Something of an anticlimactic final week for most teams as we saw a lot of backups and rookie QBs getting a taste of the pro game.  Denver and Portland do what they need to in order to lock up Wild Card berths, leaving Houston out in the cold.  Nashville and New Orleans battled for the final playoff spot and the Southern Division title, but most games were just not that impactful as playoff teams protected some players and non-playoff teams scouted younger players.  We start our coverage with the big game in New Orleans.  We will review all 14 games, then talk about the fallout, including a pretty hefty Black Monday across the league and several big names announce their playing days are behind them.  All right here on This Week in the USFL. NASHVILLE KNIGHTS 17   NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS 21 It seems like every year the Southern Division comes down to the Breakers playing the Knights on Week 16.  This year was supposed to be different. Birmingham was expected to compete, and both the Breakers and Knights were facing potential down years.  Well, with both at 8-7 coming into this game, it certainly was not the best season for either team, but after their clash in the Super Dome one of them would be dancing in the playoffs as the division champion. Nashville was counting on NFL import Peyton Manning to energize the club in its final weeks of play, and his presence certainly helped get Nashville to this point with a chance to win the division again.  New Orleans, who always seem to be in position only to see their chances melt away in their final game against Nashville, were motivated not to let that happen again, and especially not in their own stadium.  It was a Sunday Night clash with playoffs on the line for both teams, and the intensity was there. Hard to believe that a team that managed to run the ball for -6 yards on the day was able to win this game, but that is what we saw. Matt Forte handled the ball 5 times for 9 yards, but thanks to -17 yards scrambling by Drew Brees, the Breakers finished the game with an embarrassing run total of only -6 yards.  Yet, thanks in part to Brees’s arm, they managed to outlast the Knights.  The defense played a big part in that, sacking Peyton Manning 4 times and forcing two bad picks. The game started slowly, with both offenses finding room to move difficult to find.  The only points of the first quarter came on a Kai Forbath field goal after a poor punt by New Orleans gave Nashville a short field.  Most of the second quarter went the same way, but the final minute of the half proved quite different.  The Breakers’ eschewed the run during the two-minute drill and that strategy worked well for them, moving the ball down the field in only 7 plays with Brees hitting Brandon LaFell in the corner of the endzone with 39 seconds left to give New Orleans a 7-3 lead. Most expected Manning to take a knee when Nashville got the ball back, but Coach Johnson wanted to see if they could get a 2nd field goal before the half, so he had Manning throwing the ball.  That proved to be a huge mistake as on his 2nd attempt Breaker CB Randall Gay anticipated the out route, stepped in front of Robert Meachem, and had an easy sprint to the endzone to give New Orleans a 14-3 edge as the 2nd quarter came to a close.  It was a huge boost for the Breaker crowd and for the club as they headed into the break with a 2-score advantage and a lot of momentum. Manning would start the third trying to make up for his first half error, and he did so effectively on the Knights’ first drive, leading Nashville to 7 points with a TD toss to Meachem.  The 2-point conversion put them within 3 at 14-11, but the defense would  need to hold the Breakers to allow Nashville to come all the way back.  That proved tougher than anticipated. Even without a run game to speak of, the Breakers were able to move the ball on their next drive. It would take New Orleans only 8 plays to expand their lead once again.  Short passes, and the help of a defensive holding call, got New Orleans inside the 10 and from their Brees hit Donnie Avery on a quick slant that found paydirt.  The lead was back up to 10 once again, 21-11. Nashville would chip away at the Breaker lead in the 4th, but twice the Breaker defense came up big on a third down in the red zone and twice Coach Johnson played it conservatively, going for a 38 and a 23-yard field goal instead of attempting a 4th and medium on both drives.  The result was that Nashville found themselves down 4 with only 3:01 left in the game and the ball on their own 22. It was a position Peyton Manning had faced many times in the NFL, a final drive to win the game.  He would start with a screen to Gore, but the quick recovery of LB Hannibal Navies held the play to 4 yards.  Manning would connect with TE Jordan Peele on 2nd down to get a new set of downs with a 7-yard completion.  After a pass to Meachem was broken up, Manning tried to get the full 10 yards on 2nd down, testing Randall Gay again, and again Gay would be ready for it.  The ball to Meachem was high and it glanced off of Meachem’s hands, right to Gay, who bobbled it, but corralled the ball and fell to the ground.  New Orleans ball with a chance to grind out the win, but with no run game to speak of. The Breakers tried their best, with Mike Tolbert hitting the center of the line on first and second down, but he gained a grand total of 1 yard in two plays.  Nashville was itching to get the ball back, and New Orleans needed a first down to be able to run out the clock.  On 3rd and 9 the Breakers made no effort to disguise that it would be a pass, putting Brees in the shotgun and sending 3 wideouts to the field along with TE Coby Fleener and HB Matt Forte.  The Knights went to a 2-man coverage, doubling Early Doucet, whose 143  yards on the day had already hurt Nashville.  In single coverage, Fleener was the target, and with him being covered primarily by LB Hunter Hillenmeyer, it was a speed mismatch.  Brees found the rookie TE and Fleener brought the ball down 14-yards downfield to give New Orleans the first down and, after 2 kneel downs, the Southern Division title.  The Breakers would be headed to the playoffs.  The Knights, despite the comeback of Peyton Manning from spinal fusion surgery, would need to wait another year to see if their NFL superstar could return them to the postseason. NEW JERSEY 38   TEXAS 24 Watch out for the Generals. They are peaking at just the right time as Sam Bradford again goes off, throwing for 409 yards and 4 TDs against a pretty good Texas defense, his third consecutive 4-TD day.  Add in 2 sacks from recently acquired DE Jevon Kearse and this Generals squad could be a handful in the playoffs.  They need Philadelphia to lose if they want a division crown and a bye, but even without that they could be tough to take in the first round. BOSTON 9   PHILADELPHIA 45 The Stars wrap up the season with a dominant win to claim the NE Division and the Eastern Conference’s top seed.  And so ends the run of the Cannons in Boston. The team that brought the first pro football title to Bean Town in 2009 Is, only 3 years later, a part of history as the club prepares to relocate to Dallas. A sad day for football in New England to be sure. CHARLOTTE 22   WASHINGTON 28            OVERTIME A really good game between two teams that needed a win to have any shot at a division title.  Jake Delhomme hit his only TD pass of the day with 2:56 in regulation to tie the game up at 22, but in overtime David Garrard found Deion Branch for the game winner as Washington finishes 12-4, but still amazingly finishes in 3rd place in the brutal NE Division.  Charlotte finishes 11-5 and an Atlanta win would mean they are a Wild Card team. JACKSONVILLE 10   ATLANTA 28 A little bit of nervous scoreboard watching in this one as the Fire needed Charlotte to lose in order to garner the division title.  They had the game vs. Jacksonville in hand early, thanks to 3 TDs from Kyle Orton and a Patrick Willis pick-six but had to wait and watch as the Charlotte game went to overtime.  The Federals’ win was greeted with cheers and champagne in Atlanta as the Fire wrapped up the SE Division and a bye week. OAKLAND 9   HOUSTON 41 Houston needed this game to have any chance at the postseason. Oakland had already clinched a playoff spot, and that disparity in intensity showed up in a big way in this game.  Houston raced to a 31-0 lead in the first half alone, thanks to 3 Hasselbeck TDs on the Gamblers’ first three drives.  Now they had to wait and watch to see if either Denver or Portland would go down to defeat. DENVER 36   ARIZONA 21 Arizona and rookie QB Nick Foles put up a good fight against the Gold but could not get over the hump as Denver scored the final 10 points of the game to take the W and lock up a Wild Card berth.  Matt Leinart threw for 109 yards and the Gold also rushed for a crushing 207 yards (109 from Maurice Hicks) as they snatched a playoff berth. BALTIMORE 21   PORTLAND 23 Another tougher than expected game as Baltimore backup Mike Flynn played well, throwing for 2 TDs despite being sacked 5 times by the Stags. Portland needed a late Jonathan Stewart TD and a 4th quarter field goal to get the W, but with that win Portland makes the playoffs for the first time. SEATTTLE 17   CHICAGO 26 Two teams playing out the string gave us Alex Brink and Mike Kafka at QB.  Michael Turner played the whole game, hoping to rise to the top of the rushing leaderboard.  He finished with 143 yards on 29 carries, but it was not enough to vault him into 1st place. ORLANDO 10   TAMPA BAY 17 Two teams that were disappointed by their seasons, one with a total collapse that would see their coach pay the prices as Orlando finishes a miserable 3-13 on the season.  Tampa Bay finished 9-7, which would typically mean a playoff spot, but not this season.  Rookie QB Ryan Lindley gets the win for the Bandits, going 28 of 34 for 238 yards, 2 scores and 1 pick.  Russell Wilson, another rookie QB, goes 19 of 29 for 137 yards for the Renegades. MEMPHIS 21   BIRMINGHAM 38 The Stallions finish with a win as starter Cam Newton was a surprise starter in this rivalry game.  He would have a field day against several backups on the Memphis defense, throwing for 230 yards and 4 TDs.  Matt Cassel got the start for Memphis, going 20 of 39 for 192 yards and 2 TDs, but also threw 2 picks as Birmingham finishes the year 6-10 to Memphis’s 4-12. LAS VEGAS 26   LOS ANGELES 17 With Oakland’s loss on Saturday, Las Vegas locked up the Pacific Division title, and with this win on Sunday they get the 2nd seed and a bye in the playoffs.  Marshawn Lynch rushed for 74 yards in 3 quarters before beings subbed out.  Chad Johnson caught 4 balls for 92 yards and a TD as Las Vegas claims the Pacific Division crown. ST. LOUIS 26   OHIO 13 As promised the Skyhawks played their starters in the season finale, with Josh Freeman going 12 of 26 for 221 yards and 2 scores.  Jordan Pugh returned a pick-six and Freeman hit Jacobs with a 32-yard strike as the Skyhawks end the season with a 9-game winning streak.  Ohio finishes 5-11, once again at the bottom of the Central Division. MICHIGAN 7   PITTSBURGH 27 The Maulers get a hollow victory to finish the year 7-9, not where they expected to be.  Andy Dalton went 21 of 29 and threw for 3 TDs as he tries to make the case to be the 2013 starter.  Michigan started rookie Kirk Cousins, who looked poised in completing 22 of 42 passing for 237 yards. The Panthers again cannot run the ball to save their lives, creating a clear need in the offseason for Michigan to find a running back and some help on the line. Retirement Announcements Begin with Griese & Others It did not take long for the first of the season’s retirement announcements to come.  Week 16 post-game interviews can sometimes produce announcements, and that was certainly the case for 5 well-known players from across the non-playoff squads this year. The first of the announcements was not really a surprise, as Michigan QB Brian Griese had alluded to the possibility several weeks ago.  In the media room after the Panthers’ 27-7 loss in Pittsburgh, an emotional Brian Griese thanked the organization for letting him play in Michigan, where he had played college ball in Ann Arbor, and where he had led the Panthers to a title in 2008.  Griese, who retires a 5-time All-USFL selection, played 8 seasons in Michigan after several years split between the Seattle Dragons and Philadelphia Stars. He had his best seasons as a Panther, including his title year, in which he helped Michigan earn a 3rd title and the first one since Bobby Hebert’s time at the helm in the late 80’s. Another somewhat anticipated announcement came in Glendale, after the Gold defeated the Arizona Wranglers. LaDainian Tomlinson, finishing his 3rd year with the Wranglers after a potential HOF career in the NFL, and at the age of 32, announced he would be stepping away from the game. Tomlinson came to the USFL after the 2009 NFL season and rushed for 1,278 yards in his first USFL season.  In his second year he helped the Wranglers to the playoffs and rushed for another 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns.  This season was a tougher grind, and it seemed clear that Tomlinson lacked the same burst as before, not surprising for a 32-year-old back.  He leaves the Wranglers with a pretty big hole to fill in the backfield, though the team has liked what they have seen from 2nd year back Stevan Ridley. Another big back has used the season-ender as an opportunity to say goodbye to the game.  Houston’s Shaun Alexander came out to the media room after Houston’s dominant 41-9 win over Oakland, clearly upset that the win did not translate into a playoff berth but resigned to step away after a 1,072 yard rushing season with the Gamblers.  Alexander played 13 seasons in the USFL, beginning his career on some pretty bad Birmingham squads before jumping to Houston in free agency in 2008. With the Gamblers he found greater success and helped the Gamblers return to championship form with a win in the 2010 Summer Bowl.  He will retire with 11,575 yards rushing and 59 career touchdowns. Alexander’s was only one of two retirement announcements made in that Houston post-game presser as longtime edge rusher and sack superstar Kavika Pittman also declared that he would not be back for a 17th season.  Pittman has had an amazing, almost certain Hall of Fame career with Houston, racking up 288 career sacks, recording 10 or more sacks every season of his pro career, a truly astonishing feat of both endurance and skill.  Pittman had 12 sacks this year, the 5th consecutive year of declining numbers after a heyday in the 2000’s that saw him win the Sack title three times in 4 years (2004, 2006 and 2007). Finally, in Portland, Baltimore Blitz WR Tory Holt came out after a tough 23-21 loss and announced that 2012, his 13th season in the USFL, would be his last.  Holt, who came into the league with the LA Express in 1999, played the final 5 seasons with the Blitz, and has had huge numbers with QB Ben Roethlisberger in command of the offense. This year he was among league leaders with 100 catches for 1,450 yards and 10 touchdowns.  His absence will be a tough one for the cash-strapped Blitz to address this offseason. Free Agent Pool Fills with Unsigned Players Wild Card week means so much for football fans and for the teams competing, but for those teams outside looking in it means that the regular season is over and a range of players who have either not been offered new contracts or who have held off on signing a deal are now free agents.  For the next few weeks only, their current teams can negotiate with them, but once we are past the Summer Bowl and the pool is official, all 28 clubs can make bids for a player’s talent, and only 3 weeks after that the NFL is also permitted to offer players a chance to sign.  As we look over the 16 non-playoff teams, there is certainly a lot of talent that teams must hope to sign quickly or risk losing, either to a rival in the USFL or to the fall league that has pretty deep pockets.  Here is our breakdown of the biggest names now potentially on the market when Free Agency begins in 4 weeks. ARZ: C Ben Claxton, LB Pat Angerer, DE Justice Cole, WR Arnold Brown BAL: C Ethan Albright, DT Atiyyah Ellison, LB Nate Irving, QB Mike Flynn, LB Cato June BIR: WR Julian Edelman, G Otis Hudson CHI: WR Donald Driver, CB Rashad Bauman, LB Tommy Polley, OT Mo Collins, FS David Young DAL: C Antoine Caldwell, QB Kris Kershaw HOU: DT Kenard Lang, SS Corey Gaines, LB Zak DeOssie, G Manuia Saveea, OT Charles Spencer JAX: FS Eric Weddle, TE Dustin Keller, WR Chastin West LA: DT Anthony McFarland, HB Ray Rice, C Ryan Khalil, FS Bhawoh Jue, DT Brandon Whitting MEM: LB Kirk Morrison, C Casey Rabach, HB Cadillac Williams, CB Tyrone Bell, G Carl Nicks DT Kendrick Clancy, DE Reggie Torbor, DT Rashad Moore, OT David Stewart, QB Bob Volek MGN: LB Andy Katzenmoyer, LB Nathan Triplettt, SS Nick Harris, LB Odell Thurman NSH: HB Frank Gore, LB Jarret Johnson, TE Justin Peele, WR Malcolm Floyd, K Kai Forbath, QB Jeff Smoker OHI: DT Wendell Bryant, FS Haruki Nakamura, HB Antonio Pittman, LB Bradie James, OT Kwame Harris ORL: SS Atari Bigby, DT Kenny Smith, OT Chris Terry, HB Jacob Hester, G Ross Hochstein, HB Leon Johnson PIT: WR Vincent Jackson, DT Amobi Okoye, G Chris Kuper, OT Barrett Brooks, LB Barrett Green, QB Dennis Dixon SEA: TE Jeramy Stevens, DE John Abraham, DT Brandon Noble,OT Chad Clifton, HB  Jahvid Best, G Chris Kemoeatu, WR Roberto Wallace, DT Jesse Mahelona, QB Seneca Wallace TBY: WR Joey Galloway, C Trey Teague, G Ben Hamilton, P Matt Turk, OT Marvel Smith QB Rhett Bomar Some big names who could be changing teams this offseason, even in this partial list.  Popping out to use are wideouts Vincent Jackson (PIT) and Donald Driver (CHI), with Joey Galloway likely to either resign with the Bandits or announce retirement.  Some decent halfbacks as well with Frank Gore (NSH) at the top of the list, followed by Ray Rice (LA), Cadillac Williams (MEM), and Jahvid Best (SEA).  Among defenders, there will certainly be a market for LBs Andy Katzenmoyer and Odell Thurman of Michigan, as well as safety Atari Bigby (ORL), LB Kirk Morrison (MEM), FS Eric Weddle (JAX), and an underrated player, Ohio FS Haruki Nakamura. We have our 12 playoff teams.  New Orleans’s win at home gives them the Southern Division crown and the 3 seed in the East.  Wins by both Denver and Portland this weekend mean that they are in and Houston is out.  Philadelphia’s big win means they are the 1 seed and will have home field throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs, a stunning achievement for Coach Harbaugh and one of the season’s biggest Cinderella stories, QB Matt Gutierrez. So it will be 6-seed Charlotte (with an impressive 11-5 record for a 6 seed) heading to New Orleans and Washington facing a familiar foe as they travel to New Jersey to face the Generals.  Atlanta and Philly wait in the wings as they rest during their bye. In the West it will be Portland heading to Texas as the 6-3 matchup.  Denver will be in Oakland to take on the Invaders in the 5-4 matchup, and the Thunder and Skyhawks get a week to rest up before hosting the winners. Houston, Baltimore, and particularly Tampa Bay, cannot be happy with how the season panned out, with the Gamblers and Blitz a respectable 8-8, while the Bandits finished 9-7 and still were 2 games out of a Wild Card slot.  Better luck next year, I guess. And finally, in a weird bit of trivia, and one that no one likely predicted this year, all four members of the expansion class of 2006-2008 (Atlanta, St. Louis, Charlotte, and Portland) have qualified for the playoffs. It would appear that we can now declare the expansion phase over and the full-fledged expectations of any USFL club are now required of these four clubs. With Wild Card Weekend ready to kick off the USFL Playoffs, we take a look at the 8 teams ready to gear up and take to the field, and the injuries which could impact each club. CHA:      FB Justin Green (IR), SS John Keith (IR), LB A. J. Nicholson (IR) NOR:       WR Santana Moss (Out) Two hits for the Monarchs as they lose their lead blocking FB and are going to go with an untested rookie Michael Estrada out of UTEP, though we also expect to see HB Taiwan Jones take some snaps at FB as well.  The bigger loss may be SS John Keith, who was one of the leaders of the D.  He is subbed by former Boston Cannon Shane Welton.  New Orleans will again be without Santana Moss, who is replaced by Brandon LaFell.  Expect to see DeMetrius Byrd in on some plays as well. POR: OT Todd Wade (IR), DT Stephen Paea (Q), CB Marquand Manuel (P) TEX: QB Joe Flacco (IR), DE Chris Canty (D) The Outlaws have done well with Luke McCown at the helm after the Flacco injury, though clearly it has altered their offensive schemes.  The bigger concern is likely the likely absence of Chris Canty, which means that Robert Ayers will step in.  Ayers is solid, but not as explosive as Canty, however, either one will essentially be there to occupy blockers and free up Reynaldo Wynn on the other side.  For Portland, the biggest concern has been Manuel, who is a key piece of their secondary, but all indications are that the corner will be able to return for this game. WSH: TE Heath Miller (IR), OT Vernon Carey (D), LB Aaron Curry (Q), C Austin King (Q) NJ: DE Shaun Ellis (IR), CB Devin McCourty (Q) If Devin McCourty can go for the Generals, that will be a big help for their aggressive man coverage schemes.  For Washington the hope had been that both King and Curry would be good to go for this game, but both are still 50/50 prospects with only 3 days to go before gametime. DEN: LB Shawne Merriman (IR), CB Jamar Fletcher (Q), G Travis Claridge (P) OAK: TE Jeb Putzier (IR), G Logan Mankins (OUT), DT Tyson Alualu (OUT) The loss of Merriman at the end of the regular season is a blow to Denver’s D for sure.  Will Overstreet will slide into the position, but Merriman’s leadership and motor will certainly be missed.  For Oakland, the loss of Jeb Putzier will force Joel Dreesen to step up his game and may cause Oakland to go to more 3 WR sets, which Is not the worst thing since slot receiver Hank Basket is certainly capable. Black Monday Claims Five Five head coaches were without positions by the end of Black Monday this year.  Two we knew about in advance, with Seattle’s Marvin Lewis resigning earlier this month and effective after the Dragons’ Week 16 clash.  John Fox had been notified several weeks back that he would not be moving with the club from Boston to Dallas as the new ownership is hoping to develop a new identity for the Roughnecks.  Those two were known.  A third was pretty much fully expected. No one is shocked that Orlando let Emmitt Thomas go after a truly horrible 3-13 campaign this year.  Orlando was expected to challenge for the division and instead they put up stinker after stinker, especially on offense, where they just did not seem to be able to get out of their own way.  Expect ownership to look.  Thomas leaves Orlando with a 52-65 record over 8 seasons, including two playoff appearances, but declining returns over his past 4 seasons. A bit more surprising, but not totally unexpected was the announcement out of Los Angeles that Gregg Williams would not be returning in 2013.  Williams lasted only 3 seasons in LA, one of which was a 2011 Wild Card appearance, but issues in the locker room, one of which led to the club trading away big time playmaker Randy Moss, and consistent issues with underperformance on offense, set the stage for Williams to be let go.  The team limped to a 6-10 record this year despite a talented roster, and as more stories came out it was clear that Williams had lost a large portion of the locker room, a situation that rarely improves once it starts to fester.  So, LA will once again be looking for a coach who can both sustain a winning record and build a culture for a club that has never won a league title. Perhaps the biggest surprise, and again, not a huge one, was that Baltimore opted to relieve coach Tom Coughlin of duties after 9 seasons and 4 playoff appearances.  Prior to this season the Blitz had made it to 4 consecutive postseasons, but with an overall playoff record of 2-4 in that time the pressure was on for the club to take a step towards greater success. Dropping to 8-8 and struggling to win divisional games was seen as a major sign that Coughlin simply was not going to get this club any higher, and in a division that saw 3 teams win at least 11 games, an 8-8 club is not looking like a potential champion any time soon. We know that Seattle is very interested in St. Louis OC Stump Mitchell, and will have the chance to interview the former pro HB during the Skyhawks’ bye week.  We also expect that John Fox, who led Boston to a league title as recently as 2009, will certainly get some attention as teams look for a proven winner.  Beyond that, it is hard to know where this year’s search will go.  Certainly members of the Philadelphia, Washington, Texas, and St. Louis coaching staff will get looks, as will some NFL coordinators.  Will any teams wait out the NFL season to be able to snag a coach currently employed in the fall league?  Or will all 5 clubs jump at the chance to get a coach in the team offices before free agency and the draft push the agenda.  That is just not knowable right now.  We shall see over the next few weeks which teams are acting urgently and which are laying back and expecting to play a long game. Dallas Reveals Team Colors & Uniform Ahead of Schedule It will be blue skies and black gold for the Dallas Roughnecks. This week the newest franchise in the USFL unveiled the winning look after 8 weeks of fan voting and the winner was the look that combined black and red with a very familiar Columbia blue, familiar to Texans as "Love Ya, Blue". Of course, with that exact name a well-guarded property of the NFL Houston Oilers, Dallas will not be using that reference, but the color will be the dominant one on the team's uniforms. The club will officially reveal the full look at the Summer Bowl, in their fan watch party, with current players, including HB Rashard Mendenhall, WR Percy Harvin, and LB Dat Nguyen on hand to model the new look, but this week the winning look was revealed and merchandise from banners to bumper stickers became available in the team's new colory scheme. The team also announced the formation of a cheerleading squad and the development of a mascot, Rowdy Roughneck, a jeans-wearing, hard-hat toting rig worker who may need to stop skipping leg day at the gym. Jerseys, Tees, and other Roughneck gear is expected to be available by October, just in time for the Christmas rush, and with season ticket sales looking very strong, we expect a lot of folks in the DFW may well be getting USFL gear from Santa this year. A big week of playoff action kicks off on Saturday with a doubleheader as 6th seeds head to the 3rd seed division champions for our first day of Wild Card Playoff action.  On Sunday it is a battle of Wild Cards as the 5 seed visits the 4 seed in both conferences.  Here is our rundown of each matchup. 6-Charlotte Monarchs (11-5) @ 3-New Orleans Breakers (9-7) Saturday, July 9 @ 3pm ET Super Dome, New Orleans, LA Charlotte -4 Yes, you read that right, the visiting 6 seed is a four point favorite over the homestanding division champion 3 seed. It makes sense when you look at the record of the two teams and the overall performance of both this season.  Charlotte comes in with a top 10 offense as well as the 7th best overall scoring defense.  Meanwhile, New Orleans has the 5th best scoring defense, but at 18.4 points per game is only 20th in scoring.  The Breakers will need every inch of home field advantage in this one. 6-Portland Stags (9-7) @ 3-Texas Outlaws (10-6) Saturday, July 9 @ 7pm ET Alamodome, San Antonio, TX Outlaws -6 Texas is a pretty heavy favorite over Portland but the Stags have been underestimated all season long.  The Stags rely on their defense, 1st overall in yardage allowed and in the top 3 against both the pass and the run.  That helps them overcome the league’s 23rd best offense, which is a nice way of saying the 5th worst.  As for Texas, we know they can score points, 26.9 per game to be exact, good enough for 2nd in the league, and they are first in yardage, so this will be a stern test for that Stag defense. 5-Washington Federals (12-4) @ 4-New Jersey Generals (12-4) Sunday, July 10 @ 1pm ET MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ Generals -1 I love a good divisional matchup in the playoffs and this one is a beaut. The two split the series, with Washington winning most recently with a 20-0 shutout in Week 9, a game the Generals are still sore about.   The Feds have a very tough scoring defense (3rd in the league) and their offense is no slouch either, with the league’s best rushing attack, led by Deuce McCallister. New Jersey comes in with a hot hand at QB, with Sam Bradford throwing for 12 touchdowns in just the last 3 games.  He leads the 5th best passing attack in the league, and, in a nice matchup to watch, the 3rd best rush defense, which will certainly be focused on McCallister in this one. 5-Denver Gold (9-7) @ 4-Oakland Invaders (10-6) Sunday, July 10 @ 5pm ET Oakland-Alameda Coliseum, Oakland, CA Invaders -4 Oakland gets the nod from the Las Vegas books, largely due to their defense, which will bend between the 20’s but is holding teams to only 16.9 points per game. Denver is at its best when it can get 100+ yards on the ground.  They have activated Javon Ringer, so expect them to use 3 backs with Murray and Hicks still getting the lion’s share of carries this week.  Will it be enough against the homestanding Invaders?

