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--February 3, 2013 For many USFL fans this is the toughest part of the entire season.  The draft is over, but we have to wait and see who will sign and who will choose the NFL.  Free Agency is closing down, but the NFL-USFL Transfer window is still 3 weeks away, so there are teams with obvious holes in their rosters and no real guarantee they can fill them.  Camps are open, but rosters are incomplete and we are playing a waiting game to see who ends up where.  It’s a tough way to get ready for a season, and already know that if teams can sign away some NFL talent, they may not be available to suit up until the regular season is underway.  But, that said, there certainly has been a lot of movement, a lot of news, since our October report, and a lot of new faces in new places.  We will break down the big moves so far this offseason, review the draft results, and take a look ahead at the NFL free agents who may just take the leap into the spring.  All that, plus the LA Express finally find their head coach, and he has some pedigree to him to be sure.  We start with that as LA’s patience may have just paid off big time. Express Waiting Game Pays Off It is risky business to go nearly the entire offseason with no head coach and just the front office making the roster moves, but in the USFL that strategy has occasionally paid off as January brings the NFL’s version of Black Monday, and every once in a while a coach with a lot to offer suddenly finds himself looking for a place to ply his trade.  That was the situation for Coach Andy Reid, who had taken Philadelphia to the NFC Conference game 6 times, made 3 Super Bowl appearances, and won two titles with Donovan McNabb at the helm. Since McNabb’s departure, things got a bit dicier in Philadelphia, and Reid this January was relieved of duties after a 4-12 season, despite the Lombardi Trophies he brought to the Eagles. And so, with Reid on the market, the LA Express, who did not jump on available candidates for their vacant position in August, were right there, ready and waiting.  Within 2 weeks of his departure from the Eagles, right in the heart of the USFL Draft, the news broke.  Andy Reid would be the next head coach of the Express.  In Reid, LA gets a proven winner, a coach with pedigree and a history of success.  It is something that LA fans have been clamoring for.  The Express (in two different iterations) have played in 27 of the USFL’s 30 seasons and have yet to bring home a John Bassett Trophy.  For Express fans, there is now optimism that Reid can do for them what he did for the Eagles, and bring a much-desired title to tinseltown. Chicago Trades Michael Turner to Bolster Secondary We reported back in October that the Chicago Machine were looking to deal their 7-time 1,000 yard rusher Michael Turner this offseason, and by Thanksgiving they had done just that. Turner, who had one of his best seasons in 2011 with nearly 1,400 yards on the ground, was sent to Houston in exchange for some draft capital and very promising young cornerback Josh Norman. The deal helps Houston reload after the retirement of Shaun Alexander, while providing Chicago with much needed help in the secondary. Turner has been a workhorse for the Machine for nearly a decade, topping 1,000 yards every year since 2006, and at 29 years old, he is still at a stage in his career where more of the same could be expected, but Coach Schiano loved what he saw in 2011 rookie Doug Martin, and so opted to deal Turner before turned 30, a pivotal point in any running back's career, and one where the risk of a quick decline in production often lowers their trade value. By dealing the veteran back now, Schiano and the Machine were able to demand a high cost, and that high cost came in the form of a talented rookie corner in Josh Norman. Norman was a mid-round pick of the Gamblers in 2011 out of Coastal Carolina but quickly emerged as one of the best finds of the 2011 draft after earning a position as a starter by midseason. He now will go to Chicago, where he is expected to line up behind Marlin Jackson as the 2nd CB, but could see some action against top receivers. Chicago also obtained a mid-round draft pick this year, one they would go on to use to select another cornerback in USC's Nickell Robey-Coleman, providing even more youth to a secondary that was a huge issue for the club in a disappointing 2011 season. For Turner, the move allows him to once again be a bell cow back, now for Coach Wade Phillips, and to play for a team that has Summer Bowl aspirations despite barely missing the playoffs last year. The 2-time All-USFL back will lead a HB room that also includes 9-year veteran short-yardage back Cedrick Cobbs and little-used 3rd back Herbert Perron. Expect Turner to be a focal point of the Houston offense, and perhaps to have a greater role in the passing game than he did in Chicago, where he caught only 18 balls in 2011. The big story leading up to the draft were the bevvy of quality running backs who did not sign with the NFL, did not sign early in free agency, and were available for USFL teams to try to woo into the Winter.  With players like Frank Gore, Cadillac Williams, Ray Rice, Felix Jones, and Jahvid Best still on the market, the theory was that when the first signed, the rush would be on.  That would prove to be exactly what happened. There were 5 teams in the market and in negotiations to try to woo former Nashville Knight Frank Gore to town.  He was the key to the entire market.  When he took a 4-year deal to replace LaDainian Tomlinson in Arizona, it broke up the logjam, and within 6 days five other backs were off the board and 5 more teams had found a running game. Gore signed a 4-year, $14M deal with Arizona on December 13th, joining the Wranglers as the clear number one back. The deal would take the former Knight to the age of 35, once unthinkable, but after seeing the success that Antowain Smith had at age 36, and with Gore’s famous work ethic, the Wranglers were more than willing to add a 3rd and 4th year to the deal when other clubs were still dangling 2-year deals out to Gore’s agent. With Gore off the table, Seattle quickly moved to make sure they would not be left without a viable veteran option.  They quickly signed former Showboat Cadillac Williams to a 3-year deal that would bring the back to the Pacific Northwest. At the same time Nashville was trying to find a back to replace Gore, and just one day after Williams had signed, the Knights cam e to an agreement with the youngest of the big name backs out there, former General and Express HB Ray Rice.  That left only former Seattle starter Jahvid Best on the table as far as starters go, but Best was considered marginal at best as a 2013 starter, and was more likely to find himself in a platoon.  He would sign 3 days later with Washington, an interesting move as it almost assures that Best will be a backup in 2013 behind legendary Federal HB Deuce McCallister, but McCallister is not immortal, and the premise here seems to be that Best will step in when McCallister calls it a career, possibly after just this season. In the next 3 days we also saw Felix Jones sign with Texas, Rod Smart with LA, and Antonio Pitmann with Dallas, all taking on smaller roles as they join new teams, but roles that allow them to keep playing.  By Christmas weekend the backs were off the board and several teams who had been thought to be favoring backs in the 2013 Collegiate Draft, now might have been off the table.  However, two big players in the HB Mad Dash, Michigan and St. Louis, were not.  Michigan was expected to look long and hard at one of the players in their protected pool, Michigan State’s LeVeon Bell.  St. Louis would need to make a deal to get access to a top back.  They would make that deal by New Year’s Eve, trading Open Draft selections for the right to the Birmingham Stallions’ first Territorial Draft selection, a clear move to get the inside track on Alabama HB Eddie Lacy. But HB was not the only position that saw a feeding frenzy in December.  With several players having delayed a decision through the fall, December was packed with deals as teams tried to reduce their high-impact roster gaps ahead of the USFL Draft, knowing full well that 1 in 2 draftees, if not more, would head to the NFL instead of signing to play with the USFL.  As we wrap up the  pre-draft signings, here is our list of the later signings with the biggest potential impact, position by position. QB A weak pool of QB prospects led to few signings.  Seattle nabbed Mike Flynn early in the offseason and in December only 2 more signed. Bob Volek returned to familiar ground in Oakland after a 2-year stint with the Showboats and Jeff Smoker, the former Michigan State Spartan, also had a homecoming, signing on with the Panthers as a backup to Kirk Cousins. TE After early action saw Jeremy Stevens sing with St. Louis, Jabari Holloway with Birmingham, and Dustin Keller with the Bandits, the biggest name left was Brandon Manumaleuna (a pretty big name), who waited until just before the holidays before signing on with the Dallas Roughnecks. WR It was rumored for weeks, but just before Thanksgiving the deal was finally cut and Vincent Jackson, who saw such success with the Maulers, was the new number 1 receiver for the Tampa Bay Bandits, taking over the position that future HOFer Joey Galloway had held the past two years.  Over the next month we saw several other signings; James Hardy with Philly, Julian Edelman reupping in Birmingham, Chastin West in Jacksonville, Roberto Wallace in DC, and Sean Morey with the Glory. OL November and December saw most of the remaining big guys off the boards.  Centers Antoine Caldwell (BOS to OAK), and Ryan Kahil (LA to MEM), guards Elton Brown (DEN to TBY), Chris Kemoeatu (SEA to OAK), and Chris Kuper (PIT to PHI), and tackles Jared Gaither (PHI to PIT), Joseph Bragg (NOR to SEA), and David Stewart (MEM to WSH), pretty much depleted the pool, save for 34-year-old Chris Terry.  The former Renegade remains unsigned as of today. DE With Elvis Dumervil (DAL0 and Reggie Torbor (PHI) off the board early, the biggest name among edge rushers still left was former Wrangler Justice Cole, who, at 23, is the rare case of a young player not being extended on his rookie deal.  Denver took advantage of that and signed Cole in mid-November, leaving only Brandon Noble and Everson Griffin left. DT Twenty-nine-year-old Amobi Okoye was seen as the best long term prospect among the DTs, especially after Atiyyah Ellison signed with Portland.  Well, Okoye also opted to head to the PNW, signing with Seattle just after Halloween.  Other signings included Ohio’s Tank Johnson, now with the Showboats, and Portland’s Kedrick Gholston, who will join Chicago. LB We had a huge rush of backers taken early, as we reported back in October, and that left basically Pat Angerer, Brian Kehl, and Nathan Triplett left for the latter stages of free agency. Well, now all three are gone.  Angerer joins the Gamblers, Kehl the Stallions, and Triplett heads out to LA, leaving very few options for USFL teams as camp opens. CB Perhaps the biggest surprise in Free Agency right now is that CB Antoine Winfield remains unsigned.  At this point it seems clear he is looking for an NFL option.  He and Rashad Bauman were the two most highly rated corners in the pool, and both are still out there.  No longer out there for the taking is former Showboat Tyrone Bell, who signed with Las Vegas. S Both FS Bhawoh Jue and SS John Keith opted to retire rather than start over with a new team, while 31-year-old Atari Bigby seems to be asking more than anyone is willing to pay.  He may well be headed to the NFL rather than signing back with a USFL team. K/P Texas got their replacement for the retired Rian Lindell, signing former Nashville kicker Kai Forbath to a 2-year deal. Josh Scobee has yet to sign and is the only established veteran left among placekickers. Before we look team by team at the USFL’s Territorial and Open Draft, a couple of stories emerged out of the draft that deserve to be noted.  We will explore these first and then look at how your favorite team strategized through the draft. Trades Up and Down the Open Draft We expected a lot of Open-for-Territorial swapping, but largely that did not materialize. The only significant moves made were St. Louis’s trade to get in position to draft Eddie Lacy, and Portland’s swap with Charlotte so that they could select NC State QB Mike Glennon.  More action was certainly seen within the Open Draft, where we had moves made involving picks in nearly every round.  It started with Jacksonville trying to leapfrog Ohio and get their top choice at DE.  They sent their 1st and 2nd this year to Memphis to move up 4 spots, one pick ahead of the Glory, and they went for the man they coveted, LSU DE Barkevious Mingo, who had already publicly talked about being a lifelong Orlando Renegade fan.  Guess he will now have to be satisfied with playing the ‘Gades twice a year, assuming he does not head to the NFL instead of to rival Jacksonville. Memphis used the 6th pick to snag the LB they coveted, Georgia’s Jarvis Jones, who was one of only a handful of players to sign with the USFL to date, so a good move by Memphis there. Houston and New Jersey pulled off the other trade entirely within the first round, New Jersey swapped their 1st for Houston’s, also sending the Gamblers two 6th rounders this year and a 4th rounder in 2014, all to take a swing at safety Eric Reid of LSU.  Having already chosen Shamarko Thomas of Syracuse in the T-Draft, it was very clear the Generals did not want to leave this draft without a first-year starter at safety.  For their part, Houston dropped down 7 spots, where they drafted Georgia DT John Jenkins. Both of the Summer Bowl contestants dropped out of the first round with trades that gave them extra picks in later rounds.  St. Louis would drop from 28th to the 2nd round in a deal with Birmingham, and then proceed to swap their two 2nd round picks with Orlando to move up near the top of the 2nd round, where they selected DE Bjorn Werner from Florida State.  Charlotte also moved out of the 1st round, sending their pick to LA for a 2nd and a 3rd rounder.  With their 2nd 1st round pick, LA took a shot at CB Jamar Taylor of Boise State, and with their 2 picks Charlotte selected OG Jonathan Cooper and LB Steven Means from Buffalo. Other trades saw Memphis swap their 2nd round pick with Baltimore so the Blitz could select OT Terron Armstead out of Arkansas-Pine Bluff; Atlanta sent 3 picks to Oakland to get another 2nd rounder, a pick they used on CB Darius Slay from Mississippi State, and Arizona sent three late round picks to Dallas to move into the 4th round and select DE Kapron Lewis-Moore from Notre Dame. For a draft that did not have a strong QB pool there was a surprising amount of movement all throughout the day.  But, in the end, what does it mean. Here is our breakdown of each team’s selections and the player they absolutely don’ t want to miss on. ARIZONA The Wranglers have already signed Iowa State LB A. J. Klien, so that is one big win for them.  The one they need to lock down is their 1st round pick, Alabama guard Chase Warmack. ATLANTA The Fire are hoping to sign Tennessee HB Cordarelle Patterson to be the lightning in a Thunder & Lightning backfield they want to put together, but he has a competing offer from the NFL Vikings, so they were smart to double down by also selecting South Carolina’s Marcus Lattimore 2 rounds later. BALTIMORE The Blitz moved up to select Armstead, the big RT from Arkansas-Pine Bluff, but the player that could be the key to their draft was 1st round selection DeAndre Hopkins, the speedy wideout from Clemson who they would slot into Tory Holt’s outside position. BIRMINGHAM The Stallions stockpiled picks and hope that they can have a strong signing record with a lot of cap room to spend.  We like their T-Draft particularly, where they selected Alabama LB Nico Johnson and DE Quinton Dial, focusing on signability over splash, after trading away the top T-Draft pick to St. Louis.  We also really like the mid-round steal of safety Baccari Rambo from Georgia, a very solid player with a great name. CHARLOTTE The Monarchs traded out of the first round, so they got some extra picks.  We like the focus on offensive line with UNC’s Jonathan Cooper and Travis Bond taken in the T-Draft, but in the open draft, the player they are most excited by is Rice TE Luke Willson. CHICAGO The Machine were hoping DeAndre Hopkins would be there.  He was not, and neither was Tavon Austin, so Chicago went with Aaron Dobson of Marshall, and then doubled down by picking West Virginia’s Stedman Bailey in the next round.  And yes, despite the weirdness of the catfishing controversy, the Machine still protected LB  Manti Te’o from Notre Dame in the T-Draft. DALLAS The first draft for the new ownership in the new city and it was all about OU in the T-Draft.  QB Landry Jones, DE David King, and WR Kenny Stills could give a very Sooner look to the Roughnecks if they can land all three.  In the Open Draft, the player they absolutely do not want to miss on is first round pick, DT Star Lotulelei from Utah, a mountain of a man to fill up the middle of that D-line. DENVER A pretty quiet year with only 5 picks in the open draft.  We do like OT David Bakhtiari from just up the road in Boulder, a T-Draft selection, but Denver is hoping they have the funds to entice 1st round pick, Texas A&M OT Luke Joecklel to forego the Jags, who selected him to be the next Tony Boselli in Jacksonville. HOUSTON The Gamblers did not protect Joeckel, but hope they got what they needed from a T-Draft that included A&M halfback Christine Michael, DE Damontre Moore, and WR Ryan Swope, a clean sweep for the Aggies.  In the Open Draft, Houston was the winner in the Kenny Vaccaro sweepstakes, snatching up the Longhorn safety, but now will have to compete with the Saints of the NFL to sign the top safety in the draft. JACKSONVILLE The Bulls surprised many by not protecting DT Sharrif Floyd (Picked by Denver) or WR DeAndre Hopkins, but by going for two safeties, Florida’s Matt Elam and  Georgia Southern’s J. J. Wilcox.  In the Open Draft, we like the pick of Barkevious Mingo, even if they had already picked Clemson’s Malliciah Goodman in the T-Draft.  Doubling up on a key position is always a good option. LAS VEGAS Even with a 4th T-Draft school added (Nevada), it was slim pickings for the Thunder. DE Exekial Ansah is the big fish in a small pool, but the Lions also picked Ansah in the NFL first round, which means the pricetag just went up to sign him. LOS ANGELES The Express went heavy for the offensive weapons in the T-Draft, selecting not only Trojan wideout Robert Woods and SDSU tight end Gavin Escobar, but HB Jonathan Franklin from UCLA for a skills trifecta.  In the Open Draft, LA traded back up into the 1st round to get a 2nd pick, choosing CB Jamar Taylor of Boise State after their initial selection of Houston Cougar CB D. J. Hayden in the same round, a serious double-down strategy. MEMPHIS The Showboats dropped from the 4th position to the 8th to allow Jacksonville to move up, but they still got the man they wanted, LB Jarvis Jones from Georgia.  We think they will break the bank to keep Jones from going to the Steelers.  But will that leave them enough money to compete for other players, like Arkansas HB Kniles Davis, selected in the T-Draft as an answer to Cadillac Williams’s departure.  Having signed Darren McFadden in free agency, perhaps Davis is not the priority he otherwise would have been. MICHIGAN The entire Panther draft hinges on T-Draft selection LeVeon Bell signing on as their bellcow back.  That is the biggest hole and the biggest name in their draft. They doubled down, as most teams do in key positions, with mid-round pick Michael Cox from UMass, but Bell is the key. NASHVILLE It will be an cross-city battle as both the Knights and the Copperheads selected WR Justin Hunter from Tennessee.  If they cannot win that battle, perhaps a good consolation prize is TE Tyler Eifert from Notre Dame, also picked by the notoriously stingy Cincinnati Bengals, so a good shot for Nashville in those dealings. NEW JERSEY The Generals traded away so many picks over the past few years that they only ended up with 6 total picks over both the T-Draft and Open Draft.  