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PLAYER OF THE WEEK: James Stewart was the engine that drove Portland to a key win in the Cascade Clash, one that helped keep Portland alive in the playoff chase. His 2 TD helped power the Stags to the win, and his consistent success on 3rd down kept Seattle's offense off the field. PLAYOFF PICTURE: WIth a logjam between 8-5 and 7-6 teams, and with Philadelphia losing their last two games, no one has been able to wrap up a division, or even a Wild Card spot yet. This year could come down to the wire with so many teams bunched up in Wild Card range. We did see several more teams eliminated after Week 13 action, with LA, St. Louis, Seattle, and Charlotte joining Birmingham and Ohio on the golf course after dropping to 4-9 on the season.

Thirteen weeks in the books, only 3 left to play and we still have no teams clinched in the playoffs yet. That is the sign of a league with significant parity among its clubs. The Stars had a shot, but were upended by a feisty Generals team on Sunday night. Oakland also fell in a shocker, and Denver jumps into the lead to land the top seed in the west. Houston remains white hot with a big win at home and Michigan continues to falter with Brian Griese out, dropping a game in St. Louis that would have been unthinkable earlier this season. A big week of games that seem to have locked up absolutely nothing, but which may well give us a sense of who is peaking at the right time. BALTIMORE BLITZ 26 ARIZONA WRANGLERS 23 OVERTIME Perhaps not the most enticing matchup initially, with two teams that do not face each other often, but the game between these two founding franchises turned out to be a real gem this weekend. Arizona, sitting at 5-7 was right on the edge of playoff elimination, playing for their season, while Baltimore also had an air of desperation as they try to adjust to the loss of Ben Roethlisberger and still find a way to make the playoffs. They have done fairly well so far with backup Mike McMahon, and, sitting at 7-5, they are in a position to earn a Wild Card as the standings lie today. They helped that cause with a gutsy performance in Arizona against a very game Wrangler squad. As is often the case with overtime games, this one was a back-and-forth affair, with momentum changing from drive to drive. The game began slowly, with the two unfamiliar foes testing out strategies to see what was effective. Arizona focused early on crowding the line to limit the effectiveness of Ron Dayne, while the Blitz played with 2 deep safeties to ensure that Larry Fitzgerald and Antonio Bryant could not break a deep route open. Both strategies worked very well in the early going. The only score of the first quarter was a Martin Grammatica field goal for the Blitz, a 42-yarder to get on the board. The 2nd quarter began with Arizona’s first successful drive, one spearheaded by LaDainian Tomlinson and the run game. Tomlinson broke a 17-yard run that put Arizona into field goal range, but they fund success dumping the ball short, with passes to Tomlinson, Gronkowski, and FB LeRon McClain. Once inside the 10, David Carr found Antonio Bryant on a rub route that freed him up over the middle for the score. Baltimore responded with a long drive of their own, powered by Ron Dayne, despite stacked coverages. The Blitz effectively used shifts and motion to move linebackers and create lanes for their big back, and with several runs over 6 yards, the Blitz moved the ball efficiently into Arizona territory. From their, Mike McMahon used a fake to Dayne and a bootleg to find Tory Holt on a crossing route and connected for the Blitz’s first touchdown. The two clubs would then exchange field goals, leading to a 13-10 Baltimore lead at the half. Along the way, the Blitz started to demonstrate just how effective their run game could be even against stacked defenses. Dayne would have 61 yards in the first half, mostly in the 2nd quarter, on his way to a total of 141 and 29 carries for the game. Arizona also found its primary weapons, with Tomlinson finishing the game with 89 yards on the ground, Larry Fitzgerald with 105 through the air, and both Bryant (7 catches) and Gronkowski (5), seeing a lot of action. The second half opened with another long Baltimore drive, this time with McMahon using screens and short routes to Antonio Gates and Darius Heyward-Bey to keep the chains moving. The drive ended with an Antonio Pittman TD run, one of only 6 touches on a day dominated by Ron Dayne in the Blitz offense. Arizona responded 3 minutes later with a couple of quick completions to the wideouts that got them in range for Nick Folk’s second kick of the day. The quarter left Arizona down 7 after three periods. They would remove that difference on their first drive of the 4th quarter. Following a brilliant one-handed catch by Larry Fitzgerald, that turned a 3rd and 12 into a 38-yard gain, LT scampered into the endzone on a pitch play to level the score at 20 apiece. At the 9-minute mark Baltimore would once again take the lead, as Grammatica gave them a 3-point advantage. Arizona would falter on its next drive, and Baltimore would try to go into a 4-minute offense, but a holding call turned a 3rd and 4 into a 3rd and 14, and that was too much to ask of McMahon, forcing the Blitz punt and giving Arizona the ball with 1:22 left to play. The Wranglers have been watching David Carr’s confidence build over the course of the season, and on the game-tying drive, he once again stepped up. He connected with Gronkowski for a 12-yard catch on a 3rd and 8, then Kassim Osgood for 9 on another 3rd down, keeping the drive alive while also managing the clock well. When a 3rd and 5 play turned into a failed shot into the endzone, the Wranglers sent out Nick Folk to send the game to overtime. Folk’s 41-yarder was good and both teams prepared for some extra football. Arizona won the toss, but on their opening drive, a missed block on 3rd and 4 led David Carr taking his 3rd sack of the day and forcing the Wranglers to punt. Mike McMahon had also had to deal with pressure, enduring 5 sacks over the course of the day, but none in overtime as the Blitz returned to a methodical gameplan based on Ron Dayne runs and short, quick release routes. The strategy was effective against a tired Wrangler defense, and helped set up a 41-yard kick for Grammatica. After using 3rd down to set the ball on the left hashmark, Grammatica came out and secured the win for the visiting Blitz. The final score of 23-20 Baltimore meant that Arizona was now clinging to only the slimmest playoff hopes, with one more loss meaning they would be out of the playoff hunt, but that the Blitz were very much alive, not only in the thick of a Wild Card race, but still in range for a late run at the NE Division. SEATTLE 17 PORTLAND 41 The fifth ever Cascade Clash between the Stags and Dragons goes decidedly Portland’s way as they pour it on against a Seattle team that does not at all look ready for a late run. Portland outgains Seattle 437-254, thanks in large part to POTW Jonathan Stewart’s 124 yards and 2 TDs. Add in 258 and 2 scores from oft-criticized QB A. J. Feeley and Portland gets an easy win, staying in the Wild Card hunt at 6-7 and removing Seattle from any playoff consideration at 4-9. TAMPA BAY 9 NASHVILLE 16 Defense and Frank Gore led the Nashville Knights to a key home win as they limited Rhett Bomar and the hobbled Bandit offense to three field goals and only 182 total yards. Gore rushed for the game’s only touchdown, and added 114 yards as Nashville was more than happy to grind out a win and move back over .500, still with their eyes on the Southern Division title. CHARLOTTE 17 JACKSONVILLE 24 Did we write Jacksonville off too early. Since Tim Tebow took over the offense, the Bulls have been clawing their way back into contention, now sitting at 6-7 after a home win over the Monarchs. Tebow only threw for 168, but he had 3 touchdown tosses on the day, and, paired with a solid defensive outing against Chris Weinke and the fading Monarchs, that was enough to get the Bulls the win. NEW ORLEANS 24 BOSTON 25 Boston throws a wrench into New Orleans’s division title hopes, pulling out a 1-point win at Alumni Stadium. It came down to a final drive, and Boston got the plays it needed to set up Stephen Haushka for the winning kick with 23 seconds to play. Eli Manning threw 3 TDs in the game, but it was his 2 picks that were the biggest issue, while Adrian McPherson kept looking to Chad Johnson and the Boston star came through with 5 catches for 143 yards, an whopping 28.6 YPC average. CHICAGO 23 DENVER 31 Denver just keeps impressing as Matt Leinart throws for 335 yards and 4 scores against a Chicago secondary that just is not holding up. Chicago’s Michael Turner rushed for 110, but that was not enough as Denver got 102 yards each from both Peerless Price and Dez White to simply overwhelm the Machine. Chicago drops to 8-5, while Denver retains its lead for the #1 seed in the West, a seed that would force all comers to visit the Mile High City to reach the Summer Bowl. WASHINGTON 14 TEXAS 34 Perhaps Texas’s most impressive win of the season as the Outlaws are creating more and more believers with good play down the stretch. Joe Flacco completed 20 of 26 with 3 touchdowns while T. J. Duckett added 129 and a score on the ground for an impressive offensive outing. The D also did their part, holding Washington’s Deuce McCallister to only 42 yards rushing. PITTSBURGH 24 OHIO 24 OVERTIME A wild finish to regulation leaves both teams exhausted and unable to secure the win in overtime. Ohio got a TD from Anderson to rookie Aurelious Benn to take a 24-21 lead with just 44 seconds left, but Pittsburgh gets down the field in 3 plays and sets up kicker Ryan Succop for a game tying kick as the clock wound down to zeroes. But, in overtime neither team could muster a drive, with both Succop and Ohio’s Brown missing on long field goal attempts to end this game as a tie, one which hurts Pittsburgh more than Ohio, to be sure. OAKLAND 20 MEMPHIS 27 Memphis knocks Bob Volek out of the game and edges the visiting Invaders on a solid day for both offense and defense. Three sacks and two picks were the highlights for the Showboat defense, while the offense got scores from Robert Ferguson and Cadillac Williams to edge the Invaders and make some fans in Denver. Memphis is still quite a way outside the playoff hunt, but this was a good sign that they are not giving up hope just yet. MICHIGAN 24 ST. LOUIS 31 The Panthers had held an 8-1 all-time record against St. Louis, but this is a Panther squad that is reeling and struggling to find offense. They did better than in recent weeks, putting up 24 points but only 191 total yards. Meanwhile, Josh Freeman and Antowain Smith both had solid games and the Skyhawks get the win on a late Smith run to equal their highest win total of any season (4), with 3 more games to try to reach 5 wins for the first time in franchise history. ORLANDO 19 ATLANTA 24 The Fire are getting hot at the right time (pun intended), as they again knock off a division rival and secure their spot as the top team in the Southeast Division. The Fire were outgained by Orlando, but got a late TD catch from star receiver Josh Reed (125 yards on the day) and held off a late Orlando rally to earn the win. Darren McFadden was also instrumental with 192 yards rushing as Atlanta moves to 8-5. BIRMINGHAM 15 LOS ANGELES 25 With Kyle Boller back under center for an injured Anthony Wright, Birmingham continued to struggle on offense. The defense held for a half, but in the second half Mark Sanchez connected on 3 TD passes, including 2 to TE L. J. Smith as LA prevails and moves to 4-9, still eliminated from postseason play, but a win that they hope to build on. LAS VEGAS 20 HOUSTON 23 A better performance from a Las Vegas offense still struggling without Marshawn Lynch, but not enough as Houston uses a pick-six from Patrick Chung and TDs from Keviin Faulk and Roy Williams to eke out a home win and stay in the Wild Card hunt. Las Vegas has now dropped 4 of 5 after a 6-2 start and could find themselves outside looking in unless they find some answers. PHILADELPHIA 20 NEW JERSEY 23 OVERTIME An impressive win for New Jersey as all phases of the game help each other out against a Star squad that now drops its 2nd in a row. New Jersey got 3 TDs and 297 yards from QB Sam Bradford, but also got 4 sacks and a pick against Kurt Warner as the defense came up big on several occasions. New Jersey also held Steve Slaton to only 36 yards rushing as they stifled the Philadelphia offense all game long. The win moves New Jersey to 7-6, and well within range for an unexpected Wild Card run. CHUTES & LADDERS That is the way to describe the rising and falling fortunes of teams across the USFL. As the league moves into its final weeks, there are teams ascending and challenging at all levels and others who are losing steam and opportunities as they head down the stretch. Here is our look at teams that are dropping (chutes) and those climbing (ladders) as the season heads towards its conclusion. CHUTE—LAS VEGAS Injuries to Marshawn Lynch, and now Jake Plummer, have made life tough for the Thunder over the past few weeks. The Thunder have dropped 3 in a row and 4 of 5, which is not how you want to end the year. There is hope that with Faulk possibly back in action this week the Thunder can get back to their early season form, but if Plummer is out, that will be a major setback. LADDER—HOUSTON No doubt about this one Win seven games in a row and you are going to be considered a hot team. The offense has really come along, and now sits as the 3rd best (#1 in yards per game), thanks in large part to balance between the run and the past. The defense has not been top grade, but that pass rush is still a threat and if Houston can play with a lead, that is all they need. CHUTE—TAMPA BAY The injury to Daunte Culpepper has been a killer. After a 5-game win streak put them atop the South, two straight losses have dropped them back behind Atlanta. Tampa has tough games against Chicago and Michigan before finishing up with Charlotte. They really need to win 2 of 3, maybe all 3 if they want to win the division. LADDER—ATLANTA Where Tampa has stumbled, Atlanta has caught fire. Winners of 5 of their last 6, the Fire now control their own destiny at 8-5. They do not face a team with a winning record the rest of the way, and 3 more wins guarantees them their first ever division title, and a likely bye week to rest. CHUTE—WASHINGTON After a 6-2 first half, Washington has lost 4 of the last 5, including 2 division losses. They are still in it at 7-6, but need to focus in their final 3 games. They have 2 divisional games left and both Baltimore and New Jersey will give them a fight, because both are also aiming for a playoff spot. LADDER—BALTIMORE We mentioned the Blitz being a key game for the Feds, well it is true in reverse as well. Even with the recent injury to Ben Roethlisberger, the Blitz have won 5 of the last 6 games. They have New Jersey next week, then the Feds and finish up at Denver, a tough game to end the year on, so they will want to max out their effort for the two divisional games and hope that Week 16 is not the difference maker for them. CHUTE—MICHIGAN After losing Brian Griese for the season, the Panthers have struggled to put together a complete game. They managed to upset Chicago and looked good against Ohio, but back to back losses to Pittsburgh and St. Louis have fans worried, and with good reason. Michigan has three inter-divisional games to end the year, so they cannot really help their own cause by knocking others down, only by winning as many of the games as they can. LADDER—JACKSONVILLE At 3-6 we had pretty much written off the Bulls, but they have won 3 of 4 and now sit at 6-7, which is in range if they can keep the momentum going. It won’t be easy with a final 3 of the Breakers, Knights, and Fire. They will need to sweep those three to really have any chance, but it is at least a chance, something we did not see as possible not long ago. CHUTE—PHILADELPHIA At 9-2 the Stars looked well on their way to an easy #1 seed, but back-to-back losses at New Jersey and at Texas means they are pulled back to the pack. We still think they are a force to reckon with, but they need to find their winning ways as they face Boston and New Jersey again before finishing the year with a tough game at the Orlando Renegades. LADDER—TEXAS Winners of three in a row, including impressive wins over both Philly and Washington, the Outlaws look like a team that has found their path. They have three divisional games to end the year, starting with a huge road game in Houston before facing Denver at the Alamodome and ending the year with the Wranglers in Glendale. If Texas can win all three, they could lock up a Wild Card and possibly the first home playoff game in San Antonio in over a decade. Three weeks left to play, and all 12 playoff spots remain open. The difference between 1st and 7th in the East is 2 games, with Philadelphia’s 9-4 still within range for 7th and 8th seeds NJ and Boston. In the west, It is at 3 games, with Denver at 10-3 and Las Vegas at 7th with a 7-6 record. We did see some more teams added to the “eliminated category however, as it would take no worse than a 4-9 record and some tiebreaker advantages for a team to have any shot at all in the east (5-8 in the West). That meant that after crunching tiebreaker numbers LA, St. Louis, Seattle, and Charlotte joined Ohio and Birmingham on the outside looking in. Arizona is barely alive at 5-8 as is Memphis. Looking at the week ahead, there are several games that could either lock up a playoff berth or end an outside hope. Philadelphia and Boston is one of these games, with a Stars win locking up at least a Wild Card and eliminating Boston, but a Cannon win could create some turmoil. Nashville can knock off Memphis and also put themselves in a great position, or, again, chaos. Baltimore-New Jersey and Washington-Arizona could also be huge this week as some of teams on the fringe just cannot afford to lose any more games down the stretch. With only 3 weeks left in the regular season (7 with playoffs) a lot of injuries that would not put a player on IR earlier in the spring are now capable of ending a season. That is the case for LA cornerback Dominique Rogers-Cromartie, whose ACL sprain means his season is finished. The same for Birmingham WR Julian Edelman, whose quad injury means at least a month lost. On the flip side, there are still several players who hope to be a week away from returning to action, just in time for a furious finish. Still out this week, but close tor returning we have Oakland QB Joey Harrington, Boston WR Joe Jurevicious, Tampa guard Steve Hutchinson, Arizona LB Lance Briggs, and Baltimore QB Ben Roethlisberger. One step closer, now listed as Doubtful or Questionable but able to practice at least in some team activities we have New Orleans WR Santana Moss, Memphis DE Marcellus Wiley, Jacksonville LB Lavar Arrington, Tampa QB Daunte Culpepper, and Texas CB Michael Boulware. Las Vegas QB Jake Plummer is still in the league’s concussion program, so he is listed as questionable this week, though many in the Thunder camp expect he will play. Others who could see action this week include Memphis CB Tyrone Bell, Orlando TE Ben Watson, Nashville guard Max Jean-Gilles, and, very likely, Las Vegas HB Marshawn Lynch. Could Marvin Lewis be in trouble in Seattle. This season has not gone the way the Dragons had hoped. Dropping to 4-9 and out of playoff contention means that Seattle had dropped each year since a 2007 season that saw them at 13-1, a nearly perfect season. Since that season, one in which the Dragons had the best record in the league only to lose their opening playoff game, Seattle has seen their win total drop to 10 in 2008, 7 in 2009, and now only 4 with 3 games left, meaning 7-9 is the best possible outcome. So, with this kind of record, how secure can Marvin Lewis’s situation be? Lewis took Seattle to a miraculous title in 2005, when they finished the regular season at 6-8, snuck into the #6 seed and then proceeded to win 3 straight road games before an upset victory in Summer Bowl 2005 over Chicago. But that was 5 years ago, and the dominant narrative since then has been one of slow starts and panicked runs late. Last year their late run was 1 game short, and they missed the playoffs for the first time since 2002. This year no rally appears likely, and the Dragons were eliminated from playoff consideration this week. So, what is the verdict? Well, this is a coach who helped the Dragons reach the playoffs for 6 straight years, so do you jettison a coach because he cannot do it every year? He has a title for the Dragons, and the club still has some big-name talent. But that talent is getting a little long in the tooth. Is it time for a reboot before the Dragons hit rock bottom? Sometimes that can be achieved as a team starts to slip, other times it takes hitting a lowpoint, a bottom 5 finish, to get the ball rolling on a complete roster overhaul. When that happens, we almost always see a coaching change. So, for Lewis, the question is whether the Dragons still see hope for the future, and will rebuild with Lewis, or if this year is showing that the magic is gone and a fresh start is needed. Baltimore Gets the Blues We had a feeling that Adidas would not get through the first round of uniform revisions without trying to have at least one statement look. So far, the revisions to Birmingham, Nashville, and Philadelphia have had some new features but have been generally quite conservative in their revisions. Not the case for the Baltimore Blitz, as Adidas convinces the Blitz to remove a major component of their look, an entire color. The new Blitz looks were revealed this week and it is all about the blues. Adidas has removed red entirely from the Blitz look, apparently a move designed to both call back to the old Baltimore Colts, but also to distinguish Baltimore from several other Red-White-and-Blue teams, like New Jersey or Ohio. The new look includes a royal blue helmet for the first time in team history, moving away from nearly 30 years of silver helmets for the club. The logos remain the same, but are now depicted entirely in blue, silver, and white. The uniforms are also much simplified, You have a royal blue helmet with a single metallic silver stripe, blue jerseys with white sleeves and silver shoulder stripes, white jerseys with blue shoulder stripes over grey/silver sleeves. There is a new blockier number font, and three pant sets with simply striping. The silver set has a single blue stripe, the blue set has a silver stripe, and the white set has a silver stripe with blue outline stripes. It is a very traditional look, almost reminiscent of the 1960s, but at the same time it is a radical departure for a club that began their existence with red as the dominant color. With only 3 weeks left to the season, there are so many matchups which can mean so much as teams push for those postseason berths. The weekend opens with a good one in Tampa Bay, where the Bandits find themselves a game behind Atlanta and facing a very tough Chicago Machine club. On Saturday we have New Orleans and Jacksonville facing off, with both hovering right around .500. Washington heads out to Arizona, where the 5-8 Wranglers need a win to stay alive. Oakland faces off with the Gold in Denver on Saturday night in a game that could well decide home field advantage in the West. On Sunday the Stars hope to clinch a playoff spot, and a win in Boston would go a long way to make that happen. Surprising New Jersey has a chance to make some noise as they visit 8-5 Baltimore, while Texas and Houston clash at NRG Stadium with the SW Division still in play. The weekend wraps up with a battle for Tennessee as the Knights hope to stay atop the Southern Division but will have to get past Memphis to do it. FRIDAY @ 8pm ET CHICAGO (8-5) @ TAMPA BAY (7-6) NBC SATURDAY @ 12pm ET ORLANDO (7-6) @ CHARLOTTE (4-9) ABC SATURDAY @ 12pm ET PITTSBURGH (8-4-1) @ ST. LOUIS (4-9) FOX SATURDAY @ 12pm ET NEW ORLEANS (7-6) @ JACKSONVILLE (6-7) FOX SATURDAY @ 4pm ET LOS ANGELES (4-9) @ SEATTLE (4-9) ABC SATURDAY @ 4pm ET WASHINGTON (7-6) @ ARIZONA (5-8) FOX SATURDAY @ 8pm ET OAKLAND (9-4) @ DENVER (10-3) ESPN SUNDAY @ 12pm ET PHILADELPHIA (9-4) @ BOSTON (6-7) ABC SUNDAY @ 12pm ET ATLANTA (8-5) @ BIRMINGHAM (2-11) ABC SUNDAY @ 12pm ET NEW JERSEY (7-6) @ BALTIMORE (8-5) FOX SUNDAY @ 4pm ET TEXAS (8-5) @ HOUSTON (9-4) ABC SUNDAY @ 4pm ET PORTLAND (6-7) @ MICHIGAN (7-6) FOX SUNDAY @ 4pm ET OHIO (2-10-1) @ LAS VEGAS (7-6) FOX SUNDAY @ 8pm ET NASHVILLE (7-6) @ MEMPHIS (5-8) ESPN & EFN

