PLAYOFF PICTURE: The Maulers are the only team assured a playoff spot after 12 weeks. Memphis joins New Orleans and Boston as the clubs eliminated from contention. PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Rookie Ryan Williams had a huge week as the Oakland Invaders lambasted Seattle. Williams rushed for 159 yards on only 15 touches, slashing the Dragon defense for big gainers on a regular basis.

A good week for the road teams, with 7 of 14 games going to the visitors, including a 1-point squeeker by Charlotte over Orlando, a big inter-conference win for Philadelphia over Texas, and a blowout victory for the Invaders in Seattle.  We also saw Houston knock off Arizona in a battle of backups, Denver fell to the Feds in DC, and the St. Louis Skyhawks remained alive with a big home win over Michigan.  It is getting to be crunch time across the league, and every game seems to be impactful, so let’s take a look at Week 12, and then maybe explore who we see that is coming into form at just the right time and who is slipping. ARIZONA WRANGLERS 28   HOUSTON GAMBLERS 31 Two teams that have had very different seasons than most predicted, but also two teams without their starting QBs and hoping to win some games with the backups in play.  That’s right, it was the highly anticipated matchup of Jim Sorgi and Tim Rattay in Houston.  But, more importantly, it was Arizona, sitting 1 game ahead of Texas in the SW Conference against Houston, who just last week snapped an 8-game losing streak. So what did we get Sunday with this game?  How about a really entertaining back and forth game, lots of offense, lots of scoring, and a pretty dramatic finish.  That’s not bad for a game between a first place club and a last place club.  We saw Shaun Alexander and LaDainian Tomlinson both running well, a strong 121-yard outing from Larry Fitzgerald, and a pick 6 from Houston LB Keith Brooking.  Not a bad day at the ballpark. Arizona wasted no time getting their gameplan in action as they marched down the field in just over 2 minutes and put points on the board with LT scoring from the 5 after only 7 plays.  Houston immediately responded, fresh off their first win in over 2 months.  Tim Rattay, filling in for the injured Matt Hasselbeck, connected with Ike Hilliard for a 23-yard equalizer.  Rattay would only complete 11 passes on the day, but he did find some deep balls over the course of the afternoon.   Houston would rely more on Shaun Alexander for consistency, as they did on their next possession, when he gave them the lead after a 1-yard TD plunge.  14-7 after only 1 quarter. In the second Houston made the lead 21-7, shocking the few Wrangler fans who made the trek.  But, it was the D, not the O, that got the job done.  Passing out of the shadow of his own endzone, Jim Sorgi tried to hit TE Rob Gronkowski, but did not see LB Keith Brooking closing in.  Brooking slid in front of Gronk and 17 yards later was celebrating in the endzone. Down 14, Arizona needed a good drive, and they got one, thanks to LT and Larry Fitzgerald.  The two combined for 67 of the 76 yards of the drive, and Fitzy got himself the points, turning a 7-yard slant into a 29-yard touchdown and helping Arizona get within one  score at the half.  They would even the score with the only points of the third quarter, as both clubs struggled a bit to get started in the 2nd half.  It was not until the 4 minute mark of the 3rd that we saw more points, and once again it was LT for the touchdown, another 5-yard run for the veteran back.   The game went into the 4th all knotted up at 21. But, this Houston squad, for all the issues they have had this year, has not given up, and they did not in this game.  They got the ball back after the Tomlinson TD and proceded to march 82 yards down the field in precision fashion, needing only 1 third down along the way.  Shaun Alexander carried the ball 4 times for 22 yards and Tim Rattay connected with 3 different receivers, finishing the drive with a seam route to TE Vernon Davis for the lead once again. Once again down 7, Arizona would need to rally, and they did.  Jim Sorgi, as we mentioned before, did not complete a lot of passes, but he hit on a big one on this drive.  On a third and 11 from the 34-yard line, most expected the Wranglers to dump off on a screen and improve their field goal position, but Sorgi saw Domenic Hixon in single coverage and took a shot on a deep ball.  His gamble paid off and Hixon stretched out to make the catch, getting one knee down before his right foot fell out of bounds.  The game was once again tied, and Houston would get the ball with 5:59 to play. But the Gamblers went 3-and-out, with Coach Phillips making the obvious call to punt on 3rd down from his own 19.  The Gambler defense would have to hold in order for the Gamblers to get another shot.  They would not only hold, they would get the ball back to the Gamblers with a short field.  This time it was veteran and former All-USFL CB Ronde Barber who would step up big.  Jim Sorgi tried to connect with Antonio Bryant on a quick bubble screen, but Barber saw it all the away, jumping in to first tip the ball up, and then come down with it.   Bryant managed to tangle himself with Barber to avoid a runback, but the pick gave Houston the ball on the Arizona side of the field, with time to spare to get into scoring range. The Gamblers used their time outs and the legs of Shaun Alexander, and with 38 seconds left they found themselves with a 3rd and 4 on the Wrangler 17 yard line.  Playing cautiously, Coach Phillips sent the FG team out on third down, and David Buehler paid that trust off, connecting on a 34-yard kick.  Arizona would try to move the ball down the field in the game’s final seconds, but they just simply could not find room outside, which burned more time and left them outside of field goal range when the clock ran out on them. Houston has now won 2 games back to back, and while it is far too little and far too late for a playoff run, they could well play spoiler for the rest of the season.  Arizona gets lucky as well, with Texas also losing they retain their 1-game lead on the division, but until David Carr comes back, every Wrangler game is going to be a nervous affair. CHARLOTTE 22   ORLANDO 21 A big win for the Monarchs, a tough loss for  the Renegades as they fall a game back in the SE Division with the defeat. Jake Delhomme had a big game for Charlotte, completing 33 of 43 for 335 yards and leading the Monarchs on two 4th quarter field goal drives that eventually got the visitors the win in a game they absolutely had to have to stay alive in the Wild Card hunt. NEW ORLEANS 23   CHICAGO 20 Break up the Breakers.  They have won 2 in a row after 10 straight defeats, this time taking the show on the road and upending the Machine in Chicago.  Touchdowns from Matt Forte and Donnie Avery, along with three David Green field goals, were just enough to topple the Machine.   Chicago tied the game on a Michael Turner TD with 1:22 left to play, but that was still enough time for Brees to get the team in range for Green, who nailed it from 48 yards out at the buzzer for New Orleans. TAMPA BAY 36   JACKSONVILLE 7 Not much drama in Jacksonville, where the Bandits rolled to an easy victory by holding the Bulls to only 153 total yards of offense, including only 53 yards for C. J. Spiller.  Shane Vereen, subbing for an injured McGahee, rushed for 72 yards and Daunte Culpepper threw 4 TDs in one of his best games of the season as Tampa Bay now takes a 1-game lead over Orlando in the division. BALTIMORE 26   BOSTON 23 We will say this for John Fox’s Cannons, they are playing hard.  But, once again to no avail as Baltimore gets the W in overtime.  Ron Dayne rushes for 109 and Darius Heyward-Bay goes over 100 in the air as the Blitz hold on to get the win on the road against a feisty Cannon squad. PHILADELPHIA 24   TEXAS 14 Another inter-divisional win for the Stars as they head down to San Antonio and upend the Texas Outlaws. Steve Slaton rushed for 109 but his biggest play was a 30 yard TD reception to give Philly a 14-7 lead that they would never relinquish.  The Stars’ D sacked Joe Flacco 5 times and kept him off his game all day, while also limiting T. J. Duckett to only 51 yards rushing as Philadelphia stays 1 game behind the lead in the NE Division. ATLANTA 17   LOS ANGELES 26 The Express are making us believers each week, this time with a solid home victory against a tough Atlanta squad.  Ray Rice exploded for 155 yards to be the game MVP, but it was also a strong game for Mark Sanchez, who threw for 3 scores on a 21 of 32 game.  Both Moss and Johnson got on the scoreboard and the LA defense did the rest, holding Atlanta at arm’s length throughout the 2nd half. DENVER 20   WASHINGTON 23 A fun game to watch as two very solid teams clashed at RFK.  Denver at one point had a 20-10 lead, but Washington just kept clawing its way back, outscoring Denver 10-0 in the final period to snag the 3-point win.  David Garrard struggled a bit in his first full game back, throwing 3 picks, but a late TD to Deion Branch helped the Feds get the home win and maintain their lead over the NE Division. OHIO 3   NASHVILLE 30 It was all Knights in this one as Frank Gore returned to action with 90 yards and a TD.  Jay Cutler went 24 of 32 and threw for 2 scores, while the Nashville defense forced 4 Ohio turnovers in a sloppy game for the Glory. BIRMINGHAM 10   NEW JERSEY 28 New Jersey found plenty of holes in the Birmingham Defense as Sam Bradford survived 5 sacks to throw 3 touchdowns and pull away from the Stallions.  Cam Newton had a costly pick that turned the momentum New Jersey’s way late in the 3rd.  The Generals’ D also held Joseph Addai to only 46 yards rushing on 15 carries as Birmingham falls to 5-7. MEMPHIS 14   PITTSBURGH 31 The Maulers scored the only points of the first half, building a 14-0 lead, and then just kept matching Memphis score for score in the 2nd to secure their 11th win of the season. Ronnie Brown rushed for 111 and Kenny Watson added another 85 as the Maulers simply ground down the Memphis defense with their rushing attack.  Add in 3 Kenny Pickett touchdown tosses and this one went solidly Pittsburgh’s way. MICHIGAN 16   ST. LOUIS 23 The Skyhawks stay alive with a home win over the Panthers, thanks in large part to backup HB William Bethea, who, subbing for Antowain Smith, rushed for 137  yards and caught a 19 yard TD pass from Josh Freeman to give the Skyhawks the win.  Brian Griese threw two costly picks, both in the red zone, as Michigan squandered good drives far too often in this one. LAS VEGAS 23   PORTLAND 14 With Lynch still out, Las Vegas split carries between Rashard Jennings and Cedric Benson and the duo combined for 95 yards rushing. Not a huge number but enough to keep drives going for the Thunder.  A pick six from Thunder LB Shantee Orr was huge as it helped Las Vegas build a 14-point advantage that they would not relinquish. OAKLAND 45   SEATTLE 20 The game started off pretty even, but Seattle faded in the second half, allowing Oakland to pull out to a commanding lead.  Joey Harrington looked sharp, throwing for 3 scores and avoiding any sacks as the Invader line kept him secure all game.  Add in a very good game for Ryan Williams, with 159 yards on only 15 carries, and you have an impressive division win for an Invader squad that seems to be finding their stride just at the right time. Who’s hot, who’s not? As we turn the corner on the final quarter of the USFL season, there are some teams making late pushes, others seem to be fading.  Here is our assessment of who might be peaking at the right time and who may need to be concerned. HOT: Oakland Invaders The Invaders have won 3 in a row, all division games, which has propelled them right back into the discussion in the Pacific.  They trail LA by only a game and they still have 2 divsiional games in their next two, including a California Derby with the Express in Week 14.  Oakland is finally looking like the team that had won the division in both 2008 and 2009 before Joey Harrington’s injury, and Harrington himself is looking like he has returned to form, with a 5:2 TD:Int ratio the past 3 games. NOT: Birmingham Stallions The early season shine on Cam Newton and the new look Stallions has started to fade as the Stallions are mired in a 4-game losing streak in which they have failed to earn more than 18 points in any game.  What is worse, with the club sitting at 5-7, they now have back to back games against Pittsburgh and Nashville.  Unless they can pull the major upsets, they will be eliminated from the playoff hunt before the relative ease of their final 2 games against divisional foes New Orleans and Memphis. HOT: Charlotte Monarchs The Monarchs came off a 5-game slide in which they struggled to put up points and won back to back games against good teams (LA and Orlando).  Can they keep that momentum going?  They have Jacksonville this week, but finish with a tough final 3 of Orlando, Atlanta and Washington.  It will be an uphill climb, but if Orlando can win 3 of their final 4, that may be enough for them to sneak into a Wild Card spot. NOT: Portland Stags The Stags peaked at 3-2, but have lost 6 of their last 7 and are all but dead in the playoff hunt.  This was not what most expected from a Portland squad that seemed to be headed in the right direction.  With three of their upcoming games against teams well over .500, the best the Stags might hope for is to finish strong, play spoiler and avoid the basement of the division. HOT: Washington Federals No team has been playing better football over the past month than the Federals.  With big wins against Baltimore and Denver, the Feds have put themselves in position to not only control their own playoff destiny, but to grab the #1 seed in the East as well.  They lead the division by a game over both the Stars and Blitz, and will get another shot at Baltimore in Week 14.  They also have 2 games ahead against 1-win Boston.  We see Washington having a pretty clear path to the top seed, and with that bye week, a good chance to be the East’s representative in the Summer Bowl. NOT: Arizona Wranglers Are we truly worried about the Wranglers, no not long term, but with David Carr out for now, they are struggling, losing 3 of 4, including 2 divisional games.  They are now 2 games behind Pittsburgh for the #1 seed, which may be out of reach, and they have Texas and Denver breathing down their necks for the Division.  They just cannot afford to continue struggling.  If Carr can get back in form quickly, the Wranglers could still be a very dangerous team, but with a final 3 games at Philly, against Oakland and at Denver, the division title could be a tough target to reach. Would Boston Really Let John Fox Go? It seems unthinkable, after all Coach Fox brought a league title to the Cannons only 2 seasons ago, but with the retirement of Drew Bledsoe, the club slipped to 7-9 and out of playoff contention last season.  The arrival of highly touted rookie QB Jake Locker has not gone as planned, and now he has players like Chad Johnson threatening to abandon ship.  Basically, it feels like the upside of Fox’s tenure in Boston is fading fast. Now, before we get too silly, one bad year (and this year has been all kinds of bad) is likely not enough for management to cut Fox loose, but if another club comes calling with a deal to hire Fox away, would the Cannons consider it?  There is a real chance they would.  It feels very much like a generational change for the franchise, and after 10 seasons with the club, maybe it is a good time for both the club and the coach to part ways.  It is certainly an attractive prospect for other clubs hoping to find a proven winner as their new coach.  But is Boston smart enough to do what is needed to keep Fox in place? Can Williams and Moore Catch Cam for ROTY? With Birmingham quicky sliding out of playoff contention, and losers of their last 4, the chinks in the Cam Newton armor are beginning to show.  The Auburn rookie has only 2 TDs in the past 4 games, and it very much looks like the long season, coming right after a bowl season at Auburn, is wearing on the young QB.  Meanwhile, two other rookies are lighting things up in the past month, making the ROTY vote likely far closer.  Oakland HB Ryan Williams is finally clicking with the Invaders’ offensive scheme, evident in his 159 explosion this week.  He is also playing a role in the passing game.  In Nashville, Denarius Moore has been solid all year long and continues to put up strong numbers. He currently sits at over 800 yards, nearly 70 receptions and 5 touchdowns.  If he can hit 1,000, 90 receptions and 8 TDs, all within reach, he could be a real challenge to Newton come ROTY voting time, especially with Birmingham falling below .500 while Nashville cruises to another division title. Where Were These Gamblers All Season? Don’t look now, but the Gamblers we have seen these past two weeks, scoring 34 against Boston and then 31 at home against Arizona, is the club we expected to see all year. It is the club that beat Philly in Week 1, and the kind of offensive performance that we expected from the Gamblers in our preseason picks.  What is so odd about the last 2 weeks is that it has been Tim Rattay, not Matt Hasselbeck, delivering on the club’s offensive potential. With the former MVP downed by injury, Rattay has stepped in and proven that the Gamblers still have life in their offense. Does this mean we have a real QB controversy?  We don’t think so, but perhaps adjusting to Tim Rattay has forced the Gamblers to refocus and rededicate themselves to playing smart, and putting in the time and effort to win games, something that seemed lost in the post-championship hangover that cost them 8 games in a row. Skyhawks to Miss Antowain Smith Down the Stretch We finish our league roundup with a bit of bad news, as a strong season for the Skyhawks, and another productive season for HB Antowain Smith took a hit this week when the halfback was diagnosed with a torn abdominal wall. This is a tricky injury and one that cannot be sped up with treatment or therapy.  It means that Smith’s season is over with 4 weeks left to play, and it means that St.  Louis’s bid to hit a team record for wins, and possibly the club’s first ever .500 season, could well be in jeopardy. The Skyhawks will have to turn to 2nd year player William Bethea and 3rd year back James Ridley to provide the run game going forward.  Both are largely untested in their time in the USFL, with the two combining for only 89 carries this year, compared to Smith’s 199.  We expect Bethea to be the main back on 1st and 2nd down, with Ridley coming in to assist with the passing game and spelling Bethea.  St. Louis did bring in former Panther, Breaker, Thunder, and Stag HB Chris Perry this week for depth, but we just don’t see Perry being a major factor for the Skyhawks. This puts more pressure on Josh Freeman, and on the 23rd ranked Skyhawk defense to help the team reach their 6th win, much less the 8 wins it will take to reach .500.  St. Louis has a favorable schedule down the stretch, with 6-6 Seattle being the only team they will face that does not currently have a losing record.  They also play Ohio twice in the next 4 weeks, as well as Chicago, so 3 divisional games.  It will be a test of Coach Arian’s ability to rally a squad that simply is not used to winning key games. Twelve weeks into a sixteen-week season and we still only have one playoff team locked in. The Maulers, sitting pretty at 11-1, are still the only club guaranteed a spot.  Arizona, LA, Washington, Tampa Bay, and Nashville all lead their divisions, but they all still have rivals within range.  As of this week, Baltimore, Philly, and Orlando are all 1 game back of their division leaders and in Wild Card position, but both Atlanta and Charlotte are right there at 6-6.  In the West, Texas and Denver are 2 games behind the Wranglers, while Oakland and Las Vegas are only 1 back of the Express. We did have 1 more team join the group of eliminated squads as Memphis joined the Breakers and Cannons in that unwanted distinction.  Looking at the bottom of the standings, Jacksonville may be next, with the three 4-8 teams in the West (Portland, Chicago, and Houston) also likely to get the bad news with another loss. In addition to the Antowain Smith injury we see quite a few potentially impactful players out, including Portland center Brad Meester (neck), Michigan DT Marcus Spriggs (hip), New Orleans CB Randall Gay (groin), and Baltimore Tackle James Brewer (arm).  Chicago could be without one of their best defensive players for at least 2 weeks as Anthony Weaver is dealing with a ton meniscus, while Birmingham is getting thin on the O-line with both Ben Grubbs and Otis Hudson out this week at guard. Tampa Bay is listing Willis McGahee as doubtful with an ankle concern this week, and Memphis will be without LB NaVorro Bowman.  Also doubtful are NJ wideout Michael Crabtree, Ohio LB James Laurinaitis, St. Louis DT Richard Seymour, and Philly CB Quientin Jammer.  Arizona still has David Carr as questionable, and Las Vegas has Marshawn Lynch, now practicing with the team, as questionable as well. Houston wideout Roy Williams, Tampa’s Joey Galloway, and Oakland FS Roman Harper are also listed as questionable. The Coaching Hot Seat at Final Turn Four weeks left to play and for several USFL coaches, it may also mean 4 weeks to make a final case for their jobs.  Mike Nolan was out at midseason after a disastrous 0-8 start, and his interim coach Lamar Lathon is certainly trying to make the case to get the permanent job, but he is not the only man on the hot seat this last month. Here is our look at several coaches who may well be trying to make one last push to save their jobs. Lamar Lathon (NOR):  Might as well start with the case we already mentioned.  Lathon took over as Head Coach, rising up all the way from LB position coach after Breakers ownership fired not only Mike Nolan but both coordinators as well.  What has Lathon done since taking over?  Well, he did manage to get the Breakers their first win of the year, two, in fact.  But he sits currently at 2-3 after 5 weeks at the helm.  If, by some miracle, Lathon can finish the year at 5-4, or maybe even 4-5, that might help make his case that he has been able to turn a disaster into a competitive team.  The players seem to be responding to Lathon’s game-hardened style of coaching.  He has been particularly adept at getting more out of the defense, which has had several good outings since he took over.  But is it enough to win 3 or 4 games if the owners are looking at blowing the whole thing up? Jim Haslett (MEM):  Just up the road from New Orleans we have the 2-10-1 Memphis Showboats.  Jim Haslett took over for Jim Mora Sr in 2007 and took a 5-11 team to 10-4 and a league title.  That was impressive, as was returning to the title game the next year, but since then his clubs have lost 10 or more games every season, including this year’s complete collapse.   We fully expect the GM to be replaced sooner rather than later, but will  Haslett’s early success be enough to survive what may be a 2 or 3 win season?  Memphis looks very much like a club that is spinning its wheels, and some of their losses have been pretty ugly, so we are not holding out a lot of hope that Haslett gets the vote of confidence this time around. John Fox (Boston):  Another title-winning coach who is suffering through a very bad season with a rookie QB who is struggling.  With this really being the first truly bad year for the Cannons in a long time, we think Fox makes the call here.  If he feels he needs to move on, he may well resign, but if he thinks he has pieces to work with, we think the Cannons’ ownership will give him another shot to show some improvement, particularly with Jake Locker, next year.  Of course, by then it looks like Chad Johnson, who is on a contract year, may well be elsewhere, which leaves what star power left on the roster? Marty Mornhinweg (CHI): There were rumors last year that regular playoff appearances and regular losses in the postseason were beginning to wear down Marty Mornhinweg’s welcome.  Well, if making the playoffs only to lose was not good enough in Chicago, the current 5-9 season has to be a major concern.  Chicago is very unlikely to make the postseason again this year, their first missed chance in 5 years and only the 2nd in Marty’s last 10 seasons.  For most teams 8 playoff appearances in 10 years would be enough, and that includes 2 Summer Bowls, but Chicago is feeling like the ceiling has been hit for the club with Mornhinweg at the helm, and a losing season in 2011 could be the straw that broke the camel’s back. Rich Brooks (POR): Higher expectations make a fall that much worse.  After helping the expansion Stags to .500 records pretty much since their inaugural season, Rich Brooks was supposed to do more with this year’s squad.  With Portland stagnating at or near the bottom of the Pacific Division, and already guaranteed a losing record for the year, the mood in Portland is turning away from the former Oregon Duck head coach.  Portland was supposed to contend for a division title, but instead they are now mathematically out of playoff contention, and we think that will force Stags ownership to make a change. Five Players Who Need a Change of Scenery Coaches are not the only ones who sometimes need to step away from a position and seek a new start.  Players also can be bad matches for schemes, or poor fits with a shifting culture, and sometimes a change of scenery is the best option.  Here are five players we feel are due for a reboot, including one who has all but said that it is happening. Chad Johnson (WR-BOS): Yup, ol’ Ochocinco has all but declared that he is done with Boston.  He still seems to like Coach Fox, but the team is not what it once was and that has impacted his personal numbers, which is something 85 has always been very protective of.  So, we fully expect to see Johnson hit the free market pool and very likely garner top dollar as a true #1 receiver, just as he did years ago when he left Ohio and Joey Galloway’s shadow. Brady Quinn (QB-CHI):  This all depends on Marty Mornhinweg.  If he is let go, Brady may well be fine with a new coach and a new system.  But if Marty stays, we expect Quinn to ask to leave.  The two have simply not been seeing eye to eye for a while now.  Brady feels underutilized in the run-first, dink & dunk scheme Mornhinweg offers him.  Mornhinweg seems to believe it gives them the best chance to win, and that may also be a statement about Quinn’s arm.  Quinn still has another year on his contract, but could be a trade consideration if Chicago can get a QB they covet either in free agency or the draft. Maurice Jones-Drew (HB-NJ): We realize that MJD just got to New Jersey a year ago, but after a solid first year with the Generals, we are looking at his 2011 production and wondering what Coach Edwards is thinking.  We watch MJD on film and we see all the skills for a 1,200 yard back, and yet he has never cracked 1,000, in either LA or New Jersey.  Put him in the right system and we think his talent can take over, but right now New Jersey, with all their issues on the line and a throw-first mentality with Sam Bradford, does not feel like the place for him. He has 2012 as a contract year, so he will likely stick it out, try to impress, and then walk after next year.  That makes him a prime trade candidate right now. Glenn Cadrez (LB-OHIO):  At 34 years old, the time may be now for Cadrez to make a move and get a shot at a title.  Ohio is still rebuilding and there are just a lot of question marks.  A slow build over several seasons is not what Cadrez needs after 10 years with the Glory.  Shifting from MLB to strong side LB has also not been ideal.  With so many of the “Glory Year” players already gone, perhaps it is time for one of their defensive stars to make a move as well, to a contender if he can. Chris Canty (CB-MGN): Two years older than #1 CB Deltha O’Neal, Canty has been relegated to the #2 spot for years as a Panther.  We could see him retire this year, or, since it is a contract year, he could make a case for a short term contract to become a #1 for someone else.  The skillset is there, though there are some concerned about a perceived “loss of a step” on his high end speed.  That could limit his market, but with the USFL being what it is, a good cover corner is always a high demand position. We are officially at the ¾ mark of the season and that makes next week the somewhat unofficial start of the “home stretch”.  A lot of playoff positioning to be had in Week 13’s lineup of games, starting with a nice matchup of division leaders on Friday, when Nashville heads to Tampa Bay.  This could be the difference between a #2 seed and a bye week and a #3 seed and playing in the Wild Card round, so expect these two to go at it on NBC Friday Night Lights. Saturday has three games of real interest.  In the early slot we have two 5-7 clubs going head to head when St. Louis heads to Ohio.  The loser is almost certainly out of the running for a Wild Card, while the winner stays alive one more week.  At 4pm we have Texas at Las Vegas, with both clubs poised to make a run at their division leaders and eager to get this interdivisional win.  Finally, at 8pm on ESPN it is Orlando at Atlanta.  Both clubs need a win to stay in the hunt for a playoff spot with Orlando hoping to gain on Tampa Bay and Atlanta just looking to get into Wild Card position. Sunday sees Birmingham with a tough task as they host the Maulers in a battle of Steel Cities.  New Jersey gets the unenviable task of facing the 9-3 Wranglers, though David Carr is expected to miss this one.  LA is in Seattle for a big Pacific clash, and the week ends with two regular playoff participants, the Stars and Gold, facing off at Invesco Field. FRIDAY @ 8pm ET               Nashville (8-4) @ Tampa Bay (8-4)            NBC SATURDAY @ 12pm ET        St. Louis (5-7) @ Ohio (5-7)                         ABC SATURDAY @ 12pm ET         Boston (1-10-1) @ Washington (9-3)       FOX SATURDAY @ 12pm ET            New Orleans (2-10) @ Baltimore (8-4)    FOX SATURDAY @ 4pm ET            Houston (4-8) @ Michigan (5-7)                 ABC SATURDAY @ 4pm ET             Texas (8-4) @ Las Vegas (7-5)                      FOX SATURDAY @ 8pm ET           Orlando (7-5) @ Atlanta (6-6)                     ESPN SUNDAY @ 12pm ET              Pittsburgh (11-1) @ Birmingham (5-7)    ABC SUNDAY @ 12pm ET              Jacksonville (3-9) @ Charlotte (6-6)          ABC SUNDAY @ 12pm ET               Chicago (4-8) @ Memphis (2-9-1)             FOX SUNDAY @ 4pm ET                 New Jersey (4-8) @ Arizona (9-3)              ABC SUNDAY @ 4pm ET                Los Angeles (8-4) @ Seattle (6-6)               FOX SUNDAY @ 4pm ET                 Portland (4-8) @ Oakland (7-5)                  FOX SUNDAY @ 8pm ET                Philadelphia (8-4) @ Denver (7-5)             EFN

PLAYOFF PICTURE: The Pittsburgh Maulers have garnered the first official postseason berth, locking up the Central Division title due to their 5-game lead over Michigan and Ohio and the division record tiebreaker. Two teams are now eliminated from playoff contention as Boston joins New Orleans in that distinction. PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Matt Leinart had one of his best showings as a pro in Denver's big win this week. The Gold QB threw for over 430 yards and tossed 4 touchdowns. His teammate, Javon Ringer was also recognized for his 3 TD day.