Their lone T-Draft pick was Syracuse safety Shamarko Thomas, a security blanket if Open Draft selection Eric Reid signs with the 49ers. NEW ORLEANS The Breakers feel they landed their new kicker in Caleb Sturgis, already signed on for 3 years, but the big fish for them is CB Xavier Rhodes of FSU, who they see starting from day one, if that is he does not sign on with the Vikings. OAKLAND While we like OT D. J. Fluker from Alabama in the Open Draft, the key to Oakland’s draft week is the T-Draft, where they are hoping to land both WR Keenan Allen from Cal and TE Zach Ertz from Stanford for a 1-2 punch of Bay Area ballers. OHIO A weak Ohio State grad class means that the T-Draft is for depth only for the Glory.  They need to hit big in the Open Draft, and their top choice of UCLA DE Datone Jones could be key.  He was also chosen by Green Bay, but Columbus has to be a better option, right?  Neither is LA, so it is a question of cold v. cold for Jones. ORLANDO HB Latavius Murray of UCF has already inked to stay in Orlando with the Renegades, so they have a win under their belt.  Now, can they land their top pick, Alabama CB Dee Milliner? That would make new head coach John Fox a happy camper to be sure. PHILADELPHIA The Stars traded away several picks to try to move up in the mid-rounds.  They had a weak T-Draft Pool, but are hopeful that they can land their Open Draft picks, including HB Zac Stacy of Vanderbilt, TE Travis Kelce of Cincinnati, and 1st round pick, LB Jamie Collins of Southern Miss. PITTSBURGH The Maulers went for the playmaker in the T-Draft, picking West Virginia mighty mite Tavon Austin to add some flare to their offense.  They then went with an interesting “reach” pick in the 3rd round of the Open Draft, selecting Minnesota State’s Adam Thielen, a player many expected to stick around until the 6th or 7th round.  Guess the Maulers are concerned about the passing game without Vincent Jackson. PORTLAND Linebacker Kiko Alonso and DE Dion Jordan could be a great 1-2 punch out of the Stags’ T-Draft, but where the Stags look most interesting is at QB, where they picked E. J. Manuel in the first round and then used a late round pick on Penn State QB Matt McGloin.  Guess Ryan Fitzpatrick should not be signing any 30-year mortgages for a home in Portland. SEATTLE The Dragons will have a tough battle on their hands for top pick Eric Fisher, the CMU tackle.  He also went first overall in the NFL Draft, picked by Kansas City.  The good news for Seattle is that they are not constrained by the 1st round rookie “slots” the NFL uses to control rookie pay, so they could outibid the Chiefs if they want to spend that kind of money. ST. LOUIS The big move for the Skyhawks was trading to get Birmingham’s T-Draft pick so they could try to lock up Alabama HB Eddie Lacy.  The lure of being the new bellcow back for the USFL champion could be enough to bring Lacy to St. Louis instead of signing with the NFL Packers. TAMPA BAY We are a bit surprised that with E. J. Manuel in their protected pool, the Bandits passed and went with USF QB B. J. Daniels instead.  But QB was not a priority position.  What was a priority is DE, which is why they also chose FSU’s Bjorn Werner and Tank Carradine.  In the Open Draft they went for inside line with Purdue’s Kawann Short. TEXAS The Outlaws love the straight-line speed of UT wideout Marquise Goodwin, another potential weapon for Joe Flacco.  But they also need to protect Flacco, which is why they selected both Oregon guard Kyle Long and FSU tackle Menelik Watson in the Open Draft. WASHINGTON The T-Draft produced very little, but Washington is high on LB Alec Ogletree from Georgia and FB Tommy Bohanon from Wake Forest, two Open Draft picks.  The other big name, taken a bit later in the USFL Draft than the NFL Draft (always a red flag for signing) HB Giovanni Bernard, picked by Washington in the 3rd round but selected by Cincinnati in the 1st.  Expect that to be a tough player to wrangle. Will anyone take a shot at JaMarcus Russell? If it is name recognition you want in a quarterback, it is hard to do better than JaMarcus Russell, but what the LA Raiders learned is that some spectacular moments at LSU do not necessarily mean that a young player will have immediate success at the next level.  By all accounts, Russell has been a bust after being chosen first overall by the Raiders in the 2007 NFL Draft.  Russell has become the poster child for bad scouting after all the praise prior to the draft has led to 3 seasons of pretty bad stats and an arrest for codeine possession, becoming the first player in NFL history to be busted for “purple drank”. That was 2 years ago, and Russell says he is ready for a comeback, but the former Raider starter is a huge risk, the kind of risk that many teams in both leagues want nothing to do with.  And yet, we have seen risky players jump leagues and find success.  We have seen players with legal issues, drug issues, alcohol issues, you name it, so is Russell all that different?  The truth is that had he played at an All-Pro level with the Raiders, he likely would be able to get a deal, to have a team forgive his legal issues and his weight issues and take a shot on him.  But, when your pro stat line looks like that of a journeyman backup and not a top draft pick, well, the argument that he can turn it around 5 years since his college glory days, those are harder to buy into. Reggie Bush has LA on his mind. Another player with a bit of a checkered past and a bit of a chip on his shoulder is also going to be in the NFL free agent pool.  Reggie Bush came out of USC with all the hype a Trojan halfback deserves, picked second by the New Orleans Saints in the 2006 draft, Bush turned away a deal from the LA Express and played 5 seasons in New Orleans, but never topped 600 yards in a year, though his combined yards as a receiver and runner were solid. There was scandal, particularly related to his time with the Trojans, and Bush moved on to Miami, where he has played 31 of the past 32 games for the Dolphins, rushing fo rover 2,000 yards over the past two seasons and proving that he still has some shimmy left in him.  Now he is a free agent again, and hoping for a third act.  With so many USFL teams starting the offseason desperate for a lead back, the hope had to be that he could parlay USFL interests against NFL interests and get himself a top dollar deal. But, most of the USFL teams have found their solution at halfback, either within the USFL free agent pool or in the draft (assuming the bigger names sign), which leaves Bush with few options, but one very big opportunity could be right back at home.  The Express, who drafted Bush out of USC in 2006, are again looking for a lead back, and landing the former Trojan could be a move that is too good to pass up. NFL Pool Favors the Defense Once again, it looks like NFL clubs have largely protected their offensive playmakers, especially at QB and WR, but may have done so at the expense of linemen and defenders, creating a pool that is perfect for USFL contenders to plunder, but maybe not so great for teams that are looking for some explosive offense or a quick fix at QB. In addition to JaMarcus Russell, considered a major risk by most GMs, the QB group is pretty sparce.  You have Tarvaris Jackson, who is at least still somewhat of a younger player, and then you have veterans like Trent Edwards and Rex Grossman, and that is about it. In the HB group, outside of Reggie Bush, there are still several names that fans could get excited about, including former Ram Steven Jackson, who could still have some juice in those legs, and two pluggers in Chris Ivory and Chris “Beanie” Wells, both of whom have solid short-yardage skills.  Others in the group include Justin Forsett, Ahmad Bradshaw, and Jalen Parmele. At receiver the pool is just not that deep.  The top name is former Steeler Emmanuel Sanders, who has been something of a nuisance much in the mold of Mike Wallace.  You have a decent route runner in Brian Hartline, and you have an outstanding return man who struggles as a true wideout in former Brown Josh Cribbs. At TE the only receiver worth a look is former Raven Dennis Pitta, who is not the most fleet of foot but knows how to work a zone and get open. If you want to make hay in this free agent pool, O-line may be the place to do it.  Some very talented tackles head up the group, players like Falcon Tyson Clabo, Bronco Ryan Clady, Dolphin Jake Long, Ginat Will Beaty, Patriot LT Sebastian Vollmer, and the Saints’ Jermon Bushrod.  At guard there is not as much name recognition, but good talent in Louis Vasquez (SD), Ramon Foster (PIT), Kevin Boothe (NYG), and Ryan Lilja (KC).  And at center you have solid starters in Dallas’s Phil Costa and Titan Fernando Velasco. On the defense, the key position is linebacker, where the group is led by Raven Paul Kruger, and goes pretty deep with players like Chase Blackburn, Kaluka Maiava, Dannell Ellerbe, Demorrio Williams, Philip Wheeler, and Larry Foote. Defensive End is also a pretty solid group, though there are no Reggie Whites or Calais Campbells in this group.  Dwight Freeney is the old man in the group at 33, but he could be good for a 1-2 year deal.  He is joined by players like Michael Bennett,  Junior Galette, and Matt Shaughnessy,  Inside you have Henry Melton of the Bears, Glenn Dorsey of KC, Randy Starks from Miami, and Aubrayo Franklin from the Chargers. In the secondary, how about Patriot CB Aqib Talib?  Or you could look at the Vikings DeAngelo Hall, Panthers’ Chris Gamble, Chis Houston from Detroit, or E. J. Biggers form Tampa Bay.  We also like Derk Cox, the 26-year-old from the Jaguars.   At safety, we like Glover Quin of the Texans, Kerry Rhodes from Arizona, Quintin Mikell from the Rams, and Louis Delmas from Detroit. The only spot we don’t see any real finds is at the kicking positions, both placekicker and punter, where no serious potential solutions are found this offseason.  We have about 2 weeks before the action really starts on this front, and any players who don’t sign quickly will almost certainly miss some games, but at least there is talent out there, though, again, not so much if you are a QB needy team.  The players worth their salt at the QB position rarely make it to the free agent market. Join us in just about a month when we prepare to kick off the 2013 USFL season with our double edition USFL Kickoff preview edition.  We will have all the rookie signings, NFL transfers, last second free agents and trades, and we will preview all 28 USFL clubs ahead of the league’s 31st season.   All this plus we look at the full schedule and highlight the 16 best games of the year.

The Western Conference Champions made the most of home cooking in Summer Bowl 2012, scoring on their first possession and never trailing in a 33-20 victory over the Eastern Champions from Charlotte.  Both teams put on an offensive show, with Charlotte outgaining St. Louis 411-363 but Charlotte QB Jake Delhomme, returning from an injury in the Wild Card round, was picked off 3 times and the Monarchs committed 4 total turnovers in a game they needed to play cleanly to win.  St. Louis had one flub, a rare pick of Josh Freeman, but were the more efficient team, scoring on 6 of 9 possessions and holding Charlotte at arm’s length for most of the game to win their first title and stake their claim as the first expansion club from the 2000’s to win a USFL title. Halfback Antowain Smith was named the game’s MVP, rushing for 111 yards and a TD in 26 carries as the Skyhawks spent the day countering the defensive schemes of Charlotte and zigging when Charlotte played the zag.  The combination of turnovers, penalties (7 for 48 yards) and missed third down shots kept Charlotte from challenging the Skyhawks for much of the game, obtaining a brief tie in the 3rd quarter only to have Fred Jackson give up a safety and give the lead right back to the Skyhawks. The game started, after all the usual pomp & circumstance, with Charlotte winning the toss but deferring until the 2nd half.  That gave St. Louis the ball first.  They received the ball at the 25 after the opening kick form Brandon Coutu went out of the end zone.  They would need only 6 plays to put the ball in the end zone. Four of those players were Smith runs, and Charlotte overplayed the run on the 6th play, leading to a wide open Jordy Nelson after the play fake.  Freeman, rolling towards Nelson on the right side, hit the speedy K-State star with a perfect arcing ball and with only 2:42 gone off the clock, the Skyhawks had put points on the board and noise in the stadium. It was a heavily St. Louis crowd to begin with, but that big first drive scoring play drowned out any Charlotte fans who made the trip.  The St. Louis fans would prove to be a loud, proud, and happy group for the entire game.  After shutting down Charlotte after 4 plays, St. Louis got the ball back and again moved the ball well, this time using shorter runs by both Smith and William Bethea to get the ball into Charlotte territory.  On a 3rd and 7 Freeman missed on a pass over the middle to Sinorice Moss and the Skyhawks settled for 3, a chip-shot of a kick from inside the 10 to give St. Louis a 2-score lead. To their credit, Charlotte did not give up the ship at this point.  They mounted their first successful drive of the game, an 11-play grind, largely on the legs of Fred Jackson, that ended with veteran QB Jake Delhomme finding TE Brandon Pettigrew in the endzone from 5 yards out.  Pettigrew appeared to bobble the ball, but it never hit the turf so the replay officials ruled it a catch and a touchdown for Charlotte.  Charlotte’s happiness over scoring would be short-lived.  They would hold St. Louis to 12 yards on the next drive, and it started to seem that Charlotte would pull right back into the game, but on the next series Jake Delhomme would throw the first of three picks that would swing momentum back to the Skyhawks.  Strong Safety Kendrick Lewis would step in front of a ball intended for TE Brandon Pettigrew and pick his pocket.  Lewis returned the ball to the Charlotte 9, and from there it took only 2 plays, both Antowain Smith runs, for the Skyhawks to put 7 more on the board. Down 17-7, Charlotte was more careful in their next drive, again relying on Fred Jackson, with a carry by Shonn Greene mixed in, along with a nice out route from Delhomme to D. J. Hackett on a key third down.  But, while the St. Louis defense bent quite a bit, they did not break, and in the end, stuck inside the 5 but unwilling to take a chance on a 4th and goal, Coach Mora sent out his All-USFL kicker, Brandon Coutu, to bring Charlotte back within 1 score at 17-10. That would be the score at the half as a late Hail Mary from Freeman ended with a pick in the endzone on the final play of the half.  As fans enjoyed a halftime act of Sheryl Crow and Lady Antebellum, the two coaches were trying to inspire their troops at the half.  St. Louis needed little inspiration, the partisan crowd had assured that they remained high energy through the entire first half.  Charlotte’s Jim Mora Jr. reminded his team that they were within range to come back on St. Louis and that only an unfortunate turnover had given the Skyhawks the lead. Charlotte came out for the second half convinced they had what it took to even the score and fight until the end.  They were half right.  Their first drive was very impressive.  81  yards in 11 plays, including a nicely executed flea-flicker that got Mark Clayton 53 yards and was Charlotte’s biggest play of the game.  That pass led to Delhomme hitting D. J. Hackett from 9 yards out for the equalizer.  Charlotte had come out in the second half and punched St. Louis in the nose.  With the game now tied at 17, it seemed this one could go either way. It seemed that Charlotte had the advantage, or at least the momentum.  That bore out when St. Louis failed to convert a 3rd and 4 and were forced to punt.  Skyhawks’ punter Larry Contreras hit a perfect coffin corner kick, with the ball rolling out of bounds at the Charlotte 2.  The Monarchs would try to run the ball out of the end zone, but chose poorly in calling a counter run against a linebacker blitz.  Skyhawk linebacker Marlon Greenwood blew the play up in the backfield, dragging Fred Jackson down for a loss on the play and a safety.  Two points for St. Louis and possession of the ball. St. Louis again would struggle to establish their offense, and again punted to Charlotte.  This time it went safely into the end zone and the Monarchs would start at the 25.  But, the momentum had shifted, and on the 2nd play of the Charlotte drive, it would lean even heavier towards the Skyhawks.  Delhomme again attempted an out route to his favorite receiver, D. J. Hackett, but this time CB Jordan Pugh was ready for it.  He dove for the ball ahead of Hackett and brought it in before sliding out of bounds on the slick turf.  Once again St. Louis had stolen not only the ball but the momentum. Only 3 plays later Josh Freeman would show why he was the league’s MVP, threading a ball between the corner and the safety and giving WR Jordy Nelson his second long TD of the game, this one a 1-yarder.  St.  Louis was now up 9 and would not look back.  The next couple of drives for both teams did nothing to alter the score and as the 4th quarter progressed, Jake Delhomme and the Monarchs grew more and more rushed as they tried to make up 2 scores in the final period. Delhomme would guide the Monarchs into scoring range again, but missed on a pass to Mark Clayton deep, forcing Charlotte to settle for a 41-yard field goal from Coutu.  But, this score pulled them within one score, down only 6.  They would need their defense to do the rest and get them the ball back with time to get the game winner. Of course St. Louis knew that was the plan as well. They came out for the next drive in a 3-receiver set, forcing Charlotte to use a nickel package to help defend inside receiver Sinorice Moss.  From the 3-wide set, Charlotte used draw plays and a nice screen pass to Bethea to keep Charlotte off balance.  Soon they were knocking on the door and it seemed there was nothing that Charlotte could do to keep them out of the end zone.  With the ball on the 14 Antowain Smith broke free, rumbling through the initial tackle attempt and brushing off a linebacker on his way to the end zone.  Had it not been for an ankle tackle at the 4 from Jerod Mayo, Smith would have rumbled right into the end zone.  But, he fell to the ground just short, creating a 1st and goal from the 1.  Smith came out of the game, his right ankle a little gimpy.  In came Bethea, and the backup did Smith proud, pounding over the left side, just inside the guard for the decisive score.  Bironas put up the extra point and St. Louis now led by 13 with only 2:47 left to go. The Monarchs would need to score a touchdown, kick a successful onside attempt, and then do it again.  They would not even accomplish the first of those necessary steps.  On a 2nd and 4 from their own 33, Delhomme again tried to force a ball in to his receiver, Derrick Mason, and for the 2nd time in the game SS Kendrick Lewis was there to not only break up the pass but make the catch as well.  With 1:47 left to play, St. Louis had the ball, Charlotte had only 1 timeout left, and the Skyhawks could run the clock down to only 14 seconds left.  They did just that with carries by Smith and James Ridley.  On 4th down, Contreras again kicked the ball out of bounds and with only 14 seconds left, Charlotte attempted some deep throws but could not connect. St. Louis had won their first ever USFL title, and the first pro football title for the city in its long history with the Cardinals, Knights, Rams, and now Skyhawks.  Fans streamed into the summer Saturday night in the city, sure to keep the party going, but only after watching their Skyhawks lift high the John Bassett Trophy.  Charlotte had availed themselves nicely, particularly for a 6th seed, but questions would emerge over whether Delhomme had come back too quickly, of whether Wheedon was the better option, but these were the debates that every losing team in every championship game has, the what ifs.  For St. Louis it was a title well-earned in a season that will go down as one of the best in the long history of the city’s pro football legacy. And so the 2012 season ends with a new champion.  All 28 teams now look to the future, a future that will see USFL football in Dallas, but not in Boston, and a season that will certainly have its own stories and legends to make.

