFL and Portland QB Dennis Dixon, signed on Wednesday. Leftwich represents the 4th established starter to go down this year, following Sam Bradford (NJ-Week 2), David Garrard (Week 5), and Jake Delhomme (CHA-Last Week).  At this pace, half the league could be playing with backups by season’s end. Of course, each injury is unique, with Leftwich’s hip very different from Delhomme’s torn ACL, Garrard’s skull fracture, or Bradford’s bicep muscle detachment, but what is the common factor is that we now have 4 contending teams all working with backups at the most important position on the field. Kyle Williams to IR for the Thunder Las Vegas also suffered a big blow due to injury this week as star D-tackle Kyle Williams went down with a season-ending injury.  Williams, like QB Sam Bradford before him, was diagnosed with a fully separated bicep muscle.  The timing however, with only 11 weeks left in the season, meant that even with a fast recovery, Williams would be out until at least the Divisional playoff round.  Unlike the Generals, who kept Bradford on the active roster, Las Vegas opted, due to the timing of the injury, to place Williams on IR and promote Trevor Laws up from the practice squad.  Terrance Knighton and Ellis Johnson will likely share the spot opposite Haloti Ngata in Las Vegas’s 4-3 alignement, with Laws limited to respite snaps only. The loss of Williams is a big one for the Thunder defense, as not only was the big man responsible for 11 tackles, but was a team captain and rallying point for the defense. In his absence, more responsibility will be put on Ngata and on LB Joey Porter to help lead the defensive squad. Bradford On Pace for Playoff Return Let’s finish our quick injury assessment with some good news for a change.  All indications are that Sam Bradford’s recovery from a separated bicep is on pace for a possible return this season.  The Generals have placed a possible return as early as Week 15 on the table, meaning that if they can qualify for the playoffs, the Generals could have their All-USFL starting QB back in time for the season finale and all playoff games. Of course, for this to matter, the club has to be in position to qualify for the postseason.  They currently sit at 4-3 after earning a tough win over the Ohio Glory this week, the first with former Monarch and NFL QB Charlie Whitehurst at the helm.  Th club had been erratic with Bryan Hoyer starting, losing 3 and winning one, as Hoyer struggled to a 60.2 QB Rating. In his first game as the Generals’ starter, Whitehurst went 24 of 40 for 233 yards, but threw two picks.  That gave him only a 54.5 rating, but thanks in large part to Maurice Jones-Drew’s 3 TDs, the Generals pulled the game out.  Whitehurst will need to do more to hold the job, and the Generals will have to play complementary ball the rest of the season if they hope to make Sam Bradford’s anticipated return a meaningful one. USFL Backs Run to Daylight in Week 7 It was a big week for the tailbacks across the USFL this week, with 100-yard days all over the map.  In a league known for passing, sometimes the backs just take over, and that certainly seemed to be the case this week.  Here is the full list of all the 100-yard rushers in Week 7 and where each stands so far this year. Frank Gore (ARZ)                             151 in Week 7                   693 through 7 weeks Ron Dayne (BAL)                             140 in Week 7                   544 through 7 weeks Rashard Mendenhall (DAL)        127 in Week 7                   569 through 7 weeks Knile Davis (MEM)                          127 in Week 7                   211 through 7 weeks Ryan Williams (OAK)                     116 in Week 7                   576 through 7 weeks Deuce McCallister (WSH)          109 in Week 7                   681 through 7 weeks Michael Turner (HOU)                  109 in Week 7                   212 through 7 weeks Kenny Watson (PIT)                        108 in Week 7                   377 through 7 weeks Maurice Jones-Drew (NJ)            107 in Week 7                   549 through 7 weeks Matt Forte (NOR)                            106 in Week 7                   431 through 7 weeks Ronnie Brown (PIT)                        100 in Week 7                   222 through 7 weeks That is 11 backs on 10 teams that all crossed the century mark, and that does not even count some of the league leaders like Doug Martin (615 this season), Willis McGahee (600 this season), Eddie Lacy (583 this season), and Jonathan Stewart (528 this season) who just missed the century mark this past weekend. The message is clear, running the ball can work in the USFL, and when you pair a good run game with a solid defense, you can win a lot of games, just ask Arizona, Washington, and Chicago. Three Way Trade Moves Two Starting Receivers We have our second big trade of the regular season, following New Jerseys’ acquisition of QB Charlite Whitehurst from Charlotte.  