A good week if you believe the USFL has an East Coast bias. Denver defeats Washington in overtime and the Texas Outlaws knock off the Stars at the Alamodome to highlight a week with some intense inter-divisional and inter-conference games. In other action Atlanta, Nashville, and Chicago and Pittsburgh all got big wins as they hope to keep their playoff position or move into a possible division title run. It was a good week of games and, fortunately, no more QBs went down as teams try to prepare for a mad dash to Week 16 and the playoff field. WASHINGTON FEDERALS 17 DENVER GOLD 23 OVERTIME One of the better inter-conference games this year saw Washington fight their way back into a game that seemed beyond their reach, but all for naught as the Gold put together an overtime drive to secure the win. It was a game that saw both defenses make big plays and both offenses find new weapons to use in response. Peerless Price returned from injury and had a good game with 6 receptions for 106 yards, we saw David Garrard scramble for 31 yards and both Rod Smart for Washington and Maurice Hicks for Denver made the most of their opportunities. We are saying it is a game defined by the defenses and by offenses having to find alternatives with their big weapons under check, but we should acknowledge that in the middle of this Matt Leinart had one of his best games of the year, throwing for 303 yards and completing 23 of 30 passes. Leinart’s performance truly came to the forefront in overtime after a conservative start to the game. After a scoreless first quarter that saw both teams trying to establish the run with minimal success, Denver finally caught a break when a failed 3rd and 3 run was offset by a roughing penalty, giving the Gold a key first down. They would score the game’s first points 4 plays later when Javon Ringer went off tackle from the 2 and plunged into the endzone. That would be the only score of the first half, with Denver going into the break with a 7-0 lead as both defenses focused on removing the threat of the deep ball from each other’s offense. At the half, David Garrard was only 4 of 12 while Matt Leinart was 7 of 13, but neither could really string together enough plays to make their offenses a real threat. When the third quarter began it looked like much of the same. A good punt return of 25 yards helped Denver get into field goal range for Graham Gano, and they took a 10-0 lead on his kick. Washington would get their first points only 2 minutes later when Doug Pelfrey connected on a long kick, but this did not look like a game that would produce 21 points in the final period. And yet, as the game wore on, both defenses began to tire, both offenses began to find alternatives, and both teams would battle for the full 15 minutes. Denver was the first to strike, scoring on a 1-yard plunge by Maurice Hicks to cap off a 71-yard drive that included 4 consecutive completions by Leinart. This gave Denver a 17-3 lead, which looked like a solid win for the Gold, but Washington was not quite ready to give up. They switched up their strategy and went with a no-huddle, quick to the line offense on their next drive. That drive produced their first TD of the game, a Rod Smart 9-yard run, and the Feds were now down only 7. After a holding call forced Denver to go for a 3rd and 13, a quick punt meant Washington would get the ball back with plenty of time to tie the score. They continued to use the no-huddle, and it worked a second time, this time getting the ball from their own 17 to the Denver 10 in only 7 plays. From their David Garrard found Deion Branch on a fade route and the game was tied up with 3:07 left to play. Denver would get a shot to score before the end of regulation, but when a catch was overturned by instant replay, with Keary Colbert not getting both feet in bounds, the Denver drive stalled. Washington, backed up to their own 7 by the punt opted to plunge into the line twice and then take a knee to go to overtime. The Federals got what they wanted and, after winning the coin toss, they took the ball to start the overtime period. The Feds worked their way to midfield, but the drive stalled on the Denver 46, too far for a kick, and with 4th and 4, too long to go for it, so the Feds punted. Denver took the touchback and started at the 25. What followed was one of Matt Leinart’s best drives as a pro. He completed 6 of 7 throws, mixed in with short runs by Ringer and Hicks. Ten plays, and 4:22 later the Gold were at the 10 yard line. On first and 10 (a first down was possible on the ½ yard line), Leinart looked to have thrown the winning touchdown to Peerless Price, but again replay undid the result, with Price shown to have bobbled the ball as he fell to the ground. Second and 10 and a draw with Ringer went nowhere, blown up by Federals safety Ed Reed, who crashed the line. Third and 10 and Leinart took the snap in the shotgun, looked to Price, was forced out of the pocket by Kiawanuka, but, as he rolled right, Colbert crossed the back of the endzone. Leinart looped a ball over the arms of Antonio Pierce and found Colbert for the score and the win. Denver moves to 9-3, tied with Oakland at the top of the Western Conference standings. Washington would remain 2 games behind Philadelphia, thanks largely to an upset win by Texas over the Stars, but now had Baltimore tied with them and New Jersey only a game back. BOSTON 12 NEW JERSEY 20 The Generals are very much in the hunt for a Wild Card after knocking off the Cannons in front of 52,000 at the Meadowlands. Sam Bradford tossed 2 touchdowns to TE Anthony Becht and the defense stood up, despite 100 yards from Rashard Mendenhall and another 105 from Chad Johnson. New Jersey was outgained by the Cannons, but not outscored as Boston kept settling for field goals. TAMPA BAY 14 ATLANTA 30 A huge win for the Fire as they overtake Tampa Bay and create a 3-way tie atop the very intense SE Division. Kyle Orton went 23 of 31 and was not sacked once as the Fire picked off Rhett Bomar twice and limited Willis McGahee to 74 yards in the first Bandit game without Daunte Culpepper this year. It was 27-0 before Tampa Bay’s first score of the day as the Fire made a statement that they were, in fact, a legitimate playoff contender. SEATTLE 17 NASHVILLE 31 The Knights snap a 4-game losing streak in impressive fashion as they throttle the Dragons in a classic St. George situation. Frank Gore rushed for 98 yards and a score, while Jay Culter cut down on the mistakes, throwing 2 touchdowns and no picks against the Seattle defense. The Nashville defense also reasserted itself, limiting Seattle to only 70 yards rushing on the day and only 1 of 9 third downs converted. Nashville is back at .500 and only 1 game behind the Breakers in the South. ST. LOUIS 17 JACKSONVILLE 51 The Bulls have their biggest offensive explosion in nearly a decade as Josh McCown returns under center. Tim Tebow was hit hard after throwing a TD in the first quarter and had to be sidelined with concussion concerns. McCown came in and went 19 of 29 for 226 and a score, while C. J. Spiller rushed for 122 in a game that simply got away from St. Louis. The Skyhawk D, or what they call a D, allowed 420 yards of offense, and allowed Jacksonville to score on 8 different possessions (along with one defensive score). LOS ANGELES 16 NEW ORLEANS 23 Some good home cookin’ in N’awlins, as the Breakers move to 7-5 with a solid win at the Dome. WR Santana Moss was open all day on his way to 131 yards on 9 receptions. Add in TDs from Michael Robinson and Early Doucet and the Breakers stay atop the South while LA is quickly fading into that space where fans start talking about draft position. HOUSTON 28 ARIZONA 12 The Wranglers, at 5-6, were getting feisty, but Houston came in as the hottest team in the league and left feeling very much the same way. Matt Hasselbeck may have completed only 9 of 27 passes (a stunning 33%) but four of those tosses were TDs, and big ones at that, as Hasselbeck connected with Roy Williams for a 54-yard score, Mike Sims-Walker for a 76-yarder, and Ike Hilliard from 56 yards as Arizona simply allowed far too many big plays. BALTIMORE 18 MEMPHIS 17 Mike McMahon struggled through 4 sacks and 2 picks, but did just enough to get Baltimore the win on the road in his first start for the Blitz. Down 17-5, McMahon led 3 late drives that produced 2 field goals and a TD toss to Harry Douglas to hallow the Blitz to edge the Showboats. Memphis had a shot at the end, but a Jeff Hall 49-yarder got caught in the wind at Liberty Bowl Stadium and veered off to the right as the whistle sounded. PITTSBURGH 27 MICHIGAN 7 Sean Hill struggled again and Michigan just had no answers for the Mauler defense as Pittsburgh held on to a share of first in the Central with a convincing win. Cody Pickett threw for 2 scores, but it was the running of DeShaun Foster (29 carries for 127 yards) that helped the Maulers control the clock, the tempo, and the game. After the game, Michigan coach Dick LeBeau would not answer questions about Hill’s status and the possibility of us seeing recent trade acquisition TylerThigpen next week for the struggling Panthers. OHIO 7 CHICAGO 18 Chicago got the better of their longstanding rival from the Buckeye State, thanks largely to a defense that allowed only 172 through the air and stuffed the Glory on three 4th down attempts. Not a great offensive game for the Machine, but Brady Quinn’s TD toss to Donald Driver, along with a safety and some Seder kicks, were all the home team needed to get this win. PHILADELPHIA 10 TEXAS 16 The Outlaws were not getting any love from Vegas before this game, an 8-point dog at home to the Stars, but they earned a lot of respect with a gutsy win over the best team in the league. Texas held the Philadelphia offense to one Mike Nugent field goal. The only TD for the Stars was a tipped ball that turned into a pick six for Ryan Nece. Joe Flacco recovered and relied on T. J. Duckett. It was a day for the defense, as the Outlaws limited Slaton to 53 yards and kept Kurt Warner on the run. The win pushes Texas to 7-5 and very much in the hunt in the SW Division. PORTLAND 39 LAS VEGAS 7 The Thunder continue to struggle without Marshawn Lynch, and it got even worse when Jake Plummer had to be pulled from the game. Tony Banks threw for only 48 yards in the game and Las Vegas finished the day with a paltry 134 total yards of offense. No such issues for the Stags, who got119 yards from the combo of Stewart and Perry, and another 266 with 2 TDs from QB A. J. Feeley. BIRMINGHAM 19 OAKLAND 31 Oakland continues to impress with great complementary football as the defense limited Birmingham’s scoring chances, while Bob Volek and the offense found ways to get points on the scoreboard. Volek would finish the game with 281 yards and 3 touchdowns as Oakland retained the #1 seed in the West. ORLANDO 23 CHARLOTTE 17 OVERTIME The week’s final game was closer than many expected, with Charlotte putting up a good fight against the Renegades. Orlando needed two 4th quarter scores, TD tosses from Brees to Jenkins and McCaerins to send the game to overtime. In the extra period it was TE Derek Schouman who ended the game with a short TD catch as Brees finished with 3 TDs to offset his three earlier picks. QB Situations Impacting Playoff Positioning It is a cliché but one based on verifiable facts that team success in pro football begins with the quarterback. So it is no surprise that when teams lose their starting QB’s the depth of that vital position can determine whether they sink or swim. We have seen that dynamic play out with multiple teams this year. Oakland has been the exception in that they have managed to continue winning after losing Joey Harrington for the better part of the season. Harrington is due to return to practice this week, and could be on the field as soon as Week 14, but in his absence Bob Volek has done enough to keep the Invaders atop the Pacific Division and the race for the top seed in the West. Volek’s numbers have not been elite, but they have done enough. He sports a 79.8 QB Rating, and has thrown 4 picks, but he has also thrown for 9 touchdowns and, with a lot of help from the Oakland run game and a pretty nasty Invader defense, he has helped Oakland retain their position in the Pacific. The same cannot be said for the rotation of QB’s in Michigan after Brian Griese went down. Admittedly, Griese was a bigger piece of Michigan’s success than Harrington for Oakland, but when the 2009 Offensive Player of the Year went down, attempts to fit backups Drew Stanton and Shaun Hill into the same offense have been, shall we say, underwhelming. Stanton had one game under center before a minor injury took him out of action. Hill came in, looked good in a win over Chicago, but has been unable to generate any offense in 4 games since, with Michigan scoring 9 points against Atlanta, 6 against Pittsburgh in Week 10 and then only 7 in the rematch this week. They did muster a win against Ohio in Week 11, but now there is talk that recently arrived trade acquisition Tyler Thigpen will get the start for a desperate Panther team n Week 13. To a lesser degree we are seeing the same dynamic also play out in Baltimore and Tampa Bay, where recent injuries to Ben Roethlisberger and Daunte Culpepper throw attention on the backups for both clubs. Mike McMahon struggled this week but still helped Baltimore edge Memphis by one point. Tampa Bay went with Rhett Bomar, who had some outstanding fill-in work last year, but who was undone by the Atlanta defense this week. The playoff hopes of both the Blitz and the Bandits will likely ride on their ability to both support their backup QB’s and find alternatives to generate offense over the next few weeks. As with Michigan, all three clubs risk falling out of playoff contention if they cannot generate wins through defense, rushing attacks, and limited QB mistakes. A Look Ahead: Teams With QB Concerns As we enter the final month of the USFL season, and with a draft class that looks to be very deep at the QB position, it is natural to look across the league and wonder just who might be in the market for a QB. There are a few teams with elite players at the position who we can rule out, others who will test the market if a QB seems to fall to them, but who likely will not make huge efforts to land one, and then there are teams who are going to be battling it out with each other to try to secure their top pick for the position. With 5 or more top prospects, there are sure to be some trades and strategies to try to get in the perfect position to land the preferred option. So, who is in the market? Let’s quickly remove those who we don’t expect to be in this fight, then look at the cluster of desperate teams before highlighting a few darkhorse candidates. NOT LOOKING: I think it is safe to say that the following teams are feeling pretty good about their QB position, or are settled for the time being. That group certainly includes Philadelphia (Warner), Baltimore (Roethlisberger), New Jersey (Bradford), Tampa Bay (Culpepper), Orlando (Brees), Atlanta (Orton), Jacksonville (Tebow), New Orleans (Manning), Chicago (Quinn), Michigan (Griese), Denver (Leinart), Houston (Hasselbeck),Texas (Flacco), Oakland (Harrington), and Seattle (Leftwich). That is 15 of 28 clubs, meaning that there are 13 teams that could be eyeing a change for 2011. KNOWN NEEDS: Some clubs are just obviously not happy with where they are and are certain to be hunting for a better option this offseason. Will they go to the draft or try to make a deal with a veteran either in free agency or via trade? That is the question each will have to answer over the next few months. Among the sure-fire QB searchers we find: Birmingham: Kyle Boller is not the answer. He is a solid player, and could be a very good backup, but he has shown in 2 years that he cannot put a team on his shoulders. Ohio: The retirement of Kerry Collins left a huge hole in the Ohio roster, and they cannot continue to try to cover it with band-aids like Chris Redman or Dereck Anderson. Fans are demanding that the Glory go big or go home. Charlotte: The Monarchs have given NFL castoff Chris Weinke 3 years to prove himself, and he has proven that the Monarchs need to look elsewhere. While thedefense has been solid in Charlotte, Weinke has just not produced on offense. Washington: David Garrard has done much better than most expected and has Washington in a playoff hunt at 7-5, but he is clearly a transitional figure and if the Feds can get a hot rookie prospect, they would be wise to try to do so and get that transition moving. Boston: There was hope that McPherson would be a smooth transition from Drew Bledsoe. He played so well in 2008, but this year is showing that as a full-time starter he is not the worst QB in the league, but he is also not a gamebreaker. Boston is very likely going to go for a young stud at the position and use McPherson as a stopgap until that rookie is ready to take the wheel. Memphis: We like Jake Delhomme as a guy and as a professional, but he is not the answer. He had some good years in Jacksonville, and he has moments from time to time, but the Showboats should be looking for someone who can do more and help them regain a bit of the swagger they had during the short Favre tenure, or even the longer Heath Shuler years. ON THE FENCE: So, six teams who absolutely should be prioritizing the QB position, but that leaves 7 more who could, and perhaps should, throw some attention at the position. This is where it gets really interesting, because there are not 13 quality QB’s sitting around for the taking, so if any of these 7 clubs decide that QB is a priority, they will need to fight off some of the 6 above to try to land one. Los Angeles: Mark Sanchez is not getting it done for the Express. Despite some good moments, and despite having two of the best receivers in the league, LA is just not putting up points. Will Coach Williams give Sanchez another year, or will the Express jump into the fray, perhaps even trading Sanchez to a QB-needy team to get in position for a new option? Portland: Another team with a serviceable QB, but not one who we believe can take the club to the next level. A. J. Feeley was a great option for an expansion club trying to piece together a roster from unprotected players, but after 3 years, the Stags should look to upgrade if they want to be contenders in the Pacific. Las Vegas: Here we see an issue of timing. Jake Plummer has not been the man the Thunder thought they were getting, but he is certainly good enough if the rest of the team can support him. But, there is no telling when Plummer will start to feel the full effect of all those years of scrambling and taking hits. The Thunder would be wise to consider signing an heir to the position if they can. Arizona: David Carr has actually had a pretty good sophomore campaign after coming over from the NFL. He is currently 7th in the league with 2,611 yards and 4th in scoring with 20 TD passes. So, is Arizona content to let Carr continue to grow with the club, or are they in a hunt. We honestly don’t know. Because, for us, his 2010 campaign should have put Arizona in the “not looking” category, but we hear a lot of talk out of Phoenix that QB is still a priority for the club. St. Louis: Another team that likely should focus on a different position. Josh Freeman has played well enough to win games, and the Skyhawk offense has not been the big issue this year. Defense is the real culprit for another losing season, so why are they here? Well, Freeman was Doug Williams’s guy, and Doug is now in LA, so could the Skyhawks look to deal the QB, maybe even to the Express, to get into the rookie QB hunt? They have Blaine Gabbert at Mizzou who would be a huge draw in St. Louis. Pittsburgh: How can a team that is tied for 1st in the Central have a QB issue? Well, to listen to fans, Cody Pickett is the reason they are not all alone at the top of the division. We don’t buy into that. Sure, Pickett is not Kerry Collins, but he is not a scrub either. They picked Pat White last year, and have yet to give him a start, so we honestly think the talk of a QB for this club does not make a lot of sense. Nashville: How long will the Knights wait for Cutler to turn potential into production? The Knights are a competitive team, but they are just not getting what they need out of Cutler. In our book, this is a team who could truly benefit from trading their starter to a QB desperate team and trying something new. If the Knights don’t rebound and work their way into a playoff spot, that could well be a path that they take. So, the question really becomes, which teams are willing to deal for a Mark Sanchez, Jay Cutler, or Josh Freeman, and which are going to go all in on the potential for a rookie talent like Jake Locker, Blaine Gabbert, or Christian Ponder? No teams locked in yet, but two are now locked out as 2-10 records end any hope for the Birmingham Stallions and Ohio Glory. For Birmingham this is not unfamiliar territory, as they have made the playoffs only once since 1999, and will have their 3rd consecutive 10+ loss season. But for Ohio, this is very much a new feeling. Ohio has been in the postseason 8 of the past 10 years, including the league’s only undefeated season in 2002 and the only championship repeat in 2003. But that must feel like eons ago as the post-Collins period has not started well for the Glory. QB has been an issue all year and there is no doubt that the Glory will be major players in the offseason, with a draft class that could have as many as 6 quarterbacks go in the first round. On the flip side, some clubs are setting themselves up nicely. Houston has now won 6 in a row and is only 1 game behind Denver. Chicago’s 4-game win streak has them atop the Central on a tiebreaker over Pittsburgh. And the Texas Outlaws have won 2 straight to turn a 5-5 record to a viable playoff position at 7-5. They are not there yet, as they currently sit outside due to tiebreakers, but if they keep winning, they could be the 3rd SW Division club out of 6 playoff spots in the West. In the East, there is a real cluster at 7-5, with 6 clubs vying for 5 spots, including 2 division titles. Only Philadelphia, at 9-3, has risen above it, and with Nashville and New Jersey at 6-6, we are talking about 8 teams all battling for 5 potential spots after the Stars. Will this start to sort out in Week 13, or will we head into the final 2-3 weeks with a lot of questions? Honestly, the way we have seen teams rise and fall this year, I would not be surprised if we went into Week 16 with 6 or more of the 12 playoff spots still very much up in the air. Week 12 brought about a bit of a respite from the constant announcements of IR placements and season-ending injuries. Not to say that there were no injuries, but compared with recent weeks, it is a bit lighter. We did see Texas shutter guard Jorge Diaz’s season after a torn quad, and several other teams reevaluted injured players and put them on IR simply as a statement that they did not want to rush them back for what could be a meaningless Week 15 or 16 game. Arizona did this with corner Dueane Starks. Portland did the same with corner Marquand Manuel, and Charlotte with guard Stephen Peterman. Of players newly injured, the most noteworthy from Week 12 were Stars’ tackle Jaimie Morris (knee), New Jersey SS Bob Sanders (shoulder), Chicago guard Paul McQuistan, and St. Louis guard Matt Lehr. Orlando will be without TE Ben Watson for the next 2 weeks, and Birmingham may have to go back to Kyle Boller after Anthony Wright developed turf toe in his first game back as a starter. Expected back in action this week we have Ryan Fitzpatrick, who returns as the backup to Sam Bradford; Tampa Bay LB Kevin Mitchell, Texas LB Chad Greenway, Orlando DT Kenny Smith, Baltimore SS Adam Archuleta, Denver WR Peerless Price, and Jacksonville LB Lavar Arrington. Birmingham Quickly Removes Doubt of Stability with Stadium Deal We mentioned the Stallions last week as a team that could be a potential target for Dallas investors, although a tricky one with their partial community ownership. Well, breathe easy Stallion fans. Your club may not be making waves on the field, but their efforts behind the scenes have paid off. The club, in partnership with UAB, have reached an agreement for a private/public investment in a new stadium just off the campus of the university on the city’s Southeast side. The new stadium will be funded 40% by the Stallions, and 30% each by the university (State of Alabama) and the city/county. Bids will go out soon for architects, but it does appear that the Stallions and UAB have settled on a design that will have just over 40,000 seats on the main level with another 20,000 seats in an upper deck which can be separated by security during lower attendance UAB games but open for Stallion games. The timing for construction and the grand opening will depend very much on the architect and engineering firm timetables, but the hope is that the stadium would be available by 2014 at the latest. So, for those who were afraid that Birmingham would be very much a target for relocation and sale, that is now a much less likely scenario, removing at least one club from danger. Is Expansion Really on the Table Once Again? It seems hard to believe, just two years after the latest additions to the USFL (Portland and Charlotte) that the league would consider expansion, but with the formation of Destination Dallas raising the question, and with other cities ranging from Miami to Minneapolis, Kansas City to San Diego, all interested in turning their 8-game per year stadia into 16-game per year venues, there is certainly external pressure to once again build up the league. But does it make sense to do so? Thre questions will really impact the league, and its owners, on this matter: finances, talent distribution, and logistics. The financial element is pretty obvious. More teams means the shared revenue has to be divided even further, but there is more revenue to be distributed, particularly if new markets bring the potential for renegotiation of television rights. Adding major markets like Dallas, Miami, or the upper Midwest with Minnesota, could be an attractive prospect, and as long as the new owners have strong financials themselves, something Mark Cuban’s participation in Destination Dallas all but guarantees for that city’s investment group, well, with deep pockets comes a sense of security for the league about new franchises that may struggle at first. Talent is the second area, and that is where there will certainly be concern. All you have to do is look at the issues around QB play this year, where even the top-rated QB in the league has a QB rating barely over 100. Compare that to earlier periods when the league had 20 or24 teams and there has been a clear decline in QB play. Some point to improvement and rule changes that help the defenses, but most would simply argue that the current presence of 60 top flight pro football teams (32 in the NFL, 28 in the USFL) simply spreads the talent too thin. Adding two more teams means that talent gets reshuffled again. Add to this the concern about the 2006 and 2008 expansion clubs and issues of competitiveness, and you can see why a quick expansion turnaround might be a serious concern. St. Louis is struggling to be competitive, and while both Atlanta and Portland have had early success, leading to playoff appearances, they have not been able to sustain that success year to year. There is certainly a sentiment among many owners that to add more expansion at this time would be disastrous for clubs that are struggling to build rosters at the current 28-team format. Finally, there is logistics. And this last item, perhaps the least convincing of the three, leans more towards the argument for expansion. Having 28 team, just like the two years of 26 teams, means that there are simply uneven division alignments, with some divisions sitting at 4 teams, while others have 5 teams. Moving to a 30-team format would return the balance that we saw when the 24-team USFL had six divisions of 4 teams each. We would have 6 divisions of 5 teams, allowing for a balance of divisional games across all 30 clubs. You would essentially have 8 divisional games and 8 extradivisional games, which could be divided in any way the league wanted between conference play and interconference play. It is just an easier schedule to build, and would create greater equity among all 30 clubs. Is that a reason to expand? Yes, but when compared to the financial concerns and the talent distribution concerns, it feels like a very minor one. The more important concern may simply be the risk that declining expansion in the short run, could lead to team sales and relocations, in other words, chaos and tough decisions for owners who would possibly face legal action if they tried to deny sales. Basically a potential legal and public image disaster. Week 13, and in a league with 26 teams still alive for the playoffs, almost every game could have major playoff implications. The Weekend kicks off with a Cascade Clash that could essentially be the end of one club’s playoff hopes. The loser of this game between Seattle and Portland is almost certainly out, and even a Seattle win may not be enough to keep the Dragons in the chase. On Saturday we have some good battles, including the Bandits heading to slumping Nashville and hoping to stay atop the SE Division. New Orleans wants to retain their hold on the South, but to do that they will need to head north and knock off the Cannons in Boston. Washington and Texas clash in a battle of 7-5 teams hoping to make a late run, and Chicago is in Denver in what could be a Conference Title Game preview. On Sunday, we kick off early with Orlando facing Atlanta in a battle of 7-5 clubs. Only the winner can retain a share of first place, and could be the sole leader in the SE Division if Tampa Bay loses in Nashville. Then at 4pm we have Baltimore headed out to Arizona, where the Wranglers are still very much interested in a playoff spot. Las Vegas, wounded and up against the wall without Marshawn Lynch, have a tough road game as they head to Houston to take on the Gamblers. The weekend concludes with a plucky New Jersey Generals squad taking on the 9-3 Stars in one of the league’s most storied rivalry games. FRIDAY @ 8pm ET SEATTLE (4-8) @ PORTLAND (5-7) NBC SATURDAY @ 12pm ET TAMPA BAY (7-5) @ NASHVILLE (6-6) ABC SATURDAY @ 12pm ET CHARLOTTE (4-8) @ JACKSONVILLE (5-7) ABC SATURDAY @ 12pm ET NEW ORLEANS (7-5) @ BOSTON (5-7) FOX SATURDAY @ 4pm ET CHICAGO (8-4) @ DENVER (9-3) ABC SATURDAY @ 4pm ET WASHINGTON (7-5) @ TEXAS (7-5) FOX SATURDAY @ 8pm ET PITTSBURGH (8-4) @ OHIO (2-10) ESPN SUNDAY @ 12pm ET OAKLAND (9-3) @ MEMPHIS (4-8) ABC SUNDAY @ 12pm ET MICHIGAN (7-5) @ ST. LOUIS (3-9) FOX SUNDAY @ 12pm ET ORLANDO (7-5) @ ATLANTA (7-5) FOX SUNDAY @ 4pm ET BIRMINGHAM (2-10) @ LOS ANGELES (3-9) ABC SUNDAY @ 4pm ET BALTIMORE (7-5) @ ARIZONA (5-7) ABC SUNDAY @ 4pm ET LAS VEGAS (7-5) @ HOUSTON (8-4) FOX SUNDAY @ 8pm ET PHILADELPHIA (9-3) @ NEW JERSEY (6-6) ESPN & EFN

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Matt Hasselbeck only completed 9 of his 27 throws, a poor 33%, but when 4 of those completions are for scores you can still get the win and still be our POTW. PLAYOFF PICTURE: Two teams eliminated after this week's action, with Ohio and Birmingham now out of contention officially. Plenty of teams still in the hunt as both conferences have clusters of teams fighting over the same playoff spots. Plenty of close divisoinal races as well, with ties at the top in the SE and Central Divsiions, and only 1-game leads in theSW and Southern Divisions.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: You knew we could not go the entire season without Calais Campbell having a big game. Two sacks is not a huge number, but when one of them is a sack-fumble-scoop-and-score, it is a huge play for any team, and for Orlando it was just one of many in a huge win. PLAYOFF PICTURE: No teams have clinched a playoff spot at this point, and no teams are officially eliminated from playoff contention either. Ohio and Birmingham could be the first to officially drop from the race after Week 12.