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Sam Bradford had another huge game, this time against a very good Texas Outlaw defense. Bradford's 409 yard, 4 TD performance certainly bodes well for New Jersey as they prepare for a Wild Card playoff. PLAYOFF PICTURE: The final playoff berths have been claimed, with New Orleans winning the Southern Division at 9-7 and both Denver and Portland holding onto their Wild Card positions. The official seeding is as follows: EAST: 1-PHI 2-ATL 3-NOR 4-NJ 5-WSH 6-CHA WEST: 1-STL 2-LV 3-TEX 4-OAK 5-DEN 6-POR

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Rookie Isaiah Pead gets our award this week, and he certainly earned it. The Glory HB rushed for 142 yards on only 18 attempts, and along the way scored 3 touchdowns for Ohio as they knocked off their state-line rival, Pittsburgh. PLAYOFF PICTURE: No shifting in the playoff teams as we are still waiting to see who will win the Southern Division and which 2 Wild Card hopefuls in the West will make the cut. We have 3 teams vying for two spots in Week 16 with Denver and Portland controlling their own destiny while Houston needs help to get in. In the East it once again comes down to a Breaker-Knight clash in Week 16 to determine who will represent the South. The only seeds that are 100% set are that St. Louis is the top seed in the West and that the winner of the South will be the 3rd seed in the East. Beyond that it is still amazingly flexible.

A week with plenty of action, but no teams able to clinch a playoff spot.  Basically we saw everyone stay in rank with most of the major players in the playoff hunt holding their positions.  What it leaves us with is a familiar situation for Week 16, with New Orleans and Nashville set for a winner-takes-all game for the Southern Division, and a 3-team hunt for 2 Wild Card spots in the West, with Denver and Portland controlling their own destiny while Houston needs a win and one of those two to lose.  We will cover all the action of this week and take a look ahead at a Week 16 that may see a lot of teams resting some starters, but with several division titles still on the line, we still expect some good games as we look ahead.  But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.  We begin by looking at our game of the week in Week 15, as St. Louis headed to Chicago for their big rivalry game at Soldier Field. ST. LOUIS SKYHAWKS 30   CHICAGO MACHINE 25 The Skyhawks headed into Chicago with the goal of not having a post-clinching letdown as so many teams in past years have had.  Coach Arians talked to his team about playing their best ball through the final 2 weeks to keep their minds right as the playoffs approached.  Chicago would challenge St. Louis, as any good rival should, but in the end the Skyhawks came away with the win and kept their momentum going. Chicago had the advantage early, scoring on their first 4 drives, but with three of those 4 scores being field goals, their lead was not as dominant as it could have been.  As Chicago was putting 3 kicks on the board in the first quarter, St. Louis scored its first points on a 1-play drive as a play fake on 1st down after a good kickoff return saw Josh Freeman connect on a deep ball shot to Taylor Jacobs.  The play would go 63 yards in total and help St. Louis keep pace as the first quarter ended with Chicago, who had dominated in many ways, leading only 9-7. In the 2nd quarter the Machine would expand their lead when Brady Quinn connected with Donald Driver on a short TD toss. But, as has happened so frequently with the Machine this year, their offense started to sputter and their defense could not hold for a full 60 minutes.  Down 16-7, St. Louis would score the next 17 points and leap past the Machine by the end of the third. St. Louis got their first of 3 consecutive scores late in the 2nd when a 2-minute drill produced a 19-yard TD toss from Freeman to Sinorice Moss.  That score put them down only 2 at the half, 16-14.  The lone score of the third quarter gave St. Louis its first lead of the day, with Rob Bironas’s kick giving them the slight 17-16 lead after three.   They would add to that score early in the 4th when Freeman hit on his 3rd of what would be 4 TD tosses, finding Jordy Nelson on a deep corner route that would go for 41 yards. Down 24-16, Chicago had to rediscover its offense, and a shift to a no huddle helped them do just that.  They marched 47 yards on their next drive and added a 4th Tim Seder field goal to pull within 5 at 24-19.  After a rare stop of the Skyhawks, they then proceeded to burn a lot of clock and slowly grind their way down field, capping off a 14-play drive with another Quinn to Driver TD toss.  The Machine would go for 2 but fail, giving them the narrowest of margins at 25-24. St. Louis would have 1:24 to get into field goal range and flip the score back in their favor.  Chicago would eschew the traditional prevent zones that so often allow a well-structured offense to chip their way down the field.  Instead they brought pressure and played a lot of 2-deep zone.  That strategy also proved ineffective when Josh Freeman found Eric Weems on his lone catch of the day, but what a catch, a perfectly timed seam route that allowed Weems to catch the ball on the run, full speed, and race 40 yards down the field right through the Chicago secondary.  He was dragged down at the 8 yard line, and injured on the play, but it put St. Louis in position to win the game and burn the clock as best they could. After running the ball somewhat ineffectively on first and 2nd down, the ball was still at the 8.  St. Louis could have just dove forward again and let Rob Bironas win it for them, but instead of a dive play, Coach Arians sent in play action.  The play worked perfectly and Josh Freeman had a basic fade route throw to Taylor Jacobs for the score.  Despite failing on the 2-point try, St. Louis had a 5-point lead and with only 32 seconds left, Chicago simply could not get the ball into the endzone.  St. Louis would take another win and moved to 5-2 in the division by sweeping the Machine on the year. WASHINGTON 35   TEXAS 28 In what many are calling a Summer Bowl prequel, the Federals scored 14 in the final 10 minutes to knock off the Outlaws in San Antonio.  Deuce McCallister rushed for 104 and 2 scores and Deion Branch led all receviers with 90 yards.  The Feds also held Arian Foster to only 25 yards rushing as the D crowded the line all game long.  The win keeps the Feds in position for a Week 16 shot at a higher seed.   Texas has already locked up the SW Division, but could finish as the #2 seed with a win next week. BIRMINGHAM 10   NEW ORLEANS 13 The Breakers edged a game Birmingham squad to set up yet another Week 16 showdown with the Nashville Knights, with a playoff spot and the division title on the line.  Both defenses played well in this one, with New Orleans held to only 194 total yards and Birmingham slightly better at 216, but in the end, the Breakers were able to position Graham Gano for the game winning kick and improve to 8-7. BOSTON 10   TAMPA BAY 48 Two teams not headed to the postseason, but far more stability in Tampa Bay, where the Bandits are hoping to finish the year with a winning record.  Tampa outgained the Cannons 439-213 as Willis McGahee again went over 100 yards.  So did David Tyree on five catches for 109 and a score.  With the score out of hand we got our first extended look at rookie Ryan Lindley, who went 7 of 10 for 101 and a short TD toss to Shane Vereen. OAKLAND 27   JACKSONVILLE 10 The Invaders kept their hopes of a Pacific Division title very much alive by cruising past the Bulls in Jacksonville. Pat White looked a lot better in his second start, throwin for 247 and 3 TDs, including two to Pierre Garçon.  Oakland remains tied with Las Vegas, but loses out on the tiebreaker, so they need a Thunder loss in Week 16 to snatch the division from Vegas. ARIZONA 18   MICHIGAN 21 A pretty good game between two teams that are not headed to the postseason. Larry Fitzgerald and Hines Ward both proving they deserve some All-USFL consideration as each goes over 100 yards, Ward also scoring twice for the Panthers. DENVER 9   LOS ANGELES 17 A huge blow to Denver’s playoff hopes as a loss in LA knocks them down to 8-7 and within range of both Portland and Houston for the final 2 Wild Card spots.  They are in a win and in game next week as they face their rivals, Arizona, in Glendale.  A great chance for the Wranglers to play spoilers.  Denver was hobbled when Matt Leinart went out early with a suspected concussion.  Dan LeFevour was unable to rally the troops after LA put up the first 14 points in the game. NASHVILLE 32   ORLANDO 22 Just as New Orleans did, Nashville knocked off a non-playoff team to set up the big game next week.  With 110 yards Frank Gore continued to be the engine for the Knights, but Peyton Manning is absolutely stepping up as he grows more comfortable with Jim Johnson’s offense. Manning went 24 of 32 for 205 and 3 scores as the Knights move to 8-7 and control their playoff hopes. Win next week and they host a Wild Card game. MEMPHIS 3   CHARLOTTE 23 Charlotte’s defense assured that the Monarchs would clinch a playoff spot.  The Monarchs held Memphis to only 187 total yards, including  a miserable 63 yards passing as Ryan Mallett completed only 8 attempts.  Expect to see the Showboats look for an upgrade at the position for next season as 2 years in Mallett is just not showing much. NEW JERSEY 37   BALTIMORE 24 The Generals lock up a playoff spot at 11-4, and could challenge for the division depending on what happens next week.  Sam Bradford again looked very much like a 1st round pick, throwing for 4 touchdowns on the day, hitting 4 different receivers. PHILADELPHIA 34   HOUSTON 20 The Stars retain their hold on 1st place both in the NE Division and in the Eastern Conference with a nice road win in Houston.  The star of the Stars on this day was safety Jarius Byrd who returned not one, but two picks for scores.  Houston was in the game at 20-13 until the 2nd of Byrd’s picks, after which the Stars never looked back, building a 34-13 lead before giving up a final minute garbage time TD. PITTSBURGH 24   OHIO 29 Ohio gets a rivalry game win against a dispirited Mauler squad.  Pittsburgh was seen as a Summer Bowl contender but this loss guarantees they will finish the year with a losing record.  Isaiah Pead had himself a day in this one, rushing for 142 yards on only 18 carries (a 7.9 average) and, oh, by the way, rushing for 3 touchdowns as well.  Looks like Ohio has found themselves a back to build around. PORTLAND 27   SEATTLE 16 Portland takes advantage of losses by both Denver and Houston to move up and put themselves in better position for a Wild Card.   They now sit at 8-7 and a win next week will get them in the dance.  Ryan Fitzpatrick overcame 2 picks to throw for 319 yards and 2 scores as the Stags win the Cascade Clash in Seattle.  Seneca Wallace got the start over Alex Brink but it was clear he had a limited playbook at his disposal. ATLANTA 10   LAS VEGAS 28 The Sunday nightcap was a good inter-conference matchup between two playoff-bound teams.  Las Vegas’s defense proved the tougher of the two as they hold Atlanta to only 10 points despite 302 total  yards.  Marshawn Lynch also proved he was fully back from injury, rushing for 141 yards on 27 bonecrunching carries.  The Thunder face LA next week, knowing that a win at Farmers Insurance Field will get them a division title. Expect a Lot of Subs in Week 16 Games While there are certainly a lot of games with playoff ramifications this week, that does not mean that that all participants will be at full strength.  Fans should expect to see a lot of young players and backups getting starts for non-playoff teams, even if their matchups could impact the playoff scenarios for their opponents.  It is the way of the world.  Teams don’t want to risk their stars in a meaningless end of season game, except in those rare cases where a player is seeking a personal milestone or leaguewide recognition. We have already gotten word from several coaches of QB changes for Week 16, and we should expect that several other players will be held out of action and given  a final week “bye” from the rigors of the game.  Among the QBs we expect to see this week, we have confirmation on the following: Arizona will be giving Nick Foles a chance to show his stuff, resting David Carr. Chicago is giving Mike Kafka a rare start as they protect Brady Quinn for 2013. LA has been noncommittal on Mark Sanchez, so we could see Brody Croyle under center. Michigan wants to take a look at rookie Kirk Cousins, so Griese may get the start but leave early. Orlando has already announced that rookie Russell Wilson will get his first start in the pros. Tampa Bay put Ryan Lindley in last week, and we expect him to start in Week 16. For these teams it is a chance to see what they have in younger players, or to avoid an injury to a key player in a meaningless game.  Of course, with many of these teams facing playoff hopefuls, the results of Week 16 matchups could be determined by some of these moves, something which fans often find unsettling, but which is a natural part of the long term strategy teams must employ. Final Week to Change the Leaderboards One week left and a few key statistical races are still there to be won.  Here is a quick recap of some races to watch. Passing Yards:  Big Ben has a 19-yard lead on Arizona’s David Carr, but with Carr expected to sit, we think Roethlisberger will hold on for the title. Rushing Title: Antowain Smith is ahead of Willis McGahee by 11 yards, and we expect both to play in the season finales, so this one could come down to the wire. Receiving Yards:  Joey Galloway has a 30 yard lead on Tory Holt.  We are not sure how much either player will see the field this week, but we know that Holt would love nothing more than to snag the title.  3rd place receiver Marques Colston could jump over both of them as the Outlaws are playing to win a bye this week so Colston should go the whole game. Receptions:  Nashville’s Robert Meachem has a 1 catch lead on Boston’s Justin Blackmon, and only 4 receptions ahead of Joey Galloway.  Of the three, Meachem is the only one in a meaningful game as he plays for Nashville’s playoff life.  So, will that be an advantage, or will Blackmon and Galloway be able to pile up catches in games with little else on the line. Tackles: Houston’s James Farrior is currently 2 tackles ahead of Jacksonville’s Mike Vrabel.  With the Gamblers battling for their playoff lives, we expect Farrior to have a big game, and that could give him the title. Sacks:  Calais Campbell may sit this one out, which gives Texas’s Reynaldo Wynn a shot, 2 sacks behind Campbell, to tie or surpass the Renegade DE.  If he can, he could also snag the Defensive POTY title, since voters are reluctant to give it to Campbell again, especially with Orlando’s season crashing and burning all around him. Interceptions:  Three men stand tied at 7 apiece.  Philly FS Jairus Byrd entered the group with an astounding 2 pick-sixes this past week.  He joins Atlanta’s all-time great, Charles Woodson and Charlotte’s Asante Samuel.  One pick could be enough for one of these three to take the title.  Of course there is also a cluster at 6 picks, so a 2-pick day could rocket someone else to the league interception title. What We Expect of Black Monday Lots of questions around the league as teams who are out of playoff position look to fix what ails them.  We know already that Marvin Lewis is leaving the Dragons after their Week 16 season finale at Chicago, and there is general expectation that John Fox will not be staying on with Boston when they relocate to Dallas.  Beyond that it is all speculation.  Here is what we are hearing with one week left. We fully expect Emmitt Thomas to be relieved of duties in Orlando.  The season has been a disaster for the Renegades and Thomas just does not have the resume to survive a 3 or 3 win season when so much more was expected. Ohio has to be looking at Bart Andrus’s 2-year tenure and wondering if he can turn the club around. The Glory have had some moments this year, so they  may well give him a 3rd year to prove himself and to get this club back into contention. The arrival of Cam Newton and a 7-win season in 2011 had folks in Alabama high on Mike Shanahan, but a return to 10+ losses is not what the Stallion faithful expected this year.  We think Shanahan survives for another year, but would not be shocked if the Stallions opt to go elsewhere. Rick Schiano in Chicago and Brad Childress in Memphis are both in their first years, so expect owenship to write off this year as a retool and to give both time to prove they can get results with a refurbished roster. Gregg Williams had better hope that his 10-6 season in 2011 is still fresh enough in LA ownership’s minds to look past what has been a very disappointing 2012.  We could see a strong case being made that for all of LA’s defensive improvement, the offense has just not been good at all.  