This one involved two starting, and arguably two number one receivers, as both Greg Jennings and Robert Ferguson find themselves on new teams, adjusting to new coaches and a new QB.  Here is how it went down. Baltimore, despite a solid outing this week, has been very unhappy with their offensive production and have been roundly criticized for a lack of versatility at WR.  They were in the market for a top target who could both stretch the field and make the tough inside catches.  They liked what they saw in Memphis’s Robert Ferguson, but the Showboats would not move their longstanding number one without a potential replacement in place.  That forced Baltimore to try to work a 3-team trade instead of a simple bilateral move. They found an interested party in Oakland, where the breakout rookie season by Keenan Allen and strong performances from Pierre Garçon had made veteran Greg Jennings less essential to the long term plans of the Invaders.  Move around a few draft picks and you have a deal that all three clubs were willing to accept. Oakland gives up Greg Jennings, and in return they get a 3rd rounder from Baltimore and a 5th round pick from Memphis.  The Showboats snag Jennings to act as the mid-range target and veteran presence, and also nab a 5th rounder to replace the one they send to Oakland.  Baltimore gets the WR they coveted in Robert Fergusion, and give up only a 3rd (to Oakland) and a 5th (to Memphis) to get him.  It is a move that may take a couple of weeks to assess as both wideouts must adapt to their new teams, and while Allen and Garçon adapt to their new roles in Oakland, but when all is said and done, this could be a proverbial win-win-win for all three clubs. Dallas to Make a Move at QB It is not that Jake Locker has looked terrible, but after losing 5 in a row the Roughnecks needed to do something, and with OU rookie Landry Jones sitting on the bench, a change at QB seemed the best short-term solution to infuse the team with some more energy.  At least that is the theory after Coach Sherman announced that Jones would get the start this week as the Roughnecks host the Denver Gold in a divisional matchup.  Jones, who has recovered from an injury in practice that had him demoted to 3rd string for the past 2 weeks, will jump all the way into the starting lineup for the 2-5 Roughnecks.  The hope is that the rookie can bring some energy to an offense that has averaged only 17.4 points per game this season, including 14 or fewer in their past 3 games. Coach Sherman is still analyzing what he has in Dallas as both the offense and the defense have struggled to win battles over the past 5 weeks, turning a surprising 2-0 start into a more pedestrian 2-5 record.  With 2 straight divisional gams on tap (Denver and Houston) and a 3rd in 4 weeks as Dallas hosts Arizona, the Roughnecks still have a chance to impress their new fanbase with some key wins this month, but they will need to tighten up their execution and avoid the mistakes that so often accompany a rookie starter at QB. Orlando loses a favorite weapon, Washington a key defender, and several other teams see shorter term injuries affecting their starting lineups as we head into midseason. Here are the new names on the injury list for Week 8. OUT TE           Greg Olsen                 ORL                       Broken Leg         IR DT          Corey Liuget                      WSH                     Hip                        6-8 Wks CB          Darius Slay                        ATL                         Biceps                 4-6 Wks OT          Lamar Holmes                BAL                        Neck                     2-4 Wks WR         Deion Branch                   WSH                     Hip                        1-2 Wks LB           Kirk Morrison                    PHI                        Concussion       1-2 Wks LB           Chad Greenway              TEX                        Concussion       1-2 Wks DOUBTFUL LB           Nate Webster                 BIR                         Toe WR         Jerricho Cotchery           JAX                         Thigh QUESTIONABLE FS         Darnell Bing                      POR                      Hip SS           Jaiquawn Jarrett              JAX                         Concussion WR         Demaryius Thomas       ATL                         Toe QB         Matt Leinart                      DEN                      Toe Los Angeles & San Diego Ownership Groups Make Move on Las Vegas A very interesting development in the Las Vegas Thunder saga. John Tu, a minority owner of the LA Express, and a deep-pocketed one at that, has joined forces with John Moores, the former owner of the San Diego Padres and one of the initial investors in the San Diego USFL Expansion group to put together a bid to purchase the Thunder.  