October 12, 2012 With the NFL season in full swing (Matt Ryan and the Falcons are looking unstoppable), we take a pause from the on-field action to check in on our other obsession,  the USFL offseason. It has been 2 months since the St. Louis Skyhawks became the first 2006-2008 expansion club to win a title, and it has been a busy two months.  We will break down all the big news, from a couple of big time retirement announcements, through USFL free agency and the NFL-USFL transfer window, the coaching hires, and then finish off with a preview of the 2013 USFL Draft coming this January.  A lot to cover so let’s get straight to it. A Pair of Superstars Step Away Two big USFL Stars, one with a brand new championship ring, have announced that they have played their last games.  QB Kurt Warner of the Philadelphia Stars and HB Antowain Smith, MVP of the Summer Bowl both announced in September that they would not be back in 2013.  For Smith it was a triumphant departure, winning a title in his 16th USFL season and earning the Summer Bowl MVP to boot. For Warner, a bittersweet departure from the game, caused in no small part by the neck injury that cost him practically the entire 2012 season and which created too much risk to his health for him to return to football in 2013. Warner retires as one of the great stories in pro football. Coming out of nowhere to win a Super Bowl with the St. Louis Rams, moving on to the Giants, then to the USFL, where he helped lead the Philadelphia Stars back to playoff contention, winning the 2010 Offensive Player of the Year.  From obscurity to a legendary two-league career.  He leaves the USFL with 8 seasons in Philadelphia, in which he threw for 22,469 yards and 155 TDs. Smith retires as the 4th leading rusher in league history, behind only Hall of Famers Mike Rozier, Herschel Walker, and Eddie George.  His 16-season career is one of the longest recorded for a running back, particularly one who was a starter for his entire career.  With eight 1,000-yard seasons and over 100 TDs scored, and now a title as well, he will certainly garner a lot of attention when the USFL Hall of Fame Class of 2017 is announced. We know what Philadelphia will do with Warner retired.  They will lean into the hero of 2012, Matt Gutierrez, who certainly earned the starting job with 31 TDs, 3,592 yards and an 11-3 record as the starter.  The situation is a little trickier for St. Louis, trying to replace Smith.  They have James Ridley and William Bethea returning, but were not able to snag one of the bigger name halfbacks in free agency. That leaves them the draft and the possibility of a decent back being on the market when the 2nd NFL-USFL transfer window opens. Renegades Trust Russell, Send Eli to Memphis John Fox wasted no time putting his stamp on the Orlando Renegades.  Within a month of his arrival the Renegades did something few expected, trading starting QB Eli Manning to the Memphis Showboats.  Manning who was obtained from New Orleans only 2 years earlier in the swap for Drew Brees, now finds himself on his third team, and back in the Southern Division with the Showboats.  The move shows incredible confidence in 2012 rookie QB Russell Wilson, who goes into camp as the starter, with NFL veteran Chad Henne as the backup. In return for Manning, Orlando receives two high picks, a 2nd rounder from Memphis in 2013 and a 1st rounder in 2014 which the Showboats had obtained from Seattle in a trade last year.  Orlando may not be done reshaping their roster, as Fox continues to reach out to other clubs, hoping to fill gaps he perceives in the roster.  But, by far, this move is the big one so far this offseason. Manning had a strong season with Orlando in 2011, throwing for 2,900 yards with 18 touchdowns and 9 picks, but his 2012 numbers dipped considerably.  He had 2,800 yards, but only 12 touchdowns and then 12 picks on top of that.  His QB Rating dipped to its lowest in several years, down from 89.5 to 76.7.  Wilson, the presumed starter for Orlando for 2013, appeared in only 1 game in 2012, the season finale, where he completed 19 of 29 passes for 137 yards, a TD, and a pick, but there is certainly plenty of film on the former NC State and Wisconsin QB, and Coach Fox must like what he sees. For Memphis, this solves a major issue from last year, when both Ryan Mallett and Matt Cassell failed to produce any spark on offense, leaving the Showboats with the 29th ranked offense (yardage and scoring) in the league and the 27th ranked passing game.  Mallett, who started 13 games, finished the year with a very poor 55.0 QB Rating, throwing for only 1,672 yards with 7 TDs and 9 picks.  Cassel did not fare much better in his 3 starts, throwing for 1,002 yards with 4 TDs and 5 picks, producing a QB Rating of 68.5.  Now they bring in a veteran who has proven effective in the past, but who never seems to find himself with the talent around him to produce a true contender.  In Memphis he will have some receivers to throw to in veterans Robert Ferguson, Lee Evans, Sidney Rice and Nate Washington.  Memphis appears to have solved their big question at HB thanks to free agency (see below), and now have a new QB to boot. Pickett Moves On, Traded for Quincy Carter The Maulers had a full blown QB controversy on their hands.  Cody Pickett, who had been the starter since coming over from Seattle in 2007, and he had some solid years, with his QBR topping 90 in both 2010 and 2011, but last year nothing was working right.  With 10 games under his belt, Pickett had 13 picks to 8 TDs and a rating of 75.1.  Coach Rivera had to make a switch, so he went with 2nd year TCU product Andy Dalton.  Dalton would start the final 6 games, and while his 88.2 QB Rating was not earthshaking, the offense did improve, with Dalton throwing for 500 more yards in 6 games than Pickett did in 10 and throwing 9 TDs and 6 picks in only 6 games. So, the Maulers had a conundrum on their hands.  They wanted to see what Dalton could do, and what he did was pretty solid, so what to do with Pickett.  Well, that question was answered in September, when the Maulers dealt their veteran QB to the Nashville Knights.  In return they would get a 4th round pick and Knights’ backup Quincy Carter.  Carter will be a clear number 2 behind Dalton, but his 2011 stats show that he can certainly step in if needed. For Nashville, having Pickett is solid insurance should Peyton Manning’s neck become an issue again.  Manning is the clear starter, a superstar in Tennessee and pretty much everywhere else, while Pickett will be a solid number 2, able to learn from one of the masters and perhaps earn the starting job when Manning hangs up the cleats.  It solved the Mauler’s QB problem and now gives Nashville one of the most experienced QB groups in the league. Stump Mitchell, From Hawk to Dragon It was the move we expected, with St. Louis Offensive Coordinator Stump Mitchell taking the offer from the Seattle Dragons to become their newest Head Coach.  Mitchell replaces Marvin Lewis, who stepped down after 10 seasons and a USFL title with the Dragons.  Mitchell inherits a team that many expected to compete for the Pacific title, but which finished a pretty dismal 3-13 and now boasts a Top 3 draft pick.  Seattle still has a QB who can play in Byron Leftwich, and some talent in players like Nate Burleson, Mike Wallace, and LT Kenyatta Jones on offense.  They also have some pieces on defense in Leodis McKelvin and Richard Sherman, but need to develop both a run game and a stronger front 7 on defense. Mitchell wasted no time with the Dragons, making a big free agent signing his first week when he brought in DT Amibi Okoye.  He would then add backup QB Mike Flynn from the Blitz.  The expectation is that he will look to solve their running game problems in the draft, but will have to work the Open Draft to find one as the team’s T-Draft protected schools (Washington, Wash St. and Boise St) do not have any top tier backs to offer this year. A Colt Comes to Baltimore The Baltimore Blitz filled their coaching vacancy with a former NFL head coach in former Colt Jim Caldwell.  Considered the favorite since an early interview in August, Caldwell comes to the Blitz having won a Super Bowl with QB Peyton Manning.  He hopes to do the same with Big Ben Roethlisberger and the Blitz.  He too began early, re-signing a key cog to the offense, center Austin King, to a 3-year deal.  The next week he looked at the defense, landing Bulls’ safety Eric Weddle to help build up the secondary. The Blitz have been decent, but not good enough the past few years, always hovering around the .500 mark in a division that this year had 3 teams with 12 wins.  He will have some tough sledding to get through the brutal NE Division this year, particularly with a pretty slim salary cap space left.  As for Caldwell, he is known for a pretty traditional pro-set offense and a defense designed to play with the lead, at least that is what we saw in Indianapolis.  He may need to mix that up a bit with the Blitz. LA To Play the Waiting Game The two hires leaves only 1 team left waiting for a new leader, and that is the way management want to play it. They are going to wait this out, build the team with their front office and scouting staff, and then see what options arise once the NFL season is over in late December.  Expect them to go hard for an NFL coordinator unless a head coach they really like is available.  Either way, whoever they bring in will have to hit the ground running. Whoever the new coach is, we know that he will have on his hands a team with a solid defense (6th in scoring and 5th in yards allowed in 2012) but one that is getting older.  His offense is more of a question mark.  In a pretty shaky 2012, the team gave up on Randy Moss after his vocal criticisms of QB Mark Sanchez and head coach Gregg Williams divided the locker room.  They also appear to be cutting loose HB Ray Rice, who is still out on the free agent market despite several teams needing a lead back.  So, the new head coach in LA will have to hope that the front office does some wheeling and dealing this offseason to give him weapons to work with.  So far the only free agent signings have been on defense (see below), so that offense is still looking pretty shaky to us. Our big story was about two noteworthy retirements, both with HOF potential.  But they were hardly alone in calling 2012 their final season.  In addition to Warner, Smith, and several early retirements such as LaDainian Tomlinson, Joey Galloway, and Charles Woodson. There have been several others which could be equally as tough for their teams to deal with.  Here is our rundown of August and September’s announcements. Denver FS Jamel Williams retires after 15 seasons in the Mile High City. HB Ladell Betts played 10 seaosns with 5 different clubs, retiring from Atlanta after 1 year with the Fire. DE Robert Mathis played one year in Oakland before becoming a Philly Star for the next 8.  He retires at 33 with 66 career sacks. A pair of DT’s call call it a career, with Houston’s Kenard Lang and Philly’ Seth Payne both announcing they would not be back for 2013. New Jersey will lose a key defender as LB Scott Fujita decided to finish with 10 USFL seasons under his belt. Linemen Dominic Raiola (C-DAL) and Manuia Saveea (G-HOU) also announced this past month. We already touched on two big trades, sending former starting QBs to new teams.  But those were hardly the only moves we have seen so far. Here are 3 more that could impact 2013. Weinke On the Move Again QB Chris Weinke, who came over to the USFL from the fall league in 2008, has not exactly had a smooth ride.  A 3-year starter in Charlotte, Weinke struggled, then was traded to Seattle before the 2011 season.  He never got a start with the Dragons and midseason this year he was traded to Texas as part of their strategy to replace Joe Flacco.  Texas never called on Weinke to lead the Outlaws, relying on Luke McCown the rest of the season.  And now Texas sends the much-traveled QB to a 4th USFL team in 4 years, closing a deal that sends the former FSU Seminole to Columbus, where he will likely back up, and perhaps compete with Vince Young for the Glory.  Ohio seemingly got Weinke quite cheaply, only sending a 3rd round pick to Texas to land the former NFL starter. Kearse to Bolster Monarch Rush Another player making a 2nd move in one calendar year is DE Jevon Kearse.  The 13-year vet was traded from the Panthers to New Jersey midseason when Sean Ellis went onto the IR. He played in several games for the Generals, including their playoff win over Washington and their divisional loss to Philly.  Well, he is now headed on the road again, swapped for LB Rey Maualaga and some pick exchanging between New Jersey and Charlotte.  The Monarchs struggled to rush Josh Freeman in the Summer Bowl and hope that Kearse can add some short term burst to the D-line, while New Jersey thinks that Maualaga will slot in nicely to Scott Fujita’s former spot. Las Vegas Gets a Target for Plummer The Thunder wanted targets for their veteran QB, the Renegades needed to rebuild a defense that failed them in 2012, so the swap just made sense.  TE Ben Watson was stuck behind Greg Olsen in Orlando, and by giving him up they get a very solid swing safety, able to play Free or Strong Safety, in former Thunder player Chad Scott.  Scott will likely slot in at Strong Safety, with Atari Bigby on the market and apparently looking for a new home. Chicago Shopping Michael Turner Whether it was a concern between coaches and their veteran or the Machine front office was really impressed with rookie HB Doug Martin, but whatever the reason it is clear that Chicago is shopping around Michael Turner, their lead back for the past 8 seasons.  Turner, who turns 30 this offseason, has produced 7 consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, including 1,396 yards in 2012, but Chicago seems open to all offers, and with several teams in need of a reliable lead back, we expect they will find a taker willing to offer some decent value for the 2-time All-USFL back. So much to report in early free agency that it is hard to know where to start.  We will kick off with the USFL players changing teams within the league then take a look at the damage that the NFL-USFL transfer window did, as it is always an NFL-leaning swap in August with the USFL getting their share of talent in February, when NFL contracts expire. As we look across the USFL, there was no lack of movement among teams in the first two months of free agency this year, with, apparently, a particular emphasis on defense. Here is our list of the Top 12 players changing zip codes this offseason. 12—TE Jermichael Finley will join Eli Manning in Memphis, moving on from Philadelphia. 11—Another TE, Jacksonville’s Dustin Keller, will now certainly be booed in J’Ville as he moves south to join the rival Tampa Bay Bandits. 10—QB Mike Flynn finds a new home in Seattle, where he will be the backup to Byron Leftwich. 9—LB Zak DeOssie trades one Texas home for another, leaving the Gamblers to join the new Dallas Roughnecks. 8—LA tries to shore up their D-line by landing former Showboat nose tackle Rashad Moore 7—Another interior D-lineman on the move as former Blitz DT Atiyyah Ellison is now a Portland Stag. 6—Dallas is trying to deal with Jason Babin's departure, landing 29-year old Elvis Dumervil in free agency. 5—Free Safety Eric Weddle moves up the coast, leaving Jacksonville to become a new member of the Blitz. 4—Our highest ranked offensive players, other than the still unsigned Frank Gore, were both centers, and both have now signed.  Austin King resigns with Baltimore after an injury-shortened 2012, while Baltimore’s fill in, Ethan Albright gets a chance to start full time as the newest member of the rival New Jersey Generals. 3—Memphis LB Kirk Morrison joins a team that has a long history of linebacker quality, becoming the newest man in the middle for the Philadelphia Stars. 2—Safety Bob Sanders, one of the most sought after defenders in this year’s crop of free agents, makes a move from the Big Apple to the Big Shoulders, becoming the newest in a long line of quality defenders to play in Chicago. 1—LB Antonio Pierce, after a HOF career in Washington will try to add to his resume by signing on for 2 years with the New Orleans Breakers. If healthy, he could be a huge upgrade for the Breakers in the middle. Others changing cities include LBs Hannibal Navies (NOR to DEN), Tommy Polley (CHI to OHIO), and Jarret Johnson (NSH to JAX), Tight ends Jeramy Stevens (SEA to STL) and Jabari Holloway (STL to BIR), and guards Derrick Dockery (TEX to LV) and Carl Nicks (MEM to ATL).  Finally, wideout Hank Basket has been the only early transfer among the wideout group (within the USFL), leaving the Oakland Invaders to join Atlanta. The NFL Exodus this year was heavy on defense & O-Line, but the biggerst name to leave for the fall was neither a defender or a lineman.  Here is our list of the biggest NFL signings from the transfer window, with a lot of defense and blockers on the list, but a wideout at the top. 12—Center Roberto Garza will be leaving the desert of Las Vegas for the Chicago Bears. 