Eleven weeks into the 2010 season and we are still trying to figure out if the entire concept of home field advantage means anything in the USFL. Once again we had a good run of road victories, six in 14 games, to put that concept into question. Of course, that also means we had 8 home teams get wins, but in nearly every case, the home team was a clear favorite. The one possible exception was Michigan’s win over Ohio, where despair over the Panther offense clearly led to a weird line on a game that the Panthers absolutely dominated. Houston made a statement this week, with a big win over the Generals, while Philadelphia and Oakland just kept chugging along as they stay in 1st place in each conference. The Outlaws got a much-needed reversal of course on the road, and New Orleans took advantage of a Nashville loss to stake a claim on the Southern Division. We will break it all down and take a special look at which franchises could be targets of a Dallas hijacking bid. Could we truly be seeing a USFL team uproot itself for the big money available from the Destination Dallas investment group? We look at which fans should be worried. PITTSBURGH MAULERS 14 CHICAGO MACHINE 23 A good one atop the Central Division, good enough that we made it our Game of the Week despite it not being a 1-score margin, as most of our GOTW tend to be. Why then? Well, because with Michigan fading without Griese available, Chicago and Pittsburgh are battling to be the frontrunners in the division, and to possibly land a bye in the playoffs by taking the division. We also chose it because this game highlights a bit of a transformation this season in Chicago, from a team known for shut down defense and a pretty by-the-books, no frills offense, to the leading offense in the league. Finally, we chose this game because it featured some good back and forth momentum shifts. The game began with Chicago clearly getting the better of early play. Pittsburgh had only 1 first down in the first 25 minutes of game time, while Chicago mounted two long drives that resulted in a Michael Estrada TD plunge and a Tim Seder field goal. But that momentum quickly turned when, following Seder’s kick, Pittsburgh got a huge boost as return man Will Poole found a seam, blew past the kicker and raced 101 yards with the ensuing kickoff to put the Maulers on the board, down only 10-7. On their next possession, the Mauler offense found the right calls to move the ball during the 2-minute drill and take the lead with Cody Pickett swinging the ball out to FB John Kuhn, who took it the final 3 yards for a score and a Mauler 14-10 lead on the road at the half. The half did not come at a good time for Pittsburgh. It cooled their momentum and gave Chicago a chance to regroup and retake control. The 3rd quarter proved to be a momentum killer for Pittsburgh, as they once again struggled to muster offense. The Maulers went 0-3 on third downs and even failed on a 4th and 2 the one time they had crossed midfield. Chicago was not a lot better at 1 of 4 on third downs, and the punters got a lot of action in the quarter, but Chicago did get another Seder kick to bring the game down to a single point. Chicago would take the lead early in the 4th when Tim Seder connected from 54 yards out after a holding call had seemingly moved the Machine out of range. Now up 16-14, the defense again proved that while Chicago might be seen as an offensive club this year, solid defense was still a feature of the franchise. The Machine got a key sack from Anthony Weaver (who else?) on a 3rd and 5 play that got them the ball back with 3:37 left to play, leading the game by 1 point. Rather than sit on the ball and hope to run out the clock with plunges into the line, the Machine allowed Brady Quinn to make some plays, and in just 57 seconds he had the Machine back into the red zone and threatening to score. A bad PI call got the Machine inside the 10, and despite Michael Turner’s strong game (139 yards on 28 carries), Coach Mornhinweg kept calling plays to give Quinn a shot at more points. Quinn delivered with an 8-yard TD strike to Anquon Boldin, much to the delight of the Machine faithful at Soldier Field. With a 9-point lead, Chicago was in a position to be a bit more aggressive on defense and wrap the game up without a Mauler comeback. Chicago did just that, holding the Maulers inside their own half before forcing a 4th and 13 atttempt that was doomed from the outset. A couple of kneel downs later and the Machine were atop the Central Division, leading Pittsburgh on a tiebreaker with both clubs at 8-4. The Machine have what should be a win next week at home to Ohio, but then have two straight games against division leaders, both on the road, as they travel to Denver and then Tampa Bay. Pittsburgh, tied with Chicago but needing to get a game up to take the division, has a big showdown in Michigan next week, then back-to-back games against the division’s basement, with Ohio and St. Louis. Their big test, after the Panthers, will be a Week 16 matchup at Houston. CHARLOTTE 15 TAMPA BAY 16 The Monarchs settle for field goals and in the end that is their undoing as Tampa Bay roars back late in the game to steal a 1-point win. With Daunte Culpepper injured, Rhett Bomar goes 16 of 23 and connects with Jeremy Shockey for the game winner in the 4th as the Bandits avoid a home upset and establish themselves as the top team in the Southeast, with a huge rematch against Atlanta looming. WASHINGTON 27 JACKSONVILLE 14 The Federals contain Tim Tebow to -2 yards rushing and 193 passing as David Garrard has one of his best days in green & white. Garrard throws for 3 scores and 278 yards as Washington is forced to throw against stacked 8-9 man fronts. Deuce McCallister was held to just 9 yards rushing but the run emphasis of the Bulls defense allowed Garrard to go wild with 2 scoring tosses to Deion Branch and another to McCallister in the air. HOUSTON 45 NEW JERSEY 27 The Generals’ offense looked good with Maurice Jones-Drew getting 16 carries, but the defense was atrocious. Matt Hasselbeck threw for 5 TDs and Shaun Alexander rushed for 130, with an 8.1 YPC average as Houston just kept scoring. At one point the Gamblers rattled off 5 consecutive scoring drives, with four of them touchdowns. Both Vernon Davis and Paris Warren ended the game with two scores each as Houston just outpaced New Jersey on a day when the Generals’ D was just overwhelmed. BOSTON 20 PHILADELPHIA 27 The Cannons made a game of it, but Philadelphia got the win in the end as MVP candidate Kurt Warner went 23 of 29 for 232 and 2 scores. Steve Slaton also had a huge day, rushing for 149 and a TD. Adrian McPherson survived 5 sacks and a pick, but had Boston in range late until a 4th and 4 play failed, ending the comeback attempt. Chad Johnson was big for Boston with 107 yards and both McPherson TDs, but it was not enough as the Stars improved their league-best record to 9-2. NASHVILLE 24 OAKLAND 33 The Knights drop another one, putting them under .500 after 11 weeks as Ricky Williams rushes for 121 and 2 scores and LB Brendan Ayanbedejo scores on a fumble return to power Oakland to another big win. The Invaders only got 132 yards in the air from Bob Volek, but the run game and the defense came up big against Nashville. Jay Cutler threw 4 picks in the game and the Knights had a total of 6 turnovers in a game dominated by the ball hawking Invader defense. DENVER 26 LAS VEGAS 12 The Las Vegas offense struggled without Marshawn Lynch as Denver put the pressure on Jake Plummer with 5 sacks and 2 takeaways. Denver’s offense struggled to get in the endzone, but 4 Graham Gano field goals, a pick six, and a Dez White TD were enough for Denver to get the win and move to 8-3 on the year. BALTIMORE 14 ATLANTA 20 The Fire move to 6-5 and drop Baltimore to the same record with a strong comeback after falling behind 14-3 early in the 3rd quarter. A TD to rookie Demaryius Thomas with a 2-point conversion and 4 Josh Scobee field goals were enough to complete the comeback and excite the fans in the Georgia Dome with a possible playoff run. Atlanta now turns their attention to the Bandits and hopes of a division title. The loss was doubly painful for the Blitz, who could lose their QB for the rest of the regular season as Big Ben goes down with an ankle injury that will need time. ORLANDO 41 ST. LOUIS 23 Calais Campbell sets another mark with a sack, scoop, and score play that even the Skyhawk fans had to appreciate. Combined with a strong offensive performance from Drew Brees and Knowshon Moreno, Campbell’s play was enough to make Antowain Smith’s 139-yard day an afterthought for Orlando. The St. Louis offense actually outgained Orlando 393-349, but they just could not overcome both a Campbell fumble return and a Cortland Finnegan pick six. BIRMINGHAM 20 NEW ORLEANS 24 The Stallions gave the Breaker faithful a scare, but two long Eli Manning TD passes in the 4th quarter helped the Breakers escape with the win. Downl 20-10, Manning hit Chris Cooley on a play that would go for 68 yards, then turned around, got the onside kick, and found Early Doucet for the game winner with only 39 seconds left in a game that competed for GOTW due to its fantastic finish. ARIZONA 17 LOS ANGELES 3 The Express just do not seem to have an offensive strategy as the run game struggles with only 19 total yards. Arizona is getting hot, with David Carr throwing for 2 scores and the defense playing very well. Larry Fitzgerald and Antonio Bryant each nabbed a TD toss and Kimo Von Oelhoffen ended the day with 9 tackles, 2 sacks and a forced fumble as the Wranglers move to 5-6. TEXAS 18 PORTLAND 9 A nice rebound win for Texas on the road in Portland as a Flacco to Colston TD a strong defense help the Outlaws rise to 6-5. The defense allowed 326 yards but only 3 field goals as A. J. Feeley threw 3 picks into the Texas defensive secondary. Portland drops to 4-7 and their playoff hopes are quickly fading as Texas’s are reawakened. MEMPHIS 16 SEATTLE 33 The 4-7 Dragons are not done playing spoiler as they throw a wrench in any playoff hopes Memphis had. Byron Leftwich had his best game of the year as he tossed 4 touchdowns and threw for 367 against a Memphis defense that has been fading down the stretch. TD passes to Boston, Wiggins, Chambers, and HB Ladell Betts gave Seattle a comfortable home victory. OHIO 3 MICHIGAN 22 With Ohio a shadow of its former greatness, the rivalry with Michigan is taking a definite slant towards the Panthers. Shaun Hill had a rough day for the Panthers, but was bailed out by a Panther defense that just did not give up an inch to the Glory. Eddie George struggled to 2.6 yards per carry and Dereck Anderson completed only 11 of 35 passing as the Michigan defense throttled the Glory all game long. Matt Prater was the busiest Pather, delivering on 5 field goal attempts with 5 successful kicks. Baltimore Loses Big Ben for Regular Season The Blitz-Fire game was not just big for Atlanta, it was possibly season-changing for the Blitz as their star QB, Ben Roethlisberger went down on his very first pass attempt. Roethlisberger was driven to the ground by Atlanta LB Na’il Diggs on a third down blitz. The result was an ankle that could not bear weight. X-rays proved negative, but an MRI revealed significant ligament damage. A 4-6 week recovery time could mean that Big Ben could miss the rest of the regular season. That means that it will be up to Mike McMahon to salvage any playoff hopes the Blitz have. With the loss, Baltimore drops to 3rd in the NE Division, but both New Jersey and Boston are right behind them at 5-6. Without Roethlisberger in the lineup, league rushing leader Ron Dayne will be asked to take on even more of the offensive load, while the Baltimore defense, which has not exactly been stellar, will have to improve if the Blitz are to have any hope of a Big Ben return for a playoff game. Culpepper to Miss 2-4 Weeks after Illegal Hit Tampa Bay will also be without their starting QB for at least 2-4 weeks after a late hit by rookie LB Rolando McClain sends him to the bench with a shoulder separation. McClain was penalized for the hit, where he caught Culpepper under his throwing arm as the QB rotated the arm after his throw. That is of little consolation to the Bandits, who have a huge game with Atlanta this week and will send Rhett Bomar out at QB. The good news is that Bomar has proven himself in the past, and this week he led the late rally, connecting with TE Jeremy Shockey for a 4th quarter game winner. Tampa hopes that Culpepper could return for Week 14, in time for the 3 final games of the year but missing the Atlanta game will be an issue for the Bandits, who hold only a 1 game lead over the Fire for first place in the Southeast. Is ROTY Down to Bradford v. Tebow? As the season progresses, early rookie success has led to the usual late-season slump as tired players, fresh off a full college season, begin to wear down as they enter the 3rd month of USFL play. That late-season swoon tends to affect the Rookie of the Year award, and that is certainly true this year as we have seen everyone from LB NaVorro Bowman and HB C. J. Spiller to WR Demaryius Thomas see their numbers decline as they work through the long season. The two most rested rookies, quarterbacks Sam Bradford and Tim Tebow, seem to be benefitting from both the late season swoon of other contenders and the fact that they each spent the first month of the season on the sideline behind the starters at QB. Right now, if we had to wager on the MVP, it looks like Bradford has the slight edge. His Generals are 1 game better than the 4-7 Bulls, and he has had solid numbers since coming on in relief of an injured Ryan Fitzpatrick. Bradford has 1,558 yards, 7 touchdowns and 5 picks, while Tebow is not far behind with 1,259 yards, 7 TDs and 7 picks. We say the edge goes to Bradford, but that is primarily because the Generals have stayed in the thick of a tight division, and a division that many consider the best in the league. Jacksonville, at 4-7, is in a 4th place tie with Charlotte, but two games behind 3rd place Atlanta and Orlando. There are still 5 weeks left to the season and a second wind could give players like Philly LB Sean Lea or Memhis’s Bowman a shot, but as of right now, we have to say that it will be the QB who most impresses the voters who is likely to walk away with the award. Warner Looking Like MVP Don’t look now, but it seems we have a favorite at last in the MVP race. Philadelphia QB Kurt Warner is not only the field general for the team with the league’s best records, but his numbers are also at or near the top of the QB stats across the board. Warner is currently 5th in the league in yards passing (behind Hasselbeck, Manning, McPherson and Orton), but he leads the league in three very important categories, passing TDs (24, 4 ahead of Hasselbeck), Passer Rating or QBR (103.7, just ahead of Drew Brees’s 102.4) and wins. It’s that last category that is likely to sway votes to the former St. Louis Ram as he pushes the Stars to a potential #1 seed. It is not a one-man show in Philadelphia, something Warner is quick to point out when asked about the MVP trophy. Steve Slaton is having a break out season in his first year as a true lead back, and Steve Smith now rates 5th in the league in receiving yards with 872 after 11 games. The Stars also have a rock solid defense, ranked 4th in the league in points allowed, but as we all know, the QB gets a lot of the blame when a team struggles, and a lot of the praise when they succeed, so it is no shock that a lot of voters are looking at Warner as the frontrunner in this very good season in Philadelphia. Houston Heating Up The Stars may be considered the best team in the league right now, but few would argue that the Houston Gamblers are the hottest. Houston has won 5 in a row and now sits at #2 behind only the Stars in our unofficial USFL power rankings (Oakland is 3rd). In their streak, the Gamblers have knocked off in-state rival Texas and division leading Denver to get to 7-4 and are now only 1 game behind the Gold in the SW Division. They have a huge game against Arizona this week, and will face Texas again in Week 14. Their hope, with no more games against the Gold, is that Denver will stumble and give the Gamblers a shot at a division title. Houston has made the run largely on their offense, which now ranks #1 in the league in yardage and #3 in points behind only Chicago and Philadelphia. Their 45-point explosion against the New Jersey Generals this week is just the latest in a long run of good games for Matt Hasselbeck and the Gambler offense. Shaun Alexander is closing in on a possible 1,000 yard season. Ike Hilliard is looking like a young stud instead of a greying veteran with 792 yards on the year, and TE Vernon Davis has become a TD machine in the past few weeks, giving Houston a multifaceted, multiple threat offense. Don’t sleep on these Gamblers, especially if you are a fan of the Denver Gold. The SW Division has a long history of a team jumping up and snatching the division on the season’s final week, and Houston is looking primed and ready to make it happen again. Nashville Cooling Down If Houston is getting hot at the right time for a division title run, Nashville is definitely cooling down. Just as the Knights revealed a new look for 2011, their chances of being able to wear that look in the playoffs this year took a serious hit. The Knights have lost 4 in a row, including this week’s 9-point loss to Oakland. In that time, their once-feared defense has given up 30, 31, 31, and now 33 points. That does not bode well for the 5-6 Knights, whose primary chance to make the playoffs is to win the division. A Wild Card seems unlikely unless the Knights can go on a major win streak over the next month. They are 2 games behind not only the current 6th place team, but several other contenders as well. The good news is that they are only 1 game behind the New Orleans Breakers. If they can stay in that position, or even their record up with New Orleans before Week 16, then their final showdown with the Breakers in the Super Dome could be the deciding game for Nashville. But, if they continue to give up big points week after week, starting with their matchup at home for Seattle this weekend, they could quickly fade out of the playoff picture entirely. As expected, no news on the playoff front, with all 28 teams still mathematically alive, but no teams clinched. Right now, Philadelphia is without a doubt in the best position, not only with a 2-tame lead over Washington in the NE Division, but also over Tampa Bay for the #1 seed and home field advantage. If the Stars can hold court for the final 5 weeks, they will be the top seed in the East. In the West, Oakland remains in the #1 position, but it is a lot more tenuous, with Denver also sitting at 8-3, and 5 teams all at 7-4 right behind them. A slip by Oakland and any one of these 6 teams could leap up into that spot. Back to the East for a moment, where the Breakers, thanks to Nashville’s recent issues, have lept over the Knights and now control their own destiny in the Southern Division. Sitting at 6-5, that lead is iffy, and slipping even a little could lead to Nashville reasserting themselves and New Orleans being on the outside looking in. Right now the biggest cluster in the East is between 6-5 clubs (Breakers, Renegades, Fire, and Blitz) and 5-6 clubs (New jersey, Boston, and Nashville). That is 7 clubs likely fighting over 3 playoff spots. In the West, one of the 7-4 clubs, currently Houston, will likely be out of the playoffs. More if either Texas or Arizona get truly hot and can leapfrog some folks. It is a very tight race in most divisions, and we expect that not a lot will change until perhaps week 13 or 14, when some of the playoff spots are likely to get locked up. The injury to Ben Roethlisberger is a rough one for the Blitz to absorb. They will not put ben and his ankle on IR, because there is hope that he could be back in 4 weeks, which puts him at a Week 15 or 16 return, and that could mean he would be available if, somehow, the Blitz find a way to carry on with Mike McMahon at the helm and qualify for the playoffs. Ben’s ankle was unfortunately rolled onto by one of his own linemen, causing the QB to fall to the ground in obvious pain. There was some ligament damage, but surgery does not appear to be necessary. Guard continues to be a high-risk profession this season in the USFL, as Washington learned when their starting right guard Aaron Sears was put on IR after suffering what was first thought to be a concussion, but was later diagnosed as a cracked skull. Swelling around the brain was a serious concern, and it was a clear decision (we cannot say no-brainer here, too soon) to end Sears’s season. Others who will be out at least 1-2 weeks include Atlanta DE Chris Kelsay (wrist), Texas CB Michael Boulware (ribs), Jacksonville TE Jason Whitten (also ribs), and Pittsburgh SS Sean Taylor (hyper extended knee). Knights New Uniforms Revealed The third of Adidas’s redesigns has been released and once again the changes are noticeable but not extreme. The Knights very much look like the Knights, even with a bit of a facelift. There is no change to the club’s two logos, either the primary sword logo or the secondary shield with 3 stars based on the Tennessee state flag. The colors are unchanged, but there are some new elements in the uniform design. The Knights will return to having a stripe on their helmet, something we have not seen since they were in St. Louis, but rather than a traditional stripe, it will be a tapered stripe designed to imitate the twin sides of a sword blade, with white on one half and silver on the other. The sword motif is strong throughout the look as a thicker, more truncated twin stripe is used on the pants, flowing from hip to mid-thigh at an angle. It is also present in the new number font, which has different designs for 1st and 2nd digits in a player’s number, aligned so that the “slash” featured in all the numbers aligns from one number to the next. The jerseys also feature offset color sleeves and sleeve cuffs, with a shoulder stripe emphasis as well. All three team colors, purple, gold, and silver, appear on the jersey, though the use of gold is more restrained than in past versions of the Knights. The reveal means that only one team remains undisclosed, and rumors are that the team in question, Baltimore, did ask for a more extreme makeover, though we are not sure if this means new logo designs for the club that began in Chicago 28 years ago, or simply a new direction for the uniform. We expect an announcement soon, as the Blitz would want to don their new looks were they to qualify for a playoff matchup this July. A Look at Teams Who Could Sell to Dallas Investors Last week we reported on billionaire investor Mark Cuban joining the Destination Dallas group, an LLC designed to bring USFL football to the Dallas metro area. This week we wanted to answer the burning question we keep hearing. If the USFL does not offer the option for expansion in a reasonable timeframe, what teams or cities could be at risk of their team being sold and relocating to become a new Dallas franchise. The fear is understandable. It is not as if USFL teams never relocated. Relocation has been a part of the league practically since its inception in 1983. By 1987 the Chicago Blitz had found a new home in Baltimore and the Breakers had left tiny Harvard Stadium for the Super Dome in New Orleans. In 1992 the LA Express abandoned the left coast for the newly built Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis, only to relocate again to Nashville not long after. The Portland Thunder, also suffering through several seasons with a smaller than necessary stadium, now reside in Las Vegas, where they continue to have stadium issues. The Atlanta Fire moved to Boston, then got an expansion team to revive the club in Atlanta. So, don’t think it cannot happen to your favorite team. But which cities are most likely at risk? Well, two factors would likely play into a club being ripe for resale and relocation. The first is a crappy stadium situation. This could be a stadium that is simply unable to generate adequate gameday revenue, one that is undersized or poorly located, one that is older and lacks amenities, or one that simply has unfavorable lease conditions for the USFL club compared to their NFL stadium mate. When we look across the league there are several teams who fall into those potential stadium-based concerns. But that is not the only group to worry about. We should also consider clubs that have uncertain ownership, or owners potentially looking to cash out their investments. Several USFL owners are getting on in years and may very well see selling as a better option than passing their teams on to