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The playoff picture comes into vivid shape as Nashville, Tampa Bay, LA, Oakland, and Arizona all earn spots, leaving only 3 playoff berths available to be claimed in the season’s final week.  Pittsburgh survives a scare in Houston, and we have a cluster near .500 in the West, where there are 6 teams all within 1 game of the final Wild Card slot.  It is getting very serious very fast, and yet, with several spots locked up we may well see some backups get a shot to play next week, especially for Pittsburgh, Nashville, Texas, and LA, who are all locked into their seeds.  Let’s start with the wild game in Houston where the Maulers were almost undone by last year’s league champions, and then we will walk through all the Week 15 results and prep for what could be a very complex set of Week 16 scenarios. PITTSBURGH MAULERS 32    HOUSTON GAMBLERS 28 If you ever wanted an example of why you should not look at team records and assume a win is evident, this game is good evidence of it.  Now, admittedly, when the underdog is the prior year’s league champion, the potential is always there that they will put the pieces together and prove to be a tough out, and that is exactly what happened for the Gamblers.  Houston, after suffering a shocking 8-game losing streak to scuttle what was supposed to be another deep playoff run season, has rebounded, with 3 wins in their last 4, including victories over Arizona and Denver in division.  Pittsburgh, having locked up the #1 seed in the West has, admittedly, let up on the gas a bit, losing to Texas last week in blowout fashion, so a trip to Houston may have been a situation where the Maulers simply did not have the juice to play at their best.  Either way, the result was a game that saw Houston give the Maulers a serious run for their money, but in the end the 12-2 Maulers pulled out the win. It was a game where Pittsburgh would outgain Houston 412-266, largely on the basis of 330 yards passing from Cody Pickett.  The Maulers would also win the turnover battle, but 7 penalties would disrupt the offense just enough for the Gamblers to keep the game close throughout.  Houston started well on their first drive, needing only 6 plays to march the ball down the field and for Matt Hasselbeck to find Ike Hilliard with a 17-yard TD toss.  Pittsburgh would respond with a Ryan Succop field goal, his first of 4 on the day, but after 1 the Gamblers were proving a tough opponent. The game had its first lead change early in the 2nd when Brandon Jacobs completed a long Mauler drive with a 2-yard TD plunge. Houston would respond, and with 1:50 left in the half, they would retake the lead as Hasselbeck again found the veteran Hilliard for his 2nd TD of the day.  Pittsburgh would narrow the gap with a 2nd Succop field goal as time ran out and we went to the half at 14-13 Houston. The Gamblers would extend that lead in the 3rd as Hasselbeck connected on a third TD, this time to Roy Williams.  The Mauler defense, one of the league’s best, was struggling to stop drives, largely due to poorly-timed penalties that gave Houston new life on third down.  Matt Hasselbeck also enjoyed good protection all game, sacked only once and able to complete 17 of 26 attempts.  Cody Pickett was also protected well, not sacked in the game, and on the final drive of the 3rd quarter he would find Jimmie Graham for a 22-yard touchdown that again pulled Pittsburgh closer, but the 2-point conversion failed, leaving the Maulers 2 points down at 21-19 after three. In the 4th the Maulers continued to push to retake the lead.  It did not take them long as Pittsburgh’s next drive got them close enough for Succop to connect on a 42-yard field goal.  Up 22-21, they would double down 5 minutes later with Succop’s fourth kick, taking a 4-point lead.  Houston would respond, taking the ball at the midpoint of the period and using nearly 6 minutes to drive the ball deep into Mauler territory.  Helped again by a penalty, this time an offsides on a good use of voice inflection by Hasselbeck on 3rd and 4, Houston got the ball to the Pittsburgh 4 and then used play action to Shaun Alexander to free up Roy Williams for his 2nd score of the day.  With just 1:47 left, Houston went up by 3, 28-25. Pittsburgh would play for the field goal and the tie. That was the theory at least.  And for most of the drive, that seemed the logic as the Maulers played the sidelines, preserved their last timeout, but still moved the ball deeper into Gambler territory.  But, on a 2nd and 3, a slip by Houston veteran CB Ronde Barber allowed Vincent Jackson to turn a 5-yard out into a 25 yard catch and run.  He got the ball to the Houston 12 yard line, with time and a timeout left, and that changed the perspective of the Mauler offense.  They would have time for 2, maybe 3 shots into the endzone before bringing in Succop.  They would need only 1 play to take the lead. Cody Pickett looked to Jackson again, pumped, but then brought the ball down as the safety moved over to Jackson, only to find Jimmie Graham again, this time cutting towards the goal post and uncovered by the safety.  Pickett threw a frozen rope down the middle and Graham brought it in for the game winner with just 11 seconds left to play.  The Maulers had found a way, giving them a franchise record-tying 3th win on the season.  Houston would drop their 10th game of the year, and their 7th game by less than 1 score.  Close but not quite there was apparently the theme of the year for the Gamblers, whose luck turned sour after a brilliant 2010 campaign. DENVER 28   TEXAS 38 A big win for the Outlaws, a devastating blow for the Gold.   Denver’s playoff hopes are on life support as the Gold drop to 7-8 with their 4th loss in a row.  Matt Leinart did what he could to help the Gold, throwing 3 TD passes, but he also forced the ball, causing 2 picks.  Meanwhile Joe Flacco was flawless, throwing for 319 yards and 4 TDs to take the win as Texas continues to impress. CHARLOTTE 23   ATLANTA 20 Charlotte’s run of good play continues in Atlanta, where the Monarchs pick up their 9th win and putting them in a position to control their own destiny going into the final week of the season.  The run game was the key as Shonn Greene and Taiwan Jones combined for 156 yards, helping the club overcome 3 Delhomme picks.  Atlanta was in this one till the end, but the loss means their playoff hopes are officially dashed. JACKSONVILLE 13   ORLANDO 13   OVERTIME If ties are like kissing your sister, this one was like kissing your sister after she has been eating picked herring.  Orlando needed a win here to stay on pace with Charlotte and Baltimore, but they fell into a trap game against a bad Bulls squad and it caught them.  Despite outgaining Jacksonville 430-251, the Renegades had costly turnovers, bad penalties, and just let the Bulls hang around.  Jacksonville sent the game to overtime, but neither team could do anything with the extra period, so we get the 2nd tie of the season in the USFL. PORTLAND 7   LOS ANGELES 13 Clearly Coach Brooks’s announcement of resignation did not inspire the Stags to win one for their coach.  Portland was lackluster all game, while LA also looked a bit out of sorts.  If not for a Ray Rice TD run of 41 yards, this one would have been an absolute snoozefest.  LA will take the win and hold onto first place, but they will need to do better if they want to make a splash in the playoffs. BIRMINGHAM 7   NEW ORLEANS 23 Interim Head Coach Lamar Lathon is making his case to remain at the helm of the Breakers.  After taking over an 0-8 team, he lost his first 2 games, but since then has won 5 of 6.  Despite not having Eli Manning available, the Breakers won this one going away against the Stallions.  The defense starred with CB Patrick Peterson the star with a pick 6 that turned the momentum fully to the Breakers. NEW JERSEY 24   PHILADELPHIA 34 The Generals were up to the challenge in this rivalry game, but the Stars found a way to put this one away with a late Reche Caldwell TD pass from Matt Gutierrez. The Stars’ backup played a good part of the game after Kurt Warner hopped of the field after turning his ankle.  The Stars turned to the run game without their MVP candidate QB in the game, and Steve Slaton came through with 124 yards and a TD. MEMPHIS 31   NASHVILLE 20 This is not a good look for the Knights as they prepare to host a Wild Card game. Memphis ,which has struggled on offense all season with rookie Ryan Mallett at the helm, suddenly found a rhythm.  Mallett threw for 2 scores and the defense made the stops it needed to to hold Nashville down.  Two Jay Cutler picks also helped the Showboats get the upset in the Tennessee Tussle. LAS VEGAS 13   OHIO 10 The Thunder defense continues to carry this team as they move to 9-6 and in range for a playoff spot.  Ohio was held scoreless well into the 4th quarter and managed only 163 yards passing on the game as Vince Young struggled to find open receivers.  Marshawn Lynch put in a workman 72 yards on 19 carries, and the defense did the rest. WASHINGTON 29   BOSTON 19 Boston is playing hard, we will give them that, but with Jake Locker completing only 16 of 43 passes, the offense is just not good enough, especially against a tough Federals’ D.  In a game that saw 9 field goals, it was a TD from, who else, Deuce McCallister that gave Washington the advantage and the defense held Boston to only 3 points in the second half as the Feds are still on pace for that top seed in the East. BALTIMORE 10   MICHIGAN 28 A good win for the Panthers as they move to 8-7 and into position to control their own destiny.  They hold the final Wild Card position, so a win next week guarantees them a playoff bid.  They won this game on the arm of Brian Griese, whose 4 TD passes mark a season high for him.  The defense also did their part, limiting Ron Dayne to a season low 19 yards rushing. ST. LOUIS 13   CHICAGO 30 St. Louis was hoping for more but Chicago still has a slim chance at the playoffs as well and their experience won out.  The defense sacked Josh Freeman 4 times and held him without a TD pass as Chicago dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball and stayed alive at 7-8. OAKLAND 31   ARIZONA 28 The Wranglers have struggled to regain their early season form, and while the offense was explosive in this one, racking up 457 total yards against a solid Oakland defense, the Wrangler D let them down at the end.  Arizona had taken the lead on a Larry Fitzgerald TD late in the 4th, but the D could not stop Joey Harrington, who led the Invaders down the field and connected with Greg Jennings for his 3rd TD of the day to steal the win in the desert. SEATTLE 10   TAMPA BAY 23 The Dragons’ playoff hopes are fading as they lose their 3rd in 4 games.  The cross country trip to Tampa Bay was clearly not what the Dragons needed as they gave up 13-0 lead in the first half and could not recover.  Shane Vereen did well subbing for Willis McGahee, rushing for 80 yards on the day.  