11—New Jersey Free Safety Scott Shields had an All-USFL season and the Generals hoped to resign the veteran, but they were only willing to go so far and apparently the Pittsburgh Steelers were willing to pay just a bit more and so Shields leaves for the NFL. 10—HB Jerious Norwood had some strong games for Oakland this year, and that is a big reason why the Atlanta Falcons signed him to a 2-year deal. 9—HB Maurice Hicks was shocked that the Gold resigned Javon Ringer, so he took offense, and he took it all the way to the LA Raiders of the NFL. 8—Michigan Panther LB Andy Katzenmoyer jumps ship for his Ohio home, joining the Browns in 2013. 7—Former Texas Longhorn, DE Casey Hampton, stays in town, not with the Dallas Roughnecks, but with the Cowboys. 6—Center Casey Wiegemann leaves New Jersey to go closer to his Iowa roots with the KC Chiefs. 5—Seattle was shocked to see DE John Abraham leave with an offer on the table, but the Dragons were just plain outbid by Arizona Cardinals. 4—OT Kenyatta Walker made his name with the Thunder but now joins the Carolina Panthers. 3—Oakland DE Israel Idonije moves on, signing with the NFL Detroit Lions 2—Former Boston DE Jason Babin gets his wish, cutting a deal with the New England Patriots which will allow him to retain all his local connections. 1—WR Donald Driver leaves Chicago for the Green Bay Packers, so now Chicago hates him. As we often see, there was far less movement from the NFL, which was already suiting up for regular season games, to the USFL.  Only players who had not yet found a team were still available for the choosing, and few players of note fall into that category.  Among those who made the jump we have LBs Demorrio Williams (SD to the Wranglers) and Chase Blackburn (NYG to the Generals), DT Henry Melton (CHI to Blitz), DE Antwan Applewhite (CAR to Gamblers), CB Keenan Lewis (PIT to Gold), and the one noteworthy offensive skill player, HB La’Rod Stephens-Howling (ARZ to the Renegades). We finish up our October edition of the USFL Offseason Report, as we always do, by looking at the upcoming USFL draft and the needs each team has going forward.   With quite a few free agents still unsigned, it is possible that these priorities will change between now and January, but as of October these are the biggest gaps and the best opportunities to find rookie talent.  We will review the teams in the draft order and see what action we might expect from each as the draft draws closer. DALLAS ROUGHNECKS (Pick 1) Needs: QB, C, DT, G, C, DE Protected Schools: SMU, TCU, Oklahoma Best T-Draft Prospect: While OT Lane Johnson may be the most talented prospect, the question many fans are asking is if Dallas will look long and hard at OU quarterback Landry Jones. Best Rnd 1 Fit:  Dallas is not going to go with a QB with pick #1, there just is not one there.  Their best option may be to trade down a few spots to a HB-hungry team and look at guard, where both UNC’s Jonathan Cooper and Alabama’s Chance Womack would be good early picks (assuming either escape the T-Draft, which is true of all our 1st rounders.) SEATTLE DRAGONS (PICK 2) Needs: HB, TE, OT, CB, G, QB Protected Schools: Washington, Wash State, Boise State Best T-Draft Prospect: The Dragons lost Marcus Truffant to free agency. Do they go after his brother, Desmond? Best Rnd 1 Fit: Seattle will not jump up to 1 because they don’t expect Dallas to go HB, which means they may have their pick, and that pick could be Le’Veon Bell of Michigan State or Montee Ball of Wisconsin.  We like these bigger backs for Seattle over the flashier but much smaller Giovanni Bernard or Cordarelle Patterson. ORLANDO RENEGADES (PICK 3) Needs: HB, CB, LB, DT, G Protected Schools: Miami, South Carolina, UCF Best T-Draft Prospect: Safety D. J. Swearinger is not really in a position of high need, but a HB like Gamecock Marcus Lattimore or UCF’s Latavius Murray could be a good fit. Best Rnd 1 Fit: Now, Orlando may be a team that leapfrogs to get that #1 pick, because they too would like another option at HB, but with Knowshon Moreno in house, they won’t sell the farm to do it.  If they don’t they could still get the 2nd best HB, and they could go for a Patterson or Bernard type to supplement what Moreno does for them. MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS (PICK 4) Needs: C, LB, FB, WR, HB, TE, DT Protected Schools: Arkansas, Memphis, Ole Miss Best T-Draft Prospect: Halfback is a top priority after the Showboats signed Darren McFadden, so Memphis may take a shot at Arkansas back Knile Davis, but with several USFL halfbacks, including Gore, McFadden, and their own Cadillac Williams still out there, the need may be gone before draft day.. Best Rnd 1 Fit: Yet another team that could be looking for a halfback. But, we also think Memphis is in need of linebackers, plural, so this pick we go for their first LB selection, and if he is there, that should be Jarvis Jones of Georgia, who can plug in and be a factor in year one. OHIO GLORY (PICK 5) Needs: DE, LB, G, FS, CB, WR, DT Protected Schools:  Ohio State, Cincinnati, Miami (OH) Best T-Draft Prospect: Time to look over the Buckeye crop, and the best option this year is DT Johnathan Hankins, though another player we like is Cincinnati TE Travis Kelce. Best Rnd 1 Fit: Finally, a team not looking for a run game. They want a DE, and they may get the first overall choice here, which we think could be either Dion Jordan of Oregon or Ezekiel Ansah of BYU, again, as always, if not taken in the T-Draft. BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS (PICK 6) Needs: LB, DE, G, TE, DT, FS Protected Schools, Alabama, Auburn, UAB Best T-Draft Prospect: Several members of the Crimson Tide come to mind, perhaps CB Dee Milliner, OT D. J. Fluker, or LB Nico Johnson. Best Rnd 1 Fit: Birmingham would love to get Jarvis Jones from UGA, but if not, they will be fine with either Ansah or Jordan, or maybe take a look at Jones’s teammate from the Bulldogs, LB Alec Ogletree. LOS ANGELES EXPRESS (PICK 7) Needs: FS, HB, DT, CB, C, WR, TE Protected Schools: USC, UCLA, San Diego State Best T-Draft Prospect: Noth the highest need on the board, but there are two receivers worth exploring, either wideout Robert Woods from USC or TE Gavin Escobar from the Aztecs. Best Rnd 1 Fit: LA would be a great fit for a Giovanni Bernard or Cordarelle Patterson, a pass-catching, multipurpose back who won’t be asked to run up the gut too much, well, assuming the Express hire a coach who is not a 3-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust kind of guy, which we don’t expect they will. JACKSONVILLE BULLS (PICK 8) Needs: DE, LB, T, FS, QB Protected Schools: Florida, Clemson, Georgia Southern Best T-Draft Prospect: DT Sharrif Floyd or LB Jonathan Bostic seem logical choices for a Bulls defense that still needs strength up the middle. Best Rnd 1 Fit: If one of the DE’s or LB’s we have mentioned is here, then that will likely be the pick, but Jacksonville could also use a big tackle to start on the right then move to the left, and this draft has two really good ones in CMU’s Eric Fisher and Texas A&M’s Luke Joeckel. ARIZONA WRANGLERS (PICK 9) Needs: OT, LB, HB, DT, DE, G Protected Schools: Arizona, Arizona State, New Mexico, Iowa State (Added due to weak pool) Best T-Draft Prospect: With the addition of Iowa State this year due to a weak pool from their three regular schools, Arizona could and should go after Cyclone LB A. J. Klien Best Rnd 1 Fit: Another team still searching for a halfback, but also a tackle.  If one of the two big tackles is here, that might have to be apriority.  If not, a back like Alabama’s Eddie Lacy could be a great fit for Jim Tomsula’s offense. MICHIGAN PANTHERS (PICK 10) Needs: HB, DE, LB, TE, T Protected Schools: Michigan, Michigan State, CMU Best T-Draft Prospect: The Panthers desperately need some quality in their backfield, so they should roll out the red carpet for Spartan HB Le’Veon Bell. Best Rnd 1 Fit: What is it with halfbacks in this draft?  Well, there are still quite a few good ones in free agency, and Michigan could lock up Le’Veon Bell in the T-Draft, so let’s not go HB here.  How about a tight end for the Panthers?  Tyler Eifert of Notre Dame and Zach Ertz of Stanford both have 1st round grades and both could help Kirk Cousins in his first year as the starter. CHICAGO MACHINE (PICK 11) Needs: WR, FS, G, LB, T, SS, DTProtected Schools: Illinois, Notre Dame, Purdue Best T-Draft Prospect: Lots of options this year, so will Chicago go with yet another defender in LB Manti Te’o from Notre Dame or will they look for help on the line with Illinois big man, guard Hugh Thornton? Best Rnd 1 Fit: The Machine need to find a replacement for Donald Driver.  They need a possession guy with good hands and strong route running skills.  That sounds a lot like a good fit for Clemson’s DeAndre Hopkins or possibly USC’s Robert Woods. PITTSBURGH MAULERS (PICK 12) Needs: WR, DT, T, DE, OT Protected Schools: Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Marshall Best T-Draft Prospect: The Maulers need a wideout, and lo and behold, WVU has one in Tavon Austin.  More of a slot guy than a straight up number 1 receiver, he could still be a huge help to QB Andy Dalton. Best Rnd 1 Fit: Another team looking for a wideout.  We like Hopkins here just on speed alone, but Tennessee’s Justin Hunter could also be worth a look. NASHVILLE KNIGHTS (PICK 13) Needs: TE, CB, HB, LB, G, K Protected Schools: Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Kentucky Best T-Draft Prospect: HB Zac Stacy of Vanderbilt may be an attractive option for the Knights, as could Vol TE Mychal Rivera. Best Rnd 1 Fit: Could go TE with either Eifert or Ertz, or could have a shot at the best corner in this year’s pool, Dee Milliner out of Alabama. HOUSTON GAMBLERS (PICK 14) Needs: HB, DE, DT, SS, LB, G Protected Schools: Texas A&M, Houston, Rice Best T-Draft Prospect: OT Luke Joeckel is one of the top talents in the draft, but it is not a position Houston has much need for, so do they trade their T-Draft pick to someone who is tackle-needy? Best Rnd 1 Fit: If they don’t take Christine Michael from A&M in the T-Draft, they may still pick him here, but we think they prefer Eddie Lacy from Alabama as a bigger inside-outside back. BALTIMORE BLITZ (PICK 15) Needs: FS, C, DT, WR, CB, OT, LB Protected Schools: Maryland, Louisville, UConn Best T-Draft Prospect: UConn has a solid corner in Dwayne Gratz, and we also like one of their linebackers, Sio Moore. Best Rnd 1 Fit: Baltimore wants help in the secondary, so either a corner like Milliner or Houston’s D. J. Hayden, or go for the best safety prospect, UT star Kenny Vaccaro. TAMPA BAY BANDITS (PICK 16) Needs: DT, LB, WR, T, G, TE, QB Protected Schools: Florida State, FAU, USF Best T-Draft Prospect: Daunte Culpepper is not getting any younger.  Could E. J. Manuel be a good fit to pick up the baton for the Bandits? Best Rnd 1 Fit: Defensive Tackle is the most obvious need, and we have not named any yet, so even at 16 they may have their pick of the crop, which we think is Utah’s Star Lotuleilei. PORTLAND STAGS (PICK 17) Needs: DE, T, QB, DT, HB, LB Protected Schools: Oregon, Oregon State, Montana Best T-Draft Prospect: Defensive end is a top need and Oregon has a good one in Dion Jordan.  Seems a natural fit to us. Best Rnd 1 Fit: Portland could also look DT with Lotulelei or Mizzou’s Sheldon Richardson, or they could go for edge rush with Jordan, Ansah, or Barkevious Mingo from LSU. OAKLAND INVADERS (PICK 18) Needs: OT, CB, DE, WR, G, TE Protected Schools: Cal, Stanford, Fresno State Best T-Draft Prospect: The Invaders want to snag a TE and a WR, and they could get both from the T-Draft if they can sign both Stanford’s Zach Ertz and Cal’s Keenan Allen. Best Rnd 1 Fit: If one of the two big tackles are here, Oakland would be overjoyed.  They may even try to trade up to get one, but if not, the third option is likely Lane Johnson from OU. WASHINGTON FEDERALS (PICK 19) Needs: LB, C, FB, FS, G Protected Schools: Virginia, Va Tech, Duke Best T-Draft Prospect: not a lot of help at linebacker, but a good prospect at guard in UVa’s Oday Aboushi. Best Rnd 1 Fit: The Feds need to add youth and versatility to their LB group.  Looking at their system, the best fit is clearly someone like Oregon’s Kiko Alonso, though we also like Notre Dame’s Manti Te’o. DENVER GOLD (PICK 20) Needs: FS, DE, CB, SS, DT, OT Protected Schools: Colorado, Nebraska, Colorado State Best T-Draft Prospect: Ask for a tackle and you find one in the Buffs’ David Bakhtiari.  They also could take a long look TE Nick Kasa. Best Rnd 1 Fit: Denver is hoping that safety Kenny Vaccaro is still available.  If not, they could look long and hard at Eric Reid from LSU or Matt Elam of Florida. NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS (PICK 21) Needs: DT, T, LB, HB Protected Schools: LSU, Tulane, Louisiana Tech Best T-Draft Prospect: LB Kevin Minter and DT Bennie Logan are more immediate needs than their more publicized LSU teammates, DE Barkevious Mingo and S Eric Reid. Best Rnd 1 Fit: The Breakers want a road grater at RT, and our pick for that is  UNC’s Sylvester Williams, who should still be on the aboard at pick 21 if he is not taken by Charlotte in the T-Draft. NEW JERSEY GENERALS (PICK 22) Needs: SS, OT, FS, C, LB, DE Protected Schools: Rutgers, Syracuse, Wisconsin Best T-Draft Prospect:  The Generals were not happy about losing OU to the new Dallas club, but they get Wisconsin in return, and the Badgers produce good line talent, including center Travis Frederick this year.  Or, how about adding Montee Ball to the backfield? Best Rnd 1 Fit: Another team that could try to move up to get Kenny Vaccaro, a hot commodity in the draft.  We are assuming that they are picking big Center Travis Frederick in the T-Draft, or we would pencil them in for interior line here. ATLANTA FIRE (PICK 23) Needs: TE, CB, G, HB, K, P Protected Schools: Georgia, Georgia Tech, Mississippi State Best T-Draft Prospect: LB Jarvis Jones is the top prospect, but not a position of need.  Now, CBs Alec Ogletree or Darius Slay, those could be two very good targets for the Fire to try to replace Charles Woodson with a young athletic player. Best Rnd 1 Fit: If one of the two TEs happen to slide this far, great for the Fire, if not, then cornerback is the next need position andwelike Hayden or Washington’s Desmond Trufant here. TEXAS OUTLAWS (PICK 24) Needs: G, FS, WR, HB, P, K Protected Schools: Texas, Baylor, Oklahoma State Best T-Draft Prospect: While safety Kenny Vaccaro is a very possible target, we also like the speedster at WR out of Austin, Marquise Goodwin. Best Rnd 1 Fit: We have not listed a lot of guards yet, so Texas could luck out and find someone like Oregon’s Kyle Long or Alabama’s Chance Womack still on the board. LAS VEGAS THUNDER (PICK 25) Needs: OT, LB, C, Cb, TE, G, SS Protected Schools: BYU, UNLV, Utah, Nevada (Added due to weak pool) Best T-Draft Prospect: DE Ezekiel Ansah from BYU should be a target for sure, but the Thunder were able to add a 4th school (Nevada) due to the shallow pool, so perhaps Wolfpack safety Duke Williams or CB Khalid Wooten will be targets as well. Best Rnd 1 Fit: No way Fisher or Joeckel are still here, but still there is good depth at OT in this draft with Alabama’s D. J. Fluker, Syracuse’s Justin Pugh, or FSU’s Manelick Watson all potentially escaping the T-Draft and being here late in Round 1. PHILADELPHIA STARS (PICK 26) Needs: DT, TE, HB, LB, DE, OT Protected Schools: Penn State, Temple Boston College Best T-Draft Prospect: Philly got BC added to their pool thanks to Boston’s move, but, as usual, we expect a Nittany Lion draft here.  DT Jordan Hill or LBs Gerald Hodges and Michael Mauti are all potential targets. Best Rnd 1 Fit: We know that Philly loved what they saw from Matt Gutierrez last year, but they need an insurance plan, and at 26 they are in the right position to look seriously at FSU’s E. J. Manuel or West Virginia’s Geno Smith. CHARLOTTE MONARCHS (PICK 27) Needs: DE, G, TE, LB, OT, CB Protected Schools: UNC, NC State, ECU Best T-Draft Prospect: Guard is a need and UNC offers them Jonathan Cooper, a Top 10 prospect.  We also could see Charlotte try to add a true scat back in Tarheel Giovanni Bernard. Best Rnd 1 Fit: While they are not likely to find one of the top DE’s still on the board at 27, they could see someone like FSU’s Tank Carradine or UCLA’s Datone Jones available at 27. ST. LOUIS SKYHAWKS (PICK 28) Needs: HB, DT, TE, P Protected Schools: Missouri, Iowa, Kansas State Best T-Draft Prospect: With defensive tackle a priority, the Skyhawks have to try to woo Mizzou’s Sheldon Richardson.  We also like CB Micah Hyde out of Iowa as a top target even though it may not be a position of great need. Best Rnd 1 Fit: St. Louis does not have a lot of needs, so does that motivate them to trade away some picks to move up?  It seems plausible.  They could also trade into the T-Draft to get that HB prospect they covet.  Expect this pick to move and expect the target to be a reliable back like a Bell, Lacy, or Montee Ball. So there you have it, our full breakdown of the offseason so far.  You can now go safely back to the NFL for a while as USFL free agency plugs along.  We will be back with our Draft recap in late January, and with a preview of the NFL talent that could be out there for a last minute save for franchises desperate to upgrade at the 11th hour.  We will also likely finally know who LA’s next head coach will be and we expect a trade or two to shake things up as we get ready for USFL camps and the 2013 season. See you then.