Week 11 may have brought us some shifts in the power dynamics of the league, or at least the power rankings.  Orlando upended the Bandits in Tampa Bay to take over 1st place in the South. Arizona struggled without David Carr and fell in a big way to the Chicago Machine. Houston snapped their 8-game losing streak, and, for the first time all season, the New Orleans Breakers ended up in the win column. Add to this a Washington win in their rivalry with Baltimore, Atlanta knocking Philadelphia out of 1st place with a home win against the stars, and Charlotte taking down LA and we had a week f pretty bug upsets and pretty important shifts up and down the standings. We will break it down, but we begin with a dramatic win for one of the hottest teams in the league as the Texas Outlaws survive a serious challenge from the Michigan Panthers this week. MICHIGAN PANTHERS 24   TEXAS OUTLAWS 27 The Outlaws survived a clash with the Panthers, but it was not easy.  They needed every minute of game action and every ounce of tenacity the team had to pull out a win against the visiting Panthers.  Brian Griese appears to be recapturing his pre-injury form and has Michigan playing very well.  He would throw for 3 scores and the Panthers would also find room to run with the combo of Thomas Jones and Mike Hart combining for 136 yards against the Outlaw defense.  For Texas the formula was much the same, offensive balance as the key to mounting a comeback.  Joe Flacco would go 23 of 33 for 271 yards and 2 scores while T. J. Duckett rushed for 139 and a score to help Texas move to 8-3 and within 1 game of the Arizona Wranglers in the SW Division. As we so often see when unfamiliar foes face off, the first quarter was a bit slow, a bit tentative, as both teams tried to get their run games started and both defenses kept the opposing offenses from reaching the endzone.  By the end of the first all the points on the board had come from the kickers, with the two teams locked up at 3 apiece. Texas broke out in the second quarter, thanks in part to the run game, which started to find bigger gains after a rough first quarter.  On their first drive of the quarter, T. J. Duckett ran the ball 5 times and picked up 42 of the club’s 67 yards on the drive, including the 1-yard TD plunge that gave Texas the lead.  After holding Michigan to their side of the field on the next drive, Texas took over and again found their rhythm on offense, this time with Joe Flacco and the passing game taking advantage of Michigan’s understandable run-focused D.  Flacco would connect with Marques Colston for 17 of his eventual 110 yards on the day, and then find slot receiver Roscoe Parrish on a perfectly executed slant-&-go for a 27-yard TD to go up by 14. Michigan reacted well to the deficit, putting together a final drive in the 2nd to pull back to within 7.  Griese used a no-huddle to keep Texas from substituting and connected with all 3 of his wideouts in the 3-receiver set.  Hines Ward thought he had scored with 1:48 left in the quarter, but a review showed that his right foot had hit the boundary line on the 2.  On the next play, Griese used a good fake to Mike Hart to roll out of danger and connect with TE Rob Housler for the score.  17-10 at the half. The third quarter would again be a battle of attrition as both defenses forced the lone turnover of the game from either offense, and both QBs struggled on third down.  There was one scoring drive, a short field after a shanked punt from Texas that allowed Michigan to equalize the score at 17 apiece.  The  Panthers used the run game, with a couple of play action calls, to get to the 10, and from there Griese found Ward for the score that knotted up the game. In the 4th, Texas retook the lead on a Rian Lindell field goal, but it would not hold.  On their 1st possession of the final period, Michigan mounted a 77-yard drive that consumed nearly 8 minutes.  It was slow and steady, and there was help from 2 Texas penalties.  With 3:06 left in the game, the drive came to a conclusion as little-used TE Rob Housler again came up with a big play, scoring on a 3-yard out route.  Housler finished the game with 3 receptions, but 2 were for Michigan TDs. Texas would get the ball back with 3:06 left to play, down by 3, but hoping to win the game without overtime.  They would need to do what they had not done all game, move the ball quickly.  No time for the usual deliberate pace and run-focused attack. Flacco would use 5 different receivers on the drive, starting with his favorite target, Colston, who caught a 9-yard incutting route to start the drive.  T. J. Duckett would get a rare catch on the next play, a screen that gained 5 yards. From there it was more outside routes to Colston, and Brandon Marshall, a dump off pass to FB Rick Razzano, and a seam to Chris Cooley to get the ball to the 9-yard line with just over 20 seconds to play.  Holding only 1 timeout, Texas tried to get tricky on first down, handing the ball to Duckett on a draw play, but it failed to surprise the Panthers and gained only 1 yard.  Quickly getting to the line, Flacco took the snap and found TE Jermichael Finley on a skinny post route.  The big TE bounced off the safety and into the endzone with only seconds left to spare, giving Texas the 26-24 lead they had fought for.   Lindell’s kick made it a 3-point game, and one squib kick later the game ended with the Outlaws winning their 6th game in the last 7.  Michigan’s 4-game win streak had come to an abrupt end, and they would move on to a divisional game in St. Louis for Week 12 with a 5-6 record. NASHVILLE 17   PITTSBURGH 24 A very good home win against a tough interconference opponent as the Maulers get a late Brandon Jacobs 1-yard plunge to take the win over a very game Nashville Knights squad.  Both defenses shut down the run, with Nashville gaining only 54 yards and the Maulers a paltry 48, but in the end, Cody Pickett got more done through the air than Jay Cutler, and put the home team in position to win with the late red zone score. PHILADELPHIA 24   ATLANTA 31 The Fire show they are not yet out of the running in the Southeast by knocking off a favored Stars team at the Georgia Dome.  More than 46,000 were in attendance as Darren McFadden and Anthony Allen combined for 144 yards and 3 rushing touchdowns against a usually sturdy Philadelphia rush defense.  The Fire also rattled Kurt Warner, getting 6 sacks on the former MVP.  At one point it was 31-10 Fire, but the Stars, to their credit, rallied late, but just a bit too late to get the win. HOUSTON 34   BOSTON 26 Either Houston has finally figured out what their issues are, or the Boston Cannons truly are deserving of one of the worst records in the league.  Either way Houston snapped their 8-game skid in convincing fashion, putting up 30+ points for the first time in over 2 months.  Tim Rattay was the hero, with 245 yards passing and 3 touchdowns. Boston’s Rashard Mendenhall rushed for 128, but the Cannons simply faded late as Houston got the road win. CHICAGO 39   ARIZONA 14 The Wranglers sorely missed David Carr at QB and the defense failed Arizona as Chicago rolled to an easy win.  Jim Sorgi absorbed 7 sacks from the Machine defense, including 2 from Anthony Weaver, one of which turned into a sack, fumble, recovery and TD for the veteran DE.  Three turnovers from Arizona helped Chicago build a 29-7 lead and cruise to victory in a game that saw Arizona give up 2 fumble return TDs.  The loss cost them the #1 position in the West, while it kept Chicago’s faint playoff hopes alive. PORTLAND 12   SEATTLE 24 Seattle takes this edition of the Cascade Clash, thanks largely to 124 yards from veteran wideout David Boston. Byron Leftwich also connected with Nate Burleson and TE Tyler Eckler, both getting TD tosses as the Dragons doubled up the Stags.  Portland kept it close, trailing only 17-12 until the 4th quarter, but could not get the ball into scoring range late in the game. ORLANDO 20   TAMPA BAY 14 A big rivalry win for the Renegades as they even their record with the Bandits by picking off Daunte Culpepper 4 times.  Add in 95 yards from Knowshon Moreno and Manning TD passes to Dwayne Bowe and Dwayne Harris and the Renegades tighten up the SE Division and (at present) take the lead for the division crown. MEMPHIS 7   NEW ORLEANS 15 It took 11 weeks, but the Breakers finally get their first win.  They avenged their loss to Memphis 2 weeks ago by winning the home game in the series.  Drew Brees threw to 9 different receivers, including a game-winning TD to Brandon LaFell as the Breakers limit Memphis to only 1 scoring drive and 233 total yards. NEW JERSEY 17   JACKSONVILLE 22 The Bulls find a way to win as C. J. Spiller gets 2 TDs, including the game winner in the 4th.  The defense did its part, harassing Sam Bradford as rookie David Bowens and vet Tim Crowder both scored 2 sacks apiece, part of 7 for the Bulls’ defense.  New Jersey outgained Jacksonville 442-280, but kept shooting themselves in the foot, with 8 penalties and 2 failed 4th down attempts. BIRMINGHAM 18   OHIO 20 A good game between two teams hoping they are on the right path in 2011.  Boston got TDs from Steve Smith and Kevin Smith in the 4th quarter to wipe out a 12-7 deficit.  Birmingham scored with 1:42 left in regulation but needed the 2-point conversion to tie the score.  The play failed, as did the ensuing onside kick, and Ohio held on to claim their 5th win of the season. OAKLAND 23   LAS VEGAS 21 Another tight result, this one in the desert, where visiting Oakland got a 96-yard kickoff return from Pierre Garçon to upend the Thunder.  Las Vegas apparently opted to rely on defense to win as they got 14 of their 21 points from turnovers, a pick-six from Will Allen and a goal line fumble recovery and TD from Adewale Ogunleye.  The Vegas offense only accounted for 209 total yards as they continue to struggle without Marshawn Lynch in the lineup. ST. LOUIS 38   DENVER 49 While many picked Denver to knock off St. Louis when the two met at Invesco Field, not many saw this game as an 87-point shootout.  All kudos to the Denver offense, which let itself loose, allowing Matt Leinart a personal best 4-TD day with over 430 yards passing.  Josh Freeman tried to keep pace for the Skyhawks, throwing for 265 yards, 132 of it to Taylor Jacobs, but two picks in the second half helped Denver pull away for their 7th win on the year. WASHINGTON 33   BALTIMORE 20 The week concluded with the War on I-95 between the Feds and the Blitz.  The winner would take the lead in the NE Division and that was all the motivation backup Joe Webb and the Federals needed.  Webb would only throw for 191, but his scrambling helped keep drives alive.  Washington also got a 46-yard pick-six from Brandon Flowers and 133 yards from the always reliable Deuce McCallister, blowing away Ron Dayne’s 49 yards as Washington’s D dominated the Blitz for most of the game. Chad Johnson Wants Out Forget loyalty or working through a rough season, Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson is done with Boston, and not afraid to say it.  Johnson, who had 5 catches for only 46 yards in this week’s Boston loss to Houston was visibly agitated on the sideline. This is not new. He has been pretty vocal about the conservative offensive scheme in place ever since Drew Bledsoe retired and Boston has tried to support QBs Adrian McPherson and rookie Jake Locker.  The loss was Boston’s 9th in 11 outings this year and Johnson, while still the leader in receptions and yards for the Cannons, is still well off his pace of recent years. All of this should be expected for a club in transition, particularly in the games where Locker was struggling with the pro game, but for Johnson it appears to be an unwelcome reality.  In addition to being visibly upset on the sideline, Johnson made some comments to local media which can only be interpreted as a shot across the bow of John Fox’s leadership team and the direction the Cannons are taking.  It is clear that with Johnson in a contract year, he was hoping for big numbers, enough to force the Cannons to pay him top dollar.  Now, he will almost certainly hit the free agency pool and seek another opportunity after 8 seasons with the Cannons.  Johnson is still a very talented wideout, despite perhaps losing a step from the young speedster who first debuted with the lights-out offenses of the 2001-2003 Ohio Glory.  He will almost certainly be a top target in the free agency pool but may find that the market is not as lucrative as it was when he departed Columbus for Boston back in 2004. Free Agency Looms for Other Big Names as well. With 5 weeks left in the season, we are coming up on crunch time for teams to resign their top talent, and this year it appears there may be some very familiar, very intriguing potential free agents available in the market.  Now, we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves, because we well know that deals do tend to come down in the final weeks of the year every season, but there is enough talent out there, and enough tenuous team positions, salary cap concerns, and even player-coach concerns to have us believe that we could see a larger than average pool this offseason.  As we look at each team, we thought this would be a good time to highlight the player we see as the most essential for retention on each roster. The player each team has to sign, even at the expense of other pieces.   So, here, in alphabetical order by team, is our list of the Free Agents each team cannot afford to lose. ARIZONA: DE Adam Carriker.  The big 3-down DE is having a career year with 8 sacks this season and a clear shot to have his first double digit total.  While there are other defenders (like CB Jimmy Williams) who are worth throwing some funds at, Carriker seems like a building block for the future that Arizona will not want to lose. ATLANTA:  WR Josh Reed had a breakout season in 2010, leading the league with nearly 1,500 yards receiving.  His 2011 is not going as well, with only 618 yards and 3 scores to date, but it is still clear that Reed is the #1 receiver for the Fire and a player who could and should be a focal point of their offense once again. BALTIMORE: This one is tough because the Blitz really must resign both Ron Dayne and Tory Holt.  While both are now over 30 years old, which can be a time for a shift as teams tend to prefer younger legs, you cannot deny the production of both.  If it is a game of one or the other for the Blitz, whose cap space is somewhat limited, then we would argue that Dayne’s production is so essential to the Blitz that they would have to bite the bullet and let Holt go if they cannot free up more cap space for both. BIRMINGHAM:  The Stallions are in a good position this year, with a smaller list than most teams of players in the final year of their deals and no major stars to resign at high cost.  When we look at the roster, we think the biggest signing may be guard Ben Grubbs, who has been out for a good part of the season with a ruptured Achilles.  Grubbs is an outstanding run blocker and, in part due to the timing of his injury, will not cost the Stallions the kind of big bucks that many teams are worried about with their free agents. BOSTON: Chad Johnson is the obvious answer if Boston wants to make the effort, but if we assume that he has already made his mental exit from the team, that frees up cap space for another important piece of the Cannons’ future, LB Chris Claiborne.  The backer’s contract is likely to be a short one, perhaps only 1-2 years as he did turn 33 this year, but Boston does not want to lose their defensive play caller so they will want to find the right combination of funds, contract length, and incentives to motivate Claiborne to stay the course. CHARLOTTE:  Fred Jackson was having a career year before his injury, and he is not yet 30, which means he is still seen as  back with more upside potential, so we expect the Monarchs to give him a multi-year deal that makes him their lead back for at least the next 2-3 seasons, a position he has wanted to lock down for quite a while after always being set up in a platoon system. CHICAGO:  The Machine have some older defenders (Anthony Weaver is 32, Reggie Tongue is 34), but we think the key resigning may be a youngster.  Tackle Xavier Fulton is 25, and is just now beginning to take shape as a quality starter at RT.  He could become the future at LT if he stays with the club.  His agent will almost certainly pitch for him to wait until free agency, because quality tackles tend to get nice paydays in the market, but Chicago should do what it can to keep Fulton happy and maybe sign him ahead of schedule. DENVER:  With 3 offensive stars all coming up, the choice is a tough one.  Peerless Price is 35, and that reality may just make him less of a target for the Gold than either his groupmate Keary Colbert (30) or QB Matt Leinart (27).  Leinart is the clear “must have” signing from the group, and Denver has cap room to spare, so it ought to be a deal they can get done.  The question then is whether they have the capacity and the desire to resign both Colbert and Price. HOUSTON: Here is an interesting situation.  Matt Hasselbeck led the Gamblers to a title last year but is struggling this year.  He may well be the 4th most important free agent on the team, as hard as that is to believe.  With Shaun Springs, Ronde Barber, and Shaun Alexander all also up for a new deal, and only $2.9M in cap space right now, there are going to be some tough choices for the Gamblers.  Will Hasselbeck be a priority keep?  Will Barber retire at 35 and free up some space?  Who does Houston lose?  All good questions for a team that has already seen a post-title hangover of massive proportions. JACKSONVILLE: The issue for the Bulls is more about quantity than quality.  While none of their top names are up for a new deal this year, the Bulls have 18 of their 45 active players from Week 11 in the final year of their deals.  They will likely sign about half, maybe a bit more, of that pool, so who goes?  We think SS Mike Brown and CB Keith Smith will be priorities, but after that, there are a lot of names on the list. LAS VEGAS: LB A. J. Hawk is perhaps the #1 target for the Thunder.  He is only 26 and he is a team captain, so we hope that the desire is there from both parties to get a deal done.  Our only concern is that June Jones is more interested in building a dynamic offense than retaining the defensive strength he inherited from Jerry Glanville.  Would he really let Hawk go to sign more offensive firepower? LOS ANGELES: At age 34, we don’t think Keyshawn Johnson will fetch the kind of money on the free agent market that he would have 3-5 years ago, but he will likely wait and see.  With LA having a strong season, the time may be right for the Express to resign Johnson, especially with a playoff run looking likely, something the wideout has not seen in quite a while. MEMPHIS: As important as WR Robert Ferguson is to the Showboats, we think LB Patrick Willis has to be their #1 priority. The hard-hitting backer is 7 years younger than the wideout and has more years ahead of him for a club that needs as many defensive playmakers as they can get. MICHIGAN: All three of Michigan’s starting wideouts are currently in contract years.  You have Ward, Coles, and Manningham, and there is no way the Panthers can keep all three.  Hines Ward is the clear favorite of both Brian Griese and the Panther fans, so he has to be the priority signing.  That may leave Coles out in the cold as Manningham, as the younger player, has more upside than the 33-year old veteran #2. NASHVILLE: SS LaRon Landry outperformed his rookie deal and is the market for a Top 5 safety pay range.  He certainly deserves to be among the best paid safeties in the game, and the Knights would be foolish to let a player with a good 10 more years in the tank go at this stage of his career. NEW JERSEY: CB Nate Clements is having one of his best seasons for the Generals, and we think he will be a priority for this somewhat cash-strapped club.  That could spell major changes on offense as both Mark Clayton and Santonio Holmes are both in contract years as well. NEW ORLEANS:  With Drew Brees locked up for now, and despite the struggles of the club this season, they have the cap space to make moves this offseason, and will almost certainly be a buyer, not a seller. But, that said, they need to do what they can to resign DE Ty Warren, one of the few bright spots in a pretty miserable season. OAKLAND: Veteran center Jeff Saturday is 35 and could be contemplating retirement. If he is not, then he must be priority 1 for the Invaders. Priority 2 may well be QB Pat White, who the club got from Pittsburgh in a trade and who could be the future if and when Harrington steps away from the game. OHIO:  A good chunk of the Glory’s defense is up for a new deal, including LB Glenn Cadrez, SS Jermaine Philips, and LB James Laurinaitis.  Coach Bart Andrus loves Laurinaitis’s drive, so we expect he will be their top priority, but with limited cap space, that could be bad news for fans of Cadres. ORLANDO: CB Cortland Finnegan is peaking at just the right time.  He is among the league leaders in picks once again, and the rumors are that he is looking for top dollar, Charles Woodson money.  That may be more than Orlando is willing to part with, so we could see Finnegan depart, which would be a blow to the Orlando defense. PHILADELPHIA: A pretty low risk year for the Stars, who lost quite a few free agents last offseason.  Perhaps the most important resigning is kicker Mike Nugent, who once again is among the league leaders in scoring and has always had a flare for the dramatic game winner. PITTSBURGH: The Maulers traded away Pat White in his contract year, avoiding that issue, but Cody Pickett is also up for a new deal, and he is certainly making a case that he deserves to be somewhere in the top 5-6 of QBs in the league.  He picked a good year to put up his best numbers and to have the Maulers sitting at 10-1. PORTLAND: Center Brad Meester deserves to be paid as one of the best at his position in the league.  So too does CB Marquand Manuel.  And with a pretty generous cap this year for the Stags, there is no reason they cannot re-sign both before week 16 rolls around and still have funds left to boost their overall talent level on the roster. SEATTLE: Seattle may be in the toughest position of any team.  They have barely $2.6M in cap space right now and their list of players in contract years looks like their All-USFL slate:  QB Byron Leftwich, LT Kenyatta Jones, CB Marcus Truffant, WR David Boston, DE Travis LaBoy, RT Chad Clifton, and HB Ladell Betts.  The short answer here is that the 2012 Dragons could look like a very different team from this year’s 6-5 squad. ST. LOUIS: We love guard Leonard Davis and SS Coy Wire, both of whom St. Louis should be throwing money at to stay.  They don’t have the most cap space, so some cuts will be needed, but we think that they should have enough to sign both if they can just get the right terms in place. TAMPA BAY:  Some very difficult decisions need to be made in Tampa Bay.  Do they give Daunte Culpepper the big contract he is going to demand or do they use their somewhat limited cap room to sign other pieces and go a different direction at QB.  It seems blasphemous to say that Tampa should cut the line on Culpepper, but if they do not, they could lose a lot of other players who they just cannot afford to resign. TEXAS:  T. J. Duckett is 30 this year, and that normally means that you let a HB go, but how can Texas do that?  He is not slowing down, with over 850 yards already this year and a team on the rise. We think Texas does what it must to give Duckett a 2–3-year deal and hope that the curse of 30 is just not in effect with one of the faces of their franchise. WASHINGTON:  While the top 3 guards for the Federals are all up this year (How have they not resigned any ahead of schedule?) the big question for the Federals is what will it take to resign Ed Reed, their All-USFL safety?  Reed likes playing in DC and the defense is a perfect fit for him, so we think he may favor loyalty over a big pay out, but Washington has to show him enough money so that the decision is tilted in their favor even as his agent pushes the potential for a free agency windfall. We have our first playoff ticket confirmed and it is not, as many anticipated, the Arizona Wranglers.  The  Maulers, now sitting pretty at 10-1 for the year, have locked up a playoff berth as well as the first division title of the year.  The Maulers sit a full 5 games above the closest Central Division foe, with 5 weeks to play, and, thanks to tiebreakers, that has won them the division.  Thanks to Arizona’s loss this week, they are also the frontrunner to lock up the #1 seed and home field advantage throughout the playoffs.  Quite a feather in the cap of Coach Rivera and his Maulers. We also had our second elimination as Boston, sitting at 1-9-1, joins the 1-10 Breakers as clubs no longer mathematically alive for a playoff spot.  This has truly been a disappointing year for both clubs and now the big question is if New Orleans will hang onto the top pick or win another game, boosting Boston up to number 1? The other interesting note is that Seattle has quietly worked themselves into a good position, sitting at number 7, they control their own destiny.  But, before they get too cocky, they are tied with both Oakland and Las Vegas, so any slip ups could allow one or both of their division rivals to overtake them. Washington takes over the #1 position in both the NE Division and the quest for the #1 seed in the East, but there are still a lot of tough divisional battles to fight in the Northeast, so this may be very fluid, with several teams from the conference’s other two divisions also in the mix, just 1 game behind the Feds. It may be the home stretch of the season, but no week is without its risks, and this week we saw two players have their seasons get cut short.  Michigan DT Marcus Spriggs (hip) and Oakland DE Israel Idonije (leg) are both now on IR and lost for both the remainder of the regular season as well as any playoff run either team may garner.  With Spriggs out, Clifton Ryan takes over as the swing DT and Harold Carlson comes off the practice squad as the 4th DT on the active roster.  For Oakland, replacing Idonije will not be so easy.  Jamaal Anderson likely steps in opposite Justin Smith, with Kalimba Edwards as the backup.  Oakland will almost certainly be scouring the free agent wire to also pick up a 4th DE for the rotation. Elsewhere, with only 5 weeks left, some injuries, while not placing players on IR, could still cost a player the remainder of the regular season.  That is the situation for Charlotte DE Fred Perry, who could be out a month or longer with a ruptured disc in his back. Philadelphia FB Frank Sosa is also likely lost for at least the regular season after suffering a fracture in his wrist.  Los Angeles DT Gabe Watson’s leg injury was confirmed as a fracture, which could mean he would miss a month or more, while Tampa safety Bryan Scott suffered a rib injury and is listed as out, likely for 2-3 weeks. While not nearly as long-lasting an injury, David Carr’s collarbone does mean that he will remain out of action at least 1 more week, perhaps longer. Jim Sorgi will continue to get the start for the Wranglers in his absence.  And while Arizona is without their starter, Washington could be getting theirs back as David Garrard is listed as probable and has received a majority of snaps in practice.  Meanwhile, in Houston, Matt Hasselbeck is likely to be a game time decision, listed as questionable.  And, Las Vegas is still waiting for Marshawn Lynch to return.  The big back is listed as doubtful this week, but that means a Week 13 return could be in the cards. Boston Stadium Talks Die on the Vine The ongoing saga of the USFL in Boston hits another low as the Cannons’ efforts to get a stadium initiative on the ballot this fall cannot even get out of committee in the Massachusetts state house.  The hope, slim as it was, was that the state would support a bond issuance, one which would then provide the stimulus for the city of Boston to come to the table to consider construction of a new stadium.  While the effort was backed by several prominent representatives in the House, there was also staunch opposition, particularly with Boston still reeling from the cost estimates of the “Big Dig” project. To make matters worse, the Cannons are still finding it difficult to get a long term deal with Boston College on the books.  For the past 3 seasons BC leadership has been comfortable with one-year lease agreements, but refused to commit to any multi-year option.  The benefit for BC has been  the ability to set new terms and new costs each season, but at some point the annual back and forth is going to become tiresome for both parties.  With Foxboro’s Gillette Stadium out of the picture, the Cannons are largely without leverage as there is no way they would work with either BU or Harvard to bring football back to either Nickerson Field or Harvard Stadiums, both inadequate facilities for USFL standards.  