That could mean looking for a new OC, or it could mean trouble for Williams. Dick LeBeau is an institution at Michigan, with 2 league titles. We don’t see a pair of down years being enough to cost him his job.  That said, the Panthers are hoping for a rebound in 2013, and may be looking at a new QB as well. Ron Rivera has to be disappointed with 2012 in Pittsburgh, but after two straight division titles and a 2011 Summer Bowl appearance, ownership is still solidly behind Rivera. No changes in the playoff berths, with 3 spots still open after Week 15.  What we have on tap next week is a play-in game between Nashville and New Orleans, a ton of games that will impact seeding, including who wins the top seed in the East, and a couple of divisions still to be decided, including the Northeast, Southeast, South, and Pacific. Teams that control their own destiny include Philadelphia (Division & top seed), Charlotte (Division), Nashville & New Orleans (Division), and Las Vegas (Division).  The Thunder can also lock up a bye with a win next week.  If not, then Texas could take the 2nd seed and get the week to rest.  Among the three Western Wild Card contenders, both Denver and Portland, sitting at 8-7, are in the dance if they win next week.  If either loses, Houston could sweep in with a victory in Week 16. Some concerns across the league on offensive lines as several guards in particularly are likely out for an extended period.  We also should not expect to see Arizona TE Rob Gronkowski, Tampa DE Jason Pierre-Paul, or NJ cornerback Devin McCourty in Week 16.  We expect many others will also take the week off either for safekeeping or to allow them to heal before the Wild Card weekend. OUT Herman Johnson      G       BIR         Collarbone      IR Dan Santucci                 G             MEM     Ankle              IR Max Jean-Gilles            G             NSH       Jaw                  2-4 Weeks Erik Pears                     OT          LA           Concussion     1-2 Weeks Robert Quinn               DE           BAL        Back                 1-2 Weeks DOUBTFUL Jason Pierre-Paul          DE           TBY         Toe Aaron Curry                   LB           WSH      Toe Stephen Paea                 DT           POR       Hand Austin Pettis                   WR         CHI         Hamstring QUESTIONABLE Jamar Fletcher              CB           DEN       Ribs Devin McCourty          CB           NJ           Hand Terrance Kiel                  FS           ORL        Toe William Bethea             HB          STL         Hip Arrelious Benn            WR         OHI        Wrist Rob Gronkowski             TE           ARZ        Hand Dallas Surpasses Season Ticket Goal Happy faces all around in the DFW as the Dallas Roughnecks have reached and surpassed their goal of 30,000 season tickets sold for the 2013 season at the Cotton Bowl.  With the recent renovations reducing the stadium’s capacity to 72,304, the Roughnecks could continue to sell season ticket packages to their cap of 45,000, allowing league-mandated space for flex packages (4 game sets) and individual ticket sales.  At the pace Dallas has been able to get buy in on the new team we would expect their full season ticket capacity to be full by the time this year’s Summer Bowl comes around. And while the sales team is celebrating, the front office is hard at work.  Dallas announced this week that they will be hiring former New Orleans Breaker head scout and current Houston Oiler Director of Player Personnel Bobby Grier to be their new GM.  This is likely only the first of several changes within team leadership as the club relocates from Boston to Dallas for the 2013 season. Coach John Fox is expected to be released once we get past the final game of the season for Boston.  We also fully expect the Dallas franchise to make a change at QB next year after a second rough season for Jake Locker, the U. of Washington product. Dallas has already received word that adjustments to the Territorial Draft will allow them to add more regional schools to their profile, with the club expected to have both SMU and TCU as regional schools.  They will likely also ask for Oklahoma to be added to their area, but New Jersey has held the rights to OU players for most of the club’s existence, and is likely to fight back on that.  OK State may be a more realistic option for the Roughnecks as it is currently an unprotected school. Las Vegas Stadium Authority Trying to Woo an NFL Franchise As USFL Concerns Mount With concerns about the financial stability and transparency of the Las Vegas Thunder, it seems the city of Las Vegas and their stadium authority are not feeling particularly confident in the USFL’s commitment to the city and its stadium project.  While the financial issues have to date been dealt with internally by the USFL, there is concern that the Thunder franchise could be in a more serious situation than previously imagined and that legal action against one or more of the Thunder ownership group could destabilize the franchise just as the stadium is set to go on-line in 2015. With that a pressing concern, it has been reported that the city of Las Vegas has made overtures to several NFL franchises, each with their own stadium concerns, to try to present Las Vegas as an alternative.  This has included the San Diego Chargers, whose dissatisfaction with Qualcomm Stadium an d their failed efforts to get a new facility built is well known.  Las Vegas has also reached out to the Jacksonville Jaguars, St. Louis Rams, and Tennessee Copperheads. It is pretty well-established that the Rams are pushing for a new open-air stadium in St. Louis and receiving no support from the city or from the USFL SkyHawks.  Tennessee shares their stadium in Nashville with the USFL Knights, and are apparently upset that the Knights have been able to negotiate a more  lucrative deal for stadium parking and concession revenue than the NFL club, largely due to the Knights dangling the Dallas relocation threat to Nashville officials. This is all very preliminary of course, as Thunder ownership have expressed no interest in relocation or sale of the club, and, as you would expect, are saying in no uncertain terms that their financial standing is solid, despite the issues with their initial payment to the stadium project.  The as-yet unnamed stadium is still on pace for a March 2015 grand opening for USFL football, but questions of the Thunder’s uncertain liquidity have been serious enough for the USFL to start its own investigation, paralleling legal actions taken by the city of Las Vegas to ensure full funding of the team’s stadium investment. USFL Offers One More “Best Of” List with Top 5 QB Seasons Ever Throughout the season the USFL has been releasing on its website some lists of the best seasons in the league’s 30 years. Each has been a great debate starter, but we have been waiting for the big one, the discussion of the greatest QB season in USFL history to arrive.  It was finally released this week and it will absolutely be a debate-starter.  The league released the names of 5 quarterbacks with one season for each.  That in itself is a topic for discussion as players like Brett Favre or Kerry Collins have had multiple top tier seasons, so picking just one can be a debate unto itself.  The league wanted to represent different eras, and yet we have a clear cluster of results between 1996 and 2003, a period which many have claimed to be the Golden Age of the USFL passing game.   Here are the arguments for all five QB’s and their numbers from the chosen season, so let the arguments begin. 1998 Troy Aikman (TBY) While there is no debate that Troy Aikman was an outstanding QB throughout his entire career as a Tampa Bay Bandit (1989-2000), it is also undeniable that in 1998 he took himself to an all new level.  In this one awe-inspiring season Aikman not only led the Bandits to a title, but put up numbers that were beyond anything he, or nearly any other QB, had ever achieved. Aikman threw for a league record 5,675 yards in that season, along with throwing for another league record 54 touchdowns.  His QB Rating jumped up from a previous best of 107.7 to a stellar 130.3. He helped Tampa Bay go 13-3 and had them blow through the USFL playoffs scoring 34 against Baltimore, 48 against the Federals, and a whopping 45 points in Summer Bowl 2012 against the overmatched St.  Louis Knights.  It was truly a year in which every piece of the puzzle came together for Aikman and the Bandit offense. 2003 Kerry Collins (OHI) While Troy Aikman’s ’98 season is the stuff of legends, no player had a 3-year run quite like Kerry Collins’s 2001-2003 production.  That the league opted to select his first of three seasons, and the only one where the Glory did not win the title, was a difficult call.  Statistically Collins’s best year, but one in which the favored Glory were upset 42-40 in the Divisional round seems odd, considering that in 2002 the Glory went unbeaten, 16-0, on their way to the club’s first of two titles.  But, while it may be the best team performance in USFL history, the stats for Collins in 2002 were not quite as stellar as in the choice here, his 2001 season.  In this year Collins would throw for a career best in yardage.   But it is so hard to quantify which of the three years was better as he would have his highest QBR in 2002 (a ridiculous 136.6) and would have 1 more TD toss in the 2003 title defense season than his 51 in 2001.  So, what do you do with a player who had such a run over more than one season?  Pick when it started seems to be the consensus here. 1999 Brett Favre (BIR) Another player with a lot of seasons to choose from, Brett Favre had so many 4,000-yard seasons, so many 30 TD seasons, that it is hard to pick just one.  Do we go for his breakout season in 1993, when he took the Stallions to a Summer Bowl victory?  What about his second act with rival Memphis when he did the same?  Nope, the league looked at his entire career and picked 1999 as the pinnacle of Favre’s production.  In that season he had career bests in yards with 5,224, also throwing 45 TDs and only 10 picks.  He may have had years with better QB Ratings, but he was at the top of his game, a mature leader and nearly unstoppable offensive weapon in 1999. 2001 Heath Shuler (MEM) Often lost in the discussions of the best USFL quarterbacks of its 30-year history, Heath Shuler may not get the respect of Favre, Collins, or Kelly, but any Memphis Showboat fan worth their salt will be able to tell you how special his 2001 season was.  In a career that saw Shuler go over 4,000 yards 5 times, only in 2001 did he cross the 5,000-yard map.  With 5,040 yards and 47 TDs in 2001, Shuler absolutely deserves to be recognized in this list.  It also was a year when he set a personal best for QBR at 132.1, one of the best ever ratings, thanks in part to his 64.1% completion rate while also throwing for over 5,000 yards. 1996 Jim Kelly (HOU) The first of the true gunslingers of the USFL, and in the minds of many still the best, Jim Kelly had his highpoint in 1996, his 13th and final season with the Gamblers.  Amazing to think that with all of his amazing seasons in the Run & Shoot, he would go out on top after his best season in 1996.  In that year Kelly threw for carer bests in yardage (5,417), touchdowns (47) and his lowest pick total of any season, with only 9.  That was an incredible 47:9 TD:Int ratio.  In that season Kelly led the Gamblers to a division title, then ran roughshod through the playoffs, knocking off Michigan, St. Louis, and the Aikman-led Panthers to take the title in one of the best Summer Bowls ever, a 38-35 shootout that came down to the final seconds.  It was a triumphant swan song for one of the league’s earliest stars. Week 16 always means a special schedule with no Friday games and key matchups set to be at the same time to avoid gamesmanship.  So, NBC takes on a Saturday late game as all games are either Saturday or Sunday. SAT @ 12PM ET                 New Jersey (11-4) @ Texas (10-5)                             ABC Texas needs to win and have Las Vegas lose to win a bye week as the 2nd seed.  New Jersey could still win the NE Division if Washington and Philly both fall. SAT @ 12PM ET                 Boston (3-12) @ Philadelphia (11-4)                        FOX Win and you have homefield for the playoffs.  That is Philadelphia’s situation, not one anyone expected when Kurt Warner went down for the season in Week 2. SAT @ 12PM ET                 Charlotte (11-4) @ Washington (11-4)                    FOX The winner of this game has a real shot at the top seed, assuming Philly loses, which is a lot to assume.  For Charlotte a win gives them the SE Division, and a bye week.  A loss and it could be Atlanta that jumps up to get the title. SAT @ 12PM ET                 Jacksonville (6-9) @ Atlanta (11-4)                           ABC The Fire are ecstatic that Charlotte has to finish up with a very ornery Washington squad. If the Feds win that game, Atlanta could claim the SE Division at home against Jacksonville. SAT @ 4PM ET                   Oakland (10-5) @ Houston (7-8)                              FOX Oakland needs this win to have any shot at the Pacific Crown.  Houston needs it to have a shot at the playoffs altogether.  That should make for a very hard fought game. SAT @ 4PM ET                   Denver (8-7) @ Arizona (6-9)                                 ESPN/EFN Denver controls their playoff destiny.  Win and they are in.  Lose and they have to hope that either Baltimore or Oakland come through to help them. SAT @ 4PM ET                   Baltimore (8-7) @ Portland (8-7)                               NBC Portland was picked to finish last in the Pacific Division.  A win this week at home and they are in the playoffs.  A very good first year result for Marty Mornhinweg after coming over from Chicago. SUN @ 12PM ET               Seattle (3-12) @ Chicago (6-9)                                    ABC Nothing on the line in this one except a final goodbye for Seattle Head Coach Marvin Lewis. SUN @ 12PM ET               Orlando (3-12) @ Tampa Bay (8-7)                           ABC The Bandits want to finish 9-7, the Renegades just want this season to be over.  Expect a lot of backups for both teams in this one. SUN @ 12PM ET               Memphis (4-11) @ Birmingham (5-10)                   FOX Two teams that expected better this year.  While Cam Newton and Ryan Mallett will start, expect a lot of young players to see some snaps as both teams prep for the offseason. SUN @ 4PM ET                  Las Vegas (10-5) @ Los Angeles (6-9)                       ABC The result of Oakland’s game on Saturday will determine what Las Vegas does here.  If Oakland gets the W, then the Thunder cannot avoid a let down in LA.  If the Invaders lose to Houston, then Las Vegas can take a deep breathe, but they still want that 2nd seed and the bye, so a win is still vital for them. SUN @ 4PM ET                  St. Louis (12-3) @ Ohio (5-10)                                    FOX We thought we might see some backups for St. Louis, who already has home field throughout the Western playoffs assured, but they seem to want to get at least 1 quarter of action from their starters, maybe more. SUN @ 4PM ET                  Michigan (6-9)   @ Pittsburgh (6-9)                           FOX We are not sure that reaching 7-9 instead of 6-10 is much motivation for either team.  Kirk Cousins will start for Michigan because they need to know if he has potential in case Griese does retire this year.  Pittsburgh will continue to test out Andy Dalton despite his struggles in prior games. Could this mean that Cody Pickett is on the trading block? SUN @ 8PM ET                  Nashville (8-7) @ New Orleans (8-7)                        ESPN/EFN It just would not be Week 16 in the USFL without these two teams facing off with the division title on the line.  This year the winner is in and the loser is out. That is what we call motivation.  Manning vs. Brees also makes this a great matchup of two very different QB styles.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Arian Foster did it all for Texas this week, rushing for 144 yards and turning his lone reception into six points as Texas clinched a playoff spot with a win over Boston at a neutral site. PLAYOFF PICTURE: A lot of movement this week as 7 more playoff spots were claimed. In the East, Washington fell from the top seed to the sixth seed after back to back losses. Philadelphia, Charlotte, New Jersey, and Atlanta clinched 5 Eastern Conference playoff spots, with only the Southern Division title left to be claimed. In the West, Texas, Oakland, and Las Vegas have all clinched spots, with Texas snatching their second consecutive SW Division title. Portland and Denver currently occupy the final two spots, but Houston is right there, also at 7-7. We also now have 11 teams mathematically elminated with 2 weeks left in the season. Baltimore, Tampa Bay, Birmingham, LA, and Michigan now join Seattle, Boston, Orlando, Memphis, and Ohio as teams playing out the string.

