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The two #1 seeds prove that they were ranked at the top for a reason, with both Houston and Philadelphia getting the win at home and setting themselves up for a return to the Summer Bowl. Philadelphia relied on their offense to outpace the Nashville Knights, while Houston gave up an early 10-0 deficit to the Maulers but then scored the next 35 points to roll to victory and into the championship game. We will review just how the Stars and Gamblers punched their ticket to Portland, preview the big game, and highlight all the news of the week, including an injury-provoked retirement, some coaching updates, and the results of the 2010 Awards and All-USFL votes. All that, plus two cities receiver the welcome news that they will be hosting the Summer Bowl in the near future. NASHVILLE KNIGHTS 31 PHILADELPHIA STARS 41 The Philadelphia Stars punched their ticket to the Summer Bowl for the first time since 2000 with an explosion of offensive production, outpacing the Nashville Knights to a 41-31 victory thanks to a 326-yard, 3 TD day from Kurt Warner. Philadelphia never trailed in the game and despite solid performances from Jay Cutler and Frank Gore, the Knights could not catch the stars as Philadelphia kept them at arm’s length for most of the game. Philadelphia’s offensive outburst began on the first possession, which saw the Stars move the ball 77 yards in 11 plays, capping off their opening drive with a Reche Caldwell TD catch. Nashville would level the score at 7-7 on their first possession, thanks to a Cutler pass to Malcolm Floyd, and the race was on. The Stars, who got contributions from role players all game long, then scored on back-to-back drives to make it 3 in a row, as they first connected on a 49-yard scoring strike to little-used Marshall Newhouse, and followed it up with a Steve Slaton TD run to take a 21-7 lead midway through the second. That double dip provided the buffer that Philadelphia would never relinquish. The two clubs exchanged field goals and went into the half with the Stars still up 14 at 24-10. Nashville’s defense would struggle to contain Kurt Warner and the Stars’ offense all game, but they did get one big play, one which they hoped would shift the momentum. Kurt Warner threw an ill-advised pass towards Steve Smith on the Stars’ first drive of the second half, and Knights’ cornerback Tyrell Johnson was there to pick it off and return it 61 yards for a score. The small contingent of Knight fans in attendance at Lincoln Financial Field hoped this was a momentum changer, but only 4 minutes later the Stars again spread the lead out to 14 points as Warner recovered and hit Reche Caldwell for a score to make the tally 31-17 after three. In the 4th quarter, Nashville again pulled closer, this time with Jay Cutler hitting Ahmad Merrit, but two consecutive Star scores, first a field goal, and then, following a pick of Jay Cutler, a second TD run by scatback Darren Sproles, and the Stars were up 41-24. Nashville would pull closer with only 17 seconds left, when Troy Walters caught a score from Cutler, but it was too little and too late. The Stars recovered the onside kick and the hopes of the Knights for a miracle comeback were extinguished. Philadelphia heads back to the Summer Bowl for the first time in a decade, and can win their first title since 1994. It will be the Stars’ sixth appearance in the Summer Bowl, with the club holding a 3-2 record in the league title game, making them one of 3 clubs, along with Michigan and Houston to have 3 USFL titles to their name. Will they become the first club to win a fourth? PITTSBURGH MAULERS 10 HOUSTON GAMBLERS 35 It will be a battle of three-time Summer Bowl winners as Houston handled the Pittsburgh Maulers and advanced to their 7th Summer Bowl, and their first since their 1996 victory over Tampa Bay. Houston was dominant against Pittsburgh, winning their 12th consecutive game in convincing fashion to advance to the title game. The game did not start out looking like an easy win for the Gamblers, as Pittsburgh had the edge in the first quarter, building a 10-point lead on a Kevin Johnson 22-yard TD catch and a Ryan Succop field goal, but that would be the last they would score all game as the Houston defense clamped down on Cody Pickett and the Gambler offense took flight late in the opening quarter. Down 10-0, Houston shook off their sleepy start as Matt Hasselbeck brought the 54,677 at NRG Stadium to their feet with a 73-yard toss and run to Ike Hilliard. The veteran, having his best season in years, shrugged off the tackle from the corner and outpaced the safety to the endzone, showing impressive speed for a 12-year veteran. That play would awaken both the Houston offense and defense as they gained momentum and never let up. Hilliard proved his value again on the very next drive, catching a 2nd TD from Hasselbeck to take the lead away from the Maulers. Pittsburgh would try to contain Houston, relying on Kenny Watson and the ground game to eat up clock. Watson would finish with 128 yards rushing, but the Maulers would never reach the endzone again. Meanwhile Houston would get touchdowns from Shaun Alexander, Mike Sims-Walker, and TE Vernon Davis to build up their lead over the remaining 40 minutes of action. By the half it was 21-10, and by the end of three, 35-10. The 4th quarter would see Pittsburgh turn the ball over on downs twice and Houston would slow things down with the run game, leading to a total of 98 yards for Alexander and another 53 for scatback Kevin Faulk. By the fiinal possession, it was Luke McCown relieving Matt Hasselbeck, whose 4 TD passes set him up as MVP of the game, a nice preview of the award he would win 3 days later as league MVP. Houston returns to the Summer Bowl, setting up a clash of dynasties as the Gamblers face the Stars in a battle of 3-time champions. It has been a long time for both clubs, with Houston’s last title coming in 1996 and Philadelphia’s two years earlier in 1994. These are very different teams from the ones that garnered titles in the 80’s and 90’s, but both are built on solid foundations and both have proven that they can win in a variety of ways, either through stingy defense or explosive offense. It should be a beauty of a game between two storied USFL franchises. Maulers Get 2nd Major Blow as Foster Makes an Announcement Pittsburgh, only 2 days after bowing out of the playoffs with a 35-10 defeat at the hands of the Houston Gamblers, took another blow to the chin as star halfback DeShaun Foster revealed that his ruptured Achilles was proving to be a problematic recovery, and that in light of the recommendations of his physicians, and his own personal reflection, he would be retiring from the game of football. A teary-eyed Foster made the announcement alongside his family and Coach Rivera from the team offices at Heinz Field. Foster thanked his teammates, his coaches, and the Mauler faithful in Pittsburgh. He spoke highly of Coach Rivera and of young QB Cody Pickett, and he said goodbye to the game that he has played since he was a boy. Foster’s retirement leaves a huge hole in the Mauler roster, one they will now need to address in the offseason. Kenny Watson has done well in relief, rushing for over 100 yards on several occasions, including the playoff loss this week, but the Maulers are still expected to bring in another back, perhaps for a RB-by-committee structure in 2011. Foster leaves the game with a total of 7,874 yards and 50 touchdowns in 9 seasons. He began his USFL career in LA, where he got 7 starts his rookie year. He had his first 1,000 yard season in 2004, rushing for 1113 with LA. In 2007 he left the Express for the Maulers, where he had put together back to back 1,000 yard seasons in 2008 and 2009. He was on pace for a third when he ruptured his Achilles against St. Louis in a Week 14 clash. It was his second injury of the season, having missed 4 games in the early weeks of the year. Concerns that the large tendon was not healing as expected, and would limit the flexibility of his ankle, making reaggravation a major concern, was the medical issue on Foster’s mind, but clearly there were other concerns as well which led him to make the difficult decision to step away from the game. Ohio Down to Two Finalists for Open Coaching Position News on the coaching front as the front office of the Ohio Glory confirmed rumors this week that they were down to two candidates for their vacant Head Coaching position. Second interviews were scheduled with both candidates, current Baltimore Blitz defensive coordinator Bart Andrus, and former Texas Outlaws head coach Norv Turner. The two men are both respected in USFL circles, but clearly indicate two very different directions. Andrus, known for his blitz schemes and emphasis on run blitzing, will be a defensive-minded coach who will likely make major changes to the way the formerly high-flying Glory approach games. Turner, an offensive gameplanner by trade, will almost certainly focus his attention on reviving what had been for years one of the league’s most feared offensive attacks. If the choice is Turner, he will likely be starting from scratch as HB Eddie George has announced his retirement, WR Joey Galloway was allowed to enter free agency and may still opt to retire, and 3-time MVP Kerry Collins has yet to be replaced by a viable long-term solution at the offense’s most demanding position. If it is Andrus, he will try to build a defense around a linebacking corps led by James Laurinaitis and Glenn Cadrez. Ohio lacks a true difference maker on the D-line, so expect edge rusher to be a priority, and while SS Jermaine Philips is a solid performer, the secondary will also require attention. Ohio has the #2 overall pick in the draft, and nearly every analyst expects that the pick will be a quarterback. Jake Locker is everyone’s favorite going into the fall NCAA season, but with Birmingham sitting at #1, and also very much in need of a signal caller, Ohio would be wise to look at alternative options like FSU’s Christian Ponder or Missouri’s Blaine Gabbert. The Glory could, alternatively, make a play for former Jacksonville starter Jake Delhomme, released by the Memphis Showboats this offseason, as a transitional QB option and go for the best edge rusher in the draft, Wisconsin’s J. J. Watt, assuming that Boston, who owns the territorial rights to Badger players, does not jump on him in the T-Draft. But, we are putting the cart before the horse. First order of business for the Glory is to make a decision and hire a new coach, a decision we expect to be made before Free Agency opens in 2 weeks. Mornhinweg Gets Vote of Confidence Despite some very loud voices in the world of sports talk radio, and from the Sun-Times, Chicago Machine ownership has made it clear that Coach Marty Mornhinweg is not going anywhere. Some pretty vocal calls had been made to replace the veteran coach after another playoff defeat once again left Chicago as a perennial bridesmaid. But, with Coach Mornhinweg having successfully taken the Machine to the playoffs for the 9th time in the past 10 years, ownership knew enough to not listen to the loud voices calling for them to relieve the coach of his duties. Yes, the case has been made that the Machine simply cannot get over the hump, but when that hump has taken you to the postseason regularly, including two trips to the Summer Bowl in the past decade, maybe you should not throw the coach under the bus. There are a lot of teams that would give their right eye to have the record that Chicago has had over the Mornhinweg years, and while it is certainly frustrating for Machine fans to feel that they are never quite good enough to win it all, they have to acknowledge that they have been on the winning side of far more games than a lot of other clubs in the league. Mornhinweg has 2 more years on his contract, and we expect that decisions will be made as that contract come close to its expiration, but for now at least, the position of head coach in Chicago is not up for reconsideration, and the Chicago Machine, as ownership were quite vehement in stating this week, will be led by Marty Mornhinweg in 2011. Harbaugh Extended through 2016 Speaking of coaching contracts, we should not let it pass that Coach Jim Harbaugh of Philadelphia, who was considered to be on something of a hotseat following a dip from 13-3 in 2008 to 8-6 in 2009, has won over the Stars’ owners with a strong 2010 season and now a trip to the Summer Bowl. Philadelphia announced this week a contract extension which will keep Harbaugh as the Philly head coach through the 2016 season. Harbaugh has amassed a 54-33 record in his six years with the organization, taking Philadelphia to the playoffs each of the past 4 years, with 2010 marking his high water mark with a #1 seed in the East and, just this week, a conference title. He hopes to add a John Bassett Trophy to his accomplishments this upcoming weekend, but the Stars’ organization did not wait for that to happen before inking a 5 year extension to his contract. Harbaugh can now go into the Summer Bowl confident that he is well compensated for his efforts for the next 6 years, averaging $3.5 million in salary for his role as chief strategist and motivator for the Stars franchise. Not much to report on the injury front as Houston remains without any players designated on the weekly injury report and Philadelphia suffered no new setbacks in their game against the Knights. The Stars will again be without tackle Jaimie Thomas