Daunte Culpepper went 22 of 31, mostly short dump off passes against a shell defense, but it was enough to control the clock and the ball and keep Tampa Bay within range of the #1 seed with 1 game left. Texas Wins Division for 1st Time in 25 Year History Congratulations all around to Coach Greg Landry and the Outlaws as, for the first time in franchise history, Texas will be a division champ.  It took 25 years for the Outlaws to finally come out on top.  Not only that, but they are also locked into a Top 2 position, which means a bye week is their reward in the playoffs. Texas has done it on both sides of the ball.  Landry, who was brought in to improve the Outlaw offense and coach up Joe Flacco, has had great success with both tasks.  Flacco is a very likely MVP candidate and the Outlaw offense now sits at 2nd in the league in both points and yardage.  What is even more impressive is that this offensive improvement has not led to a decline in defensive quality as the Outlaws now sit in the Top 10 in both points allowed and yardage allowed.  That is an impressive combination and balance, one that could make Texas a truly dangerous team in the postseason. Expect Landry to get some votes for Coach of the Year, along with both Joe Flacco and T. J. Duckett in the running for offensive awards.  The defense does not have quite the big name players or singular stars, but it too deserves recognition.  CB Michael Boulware, LB Chad Greenway, and SS Terrance Holt have all had good years, but the player who has really come on is DE Reynaldo Wynn, who leads the team with 16 sacks and should get some All-USFL votes. Texas, which in its history has had a tendency to fade down the stretch of seasons, is breaking that bad habit, and have now won  6 of the last 7.  In a season that saw Arizona jump out to a huge advantage with an undefeated first half, Texas has kept plugging along and bit by bit made up the gap.  Now they sit atop the SW Division and they want more.  After having defeated Pittsburgh handily last week, this is truly a team to focus on as we head into the postseason. Orlando Tie Complicates Eastern Wild Card Admittedly, the final Wild Card spot in the East was always going to be a 3 team race.  However, had the Renegades won this week, we would have 3 teams at 8-7 with 2 Wild Cards on the line.  That would make the math pretty easy.  2 teams would be in with a win, the 3rd with a win and 1 team losing.  Now, with Orlando a half-game behind both Baltimore and Charlotte, we start getting messy.  Basically, the Renegades need help.  They need to win in Week 16, of course, but they need at least one of the others, preferably both, to lose their season finales.  It is not the worst scenario possible for a playoff spot, but it is certainly not what the Renegades were hoping for. 6 Teams & 1 Spot in Western Wild Card Race If you want complex math related to the USFL, the Western Wild Card race is providing it.  We have Michigan currently sitting in the 6th position at 8-7, a game behind both Oakland and Arizona (whose spots are assured).  But we also have Las Vegas at 8-7, but losing on a tiebreaker, and then St. Louis, Chicago, Denver, and Seattle all at 7-8. The easiest scenario next week is for Michigan to win in their matchup against the #1 seed Pittsburgh Maulers.  If they can do that, then they lock up the spot and nothing else matters. The nightmare scenario for the league is for both Michigan and Las Vegas to lose and for St. Louis, Chicago, Seattle, and Denver to win, creating a 6-team cluster at 8-8. That worst case scenario would force the league to first rank the divisions, with Michigan, St. Louis, and Chicago looking at division record and possibly margin of victory.  Seattle and Las Vegas would have to do the same, while Denver would find itself matched up with whichever Central and Pacific team ended up in the top position.  So then we have a 3-way battle of head to head, then conference record, and possibly margin of victory.  A nasty mess that will not be fun to sort out.  So, the folks in New York, at league HQ may be hoping that the Maulers rest some starters, that Michigan gets the W, and that none of the complex comparative statistics are needed. Fitzpatrick Injury Could Impact 2012 Season In a bad game at the end of a bad season, Portland got even more bad news.  QB Ryan Fitzpatrick came off the field early in a lot of pain.  He made it to the sideline, but the Stags eventually needed to bring the cart out to him to take him to the locker room.  He would later be taken to a local hospital for further review.  The diagnosis?  A torn abdominal lining.  That is a nasty injury that is in part muscular, but mostly tissue-based, and one that is hard to heal because it is hard to isolate and immobilize the muscle groups to allow for the lining to mend itself. The concern in Portland is that Fitzpatrick will not only miss the final game of the year, but almost certainly all of the offseason minicamps, with the potential for the injury to impact training camp, preseason, and even the opening weeks of the 2012 season. Now, Fitzy is a smart guy, he did go to Harvard and all, so we expect he will be very vigilant about his care and the physician’s instructions, but the possibility is still there that Portland may need a plan B through the offseason and into the next year of play. Is Week 16 Jim Haslett’s Last Game with Memphis? That is the question being asked around the Mid-South.  After helping the Showboats win a title in 2007, Haslett has struggled to find success, particularly after Brett Favre’s second retirement.  From 10 wins in both ’07 and ’08, the Showboats dipped to 4-10 in 2009, 6-10 in 2010, and now are sitting at 4-10-1 with 1 week left, guaranteed another 10-loss season. Without the 2007 title, Haslett would almost certainly be out the door, but he did win it all only 4 seasons ago, and, quite honestly, the lack of a QB on the roster who can win games for him is not entirely his fault. After the failed Jake Delhomme project, Ryan Mallett was drafted this year, but his rookie season has been more growing pains than sparks of hope.  Mallett has a QBR hoving around 60 points, well below the league average, and has thrown more picks than touchdowns, never a good thing.  The defense, however, is Haslett’s project, and it has largely been a failure.  The Showboats, rank 27th of the 28 USFL clubs, allowing nearly 355 yards per game, and their 20 points per game average is also near the bottom of the league. If ownership is looking to make a move, they will likely point to that defense, as well as the decline of the run game (only 23rd at 80.6 YPG) as reasons why they wish to move on.  No statement has come from ownership yet, neither in support of Haslett or showing signs of wavering, so it is hard to gauge, but with Black Monday only a week away, we should have an answer soon. A lot is settled, but there are many teams still fighting for something.  Let’s run through the current playoff standings and tell you what each team is looking at. EASTERN CONFERENCE WASHINGTON: The Feds are only 1 game up on Tampa Bay for the #1 seed.  A loss against Charlotte and they could get bumped to number 2. TAMPA BAY: They have the division and the bye week, and still have a shot at the #1 overall seed.  If they don’t want to play in DC for the Conference Title, they will want a win and root for the Monarchs to upend the Feds. NASHVILLE:  They are the Southern Division Champions and are locked in at #3, so they could rest their starters, but do they really want to finish at .500?  A loss and that is what they would be doing. PHILADELPHIA:  Locked into the #4 slot, we expect the Stars to rest a lot of starters in their season finale. CHARLOTTE:  A win or an Orlando or Baltimore loss and they are a Wild Card.  Those are good odds, but the best way to lock it up is to upset Washington at home. BALTIMORE:  Classic win and in scenario for the Blitz as they face a Portland squad without their starting QB.  A loss and they have to root against the Renegades, who face the Bandits this week. ORLANDO: That tie this week is going to make life tough.  Orlando has to win against a Bandits team that is unlikely to rest their starters, and they have to hope that either Charlotte or Baltimore take an L this week.  It is never a good feeling to rely on others to get you into the postseason. WESTERN CONFERENCE PITTSBURGH:  The Maulers are in the classic #1 conundrum.  Do you rest your starters in a meaningless Week 16 game, providing 2 weeks of rest, or does that create rust? TEXAS: The Outlaws are locked in at #2, so they face the same issue as Pittsburgh, risking rust in 2 weeks or an injury this week.  We think they will take their chances with rust. LOS ANGELES:  Another club locked into their spot at #3, and with a playoff game in the Wild Card round, we expect to see Mark Sanchez wearing a baseball cap and not a helmet. OAKLAND: They are back in the postseason, but if they want to host that Wild Card game, they need to win this week. ARIZONA: Yes, the Wranglers are in the postseason, but they cannot feel good about losing 6 of 7. Expect them to see this week as a tuneup game to try to regain their form from the first half of the year. MICHIGAN: The Panthers control their own destiny.  A win and they are in.  A loss and it seems unlikely that they survive the scramble of 6 clubs to take the final Wild Card spot. LAS VEGAS:  The Thunder need to win this week to have a shot, and they need help.  The easiest path is for a Thunder win and Panther loss. Any other combination creates a mess. ST. LOUIS: They have a shot only because their 6-5 conference record is better than Vegas or Michigan.  If both the Thunder and Panthers lose, the Knights could find themselves in a Wild Card for the first time ever. CHICAGO: A win this week, along with losses by St. Louis, Michigan, and Las Vegas, puts Chicago in position to shock us and get in the postseason. Their division record would put them over the Panthers, and that could be enough. DENVER:  Pretty much they have to win and for most of the known universe to lose.  They have a 6-5 Conference record, so that gives them some hope. SEATTLE: They are basically in the same boat as Denver, but they also need the Gold to lose.  Right now they have a 2.3% chance of making the postseason.  “So you’re saying I have a chance” is the mantra for the Dragons this week. With only 1 week left, you hate to see any players go down, but that is a part of the game, and we saw several, including the troubling injury to Ryan Fitzpatrick this week.  Others who will miss the season finale include another Stag starter as center Brad Meester suffered a neck injury.  It is not major, but it will be enough to take him out of the Week 16 game.  Others who will miss Week 16 includeOhio TE Lee Smith (collarbone), Memphis WR Lee Evans (finger), and New Orleans QB Drew Brees (elbow).  Among teams still hoping for a Week 16 win to propel them to the postseason we see Denver will be without DE Ryan Denney, not only for next week, but if they do make the postseason, he would miss that as well after suffering a knee injury this week.  