What a difference one week can make.  In the span of one weekend we went from two playoff teams locked in to having 9 of the 12 playoff spots in place, including everything in the East except for one division title. There is still a lot on the line as teams jockey for position, home games, and byes, but we are getting closer and closer to knowing which USFL squads will be headed to the post-season after Philadelphia, Charlotte, New Jersey, Atlanta, Texas, Oakland and Las Vegas have all punched their tickets to the playoffs.  We will start our coverage of USFL Week 14 with the game that capped off the weekend, our NE Division Sunday night clash between the Stars and Federals, run through all the scores, and then outline what this all means as we race towards the playoffs. PHILADELPHIA STARS 27   WASHINGTON FEDERALS 21 The Sunday night tilt between the Stars and Feds was anticipated all week long and did not disappoint. These two Summer Bowl contenders faced off at RFK stadium in a classic battle of both rivals and titans in the USFL.  The result was a seismic shift in the playoff standings and one more chapter in a Cinderella story for the ages as Matt Gutierrez continues to amaze the football world with his success as the Stars’ QB. Gutierrez would finish this game with 343 yards and 3 TDs despite constant pressure from the Federal defense, pressure that produced 5 sacks, but could not slow down the Stars or their former backup QB.  He was aided by huge performances from WR Stevie Johnson (6 receptions for 128 yards) and HB Steve Slaton (17 carries for 114 yards) as the Stars found ways to crack Washington’s defensive shell.  For the Federal offense, it was, as always, centered around Deuce McCallister, who rushed for 110 on 24 carries.  David Garrard would throw for 216 and2 scores, with David Branch and Darnerian McCants his primary targets. The game started slowly, as many do, with both teams setting up later success on their early drives.  After both teams began with short drives that quickly fizzled out, Philadelphia found success on their second go, moving the ball to the Washington 30 before settling for a Mike Nugent 47-yarder to open scoring at 3-0.  Washington countered and just as the first quarter was ending they got on the board with the first TD of the day, a nicely executed drive that culminated with a short pass to Branch for 6.  The first period ended 7-3 in favor of the homestanding Feds. Washington would expand that lead early in the 2nd, when, following a rare mistake by Garrard, an overthrown ball that safety Gibril Wilson was able to corral, the Federals again moved the ball efficiently into Philadelphia territory, capping off this drive with a 5-yard scoring run from McCallister.  Down 14-3, Philadelphia needed a response, and they would get one. On their next drive, Matt Gutierrez made up for his earlier overthrow, going 4 of 4 on the drive and moving the Stars deep into Washington territory in only 2 minutes. On a third and goal from the 10, the Stars thought they had a touchdown as Steve Slaton took a swing pass to the corner of the endzone.  Replay showed his elbow was down at the 1 before he crossed the plane and Coach Harbaugh would have a decision to make. He opted to go for it on 4th and goal from the 1.  Faking the dive to Slaton, Gutierrez found TE Daniel Fells alone in the endzone for 6. Philadelphia was back in the game at 14-10. The two teams would go into the half with this score, Washington in the lead but Philadelphia feeling good after their scoring drive.  When they returned to action, both defenses flexed their muscles, producing three consecutive unproductive drives and three punts.  On the 4th drive, a breakthrough as Gutierrez found Stevie Johnson for his longest play of the day, a 29-yarder, and then connected with Troy Williamson for 13, before getting the ball to the endzone on another swing pass, this time to 3rd down back Leon Washington.  The lead changed hands and now Philadelphia was up, Stars 17, Feds 14. As the game entered the 4th quarter another turnover hurt the Federals as HB Rod “He Hate Me” Smart drew some hate from Washington fans by coughing up the ball on Washington’s 33 yard line.  Philadelphia took over and in only 4 plays had another score as Gutierrez again found his slot receiver, Tory Williamson, this time for 6.  Stars up 24-14 with 8:51 left to play.  They would stifle the Feds on the next drive and add a field goal to go up 27-14. Washington, now down 13 points at home, needed a quick drive.  Philadelphia, looking at the clock, needed to slow down the game.  The Stars got what they needed, playing a shell defense that allowed Washington the underneath routes but never more than 8 yards in any play, dragged out the Washington drive.  By the time the Feds got in the endzone on a Garrard to McCants throw, there were only 27 seconds left in the game.  Washington would be forced to go for an onside kick. At first glance it appeared that the kick had succeeded, but very quickly the yellow flag was out.  Washington’s Sheldon Brown had touched the ball before it had gone 10 yards and a rekick was needed.  On the second attempt, the verdict was not in doubt as Leon Washington fell on the ball for the Stars.  Philadelphia took a knee and celebrated a huge victory which not only vaulted the Stars over Washington and into first place in the NE Division, but also to the top of the Eastern Conference standings. Philadelphia now controlled their destiny and could lock up the top seed in the East with 2 more wins, assuring them both a bye and home field advantage throughout the playoffs. For Washington the loss meant a drop all the way from the top spot to the sixth and final seed in the East.  With earlier victories by Atlanta, New Jersey, and Charlotte, all three were now ahead of the Federals in the standings.  A sour feeling for the first club to have locked up a playoff spot. TAMPA BAY 17   CHARLOTTE 20 The Bandits led this one 14-7 at the half, but Shonn Greene went off in the second half, with Fred Jackson out.  Greene rushed for 91 of his 119 yards in the second hald and added the TD that tied the game.  After that it was a battle of field goals and league scoring leader Brandon Coutu had one more kick in him than Tampa Bay’s Nate Kaeding. TEXAS 31   BOSTON 14 In a game played in Detroit to avoid more damage at BC’s Alumni Stadium from angry Boston Cannon fans, the Texas Outlaws outpaced the Cannons, thanks in large part to Arian Foster’s dominant 144-yard ground attack.  Luke McCown threw for 3 scores as well as the Outlaws clinched their second consecutive SW Division title with the win. ORLANDO 14   MEMPHIS 24 For a game that neither team should have really wanted to win (because of draft position) both actually put in a strong performance.  Eli Manning threw for 2 scores, but Ryan Mallett and Antony Allen got the last laugh with a late TD to secure the win for Memphis, which actually bumped them from the first overall pick to 4th in the current rankings. BIRMINGHAM 17   BALTIMORE 27 In a game that would not, by the end of the weekend, help Baltimore avoid elimination, the Blitz still did their part, moving to 8-6 with a home win over the Stallions. HB Anthony Dixon, just off a new contract extension, put up 109 yards on 23 carries.  The defense held Cam Newton to -12 yards on his various scrambles and designed runs, and the Blitz got the W. NEW ORLEANS 3   NASHVILLE 16 In the first battle of these two division rivals over the final 3 weeks, Nashville used home field advantage and an early concussion to Drew Brees to shut down the Breakers and reclaim first place in the division.  Frank Gore ran for 60 yards and Peyton Manning went 17 for 27 as Nashville slowly and methodically pulled away from the offensively troubled Breakers. OHIO 14   DENVER 17 Denver struggled for 3 quarters, falling behind 14-0 at home, but lit a fire in the final quarter, getting TDs from Peerless Price and DeMarco Murray and finishing the game with a final minute Greg Zeurlein field goal to move to 8-6 and stay in playoff position with their 4th straight win. OAKLAND 6   LAS VEGAS 13 Las Vegas had no mercy on backup QB Pat White of Oakland.  The Thunder threw everything but the kitchen sink at White.  The inexperienced QB threw two costly picks and was replaced by Curtis Painter late in the game.  Meanwhile Las Vegas managed only 1 TD against the equally tough Invader defense, but the Plummer to Ponder TD toss was enough to give them the win and equal their record with Oakland’s atop the Pacific Division. MICHIGAN 13   ST. LOUIS 28 Another week, another win for St. Louis, who make it 7 in a row with a home W against division rival Michigan.  Antowain Smith took over the league rushing lead with 112 yards on 24 carries and Josh Freeman threw for 2 scores as the Skyhawks more than doubled up the Panthers despite 144 yards from Hines Ward of Michigan. SEATTLE 3   ATLANTA 17 The Dragons appeared to have little in the tank as they sleepwalked through this game in Atlanta.  The Fire got early TDs from Ted Ginn and Darren McFadden and were happy to speed the game up with their run game as they moved to 10-4 and locked up a playoff spot. HOUSTON 10   NEW JERSEY 35 New Jersey also locked up a postseason bid with their home win, while dealing a blow to Houston’s chances as they send the Gamblers to a 7-7 record.  Sam Bradford was cleared to play just hours before the game, and it certainly seemed the right call as he threw for 4 scores before letting Bryan Hoyer finish out the game in the 4th. PORTLAND 23   ARIZONA 20 Portland stays alive in the West by knocking off Arizona in Arizona.  The Stags pulled out to a 23-7 lead but Arizona fought back on TDs form Fitzgerald and Gronkowski, but it was too little too late for the Wranglers as Portland held on for the W and equalized their record at 7-7, good enough to sit in 6th place with 2 weeks left in the season. JACKSONVILLE 15   LOS ANGELES 14 The Bulls edge the Express on a late David Akers field goal. LA had taken a 14-0 lead early with scores by Keyshawn and Ray Rice, but over 3 quarters Jacksonville clawed their way back, all the while shutting down the LA offense.  They got help with 2 LA fumbles in the second half, one of which was inside the 5-yard line of Jacksonville and produced a 10-point swing, as a possible LA TD became a Bulls field goal. PITTSBURGH 14   CHICAGO 16 The Maulers were officially eliminated from playoff contention with yet another poor offensive game.  Andy Dalton went 17 of 27, but the Mauler run game failed them completely.  Chicago just kept plugging away, with Michael Turner getting 28 carries for 122 yards by the time the whistle blew. Brady Quinn gets the W despite only throwing for 84 yards in another lackluster performance. Brian Griese Hints at Retirement The post-game comments from Michigan’s loss to St. Louis were expected to be the usual conciliatory statements and cliches about preparation and playing one game at a time, but what we got this week was a bit of honesty and a hint at what the future may hold for at least one member of the Panthers.  Brian Griese, the starting QB for the Panthers since 2007, basically said the inside things outside.  He all but admitted that he was planning to retire at the end of the season, talking about how he has been disappointed in his play, and that he believes that his body is just not responding the way it used to. Many have noticed that since his injury-shortened 2010 season, Griese has not been as sharp and his arm has not been as lively.  The stats also show this.  While his accuracy has remained solid, his ability to drive the ball to the outside of the field or to hit deep routes has just not been the same.  His QB Rating has not crossed 93.0 since the injury, when it had regularly been over 100 in prior years.  Now, there are a lot of QBs who would love to be living in the 90’s when it comes to QBR, but Griese has clearly noted that he is not the player he once was, and, it appears, he may be looking at another losing season in Michigan and another long offseason, and perhaps he is considering that the time may have come for him to pass the torch and move on to broadcasting as his father did back in the day. Harrington Expected to Return for Season Finale Good news for Oakland fans who could not have been happy with this week’s performance in Las Vegas.  Joey Harrington has been cleared to practice again, and while he is unlikely to appear in this week’s clash in Jacksonville, he does plan to be back for the season finale in Houston.  More importantly, with Oakland already clinched for a playoff spot, Harrington will be back for the postseason.  There is a good chance that Oakland will need to play its starters on Week 16, particularly if they want to avoid starting the playoffs on the road, so having Harrington back under center in the season’s final week could be a huge addition for Oakland. Dallas Ownership Seems Ready to Move on from John Fox Nothing official has been said, but the writing appears to be on the wall for the coach who has been with the Boston Cannons since their time in Atlanta.  Dallas ownership seems ready to make major overhauls to the Cannons as they prepare for their first season as the Dallas Roughnecks, and, from comments made this week, it seems that Head Coach will be one of the targeted areas for a new path forward. John Fox has been the only head coach in Boston’s history in Beantown.  He joined the then-Atlanta Fire in their last season in the South, then guided Boston through 10 seasons in Boston, including 4 playoff appearances and a league title in 2009. In a way it seems almost fitting that as the club leaves behind Boston, they also part ways with Fox, who will forever be associated with a decade of growth for the franchise. Expect Fox to be a likely Black Monday casualty and for Dallas to try to find a coach for 2013 who is well-known to fans in the DFW area.  That could mean a former Cowboys player or coach or a coach with ties to one of the bigger college programs in the area.  We should also expect Dallas to see a considerable amount of roster turnover, likely beginning with the QB position and the as-of-yet underwhelming results brought by Jake Locker to the club. Seattle Seeks Permission to Interview Stump Mitchell The Seattle Dragons, already announcing that Marvin Lewis will be stepping down after Week 16’s season finale, are not wasting any time trying to line up interviews for the first weeks of the offseason.  According to reports they have their eye on St. Louis OC Stump Mitchell. The former HB who came into coaching as a position player, has the Skyhawks flying with an average of 27.7 PPG and nearly 370 yards, with both the rushing and passing offense ranked in the Top 5 in the league.  Seems only natural that he would be of interest for a club in Seattle who are averaging over 12 fewer points per game, and under 275 yards per game. While Seattle can request permission to speak with Mitchell, there is only a short window in which they could speak with him before the Summer Bowl, and only if Seattle is offered a bye in the playoffs.  If the Skyhawks get the bye during the Wild Card Weekend, then, as with any coach on a bye week, he would be available for an interview in the week leading up to the Wild Card games.  If not, then Seattle would need to wait until St. Louis’s run in the playoffs is over.  That could mean waiting until after the Summer Bowl, since it looks like the Skyhawks could be a top seed, and with the Summer Bowl in St. Louis, they will be extremely motivated to make an appearance in the big game. A big week for teams clinching playoff spots as we went from 2 of 12 playoff berths locked in to 9 of 12.  Charlotte, Atlanta, New Jersey and Philadelphia all locked up spots in the East, with Philly moving to the top seed position in control of their own destiny.  In the West Texas, Oakland and Las Vegas also secured spots, with the Outlaws also securing their 2nd consecutive division title after not having won one in their first 26 seasons.  There are two Wild Card spots still open in the West and mathematically there are still 6 teams that can potentially win one of them. Of those 6, Denver is in the driver’s seat as the only 8-6 club among a throng of 7-7 and 6-8 teams.  Back in the East, the only playoff spot not yet claimed is the Southern Division title, with Nashville and New Orleans both sitting at 7-7 and the Knights holding the tiebreaker due to both a better division record and a win over New Orleans this week. On the other side of the playoff spectrum, LA, Michigan, Ohio, Baltimore, Jacksonville, Tampa Bay and Birmingham join the list of eliminated clubs looking ahead to next season. Only 2 weeks left of regular season action and you hate to see injuries at this point in the season, especially if you are a playoff-bound team, but they are a reality. Looking at our new IR listing, there are several injuries that could play a part in how the postseason goes for several teams, from Oakland and Washington losing a key safety valve at TE, or Denver and Charlotte losing a key contributor in the linebacker group.  You never want to see a player go down to injury, but at this time of year those lost contributions can become huge factors for playoff football. OUT Jeb Putzier                 TE           OAK       Hip                         IR James Brewer                 OT          BAL        Achilles                 IR Shawne Merriman           LB           DEN       Neck                      IR AJ Nicholson                LB           CHA       Abdomen            IR Heath Miller                     TE           WSH      Quad                     IR Max Jean-Gilles             G             NSH       Shoulder              4-6 Weeks Rolando Heredia           DE           LA           Knee                      2-4 Weeks Amini Silatulo                  G             SEA        Back                       2-4 Weeks Bhawoh Jue                    FS           LA           Ankle                     2-4 Weeks DOUBTFUL Arrelious Benn               WR         OHI        Wrist Fred Jackson                   HB          CHA       Neck Victor Cruz                       WR         PIT          Back Cedric Cobbs                 HB          HOU      Concussion Donterrious Thomas       LB           NJ           Foot DaJuan Morgan             SS           ATL         Hamstring League Frustrated by Impasses in Thunder Financial Probe Initial reports out of Las Vegas are showing frustration from the USFL in their investigation of Thunder ownership and their financial backing.  The Thunder, particularly their lead owner Phil Ruffin, have been talking a good game about opening the books to the league office, but have been throwing up roadblocks throughout the initial process.  They have been reluctant to divulge key data, provide interviews of key personnel, and have made the case on several occasions that conflicts between Nevada state law, issues tied to Mr. Ruffin’s casino ownership and restrictions brought on by the Nevada Gaming Commission, and federal tax protections do not allow for full disclosure to the league.  In turn, the league has been trying to work closely with the state and its gaming commission to ensure that their investigation is within the boundaries of the possible. According to sources within the league, what has been most unnerving, is the seeming desire of Mr. Ruffin to conflate his Thunder finances with his casino development and management business, something the league had been assured would not be the case when the franchise was purchased and relocated from Portland.  Concerns over the blending of organized gambling and a pro sports franchise in Las Vegas were one of the biggest sticking points for the sale, but it was approved when assurances were made that the revenue streams would remain separate.   Now, in seeking to potentially stall or divert the USFL’s investigation, the concerns that the two have not been kept at arm’s length are growing. At the same time, the stadium project is now a huge issue for the league. There was no intent for the USFL and its 28 franchises to fund 70% of the building project for a team that is not contributing its pledged share of the funding, but more and more it is appearing that when the Thunder fail to comply with their obligations, the league must step in.  The stadium, which is scheduled to open in 2015, is still on schedule, but also still looking for a second potential tenant, and the USFL is hoping that both the Thunder and a potential fall NFL tenant will help pull some of the cost of construction away from their own funds.  This is what was anticipated when the deal was cut, but with the Thunder balking at their first major payment due date, the concern is very real that the Las Vegas stadium deal could turn into a major liability for the USFL, and that the Thunder may simply not be as viable and reliable a franchise as the league had envisioned. An Early Look at the 2013 Draft Not Promising for QB-Needy Teams There are years in which teams will do almost anything to get into position at the top of the draft to try to snag a potential franchise QB, and then there are years like this one, where you look over the draft class and wonder if there is anyone in it that could even potentially start later on in their careers.  The 2013 draft is shaping up to be one without a lot of promise for the many QB-hungry teams across both the NFL and the USFL.  That is not good news for teams who may be seeing their starter retire or who are just not satisfied with their QB play. Looking at the potential draft class of 2013 QBs, it is hard to get too excited about any of the prospects.  The general consensus is that Oklahoma’s Landry Jones, FSU’s E.J. Manuel, and West Virginia’s Geno Smith are at the top of the class, followed by NC State’s Mike Glennon, USC’s Matt Barkley, and Syracuse’s Ryan Nassib.  But there is not a lot of excitement about any of these frontrunners, and certainly not the kind of enthusiasm we have seen in recent years for players like Andrew Luck or Robert Griffin. Now, we can still see some QB signing happen, with a lot depending on retirements and free agency.  We could certainly see Tampa Bay take a long look at E. J. Manuel before the Territorial Draft if Culpepper announces his retirement.  But, after drafting and signing Ryan Lindley last year, perhaps they pass on the FSU signal caller.  Geno Smith would be protected by Pittsburgh in the T-Draft Pool, but we don’t see the Maulers giving up on Andy Dalton, who has had moments this year despite the overall disappointing season put together by the Maulers. Then you have Matt Barkley from USC, who is unlikely to be selected by LA in the T-Draft after they just extended another Trojan’s contract in Mark Sanchez.  Mike Glennon would be protected by the Charlotte Monarchs, but with Brandon Wheedon selected last year and rated higher than Glennon at that time, not to mention NFL signee Charlie Whitehurst, we don’t see them clamoring for another QB.  Landry Jones is an interesting prospect, but we are not even sure if he would be protected by New Jersey or if the move of the Cannons to Dallas means that there would be a reshuffling of the T-Draft selections, one in which OU could become the territory of the new Roughnecks team, a move that might actually bode well for the OU quarterback, since it seems very clear that the current Boston, future Dallas franchise is not happy at the position. So, what do we expect?  Well, there will be the usual hyping up of the QBs during the short offseason between college bowls and the USFL & NFL drafts.  But what we expect is for a very hot free agent and trade market for proven commodities, even for solid backup QBs who could get a chance to start, because right now the buzz around the USFL is that the draft simply does not hold any immediate answers at the position. Week 15 and some games that could have a huge impact on the playoff seeding.  We start it off with a clash of titans in San Antonio when the Federals, losers of 2 in a row, and the Texas Outlaws clash on NBC’s Friday Night Lights. On Saturday we have Oakland in Jacksonville hoping to hold onto first place position in the Pacific.  We also have Denver hoping to lock up a spot with a win in LA, and then St. Louis heads to Chicago for a rivalry game where the Machine hope to play spoilers. On Sunday we kick off with Nashville in Orlando.  If they can get the win there, then their matchup with the Breakers in Week 16 takes on yet another Win & In showdown for these two rivals.  We also have Philly at Houston in a must win for the Gamblers.  New Jersey is also in Baltimore, where the eliminated Blitz would love nothing more than to take New Jersey down a peg. FRIDAY @ 8PM ET             WASHINGTON (10-4) @ TEXAS (10-4)                       NBC SAT @ 12PM ET                 BIRMINGHAM (5-9) @ NEW ORLEANS (7-7)                ABC SAT @ 12PM ET                 BOSTON (3-11) @ TAMPA BAY (7-7)                               FOX SAT @ 12PM ET                 OAKLAND (9-5) @ JACKSONVILLE (6-8)                         FOX SAT @ 4PM ET                   ARIZONA (6-8) @ MICHIGAN (5-9)                                ABC SAT @ 4PM ET                   DENVER (8-6) @ LOS ANGELES (5-9)                             FOX SAT @ 8PM ET                   ST. LOUIS (11-3) @ CHICAGO (6-8)                          ESPN/EFN SUN @ 12PM ET               NASHVILLE (7-7) @ ORLANDO (3-11)                              ABC SUN @ 12PM ET               MEMPHIS (4-10) @ CHARLOTTE (10-4)                           ABC SUN @ 12PM ET               NEW JERSEY (10-4) @ BALTIMORE (8-6)                         FOX SUN @ 4PM ET                 PHILADELPHIA (10-4) @ HOUSTON (7-7)                      ABC SUN @ 4PM ET                 PITTSBURGH (6-8) @ OHIO (4-10)                                    FOX SUN @ 4PM ET                 PORTLAND (7-7) @ SEATTLE (3-11)                                 FOX SUN @ 8PM ET                 ATLANTA FIRE (10-4) @ LAS VEGAS THUNDER (10-4) ESPN/EFN