A huge upset and an overtime thriller: You cannot ask for much more than that in Conference Title weekend.  We were first stunned as rookie Brandon Wheedon outdueled Cinderella QB Matt Gutierrez as Charlotte scored 30 unanswered points in their huge upset of the Philadelphia Stars. Then, as if that were not enough, Las Vegas and St. Louis found themselves in a shootout that ended regulation tied at 27 and saw 12 points scored in extra time.  A wild game to be sure and it sets up a completely unanticipated Summer Bowl matchup of two teams that have been in the league only 6 and 4 years, with 2006 expansion St. Louis facing off against 2008 expansion club Charlotte in one of the most surprising and exciting Summer Bowl matchups in years.   We will go deep into the two games this week, preview next week’s Summer Bowl clash in St. Louis, and reveal the 2012 All-USFL Team and League Award Winners. All that, plus Dallas makes their pick for Head Coach, tapping a former Aggie to be their team’s first front office leader. CHARLOTTE MONARCHS 30   PHILADELPHIA STARS 14 The Cinderella story for QB Brandon Wheedon and the 6th seed Charlotte Monarchs continues with a stunner in Philadelphia.  Most around the league saw this game as a clear victory for the Stars, but no one apparently told the Monarchs as they stunned the top seeded team from Philly, rattling off 30 unanswered points and punching their ticket to the Summer Bowl.  Charlotte did it by controlling the clock (38:30 time of possession), avoiding mistakes, and pressuring QB Matt Gutierrez from the LB position.  Rolando McClain, Rey Maualaga. and Jerod Mayo, rotated blitzes, throwing Philadelphia’s line into disarray as they kept the heat on all game, producing 6 sacks of Gutierrez and a costly pick.  Meanwhile, Brandon Wheeden went 28 of 36 as the Monarchs did not shy away from the passing game at all. It was a stunner as the 2008 expansion club makes its first Summer Bowl in only its 5th season of existence as Jim Mora Jr comes back to bite the club where he first started coaching under his father’s tutelage.  The Monarchs’ line in this one was impressive, outgaining the Stars 419 to 231, with 23 first downs to Philly’s 11, and a 50% conversion rate on third down.  Charlotte kept themselves out of trouble, ensured they had shorter third downs to convert and mixed run and pass very effectively.  HB Fred Jackson, the game’s offensive MVP rushed 24 times for 119 yards and a score, but all kudos went to rookie Brandon Wheedon, who stayed calm under pressure and completed 77% of his passes on the day. Philadelphia started the game well, using scripted plays, as most teams do, on their opening drive, a 9-play scoring drive that saw Matt Gutierrez connect with Daniel Fells, but they would then remain silent for over 3 quarters as Charlotte simply did not give them room to breathe.  Following the Fells score, Charlotte took their own scripted drive for 11 plays, ending with a Fred Jackson TD run from the 13 that saw him spin off an initial tackle and split the safeties to reach paydirt. That moment was likely the sign that Philadelphia would be in for more of a fight than most pundits anticipated.  The second quarter proved it as Charlotte held Philadelphia to only 39 total yards in the period, while putting together three scoring drives of their own to push the score to a stunning 20-7 at the half.  The Monarchs got two field goals from league scoring champion Brandon Coutu and added a Wheedon to Derrick Mason TD to stun the unhappy and unruly Philadelphia crowd. When the Stars opened the second half with a 3-and-out, Philly got nasty as boos rained down on the Stars and the refs (a controversial non-call on third down did not go over well.)  When Charlotte took the next drive 82 yards on 13 plays and Shonn Greene put the visitors up 27-7, well, let’s just say that Santa Claus was probably happy he was not in Philly that day or he could have gotten booed again, because the Stars certainly did. By the end of the third the score had reached 30-7 and it was clear that Philadelphia was not coming back in this one.  Their offense was simply not productive, their defense unable to get the Monarchs off the field.  Yes, the Stars added a garbage time Caldwell TD catch late, but by then Charlotte had already put in some backups and was in a celebratory mood on the sideline.  The upstart Monarchs, in their 5th season of existence, had knocked off the mighty Stars and were heading to the Summer Bowl. LAS VEGAS THUNDER 30   ST. LOUIS SKYHAWKS 36    OVERTIME After the stunner in Philadelphia, USFL fans were ready for anything in St. Louis, and what they got was a classic shootout that would require a fifth quarter to be decided.  It was to be a classic matchup of the top defense in the league against the top offense, but while offense ruled the day, the Las Vegas Thunder took advantage of their opportunities and had chances to win in both regulation and overtime. It certainly did not look like that early as St. Louis raced out to a 21-0 lead before Las Vegas even got on the board.  The St. Louis offense, led by League MVP Josh Freeman, looked to be on fire in the first half, with Freeman connecting with both Jabari Holloway and Taylor Jacobs for scores. When Antowain Smith capped off a third St. Louis drive with a 4-yard TD run, it seemed like we were certainly headed for a blowout win by the home team.  But something happened at the half.  Las Vegas, bolstered by a late field goal to get on the board, did not fold, but doubled down. When the second half opened, Las Vegas changed gears, they put aside the blitzes which had been very effective all year and moved to a complex zone scheme that had the safeties frequently move to the line of scrimmage only to back off as the ball was snapped. The change in tactics worked, limiting St. Louis to only 2 field goals in the second half and producing more sacks (5 of 6 on the day) despite not sending additional rushers at Josh Freeman. The offense also changed gears, switching to more 3-wideout sets and leaving Marshawn Lynch without a fullback in one-back sets, Las Vegas started to find holes in the St. Louis defense.  The Thunder would get their first TD midway through the third on a Marty Bookier TD catch.  It would be the first of three Jake Plummer touchdowns in the half as the Las Vegas QB channeled his younger self to throw for over 250 yards in the second half after having only 71 yards the entire first half. The two style changes worked well for Las Vegas. Going into the 4th quarter down 24-10, the Thunder saw the differential grow to 17 after a St. Louis field goal, but then rapidly chipped away at the Skyhawk lead.  First it was Plummer to Chad Johnson, then, 4 minutes later, Plummer hit TE Kevin Everett with a 5-yard toss to pull within 3.  By this point St. Louis was showing signs of cracking.  When Josh Freeman missed on a 3rd and 7 toss with 2:17 left to play, Las Vegas had their chance.  They would march down the field, eventually connecting on the game tying field goal from the 18-yard line.  It was the first of 2 clear chances to win the game, but the Thunder missed on a third down throw to the endzone and were forced to settle for a tie and an extra period. Overtime began with St. Louis getting the ball first.  They moved well, using Antowain Smith’s legs to move into field goal range.  Smith, who would finish the game with 120 yards on 23 carries, could not help the Skyhawks get the ball into the endzone, and they settled for a Rob Bironas kick to go up 3.  Las Vegas would need to score on the next drive or lose the game. The Thunder proceeded to mount their own drive, using the threat of Marshawn Lynch runs to set up effective play action passes.  Vegas moved the ball to the St. Louis 20 but were stymied when tackle Marcus Gilbert was called for Unsportsmanlike Conduct after a skirmish with a Skyhawk defender.  The untimely penalty forced the ball back 15 yards and on third down Plummer could not connect with T. J. Houshmandzadeh on a long ball to the end zone. They would bring out kicker Jeff Reed to try the 51-yarder, and Reed would connect, keeping the game and Las Vegas’s hopes alive. St. Louis received the kickoff with 8:20 left in overtime.  They would not give the ball back.  Once again, they used Antowain Smith’s legs, mixed with some short passes, to move the ball down the field.  On a 4th and 1, they faked the HB dive and Freeman scrambled to the left and off tackle for the first down. Aided by a defensive pass interference call, they got the ball down to the Las Vegas 22.  Seeking to position the ball for a Bironas field goal, they called a counter run to the right.  The run did not go for the 2-3 yards expected as a brilliant block by center Shaun O’Hara popped Smith free.  The big back rumbled all the way to the 5-yard line.  From there Josh Freeman connected with WR David Nelson on a nice play action call, and Nelson, slanting across the middle, fell into the endzone for the game winner. St. Louis had survived a very tough Las Vegas team, a team that had come back form the brink only to go down in overtime.  And now St. Louis would have the chance to do something no team had ever done in 30 years of USFL football, they would have the chance to win the Summer Bowl at home, in their own stadium.  It would be a battle of recent expansion clubs as the Skyhawks and Monarchs, both appearing in their first league championship, would face off for the USFL Title. Delhomme to Return for Monarchs The news out of Charlotte is that Jake Delhomme’s ankle is good to go and the veteran QB will be back under center for the Summer Bowl, following an impressive run of wins for rookie Brandon Wheedon.  Delhomme was injured in the team’s Wild Card victory over New Orleans and was forced to sit out the Divisional and Conference Title games.  Rookie Brandon Wheedon came in, having only thrown 12 passes in the entire regular season and led the Monarchs to upset wins over Atlanta and Philadelphia.  But, with his ankle healed and his mobility (limited as it has always been) back, Jake Delhomme will resume his duties as the team’s QB. Delhomme, who finished 6th in the league with a QB Rating of 96.5 threw for 3,297 yards and 26 touchdowns this season, starting all 16 regular season games before his Wild Card game injury.  He returns to an offense that has focused on the short pass and the run game of Fred Jackson and Shonn Greene in his absence.  That focus may well continue as the Monarchs prepare for a matchup against the Skyhawks.  Most teams attempt to minimize St. Louis’s scoring opportunities by controlling the clock and shortening the game, and we expect much the same from the Monarchs, with or without Delhomme at the helm. Antowain Smith Dodges Questions About his Future At 36 years old, Antowain Smith is a rarity in pro football, a veteran player in his second decade of pro ball and at the halfback position who is playing at a top tier.  Halfbacks, who average only 4 years in the pros, have a reputation for falling off a production cliff at the age of 30, with the wear and tear on their bodies taking a toll earlier than with other positions.  And yet, Smith, at the age of 36, had one of his best years ever, leading the league in rushing with 1,502 yards, and averaging exactly 5.0 yards per carry, a mark few backs sustain for a full season. And so, it is not surprising that Smith was coy about his future when asked during Media Day in St. Louis.  While it certainly appears that he is in great shape and would have no trouble returning to action at the amazing age of 37, the reality may well be quite different.  Smith had 300 carries in the regular season and will likely top 350 by the end of the Summer Bowl. That is a significant load for any back, much less a 36-year-old.  When asked about whether he is considering stepping away from the game, Smith only laughed and said he was focused on one thing only, Saturday’s big game. If Smith does choose to return, there is a 2-year deal on the table form the Skyhawks.  Smith is a free agent as soon as the Summer Bowl is over, but all expectations are that he will either resign or retire.  Moving on to a different team with a different offensive philosophy would hold little interest for Smith, and most teams are unlikely to provide the financial package that St. Louis would to retain a fan favorite in the region. For now, we will have to wait, because as Smith himself said this week, he has other things on his mind for the next 3 days. Richard Seymour Hoping to Go Out on Top Another member of the Skyhawks has not been shy that this is his last year in pro football.  DT Richard Seymour made this known weeks ago when he directly answered a question about his future with the team.  Back in Week 7, Seymour, speaking with local media, stated that he believed this would be his final season in the pros, looking to step away after 11 years in the league, split between Houston and St. Louis.  Seymour, at over 300 lbs and with a style that has him often taking on double blocks, has seen a lot of wear and tear on his body, and with St. Louis doing better than any team he has been a part of, he is looking to go out on top.  A championship win would all but guarantee that the big man in the middle would snag his championship ring and ride off into the sunset.  A loss in this week’s title game and there may well be a chance St. Louis could bring him back for one more run.  That is the nature of the game, to get so close and fail is a motivator.  To reach the mountain top is often a good time to walk away with the glow of victory on you forever. No new injuries appeared on the Monarch’s official pre-game roster, which means that the team is now dealing only with known quantities.  Having Jake Delhomme drop from the list is certainly a relief for the club.  For St. Louis, there was a new addition after their victory over Las Vegas, as cornerback Vontae Davis is now listed as questionable after tweaking his knee in the outing this past week. CHA:  SS John Keith (IR), FB Justin Green (IR), LB A. J. Nicholson (OUT) STL:  WR Eric Weems (IR), CB Vontae Davis (Q) While both teams are largely healthy, the injury to Vontae Davis could be a concern for St. Louis, as he typically was matched up with the opposition’s top receiver.  This means that Jordan Pugh, himself coming off an injury, will likely have to step up to face D. J. Hackett, although we expect Charlotte to try to employ more zones to compensate. All-USFL and League Award Winners Named If there was any doubt which team caught the imagination of USFL fans this year the Annual USFL Awards Night put any doubt to rest.  Not only did the St. Louis Skyhawks see 6 players, all on the offensive side of the ball, land All-USFL honors, but three of the league’s five big awards also went to members of the Skyhawks.  MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, and Coach of the Year all went to St. Louis after their 13-3 season.  Quite a haul, to be sure. MVP: Josh Freeman wins the MVP award thanks to finishing the season as the league leader in both passing yards and touchdowns, and by leading his club to a 13-win season.  Freeman got 42 of the 50 first place votes in balloting, with Philadelphia’s Matt Gutierrez getting the other 8.  It was one of the cleanest victories in recent memory as nearly everyone acknowledged Freeman as the player that had the biggest impact on the season. OPOTY: It is extremely rare that the MVP and OPOTY come from the same team, but that is what happens when you have the passing and rushing leader on the same team.  At 36-years-old, Antowain Smith becomes the oldest OPOTY in league history.  He led the USFL in rushing and was the only player to top 1,500 yards this season.  Add to that a stellar 5.0 yards per carry and it is easy to see how he outpaced a range of receivers and backs for the award. Coach of the Year:  Not much debate here either, though there were some votes for both Jim Harbaugh (PHI) and June Jones (LV), but again, the vast majority (39 of 50) went to the Skyhawks’ rep, in this case Head Coach Bruce Arians.  Arians, who took over a 1-13 team in 2009 would get 5 wins from the Skyhawks in his first year, then finish 2011 with an 8-8 record.  Even with that solid growth over 2 seasons no one expected a 13-3 season and for St. Louis to win the division by 6 games (13-3 vs. 2nd place at 7-9).  Arians is only 3 days from adding yet another accolade as the Skyhawks have a real chance to become the first USFL team to ever win a title in their home stadium. DPOTY: Not every award can go to the same team, and St. Louis’s defense, while serviceable, was certainly not the focus of the team.  Once again the USFL honored their Defensive Player of the Year and once again it was a downlineman with a huge sack total that garnered the award.  However, this year it was not Calais Campbell, the 2-time winner and this year’s sack leader, but the 2nd place contender in the category.  Texas’s Reynaldo Wynn benefited from the collapse of the Orlando Renegades, as even with 25 sacks there was no way Campbell would win the title on a team that went 3-13.  Texas’s 10-6 record, and the roll Wynn had in that record were good enough for him to outduel CB Charles Woodson and LB James Farrior for the title this year.  Wynn, who finished the season with 22 sacks, 62 takles and 6 forced fumbles, has become the chief rival to Campbell among DE’s.  Only in his 5th season, we could be seeing Wynn v. Campbell for a long time to go. Rookie of the Year:  Talking about players with a long and potentially very good career ahead of them, this year’s ROTY certainly seems to have the right stuff to be a featured player for  years to come.  WR Justin Blackmon played on a pretty awful Boston team, and dealt with a pretty shaky QB situation, and yet he finished the year with 111 receptions for 1,305 yards and 5 TDs, all great numbers even for a veteran wideout, much less a rookie on a poor team.  Expect Blackmon and HB Rashard Mendenhall to be two members of the new Dallas Roughnecks who will be marketed heavily in the DFW, particularly as they search for a QB to be the face of the franchise. Finally, we have our All-USFL team for 2012.  A few surprises here, but mostly surprises from our preseason picks, not from the results we saw this yar.  As always, there will be some players who feel snubbed, but overall this is a very reputable roster of top USFL talent.  Here is your 2012 All-USFL Team. QB: Josh Freeman (STL), Matt Gutierrez (PHI), Sam Bradford (NJ) HB: Antowain Smith (STL), Willis McGahee (TBY), Deuce McCallister (WSH) FB: Justin Green (CHA) TE: Rob Gronkowski (ARZ), John Carlson (NJ) WR: Joey Galloway (TBY), Steve Johnson (PHI), Marques Colston (TEX) Taylor Jacobs (STL), Tory Holt (BAL) OT: Lomas Brown (TBY), Brian Bulaga (STL), Kenyatta Jones (SEA) OG: Dunta Robinson (NJ), Chester Pitts (TEX), Leonard Davis (STL) C: Mike Pouncey (CHA), Shaun O’Hara (STL) DE: Calais Campbell (ORL), Reynaldo Wynn (TEX), Justin Smith (OAK) DT: Jason Fisk (POR), Sean Rogers (NSH), Rene Jean-Francois (NOR) LB: James Farrior (HOU), Terrell Suggs (OAK), Clay Matthews (LA) Mike Vrabel (JAX), Rey Maualaga (CHA), Terrance Marshall (NOR) CB: Charles Woodson (ATL), Dre Kirkpatrick (MGN), Antoine Winfield (LV) Quentin Jammer (PHI) SS: Terrance Holt (TEX), Chad Scott (LV) FS: Jarious Byrd (PHI), Chris Crocker (CHA) K:  Brandon Coutu (CHA) P:  Nick Harris (NJ) So that makes 6 Skyhawks, 5 Monarchs, 4 Generals, 4 Stars, and 4 Outlaws on the 44-man roster.  The only rookie to make the list was not ROTY Justin Blackmon but Michigan CB Dre Kirkpatrick.  The oldest player, no question, HB Antowain Smith. Dallas Hires Mike Sherman as Head Coach The Dallas Roughnecks have selected their first head coach and it is a name familiar both in Texas and to pro football fans.  Former Texas A&M and Green Bay Packer head coach Mike Sherman has been named the new coach of the franchise which began in Atlanta, won a title in Boston and begins its first season in Dallas in 2013. Sherman, who started as a HS coach before getting positions at Pitt, Tulane, Holy Cross, A&M and UCLA, jumped to the NFL with the Packers in 1997, worked with Mike Holmgren in Seattle and then returned to Green Bay to lead the Packers form 2000-2005.  He would then have a short stint In Houston before taking the Texas A&M job in 2008.   Sherman led the Aggies to a 9-3 recored and a share of the Big 12 title in 2010, but suffered a disappointing 6-6 season in 2011 which led to Sherman’s release. Sherman will take over a team that struggled to find consistency on offense, despite having a solid HB in Rashard Mendenhall and the Rookie of the Year in WR Justin Blackmon.  He inherits a shaky situation at QB, where highly touted Jake Locker has not yet proven he can translate his college success to the pros.  In Boston in 2012, the club went 3-13, finishing with the top pick in the Open Draft for the second consecutive year after a 1-win 2011 season.  The Cannons finished 2012 24th in the league in points scored and dead last in the league in points allowed, giving up 27 per game.  Sherman comes with an offensive background and is expected to focus on developing a viable passing game while leaving the defensive concerns to his DC, as yet unnamed. Baltimore Looks at 2 Finalists The Baltimore Blitz are also closing in on a head coach candidate, and reportedly have limited the search to two finalists, former Indianapolis Colts head man Jim Caldwell, and former LA Express coach Hue Jackson.  