Michigan is in a similar situation with FS Tyrone Carter, who is expected to be out up to a month with a bicep tear.  Michigan may also be without MLB Andy Katzenmoyer after he suffered a concussion this week, putting him as “doubtful” for Week 16’s important season finale. On the other side of the spectrum, several playoff-bound or playoff competitive teams are getting players back for their final regular season game.  Among those expected to return to action are WR Deion Branch and TE Heath Miller (WSH), DE Robert Mathis (PHI), SS Roy Williams (DEN), SS Pearson Prioleau (OAK), DE Anthony Weaver (CHI), and HB Willis McGahee (TBY). Looking at 10 Possible Retirements This Offseason We have reached the last week of the year, and just as fans start looking at the unsigned players to see what the free agent market might look like, we can also look to the rosters of teams across the league and wonder who we may see hang up their cleats and call it a career.  Every year we are surprised by that player who opts out early, or another who opts to give it one more year, but we also know that each year we lose some quality veterans, creating tough choices and unwanted holes in the roster for GMs across the league.  As we travel around the 28 teams of the USFL, we are hearing whispers and folks are asking questions.  From these somewhat uncertain bits of info, we have built our 10 players to watch for, all of them possibly considering calling 2011 their final season on the field. Houston FS Brian Dawkins (37) Houston singed Dawkins to a 2-year deal at 36 years old, so it may not be that much of a surprise if Dawkins opts out after one year, particularly with the year the Gamblers have had.  2011 has not been a banner year for the safety, as he has only 25 tackles and 2 picks over15 game so far. Tampa Bay WR Joey Galloway (37) The question with Galloway is whether or not his outstanding 2011 campaign means he is game for more or now able to end his career on a high note.  All across the board his move from Ohio to Tampa Bay has been a success.  Not only are the Bandits the Southern Division Champs and battling for a top seed, but Galloway saw his numbers jump back to totals we have not seen since the early 2000’s.  From 51 catches in 2009 to 90 this year and from 736 yards to a potential 1,300.  It is his call, because it seems clear that Tampa Bay would love to have him back. St. Louis HB Antowain Smith (34) While 34 is not considered retirement age for many positions on a USFL roster, for a running back it is pretty rare to see backs reach 35.  The injury-shortened 2011 season was Smith’s 15th in the league, a lifetime for a big back.  His torn abdominal limited him to 12 games and 836 yards, and will require extensive PT to get back in form.  At 34, that may be more than Smith would like to engage. Charlotte QB Jake Delhomme (35) After a 1-year disaster in Memphis, and two opening months that had fans calling for the backup, Delhomme has had a stronger second half.  Is that enough to motivate him to come back for another year?  Would Charlotte tender an offer for a 2nd year after Delhomme threw for over 20 picks?  Hard to say, but Charlotte is in playoff position, and a solid final week, followed by a decent showing in the Wild Card game could be enough for the Monarchs to offer a deal.  Is it enough for Delhomme to agree to it and return to the Monarchs? Baltimore CB Chris McCallister (36) After 13 years prowling the defensive backfield for the Blitz, McCallister would certainly be understood if he opted to retire at 36.  Injuries are the obvious reason for such a decision.  The past 3 seasons McCallister has struggled to stay on the field, appearing in only 13 games over the 3-year span.  Very often the will is there for veteran players but the body is not. Houston DE Kavika Pittman (36) Houston has another core defender on this list as Kavika Pittman is rumored to be debating the issue.  Sixteen seasons at DE is a very long career, and it has been a Hall of Fame one for the Gambler, who has 276 sacks to his name, a ridiculous total.  Pittman, in 16 seasons, has never had fewer than 10 sacks in a year, and is often closer to 20 than 10.  If he retired after this season he would be 26 sacks behind all-time great Phil Hansen, and that feels like a lot to try to make up in only 1 more year.  We think he will be happy sitting in 2nd place, ahead of Reggie White, Santana Dotson and Mike Rucker, and so we think this could be his swansong. Michigan QB Brian Griese (35) Earlier in the year the questions were there.  Had Griese peaked?  Had his injury in 2009 led to permanent issues?  His numbers were not great to start the year, and he was struggling to get the Panthers moving.  But, ever since a Week 6 loss to Denver, Griese has found another gear.  The Panthers have won 7 of 9 games, and Griese has a 19:7 TD:Int ratio. He is making good choices, protecting his body and the ball, and getting W’s for the Panthers.  One more win and they are in the playoffs, and we think if that happens, there is no way Griese calls it quits. New Orleans DT Jason Peter (36) Another player who signed a 1-year deal at the end of a long career, Peter had a solid career in Arizona, then spent 2 years in Tampa Bay, and now 2011 in New Orleans.  His numbers are still good, but it seems clear that he is not at the same form he was in as a Wrangler.  Does that make him question the need to keep going at age 36?  The Breakers are not a club on the verge of a title, so it is not as if Peter is hoping to go out on top. Tampa DE Marcellus Wiley (36) Wiley may be hoping to do just that, to go out on top. Tampa Bay is a serious contender, and Wiley is having a strong season, again over 10+ sacks for the year.  If the Bandits can win it all, then Wiley will have nothing left to achieve.  If they lose, he could possibly be swayed to stay for a 2nd chance. Las Vegas QB Jake Plummer (34) At 34, Plummer is hardly the oldest QB in the league, but his body has taken a beating over his 15-season career.  Honestly, most of us are shocked he has made it this far, particularly after the move from Arizona to Las Vegas, where his pass protection has not been ideal.  His numbers are certainly down from his heyday, and Coach June Jones’ run & shoot variation has not produced the eye-popping stats that it did in previous iterations.  All of these factors could lead Plummer to decide to hang it up before his body demands it. As we see each year, all games in Week 16 will be played on Saturday and Sunday, with clusters of games based on divisional playoff positioning.  It makes for a compact, but exciting week as the last playoff spots are decided and seeding is fixed.  Here is the plan for Week 16 in the USFL. SATURDAY @ 12pm Birmingham (6-9) @ Memphis (4-10-1)                                  ABC No playoff implications in this one, but we expect the Showboats to play hard for Jim Haslett, even if the decision on his future is already decided. New Orleans (4-11) @ Nashville (8-7)                                      FOX Could the Knights actually win the division at only 8-8?  Seems possible, with the Breakers getting some steam later in the year for interim coach Lamar Lathon. Portland (4-11) @ Baltimore (9-6)                                             FOX The Stags are out, Baltimore needs only a tie to lock up a playoff spot. Expect to see the Blitz try to get a lead early and then coast if they can. SATURDAY @ 4pm Houston (5-10) @ Oakland (9-6)                                                ABC Oakland is locked into a Wild Card, but if they want a home game, they need this win.  Houston has been anything but a lame duck team the past month, so this could be interesting. Los Angeles (10-5) @ Las Vegas (8-7)                                       FOX You know the Thunder will be motivated.  A loss and they are out of the Wild Card.  Will LA? They could rest their starters because even with a win and a Texas loss, they are still locked into the #3 slot. Chicago (7-8) @ Seattle (8-7)                                                      NBC Both clubs are technically still alive for a Wild Card.  Only the winner has any shot, so this one could be one of the best games of the year as both will bring their best. SATURDAY @ 8pm Washington (12-3 @ Charlotte (9-6)                                        ESPN Both clubs want this win to lock up something.  A playoff spot for Charlotte, the #1 seed for Washington.  Don’t expect to see the backups in for either club as they both want this one. Philadelphia (11-4) @ Boston (1-13-1)                                    EFN We have no idea if Boston will come to play or just phone this in after a brutal season.  Jake Locker at least needs to show some spark.  Philadelphia cannot catch Washington even with a win, so they may rest some starters ahead of next week’s Wild Card round. SUNDAY @ 12pm Ohio (5-11) @ St. Louis (7-8)                                                       ABC The Skyhawks’ playoff hopes are on life support.  A win and a lot of help are needed. They need losses by both Michigan and Las Vegas, but they better not just assume they will beat Ohio in this divisional game. Pittsburgh (13-2) @ Michigan (8-7)                                          FOX The Maulers are almost certainly going to rest a few starters to avoid injuries.  Michigan could use that to their advantage as they are in a Win & In situation.  But does Pittsburgh want Michigan in the playoffs?  They may keep the defense on the field to try to knock out their division rival. Tampa Bay (11-4) @ Orlando (8-6-1)                                       ABC The Bandits might have considered resting the starters, but they are actually in range of Washington.  A win and a Feds loss and Tampa Bay could get that #1 seed (the computations are tough because it takes several tiebreakers, but it is possible.)  Meanwhile, Orlando is ½ game behind Baltimore and Charlotte for the final Wild Card, so you know they need this. Atlanta (6-9) @ Jacksonville (3-11-1)                                        FOX No playoff issues here, just a battle of two teams that have built something of a regional rivalry, as much as you can between clubs that don’t have a lot of playoff success in their histories. SUNDAY @ 4PM Texas (11-4) @ New Jersey (6-9)                                                FOX Sort of a weird ending for the Outlaws.  They have the #2 seed all locked up, so we likely won’t see Flacco, Duckett, or Colston on the field.  New Jersey will also likely play some younger players just to see for the offseason. Arizona (9-6) @ Denver (7-8)                                                      EFN Denver is still alive, but not by much.  Arizona has to find its form because this is not the squad that started the season 8-0. They have lost 6 of 7 and that is no way to go into the Wild Card round.  Expect both clubs to fight for this one.