A big week for rivalry games as St. Louis sent a crushing blow to the predicted Central Champs, Pittsburgh, thus assuring themselves of the title. Nashville and Birmingham clashed, with the winner the team in the best position to oust New Orleans from the top spot in the South.  Baltimore would go to Philly, hoping to stay relevant in a very contentious NE Division, and, in perhaps one of the best inter-conference games on the slate all season, the 9-3 Charlotte Monarchs would head out to the West Coast to face the Pacific Division-leading Oakland Invaders.  Oakland would get the W but potentially at great cost as they lose Joey Harrington to a hamstring injury, possibly for the rest o the regular season.  We will look at all the stories that came out of this exciting Week 13, and take a look at what Week 14 could bring.  Right here, on This Week in the USFL. NASHVILLE KNIGHTS 19   BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS 12 Two teams on the edge of the Wild Card hunt, both a game behind division-leading New Orleans.  The winner will keep pace, while the loser finds themselves at 5-8 and very likely out of the running.  That was the scene in Birmingham when the Stallions and Knights clashed in a Southern Division tilt.  Birmingham had won two in a row, knocking off both Orlando and Chicago to claw their way back into the conversation in the South.  Nashville halted a 3-game losing streak with Peyton Manning’s first USFL win last week vs. Memphis, and now they were hoping to get on track to stake a claim for the Southern Division title.  They would see New Orleans twice in the final 3 weeks, but first they had another division rival to deal with, the Stallions. This would not be a high scoring game, nor one where Peyton Manning could show off his arm, throwing for only 163 yards on the day.  Cam Newton for Birmingham would fare a bit better with 221 yards, but would also throw two costly picks in this game.  It was a game for the defenses, with the two teams combining to go 8 for 28 on third down and fewer than 600 combined yards. The game started with 3 straight three-and-outs as neither team showed much offensive cohesion early in the game.  That would change with Nashville’s 2nd drive, one in which they relied heavily on the combination of Franke Gore and Montario Hardesty to keep the chains moving.  The two would combine for 7 rushes in a 10-play drive.  With the ball eventually on the 1-yard line after a DPI call in the endzone, the threat of the run was enough to freeze the linebackers, making it possible for Manning to find Robert Meachem in the back of the endzone for the game’s first points. Birmingham would get on the board 6 minutes later, but not from their offense, which continued to struggle.  A solid punt from Stallion Bryan Anger pinned the Knights at their own 2-yard line.  On 1st and 10 from there, the Stallions blitzed both middle linebackers, confusing the blocking scheme of the Knights and forcing a safety as LB Nate Webster got to Frank Gore in the endzone. Birmingham would get the ball at the 50 after the free kick, but on the first play from scrimmage Cam Newton would force a ball towards Terrell Owens, but it would end up with CB Duane Starks instead.  Nashville got their first takeaway and they cashed in on it, adding to their lead with a 49-yard Kai Forbath kick. With the score Nashville 10, Birmingham 2 at the half, both teams tried to rile up their troops at the half.  Birmingham had only put together 4 first downs in the first half, while Nashville had fared better, but still was making too many mistakes for Coach Johnson to feel confident at the half.   The Knights would get the opening kick of the 2nd half, and they would show a new focus to start the 3rd quarter. It would take Nashville only 7 plays to cross the 72  yards from the kickoff to the endzone.  Peyton Manning connected with Denarius Moore for a 23-yarder to start the drive.  Hardesty found room on a pitch left to run for 14, and on 1st and goal from the 7, Manning hit Moore again, this time for 7.  Well, it would have been 7, but Forbath’s kick clanked off the left upright, leaving Nashville with a 16-2 lead. Birmingham had to respond.  They were now down 2 scores and had yet to put a single point on the board with their offense.  Joseph Addai had been held to only 22 yards in the first half, but he was fed the ball 4 times on this drive, gaining 21 yards on the play.  That plus a nice catch from Moss, put the ball on the Nashville 38-yard line, first and 10.  On the new set of downs, Cam Newton began the series with a play fake to Addai, but with pressure from the outside closing in, he quickly opted to keep the ball and dash up the middle.  Newton put a nice move on Hillenmeyer, and then had a pretty clear run the 38 yards to the endzone.  A nice block by Ahmad Merrit got him the final yards needed, and just like that Birmingham was on the board and within 7, 16-9. Nashville would build on their lead, again bumping it to a 2-score game, thanks to a Forbath field goal, and with 12:34 left to play, they led 19-9.  But Birmingham had found some success on offense, and they had the crowd behind them.  They would march the ball down to the Nashville 5 yard line, but on 3rd and 2 from the 5, a false start pushed them back to the 10.  Newton tried to hit Randy Moss in the endzone, but his pass was too low and Moss could not reach it before it grazed the turf.  They would settle for a 27-yard chipshot and bring the game to a 7-point margin again, and with 6:03 left, they had time to kick the ball deep, play defense, and get a shot at a game-tying drive. That is exactly what the Stallions did.  The Knights got stuffed on the run on 1st and 2nd down, and when Manning went back to pass on 3rd and 9, Derrick Harvey broke outer containment and wrapped up Manning before he could get a pass off.  Birmingham would get the ball back with just about 4 minutes left on the clock, trailing by 7. Nashville knew that there was more than enough time, so a prevent defense would not make sense.  They had also learned on the last drive, that pressuring Newton from the outside could leave them vulnerable in the middle of the field.  They would opt to rush only 4 (3 linemen and 1 backer) on each play, and to mix blanket 2- and 3-deep coverages to keep Newton guessing if he opted to put the ball up. On the first two plays, he did just that, settling for dump off passes to Addai and Ayanbedejo.  On third down he would scramble to make up the ground needed and get a first down at his own 33.   With a new set of downs, Coach Shanahan wanted to take a shot.  He called a play fake to Addai and had Randy Moss on a hook & go route, hoping to catch the tight zone coverage by surprise and get their home run hitter open on the sideline.  The play could have worked, Moss’s double move had been effective, but by the time he got away from Starks, Newton was already feeling pressure from DT Shaun Rogers and DE Mario Addison.  He tried to shift to his left and hit TE Julian Thomas across the middle, but his elbow was hit as he threw. Instead of finding Thomas, the ball fluttered up into the air and right into the arms of MLB Hunter Hillenmeyer. Nashville would roll down the clock, with Manning eventually taking a knee to end it.  Nashville would move to 6-7 and only 1 game behind New Orleans with the Breakers up next on the schedule.  Birmingham would drop to 5-8, and now could only hope that Nashville and New Orleans would each cost each other a loss.  The Stallions were out of Wild Card contention, so their only hope was for them to win out and have both the Knights and Breakers drop 2 games over the next 3 weeks. LAS VEGAS 24   SEATTLE 13 With Marvin Lewis announcing he will step down in Seattle and with Byron Leftwich now on IR, it is no surprise that the Dragons came out flat against the Thunder, or that only 21,274 showed up in Seattle on a rainy Sunday to watch the game.  Jake Plummer connected on 2 TD passes and Marshawn Lynch added another as the Thunder olled and move to their big matchup with Oakland this week. NEW ORLEANS 24   ORLANDO 9 The Breakers move a game over .500, setting up a huge game against Nashville this week, with a solid win over a lackluster Orlando squad that is just playing out the string.  Drew Brees threw for 315 and 3 scores, with Brandon LaFell having a big game with 135 yards, but Early Doucett nabbing 2 TDs as well.  For Orlando, Knowshon Moreno looked solid, rushing for 106, and Calais Campbell sat this one out, nursing an injury. ATLANTA 24   JACKSONVILLE 17 A huge week for Atlanta as they knock the Bulls out of playoff contention and then leapfrog Charlotte into 1st place.  Josh Reed came up big against the Bulls with 131 yards and a score, while the defense just shut down the Jacksonville run game, holding rookie Lamar Miller to a disappointing 14 yards on 9 carries. WASHINGTON 10   TAMPA BAY 24 We think we might have jinxed the Feds with our story about their win streak in last week’s recap. They came up against a motivated Bandit squad in Raymond James Stadium and they fell pretty hard.  Philip Buchanon inspired the Bandit troops with an early pick-6 of David Garrard and Willis McGahee shredded the Feds for 156 combined yards (81 rushing and 75 receiving) as the Bandits move to 7-6 and stay alive in the playoff hunt, while Washington now pulls to only 1 game over Philadelphia, despite locking up a playoff spot this week. DENVER 22   PORTLAND 7 The Gold make it three weeks in a row as they move to 7-6 and right into the heart of the playoff hunt with a big win over an inconsistent Stags club. Hicks & Murray combine for 160 yards on the ground and the Gold defense forces two big Stag turnovers, both in the Denver red zone in a huge win for Denver as they look to turn around the season late. CHARLOTTE 17   OAKLAND 24 The clash of division leaders ends with mixed results for Oakland. They get the win and hold their spot atop the Pacific, while also sending Charlotte tumbling from 1st place to a Wild Card spot in the Southeast.  But, at the same time, they may have lost their starting QB at a vital time of the season, with Joey Harrington going out in the 2nd quarter, downed by a hamstring injury that will cost him at least 1 week, but could require he rest until the postseason.  Pat White did well in relief, with 2 TD passes, and will get the nod in Week 14 action. TEXAS 13   HOUSTON 22 Another upset and a huge win for the Gamblers as they knock off Texas and tighten up the SW division.  Houston held Luke McCown to only 12 of 27 passing and kept Arian Foster to only 2.5 YPC on the day as the defense did their job.  The offense was huge too, with Shaun Alexander scoring twice as Houston gets the win in front of a crowd of over 61,000 in NRG Stadium. BALTIMORE 13   PHILADELPHIA 24 The Stars position themselves for a 1st place battle with Washington next week by knocking off the Blitz, thanks in large part to another strong game from Matt Gutierrez, who now moves to the top of the QB Rankings in what seems to be another Kurt Warner style story.  The defense also came up big, causing 2 Baltimore turnovers at key points in the game, and limiting the Baltimore run game to only 23 total yards. BOSTON 20   NEW JERSEY 28 The Cannons had to be happy just to be out of Boston as they headed to New Jersey.  The Generals were happy to have a foe with nothing to play for, but still struggled a bit, with Sam Bradford dinged up and Bobby Hoyer in at QB, New Jersey struggled to hold on as Boston and Adrian McPherson made the play for an upset. In the end, the Generals held on and now are only 1 game behind the Feds and in the weird position of rooting for Philly to upend Washington next week.  General fans rooting for Philly.  That’s a new one. MEMPHIS 19   OHIO 6 The Showboats get their third win, but one that may actually upset Memphis fans as it puts them in a 4-way tie at 3-10 with draft order on the line.  Ryan Mallett was again knocked out of the game and Matt Cassel came in to relieve him, but it was kicker Dan Bailey who was the hero of the game, with 4 FGs to help Memphis get the win. CHICAGO 6   MICHIGAN 20 The Panthers and Machine have certainly played more meaningful games over the years, as this one likely does not help either team stay in the hunt for a Wild Card.  In one of the more shocking stat lines of all time, Michigan rushes for exactly 0 yards in this game.  Ciatrick Fason had 9 yards rushing on 16 carries, but Chris Perry had -9 yards total, so they cancel each other out in a humiliating stat for the ages. LOS ANGELES 13   ARIZONA 19 The Wranglers are not dead yet, as their win over LA in the desert keeps their slim playoff hopes alive.  David Carr threw for 2 scores and Larry Fitzgerald had himself a game with 126 yards on only 4 catches as the Wrangles salvage a win after trailing 13-3 early.  Mark Sanchez was sacked 4 times and produced 2 picks in a game that cannot make LA fans happy at all. ST. LOUIS 27   PITTSBURGH 17 The Sunday Night game was supposed to be the Mauler’s chance to get right back in the playoff hunt, but instead it locked up the Central Division crown for the Skyhawks and sent Pittsburgh below .500 and all but out of the playoff hunt.  The ageless Antowain Smith had a huge day, rushing for 153 yards on only 17 carries, with a highlight reel 45-yard run sure to be seen on Sportscenter all week. The Skyhawks celebrated their first ever division title in a wild locker room scene after the win. Antowain Smith Defying Age & History What can we say about St. Louis HB Antowain Smith.  At the age of 35, when most running backs have either retired or are a shadow of their former selves, Smith seems to be getting stronger.  He already has crossed the 1,200-yard mark, is averaging 5 yards per carry and has St. Louis looking like a Summer Bowl contender. 2012 is already Smith’s 8th 1,000-yard season and could be his best ever.  With 4 games left he needs only 72 yards to set a personal best.   So much for all the talk of backs losing both a gear and their ability to make people miss after they hit 30.  Smith has one more year on his contract and could well make a case to the Skyhawks to offer what would be a 37-year-old HB a multi-year contract.  That is some impressive feat in today’s day and age, almost as impressive as what Smith is doing on the field. Oakland LB Bobby Wagner Has Huge Game in Invader Win Hold the presses on the Rookie of the Year award.  Bobby Wagner of the Invaders would like a recount. Wagner, who trails only Terrell Suggs, with 83 tackles, had a monster of a game this week, producing 4 fumbles in one game against Charlotte.  He now has 10 for the year, the next closest player in the entire league is multiple Defensive MVP Brian Urlacher.  Wagner is proving to be a catalyst for the Invaders and a vocal presence on the field.  He is talking the talk, and absolutely walking the walk.   Oakland will need him as the injury to Joey Harrington will certainly put more onus on the defense to come up big, force takeaways and give backup Pat White short fields to play with.  If this week’s game against Charlotte is any measure, Wagner is primed for the challenge. Joey Harrington Could Miss the Playoff Push We referenced this above, but the reality is that no one really knows whether Oakland’s star QB will be out just in Week 14 or if he will miss the rest of the regular season.  The hamstring injury did not reveal any ligament damage, so it could be possible we will see Harrington in action in Week 15 against the Bulls, but that depends in large part on how the leg progresses over his week off.  Expect Harrington to make the trip to Las Vegas this week, to be in the ear of Pat White the whole game, and to be a presence on the sideline, but that is certainly not where Oakland hopes he will be for long. Memphis May Be Losing By Winning That is the concern among Showboat fans who have seen Memphis pull out two wins in the second half of the season, including this week’s road win in Ohio.  That win put them in a 4-way tie with Seattle, Orlando, and Boston, all at 3-10.  They play Orlando this week and a win would all but guarantee that Orlando, and not Memphis could have the top pick in the Open Draft.  Now, we are not suggesting that Memphis tank the game, especially not with the USFL only averaging signing 50% of their 1st round picks, and only 42% of picks in the Top 10 selections.  But, even with no guarantee that whoever is taken number 1 overall will sign with the USFL, it is often desired by fans to have their pick of every available player.  And with Memphis looking very much like a club without a solid option at QB, one would have to imagine that having the top pick would be a serious interest for the club’s GM and 1st year head coach Brad Childress. Memphis will finish the year at home to Orlando, then on the road to both Charlotte and top rival Birmingham.  You know they want to win that game with the Stallions, but will they put it on the line if they are in a position to get the top pick, or will Coach Childress “test out some younger players” in a lost season.  Many fans wish he would do that this week against 3-win Orlando, but it seems unlikely. We have playoff teams!!   St. Louis wrapped up their first ever franchise division title with their win over the Maulers.  They take a 4-game lead on the division with only 3 to play and that gives them the crown. Washington went down this week, but still clinched at least a Wild Card, though the loss sets up a huge game against Philly for this upcoming weekend.  Other division leaders at 13 weeks include Atlanta, who are now tied with Charlotte atop the SE Division, New Orleans, who have a huge matchup with Nashville with 1st place on the line this week, Oakland, who will face their closest rival without their starting QB, and Texas, who still hold a 2-game lead on their rivals but have both Denver and Houston chasing them. We also had 3 more teams drop from the playoff hunt as Jacksonville, Ohio, and Seattle are now officially eliminated.  Birmingham, despite a 5-8 record equal to Jacksonville, remains alive thanks to the possibility of both Nashville and New Orleans dropping games down the stretch.  It is a weird situation where they cannot win a Wild Card slot, but the Stallions could still potentially win the Southern Division. The roll call of injured players just keeps moving along, with several notable players added to IR, including New Orleans receiver Santana Moss, a big hit to the Breaker offense as they prepare for a vital game in Nashville.  Others likely to miss action this week include LA Linebacker Lofa Tatupu, Nashville center Jake Grove, and, possibly, New Jersey QB Sam Bradford.  Bradford is dealing with a pinched nerve, and while he is hoping to be available for the game against Houston, so far he has been unable to practice this week. INJURED RESERVE Dre Moore                    DT          BAL        Quad Lance Schulters             SS          LA           Shoulder John Abraham              DE          SEA        Quad Rolando Heredia            DE          LA           Knee Santana Moss                WR         NOR       Abdomen OUT Lofa Tatupu               LB           LA           Ankle                     1-2 Weeks Ellis Wyms                      DT          CHI         Neck                      1-2 Weeks Lee Smith                      TE           OHI        Groin                     1-2 Weeks DOUBTFUL Jake Grove                   C             NSH       Knee Travis Claridge            G             DEN       Hand Terrelle Pryor                QB          OHI        Hip QUESTIONABLE Rick Razzano                      FB         TEX         Knee Antoine Winfield               CB         LV           Cornea Jerome Felton                   FB         STL         Nose Terrell Owens                     WR        BIR         Shoulder Sam Bradford                    QB         NJ           Pinched Nerve Hall of Fame Class of 2012 Announced Four first ballot enshrinees in the Class of 2012’s six man entry class, that is what the USFL and the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced this week.  The four included three running backs and a wideout, demonstrating a return to offensive stars being the crux of the enshrine class.  Joining the four were 3rd year nominee Aeneas Williams and legacy selection Derek Holloway, the outstanding wideout who played opposite Anthony Carter in Michigan until taking over as the #1 target for the Panthers. In a pool of semifinalists that included 4 outstanding running backs, we knew that all 4 would not get in, but three did, with Tiki Barber, Terrell Davis, and Ahman Green making the Hall in their first year.  Curtis Enis got several votes, but not the required percentage to make the hall this year.  When combined, the trio of Davis, Green and Barber accounted for over 38,000 rushing yards and 281 touchdowns. The fourth member of the Class of 2012 is long-time New Jersey wideout Terry Glenn, whose 14,612 yards receiving and 100 TDs helped the Generals land two USFL titles.  Glenn joins center Mike Baab, HB and Herschel Walker as the only lifetime New Jersey Generals to make the Hall without playing for another team.  He and Holloway are the only players in the 6-man enshrine class of 2012 who played their entire careers with one USFL team (Holloway did briefly play in the NFL as well). Holloway was selected by the Legacy Committee, the 3rd player chosen by this select committee who review players from the early years of the USFL.  He follows QB Doug Williams (’11), and HB Marcus Dupree (’10) in this honor.  Hollowy played 11 seasons in Pontiac, where he racked up 763 receptions, 14,700 yards and 119 career touchdowns.  He had 10 or more touchdowns in 7 of his 11 seasons, including his first 7 in a row.  A 6-time All-USFL receiver, it is somewhat shocking that he was not recognized earlier, but as was the case on the field, in the league’s first HOF class, he was bypassed by Anthony Carter, who always did seem to have a way to draw the attention of fans more than the reliable Holloway. The only defensive player chosen, Aeneas Williams, enters in his third year of eligibility after losing out to Philippi Sparks in a close vote last year.  Williams played for 3 teams over his 15-year career, racking up 45 interceptions and over 1,200 tackles with Oakland, Arizona, and LA.  He also won a title in 1991, his rookie season with the Invaders. All six players will be inducted in mid-October in the Annual USFL Induction Ceremony.  For the first time, the induction ceremony will be held on a Friday, with a special Hall of Fame football game scheduled for Saturday in which Pitt will face Cincinnati in a neutral site game at Canton’s Fawcett Stadium.  The six players will be joined in Canton by a cavalcade of USFL stars, with many teammates on hand, some giving the introductions, such as Holloway’s QB Bobby Hebert, Terry Glenn’s Head Coach Bill Parcells, Ahman Green’s QB Trent Edwards, and, in a first for the USFL, Tiki Barber will be introduced by his brother, and a possible future Hall of Famer, Ronde Barber. Our Run Down of the USFL Award Favorites Only one month left and with a very up and down season for so many teams, the races for league awards feel like some of the most competitive in ages. We break down the 5 big awards and give you our best odds on who we think is in the running. MVP: QB Josh Freeman (STL), QB Matt Gutierrez (PHI), and HB Willis McGahee Freeman is the odds on favorite, currently ranked second in QBR, 5th in yards, and 1st with 31 TD’s, five more than 2nd place.  It also helps that his club has been one of the most pleasant surprises in the league, securing the first division title of any of the six divisions and far exceeding the slow growth we have seen in the past few years under Coach Bruce Arians. The Cinderella story for this year has to be Matt Gutierrez.  Expected to hold a clipboard all year, Gutierrez has not only stepped in for Kurt Warner, but been outstanding in doing so.  He currently has the league’s best QB Rating at 117.9 and is also 5th in TDs.  He is only 14th in yardage though, so that might be a tough argument to make, though certainly he will be named the Stars’ MVP this year. Finally, if, as is rare, a non-QB wins the title, it will have to be Willis McGahee.  Not only does the Bandit halfback lead the league in rushing with 1,212 yards after 12 games, only 1 of two backs to average 100 yards per game (Antowain Smith is the other), McGahee is also leading all halfbacks with 41 receptions and 487 yards, a solid 100 yards more than 2nd place.  