So, they must continue to work with BC on an interim basis, and make efforts to get a new stadium in place. It has gotten so bad that many in Boston’s sports echo chamber are openly wondering if the Cannons would not be better off looking at locations like Providence (RI), Hartford (CT), or even at the University of New Hampshire.  What Bostonians are not yet willing to admit is that the intransigence of Patriot’s owner Robert Kraft, and the inability for the Cannons to get a long term lease at BC’s already borderline facility, make the Cannons a prime team to be poached by a deep pocketed investor group looking to buy and relocate a franchise.  Far more likely than a local move within New England is the very real possibility that the Cannons could end up in Miami, Dallas, or even Oklahoma. Oakland in talks with Cal-Berkeley for Stadium Use While Boston struggles with leases for the Cannons, in Oakland the issue is the declining viability of the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum.  Concerns  not only for revenue generation, but basic fan safety, have begun to creep into the conversations between the Invaders and the Coliseum.  But, with no funding for renovations to the multipurpose stadium, the Invaders are starting to look for alternatives.  Their most recent endeavor has been to reach out to The University of California leadership to see if a deal could be set up for the Invaders to call Cal-Berkeley’s California Memorial Stadium as a home venue.  While certainly not the gleaming modern stadium that most USFL clubs are striving for, what Memorial Stadium would offer is a quality facility expected to have its renovation completed within the year.  By 2013 the stadium would be renewed, with capacity for 63,000 fans and a new Matrix Turf surface.  Both in capacity and in field quality, that would certainly surpass what the Invaders have at present in Oakland. Should a deal with the Cal system fail, the Invaders too could be viewed as a potential defector, a plum ripe for the picking by a city and an investment group looking to lure a club with a new or newly remodeled stadium. What is interesting in Oakland’s case is that they are by no means the only pro football franchise looking to invest in a new facility. The NFL’s San Francisco 49ers have been discussing a possible relocation from venerable Candlestick Park, potentially to the South Bay area, and if Oakland is serious about finding other options, they too could look to get in on a potential bay area stadium deal, even if that means moving further from their home base in the East Bay. Week 12 brings us some make or break games for those borderline teams, starting on Friday with Charlotte clinging to playoff hopes but needing a win against a very tough Orlando squad.  On Saturday the Stars and Outlaws clash in San Antonio with both clubs hoping to make a run for their respective division titles, both 1 game back after 11 weeks.  Saturday night has a great interconference matchup with 7-4  Denver visiting 8-3 Washington. On Sunday we have Ohio, also perched on the fringes of playoff contention at 5-6, visiting 7-4 Nashville.  Birmingham hopes to stay in the race and a win at New Jersey would put them at 6-6.  Michigan and St. Louis face off in the Dome, with both on the verge of playoff elimination.  Loser is likely out.  Finally, Arizona, with Jim Sorgi still at the helm, hopes to get a weakened Houston Gambler squad on the Sunday night closer, as another loss could put them into a tie with the Outlaws in the SW Division.  Good games, plenty of drama as well. FRIDAY @ 8pm ET                  Charlotte (5-6) @ Orlando (7-4)              NBC SATURDAY @ 12pm ET        New Orleans (1-10) @ Chicago (4-7)       ABC SATURDAY @ 12pm ET        Tampa Bay (7-4) @ Jacksonville (3-8)       ABC SATURDAY @ 12pm ET          Baltimore (7-4) @ Boston (1-9-1)              FOX SATURDAY @ 4pm ET         Philadelphia (7-4) @ Texas (8-3)              ABC SATURDAY @ 4pm ET          Atlanta (6-5) @ Los Angeles (7-4)           FOX SATURDAY @ 8pm ET             Denver (7-4) @ Washington (8-3)             ESPN SUNDAY @ 12pm ET            Ohio (5-6) @ Nashville (7-4)                    ABC SUNDAY @ 12pm ET             Birmingham (5-6) @ New Jersey (3-8)     FOX SUNDAY @ 12pm ET            Memphis (2-8-1) @ Pittsburgh (10-1)      FOX SUNDAY @ 4pm ET                 Michigan (5-6) @ St. Louis (4-7)              ABC SUNDAY @ 4pm ET               Las Vegas (6-5) @ Portland (4-7)           ABC SUNDAY @ 4pm ET              Arizona (9-2) @ Houston (3-8)            FOX SUNDAY @ 8pm ET              Oakland (6-5) @ Seattle (6-5)                 EFN

Arizona gets back to their winning ways as their defense shuts down Denver.  Jacksonville takes Tampa Bay to overtime in a Florida Derby to remember, St. Louis shocks the Thunder in Vegas, and the Generals keep New Orleans winless, making the Breakers the first club officially eliminated from playoff action.  All this, plus division battles in the Northeast (Baltimore v. Philadelphia), Central (Chicago v. Michigan, Ohio v. Pittsburgh), Southeast (Atlanta v. Orlando), Southwest (Texas v. Houston) and Pacific (Seattle v. Oakland, LA v. Portland) as a week of key matchups produces results that will shape the coming playoff push.  We also report on all the trade deadline deals, including a former #1 receiver going from coast to coast and QB A. J. Feeley gets a new home.  It’s Week 10 in the USFL and there are no shortage of stories to report on, all This Week in the USFL. LOS ANGELES EXPRESS  21    PORTLAND STAGS  20 Hard to believe that a 6-3 Los Angeles team would go into 4-5 Portland as a 3-point underdog, but the public is still not buying the Express as a legitimate division leader, and that translates to Las Vegas having to bend the odds towards their opponents, in this case the Stags.  Perhaps the problem lies with the Express putting up pretty marginal offensive numbers (25th in total yards, 23rd in passing).  But, we should also acknowledge that the Express defense has been vastly improved over last year, even with the departure of Troy Polamalu.  LA is currently 6th in the league, allowing only 16.1 points per game, and is also holding opponents under 235 per game passing and under 80 yards per game rushing.  But, respect has to be earned and it seems the Express will need to keep winning to earn more of it. As for Portland, their offense is only 21st in yards gained, and their 18.8 points per game is a big reason why they had a 3-game skid before rebounding with a win over Houston in Week 9.  The defense is also struggling, particularly agains the pass, where they are ranked 22nd in the league.  So, would this matchup at the sight of the 2010 Summer Bowl prove the critics of LA right or would this be another W on the Express’s path to an unforeseen division crown? For a long while in this game it looked very much like the former.  Despite taking an early lead on an L. J. Smith TD catch from Mark Sanchez, LA trailed for a good portion of the game.  Portland followed LA’s score with one of their own as Ryan Fitzpatrick found one of his favorite new targets, rookie TE Jordan Cameron, for the equalizer, and then, early in the 2nd he found Koren Robinson for the go ahead score.  By the half, Portland would build up a 17-7 lead over the Express, largely due to the defense’s ability to hold HB ray Rice in check and force Mark Sanchez into several 3rd and long situations.  LA would only convert 2 of 7 third downs in the half as Portland clamped down on Express receivers. On offense, the Stags also struggled to run the ball, with Jonathan Stewart gaining only 2.8 yards per carry on the day, but QB Ryan Fitzpatrick was able to connect with his primary targets, with all 3 ending the game with 6 catches apiece: Robinson, Cameron, and Roddy White.  After another Mason Crosby field goal in the 3rd quarter, Portland held a solid 20-7 lead and LA would have to find some magic to pull the game out. They got a break towards the end of the 3rd when Portland CB Mike Rumph was called for pass interference in the endzone on a deep ball to Randy Moss.  The penalty put the ball on the 1 yard line, a 33-yard gain and on the very next play, Moss scored anyway, nabbing a jump ball from Sanchez and pulling LA within 6. The Express, however, would struggle for most of the 4th quarter to get back in scoring position.  Sanchez, who had thrown 2 picks earlier in the game, would throw another to end one promising drive.  A second drive ended with a failed 4th down attempt, and with 3:07 left LA was down to their last possession, one more chance to upend the scoreboard and steal a win away from the Stags. The Express got the ball on their own 27 after the Portland punt went out of bounds.  Down 6, a TD would win it, anything less would not be enough.  Sanchez relied on his top 4 targets most of the way down the field, completing short passes to Ray Rice and L. J. Smith, then finding Keyshawn for his 7th catch of the day, a 19-yarder that got the Express into Portland territory.  Another to rice, then an out route to Moss, and suddenly the Express were in the red zone.  For a second time, Sanchez looked to Randy Moss in the end zone, and for a second time Moss drew a defensive PI call against Rumph, who clearly had not only a handful of jersey, but whose other arm was blocking Moss’s from going up for the ball. Once again the ball was on the 1 yard line.  Now, with no time outs and the clock stopped at 29 seconds, LA could potentially have 4 downs to go only 1 yard.  They would need only 1 attempt. For the first time since the 2nd quarter, Sanchez tossed a ball in the direction of rookie Ronald Johnson, and Johnson came down with it, rolling to the ground to secure the catch.  Portland players insisted he was down, but the replay confirmed that the ref had made the right call.  The touchdown stood and the LA Express moved to 7-3 with a last second win on the road.  Now we wait and see what the book in Vegas does with the Express as they return home to face another 4-win team in the Charlotte Monarchs this week. TEXAS 30   HOUSTON 20 The season-long nightmare for the Gamblers continues as Texas upends the Gamblers in NRG Stadium, sending Houston to their 8th straight defeat.  Tim Rattay, in for the injured Matt Hasselbeck, throws 4 picks as the Texas defense dominates.  Joe Flacco did not put up great numbers, but they were more than enough to upend the collapsing Gamblers as Texas moves to 7-3 on the year. BOSTON 17   MEMPHIS 17   OVERTIME Well, at least neither club lost.  The Cannons took this one to overtime on a McPherson TD pass to Cedric Wilson late in the 4th, but neither team could do much in overtime and the game ended as a tie when Steven Haushka pushed a last second field goal to the left.  An unsatisfying tie for two clubs who need wins. NASHVILLE 31   CHARLOTTE 19 The Monarchs drop 5 in a row as they struggle against the Nashville defense.  Frank Gore helped push Nashville to an early lead and finished the game with 127 yards to lead all ballcarriers.  Montario Hardesty added another 98 as Nashville just owned the line of scrimmage. NEW JERSEY 34   NEW ORLEANS 13 Drew Brees was sacked a nasty nine times by the Generals, including two sacks each for Des Aaron Kampman and Sean Ellis. Rookie HB Delone Carter also had a big game, busting free for 69 yards on only 5 carries, including a 34-yard TD scamper.  Rookie WR David Baldwin, promoted after the trade of T. J. Houshmandzadeh, led all Generals with 4 catches for 70 yards, while Miles Austin hauled in two Sam Bradford TD passes. CHICAGO 19   MICHIGAN 20 The Machine built up a 19-7 halftime lead, but then collapsed late as Mcihigan scored the final 13 points to take the victory.  Greise had as strong second half, finishing 30 of 43 for 340 yards for the day.  His 4th quarter TD toss to Manningham pulled Michigan within 2 and then a late Matt Prater field goal completed the comeback and moved the Panthers to 5-5 on the year. DENVER 6   ARIZONA 17 Both defenses played well in this one, with Arizona only converting 2 of 10 third downs and Denver limited to 2 field goals on the day. Matt Leinart was sacked 4 times and the Ringer/Hicks combo held to only 64 yards rushing.  Arizona was hampered by an early injury to David Carr, but Jim Sorgi hit Mike Williams with the go ahead TD, and then backup HB Jonathan Dwyer busted open a short yardage play for a 35-yard TD scamper as Arizona scored 14 points in the final 13 minutes of action to get the W and improve to 9-1 on the year. JACKSONVILLE 23   TAMPA BAY 26   OVERTIME The Bulls fought hard to come back from a 20-12 deficit in the 4th, tying the game at 23 as time expired, but in overtime Tampa Bay was able to stuff the Bulls and then kick the game winner on their first drive to secure the win.  Kicker David Akers of the Bulls connected on 5 field goals for the Bulls, while Tampa Bay got TDs from Joey Galloway (159 yards on the day) and Willis McGahee (129 rushing yards) as the Bandits barely escape with a 7-3 record atop the SE Division. BALTIMORE 27   PHILADELPHIA 23 Baltimore knocks Philly out of first place and into a 3-way tie thanks to 131 yards from ron Dayne and a late Tory Holt 53-yard TD.  Philadelphia got 317 yards from Kurt Warner, including a 37-yard TD to Reche Caldwell, but could not put together a game winning drive in the final seconds as Baltimore held on to claim victory and tighten up the division even more. PITTSBURGH 20   OHIO 6 Pittsburgh, now 9-1, solidified their dominance of the division with a 14 point 4th quarter to put away the Glory.  Ohio had held the Maulers to a 6-6 tie through three periods, frustrating the Mauler offense, but Cody Pickett connected on two 4th quarter TDs to break the game open and take the W for the Maulers. WASHINGTON 38   BIRMINGHAM 3 With Cam Newton sidelined, Birmingham proved no competition for the Federals, who rolled to a 21-3 halftime lead and never looked back.  Joe Webb went 20 of 29 with 3 TDs and the combo of McCallister and Rod Smart combined for 175 yards rushing as Colt Brennan simply could not sustain drives for the Stallions. ST. LOUIS 29   LAS VEGAS 14 The Skyhawks shut down the Lynchless Thunder run game (35 total yards) and found their own run game with Antowain Smith exploiting a tired Thunder D for 114 yards in a road upset win for St. Louis.  Backup Troy Smith looked solid, completing 16 of 26 passes for 314 yards and 2 TDs.  Jordy Nelson caught 4 for 113 and Antowain Smith added a 2nd Td on a rare screen pass for the big back. SEATTLE 17   OAKLAND 40 In a battle of two Pacific clubs hoping to work their way back into the playoff hunt, Oakland showed an offensive spark we have not seen all season.  Joey Harrington threw 2 TD passes and got another from HB Jerious Norwood as Oakland dominated the Dragons.   Seattle held a 14-0 lead early, but Oakland turned on the power and scored 40 of the next 43 points in the game to run past the Dragons.  A Mike Maslowski pick-six helped spark Oakland to victory as both teams now sit at 5-5 with 6 weeks left to play. ATLANTA 10   ORLANDO 17 In this battle of 5-4 SE Division contenders, Orlando got the edge thanks to a strong day for Knowshon Moreno (20 for 99 yards) and Calais Campbell (2 sack, 3 hurries and more hits than Kyle Orton wanted to experience).  Atlanta hung in, but in the end it was too much and a last second drive fell short on the Orlando 13-yard line when a 4th and goal throw was deflected out of bounds, ending the comeback attempt by the Fire.  Orlando moves to 6-4 and Atlanta falls to 5-5. Trade Deadline Produces a Flurry of Last Second Swaps As we often see around this time of year, the trade deadline was accompanied by significant player movement.  In several cases we saw teams that had cap issues open up some space by jeetisoning some high-priced but under-performing talent, while in other cases it was about filing a need in time for a playoff push.  As we saw with Charlotte trading for Shonn Greene last week, teams are still looking for the key player to help them make a push. We start in Portland, where we knew the Stags were hoping to trade former starter A. J. Feeley.  The first starter in Stags’ history had lost his job to Ryan Fitzpatrick and was a very overpriced backup.  We thought he might get sent to Boston to help Jake Locker mature, but instead a deal was cut with Houston, where Feeley will back up Matt Hasselbeck.  Or will he?  Rumors are swirling that the rib injury to Hasselbeck is more serious than has been let on and that Feeley may actually finish out the season as the starter once he has had a week or two to learn the system.  There are many who are saying that Hasselbeck may have actually played his last game and could be on the fast track to retirement after a rough 2011 and a rib injury that may have impacted his lungs as well.  Rumors of a punctured lung have not been confirmed, but would explain why a 1-2 week injury seems to be lingering. In return for Feeley, Portand received help for their LB group in the form of Houston backup David Hawthorne, and a draft pick to boot, a 4th rounder from the Gamblers.  Expect Hawthorne to serve as a swing backer, filling in as players swap out for breathers.  For Feeley, we think he could see action as soon as Week 12, though not likely this upcoming week due to his unfamiliarity with the Houston callsheet. The second big move of the week is also an offensive player for a linebacker as New Jersey, winners of 3 in a row, are hoping to get more help for a beleaguered linebacker group.  Meanwhile, Las Vegas is still shuffling receivers, trying to find a combo of healthy options who can make the Run & Shoot more shoot and less run, especially with Marshawn Lynch still weeks away from a return.  The deal?  Well, New Jersey sends starting WR T. J. Houshmandzadeh out to the desert in return for a 4th rounder and LB Brady Poppinga.  Poppinga had been serving as a fill-in linebacker behind the 3 starters in Las Vegas, but is expected to serve as the strongside linebacker for the Generals, likely getting an immediate start this week.  We also expect to see “Housh” starting for Las Vegas, though likely with very specific routes and responsibilities in his first week. Both Tampa Bay and Ohio were facing potential penalties for salary cap overage, and the trade deadline gave them an option to address the issue before fines would be levied.  Both opted to do that by dumping some salary in return for draft picks.  Tampa Bay opted to part with underperforming wideout Devery Henderson, sending the wideout to Boston in return for 2 sixth round picks (2012 and 2013).  Henderson is familiar with Coach Fox, having played for him in his Senior Bowl appearance several years back. Tampa also traded HB Felix Jones, sending him to Philadelphia, where he will provide Steve Slaton with some breathers as well as some short yardage muscle.  Philly, in return, sends a 4th rounder this year and a 6th rounder in 2013 to the Bandits.   The moves helped Tampa Bay move from being roughly $300,000 over the cap to just about $2M under the cap before the Week 10 deadline. For Ohio, the issue was also cap space. They too were over the cap, in this case by about $150,000.  Their decision was also to jettison a high cost contract for a receiver who has just not panned out.  Ohio accepted a 4th round pick from the Denver Gold to sell off WR Anthony Gonzalez.  The Ohio State product, signed by the Glory form the Territorial Draft has just not produced for the Glory.  Denver is hoping that the tall, lanky receiver, can serve as a red zone target as well as a possible spot player when Peerless Price needs a breather. One trade that did not happen, but was rumored by several sources, was a supposed deal to send Chad “Ocho Cinco” Johnson from Boston to Orlando.  Johnson, who has become somewhat vocal about his declining targets and the general chaos we see in the post-Bledsoe Boston offense, was very much on the market, but it appears that receiver was not drawing the value that Boston wanted.  Ocho Cinco will be a free agent at the end of this year, and, at this point seems unlikely to return to Boston, but it seems no team wanted to sign the player in a contract year and deal with negotiations.  As a free agent, Johnson will almost certainly have some leverage, and more potential suitors than a trade would have offered. FIVE TEAMS IN DIRE STRAIGHTS We are six games from the end of the season and there are several teams whose realities are not in any way matching their expectations.  Well, more than five, but these five are the most desperate at this point Several others, including New Jersey and Michigan, have recovered well from early disasters and are slowly restoring belief in their futures (if not their immediate presents).  However, these five clubs are filling the season with disappointment, frustration, and a lot of calls for change at the top. Jacksonville:  Losers of 7 in a row, the Bulls were not expected to be among the leaders in the Southeast, but they were expecting to be better than this.  Tim Tebow seems to be regressing as teams figure out his tendencies, and the defense is dead last, allowing 26 points per game and nearly 120 yards per game rushing.  Yes, Mike Vrabel has been out with injury, but no defense can be a one man show.  A win this week at home to New Jersey would be a welcome respite for Coach Frazier, as the fans in North Florida are getting more and more vocal about the direction of the club and its coaching staff. Boston: Sitting at 1-8-1 after 10 weeks and with a rookie “superstar” QB who is struggling and just lost his starting job, the Cannons look like a team that is not retooling but forced to completely rebuild.  Having a very vocal, very critical superstar in #85 on the roster certainly is not helping either. Coach Fox, who brought a title to Bean Town for the first time in the city’s pro football history, is not in any danger, but we could see some changes at the coordinator positions as Boston currently sits near the bottom in both offensive and defensive production.  The Cannons are averaging only 13 points per game, but giving up 22.  They had lost 6 in a row and the tie with Memphis this week is hardly going to calm the cries for heads to role. Houston: What more can we say about a defending league champion that suffered very few personnel losses in the offseason and yet has lost 8 in a row and sits with the 3rd worst record in the league at 2-8? Houston is currently 25th in points allowed at nearly 25 per game, and their once dangerous offense is barely getting 17 points a game and has lost the balance that made them a contender and the 2010 champion.  The defense got really old really fast, and now there are questions about whether or not Matt Hasselbeck will ever return under center as his rib injury is coming under more and more scrutiny as he keeps extending his injury designation.  The fans still love Wade Phillips, but there are more and more calls out there for the GM position to be reevaluated. Charlotte:  The Monarchs at one point were sitting at 4-1, but now have lost 5 in a row, and the gambit to bring in Jake Delhomme as their new QB is not the coup it initially seemed.  The Monarchs are not entirely out of the playoff scene, but they are falling fast behind a surging Tampa Bay and solid Orlando and Atlanta clubs.  Many picked the Monarchs to overtake the Fire for first place this year, but right now they are just trying to figure out how to put together an offense with a QB who is not showing his pedigree and their star tailback on IR.  Bringing in Shonn Greene seems like a positive step, but is it too little to make a difference for the Monarchs. New Orleans:  No doubt this is the biggest collapse we have seen in a long time.  This was a club that was competing for the Southern Division the past two years, thought they had made an upgrade at QB with the Manning-Brees swap, but instead may have tanked the team chemistry and locker room.  They have already fired their head coach and both coordinators, and it seems clear that they are headed for a major overhaul in 2012.  Just who will survive to continue with the team is unknown, but it seems that a new leadership team will quickly have to assess if they want to essentially build a whole new club around Brees. Week 10 brings us our first analysis of the playoff picture, and while it is too early for any teams to have locked up berths, we can say that New Orleans has become the first club eliminated, not surprising for an 0-10 team.  As of Week 10 we see serious battles for the top seeds, with all three division leaders (and 2 more NE division teams) all sitting at 7-3.  Philadelphia currently holds the tiebreakers for the #1 seed, but with a lot of NE Division infighting still to come, their position may be the most precarious of the 3 current division leaders.  Tampa Bay holds a 1-game lead on Orlando, 2 over Atlanta, while Nashville has 2 games on Birmingham with no other real competition in the 4-team Southern Division. In the West, Pittsburgh has the tiebreaker edge on Arizona with both sitting at 9-1 on the year.  That is due to conference record, which could equalize as Arizona is only 1 game back in their total played.  LA is 2 games behind both and may have to settle for the #3 seed if they can lock up the Pacific.  The Maulers could be the first team to clinch a playoff spot since they now hold a 4-game lead over Michigan in the Central with only 6 to play.  Arizona has 2 games on Texas, while LA is only 1 game ahead of Las Vegas in the Pacific. Sitting just outside the playoff bubble right now are Atlanta and Birmingham in the East (both 1 game behind Orlando for the final spot) and Oakland, Michigan, and Seattle (all 1 game behind Denver and Las Vegas). Michigan has won 4 in a row to put themselves in the mix, and are the hottest of the border clubs, while Birmingham has lost 2 straight to drop back to the bubble. Right now only New Orleans is eliminated, but 1 win Boston and 2-win Houston, Jacksonville, and Memphis need to make a move now or they will soon be added to that list. A better week across the league, with no new IR designations and fewer mid-range injuries as well.  Not a perfect, injury free week, but a good week.  Among those not considering it a good we we find Oakland safety Pearson Prioleau, who dislocated his knee and could miss 2-4 weeks.   New Jersey WR Michael Crabtree moved into the starting lineup after the trade of T. J. Houshmandzadeh and immediately paid the price, going down with a shoulder injury that could cost him 1 or 2 games. Perhaps the biggest question mark is at QB in Arizona, where the Wranglers rebounded from their Week 9 loss, but may be without David Carr for at least 2 weeks after he fractured his collarbone during a violent sack in this week’s game.  Expect to see Jim Sorgi under center for at least the next game. Listed as doubtful for this week, but expected back for Week 12, we have TE Jimmie Graham (PIT), DT Sedrick Ellis (OAK), DE Julius Peppers (CHA), FS Shaunard Harts (BAL), and CB Rashad Bauman (CHI).  Game time decisions will be the plan for several others including STL OT Brian Bulaga and QB Josh Freeman, Houston DT John McCargo, Jacksonville TE Jason Whitten, and Chicago TE Anthony Fasano. Expected back in action are Bulls LB Mike Vrabel, Houston LB James Farrior, WSH FS Ed Reed, Nashville FB Peyton Hillis, LA CB Dominique Rogers-Cromartie, Birmingham QB Cam Newton, and Arizona FS Nate Allen. USFL, the Thunder, and the City of Las Vegas Cut a Deal for Domed Stadium in Sin City Some very intriguing news, and outstanding news for fans of the Las Vegas Thunder.  This Wednesday, at a press conference held at city hall in Las Vegas, the city, the USFL, and the Las Vegas Thunder presented an agreement for a public/private partnership to build a new domed stadium just blocks from the famed Las Vegas strip.  The venture will be headed by the city of Las Vegas, with significant financial backing from the Thunder and from the USFL itself.  While all the details have not yet been released, it appears that the USFL will use some communal funding to sponsor up to 40% of the construction costs for the new facility, with the city designated to cover another 20% and the Thunder club the final 20%.  In return, the USFL will be granted primary ownership of the facility, with plans to use the site for multiple Summer Bowls in addition to serving as the regular home to the Thunder. The Thunder who have struggled with both capacity issues and frequent temperature extremes during their summer schedule at UNLV’s Sam Boyd Stadium, would acquire a new home that could seat as many as 66,000 people, fully enclosed in a comfortably climate-controlled environment.  The USFL would have a quality venue in a tourism mecca to hold West Coast Summer Bowls on a regular basis, assuming some rotation with other venues such as U. of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale or the newer facilities in LA and Seattle. When asked about shared use, the Mayor of Las Vegas, Oscar Goodman, stated that there are currently no plans for UNLV to use the larger facility, citing that the University prefers its current home for the time being.  