their heirs. So, who do we see as potential targets, purely hypothetically, for a deep-pocketed Dallas investment group to focus on if they see that expansion is not a viable option in the near future? We have identified six franchises which, for one reason or another, could be potential targets of interest for sale and relocation. Don’t panic, this is all very much hypothetical, and there are a lot of bridges to cross before any club would be at risk, but since it is the focal point of so much discussion over the past week, we felt we had to at least explore the possibility. Las Vegas: We start with the two clubs who have obvious stadium issues. The first of these is the Thunder, formerly of Portland and now in Las Vegas. The Thunder struggled with an undersized stadium in the Rose City and now find themselves in an equally disadvantageous position in Sin City. Sam Boyd Stadium, even with nearly 12,000 temporary bleachers added, is just not a major league stadium. Not only is the seating capacity stifling potential income for the club, but the lack of amenities, particularly a lack of luxury suites, makes no financial sense for a club that could, in the right situation, be bringing in major sponsorships, corporate and tourism presence, and much bigger overall attendance. If I were in the market to buy a team, I would be looking long and hard at the Thunder. Boston: The other obvious choice when it comes to stadium concerns is the defending champion Boston Cannons franchise. For as strong as Boston’s on field squad has been in recent years, their attendance has not been great. A huge reason for that is Alumni Stadium itself. Owned by Boston College, who simply don’t draw enough fans to merit a major overhaul and expansion to their on-campus stadium, Alumni Stadium is another facility that would have been great in 1983, but just does not match the needs of a major league football organization in the 21st century. Just as we see in Las Vegas, the lack of suite revenue, fan accommodations, even parking, are huge issues for the Cannons. And while there is a very suitable stadium in the market (general area) in the Patriot’s Gillette Stadium, the owner of that facility, Robert Kraft, has been a vehement anti-USFL, anti-collaboration advocate ever since he bought the NFL Patriots. So, unless Boston can convince the city to build a 2nd major football facility, the Cannons remain a potential flight risk. Oakland: The situation in Oakland is not so much one of a small stadium that cannot support the Invaders, but of an older stadium that just has not held up well. Oakland-Alameda Coliseum, one of a dying breed of dual-purpose football and baseball facilities, is showing its age. The sight lines are not good, the amenities are lacking, and the fact that the Invaders are the 2nd tenant behind the MLB A’s means that they don’t get much say in their own schedule, or in the fact that they remain the only team in the USFL to have to play around and over a baseball diamond for pretty much the entire season. To put it bluntly, Oakland needs a new facility. That could be at Berkely, if Cal would play ball, or it could be elsewhere in the Bay Area, particularly the East or South Bay, but it could also be in Dallas if local officials and public sentiment does not change soon when it comes to funding construction for their sports teams. Birmingham: The Stallions are a weird case, because they were granted the USFL’s only public IPO of shares a decade ago, meaning that they are partially owned by the community. That would make any sale tough, not impossible, but very tricky. That said, the Stallions continue to fight with local and state officials to try to make the case for a new stadium. Legion Field is a grand old stadium, but old is the key word there. The home to the Iron Bowl does not have a size issue, but it is desperately in need of a facelift. The Stallions have not pushed so much for renovation as for a new facility, and they have a good ally in the U. of Alabama-Birmingham, but if they cannot make headway towards a new facility, they could, in the right circumstances, be a potential target. St. Louis: No stadium issue for the Skyhawks, but poor product on the field has led to poor financials for the club that started up through expansion only 4 seasons ago. The new-car smell is off the Skyhawks, and what is left is a pretty bad stench of incompetence and irrelevance. Fans have begun to recognize that, and both last year and this year we have seen attendance take a major dive as soon as baseball season started. The Cardinals are still the undisputed #1 team in St. Louis. The Rams come second, and then, perhaps even 4th behind the NHL Blues, we have the Skyhawks. Does that make them a candidate for resale? Well, if the owners want to make some money, a quick way to do that, and a far less demanding path, would be to sell the club to out-of-town investors, take the hit on their local reputation, and let the team start fresh in a new location. Washington: Finally, we look at the Federals. A pretty successful team on the field, but another squad whose stadium is well past its prime and who get absolutely no cooperation from the NFL club in town. The Federals had hoped that the sale of the beloved Redskins from Jack Kent Cooke to Daniel Snyder might turn the page on the animosity felt between the two franchises, but if anything, Snyder has been even more of a thorn in the USFL club’s side than JKC was. Not only has Snyder rebuffed any efforts to potentially share his shiny new stadium with the USFL, he has clearly been lobbying the District of Columbia as well as the state of Maryland away from supporting the Federals, to the point that he was a major voice in the decision to build a baseball-only stadium in the District for the relocated Expos (now Nationals). The Federals are making do for now with RFK Stadium, but they need to find a way to either build or renovate if they want long term viability, and that kind of conundrum is just what an outside investor with an eye on relocation would want. And you know that for sports fans in the Dallas area, anything they can do to screw over a DC team, even if it is not the Redskins, will be extra motivating. Week 12 gives us a lot of interesting divisional games, kicking off with a Boston v. NY/NJ rivalry game that could determine if either team has a real shot at a Wild Card. On Saturday upstart Arizona tries to keep its playoff hopes alive as the Wranglers host the Gamblers. Atlanta and Tampa Bay clash again, with a Fire win giving them a share of first place in the SE Division. Sunday is going to be huge, with Pittsburgh at Michigan as the headliner. Rivalry games between Ohio and Chicago, Orlando at Charlotte, and Portland at Las Vegas also could be good. And don’t sleep on the Stars headed to Texas, where the Outlaws hope to get right back in the SW Division hunt, but have a huge task as they take on a hot Philadelphia squad. FRIDAY @ 8pm ET BOSTON (5-6) @ NEW JERSEY (5-6) NBC SATURDAY @ 12pm ET TAMPA BAY (7-4) @ ATLANTA (6-5) ABC SATURDAY @ 12pm ET SEATTLE (4-7) @ NASHVILLE (5-6) FOX SATURDAY @ 12pm ET ST. LOUIS (3-8) @ JACKSONVILLE (4-7) FOX SATURDAY @ 4pm ET LOS ANGELES (3-8) @ NEW ORLEANS (6-5) ABC SATURDAY @ 4pm ET HOUSTON (7-4) @ ARIZONA (5-6) FOX SATURDAY @ 8pm ET WASHINGTON (7-4) @ DENVER (8-3) ESPN SUNDAY @ 12pm ET BALTIMORE (6-5) @ MEMPHIS (4-7) ABC SUNDAY @ 12pm ET PITTSBURGH (7-4) @ MICHIGAN (7-4) ABC SUNDAY @ 12pm ET OHIO (2-9) @ CHICAGO (7-4) FOX SUNDAY @ 4pm ET PHILADELPHIA (9-2) @ TEXAS (6-5) ABC SUNDAY @ 4pm ET PORTLAND (4-7) @ LAS VEGAS (7-4) FOX SUNDAY @ 4pm ET BIRMINGHAM (2-9) @ OAKLAND (8-3) FOX SUNDAY @ 8pm ET ORLANDO (6-5) @ CHARLOTTE (4-7) ESPN & EFN

A lot of close games as more and more teams sit within 1 game of .500 in a year of USFL parity. The biggest result of the week may not be one on the scoreboard, but on the medical testing table as Marshawn Lynch could miss the rest of the regular season after suffering a shoulder injury in Las Vegas’s blowout win over the LA Express. Tampa Bay takes hold of the SE Division with their win over rival Atlanta, and Philadelphia sets itself up well as the league’s only 8-2 club with a win over Memphis. Ohio drops a game at St. Louis as fans of the Glory start to wonder if the magic is truly gone. All this, plus big news out of Dallas as that city starts getting serious about bringing USFL football to the Big D. We have it all for you, right here at This is the USFL. NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS 21 BALTIMORE BLITZ 24 OVERTIME A very good game between two contenders who have their doubters as Baltimore edges New Orleans in overtime to move to 6-4, tied for 2nd in the NE Division. The Breakers had to have a big 2nd half rally to send the game to overtime but in the extra period they could not get on the board and the Blitz held on to win the game in front of 47,202 in M&T Bank Stadium. Early on this one looked very much like a Baltimore coming out party as the Blitz raced to a 21-0 lead at the half. Ben Roethlisberger was in rare form, throwing two early TD passes to Darius Heyward-Bey to put the Blitz up 14-0, then adding a long drive at the end of the 2nd quarter that gave them a 3-score lead on Antonio Pittman’s 5-yard TD run. It was all coming up Blitz in the first half. The momentum shifted in the third quarter as New Orleans got the opening kickoff and went 82 yards for a score, a beautiful Matt Forte run for 34 yards to get on the board. They rallied after that, shutting down Big Ben and the Blitz offense, while slowly chipping away at the score. Eli Manning would finish the day 30 of 51 as the Breakers used the passing game, despite 6 Blitz sacks, to fight their way back. Manning’s TD tosses to Dwayne Bowe and Early Doucet tied the game up, with Doucet’s score coming with just under 1 minute of play. When a last second drive led to a Martin Grammatica miss from 48 yards out, the game went to overtime. In the extra period, both clubs struggled, with Grammatica missing on a 2nd kick, this time a 52-yarder, and New Orleans failing on a 4th and 1 from the Baltimore 44. It would take nearly all of the extra 15 minutes before we got a winner, but as the game clock got within 1 minute left, a 14-yard Ron Dayne run, his longest of the day, moved the ball within range and Martin Grammatica made good with the game winner with only 26 seconds left to give the Blitz the win and send them to 6-4. New Orleans drops to 5-5, but retains a share of first place in a very muddled Southern Division. LAS VEGAS 40 LOS ANGELES 27 A win with a cost for the Thunder as they pummel the LA Express but lose HB Marshawn Lynch to injury, possibly for the remainder of the regular season. Jake Plummer threw 3 TD passes and Earmest Graham added another as Las Vegas just kept putting points on the board, but an apparent shoulder injury to Lynch could have a greater effect on the Thunder playoff hopes than a win in LA. ORLANDO 31 NASHVILLE 21 The Renegades return to .500 sends Nashville to the same mark as late TDs from Karl Williams and Justin McCaerins help erase a 21-17 Nashville lead and give Orlando an important road win. Nashville also had injury issues as backup Quincy Carter, in for the dinged up Jay Cutler, also went down, putting 3rd stringer Chase Daniel into the game. Carter should be fine next week, but in this game his departure made it tough for Nashville to hold off the late Orlando surge. TAMPA BAY 34 ATLANTA 21 A huge day from Willis McGahee propels the Bandits into first place in the SE Division in this battle of 5-4 clubs. McGahee had 180 yards on 26 carries and both he and backup LaBrandon Toefield each scored twice as the Bandits used the ground attack to control the clock and the game. Darren McFadden also had a big day with 132 yards, but it was not enough for the Fire, who drop to 5-5. PORTLAND 14 CHICAGO 41 Chicago got a big day from former Gold LB Kendrell Bell, with 2 picks from the LB position, one for a TD as A. J. Feeley continues to struggle. Michael Turner added two scores and Brady Quinn was an efficient 20 of 27 throwing the ball as Chicago took a 17-14 halftime lead and went on to score the next 24 points to blow out the visiting Stags. HOUSTON 21 DENVER 14 Ike Hilliard was the star for the Gamblers with 126 yards and the game-winning touchdown in this one as Houston escapes Denver with a win and moves to 6-4. Denver’s top-ranked run game was limited to only 61 yards by the Gambler D, while Shaun Alexander rushed for 90 yards and got help from Kevin Faulk’s 45 yards in relief. OAKLAND 13 SEATTLE 7 Another tough defensive game for the Invaders, but another win as Oakland moves to 7-3 on the year, thanks to a run defense that held Seattle to only 23 total yards, more than 150 less than the 176 that Oakland got from Ricky Williams and Jerious Norwood. David Boston was held to only 1 catch as Byron Leftwich could complete only 10 passes on the day as Seattle drops to 3-7. MEMPHIS 21 PHILADELPHIA 34 The Stars pick off Jake Delhomme twice and Steve Smith hauls in 8 passes for 134 yards as Philadelphia improves to 8-2, the best record in the league. A 17-0 run in the 3rd quarter helped propel the Stars to the win, as Philly got scores from Slaton, Dallas Clark, Steve Smith, and DB Jairus Byrd, who returned a Delhomme pick for a touchdown in the win. BIRMINGHAM 3 NEW JERSEY 28 The Generals reach .500 with a big home win over a lackluster Birmingham squad. Two TDs from R. J. Redmond and 112 yards from newly-acquired HB Maurice Jones-Drew power the Generals to a 5-5 record despite a pretty bad day for Sam Bradford (only 2 of 26 with 2 picks). Birmingham simply could not provide much offense against an aggressive New Jersey defense and fall to 2-8, tied with Ohio for the worst record in the league this year. CHARLOTTE 28 JACKSONVILLE 35 The Bulls remain alive in the playoff race, moving to 4-6 with a nice home win over division rival Charlotte. Tim Tebow had his best game of the year, throwing for 295 and 3 scores, while the combo of C. J. Spiller and Travis Minor added 122 on the ground and 2 scores as well. Tied at 21 at the half, Jacksonville got two Johnny Knox TD catches in the 3rd to take a 14-point lead which they would not relinquish. PITTSBURGH 34 MICHIGAN 6 Shaun Hill looked very flustered against a Mauler defense that mixed up coverages very effectively, and without much offense to speak of, the Maulers just kept building up their lead, led by DeShaun Foster’s 106-yard day and two Cody Pickett TD tosses, the Maulers take over first place in the Central at 7-3. ARIZONA 20 TEXAS 17 Texas’s great start to the season continues to wither as the Wranglers get the upset in the Alamodome to stay alive at 4-6. LaDainian Tomlinson has his best day in the USFL as he rushes for 122 and 2 scores, while Joe Flacco is picked off twice by the Wranglers in a rough outing. David Carr’s day was not much better, with 3 picks of his own, but Arizona rallied and a late LT touchdown gives the visitors the W. OHIO 9 ST. LOUIS 19 St. Louis shows just how far the Glory have fallen with a healthy 10-point win over Ohio. It was 19-0 at one point before a late Javon Walker TD helped make the score a little closer. Eddie George rushed for only 60 yards and Dereck Anderson was picked off twice, going only 18 of 41 on the day as Ohio simply looked like a team without much gas in the tank. WASHINGTON 17 BOSTON 28 Sunday night’s EFN/ESPN game served up an upset as the Boston Cannons rallied from a 17-7 halftime deficit with a big second half to upend the Federals. It began with a Jabar Gaffney TD to open the third, but the big momentum shift came when Adrian McPherson connected with Percy Harvin on a 73-yard scoring play that brought the house down at Alumni Stadium. Rashard Mendenhall’s 1-yard TD run capped off the night for the Cannons, who now sit at 5-5 and right in the middle of a very crowded NE Division race. A Tale of Two Cities When Oakland and Michigan both lost their starting quarterbacks in the opening weeks of the season there was concern in both cities that very strong teams could find themselves floundering. Both initially stuck with their backups as the answer, rather than selling the deed to the ranch in order to bring in a veteran starter, and what we have seen so far is very much a tale of two cities, one coping and moving on, the other struggling to stay afloat. Oakland has gone 4-2 with unheralded Bob Volek at the helm. With a strong run game and one of the league’s best defenses, the Invaders have been able to stay atop the Pacific Division, winning 3 Division games along the way to look like a solid playoff contender at 7-3. Michigan, while still in contention at 6-4, has lost 3 of 4 since Brian Griese went down in Week 6 win over Orlando. They upset Chicago in Chicago, but other than that have fallen to Denver, Atlanta, and Pittsburgh, scoring 9 or fewer points in all three losses. The Panthers made a deal with Denver to bring Dereck Anderson to town, and he did start this week, but looked very much like a player trying to learn a new system and build a connection with his receivers, not something you want if you view yourself as a Summer Bowl contender. Michigan’s defense has also struggled as the offense has put them on the field for too much of the past few games. This week’s loss to the Maulers was evidence of this, as Pittsburgh scored 34 against Michigan at Ford Field, the highest opposition point total of the year. So, what separates the two, well, the Invaders do have a more impressive defensive resume, but perhaps more importantly, their offense has always been heavily reliant on play action and the running of Ricky Williams. Bob Volek, while not an MVP-quality QB, is still able to take advantage of the run game to set up play action passes. Michigan’s offense ran through Brian Griese, with the run game still in flux after the departure of Justin Fargas to the NFL. Bringing in Thomas Jones has helped, but this is still a pass-first club, and that option has largely proven problematic with Griese sidelined. In order to find the kind of success Oakland has without its starter, Michigan will need to improve the run game, allow Anderson to use play action, and avoid falling behind, because even with Hines Ward and Laverneus Coles out wide, the big play passing game of the Panthers is not going to be the answer with Griese out of commission. Beasts of the East We came into the 2010 season saying that the Northeast Division would be a dogfight. What we did not expect would be that they would take that fight to everyone else. At the conclusion of 10 weeks all five NE clubs are at or over .500, with Philadelphia at the top with the league’s best record at 8-2. Furthermore, when you look at the out-of-division records of the division’s five teams, you see that the NE is truly the beasts of the East. Philadelphia is 3-0 in non-NE Division conference play, are both Washington and New Jersey. Baltimore is 2-0, while Boston is 2-1. Meaning that in play with other Eastern Conference teams the NE Division is a whopping 13-1 overall. That is nasty by any measure. Will the South Rise Again? On the opposite end of the spectrum we find the Southern Division, where no club is over .500 and the Knights and Breakers lead the division at 5-5. All 4 Southern teams lost this week, the third loss in a row for Nashville, and the 7th straight for the Birmingham Stallions. Only New Orleans has a winning record within the Conference at 4-3, but when you take out the 2-1 record in division, they fall to 2-2, so really, when playing other conferences, no Southern Division has a winning record. We know that one team will emerge from the division, since the division winner is guaranteed a playoff spot, but beyond that it is certainly possible that no other Southern team will qualify, that is, unless a couple of teams start to find a way to win games outside of the division. Right now Nashville sits at 1-4 in conference play outside of the division. New Orleans is a bit better at 2-2, Memphis is 2-3, and Birmingham is 1-4. The Southern clubs are going to need to find wins in their non-divisional games, because they are beating each other up within the division. We give the edge right now to New Orleans simply because they have shown an ability to get some interdivisional wins, but honestly we think the top 3 teams in the division are all more or less equal when it comes to their chances to snag the division title. Texas, Michigan, and Portland Need a Turn Around A two game losing streak is not a major hurdle for most teams, and certainly not as devastating as something like Birmingham’s 7-game streak, but for the Panthers, Outlaws, and Stags, their current 2-game losing streaks have had a major impact, knocking all three out of the current playoff scenarios. The Panthers, at 6-4, are at least tied with Houston and Chicago for a possible Wild Card, but their two losses have been major setbacks in that they show just how troubled the team is without Brian Griese. For the Outlaws, now 5-5, and the Stags, now 4-6, the losses have taken them from serious contenders to outsiders looking in. It is not too late for any of the three to turn things around and find themselves back in the playoff mix, but they cannot wait too long. Already Texas is 2 games behind Denver and has Houston ahead of them. Portland is now in 3rd place as well, with both Oakland and Las Vegas 3 games up at 7-3, while Michigan is in the best spot on the wins and losses column, tied with Chicago and only 1 game behind Pittsburgh, but with the offensive struggles they have been facing, they also seem like the team least likely to find a way to rattle off a string of wins. Desperate times in all three camps. Will one or more of these teams find the formula to get back to winning ways? Birmingham to Shake Things Up at QB We mentioned Birmingham’s 7-game losing streak as the longest in the league, and, sitting at 2-8, they are already 3 games out of a Wild Card chance, with only 6 games left to play. And that situation has all but forced the hand of Coach Mike Shanahan. This week the 2nd year coach announced that the club would be making a change at QB, benching Kyle Boller and elevating Anthony Wright to starter. This likely feels like Déjà vu for the Stallion faithful as this was exactly what Shanahan’s predecessor did with Jason Campbell, benching him midway through the season and experimenting with his backups, including Wright. The arrival of Boller from the NFL had been hoped to settle the QB position, and while a 2,800 yard, 12 TD season last year was not exactly All-USFL performance, there was hope that, given an offseason to rest and learn, Boller could come back in 2010 with a strong 2nd season. But, midway through that second season, what we see is an average of only 159 yards per game, and 10 picks to only 5 TD passes. When you add in the fact that Birmingham went out and signed Terrell Owens to bolster the receiving corps, it does seem like Shanahan has to at least attempt something new. Is Wright the answer? Seems unlikely, but perhaps his athleticism can be enough of a shift to jumpstart something within the organization. If not, then we expect Birmingham to once again be in the QB market, either for a veteran starter through trade or the NFL/USFL transfer window, or a serious contender to recruit a rookie from the strong 2011 draft class. Our first playoff picture report of the season, and the story is parity, as it has been all year. Yes, you have Philadelphia well ahead of the pack in the East at 8-2, but when you look around the league as a whole you have a lot of teams in this. Looking at the East, after the Stars you have three teams at 6-4, five more only a game back at 5-5, and another 3 just one more game behind that at 4-6. Nashville and New Orleans are tied at the top of the Southern Division at only 5-5, which means Memphis, only 1 game back, is also very much in the hunt. In the West there is a cluster at 7-3, with 4 teams sitting at that mark, while Chicago, Houston, and Michigan are 1 game back at 6-4. Texas,losers oftheir last 2, are now a game back of that pack at 5-5, while Portland and Arizona are also in the hunt at 4-6. No teams clinched this week, and we expect none will clinch in the next week either, but the clustering of teams will mean that we are in for several weeks of teams rising and falling in the standings, and close battles for the divisions. Even Philadelphia, with a 2-game lead on the rest of the East, is likely to need a good run to lock this thing up before week 15 at the earliest. So, hold onto your hats everyone, this is going to be a wild ride. With the amount of parity we see in the league this year, and with so many teams still looking for a spark to power a playoff push, injuries late in the season can have a huge