for the Summer Bowl, but both tackle Ken Shackleford and LB Ben Leber are listed as probable for the title game. So, a very healthy Summer Bowl this week is on tap. USFL Award Winners & All-USFL Team Announced It’s the week leading into Summer Bowl 2010 in Portland, and that always means the annual USFL Award Gala. This year the Award Gala was held on Tuesday in Portland’s exclusive Arlington Club and featured the reveal of this year’s All-USFL Team along with the winners of the league MVP, Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and Coach of the Year awards. There was suspense in the air this year as two top candidates vied for the coveted League MVP trophy, both of them schedule to play in this Week’s Summer Bowl. MVP: It came down to the two Summer Bowl quarterbacks for the MVP, and it was, by all accounts a close vote. Kurt Warner of Philadelphia led the league with a 103 QB Rating, and helped guide the Stars to the best record in the East and the top seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Houston’s Matt Hasselbeck countered with the league lead in both yardage and touchdowns, and became a hot name in league circles as he led the Gamblers to 10 consecutive regular season wins to snatch the #1 seed in the West on the season’s final week. He too now finds himself preparing for a Summer Bowl appearance after two convincing victories over Denver and Pittsburgh in the playoffs. Neither men would appear at the gala as both are deep in pre-game preparations and practices, but a short video by both men was shown during the event. And the winner is… Houston QB Matt Hasselbeck. The 12-year veteran, who has only ever been named to one All-USFL team in the past (2005), now finds himself with the highest annual honor in the league. Hasselbeck has posted strong seasons before, but this is the first year he has ever crossed the 4,000 yard mark in a season, and was the only player to do so in 2010. He also had career highs for touchdown passes (35), But, perhaps most impressive in this season was his leadership as he guided Houston from a 2-4 start to 10 consecutive wins to finish the year 12-4 and atop the Western Conference. Hasselbeck, in his recorded speech, thanked Coach Wade Phillips, his OC, former USFL QB Jason Garrett, and his teammates, including veteran wideout Ike Hilliard, for their part in his MVP Season. As for Kurt Warner, his night would not be without its own accolades. Offensive Player of the Year: In a year where the MVP vote was so close, it is not unusual that the 2nd place votegetter walks away with one of the two Player of the Year trophies, and that is exactly what happened this year as Philadelphia Star QB Kurt Warner won his first major annual award, the OPOTY. The Star signal caller finished the year atop the QB Ratings with a 103 score, along with 32 touchdown passes and 3,970 yards passing. He led Philadelphia to the best record in the Eastern Conference and a #1 seed. In his prepared video he too thanked his coach, his teammates, and, in typical Warner form, spoke of his faith and his family. Defensive Player of the Year went to Washington LB Antonio Pierce. Something of an oddity for the award, which normally goes to the year’s leader in sacks, this year’s award went to an all-around performer. Pierce did not lead any defensive category, but was among league leaders in several, with 127 tackles on the season, along with 7 sacks, a safety, a defensive TD, nine forced fumbles and 4 recoveries. With neither sack leader Calais Campbell or tackle leader Mike Vrabel on playoff teams, it is not a surprise that the voters went for a defensive star who did it all in helping his club lock up a playoff spot. The award is Pierce’s first league-wide award, and this year marks his third appearance on the All-USFL team. Rookie of the Year: While this season saw several rookies start off strong, it soon boiled down to a competition between the two rookie signal callers who came into the league with high expectations and built-in fan bases. Tim Tebow may have sold more jerseys and had a bigger hoopla, but Sam Bradford produced better numbers and better results for his team, leading New Jersey to within one game of a Wild Card berth and finishing with an 8-8 record on a team that had been one of the league’s worst only a year before. Bradford finished the season with 2,797 yards, 14 TDs and 7 picks, but more importantly, he went from inexperienced rookie to the unquestioned starter and leader of the New Jersey offense in less than one season. Do not be shocked to see Bradford named a team captain in 2011 as he has already garnered the respect of his teammates for his play this year. Coach of the Year: A tough decision this year as several teams outperformed expectations and made runs to new heights, but, as expected, the award goes to the coach who most perceive as having done more with less, and this year that award goes to the leader of the surprise Southeast Division Champion Atlanta Fire, Tom Ramsey. The former USFL Quarterback finished his second season with the Fire, improving from 6-8 in 2009 to 9-7 in 2010 and a division title as well. Ramsey is praised for his work with Kyle Orton, turning the oft-criticized starter into one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the league this season. At the same time he helped Atlanta build on a solid defensive reputation, finishing 6th in the league in both scoring and yards allowed. The #6 was huge for the Fire this year as they finished 6th in the league in all 4 major team categories, adding offensive production and points scored to their two defensive rankings. The night began with the reveal of the 2010 All-USFL Team, and, with few surprises, perhaps the biggest shock was just how many Orlando Renegades made the team despite the fact that Orlando finished a disappointing 8-8 and out of playoff contention. Orlando landed 6 players on the team, evenly split between offense and defense. No surprise that both DE Calais Campbell and DT Albert Haynesworth made the team. They were joined by interception leader, CB Cortland Finnegan, as well as receptions leader WR Michael Jenkins, TE Greg Olsen, and guard Damien Cook. Both Summer Bowl teams were also well represented. Philadelphia, in addition to Kurt Warner, saw TE Dallas Clark and WR Steve Smith make the squad, while the No-Stars defense lived up to their name, with no members of the Philly D being selected. Houston saw Matt Hasselbeck joined by WR Ike Hilliard, center Ryan Pontbriand, punter David Sepulveda and two defenders, safety Willie Andrews and free agent arrival James Farrior make the squad. This was Farrior’s fifth All-USFL honor, but first away from the Baltimore Blitz. The rest of the All-USFL team reads like a who’s who of the season’s top performers and gamechangers. Here is the full roster of the team for 2010: QB: Hasselbeck, Warner, and Washington’s dual threat, David Garrard. HB: Baltimore’s Ron Dayne, Texas HB T. J. Duckett, and Portland’s Jonathan Stewart. FB: Big James Green of Charlotte gets the kudos. TE: Olsen and Clark, as already highlighted. WR: In addition to Hilliard, Smith and Jenkins, honors go to Chicago’s Donald Driver and Atlanta’s yardage leader, Josh Reed. OT: Boston’s Shaun McDougle, Seattle’s Kenyatta Jones, and Oakland’s Matt Light get the honor. OG: In addition to Cook of Orlando, we find Oakland’s Logan Mankins and Baltimore’s Eric Steinbach. C: Houston’s Pontbriand is joined by New Jersey’s Casey Weigeman. DE: Campbell is joined by perennial Chicago sack master Anthony Weaver and Charlotte’s Julius Peppers. DT: Haynesworth joins Jacksonvilles’s Marcus Stroud and Portland’s Jason Fisk on the team. LB: A solid group led by Antonio Pierce, James Farrior, and Brian Urlacher, joined by the only rookie on the team, Memphis’s Navorro Bowman, and tackle leader Mike Vrabel. S: The four safeties this year are Willie Andrews along with now-free agent Troy Polamalu, Baltimore’s Adam Archuleta, and Washington’s Ed Reed. CB: Four ballhawking corners make the squad, with Cortland Finnegan’s 8 picks leading the group. He is joined by Will Allen of Las Vegas, Mark Jackson of Chicago, and Seattle’s Marcus Trufant. ST: Joining Sepulveda as the special teams reps is kicker Connor Barth of Nashville. He did not lead the league in scoring but his 34 of 38 field goals was among the best in the league, and finishing 1 point behind Tim Seder was no small task either. USFL Reveals 2012 & 2013 Summer Bowl Locations One more reveal night as the USFL shared with all the Gala attendees and with the media the sites for the 2012 and 2013 USFL Summer Bowls. Following this year’s game in Portland and next year’s game at Memphis’s Liberty Bowl Stadium, the league championship will make its first appearance in St. Louis, Missouri. The Dome at America’s Center will be the site in 2012, another new city for the league’s title game and the first non-retractable dome stadium to host the event since the Alamodome hosted in 1997. The following year, the 2013 Summer Bowl will return to a familiar site as Denver will host the big game for the third time, becoming the first city to have that honor. Denver’s Invesco Field will be the site, the first time the facility has hosted the event after both the league’s inaugural title game in 1983 and the 2nd Denver title game in 1995 were held at Mile High Stadium. Disappointed by the decision were fans of Boston’s Cannons, who had hoped that their club would get the nod. The game has never been held in Boston, but with Alumni Stadium having a capacity of only 40,000, it was a longshot that the league would put their title game, which regularly draws 55,000 or more, in the BC facility. St. Louis becomes the 2nd recent expansion club to host the Summer Bowl, following this year’s title game in Portland. Charlotte and Atlanta are hoping for an opportunity in the next few years as they too entered the league in the most recent expansion wave. Summer Bowl Preview Only one game on the schedule this week but it is a biggie, as the two #1 seeds in the USFL playoffs face off in Summer Bowl 2010. Portland’s Columbia Sportswear Stadium will be the site, but it will be the Philadelphia Stars, representing the Eastern Conference and flying in with a big contingent of fans from the City of Brotherly love, and Houston, Champions of the West, who arrived in the Rose City with an equally impressive party of Texas-sized proportions. Las Vegas has set up Houston as a 1.5 point favorite, a close margin that shows just how balanced this Summer Bowl could be. We have one team who stormed out to a healthy lead in the NE Division and then stumbled a bit in the final weeks against a team that started slow out of the gate but has now won 12 in a row on their way to the Western Conference title. Philadelphia comes in with the top ranked run defense in the league, allowing only 71.2 yards per game and the #5 scoring defense, giving up an average of 17.2 points per game. Their offense is ranked 3rd in the league in scoring, averaging 23.9 points per game and led by the 2nd rated passing offense (251.3 YPG). For Houston it has been about offense. They rank 2nd in the league in points scored, 25.1 per game, and 1st in yards per game, thanks mostly to Matt Hasselbeck and the league’s 2nd rated passing offense. Their defense finished 13th in scoring, but 9th in yards allowed. Slightly better against the pass than the run, the key for Houston is quick pressure on the QB from edge rushers Kavika Pittman and Osi Umenyiura. They do not blitz often, but when they do, it is often recent acquisition, James Farrior doing the damage. Let’s take a look, position group by position group, as we break down the matchup this year. QUARTERBACK: About as close as a competition can get between the league MVP and the Offensive Player of the Year. Warner has more experience with playoff football, having not only participated with the Stars, but having won a Super Bowl in the NFL as well. Hasselbeck has the more talented receiving corps as a whole, but perhaps the most explosive target on the field is Philadelphia’s Steve Smith. We are going to call this one even, because that is what it is. EVEN RUNNING BACK: Another tight one. Shaun Alexander finished the year with 1,220 yards on 312 carries for a 3.9 YPC average, adding 7 touchdowns. His opposition, Steve Slaton was not far behind, 1,110 yards, a 3.7 YPC average, and 4 TDs on the season. Both teams also have excellent and multitalented 3rd down backs, with Kevin Faulk in Houston and Darren Sproles in Philadelphia. If either one of these smaller receiving backs can have a big day, they could be huge factors in this game. We are going to give the slight edge to Houston in the run game, simply based on a stronger inside game with Alexander than Philly gets with Slaton. ADVANTAGE HOUSTON RECEIVERS: As we mentioned, there is no more explosive player on the field than Philadelphia WR Steve Smith. Smith finished the year with 97 catches for 1,315 yards and 6 TDs. Philly also has an excellent tight end in Dallas Clark, who had 80 receptions for 862 yards and led the team with 10 receiving TDs. For Houston, the star has been veteran Ike Hilliard, who had 1,231 yards on only 55 receptions, a 22.4 YPC average. He added 9 TDs, but it was not a one-man show in Houston. Roy Williams had 53 catches and 8 TDs, and Mike Sims Walker had 50 receptions and 4 TDs. Vernon Davis did not have the production of Dallas Clark, but he is a dangerous receiver as well. Once again, a close matchup, but we are again