PLAYOFF PICTURE: Nine of the twelve playoff spots are now claimed. Washington, Philadelphia, Tampa Bay and Nashville are in from the East, with the Bandits locking up division titles this week. In the West, Pittsburgh, Texas, Los Angeles, Arizona, and Oakland are all in. The Maulers and Outlaws have wrapped up division titles as well, with Pittsburgh guaranteed the #1 seed. PLAYER OF THE WEEK: We are going to give the POTW to Joe Flacco for helping Texas win their first SW Division title in team history. He did it in style too, throwing for 319 yards on only 13 completions, but also tossed 4 touchdowns to lead Texas to their first ever division crown.

Three more USFL teams lock up playoff spots as an exciting Week 14 brings us that much closer to the season finale and the postseason.  Tampa Bay and Philadelphia are in the Eastern Playoffs.  Texas has locked up a playoff spot in the West, but after 14 weeks there is still a lot to play for as we still sit with only 1 division locked down.  Charlotte edges Orlando to get a leg up in the Wild Card race.  St. Louis is back in the mix as they move to 7-7, their best record in club history.  LA gets the edge on Oakland, and Arizona continues to struggle, losing their 4th in a row.  All that, plus, believe it or not New Jersey and Michigan are still alive in the playoff hunt.  But, let’s start the review of Week 14 with the best game of the week, a SE Division showdown between the Monarchs and the Renegades that needed extra time to find a winner. ORLANDO RENEGADES 16   CHARLOTTE MONARCHS 19 The Southeast Division continues to be the most balanced in the league.  While Tampa Bay has reached 10 wins and clinched a playoff berth, Orlando, Charlotte, and Atlanta continue to be in the mix, and this showdown between the Renegades and Monarchs would be for 2nd place and the best shot at catching the Bandits.  Charlotte came into the game at 7-6, but on a 3-game winning streak, Orlando a game up at 8-5, but the winner of this game would take over 2nd place in the division, and both teams played like that was a prize worth battling for. Orlando came into the game as the league’s sack leader, no shock when Calais Campbell is basically lapping the field with 26 sacks in only 13 games.  Charlotte is no slouch in the pressure game either, with 44 sacks on the season, led by Julius Peppers with a very respectable 16 sacks.  Charlotte also came into the game as the #1 defense in the league when measuring yardage gained, a measure that takes into account the league’s 3rd best defense against the run and 2nd best against the pass.  So, it should be no surprise that neither team lit up the scoreboard as the defenses were the key to this one. With Eli Manning sidelined and Matt Moore at the helm, we knew going in that the pressure would be on the Renegade defense to keep the score low, and they basically did just that.  The first quarter of the matchup was a scoreless one which saw only 3 combined first downs and 4 punts.  We finally saw some points on the board as the 2nd quarter began, as Orlando, helped by a nasty roughing the kicker penalty on a 4th and 3 punt, was able to sustain a drive and put up 7.  Matt Moore found TE Greg Olsen for the first score of the game and Orlando was in the lead on the road. That lead would not hold as Charlotte, motivated to return to an even score, also put together a good drive, ending with Shonn Greene (starting once again for Fred Jackson) plunging in from the 2.  But, with Brandon Couto’s kick taking a hard hook to the right, the ‘Gades retained the lead 7-6.  Couto would get a chance to redeem himself on Charlotte’s next drive. Following a short punt by Orlando’s Adam Podlesh, perhaps still impacted by the earlier hit, Charlotte took over on their own 42 and were able to get in range for Cuoto.  The Monarch kicker was on target this time and Charlotte took a 9-7 lead into the half. The Monarchs would expand on that lead in the 3rd quarter, with Jake Delhomme and the Shonn Greene putting together a good drive, capped off by Taiwan Jones scrambling to the right on a pitch play and diving for the pylon to put another 6 on the board.  Couto’s kick was good and Charlotte had a 16-7 lead. Orlando would finish the 3rd quarter with a 3-pointer as Bill Grammatica hit from 35 after the Renegade drive came to a halt on a missed 3rd down attempt, one of 11 third downs which went uncoverted by Orlando. With the game headed to the 4th quarter at 16-10, the lead was certainly not secure.  Charlotte got a bit too conservative too soon and very quickly Orlando had the ball back and were again able to add points.  In a drive that saw Knowshon Moreno get his longest run of the day (a 17-yarder), Orlando again bogged down in Charlotte territory, and again Bill Grammatica was the answer.  16-13 with 10:02 left to play. The Renegades would struggle on their next possession, forced to punt the ball back to Charlotte with 5:02 left to play.  However, when you have Calais Campbell, you are only 1 play away from a major change.  That change came after Charlotte had gained two first downs with their run game. On a 2nd and 6, Campbell did not bite on the run fake, and when Delhomme spun to his left the big man was there to face him.  Delhomme tried to pivot again, but all that did was lose him 3 more yards.  Campbell snagged his 3rd sack of the game, giving him 29 on the year.  The play meant that Charlotte would face a 3rd and 17, and that meant a quick draw play just to use some time and another punt. Orlando wasted no time on offense once they got the ball back.  Matt Moore hit Michael Jenkins for 17  yards, then tossed a screen to Leon Johnson before connecting with DeShaun Jackson for 10.  The hope, of course, was to finally put the ball back in the endzone, but as time started to become an issue, and Charlotte’s defense stiffened, it became clear that Orlando was going to let the clock run down and put the ball into Bill Grammatica’s hands, or his feet, to tie the game.  Grammatica came through and Orlando knotted up the score at 16.  The game would go to overtime. Charlotte won the toss and opted to go on offense. Jake Delhomme would connect with Dereck Mason and TE Brandon Pettigrew to get into Orlando territory, but just as we saw with Orlando’s offense at the end of regulation, moving into the red zone was quickly taken off the agenda and Charlotte was forced to send out their own kicker, Brandon Coutu.  The long kick was good and Orlando would now get the ball needing to score to either win the game or keep it going. The Renegades tried to get the ball rolling with a run play but Moreno was stuffed for no gain.  On 2nd down Moore was flushed from the pocket and tried to hit Moreno in the flat, but the ball bounced at his feet.  Third and 10 and Moreno looked to Greg Olsen. The TE caught the ball over the middle but was brought down immediately by LB Rey Maualaga.  Fouth and 4.  Again pressure from Julius Peppers and Ryan Sims forced Moore out of the pocket, and again he was unable to connect with his receiver, this time Justin McCaerins.  Turnover on downs, and the game goes to Charlotte for their 4th win in a row and a share of 2nd place two games behind the surging Tampa Bay Bandits. BALTIMORE 10   WASHINGTON 24 The Federals looked every bit the part of a top seed, rushing out to a 10-0 lead on the Blitz and then holding off their rivals from Baltimore all game.  Deuce McCallister bolstered his MVP case with 121 yards and aTD on the day, while a dinged up Ron Dayne had only 9 carries for 12 yards as he is clearly not 100%. BOSTON 21   NEW JERSEY 24 New Jersey stays alive by knocking off the struggling Cannons in the Meadowlands.  Jake Locker got the start for Boston, completing 14 of 28 with a TD, but Sam Bradford had the better day, throwing 3 TDs and passing for 294 yards against the Cannons’ questionable defense.  Maurice Jones-Drew also had a strong game, rushing for 109 yards on the day, while Austin Miles got POTW honors for his 2 TD performance. TEXAS 30   PITTSBURGH 14 We had a feeling this could happen.  With the #1 seed in the West guaranteed, motivation is the question for the Maulers in these final weeks, and that was clearly a factor against a very good Texas club.  T. J. Duckett rumbled for 118 yards on the ground and added another 63 in the air as the Outlaws racked up 448 yards of offense on the Mauler defense. NASHVILLE 10   BIRMINGHAM 21 The Stallions stay alive in the playoff hunt with a strong game against the visiting Knights.  Cam Newton throws for 212 and 2 scores and the defense bent but would  not break against Nashville.  Frank Gore had 115 yards rushing with a score, but the passing game for Nashville was sporadic at best.  For Birmingham, Terrell Owens made the plays needed, catching 6 for 100 even. ATLANTA 10   NEW ORLEANS 27 A game Atlanta had to take seriously, but New Orleans plays spoiler again, thanks to a big game from WR Early Doucet (113 yards) and a defense that picked off Kyle Orton 3 times, Drew Brees went 18 of 27 for 237 yards and 2 scores and the Breakers D had one of its best games of the year. TAMPA BAY 23   LAS VEGAS 21 Marshawn Lynch was back in action for Las Vegas, rushing for 54 yards on limited carries, but it was not the boost the Thunder needed as Tampa Bay edges the Thunder in Las Vegas.  Culpepper found both Galloway and Doering for scores and the defense picked off Jake Plummer 3 times as the Bandits score the cross-country victory in the desert. DENVER 16   HOUSTON 17 A huge loss for the Gold as they cannot generate enough offense against the Houston D to take the road win.  It was 16-7 Denver at the half, but Houston got 10 points in the second half, including a Hasselbeck TD pass to Howard Gannon, and the D held Denver out of scoring range to help the Gamblers get the upset and play spoiler against the Gold. ARIZONA 17   PHILADELPHIA 33 David Carr got a rough welcome back to game action as the Stars came out on fire, scoring 27 unanswered points to blow past Arizona and take the W.  Two Steve Slaton TDs helped the home team pull out to a big league.  