His amazing dual threat nature has made him the central piece of a Tampa Bay offense that has plenty of weapons. OPOTY:  HB Willis McGahee (TBY), WR Tory Holt (BAL), HB Antowain Smith (STL) We don’t see a way that McGahee does not win this, unless, of course, he wins MVP.  If that happens, then there is a spot for either Holt, who is 2nd in the league in receptions and first in yardage, or Antowain Smith, who is defying time with over 1,200 yards at the age of 35.  Of course, it also means that Freeman or Gutierrez could fall here for consideration. DPOTY: LB James Farrior (HOU), CB Charles Woodson (ATL), DE Reynaldo Wynn Yes, we are leaving Calais Campbell off this list.  Why?  Well, Orlando is battling for the top draft pick, not a playoff spot, and while he has 3 fewer sacks, Texas DE Wynn can point to 5 forced fumbles to Campbell’s zero.  That and a winning record could be key for Wynn.  He will likely be up against two veterans who could be playing in their final seasons, and that could be a motivation to choose either one.  Charles Woodson is leading the league with 6 picks at the age of 36, while James Farrior seems to be improving with age, leading the league with 114 tackles through 12 weeks, and adding 5 sacks to boot. Rookie of the Year: WR Justin Blackmon (BOS), HB Lamar Miller (JAX), LB Bobby Wagner (OAK) As we have noted in past entries, this may be the closest rookie vote in a long time.  Our money is with WR Justin Blackmon, who is well on his way to 1,200 yards receiving or more. But don’t whiff on Oakland LB Bobby Wagner.  In 13 games he has 10 forced fumbles, a truly remarkable total.  That is on top of 72 tackles, 3 sacks and a pick.  Not a bad resume for a first-year defender at all. Coach of the Year:  Bruce Arians (STL), Tom Ramsey (ATL), Sean Payton (WSH) We think this one is a slam dunk for Arians.  Ramsey won a couple of years back and Payton has a team that was expected to win the division, so he does not get kudos for meeting expectations.  St. Louis has taken the slow road, winning 5 games in Arian’s first year, then 8 last season and now has jumped up and grabbed the division title, a solid year or more ahead of schedule.  St. Louis is looking very much like a potential top seed in the playoffs and Josh Freeman could well be the MVP.  Arians is likely to get the credit for his development, as well he should, and for the growth of the culture in St. Louis, a city that has not seen a lot of success with either the Skyhawks or the Knights before them.  We see Arians as a clear favorite in this category, and our sure fire winner from these 5 awards. Signings & Extensions Shrink Free Agent Pool Over the past month GM's across the USFL have been rolling their sleeves up and trying to lock in some priority players before their contracts expire. While there are a few players each year who are not interested at all in resigning, what this season of the year shows us is that most players are open to foregoing free agency if their current team is willing to show them some love, and "show them the money". WSH:  Extended HB Deuce McCallister for 3 years at a cost of just under $15M.  Extended G Aaron Sears for 2 years. TEX: New Contract for DE Reynaldo Wynn, 3-years at $12M.  Restructured Arian Foster’s Deal, adding 2 years and upping his annual salary by about $500k per year. TBY: As expected, they give Willis McGahee a strong 2-year deal, making him the highest paid HB in the USFL.  They also resign FS Antrel Rolle and McGahee’s backup, Shane Vereen, each for 3 seasons.   Joey Galloway remains in negotiations at age 38. STL: The Skyhawks helped solidify their WR group by extending David Nelson and by turning NFL signee Eric Weems’s one year “prove it” deal into a 3-year “you have proved it” deal.   They have not yet resigned HB Antowain Smith, which may be an indication that the 35-year old back could be looking to retire at the end of the year, because you know St. Louis wants him to stay a Skyhawk. SEA: The Dragons lock down their best corner, Leodis McKelvin for another 4 years and also extend WR Anquon Boldin for another 2.  They have not made progress with HB Jahvid Best, a possible sign that they may go a new direction at the position. POR:  The Stags have extended QB Ryan Fitzpatrick through 2015 and kept one of his favorite receivers as well, by offering Koren Robinson a new 3-year deal.  Still no word on a deal for Jonathan Stewart, the lead back for the Stags, or for DE Elvis Dumervil, who very likely wants to seek a free agent deal as he has not been happy with his role in Portland. PIT: The Maulers have completed Job 1, resigning SS Sean Taylor to a 4-year deal so he can finish his career in the Mauler secondary.  They also extended WRs Kevin Johnson and Victor Cruz, but their number 1 receiver, Vincent Jackson is asking for Moss/Holt money, and that may be more than the Maulers can afford. PHI: While Kurt Warner’s situation remains up in the air (He is in his last year of a contract, but medical concerns could force him to retire), the Stars have resigned injured DE Robert Mathis to a 3-year extension, also inking CB Sam Shields and FB Francis Sosa to new deals. ORL: The Renegades know who is keeping them afloat, offering a 3-year extension to both Eli Manning and Calais Campbell.  SS Atari Bigby and DT Kenny Smith are the biggest names now on the final year of their deals. OHI: The Glory have been slow to sign players this season.  They did give WR Randall Cobb an extension for the next 2 years, and DT Tommy Harris is expected to sign a 3-year deal, but they still have OT Jacob Rogers, DT Tank Johnson, and FS Haruki Nakamura unsigned. OAK: The Invaders have locked up DE Justin Smith, who is having a career year.  A new 4-year deal will make him the 2nd highest paid DE behind only Campbell.  They also locked up LT Matt Light, the 31-year old likely to retire an Invader after agreeing to a 5-year deal.  Still unsigned are Smith’s linemates Cliff Avril and Israel Idonije.  We do not see Oakland signing both, so one of the two is likely to be available. NOR: The Breakers prioritized resigning CB Randall Gay, and they have, with a new 3-year deal.  They also resigned OT Nat Dorsey, G Rich Ornberger, and C James McVey, all of which should make QB Drew Brees happy.  Now, the big question left is LB Hannibal Navies, who, at 35, could well be a cap casualty if he opts to come back for 2013. NJ: Safety Bob Sanders is apparently not enjoying himself in New Jersey.  Despite being a top priority for the Generals, he has turned down 2 different offers to extend his contract. Sean Taylor’s new deal with Pittsburgh is likely to increase Sanders’ demands.  The Generals have had more success at WR, extending both Michael Crabtree and Doug Baldwin with new deals. NSH: Could Frank Gore actually walk?  We know he can run, but all indications are that the Nashville HB is considering his option and wants to test the waters. Not good news at all for the Knights.  They have succeeded in resigning or extending several key players, including MLB Hunter Hillenmeyer, WR Robert Meachem, and DT Babatunde Oshinowo, one of our favorite USFL names. MGN: Center Jeff Faine has agreed to a 3-year extension, and the restructuring provided more funds for Michigan to also extend LB DeMarcus Ware.  Andy Katzenmoyer remains unsigned, but at 35, he may simply be stepping away, either that or he will land a 1-year deal somewhere if Michigan is not interested. MEM: The Showboats need to potentially free up some QB money, which may explain  why they have not yet signed LB Kirk Morrison or CB Tyrone Bell.  They have LB NaVorro Bowman for 5 years, a nice long deal for their defensive captain. LA: The Express have come to terms with CB Dominique Rogers-Cromartie, who will remain with the Express on a new 4-year deal. They have also locked up TE L. J. Smith with aa 2-year extension and QB Mark Sanchez has accepted a 2-year deal as well. The big holdout seems to be HB Ray Rice, who wants Top 5 numbers, though he has yet to be a Top 5 back. LV: With both Will Allen and Antoine Winfield up for new deals, the Thunder had a tough choice to make. Looks like they went for the slightly younger Allen, who just agreed to a 3-year deal.  Winfield is now likely to be a free agent at 34.  With extensions to both Plummer and Lynch already agreed upon, the Thunder now can turn to depth along the entire roster. JAX: The Bulls have resigned TE Jason Whitten for another 2 years and are working with 35-year-old LB Mike Vrabel to add 2 more years to his deal.  Unlikely to sign is TE Dustin Keller, who will look for a location where he can compete for a starting job. HOU: The Gamblers had 5 linebackers all coming up for new contracts.  They cannot sign them all, but have already extended both Kevin Burnett and Nick Barnett.  The big remaining question is if 35-year old James Farrior, the league’s leading tackler, will resign or retire. DEN: With both Maurice Hicks and Javon Ringer up for renewal, the general theory was that only one would be retained, and, in a bit of a surprise, Denver announced this week a new 3-year deal with Ringer, not Hicks.  Guess 25 trumps 31 in this math. CHI: While both Michael Turner and Brady Quinn have arrived at extensions which shift some cap hits until later years, the Machine still have a big concern in that WR Donald Driver has been adamant about wanting to look at other options. Their main receiving target could well be looking for a way out, because the funds are there to resign him, so if he is looking to enter the market, that may just mean he is not happy with Coach Schiano. CHA: The big move this season for Charlotte was locking up WR D. J. Hackett for another 3 years.  They also opted to extend guard Sean Locklear.  Now, with free agency approaching the question is whether they can also lock down LB Andra Davis or if they will let him test the waters. BOS/DAL:  There are sure to be a lot of changes as the Cannons become the Roughnecks, but two players we knew would not be going anywhere are DE Jason Babin and HB Rashard Mendenhall.  No surprise then that both have obtained solid multiyear deals from the club. BIR: While the Stallions are still working on a possible deal to keep Randy Moss in town, they have already reupped both DE Derrick Harvey and fellow WR Tandon Doss, both priorities for the club. BAL: Reupping TE Antonio Gates has been job 1 in Baltimore and it looks like it may have worked out.  Gates is expected to add 2 years to his current contract, with a nice frontloaded guaranteed pay out.  Now, what will they do about HB Anthony Dixon, who has been the main man after Ron Dayne’s injury? ATL: Extending WR Matt Jones, who has been a real breakout player for the Fire, is a priority and appears close to being complete.  Now the Fire have to decide what to do with HB Darren McFadden, who has seen his role diminish this year. ARZ: LB Karlos Danslby has agreed to a 3-year extension, and Arizona locked in David Carr for another 2 years earlier this spring, so that makes the primary focus right now that of CB Brandon Flowers, who, at 28, has several more good seasons ahead of him. A very good week for the night game presenters at NBC, ESPN, and EFN.  They get three of the best games in a very rich slate of games for Week 14.  The week opens with a huge battle in the SE Division as Charlotte, having slipped from the number 2 seed all the way to number 5, tries to stay on pace in the division but must face a desperate 7-6 Bandits squad on the cusp of Wild Card contention. On Saturday, a slate that features the Texas-Boston game being played in Detroit and a battle for the Southern Division between the Breakers and the Knights, ends with a Western Division Classic as Oakland can all but wrap up the division title by knocking off Las Vegas, but the Thunder are at home and could even the standings with a win over the Invaders. Sunday has more playoff panic as 7-6 Houston travel to New Jersey, Jacksonville and LA try to stave off elimination as both sit at 5-8, and Pittsburgh heads to Chicago with their entire season on the line.  Sunday’s nightcap is perhaps our most exciting game of the week as the Stars, sitting at 9-4, head to Washington to face the 10-3 Federals, with first place still very much in question.  What a week to be a football fan!!! FRIDAY @ 8PM ET            TAMPA BAY (7-6) @ CHARLOTTE (9-4)                    NBC SAT @ 12PM ET                TEXAS (9-4) V. BOSTON (3-10)*                               ABC SAT @ 12PM ET                ORLANDO (3-10) @ MEMPHIS (3-10)                      ABC SAT @ 12PM ET                BIRMINGHAM (5-8) @ BALTIMORE (7-6)                 FOX SAT @ 4PM ET                  NEW ORLEANS (7-6) @ NASHVILLE (6-7)                ABC SAT @ 4PM ET                  OHIO (4-9) @ DENVER (7-6)                                      FOX SAT @ 8PM ET                  OAKLAND (9-4) @ LAS VEGAS (8-5)                         ESPN/EFN *Texas-Boston Game to be played at Ford Field in Detroit SUN @ 12PM ET               MICHIGAN (5-8) @ ST. LOUIS (10-3)                         ABC SUN @ 12PM ET               SEATTLE (3-10) @ ATLANTA (9-4)                       FOX SUN @ 12PM ET               HOUSTON (7-6) @ NEW JERSEY (9-4)                FOX SUN @ 4PM ET                 PORTLAND (6-7) @ ARIZONA (6-7)                          ABC SUN @ 4PM ET                 JACKSONVILLE (5-8) @ LOS ANGELES (5-8)           ABC SUN @ 4PM ET                 PITTSBURGH (6-7) @ CHICAGO (5-8)                       FOX SUN @ 8PM ET                 PHILADELPHIA (9-4) @ WASHINGTON (10-3)         ESPN/EFN

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Two rookies were honored this week, both defenders as both Bobby Wagner (OAK) and Dre Kirkpatrick (MGN) had huge games. Wagner was incredibly agresssive for the Invaders, forcing 4 fumbles in Oakland's huge interconference win over the Charlotte Monarchs. PLAYOFF PICTURE: The first official playoff berths clinched this week as Washington earns a berth despite a Week 13 loss and St. Louis, with their big win over the Maulers now stands 4 games up in the Central, locking up the division title for the first time in the short history of the Skyhawks. We also had more eliminations as Seattle, Ohio, and Jacksonville are now out of the mix for a Wild Card. Birmingham also cannot win a Wild Card, but is still mathematically alive for the Southern Division title at 5-8.

Twelve weeks down, four to go, the ¾ mark of the season, and as of yet we have no teams clinched for playoff spots, though there are a few on the cusp.  Washington, St. Louis and Charlotte are all right there.  And while the week did not lock in any playoff spots, we did see teams removed from the hunt with 3 Eastern Conference teams now mathematically eliminated, Memphis, Boston, and Orlando.  It was also a week that saw a bad season take a turn for the weird as Jake Locker, already ruled out due to a groin pull, somehow convinced Coach Fox to let him practice, and made matters much worse, now landing on IR with a groin tear.  There is a lesson in there somewhere.  We kick off our coverage of Week 12 with our game of the week between the Houston Gamblers and the Washington Federals, but we will cover all the action and all the news of the past week, including the first coaching change announced. HOUSTON GAMBLERS 24   WASHINGTON FEDERALS 29 The sign of a true contender is not that they always win easily, but that when their backs are up against the wall, they find a way to work their way out of trouble and get what they need to win.  That was certainly the situation this week as Washington tussled with the Houston Gamblers and found themselves behind in the 4th.  They overcame the deficit, made the plays they needed, and surged to victory in the final minute of action, and in doing so, all but guaranteed themselves a trip to the postseason. Houston came into this game at 6-5, ready to put .500 behind them and make a late surge in the SW Division.  Washington, winners of 6 in a row, were atop the NE and hoping to put more space between themselves and their division rivals. Both clubs were motivated and both felt a win this week was essential. Houston won the toss and opted to take the ball first, hoping to set a tone on their opening drive.  While not a smooth drive by any measure, it would prove to be a productive one, as Houston survived 2 separate false start penalties but managed to move the ball methodically down the field, capping the drive off with a Roy Williams TD catch on a beautiful back shoulder throw from Matt Hasselbeck. Washington’s start was not as productive, a 3-and-out on their first drive, then a field goal to get on the board with their second.  They would add a second field goal at the start of the 2nd quarter and cut the margin to 7-6 Houston.  The Gamblers would also find more points through their kicker, Dan Carpenter, and would go up 10-6 at the midway point of the quarter. The game would go into the half with Washington up 13-10 thanks to a 12-play drive that ended with Rod Smart going off-tackle from the 4 and finding paydirt.  The Feds would then build that lead to 16-10 in the third thanks to a 3rd Shayne Graham field goal.  But, back to back drives from Houston quickly rewrote the script. The first of the drives took only 2:22 off the clock in the third, as Shaun Alexander busted out a 31-yard run to get the Gamblers into scoring position, and then Hasselbeck hit Ike Hilliard from 22 yards out to flip the game and put Houston up 17-16.  They would expand on that lead early in the 4th, when, following a nice 4th down stop that saw Deuce McCallister stuffed in the backfield, Houston went on a second quick strike drive, ending with TE Vernon David bringing in Hasselbeck’s third TD pass of the game, another pinpoint throw, this time from 16 yards out.  Washington was now down 8 with just over 10 minutes to play. But, the Federals have been in their share of scraps in recent weeks, and they did not panic. It would take only 4:27 for Washington to get in a position to tie the game, driving down the field in 8 plays, and finishing off the 4th quarter drive with a Garrard TD toss to Darnerien McCants.  Down 2, they went for the offensive play to tie the score, but Houston held and left Washington still trailing 24-22 with 6:57 left to play. They would need to count on their defense to get them the ball back with enough time to get into field goal range. The Washington D stepped up, stuffing Alexander on first down, disrupting Matt Hasselbeck’s throwing motion with a glancing hit on 2nd, and then former Denver Gold CB Jimmy Williams breaking up a third down throw to Hilliard to force Houston to give the ball back with only 45 seconds off the clock.  The Feds would take over after a solid punt, backed up to their own 11.  They would rely on short passes from Garrard to move the ball,  a swing route to McCallister, a curl to TE Kellen Davis, a slant to Bryant Johnson.  With Deion Branch on the sideline nursing an earlier injury, they needed to be diverse in their approach, and be patient enough to take what Houston’s zone defense would give them. With just over 1 minute to play, the Federals hit on a big play as a missed tackle allowed Bryant Johnson to slip away from the corner and gain an additional 12 yards.  That play put the ball on the Houston 22, and with time to play with, the strategy turned from securing a winning field goal, to putting the ball in the endzone, but with as little time left on the clock as possible.  Houston still had timeouts so the Feds could not kill the entire game, but they could slow play the final minute by hammering the ball with McCallister. In two plays, Washington killed 28 seconds and forced Houston to use their 2nd timeout.  They also got the ball to the 8, but faced a decision.  Continue to pound the rock into the line and then send out Graham, or use the threat of the run to force Houston into single coverage.  The Feds went for the more daring, but more advantageous play.  In heavy formation they faked run, and Houston bit.  That left TE Tony Jackson, a rarely used receiver, wide open in the endzone, and Garrard tossed him an easy lob that produced 6 points with only 22 seconds left on the clock.  The Feds would go up 29-24 after the kick, and with only 1 time out left, Houston would be in desperation time. The Gamblers would try a hook & ladder on their lone offensive play, but after a successful lateral from Hilliard to Kerley, the slot receiver tried to juke when he should have gone out of bounds and safety Ed Reed made him pay, locking him up around the knee and dragging him down in bounds.  Houston had no options, and the clock ticked down to triple zeroes.  The Feds had found their way to victory and with that became the first 10-win team in the league this season.  Houston would be back at .500 once again, and would have to try again to get the upper hand next week in a key matchup against the rival Outlaws. NEW JERSEY 23   PHILADELPHIA 20 New Jersey roared back after going down 20-7 at the half.  They owned the second half with a 16-0 run that included a safety and the game winner with 31 seconds left as Bradford connected with TE John Carlson for a goal line score with no timeouts left. New Jersey pulls even with Philly for 2nd place with the win. CHICAGO 11   BIRMINGHAM 28 Cam Newton throws for 2 scores and scores on a 67-yard run for a third as the Stallions stay alive with a big home victory.  Michael Turner was held to only 39 yards rushing and Randy Moss caught 7 balls for 104 and a score as the Stallions rolled. OAKLAND 20   OHIO 16 Ohio continues to play teams tough but again falls short as Oakland gets the only points of the 4th quarter with a Ryan Williams TD catch.  Greg Jennings caught 8 passes for 100 yards and a score and the defense knocked Terrelle Pryor out of the game, forcing Ohio to go with 3rd string option Tony Pike. PORTLAND 17   TEXAS 31 The Outlaws move to 9-3 with some home cooking as both Brandon Marshall and Marques Colston go over 100 yards receiving and each score.  Luke McCown looked very comfortable, going 17 of 26 for 363 yards despite being sacked 4 times.  Ryan Fitzpatrick also looked good, completing 22 of 28, but just could not get points on the board when needed. LOS ANGELES 18   LAS VEGAS 9 A big upset in the Pacific and a game that the Express absolutely needed as they try to salvage their season.  Jake Plummer got rattled by constant pressure and the Express put together a decent run game (112 yards between Rice and  McClain) against the usually stingy Thunder defense.  The only TD of the game was a Sanchez TD pass to newly acquired Jerrel Jerrigan (brought in with the Moss trade.) TAMPA BAY 23   ATLANTA 30 The Bandits came close, but in the end, Atlanta pulled this one out, thanks in part to 3 Bandit turnovers.  The Fire used three backs (McFadden, Betts, and Arrington) to rack up 120 yards rushing, and Tampa shot themselves in the foot with 2 picks, a fumble lost, and 10 penalties. JACKSONVILLE 7   ORLANDO 13 The Renegades finally get back in the win column as they shut down a flat Bulls team.  Knowshon Moreno led all rushers with 77 yards and TE Ben Watson caught the winning TD from Eli as Orlando snaps an 8-game losing streak in front of only 21,530 fans, many of whom with the telltale sign of an angry fanbase, the bag over the head look. SEATTLE 7  CHARLOTTE 23 The Monarchs moved to 9-3 with a pretty routine win over a struggling Seattle team.  Jake Delhomme threw for 2 scores and the defense held Seattle to only 57 yards rushing as Charlotte held onto sole possession of first place in the SE Division.  Rookie Richard Sherman picked off Leftwich twice for his best week of the season. MEMPHIS 10   NASHVILLE 13 A lackluster and sloppy rivalry game between these two Mid-South opponents, but in the end, Nashville got the win they needed to stay 1 game behind New Orleans in the South.  Ryan Mallett completed only 14 of 40 throws, while Peyton Manning got his first win in the USFL with a 26 of 41 day that saw him connect with HB Montario Hardesty for the lone Knight TD of the game. NEW ORLEANS 18   PITTSBURGH 14 A big confidence booster for the Breakers as they upended the Maulers in Pittsburgh, sending the home team to 6-6 after 12 weeks. Down 14-0 after one quarter, the Breakers shifted gears, shutting out Pittsburgh the rest of the way and then chipping away at the lead.  Two Brandon LaFell TD catches helped New Orleans steal a road win and return to .500 atop the Southern Division. BALTIMORE 27   BOSTON 13 An ugly scene in Boston as the small crowd of only 14,047 got rowdy and ugly as the Cannons lost to Baltimore.  More than 30 arrests, and damage to sections of Alumni Stadium infuriate BC leaders, forcing a decision by the Cannons to relocate their final home game against Texas to avoid an even worse scene. On the field, Boston was just not competitive, giving up 27 straight points after an early 7-0 start. MICHIGAN 10   DENVER 43 Denver makes a statement (and in a bad way so does Michigan), with their best offensive game of the year, pulling the Gold back to .500 and setting up a potential Wild Card run. Maurice Hicks rushed for 92 yards and 3 scores, and Peerless Price added another as the Gold roll over Michigan. Brian Griese was sacked 4 times, threw two picks, and suffered a safety in a bad day all around for the veteran QB. ST. LOUIS 30   ARIZONA 27 A really fun game to end the week as St. Louis survives a scare in Glendale and edges the Wranglers.  