When pressed about usage of the facility, both Goodman and USFL representative Kelly Lomax (EVP and COO of the Memphis Showboats) stated that they will work closely with the NFL if there is interest in placing an NFL franchise in the city, but that at the present time, and with the agreement in place, the USFL and the Thunder would retain primary tenant status should either the NFL or UNLV decide to explore an option for facility use. This news ends several years of uncertainty about the future of the Thunder in Las Vegas.  Troubled by the limitations of Sam Boyd Stadium as well as the frequent delay of games due to excessive temperatures, the USFL and the Thunder have been looking for options for the franchise since their somewhat hasty relocation in 2004.  The new facility, expected to be completed in time for the 2016 USFL season, provides an all-season, state-of-the-art facility for a franchise that has struggled financially since its sale and relocation.  That the USFL was able to use league-wide reserve funds on the project points to the importance of the Las Vegas stadium not only to the Thunder, but to the league as well.  There have been rumors for the past few years that the league would prefer to settle on a standard rotation of 3-4 Summer Bowl sites than to continue the practice of rotating among the 28 franchise locations.  A domed stadium in Las Vegas would be one of the more attractive options for the league if they did desire to set up a limited rotation of facilities, with Met Life Stadium in New Jersey, Houston’s NRG Stadium, LA’s Farmers’ Insurance Field, Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field, Detroit’s Ford Field, and Qwest Stadium in Seattle also considered front line facilities which might make the rotation as well. So, while shovels will not hit earth for at least another year, the plans are shored up, the architects will now bid on the project and, with any luck, by Spring 2016 fans of the Thunder, and of their visiting opponents, will be able to enjoy midday football in Las Vegas without in a brand new facility kept at a very acceptable 72 degrees. Is Orlando Considering a Miami Move? That is the question many are asking after David Dizney was seen in Miami this weekend, dining with the lead investor of the Miami USFL LLC group, Ken Griffin, and former USFL and U. of Miami coach Howard Schnellenberger.  Dizney was not available for comment, which has further fueled speculation that the Renegades could be contemplating a relocation to Miami-Dade County.  That would be quite a shock to both the fans of the Renegades and to the Citrus Bowl, which has been working with the Renegades for the past 6 months on a lease extension. So, what do we think of this meeting between Dizney and the Miami USFL contingent?  Well, there are a few possible interpretations here.  The one most have lept to is that Dizney is seriously thinking about cashing out after nearly 25 seasons as the owner of the Renegades and as a leader in the Orlando sports scene.  This is, of course, what most Orlando sports fans fear, that the city that was to be the original home to the franchise would swoop in and reclaim the club.  For those who may not remember the 1987 expansion, the Renegades were originally awarded to an investment group with the idea that the club would play at the Orange Bowl as a new Miami franchise, but when the stadium deal fell through, several of the members of the ownership group bailed on the project, allowing Dizney to step in and pick up the pieces, moving the club to Orlando, where a deal with the Citrus Bowl Stadium was more feasible. So, is this the only possible interpretation?  Not really.  As much as it is viable that Dizney is interested in either selling the team to Miami USFL LLC, or perhaps bringing them in as part of a larger ownership group, based in Miami, the other possibility that has been floated is that Dizney is working, perhaps with the approval of the league’s main office, to entice the Miami group towards part ownership of the Orlando-based franchise, thus removing one potential relocation threat.  That would certainly make Orlando fans happy, but would seem to defeat the purpose of the group forming to bring football to Miami in the first place. One last possibility needs to be considered, because it is one we have seen before.  Back in the early 2000’s (not that long ago, really), when St. Louis had a vacancy after the Knights jumped to Nashville, the Memphis Showboats used the threat of a relocation to the Gateway City to obtain something that cajoling and lobbying had failed to achieve, significant stadium improvements in Memphis.  The club never relocated, but instead got a significant public buy-in to renovating the stadium for the Showboats.  Could the Renegade leadership be using the potential of a Miami relocation to hold leverage over the Citrus Bowl and provide the club with a more favorable lease, perhaps even agreements for stadium enhancements.  That is also a possible tactic that must be considered, though certainly that would not be one which would make Dizney any friends among the Miami USFL group. It is too early to get a good sense of the direction this is heading, but it is certainly a sign that the instability and gamesmanship related to expansion and potential relocation of franchises is just now beginning to take effect.  We expect any range of negotiations, feints, misdirections, and leverage moves to be implemented as long as there are cities and investors hoping to join the USFL club and current owners trying to get the best returns on their investments.  Welcome to the business of football. It can be a nasty, fickle business like any other. Breakers & Adidas Reveal 2012 Look Just 2 weeks after the completion of the fan poll to decide New Orleans’s color scheme, Adidas this week revealed the new look for the Crescent City’s 2012 uniforms.  The fan vote meant that the present Breaker Blue (teal) and Deep Ocean (Navy teal) combo would be retained.  That meant that the helmets themselves would not feature any changes, but the uniforms are certainly a new look for the founding franchise. The first things most fans are likely to notice is the new number font.  The font uses two basic color elements, divided by an “empty space” in the form of a wave.  On the Breaker Blue home jersey this means the bottom half of the player numbers are in Deep Ocean while the upper half is in white.  On the whites, the division is between the two shades of teal. This “split color” motif continues on all three pant sets, where a single thick stripe is divided by a surging wave pattern in the same color as the pants themselves.  This creates a dual stripe, split horizontally.  On the white set, the split is between the two teals, while on both the Breaker Blue and Deep Ocean options the other teal options is split with white.  New Orleans will not wear a silver or grey set as the entire look downplays the use of the team’s third color in favor of  the double teal emphasis.  And yes, we are not going to leave the pants without mentioning the other very obvious addition.  On the lower thigh of each leg the team’s secondary designation “NOLA” appears in bold white letters. Back to the jerseys, there are two more features to highlight.  Harkening back to their 1994 uniforms, which featured offset colors for the sleeves, the split color motif continues on the jersey sleeves. The Breaker Blue set features a white divider separating the white upper section of the sleeve from the lower Deep Ocean sleeve and cuff.  On the white jersey the upper and lower are predictably the two teal variations, again with the darker “navy teal” at the base and on the cuff.  Finally, the jerseys feature an oversided team name above the chest numbers.  Not quite the width of the numbers themselves, the two tone “Breakers” in the team’s new font (again split color) highlights once again the emphasis on the twin tones, with silver all but absent from all elements of the look except limited use in the team logo on the helmet. For fans of the original dual blue concept, throwback jersey and helmet options are available through both the USFL’s and the club’s online stores. Most weeks we emphasize the divisional matchups, and often for good reason, but this week we think we should highlight some of the amazing interdivisional games on the slate, starting with Friday’s battle of division leaders.  We have 7-3 Nashville in Pittsburgh to play the 9-1 Maulers.  The game will feature two of the best defenses in the league as well as two of the better run games playing today. On Saturday our favorite interdivisional game has the red hot Michigan Panthers, winners of 4 in a row, heading to Texas to take on the Outlaws, who just knocked off Arizona and are very much looking like a team on a mission.  We finish up on Sunday with two teams on the playoff bubble fighting for their lives when the 5-5 Birmingham Stallions travel to Columbus to take on the 4-6 Ohio Glory. And yes, there are also some important divisional rivalry games as well, such as Saturday night’s Orlando-Tampa Bay clash or the Sunday nightcap between the Federals and their everpresent rivals, the Baltimore Blitz.  Throw in Oakland at Las Vegas and Portland v. Seattle and the Pacific is also going to see some fireworks this week.  Do try to get some chores done between games, because the family will get angry if you just spend the whole weekend glued to the USFL.  Not that we mind, but they might. FRIDAY @ 8pm ET                Nashville (7-3) @ Pittsburgh (9-1)             NBC SATURDAY @ 12pm ET            Philadelphia (7-3) @ Atlanta (5-5)             ABC SATURDAY @ 12pm ET            Houston (2-8) @ Boston (1-8-1)                 FOX SATURDAY @ 12pm ET            Michigan (5-5) @ Texas (7-3)          FOX SATURDAY @ 4pm ET              Chicago (3-7) @ Arizona (9-1)              ABC SATURDAY @ 4pm ET              Portland (4-6) @ Seattle (5-5)                   FOX SATURDAY @ 8pm ET              Orlando (6-4) @ Tampa Bay (7-3)      ESPN SUNDAY @ 12pm ET                Memphis (2-7-1) @ New Orleans (0-10)  ABC SUNDAY @ 12pm ET                New Jersey (3-7) @ Jacksonville (2-8)      ABC SUNDAY @ 12pm ET                Birmingham (5-5) @ Ohio (4-6)               FOX SUNDAY @ 4pm ET                  Oakland (5-5) @ Las Vegas (6-4)             ABC SUNDAY @ 4pm ET                  St. Louis (4-6) @ Denver (6-4)                   FOX SUNDAY @ 4pm ET                  Charlotte (4-6) @ Los Angeles (7-3)          FOX SUNDAY @ 8pm ET                  Washington (7-3) @ Baltimore (7-3)        EFN

PLAYOFF PICTURE: No teams have clinched in either conference, however, at 0-10, the Breakers have the first designation of the year, officially eliminated from playoff contention. PLAYER OF THE WEEK: St. Louis needed help on a day when their starting QB was out, and they got it from our POTW Antowain Smith. The big back rumbled for 114 yards and a score, but also took a simple swing pass for a TD to help the Skyhawks earn their 4th win and stay in playoff contention in the West.

The second half of the season begins with some shocking results.  Not only does Arizona go down to defeat for the first time but are absolutely dominated by the Texas Outlaws in a game that surprised all the pundits.  We also had New Jersey pull a major upset at home over the Denver Gold, Atlanta ran roughshod over a Birmingham club that lost their star rookie in the first quarter, and Houston dropped their 7th in a row as their precipitous fall from glory continues to get deeper and deeper.  We will cover all of Week 9’s on-field action and take a look at a key trade that Charlotte hopes will help keep their playoff hopes alive.  Boston decides that Jake Locker needs to step back after a rough start to his career, and we break down all 6 division races as we enter the playoff push in the USFL. DENVER GOLD 20   NEW JERSEY GENERALS 24 Sunday’s Fox national broadcast at 12pm was not the most hyped game of the week, but the Generals certainly made it one of the most entertaining, knocking off visiting Denver thanks to a furious 4th quarter comeback that stunned the visiting Gold and provided the Generals with their second consecutive win.  Denver came into this one sky high, having won their last 5 games and coming off a convincing win over the Texas Outlaws.  But, with Arizona on the slate for Week 10, facing the 1-7 Generals between Texas and Arizona was the perfect set up for a trap game.  New Jersey had just won their first game of the season, a 3-point squeeker against Charlotte and were back at the Meadowlands ready to prove they were better than they showed in the first half of the season. The Week 9 matchup of the Gold and the Generals started off just as many would have expected, with Denver scoring on their opening drive, a Maurice Hicks TD run only 4 minutes into the game.  They then went on to add a field goal in their second drive and were starting to feel like the game was in hand. But New Jersey was not going to roll over.  They got a big play on a defensive flub for Denver and finished up the first quarter with a dramatic 65-yard pass play that pulled the score to 10-7. Becht was covered by LB Shawne Merriman, which is a bit of a mismatch, and Bradford put the ball over the arms of the defender, allowing Becht to catch the ball in stride on a seam route.  When safety Jamel Williams came in to make the tackle 14 yards down field, he did not spot Denver CB Jamar Fletcher also approaching for the hit.  The two Denver defenders essentially picked each other off, freeing Becht, with only minimal contact, to run down the field out of range of the rest of the Denver defense.  It was an uncharacteristic flub by the Gold defense, but it would not be the last. The only score of the second period would be a Leigh Tiffin field goal for New Jersey, equalizing the score at the half.  New Jersey had effectively contained the Denver offense and even picked off Matt Leinart on a ball that was tipped at the line.  They could not score off the turnover, but it did help the Generals keep Denver off the scoreboard in the period.  Going into the half, New Jersey was feeling good about where they stood, Denver was feeling the pressure of a heavy favorite not pulling away early. The third quarter helped to calm the nerves of the few Denver fans who were on hand at Met Life Stadium,  Denver started strong with a good defensive stop on New Jersey’s first possession and moved the ball well on their way to a Graham Gano field goal to retake the lead.  After another good stop, this one a forced fumble by Merriman on HB Maurice Jones-Drew, recovered by DE Bryce Fisher, Denver was in position to take advantage of the short field and extend their lead.  They did just that as Dan LeFevour, playing for the injured Matt Leinart, found Peerless Price for a short TD toss 5 plays later.  LeFevour, who would finish 23 of 38 for 240 yards looked good most of the day but would have one poorly thrown ball that would tarnish the outing. As the third quarter wound down, New Jersey was on the march. They found a rhythm with Sam Bradford connecting with receivers Miles Austin and T. J. Houshmandzadeh on consecutive third down throws to move the chains.  The Generals worked the ball down inside the 5, and after Jones-Drew pounded the ball to the 1-yard line, they used a perfect play fake to get the ball to Miles Austin in single coverage.  The ball was a bit low, but Austin dove down and scooped the ball out of the air before it hit the turf.  On the first play of the final period, New Jersey pulled back to within 3 at 17-20.  It would be up to their defense to keep them close enough for a game-winning score. The Generals defense, criticized all season for giving up leads and allowing teams to run on them late, had some issues with the run again, as Maurice Hicks and Javon Ringer had combined for 95 yards over the first 3 quarters, but in the 4th they would be held to only 20 yards on 10 carries.  Without an effective run game, Denver found themselves having to deal with long third down conversions in the final period.  With 7:11 left in the quarter, the pressure of a long 3rd and 12 caused LeFevour to force a ball towards James Hardy.  Instead of finding his receiver, he found CB Nate Clements, one of New Jersey’s best defensive players.  Clements returned the pick 14 yards and set up the Generals with a 1st and 10 at their own 36. It would take the Generals only one play to make Denver pay.  The play was a perfectly executed flea flicker.  Bradford handed off to Jones-Drew, who headed to the left, only to pitch the ball back to Bradford. The QB eyed T. J. Houshmandzadeh flying down the left sideline, with 2 steps on the corner and no safety in range.  He hit Housh perfectly with a deep ball, and the Generals’ wideout high stepped the final 15 yards into the endzone.  New Jersey was up 24-20 with just over 6 minutes left to play.  This was where their defense would have to prove the haters wrong. Denver got the ball back at the 6-minute mark and again tried to force the run game to be effective.  It was not a good strategy.  They again found themselves with a long 3rd down, this time 3rd and 8. LeFevour could not find a receiver and took his 3rd sack of the game on the play, forcing Denver to send the ball back to New Jersey.  The Generals played conservatively on offense, rushing the ball twice before trying to pick up a third down with a screen pass to Jones-Drew. The screen came up a yard short and the Generals were forced to punt.  Denver would have one more shot, now with 3:50 left on the clock. This time around, the run game was not a consideration for the Gold.  It would be up to LeFevour to pull out the win, and the Gold needed a TD, down by 4.  The drive began with LeFevour scrambling and picking up just 1 yard after initial pressure from New Jersey’s Shaun Ellis.  On 2nd down, LeFevour found TE Daniel Graham inside and moved the sticks.  Over the next 5 plays, Denver would cross the 50, finding themselves with a 1st and 10 on the New Jersey 42. On first down, LeFevour would miss on a deep shot to Peerless Price. On second he would use a short screen to Ringer, but the play was blown up by Donterrious Thomas, who brought Ringer down after only a gain of 2 yards.  Third and 8 and it was clear Denver was in 4-down mode.  LeFevour threw towards Price again, but the ball bounced just in front of the receiver.  4th and 8 and the game on the line for the Gold.  Denver went with a 3-reciever, 1 back set with Ringer.  LeFevour started in the shotgun, was quickly flushed to his right by Ellis, looked deep but saw no one open and dumped the ball to Ringer, but, clipped in the arm as he threw by a blitzing Scott Fujita, the ball fluttered and dropped before reaching Ringer.  Turned over on downs, it was the last that Denver would see the ball. New Jersey wins their second in a row after a horrific 0-7 start, Denver drops a game they could not afford to drop, now falling 2 games behind Arizona with a huge matchup against the Wranglers the next week.  A fun game, and an important step forward for New Jersey and their defense if they are going to recover any sense of pride this season. OHIO 6   MICHIGAN 24 Another good game for Brian Griese as the Panthers seem to be putting it together. Griese threw for 238 and 2 touchdowns, getting help from his run game as Thomas Jones and Mike Hart combined for 33 carries and 136 yards.  Steve Smith returned to action for Ohio, catching 4 balls for 100 yards, but little else came from the Glory offense in this one. ST. LOUIS 20   PITTSBURGH 27 Despite Josh Freeman getting knocked out of the game, the Skyhawks put a real scare into Pittsburgh.  Backup Troy Smith threw for 242 and 2 TDs as St. Louis had both Taylor Jacobs and Jordy Nelson over 100 yards each against a banged-up Mauler secondary.  But the Maulers hung in all game and at the end a Pickett to Victor Cruz TD pass gave the homestanding Maulers the W to improve to 8-1 on the year. BIRMINGHAM 13   ATLANTA 31 Cam Newton had a 75-yard TD run but pulled up gimpy afterwards and had to be replaced by Colt Brennan.  Atlanta took advantage, scoring the next 24 points on their way to an easy victory at home.  Joseph Addai had 112 yards for the Stallions, but without Newton the offense struggled to get to the red zone.  Meanwhile Josh Reed had his best game of the year, catching 8 for 102 yards. ORLANDO 23   BALTIMORE 16 The Renegades were determined and found what they needed to edge the Blitz with two 4th quarter field goals and a great defensive stand on a key 4th down play.  They held Ron Dayne to only 59 yards on the ground, and got TD runs from both Leon Johnson and Knowshon Moreno to take the win and move above .500 again. BOSTON 6   NASHVILLE 23 Jake Locker avoided throwing more picks, but also could not get anything going for Boston’s offense as Nashville dominated thanks to 2 TDs to Ahmad Merrit.  Add in 111 yards from Robert Meachem and you have a pretty solid day for Jay Cutler.  After the game, Boston Coach Jim Fox said he would be returning to Adrian McPherson at QB for Week 10. NEW ORLEANS 9   MEMPHIS 16 The Showboats win 2 in a row as they take care of the winless Breakers.  New Orleans led at the half, but a 3rd quarter TD pass from Ryan Mallett to Jim Kliensasser put Memphis up for good.  Drew Brees went 24 of 35 for 285 yards but could not convert yards into points as New Orleans continues to struggle on offense. PHILADELPHIA 28   WASHINGTON 26 A good battle in the NE Division goes to Philadelphia as the Stars hold off backup Joe Webb and the Feds.  Webb would throw for 3 scores but fell behind early and just could not fully catch up late in the game.  Deion Branch had 2 TDs for Washington, while Philadelphia got scores from 4 different players to get the win. SEATTLE 24   JACKSONVILLE 6 The Dragons look good in a big road win 3,000 miles from home.  Jahvid Best had 2 TD runs and Byron Leftwich welcomed Nate Burleson back from injury with a TD toss.  For Jacksonville, no run game at all forced Tim Tebow to throw 59 pass attempts.  He completed 25 for 267 yards but was also sacked 4 times and picked once as Seattle rolled. LAS VEGAS 30   CHARLOTTE 6 No Marshawn, no problem as the Thunder score 20 unanswered points in the second half to roll past the Monarchs in Charlotte.  Jake Delhomme is sacked 5 times by that nasty Thunder defense, and LB Shantee Orr took a Delhomme pick to the house as Las Vegas wins big and retains a share of first place. ARIZONA 7   TEXAS 30 A huge statement game for the Outlaws as they dominate unbeaten Arizona in the Alamodome.  Two first quarter TDs from Flacco to Marques Colston set the tone as Texas built up a 27-0 lead and never looked back.  Arizona’s only points came on a pick-six as the Texas D completely shut down LaDainian Tomlinson and the Arizona offense.  A huge divisional win for a rising Outlaw squad. LOS ANGELES 34   CHICAGO 13 The Express feeling disrespected by the national media, take out their frustrations against the Machine, going on a 24-point surge after falling behind 7-0 in this one.  Two Randy Moss TDs highlight a 298-yard, 3 TD game for Mark Sanchez as LA moves to 6-2 and stays tied for first place in the Pacific. TAMPA BAY 10   OAKLAND 6 An ugly game in drizzly, wet conditions by the bay as the Bandits escape with a 4-point win against Oakland.  Joey Galloway had 108 yards and the game’s only TD as Tampa Bay holds on to win in miserable conditions.  The Invaders could not get a run game going and shot themselves in the foot with 11 penalties. PORTLAND 20   HOUSTON 13 Houston’s misery continues as they drop their 7th in a row.  Portland got TDs from Visanthe Shiancoe (later injured in the game) and Andre Davis as the Portland defense completely overwhelms Houston backup Tim Rattay, in for the injured Matt Hasselbeck.  Jonathan Stewart also rushes for 110 as Portland moves to 4-5 and in the mass of teams hoping to be in Wild Card position. Outlaws Roust the Wranglers Call it a statement game, a letdown, or the eventual evening of results across the league, but the Texas Outlaws sent a shot across the bow of the league with their rout of the Arizona Wranglers.  Many had thought that Texas could give Arizona a challenge, and some did predict the upset, but no one saw the result being total domination by the folks from San Antonio.  Texas scored the first 27 points of the game begore a late pick-six by Arizona’s Jimmie Williams put Arizona on the board.  The Outlaws gained over 450 total yards against the Wrangler defense, including 98 yards rushing for T. J. Duckett, 96 for Marques Colsten, and another 87 from Brandon Marshall.  Joe Flacco had a fabulous game, racking up a 119.3 QB Rating on the day while throwing 3 TDs. Meanwhile, Arizona looked flat from the get-go.  David Carr completed only 13 of 30 passes and was sacked 8 times.  That total includes a stunning 4 sacks from Texas DE Renaldo Wynn, who Carr will be seeing in his nightmares for weeks to come.  LaDainian Tomlinson did not fare much better, averaging only 1.9 yards per carry as Texas consistently used gap blitzes to disrupt the run game.  Larry Fitzgerald was held to only 3 catches on the day as Arizona was simply overmatched up front. The question now is if other teams can mimic Texas’s high pressure, man coverage scheme to slow down Arizona and then find the same defensive weaknesses that Texas exploited. We expect that Coach Tomsula will be using this game as motivation for the Wranglers to play their best in the coming weeks.  The Wranglers don’t face Texas again, having played both games to a 1-1 draw, but the lingering impact of this drubbing by the Outlaws could certainly impact them.  Week 10 has them facing Denver, another team hot on their heels in the division.  Could the Gold repeat the model for victory that Texas provided or will Arizona bounce back with a divisional win to reestablish their position in the division? Boston Benches Rookie Jake Locker With a QB rating of only 53.7, and a 3:9 TD:INT ratio, not to mention six consecutive losses, none of which saw Boston score more than 16 points, it is not surprising that Coach Jim Fox is regretting his decision to replace Adrian McPherson with rookie Jake Locker.  He reversed that decision after this week’s 23-6 loss at Nashville and will start McPherson against Memphis in Week 10. It is not the first time that a high-profile rookie QB has struggled with the speed and sophistication of the pro game, but Locker was viewed as the most pro-ready QB in the draft, and one of the best prospects of the past few years. Boston fans are already muttering unflattering comparisons to Ryan Leaf on sports radio.  It seems very early to say that, as we have also seen many QBs struggle in their first year only to come on in their careers as the game became easier to read and their understanding of an offense improved. Sitting at 1-8, Boston is already out of playoff contention, so there is a question of whether or not Coach Fox is removing valuable snaps from a rookie QB who can only grow as he plays more, but concerns  that Locker is losing confidence in himself and becoming more rattled each week has Coach Fox offering the rookie a respite, a chance to catch his breath and watch the game develop from the sideline.  Certainly, a setback for Locker and the Cannons as a whole, but an understandable position for Fox, who has not dealt with a rookie QB in his entire tenure with the Cannons. Charlotte Trades for a Halfback We had a feeling that Charlotte would not stand pat after losing Fred Jackson to IR.  After one game where rookie HB Taiwan Jones rushed for only 2.2 yards per carry and the Monarchs got crushed 30-6 by Las Vegas, the club made a move to bring in a possible solution at halfback.  The Monarchs made a deal with the Memphis Showboats to bring HB Shonn Greene over to Charlotte.  It cost them a 2nd round pick in the 2012 draft, but Greene brings more experience and some good inside running skills to the club.  Expect him to get the bulk of the carries with Charlotte this week, but to be removed for passing downs as he will not yet have all the blocking assignments in place yet. Greene’s came to Memphis as a rookie in 2009, but only saw action in 1 game. In 2010 he became a regular contributor, even starting 3 games when Cadillac Williams was dealing with injury.  He would rush for 517 yards and 7 TDs in Memphis, used most frequently as a short-yardage and goal line back.  He will have a chance with Charlotte to have a much larger role, at least this  year with Jackson sidelines.  This is a contract year for Greene, so a good performance could lead to a nice new contract or to added value on the free agent market.  Charlotte is, of course, hoping that motivation will help Greene play to his maximum potential and provide the Monarchs with a run game they need to keep pressure off Jake Delhomme. Divisional Race Roundup As we look at the Week 9 standings and knowing that we begin our official playoff positioning reviews next week, we can see that there are going to be some tight races this year.  Five of six divisions have clusters of teams all fighting for supremacy.  As we gear up for the playoff run, here is our look at each of the 6 divisions, from closest to least competitive. NORTHEAST:  Not only is this division close, with 3 teams all within 1 game of the lead but may be the most competitive.  Philadelphia currently holds a 1-game lead over Washington and Baltimore but all three teams have looked like very real Summer Bowl contenders this year, so this is a real clash of the titans situation.  