going to favor Houston thanks to their depth. ADVANTAGE HOUSTON OFFENSIVE LINE: Houston has a solid line, perhaps a bit better at run blocking than pass protection, and they are a healthy line. Mike Pearson is the anchor at Left Tackle, while Ryan Pontbriand at center was an All-USFL selection this year. In Philadelphia, injuries have hurt the depth of the line, but center Matt Birk and LG Cooper Carlisle are at the top of their game. Whether it is a system issue, or just better cohesiveness for the Stars, they simply have been more effective than Houston’s line, so we are going to give the edge to the Stars based on their recent history. ADVANTAGE PHILADELPHIA DEFENSIVE LINE: Few teams can compete with Houston’s Front Three. John McCargo holds down the middle, allowing Osi Umenyiura and Kavika Pittman wreak havoc on offensive lines. Rookie Jerry Hughes, adds depth to a group that will be aggressive in their pursuit of ballcarriers and the high profile QB Kurt Warner. On the other side, Philadelphia will counter with a 4-3 lineup that has Seth Payne and Kendrick Clancy inside, Robert Mathis and Anthony Hargrove on the outside. Not as prolific at the pass rush, this line is designed to hold the run in check, and they excel at that. ADVANTAGE HOUSTON. LINEBACKERS: While Houston has the advantage at the line, Philadelphia’s 3 linebackers give them an edge. In the middle is Sean Lee, who has been a revelation since arriving as a rookie. On some downs they will swap in Dan Connor as well, to keep Lee fresh for all 4 quarters. On the outside we have Ben Leber, back from injury, and Ryan Nece. A bit of a no-name linebacker group, but highly effective. Expect multitalented backups Rian Wallace and Quinton Caver to also see a lot of snaps as the Stars like to rotate their backers and have fresh legs in the 4th quarter. Houston counters with a 4-linebacker setup, led by James Farrior, the All-USFL signee from Baltimore. He is joined by Keith Brooking and Kevin Burnett, with Burnett and Zak DeOssie on the inside. Unlike Philly, Houston keeps these 4 in the game unless one calls for relief. Overall, Philadelphia is more effective in the use of their linebackers, while Houston very much uses them more in support of their front 3. For that reason, the edge goes to the Stars. ADVANTAGE PHILADELPHIA. SECONDARY: Houston’s secondary is about as good as you can get in the USFL. When your starting corners are Shaun Springs and veteran Ronde Barber, you are off to a very good start. And while Strong Safety Patrick Chung may be the more well-known name in the league, it was Free Safety Willie Anderson who made All-USFL this year. Philadelphia likes to consider themselves a “No Stars” defense, but if there are any familiar names on the Star defense, they are in the secondary, where Quentin Jammer and Antonio Cromartie are a combo equally as heralded as Houston’s two outside cover men. In the middle, Philadelphia brings Lance Schulters at strong safety and Jairus Byrd at the free safety. In other words, both of these teams have secondaries that can make life difficult on the opposition. We are again going to call this an even balance. EVEN. SPECIAL TEAMS: Mike Nugent and John Carlton are solid performers at the kicker and punter positions, but the edge has to go to Houston with All-USFL punter David Sepulveda and kicker Dan Carpenter as the better 1-2 combo in the special teams. ADVANTAGE HOUSTON COACHING Jim Harbaugh’s motivation vs. Wade Phillip’s schemes, which do you prefer? The two coaches are very different leaders, and bring very different skills to the table. Harbaugh believes in solid and well-structured defense and a balanced offense. Wade Phillips likes to see big chunks on offense, counting more on the big play, while using the defense to create turnovers and avoid big plays by the opposition. These are two very solid coaches, but we think we have to give the edge to Phillips, who simply has more experience in these type of high pressure games than Harbaugh. ADVANTAGE PHILADELPHIA Our overall count is 4-3 Houton, with 2 even categories. That seems to give a slight edge to the Gamblers, but it is close, as every indicator seems to reflect. Vegas may be right to keep this game with a very slim margin for the Gamblers. USFL Player Picks We finish off our preview of Summer Bowl 2010 by asking those with the closest seats to the action to make their picks. Five USFL stars were asked their thoughts on the matchup and who they see taking the title this year. There was a bit of bias, as expected, but the results largely match the debates we are having in our own This is the USFL bullpen. Jake Plummer, QB, Las Vegas Thunder: Both of these quarterbacks are great leaders and really accurate passers. In my mind the key to the game is whether or not either team can get pressure, because putting pressure on a QB can greatly affect the offense’s rhythm. Houston is well-equiped to put on that pressure, because Pittman still has all those skills and Umenyiura can just take over a game when his mind is right. I have to go with the Gamblers because I know just how tough those two edge rushers can be. Deuce McCallister, HB, Washington Federals: We played the Stars three times this year, and they got us two out of three, including in the playoffs, so I have to go with the Stars. They are just a team that does not hurt themselves. They are especially tough when they can get Slaton rolling early. I know Houston has been on a huge run, but I have to go with the Stars after having to deal with them three times this year. Hines Ward, WR, Michigan Panthers: I am going with Philadelphia for one reason, Steve Smith. That guy is loud, brash, and able to back it all up. I love players who give it 150% on every play, and that is Steve Smith. He is not the biggest receiver, but he will fight for every catch, and once he has the ball in his hands, he will make you work to tackle him. I love his game, and I am picking him to be the difference in this game for the Stars. DeMeco Ryans, LB, Birmingham Stallions: The Stars beat us pretty good, so my heart kinda wants to go with Houston, but if I go with them it better be for more than bitterness towards the Stars. Honestly, what I like about Houston is their ability to pressure the QB with their front 3 and maybe one blitzer. I also love what they do in the secondary with those two corners. It will be a tight game, but I am going to pick the Gamblers. Lofa Tatupu, LB, Los Angeles Express: We didn’t play the Stars this year, and we had a tough game against Houston just as they started to get rolling, but I am going to go with the Stars. I am loving the game Sean Lee is bringing to the Stars, and their secondary does not get the credit they deserve. It is tough to run against them, and that ends up putting a lot of pressure on the QB. I also know Steve Smith pretty well, and he is a difference maker. I am going to go Stars by 3, probably right at the end. So, there you have it. Our five experts make their picks, and honestly, they are about where we are, with a slight edge going to Philadelphia. Our staff gave the slight edge to Houston, so once again we find ourselves split right down the middle. Our advice, if you are going to bet, bet on the over/under and not the spread. This one is likely to be decided by something wild like a big special teams play, or a bizarre turnover. Other than that it will be close, and we think this could be a very exciting game.

Divisional rivals clashed in 3 of 4 games this week, and we ended up with three very close games, including an overtime thriller in Pittsburgh. We also got our first true blowout this week as the Houston Gamblers proved to all who watched that they were a team to reckon with, winning their 11th straight game in convincing fashion over the Denver Gold. In all four games the higher seeds won, proving once again how valuable that bye week for the top 2 seeds in each conference can be. It sets up #2 vs. #1 matchups in both conferences as Nashville will take on the Stars in Philly while Pittsburgh will take their chances in Houston against the heavily favored Gamblers. We will recap all four Divisional Playoff games, preview the two conference championships, and take a look at updates from across the league as postseason turns to offseason for 4 more clubs. ATLANTA 23 NASHVILLE 29 The Battle for the South turned out to be a really fun game between two teams that complemented each other really closely. Nashville took a 3-0 lead early and the Southeast and Southern champions traded scores throughout. The two traded field goals in the first half, with Nashville taking a 9-6 lead into the half. In the second half we finally got our first touchdown, but it came from the defense, when Kyle Orton tried to force a ball to Josh Reed and it was snatched by Nashville DB Tyrell Johnson and returned for 6. That gave the Knights a 10-point lead, but not for long. On the ensuing kickoff, Andrew Woolfork wove his way 99 yards for a score, wiping out Nashville’s 10 point lead, and cutting the difference to only 3 points. A Nashville field goal would extend that back to 6, but Atlanta’s first offensive score, the first offensive TD of the game, would soon give the Fire their first lead, just as the 4th quarter began. The score came from Demaryius Thomas, the final play of a 12-play drive that was the best of the game for the Fire. Atlanta followed that score up with a field goal and had a 4-point advantage with 9:40 left to play. But Nashville had the home crowd behind them, and a running game that was beginning to wear down the Fire defense. On a long drive that took nearly 5 minutes, Nashville went from their own 21 all the way to paydirt as Frank Gore busted through the line on the 9 and dashed his way to the endzone to once again put the Knights up. With time growing short Atlanta tried to go to a hurry up to respond, but that led only to a quick 3-and-out, and Nashville took over once again. They would add a field goal to take a 6-point lead, while also drawing the clock down to 1:42 to play. Atlanta would again work the no huddle, and again, Nashville would hold them without a first down, regaining possession after a failed 4th and 7 throw from Orton to Marcus Robinson. Nashville gets the win and moves on to the Conference Final. CHICAGO 18 PITTSBURGH 24 OVERTIME Despite being the lower seed, and on the road, the Chicago Machine were a 3-point favorite at Pittsburgh. That apparently did not sit well with the Maulers, but as the game began it did appear to be appropriate, as Chicago scored the first 12 points of the game, all field goals from Tim Seder. They scored on their first 4 possessions, all the while holding down the Mauler offense, picking off Cody Pickett in the process and limiting Kenny Watson to only 11 yards in the first quarter. But, the tide turned as the first half was winding down. Pittsburgh put together its first real drive of the game, and with 55 seconds left in the half, they found paydirt, Pickett connecting with Matt Jones on a 20 yard TD that pulled the Maulers to within 5. They would go into the half trailing, but with some momentum against a Chicago club that simply could not turn drives into touchdowns. Chicago would again settle for a field goal in their opening drive of the second quarter, and for the 4th time it was a red zone drive that did not reach the endzone. That would haunt them throughout the game. It did not take long for it to come back on them, as only 2 minutes later Pittsburgh equalized the score. This time it was a 22-yard run on a busted containment scheme that allowed Kenny Watson to scamper 22 yards for the score. Cody Pickett connected with FB John Kuhn for the 2-point PAT, and the game was tied up a 15. As the game entered the 4th quarter Chicago again drove the ball and again had to settle for a kick, this time from the 39. They again had the lead, but the failure to secure a touchdown was beginning to prove problematic. Pittsburgh would equalize the score on a final drive field goal and the game would head to overtime, with a sense that a field goal would simply not be enough. Both teams faltered in their initial attempts to score, but on their 2nd possession, the Maulers got the score that would end the game and send them to the Western Conference Final. IT would come with only 1:16 left in the extra period, when Brandon Jacobs broke a tackle, found the sideline, and raced his way to a touchdown, sending the Pittsburgh crowd into a frenzy and securing the playoff win for the Central champion Maulers. WASHINGTON 19 PHILADELPHIA 24 David Garrard would get the start, but struggled as his injured ankle kept him from being effective as a dual threat. He would stay in the entire game, but would be limited to being a pocket passer. Washington also quickly found themselves down 17 points and that threw their plan of riding Deuce McCallister out the window. Down 17-0 at the half, the Federals needed to shake things up. They got the shake up they needed from their defense. A tip at the line led to LB Antonio Pierce snatching the ball out of the air and returning it 37 yards for a score, Washington’s first of the game. The Federals would go on to add 12 more points and take a 19-17 lead over the next quarter and a half. On 4 drives they found themselves kicking field goals while the defense held Kurt Warner and the Star offense in check. Steve Slaton rushed for 132 yards, but the Stars simply could not get into scoring position, and the one time they did Mike Nugent missed on a 33-yard kick. When Doug Pelfrey connected from 41 yards out at the 1:22 mark, Washington had its first lead, a 19-17 margin that felt very much like the end of a long gradual comeback. Philadelphia had done nothing in the half, and now would have less than 90 seconds to get on the board and salvage a win. The Stars had struggled to put together drives the entire second half, but they were still dangerous. Washington learned that quickly as Kurt Warner connected with Steve Smith on the first play of the drive. Only two plays later they would get the big play that had eluded them all game long. Warner pumped towards Smith again, the safety slid towards the speedy receiver, and Warner sent a ball deep down the seam, where TE Dallas Clark was open, with the linebacker trailing 2 yards behind. Clark would get a block from Reche Caldwell, and rumbled all the way to paydirt with the go-ahead score. 