Carr, who threw two picks, had his first TD throws in a month, but Arizona was simply too far behind to make a meaningful comeback late. MEMPHIS 22   JACKSONVILLE 19 A pretty good game between 10-loss teams as the Showboats and Bulls battled for 60 minutes.  It was a Mallett to Robert Ferguson TD with 1:37 that would give the Boats the win.   Tim Tebow was pulled at the half after producing only 1 field goal in 6 drives.  Josh McCown would go 12 of 23 in the second half but could not get the team into range for David Akers, and the final second 57-yard desperation kick fell short and wide. OHIO 7   CHICAGO 13 The Machine improve to 6-8 with a home win, but it was not exactly a thing of beauty.  Neither Quinn nor Vince Young could sustain drives, despite both clubs having a back go over 100 yards.  Michael Turner led all rushers with 112 yards on 20 carries, but Ohio also got 100 when DeMarco Murray busted a 25-yard run to put him over the century mark late at 104. SEATTLE 10   ST. LOUIS 14 St. Louis is hoping their good play of late is not too little and too late. They knock off a pretty hot Seattle club, and they do it with defense, sacking Byron Leftwich 4 times.  St. Louis again leaned on 2nd year back William Bethea, who responded with 128 yards and a 5.8 YPC average.  Throw in TD tosses to Fred Baxter and David Nelson and the Skyhawks now even their record at 7-7. MICHIGAN 30   PORTLAND 23 A big road win for the Panthers as they return to .500 with a W in Portland. Thomas Jones led the way for the Panthers, rushing for 114 yards and a score to balance the Panther offense. Brian Griese survives 3 picks by the Stags and connected with Mario  Manningham in the 4th to give the visitors the lead and the win. OAKLAND 17   LOS ANGELES 20 Another great battle of California as LA edges Oakland to retake sole possession of first place in the Pacific.  It would take a 2-minute drill by Mark Sanchez to put the ball in position for kicker Damon Duvall, but the drive worked out and LA held on to win the game despite 311 yards from Joey Harrington and a stunning 161 yards receiving for Pierre Garçon.  LA now controls their own destiny as they seek their first division title since 2006. Brooks to Step Down in Portland Rich Brooks to Step Down from StagsRather than wait for Black Monday, it appears that former Oregon Duck has taken flight on his own.  Brooks announced on Tuesday that he would finish out the final 2 games of the 2011 season, but then would resign from the Stags organization after 4 seasons.  Brooks had found some early success with the Stags, building a pretty solid start for an expansion club with a 7-9 opening season.  But since then the hump of .500 has been one the Stags have not been able to overcome.  They made the playoffs in 2009 with an 8-8 mark, but were unable to repeat that feat in 2010, and this year, well, it has not gone well.  The Stags sit at 4-10 and they rank in the bottom quartile of the league in pretty much every offensive an defensive category. Brooks thanked club ownership for the opportunity to return to pro ball, but said he now looks forward to having more time for his family after the rigors of 4 USFL seasons.  For the Stags, the clock now starts on their search for a new head coach.  Rumors have ownership interested in a coach with pro experience, likely a current coordinator, who can step in and build from a roster that has more talent than their 4 wins would seem to indicate. Calais Campbell Closes in on 30 Again With three sacks this week, Calais Campbell is only 1 away from achieving a feat only one man has ever achieved, a 30 sack season, and that man was himself.  Campbell could again hit the 30 mark next week against LA, but also has a buffer game against Baltimore to close out the year.  Neither Mark Sanchez nor Ben Roethlisberger are particularly elusive, though both clubs have solid lines, particularly on the left side.  That said, we all seem pretty resolved to the fact that once again the Orlando DE is going to hit that stunning total of 30 sacks in 16 games, and will almost certainly walk away with another DPOTY award for that effort. While Campbell’s total of 29 puts him over 2 sacks per game, he has been doing it more in spurts this year, with the big guy recording 3 or more sacks in a single game 5 times this season, while in other weeks he has been largely contained by offenses designed to shut him down.  But, that said, 3 of the 5 biggest games for Campbell this season have been the past 3 weeks, with 3 sacks against Charlotte in Week 12, 4 against Atlanta in Week 13, and 3 more against the Monarchs this week.  The fact that all three were divisional games is no shock to anyone as Campbell does tend to ride the emotion of rivalry games and big games.  So, what does that mean moving forward?  Let’s just say that the next two weeks will be big games, and, if Orlando can get wins to end the year, Campbell could try his hand at the intensity of playoff football as well.  QBs beware. Team Stats Breakdown With 2 weeks left, and a lot on the line for a lot of teams, we thought it might be a good time to take a look at the leaders not seen in each week’s statistical breakdown.  We took a look at team offense and team defense to try to see who may have an edge in these pivotal two weeks.   Here is what we found. Points Scored is an easy one to see, since we can just look at the standings, and what we see is that the Stars, Federals, and Outlaws are the only clubs averaging over 25 points per game, with the Stars topping all others at 27.8 per game. Passing: The Stars’ success in scoring is very much the result of their top-rated pass offense.  Kurt Warner has been healthy all season and is producing 279 yards per game, a healthy average that has placed the Stars just ahead of Joe Flacco’s Outlaws and, believe it or not, the St. Louis Skyhawks, sitting in 3rd with 254 yards a game. Rushing: Don’t tell the Washington Federals and their star HB Deuce McCallister that the USFL is a passing league.  The Feds are averaging 129 yards per game on the ground, a total 15 yards per game higher than 2nd place Oakland. With the best record in the East and a playoff spot locked up, the Feds are proving that a solid ground game can be a successful formula in any league. Points Allowed: No surprise here that the Maulers are sitting pretty at number 1 with an average of only 14.9 points per game allowed. That defense has been the key to their run to the top seed in the West.  Behind them we find Texas, a very balanced club, and the Las Vegas Thunder, still more in the mold of Jerry Glanville than new coach June Jones. Rushing defense: The Feds run the ball and they defend the run.  There, you have learned their formula.  At only 70 yards per game allowed, Washington has the top spot.  Philadelphia and Charlotte round out the top 3 run defenses, none of those clubs allowing even 80 yards per game. Pass defense: Oakland, Pittsburgh, and Charlotte lead the league in pass defense, with the Invaders the only club to hold their opposition under 200 yards per game (191.4).  The Invaders are not quite as good against the run, and their offense is not producing big leads, so there is a reason teams are not throwing on them. Turnovers: Believe it or not, the Boston Cannons are the club that has produced the most takeaways, 31, with Portland and Chicago tied for the lead in turnover margin at +15.  That defies all logic as those three teams are not among the elite of the league, with Boston dead last in the standings.  They say turnovers are the key to winning, but that has clearly not been the case for any of these three teams. A strange stat if ever there was one, at least this year. We enter Week 15 with 5 playoff spots locked up and 7 still available to be claimed.  Tampa Bay, Philadelphia, and Texas all punched their postseason tickets this week as all the 10-win teams are locked in.  We still only have 1 division winner secured, the Maulers dominanting the Central.   All other divisions are within 2 games, with Tampa Bay and Nashville needing only 1 win in their final 2 games to lock up their Divisions.  Texas, LA, and Washington are all in 1-game races. The jockeying for position among Wild Card contenders continues, with Charlotte and St. Louis currently holding the tiebreaker edge in each conference.  The Monarchs are tied with Orlando, who they just defeated this week, with 8-6 records, but control their own destiny. Two wins in their final 2 games and the Monarchs are in.  St. Louis is tied with Seattle, Denver, Michigan and Las Vegas, all at 7-7, but the Skyhawks are the only one who is guaranteed a playoff spot if they go 2-0.  All the others need help to leapfrog other 7-7 clubs.  Even at 6-8, Chicago, Atlanta, New Jersey, and Birmingham are still alive in the hunt, but each of those clubs needs a major alignment of the stars over the next 2 weeks to make a move and leap over several other clubs for a spot at 8-8. The injury lists really start to get long as we get further and further into the year.  No surprise, football is a brutal game and the wear and tear of 16 weeks is enough to mess with even these elite athletes.  This week the good news is that only 1 player, Orlando SS Atari Bigby, has been placed on IR.  Bigby suffered a knee in jury and Orlando fears it may be a full ACL tear.  The Renegades also lost CB Lito Sheppard, perhaps for 2-4 weeks with a knee injury of his own, though it looks like no ligament damage for Sheppard.  Orlando did get some good news as it is expected that Eli Manning will be back under center this week. Other significant injuries this week include Atlanta DT Jason Ferguson (2-4 weeks, knee), Memphis LB Kirk Morrison (1-2 weeks, foot), Houston LB James Farrior (1-2 weeks, leg), Baltimore LB Angelo Crowell (1-2 weeks, neck), and Chicago DE Anthony Weaver (1-2 weeks, meniscus).   Willis McGahee is listed as doubtful with his lingering ankle injury, while Philadelphia will likely be without DE Robert Mathis after the big man suffered a concussion this week.  