Each club currently has 1 loss in the division, but we expect that in the weeks to come the battles among these three will only produce more drama and more upheaval in the division. PACIFIC:  The surprise upswing of the LA Express, the injury to Marshawn Lynch, and the resilience of the Seattle Dragons are making the Pacific Division one of the most interesting races in the league.  The fact that all 5 clubs are within 2 games of each other means that upsets are not out of the question and any team, even 5th place Portland can make a run to the top over the final 7 weeks of the season. LA and Las Vegas are currently tied atop the division, but LA has a perfect 3-0 division record, giving them the edge. That means they still have 5 division games to go, so the infighting will be key for the Express and the whole division. SOUTHEAST:  Four of five teams are within 2 games of first place Tampa Bay, with only 2-7 Jacksonville sitting this one out. Charlotte has lost 4 in a row and may be fading, but they are still making moves to try to be competitive.  Atlanta and Orlando are right there with Tampa Bay, and, most interestingly, Orlando has only played 1 divisional game to date. In a quirk of scheduling, they have 7 divisional games in their final 7 weeks.  That is a gauntlet, but also an opportunity as they will play all the contenders twice over the next 2 months. SOUTHWEST:  Texas’s win over the Wranglers suddenly puts this division back in play.  Both Texas and Denver are still 2 games behind Arizona, but the task of catching the Wranglers now seems more viable.  Arizona plays Denver this week.  Another loss and this division could be as close as the NE or Pacific.  Houston is well out of the hunt, but 3 teams, all looking very strong, should continue to battle this one out.  We should also note that Denver is still unbeaten in the division (only 2-0) with 4 division games left to play. SOUTHERN:  We expected a 2-team race, and we got that, just not the 2 teams we expected.  New Orleans’s collapse and Cam Newton’s strong rookie year have made it possible for Birmingham to challenge Nashville in a 2-team race.  Right now the Knights hold a 1-game lead, and are still unbeaten (3-0) in division games.  Birmingham can narrow that gap with a win over the Knights in Week 14 but have to get past Washington and Pittsburgh first.  The Knights also have a tough path ahead, with the Maulers, Bandits and then Birmingham on the schedule in the next month. CENTRAL:  The one division that is just not competitive this year.  Pittsburgh has a 4-game lead on the closest challengers (Michigan and Ohio) and could wrap up the division title before June.  They are still fighting for a #1 seed in the playoffs and will have to keep pace with Arizona to do so. The chase in the division is for a possible Wild Card spot, but with both the Panthers and Glory at 4-5, they will need to string together some wins in order to get in the mix ahead of teams from other divisions. Five Under .500 Seven weeks left and while there are certainly teams who look like clear playoff contenders, there are also those on the fringe, sitting outside the current playoff positions but still with potential if they can put the pieces together.  Here is our look at 5 teams currently sitting below the .500 mark who, with a bit of focus, a bit of bit of tenacity and a bit of luck can make a run at a postseason position.  They may not be at the top of the standings right now, but they do have reasons to be optimistic. MICHIGAN (4-5, 1-3 in Division):  The Panthers actually sit in 2nd place in the Central Division, a full 4 games behind Pittsburgh, but in a possible position to garner a Wild Card if they can keep a hot hand.  The Panthers have won their last 3 games, which we take as a good sign, and Brian Griese over that span has thrown for nearly 800 yards with 4 TDs.  That is an even better sign that the Panthers may be poised for a strong second half and a possible return to playoff football. OHIO (4-5, 2-3 in Division): The Glory are by many accounts ahead of schedule.  The club is still considered to be in a rebuild mold, but the defense Coach Bart Andrus has put together has come together quickly and is keeping Ohio in most games.  Vince Young did not start the season at QB, but now is in the lineup and it is hoped that he can help spark the offense as well.  Their loss this week to Michigan kept them from being at 5-4 and they have some tough games ahead, but the Glory are certainly not out of the hunt. OAKLAND (4-5, 1-2 In Division):  The Invaders are not the division power they were 2 years ago, but they still can be a very dangerous team, and with the division as tight as it is a late run is not unimaginable.  They need better play out of their 25th ranked offense, because right now the defense is doing all the heavy lifting.  That means more consistency from the run game and more big plays out of the passing game. PORTLAND (4-5, 0-3 in Division):  Preseason picks had Portland as a favorite in the division, but after a 3-2 start, a 3-game slide did not do them any favors.  They rebounded this week with a win in Houston but will need to show more consistency and more explosiveness if they want to stay a viable playoff team this year.  They are about to run a 4-game gauntlet against Pacific Division foes, so these next 4 weeks will all but guarantee their fate. CHICAGO (3-6, 0-5 in Division):  This one is a longshot, we know.  After losing 5 straight division games to open the year, Chicago turned things around with a 3-game win streak, but it may just be too little too late.  The defense is just not what it once was, and yet, with upcoming games against Michigan, New Orleans, Memphis, Ohio, and St. Louis, the chance for a second surge still exists, but is it far too late to be of much good? A really bad week across the USFL as we had 4 players added to IR, including a very scary neck injury for Portland center Brad Meester, who collapsed on the field after a brutal head-to-head hit.  He had to be taken out on an ambulace with a neck injury.  Early reports are positive.  He has movement and feeling in all extremities, but it was a very scary moment. The other three IR placements were not as frightening to watch this weekend but are still significant.  Portland will miss veteran TE Visanthe Schianco, who ruptured his Achilles after catching a TD in this weekend’s game.  Michigan SS Tyrone Carter left the game with his arm in a sling, and it was determined that his bicep has detached from the bone and that will cost him the season to repair and rehab.  Finally, Tampa Bay FS suffered 3 broken ribs in a vicious hit and will be unable to return this season. While not nearly as significant as the injuries listed above, we have several players expected to miss at least 1-2 weeks after this week’s games.  Philadelphia CB Quentin Jammer is out 2-4 weeks with a partially torn hamstring.  Memphis wideout Lee Evans is out 1-2 with an elbow injury, while Washington could miss starting center Austin King for 1-2 weeks with an ankle injury.  Las Vegas cornerback Antoine Winfield suffered a shoulder injury this week and is expected to be out at least a week. Finally, Mike Pouncy is expected to be out this week with a stinger in his neck. One last note, QB Cam Newton left the game this week with pain in his neck and is listed as questionable for the big game this weekend against Washington.  If he cannot go, then Colt Brennan is expected to get the start. Trades We Wish Would Happen With just one week left until the trade deadline, we look around the league and wonder “what if?”  There are some clubs who are not going anywhere and are sitting on very talented individuals.  Would they be willing to give up a significant start in order to acquire more pieces or some draft capital?  There are also some teams who just don’t seem to know how to get the best out of a player.  What if they moved that player on and got someone who fits their mold a bit more?  We tried to answer these and other roster questions as we looked across the league.  In doing so we have come up with 6 trades we wish would happen, both for the teams and the individual players. 1.  St. Louis sends WR Taylor Jacobs to Las Vegas. The Thunder have been beset by WR injuries, and even with Marty Booker expected back, they just don’t have a guy who can take over a game.  St. Louis does, but they just don’t seem to ever put enough around him to allow his talent to translate into wins.  We don’t expect the Skyhawks would want to give Jacobs up, but he would be a perfect fit for Coach June Jones’s system in Vegas. 2.  HB Kenny Watson to the Dragons. Watson is beginning to look like the odd man out in Pittsburgh, where Ronnie Brown’s emergence has seriously cut into Watson’s carries.  Seattle is a club that is struggling to field a consistent run game.  Send Watson to Seattle for a pick and maybe LaDell Betts, who runs a similar style to Brown and you could benefit both run games. 3.  A. J. Feeley to Boston. What do we know about Boston?  We know that Jake Locker is struggling to pick up the pro game.  He needs a mentor, someone who can guide him and get him to see the game better.  Feeley is out as the starter in Portland and could be a perfect 1-year solution for Boston, helping the Cannons this year while also providing tutelage to the young and somewhat shaken Locker. 4.  FS Tebucky Jones to the Arizona Wranglers. Jones is having a banner year for Memphis, but he is going nowhere on a 2-win Showboat squad.  Arizona is a Summer Bowl contender despite the fact that they are giving up over 250 yards per game passing.  Putting Jones on that Arizona roster would provide immediate support and essentially a coach on the field.  We expect Memphis would want a lot in return, but if Arizona is all in this year for a title, it may be a deal worth making. 5.  DE Jason Babin to the Bandits. Babin is 2nd in the league in sacks, which makes him very unlikely trade bait, but he is also spinning his wheels with a Boston club that is so focused on offense that they are not doing what they need to for the defense to be effective.  Put Babin on a team that has a shot and let him be the disruptor that the Bandit defense sorely needs. Yes, it means giving up quite a bit to Boston to make it happen, but the Bandit defense needs to be more aggressive and Babin could be the answer. 6.  New Orleans should trade the #1 pick in the draft away. Now, this assumes that the Breakers retain that pick by finishing last in the league, which after this week’s loss to Memphis seems like a good bet.  The #1 pick is almost always going to be a QB, which is the one position we don’t think the Breakers need to address.  A healthy Drew Brees will be just fine in New Orleans.  What New Orleans needs are picks, lots of picks, so they can rebuild across the defense, the O-line, and at the HB position.  As much as we like Matt Forte, he is not getting the job done.  Maye even package him with the top pick to get even more out of a team. Texas reveals 2012 Uniforms The second of next year’s Adidas redesigns has been announced, with the very hot Texas Outlaws getting a new look, one they hope they can debut in the 2011 playoffs.  Not to worry Texas faithful, unlike Reebok, Adidas is not proposing a new logo for your beloved Outlaws.  They are retaining the traditional cowboy over a lone star design, keeping the secondary “action outlaw” logo and are adding s supplemental logo featuring a shield and the Alamo skyline to highlight the club’s San Antonio home. The main distinction fans will see with the 2011 uniform is in the use of colors.  Black will be far less present than in past years, with the new Texas look particularly emphasizing the Kelly Green and Royal Blue combo.  This is particularly evident in the new striping, which plays upon a consistent 4-stripe pattern, with four equal width stripes, with the two outer stripes the same color—white on colored backgrounds, blue on a white background, and then two distinct stripes on the inside.  On the Green helmet this produces parallel blue and green stripes within the white outer stripes, a pattern which is also found on the blue and green pant sets and on both jerseys. We have this pattern on both jerseys because Texas is one of several teams that has moved to having colored sleeves on their white jerseys.  In the case of the Outlaws it is a blue sleeve, allowing for the same stripe pattern as on the home blue jerseys.  The new wordmark is on the front of each jersey, the secondary logo on each sleeve as well, and a wide block font with some western flourishes is in green with a blue drop shadow on the white look and white with green shadow on the blue jersey. The entire look is very much in keeping with the aesthetics that the club inherited from the San Antonio Gunslingers back in 1988.  While some fans have called for the club to develop a blue alternate helmet, or even an all-black look, the Outlaws have consistently been a team with a green helmet and blue jersey, balancing the two colors.  While the three pant sets would allow the club to provide an all-blue look, the team has said that it plans to wear the blue pants primarily with the white jersey, the white pants with the blue jersey, and the green pants with either jersey for special games. We are still awaiting the reveals for New Orleans, fresh off their vote on team colors, and the Washington Federals, with rumors of a modified eagle logo already being spread around DC. Week 10 brings us a slate of action that could go a long way to determining which clubs are truly in the hunt for a playoff spot and which may be fading fast.  Saturday brings us Nashville (6-3) visiting Charlotte.  A loss by the Monarchs here and they could quickly fade from the SE Division race.  Michigan is also sitting at 4-5 and they host the 3-6 Chicago Machine.  Neither team can afford a loss at this point.  On Sunday, Ohio has a shot to revive playoff hopes but will need to pull the upset as the visiting Maulers (8-1) are heavily favored.  Birmingham sits at 5-4 and have a chance to prove their legitimacy as they host the Washington Federals. Portland (4-5) needs a win over visiting LA (6-3) to get back in the chase, but the Express are hoping to put their stamp on the division with a win on the road.  Late on Sunday we have two good battles of 5-4 and 4-5 clubs, with Seattle visiting Oakland at 4pm and then Atlanta hosting Orlando at 8pm on the ESPN Football Network. It all kicks off on Friday with an in-state rivalry game as the Texas Tussle resumes in Houston, with a spiraling Gambler team, losers of 7 in a row, hosting the hot Texas Outlaws.  Another match with huge implications is 6-3 Denver visiting 8-1 Arizona on Saturday.  On Sunday the early game between 6-3 Baltimore and 7-2 Philadelphia will also be huge. FRIDAY @ 8pm ET                  Texas (6-3) @ Houston (2-7)                               NBC SATURDAY @ 12pm ET        Boston (1-8) @ Memphis (2-7)                        ABC SATURDAY @ 12pm ET           Nashville (6-3) @ Charlotte (4-5)                      ABC SATURDAY @ 12pm ET           New Jersey (2-7) @ New Orleans (0-9)           FOX SATURDAY @ 4pm ET             Chicago (3-6) @ Michigan (4-5)                       ABC SATURDAY @ 4pm ET             Denver (6-3) @ Arizona (8-1)                         FOX SATURDAY @ 8pm ET            Jacksonville (2-7) @ Tampa Bay (6-3)               ESPN SUNDAY @ 12pm ET             Baltimore (6-3) @ Philadelphia (7-2)                ABC SUNDAY @ 12pm ET             Pittsburgh (8-1) @ Ohio (4-5)                             FOX SUNDAY @ 12pm ET             Washington (6-3) @ Birmingham (5-4)            FOX SUNDAY @ 4pm ET                 St. Louis (3-6) @ Las Vegas (6-3)                        ABC SUNDAY @ 4pm ET              Los Angeles (6-3) @ Portland (4-5)               ABC SUNDAY @ 4pm ET                Seattle (5-4) @ Oakland (4-5)                          FOX SUNDAY @ 8pm ET               Atlanta (5-4) @ Orlando (5-4)                             EFN

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Randy Moss had the kind of game this week that makes us remember that he is one of the truly elite receivers in the league. He finished the game, a big one for the Express, with 6 catches, 142 yards and 2 scores, but you need to check out the highlights to see just how special some of those catches were.

Midseason and a lot to decipher.  Also a lot to look forward to.  We reach midseason with an unexpected unbeaten club (Arizona), some unexpected collapses (Chicago, Houston, New Jersey, New Orleans) and a few surprising strong starts across the league (Birmingham, Los Angeles).  This is the ever-present change that we see each year in the USFL where the fortunes of any team can radically change with a few key moves, a new coaching strategy, or simply a new culture of accountability.  Week 8 itself saw some intriguing results as two of the winless clubs (New Jersey and Memphis) managed to land their first victories of the year.  We also saw a great clash in the Southwest as Texas took on Denver at Mile High.  We wondered if Oakland had finally found their formula after they knocked off Portland, and we ponder just how far the Houston Gamblers will fall this year after a title run in 2010.   All that, and all the midseason analysis is right here, right now. MICHIGAN PANTHERS 25   ORLANDO RENEGADES 20 Not the marquee matchup of the week, to be sure, but this matchup of the ‘Gades and Panthers turned out to be one of the best games of the year because both teams were giving it everything they had.  Michigan was hoping to add a 3rd win to their total and perhaps creep back into the playoff picture.  Orlando was hoping to use this game as a springboard to the Division lead.  So, what we got were two hungry teams, both motivated to win, and a game that was entertaining throughout. Early on it looked like Michigan certainly had the upper hand, but far too often they were forced to settle for field goals instead of touchdowns and that allowed Orlando to hang close enough to be a threat throughout.  It began with a quick first drive, enhanced by Michigan coming out using a no-huddle strategy.  The goal was to hit Orlando hard and fast, and to get Brian Griese into a rhythm.  His comeback from injury has been somewhat spotty, so Coach LeBeau wanted to give him full command and the ability to manipulate mismatches caused by the inability for Orlando to put in subs as Michigan went without a huddle. The strategy paid off as Michigan marched down the field in only 8 plays, capping off their drive with a Griese to Joppru 13-yard TD strike.  The strategy would pay off twice more in the quarter as Orlando, suffering from some offensive sputtering, could not gain a first down in the period, two straight 3-and-outs, while Michigan continued to use the no-huddle to add 6 more points on two consecutive field goal drives.  It could have been more but WR Mario Manningham dropped a wide open touchdown on the third drive, crashing to the ground and rolling into a cameraman at the same time.  He would leave the game with an injury caused on that play, and that would force Michigan to use different formations and largely abandon the no-huddle to allow their own substitutions. Down 13-0 at home after one quarter, Orlando also changed gears, Shifting from first down play action to more run calls.  The strategy worked, as Knowshon Moreno and Jacob Hester alternated inside runs to pretty good effect, giving Eli Manning short third downs to make.  The shift led to Orlando’s first poins, a 27-yard kick to put them on the board.  After a third Michigan field goal made it 16-3, Orlando would get their first TD of the day and pull right back within one score just as the first half wound down.  The TD, an 11-yard scamper by Moreno, came at the end of a 13-play drive that started at the Orlando 4 after a botched kick return.  Eli Manning completed 4 of 6 throws on the drive and they got an unexpected boost when a 3rd and 1 plunge play by Leon Johnson ended up going for 13 yards when the back bounced off the original tacklers. Michigan continued to struggle to turn drives into touchdowns in the 3rd quarter, and again settled for a field goal.  Their defense had played well all game, but with only a 19-10 lead, they could  not rest.  Unfortunately, on at least one play they did.  A mental mistake left Orlando WR Justin McCaerins open behind the safeties and Eli did not miss on the throw.  The scoring toss to McCaerins got Orlando back to within 2 points at 19-17 as the third quarter wound down. The final period saw both defenses scrambling to keep the offenses contained.  It worked for the first 12 minutes of the period, with both teams struggling to get past the 50.  But, after a beautiful seam route broke Greg Olsen open in the middle of the field, Orlando broke through.  Their drive bogged down thanks to a holding call, but still left them in field goal range for Bill Grammatica.  The Orlando kicker gave the ‘Gades their first lead of the game with only 1:36 left to play.  Orlando was up 20-19 and had to defend for the next 90 seconds to claim the win. As it turns out, it was 90 seconds too many.  Michigan took over on their 25 after the kickoff sailed out of the endzone.  They then proceeded to dissect the Orlando zone defense, a zone the game announcers critiqued heavily as it clearly was allowing too many 8-10 yard completions and too many outside routes that allowed receivers to get out of bounds, preserving time.  After spiking the ball on a first down inside the Orlando 20, and needing only a field goal to win, Michigan opted not to set up their kicker by plunging the ball towards his preferred hasmark. Instead they set up in a tight formation, faked the ball to Mike Hart, and Griese found Laverneus Coles on a fade route to the endzone.  The fake worked as the safeties crashed the line, leaving Coles in single coverage, perfect for the fade route to succeed.   Coles brought down the ball, and with 9 seconds left, the Orlando crowd groaned in frustration as Michigan went up 25-20.  The Panthers went for 2 to make it a 7-point lead, but failed, giving us the final score of 25-20. For the Panthers, the gritty comeback win means that they move to 3-5 and are still viable as a potential Wild Card. There is little chance that they can catch the 6-1 Maulers, but with Wild Card clubs often sitting at 9-7 or 8-8, the Panthers at least have hope.  Better yet, the game showed that Brian Griese is regaining some of his form and his swagger from the 2009 season. For Orlando, dropping to 4-4 is not a disaster, particularly not in the Southeastern Division where 4 of the 5 clubs are all clustered right around the .500 mark, but it certainly complicates their push to a leadership position. OAKLAND 24   PORTLAND 20 The Invaders even their record at 4-4 despite a run game that got nowhere against Portland (38 total yards).  Credit the defense, which not only held the Stag offense in check but also produced the game-winning points.  Down 20-17 in the 4th, Oakland got a pick six from linebacker Mike Maslowski to secure the win.  Maz snuck in front of a ball aimed for Stag TE Vicante Shiancoe and got a caravan of blockers for a 50-yard pick that crushed the Stags’ hopes for a home win. CHARLOTTE 27   NEW JERSEY 30 The Generals’ offense came alive against a pretty good Monarch D as New Jersey notched their first win of the year.  Two TDs from Maurice Jones-Drew led the way for a 30-point New Jersey output. The defense also came up big, picking off Jake Delhomme 3 times to hold Charlotte in check.  The final pick, made by Nate Clements, was the clincher as it ended a last ditch Charlotte drive in the waning seconds of the game. BOSTON 16   PHILADELPHIA 20 Jake Locker finally had a game without throwing a pick, but it was still not enough as Philadelphia edged the Cannons at home.  Not the best game for Kurt Warner as he was sacked 6 times, including 3 from Boston DE Jason Babin, but the Stars got enough out of their offense to hold off the Cannons late.  With Stevie Johnson sidelined, Reche Caldwell had another big day, catching 7 balls for 124 yards and a score. PITTSBURGH 10   LOS ANGELES 9 This one was all about defense as neither team was able to show much on offense.  LA was held to only 196 total yards, including only 24 total yards on the ground.  Pittsburgh fared better, with 101 rushing yards between Brown and Watson, but could not get the ball in the endzone for most of the day.  The game’s lone TD, a Kenny Watson run, was enough however, as LA could only muster 3 field goals. HOUSTON 19   CHICAGO 24 Chicago nabs their 3rd win of the season as they seem to have turned things around, but Houston, ooh boy, that makes 6 losses in a row for the league champion.  Matt Hasselbeck was actually pulled from the game late in favor of Tim Rattay, a humiliating development for the 2010 OPOTY.  Chicago hung on despite losing Brady Quinn in the third quarter.  Mike Kafka came in and threw a key TD to Donald Driver to secure Chicago’s 3rd win in a row. NASHVILLE 17   BALTIMORE 27 This battle of 5-2 clubs goes to the homestanding Baltimore Blitz as they get two 2nd half TD tosses from Big Ben to Tory Holt to take the W.  Add in 111 yards from Ron Dayne and a defense that held Jay Cutler to only 170 yards passing and the Blitz get their 6th victory in 8 games. Holt would finish with 3 scores on the day and led all receivers with 93 yards. MEMPHIS 20   ST. LOUIS 10 The Showboats show some spine and snag their first win in 8 tries, knocking off a sloppy St. Louis squad that could not get out of their own way.  Cadillac Williams lifted the Showboats on his back, rushing for 151 yards as St. Louis could not find a formula to slow him down.  New arrivals Antonio Smith and Kendrick Clancy made great first impressions for the Showboats, each recording a sack of Josh Freeman. NEW ORLEANS 16   OHIO 17 The Breakers played hard for Coach Lathon and almost pulled off the road win, but fall by 1 point to become the league’s only 0-8 club.  New Orleans had a 16-10 lead with 5 minutes left, but could not stop the Glory on a final drive that finished with a Zach Miller TD catch to take the win.  The Breakers outgained the Glory 300-143, but simply could not hold the lead in the end. JACKSONVILLE 24   BIRMINGHAM 31 A good one between two athletic QBs as rookie Cam Newton edged 2nd year QB Tim Tebow to help Birmingham to a 5-3 record at the halfway point.  Newton threw for 276 yards and 2 scores, while Tebow thew for 275 but also threw 3 picks.  The play of the game however came with  Newton’s legs. With the game tied at 24 with 2:10 left to play, Newton scrambled, straight-armed a safety and dashed 58 yards for the game winner, a stunning play that had all of Birmingham on their feet.  Terrell Owens also had a strong game, with 135 receiving yards and 2 scores as he and Newton are quickly becoming one of the best QB-WR combos in the league. TEXAS 17   DENVER 26 The SW Division clash at Invesco Field goes to the road team and backup QB Dan LeFevour.  The Gold QB went 16 of 24 for 236 yards, connecting for 3 TDs with TE Daniel Graham (2) and WR Peerless Price (1).  Texas had a shot, but Joe Flacco suffered a concussion in the 3rd and backup Sage Rosenfels just could not rally the Outlaws, despite 128 yards from WR Marques Colston against the Gold defense. WASHINGTON 13   ARIZONA 17 Another huge game featuring a SW Division club as the unbeaten Wranglers use a stifling defense and home field advantage to knock off the 6-1 Federals. David Garrard suffered 3 sacks and was knocked out of the game, forcing Joe Webb into action late.  The Arizona D forced 3 turnovers, including 2 picks of Webb, to secure the win despite their offense struggling to gain 238 yards on the day.  Arizona now sits a perfect 8-0 at the midway point. LAS VEGAS 7   SEATTLE 24 Everyone wondered what the Las Vegas offense would do without Marshawn Lynch, and the answer is not much. The Thunder got only 74 total yards out of their run game as Seattle limited Cedric Benson to 50 yards on 19 carries (2.6 YPC).  Meanwhile, the combo of Betts and Best combined for 172 yards rushing as the Dragons ground out a win and evened their record at 4-4 at midseason. TAMPA BAY 37   ATLANTA 20 The Bandits snap their 3-game losing streak and reach midseason with a share of first place.  They did it by forcing 3 Kyle Orton picks and by handing the ball to Willis McGahee.  Atlanta’s D seemed unable to tackle the Bandit back, who rushed for 182 yards and 2 scores on the day.  Tampa would also get a pick-6 from Antrel Rolle as Kyle Orton forced the ball in desperation in the 4th. Arizona a Surprise 8-0 Without a doubt the biggest story of the USFL season’s first half, the Arizona Wranglers, sitting at 8-0, are the surprise team of the season.  After improving a 1-15 club in 2008 to 5-9, then 7-9, there was hope in Phoenix that the Wranglers were headed in the right direction with Coach Jim Tomsula, but no one saw a start like this on the horizon for the Wranglers.  Arizona has run roughshod through the league, surviving their biggest test last week when the 6-1 Washington Federals came to town.  