Josh Freeman throws for 307 and 2 scores while Antowain Smith grinds out 91 yards as the Skyhawks survive a late Wrangler rally and put up the winning score with only 15 seconds left in the game.  St. Louis now enjoys a 3-game lead in the Central with only 4 left to play. Locker Turns Minor to Major with Practice Injury Boston QB Jake Locker turned a 1-week injury into an IR situation by refusing to miss practice and turning a groin pull into a tear. Clearly concerned that missing any games would jeopardize his tenuous hold over a starting job for the Cannons, Jake Locker made things much worse by insisting on practicing with the team on Thursday before the Cannon’s home game against Baltimore.  Despite being visibly impacted by his groin injury, he was allowed to take part in 7-on-7 drills and went down to the ground in pain with what team physicians confirmed was a tear in the same groin muscle that had caused coaches to bench him for the Week 12 action.  The club put him on IR a day later, ending his season, and perhaps his time with the club.  Rumors have the new ownership looking to pivot and hoping to land a veteran QB to take over when the team begins play in Dallas next year. Leftwich Lost for Final Month with MCL Injury Seattle’s season has not gone as planned and now, with one month left and the team looking very much like a Top 5 drafting squad, news that Byron Leftwich’s injury in this week’s loss will keep him out for the rest of the regular season.  Leftwich’s knee injury was determined to be an MCL injury.  While doctors believe he could have returned for Week 16, the Dragons have opted to shutter his season, hoping that he will use the time to heal and to focus on 2012. Seattle does not have a lot of options behind Leftwich, having traded Chris Weinke to Texas only a couple of weeks ago. Alex Brink will get the start in Week 13, and they have Dan Orlovsky, a sweetener in the Weinke trade, but neither has seen much action in regular season games.  The Dragons have since signed veteran backup Seneca Wallace off of the free agent list, and honestly, we could see Wallace get a start by season’s end.  Leftwich is expected to be back next year, of course.   He is only 31 and has 2 more years on his contract, but some in Seattle are wondering if he might have been traded this offseason to go in a new direction, especially with the story about Marvin Lewis leaving the club coming out this week. Orlando Snaps 8 Game Losing Streak, But… Despite a victory over in-state rival Jacksonville this week, the story out of Orlando may be that it is much too little and far too late for Head Coach Emmitt Thomas.  The former Mauler coach, now in his 8th season with the Renegades is rumored to be on the chopping block and could be dismissed even before ethe season ends. Orlando was expected to compete for a division title in the very tough SE Division, but after wins over the Bulls and Bandits in the season’s first 3 weeks, the club then went on to lose for 8 straight weeks.  This despite having no significant injuries for most of that span and despite having perhaps the most dominant defensive player in the league in Calais Campbell.  Ownership seems particularly displeased with the way Coach Thomas has been utilizing, or not utilizing QB Eli Manning, who came over from New Orleans in trade 2 years ago and has simply been ineffective in Thomas’s system. News could come at any time that Thomas has been let go, though certainly the win over Jacksonville this past week might buy him some time until Black Monday.  The Renegades are home again next week with New Orleans in town and have a game against Memphis in two weeks that could be the decider. If Orlando loses to the 2-10 Showboats, that may trigger the hook with 2 weeks left in the season, otherwise, Thomas may last until the season ends in Tampa Bay before what seems an inevitable pink slip comes his way. Federals Win 7th in a Row Washington’s victory over Houston is their 7th in a row and puts them in the driver’s seat for the number 1 seed, controlling their own destiny the rest of the way.  With the top-rated scoring defense, giving up barely 13 points a game, and an offense averaging 24 points per game, the Feds seem primed for a deep playoff run. Over their 7-game win streak, Washington has been nearly unstoppable, winning most games pulling away.  While the game against Houston was closer than most, the Feds again proved that they can win in a myriad of ways.  They will need to mix it up down the stretch as they have some key games in their final month, starting with a road tilt in Tampa Bay this week, then a huge divisional game against the Stars, another tough road game in Texas, and finally a season finale against Charlotte that could determine who gets home field throughout the playoffs. Marvin Lewis to Step Down While not official just yet, we have confirmed information from within the Seattle Dragon organization that Marvin Lewis, head coach of the Dragons, will step down after this, his 10th season with the club.  Lewis came to Seattle in 2003 and took them to the playoffs in his very first season.  He would make regular trips there, making the postseason in each of his first 6 seasons and winning the Summer Bowl with a surprising playoff run in 2005.  But, despite his initial success with the club, he has not been able to top 7 wins in each of the past 3 seasons and now is on pace for a potential 10-loss season this year. Lewis could be a hot commodity for another team if he is interested, as his record as a motivator and his pretty solid 78-65 record with the Dragons will make him attractive to any number of teams.  Whether he wants to jump right back into the fire with another team, or perhaps take a year or two to recalibrate as a TV analyst, that will be up to him, but by all accounts, the season finale at Chicago will be his final game with the Dragons. Memphis Gives Vote of Confidence to 1st Year Coach Brad Childress The Memphis Showboat ownership has assured local media that despite a pretty horrendous 2-10 season to date, they have no intention of making Brad Childress a one-and-done coach. In interviews with local press, team representatives have stated that Childress will be back for a second season, continuing his 3-year deal, and that the goal of the team is to provide their coach with the roster he needs to find success. Childress took over a Memphis squad that that went 6-10 in 2011 and had a serious question at QB after the signing of rookie Ryan Mallett produced pretty subpar results.  Mallett has had an even worse second season under offensive-minded Childress, as he has missed 2 games due to injury, but also seen his QB Rating, yards per game, and completion percentage all drop in his second year.  He was not helped by the season-ending injury to lead back Cadillac Williams, but that excuse likely will not keep Memphis from looking for other options this offseason. Just how long the Showboats (and their fans) will wait to see if Childress can turn the ship around is unknown, but after a season that could well land Memphis with the first overall pick in the Open Draft, there is going to be an expectation that 2013 will bring more success, and, perhaps, a better option at QB. With four weeks to go, we have some cusp teams but no one has yet crossed the threshold into playoff territory.  Washington sits at 10-2 with the best record in the league and a 2-game advantage over both the Stars and Generals, but with 4 games left even the division title is not secured.  Texas is in the best position from that standpoint, sitting at 9-3 with the closest division rivals at 6-6.  St.Louis also looks very solid with a  3 game lead over the 6-6 Maulers.  The other races are closer, with Charlotte only up one game on Atlanta and facing a tough Week 13 matchup on the West Coast in Oakland. The Invaders are also up only 1 game over their closest division rival, Las Vegas, so a win against the Monarchs would be huge for them. In the Wild Card race, Philly, Atlanta, and New Jersey are all in the mix at 8-4, but Balitmore is only a game back, and Tampa Bay still very much a factor at 6-6. In the West, Las Vegas sits at 7-5 and hopes to make a play on Oakland for the division.  Behind the Thunder are 4 teams all at 6-6 and with only 2 more Wild Card berths out there, two of them are unlikely to get a shot.  Right now Houston and Portland have the tie breakers, but with a lot of divisional and intra-conference games left on the schedule, that can change a lot, giving hope Denver and Pittsburgh.  And, let’s not forget that at 5-7 Chicago, LA, and Arizona are only 1 game out, so they are not dead yet. There are three clubs that are done, Memphis, Orlando, and Boston, as the math does not work out for them any longer. Seattle and the 4-8 Glory and Panthers are still mathematically alive, but the odds do not look good at this point. And so we head into Week 13, where we expect at least 1 club to finally lock up that sweet playoff energy. In addition to the self-induced injury to QB Jake Locker, and Seattle shuttering Byron Leftwich’s season after his MCL injury, we did see more players join the IR this week.  In fact, it was our largest IR addition list of the season.  Though, we must admit, It does not take much when a 4-week injury all but ends a player’s season.  Here is the new list, with a lot of familiar names on it. INJURY RESERVE Dre Moore                DT           BAL        Quad James Brewer                   OT          BAL        Achilles Omar Bolden                    CB           OHI        Quad Anthony Weaver              DE           CHI         ACL Jake Locker                       QB          BOS        Groin Heath Miller                      TE           WSH      Quad Sam Hurd                          WR         HOU      ACL Byron Leftwich                  QB          SEA        MCL OUT Santana Moss                  WR         NOR       Abdomen            2-4 Weeks Solomon Page              G             LA           Back                       2-4 Weeks Cedrick Cobbs               HB          HOU      Concussion         1-2 Weeks DOUBTFUL Chad Johnson            WR         LV           Concussion QUESTIONABLE Antonio Smith                   DE       MEM     Toe Deion Branch                    WR         WSH      Hamstring Rey Maualaga                   LB           CHA       Pinched Nerve Cannons to relocate Final “Home” Game After Ugly Events at Alumni Stadium It was not a pretty scene this week as the Boston Cannons hosted their penultimate game at Alumni Stadium.  Attendance was low, barely 14,000 showed up, but those that did made a spectacle of themselves.  After several fights broke out, security was tightened, but with more than 40 arrests, and with significant damage to the facility (everything from tagging to ripping up seats) the Cannons had to face the reality that holding their final home game, and a game against a Texas team (the Outlaws) would be a security nightmare. As per their contract, Boston College will be charging the Cannons for all damages to Alumni Stadium, and it was clear that officials from the Jesuit university were not at all pleased by what they saw on Sunday as drunken and belligerent Bostonians took their frustration about the teams’ sale and relocation to Dallas out on the stadium, their staff, and the team in general.  At least 22 people required medical attention at the stadium, and there is an estimated $300,000 in damages, largely from the removal of seats and damage to fencing. Boston has their final home game scheduled for Week 15, and they have already announced that they have opted to relocate the game to avoid potential violence.  While they have not officially decided on a location yet, outreach has occurred to both fellow USFL clubs and to several universities, including Cincinnati, Louisville, and Akron.  It appears that the Cannons are hoping to keep the game in the North to avoid a heavy Texas crowd but has abandoned New England altogether out of fear that fans will travel to any regional stadium to cause more trouble.  This is, of course, exactly what the league did not want to see with the relocation of the Cannons to Dallas.  It seems very likely that any future relocation votes the league may have will now be limited to the offseason to avoid this kind of localized backlash which gives the league a black eye. SAN DIEGO & OKLAHOMA CITY INVESTORS APPROACH USFL ABOUT LAS VEGAS We mention relocation because there are still several investment groups looking very seriously at trying to woo a current USFL club to their city.  With the news about serious financial concerns surrounding the Las Vegas Thunder, as well as a perception that both Chicago and Nashville were open to negotiations with the Dallas group, there is very much a sense that the time is now for these potential expansion cities to consider purchase and relocation as a better option. Two of the investment groups, one representing San Diego, and one affiliated with the new stadium being built in Oklahoma City, have reportedly approached the USFL to ask about the Las Vegas situation.  Could they be willing to bail out the Thunder in exchange for a shift of venue?  That would be a complex and seemingly unlikely scenario when one considers that the entire issue of Thunder financial capacity is tied to a new stadium already under construction in Sin City.  The league is certainly not going to be open to the idea of building a Las Vegas domed stadium and then selling off the Las Vegas franchise. An alternative is for an investment group to essentially bid funding to support the Las Vegas project as part of a package to obtain a club from another city, essentially a very costly “sweetener” to make the deal more palatable if a club like Chicago or Nashville were open to relocate.  The league would avoid the added costs of covering a portion of Las Vegas’s commitment to the stadium, and in return the vote to relocate another franchise might be fast-tracked.   This too feels like a far-fetched concept, as the purchase price for any USFL franchise is already going to be significant, without adding on additional millions to help prop up a Las Vegas franchise that is legally committed to funding a portion of the new stadium. And yet, the reality is that there are cities and investors scrambling to join the USFL and there appear to be current owners willing to not only sell off their investment in a USFL franchise but risk the public backlash of having their team abandon a city and anger a fanbase.  As the USFL investigates the finances within the Las Vegas Thunder investment group, and with more stadium costs on the horizon, the temptation to take another option, especially one that would bring revenue into the league, grows more and more feasible. Looking ahead to Week 13 and the start of our 4-week sprint to playoff football, we kick off on Friday with a game that looked like a good one back in February but may be a potential mismatch as 1st place Las Vegas heads to last place Seattle in a Pacific Clash. On Saturday, we have some teams trying to stay alive and some hoping to clinch.  The most intense game of the day is likely to be Texas at Houston, but don’t count out Charlotte @ Oakland or Denver @ Portland, where 2 teams at 6-6 are both on the fringe of Wild Card elimination. Sunday brings us a nice NE Division clash between the Blitz and the Stars, a battle that could end one team’s dream of a division title as neither 5-7 Nashville nor 5-7 Birmingham can afford to lose this one with both 1 game behind the Breakers and a Wild Card already pretty much out of the question.  We also have a similar situation in the West, where two more 5-7 clubs, Arizona and LA, will clash in the desert.  Loser is likely done.  Finally, Pittsburgh, sitting at 6-6 and at risk of missing the playoffs entirely, must get a win at home against the hottest team in the division, the St. Louis Skyhawks. FRIDAY @ 8PM ET            LAS VEGAS (7-5) @ SEATTLE (3-9)                             NBC SAT @ 12PM ET                NEW ORLEANS (6-6) @ ORLANDO (3-9)                  ABC SAT @ 12PM ET                ATLANTA (8-4) @ JACKSONVILLE (5-7)                    ABC SAT @ 12PM ET                WASHINGTON (10-2) @ TAMPA BAY (6-6)              FOX SAT @ 4PM ET                  DENVER (6-6) @ PORTLAND (6-6)                             ABC SAT @ 4PM ET                  CHARLOTTE (9-3) @ OAKLAND (8-4)                       FOX SAT @ 8PM ET                  TEXAS (9-3) @ HOUSTON (6-6)                                 ESPN/EFN SUN @ 12PM ET               BALTIMORE (7-5) @ PHILADELPHIA (8-4)                ABC SUN @ 12PM ET               BOSTON (3-9) @ NEW JERSEY (8-4)                        FOX SUN @ 12PM ET               MEMPHIS (2-10) @ OHIO (4-8)                                  FOX SUN @ 4PM ET                 NASHVILLE (5-7) @ BIRMINGHAM (5-7)                  ABC SUN @ 4PM ET                 CHICAGO (5-7) @ MICHIGAN (4-8)                         ABC SUN @ 4PM ET                 LOS ANGELES (5-7) @ ARIZONA (5-7)                    FOX SUN @ 8PM ET                 ST. LOUIS (9-3) @ PITTSBURGH (6-6)                      ESPN/EFN

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Cam Newton did it with his arm and with his legs this week, throwing for 221yards and 2 TDs while also breaking off a 67-yard TD run as the Stallions stayed alive in the Southern Division. PLAYOFF PICTURE: Four weeks left and still no teams locked in. We did see several eliminated as Memphis, Boston, and Orlando no longer have a viable path forwards. Current division leaders have leads of 3 games (TEX over HOU, and STL over PIT), 2 games (WSH over PHI & NJ, or 1 game (CHA over ATL, NOR over NSH & BIR, and OAK over LV). This could mean playoff locks for the Outlaws, Skyhawks, or Federals if action plays out the right way in Week 13.

At this point in the season we are just happy to see a week without any major stars going down to injury. The fact that we got several great games this weekend is just all that much sweeter because we did not get any season-shattering news.  We saw Tampa Bay outlast Charlotte in a classic Bandit Ball shoutout.  We had Las Vegas edge Jacksonville in a tight one.  New Jersey put up an impressive performance at home. Arizona got past Houston in Houston with a late score. Philadelphia had a 4-TD day from Matt Gutierrez to in in the Super Dome, and the Express got back to winning ways with a tight one in Seattle. A lot of action, a lot of good games and important scores as teams jockey for position.  We will recap it all, and then present some thoughts on the rookie class of 2012 and the coaches who may not be in charge by 2013. CHARLOTTE MONARCHS 30   TAMPA BAY BANDITS 33 The current SE Division leader heads to Tampa Bay to face the 2012 SE Division and league champion as the Monarchs and Bandits clash.  Tampa Bay came into this one at a surprising 5-5, while Charlotte, for other reasons, surprised many by coming into the game at 8-1.  If the Bandits harbored any hopes of challenging for the division, they would need this win. Tampa Bay would contend with Charlotte’s tenacious defense, trying to maximize the effectiveness of HB Willis McGahee and blend in the deep ball to receivers Joey Galloway, Santonio Holmes, and David Tyree.  For Charlotte’s part, the game plan was to use the run to limit Tampa Bay possessions, passing through play action as Tampa Bay brought the safeties down to help defend against Fred Jackson and Shonn Greene.  Both offenses on this day had success with their strategies, leading to a high scoring game as the defenses seemed to be a step behind the entire game. The Bandits struck first, getting the opening kick after Charlotte deferred, and taking the ball down for a Santonio Holmes TD in a 12-play drive.  Charlotte answered with a scoring drive of their own, theirs needing 14 plays and ending with Jake Delhomme finding Derrick Mason in the corner of the endzone.  After one quarter it was 7-7 and we knew we were in for a dogfight. The second quarter would see 34 points scored as both teams moved up and down the field with relative ease.  Charlotte got a 2nd TD from Mason, then Tampa Bay scored on an interception return as Jake Delhomme had a ball tipped by his receiver and into the hands of Bryan Scott.  But, Charlotte bounced right back with yet another TD drive as Delhomme found TE Garett Celek.  A pair of field goals a brilliant 46-yard catch and run from McGahee meant that at the half we already had a shootout on our hands, the score tied up at intermission, 24-24. The second half would not see nearly as many fireworks, but the intensity was definitely there as the two defenses finally started to win some matchups.  Charlotte would get a pick and a turnover on downs, but could only add 3 points as the game went into the final period 27-24 for the visitors.  Tampa would drive to end the 3rd and early in the 4th would again equalize the score at 27.  Both teams now were fighting for every inch, trying all the could to try to stack first downs after each other.  The result of the back and forth struggle was that the quarter became a battle of field position an kickers.  After Tampa Bay equalized the score at 14:49, Charlotte again took a lead at 7:06, 30-27.  Tampa Bay would use up a lot of clock getting into position to tie the game again at 30, but left themselves only 1:18. The thought for most watching was the the Bandits would settle to have the game go to overtime.  But, Charlotte did not settle for a few inside runs and a shot at overtime.  Coach Mora clearly felt that the best shot for the visiting Monarchs was to win the game in regulation.  And so, as the clock ticked down, Charlotte kept risking the ball in the air.  On a 2nd and 7 Delhomme connected with Hakeem Nicks, but as he was tackled by Idris Basheer, the corner was able to swipe at the ball and it popped loose.  Patrick Robinson of the Bandits was there to fall on it, and now it was Tampa Bay’s chance to try to end the game in their favor in overtime. The Bandits, with 2 time outs left, were able to make use of the whole field.  Culpepper connected over the middle with Jared Cook, then a quick out to Galloway before a swing pass to McGahee, his 5th catch of the day, put the ball in range for Nate Kaeding.  As time ticked down, Tampa Bay position the ball for Kaeding, eventually bringing him in with the ball on the 22-yardline.  The kick was good as soon as it was struck and the fans in Tampa Bay celebrated as the Bandits improved to 6-5, stayed alive in the playoff hunt, and pulled within 2 games of the division-leading Monarchs. BALTIMORE 23   NEW JERSEY 40 Sam Bradford has one of his best games as a pro, going 18 of 30 for 322 yards and 3 touchdowns as New Jersey gets a huge home win to move into 3rd place and stay in solid Wild Card territory.  Michael Crabtree was a huge factor for the Generals as he caught 7 passes for 147 yards and a score.  Jevon Kearse also recorded his first sack as a General after coming over in trade. ST. LOUIS 28   NASHVILLE 19 Peyton Manning had another solid game but another loss for the Knights as his 2-TD, 22 of 33 game was just not enough to overcome Josh Freeman’s 279 yard, 3 TD day.  St. Louis also got 159 yards and a TD form the combo of Antowain Smith and James Ridley, but the big star of the day was slot receiver Eric Weems, who caught 4 balls, with 3 being Freeman TD passes. LAS VEGAS 19   JACKSONVILLE 16 The Thunder put aside the rumors about their ownership and focus on a tough road game in Jacksonville. The Bulls sacked Jake Plummer 5 times and held Cedric Benson to only 29 yards rushing with Marshawn Lynch unavailable.  But, even with that it was not enough as Las Vegas got a late Jeff Reed 52-yard field goal to earn the W and retain their share of first place in the Pacific Division. ARIZONA 27   HOUSTON 20 Arizona needed this one, and they got it thanks to a late Carr to Gronkowski TD toss.  Carr survived a tough day, shaking off 6 sacks to get the game winner in the final minute of play.  Houston drops to 6-5 and Arizona climbs to 5-6 with this result, tightening up the SW Division even more. ATLANTA 13   OAKLAND 23 A nice game from much maligned HB Ryan Williams as the back rushed for 111 yards on only 11 carries, a 10.1 YPC average.  Oakland also got a lot of help from their defense which forced 4 interceptions on the day, including a rare Terrell Suggs pick-six, as the linebacker, who usually is blitzing on the edge, dropped into coverage and snagged an errant Kyle Orton pass, taking it to the house. CHICAGO 21   PITTSBURGH 35 The Maulers are hoping that this division win is a sign that their momentum is back.  2nd year QB Andy Dalton looked really strong, completing 16 of 24 passes for 228 yards and 3 TDs as the Maulers turned a 14-14 tie into a 35-14 lead over the course of 2 quarters. Ronnie Brown had 2 TD runs and Vincent Jackson also scored twice as the Maulers move to 6-5 and send Chicago down to 5-6. PHILADELPHIA 28   NEW ORLEANS 21 A huge 4-TD day from Matt Gutierrez helped propel Philadelphia to a hard-fought win over the Breakers in the Super Dome.  The Game was knotted up in the 4th on a Brandon LaFell TD catch, but Gutierrez found Daniel Fells for the game winner with less than a minute left to get the Stars their 8th win and keep them right on pace with Washington in the NE Division. DENVER 21   BOSTON 16 The Gold get a win they really needed as they visit Boston.  