22 seconds left and the Stars had gotten the big play to avoid the upset. Washington would not recover, and the fans in Lincoln Financial Field would breath a sigh of relief as their Stars would move on to host the Eastern Final next week. DENVER 16 HOUSTON 43 Denver may have felt that the Southwestern Division Title was unfairly pulled out from under them due to the league’s late confirmation that they had not locked the title up, but if there was any doubt that Houston was a worthy champion, they put that to rest with a thorough dismantling of the Gold. Denver may have come into the game angry, but they too had to recognize that Houston was simply playing better ball by the end of this game. The game started well for Denver, as a holding call in the endzone gave the Gold the first points of the game, a safety against the Gamblers. They would add a touchdown on the ensuing short drive, Leinart hitting Dez White on a deep ball that gave Denver an early 9-0 lead. But that would be the high point of the game for the Gold. Houston would go on to score the next 33 points and by the time the Gold reached the endzone again, the game was out of their hands. IT began with a Shaun Alexander 43-yard TD run, just one of 3 touchdowns on the day for the game’s MVP. Alexander would finish the day with his highest rushing total of the season, 143 yards, all against the #1 rated rush defense in the league. He would add a 2nd TD only 3 minutes later, then Houston went on to add a safety, touchdowns from Kevin Faulk and Vernon Davis, and a 43-yard kick from Carpenter to take over the game and take a 33-9 lead into the third quarter. Denver would get back on the board with a Ringer TD run, but down 17, they would fall further behind when Shaun Alexander scored his third and final TD on the day as the 4th quarter began. Houston would milk the clock, Denver would try and fail to connect on big plays, and as the game wound to a close, Houston would emphatically take the win and end the controversy over who was the true champion of the Southwest. The 27-point victory was the biggest of the year for Houston and the worst loss of the year for Denver. The Gamblers move on and will now host Pittsburgh with a shot at returning to the Summer Bowl for the first time since 1996 title season. Orlando Shopping Brees Around League We have known that Drew Brees and the Renegades were not seeing eye to eye for some time, but now it appears that Orlando has made the decision to get top value for the former MVP and find a willing trade partner. While there is no shortage of teams that are in the market for a starter, and Brees is certainly a top talent, the price we expect the Renegades to be asking will be a steep one. Don’t expect Brees to be traded for less than 2 first rounders, perhaps more, unless, of course, there are players in the deal who could help cut down the draft capital cost. Orlando has the inside track on FSU QB Christian Ponder, a fact that certainly makes the potential trade of Brees more feasible. It also means that while Orlando might be open to looking at other QB’s, a trade partner might be able to make a deal that does not involve another QB, but perhaps players at other high need areas for the Renegades. Who might be in the market? Well, if we look at teams that have clear need at QB and who have early draft picks that might be attractive to the Renegades, we have to start with Birmingham, holders of the #1 overall pick and a team absolutely in the market for a QB. With the #2 pick we have Ohio, another club that absolutely would love to upgrade the QB position. Others who could be prime targets include Boston, Portland, Charlotte, and Memphis. This is just the obvious teams. There are certainly many others who may have a viable QB, but who may be looking to upgrade. We could certainly imagine a trade where a team like LA or Texas makes a deal to send their young QB to Orlando along with some picks to get a proven winner like Brees. Rumors Swirl that Mornhinweg Out in Chicago Interesting news out of Chicago as stories have started to emerge that the Machine may be parting ways with Head Coach Marty Mornhinweg. While Mornhinweg has had Chicago at or near the top of the Central Division for the better part of the decade, including two Summer Bowl appearances, there is a sense that Chicago simply cannot take the next step. This week they once again bowed out of the playoffs, falling to the Maulers. Would Chicago really give up on the most successful coach in franchise history and one of the winningest coaches in the league? It seems a daring move, but if there truly is a belief that Mornhinweg cannot get the team one step closer to a title, they may just make the move. While our bullpen staff certainly feels that letting go of Mornhinweg would be a big mistake, that sentiment is not shared with all fans in Chicagoland, and may not be shared by Chicago management. Again, these are just rumors right now, but where there is smoke there is often fire. Retirements & Free Agency from playoff teams Over the past 2 weeks, 8 teams have been eliminated from playoff contention, and that has meant not only new free agents but also a wave of retirements. We reported last week on the free agents whose contracts expired with losses in the Wild Card round, so this week we have the 4 divisional round losers freeing up several players, and we thought we would catch up on the later retirement notices as well. New Free Agents: ATLANTA: Some hits to the defense and the offensive line as Atlanta has 5 starters join the free agent pool, including LB Chris Miller, DE Eric Flowers, as well as O-linemen Charles Pitts and Chris Spencer. Cornerback Duane Starks is the fifth and final free agent out of the starters on the playoff squad. CHICAGO: Chicago was hoping to resign both WR Anquon Boldin and SS Darren Sharper, but as of this week both are now free agents. Add to that list LB Rocky Boiman and cornerback Rick Smith. Expect Chicago to spend the next 2 weeks trying to resign one of their two big free agents before the open period begins following Summer Bowl 2010. DENVER: Denver is in very much the same boat as Chicago, hoping not to lose WR Dez White, but struggling to find a formula that fits in the cap and meets the wideout’s demands for compensation. The Gold are also hoping that they can reach a deal with LB Dat Nguyen, whose absence was certainly visible in their loss to Houston this week. Others not signed as of today include punter Mike Barnes, center Mike Flanagan, and DE Kamerion Wimberley. WASHINGTON: Eight players are now out of contract from the Federals’ roster. Among them are two important wideouts for the Feds’ offense, Eddie Kennison and Travis Taylor. The Feds are also looking at some key defensive contributors like DT Alan Harper, LB Mark Simoneau, and DE Greg Spires. Kicker Doug Pelfrey is also a free agent, but at 39 may well be considering retirement rather than relocation. RETIREMENTS In addition to the players who find themselves out of contract, there have been several retirement announcements from the 8 playoff teams eliminated over the past two weeks. Some will absolutely create ripples across the rosters. LB Na’il Diggs (ATL): No sooner had the game ended in Nashville than Diggs announced that he had played his last game as a member of the Fire. His leadership as a team captain, as well as his play at linebacker will be hard to replace. LB Akin Ayodele (DEN): Another linebacker announced his retirement, as Ayodele’s short-lived career in Denver comes to an end. Traded from LA midseason this year, Ayodele was expected to have an impact on the Denver D, and while his season was solid, it appears that the move did not sit well with the veteran linebacker, who is now opting to step away from the game. WR Matthew Hatchette (LV): The 36-year-old Hatchette has spent the better part of his career with the Thunder, first in Portland, and throughout the move to Las Vegas. He retires after 14 years of catching passes for the Thunder, the only team he ever suited up for. CB Tod McBride (NOR): The anchor of New Orleans’s secondary calls it a career after 8 years in the league, split between Philadelphia, St. Louis and the Breakers. McBride had a playoff season with the Breakers this year, but health concerns, particularly with his hip, have led him to step away at 33. It is early, of course, and we expect that as we move further into the offseason, we will get both additional cuts from team rosters and additional players who are opting to step away from the game. As always, we will report on both developments through our offseason reports. Two games next week, both with some significant injury news that could impact play. NSH HB Cedric Cobbs (OUT), T Jon Stinchcomb (D), LB Terrell Suggs (Q), TE Justin Peele (Q) PHI T Jaimie Thomas (OUT), T Ken Shackleford (D), LB Ben Leber (P) Philadelphia had a strong game this week, but losing OT Ken Shackleford will be a blow to the Stars as they take on Nashville’s defense. The Knights are also hoping that Terrell Suggs might just be able to make an appearance, perhaps on a “pitch count”, with limited snaps. PIT HB DeShaun Foster (OUT), DT Dan Klecko (OUT), G Trevor Canfield (D) HOU No Injuries to Report Houston’s health advantage has certainly been a story this offseason, and while Pittsburgh found a way to cope with the absence of DeShaun Foster against Chicago, they have to be concerned after seeing how dominant the Houston offense was against Denver’s higher-ranked defense. If the Maulers get into a shootout with Houston, they will struggle to keep pace. Could USFL Really Expand Again? With expansion on the agenda for the upcoming USFL Owners’ Meeting, the question is being asked, could the USFL truly expand again. Let’s look at the pros and cons, and just where we think the USFL could and perhaps should add teams. First things first, it should be acknowledged that there is a very good chance that the USFL owners will do as they have done in the past and set a date in the future as the earliest date to again discuss expansion. This is what happened after both the 1987 and 1995 expansions, when the the owners, in an effort to solidify the current league, set up a date no less than 6 years out before which the topic would not be broached and expansion would not be debated. While we could see this happening once again, and for the very same reasons as in the past, in an effort to ensure the competitive and financial balance of all current teams, there are lessons to be learned from both 1987 and 1995. Perhaps the most damning lesson from both expansions is the fact that delaying or postponing expansion options was a contributing factor in seeing franchises relocate, which arguably creates more issues for the league than an expansion would. After the 1987 expansion, St. Louis, left on the outside, successfully wooed the LA Express to town, leaving the league without a team in the 2nd largest market in the USA. After the 1995 expansion wave repopulated LA and added teams in Atlanta, Columbus, and Seattle, we again saw some of the cities that did not obtain a club continue to work to acquire a USFL franchise. While the relocations of the Atlanta Fire to Boston, the Thunder to Las Vegas, or the St. Louis Knights to Nashville cannot entirely be attributed to the lack of expansion opportunities (each having its own internal dynamics), the fact that there always seem to be cities with stadia waiting, money available, and owners itching to invest does play a part in the pattern of relocations. We believe the league would like to avoid further relocations, and while another round of expansion from 28 to 30 teams would not guarantee that no team ever looks for greener pastures, it does eliminate the biggest temptation in that the cities with the best opportunities, and the ownership groups already open to footing the bill, would be removed. But the honest fact is that another factor has to be the solidification of the most recent expansion clubs. When we look at the 1995 expansion, one of the reasons the original Atlanta Fire ended up relocating is because their lack of on-field development kept their revenue down. Yes, there were other factors (choosing an outdoor stadium in Atlanta for games in the heat of summer was not ideal), but Atlanta’s lack of early success also helped depress the club’s value and profitability. The same concern could exist already for at least one of the clubs added between 2006 and 2008. St. Louis, now on its 2nd team, has failed to avoid the basement in its division in each of its 5 seasons, and has had 10 or more losses each year. Attendance has