The Wranglers won that game, as they have won all their games, with a balanced offense and a shut down defense. The Wranglers seem to give up yardage (14th in the league) but not points (3rd in points allowed), and they have an offense that is 11th in both the run and the pass, a sign of their balance, but 4th in scoring. That combination has worked well for the club as they have already won more games this season than in any year since 2006.  Coach Tomsula is up for Coach of the Year, and LaDainian Tomlinson is back in a form we have not seen from him in several season (NFL and USFL).  They have a tough test the next two weeks, with games at Texas and then their first showdown with the Denver Gold, but this team has already proven the doubters wrong.  They will be a force to be reckoned with down the home stretch as well. Houston’s Collapse a Mystery If Arizona’s year is one of surprising success, the Houston Gamblers’ season, hot off their 4th USFL title, has been a mysterious collapse into despair.  The Gamblers started the year strong, with a Summer Bowl rematch win over Philadelphia in the season opener and an easy victory over New Jersey in Week 2.  But after that it all went downhill.  Blown out 30-14 by their in-state rivals, Houston then went on to lose 5 more games to create their current 6-game skid.  In that span, they have scored only 20 points or more once 9a 24-21 loss at Denver), and were shut out by Washington in a game few could believe. But, what is the problem for the Gamblers?  Well, there appear to be many.  They currently rank 23rd in the league against the pass, in part because their usual combination of pressure and shallow zones is being exploited by quick release passing schemes.  On offense, they have picked up yardage, averaging 338 yards per game, certainly respectable, but that has only generated 17.6 points per game, and that includes the 2 wins before the skid started.  QB Matt Hasselbeck has regressed after an excellent 2010, throwing 11 picks to only 9 TDs this season and is being sacked more often as well.  Shaun Alexander’s numbers are solid, but he is getting bottled up in the redzone, with Houston struggling to find paydirt. It is a surprising turn of events for a club that many thought could make a run at a repeat.  That goal seems well out of reach at this point, as even finishing at .500 would be a major accomplishment for this Houston squad.  With Texas, Denver, and especially Arizona having outstanding seasons, any chance Houston has to improve this year may be limited to trying not to finish in 4th place, a devastating drop from the lofty heights they accomplished in 2010. Cam Newton Revives the Stallions To say that the gamble the Stallions took on Auburn QB Cam Newton has paid off is to underplay what we have seen this year. The 1-year starter at Auburn impressed everyone with a magical run to a national title for the Tigers, but there were still a lot of doubters as to how his game would translate to the pro ranks.  Well, I think it is safe to say that Newton has adapted just fine. After 8 weeks, Cam Newton has a 2:1 TD:INT ratio (14-7), has thrown for over 1,800 yards, and has also proven dangerous as a rusher, with 105 yards so far this season, including a spellbinding 58-yard TD run just this week.  He has helped to lift Birmingham out of the basement of the Southern Division for the first time in years, and has Birmingham poised to make a playoff push at 5-3, tied with Nashville for the division lead.  When we compare his ROTY worthy numbers against the other two highly rated rookie starters (Jake Locker in Boston and Andy Dalton in Pittsburgh), there is no contest.  Dalton is spending the season on the sideline as Cody Pickett puts up strong numbers and Locker is struggling to throw the ball to the guys wearing Cannon gear instead of the opposition’s.  Well on his way to Rookie of the Year honors, Newton is looking like a gem in the Class of 2011. New Orleans in Chaos With victories by New Jersey and Memphis this weekend, New Orleans, sitting at 0-8, now enters the second half of the season as the only winless club.  Having already fired not only their head coach of 11 years, but also both coordinators, there is an air of desperation and a sense of chaos in the Crescent City.  Coach Lamar Lathon moved from a positional job as LB Coach to the big chair, and promoted two other positional coaches to help him. The franchise is looking at a permanent hire sometime in August, but before that they just want to get a W or two on the board.  Having already lost to perennial basement dwellers Birmingham and St. Louis, the Breakers may have one of their best shots this season as they head to Memphis to take on the 1-7 Showboats in Week 9.  It is the first of 3 straight games against teams with 1 win to their names, as they follow that game up with a home game against 1-7 New Jersey, and then a rematch with the Showboats in the Super Dome.  If they cannot come away with 1-2 wins in this sequence, we very well could be looking at a winless 0-16 club.  Not something we see very often, and certainly not what Breaker ownership expected when they traded for Drew Brees to be their QB. Pennsylvania is Football Central While most of the country is looking at Arizona’s surprise success, the state of Pennsylvania is trying to lock down two divisions and the crown as the center of the football world.  The Philadelphia Stars and Pittsburgh Maulers, the Keystone State’s two USFL franchises, have a combined record of 13-3 after 8 weeks, and they both lead their respective divisions.  The Maulers enjoy a 3-game lead over 2nd place Ohio, while Philly is battling both Washington and Baltimore in a top heavy Northeast Division. Sadly the two Pennsylvania powerhouses are not scheduled to meet this year, at least not in the regular season, but there is nothing that would be more welcomed from Reading to Erie than for Summer Bowl 2011 to be an all Penn matchup of Maulers and Stars.  Sure, the game is going to be played in Memphis’s Liberty Bowl, but they had better plan on bringing in major supplies of Yuengling and scrapple sandwiches if these two teams find their way to the title game. Rookies Coming on Strong We already spoke of the stellar freshman year Cam Newton is having in the USFL, and while he seems the lock-down favorite for Rookie of the Year, he is by no means alone as a first season standout.  Several other rookies are proving their worth and contributing to their teams right out of the gate. Wideout Denarius Moore has helped to keep Nashville atop the Southern Division, especially after Robert Meachem went down to injury.  The rookie receiver out of Rocky Top has surpassed 500 yards in his first 8 games and has added 4 TDs, all the while on pace for nearly 90 receptions as a rookie. Trailing Moore but not by much is Birmingham’s Jerrel Jernigan, who has gathered in 32 receptions for 429 yards and 2 TDs for the Stallions.  Third among rookie wideouts, Austin Pettis in Chicago is doing quite well, 4th on the team with 22 receptions for 225 yards and a score. In Atlanta, the surprising effectiveness of halfback Anthony Allen, a T-Draft signee out of Georgia Tech has forced Coach Ramsey to split carries with Darren McFadden, something no one saw coming this year.  McFadden’s 483 yards still leads the team, but Allen is right there with 363 as well. Tight End has been a strong position in the 2011 class, with both Birmingham’s Julius Thomas and Portland’s Jordan Cameron getting off to good starts. Thomas has 21 catches, 4 for scores as part of the new Birmingham offense, while Cameron has 31 receptions, 294 yards and 3 scores for the Stags.  Both have been huge in the red zone and will likely continue to see red zone targets in the season’s second half. On defense there have been any number of rookies making huge contributions.  In St. Louis they are loving the production they are getting from LB Aldon Smith, who is on pace for 104 tackles and also has a pick and 2 sacks.  Texas LB Jonathan Mouton has also been impressive, with 34 tackles 2 picks and a sack to his name.  Jacksonville’s K. J. Wright trails just a little with 22 tackles, a pick, and a sack after 8 games. On the D-line the breakout player from this year’s draft has been David Bowens in Jacksonville, with 6 sacks leading all Bulls defenders. Nashville has been very impressed with rookie DE Mario Addison’s 4 sacks in limited action. In New Orleans, Cameron Jordan has 4 sacks and 21 tackles, while St. Louis’s Adrian Clayborn has 4 sacks and 11 tackles so far. Baltimore’s Robert Quinn (3 sacks) and Memphis’s Sam Acho (2 sacks) are also getting significant snaps. A lot was expected of DB Patrick Peterson, and so far he is living up to the hype with 36 tackles and a pick for the  Breakers.  Ohio’s Chimdi Chekwa has not snagged his first pick yet, but already has 43 tackles in significant action. Safety Shiloh Keo has been solid for the Stallions, with 2 picks and 21 tackles so far this season. Midseason Award Favorites While it is always a bit unfair to judge players on only half a season, it is also rare that award winners come out of nowhere in the second half of the season.  So, here we are, 8 games in, and ready to declare a short list of contenders for each of the major awards this year. MVP Usually a QB award, that looks like a 2-man race at this point, with Joe Flacco and Kurt Warner looking very promising as potential MVP’s.  The 2010 OPOTY barely lost out to Matt Hasselbeck for MVP last year, and this year Kurt Warner is again in the mix.  The newcomer is Joe Flacco, who is just having a dream season in San Antonio.  Flacco is on pace for 32 TD passes, which would blow away his prior best season (16) and Texas is benefitting. OPOTY If not a QB, which we don’t see happening in back to back years, then this one could well go to one of three outstanding veterans. You have Ron Dayne and LaDainian Tomlinson, both in the Top 5 among rushers and both sustaining their offenses as the centerpiece of the attacks in Baltimore and Arizona.  But let’s not forget about Joey Galloway in Tampa Bay.  Many viewed his departure from Ohio as a swan song, well, if that is the case, he is singing an aria, on pace for over 120 receptions and 1,500 yards, he is looking every bit like the best receiver in the league. DPOTY It would not be a Defensive Player of the League vote without Calais Campbell.  Once again the big man in Orlando is racking up sacks like they are prize tickets at a Chuck E. Cheese. If, by some fluke, he tails off later in the year, something we don’t see happening, the next best candidate could be Washington LB Antonio Pierce.  Pierce in on pace for about 125 tackles, and also has 3 sacks, and 4 forced fumbles to his name this season.  Finally, if we look to the secondary you have to mention Troy Polamalu and the impact he has had in Arizona. ROTY Any conversation of Rookie of the Year begins, and appears to end, with Cam Newton.  The Auburn product has breathed new life into the Stallions and is light years ahead of the other rookie QBs taken this year.  The only real competition is coming from Moore, the Nashville wideout, and we just don’t see how a WR will outdo a QB in votes come July. COTY Our choice for Coach of the Year has to be Jim Tomsula.  The slow gradual improvement of the Wranglers year to year has kicked into a gear no one expected.  We don’t expect the Wranglers to finish the year 16-0, but if they hold on to win the division, that would be an amazing year all by itself.  We think Tomsula is the clear favorite.  The closest challengers are likely Bart Andrus in Ohio, Gregg Williams with the Express, and Birmingham’s Mike Shanahan. Voters Ask New Orleans to Retain Teal Combo The votes are in and the winner is Breaker Blue and Deep Ocean. Fans in the Breakers’ “Show Your Colors” contest voted for 6 weeks and while the vote was close between retaining the current “double teal” look of the Breakers or returning to the club’s original “double blue” look, but in the end, the look that the club has been wearing since 1994 won out over the earlier look. With nearly 50,000 votes in the books, the double teal look won by a margin of only 2,500 votes, meaning that the 2012 look for the Breakers, one of four teams getting a new design from Adidas next year, will retain the current color scheme.  But, for those who voted to return to the original bright blue, navy and gray look, they will have their day as well, since all 12 of the original 1983 USFL clubs will wear retro uniforms whenever they face fellow founding clubs during the 2012 season. While we don’t know the schedule for next year yet, we know for certain that this means at least 4 matchups for the Breakers where they will wear their original Boston/New Orleans uniforms, twice against Birmingham and twice against Nashville (the original LA Express in 1983). So, for fans of the double blue, there will be plenty of chances to see that color scheme on the Breakers, and for fans of the double teal, the future is yours as New Orleans will release their new look within the next few weeks. Charlotte gets a huge hit to the offense as veteran HB Fred Jackson will be placed on IR after suffering two broken bones in his right foot.  The injury could be career impactful depending on how it heals, but at least for this year Charlotte is going to have to rely on untested rookie Taiwan Jones unless they make a deal before the trade deadline.  Jackson, who was on pace for 1,200 yards this year will now need to wear a soft boot for several weeks and surgery is not out of the question. Houston has more of a short-term concern, as we discovered midweek that the pulling of Matt Hasselbeck from Houston’s latest loss was not purely performance based.  It turns out that Hasselbeck as complaining of chest pain, and post-game, the team physicians confirmed that the issue was in his ribs.  He will need at least a week out of the lineup, possibly longer, to recover and return to action. Memphis also lost a valued weapon with Lee Evans expected to miss as much as a month of action after suffering a hairline fracture in his right forearm.  It is not a clean break, but contact with the arm could be very detrimental to its healing, so Evans will be sidelined at least through Week 11 and possibly longer. Washington could be without starter David Garrard at least another week as his rib injury is not where doctors hoped it would be this week.  He is listed as “Out” for this week, but we are not sure how close to returning he may be.  In Chicago, TE Anthony Fasano is out at least this week and possibly longer due to a nerve issue in his back. Among those listed as “Doubtful” or “Questionable” this week we find Houston LB James Farrior (neck), Chicago DT Kris Jenkins (arm), Mauler FB Patrick DeMarco (hand), Denver QB Matt Leinart (arm), Las Vegas LB A. J. Hawk (concussion), Washington HB Deuce McCallister (abdomen), Michigan WR Mario Manningham (shoulder) and Arizona HB Stevan Ridley (arm). Expected back in action this week we have Seattle DT Brandon Noble, Arizona FS Nate Allen, LA cornerback Dominique Rogers-Cromartie, Arizona LB Karlos Dansby, Charlotte WR Derrick Mason, Tampa DE Jason Pierre-Paul, Philly WR Stevie Johnson, and Portland CB Marquand Manuel. It would not be a Week 8 report without handing out midseason grades.  And while we recognize that all teams have earned an “I” for incomplete after 8 games, we want to at least let folks know where they stand and what they need to do to bring their final grade to the best it can be.  So, without further ado, here is our team-by-team, division-by-division review of 2011 and where we think it will end. Philadelphia, Washington and Baltimore are all currently locked up at 6-2, while Boston and New Jersey are pretty much out of any playoff contention at 1-7 each.  There are arguments for all three of the 6-2 clubs to make a push to capture the division title.  Our prediction is that Philadelphia will hold off the other two and will capture both the division and the #1 seed in the East, however, we also expect all three clubs to finish with 10+ wins and to qualify for the postseason. Philadelphia Stars Midseason Grade:  A – The Stars struggled at the start, dropping their opener to Houston and then Week 2 to Washington, but since then they have been one of the best teams in football, winning 6 straight and dominating in most games, including a whopping 52-10 crushing of the Southern leader, Nashville.  A lot is going right for this club, and they are focused on getting one step further than in 2010, which means a league title or bust. Break Out Star of 2011: WR Reche Caldwell. We don’t know what has clicked between Caldwell and Kurt Warner but the 10-year vet is having a breakout year as a deep ball receiver with over 700 yards already.  If he can get more endzone shots, he could easily be an OPOTY candidate. Area of Concern:  While the run defense has been stellar (#1 in the league at only 58.8 YPG) the pass defense has given up some big plays. With both Washington and Baltimore coming up the next two weeks, they are going to want to lock down the big plays and force both clubs to drive slowly down the field. What We Expect: We see Philly on a mission this year.  They believed they were better than Houston and they still believe in themselves.  This is a club that wants that 4th title and has the talent on both sides of the ball to get it.  We see them as the odds on favorite to win the division and very possibly the #1 seed in the East. Washington Federals Midseason Grade:  A – Just as with Philadelphia, the Federals have come out looking like a serious Summer Bowl contender.  Their two losses have come against other division leaders, Tampa Bay and Arizona, and they were right in those two games.  They face Philly in Week 9, and that game could determine the tie breaker that will decide the division. Break Out Star of 2011: CB Brandon Flowers.  In his 4 prior seasons he has a total of 4 picks, a number he has already met this season.  He is playing lights out after being upgraded to the #1 corner and could soon be assigned to defend the top receiver of opposing offenses instead of being assigned a side of the field. Area of Concern:  David Garrard could be out at least 2 weeks with rib issues, 2 weeks that could be the difference between winning the division and getting a Wild Card.  With Philly up this week, backup Joe Webb had better shine or the Feds could already be in trouble in their hunt for the NE Division. What We Expect: We think the Feds could make a deep playoff run, but if they are a Wild Card team that means road games and that is never easy.  We see them as perhaps the top Wild Card club, but is that enough for their goal of reaching the Summer Bowl? Baltimore Blitz Midseason Grade:  A – We cannot give the other NE contenders an A and not do so for this Baltimore squad.  They lost back to back games against Birmingham and Philly, but by a combined 4 points.  They have since dominated the opposition, but their toughest stretch of games is still to come with 2 games against Washington and a rematch with Philly still on the slate. Break Out Star of 2011: Rookie Robert Quinn is tied with Jason Taylor and Jeff Zgonina with 3 sacks, but the rookie is showing better grasp of his role each week and could surpass both veterans by season’s end. Area of Concern: Both offense and defense are looking very solid indeed, but Big Ben is still getting hit too often. If the Blitz lose him to injury due to shoddy blocking, that could put an end to their divisional aspirations very quickly. What We Expect: The Blitz are right there with Washington and Philadelphia, and yet, there are nagging doubts about this team.  They have won 5 in a row after a 1-point loss to Philadelphia, so perhaps we are just not yet ready to see how close they are to their division rivals.  Week 10 at Philly should show us more. Boston Cannons Midseason Grade:  D – We get it, a rookie QB means time is needed, but you would hope that the rest of the team would rally to support the rookie and make the game as slow as possible for them.  We have not seen that in Boston, where neither the defense nor the run game has been strong enough to help Boston win games while Jake Locker gets up to speed. Break Out Star of 2011: Everyone in Boston was hoping this would be Jake Locker, but the rookie has struggled.  The best “newish” face may be that of slot receiver Percy Harvin, who is getting more looks in the short range passing game and is averaging a very solid 10.3 yards per catch despite Locker’s troubles. Area of Concern:  It is all about the development of Locker.  Three TDs and 9 picks in his first 6 games is very concerning, so what Boston wants to see is growth and that the game is slowing down for their rookie as the season progresses.  They don’t expect a lot of W’s on the board, but when you look at what Cam Newton is doing in Birmingham, patience for Locker’s development is not going to be too abundant. What We Expect:  This is a rebuilding year, no doubt, but the Cannons need to see more from Locker or they risk ostracizing their veterans, particularly Chad Johnson, who is not going to suffer too many seasons of sub-par QB play before he seeks greener pastures. New Jersey Generals Midseason Grade:  F – This was a team that many expected to be at or near the top of the division.  What we got instead is chaos.  Sam Bradford is getting hit a lot, the run game is nowhere to be found, and the defense is giving up big plays on a regular basis.  They got their first win this week, but we don’t see many more on the horizon. Break Out Star of 2011: Cornerback Nate Clements is one of only a few players on the Generals who is getting any positive press.  He is outplaying Devin McCourty and getting more shadow assignments to top receivers.  Not afraid to tackle backs, he is also playing a bigger role than expected in run defense. Area of Concern: Pretty much everything. Sam Bradford is not getting enough protection, and that is forcing him to make decisions on the run, which is not his strong suit.  The line is also struggling to make holes for MJD, who is averaging only 3.4 yards per carry largely because he is getting hit early and often. What We Expect:  This was supposed to be a breakthrough season for the Generals, but that seems to have been very premature.  This club has some talented players but they need to improve at several positions, so their goal for the year needs to be one of development and survival. We knew this would be a tight division, but right now we have 4 of 5 teams all within 1 game of the lead (or of 4th place, depending how you look at it.  With Tampa Bay at 5-3 and Atlanta, Charlotte, and Orlando all sitting at 4-4, there is a lot of room for this division to shift and change shape over the second half.  Honestly, we think Orlando may be the best of the group, but can they be consistent enough to pull ahead?  This could be a division that 9-7 wins, or maybe 10-6 at best, as we see them continuing to beat each other unless one team can simply put the pieces together and start dominating the others, which feels unlikely at this point. Tampa Bay Bandits Midseason Grade:  B+ - While not the most statistically dominant team in the division, what we see from the Bandits is a fire we have not seen in a while.  The arrival of Joey Galloway has been huge (see below) and the offense is looking scary again.  What Tampa needs, however, is for the defense to start making as many big plays as the offense does. Break Out Star of 2011: He is not break out for the league, but what Joey Galloway has allowed the Bandits to do has been a revelation.  Not since Randy Moss left has Tampa Bay had a true deep threat, and a receiver with great routes as well.  Galloway is opening up the offense for Daunte Culpepper and forcing teams to keep safeties back, which is making Willis McGahee much more dangerous. Area of Concern: The Bandits’ defense is mediocre at best.  They don’t get enough pass rush and struggle against the league’s better runners.  That is a bad combination for a team trying to win a division, no matter what their offense can achieve. What We Expect:  The Bandits will not pull away from the pack in the South, but we do think they might have the right formula to hold on to the division, especially if their big name offensive weapons can stay healthy. Atlanta Fire Midseason Grade:  B – A solid B for the Fire.  As expected their defense is holding the team together.  We like the new HB duo of McFadden and Allen, but there are concerns that Kyle Orton has not been able to replicate his strong 2010 season.  If he can get into form, Atlanta has a real shot to repeat as division champs. Break Out Star of 2011: Rookie HB Anthony Allen has been all Atlanta could ask for and more.  He is garnering more and more carries each week and is allowing Darren McFadden to take a breather without killing drives.  The 1-2 punch is working well for Atlanta’s offense. Area of Concern:  Last year Kyle Orton had a career season.  The hope was that he was ascending as a player, but this year he has dropped back to earth. His completion rate, yards per completion, and TD:INT ratio have all taken a dive.  Add to that a big drop in production from Josh Reed and last season is beginning to look like an aberration, not a trend. What We Expect: Atlanta’s defense remains solid, their offense has potential, but that potential has to change to results.  If not, this is a team that could go from 1st to 5th in the division in the span of one year.  They need to win the close games, something that has eluded them this year. Charlotte Monarchs Midseason Grade:  B – We are also giving a B to the Monarchs.  They have had some very impressive games, particularly their wins over Oakland, and Tampa Bay, but then they go out and lose to the 0-7 Generals last week.  Consistency is a huge issue, and Jake Delhomme is not providing the steady leadership that Charlotte was hoping for.  Not yet at least. Break Out Star of 2011: Second year LB Rolando McClain is showing no signs of a sophomore slump.  He leads the club with 66 tackles, on pace for over 120 this year.  He has also been able to cause big turnovers, 2 picks and 2 forced fumbles, all of which help Charlotte play on short fields and get easy points. Area of Concern: It has to be Jake Delhomme.  Delhomme was brought in to replace Chris Weinke, but his game is looking far too much like the former QB’s for comfort in Charlotte.  A 7:13 ratio of TDs to Interceptions is not what you expect from a veteran like Delhomme, but it is what Charlotte has gotten so far. What We Expect: The defense will carry Charlotte as far as they can, but in the end, they need Jake Delhomme to turn things around.  He should be relying on Fred Jackson more than he does, and he should be spreading the ball around as well.  If Charlotte can just get to about 20 PPG, they could win a lot of these closer matches. Orlando Renegades Midseason Grade: B-  - We downgrade Orlando not because their record is worse than the other 4-4 clubs, but because we think they are more talented than the others and should have done more with their game to date. Back to back losses to Baltimore and Michigan, both at home, have put a real tarnish on what could and should be a 5 or 6 win club at this point. Break Out Star of 2011: He is not a new player, but the version of Knowshon Moreno we are seeing this year is certainly new.  He is finally trusting his instincts, making one cut and heading up field, and his career-best 4.1 YPC and 722 yards this year are evidence of a new back with newfound confidence in himself. Area of Concern:  Orlando is having no issues with pass rush, as expected, but they are giving up nearly 100 yards per game on the ground, which means that teams are not forced into long 3rd downs, where Calais Campbell can make them pay. What We Expect: Orlando may be a mirage. That is what worries us. Of their 4 wins, three have come against some pretty bad teams (Memphis, New Orleans and Jacksonville).  Can they hold their own against the better teams in the league?  They will have to as they have the Blitz upcoming and then the Bandits and Monarchs twice each in the final half of the season. Jacksonville Bulls Midseason Grade:  C-  - The Bulls are a pretty good team for a 2-6 club, but that is just another way of saying that they are underperforming.  They have had some close losses (1 point at Oakland, 6 points to Charlotte) but they have also been blown out by some of the better teams in the league.  Their run game is a shambles, and Tim Tebow is hit or miss right now, and that is not enough to win consistently in this division. Break Out Star of 2011: We are loving what David Bowens is bringing to the Bulls’ pass rush.  The rookie has 6 sacks already and seems to be improving each week.  While the injury to Mike Vrabel has shaken the Bulls D overall, Bowens is doing his part to make life tough for opposing QBs. Area of Concern:  The run game in Jacksonville is a shambles.  More and more we are beginning to think that C. J. Spiller, for all his potential, is a bust.  When LaBrandon Toefield went out with a season-ending injury in his first week as the starter it all fell back to Spiller, and we are just not seeing from him what you want from a lead back. What We Expect:  The Bulls just don’t have enough to compete in a very tough division.  