Both Murray and Hicks rushed for scores as they combined for 94 yards on a whopping 37 carries.  Boston saw Jake Locker knocked out of action and Adrian McPherson suffered 4 sacks and threw a pick in his first action in several weeks.  All this happened in front of only 16,202 fans as Boston has switched from angry protest to walking away from the club that is in its last season at Alumni Stadium. ORLANDO 6   BIRMINGHAM 21 Orlando just cannot get anything going as Eli Manning is sacked 5 times and gives up a costly pick 6 to DeMeco Ryans.  Birmingham scored 21 points with that defensive TD, 4 field goals and a safety as Manning was sacked in the endzone early in the game.  That makes 8 consecutive losses for the Renegades and growing calls for Emmitt Thomas to be let go. WASHINGTON 23   MEMPHIS 3 Memphis was simply a speedbump to Washington’s 9th win of the year. Ryan Mallett was able to go, but completed only 10 of 25 passes for a total of 74 yards as Washington just shut down all Memphis offense.  The crowd openly booed the squad throughout the game.  Deion Branch was the standout for the Feds, catching 6 balls for 129  yards and a score. TEXAS 23   OHIO 16 Ohio drops their 2nd in a row to fall to 4-7 on the year as Texas gets 3 TDs and 283 yards from Luke McCown, adding a huge 146 yards on the ground from Arian Foster as they outlast the Glory and claim an 8th win, keeping them now 2 games up in the SW Division with Houston’s loss to Denver. MICHIGAN 7   PORTLAND 24 Portland improves to 6-5 and stays alive in the Wild Card hunt as they get 17 unanswered points to open the game,.  Jonathan Stewart went over 100 yards for the first time since Week 2, and Ryan Fitzpatrick goes 20 for 30 on a good day for the Stags. Michigan again could do nothing on the ground, with Ciatrick Fason leading all Panther rushers with only 18 yards on the day. LOS ANGELES 21   SEATTLE 19 LA wins their 4th game in 5 tries as they get the upper hand on the 3-8 Dragons.  A 4th quarter TD form Sanchez to L. J. Smith gave them a 21-16 lead in the 4th and Coach Lewis oddly went for 3 with 5 minutes left, rather than go for a 4th and 3 play from the LA 22 yard line.  Fans were not happy with that call to be sure. The Hot Seat is Heating Up Eleven weeks in and it is clear that not everyone is living up to their expected potential.  That is often the killer statement that can mean the end of a coaching tenure.  It is one thing to be on a team with low expectations and to meet those standards, but when there are real expectations for a playoff run and the team spirals downward instead, that can end up pretty poorly for even a veteran head coach.  As we look around the USFL after this 11th of 16 weeks, we see five coaches who may very well be coaching for their jobs over the final 5 weeks of the regular season.  Here is our look at 5 men who are likely looking over their shoulder and wincing every time they see the GM’s number on their phones. Emmitt Thomas—ORL When Emmitt Thomas took over the Renegades in 2005, many viewed him as a short term replacement, likely to last 2-3 years before the team went after a bigger name. He has now been with the team for 8 seasons, and he has had a modicum of success, making the playoffs in both 2007 and 2009, but after two consecutive 8-win seasons and two years without a playoff appearance, despite the presence of a bonafide superstar in Calais Campbell, and a trade that brought Eli Manning to the club, this year’s 2-9 record has to almost guarantee that a change would be made.  This was a club that was picked by most to be either 1st or 2nd in the SE Division and by nearly all assessments now is expected to finish last.  We place the heat under Coach Thomas about about 210 degrees.  Two more and we hit the boiling point and the steam turns to a pink slip. Marvin Lewis-SEA At 10 seasons, Marvin Lewis is one of the longest tenured coaches in the USFL.  The fact that he took a 6-8 Dragon squad through three straight road games to win a league title in 2005 is certainly not forgotten.  Nor is the fact that he made a run of 6 playoff seaosns in a row with Seattle. But, and it is a big but, the Dragons have not made the postseason since 2008, a 4 year run that would almost certainly end the tenures of most coaches.  With 3 straight 7-win seasons, Seattle has been on the cusp, and many hoped they would get back to playoff football this year, but they now sit squarely in the basement of the Pacific Division at 3-8, and a playoff berth would be a near miracle at this point.  Whether through resignation or firing, we think the time has come for Lewis to ply his trade elsewhere.  We put his temperature at about 200, 12 degrees from boiling, but only because he can show off that John Bassett Trophy in Seattle’s offices. Gregg Williams—LA Williams was brought in to LA to do two things, build a defense, and win playoff games.  He has done both, with the Express boasting a Top 10 defense in both yards and points allowed, and with a Wild Card victory last season propelling them to the Divisional round, LA’s first playoff appearance since 2007.  But the problem is that the team is both hard to watch, mostly due to a lackluster offense, and started the year 0-6, which put a sour taste in everyone’s mouth.  We think Williams has a chance to stick around, especially having won 4 of the past 5.  If they can reach 8-8 or even 7-9, we don’t think Williams will be  let go, but having already seen the chaos that Randy Moss’s critiques produced, a 10-loss season could well spell the end for Williams’s short tenure in LA.  The fans want to enjoy their team, and even winning games 13-10 is not really what they had in mind. We are going to say that the situation in LA is an uncomfortable but potentially salvageable 140 degrees in the shade. Bart Andrus-OHIO Andrus came to Columbus with the unenviable task of replacing a legend, 2-time Summer Bowl champion Al Luginbill.  He was charged with reimagining what Ohio football meant, bringing a defensive mindset to the club that had become a dominant offensive force with Collins, George, and Galloway leading the way.  He has yet to be able to find a QB to help move Ohio ahead, and now, after 5 straight losing seasons, the clock appears to be ticking.  Unless Ohio can show signs of having potential for a viable offense, the patience Ohio fans and management have shown, could soon be gone.  We are going to say that the heat around Andrus is somewhere in the range of 160-180 degrees.  Not enough to cook his goose immediately, but eventually unless he can find ways to cool things off. John Fox-Boston/Dallas In his 11th season with the franchise (beginning in Atlanta, then a very good run in Boston), Fox saw the Cannons rise from a non-factor into a regular playoff contender, and eventually to a league champion  only 3 years ago.  But since then, and with some pretty noteworthy retirements, the club has clearly declined.  From 7-9 in 2010, to a horrid 1-14-1 season last year and now they sit mired in last place in the NE Division at 3-8 and still no sense that they have an answer. Fox does not deserve all the blame. The GM is the one who invested heavily in Jake Locker, an investment which has just not paid off, but as the glory of winning a title often goes too much to the head coach, the stench of failure also tends to hang around him.  We think Fox, despite the 2009 league title, is very likely going to be out, in no small part because the team has been sold, will be moved once again, now to Dallas, and the new ownership is going to want to put their stamp on this team, a stamp that is easier to define if they bring in a new head coach for a new start.  We think the temperature here is already boiling over, just because the pot is getting moved and there is a new chef in the kitchen. Rookie Of the Year Race is a Tight One Nearly three months into the 2012 season and we are seeing a pretty close race for Rookie of the Year, with several players making good cases to be be recognized.  As with all rookies we are seeing many players step up and show potential, then fade back the next week.  Consistency, and the long wear and tear of backing a full NCAA season with a USFL season do tend to limit the effectiveness of rookies, but each year we see some stand out, and that is no different this year.   Here is our list of the top performing rookies in the 2012 USFL season. Justin Blackmon-WR-BOS The likely frontrunner, Blackmon has been a bright spot in a pretty dark season for Boston.  The OK State rookie leads all Cannon receviers with 74 catches and 918 yards.  Almost assured of reaching the 1,000 yard threshold, Blackmon has been a reliable option for Coach Fox and will almost certainly be used to attract fans when the club relocates to Dallas. Luke Kuechley-LB-BOS The Cannons certainly hit on the draft this year.  LB Luke Kuechley from BC has been lined up between Chris Claiborne and Dat Nguyen all season, and is doing well overall.  He still struggles with pass coverage, but his speed has helped him cover for assignment errors. He is currently 2nd on the team with 60 tackles and has2 forced fumbles as well. Lamar Miller-HB-JAX The Bulls were hoping Miller could step in and take on the bulk of the early down carries, freeing up C. J. Spiller to be more of a pass-catching threat and 3rd down back.  That is exactly what they have gotten form the bigger back.  Miller currently has 161 carries to Spiller’s 75, and while his 3.6 YPC average is not ideal, his 578 yards and 5 TDs lead all rookie backs. Bobby Wagner-LB-OAK Wagner has teamed up with Terrell Suggs to form a potent 1-2 combo in the LB group.  While Suggs tends to lurk around the line of scrimmage and blitz the QB, Wagner is the LB spy, watching out for cutback runs or providing middle zone coverage against TEs and back out of the backfield. He is second to Suggs with 54 tackles and has an impressive 6 forced fumbles this season. Vontez Burfict-LB-TEX A late-round gem, Burfict has moved from a spot player to a regular in the LB group alongside Jonathan Moulton and Chad Greenway.  His 44 tackles are solid, but it is his 6 sacks that have impressed Outlaw coaches. He has proven to be a very effective blitzer in both run blitzes and on passing downs. Isaiah Pead-HB-OHI Pead came on strong enough early on that Ohio felt comfortable trading away DeMarco Murray at midseason.  With that move, his 479 yards are currently tops for the Glory, and with a solid 4.1 YPC average, Pead is looking very much like he could be the clear starter going into 2013. Olivier Vernon-DE-STL Paired with Adrian Clayborn, Vernon has become one of the stars of a much-improved Skyhawks defense.  He is second to Clayborn with 7 sacks on the year, and has also contributed against the run.  A 10+ sack season is not out of the question. Dre Kirkpatrick-CB-MGN Kirkpatrick has been very solid for the Panthers, third on the team with 56 tackles and has 3 picks for Michigan as well.  He still struggles with some zone responsibilities but has been very strong in man coverage. Talk of Retirement for Several USFL Starting QBs With five weeks left in the season, one of the interesting debates around the league surrounds an aging cohort of quarterbacks and whether or not this offseason will see a major generational shift.  That could be bad timing as the 2013 draft class is not one that appears to offer much help at the QB position, but it is rare that a player looks at the draft as a factor in their decision to play another year or call it a career.  Looking across the USFL, we have 6 teams with starting QBs at or over 35 years of age.  How this season is faring and the prospects for each team in the near future may well determine which decide to stick around and who opts to retire as 2012 wraps up. Looking around these 6 teams, we have players who are having strong seasons and whose teams are very much looking like potential playoff contenders.  That includes Jake Delhomme in Charlotte, who has his team atop the Eastern Conference and looking very much like a postseason favorite.  We also have a resurgence for Houston and their veteran, Matt Hasselbeck.  Daunte Culpepper and Tampa Bay are competitive, but there has been some commentary that the veteran QB is just not the same player as in past years.   The same type of commentary is being said about Michigan QB Brian Griese, who just does not seem to have the same athleticism as before his 2010 injury. Jake Plummer in Las Vegas has certainly slowed down from his youthful disregard for personal safety and wild scrambling, but he does have Las Vegas performing well, and with new weapons like Chad Johnson and T. J. Houshmandzadeh, the Thunder offense is looking stronger than in recent years.  Finally, we have Kurt Warner, who was playing at MVP level the past few seasons, but whose spinal column injury and subsequent surgery puts a lot of doubt on his future.  Even if he is able to recover this offseason and could viably return to the game, better judgement may be to step away and avoid a more serious, possibly debilitating injury. If we had to lay odds on who may step away this year, we would place Warner at the top of the list, followed by Griese, Culpepper, and possibly Jake Plummer.  Of course if any of these QB’s were to win a Summer Bowl, there is also a temptation to go out on top, certainly not unheard of in pro circles.  So, will it be 1-2 vacancies or will we see a wave of retirement announcements?  Only time and press conferences post Week 16 will tell us. While no playoff spots have been locked up, we do have our first eliminations of the season, with 2-9 Orlando and 2-9 Memphis both officially eliminated from playoff contention.  Both now sit 5 games behind 6th place New Jersey, but even if either were to go 5-0 down the stretch, the combination of other matchups means that at least 6 teams would rank ahead of them and thus they are eliminated. Things are tighter in the West, where even 3-8 Seattle still remains within striking distance of 6th place (currently 6-5 Houston).  Among the divisions, Washington, Charlotte, and New Orleans all sit 1 game ahead of the 2nd place team, while in the West Texas has a 2-game lead over Houston, St. Louis has a 2game lead over Pittsburgh, and the Invaders and Thunder are tied up a 7-4, with Oakland holding the tiebreaker thanks to a 5-2 division record.  Portland, Houston and Pittsburgh are all 6-5 and battling over 2 Wild Card spots.  In the East Atlanta and New Jersey have spots 5 and 6, and are a game up on the two 6-5 clubs, Tampa Bay and Baltimore, but clearly there is a lot left to be decided. A couple of noteworthy shorter-term injuries as both Chad Johnson and Fred Jackson are expected to miss at least 1-2 weeks due to Week 11 injuries.  Fortunately, the roster of the USFL’s IR has not been expanded this week, which is always a positive.  Here are the newly reported injuries for Week 12’s games. OUT Victor Cruz                          WR         PIT          Back                   4-6 Weeks Josh Liberious                    G            PHI         Shoulder         4-6 Weeks Antoine Caldwell               C             BOS        Back                      2-4 Weeks Chris Kelsay                        DE          ATL         Knee                       2-4 Weeks Fred Jackson                      HB          CHA       Shoulder                 1-2 Weeks Jason Babin                        DE          BOS        Thigh                      1-2 Weeks Chad Johnson                    WR         LV           Elbow                      1-2 Weeks Jake Locker QB BOS Groin 1-2 Weeks DOUBTFUL Garrett Celek                     TE          CHA       Ribs Terell Owens                      WR         BIR         Shoulder Grant Irons                         LB           LA           Hamstring LaRon Landry                     SS           NSH       Toe Monsanto Pope                DT          ARZ        Foot QUESTIONABLE Dre Kirkpatrick                  CB          MGN     Illness Chad Rinehart                   OT         HOU      Illness Peyton Hillis                       FB         NSH       Concussion USFL Celebrates Best DB Seasons With Top 5 All-Time Revealed The USFL has released another Top 5 Seasons list, this time focusing on the DB’s, and this one is likely to be significantly more controversial because there are so many ways to define whether a DB is successful.  It seems clear that interceptions were a huge factor, but so were tackles, and even scoring, so this one could be wide open. Here are the 5 names that the USFL panel has given us to discuss. 1997 FS Elbert Shelley (TEX) There was no doubt that Shelley would be on this list.  His 1997 came out of nowhere and was for all intents and purposes the sports equivalent of a 1-hit wonder.  Shelley  played 12 seasons in the USFL, all with Texas, but never topped 5 picks in any season, but something happened in 1997 and it just seemed like the ball kept bouncing into his hands.  He would score on two pick-sixes among his 10 interception but also recorded one of his lowest tackle numbers of his career, in part because teams just stopped throwing his way. 1990 CB Raphel Cherry (LA) The 1996 Hall of Famer is a name you might also expect to see on this list. His 9 picks in 1990 remains the 2nd highest total in league history, and it was paired with 100 tackles in that season with the Express.  Cherry, unlike Shelley, strung together several top tier seasons, topping 5 picks in 3 other seasons.  He also regularly was among the league leaders in tackles for a cornerback, but it was his 1990 season that stands at the top of a HOF career. 1998 FS Darren Woodson (NOR) This is the first one where we all looked at each other with a bit of surprise.  Yes, Woodson had 9 picks in 1998, but if we were going to put a Woodson on this list, it would have been current Fire CB Charles and not FS Darren. Nine picks is certainly a strong number, tied with Cherry for 2nd all time, but looking across the rest of his numbers, there just is not a lot of there there, and for a team that finished the year 6-10, we are just not sure what the focus is here. 1999 CB Patrick Surtain (PIT) We love Patrick Surtain, even though he has never been a huge INT guy.  He is unafraid to hit, unafraid to take on anyone from a speedy slot receiver to a bulky TE, and he is an outstanding tackler.  That is why he is on this list, because his 4 picks in 1999 certainly would not do it.  However, when you set a league record with 124 tackles from the cornerback position in a season, you deserve to be recognized.  Yes, his hands have on occasion failed, him, but his ability to take on backs, ends, receivers, and even the occasional lineman, well that is worthy of recognition. 1996  CB Chris Snyder (MGN) It took us a minute to understand why Snyder’s 8-Interception season in 1996 made the list, but once we saw it, we could not unsee it.  Snyder in this season had 8 picks and returned 4 of them for scores.  That is both a league record and an impressive feat for any defender.  Snyder had an up and down career, with several questionable seasons, landing over 5 picks on only 1 other occasion, but his 1996 season was absolutely a highlight reel of a year. So there is the list.  And yes, we absolutely recognize that there are some big names that we are surprised to see missing.  Where is Troy Polamalu, for example?  Or Ed Reed?  And what about Hall of Famers like William Cesare, Donald Dykes, Frederick Wilder, Bennie Blades, LeRoy Butler, Philippi Sparks, Aeneas Williams, or Bruce Pickens?  That is 8 players who were deemed among the best to ever play the game, and yet they do not get highlighted for an outstanding season?  Seems odd to us. League to investigate Las Vegas Finances With the USFL having to pony up nearly 20% of Las Vegas’s initial stadium funding, a total of nearly $30M, some major questions are now being asked of the Thunder and their ownership.  We learned this week that both the State of Nevada and the USFL league office is now asking to review the financials behind the Thunder ownership group.  Concerns that the investment group led by Casino developer Phil Ruffin, have inflated their portfolios and overreported their accessible resources could lead to both legal action and significant league action. Ruffin and his group signed on to a deal for the new strip-adjacent domed stadium in Las Vegas, with a pledge to cover 30% of the estimated $900M construction cost, but now are pleading that they are unable to access the funds needed for just the initial $140M.  The USFL was obligated to cover that pledged funding, causing the league to divert nearly $30M  from its reserve to the project, this after putting in an initial $200M just a year ago.  This does not sit well with anyone in the league, and there is growing discord among owners as they explore options with Ruffin’s group.  An audit will be the first step, and if they do discover instability and inaccuracy in the reporting of the Thunder group’s portfolio, there could be significant fallout.  Of course, the biggest question could well be whether or not the league is forced to either abandon the project, which would itself come with a major penalties, or potentially abandon the Thunder, meaning that the USFL might well build a brand new stadium in Las Vegas only to have no team to place there. Memphis Introduces Revamped Look for 2013 The Memphis Showboats, who appear to be on the fast track to the #1 draft pick in 2013 may be in disarray on the field, but they are looking to their future as they partner with Adidas to reveal their new uniform design for 2013.  Like Michigan before them, the Showboats are more ‘tweaking” or “updating” a familiar look than making sweeping overhauls.  The basic elements remain very much the same, a combination of scarlet red and silver sky blue, though the amount of black in use is dramatically reduced, appearing only in some logos and not in the uniform at all. There is definitely a bit of a retro feel with this look as Memphis brings back several elements of earlier uniform designs, including the thin red single stripe on the pants and the use of silver sky sleeves on both the scarlet and white jerseys.  The secondary logo “Showboat M” and the wordmark that depicts a paddlewheeler within the team’s name are also both in use on the uniforms.  The number font remains a thin non-serif font with drop shadows.  The team is introducing a white pant set to go alongside the silver sky pants they have worn since the late 1980’s.   The white look will largely be worn with the white jerseys later in the season when the heat and humidity of Memphis can become significant challenges.    The new look will be first worn in preseason of 2013 as Memphis has been eliminated from the playoffs and any potential reveal during the postseason. Looking at the Week 13 slate, we are just excited by the possibilities.  We kick it all off on Friday Night with the greatest of all USFL rivalries as New Jersey visits Philadelphia, down 1 game to the Stars and 2 behind the Feds in the NE Division. On Saturday we get some “do or die” games, including 5-6 Chicago at 4-7 Birmingham, 6-5 Houston headed to Washington, 6-5 Portland in Texas, and 6-5 Tampa Bay with another tough divisional game in Atlanta. Sunday brings us an intriguing game between New Orleans and Pittsburgh, and a Sunday night matchup with St. Louis having to head to the desert for a game against the Wranglers.  Arizona, like Denver (who host Michigan) need a win to reach .500 and stay relevant in the Western Wild Card hunt. FRIDAY @ 8PM ET            New Jersey (7-4) @ Philadelphia (8-3)                    NBC SAT @ 12PM ET                Chicago (5-6) @ Birmingham (4-7)                          ABC SAT @ 12PM ET                Oakland (7-4) @ Ohio (4-7)                                      ABC SAT @ 12PM ET                Houston (6-5) @ Washington (9-2)                          FOX SAT @ 4PM ET                  Portland (6-5) @ Texas (8-3)                                     ABC SAT @ 4PM ET                  Los Angeles (4-7) @ Las Vegas (7-4)                        FOX SAT @ 8PM ET                  Tampa Bay (6-5) @ Atlanta (7-4)                              ESPN/EFN SUN @ 12PM ET               Jacksonville (5-6) @ Orlando (2-9)                           ABC SUN @ 12PM ET               Seattle (3-8) @ Charlotte (8-3)                                 FOX SUN @ 12PM ET               Memphis (2-9) @ Nashville (4-7)                              FOX SUN @ 4PM ET                 New Orleans (5-6) @ Pittsburgh (6-5)                     ABC SUN @ 4PM ET                 Baltimore (6-5) @ Boston (3-8)                                ABC SUN @ 4PM ET                 Michigan (4-7) @ Denver (5-6)                                 FOX SUN @ 8PM ET                 St. Louis (8-3) @ Arizona (5-6)                                  ESPN/EFN

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: David Carr's 420 yard performance against Houston kept Arizona very much in the playoff hunt as the SW Division tightens up. Carr completed 22 of 34 passes and threw for 2 TDs, thanks in large part to a handful of deep balls that connected against the Houston secondary. PLAYOFF PICTURE: We may still be a ways from seeing teams clinch as many races remain tight. Washington takes over the top spot in the East after Charlotte's loss to Tampa Bay. Texas regains the top spot in the West, tied with St. Louis.