impact, and we are seeing each week more teams impacted. Here is this week’s rundown. Chicago will be without CB Reggie Smith the rest of the season after he was placed on IR with a hip injury. Seattle TE Tyler Eckler was also placed on IR after MRI’s confirmed his bicep injury was a near complete tear. Charlotte guard Seymour Guerra was the third IR placement this week with a back injury. Another guard, Tampa Bay’s All-USFL LG, Steve Hutchinson, could be back in a month if rehab on his shoulder Is successful, just in time for a possible playoff run. As you saw above, Marshawn Lynch was the headline injury. We are looking at anywhere from 2 weeks until a month before his shoulder is ready to allow him back on the field. For Oakland TE Joel Dreesen, whose broken finger was a nasty sight in this week’s game, the damage is actually quite minimal, and Dreesen could be back by Week 13. Others who are likely out this week (doubtful) include Portland guard Mitch Petrus, Pittsburgh HB Brandon Jacobs, Washington DE Chris Long, Houston WR Mike Sims-Walker and Tampa WR Devery Henderson. Dallas Finds its Whale Destination Dallas, the local effort to bring a USFL team to the DFW area, and particularly to the Cotton Bowl Stadium, has found its whale, the investor who adds deep pockets and significant sway to their efforts. Tech and media mogul Mark Cuban, owner of the NBA Mavericks, has signed on as a lead investor for the group, and the effort to land USFL football in his adopted home. Cuban, whose estimated net worth ranges from $2-$4 billion, will serve as lead investor, while Destination Dallas founder Kenny Trout, will remain the organizations’ president and COO. Cuban appeared with Trout at a press conference announcing the Mavericks owner’s investment in the group. He spoke briefly about his interest in the league, before pivoting to talk about the organization and its efforts. He reiterated Ken Trout’s key point about beginning with efforts to modernize the venerable home to the Cotton Bowl as a first step, a proposal that has gained significant steam within the local political circles just in the past two months, then stated that he, like Trout is hoping the USFL will consider expansion within a 5-year timeframe. When questioned by local press about other options for bringing the USFL back to Dallas after the very successful 1-year transplant of the Texas Outlaws, Cuban restated the official position of DD, which is that the organization’s goal is to bring an expansion franchise to the city, but would not rule out the possibility of purchasing a current USFL franchise and relocating them to Dallas if expansion efforts do not bear fruit. It is well known that within USFL ownership circles there is both a clear consensus that expansion should be limited to rare instances, with preference for a 10-year reconsideration from one expansion period to another, as well as a clear split of opinions about the premise of Destination Dallas. There are some owners, including a couple of vocal ones, who are open to eventual expansion but who believe that any relocation damages the overall image of the league. There is also some opposition to the Destination Dallas proposal of a team in Texas’s largest city, most notably the ownership of both the Houston Gamblers and Texas Outlaws, who both, for obvious reasons, see a third Texas franchise as a major draw from their fan base. Outside of Texas, the prospect of landing the nation’s 4th largest television market as well as bringing into the fold two tech and media savvy owners is appealing, but again, the question of how this would be done is controversial. It may well be that those who are less opposed to a rapid turnaround of expansion will be swayed to consider that option by the premise of Trout and Cuban owning a team. The other, obvious concern is that if expansion is off the table for the next 8-10 years, then the Dallas group will seek out struggling franchises, those with bad stadium deals or crumbling older facilities, or those with attendance and financial concerns, and push a sale that would displace a current franchise. Destination Dallas has been very careful to steer clear of such discussion, but this investment group, and particularly its two lead investors, is unlikely to just pack things up if the USFL squelches talk of early expansion, and with several teams around the league struggling either with undersized or outdated facilities, or with declining ticket sales, the market may well be there for a lucrative sale and relocation deal. If more news from the Dallas group comes forward, you can count on us to bring it to you, but for now, the arrival of a media and sports figure like Mark Cuban is certainly raising eyebrows. Adidas Reveals New Look for Philadelphia Stars Much like the reveal of the new Birmingham Stallion Reebok uniforms a few weeks ago, this week’s announcement and presentation of the new Stars’ gear was met with sighs of relief. Fans were pleased to see that the Stars’ logos and color scheme was untouched, that the iconic gold helmet with white facemask remained, and that the main adjustments to the team’s look were little more than new striping pattens on the jersey and pants. Adidas retained the scarlet, orange, and metallic gold look of the Stars, despite rumors that they may perform a complete overhaul. The primary “Shooting Star” logo and secondary Liberty Bell design are unchanged, but there are some new features. The most prominent new addition is a reimagining of the pant stripe from a solid stripe to one that evokes the main logo of the team, transitioning from scarlet to orange and then to gold through a series of angled stripes of various lengths, sort of a Doppler effect stripe. In addition to this, the sleeve stripes on both the scarlet and white jerseys now also transition vertically from one color to the next, evoking for some, an image of the classic Houston Astros rainbow jerseys, though far less intrusive as they are only sleeve stripes and not a full torso look. All in all, the Philadelphia design, much like the Birmingham one before it, has retained the iconography and visual feel of the 1983 founding teams. With Nashville and Baltimore also expected to be revealed soon, there is speculation that one, if not both, teams will showcase a more dramatic update, as Adidas places its stamp on the league. For now, at least, the European-based sports apparel and shoe company has been very deferential to the history and aesthetic of the USFL. But will that persists as they work their way through all 28 clubs over the next 7 years? Week 11 feels like a bit of a palette cleanser before the rich 2nd course of the final weeks of the USFL season. We have a few divisional games, including a couple of tasty ones in Boston v. Philadelphia and Pittsburgh visiting Chicago, but overall there are not as many marquee matchups this week. Of course, in a league where so many teams are sitting between 4-6 and 6-4 there is a lot of battling in the middle of the pack across the league. FRIDAY @ 8pm ET CHARLOTTE (4-6) @ TAMPA BAY (6-4) NBC SATURDAY @ 12pm ET WASHINGTON (6-4) @ JACKSONVILLE (4-6) ABC SATURDAY @ 12pm ET HOUSTON (6-4) @ NEW JERSEY (4-6) ABC SATURDAY @ 12pm ET BOSTON (5-5) @ PHILADELPHIA (8-2) FOX SATURDAY @ 4pm ET NASHVILLE (5-5) @ OAKLAND (7-3) ABC SATURDAY @ 4pm ET PITTSBURGH (7-3) @ CHICAGO (6-4) FOX SATURDAY @ 8pm ET DENVER (7-3) @ LAS VEGAS (7-3) ESPN SUNDAY @ 12pm ET BALTIMORE (6-4) @ ATLANTA (5-5) ABC SUNDAY @ 12pm ET ORLANDO (5-5) @ ST. LOUIS (3-7) FOX SUNDAY @ 12pm ET BIRMINGHAM (2-8) @ NEW ORLEANS (5-5) FOX SUNDAY @ 4pm ET ARIZONA (4-6) @ LOS ANGELES (3-7) ABC SUNDAY @ 4pm ET TEXAS (5-5) @ PORTLAND (4-6) ABC SUNDAY @ 4pm ET MEMPHIS (4-6) @ SEATTLE (3-7) FOX SUNDAY @ 8pm ET OHIO (2-8) @ MICHIGAN (6-4) ESPN & EFN

Player of the Week: Willis McGahee's 237 yards of offense helped Tampa Bay snag first place in the Southeast Division. With 180 yards rushing, including 2 scores, and another 57 in the air, McGahee was an unstoppable force of nature this week. Playoff Picture: No teams have clinched a playoff berth or been eliminated at this time. With 6 weeks left, it may be at leat 2 more weeks before we see either development.

Player of the Week: Halfback Ron Dayne almost single-handedly won the game for the Blitz, pulling them up to 5-4 and helping them turn the tide of a bad losing streak. His 118 yards are not a huge number, but 3 TDs got the job done for the Blitz.

Hi all. Over the next 3 weeks I will have a combination of travel and major work projects, so I am going to try to shift from an every-other-day timeline to posting new articles every 3 days. I may or may not be able to stick to this, but the overall project is not going anywhere. It is just hard to produce this much content while traveling and while putting in extra hours at work. So, it may not be as frequent as you may be used to, but the 2010 season (and beyond) will keep chugging along. The second half of the USFL season kicked off with a wild weekend of divisional clashes, close games, defensive stands, big plays, and a fair share of upsets. New Jersey got a W in Nashville. Seattle, looking to, yes, once again, rally in the second half, upset the Las Vegas Thunder, and Tampa Bay got a huge win in Pittsburgh, but we start with the game of the week, when Washington came into Philadelphia with the two northeast rivals locked at 6-2 atop the division. WASHINGTON FEDERALS 23 PHILADELPHIA STARS 27 You knew Friday night’s game on NBC had the potential to be our Game of the Week, and it absolutely lived up to the billing. You had two 6-2 clubs, tied atop the NE Division going head to head, and while Philly’s top rival is New Jersey, and Washington’s is Baltimore, these two meet twice a year and there is nearly 3 decades of battles in the history of this match up. The Stars held a slim 26-23 advantage all time, but they would add to it with a hard-fought win at home to take over 1st in the division and clear their path to control their own destiny down the stretch. Both teams had their moments in this one, and it would come down to the final quarter as neither team was ever able to get more than a 1-score lead throughout the evening. Washington got on the scoreboard first with an effective first drive that took 7 minutes and ended with FB Chris Massey bulldozing his way in from the 1. Philadelphia, also fond of long time-consuming drives, used nearly 8 minutes on their first drive of the second quarter and got the equalizer from their break out player this year, HB Steve Slaton. Washington responded with a field goal, and Philadelphia ended the first half with a reply, a 2-minute drill played to perfection that saw Kurt Warner carve his way through the Federal defense before hitting Steve Smith with a 9-yard TD toss to give the Stars a 14-10 halftime lead. After the break, Washington had their own quick strike, when David Garrard used play action to free up Deion Branch and then hit the speedy receiver with a perfect deep ball, leading to a 52-yard TD. The crowd was stunned by the defensive gaff, but the Stars quickly recovered and put up a field goal to even the score at 17. The two clubs would battle through their field goal kickers for the next 20 minutes, with Washington getting 2 kicks to the Stars’ one. That left Washington with a 23-20 lead with 9 minutes to play. Philadelphia would mount a 6-minute drive to take the lead, largely on the legs of their star, Slaton, and newly acquired scat back Darren Sproles. Sproles only had 6 carries on the day, along with some kick returns, but he had 4 in the final drive, including a 48-yarder that broke the drive wide open and gave Philadelphia the ball at the Federal 13. From there, Kurt Warner again found Steve Smith, and the Stars were on top (and very happy to have dealt a future pick to Seattle to acquire Sproles.) The Star defense would have to defend the next 4:26 to secure the win. Garrard brought the Federals out, and after Deuce McCallister had been held to only 28 yards on 18 carries, it was Rod Smart behind him for the final drive, hoping to confuse Philadelphia with a different style of running. It did not really work out. Smart had a good first run for 19 yards, but his next two runs went for 1 yard and -2 yards, putting Washington in a 3rd and 11 on their side of the field. Garrard tried to find TE Heath Miller, but it was disrupted by rookie MLB Sean Lee, leading to a 4th and 11 to save the game for Washington. The Feds lined up with 4 receivers and only smart next to Garrard in the shotgun. Smart stayed in as Philadelphia blitzed FS Jarius Byrd. Garrard tried to hit Eddie Kennison on a deep out, but the ball was too far to the outside and Kennison could not make the catch. The ball went back to the homestanding Stars, and with one first down, secured by a short Warner to Celek toss on 2nd and 3, the kneel downs began and the Philly faithful celebrated a very big division win by their Stars. NEW JERSEY 31 NASHVILLE 28 Saturday started us off with a pretty impressive upset as Sam Bradford and the Generals upset the Southern leaders from Nashville. It was a tight game throughout, despite the early exit of QB Jay Cutler for the Knights. Backup Quincy Carter came in and threw 3 TD passes, but in the end, New Jersey, thanks in part to a Tamba Hali sack-strip-recover-TD, edged the Knights to improve to 4-5 on the season. NEW ORLEANS 13 BIRMINGHAM 10 The Breakers were in a dogfight of their own in Birmingham and could not scoreboard watch, but when they eked out a 13-10 victory and saw the score from Nashville, the Breakers new they were right back in the hunt for the Southern title. They will need to make fewer mistakes as 8 penalties and 2 Manning interceptions almost cost them the game against the Stallions. TAMPA BAY 20 PITTSBURGH 10 A big road win for the Bandits as they seek the SE Division title. Daunte Culpepper threw 2 TDs and Willis McGahee added 73 yards on the ground as the Bandits found holes in the Mauler D. Pittsburgh was in it until the 4th, largely due to the effective running of DeShaun Foster, who ended the day with 133 yards in a losing effort. DENVER 24 ARIZONA 22 Arizona was not ready to cede this game to their rivals, and fought back from a 21-7 deficit, but a late safety on QB Derrick Carr ended the Wrangler’s final drive just as it started. Denver got the kick and was able to kneel down for the W. Denver relied on the run game with Dan LeFevour subbing for an injured Matt Leinart, and that run game came through with Javon Ringer rushing for 112 yards and Maurice Hicks adding another 88, for a 200 yard day. LAS VEGAS 11 SEATTLE 21 It appears to be happening again as the Dragons win their 3rd of the year and 2nd in a row after a 1-6 start. Seattle limited Marshawn Lynch to only 20 yards rushing, while Best and Betts combined for 105, including two scores by short-yardage specialist Ladell Betts. The Thunder offense could only muster 230 total yards and failed on 2/3 of their third down attempts as Seattle looks to once again have a strong second half to the season. ORLANDO 14 CHICAGO 31 After falling to Michigan last week, Chicago needed to regain some swagger, and they did that in spades by holding Orlando to only 5 yards rushing. Yup, you read that right, 5 yards total. With new CB Rashaud Bauman and veteran Marlin Jackson combining for 20 tackles, Chicago brought the DBs right up and into the run defense package, and it paid off. Maurice Clarett added 2 short-yardage TDs and Quinn connected with Driver and rookie Golden Tate to crush the Renegades at Soldier Field. ATLANTA 10 MICHIGAN 9 Atlanta also got a big road win, shutting down Michigan and limiting Shaun Hill to only 41% completions, perhaps sparking the Panthers to make a deal this week. Kyle Orton also struggled, but Atlanta got the game’s lone TD on an Orton to Marcus Robinson toss. The defense did the rest, holding Michigan to 4 of 16 on third down and only 145 yards passing. CHARLOTTE 13 BOSTON 6 The Monarchs’ defense also showed up big this week as Adrian McPherson attempted 51 passes but completed only 27 and could not find the endzone. Boston was only 3 of 15 on third down, and attempted 5 fourth down conversions, converting 3. Charlotte’s Stevie Johnson continues to shine, scoring the game’s only TD and catching 5 of 6 targets for 70 yards to help Charlotte move to 4-5. JACKSONVILLE 13 MEMPHIS 21 Memphis kept itself alive, moving to 4-5 with a late rally to defeat the Bulls. Trailing 13-7 after three quarters, QB Jake Delhomme threw the go-ahead score to Sydney Rice and Shonn Greene added a 10-yard TD run to secure the win for the homestanding Showboats. Tim Tebow went 20 of 32 for only 165 yards as Coach Frazier continues to have him dink and dunk. Jacksonville did have one player stand out as Travis Minor rushed for 107 yards on only 12 carries. HOUSTON 17 OHIO 3 The Gamblers relied on their defense and TE Vernon Davis as they shut down the Ohio Glory for 60 minutes. Davis caught both TDs on the day, including a 75-yarder off a tipped ball that had the entire stadium screaming at the defense. Dereck Anderson, getting the start for Ohio, struggled to only 16 of 44 on the day. LOS ANGELES 20 ST. LOUIS 12 The LA Express showed signs of life against the perpetually hapless St. Louis Skyhawk defense. Mark Sanchez connected on TDs with both Randy Moss and Keyshawn as LA livedon the big paly, including a 70-yard scramble from the not very nimble Sanchez. St. Louis tried to counter, but just could not connect on the deep ball, as Freeman’s longest pass on the day went for 10 yards. BALTIMORE 28 TEXAS 10 A surprisingly solid result for the Blitz as they went into San Antonio and shocked the Outlaws both on offense and defense. Ron Dayne blew away T. J. Duckett as the two top rushers went head to head. Dayne finished the day with 118 yards and 3 of Baltimore’s 4 TDs, while Duckett rushed for 73, but also had a costly fumble in the red zone. OAKLAND 30 PORTLAND 6 The Invader defense continues to lead the club and Bob Volek is proving that Oakland made the right choice in not trading for an emergency QB. Volek led the Invader offense, but it was the D that made themost noise, with both CB Will Allen and SS Pearson Prioleau returning Feeley picks for scores. That 14 points was more than enough for the Invaders, but they added 16 more on a Norwood TD run and 3 Hollis field goals to move to 6-3 and take over sole possession of first in the Pacific. TRADES HIGHLIGHT WEEK 8-9 The past 10 days have seen a flurry of activity, with 2 big trades prior to Week 8’s games and 3 immediately following. With just 10 more days before the trade window closes, is this the final round or will we see more action in the next week and a half? We start with a big move made by Atlanta just prior to their game with Michigan. The Fire sent a 3rd round pick and reserve DE Paul Toviessi to Boston to pick up one of the Cannon’s best edge rushers, C. J. Mosely. Mosely, a 6-year vet, would not see action in the game this week, but is expected to be active from now on and could very well serve as the catalyst for the pass rush of Atlanta’s improved defensive front. The other big move you have already seen pay dividends, as Seattle, happy to work with the duo of Ladell Betts and rookie Jahvid Best, parted ways with longtime kick returner and scat back extraordinaire Darren Sproles. Sproles was sent to Philadelphia for a 4th round pick, which seems like a light price, but Sproles is in the final year of a deal and could opt to retire this season, a perfect match for a team trying to make a run, as the Stars are. Those two moves occurred prior to this week’s games, but between Monday and Tuesday we have seen 3 more that will almost certainly impact the playoff race down the stretch. The first is Michigan, having seen that Shaun Hill’s strong Week 7 may not be in indication of ongoing success, finally broke down and made a deal to bring a veteran option to town. Michigan sent a 3rd rounder to Atlanta (who just loves dealing these days) to bring Tyler Thigpen to the Motor City. Thigpen has been itching for a chance to prove himself after being pushed into a backup role in Atlanta, and this appears to be that shot. Michigan will roll with Shaun Hill again in Week 9, but after that we may well see Thigpen get a chance to prove that he is ready to start in the USFL, and, with his contract expiring in August, it would be a good time for him to impress us. New Orleans was next up, making a move to bring a veteran cornerback into town to help out the defense. The Breakers send a 3rd round pick in the 2012 draft, along with bench DB DeAngelo Smith to the St. Louis Skyhawks, for veteran corner Tod McBride. McBride could see action this week as the Breakers are hoping to use his talents to help with Tory Holt when they head to Baltimore in a big game 10 matchup. Finally, Oakland, having retaken the lead in the Pacific, and relying more and more on their defense, added a nice piece to their LB group, sending OT Kwame Harris and a 6th round pick in 2012 to Ohio to bring in LB Brendon Ayanbedejo. Ayanbedejo is known as a good coverage backer and is strong against the run, something Oakland wants as they look ahead to a possible Week 16 showdown with Marshawn Lynch and the Las Vegas Thunder. FIRST HALF MVPS We had our midseason report last week, but it is never too late to recognize players who are excelling, so we thought, one week later, we would revisit each club and talk just a bit about who we think has been the MVP on each squad through the season’s first 8, now 9, games. So, here you go, the most valuable (not always the best) player for each USFL club. ARIZONA: Larry Fitzgerald is the easy pick here. The Wrangler WR is on pace for a 1,500 yard season, which would be his first over 1,100 in his 6 seasons with the Wranglers. He already has 8 TDs, on pace for 15 or more, and he has clearly helped David Carr a great deal, as the Wrangler QB is now ranked in the Top 5 for QB Rating in the league. We expected great things from Fitzgerald when he came out of college and this year he is delivering. ATLANTA: As much as the country has been talking about Kyle Orton’s development and the numbers that Josh Reed is putting up, we still see defense as the key to the Fire’s success, and for that reason we are going to say that CB Andre Woolfork and his four picks are the MVP right now for the Fire. Atlanta has the 4th rated pass defense in the league, and Woolfork is a huge reason for it. BALTIMORE: We could very likely say Ron Dayne every single year, but this year his talent is so obviously on display each week, well on his way to 1,500 yards and currently the rushing yardage leader, that to pick anyone else would just be dishonest. He is the engine that makes everything Baltimore does possible. BIRMINGHAM: The Stallions are struggling in a lot of areas, but, thanks to Mike Rucker, pass rush is not one of them. Rucker has been a one-man show for so long that we have to ask why Birmingham has not been able to add more around him to help him out. This year there has been some support from fellow DE Quentin Groves, whose 7 sacks trail only Rucker’s 11, but more is needed if Rucker is going to ever see a winning team around him. BOSTON: The first season of the post-Bledsoe period has not exactly gone as planned. 