Tim Tebow is making too many mistakes, the run game is not helping, and the defense is without its leader in Vrabel.  Expect a rough second half of the year if you are a Bulls fan. We predicted a 2-club race this year in the South, but we thought it would be Nashville and New Orleans, not the Knights and the Birmingham Stallions.  The Breakers are in a death spiral, Memphis has not seen the improvement they hoped for, but Birmingham has become a totally new team this year.  A lot of that is Cam Newton, but others also deserve praise for their play.  That said, this still feels like another Nashville division title to us. Nashville Knights Midseason Grade: A- -As much as we would like to give Nashville an A, when we look at their wins, we are not all that impressed.  Of their 5 wins, only Birmingham has a winning record.  And when Nashville faced Philadelphia and Baltimore, they were blown out by both.  That tells us that they are taking advantage of a weak division rather than being a true juggernaut. Break Out Star of 2011: Rookie wideout Denarius Moore is the hottest ticket in Nashville these days. He is getting open, making tough catches, and getting downfield in a way we rarely see from a Knight wideout.  Could Nashville finally be ready to use speed instead of power as an offensive tool? Area of Concern:  As much as we love the Nashville defense’s aggressive nature, they are giving up too many big plays.  Yes, they pressure the QB, and yes, they are solid against the run, but when the pass rush does not get home, offenses are finding guys open deep down field, and that is not something you want teams trying against you. What We Expect:  We still think Nashville is the class of the division.  As exciting as Birmingham has been, we just trust Coach Johnson and the Knights to get the job done when crunch time comes. Birmingham Stallions Midseason Grade:  A - The Stallions are this year’s Cinderella story.  They are playing fast, playing loose, and playing with a lot of energy.  They are not a perfect club, as is evident by their 23rd ranked scoring defense, but they are a lot of fun to watch and have already proven they can win a lot of games on sheer bravado. Break Out Star of 2011: We have talked a lot about Cam Newton, so here we are going to highlight another new face in Birmingham, DB Antonio Cromartie.  For all the excitement about the Stallion offense, we need to recognize that they also have the #2 rush defense in the league and believe it or not, Cromartie is a part of that.  How?  Well, when you have a shutdown corner on the outside, you can creep those safeties up and jump on the run game.  That is a very valuable change to Birmingham’s defense. Area of Concern:  We love the 1-2 punch of Newton and Addai both running the ball, but how much risk do you want your QB to take running the ball?  Newton is a big, strong, young QB, we get that, but all it takes is 1 bad cut, 1 big hit, and your new star is down for the count. What We Expect: If the Stallions can keep the fire in their bellies, this club looks poised to make life very difficult for the Nashville Knights.  They have some pretty easy games on the slate ahead (NJ, New Orleans, Memphis) so if they can win the games they will be favored to win, they could be right there at the end of the year. Memphis Showboats Midseason Grade: D – We did not expect Memphis to be a contender this year, so we cannot knock them for losing more than they have won, but they have been worse than expected, going 0-7 before finally notching a W this past weekend.  They went all in on Ryan Mallett and now they don’t seem to have a plan B to turn to. Break Out Star of 2011: CB Tebucky Jones has taken more chances this year, and while it does not always work out for him, when it does it produces big plays, picks, big returns, big hits.  All of those help Memphis, but it is clearly not enough right now. Area of Concern:  The 28th scoring offense and the 27th passing attack are easy issues to spot with the Showboats.  Ryan Mallett does not look ready for prime time, and Memphis does not have a plan B.  So, they suffer through a rough year and hope Mallett learns from it and returns in 2012 a better prepared sophomore. What We Expect: Memphis may well be in the battle for the #1 pick this year.  It will be tough, since they have New Orleans playing as badly as they are in the division, but it seems that the Showboats will be lucky to avoid 13 or 14 losses this year. New Orleans Breakers Midseason Grade:  F – What other grade could we give the 0-8 Breakers.  This was a team that was supposed to challenge Nashville, with a newly signed MVP quarterback.  So, what do we get, chaos and ineptitude.  We now have a club with a raw and unprepared coaching staff, a QB who does not seem to fit the system, and not much else you can point to for the second half of the season.  The only reason we see them getting wins at all is that they face Memphis twice in the next month. Break Out Star of 2011: How do you have a breakout star with an 0-8 start?  Rookie Patrick Peterson is playing well, but with so many issues on defense, it is hard to even spotlight his quality on a team that is just not playing well at all. Area of Concern: The roster, the plan, the culture, you name it.  It is all concern in New Orleans.  We feel for Coach Lathon, who is taking this on with little hope of winning the permanent job for 2012.  Anything he can do will just boost his resume for the next gig. What We Expect: We think they will win a game. Maybe just one, but at least one.  They have potential wins on the schedule, but only if they can get out of their own way and play complementary football instead of the mess we have seen so far. The Maulers look like the class of the division as neither Chicago nor Michigan are what we expected and both Ohio and St. Louis look like 8-8 clubs hoping to catch a break.  The Maulers have a shot at a #1 seed if they can continue to dominate the divisional games.  Chicago has won 3 in a row after a horrid 0-5 start, so they may be a spoiler, as could Michigan if their recent wins over Ohio and Orlando are a sign that they have turned the corner.  Can either catch the Maulers?  Can Ohio or St. Louis put the pieces together to make a run?  We are going to guess no and stick with Pittsburgh as the winner of this division, one which may only produce 1 playoff club. Pittsburgh Maulers Midseason Grade:  A+  - The Maulers have shown us a lot in their 7-1 first half.  They lost a shocker on opening day to Ohio, but have since then been playing some lights out, complementary football.  Their defense is #1 in both scoring and yards allowed and they now have a Top 5 offense as well.  That is one impressive combo. Break Out Star of 2011: HB Ronnie Brown has been exactly what the Maulers hoped for when they signed the NFL cast off.  He has been hungry, and running angry.  His pairing with Kenny Watson is giving the Maulers the ability to pummel defenses into submission, and the threat of that duo has made life much easier for Cody Pickett, who can use play action to great effect against run-stuffing defenses. Area of Concern: Not much is troubling Coach Rivera these days.  Looking across the stat lines, it is hard to find a real concerning issue.  If there is one thing we think Pittsburgh lacks, it is a true slot receiver to complement Vincent Jackson and Victor Cruz.  But, with the Maulers using so many 2-TE formations, maybe that is OK. What We Expect:  We think the Maulers win this division by 2 or 3 games and spend the rest of the year trying to stay in range of Arizona for the possible #1 seed. Too bad they don’t face the Wranglers this season. That would be a heck of a game. Ohio Glory Midseason Grade:  A- - We are awarding Ohio because they are clearly exceeding expectations.  Even with Vince Young on the bench for most of the season’s first half, the Glory have emerged as a solid team.  They need more explosiveness on offense (they average only 15.1 PPG) but the defense that Coach Andrus has put in place is living up to his hopes.  Our only concern is that 3 of their 4 wins have come against sub-500 clubs.  Can they beat any of the big boys to make a statement? Break Out Star of 2011: Strong Safety Jermaine Phillips has been the biggest positive surprise for the Glory.  Not only is he a solid tackler, but a bit of a ball hawk as well, with 4 picks to his name already this year.  The defense needs more playmakers but in Phillips they have a good start. Area of Concern:  While the 2-headed run game of Kevin Smith and DeMarco Murray has decent totals the fact that they combine for a 3.4 YPC average means they are not getting the type of chunk plays they need to take the pressure off the Ohio QB.  Will that change with Vince Young now starting?  We shall see, but it seems to us that Ohio have not yet found their next Eddie George. What We Expect:  We think 8-8 is a good goal for this club. They still need to see what they will look like with Young at the helm, so it could be 9-7 or 7-9.  We think there is a growing core of talent here, but more big game players are needed if Ohio is going to become a player again in the Central Division. St Louis Skyhawks Midseason Grade:  B  --We all liked the changes in St. Louis with Coach Arians, but we did not see them knocking off Chicago and Michigan to open the season.  That was the high point so far, but since then reality has set in.  They faced a gauntlet of Pittsburgh, Birmingham, Nashville and Arizona and lost all 4.  It won’t get much easier in the 2nd half. Break Out Star of 2011:  He was coming on last year, but this season’s version of Jordy Nelson is by far the best we have seen in his career.  He already has 4 TDs and has become the preferred deep threat for Josh Freeman.  We want to see a higher catch-to-target ratio (19 of 45 right now), but if he keeps making big plays, St. Louis may not care. Area of Concern:  The problems for St. Louis continue to be on the defensive side, where they are in the bottom third of the league almost across the board.  Not enough pressure up front, moments of confusion in the secondary, you name it, St. Louis is just not a coherent defensive squad yet. What We Expect:  The elation of their two opening wins has died down and we think fans now see that the Skyhawks will again be battling to not finish in the basement.  A 3rd place finish would be a step up, as would a season with fewer than 10 losses. Michigan Panthers Midseason Grade:  C- -Maybe we expected too much of Brian Griese coming off a lost year to injury, but what we have seen from the Michigan offense, as well as the whole team, has to have everyone in Detroit worried.  The club is giving up nearly 300 yards per game, and Griese’s 2011 numbers are so far behind 2009 that it is hard to believe it is the same QB.  Nine picks to only 7 TDs is not what anyone expected this year. Break Out Star of 2011: Rookie D’Aundre Reed has had a good start to his career.  He is tied with Tim Jameson as sack leaders, though a total of 3 in 8 games is not exactly a Rookie of the Year number. That said, his 21 tackles from the edge show that he has potential to be a 3-down player. Area of Concern:  As much as we want to dump on Brian Griese for his lackluster return to action, we need to acknowledge that the Panther’s are not helping him much with a solid run game. Michigan’s duo of Thomas Jones and Mike Hart are just not scaring anyone, and with only 87 yard per game on average, that makes sense. What We Expect:  Unless the Panthers can rekindle the 2009 offense, this could be a long year for folks in Detroit. They thought Griese’s return meant another division title, but it seems that this Panther squad is just not the same animal as the 2009 Panthers. Chicago Machine Midseason Grade:  C – We love the 3-game win streak, especially a big win at Nashville, but that 5-game skid to start the season?  What was that?  Chicago lost all 5 games in the division as well, meaning that they are solidly screwed when it comes to tiebreakers even if they can stay hot in the second half.  The team seems to have found its way, but is it too little, too late? Break Out Star of 2011: As rough as the start of the season has been in Chicago, we can point to one player who seems to be raising his game, wideout Golden Tate.  The 2nd year receiver has caught 43 of 62 targets, and is responsible for 4 touchdowns so far this season.  He seems to be running crisper routes, and that is taking a lot of pressure off of Donald Driver. Area of Concern: Chicago’s usually staunch defense was anything but during their 5-game skid.  They still rank dead last in pass defense, and that is never a good thing in the pass happy USFL.  Anthony Weaver is a one man show on the D-line, and that is not enough, and the secondary is still trying to find itself.  They had better soon or Chicago could fade right out of any playoff chances. What We Expect: Of all the first half underperformers, we think the Machine have the best shot to turn it around.  They will need to get to at least 9, maybe 10 wins to qualify for the playoffs, and that is a lot to ask of a 3-5 club, but not so impossible that the Machine cannot focus on it as a target. The most surprising division in football without a doubt. Not only do we have Arizona sitting at 8-0, but the defending league champion Houston Gamblers have lost 6 in a row and are looking like a complete disaster.  Add to that very strong first halves by both Denver and Texas, and the emergence of Joe Flacco as a potentially elite QB in 2011 and you have a lot of excitement here.  Do not be shocked to see this division produce both the #1 seed and the top 2 seeded Wild Card teams.  This is a killer division this year. Arizona Wranglers Midseason Grade:  A+ - No doubt about it, the Wranglers are the feel good story of 2011.  They have spent so much time in the SW Division basement in recent years we are not sure they even remembered that there was a penthouse in the division.  Now they sit at 8-0 and look every bit like a team of destiny. Break Out Star of 2011:  As much as we want to highlight the great years being had by players like LT, Larry Fitzgerald, or even David Carr, we have to recognize that DE Adam Carriker is exploding as a real threat from the edge.  The former Cornhusker has 7 sacks and is beginning to draw double teams on nearly any passing down.  That is a sign of respect he has never gotten before. Area of Concern:  Honestly, right now, injury feels like the only thing that will slow this team down.  That is true of any team, but that does feel like the key, keep a healthy squad and keep winning. What We Expect:  With 2 big games coming up against Denver in the 2nd half, and another showdown with Texas as well, we don’t see Arizona going 16-0.  Add in a huge game at Philadelphia, a possible Summer Bowl preview, and we think 14-2 is reasonable, and almost certainly good enough to win that #1 seed.  Get ready for playoff football, Glendale!! Denver Gold Midseason Grade:  A – We cannot penalize Denver just because of Arizona’s huge success. The Gold will still get 2 shots at Arizona, so maybe they prove to us that the Wranglers are a mirage.  Even a split with Arizona would be strong for the Gold.  They have looked very good all year, aside from a weird opening day shut out at home, and with 3 straight divisional games to end the season, they could be a club in control of their own destiny down the stretch. Break Out Star of 2011:  We know it has only been 6 quarters, but we love what we are seeing form backup QB Dan LeFevour.  Four TDs, only 1 pick, and a QB Rating of 108.9.  Having that kind of quality in the backup role is something few teams can boast.  The hope for Denver is that his skills are not called upon, but how nice is it to know that you can put in a backup and still run the entire offense and get a W? Area of Concern:  As well as Denver has been playing, they are still hoping to get more out of the passing game.  They will never be an explosive squad like Tampa Bay or Philadelphia, but they at least want to be in the top half of the league in passing just to make life easier for their run game. What We Expect:  We think Denver will challenge Arizona, and the two face off in Week 10 so we won’t have to wait long.  If they win that game then the race is on for the division.  If not, then they will have to keep it together to try to get the best Wild Card slot they can. Texas Outlaws Midseason Grade:  A – Texas feels like a club that is due a year like this.  They have been a solid team for a while, but always seem to shoot themselves in the foot.  This year feels different.  They are getting a great season out of Joe Flacco, taking pressure off of Duckett and the run game, and the defense is finally holding up their end of the deal.  They need to improve against the run, but right now, sitting at 5-3, you have to be happy if you are an Outlaw fan. Break Out Star of 2011: It has to be Flacco.  From mid-range QB to possible MVP in one season.  It is truly amazing to watch what he is doing with a pretty inexperienced receiving corps.  And, to make it even better, he is getting a lot of guys involved.  Yes, Marques Colston is the clear #1, but he is getting the ball to TE Chris Cooley, even FB Rick Razzano is getting several targets a game.  That is a good sign for a team that needs to be diverse in its plans to be effective. Area of Concern:  With Top 10 squads in both offense and defense, there are not a lot of major concerns for Texas, but if there is one it is defensive pressure.  The Outlaws have been using the blitz to try to support the pass rush, but ideally you want to see pressure from a front 3, maybe 4 so that you can have more defenders in coverage. What We Expect:  It is still hard to put Texas in the same range as Denver or Arizona, but they may well prove us wrong.  Their recent loss in Denver perhaps is shading our view of them.  The face Arizona next week.  A win at home against the unbeaten Wranglers and we could just become believers. Houston Gamblers Midseason Grade:  F – Look, there is no way to say it other than to say it.  This may be the worst championship defense season we have ever seen.  There were no major talent defections from the Outlaws, no obvious change of generation to explain how they could dump 6 games in a row.  All we have is players not playing up to our expectations.  All across the roster we are not seeing the effort, the drive, or the talent we expected. Break Out Star of 2011: None of the players in Houston are clearly doing more than we expected, but at least a couple are playing well.  Kavika Pittman continues to be a concern for OC’s across the league as his 9 sacks will testify, and CB Shaun Springs’s 4 picks are a sign that he still has a knack for the ball. Area of Concern: Pick a card, any card.  Offensive production is way down (17.6 PPG), the run game is averaging below 100 yards a game, the defense is among the league’s worst against the pass, something Houston always used to lock down.  Just nothing is going well for them.  And all this after a very exciting opening game win in Philadelphia.  It is bizarre how quickly and how thoroughly they have fallen. What We Expect:  We honestly don’t know.  Can they rally and maybe get hot and win a few games to save face?  Maybe.  Could they also finish the year in the SW Division basement?  It sure seems that way.  Just a weird year for a team we all thought had the talent to compete for a title again. OK, Who picked LA to be atop the division at the halfway point?  Really?  No, you didn’t.  No one did.  But, that is where we stand, and with Marshawn Lynch likely out at least another month, the Express could try to wrap this up before the Thunder are back at full strength. And yet, sitting at 5-3, the Express are not at all out of the woods.  Seattle and Oakland are only 1 game back and seem to be picking up steam.  Portland is game behind there and we all thought they would be a contender, so maybe a run is within them.  This, like the SE Division, could be a dogfight and we could see a 9-7 team win on tiebreakers. Los Angeles Express Midseason Grade:  A-  - The Express are certainly better off than we expected, with a nice 4-game winning streak helping them leap into 1st place in the Pacific, but they have not fully convinced us yet.  They will finish the year with 4 straight divisional games (@ Seattle, Oakland, Portland, and @ Las Vegas).  Expect that to be a gauntlet which will require 3 wins to lock up the division. Break Out Star of 2011: Rookie Ronald Johnson out of USC has been a very pleasant surprise for the Express.  He is not going to get targets away from Moss or Johnson, but he has been a good 3rd option, catching 18 balls for 203 yards and 2 scores so far this year. Area of Concern:  The run game is still a major issue for the Express.  Ray Rice is just not producing the way they hoped when they traded for him, and the team as a whole is sitting at only 60 yards per game. That does not feel like championship caliber offense to us. What We Expect:  If Las Vegas were at full strength, we would certainly question LA’s chances to win the division, but with Lynch gone, there is a path to an Express title.  It will require solid play from Mark Sanchez and continued defensive gems, but it is possible. Las Vegas Thunder Midseason Grade: B+  - Many saw Las Vegas as a clear favorite in the division, but now, without Lynch, that impression is likely to change.  There will be a lot of pressure on the defense and on Jake Plummer to keep this club  in range of LA and hope that Lynch can return for the final few weeks. Break Out Star of 2011: WR Legedu Naanee was something of an afterthought signing by Las Vegas during the NFL-USFL window, but with both Marty Bookier and Willie Ponder sidelined by injury, Naanee has come on strong, and currently sits as the lead receiver with 25 catches and 303 yards. Area of Concern: The Thunder simply cannot absorb more hits on offense. They are already down their top 2 receivers and their All-USFL running back.  Any other injuries and this offense could be hobbled to the point of being unable to win even close defensive games. What We Expect:  We think the injury-riddled Thunder will lose a step and fall a bit behind some others in the division, but if Lynch can come back around week 13 or 14, they could make a late run for a playoff spot. Seattle Dragons Midseason Grade:  B- -A record of 4-4 may not be impressing anyone, but we are seeing some signs that Seattle is putting the pieces together.  Their run offense is improving, they still can get the ball deep to Boston, and the defense is #10 in scoring and #12 in yards, which is higher than most expected. Seattle is poised to possibly make a run if they can keep those three things improving. Break Out Star of 2011: The loss of UCLA rookie LB Akeem Ayers was a blow, but it was also an opportunity and unheralded LB Carl Ihenacho is jumping at the chance to prove he has what it takes. Currently 6th on the team with 32 tackles, Ihenacho is proving to be an instinctive player who always seems to be around the ball.  Watch out Ayers, you may have someone coming for your spot on the roster. Area of Concern:  Can we still be saying that Seattle needs a #2 receiver?  Well, with Nate Burleson hurt that has certainly been the case.  What we may actually mean is that they need a #3 option for Byron Leftwich.  TE Jeramy Stevens is not the threat he once was, and neither Chris Chambers or Dwayne Jarrett has shown enough consistency in the absence of Burleson. What We Expect:  Seattle does expect Burleson back this week, and if he is 1005 that could help spark the aerial attack.  If Seattle can be balanced on offense, they could take a step up the ladder and consider a playoff push down the stretch. Oakland Invaders Midseason Grade:  B- - While the Invaders have won 3 of the last 4, we are still concerned that they are not showing us enough on offense to take them seriously.  The D is solid, especially against the pass, but they have the 20th ranked pass attack even with Joey Harrington back, and their run game has been spotty all year.  That has to worry fans of the club. Break Out Star of 2011: DE Justin Smith has been quietly putting up solid numbers ever since he came over from Texas, but this year he is making a major push for 20 sacks on the year, and that would put him in a whole new category of respect. Area of Concern:  We already mentioned the offense, and we think we have to stay that broad.  The whole offensive scheme is questionable.  The Invaders are neither a smashmouth club nor a wide open air attack.  What they may see as balance we see as mediocrity across the board.  And it is rare that mediocre leads to big win totals. What We Expect:  The Invaders are sitting at .500 right now and we think that an 8-8 finish is just about what we would expect. Unless they can show us more on offense, we think 8-8 is a max, with the chance they finish below Portland in last by season’s end. Portland Stags Midseason Grade: C – Portland was a hot choice for a dark horse this year, but the improvement we expected to see in this club has just not materialized.  They are currently in the lower half of the league in most stats, with the lone exception being their run defense.  They made the swap from A. J. Feeley to Ryan Fitzpatrick, and we think it was the right call, but it feels very much like they have 2 fairly good options at QB, not one clear outstanding option. Break Out Star of 2011: Rookie TE Jordan Cameron has been a nice addition to the club.  He is surehanded and has shown some YAC capacity as well.  With 3 touchdowns and 294 yards in his first 8 games, we expect more to come as he continues to grow into the pro game. Area of Concern:  The Stags are simply not producing enough pressure on opposing QBs.  The DE combo of Elvis Dumervil and Antwan Odom have combined for 9 sacks, which sounds like a good number, but that means about ½ sack each every week, and that is not going to slow down most offenses. What We Expect:  Portland is not there yet.  Can they compete for .500?  Yes.  For the playoffs?  Probably not.  Unless we are way off and they are about to turn on all the bells and whistles for both sides of the ball, this feels like another good, not great season for the Stags. As we look ahead to the second half of the season and the playoff push, those divisional games are going to be of prime importance.  On Friday we have one between two regional rivals who are both hoping to make a late run and possibly get their clubs into postseason position, Ohio, sitting at 4-4 will travel up to Detroit to take on the 3-5 Michigan Panthers on Friday Night Lights. On Saturday, Pittsburgh, leaders in the Central, will be home to face the St. Louis Skyhawks, who, at 3-5, are still looking to have a break out year.  Also on Saturday we will have a battle at the bottom of the standings as the 0-7 New Orleans Breakers visit 1-7 Memphis.  Is this the game where Coach Lathon and his Breakers can earn their first win?  We finish the day with a great matchup of contenders in the NE Division as Philadelphia, riding a 6-game winning streak, takes on the Washington Federals at RFK Stadium. The divisional bouts continue on Sunday, when Arizona heads to San Antonio to take on the Texas Outlaws in a 4pm start.  We also have some really interesting interconference games with Tampa Bay out at the other by to face Oakland and Las Vegas on the East Coast to face the Charlotte Monarchs.  We end the week with the Portland Stags hoping to keep Houston’s stunning 6-game losing streak going, while the Gamblers hope this prime time game is the start of a rebound for them. FRIDAY @ 8pm ET         Ohio (4-4) @ Michigan (3-5)                             NBC SATURDAY @ 12pm ET   St. Louis (3-5) @ Pittsburgh (7-1)                       ABC SATURDAY @ 12pm ET   Birmingham (5-3) @ Atlanta (4-4)                   FOX SATURDAY @ 12pm ET   Orlando (4-4) @ Baltimore (6-2)                    FOX SATURDAY @ 4pm ET    Boston (1-7) @ Nashville (5-3)                       ABC SATURDAY @ 4pm ET    New Orleans (0-6) @ Memphis (1-7)               FOX SATURDAY @ 8pm ET   Philadelphia (6-2) @ Washington (6-2)         ESPN SUNDAY @ 12pm ET     Seattle (4-4) @ Jacksonville (2-6)                  ABC SUNDAY @ 12pm ET            Las Vegas (5-3) @ Charlotte (4-4)                ABC SUNDAY @ 12pm ET            Denver (6-2) @ New Jersey (1-7)                   FOX SUNDAY @ 4pm ET              Arizona (8-0) @ Texas (5-3)                                ABC SUNDAY @ 4pm ET                 Los Angeles (5-3) @ Chicago (3-5)                  FOX SUNDAY @ 4pm ET             Tampa Bay (5-3) @ Oakland (4-4)                    FOX SUNDAY @ 8pm ET                 Portland (3-5) @ Houston (2-6)                        EFN

Player of the Week: While Willis McGahee's numbers were very strong, the sheer importance of the game that QB Dan LeFevour had for Denver pushes us to make him the POTW. Facing a very tough Texas squad for sole posession of 2nd place and the best chance to catch Arizona, LeFevour went 16 of 24 and threw for 3 touchdowns as Denver defeated Texas and moved to 6-2 at the halfway point. For a backup it does not get much better than that.