New Jersey will be without Michael Crabtree after the receiver was diagnosed with a hairline fracture in his jaw. Some players expected to return to action this week, outside of Eli Manning, include Ohio LB James Laurinaitis, LA LB Lofa Tatupu, Philly CB Quentin Jammer, and, hoping for a bigger week, Las Vegas HB Marshawn Lynch. Ready to Test the Waters We have had a flurry of extensions and re-signings across the USFL over the past month as GM’s get to work locking up players coming to the end of their contracts, but that does not mean that the free agent pool will be without any talent.  There are still quite a few players unsigned, some already knowing that they will be let go this offseason, others perhaps holding out for the 11th hour to get the best deal possible.  We looked across the league and identified 10 players we think could very well opt to walk away from negotiations with their current clubs and take a shot at a better deal in a new environment. Here are the players likely to be in high demand this offseason. 10— Jimmy Williams, CB-ARZ: The Wranglers and Williams are still talking, but all accounts have the corner looking for a new direction, despite a very strong year in Arizona.  The 30-year old is not getting the picks he once did, but that is largely because teams are not testing him. 9— Keary Colbert, WR-DEN:  With Denver signing Peerless Price to a very lucrative deal this week, it seems that Colbert, who has been a solid #2 in Denver, will have to look elsewhere.  He is not likely to get the big dollars of our #1 name (below), but he should be able to find a good placement where he can increase his total targets. 8— Chris Spears, C-LA: Despite the success the Express have had this year, the pivot on their O-line has shown signs that he wants out.  Maybe it is the scheme, maybe just a personality clash with his head coach, but whatever the reason, someone is going to land a very solid center to bolster their pass protection. 7— Rahim Abdullah, LB-ATL:  He does not get the press that many other backers get across the league, but don’t let that fool you.  Abdullah is a first class strongside linebacker, capable of covering the field sideline to sideline.  Atlanta has the cap space to sign him, but they have other priorities, which seems odd to us, so someone is going to potentially get a steal this offseason. 6—Santonio Holmes, WR-NJ:  Another receiver who will likely be allowed to hit the market because their team just does not have the ability to sign everyone.  Marc Clayton is close to signing, and that, paired with the emergence of Miles Austin for the Generals means that Holmes will likely be looking to catch on with a team that can give him more targets. 5—Scott Shields, FS-PIT: The Maulers are having quite a season, but with that success comes an expectation for a payday.  With several spots to fill, and several key players signed, the cap space is just not there for everyone, and Shields, a very solid safety who could very much boost a club’s pass defense as well as their run coverage, could be allowed to walk. 4—Marcus Truffant, CB-SEA:  Rumors have Truffant looking to get out of Seattle.  If that is true, and his lack of progress with the front office to date seem to confirm them, then he will be one of the hottest prospects in free agency.  A true shut-down corner, Truffant is an instant upgrade for at least 20 of the USFL’s 28 clubs. 3—Patrick Willis, LB-MEM: Unhappy for some time with the inability of the Showboats to build a defense around him, and frustrated by declining numbers because of it, Willis is a LB  in his prime and with a ton of talent.  Expect him to limit his options to teams that are in contention.  If he can be the final piece that helps a team get over the top, that is a team he will sign with. 2—T. J. Duckett, HB-TEX:  One of the premier HBs in the league, Duckett wants to be paid QB money, and that is always a tough position to take.  Texas is tight on cap space, and unless they want to gut a roster that has just won them their first division title ever, Duckett is not going to get what he wants.  Would the Outlaws really let him walk or are others going to be willing to restructure their deals so that the HB can get paid? 1—Chad Johnson, WR-BOS:  Is 85 a pain in the rear sometimes?  Yes, absolutely.  But is he also one of the most productive wideouts of this generation?  Also true.  Johnson seems resigned to step away from John Fox and the Cannons, and there will be no lack of interest, to be sure.  Expect him to become the highest paid receiver in the league as someone will value him enough to open up the safe and hand him all the money. Boston & Nashville Owners linked to Dallas Meetings We knew this had to be happening, that leaders within the Destination Dallas group would be reaching out to league owners to see who might be interested in a big payday and a sale/relocation deal for their club. Boston was always on our radar.  The inability to get a deal cut with Robert Kraft and Gillette Stadium has always made Boston’s stadium woes a major concern.  But the news that Mark Cuban has met with Nashville ownership is a surprise.  Nashville plays in a very solid, quite recent stadium, and while the deal may not be exactly what the Knights would want (serving as 2nd tenants after the NFL Copperheads), the Knights are certainly not suffering at the box office. So, what is happening here?  Is Nashville trying to build some leverage to improve their stadium deal or get some sweet funding from the state or local government?  Could there really be interest in a quick sale and a move to Dallas?  It has been less than 10 years since the Knights moved from St. Louis, only a decade after moving from LA.  Could this franchise really be looking at a third relocation? We suspect this is a power play by Nashville owners, but that suspicion cannot be enough to keep the Knights’ fanbase in Nashville from panicking about the possibility that they would lose their team.  Meanwhile, Bostonians are in no mood to build a new stadium just for their USFL team, particularly not in a year when the Cannons have struggled to only 1 win.  That could be really bad timing as rebuilding their roster and their on-field success is not the formula to get top crowds, even in a small stadium.  Boston seems primed for a sale, giving ownership a quick payday while providing Dallas with a team they can mold in whatever image ownership wants. We don’t think the Destination Dallas group is done either.  We know that they have reached out to frustrated Chicago Machine ownership, dealing with their own issues with the city and the use of Soldier Field.  Interest may also exist in Oakland, whose stadium is just a disaster, in Las Vegas, where Sam Boyd Stadium is even smaller than Boston’s Alumni Stadium, and in Atlanta, where even playing in the climate controlled Georgia Dome has not helped the Fire get out of the bottom quartile of teams in terms of attendance. It is getting serious around the USFL with the Dallas group on the hunt and at some point someone is going to take the money and run, to the detriment of their current fanbase.  We just don’t know who that will be. Only 2 weeks left in the regular season so there are basically playoff implications all across the schedule.  Friday night feels very much like a must win for Denver as they head to San Antonio to take on the division-leading Outlaws.  A loss here could be the end of any playoff hopes for the Gold.  On Saturday, we have a big game between Charlotte and Atlanta as both try to stay in the hunt in the East.  A lot of chance for teams to play spoiler as well with Jacksonville, Portland, Houston, and New Jersey all facing teams that are either in or very nearly in the postseason already. On Sunday, our attention will be in Arizona, where the Wranglers hope to break a 4-game losing streak, but they have a tough task with Oakland in town.  St. Louis is hoping to guarantee that 2011 will be their first non-losing season as a franchise as they travel to Chicago with a chance to get to 8 wins this season.  Baltimore takes on a very tough Michigan squad and Las Vegas is hoping to right the ship as they head to Columbus to play the Ohio Glory. FRIDAY @ 8pm ET                  Denver (7-7) @ Texas (10-4)                        NBC SATURDAY @ 12pm ET          Charlotte (8-6) @ Atlanta (6-8)                      ABC SATURDAY @ 12pm ET          Jacksonville (3-11) @ Orlando (8-6)        ABC SATURDAY @ 12pm ET          Portland (4-10) @ Los Angeles (9-5)                    FOX SATURDAY @ 4pm ET            Pittsburgh (12-2) @ Houston (5-9)                       ABC SATURDAY @ 4pm ET            Birmingham (6-8) @ New Orleans (3-11)            FOX SATURDAY @ 8pm ET            New Jersey (6-8) @ Philadelphia (10-4)              ESPN SUNDAY @ 12pm ET              Memphis (3-10-1) @ Nashville (8-6)                     ABC SUNDAY @ 12pm ET              Las Vegas (7-7) @ Ohio (5-9)                                FOX SUNDAY @ 12pm ET              Washington (11-3) @ Boston (1-12-1)                  FOX SUNDAY @ 4pm ET                Baltimore (9-5) @ Michigan (7-7)                        ABC SUNDAY @ 4pm ET                St. Louis (7-7) @ Chicago (6-8)                             ABC SUNDAY @ 4pm ET                Oakland (8-6) @ Arizona (9-4)                              FOX SUNDAY @ 8pm ET                Seattle (7-7) @ Tampa Bay (10-4)                         EFN

PLAYOFF PICTURE: The field of 2011 playoff teams expands from 2 to 5 as Texas, Tampa Bay, and Philadelphia all lock in playoff spots with Week 14 wins. We still have only 1 division title settled (Pittsburgh), and we still have many teams battling for Wild Card spots if not division titles as well. 7 of the league's 28 teams have been eliminated from playoff contention: Boston, New Orleans, Jacksonville, Memphis, Portland, Ohio, and Houston. PLAYER OF THE WEEK: What else can we say about Calais Campbell. This week's 3 sack game puts him only 1 sack away from reaching 30 sacks for the second time in his career. If Orlando is going to make a playoff run, Campbell will certainly be a big piece of the reason why.