dipped, and there are concerns that once again the Gateway City will be a prime location for a poaching by an out-of-town interest. While Atlanta, Charlotte, and Portland have seen more success on the field, none of the three are out of the woods yet when it comes to long term viability. The debate now becomes whether it is riskier for the league to expand again at this time, stretching the talent pool even thinner or to hold off expansion and risk the possibility that a franchise (or several) will find themselves hemorrhaging money and seeking a quick solution with a sale and relocation to a new market. And there is no shortage of potential markets out there. We are all aware of the investment group out of Dallas, known as Destination Dallas and fronted by tech billionaire Mark Cuban, but that is just one of several potential groups trying to bring USFL football to town. Not all are well organized, or well-financed at this point, but as with Dallas, all it takes is for one big fish to join the school and a group that may have looked like a non-factor can become a major player. USFL owners are, after all, businessmen, and that means that if a deal is out there, and if conditions are right, a sale and relocation can become a very attractive alternative to the rigors of owning a professional sports franchise, and the headaches it can produce. An owner who can make a tidy profit by selling a club, even if relocation of a team alienates that owner in his home market, is going to be tempted to take the money and run. That is what the USFL fears, as relocation creates an image of instability, which is never good on the sponsorship side, and market shifts can force renegotiation of media deals, which can get very messy. We mentioned Dallas, and they are the city and investment group that is certainly triggering the discussion, but they are certainly not the only market or group hoping to find a way into the club. As a primer for the discussion on expansion and/or relocation, here is our list of the 8 markets that could be in discussion for the USFL as the owners look over the landscape. 1—Dallas: The obvious one, with a well-monied and well-organized bidding group and a stadium just begging for a franchise. The Destination Dallas Group has already been working with the city of Dallas to get renovations made to the Cotton Bowl to turn it from an occasional college bowl venue into a viable top tier USFL stadium. There is already considerable talk that if expansion is not a viable option within 3-4 years, that this group will start to branch out and speak with ownership of several existing franchises in hopes of bringing a team to Dallas sooner rather than later. 2—Miami: Can Florida really have 4 USFL clubs? That does feel like a stretch, but with all 3 of the current Florida teams doing quite well on both the attendance and financial side of the equation, the argument is there that Florida is prime USFL territory. With two viable stadiums in the city (Orange Bowl and Joe Robbie) as well as the option to expand FIU’s stadium in Fort Lauderdale, there is no shortage of venues. And while it seems very unlikely that one of the existing Florida franchises would relocate within the state, there are certainly other franchises that might be available for the right price. 3—Kansas City: A great football town, and a region that is somewhat under-represented. Kansas City has two big things going against it as an expansion site and as a potential relocation bid. First is size. KC is not a small market, but it is also not a high population, high visibility market like Dallas or Miami. There would be almost no benefit to the league to have a team in the city other than adding a 5th Southwest franchise. Now, if, for example a team from a smaller market were to make the move, that would be acceptable, we believe, so if, for example St. Louis were to continue to struggle, we could see them heading across the state. But what the league would not want is for a larger market club, someone like Boston, whose stadium issues are well known, to head to a much smaller market in KC. The other issue, and a pretty obvious one, is stadium use. Arrowhead Stadium is the only venue in town, and that would mean cutting a deal with Lamar Hunt and the NFL to get access. That could be possible, but would almost certainly guarantee that the USFL club would be a secondary tenant and get less agreeable terms as it relates to revenue from parking, tickets, and concessions. Not ideal by any measure. 4—San Diego: A larger market than KC, but also a 1-stadium site, and the stadium is by no means ideal. Qualcomm Stadium has history, but it also has issues. The NFL Chargers have been pushing for renovation for quite a while, and are running into a brick wall with every initiative. While adding another team to southern California is attractive, and adding a major market like San Diego would help with TV revenue, there is a belief that having LA in a pretty solid position is more important than adding a new market, and, unless the situation with Qualcomm improves, the city could be a low priority for the league. 5—Twin Cities: This has been a region of interest for the USFL for a long time. The Midwest is somewhat underrepresented among the USFL roster of teams, with only Chicago, Michigan, Ohio, and arguably St. Louis represented. Compare that to the NFL which has 8 franchises of its 32 in the region (Chicago, Green Bay, Detroit, Minnesota, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Indianapolis). Adding a team in the upper Midwest would make a lot of sense, and the Twin Cities seems the best option there. Again, stadium issues would be a concern, though we could see the USFL accepting a deal with the University of Minnesota to play in their outdoor venue rather than trying to share the aging Metrodome with the Vikings and Twins. Ownership has not emerged out of the region to make an offer yet, but if expansion is on the table, we could see the area being an attractive market to target. 6—Virginia Beach/Norfolk: A contender in for one of the 2008 teams, this would be a “virgin” market for the league and for top tier professional sports. Currently the Tidewater or Hampton Roads region is the largest population area without a top tier sports franchise. There was an ownership group ready to go for 2008, so we could imagine one forming again if the opportunity arose. The biggest issue is that there is simply no stadium in place in the region which could even be quickly converted to meet USFL capacity needs, much less fitting the profile of a first class facility, with all the bells, whistles and luxury suites the USFL would want to see. That largely sunk the 2008 bid, and could be a factor in any future bid as well. 7—Oklahoma City: A growing region and city, with a growing sports profile after the arrival of the NBA Thunder. There have been talks in the city of building a football facility that would serve as both a neutral site for major college football games (think OU-OSU) but which could also be a viable USFL location. There is certainly no shortage of football enthusiasm in the region, but it is a small market, one that simply would not add any value to the TV deals that keep the USFL viable. 8—Toronto: The USFL, like the NFL, has been intrigued by expansion into Canada, but has been very hesitant to cross paths with the CFL and, very likely, the Canadian government. As we saw back in the 1970’s with the World Football League, there is serious interest in Canada for preserving the Canadian version of the game and the CFL in particular. Expansion into Canada, while attractive due to the sheer size of the Toronto (and Ontario) market, would almost certainly result in major legal and political opposition, something both leagues have been very cognizant of and very leary of provoking. It is a huge market, and a potentially lucrative one, but as long as the threat of legal opposition exists, it may be more of a false hope than a real option. One last comment about expansion. As we saw with Chicago in 1987, Los Angeles in 1995, and both St. Louis and Atlanta in 2006, the trend of the USFL has been to use expansion to replace teams in cities devastated by relocation. If the league opts to delay expansion once again, that could very well be the scenario once again. If Dallas, for example, were able to lure away a team from a current USFL city, history tells us that the league will do what it can to repopulate that city with a new franchise. It certainly cannot be guaranteed, but that is the track record which has been established already. #2 Nashville (10-6) @ #1 Philadelphia (11-5) Sunday, July 25 @ 2pm ET Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA Vegas Line: Philadelphia -5 The Stars are heavy favorites to make their sixth appearance in the Summer Bowl, their first since a 27-20 defeat at the hands of Denver in 2000. Kurt Warner, Steve Smith, and Steve Slaton will take on a Knight defense that has proven effective all year long. Nashville knocked off Atlanta thanks to that defense, and now they head on the road to Lincoln Financial Field to try to rein in the Stars. Philadelphia has their own top-ranked defense, and enough firepower on offense to be a tough out for the visiting Knights. In Kurt Warner they have a potential MVP candidate, and they can balance out the offense thanks to the emergence of Steve Slaton as a 1,000 yard rusher. Speaking of 1,000 yard rushers, Frank Gore will almost certainly be the focal point of Philadelphia’s defense. When he gets rolling early, the entire playbook opens up for Nashville, but if he can be contained, it reduces the effectiveness of Nashville’s play action game and forces Jay Cutler to stand in the pocket and take a lot of hits. Not a mobile QB, Cutler is susceptible to the rush, so Nashville needs to find a way to protect him by developing a solid run game early. OUR PICK: We think Las Vegas got it right. We are going with Philadelphia to find gaps in the Nashville defense. Look for Warner to take a few shots early to Smith, and then that Philly defense will lock in on Frank Gore and make Nashville work for every yard. Our pick is Stars over Knights 24-18. #2 Pittsburgh (9-6-1) @ #1 Houston (12-4) Sunday, July 25 @ 7pm ET NRG Stadium, Houston, TX Vegas Line: Houston -8 That is a huge line that Las Vegas has put out, a sign that all the action in the sports books has been on the Gamblers. Houston has won 10 games in a row, and have seemed to get stronger with each win. Their demolition of the Denver Gold has impressed both bettors and pundits. It certainly has impressed us as ell. Matt Hasselbeck has worked himself into the MVP conversation, leading the league in both passing yards and touchdowns, and the Houston D is also a pretty serious group, led by long-time standout DE Kavika Pittman, with a burst of new energy with the arrival of James Farrior from Baltimore. So what is Pittsburgh’s best shot against the juggernaut Gamblers? They have to find a way to develop a run game with Kenny Watson. Watson has been solid in relief of the injured DeShaun Foster, but he will need to take it up to a new level in order for the Maulers to keep pace with what we expect to be a fast-paced and explosive Houston offense. The defense will need to focus on Hasselbeck and the passing game, which means that we could see a big game from HB Shaun Alexander. That may actually be the best possible option for the Maulers, forcing Houston to use the run game to slowly make their way down the field. If Pittsburgh can shorten the game by forcing the run and using their own run game to keep that clock ticking, they could find themselves in a close game, and in that case a takeaway or two could be the difference. If the game becomes a shootout, that falls right into Houston’s wheelhouse, and would be a disaster for the low-scoring Maulers. OUR PICK: We are again going to go with the favorites. When you can win as many games in a row as the Gamblers have, it means you are not just good, but you have momentum and luck on your side. We were surprised by Pittsburgh’s success this year, and they certainly have a lot to be proud of, but this Houston team is looking very much like a team of destiny, and we are not going to pick against that. Our pick is Houston 31-20.