Caldwell, who came up through the college ranks before becoming the QB Coach for the Oakland Invaders, left the USFL for the NFL and a gig with Tony Dungy in Indianapolis, rising from QB Coach to Assistant HC and eventually Head Coach in 2002.  Working closely with then Colts QB Peyton Manning, Caldwell led the Colts to two consecutive playoff seasons in 2009-2010 before the Manning injury led the team to drop to 2-14 in 2011.  Jackson served as the LA Express head coach from 2006-2009, leading the Express to the Summer Bowl in his first year with the club and returning to the playoffs in 2007, but back-to-back losing seasons in 2008 and 2009 led to his dismissal.  Both Jackson and Caldwell are considered player-friendly coaches with an offensive pedigree, very different from the defensive-minded and disciplinarian style of former Blitz coach Tom Coughlin. Tickets in St. Louis Up to $10,000 in Secondary Market Summer Bowl tickets are always a prized commodity, but this year, with the St. Louis Skyhawks making their first appearance in the USFL title game, and with that game being played at The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis, the demand for tickets has never been higher.  Secondary sources for ticket resale are posting asking prices as high as $10,000 for a seat at the 50-yard line, with other seats going for $5,000 or more, even in the upper deck and end zone areas of the domed stadium.  Both St. Louis and Charlotte, as the participants in the game, are issued 18,000 seats to be provided to their season ticket holding fans, while the remaining 34,000 seats for the game are split between league officials, partners, and sponsors, and open sale to the public (roughly 29,000 seats).  According to Seatgeek, a commonly used platform for secondary ticket sales, the driving engine for higher costs has been high demand from St. Louis and the surrounding area as Skyhawk fans seek to obtain seats for their team’s Summer Bowl appearance.  The Charlotte Monarchs have announced that all 18,000 of their team-designated seats have been awarded, but the secondary market is seeing more and more seats, including Monarch-designated seats, being resold within Missouri, Illinois, and Iowa, which is assumed to correspond to Skyhawk fan interest.  The game is expected to be sold out, filling the 67,000-seat arena, making the 2012 Summer Bowl only the 4th Summer Bowl to ever sell out fully. SUMMER BOWL 2012 Charlotte Monarchs (11-5) v. St. Louis Skyhawks (13-3) Saturday, July 30 @ 7pm ET The Dome at America’s Center, St. Louis, MO Skyhawks -6 Breaking down the 2012 Summer Bowl is not particularly complex.  We have a 1-seed facing off against a 6-seed, so, as one might expect, the numbers do tend to skew heavily towards St. Louis, but there is also a clear distinction in style, with the Skyhawks, relying on their top ranked offense, while Charlotte tends to play a more conservative, defensive-minded game.  Here is the breakdown in numbers between the two teams: Points Per Game:     St. Louis (1): 27.8 PPG                    Charlotte (4)  26.2 PPG Yards Per Game:       St. Louis (2) 376.8 YPG                   Charlotte (10)  334.5 YPG Passing:                          St. Louis (3) 259.6 YPG                   Charlotte (15)  228.5 YPG Rushing:                          St. Louis (2) 117.2 YPG                   Charlotte (7)   106 YPG Points Allowed               Charlotte (7)  18.5 PPGA                St. Louis (12)  19.8 PPGA Yards Allowed                 Charlotte (4)   297.9 YPGA            St. Louis (18)   320.8 YPGA Passing Allowed             Charlotte (4)   206.2 YPGA            St. Louis (19)   226.9 YPGA Rushing Allowed            Charlotte (14) 91.7 YPGA              St. Louis (18)   93.9 YPGA Turnover Differential       Charlotte (1)  +26                             St. Louis (6)     +17 What is clear in these numbers is that while Charlotte’s offensive production trails that of St. Louis in all categories, the difference is not a huge one, while on defense Charlotte’s advantage over St. Louis is a bit clearer.  When we add to that the takeaway prowess of the Charlotte defense, leading them to a plus-26 total for the regular season, there is reason to believe that the Monarchs are not truly a 6-seed with little chance for victory, but rather a very competitive team that could very well take advantage of any carelessness or nerves on the part of St. Louis to pull off the upset.  Looking at these numbers, the 6-point advantage which Las Vegas gives to the Skyhawks may seem a bit overly generous.  That, of course, is also influenced by the wagers being made, and, as with ticket sales, that has leaned decidedly towards bets supporting the Skyhawks. When we look at individual players, many names stand out.  Here are our choices for the three potential gamechangers for each club. ST. LOUIS 1. QB Josh Freeman—No doubt but that the League MVP’s performance will go a long way to determining the outcome of this game.  Freeman finished the year as the leader in both passing yards (3,983) and touchdowns (39) while only throwing three picks over 16 games.  That is an impressive 13:1 TD:INT ratio.  His ability to hit both the deep ball and accurately play the short game makes him tough to defend.  Teams have tried pressuring Freeman, only to find him quite elusive, while others have watched as 6 and 7-man zone schemes have proved ineffective as well. 2. HB Antowain Smith—One of the reasons that Freeman is so effective is that defenses simply cannot spend the game in nickel and dime coverages. If they do, Smith will eat them alive. The league’s leading rusher with 1,502 yards and a 5.0 YPC average, Smith has been a wonder at 36 years of age.  His ability to keep defenses honest is a big reason Freeman has had the production he has this year. 3. CB Vontae Davis—Perhaps not the most well-known member of the Skyhawk team, Davis has come up big in 2012 with 6 picks and 79 tackles.  He is at his best in zone coverages, making smart decisions to crowd or hang back on receviers and making good breaks on the ball.  He is also unafraid to participate in run defense, taking away wide plays with aggressive angles on the ballcarrier.  His aggressiveness could be a factor for St. Louis in this game. CHARLOTTE 1. WR Derrick Mason—Most talk about the Charlotte passing game focuses on flanker D. J. Hackett, but the reality is that the Monarchs don’t really have a true Receiver 1, they have two pretty equal targets in Hackett and Mason.  Hackett actually finished 2012 with 19 fewer catches than Mason, though he did have 50 yards more.  The two were very close in scoring, with Hackett landing 9 TD receptions to Mason’s 8, but with St. Louis likely to put Davis on Hackett, that means Mason could be the key for QB Jake Delhomme. 2. HB Fred Jackson—Were it not for a 5-game span in late season that saw Fred Jackson sidelined, he likely would have been among the league leaders in rushing once again.  Even missing 5 games, Jackson finished with 911 yards on the season, a pace that put him in the range of 1300-1450 in a 16-game season.  In the playoffs, particularly with rookie QB Brandon Wheedon starting the Divisional and Conference title games, Jackson has been at the center of the Monarch offense, and responded with back to back 100 yard games for Charlotte.  His ability to keep defenses second guessing the play call, and to grind out the tough 3rd down yardage, could be key to a Charlotte upset. 3. LB Rolando McClain—It is hard to pick out one LB from this outstanding trio, as Jerod Mayo and Rey Maualaga are also outstanding performers week in and week out, but it is McClain who tends to make the big plays when needed.  He leads the team with 112 tackles,  and is equally good as a run stuffer and pass defender.  Expect Charlotte to try to stay in base 4-3 as much as they can, except when St. Louis brings in a 4th wideout, and to do that they will need their linebackers to hold their own against the slot receivers, as well as St. Louis tight ends Jabari Holloway and Tony Moeaki. OUR PICK We have been playing up the potential for a Charlotte upset.  And we are really excited about Jake Delhomme returning and getting his first shot at a league title since appearing with the Stars as a backup in 2000, but, all that said, we cannot pick the Monarchs to win. St. Louis has been an absolute juggernaut this year.  They have not lost a game sine a weird letdown in Ohio in Week 7, winning 9 regular season games in a row and then cruising through their playoff schedule over Oakland and Las Vegas. They have faced 2 tough defenses in those games and scored 30+ in both games.  They are at home, and we expect a heavily partisan Skyhawk crowd, so we expect a lot of noise, a lot of “Ka Kaw” throughout, and a lot of energy on the St. Louis sideline. Charlotte’s best chance is to force turnovers, but the Skyhawks do not turn the ball over.  Josh Freeman has only 3 picks all season and St. Louis led the league with only 8 turnovers in 16 weeks.  We see Charlotte being able to stay in the game perhaps through the half or even three quarters, but at some point as both defenses tire, the Skyhawks are either going to be able to dominate with Smith on the ground or hit the big play with Freeman and those receivers over the top.  Our pick is the Skyhawks, and we are going with another 30+ point performance.  We say Skyhawks 31-21.

Is this the year of the Cinderella story?  With so many Cinderellas I am afraid we are going to run out of pumpkins.  We have a Cinderella team in the St. Louis Skyhawks making their first ever playoff appearance and racing all the way to the top seed in the West.  We have the Cinderella story of Matt Gutierrez leading the Philadelphia Stars to the Eastern Conference Finals.  And now we have the Cinderella story of rookie QB Brandon Wheedon called into action for the first time in the Eastern Division playoffs and helping Charlotte to upset the Atlanta Fire in Atlanta.  The Fairy Godmothers must be working overtime this year. Join us as we recap all the action from this week’s 4 divisional playoff games, including the Charlotte upset of Atlanta, and strong performances from Philly, St. Louie, and Las Vegie (Hmm, that last one does not work.) We will also look into the quick hire of former Boston coach John Fox, the new free agents joining the open market, and the retirement announcements of two pretty much sure fire Hall of Fame players.  It’s all here along with our preview of the Conference Title Games. CHARLOTTE MONARCHS 16   ATLANTA FIRE 12 Defense wins titles.  That is the old cliché, and while the USFL has not always proven that to be true, the matchup between Charlotte and Atlanta certainly bore it out as the Charlotte Monarchs held Atlanta out of the end zone for 60 minutes and escaped a hostile Georgia Dome with a 4-point victory and a ticket to next week’s Eastern Conference Final.  The Monarchs used a staunch red zone defense and a run game led by Fred Jackson to win a war of attrition against rival Atlanta.  Despite only going 1 of 11 on third down, and rookie Brandon Wheedon throwing for only 102 yards, the Monarchs had the ability to limit Atlanta to only 4 Josh Scobee field goals and that was good enough to take the W, survive and advance. Wheedon avoided mistakes all game, throwing short to Derrick Mason and D. J. Hackett (9 receptions for 71 yards combined) when called on, but mostly managing the clock and the run game as Charlotte started the game with a scripted 11-play drive for a TD and then simply held Atlanta at arm’s length for the rest of the game.  Atlanta would outgain the Monarchs 318-230, and Kyle Orton threw for 246, but he was also sacked 6 times and threw a costly red zone pick that preserved the Monarch lead in the 3rd quarter. Despite all their success on defense, Atlanta had pulled within 1 point at 13-12 early in the 4th, but a sustained drive when they needed one allowed the Monarchs to put league scoring champ Brandon Coutu in position for a 41-yard field goal midway through the period and that 4-point lead meant that a fifth Fire field goal would not be enough.  Charlotte got strong games from LB Jerod Mayo (8 tackles, 1 sack, 1 pick), LB Rolando McClain (8 tackles, 1 sack), and their entire secondary as they just did not allow Atlanta to turn field position into points.  They now head into the Eastern Title Game with the potential that starter Jake Delhomme could return to action. TEXAS OUTLAWS 10   LAS VEGAS THUNDER 15 With the game delayed 2 hours due to heat, the 7pm local kickoff was still a scorcher at Sam Boyd Stadium, with kickoff temps in the high 80s’s, though the temperature continued to drop throughout the game.  The pressure from the Thunder defense never let up however, as Vegas held Texas to only 74 yards rushing and a miserable 1 of 9 on third down.  And while the Thunder offense was not exactly dynamic, limited to only 5 Jeff Reed field goals, it was enough to get Las Vegas its first playoff win since relocating from Portland. The Thunder were relentless in their pressure scheme, sending blitzes against both the run and the pass and producing 6 sacks and 9 tackles for loss.  DE Akin Ogunleye recorded two sacks of Luke McCown but was joined by 4 others in pressuring and frustrating the Texas QB.  Meanwhile, on offense, the Thunder relied on Marshawn Lynch, who would finish the game with 130 yards rushing on 20 carries, a very healthy 6.5 YPC average.  The game could have been a broader victory for Las Vegas, but Texas also was able to get pressure on Thunder QB Jake Plummer, producing 2 picks which kept Texas in the game.  The lone TD of the game came in the 3rd quarter when a communication error on defense left WR Marques Colston uncovered for a 24-yard TD.  Other than that one botched play the Thunder defense was truly lights out, and they will need to keep up that intensity next week as they hit the road to face the top seed St. Louis and their league-leading offense for a shot at Summer Bowl 2012. OAKLAND INVADERS 13   ST. LOUIS SKYHAWKS 34 The Skyhawks punched their ticket to the Conference Finals in dramatic style, dominating the Oakland Invaders in front of nearly 62,000 enthusiastic “Hawkheads” inside the dome.  The familiar “Ka-Kaw” cries of the Skyhawk faithful were frequent and loud as St. Louis turned a 10-0 deficit early in the 2nd quarter into a 31-13 lead by the end of three quarters.  Josh Freeman hit Taylor Jacobs on all three of his TD passes as the likely league MVP went 14 of 26 for 394 yards against an Oakland defense that simply could not defend the entire field.  Oakland tried a high-pressure strategy against Freeman, which did produce 6 sacks, but also gave up some huge plays, including a 78-yard TD in the final seconds of the first half, turning a 13-7 advantage into a 14-13 deficit for the Invaders just as the teams headed to the locker room. Oakland would never recover.  St. Louis scored 17 unanswered points in the third quarter, including a pick-six from CB Vontae Davis and Jacobs’s 3rd TD reception of the game.  The All-USFL receiver would only catch 5 balls on the day, but 3 would go for scores.   Jordy Nelson, the 2nd receiver for the Skyhawks, also topped the century mark with 4 receptions for 148 yards as the deep ball worked for St. Louis all game long. Oakland began the game well, scoring on a Greg Jennings TD early in the 2nd after holding St. Louis scoreless in the opening period, but the 78-yard bomb at the end of the half deflated the Invaders, who would not score again as St. Louis put together a 27-point unanswered scoring string.  St.  Louis now moves on to the Conference Championships against Las Vegas, once again in the Dome at America’s Center, which is also home to the Summer Bowl, giving the Skyhawks a real chance to make history as the first USFL club to win a title in their home stadium.  No other USFL Champion has matched up their title run with their home stadium being the host of the Summer Bowl, but St. Louis has a path to do just that. NEW JERSEY GENERALS 13   PHILADELPHIA STARS 37 We expected a dogfight in this one.  What we got was a whoomping.  The Stars proved once again why they are one of the most complete teams in the USFL by putting a three phase beatdown on a very good New Jersey club.  The Stars aggressively pressured Sam Bradford and by the middle of the second quarter they had taken the Generals’ young QB out of action with a concussion on a hard hit of his head to the turf at Lincoln Financial Field.  At that time, it was already 23-3 Stars, but losing Bradford all but ended any chance the Generals had of a comeback. As rough as Philadelphia’s defense was on the Generals, producing 6 tackles (2 of Bradford, 4 of Hoyer) and holding Maurice Jones-Drew to only 26 yards, the offense of the Stars was even more impressive.  New Jersey focused on shutting down Steve Slaton with 8 and 9 men in the box, the hope being that they could pressure Matt Gutierrez into making mistakes.  The former backup turned All-USFL QB did throw one pick, but he also thew for 294 yards and 3 touchdowns, proving the Generals’ strategy highly ineffective.  Stevie Johnson was the main target for Gutierrez, and he made the Generals pay with 121 yards on only 6 catches.  The touchdowns from Gutierrez went to Caldwell, Fells, and Andre Davis, but the drives belonged to Johnson, who seemed unstoppable on third down, converting time and again. Philadelphia now moves on to host the underdog 6-seed Charlotte Monarchs in next week’s Conference title game. Even with Jake Delhomme back, which is still only a 50/50 proposition, the Stars will be a huge test for a Monarchs team that has already played 2 road games in these playoffs.  Philadelphia is gunning for a 4th league title, and their first since the early 1990’s.  They have firepower, a solid defense, and one of the best stories of the year in Matt Gutierrez. Delhomme Could Be Game Time Decision The word out of Charlotte’s front office is that Jake Delhomme’s ankle is progressing nicely but that any decision on who will start this week will come from Coach Mora and will likely come only after pre-game warmups.  Both Delhomme and Wheedon have been taking snaps in practice, with Delhomme wearing a brace on his ankle which clearly limits mobility in practice.  That could be tricky either way as neither QB will see as many snaps in the week’s practice sessions as a starter normally would.  Meanwhile, Philadelphia is not exactly planning for two very different styles as both Delhomme and Wheedon will play a traditional drop-back pocket style.  The threat of a scrambler is just not there with either option. While Charlotte fans are certainly hoping that Delhomme, by far the most experienced QB in the game this week, is able to start, it is still no guarantee that his experience would be able to overcome what Philadelphia can throw at him. The bigger issue may well be how Charlotte’s defense handles the Star offense led by Matt Gutierrez and Steve Slaton. Home Teams Open as Heavy Favorites in Conference Title Games Not surprising when we have the two top seeds playing at home in the Conference Title Games, but the Las Vegas books are just not buying that Charlotte or Las Vegas can knock off the homestanding favorites.  In both games we have proficient offenses going against teams built on defense, and as we have seen time and again in the USFL, offense often wins out in the more explosive of the two major pro football leagues in the USA.  Of course, that rule is meant to be broken, but at least from the oddsmakers’ perspective, it is always better to lean towards the rule rather than the exception. We asked the folks at Caesars’ book specifically about the Monarchs, where there is a lot of uncertainty due to Jake Delhomme’s injury and were told that while the QB situation is certainly a factor, the general belief that Philadelphia is a superior team has a greater impact.  Currently the line is -9 for the Stars.  According to our source at Caesar’s, the line would likely be closer to -6 with Delhomme assured to start but would not get much closer for the Monarchs simply because there is so much betting that would lean to Philly anyway. We will see if the books are right in their defense of the offensive squad and top seeds once the games are played this week. Orlando Jumps on John Fox to Restore Renegade Hopes Well, that did not take long. John Fox needed only 9 days from his dismissal by the Cannons-now-Roughnecks to find a new gig. The 2009 Summer Bowl Champion coach was quickly approached and wooed by the Orlando Renegades, signing a 4-year deal even before the Divisional playoff games kicked off this week.  Fox, whose tenure in Boston included 4 playoff seasons, a league title and 5 winning seasons in 9 years, will now take over an Orlando club that was expected to be a playoff contender this year, but fell to a dismal 3-13 record. In Boston, Fox spent most of his career with QB Drew Bledsoe powering an explosive offense and a defense built with a bend-but-don’t break strategy.  In Orlando he will inherit a team that struggled on offense with QB Eli Manning at the helm, but which has one of the league’s most dangerous defensive players in DE Calais Campbell.  