A big week for teams trying to catch up in their divisions as Texas overtakes Arizona in the Southwest, Oakland evens up their record with LA’s, and both the NE and SE divisions remain clustered, with several teams vying for the top spot.  Big wins by St. Louis, Michigan, Orlando and Charlotte keep them alive in the playoff chase, while Seattle makes a statement against the LA Express, making their case for the Pacific Division crown.  A big week, with lots of stories to follow. Let’s get right to it with our game of the week. PITTSBURGH MAULERS 26   BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS 23    OVERTIME The Battle of the steel cities was a true test of each teams mettle, if you will pardon the pun.  Birmingham gave Pittsburgh a run for their money, but the Maulers mounted a monster second half to rally back and take the W in overtime, proving that the team with the best record in the league is able to battle adversity. The first half belonged to Birmingham entirely as the Stallions took a 20-7 lead into the half.  After a scoreless first quarter that saw both teams struggle to get the run game going, Birmingham started to have success with their offense just as the quarter started winding down. Cam Newton used his legs to avoid pressure from the Maulers and on a 3rd and 3 from the 12-yard line, he found Jabari Holloway in the back of the endzone late for the first score of the game.  After a tipped ball was picked off by Stallions LB Donte Curry, the Stallions were once again in business.  This time, when pressured, Newton hung in the pocket and found rookie WR Jerrel Jerrigan deep for a 34-yard scoring strike. Stunned by the 14-point deficit, Pittsburgh felt pressure to get on the board, going for a 4th and 2 from their own 41 and converting.  That daring call from Coach Rivera proved worthwhile as 6 plays later, HB Ronnie Brown burrowed his way into the line and across the plane of the end zone for the first Mauler points of the game.  Birmingham would respond with a field goal on their next drive, going up 17-7 with 1:00 on the clock.  Hoping to get a late field goal, Pittsburgh called an aggressive no huddle, but Cody Pickett threw the ball right to safety Shiloh Keo, who returned the ball into Mauler territory.  As time ran out, it was Birmingham who were able to get a late score, adding another 3 on a 34 yd kick from Garrett Hartley. The second half began much as the first had ended, with Birmingham marching into Pittsburgh territory before settling for a Hartley field goal.  Up 23-7, things were looking very good for the homestanding Stallions, but you don’t get to 11-1 without being tenacious, and the Maulers are certainly that.  On their first possession of the half, the Maulers finally started to see success for tailbacks Ronnie Brown and Kenny Watson. The two combined for 51 yards on the drive as Pittsburgh tried to protect Pickett from the pressure Birmingham had found success with.  The Maulers would put 6 on the board thanks to a Vincent Cruz TD catch from Pickett, but the 2-pointer failed, leaving a 10 point deficit at 23-13. Now it was Cam Newton’s turn to have some bad luck.  He too had a pass tipped, and he too saw it end up in the hands of the opposition, this time FS Robert Sands.  Sands returned the ball to the Birmingham 34, where the Maulers took over on offense.  They would waste no time trying to get on the scoreboard.  Pickett fackedthe ball to Kenny Watson, rolled to his right and found Kevin Johnson in stride on a corner route. The slot receiver slid out of a tackle by the safety and into the endzone just as the 3rd quarter ended, pulling the Maulers within 3 at 23-20. The fourth quarter would see more issues for Newton as the Mauler D started to find their way to the rookie QB.  A sack and another pick were the results of two Stallion drives.  And while the pick did not directly lead to points, the sack forced Birmingham to punt from deep in their end, giving the Maulers the field position they needed to march into field goal range and tie the score.  Ryan Succop hit from 52 yards out to equalize the score with just over 3 minutes to play, but Birmingham was unable to get anything going in their 2-minute drill and the game ended with no winner decided. In overtime, Birmingham won the coin toss, but could do nothing, going 3-and-out on the opening possession.  The Maulers got a solid return from Cruz, and started with the ball on their own 37.  After a run by Brown, Pickett found his favorite receiver, Vincent Jackson (7 for 109 on the day) and Jackson went for 22 yards.  After 2 runs gained the Maulers another first down, the Stallion defense stiffened, but could not drive the Maulers out of field goal range.  Succop would line up for a relatively easy 37-yard attempt.  The kick was good and the game ended with the Maulers taking victory number 12 on the season and Birmingham dropping to 5-8 and as close to eliminated as you can get right now. NASHVILLE 9   TAMPA BAY 27 A rough game for Jay Cutler and a big one for Chris Doering as the Bandits blow past the Knights and stake their claim on the SE Division title.  With Joey Galloway and Willis McGahee both sitting with injuries, someone had to step up, and that someone was Chris Doering, whose 129 yards on 9 receptions helped the Bandits score 20 of the final 23 points in the game.  The defense also did their part, picking off Jay Cutler twice and limiting him to only 22 of 44 passing for 194 yards. ST. LOUIS 28   OHIO 25 The Skyhawks set a club win record with their 6th of the year, but more importantly, they stay in the playoff hunt after knocking off the Glory in Columbus.  Josh Freeman threw for 338 and 3 TDs while rookie HB William Bethea carried the ball 27 times for 102  yards in a break out game for him.  Add in 4 sacks of Vince Young and you have just enough for St. Louis to squeak by and get the win. BOSTON 10   WASHINGTON 44 This one was all Washington and all Deuce McCallister as the star tailback rushed for 128, caught 5 for 62, and scored 4 touchdowns on the day to please Federals fans and fantasy players as well.  David Garrard also looked back to pre-injury form, completing 20 of 29 for 265 and 2 touchdowns.   With Adrian McPherson struggling again, it looks like the final 3 games of the year will be back to Jake Locker at QB in Boston. NEW ORLEANS 16   BALTIMORE 31 The Breaker’s 2-game winning streak comes to a crashing halt as they come up against a determined Blitz team.  Despite Ron Dayne only getting 7 carries thanks to a touchy hamstring, Baltimore had more than enough to take care of the breakers, getting 3 TDs from backup Anthony Dixon and 5 sacks from their defense in a game that was never close. HOUSTON 17   MICHIGAN 19 It was not easy, but Michigan stays alive at 6-7 while Houston is eliminated.   Brian Griese and Hines Ward connected for 128 yards passing, but it was Laverneous Cole who got into the endzone, twice.  Those two scores, combined with a strong defensive outing from the Gamblers, was enough to hold on and win a tight game at Ford Field. TEXAS 19   LAS VEGAS 13 A good defensive showing by both teams at Sam Boyd, but in the end Texas gets the W thanks to two Joe Flacco TD passes and 102 yards from Marques Colston.  Las Vegas kept it close with a Rashard Jennings 15-yard TD run, but they just could not muster a final drive to recapture the lead when they needed one. ORLANDO 16   ATLANTA 6 More defensive football, this time inside at the Georgia Dome, where Orlando shut down the Fire thanks to 8 sacks of Kyle Orton, 4 alone by the league leader, Calais Campbell.  The Renegade offense did not do much, particularly after Eli Manning was knocked out of the game with a stinger, but they did get a single TD from Knowshon Moreno following an Atlanta fumble, and that proved to be enough for the visiting Renegades, who move to 8-5 and send Atlanta to 6-7. JACKSONVILLE 17   CHARLOTTE 23 The Monarchs win their third in a row, thanks to a Delhomme to Mason TD that gave them the lead for good over the Bulls.  Tim Tebow threw for 2 scores but also threw 2 picks and was sacked 7 times by an aggressive Charlotte defense.  The win moves Charlotte to 7-6, still in range of Tampa Bay and Orlando, while Jacksonville drops to 3-10 and is eliminated from contention. CHICAGO 31   MEMPHIS 6 Chicago took advantage of a pretty shaky Memphis defense to the tune of 210 yards rushing as Michael Turner racedfor 168 yards on only 22 carries, an average of 7.6 yards per carry. Maurice Clarett also got into the act, running for 2 scores in limited action. Meanwhile, the Chicago defense held Memphis to only 68 yards on the ground and sacked Ryan Mallett 4 times. NEW JERSEY 20   ARIZONA 13 Things went from bad to worse for the Wranglers when Jim Sorgi, already subbing for an injured David Carr, was also hurt in this game, with Arizona forced to go with 3rd stringer Dave Dickenson.  Dickenson would be sacked 6 times by the Generals.  The game could have been much worse, but New Jersey also struggled with pass protection, with Sam Bradford sacked 7 times by the Wranglers.  But, in the end, a 42-yard punt return TD from Miles Austin and a Leigh Tiffin FG in the fourth quarter were enough to give the visitors a 7 point victory. LOS ANGELES 6   SEATTLE 26 Seattle made a statement, not only moving over .500 with a home win over LA, but pulling within one game of the division leaders in convincing fashion.  Byron Leftwich threw for 2 scores and the combo of Best and Betts combined for 121 yards on the ground as the Dragons controlled the clock for nearly 37 minutes in this one.  After an initial Express field goal, Seattle rattled off 23 unanswered points to take over this game and work their way right back into playoff contention. PORTLAND 17   OAKLAND 24 Seattle’s win also helped the Invaders, who edged Portland to move to 8-5 and take a share of 1st place.  They are still behind LA on the tiebreaker, but with 4 straight wins, the Invaders are peaking at the right time to make a run.  The difference in this game was the Invader defense, which got 2 takeaways and forced Portland into 11 penalties (7 on offense).  Despite being slightly outgained on the day, Oakland still won where it counted, on the scoreboard. PHILADELPHIA 24   DENVER 17 A big Sunday night matchup that went down to the wire.  After Denver tied the game at 17 with 6 minutes left, Philadelphia ate up 4:34 on their final drive before Kurt Warner hit Stevie Johnson with the game winner.  Denver could not recover and drop to 7-6, currently out of playoff position, while the Stars keep pace with Washington in the East. Boston to Return to Locker We had a feeling that with the season already a lost cause, and with ownership wanting to get more out of their inveastment in a top tier rookie QB, that we would be seeing Jake Locker again, and so it is.  Coach John Fox, who got the sometimes-dreaded “vote of confidence” this week, announced on Tuesday that Jake Locker would finish out the season as the starter.  Locker, in his 7 starts, threw for 15,42 yards, but had only 3 TDs to 9 picks.  Adrian McPherson, in only 6 games, threw for 1,387 and put up 6 TDs to only 5 picks, but had as much difficulty getting wins as Locker.  So, with only 3 weeks left the Cannons are looking to use the final weeks to get Locker more snaps, and hope that growth into the position will come with additional opportunities to see game action. Deuce Wants (and Deserves) MVP Consideration Federals’ HB Deuce McCallister is not being shy about what he wants out of this season.  And, honestly, we cannot say we blame him.  McCallister is quoted as saying that he wants to be in the discussion for MVP alongside QB’s Joe Flacco and Kurt Warner.  