Denver played angry, Washington played smart, Chicago played nasty, and Atlanta played with composure, and that has moved all four on to the next round of the playoffs. The Wild Card round saw four very different games, with only one (Atlanta-New Orleans) kept within a single score. The Machine rolled over a dispirited Oakland squad. Washington just had too much for the Blitz as they rolled to a 24-3 halftime lead and never let up. Denver played with fire in their eyes and took Las Vegas out early, while the Fire exploded out of the gate and then hung on as Eli Manning and the Breakers kept battling back. It was a fun weekend of playoff football, and it sets up a divisional round that could be non-stop energy on the field, with 3 out of 4 divisional playoff games being between divisional foes. We will lay out what happened last week, look ahead to this week, and give you updates on retirements, the coaching searches in Ohio and Tampa, and the upcoming league meetings. All this week in This is the USFL. NEW ORLEANS 16 ATLANTA 19 An explosive first quarter was followed by three much quieter periods as both defenses settled down and the Atlanta Fire held their lead through the remaining 45 minutes of action to take their first ever playoff victory. HB Darren McFadden came up big with 117 yards rushing and a score as Atlanta took a 16-9 lead into the half and never looked back. The first quarter seemed to portend a high-scoring game but after 3 TDs in the opening period, there was only 1 more the rest of the game. The game opened with Atlanta scoring on their initial drive, Kyle Orton connecting with rookie Demaryius Thomas for the score to open the game. New Orleans responded 4 minutes later when Chris Cooley caught a 5-yard scoring strike from Eli Manning. But, the game turned to Atlanta with a 2nd scoring drive that saw McFadden rush the ball 5 times for 39 yards on the 72-yard push. He finished the drive with a 5-yard run to paydirt and Atlanta took the lead, a lead they would hold the rest of the game. The 2nd quarter saw 4 points scored, as field position battles led to a safety for each team (the first time that two teams have scored only a safety in any quarter in USFL history. In the 3rd, Atlanta added 3 more to their lead, going up 19-9. New Orleans would not give up and with 3:27 left in the game, they got back to within 3 thanks to a Manning to LaFell pass that got them back in the endzone. Down by 3 with over 3 minutes left, the Breakers decided to play the field position game, trusting their defense, and kicked the ball away to the Fire. That proved to be a miscalculation as Atlanta was able to ride McFadden to two first downs, draining the clock all the way down to the final whistle. The Fire win their first ever playoff game in franchise history, and the Breakers again come up short in the postseason. CHICAGO 37 OAKLAND 17 The Oakland Invaders, with Joey Harrington still sidelined, simply did not have enough to overtake the Chicago Machine. Chicago built up a 24-10 lead, largely on the strong performance of HB Michael Turner (144 yards rushing on the day), and cruised to a comfortable 20-point win in Oakland. Chicago got 2 TDs from short-yardage specialist Maurice Clarett, added TDs from Tate to Anthony Fasano and rookie Golden Tate, and kept Oakland on their heels all game, limiting the home team to 1 third down conversion in 12 attempts. Bo Volek did what he could (20 of 36 for 225 and 2 TDs) but with the Chicago front 7 limiting Ricky Williams to only 40 yards on 16 carries, the Oakland offense just did not have the capacity to keep pace with Chicago. BALTIMORE 17 WASHINGTON 31 Duece McCallister may not have been in the hunt for the rushing lead this season, but he certainly proved his worth in this game, rushing for 141 yards on only 16 carries, and adding a TD to boot. McCallister helped Washington stay on track even after David Garrard was knocked out of the game. Kudos as well to backup Joe Webb, who came off the bench and played heroically, going 13 of 19 for 143 and finding both Deion Branch and Eddie Kennison for touchdowns as the Federals built up a 24-3 lead int the first half and then hung on and ran down the time for Baltimore. Two early picks by Ben Roethlisberger, one on a tipped ball, one just a bad throw, helped Washington build up the early lead, and the deep hole meant that Ron Dayne simply was not as useful as the Blitz would have liked. Washington played most of the second half in nickel and dime packages, daring Baltimore to use the run and run down the clock. The strategy was effective, and the Federals took this one and advance to a matchup against another division foe next week, when they head to Philly to face the Stars. LAS VEGAS 10 DENVER 29 Denver came into this game still fuming about the league’s late reversal of their status as division champs and the stunning turn that forced them to play a Wild Card game in the first place. They took that fury out on the Thunder, forcing three turnovers (2 Plummer picks and a fumble) and building up a 13-0 lead which became a 19-3 halftime advantage. Las Vegas tried their best to stay in the game, but at every turn Denver simply refused to give an inch. The combo of Hicks and Ringer combined for 111 yards and a score, while Plummer was held to 23 of 45 passing and gave up two costly interceptions. Denver now goes on to face the Houston Gamblers, and we expect that their anger at the league’s late announcement of status prior to Week 16 will fuel them once again as they face the team that “stole” their division crown and their bye week. Should be a good one. Tampa Bay Wastes No Time Finding Coach Well, that did not take long. It seems clear that the Bandits had significant advance notice of Steve Spurrier’s retirement plans and were working behind the scenes to study options, because they took less than a full week before announcing that they had found their man, and he comes to Tampa Bay with a last name that Florida football teams will be sure to recognize. This Monday the Bandits introduced Mike Shula as their next head coach. Son of the legendary Dolphins’ head coach Don Shula, Mike has been making a name for himself as an offensive coordinator and QB guru since retiring from the USFL as a player. Shula, who played 10 seasons as a backup with the Texas Outlaws and Jacksonville Bulls, starting only 3 games in his career, left the field for the coaching staff at Alabama. He started as a grad assistant at his alma mater, before taking on the role of QB Coach, eventually signing on to serve in that capacity for his father’s team, the Miami Dolphins. From there he returned to Alabama, this time as Offensive Coordinator, even taking on the interim head coach position in 2008. Returning to the USFL with the Orlando Renegades, Shula again served as OC. He comes to Tampa Bay as a true son of Florida football and will now have his first shot as a head coach in the spring league. Many are taking the signing of Shula as a sign that the Daunte Culpepper era is perhaps going to be short lived moving forward. Known for his work with young QB’s, Shula could be positioned to help usher in a new era for the Bandits perhaps with a new QB coming along in the next year or two. Tampa Bay does have the territorial rights to Florida State, which could be a sign that the Bandits are looking long and hard at Christian Ponder as a potential target this offseason. Having Shula on board might be a tip of the hat to the young QB that the team is serious about building an offense around a young QB. Ohio Interviews Three for Open Position While Tampa Bay jumped right into their signing, Ohio is taking a more patient approach. Word is out from Columbus this week that the Glory will be scheduling interviews with several coaches over the next few weeks. This is to include Baltimore DC Bart Andrus, Seattle OC Jeremy Bates, and former Texas head coach Norv Turner. Expect Ohio to interview at least 5-6 candidates before settling on a new coach. Whoever that coach is, he will need to deal with a roster in a major rebuild mode after the retirements of Kerry Collins in 2009 and Eddie George just this week. Ohio is expected to make a major push to bring in a new QB, but whether that will be a rookie through the draft or a veteran like Jake Delhomme may very well depend on just who the coach is and what his preference for a restart for the Ohio offense looks like. Retirements Alter Offseason Plans Across the League One week into the offseason and the retirement announcements have begun in earnest. While there are some players who linger over the decision or wait until the strains of camp in February to make a determination, every year we see a good number of players who know now that they will not be back the following year, and we get a spate of announcements over the first few weeks of the postseason and offseason, informing us who will not be returning for another year. For 2010 this wave has already included some pretty noteworthy names. Here is our list of the retirements of note already announced this week. Eddie George, HB-OHIO: An Ohio State Buckeye who would stay in Columbus for his entire pro career, George retires after 14 seasons in the USFL as a 2-time league champion, two time USFL offensive player of the year, and 6-time All-USFL nominee. We fully expect George to be wearing a gold jacket in 2015 as a first ballot entrant. He finishes his illustrious career with over 16,000 yards rushing (16,265) and 102 career touchdowns. Mike Rucker, DE-BIR: The all-time sack leader for the Stallions, Mike Rucker retires at the age of 35 with 11 consecutive 10+ sack seasons as his legacy. In 12 seasons of action as a member of the Birmingham Stallions, Mike Rucker garnered 199 sacks, an average of 15.5 sacks per year, truly awesome. Rucker was a 5-time All -USFL nominee, but never saw a championship with the Stallions, often a lone bright spot on some pretty bad defenses. He will leave the field, but not the game as he is returning to his alma mater, Nebraska, to serve as a grad assistant and position coach for the D-line of the Huskers. We have no doubt that we will, at some point, see Rucker patrolling the sidelines as part of a USFL coaching staff. Dan Campbell, TE-TEX: A 12-season veteran of the Gamblers, Monarchs, and Outlaws, Dan Campbell announced his retirement this week after a very nice season in San Antonio. Campbell, who saw his career peak in his first season in Charlotte, finished his career strong, with 94 catches in 2008, 82 in 2009, and 70 with his new club in Texas in 2010. He finishes his career with 607 career catches and 38 career touchdowns. Roosevelt Colvin, LB-POR: Though he played his final season with the Portland Stags, Roosevelt Colvin will forever be remembered as a member of the Oakland Invaders. Colvin joined Oakland out of Purdue in 1999. He would go on to play 11 seasons for the Invaders, making the All-USFL team in 2005 and 2007 and retiring with over 800 career tackles, 29 sacks, and 14 interceptions. Kailee Wong, LB-TEX: Another longstanding member of the Invader linebacking group, Kailee Wong found new life and a new purpose when signing with Texas in 2006. He was named a team captain in his first season with the Outlaws, and would play 5 seasons in San Antonio. Known as a thumper who was never afraid to go for the hit over the tackle, Wong had his best statistical season in 2000, when he amassed 79 tackles in only 7 starts. Leonard Little, DE-MGN: A member of 2008’s USFL title team with the Panthers, Leonard Little has been a staple of the Michigan D-line since coming into the USFL from the NFL in 2002. He had double digit sack totals in both 2005 and 2006, while also building a reputation as a stout run defender at the DE position. He retires in 2010 after 9 USFL seasons. Andre Weathers, CB-BIR: Something of a late bloomer, Weathers only became a starting cornerback with Birmingham iin 2008 after 10 seasons in Washington as a nickel corner and backup. In three seasons in Birmingham, Weathers would start 37 of 43 games, would amass 156 tackles, and 5 interceptions in 2.5 seasons. Karl Williams, WR-ORL: An outstanding return man and a part-time wideout, Karl Williams made a name for himself with the Tampa Bay Bandits before spending 2010 with Orlando. Williams returned both punts and kicks for the Bandits for 8 seasons, returning 2 for scores and averaging 9.4 yards per punt return and 22.6 yards per kick return. As a receiver, he had his best season in 2006, when he caught 37 passes from Daunte Culpepper, amassing 673 yards and 2 scores. Never able to break into the starting lineup as a receiver, he was still a valued member of the special teams in both Tampa and Orlando. While we anticipate many more names will be added to this list, particularly once the playoffs are completed, we should note one interesting name that has not come up yet, that of Ohio wide receiver Joey Galloway. The Glory released Galloway at the end of 2010, with most anticipating an immediate announcement of retirement. Will another team be able to persuade the Ohio State and Ohio Glory standout to give it a go, in the style of Jerry Rice with the Raiders? Free Agents from Baltimore, Las Vegas, New Orleans, and Oakland Hit the Pool With four eliminations from the Wild Card round, four sets of unsigned players now hit the free agency pool. Some interesting names from the Blitz, Thunder, Breakers and Invaders as we expand the marketplace with these newly-out-of-contract additions. Baltimore: Among the newly released Blitz players we find QB Mike McMahon, kicker Martin Grammatica, DE Tim Crowder, and veteran Chuck Nwokorie, who may be ready to announce retirement. Center Robbie Tobeck and OT Chuck Rinehart are also now unprotected and available to negotiate when free agency opens next month. Las Vegas: Veteran wideout Derrick Mason leads the list of names from the Thunder who are now on the free agent market. The 34-year old is hoping to catch on with another team. Also released are backup QB Brock Berlin, kicker Shayne Graham, and, after a long, drawn out dispute about contract terms, leading edge rusher for the Thunder, Vonnie Holiday. New Orleans: The Breakers had tried to resign both TE Chris Cooley and backup QB Tim Rattay, but both now join the free market and can look for other offers. Joining them are DT John Thornton and DE Israel Ifeanyi, both of whom are 34 and may find the marketplace a bit harsher than anticipated for older d-linemen. CB Billy Austin, also 34, could be an easier signing if he is ready to take a 1-2 year deal. Oakland: Several players that Oakland had hoped to resign are now free agents, chief among them slot receiver DeSean Jackson. The speedy receiver and return man could be a prime target for teams looking to add