4-5 is not a horrible record, but Bostonians have been used to better, especially after winning the title last season. So, while there have been issues on both sides of the ball, there is still one player whose contributions to the team cannot be overstated. We know you are all thinking of “85”, Chad Johnson, but no, the real answer is HB Rashard Mendenhall. Johnson’s numbers are not solid at all this year, a result, in part, of the QB struggles for McPherson, but Mendenhall, with 725 yards and 5 TDs, has become the basis for the Boston offense when they needed something they could rely on. CHARLOTTE: Not a lot of strong candidates on a Monarchs squad that has been underachieving, but we do think that Stevie Johnson is doing about as much as anyone to help Charlotte get back to .500. CHICAGO: In a weird year where the Machine defense is in the bottom 5 of the USFL, it is all about that offense, and everything this year is running through Donald Driver. Driver currently leads the league in both pass receptions and receiving yards, a rare double-up in the USFL. DENVER: So many players on this club are stepping up, but we are going to give it to the new arrival, NFL export, strong safety Roy Williams. Williams is 4th on the team with 39 tackles and has 4 sacks as well, allowing Denver to play the kind of pressure defense that Coach Jauron loves. HOUSTON: Another new arrival, as LB James Farrior has 33 more tackles than the #2 tackler on the squad. It has not been a great year for the Houston defense, but it has been a banner year for Farrior, who is just running all over the field making plays. JACKSONVILLE: Jason Whitten is a model of consistency on a team that seems to lack that very quality. His 44 receptions lead the team and he is proving to be a lifeline for their rookie QB. LAS VEGAS: The Run & Shoot has not had the aerial impact that Coach Jones would want, but the run part is going smoothly, thanks mostly to Marshawn Lynch and his ability to break tackles. LOS ANGELES: Keneche Udeze is having himself a year. He leads the league with 13 sacks and is just disruptive on every down. Now, if only LA could figure out an offensives scheme. MEMPHIS: Rookie NaVorro Bowman has brought energy and ferocity to this Showboat defense, and they seem to be getting better each week. MICHIGAN: The Michigan offense may be a shadow of what it was before Brian Griese’s injury, but even with a rotating door at QB, Hines Ward is still among the lead leaders for receiving yards. NASHVILLE: As much as we love Frank Gore, we are going to give this to thedefense, and that means MLB Hunter Hillenmeyer, who leads the club in tackles with 75, but also has 2 picks, 6 tackles for loss, and a sack. NEW JERSEY: Rookie QB Sam Bradford has imbued this club with optimism. He has a 3:1 TD:Int ratio and is making believers out of the General offense. NEW ORLEANS: Cornerback Billy Austin has been a takeaway machine, with 5 picks and a forced fumble already this year. He is only 24, but is already a leader on this defense. OAKLAND: We are going to have to say it is Bob Volek. The Invaders could have collapsed when Joey Harrington wentdown, but Volek has been a steady hand a the till. Sure, he is not a premier QB, but he is not making mistakes and he is helping this team win in new ways. OHIO: A lot is going badly for Ohio this year, and it may just be the beginning of a generational shakeup on the roster, but if the Glory can bring in more young players like former Buckeye LB James Laurinaitis, they will be fine. The 2nd year player is a leader on defense and a nasty tackler. ORLANDO: We all expected Calais Campbell to be the key on defense, so that is too easy. We are going with Justin McCaerins, the #2 receiver whose numbers are just as good as those of Michael Jenkins, allowing Drew Brees (or Matt Cassel) to have options each and every play. PHILADELPHIA: QB Kurt Warner is a serious USFL MVP candidate, and while this entire team plays complementary football, it begins with the QB and his steady hand. With 20 TDs on the season, Warner is having his best year as a USFL signal caller. PITTSBURGH: DE Jared Allen has brought the nasty to the Steel City, and it is infectious. This defense is taking on his high motor, no quit attitude. PORTLAND: With A. J. Feeley struggling, the offense needs Jonathan Stewart to come up big, and, on pace for 1,200 yards rushing, he is answering the call. SEATTLE: Byron Leftwich is off his game, the run game is not there yet, but David Boston is the Dude, because he just abides. Another 1,200 yard season seems almost inevitable for Boston. ST. LOUIS: The Skyhawks are not ready to challenge in the USFL this year, but they do know they have a QB. Josh Freeman, with nearly 2,000 yards and a 14:5 TD:INT ratio, is a bright spot in another pretty dark year. TAMPA BAY: CB Patrick Robinson, in his rookie year, is making some mistakes, but his energy and effort are not going unnoticed. He started week 1 as the #1 corner on the team and he is developing into a good one. TEXAS: Chad Greenway was not happy with how the defense was playing and his role in it, and in this, a contract year, he is making the case that he is an elite player and deserves to be used in ways that maximize him impact. Coach Landry has heard him, and the result is his best year as a pro. WASHINGTON: LB Antonio Pierce is doing everything you could ask a player to do. Not only does he lead the team in tackles, and lead them as defensive captain, but he is making plays in the passing game, with 4 sacks and a pick this year, while also racking up 11 tackles for loss against the run. Portland’s Marquand Manuel joins the growing list of DB’s on injured reserve, out for the year after suffering a groin tear (which just sounds nasty). He will not be expected back until training camp next spring. Arizona DT Monsanto Pope is also placed on IR with a torn abdominal wall, while the Wranglers are also out LB Karlos Dansby for the remainder of the season. St. Louis guard Matt Lehr suffered a hernia in workouts this week and could miss 2-4 weeks, while New Jersey guard Duke Robinson is dealing with a hamstring and could be out 1-2 weeks. Chicago CB Captain Munnerlyn suffered a non-displaced fracture in his arm and will be out at least 1-2, while Washington DE Chris Long should miss about the same time after an elbow injury in the Philadelphia game. Others who are doubtful for this week include Houston WR Mike Sims-Walker, Texas TE Dan Campbell, Nashville QB Jay Cutler, Baltimore DE Chuckie Nwokorie, Washington TE Kellen Davis, Tampa WR Davone Bess, Arizona WR Pierre Garçon, and Seattle DE Travis LaBoy. COACHES FEELING SOME HEAT As we look ahead to the second half of the season, many teams in this year of parity are focused on the playoff race, on moving within their divisions, and with giving their team the best chance to qualify for the postseason. But there are some who are also looking over their shoulders, worried about job security. Failure to meet expectations, or simply failure to put a good product on the field consistently can lead to a quick hook in the USFL. We have seen coaches relieved of duties before a season finishes and others who got 1 year and were let go even before their first full offseason with their teams. Is that likely this year, probably not, but there are several coaches who need to show that they have their teams headed in the right direction by year’s end. Here are the 5 coaches we think are feeling the heat at the midseason point. Tom Coughlin (BAL): This is Coughlin’s 7th season with the Blitz, and the expectations were high after a 2nd straight playoff year in 2009. If the Blitz, currently 5-4, slip out of contention, we could imagine that the Blitz will seek to go in a new direction. Hovering around .500 year after year is not a good look, and while some of the pressure is on their GM after a pretty shaky offseason, 7 years is a long time to go and not see considerable improvement. Wade Phillips (HOU): Do we really think that a coach who has taken hi team to the playoffs 8 out of 10 years could be let go? Well, honestly, yes. Houston has been a consistent playoff team, but also a consistent no-show once the postseason begins. They have lost in the Wild Card round each of the past 3 years, and they too have been hovering around the .500 mark for a long time. There are some who just don’t see Wade Phillips as a good postseason coach, a coach who has his team ready to win the must win games. With Texas joining Denver as serious competition in the division, Houston may want more. Jim Haslett (MEM): We know what you are thinking, the “This is the USFL” staff has gone nuts. This is a coach who won a league title in his first season and returned the Showboats to the Summer Bowl the next year. Yes, both true, and both largely credited to the presence of Brett Favre. A 4-10 season last year was not a good look for Haslett, who some are saying rode the coattails of his predecessor. If Memphis finishes with 10 losses again, it could confirm the idea that Haslett lucked into those two strong years. We don’t think this is highly likely, and the Showboats have shown some signs of being competitive with Nashville and New Orleans, so an 8-8 finish could be very much possible, even a Wild Card berth, both of which would lock in Haslett for at least another year, maybe 2. Al Luginbill (OHIO): Hear us out. We are not saying that the 2-time league championship winning coach, the man who brought a perfect season to Columbus will be fired. We are saying that after two tough seasons in 2008 and 2009, and what appears to be a deep decline, one which could see the core of his championship squad breaking up, Luginbill may also opt to step away. We certainly don’t see a firing here, but a resignation is not out of the question. Marvin Lewis (SEA): Yes, another title-winning coach we think is feeling real pressure. The fanbase in Seattle is not happy with the incredible slow starts the past three seasons. Ownership is not happy either. We have to remember that the team that had the miracle run to a title in 2005 was a 6-8 team. That the Dragons are 1-3 in the playoffs since then, and did not recover from their slow start last year. If we see the Dragons once again flounder in the first half only to eke their way back to 7-9 or 8-8 again, that may be enough for ownership to want to do more, and that may well mean seeking another option at the top. Others who should be at least a bit nervous are 2nd year coaches Jim Tomsula (ARZ), Herm Edwards (NJ), and Mike Shanahan (BIR). Their clubs may not need playoff runs, but they have to show improvement over last season. Even a first year coach like Leslie Frazier in Jacksonville needs to show that their presence is making a positive difference or a nervous owner could pull the plug. Welcome to the world of pro coaching and the need for results. Invaders Get Stadium Renovation on the Ballot The Oakland Invaders and Major League Baseball’s Oakland A’s have succeeded in getting a ballot initiative on the books for this November’s municipal and county elections. The initiative aims at raising nearly $200M through a combination of bond sales and temporary property tax increases in order to renovate and upgrade the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum. Generally viewed as one of the USFL (and MLB) stadia most in need of a facelift, or of implosion and new construction, depending on who you ask, the Coliseum is the type of multi-use open air facility that you just don’t see anymore. It has issues with water management when it rains, structural integrity as a whole, and, quite frankly does not have the amenities a modern stadium needs to maximize revenue for the teams that call it home. The problem, and we expect you saw this coming, is that the Bay Area market is home to a lot of sports franchises, many of whom are seeking new digs. Even the 49ers across the bay are looking for a new home, despite playing in a football-only stadium that is something of a cathedral to the teams of the 1980’s. Compared to that, how does Oakland, which lost the Raiders to LA 30 years ago, and which has not exactly produced a string of champions, hope to get popular support for a major stadium overhaul? In a region that already has one of the highest tax burdens in the country, can the Invaders and the A’s find a message that convinces local residents of the East Bay to spend the money, public money, their money, to renovate the Coliseum for two teams owned by billionaires? That could be a very tough sell. Nine of the league’s 14 games are divisional matchups in this week’s action, including Las Vegas’s Friday night clash with the Express in LA, Oakland traveling to Seattle on Saturday night, and the Sunday nightcap of Washington in Boston. But, plenty of daytime action as well with Tampa Bay at Atlanta for 1st place in the Southeast, Houston heading to Denver to face the 1st place Gold, and Pittsburgh taking on Michigan at Ford Field with 1st place in the Central on the line. FRIDAY @ 8pm ET LAS VEGAS (6-3) @ LOS ANGELES (3-6) NBC SATURDAY @ 12pm ET NEW ORLEANS (5-4) @ BALTIMORE (5-4) ABC SATURDAY @ 12pm ET ORLANDO (4-5) @ NASHVILLE (5-4) FOX SATURDAY @ 12pm ET TAMPA BAY (5-4) @ ATLANTA (5-4) FOX SATURDAY @ 4pm ET PORTLAND (4-5) @ CHICAGO (5-4) ABC SATURDAY @ 4pm ET HOUSTON (5-4) @ DENVER (7-2) FOX SATURDAY @ 8pm ET OAKLAND (6-3) @ SEATTLE (3-6) ESPN SUNDAY @ 12pm ET MEMPHIS (4-5) @ PHILADELPHIA (7-2) ABC SUNDAY @ 12pm ET BIRMINGHAM (2-7) @ NEW JERSEY (4-5) ABC SUNDAY @ 12pm ET CHARLOTTE (4-5) @ JACKSONVILLE (3-6) FOX SUNDAY @ 4pm ET PITTSBURGH (6-3) @ MICHIGAN (6-3) ABC SUNDAY @ 4pm ET ARIZONA (3-6) @ TEXAS (5-5) FOX SUNDAY @ 4pm ET OHIO (2-7) @ ST. LOUIS (2-7) FOX SUNDAY @ 8pm ET WASHINGTON (6-3) @ BOSTON (4-5) ESPN & EFN

Down to the wire games, upsets, and big performances from big name players. That is what the USFL wants to see, and that is what we got as the 2010 USFL season reached the midpoint with a ton of great games and some surprising results. Not many picked St. Louis to knock off Oakland, especially with Bob Volek throwing for 300 yards. Fewer picked Arizona to upend Philadelphia, or for Boston to knock off Nashville, and yet, here we are. A lot to talk about as we review Week 8, look at where all 28 teams stand at the midway point, and revise our predictions moving forward. All right now on This Week in the USFL. MICHIGAN PANTHERS 27 CHICAGO MACHINE 26 A strong case could be made by either team that this was as close to a must-win game as you could have in the first half of the season. Michigan was reeling, having lost the 2009 Offensive Player of the Year, and the key player in their offense. They had looked pretty bad in their first game with Drew Stanton under center. As for Chicago, sitting at 4-3, a win would pull them even with Michigan and keep them right in the thick of the Central Division race. But only one of the two could win this game. It would come down to the final 30 seconds before we would know who that would be. It certainly did not look good or Michigan early. Not only did they trail Chicago 3-0 as the first quarter was winding down, but on a 3rd and 8, Drew Stanton took a huge shot from Rocky Boiman, just as he was getting rid of the ball. The hit took Stanton out of the game, meaning that 3rd stringer, Shaun Hill would go the rest of the way. Hill, who had 1 start in the league back in 2005, has only appeared in one regular season game since. He would have to lead Michigan in this game. And he did just that. On his first drive, relying heavily on the Panther run game, and connecting on his first 2 passes, Hill got the Panthers into scoring range, and former NFL back Thomas Jones did the rest, hitting on a 12-yard run to get the ball to the 7 and 2 plays later taking the ball into the endzone to give Michigan a surprising 7-3 lead. It was the beginning of a day that even the most die hard Panther fans could have anticipated. Chicago responded to the Panther TD with one of their own, as Brady Quinn connected with Anquon Boldin to go up 10-7. But Michigan again moved the ball well, mixing up screens, draws, inside runs, and short slants. A 46-yard kick by Matt Prater equalized the score. Chicago would add one more Tim Seder kick just before half and this game went into the break with the Machine holding onto a shaky 13-10 lead. Chicago would receive the opening kickoff of the second half, and they would aim to put Michigan down by 10. Quinn connected with Donald Driver for one of his 9 receptions on the day, then with Anthony Fasano, before turning it over to the run game. With Michael Turner dinged up, it would be Maurice Clarett getting the lion’s share of carries, and on his third carry of third carry of the drive Clarett busted through and rumbled 37 yards for a score that got the Chicago fans on their feet. Trailing by 10 at the 10-minute mark of the third quarter, Coach Mornhinweg opened things up for Hill, and the veteran backup responded. On a day when he would go 17 of 26 for 228 yards, Hill found Hines Ward for his first TD of the day and pulled Michigan right back into the game. Chicago would back then up again with another Seder kick, but, as the 4th quarter began, Michigan trailing 23-17 meant that they were within one score despite playing with their 3rd string QB. That tenuous lead would not survive the quarter. Midway through the final period, Hill again found open receivers, moved the ball down the field, helped in part by a nice run by mike Hart and an acrobatic catch by Ward. Michigan moved the ball down to the Chicago 1, and on a quick flip, Hill found Mario Manningham and the Panthers had a 24-23 lead with 7:43 left to play. Soldier field fell quiet as the very real possibility that Michigan could win this game sunk home. The Machine offense had two tasks, get the lead back, and leave Shaun Hill no time to do anything about it. They completed the first part of the job at hand, using up nearly 6 minutes on an 11-play drive, but once again had to settle for a field goal. Seder connected from 37 yards out, but they left Michigan 1:45 and had only a 26-24 lead. Shaun Hill would have a chance to be a hero. Michigan took the kickoff out of the endzone and got it out to the 23. That is where Hill and the Panthers would take over. With 2 time outs left and no time to run the ball, it would all be on Hill, and the unheralded “emergency” QB would have to move the team efficiently. On his first play he dumped the ball down to FB Jerome Felton for 6. A quick toss to Manningham again got the Panthers a first down. It was followed by an incompletion, but on 2nd down Hill found Joppru over the middle and the big man rumbled for 12. Another pass to Coles and the Panthers were already on the fringe of field goal range. They wanted to get closer, because Prater, while an excellent kicker from inside 45 yards, has had issues with deep kicks. Hill handed off to Thomas Jones on first down, a play that gained only 2 yards, but on 2nd down Hill connected with Hines Ward and placed the ball at the 22. One more pass, this time to Coles, and the ball was on the 10 with 25 seconds to go. They used Thomas to center the ball. Chicago called a time out, and Michigan brought out Prater on 2nd down to win the game. Prater connected and Michigan got an unlikely and unexpected road win against one of the toughest rivals in the division. They may have also found themselves a QB they can believe in as Hill finished with a 118.8 QB rating against a very solid Chicago defense. He was cool under pressure and he got the job done when it was most necessary. ORLANDO 20 BALTIMORE 21 Knowshon Moreno outgains Ron Dayne 111-68, but Dayne gets the last laugh as his 4th quarter TD gives Baltimore a 1-point win in a game that saw both teams battle in the trenches for 60 minutes. Receivers Tory Holt and Darius Heyward-Bey were the stasr for Baltimore, with DHB catching 7 passes for 111 yards, while Holt caught both TD tosses from Big Ben in a must win game for the Blitz. WASHINGTON 28 NEW JERSEY 23 Sam Bradford’s big day (302 yards on 34 of 51 throwing) kept New Jersey in it, but a rushing TD from QB David Garrard, who is playing a lot like Kordell Stewart in recent weeks, and solid run defense helped Washington get the win at the end. PORTLAND 24 BIRMINGHAM 23 Portland struggled early but rallied late to knock off the Stallions. It took a 47 yard Crosby field goal with only seconds left to give the visitors the win after Birmingham took the early lead and held it most of the game. Jonathan Stewart’s 109 yards rushing was due to Coach Brooks never giving up on the run despite a slow start, and that paid off in the end. SEATTLE 25 NEW ORLEANS 18 A fluke loss by the Breakers or is Seattle once again waking up very late into the season? Byron Leftwich threw for 3 scores and the combo of Betts and Best combined for 90 yards rushing as Seattle shocked the Super Dome with 17 unanswered points to shift an 18-7 deficit into a 25-18 win. Nate Burleson and Chris Chambers both caught Leftwich TD tosses in the 4th quarter to stun the Breaker faithful and get Seattle only its second win of the season. LOS ANGELES 8 HOUSTON 17 It was all about the defenses in this one as both teams frustrated the opposing QB’s and held the run games in check. Maurice Jones-Drew led all rushers with only 53 yards, but Houston got a TD from Shaun Alexander and another on a Hasselbeck to Sims-Walker throw, and that was enough to outlast the Express and move back to .500. PITTSBURGH 23 OHIO 15 The Battle of I-70 goes to to the Maulers as they sack Dereck Anderson 6 times and rely on DeShaun Foster’s 96 yards to pull out the road win. Cody Pickett was efficient for the Maulers, completing 23 of 36 passing, and finding slot receiver Victor Cruz for his lone TD of the day. Ohio struggled, with Eddie George limited to only 9 carries, and Joey Galloway to only 1 reception in the loss. TAMPA BAY 13 JACKSONVILLE 6 The Bandits are at .500 and share the division lead after shutting down the Bulls and eking out a win on the road. A Devery Henderson TD was the difference as Tampa Bay and Jacksonville slugged it out. Tim Tebow was picked off twice as Tampa focused their pass rush on containment to avoid the big run. C. J. Spiller was nicked up in the game and finished with only 9 carries as Travis Minor took over midway through the 2nd. MEMPHIS 20 ATLANTA 27 Atlanta also moves to 4-4 and a share of first in the SE Division thanks to a good defensive stand against Memphis. The Fire held Memphis to only 54 yards rushing, while Kyle Orton survived 2 picks and threw 2 TDs in a back and forth game that finally tilted Atlanta’s way with a late Orton to Josh Reed TD. Reed now leads the league in both receiving yards and TDs at the midway point of the season. NASHVILLE 20 BOSTON 30 A surprise of a sort as the 5-point underdog Cannons rally behind Adrian McPherson’s 2 TD, 284 yard day to upend the Southern Division leaders. Boston sacked Jay Cutler 4 times, and got a pick-6 from CB Fred Smoot to stifle the Knights. Chad Johnson made a statement with 133 yards receiving, including a 57-yard TD catch at the end of the first half. Boston now moves to 4-4 and is very much alive in the Wild Card race. OAKLAND 27 ST. LOUIS 29 St. Louis gets their second win of the year, but don’t blame Bob Volek for the Oakland loss. The former backup, pressed into service this year, threw for 401 yards and 3 scores, despite being sacked 6 times. Oakland had the lead with 2:08 left to play thanks to a Volek TD toss to Pierre Garçon, but the defense could not contain Josh Freeman, who completed 4 of 5 on the game-ending drive, with Rob Bironas kicking St. Louis to victory as time ran out. LAS VEGAS 34 CHARLOTTE 14 With Oakland’s loss, Las Vegas took command of the Pacific Division with a convincing road win in Charlotte. Two Marshawn Lynch TD’s, a third from backup Earnest Graham, and a pick-six from Will Allen were more than enough to sink the Monarchs and move Las Vegas to 6-2 at the halfway mark. The Thunder sacked Chris Weinke 6 times and picked him off twice, including the Allen score, as Las Vegas looked to be in top form. PHILADELPHIA 18 ARIZONA 21 A stunner at University of Phoenix Stadium as the Wrangler defense showed some backbone even with Karlos Dansby now on IR. CB Jimmy Williams had 10 tackles and a pick to lead the Wrangler D, whileDavid Carr, throwing only 16 passes, completing 11, still managed to throw 3 TDs on the day, with scoring throws to Fitzgerald, Osgood, and Antonio Bryant as Arizona stuns the Stars. TEXAS 19 DENVER 6 A great result for Texas as they go up to the Mile High City, knock Matt Leinart out of the game (on a legitimate play, no dirty stuff) and then terrorize rookie Dan LeFevour into 2 picks. T. J. Duckett did the rest with 100 yards on 23 carries as Texas pulls within 1 game of the Gold in the SW Division. Texas got only 10 points on offense, as 9 of their 19 points came from a Clyde Adams pick-six and a safety as Chris Harrington sacked LeFevour in the endzone. No QB Deals, But Trades Are Shaking Things Up We may not have seen Oakland or Michigan make QB moves, and after this week’s performances by Volek and Shaun Hill, but that does not mean that teams were not wheeling and dealing. We saw several teams make moves ahead of a playoff push and one really interesting trade that sent two disgruntled players across the county. We start there with a trade of two starters between the Generals and the Express. Both LA and New Jersey are still alive, but trailing in their divisions, and both were dealing with halfbacks who had not only failed to meet expectations, but who were getting vocal about their role on the offense and the lack of connection between their skills and the type of play they were being asked to make. We will see if the two halfbacks benefit from a change of scenery. On Wednesday New Jersey and LA made a deal that would send Ray Rice to the West Coast, far from his Rutgers roots, and send Maurice Jones-Drew to New Jersey, also quite far from his college home, UCLA. We expect both will get some snaps this week, backing up Maurice Morris and J. D. Redmond in the short term before proving their worth as starters. It’s a weird trade, to be sure, but it does make some sense and does give both backs a chance to start fresh. The other meaningful moves this week were all of the same