This combination of tech investors, Tu with ties to the USFL already and Moores with pro sports ownership background and connections with San Diego State University, could be making a move much like Mark Cuban and the group that purchased the Boston Cannons and relocated them to Dallas. While no details have been released, including whether or not the new pairing of Tu and Moores is seeking to cash in on the Thunder as a Las Vegas property or if they are interested in getting in on a current franchise to relocate it to San Diego is not yet known.  There is speculation, for instance, that if a current USFL owner opts to sell off his stake in his current team (and here we are thinking about the ownership in Nashville) so that they can then get an inside track on the Las Vegas franchise, then someone like the Tu/Moores combo could swoop in, buy the controlling share of that USFL franchise and make the case to relocate the team to San Diego.  But, before we assume that this is what is happening, we should consider the possibility that both Tu and Moores see the value of the Las Vegas franchise and are considering a strong offer to take on the franchise, and the new stadium option in Sin City, and will abandon the cause of bringing USFL football to San Diego altogether. What is known is that between Tu and Moores, we are looking at nearly $3B in assets, making them one of the wealthiest potential ownership groups in the USFL if they can find their way to a franchise.  What is up in the air is just which franchise, and in what market? Our Breakout Players of 2013 Seven weeks in and one week before our big Midseason Report, and we wanted to prime the pump on midyear grades by looking at some of the surprise contributors and breakout stars of the 2013 season to date.  Some are names we have profiled before, others may be players you have not noticed, but ones you should be keeping an eye on.  Let’s get started on offense as we look at 4 players on each side of the ball who have started 2013 on a tear and are among the breakout stars of the season. QB Cam Newton (BIR) No surprise here.  Newton, who enters Week 8 as the league leader in passing yards (1,849) and is only 1 TD behind Daunte Culpepper, has been the driving force behind the success of the Stallions.  In his third season, he has the Stallions sitting atop the Southern Division with a 5-2 record and the 3rd rated passing attack in the league.  It helps, of course, that he has two outstanding veterans in Randy Moss and Terrell Owens, but what has been most impressive is that Newton is finding ways to manufacture wins even when his best targets are double or triple teamed.  TE Jabari Holloway, slot receiver Julian Edelman, and HB Danny Woolford have all also been frequent targets for Newton, who is also not afraid to run the ball when needed. HB Doug Martin (CHI) The Machine’s gamble, trading away Michael Turner to Houston this offseason, has proven to be a shrewd move.  While Turner has missed more games than he has played since arriving in Houston, 2nd year back Doug Martin has proven to be a revelation, rushing for 615 yards in the season’s first 7 weeks.  He is one of only 4 backs to surpass 600 yards so far this season and has also been a factor in the passing game.  Chicago finds themselves atop the Central Division in large part because of the balance that Martin has helped the Machine achieve on offense. TE Jimmie Graham (PIT) The 4th year TE is having a season to remember in Pittsburgh.  After having 52 targets and 43 receptions in all of the 2012 season, this year he is approaching those numbers at the halfway point, with 52 targets and 37 receptions in only 7 games.  He has turned those looks into production, averaging over 10.5 yard per reception and finding the endzone 3 times already this year, after a 2012 season with no TDs at all.  And he has done this despite Andy Dalton missing several games due to injury.  Watch out for Graham as the season continues, with Pittsburgh sitting at 3-4, they feel like they are ready to make a move on a division that is still very much in flux. OT Chance Warmack (ARZ) The Only rookie on our list, and one in a non-glamor position, guard Chance Warmack has been a huge gift to Frank Gore, David Carr and the Wrangler offense.  He has started all 7 games for the Wranglers, clearing paths for Gore, pulling across the line, and has yet to give up a sack.  