Expect Fox to bring with him a plan for a more balanced offense, something that may be good news for HB Knowshon Moreno, and a defense that will try to play from a lead, which again could suit Campbell very well.  Orlando will have an early draft pick (2nd overall in the Open Draft) and could make a play for some solid talent in the Territorial Draft, including South Carolina safety D. J. Swearinger, UCF halfback Latavious Murray, and Gamecock DE Devin Taylor.  We also expect Fox and the Renegades to be active in Free Agency as they try to add pieces to match Fox’s preferred schemes. With the Fox hiring, there remain 4 open coaching positions in the USFL:  Los Angeles, Seattle, Baltimore, and Dallas. Mitchell Still Frontrunner for Dragon Job Seattle interviewed St. Louis OC Stump Mitchell during the Skyhawks’s bye week and were apparently impressed with what they learned, but, with St.  Louis still very much involved in playoff football, the Dragons will be using the next few weeks to explore other options.  They brought in former Breakers’ head coach Mike Nolan this week, and are expected to interview two more candidates, including former Memphis head man Jim Haslett and Arizona OC Greg Landry.   The belief is that Mitchell remains the frontrunner, but there is no guarantee he will opt to join the Dragons or that Seatle won’t be impressed with one of the other candidates. Joey Galloway Announces Retirement, Will Join ESPN Team As many expected, Joey Galloway has announced this week that his long and illustrious USFL career has come to an end.  Galloway is stepping away from the field, but not the game as he announced that he would be joining ESPN’s USFL team for 2013, taking on an initial role as a game analyst with the studio team on USFL PrimeTime and the twice weekly USFL halftime and postgame reports. Galloway, who played 16 years as a member of the Ohio Glory before finishing his career in Tampa Bay, is one of the most decorated receivers in the rich history of the USFL.  An 11-time All-USFL selection and 1996 USFL Offensive Player of the Year, Galloway retires as the league’s all-time yardage leader with 22,825 receiving yards, nearly 3,000 more than the great Eric Truvillion.  He also leaves the game as 2nd all-time in receiving touchdowns with 158 career scores, and as the 3rd all-time receiver in catches with 1,195. Galloway came to Ohio in the Territorial Draft, staying in Columbus after an All-American career with the Ohio State Buckeyes.  As a rookie he caught 87 passes for the expansion Glory, gaining 845 yards as a rookie.  He would explode in his 2nd season to catch 104 balls for 1,825 yards in his sophomore season and largely not look back after that.  During the amazing run from 2000-2003 in Ohio, Galloway was nearly unstoppable, averaging nearly 1,800 yards and 14 touchdowns per season, including 18 in the 2003 title defense for the Glory, the only team to ever win back-to-back USFL titles. After 16 seasons in Ohio, a changing of the guard gave Galloway a chance to find a new home and he chose the Tampa Bay Bandits and QB Daunte Culpepper.  Galloway immediately established a rapport with the Bandit QB, catching 96 balls for over 1,200 yards in his first year with the Bandits, a year that also brought a league title to Tampa Bay, Galloway’s third as a player. This year he had 104 catches for nearly 1,500 yards and was among the league leaders in both categories. He leaves the game as one of the legends of the game and of the league. Charles Woodson Says Goodbye to the ATL and the USFL A second legend of the USFL also steps away from the game this year as Cornerback Charles Woodson announced this week that the playoff loss to Charlotte would be his last game as a member of the Atlanta Fire and as a professional football player.  Woodson, the 1997 Heisman Trophy winner out of Michigan, played 14 seasons in the USFL, beginning his career as the top draft pick of the Washington Federals.  He would play 10 seasons in Washington, winning Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1998 and earning All-USFL accolades six times.  He retires with nearly 1,300 tackles (1,275) and 53 interceptions, numbers good enough to be 2nd in USFL history, behind Donnell Woolford in picks. Woodson also holds the league record with 899 career interception return yards and has a whopping 15 defensive touchdowns, 14 on interception returns and one fumble return.  As with Galloway, Woodson will almost certainly be a first ballot Hall of Famer when he is eligible in the Class of 2017.   And, in case you are wondering what post-career plans Woodson has, he has already signed on to be a graduate assistant at his alma mater, Michigan, where he will seek a degree in Sports Management while working with the DBs for the Wolverines. Only 4 teams remaining, and while each team is dealing with the usual late season bumps and bruises, all eyes are on Charlotte and QB Jake Delhomme ahead of this week’s Conference Title Game in Philadelphia.  Here once more is the rundown of each club’s injuries and the potential impact for the games this week. CHA:  FB Justin Green (IR), SS John Keith (IR), LB A. J. Nicholson (OUT), QB Jake Delhomme (D) PHI: DE Robert Mathis (IR), SS Darren Sharper (IR), OT Anthony Castonzo (Q), OT Ken Shackleford (P) No new injuries for Charlotte, but it does not appear that Delhomme may not be able to go, which puts a lot on the defense and the run game to help protect rookie Brandon Wheedon against the Stars.  For Philadelphia, OT Ken Shackleford should be back, which is good news since Anthony Castonzo is likely out. LV:  LB Joey Porter (P) STL:  WR Eric Weems (OUT), G Paul Zakauskas (Q), CB Jordan Pugh (P) Two pretty healthy teams in our 1 v. 2 matchup this week.  Joey Porter may be held back except on 3rd down, but that is still pretty solid for the Thunder. CB Jordan Pugh should be good to go for St. Louis. Free Agent Pool Expands with 8 More Roster Additions The USFL free agent pool continues to grow as more teams are removed from playoff contention.  For these later additions there remain just over two weeks before the players become true free agents, still time for some players to re-up with their current teams if they so choose before the marketplace officially opens, and yet, as we know from past years, most will wait and look at the interest shown by other franchises, whether within the USFL or the NFL before signing.  Here are the players currently without a contract from the 8 playoff teams now eliminated. ATLANTA: HB Darren McFadden, TE Will Heller, FS Tra Battle, K Josh Scobee DENVER: FS Jamel Williams, CB Tory James, HB Maurice Hicks, G Elton Brown, WR James Hardy, CB David Terrell NEW JERSEY: SS Bob Sanders, C Casey Wiegemann, OT Leander Jordan, FS Scott Shields, LB Scott Fujita, LB Napoleon Harris, G Duke Robinson, FS Tony Driver, WR Travis Wilson NEW ORLEANS: LB Hannibal Navies, OT Joseph Bragg, G Mike Briesel OAKLAND: DE Israel Idonije, OT Anthony Clement, WR Hank Basket, G Cameron Stephenson, HB Jerious Norwood, DE Kalimba Edwards PORTLAND: FB Ovie Mughelli, DE Elvis Dumervil, HB Michael Bush, DT Kedrick Gholston, TE Visanthe Shiancoe, HB Derrick Blaylock TEXAS: P Hunter Smith, G Derrick Dockery, K Rian Lindell, FS Darcel McBath, HB Aveion Carson WASHINGTON: LB Antonio Pierce, C Austin King, LB Cameron Wake, FB Chris Massey, HB Rod Smart, C Matt Johnson Santa Clara Stadium Deal Locked & Loaded It is official, both the San Francisco 49ers of the NFL and the Oakland Invaders of the USFL will have a new home, beginning in the Fall of 2014.  The two teams and the city of Santa Clara, CA have locked in plans for construction of a new 68,000 seat stadium in the South Bay.  The facility will boast 174 executive suites and have a natural grass surface.  Located 32 miles south of the Oakland Coliseum and 37 miles south of Candlestick Park, the stadium will nonetheless be home to two franchises which will retain their original city names as both Oakland and San Francisco will be the monikers of their respective teams. The deal ends speculation of a more dramatic relocation for both franchises, with the Invaders having long been rumored to be a potential target for investment groups from as far away as San Diego, Dallas, and Miami.  The Invaders will retain their training facilities in Oakland, but now will call Santa Clara home on gameday, beginning with the Spring 2015 season.  The cost to the team is estimated at $250M, with an equal share also to be contributed by the NFL 49ers, and another $700M to be financed publicly through a series of bonds issued by the city, county, and state of California.  Fans should expect to see seat licenses required for season tickets, a trend which upsets many but which has become commonplace among franchises in both professional football and baseball.  Concerns over parking and traffic flow have caused the city of Santa Clara to make arrangements with both the NFL not to schedule any weeknight games (Monday or Thursday) at the stadium until both traffic flow alterations and parking amelioration could be settled, but the Invaders, with all USFL games played on Friday nights or over the weekend days, was not similarly tasked.  The new stadium will seek a corporate naming rights arrangement, to be decided by the end of 2013. Will Vikings' New Stadium Push Twin City USFL Option? Another new stadium is in the works as the city of Minneapolis has agreed with the NFL Vikings to construct a new domed facility to house the city’s pro football franchise.  Of course, as has come to be expected, there is immediate interest in providing the facility with a second tenant.  Minnesota, and particularly the Twin Cities, has been a market long of interest to the USFL, having been listed as one of the potential expansion sites as early as 1987, but to date no serious efforts have existed to bring a franchise to the city.  That is likely to change as the Twin Cities looks at a new $1.3B facility and the USFL explores potential expansion within the next decade. As we have seen in other locations, namely Dallas, San Diego, Miami, and now Oklahoma City, all it takes is for a dedicated investment group to form and provide the financial backing for new cities to become serious players in USFL franchise politics.  Nashville, now being sued for their use of leverage, is one example of a franchise using the lure of potential relocation as a means of acquiring a better situation in their home city, while the fate of the Boston Cannons demonstrates that with the right pitch a franchise may indeed uproot itself and seek a new home. As of yet there has been no recognized investment group out of the Twin Cities to make a serious pitch for either USFL expansion or the sale and relocation of a current franchise.  However, as we have already seen with the cities named earlier, the process to incorporate a group and begin discussions with the league or with individual franchises does not require extensive time and with the city itself, and possibly NFL ownership within the Vikings, interested in exploring the option of a shared venue for both fall and spring football, we may very well see the Twin Cities join the list of suitors for either an upcoming expansion opportunity or for a current franchise, displeased with its stadium lease or its capacity to bring in localized revenue, to pick up shop and find a new home in a shiny new facility. As has tended to be the norm in the USFL, both top seeds advance out of the Divisional Round and will host the Conference Title Games this week. In the East we have a deceptive 1 v. 6 matchup, with an 11-5 Charlotte team hardly the usual cannon fodder of a low seed, while in the West we have a classic 1 v 2 as Las Vegas brings their top-rated defense up against the high-flying Skyhawks.  Two very different games, and 4 very interesting stories as we prepare for two teams to emerge victorious and set up Summer Bowl 2012. EASTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP 6-Charlotte Monarchs (11-5) @ 1-Philadelphia Stars (12-4) Sunday, July 24 @ 4pm ET Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA Stars -9 No surprise that Philadelphia is a heavy favorite in this one. With Jake Delhomme’s status expected to be a game-time decision, the uncertainty surrounding Charlotte is very real, whereas the Stars proved this week that they are playing at peak levels in all phases of the game.  We could have a very unanticipated matchup of Wheedon and Gutierrez in this title game, but of the two, it is clear that league QB Rating leader Matt Gutierrez is in a far better head space, having performed so well through the entire USFL season.  If, as some rumors have it, Kurt Warner may step away from the game after his neck injury, Philly seems primed to keep their roll going with Gutierrez.   We like the pluck of the Monarhcs, demonstrated with tough wins in road wins in both New Orleans and Atlanta, but this feels like a bridge too far for the Monarchs.  Our pick is Philadelphia big, Stars by two scores, 27-13. WESTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP 2-Las Vegas Thunder (11-5) @ 1-St. Louis Skyhawks (13-3) Sunday, July 24 @ 8pm ET The Dome at America’s Center, St. Louis, MO Skyhawks -6 A classic matchup of the unstoppable force and the immovable object.  St. Louis’s high-powered offense will face off against Las Vegas’s top-ranked defense.  June Jones may be known for his offensive style, but it is the defense of DC and son of USFL Hall of Famer Sam Mills, Sam Mills III, which is making the Thunder a bona fide contender.  The Thunder will be challenged by a Skyhawk offense, led by OC Stump Mitchell which is equally as proficient in the run game as the passing game.  Head Coach Bruce Arians has built a club based on a nearly impenetrable offensive line, likely to have 3, possibly 4 All-USFL linemen on it. That will be a huge challenge for the Thunder’s blitz and stunt schemes, but if there is any team which can disrupt the Skyhawks, it is likely to be the Thunder.   We like Las Vegas’s chances here. Yes, it may require Jake Plummer playing like his 28-year-old self, and it may be a tough road, but something about the way this Thunder defense plays ball has us thinking they can do this.  We are going with the upset here, Las Vegas edges the Skyhawks in St. Louis.  Thunder 18-17.

A Wild Card weekend with few surprises as all four favorites won out.  Charlotte, the only road favorite, paid a price for victory however as they those their quarterback and now face a brutal challenge in the Divisional round.  New Jersey continues to look like one of the hottest teams in the league with a dismantling of the Federals.  Texas gets challenged by a plucky Portland squad but holds on to win at home.  And, finally, on Sunday night, Oakland uses a big fourth quarter to knock out the Denver Gold and move on to the divisional round.  We will recap all four Wild Card games, take a look at the Divisionals, and update you on the coaching and player news of the week.  Starting with the big cost the Monarchs paid for a win in New Orleans. CHARLOTTE MONARCHS 17   NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS 10 A bittersweet victory for the Charlotte Monarchs as they race out to a 17-0 lead but then lose QB Jake Delhomme in the process.  Charlotte looked very much like an 11-win team in the opening three quarters of their Wild Card matchup with the New Orleans Breakers, holding the homestanding Breakers to only 122 yards and no points over 3 quarters and building a 17-0 lead thanks in part to a 12 of 15 performance from QB Jake Delhomme, but just as things were looking bright for Charlotte, Delhomme took a vicious hit from DE Ty Warren and was slow to get up.  He needed assistance getting to the sideline with what was determined to be an ankle injury.  It would keep him from the rest of the game as rookie QB Brandon Wheedon stepped in. Wheedon’s inexperience and lack of practice snaps were evident as Charlotte gained only 1 more first down in the game, while New Orleans fought to get back into contention.  With 1:22 left to play they got their first TD, pulling within 7.  The onside kick failed, and Charlotte needed a first down to lock down the win.  Wheedon handed off to Fred Jackson on first and second down, but on third and 3 he made his biggest play of the game, a 5-yard throw to TE Garrett Celek to ice the game.  The Monarchs will move on to face division rivals Atlanta next week, and by all accounts they will do so with the rookie at QB, a tough task to be sure. PORTLAND STAGS 17   TEXAS OUTLAWS 24 As with the earlier game on Saturday, the favorite raced out to an early lead with Texas getting first half TDs form Marques Colston (2) and Arian Foster. But Portland proved to be up to the task, coming back on the Outlaws in the second half but simply not able to get one more drive in before time ran out. Luke McCown had a good game as the Portland defense focused on Foster.  He would complete 15 of 23 throws for 289  yards and 2 scores.  On the other side of the ball Ryan Fitzpatrick was almost single handedly keeping Portland in the game by throwing the ball 41 times, completing 34 for 242 and 2 scores as well.  Roddy White finished the game with 8 catches, 2 for scores, while Marques Colston, the league’s receiving yards champion proved the point by catching 6 balls for 171 yards, including 2 scores, one a 57-yard strike. Texas will now go to Las Vegas to play the Thunder.  DT Terrell Troupe may not make the trip after injuring his knee, but otherwise the Outlaws are in good health as they prepare for a road playoff game. WASHINGTON FEDERALS 14   NEW JERSEY GENERALS 37 New Jersey continues to be on fire, despite Washington clamping down on Sam Bradford, holding the QB, who had thrown for 4 scores in each of the past 3 games, to only 152 yards and 2 scores on the day. But that focus on the pass meant that there were lanes for Maurice Jones-Drew, and the diminutive back took full advantage, rushing for 109 yards on only 15 carries, a 7.3 YPC average. New Jersey scored the first 30 points of the match as they just dominated both sides of the line of scrimmage through three quarters.  The game started with a 75-yard pick six from safety Sam Shields, and New Jersey added TDs from Doug Baldwin and John Carlson in the 2nd quarter.  Forced to play catch up in the second half, the Washington run game was neutralized and the Feds became somewhat one-dimensional, exactly as New Jersey would want it. The Generals will next head to Philadelphia to face their archrival in a game that could produce a lot of fireworks (on the field and in the stands).  New Jersey has become a squad that no one wants to face over the past month, and certainly the Stars will need to have a plan for this offense, which has been one of the league’s best over the home stretch.  With both offenses playing very well right now, we could be in for a real shootout in this NE Division grudge match. DENVER GOLD 17   OAKLAND INVADERS 31 Oakland was humiliated by Houston in their season finale, and that clearly motivated them as they faced another SW Division club in the Wild Card playoffs.  Oakland was much more efficient and less mistake prone than in their regular season finale.  They went toe to toe with the Gold for three quarters but were still down 17-10 as the 4th quarter began.  Denver had indeed stressed the run game with Maurice Hicks getting the majority of the carries and averaging 4.0 YPC.  Matt Leinart had connected with TE Daniel Graham for a score, while Oakland had gotten an early score from Greg Jennings. But, trailing by 7 at home when the quarter began, Oakland rallied and went on a run of three straight scoring drives that not only allowed them to even the score but build up what would be an unanswered 21-point swing.  Ryan Williams scored twice, and Jerious Norwood added a third TD in a dynamic 4th quarter that saw Norwood bust a 41-yard run to finish the day with 120 yards.  Joey Harrington, who had struggled most of the day, completing only 9 of 20 passes in the first 3 quarters, would go 9 of 12 in the 4th and Oakland would take the game and move on. The Invaders now face St. Louis in the second round, a tough task, but this is an experienced Invader squad that is unlikely to be phased by facing the top seed in the West, especially when as a team St. Louis has very little playoff experience compared to Harrington and the Invaders. Delhomme Injury the Story of Wild Card Weekend You hate to have an injury be the biggest story of any playoff game, but that was certainly the case for the Charlotte Monarchs, who now face a tough matchup at Philadelphia with a rookie under center.  Jake Delhomme, who was contemplating retirement a year ago, after a frustrating first season in Charlotte and a truly horrible 2010 season in Memphis, had stuck it out and in 2012 had a renaissance, throwing for nearly 3,600 yards and 26 TDs on his way to his highest QB Rating in 6 years.  He had led the Monarchs to their first playoff appearance as a franchise, as well as their first winning record after 3 consecutive years with 7 wins.  But all that would now be secondary as the story of the day was the veteran QB’s ankle. The injury is a severe strain, but there appears to be no ligament damage.  That is the report from the Monarchs’ medical team.  