Week seven saw some mid-season drama as Los Angeles made their claim as the hottest team in the West, Las Vegas got a win but at a price, all three frontrunners in the Northeast Division remain hot, and all three 0-6 teams drop to 0-7, with one of them pulling the trigger on a change, cleaning house of their head coach and both coordinators in one fell swoop.  We also saw things tighten up in the Southeast as Tampa continues to fall after their strong start and Atlanta, Orlando, and Charlotte bunch up with the Bandits at 4-3.  Texas and Denver make their case that the SW is not Arizona’s division alone, but the Wranglers just keep winning.  We will break it all down for you, along with all the league news of the week.  We start with LA’s statement game on the road in Tampa Bay. LOS ANGELES EXPRESS  30   TAMPA BAY BANDITS 27     OVERTIME The Tampa Bay Bandits started the year 4-0, but came into this game losers of 2 straight.  Los Angeles came in at 4-2 and raring to prove that they were not a fluke.  Tampa was a 5-point favorite, proving to the Express that they still have not gained the respect of the country, and they set out to earn it by knocking off the Bandits in Raymond James Stadium. It did not take the visitors long to make a statement, taking the opening kickoff 74 yards in only 9 plays, with Mark Sanchez, looking fresh off his short injury hiatus, connecting with Randy Moss on a 4-yard TD toss to open the scoring.  Sanchez would finish the day with 297 yards passing on a 31 of 45 performance, while Randy Moss would have 6 catches, but only for 46 yards. Sanchez’s counterpart, Daunte Culpepper, would struggle on the day, throwing 3 picks with no TDs to show for it, but he still managed to get the ball to Joey Galloway 8 times for 113 yards, helping the ageless wonder take the lead in the league’s receiving  yardage tally.  He also would help get the ball into position for the backs, who scored all 3 of Tampa Bay’s touchdowns on the day, the first one coming from Willis McGahee about 8 minutes into the game.  The second would come 5 minutes later as Tampa Bay’s second drive also resulted in a TD run, this time from former Stallion Felix Jones. LA would equalize the score early in the 2nd quarter, this time Keyshawn Johnson catching the Sanchez TD toss.  The two teams would then trade field goals, with LA getting the final score of the first half with only 2 seconds left on the clock, a beauty of a kick from Damon Duvall, 56 yards right down the center of the goalposts.  Halftime came and both offenses were having success, 17-17 at the half. Tampa Bay received the second half kickoff and drove deep into LA territory but a poor decision by Culpepper led to a pass in the endzone being picked off by safety Bhawoh Jue.  LA could not respond to the takeaway, returing the ball to Tampa Bay after a 3-and-out.  On their second drive, the Bandits would have more success, relying on the run game, they punched the ball in from the 1 with Willis McGahee doing the honors.  A late field goal from LA and Tampa Bay took a 24-20 lead into the final period. In the 4th, the Bandits extended their lead with a 2nd Nate Kaeding field goal, but the defense which had held LA without a TD in the second half could not hold against the no-huddle the Express employed.  Getting the ball with 4:07 left to play, the Express marched down the field on 13 plays and with 1:34 left to play, got the equalizer as Ray Rice dove in from the 2.  Tampa Bay would try to get Nate Kaeding into position for a game winner at regulation, but a holding call on a 3rd down play pushed Tampa Bay even out of Kaeding’s impressive range and they had to settle for overtime. In the extra period, LA got the ball first, but on a 2nd and 5 from their own 27, Culpepper again misfired on a throw over the middle, failing to see LB Keith Rivers bearing down on TE Jared Cook.  Rivers first tipped the ball, then picked it out of the air to give LA possession on the Tampa Bay 33.  The Express ran the ball three times, gaining 8 yards to set up a 43-yard attempt by Duvall.  The LA kicker left no doubt, drilling the ball through the uprights and giving LA a huge road win to improve to 5-2. Tampa Bay loses their third in a row and now sits in a 4-team cluster at 4-3 in the SE Division, while LA sits atop the Pacific, tied with Las Vegas at 5-2, but ahead on the tiebreaker.  The Express will return home next week for a tough game against visiting Pittsburgh, while Tampa Bay will try to snap their 3-game losing streak as they face the Atlanta Fire at the Georgia Dome with first place on the line. CHICAGO 17   NASHVILLE 14 The Machine win their second in a row, and an impressive win as they knock off the Knights in Nashville.  The new formula seems to be to let Brady Quinn throw the ball more outside.  Touchdowns to Donald Driver and Golden Tate highlight the Machine win, along with a return to sound defensive football as they hold Nashville to only 259 yards of offense (without Robert Meachem in the game). NEW JERSEY 21   WASHINGTON 24 The Generals give Washington a good scare, but in the end a Shayne Graham field goal sends New Jersey to their 7th defeat in 7 games.  Sam Bradford threw for 3 scores, but also suffered 5 sacks and 2 picks against the Federals.  Meanwhile Deuce McCallister rushed for 116 and 2 TDs to help lift Washington to 6-1 on the year. MEMPHIS 17   BIRMINGHAM 24 The Showboats also put in a strong effort, but also fell to 0-7 with a loss in their rivalry game at Birmingham. The Stallions came back from a 17-7 deficit in the 2nd half thanks to TDs from Terrell Owens and Joseph Addai.  Rookie Jerrel Jerrigan also had a big game with 108 yards receiving for the Stallions. JACKSONVILLE 3   PHILADELPHIA 34 Philadelphia was unimpressed with Tebow-mania, limiting the Jacksonville QB to only 150 yards passing, with 3 sacks and a pick.  His opposite, Kurt Warner went 13 of 23 for 216 yards and 3 TD tosses, including two to WR Marshall Newhouse, who saw a lot of snaps in the absence of a dinged up Stevie Johnson. MICHIGAN 27   OHIO 17 The Panthers get their 2nd win of the season as Mike Hart and Thomas Jones combine for 100 yards even and 3 TDs between them.  Despite expectation that Vince Young would get the start, it was Dereck Anderson in a game time decision.  Fans in Ohio were not pleased, booing Anderson after each failed 3rd down attempt (9 out of 13 were failures). BALTIMORE 28   ORLANDO 21 The Blitz keep pace with Washington, moving to 6-2 after a tough battle in Orlando.  Big Ben threw for 3 scores, including a 76-yard strike to Darius Heyward-Bey to lead Baltimore over the Renegades.  Eli Manning could not keep pace as Baltimore actually applied more pressure to him than Campbell and the ‘Gades did to Roethlisberger. HOUSTON 21   DENVER 24 No mercy for the defending champs who dropped their 5th in a row.  Denver’s Jamel Williams returned a Hasselbeck pick for a score and Dan LeFevour, subbing for an injured Matt Leinart in the 2nd quarter, threw for 121 yards and the game winning TD in relief.  Shaun Alexander had his first 100-yard game of the year, but it was in vain as Denver held off a late drive to equalize the score and took the win. OAKLAND 14    PITTSBURGH 34 It was all Maulers as Ronnie Brown had his first 100-yard USFL game and Cody Pickett went 17 of 22 with 3 TDs in a route over the Invaders. The Maulers sacked Joey Harrington 6 times and limited the combo of Norwood and Ryan Williams to 56 rushing yards as Pittsburgh dominated the game from kickoff to final whistle. ARIZONA 31   BOSTON 13 Arizona stayed spotless and LaDainian Tomlinson had a monster game against Boston, rushing for 140 yards on only 19 carries (7.4 YPC) while also bringing in 3 passes for 45, and adding 3 total touchdowns along the way.  Jake Locker was sacked 5 times by the Wrangler D and threw 2 more picks as Boston was simply overpowered by the visiting Wranglers. PORTLAND 17   LAS VEGAS 30 A costly win for Las Vegas as Marshawn Lynch fractured his tibia, likely costing him as much as 6-8 weeks of action.  Lynch went down in the first quarter and was in obvious pain as they brought out the cart to take him for x-rays. Cedric Benson subbed for him, rushing for only 46 yards, but Jake Plummer took up the slack and got the Thunder the win with TD passes to Samie Parker and Legedu Naanee. ST. LOUIS 21  NEW ORLEANS 14 Actually favored by 2 points, New Orleans could not deliver, falling behind 14-0 before starting to put together an offense.  Luke McCown, in for the injured Drew Brees, struggled to complete 23 of 45 passing, but threw two picks.  Meanwhile Josh Freeman connected with both Jordy Nelson and Taylor Jacobs to snap a 4-game losing streak and move to 3-4. SEATTLE 10   TEXAS 37 Joe Flacco was in MVP form, throwing for 317 yards and 4 touchdowns against an overmatched Seattle defense.  Chris Cooley and Marques Colston both caught 2 TDs and both Colston and Brandon Marshall went over 100 yards receiving as Texas’s passing game was on fire. T. J. Duckett also rushed for 117, most of it in the 2nd half as Texas cruised to a 27-point victory at home. ATLANTA 31   CHARLOTTE 7 The as-yet-unnamed rivalry between Atlanta and Charlotte was one sided on this day, with the visiting Fire picking off Jake Delhomme 3 times and holding Fred Jackson to only 45 yards rushing.  Atlanta also had difficulty rushing the ball (Anthony Allen led all Fire rushers with only 19 yards), but they got TDs from Allen, McFadden, Josh Reed, and Marcus Robinson to blow past the Monarchs and improve their record to 4-3, alongside Orlando and Charlotte. Mike Nolan Gets Pink Slipped by Breaker Ownership With Memphis, New Jersey and New Orleans all dropping to 0-7 there were many predicting that one or more head coach would be let go in the next week or two, but debate raged over which one might go first.  We have our answer this week as the New Orleans Breakers parted ways not only with Head Coach Mike Nolan, but with both of the team’s primary coordinators as well.  Nolan along with OC Jim Hostler and DC Greg Manusky were all let go on Monday.  With the club 27th in scoring and 24th in points allowed, it seems that both sides of the ball are being blamed for the team’s horrendous start. This was expected to be a banner year for the Breakers.  After back to back years in which they came 1 game short of winning the Southern Division, in both cases losing to Nashville on the season’s final week, the team made a big move this offseason, sending Eli Manning to Orlando in trade for 2x MVP Drew Brees.  The plan was to develop an offense that would allow New Orleans to overtake the Knights and win the division.  What happened instead was a total breakdown on both sides of the ball.  Following 3 straight Wild Card seasons, this step back was apparently too much for ownership, which made a huge investment bringing in Drew Brees’s contract. So Nolan, after 11 seasons with the club, including 8 playoff appearances and 1 Summer Bowl trip, is gone.  His coordinators are gone with him. Nolan leaves New Orleans with an 83-85 overall record and a 9-8 playoff record.  The club promoted from within to fill all three positions, but certainly a search for permanent hires will begin immediately.  Linebackers coach, and former Breaker legend Lamar Lathon takes over as the interim head coach, and very likely will be interviewed for the permanent position as well.  His coordinators will be former WR Coach, and another former Breaker player, Nolan Franz, as the OC, and DB Coach Vance Joseph as the new DC. The new coaching staff will have all of 5 days to prepare the team for a road game in Columbus, where the Breakers will take on the Ohio Glory.  Just what changes, if any this week, we see from the club is still to be discovered.  Expect a pretty similar plan this week as the new staff need time to update and adjust the team’s approach on both sides of the ball.  We do know that Lathon is fond of blitz schemes, as he was when he played, so a more aggressive blitz package is almost certain to be part of the plan.  As for the offense, how much Lathon will get involved in Coach Franz’s plans for Brees and company, that is just not known. So now we look at Herm Edwards in New Jersey and Jim Haslett in Memphis and wonder if one of them will be joining Nolan on the unemployment line before too long.  Even money has Edwards as the next departure, after all Haslett did bring a title to Memphis during the short Brett Favre period, so he should have just a bit more good will in place, but following back-to-back 10-loss seasons and now an 0-7 start, just how long Haslett has is very much up for debate. Three Way Race in Northeast as Feds, Stars, & Blitz Stay Hot On the other side of the standings we have a very interesting 3-way race going on in the Northeastern Division.  Washington currently sits alone in first place at 6-1, but they have both Philadelphia and Baltimore looking very strong at 5-2, just itching for a chance to overtake the Federals.  Both Washington and Philly are riding 4-game win streaks, while Baltimore is on a 5-game run, so there is a lot of momentum behind each of these clubs.  Washington has a brutal game at Arizona this upcoming week, and then they will face both the Stars and Blitz over the following 3 weeks (Philly in Week 9 and Baltimore in Week 11.)  Baltimore and Philadelphia face each other in the week between (Week 10), so this race to the top of the Division is just about to get very very hot. Texas & Denver Not Giving Up Southwest While Arizona’s amazing 7-0 start has been the talk of the season, both Texas and Denver are doing their best to remind us that this race is not over.  Both are 2 games back with very respectable 5-2 records.  Texas will get their shot at the Wranglers first, facing them in San Antonio in Week 9.  Denver heads to Arizona for the first of 2 games against the Wranglers a week later, in a Week 10 clash at University of Phoenix Stadium.  Texas lost their first matchup with the Wranglers back in Week 4, a 27-25 nail biter. They are hoping that their week 9 matchup will go in their favor with a rowdy Texas crowd supporting them in the dome.  Denver has yet to face the Wranglers, and has had only 1 divisional game to date, this week’s win over Houston.  They will face Texas at Invesco Field this upcoming weekend, and could be a late factor, facing Houston, Texas, and Arizona in weeks 14-16 to end the season, with both Texas games on the road. Lynch to Miss 4-6 Weeks With Fractured Fibula Las Vegas may have gotten the win over Portland this week to move to 5-2 and 2-2 in the division, but it was a very costly win.  Marshawn Lynch left the field on a cart and x-rays revealed a fracture in his fibula, an injury that will require a soft boot for at least a month, and very likely could cost Lynch at least 6 weeks of action.  The Thunder did bring in Cedric Benson as an insurance policy this offseason, but Benson is hardly the back that Lynch is.  The expectation is that more of the weight of the offense will now fall on former MVP Jake Plummer, but Plummer is working with one hand behind his back.  He has WR Willie Ponder out for the year and #1 receiver Marty Booker likely out another 2-4 weeks as he heals his broken foot.  In other words, the Las Vegas Defense is going to have to be even better if the Thunder are going to retain their share of the division lead with a surging LA Express right there with them. Right now the starting offense of the Thunder includes Cedric Benson at halfback and NFL import Legedu Naanee, Kahlil Hill and Aldrick Robinson as their starting three receivers.  This is not the personnel that Coach Jones had in mind when he started installing a run & shoot scheme a year ago.  That puts the pressure on the 3rd rated defense for yardage (4th for scoring) to do even more.  The line of Haloti Ngata, Erasmus James and Adewale Ogunleye will need to put pressure on QBs to allow Joey Porter and A. J. Hawk to focus on the run.  Corners Will Allen and Antoine Winfield have played extremely well all season, but now will have even more pressure to lock down receivers. If Las Vegas can survive the next 3-4 weeks, they will get Booker back, then possibly 2 weeks later, Lynch could be ready to return.  But with LA right there, and already having beaten Las Vegas in their first meeting, the Thunder cannot afford to slump, even with such a big loss to their offense. Matt Leinart Likely Out 2-3 Weeks with Non-Throwing Arm Injury A second injury to impact the next few weeks as QB Matt Leinart injured his non-throwing arm in a collision with a Houston defender this week.  That injury took Leinart out of the game and gave backup Dan LeFevour his first serious action.  LeFevour did enough to get Denver the win over the Gamblers, but now he will be looking at a minimum of two starts, with Texas up this week in a huge divisional match. Leinart could be seen at team facilities this week, his arm in a sling for protection, and while it is not his throwing arm, the team will need to see that he can both take hits and use the arm for support and counterbalance in order to have him back on the field.  It appears that there is no fracture in the arm, but the prospect of ligament damage could lengthen the departure for Leinart.  LeFevour, who had one substitute start in 2010, now takes the helm for at least 2 weeks, but possiblty longer. In addition to the Lynch and Leinart injuries, we also saw Jacksonville’s plans to move C. J. Spiller to a 3rd down back role upended when promoted HB LaBrandon Toefield suffered a ruptured disc in his first start for the Bulls. He is now on IR and is unlikely to be able to suit up before the 2012 season.  The good news is that there appears to be no permanent nerve damage, but Toefield is not expected to see a football field for at least 9 months. Pittsburgh’s Patrick Surtain got the news he did not want when further testing showed that his abdominal injury was, in fact, a partial tear.  That diagnosis stretches his absence from the Mauler defense to at least 4 weeks, even in a best case scenario.  In Arizona, rookie HB Stevan Ridley is likely out for 1-2 weeks after dislocating his elbow on a carry this past week.  Arizona will also be without backup FS Nate Allen, who is doubtful after turning an ankle in special teams coverage this week. Others who are questionable this week include Drew Brees in New Orleans, LB Corey Miller for Boston, Charlotte WR Derrick Mason, Nashville MLB Willie Middlebrooks, Houston DE Osi Umenyiura, and Stars WR Stevie Johnson.  Expected back in action are NJ wideout T. J. Houshmandzadeh, Seattle WR Nate Burleson, St. Louis guard Leonard Davis, Texas DT Paul Grasmanis, Baltimore DE Robert Quinn, and Memphis LB NaVorro Bowman. Full Range of 1983 Retro Jerseys Available Two pieces of news out of Adidas and the USFL this week. The first focuses on the 12 original USFL franchises and the league’s celebration of 30 seasons in 2012.  Adidas revealed that they will be producing retro jerseys, both home and away, for all 12 founding franchises.  The 24 different designs will be available exclusively at USFLStore.com and at stadia across the league (primarily the 12 cities represented by the 12 franchises as well as relocation “heritage” cities like Baltimore, Nashville, or New Orleans.)  The designs recreate the initial designs of each club, will be available with the number 83 to indicate the league’s first season, and will have small commemorative patches similar to the ones all 28 clubs will wear for the 2012 season on the left side of the chest.  On the right chest will be a retro Adidas trefoil logo, replacing the current 3-stripe logo found on all USFL jerseys. This marks the first time leaguewide commemorative jerseys have been available.  Several clubs have sold retro jerseys individually, but prior contracts (with Nike and Reebok) have not included production of a series of jerseys similar to this 30th anniversary commemoration series.  Individual team jerseys, with player numbers are still available from each club’s home store, so don’t worry, you can still get a retro Herschel Walker #34, John Reaves #7 or Anthony Carter #1. Bulls Reveal 2012 Uniform Updates Adidas also revealed the new look for 2012 for the Jacksonville Bulls, the first of the 4 revisions for next season (Washington, Texas, and New Orleans to come).  Jacksonville’s look will remain very similar to the current designs, but with a few noteworthy tweaks.  The helmet is not changed, nor is the primary logo, but Adidas and the Bulls are introducing two new logos. The first is a “JAX” monogram that features the iconic twin stripe of garnet and orange over pewter lettering.  It should be noted that the pewter grey the Bulls are using will be noticeably darker in 2012, creating an overall darker look to the uniforms. The second new logo is a rondel that highlights the Bulls as a Florida-based team (I guess for those folks who like to joke that it is actually southern Georgia).  The logo features the bull logo charging across the familiar shape of the state, surrounded by a hoop that includes lettering stating “Jacksonville Football”. The rondel logo does not appear on the uniform, while the monogram appears on one sleeve, with the standard logo on the other. The jerseys continue to feature a shoulder yoke and colored sleeves, burgundy on the white jerseys and pewter/grey on the dark jerseys.  Orange “horns” emerge from the collar on both jerseys, adding a pop of the color to the front of each jersey.  The sleeve cuffs are also orange.  Where orange does not appear is as piping on the new number font.  The thick block numbers will be either white or garnet with black piping. The pants feature the same 4-stripe pattern as the prior Reebok design, though the stripes are slightly thicker on the adidas version.  There are three pant sets, garnet, white, and the new darker pewter. NBC to Seek 2nd Weekly Game in 2012 It appears that NBC would like to double down on their USFL broadcasting, but at whose expense?  The broadcast giant has long been the host of Friday Night Lights, the opening game each weekend, but are now approaching the USFL and their other broadcast partners about turning the opening game each week of the regular season from a 1-game affair to a doubleheader, with a 6pm kickoff game and a 9pm kickoff game (all times eastern).  This would not only double the number of games offered by the network, which, it should be assumed, would come with significantly higher payments by NBC to the league, but would also double the number of teams playing on a slightly shorter week to play on Friday nights. Expectation is that NBC would negotiate with both ABC and FOX to remove one game from the Sunday slate and reallocate that game to Friday night. Presently there are 5 day games on Saturday but 6 afternoon games on Sunday.  A move down to 5 Sunday afternoon games, while a reduction in coverage for both ABC and FOX would allow both networks to do as they do on Saturday and have a nationwide broadcast in the 4pm slot rather than each network alternating regional games with one national game.  In other words, a doubleheader on Friday would provide the USFL with 10 nationally broadcast games each week instead of the current 9, reducing the regional coverage to only 4 games per week (always the 12pm slots on both weekend days).  That will certainly be welcomed by the USFL, though the alterations to all 3 network contracts will be a bit messy.  The hope, of course, is that the increased fees paid by NBC will more than account for any reduction in revenue from FOX and ABC for their lost game on Sundays. Expect this to get done.  NBC certainly has the funds ready to provide to the league, the USFL as a whole is looking at more exposure and slightly higher TV revenue, and would be happy to have both East Coast and West Coast clubs highlighted each Friday Night during the season.  As for ABC and FOX, the ability to have a showcase game each Sunday at 4pm is also a likely plus. What does Week 8 hold for us?  Well, the last week of the season’s first half has plenty of divisional matchups, including Friday night’s Oakland-Portland clash, and a few very interesting inter-divisional and inter-conference games.   We are particularly looking forward to Saturday’s 4pm match between 6-1 Pittsburgh and 5-2 Los Angeles.  The red hot Maulers should be a very good measuring stick to see just how real LA’s early success is. Another great Saturday clash is Nashville visiting Baltimore on the Saturday night ESPN game.  Both clubs come into the game at 5-2 and are looking to solidify a spot as a division leader.  On Sunday we have two of the league’s three winless teams, both on the road, as Memphis visits St. Louis and New Orleans, under new leadership, is in Ohio.  We also have a really fun SW Division clash between the two clubs vying for 2nd place behind Arizona.  Denver hosts Texas as both enter the game at 5-2.  Las Vegas, without Marshawn Lynch, has a tough road game in Seattle at 4pm on Sunday, while the nightcap on the ESPN Football Network has Tampa Bay at Atlanta in a key Southern Division match between 2 of the 4 clubs tied up at 4-3.  Can Tampa Bay snap their 3-game slide, or will Atlanta assert themselves as a potential frontrunner, hoping to repeat as division champs? As always, national broadcasts are in bold font. Divisional matchups are in blue. FRIDAY @ 8pm ET                Oakland (3-4) @ Portland (3-4)                  NBC SATURDAY @ 12pm ET          Charlotte (4-3) @ New Jersey (0-7)           ABC SATURDAY @ 12pm ET          Michigan (2-5) @ Orlando (4-3)                 ABC SATURDAY @ 12pm ET        Boston (1-6) @ Philadelphia (5-2)             FOX SATURDAY @ 4pm ET              Pittsburgh (6-1) @ Los Angeles (5-2)        ABC SATURDAY @ 4pm ET            Houston (2-5) @ Chicago (2-5)                   FOX SATURDAY @ 8pm ET             Nashville (5-2) @ Baltimore (5-2)              ESPN SUNDAY @ 12pm ET               Memphis (0-7) @ St. Louis (3-4)                 ABC SUNDAY @ 12pm ET              New Orleans (0-7) @ Ohio (3-4)                 FOX SUNDAY @ 12pm ET            Jacksonville (2-5) @ Birmingham (4-3)    FOX SUNDAY @ 4pm ET                 Texas (5-2) @ Denver (5-2)                           ABC SUNDAY @ 4pm ET                  Washington (6-1) @ Arizona (7-0)             ABC SUNDAY @ 4pm ET                  Las Vegas (5-2) @ Seattle (3-4)                   FOX SUNDAY @ 8pm ET                 Tampa Bay (4-3) @ Atlanta (4-3)                 EFN

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: LaDainian Tomlinson did more than his part to get Arizona to 7-0, racking up 195 all purpose yards and 3 touchdowns for the Wranglers. He averaged nearly 8 yards per carry and 15 yards per reception as Arizona rolled once again.