The 1st round pick from Alabama was a huge signing for the Wranglers, if not a flashy one, but sometimes flash is not what you need, sometimes muscle is all that is required, and Warmack is proving he has plenty of that for the unbeaten Wranglers. DE Chris Long (WSH) While Long’s 8 sacks are not atop the league, they are pretty darn close, and when you consider that in 2012 Long had 9 sacks the entire season and now is on pace for 17-20, you can understand why we are excited about Long’s development as an edge rusher.  Long has always been good against the run, and he has had 2 seasons with 10+ sacks, but his pace this year indicates that he is ready to take the next step and become one of the league’s premier pass rushers, something the 6-1 Federals certainly appreciate. LB Buster Davis (PIT) Another impressive Mauler, Davis is another player whose production has leapt up this year.  In 2012 the 2007 draftee had a very solid year with 66 tackles over 11 games, but only 7 games into 2013 Davis is already close to surpassing that number, with 60 sacks already under his belt.  Add to that a personal best 14 TFL already on the season and Davis is looking very much like a breakout player in the Mauler D.  It helps that Coach Rivera moved him from the weak side to the strong side, but more than a position shift, what we are seeing is a linebacker who has started to make sense of blocking schemes and how to defeat them. LB Jason Taylor (BAL) The former Miami Dolphin came to Baltimore with a lot of fanfare and a reputation as a pass rusher.  In his first 3 season, he had modest numbers in that category (5, 6 and 2 in those years), but has quietly been improving as a run-blitzing linebacker.  Coach Caldwell saw that in Taylor and asked the outside backer to focus more on the run.  If the sacks come, great, but focus on the run first.  That strategic use for Taylor has proven a good one.  Taylor leads the league with a stunning 21 tackles for loss in the run game, an average of 3 per game.  He is disruptive on both inside and outside runs, and he is even finding his way to the QB as well, with 3 sacks over the first 7 games.  He is on pace for over 80 tackles and nearly 50 TFL, outstanding numbers and very important to a Blitz team that is struggling on offense. FS Quinton Carter (NJ) The third year player and first year starter has stepped in and stepped up at Free Safety for the Generals.  After two seasons as a rarely used bench option, Carter was handed the starting position this offseason and he is making Coach Herm Edwards very happy with his play so far this year.  Carter not only has 4 picks on the season, but has also allowed only 16 catches in 7 games, a paltry 2.28 average. Week 8 kicks off with a cross country showdown as the Express hope to finish the season’s first half at .500 but will have a tough task as they face a bitter Stars team, angry after their first loss of the season and ready to defend their home turf. ON Saturday we get the first divisional games of the weekend, with Ohio headed up to Chicago with 1st place in the Central on the line.  Pittsburgh is also in Washington for a game that could thrust the Maulers into the playoff conversation.  Saturday Night we have the first of two games between the Breakers and Knights this season, and you know how rough those matchups can be.  The nightcap is an intriguing one with St. Louis facing Las Vegas in the desert. Sunday we have New Jersey hoping to stay hot with Charlie Whitehurst at QB as they head to Baltimore.  Denver is in Dallas with a chance to return to  .500, Houston is hoping they can finally put a dent in Arizona’s armor as they face the unbeaten Wranglers in Glendale.  And Sunday night we finish the week with the Monarchs hoping to put away the Bandits in Tampa Bay. Friday @ 8pm        Los Angeles (3-4) @ Philadelphia (6-1)             NBC Saturday @ 12pm   Ohio (4-3) @ Chicago (5-2)                                       ABC Saturday @ 12pm     Pittsburgh (3-4) @ Washington (6-1)                   FOX Saturday @ 4pm       Texas (5-2) @ Portland (1-6)                                     ABC Saturday @ 4pm     Oakland (5-3) @ Michigan (2-5)                             FOX Saturday @ 7pm     New Orleans (4-3) @ Nashville (2-5)                   NBC Saturday @ 9pm     St. Louis (3-4) @ Las Vegas (5-2)                           ESPN/EFN Sunday @ 12pm       Birmingham (5-2) @ Atlanta (3-4)                         ABC Sunday @ 12pm       Jacksonville (2-5) @ Orlando (2-5)                          FOX Sunday @ 12pm       New Jersey (4-3) @ Baltimore (2-5)                        FOX Sunday @ 4pm         Memphis (1-6) @ Seattle (3-4)                                 ABC Sunday @ 4pm         Denver (3-4) @ Dallas (2-5)                                        ABC Sunday @ 4pm         Houston (5-3) @ Arizona (7-0)                                 FOX Sunday @ 8pm         Charlotte (5-2) @ Tampa Bay (2-5)                       ESPN/EFN