explosiveness to their offenses. Also a key target will be safety Pearson Prioleau, an All-USFL player at the position, but one unhappy with Oakland’s lowball offers to date. Also in the Oakland free agent pool we find QB Kevin Kolb, and linebackers Duane Bishop and Joe Odom. Guard Ruben Brown is technically a free agent, but we anticipate a retirement announcement within the next few days as Brown has indicated he is seriously considering stepping away from the game. Four games on the schedule for the Divisional Round and once again injuries could play a factor in the week’s games. Let’s see which games could see the injury list play a part in each team’s chances. ATL: WR David Tyree (OUT), G Red Hadnot (OUT), DE Chris Kelsay (D), CB Charles Woodson (Q) NSH: HB Cedric Cobbs (OUT), LB Terrell Suggs (D), T Jon Stinchcomb (D), LB Keith Burns (Q) Atlanta will certainly miss Chris Kelsay, and if Charles Woodson cannot go, then the Fire could have some issues on defense. The pass rush and the coverage capability of the Fire depend heavily on those two standout players. As for Nashville, missing Terrell Suggs certainly impacts the defense, but they also have to be concerned without Jon Stinchcomb in the lineup to protect Jay Cutler. WSH G Arron Sears (OUT), HB Rod Smart (Q), QB David Garrard (P) PHI T Jaimie Thomas (OUT), LB Ben Leber (Q), G Cooper Carlisle (P) Washington is confident that David Garrard can play this weekend. If he cannot, well, that would be huge. For Philadelphia, the offensive line might be a concern, but that is one of the deeper groups on the team, so expect the Stars to plug and play with backups. CHI CB Reggie Smith (OUT) PIT HB DeShaun Foster (OUT), DT Dan Klecko (OUT), T Daniel Loper (P) Chicago is in a strong position, with only Smith on the injury report. For Pittsburgh, DeShaun Foster is the biggest loss, but don’t underestimate what it means for the Maulers’ ability to rein in Michael Turner without Dan Klecko. Seems like a clear advantage for Chicago there. DEN DE Kamerion Wemberley (OUT), TE Daniel Graham (Q), LB Dat Nguyen (Q) HOU No Injuries to Report Denver could be without two of their top defenders with both Dat Nguyen and Kamerion Wemberley both expected to miss the game. When you compare that with Houston’s clean injury report, the advantage definitely goes to the Gamblers. September Owner’s Meeting to Focus on Playoffs, Expansion, & Revenue Sharing The league owner’s meeting for Fall has been scheduled for September 6-9 and the league has released several items related to the topics of focus for the meeting. In addition to the usual annual reports from the Competition, Media Rights, and Finance committees, the agenda will include three topics of interest to fans of the league. The first is discussion making the 14-team playoff format used in the strike-shortened 2009 season a permanent fixture in the league, essentially increasing playoff participation to exactly ½ of the league, up from the current 12-team format. The second is a discussion regarding potential expansion to 30 teams. Spurred largely by the pressure being put on by outside investment groups such as Destination Dallas, as well as groups representing San Diego, Miami, and the Twin Cities, the owners will discuss a timeline for future expansion. This could be pivotal as while there is a general consensus that building to 30 teams would be beneficial to the league, allowing for 6 equally-sized divisions of 5 clubs each, the question of timing is very much up for debate. While, on the one hand, there is concern that another round of expansion too quickly will disrupt the progress and integration of the four 2006 and 2008 expansion clubs, there is almost an equally compelling argument for a more proximate expansion, as it appears that several potential ownership groups are willing to consider purchase and relocation of existing franchises if expansion is not on the table sooner rather than later. If the owners wish to avoid the potential disruption that franchise relocations can cause to the league, they may lean towards a more proximate round of expansion from 28 to 30 teams simply to minimize the risk. The third topic for discussion will be the league’s revenue sharing plan. Expect broad support to increase the attendance requirement from 30,000 to 33,000 or even 35,000 as the expectation for a team to achieve full access to the league’s extensive revenue sharing model. Currently it sits at 30,000 which even the teams stuck with smaller venues have been able to reach in recent years. We have seen a few teams dip below that threshold for short stints, but rarely has it been more than a 1-year situation, which likely will spur the league to increase the requirement, hoping to spur all teams on to more effective ticket sales and higher overall attendance, a boon to the television contracts as well as the bottom line. With the vast majority of the shared revenue coming from a combination of television and sponsorship contracts, the key to obtaining higher revenue league wide is keeping the networks, as well as the sponsors, happy with overall attendance and viewership numbers. It is, of course, possible that one of the committee reports will spur additional items, including possible rule changes from the Competition Committee, but with these three items on the schedule for the September meetings, the docket will certainly be packed as it is. Three divisional rivalry matchups and a battle for the South are what we have in our divisional round of playoffs. This week could be one of the most fun weeks of playoff football we have seen in a while, because these are teams that already don’t like each other very much. These teams know each other well and will be playing a game of chess on the field. Should make for some close games, some intense games, and some real fun for fans. Don’t miss this week of playoff football because we think you will be missing a lot. #3 Atlanta (9-7) @ #2 Nashville (10-6) Saturday, July 17 @ 3pm ET Adelphia Stadium, Nashville, TN The only non-divisional matchup, but it is still a battle of Tennessee and Georgia, so the rivalry is already there. Atlanta brings in both a top 10 scoring offense and a top 10 scoring defense, so they can beat you in a variety of ways. Josh Reed has had a monster season, so he will have to be a focal point for the Nashville defense. As for the Knights. They too have both a top 10 offense and a top 10 defense, and while they will be keying on Reed, the Fire will want to focus their attention on Frank Gore. Slow down the Nashville run game and you can disrupt the entire offense. Our Pick: Nashville certainly has more experience in this matchup, and they have had a week of rest as well, so we give the edge to the home team. Atlanta has been a tough matchup all year, but we think the defense that Jim Johnson has built aligns well with the Fire’s strengths, so we think it may be tough for Atlanta to put up points. Nashville has a bit more of a one-note offense, so they too may find their offense a bit stifled. Should be a tough, close, low-scoring matchup, but we feel like Jim Johnson has the edge when it comes to the strategic battle, so we pick Nashville to win: 17-13 Knights. #6 Chicago (9=7) @ #2 Pittsburgh (9-6-1) Saturday, July 17 @ 7pm ET Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, PA While not the biggest rivalry in the Central Division (Chicago-Michigan and Pittsburgh-Ohio are more intense), this is still a battle of two teams who know each other very well. The Machine won both regular season battles, with a combined score of 44-23, but we all know how hard it is to beat the same team 3 times in a season. Both teams also lost their final two regular season games. Chicago got a rebound last week, beating the hobbled Invaders, while Pittsburgh benefited from a bye week. We think that advantage actually goes to Chicago. Our Pick: As tough as it is to win 3 in a row, the combination of experience, leadership, and on-field talent, especially with DeShaun Foster out for the year, has to go to Chicago. The Maulers will play tough at home, but we are just not seeing the offensive capacity for them to outduel the Machine. Our pick is Chicago, 23-16. #4 Washington (10-6) @ #1 Philadelphia (11-3) Sunday, July 18 @ 12pm ET Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA Man, this one should be fun. The two split their series this year, and both are coming into the postseaos with a chip on their shoulders. Washington is the #4 rated scoring offense, and they can beat you on the ground with Deuce McCallister’s and QB David Garrard’s legs. Philadelphia wants to have balance, with Steve Slaton opening up the field and Kurt Warner taking advantage. The advantage on defense is with the Stars, whose 5th rated scoring defense is also the #1 defense against the run. That is key. If they can contain McCallister, and keep Garrard in the pocket, we think they will outlast the Feds. Washington has to find a way to move Philadelphia on first and second down if they want to have a shot. Our Pick: We like the Stars here. They have a veteran QB, with plenty of playoff experience, a defense designed to limit big plays and hold down the run, and a wild card in Steve Smith, who tends to play big in big games. Philadelphia 27-21 #4 Denver (12-4) @ #1 Houston (12-4) Sunday, July 18 @ 4pm ET NRG Stadium, Houston, TX This one could be a war. Denver is still fuming about the league’s blunder and their failure to capture the #1 seed. A lot of that anger is targeted squarely at Houston. But the Gamblers had nothing to do with that except taking advantage of the issue by winning 10 in a row. The Gambler’s last dropped a game back in Week 6 (Philadelphia), which was in April. They have the #2 offense in scoring (#1 in yards) and they can beat you on the ground with Shaun Alexander, or in the air with Matt Hasselbeck and a diversified passing attack. Denver relies more heavily on the ground assault, using both Javon Ringer and Maurice Hicks to batter defenses into submission and to free up Matt Leinart with play action. They also have the #1 rated scoring defense, so don’t expect Houston to just run all over them. They make good decisions on both sides of the ball, and while they are not a very explosive team, they will wear you down over time. Our Pick: As impressed as we are by Houston’s win streak, a streak that included a 21-14 victory over the Gold, we think Denver comes into this game with a huge attitude and a lot of fire. They will be playing their best ball, and they will be gunning for the Gamblers. We think that gives them the extra push that a road team needs to win in the playoffs. Our pick is Denver, 18-14.

Controversy mars the USFL’s final weeks as the Denver Gold are informed on Thursday, only 3 days before their season finale, that errors had been made in the calculation of seedings and that a loss, paired with a Houston win could produce not only a loss of the #1 seed, but a loss of the SW Division title. Across the league, two legendary coaches say goodbye, while a spate upsets and spoiler games impact the playoff pool with several key losses keeping teams from reaching the postseason. Meanwhile, Washington makes an emphatic statement about their status as contenders, Nashville wins the Southern title once again, and the Las Vegas Thunder win on the road to lock up a playoff berth. We will start with the scores, then review the bizarre situation surrounding the Denver Gold and their status. We will provide the scores in the order of the weekend’s games so you can follow along just as fans did all weekend. BOSTON 15 OHIO 16 Coach Luginbill goes out with a win as the Glory eke out a 1-point victory against the Cannons. Rookie Tony Pike threw for 121 and Eddie George rushed for 103 as the Glory say goodbye to their longstanding head coach. Coach Luginbill announced his resignation in the post-game press conference, tearing up as he said that it was time to move on and wishing the organization and their fans well. CHARLOTTE 38 TAMPA BAY 14 Not quite as storybook a finale for Coach Spurrier as the Carolina Monarchs spoiled his going away party. QB John David Booty got the start for Charlotte and went 21 of 30 for 219 yards as he plays for a chance to be the starter in 2011. The Monarchs sacked Daunte Culpepper 5 times and got TDs from both Fred Jackson and Robert Edwards as they handily defeated the Bandits. MEMPHIS 24 BIRMINGHAM 14 Cadillac Williams rushed for 112 and Shonn Greene added two TD runs as the Showboats won a less-than-high-stakes rivalry game with the Stallions. Birmingham went with Anthony Wright at QB as they are clearly viewing the position as a priority for the offseason. The Stallions finish the year with the worst record in the league, and therefore will have first shot at a QB in the Open Draft if they so choose. NASHVILLE 20 NEW ORLEANS 10 For the second year in a row the Breakers and Knights meet on the final week to determine who will win the Southern Division, and for a second year in a row, Nashville emerges victorious. Robert Meachem had a big day with 7 receptions for 118 yards, including the go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter. Down 10-6, Nashville scored the only points of the second half as they shut down Eli Manning and the Breakers in New Orleans to claim the title. TEXAS 16 ARIZONA 23 The 4pm games highlighted the three teams that all sought a chance to earn a Wild Card berth with a win and a Las Vegas loss. All three would lose to non-playoff spoilers, ensuring that Las Vegas