ilk, a contender making a deal to bring a solid player to the team and trading away either depth players or draft picks, or a combo of both. Perhaps the best of these moves saw Las Vegas add some real stopping power by acquiring DT Kyle Williams from the Charlotte Monarchs. Williams will line up next to Haloti Ngata to form a very formidable 4-man front. Charlotte basically gets a 2nd round pick for their defensive run stuffer. Seems a bit uneven, but it seems clear as well that Coach Mora is looking to the future after a 3-5 start has Charlotte hoping to make more moves. Another DT hit the road as teams try to solidify their run defenses. In this case it was Houston hoping to make a run at the SW Division and struggling to play solid run defense. They make a deal with Birmingham, sending WR Arnaz Battle and a 3rd rounder to the Stallions in trade for veteran DT John McCargo. McCargo is a very solid run-stuffing DT and should help Houston as they face LT in Arizona, Duckett with Texas, and Denver’s 2-headed HB duo. LA continued to deal, clearly envisioning a rebuild after a 2-6 start. They send veteran LB Akin Ayodele to Denver, who will put him in the middle, freeing up Shawne Merriman to shift to the strong side to an already solid Gold defense. In return, LA gets LB Leon Joe and a 4th round pick in the upcoming 2011 draft. The move also means that USC grad Clay Matthews now moves into a starting role and out of his swing position. Finally, Chicago made a deal to strengthen their secondary, acquiring Rashaud Bauman from the Bulls in trade for slot receiver Johnny Knox and a 4th round pick. Baumann will likely take over as the #2 secondary, while Knox will have to earn his place as the top slot receiver for the Bulls. Some big deals, and certainly some intrigue around the Express and their moves, but we all expected a QB to be moved, and are somewhat surprised not to see one sent off. There are still two weeks before the Week 10 trade deadline, so it is not too late to see some movement. But, will it be Michigan and Oakland as expected, or will someone else make a move to bring in a new option? We will have to wait and see. Five Big Surprises of the First Half We will provide our team by team breakdown of the first half of the season and the upcoming 8 weeks in just a bit, but we thought we would pull out from the first 8 weeks the five things which have surprised us the most about the 2010 USFL season. Lots of suggestions, lots of debate, and, honestly a hard time limiting this to just five surprises, but here they are. 5) The Sudden Success of Kyle Orton in Atlanta Atlanta fans have gotten the best kind of surprise this season as things have really started to click for Kyle Orton. With 16 TD passes to 5 interceptions, and nearly 2,000 yards at the halfway point of the season, we are seeing a major upgrade in Orton’s play over past seasons. His QB rating has jumped from 85.9 in 2009 to 101.7 this year, and his 15:13 TD:INT ratio is now better than 3:1. This has helped keep Atlanta very much in a tight race in the Southern Division. He has had help, with the emergence of Josh Reed and a strong rookie season from Demaryius Thomas, but Orton deserves a lot of credit for working on his game in the offseason and making this very welcome change to his game. 4) Baltimore’s Defensive Meltdown Unfortunately for Blitz fans, the surprise coming out of their camp is not one that has led to success. Following a strong 3-0 start to the season, Baltimore has dropped 4 of 5 to finish the first half a .500, and a big reason for that collapse has been the failure of their defense. Baltimore trails only St. Louis for the worst scoring defense in the league, giving up nearly 25 points per game. They are the worst team in the league against the run, giving up 138 yards per game, including big games by Knowshon Moreno (111 yards), Deuce McCallister (169), Rashard Mendenhall (159), and Steve Slaton (159) in just the past 5 weeks. We all expected that the loss of Jared Allen and James Farrior could be an issue, but after a strong start, it seems clear that the Blitz have not found a solution. They brought in former Miami Dolphin Jason Taylor to build up the pass rush, but he is not in the game on most early downs, and the current front 7 led by DT Jeff Zgonina and LB Angelo Crowell is just not holding up. If the defense continues to allow teams to run all over the Blitz, a .500 record by season’s end would be a surprise. 3) Washington’s 6-2 Start We saw a lot of retirements of star QB’s last year, but while Ohio and Boston in particular have struggled to succeed without their former star, Washington seems to be doing just fine. David Garrard, while not lighting up opponents, is doing enough to keep defenses honest, and with the third best run game in the league (and All-USFL back Deuce McCallister), the Federals are 4th in the year in scoring and 7th in total yards, both numbers few would have predicted for them this season. Add to that a defense that has 18 takeaways already this year and you have a 6-2 club that is vying for the division title, not one reeling to recover from the loss of their star QB. 2) Denver’s Run Game Ask even pretty savvy fans around the country which club has the top run game in the USFL and you are almost certain to hear about Washington, with Deuce; Baltimore, with Ron Dayne, or Texas with T. J. Duckett. The team you would not expect to be at the top is the Denver Gold, and yet there they are. But while Dayne and Duckett battle for the top spot on the rushing leaderboard with just over 600 yards each, the combination of Maurice Hicks (490) and Javon Ringer (428) has Denver at the top of the ranknigs with over 900 yards total rushing on the year. They have become the model of the 1-2 punch or the 2-headed monster. And what makes this combo so interesting is that this is not a Thunder & Lightning combo as we have seen in the past. Not one big back and one scat back, these are two players who are very much alike one another, quick, one cut backs with decent hands and a good first move. That both could end the season with over 900 yards rushing, possible over 1,000, is an amazing feat, and one that has to be making Coach Jauron very happy, as you know his goal is to control the clock and keep a fresh defense, something they are doing better than any team in the league. 1) Texas’s No-Name Defense Last season Texas was a hot pick to rise up and challenge, but a 5-9 season was all that fans got. It appears we were a year too soon as the arrival of Greg Landry as the new Head Coach has brought to Texas a club that has already matched their win total from last year and is looking very much like a contender. What is perhaps more surprising is how they are doing it. Landry, a former USFL QB, was viewed as a QB guru, signed on to help Joe Flacco mature into a quality USFL starter. He is doing well with Flacco, who has improved his QB Rating from 74.0 last year to 91.6 this year, bu the biggest transformation has been on defense, where the Outlaws now boast the second best scoring defense in the league, allowing only 13 points per game. They also have one of the best pass defenses in the USFL, holding opponents under 200 yards per game. Texas is doing all this without huge NFL signings, or major trades. They have built through the draft and have put together a team-first defensive scheme. Linebacker Chad Greenway is having one of his best seasons with 67 tackles already (an average of over 8 per game), while DE Reynaldo Wynn is on pace for 16 or more sacks and CB Michael Boulware is becoming one of the best cover corners in the league. They may not be household names right now, but if they can keep this up all year, Texas’s defenders may well start to get the recognition they deserve. We are in midseason form on the field, but that also means midseason forma on the injury list as well. The two biggest hits this week were against cornerbacks as Baltimore will lose Chris McAllister for the season with a ruptured quad, while Arizona's Duane Starks is also now on IR after tearing a bicep. Not quite so bad, but a big loss for Atlanta is DE Chris Kelsay, who will be out at least 5-6 weeks with a wrist injury. A similar diagnosis in New Jersey for LB Keith Mitchell and his knee. Players listed as doubtful or out for Week 9, but expected back soon include TBY wideout Davone Best (knee), Texas's leading sack artist, Reynaldo Wynn (hip), Denver QB Matt Leinart (deept thight bruise), and Philadelphia center Matt Birk (hamstring). Questionable for this week are Charlotte LB Rey Maualaga, Birmingham LB D'Onte Curry, and New Orleans HB Michael Robinson. Midseason Report Eight weeks down, eight to go. So where do the 28 USFL clubs stand? What is each club’s strength and biggest concern? How do we think they will finish? We look at all 28 teams and where they are right now, looking back at the first half and looking ahead at the weeks to come. Here is our assessment of each team as we head into the second half of the year. LAS VEGAS THUNDER (6-2) Biggest First Half Success Story: June Jones was brought in to liven up the Las Vegas offense, but he knows what he has with this team, so it is not a surprise that at the midway point the Thunder are 2nd in the league in rushing and Top 5 in scoring defense. Marshawn Lynch is using the spread formations June Jones has brought to the desert to run against 6, or even 5-man fronts, and that is making him more effective than ever. Biggest First Half Issue: It seems clear that the Jake Plummer that the Thunder have is not the same player he was in his glory years in Arizona. He is still a solid QB, and he can have moments, but even in the 4-game win streak that has brought Las Vegas to 6-2, his numbers have not been great. Will he be able to bring back some of the magic come playoff time, assuming Las Vegas is in that hunt? Looking Ahead: With struggling Seattle and LA next up, we could see Vegas at 8-2 before a tougher stretch of games in Weeks 11-16. If Oakland continues to struggle, the Thunder have to be the frontrunners to take home the division title and possibly one of the 2 byes available in the conference. Predicted Finish: From 6-2, we see an 11-5 final record as a very makeable goal. That should be good enough for a Top 2 seed and a bye week. OAKLAND INVADERS (5-3) Biggest First Half Success Story: The run defense has been solid in Oakland for several years now, and this year is no exception as the Invaders are allowing only 70 yards per game. That is making opponents one-dimensional, and allowing Justin Smith to focus on getting to the QB. CB Eric Wright is also benefitting, with 3 picks already this year. Oakland will need that defense to stay strong as they try to find life on offense after the season-ending injury to Joey Harrington. Biggest First Half Issue: This would have to be Harrington’s injury. We are honestly a bit surprised that Oakland has stuck with Bob Volek and not brought in someone to challenge for starts. And yet, Volek has played solid football in his 4 starts, throwing 6 TDs to only 2 picks and helping keep Oakland afloat. We are not sure afloat is good enough in the long run, but unless there is a surprise coming, it does appear that Volek has Coach Green’s confidence. Looking Ahead: The next two weeks will tell us a lot. With divisional games at Portland and Seattle, Oakland has a chance to make a stand or to wither. Their hope has to be to remain within 1 game of Las Vegas until the final week, when the two face off at the Coliseum, Oakland hoping the division title is still in reach. Predicted Finish: We just don’t know if the Invaders have enough to keep pace. We see games at Portland, vs. Nashville, at Denver, and vs. Houston on the schedule and we expect that Coach Green may have to be happy if his team can get a Wild Card. We are saying 9-7 is a good finish for this team. PORTLAND STAGS (4-4) Biggest First Half Success Story: We could look at Jonathan Stewart’s success in the first half, or the 642 yards put up by Roddy White, but it would be criminal to ignore the fact that the Stags enter the second half of the season with the top rated pass defense in the league. Allowing only 172 yards per game, Portland is doing it without being a high pressure team. Their sack leader is Jason Fisk with only 4 sacks, but the defensive schemes and a secondary led by DeAngelo Hall is getting the job done. As much of a no-name defense as you will find in the league, players like Terreal Bierria, Mike Rumph, Channing Crowder, and Marquand Manuel are getting the job done. Biggest First Half Issue: A. J. Feeley appears to be regressing this season, and that is not a good thing. Whereas last year he managed 17 TDs to 12 picks, this year he has only 3 TD tosses in 8 games, a stunningly low number. The Stags will need more from their QB if they hope to contend in this division. Looking Ahead: Next week’s game against Oakland, along with a Week 12 matchup in Las Vegas will go a long way to determining the season for the Stags. Their 4 wins so far have all come against teams with losing records, so there are questions about how real the threat they pose is. Predicted Finish: We don’t see it. The Stags have some good players, but we don’t see enough week in and week out to pick them to make the playoffs. We see 8-8 as a likely end point for this club. LOS ANGELES EXPRESS (2-6) Biggest First Half Success Story: Not a lot has gone right for the Express this year. Perhaps the best thing we can say is that they absolutely have more big play capacity with Randy Moss lined up alongside Keyshawn Johnson. The two have combined for 994 yards and 9 TDs already this year, which is great, and yet, LA is still only 17th in the league in scoring. Biggest First Half Issue: The run game with Maurice Jones-Drew was just not working, and with Drew getting more and more vocal about his role, the trade this week seems like a very good chance to reset the table and see if they can have more success with Ray Rice as their lead back. The only concern we see with that plan is that Rice’s production, and his attitude, have looked very much like MJD’s. Both backs have very similar styles, so what is the evidence that Rice will succeed where MJD struggled? Looking Ahead: The good news for LA is that they will face 6 opponents in the final 8 weeks who are 4-4 or worse. The downside is that they are not likely to win all those matchups. The focus for the Express should be to expand their offense and keep building that defense around Keneche Udeze’s league leading 11 sacks. Predicted Finish: Getting to 8-8 would be a huge accomplishment. We think 6-10 would even be a good second half for a team that has only gotten 2 wins so far this year. SEATTLE DRAGONS (2-6) Biggest First Half Success Story: Is it a positive to say that we have seen this story before? Seattle is the king of slow starts, but the past two seasons they have come alive in the second half. Do we see that this year? If it is going to happen, it will be the defense, not the offense that is likely to lead that charge. Biggest First Half Issue: Why are we saying defense will win Seattle games? Well, because the offense has been horrible this year. Unlike the past two years when Byron Leftwich and Corey Dillon have bailed out the Dragons, this year Leftwich is struggling, and Dillon is retired. Seattle ranks 26th in scoring and 28th in the run game, and neither of those bode well for a second half rally. Looking Ahead: Three of their next 4 games are against teams with winning records, including two division leaders. That is going to make for a rough 3rd quarter for the Dragons. They do face Portland twice in the final month, so perhaps they can focus on the Cascade Clash as their playoff this year. Predicted Finish: Hard to see a rally this year, so we think that 5-11 or 4-12 is very likely what we will see as this club begins to rebuild. DENVER GOLD (6-2) Biggest First Half Success Story: The run game highlighted earlier in our article has been a great surprise, and it pairs very nicely with the #1 defense in both scoring and yards allowed. It is hard to run against the Gold, and harder yet to score. With their run game, Denver can control the clock and shorten games, keeping that defense fresh. It is not big play football, but it is winning football. Biggest First Half Issue: Denver is 22nd in passing yards, which is not a crisis when you have the #1 run offense, but this is a team that cannot fall behind in games and rally. They have to either take the lead early or keep the game to 1 score to stay in games. When thy lost to Philly and Texas they struggled with that, and it showed. Looking Ahead: Back to back games at Las Vegas and home to Washington will be good measures for this club. They have Texas just one game back, and will face the Outlaws in San Antonio in Week 15, so that could be the game that determines the title. Predicted Finish: A team that can run the ball and stop the run is a tough team to beat. We think Denver may just be the frontrunner for the Conference Title, one that few people are taking note of. How does a 13-3 season sound to wake folks up? TEXAS OUTLAWS (5-3) Biggest First Half Success Story: We already highlighted the Outlaw defense, so how about we talke a bit about an undervalued part of this team, the receiving corps. The arrival of Dan Campbell at TE has given Joe Flacco three solid options on every pass play. Texas has 3 receivers over 300 yards for the year, which is not great individually, but means that this is a club that can beat you with several options. Biggest First Half Issue: At 9.4 yards per reception, Texas is one of the teams most reliant on long, sustained drives, a far cry from the clubs who are going deep on a regular basis. That reliance on long drives means that Texas cannot make mistakes or drives stall. Penalties, missed passes and negative plays can derail a drive and leave Texas in a position where they are overreliant on their defense. Looking Ahead: It will be tough to leapfrog over Denver, but staying on pace with the Gold could mean that the Week 15 showdown in the Alamodome is for the whole enchilada, and Texas loves enchiladas. Predicted Finish: A real shot at a division title, though we think a Wild Card is more likely. We see 10-6 as a realistic finish for this club. HOUSTON GAMBLERS (4-4) Biggest First Half Success Story: Houston’s offense has been nicely balanced through 8 games, currently 7th in passing and 6th in rushing in the league. That balance means they can beat you in different ways, but it also means that they are not so exceptional in any one way to be able to be consistent. Biggest First Half Issue: While the offense has improved this year, the defense is proving less effective than in the past. Kavika Pittman may be hitting the wall, as he is several sacks behind the league leaders, and the linebacking corps of Farrior, DeOssie, Brooking, and Burnett has struggled against the run, giving up 100 yards per game for 19th best in the league. It is not a bad defense per se, but it is no longer elite. Looking Ahead: The strength of Denver and the rise of the Outlaws may well mean the end of Houston’s hopes to win the division. Starting out now at 4-4, they need to improve in the second half if they want to earn a Wild Card. Another 4-4 half to the year won’t likely do it. Predicted Finish: We look at the upcoming schedule and we think 8-8 is a very likely scenario for a Gambler squad that just cannot rely on its defense to pull out games any longer. ARIZONA WRANGLERS (3-5) Biggest First Half Success Story: With 568 yards over 8 games, we could certainly say that the arrival of LaDainian Tomlinson has been great for the Wranglers, and they may well get their first 1,000 yard rusher in a decade, but the big story for Arizona is the year Larry Fitzgerald is putting up. He has over 700 yards already and is on pace for his first season over 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns. He has benefitted enormously from the balance that LT has brought to the offense, but he is also an incredibly talented receiver. Biggest First Half Issue: Ugh, that defense. This is a Wrangler team that gave up 37 points to St. Louis, which is not something we see very often. They are in the bottom half of the league in pretty much every category, something defensive-minded coach Jim Tomsula cannot be happy with. Looking Ahead: The schedule for the Wranglers is not favorable. Getting to 6-10 would be a solid final half for them. Anything beyond that would be a sign that this club has figured some things out. Predicted Finish: We think 3 more wins may be the ceiling for the Wranglers. They have too many tough matchups ahead to expect more. 6-10 and build for 2011. MICHIGAN PANTHERS (6-2) Biggest First Half Success Story: It is hard to say what has worked to get Michigan to 6-2 at the midway point. If we focus too much on the passing game, then we have to acknowledge that with Brian Griese’s injury, that feature of the club is very much an unknown. The run game has not been nearly as successful as in recent years after the departure of Justin Fargas to the NFL, although there is hope that Thomas Jones will be able to contribute as the season progresses. The defense is solid, particularly against the pass, but not dominant. What seems to really be working for the Panthers is the belief each week that they will win. Biggest First Half Issue: As much as fans are dwelling on the Griese injury, we think the actual concern should be the run game. Mike Hart currently leads all Panther rushers with only 287 yards and a 3.7 per carry average. Leon Washington was not far behind with 271, and in 2 appearances since coming over from the NFL, Thomas Jones has averaged only 2.6 yards per carry to gain 106 yards. One of the three needs to emerge as a legitimate run threat or teams will put their full defensive attention on getting to either Shaun Hill or Drew Stanton, and we are not sure either QB is prepared for that. Looking Ahead: We are just not sure if Michigan can continue to win games without Griese or a strong run game. They pulled off a big win against Chicago this week, but what if Hill’s strong performance was a fluke? What is plan B? Predicted Finish: We think it is inevitable that Michigan will fade a bit, and in the Central that can be fatal. From 6-2, we think even a 4-4 finish is pretty good for Michigan, making them 10-6 and a likely playoff team. PITTSBURGH MAULERS (6-2) Biggest First Half Success Story: The Maulers have to be overjoyed with their acquisition of Jared Allen and the 9 sacks he has produced. His high-motor style has rubbed off on the entire defense, and it is not just Allen getting to the QB for the Maulers, it is a team effort as the club has 32 total sacks, good enough for 3rd in the league. That paired with solid run coverage gives Pittsburgh a defense the city can rally behind. Biggest First Half Issue: The plan was for the Maulers to have a run-first philosophy, but the injury to DeShaun Foster and mixed results of the run game in general have forced the team to put more on Cody Pickett’s shoulders. Pickett is just not a QB who is going to carry an offense, so the Maulers have to do more to get their run game on track if they wish to balance their solid D with a viable offense. Looking Ahead: The Maulers have won 5 in a row to reach the lofty 6-2 point at midseason. They have some very tough sledding ahead with both Michigan and Chicago on the schedule in the next 3 weeks. Win and they may well control their own destiny the rest of the way, stumble and the Maulers will struggle to catch up. Predicted Finish: We like the Mauler’s chances. Michigan is going to have difficulties moving the ball, and Chicago is already 2 games back, so if they can just win 5 of 8 they could well win the division. We think 11-5 is possible for this Mauler squad. CHICAGO MACHINE (4-4) Biggest First Half Success Story: Sounds weird to say, but the Machine are currently the top scoring team in the USFL, averaging 26 points per game. For a team that made their name on defense and methodical offense, this is rarified air for them. What is even more interesting is that they are doing so well with an offense that is only 17th in yardage. That is actually a reflection on the D, which is producing takeaways and short fields for the offense to use. Biggest First Half Issue: While the D is producing turnovers, they are also giving up too many big plays. Chicago currently ranks 27th against the pass, giving up far too many deep balls. They, of course, have a solid pass rush with Anthony Weaver leading the club with 10 sacks, Their secondary has made big plays, but the key may be whether they can get Rashad Bauman in place quickly. He could be a huge help to the defense down the stretch. Looking Ahead: We are