He made it clear that his top priority is a title, but that also commented on how ridiculous it is for MVP to almost always go to a QB.  The Washington back is not just yelling at clouds, he has the stats to back up his desire to be in the conversation.  Deuce leads all backs in the league with 1,211 yards, while also boasting a 4.7 YPC average and putting up 13 total TDs (10 rushing, 3 receiving).  He is on pace for a 1,500 yard season, and it is clear that he is the focal point of the entire Federal offense. Can he win it?  Well, that could be tough even for the best player on one of the two best teams in the league.  For whatever reason, quarterbacks tend to draw more attention, and that means they also get more votes.  McCallister’s case could very much be damaged by a late surge by the Texas Outlaws into first place in the SW division.  If Joe Flacco can continue to put up big numbers and if Texas can hold out and win the SW Division over Arizona, then all odds say that Flacco will get the nod.  But an argument can truly be made that McCallister needs to be considered. Manning to Miss Week 14 When Eli Manning left the game vs. Atlanta in the early stages of the 2nd quarter, there was concern for what had happened. He had been sacked, but seemed fine when he stood up, only to call for replacement from the sideline.  We learned later that he was suffering from blurred vision, and that the likely issue was a concussion suffered when he hit the turf in the Georgia Dome.  By midweek the reports were not looking good as Manning was still dealing with occasional bouts of dizziness and blurred vision, not something you want in a QB.  He is listed as doubtful for this week’s game but all indications are that Orlando will take their chances with Matt Moore at QB, at least for Week 13’s game at Charlotte.  It is a horrible time for the club to be missing their starter, especially with Charlotte at home on a 3-game winning streak, but the goal is to have Manning healthy for the playoffs, even if that means taking a possible step back this week. Lynch Looks to Return in Week 14 Six weeks after going out of action in a game against Portland, Marshawn Lynch appears ready to return to action, and none too soon for a Thunder team that has lost 5 of their last 7 games.   The Thunder are still in range, now only 1 game behind the Express and the Invaders, but they will need some good games down the stretch, and having Lynch back in action may well help them do that. Lynch began practicing with the team two weeks ago, but this is the first week where he has taken full practice and participated in contact drills with his teammates.  The leg looks good, and Lynch seems excited to be back.  That could well spell trouble for the Tampa Bay Bandits, this week’s opponent at Sam Boyd Stadium.  A healthy Marshawn Lynch makes the Thunder a much more dangerous team. Hard to believe that after 13 games we still only have 2 playoff spots locked up, but that is the scenario as Washington joins the Pittsburgh Maulers as playoff locks.  The Maulers have locked up the overall #1 seed in the west, with a solid 3 games over 9-4 Texas.  Washington is in a tighter race, with theStars and Blitz only 1 game back.  And, yes, we said Texas, because Arizona’s loss this week means that the Outlaws step up to the division lead and a potential bye as the 2nd seed. Other current division leaders include Tampa Bay and Nashville in the East and La in the West, though the Express are now in a dogfight with Oakland and Seattle right there with them.  Tampa Bay has 1 game on Orlando, but Charlotte is also charging late with 3 straight wins. On the other side of the standings we saw Jacksonville, Portland, and Houston join the Showboats, Breakers and Cannons as teams no longer in the hunt. A huge disappointment for the 2010 USFL Champion Gamblers, and not at all what fans in Portland or New Orleans expected this season either. A very good week around the USFL as no new players were added to IR and we only saw a few potential short term injuries.  Atlanta TE Matt Schobel is out 1-2 weeks. Oakland SS Pearson Prioleau could also miss 2 weeks due to a dislocated knee.  Philly DE Robert Mathis is out after suffering a concussion last week.  Willis McGahee remains doubtful after missing last week. Eli Manning is also doubtful as we cited above. Expected back in action this week are some big names like David Carr, Marshawn Lynch, Chauncey Davis, Will Allen, Antoine Winfield, Mike Vrabel, and Matt Hasselbeck.  So, we could see Week 14 as a great week for teams to make a push as some of their stars return to action. Pro Football Hall of Fame to induct 6 USFL Players and a Legendary Coach The USFL and the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced its 6-member class of 2011, including 5 main ballot inductees and one legacy inductee.  The names will be familiar to football fans for sure, and the honor spread among 11 different teams.  This year’s class is led by one of the most heralded coaches in USFL history, Jim Mora Sr, who led the Philadelphia Stars and the Memphis Showboats to league titles.  He is joined by two more first ballot inductees: QB Heath Shuler, the long-time Memphis Showboat signal caller, and cornerback Phillipi Sparks, who played his entire career in Arizona.  Joining them in the Hall will be 2nd year honoree Mo Lewis, a defensive force for the Bulls, Fire, and Express, and 3rd year finalist Rashaan Salaam, the former Gold and Invader halfback. Salaam is, and always would be, a controversial pick after suffering a year-long suspension after a post-title game extravaganza of excess had him brought up on a host of legal charges.  He returned to football after both his suspension and legal issues were resolved, but his legacy will always be a controversial one, a likely reason why it took 3 attempts to find himself with a gold jacket. Finally, the Legacy Committee provided its nominee, an automatic approval in the current voting system.  Quarterback Doug Williams will enter the Hall of Fame.  Originally a member of the NFL Buccaneers after an outstanding college career at Grambling, Williams jumped to the USFL’s Jacksonville Bulls in 1984 as part of a contract dispute with his NFL club.  He would play for Jacksonville for 3 seasons, then become the biggest offensive star of the expansion Oklahoma Outlaws in 1987, and then the merged Outlaws-Gunslingers in San Antonio, where he would play in the 1988 and 1989 seasons.  A classic gunslinger as a QB, Williams still holds several team records for the Outlaws and Bulls, and can be found among all-time league leaders as well. And so, this October, we will see two QBs, a Halfback, a linebacker, a corner, and a 3-time Summer Bowl Champion coach all take their place alongside the greats of both the NFL and USFL in the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.  Congratulations to all the enshrines and to the fans who got to watch these outstanding players over the years. Federals Unveil New Look It took a while, but the Washington Federals’ new look has finally been made public, and, with Washington sitting at the #1 seed in the East, there is a very good chance that fans at RFK will get to see the new look on the field in just a few weeks.  Adidas and the Federals unveiled the new designs yesterday and while they are very much keeping with the history of the Federals’ look, there are some new elements to outline. Firstly we have the logo, which once again tweaks the idea of a black and green eagle with its wing spread behind it. The shape is slightly different, a bit more curved than the past version, but it is certainly recognizable as the Federals. What makes it interesting this time is the way the logo blends with the wordmark, with the eagle’s beak and body forming the top of the letter “F” in Federals. The rest of the wordmark moves from the somewhat tough to read “dollar” font to a bold script font. The uniforms have some new tweaks but are also well-grounded in Federals traditions.  The white helmet now has 3 bold stripes in green and black, the pant sets (white, green, or black) also have a 3 stripe pattern, presented in a horizontal diagonal on the upper thigh, and the team’s secondary rondel logo at the hip. The jerseys feature a more legible block font with curved edges and three thick stripes on the sleeves.  The big innovation here is the use of green sleeves on the white jersey, creating a very different striping look with the same white-black-white stripes than on the kelly green jersey.  Of course, both jerseys will feature the league’s 30th season patch, as all teams will have, and the Federals will actually trot out a 1983 replica uniform for any matches against other 1983 founding franchises, including division rivals Philadelphia and New Jersey. Week Fourteen kicks off with a huge game in the NE Division as our Friday night game features 10-3 Washington hosting 9-4 Baltimore.  The Feds can either put some space between themselves and their rivals or fall back into a tie with the Blitz (and possibly the Stars as well). Saturday is headlined by two of the Best in the West as the leaders of the SW and Central Divisions clash at Heinz Field.  Texas brings their 9-4 record into Pittsburgh to face a Mauler squad that has not lost since the opening week of the season.  We will also have the big Tampa Bay-Las Vegas game in the later slot, and then Denver heads to Houston on Saturday Night Football. Sunday starts off strong when the Arizona Wranglers, with David Carr back under center, head to the City of Brotherly Love to face the 9-4 Stars.  Philadelphia needs this win to try to keep pace with the Federals, while Arizona simply cannot afford any more losses as they battle Texas for the division.  Sunday also sees a Pacific Division battle among in-state rivals as the Oakland Invaders travel down the 1 to challenge the LA Express, both tied atop the division at 8-5.  The winner will have the inside track to a division title. FRIDAY @ 8pm ET                   Baltimore (9-4) @ Washington (10-3)              NBC SATURDAY @ 12pm ET        Boston (1-11-1) @ New Jersey (5-8)                ABC SATURDAY @ 12pm ET        Texas (9-4) @ Pittsburgh (12-1)                      ABC SATURDAY @ 12pm ET       Nashville (8-5) @ Birmingham (5-8)              FOX SATURDAY @ 4pm ET             Atlanta (6-7) @ New Orleans (2-11)                 ABC SATURDAY @ 4pm ET          Tampa Bay (9-4) @ Las Vegas (7-6)              FOX SATURDAY @ 8pm ET             Denver (7-6) @ Houston (4-9)                       ESPN SUNDAY @ 12pm ET          Arizona (9-4) @ Philadelphia (9-4)                     ABC SUNDAY @ 12pm ET               Orlando (8-5) @ Charlotte (7-6)              FOX SUNDAY @ 12pm ET             Memphis (2-10-1) @ Jacksonville (3-10)          FOX SUNDAY @ 4pm ET              Ohio (5-8) @ Chicago (5-8)                            ABC SUNDAY @ 4pm ET                Seattle (7-6) @ St. Louis (6-7)                         ABC SUNDAY @ 4pm ET               Michigan (6-7) @ Portland (4-9)                      FOX SUNDAY @ 8pm ET                Oakland (8-5) @ Los Angeles (8-5)                EFN

PLAYOFF PICTURE: Washington joins Pittsburgh as both playoff locks and front runners for the #1 seed in each conference. Portland, Houston, and Jacksonville join Memphis, New Orleans and Boston as eliminated clubs. PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Deuce McCallister had a whopper of a game, combining for nearly 200 yards of total offense and accounting for 4 Washington TDs as the Federals's veteran back moves to the top of the rushing leader board with a huge week 13 game.

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.