Delhomme will be unable to go in the Divisional playoffs, and even if Charlotte can overcome the top seeded Stars, he might also be forced to miss the Conference Championship.  A very tough pill to swallow for Delhomme and the Monarchs. So now all eyes turn to Brandon Wheedon, the 23-year-old rookie who  threw a grand total of 12 pass attempts in the regular season. Wheedon, who set school records at Oklahoma State with 4,727 passing yards in 2011 and who completed nearly 73% of his throws as a senior now takes over the Charlotte offense.  No doubt that veterans like Fred Jackson, D. J. Hackett and Derrick Mason will do all they can to make life easy on Wheedon, the truth is also that Philadelphia is going to bring heat.  The Stars’s pass defense is not considered a strength of the team (they live on offensive firepower), but Philly finished the regular season 4th in the league with 60 QB sacks on the season.  Led by DE Anthony Hargrove’s 18 sacks, the Stars have been known to use a wide range of stunts and line shifts to free up their ends and get pressure quickly.  That is something Wheedon is going to have to expect.  It is a role he certainly did not expect after watching Delhomme play all 16 regular season games, but it is one he now must take on. More Retirements Impact Offseason Plans across the USFL One week after the initial announcements from players like Brian Griese, Shaun Alexander, Kavika Pittman, Tory Holt and LaDainian Tomlinson, the announcements of retirements may not have the same name impact, but that still does not make live any easier for the impacted teams who now have added gaps to fill in their rosters. This week we saw several additional players announce that their playing days were over, including a couple who have stepped away following Wild Card Weekend losses. Here are the most impactful of the announced retirements this week: LA Defensive Tackle Anthony McFarland has been a mainstay on the D-Line for the Express, leaving an immediate need for the club that is also searching for a new head coach. When Birmingham signed Obafemi Ayanbadejo to a one-year deal, there was an understanding that the 36-year-old fullback would likely be a one-year fill in, and that has come to pass as the veteran blocking back announced his retirement this week. Just a few days after Kavika Pittman announced his retirement, Houston loses another D-lineman as DT Kenard Lang also declared his intention to retire at 36.  Houston had hoped they could convince the veteran nose tackle to stick around for 1 more year, but Lang opted out this week. Nashville TE Justin Peele announced he would retire after 10 seasons in the league, all with the Knights. Seattle OT Chad Clifton will not renew for another year, citing concerns with his long-term health as his motivation to retire at 33. New Orleans will miss DT Jason Peter next year after the space-eating tackle announced he would not return for another season. Peter is one of several linemen who have stepped away in the past week, including Boston OT Ed Ellis, Ohio DT Wendell Bryant, and Ohio OT Kwame Harris. Finally, Chicago kicker Tim Seder, who turns 38 in just 2 weeks, has also hung up the boot. One of the oldest players in the league, Seder has been in the league since 1998, when he started as a rookie for the Outlaws.  He has been Chicago’s placekicker since 2002 and finished third in the league this year in points, behind only Brandon Coutu and Rian Lindell. Babin Demands to be Released. Defensive End Jason Babin is apparently not interested in relocating to Texas.  The longstanding sack leader of the Boston Cannons has made his feelings clear this week that he wishes to be released from the final year of his contract so that he can seek employment somewhere other than Dallas.  Babin, who has been a leader both on the field for the Cannons and in the community in and around Boston, expressed his disappointment that the team was leaving New England.  Having lived in Boston now since signing as a rookie in 2004 and has become a fixture in local community outreach. The former Western Michigan product has a foundation that works with children in and around the Boston area, a home in Newton, and two children attending local schools.  While he says he understands that players often change teams, and that he understood that relocation was a part of the game, he added that this should be by choice, not by forced relocation not only of a player but an entire team.  Dallas ownership has not made public comment about Babin’s status, and while losing such a significant talent would be a blow to the team, it would also free up nearly $7M in cap space and if it avoids Babin holding out, that may also be a plus for the Roughnecks. Las Vegas to Host First Playoff Game with Start Time Delay Possible. League officials are concerned about Las Vegas’s scheduled 8pm ET kickoff time for this week’s Divisional Playoff.  Predictions from the National Weather Service put the ground temperature in Las Vegas at game time (5pm local) at nearly 100 degrees, and we all know that in the bowl of a stadium temperatures can easily be 10 degrees warmer than ambient temperatures in surrounding areas.  This will be the first home playoff game for the city and the team since it relocated from Portland, and the league wants to avoid some of the issues that have been seen in venues like Phoenix and Florida during high temperature games in past playoff years. While Thunder officials have said all the right things about providing ample equipment for cooling, misting, and hydrating players, the reality is that when temperatures reach that level, there is little that can be done to make playing conditions safer.  One of the things that the USFL could do, and is considering, is changing the kickoff time from 8pm ET to 8pm local time. That three-hour shift would make a world of difference in the desert climate of Las Vegas, particularly as the sun is expected to pass below the mountain peak line somewhere around 7:25pm.   As is typical for the desert, the drop of the sun will have an almost immediate impact on temperatures at Sam Boyd Stadium, an open-air bowl stadium.   By 8:30pm temperatures could dip to a much more manageable range of 78-83 degrees, well within the range that we see in many stadiums each weekend. Of course, an 8pm start in Las Vegas means an 11pm kickoff for fans on the East Coast, but that may simply be a necessity for safety.  The game is scheduled for Saturday Night, so a late kickoff is not as bad as it would be on a Sunday for viewership, but even with Saturday night being a late night for many folks, it almost certainly will drop the ratings for ESPN, who are scheduled to cover the game.  A decision is due on Thursday as both teams are preparing for the heat and hoping the league will do what it can to protect player safety. Going into the Divisional Round, the injury to Jake Delhomme is obviously the headline, but all 4 games could be impacted by the players who are not available.  Here is our breakdown of all 4 games. CHA: QB J. Delhomme (OUT), FB Justin Green (IR), SS John Keith (IR), LB A. J. Nicholson (OUT) ATL: CB Andre Woolfork (OUT), DE Chris Kelsay (D), SS DaJuan Morgan (P) The story of the game will be Jake Delhomme’s absence and the decision Charlotte has to make between rookie Brandon Wheedon, who has not started any games this year, and NFL import Charlie Whitehurst, who has been 3rd on the depth chart all season.  Wheedon has a grand total of 12 pass attempts this year, while Whitehurst has yet to appear in a game. This will absolutely impact Charlotte’s game plan. TEX:  DT Terrell Troupe (OUT), QB Joe Flacco (IR), DE Chris Canty (P) LV:  C Roberto Garza (Q), LB Joey Porter (P), FS Mark Barron (P) The Thunder expect all three of their injured players to be able to go this week.  Not the case for Texas, who get Chri Canty back but will be without DT Terrell Troupe.  Expect Paul Grasmanis to line up next to starter Luis Castillo in the 4-3 alignment Texas likes. NJ:  FS Scott Shields (OUT), DE Shaun Ellis (IR), CB Devin McCourty (Q), FB William Swan (Q) PHI: DE Robert Mathis (IR), QB Kurt Warner (IR) SS Darren Sharper (IR), OT Ken Shackleford (OUT) Both teams will be without a starting safety in this game, which may mean that both offenses will test the secondaries deep.  New Jersey has McCourty as questionable, but early indications are that he will play.  If Swan cannot go at FB then expect to see the Generals rotate in HB Gordon Guerin and TE Ryan Krause depending on the situation. OAK: TE Jeb Putzier (IR), DT Tyson Alualu (Q), G Logan Mankins (Q) STL: WR Eric Weems (IR), G Paul Zakauskas (OUT), HB William Bethea (P) The return of Logan Mankins could be a nice assist for the Oakland run game, while for St. Louis, losing Eric Weems and Paul Zakauskas in Week 16 was not at all what the Skyhawks wanted in a meaningless season finale.  Expect Sinorice Moss to step back in as the slot option, which is not really a downgrade. NFL’s Tennessee Copperheads File Legal Action Against USFL Knights The Tennessee Copperheads of the NFL have, to say the least, not been pleased with the results of the USFL Knights’ negotiations with LP Field, the home to both franchises. They have filed a lawsuit in the state’s district court, claiming that unfair practices were used by the Knights to renegotiate a contract with the stadium that grants them significantly higher revenue per game than their NFL counterparts and identifies the USFL Knights as the “primary tenant” moving forward. This is a significant change of standing for the Knights, one which essentially flipped the status of the two pro football teams that call LP Field home. The Copperheads, who were formed in Nashville in 1998 and participated in the initial drive to construct the facility, had been seen as the primary occupant since the facility opened in 1999.  The Knights arrived from St. Louis in 2002, added as a second pro football franchise and secondary occupant of the stadium.  The redesignation of the Knights essentially gives them a degree of veto power over any other events held at the stadium, particularly relevant during the months of February through August, when the USFL preseason through post-season is in effect.  That schedule does not overlap often with the NFL schedule but has the capacity to impact the stadium’s use as a site for the Super Bowl in February as well as the scheduling of NFL preseason games in August.  This, combined with a shift in game-day revenue splitting between the stadium authority and the two football franchises is the focus of the suit. The claim is that by using the threat of relocation to Dallas as a leverage tool, the Knights unfairly pressured the stadium authority to redefine the terms of their lease with LP Field, creating a conflict of interest with the NFL, the USFL, and the Copperheads in particular.  Both teams now have contracts which grant their franchise primacy in the stadium, a clear violation of the earlier deal set up by the NFL and the Copperheads with the stadium authority.  The NFL is claiming that the tactics used by the USFL and the Knights violated not only the lease already held by the Copperheads but both federal and state tort law related to contractual obligation made under duress.  The suit seeks a reversal of the new terms for the Knights and a return of the NFL franchise to primacy in its dealings with the stadium.  For their part the Nashville Knights are claiming no inappropriate pressure or duress was present and seek to retain the more favorable terms of their new stadium deal, one which provides them with a significantly higher percentage of revenue from parking and concessions as well as more direct revenue from ticket sales, shifting the stadium/franchise split from a 50/50 proposition to a 30/70 advantage for the Knights.  The case is preliminarily scheduled for initial arbitration in October and we will continue to cover the story as it develops. League Reveals 2013 Summer Bowl Logo The USFL this week revealed the logo for Summer Bowl 2013, to be held in Denver, Colorado, the third time the league’s title game will be held in the Mile High City, and the first time at Invesco Field.  The logo depicts a stadium set in front of mountains with a setting sun in the background.  The USFL name and “U” logo are prominently featured on the field, while the location and the starburst logo of the Gold are found at the bottom. In keeping with the tradition of the Summer Bowl, a palette of oranges, pinks, purples, and golds are used in the logo along with the black and gold of the USFL Denver Gold franchise.  Compared with the Summer Bowl 2012 logo which heavily leaned into the colors and identity of the St. Louis Skyhawks, the 2013 logo will bring back more of the summer-themed palette and imagery. Denver becomes the first city to host three Summer Bowls, having served as the site of the league’s first championship game in 1983 as well as the 1995 Summer Bowl, both at Mile High Stadium.  Both Los Angeles and New Jersey are scheduled to host their third title game in the next few years, with Farmers Insurance Field set as the site of the 2015 championship game, and MetLife Stadium on the docket for 2016 (2014 will be held in Atlanta’s Georgia Dome). Top 2013 Draft Prospect Makes His Preference for USFL Known The Orlando Renegades may have suffered an embarrassing season-long letdown that saw them finish the year 3-13, but they have at least one big fan. LSU edge rusher Barkevious Mingo, considered a clear Top 5 prospect in the upcoming USFL and NFL drafts made a statement to reporters in Baton Rouge this week as he prepares for his senior season with the Bayou Bengals. “I will go where I am picked, but if it were up to me, I would be in Orlando with my guys, the Renegades.”  That was the statement from the hybrid DE/LB, who hails from nearby Belle Glade, Florida.  “The ‘Gades have always been my team, ever since I was a little kid and I saw my first game with Chris Doleman blowing linemen up” added the jovial Mingo. While Renegade fans certainly love the praise for their club, and the interest of a top prospect, Mingo would be a player within the protected territorial picks of the New Orleans Breakers, not the Renegades.  However, if Mingo were not protected by New Orleans, he could be available as Orlando has the 2nd pick in the Open Draft.  Mingo’s problem, of course, is that with Calais Campbell locked in with the Renegades, the need for a speedy edge rusher is not exactly a top priority for the Renegades, who have glaring needs on offense and in the LB group.  Now, if Mingo translated as a multi-use linebacker, he could well be a prospect for the Renegades, but right now he is viewed mostly as an edge rusher, not someone who will play in coverage, so while there is certainly interest, it may not be enough to get Mingo into Renegade black and blue next spring. Divisional Weekend and we have two divisional rivalries among the four clashes, both in the East as Charlotte heads to Atlanta to face the Fire while New Jersey travels to Philadelphia to take on the Stars.  This is again part of the USFL’s fixed bracket format in which teams are not allocated in each round based up on their seeds, but matchups are designated by the initial rankings.  In other words, the games are pre-set with the assumption that the 3 and # seeds will advance, so the winner of the 6 vs. 3 seed will always face the 2nd seed, while the 4 v. 5 winner is automatically aligned with the top seed. This system has been critiqued as one that often benefits the top seed, but it is as the USFL has designed it, so that fans of the top two seeds know in advance which game is the one that will produce their opponent, theoretically increasing interest in the Wild Card Round.  More akin to the March Madness structure than the NFL playoffs, the system has produced good matchups most years, so while it may feel odd to have a 6 seed not face off against the 1 seed, the product on the field has still been very well-received.   So, that in place, impacting Charlotte’s path to the conference title, we will take a look at their game in Atlanta as well as the three other matchups on tap for us this weekend. 6-Charlotte Monarchs (11-5) @ 2-Atlanta Fire (11-5) Saturday, July 16 @ 4pm ET Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA Fire -8 The Delhomme injury has clear impact in how this game is perceived, but we should remember that when these two division rivals last met in Week 9, Atlanta thoroughly trounced the Monarchs 35-7 even with the Monarchs’ QB fully-healthy.  Now, with Delhomme out and the rookie Brandon Wheedon expected to get the start, the oddsmakers have been seeing a lot of action leaning heavily towards Atlanta, as surprises no one.  The line jumped from 3 points up to 11, but has since calmed a bit and sits at 8 points for the Fire.  Atlanta, which boasts the league’s 2nd best scoring defense, giving up only 15.9 points per game, will certainly have a confidence advantage if nothing else.  They will rely on that defense and on Kyle Orton to play mistake-free football.  Charlotte will almost certainly seek to keep the score low, to run the ball with Fred Jackson and Shonn Greene, and to keep as much pressure off of Wheedon as they can.  It will be a tough gameplan to enact against a good, disciplined defensive squad, particularly in a hostile environment.  Our pick is Atlanta, but we think this will likely be a game in the teens, not one that produces an 8, 10, or 14 point margin.  We say Atlanta 17-13. 3-Texas Outlaws (10-6) @ 2-Las Vegas Thunder (11-5) Saturday, July 16 @ 8pm ET (Time May be Adjusted) Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas, NV Even An interesting line on this game as it seems that even in Las Vegas the Thunder cannot get any respect.  The Thunder defeated the Outlaws back in Week 7, and have won 5 of their last 6 games, and yet the betting on this game has been leaning towards Texas, producing the unusual “even” betting line.  Here is what we know ahead of this game.  First, Las Vegas has the best scoring defense in the league, giving up barely 14 points a game.  They have a veteran QB in Jake Plummer and one of the most dynamic running backs in the game with Marshawn Lynch. And yet, they are only 21st in rushing offense in the league, and again 21st in passing.  Texas, for their part, has the 2nd best scoring offense, putting up 26.9 points per game, but lost 3 of 4 regular season games heading into the playoffs.  Now, their win over Portland was a good sign, but they did struggle a bit to keep up pressure throughout the game.  Our thought is that folks are sleeping on the Thunder and that Texas without Joe Flacco at the helm is a far more vulnerable team than their record may indicate.  We are going to trust in the Las Vegas defense (and the heat) to wilt the Outlaws and get a win at home.  Outlaws 20-16 is our pick. 4-Oakland Invaders (10-6) @ 1-St. Louis Skyhawks (13-3) Sunday, July 17 @ 4pm ET The Dome @ America’s Center, St. Louis, MO Skyhawks -5 These two did not meet in the regular season, so there is no direct track record to look at. What we know from the 16 games both did play is that St. Louis can put up points and Oakland relies heavily on defense.  The Skyhawks can beat you on the ground with the ageless Antowain Smith or through the air with likely league MVP Josh Freeman.  They are also playing some of their best ball right now, having entered the playoffs with an impressive 9-game winning streak, including 4 straight games in which they have won by double digits over the opposition.  Oakland also played well down the stretch, going 6-2 in the second half of the season, but that 41-9 loss in the season finale to Houston still bugs us.  For a team that thrives on defensive stops and short fields that game looks like a very troubling blueprint on how to beat them.  The Invaders only average 18.8 points per game, so if this turns into a track meet in the Dome that clearly favors the Skyhawks.  Oakland’s best option is to try to control the tempo and limit Skyhawk possessions.   We view that as a tough task indeed, so we pick St. Louis to take this one.  Skyhawks 27-20. 4-New Jersey Generals (12-4) @ 1-Philadelphia Stars (12-4) Sunday, July 17 @ 8pm ET Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA Stars -3 We cannot imagine a more intense potential matchup than a Generals-Stars playoff game.  The teams don’t like each other.  The fans absolutely don’t like each other.  Both teams are playing extremely well.  This one should be good, which explains why the league scheduled it for the Sunday night slot, the highlight of the weekend and a surefire ratings spike.  The two last met in Week 12, with New Jersey edging the Stars in Philadelphia 23-20. Since then Sam Bradford has been on fire while the Stars, who also won their final 4 games, have been showing more defensive clout while still maintaining a blistering offensive pace.  Matt Gutierrez has been the Cinderella story of the 2012 season, giving us his own version of the Kurt Warner story with Kurt Warner right there cheering him on. But now he faces playoff football and a very good Generals team.  We think Sam Bradford’s added experience gives the Generals a slight edge.  Our pick is a road upset, New Jersey 27-Philadelphia 24.

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