still puzzled by Chicago’s losses to Jacksonville, Ohio, and this week to a Shaun Hill-led Michigan. They need to clean up their pass coverage and try to get more out of the run game, but we think they could make a run in the second half if they do both. Predicted Finish: Making up the 2 game lead of the Maulers and Panthers may be a lot to ask, but it has to be the goal for a relatively healthy Chicago club. We think 10 wins ( a 6-2 second half) will get them to the playoffs, but may not win them the division. OHIO GLORY (2-6) Biggest First Half Success Story: Perhaps the best thing to happen in a pretty rough 8-weeks for Ohio is the deal that brought Dereck Anderson to Columbus. Since arriving, nderson has thrown for 367 yards and 4 TDs without a pick. That is a significant step up from the production they were getting from Chris Redman. Can Anderson keep up the pace or will defenses catch on to his preferences? Hard to say, but at least the question is giving Ohio hope. Biggest First Half Issue: Pretty much everything else. The team is 27th in yardage and the defense is not a heck of a lot better. They are giving up over 105 yards per game on the ground, and 307 yards per game total. Neither of those is a good sign for a club whose offense is looking old (Galloway and George in particular) and out of synch. Looking Ahead: There were concerns that some of Ohio’s moved pointed to the club giving up on the season, but if Anderson can find some success with the Glory receiver group, they may just push to try to reach .500 by season’s end. Predicted Finish: We think Ohio is simply at that phase of a franchise where they need to bottom out in order to rebuild. We expect they will likely end up with a total of 5-6 wins this season. ST. LOUIS SKYHAWKS (2-6) Biggest First Half Success Story: The new-fangled offense of Josh Freeman and Antowain Smith has made significant improvements over past years. Averaging 21.9 points per game and nearly 341 yards per outing puts St. Louis in the Top 5 in both points and yards, so the offense put in place by Bruce Arians is working. Biggest First Half Issue: Sadly, for the Skyhawk faithful, every advance in the offense has been offset by one of the worst defenses in the league. St. Louis is giving up over 30 points per game, the only team in the USFL to do that. They are also allowing 371 total yards per game and a nasty 119.4 on the ground. Not helpful for a club trying to break out of the basement. Looking Ahead: the Skyhawks have some winnable games on the schedule, including the next two at home against LA and Ohio. We could see them reaching 6, maybe even 7 wins this year, but only if they figure out some way to improve that defense. Predicted Finish: We are going to say 6-10 for the Skyhawks, which would be their best record in their short 4 year history. NASHVILLE KNIGHTS (5-3) Biggest First Half Success Story: No way around it, we have to praise the #1 run defense in the league. Hunter Hillenmeyer and the Knights LB group are cleaning up on halfbacks, limiting teams to barely 52 yards per game. Hillenmeyer, Terrell Suggs, and Keith Burns are making it near impossible for runners to get the edge, and running in the middle, through Shaun Rogers and Babatunde Oshinowo has not been any easier. Biggest First Half Issue: The offense has done enough to get Nashville to 6-2, but we are all still waiting for Jay Cutler to connect all the dots in the way it seems Kyle Orton has this year. Too many missed opportunities, bad reads, or dump downs when this club should be doing more with the play action game. Robert Meachem is having a good year with 55 catches and 6 TDs’ but there is a huge drop off after him, with Malcolm Floyd second with only 20 catches and no TDs. Looking Ahead: Nashville is the best team in the division, but is that enough for this squad or do they want to actually make a dent in the postseason? If they do, they will need to find more explosive plays and not rely on Frank Gore to grind out yards. Predicted Finish: We think, in a relatively weak division, Nashville has the clear track ahead to win the title, and possibly get a bye as a top 2 seed, but then what? We think 10-6 is a likely final record. NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS (4-4) Biggest First Half Success Story: While some will point out that the 4-4 Breakers are 4-1 against teams with losing records and 0-3 against teams with winning records. When we look at the future, we see a lot of 2-6 and 3-5 teams on the schedule, so maybe the best thing we can say at this point is that the Breakers are in a good position to have a strong 2nd half. They will face Nashville in Week 16, again setting up a potential final week showdown for the division, as we saw last year. Biggest First Half Issue: How is a team that is 21st in yards and 23rd in yards allowed winning even half their games? It is a bit of a mystery, because the Breakers have the closest margin of any team we have seen this year, scoring 18.5 points per game and giving up 18.4. Now that is as close as it gets. They need more from their defense, or from Eli Manning, or from the run game. Just any area, because if they can improve in just one area, they can open that margin a bit. Looking Ahead: We cannot picture this Breaker team going on a tear and winning 3 or 4 in a row. They just don’t seem built for it. But, they have Birmingham (2-6), Baltimore (4-4), Birmingham again (2-6) and LA (2-6 in their next 4 games. Could they prove us wrong and go 4-0? Predicted Finish: If it were not for such an easy schedule (only 1 team over .500 left to face) we don’t think New Orleans would be playoff bound, but we think 5 wins is certainly doable in the next 8 weeks, and 9-7 may just do it. MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS (3-5) Biggest First Half Success Story: The Showboats have surprised many by putting together a pretty solid defense this season. A lot of credit goes to rookie LB NaVorro Bowman, who has been a terror, leading the team in sacks, while also proving to be a masterful edge containment LB on run plays. Safety Coy Wire, MLB Kirk Morrison, and FS Tebucky Jones are also putting in great effort each week to keep Memphis in games. Biggest First Half Issue: The run game has been up and down all season for the Showboats, and if there is one thing we know about Jake Delhomme, it is that he is at his best when teams have to respect the run. It has been a 2-headed show more than in past years, with Shonn Greene taking advantage of some lingering injury concerns for Cadillac Williams, currently with 125 touches to Williams’s 89. The problem is that Greene is only averaging 3 yards per carry. Looking Ahead: With games against Philadelphia, Oakland, Nashville, and New Orleans on the schedule, it will take maximum effort for the Showboats to break .500 this year. They could end up at 8-8, with a bit of help, but to ask for more is to ask a lot. Predicted Finish: We think it will be 8-8 for the Showboats, but the key will be their two games against current 4-4 teams, home to Baltimore and the Breakers. BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS (2-6) Biggest First Half Success Story: If there is one aspect of the season that Stallion Nation cannot complain about, it is the arrival of Terrell Owens. Not only has he become a fan favorite, with his always quotable style, but his 454 yards on 45 catches has been the one bright spot in a pretty bleak picture. Biggest First Half Issue: When you are dead last in both scoring and yardage gained, there is not a lot of good happening. Aside from Terrell Owens, no one else seems to be standing up, and the hoped for 2nd year bump for Kyle Boller is not materializing. The former Cal product is right about where he was last year, though his TD:INT ratio is actually worse. He was 12:9 (4:3) last year and is now 4:7, which is not what you want. Looking Ahead: We see the Stallions making some trades, looking to the future, and definitely being in the QB market this offseason. Of course, they may also want to look for a stronger HB candidate, more in the WR group, improved line play, and a lot of help on defense, so maybe quantity is the key. Predicted Finish: If their offense is any indication, the Stallions could be looking at a #1 pick. We think 4-12 would be the ceiling for them this year. TAMPA BAY BANDITS (4-4) Biggest First Half Success Story: Tied for first is great, 4-4 is not so great, but the Bandits have to be happy with one thing, the better play of Daunte Culpepper. The Bandit passing offense has improved over last year’s flop. Culpepper has 14 TDs, and while his 8 picks are not welcome, it is still a positive balance. Jeremy Shockey is having a good year with 5 TDs and Devery Henderson is beginning to show signs that he should be getting a bigger role. Biggest First Half Issue: The Bandits had hoped to solidify their pass defense this year, but sitting at 23rd out of 28 teams is not really evidence that they have. They lack a true edge rusher, with Dereck Harvey and Derrick Burgess combining for 10 sacks in 8 games. The secondary has some talent in Patrick Robinson and Idress Basheer, but they still give up way too many deep balls. Looking Ahead: The SE Division could stay a tight race until the end. Tampa has 2 games each against Charlotte and Atlanta and are done playing Orlando, so they might have the upper hand on the division, if, and only if, they can get past Atlanta, who are looking pretty solid. Predicted Finish: We think 9-7 may be the ceiling for the Bandits, but that could very well be enough to win this very balanced division. ORLANDO RENEGADES (4-4) Biggest First Half Success Story: Drew Brees has Orlando with the top rated passing game in the league. That is a huge development, especially because Knowshon Moreno and the run game have struggled. Brees has been spreading the ball around, with Jenkins leading the team in receptions (62), McCaerins in yards (600) and TE Greg Olsen looking solid with over 450 yards and 3 scores in 8 games. Biggest First Half Issue: The pass rush is still there, with Campbell off his ludicrous pace from last year but still tied for the lead with 11 sacks, but the Renegades have struggled with coverage, giving them a sub-par 250 yards per game allowed through the air. They need to improve there if they want to jump ahead of Tampa Bay and Atlanta. Looking Ahead: The next 2 games, against Chicago and Nashville, will be pivotal. Win those and the remaining divisional schedule (Charlotte twice, Atlanta and Jacksonville) will make or break the season. Predicted Finish: We still think Orlando is the best team on paper in the division, but on paper is not on the field. If they can go 6-2, maybe 5-3, they could take the division with a 10- or even 9-win season. ATLANTA FIRE (4-4) Biggest First Half Success Story: Where did this offense come from? Atlanta is 3rd in the league at 23 points per game and 3rd again with 343 yards per game, mostly due to a very strong season from Kyle Orton. Josh Reed is leading the league with nearly 800 yards receiving, and that has helped Atlanta win 3 of the last 4 games. Biggest First Half Issue: We still want to see more from Darren McFadden. He has yet to have a season with a 4.0 YPC average, and currently sits at 3.8. Orton’s success should be giving McFadden better looks against fronts not loaded to stop him. We want to see him break more big plays with that opportunity available. Looking Ahead: Right now, Atlanta is our favorite to take the division. The defense is good enough, the offense is finding its rhythm, and has some playmakers. The path is not easy, with Michigan up next, but they have 2 games with Tampa Bay and one with Orlando, so they can control their own destiny. Predicted Finish: We think 10-6 is very possible when we look at this team, and that would likely win them the division. JACKSONVILLE BULLS (3-5) Biggest First Half Success Story: If I told you that Jacksonville was ranked in the Top 3 in any major category, would you believe me? Well, they are. They sit at #3 in rush defense. A lot of that is thanks to DT Marcus Stroud and LB Mike Vrabel in the middle, but part of it is also that when you can pass against a team with little resistance, why fight it and try to run the ball. Biggest First Half Issue: We are still trying to figure out what a Tim Tebow-led offense looks like, and it seems that Coach Frazier is also in that position. Tebow had a good first game but struggled the next two weeks. We are still not seeing Coach Frazier running him as much as most would expect, and if he tries to make Tebow a pocket passer, that feels like a lost opportunity. Looking Ahead: Only 1 of the Bulls’ next 8 opponents has a winning record right now. But, then again, neither do the Bulls. Can they win 4 of 8, maybe even 5? Possbly, but so much depends on if they can find an offense to match their QB’s talents. Predicted Finish: We knew this was a rebuilding year, and we think that a 6-10 record in a rebuilding year is not such a bad thing. CHARLOTTE MONARCHS (3-5) Biggest First Half Success Story: After an 0-3 start, Charlotte has won 3 of 5, with all 3 wins on the road. We are not sure if that is a good thing or not. The one player we would highlight as having a good season is Stevie Johnson, who leads the team with 40 receptions and 509 yards. The problem is, he has been making noise about moving on. Biggest First Half Issue: I think we have to say that Chris Weinke is not the answer. 10 picks in 8 games and a QB Rating of 75.4 seem to verify this perception. Charlotte may want to start looking over that QB-rich draft class, to see who they might make a play for. Looking Ahead: Last year the defense helped propel Charlotte to a 7-7 record, but we think 7 wins this year, in a 16-game season, would be as impressive a record, especially with the defense not playing nearly as well. Predicted Finish: We have to be honest when we look at the 8 games ahead, and that means saying that 5-6 wins may be the most to expect this year from Charlotte. WASHINGTON FEDERALS (6-2) Biggest First Half Success Story: What has not gone right for the Federals this year? The offense has been far better than expected, with 3 different receivers over 300 yards on the year, and Deuce McCallister leading the league with a 5.7 YPC average. Yes, David Garrard is throwing too many picks (11 so far), but Washington is ranked 4th in scoring and 7th in yards gained, and no one saw that coming. The defense has been solid, and Antonio Pierce is a potential Defensive Player of the Year, and the Feds have won 5 in a row to take over a share of 1st in the division. Biggest First Half Issue: We mentioned Garrard’s picks, which are an issue, but perhaps the bigger issue is the difficulty Washington has had with not being able to put teams away. Nearly all their wins are by one score or less, often because they do not hold a lead well. That means every game comes down to the wire, good for TV, not so good for the mental health of the team as every week they are feeling like one bad play could cost them a game. Looking Ahead: The Feds have a huge game this week in Philadelphia, the winner will be able to control their destiny and has the upper hand in the division race. Washington won at home 26-20, and a sweep would absolutely put them in the driver’s seat. Predicted Finish: We think that a 12-win season is very much a possibility, and a win this week will almost guarantee them a division title and very likely a bye week. PHILADELPHIA STARS (6-2) Biggest First Half Success Story: It has to be the defense, which was middle-of-the-road last year, but has come on to be the defining characteristic of the club this year. The Stars are 3rd in the league in scoring, giving up only 14.5 points per game, a full 10 points below their scoring average of 25.1. They are also 3rd in the league in yardage at 267.5 yards per week. Both of those are signs of a dominant defense. Anthony Hargrove and Robert Mathis have combined for 17 sacks, Rookie Sean Lee has become an immediate leader and is first on the team with 66 tackles, and the secondary is proving to be one of the league’s best. This is a very good sign for the Stars. Biggest First Half Issue: Despite a couple of good games, the run game has not been consistent for the Stars, and as we saw when Steve Slaton was hurt, the depth is not there to support if Slaton is not available. Philadelphia will need that run game late in the year, especially in the playoffs, so don’t be shocked if they make a move to bring in a solid 2nd option. Looking Ahead: As we said with the Federals, next week’s game is huge. A win and the Stars are at the helm of their future, a loss and they not only need to catch up to Washington, they need to have a lead on them by season’s end because they would lose the tiebreaker. Predicted Finish: Beyond the Washington game are a lot of matches against teams that are 3-5 or 4-4, so the chance is there to get 12 or even 13 wins. BOSTON CANNONS (4-4) Biggest First Half Success Story: The good news for the 4-4 Cannons is that the defense, particularly the run defense, has been much better than in past years. The Cannons are giving up 80 yards a game against the run, and that has helped them limit foes to 15.6 points per game. Casey Hampton has been solid at NT, and linebackers Chris Claiborne and Ike Reese have been able to play the run very effectively. Biggest First Half Issue: the high expectations for the offense with Adrian McPherson have not really panned out. At 17.9 points per game, Boston is 20th in the league, and McPherson’s brilliant play in 2008 has not returned in 2010. He has a 2:1 TD:Int ratio, which is not horrible, but he is just not making big plays, and not getting the ball to Johnson nearly often enough. Now, with the season-ending injury to Jurevicius, it is up to Cedric Harvin to step things up and fill the gap. Looking Ahead: With both the Feds and Stars already 2 games up on Boston, a Wild Card may be the best they can hope for. Their schedule does include 2 games against Philly and one more against the Feds, who the Cannons beat earlier this year, so there is an outside chance, but it will be a tough road. Predicted Finish: We think it is possible for Boston to win enough games, perhaps go 9-7, to make the playoffs, but likely not to catch whichever team wins next week’s Stars-Feds game. BALTIMORE BLITZ (4-4) Biggest First Half Success Story: The first three games of the season were very strong, but the issues have started to show up over the past 5 weeks. So what is the bright spot? Well, once again Ron Dayne is leading the league in rush yards, so you have one piece of the puzzle definitely settled. With over 700 yards through 8 games, Dayne is the engine for this offense, but the Blitz need to do more in the passing game if they want to compete. Biggest First Half Issue: That defense, ranked dead last in yards allowed and 27th in points allowed. We commented on it above, but it bears repeating, this club has not found a way to overcome the losses of Jared Allen and James Farrior. For all he can provide on passing downs, Jason Taylor is not enough to keep Baltimore in games and prevent big plays from opposing offenses, especially in the run game. Looking Ahead: Baltimore has a pretty favorable month ahead, though Texas and New Orleans are no slam dunks. Can they build momentum before etheir back to back season ending games at Washington and at Denver? Predicted Finish: We have largely lost faith in the Blitz to be a playoff team. At this point an 8-8 record would be the best we can envision for them. NEW JERSEY GENERALS (3-5) Biggest First Half Success Story: For all the issues the Generals have, the pas defense is not one of them. New Jersey is allowing only 190.5 yards per game, good enough to be 6th in the league, and they are doing it without a true shut-down corner or a monster edge rusher. They are playing solidly in zone coverages, limiting yards after catch, and not allowing the big play. But is that enough? Biggest First Half Issue: There is a reason that New Jersey traded away Ray Rice and brought in Maurice Jones-Drew. Rick has just not turned into the lead back New Jersey has sought. There is no guarantee that MJD can become that, but with Rice beginning to grumble to the press, the time was right for New Jersey to make a move. Looking Ahead: A tough one this week at Nashville and, honestly, it does not get much better after that as New Jersey has a 3 more games against Philly and Washington, meaning they have few easy games on the schedule. Predicted Finish: We think the best New Jersey can hope for is to go 4-4 down the stretch and get to 7-9 for the year. That would be a big step for this squad. Las Vegas odds for Summer Bowl 2010 The oddsmakers in Las Vegas are beginning to warm up to the Denver Gold, even if fans around the country are still not paying attention to them. Denver has moved into the top position in the Summer Bowl odds, leading the pack with a 6-1 chance (according to the books) to win the title. Next up is Philadelphia at 8-1, then Washington (10-1), Nashville (12-1) and Pittsburgh (15-1). Due to laws against betting on teams in Nevada, the books cannot place bets on the Thunder, so we don’t know just where everyone sees them in the mix, but we expect their odds would be pretty good, just based on their record. The MVP race is an interesting place to put a wager, as there is seemingly no clear frontrunner there. With Griese and Harrington out of the picture, right now Kurt Warner is the frontrunner among QB’s, with Kyle Orton still getting a lot of skepticism and Drew Brees not having the numbers to back it up right now. Others being looked at include DE Calais Campbell, last year’s winner, as well as Chicago LB Brian Urlacher, HB T. J. Duckett, and WR Josh Reed. But none of these players has taken full command of the race. For Rookie of the Year we have a smaller pack in the lead, with New Jersey QB Sam Bradford putting up good numbers, Atlanta WR Demaryius Thomas getting a lot of praise, and Philadelphia LB Sean Lee impressing, but the front runner right now has to be Memphis LB NaVorrro Bowman, whose presence on the Showboat defense has helped make that club a surprisingly defensive-minded one. Finally, our pick for Coach of the year, and the pick of the Vegas oddsmakers, is June Jones of Las Vegas. While the oddsmakers cannot create lines for the team, they can for individual performance, and Jones has helped make Las Vegas into a frontrunner in the Pacific. He may not yet have the tools he needs to really open up the Run & Shoot, but what he has done with the talent he has on hand is putting Las Vegas in a very good position to win the top seed in the Western Conference. Others in the race include Pittsburgh’s Ron Rivera, Philadelphia’s Jim Harbaugh, and Denver’s Dick Jauron. It looks like NBC and ESPN made their picks well for Week 9, with three really enticing marquee games on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night. It kicks off with a battle for the NE Division lead as two 6-2 clubs battle in the City of Brotherly Love. Washington and Philly square off with the winner taking a 1-game lead in the Northeast. On Saturday night it is Orlando and Chicago, both shocked to be 4-4 at the midway point, fighting to get over .500. And on Sunday Night’s EFN and ESPN simulcast, it is Oakland traveling to Portland. With only a 1 game lead on the Stags, and now a game behind Las Vegas, Oakland needs this one, but a win by the Stags and they are right there in the hunt for the Pacific Division Title. Beyond the night games, how about Tampa Bay at 4-4 heading up to Pittsburgh? There is Denver in their rivalry game at Arizona. Atlanta could top .500 as they head to Michigan. And Baltimore in a tough draw as they travel to 5-3 Texas. FRIDAY @ 8pm ET WASHINGTON (6-2) @ PHILADELPHIA (6-2) NBC SATURDAY @ 12pm ET NEW JERSEY (3-5) @ NASHVILLE (5-3) ABC SATURDAY @ 12pm ET NEW ORLEANS (4-4) @ BIRMINGHAM (2-6) ABC SATURDAY @ 12pm ET TAMPA BAY (4-4) @ PITTSBURGH (6-2) FOX SATURDAY @ 4pm ET DENVER (6-2) @ ARIZONA (3-5) ABC SATURDAY @ 4pm ET LAS VEGAS (6-2) @ SEATTLE (2-6) FOX SATURDAY @ 8pm ET ORLANDO (4-4) @ CHICAGO (4-4) ESPN SUNDAY @ 12pm ET ATLANTA (4-4) @ MICHIGAN (6-2) ABC SUNDAY @ 12pm ET CHARLOTTE (3-5) @ BOSTON (4-4) FOX SUNDAY @ 12pm ET JACKSONVILLE (3-5) @ MEMPHIS (3-5) FOX SUNDAY @ 4pm ET HOUSTON (4-4) @ OHIO (2-6) ABC SUNDAY @ 4pm ET LOS ANGELES (2-6) @ ST. LOUIS (2-6) ABC SUNDAY @ 4pm ET BALTIMORE (4-4) @ TEXAS (5-3) FOX SUNDAY @ 8pm ET OAKLAND (5-3) @ PORTLAND (4-4) ESPN & EFN

Player of the Week: Michigan's Chris Canty was everywhere in their huge game against Chicago, piling up tackles in both the run and passing game. He finished with 13 on the day, a ton for a cornerback, and also added a pick for good measure.