would make the postseason even before the Thunder faced off with Oakland on Sunday. Arizona did in the Texas Outlaws in the desert, using 96 yards from LaDainian Tomlinson and a defense that picked off Joe Flacco twice to spoil the day for the visitors from Texas. SEATTLE 34 PORTLAND 24 Portland faced a rival at home on the season’s final week, and the Seattle Dragons treated this game as their Summer Bowl, upending the Stags to knock Portland out of playoff contention. Byron Leftwich threw for 264 and wo scores, both to Nate Burleson, as Seattle outpaced the Stags, thanks in part to 2 picks of A. J. Feeley. Portland drew the game to 27-24 early in the 4th, but a LaDell Betts TD run with 4:14 left, made it a 2-score game and the Stags simply could not find it in themselves to come back. MICHIGAN 21 LOS ANGELES 37 Michigan was the third victim of spoilers on this Saturday, traveling out to LA and taking a loss to the Express. The Panthers went with Tyler Thigpen again at QB, and he had a solid outing with 3 TDs and a 22 of 35 day, but Mark Sanchez and the Express outperformed the Panthers. Sanchez threw for 3 scores and got help from the combo of Ray Rice and Maurice Morris, who added 115 yards rushing as LA earned their 5th win and removed any shot Michigan had of a playoff spot. CHICAGO 17 ST. LOUIS 31 Chicago needed a win and a Pittsburgh loss to claim the Central crown, but early on Sunday they got neither. St. Louis got 93 yards and 2 scores from Antowain Smith as the Skyhawks earned their 5th win on the season, a franchise best in their first year under first year coach Bruce Arians. Chicago’s offense was out of synch all game, accounting for only 10 points, while St. Louis found ways to turn Chicago miscues into points. The loss means Chicago could only earn a Wild Card berth and will travel for their first playoff game. PITTSBURGH 16 HOUSTON 33 With Chicago losing, the pressure was off Pittsburgh, which turned out to be a good thing as Houston was in no mood to be generous. Having received news that the SW Division and the top seed in the playoffs was not yet settled, the Gamblers went for blood, and they dominated the Maulers to win their 10th game in a row, and possibly a lot more. PHILADELPHIA 22 ORLANDO 21 Coach Harbaugh said he wanted to use this game as a tune up for the postseason, while Orlando needed a win to have a shot in the SE Division. For most of the game it looked like Orlando would get their wish. They built up a 21-9 lead through three quarters, but with all the starters still in the game for the Stars, Philadelphia rallied in the 4th, getting two Warner to Dallas Clark TD’s in the final period to upend the Renegades. Orlando finishes 8-8 and out of playoff contention, while Philadelphia goes into their bye week with a new confidence that they can recover from a slow start. BALTIMORE 7 DENVER 6 Denver, still reeling from the late news that their final game was not a meaningless affair, struggled to move the ball and were limited by Baltimore to two field goals. The Blitz were happy to take on the flustered Gold and use a win to lock up a Wild Card berth in the East. The only TD of the game, an Antonio Pittman 3-yard TD run, was enough for the Blitz to edge the Gold. The loss was doubly painful for Denver, as they lost not only the top seed in the postseason, but their division title as well. WASHINGTON 19 NEW JERSEY 9 New Jersey needed a win to find themselves in the Wild Card hunt, but Washington could not afford to lose this one and they played like it was already the playoffs. Deuce McCallister was dominant with a 167 yard performance, averaging 7 yards per carry. The Federal defense was equally as dominant, holding Maurice Jones-Drew to only 27 yards rushing and sacking Sam Bradford 5 times. The loss removed any Wild Card chances from New Jersey and gave the final playoff spot to the New Orleans Breakers. LAS VEGAS 16 OAKLAND 6 Losses by Portland, Michigan, and Texas on Saturday meant that Las Vegas was already guaranteed the 6th and final playoff spot in the West, but the Thunder wanted to win this game regardless of the playoff situation. They sent Oakland to a 4th straight defeat, an ominous sign for the postseason, as Jake Plummer went 21 of 27 for 173 yards and Marshawn Lynch rushed for 80 more on the day. The Thunder defense took care of business as well, limiting Bob Volek to only 7 of 25 for 39 total yards passing on a miserable day for the Invader offense. Controversy as Denver Loses Their Top Seed Lock 2 Days Before Game It was the story of the week, perhaps of the season, as the league, only 3 days before their season finale with Baltimore, notified the Denver Gold that miscalculations of the tie breakers had falsely caused the league office to declare the Gold both champions of the Southwest Division and the #1 seed prematurely. Denver Gold officials were notified by the league on Thursday afternoon that a combination of a Denver loss and a Houston win could, in fact, lead to Houston, not Denver taking both titles. Apparently somehow the order of tie breakers had been confused by league officials in New York, an error which had caused the league to declare Denver the winner of the SW Division, and the top seed in the West last week, when, in fact, the third tiebreaker should have broken for Houston and not the Gold. Having prepared all week to rest many of their starters, Denver coaches and front office staff lashed back at the league. Their club would have to prepare to face the Baltimore Blitz on Sunday with only 2 days of practice with many of their starters, including QB Matt Leinart, who had been given permission to return home to LA for several days during the week. The team now had to scramble to face Baltimore with both their division title and bye week on the line. The result, as you saw above, was not pretty, and the loss at home to the Blitz, a loss the Gold had initially believed they could absorb with no impact on their playoff status, instead cost them home field, a bye week, and a division title. Instead of having the Wild Card week off as the West’s #1 seed, Denver would now have to prepare to host a Wild Card matchup against Las Vegas this weekend. Calls for the league to reverse the decision were met with silence from the league office. Cries of unfair practices, and a psychologically damning impact on the team were also unanswered by the league. It appears that while technically the right results were put in place with Houston becoming the new #1 seed, the results of the week, and the final outcome, were absolutely and unequivocally impacted by the very late notice of the league’s error. This offers no solace to the Gold, who went from a celebratory mood to one of deep anxiety and frustration with the league. The club is now calling on the league to discipline the data analytics team that was responsible for calculating all the playoff scenarios and informing both teams and the public in general of the permutations still in play. Denver officials, almost certainly rightfully claim that had the Gold known from Week 14 on that their season was still in question, they would have certainly prepared differently for both their Week 15 and Week 16 contests. The starters would have been fully engaged in preparation all week prior to the Baltimore game, and the results could have been very different. Meanwhile, the Gold must now prepare to face a very game, and dangerous Las Vegas Thunder squad this weekend. Can they get their minds back into the game and off of the scandal that put them in this situation, or is a very good season in Denver at risk due to something completely out of their control? Luginbill Announces Retirement after Ohio edges Cannons Ohio head coach Al Luginbill made it official on Saturday, speaking to the press after his Glory squad defeated the Boston Cannons in front of 38,505 at Ohio Stadium. The Glory, who finished the year at 4-11-1, by far the worst record for a Luginbill-coached squad. The longstanding coach of the Glory announced is plan to step away from the game. Not exactly a retirement, but a pause to reevaluate his goals, and his passion for the game. Luginbill came to Ohio in 1999 and within 3 seasons had his club poised to make history as the first (and only) undefeated club in league history. He followed that up with a second consecutive Summer Bowl title in 2003. The Glory were based on an offense devised by Luginbill, one predicated on quick decision making by his All-USFL quarterback Kerry Collins and the consistent run game provided by Eddie George. With Collins now retired and George expected to be stepping away soon, Luginbill’s core roster is in transition, and the timing simply seemed right for the coach to step away. He leaves Ohio with a win-loss record of 113-64, the best win percentage of any head coach in league history. Spurrier Sets Off into Sunset as Bandits Fall at Home Saturday marked a milestone for the Tampa Bay Bandits and for their two-time head coach Steve Spurrier. The former U. of Florida and Buccaneers QB officially finished his second term as the head coach of the Tampa Bay Bandits. And while the team could not send him out on a winning note, falling to Charlotte in the season finale to finish the year 7-9, they did not let Spurrier’s departure go without recognition or celebration of his long career with the Bandits. The Bandits, very likely without his endorsement, paused the game at the 2-minute warning to officially recognize Coach Spurrier. The coach waved to the crowd, who gave him a standing ovation as the two teams applauded on the sideline. Spurrier, like Luginbill in Ohio, has stated that he is stepping away from the game, but is not calling this a permanent retirement. Whether the pause will turn into a permanent retirement is still to be seen, but for now the Bandits will be looking for a new leader to return them to playoff contention and, fans hope, a third title. Black Monday Comes & Goes with no Firings A rarity in the world of pro football, a Black Monday with no firings, and yet, that is what we got this year. Aside from the two resignations by Al Luginbill and Steve Spurrier, it appears that there will be no changes on the sidelines of USFL squads this year. While there were several teams who underperformed expectations, teams seem to be taking a patient approach to rebuilding and building a new culture within their organizations. Birmingham, the team with the worst record in the league at 2-14, seems committed to Mike Shanhan as the answer, even if the team has struggled to build an identity in his first two seasons. Several other teams, including Jacksonville, Los Angeles, and and St. Louis, are in the first year with their new head coaches, and are not pulling the trigger after only one year. Perhaps the biggest surprise, and one that some fans are having trouble accepting, is that Memphis is sticking with Jim Haslett despite back to back years with 10+ losses. Following a 4-10 season in 2009, the 5-11 season this year was hardly what Showboat fans were waiting for. Haslett, of course, gets credit for the 2007 Showboat championship, though it was his first year with the team, but the declining results the past two seasons were seen as a potential threat to his job security. It seems that Showboat ownership views their current issues as one tied to inadequate QB play, and yet when we look at the statistics, Jake Delhomme’s season this year was hardly a disaster. The fact that Memphis had one of the league’s worst pass defenses (27th in the league) was certainly as big a factor for their struggles as the lack of offensive explosiveness. With Delhomme now a free agent and Memphis looking to go in a new direction, it seems that ownership has decided to allow Haslett to build the roster he feels can revitalize the club. Many fans may disagree, but at least for now it appears that the club will stay the course and move forward with Haslett at the helm. League Leaders Locked in as Regular Season Comes to a Close With the conclusion of the regular season, the statistical races have also been finalized. Looking across the statistical tables, not a lot of surprises, though certainly some players stepped up in 2010. From budding stars like Josh Reed to veteran standouts like Matt Hasselbeck, this season saw some outstanding performances across the league. Here are the standouts from the 2010 statistical leaders. PASSING: A split result this year, with Matt Hasselbeck taking the titles for passing yards (4,105) and touchdowns (35), while Kurt Warner takes home the title with his 103 QB Rating. The two also helped their teams reach the #1 seed in each conference and must be considered the two frontrunners for this year’s MVP award. RUSHING: T. J. Duckett takes the rushing title, finishing the year with 1,388 yards, besting Baltimore’s Ron Dayne by only 7 yards, and third place finisher Rashard Mendenhall by only 15. Duckett has come close before, finishing 2nd to Deuce McCallister in 2008, but this marks his first time taking home the title. RECEIVING: Two rising stars emerge out of this year’s receiving numbers. Orlando’s Michael Jenkins had himself quite a year, targeted 173 times, he came down with 127 receptions to lead the league. The total put him 5 catches ahead of Chicago’s Donald Driver. Jenkins’s production this year also helped him make his first appearance among the league leaders in receiving yards, finishing fourth behind perennial contenders Donald Driver, Steve Smith, and this year’s league leader, Atlanta wideout Josh Reed. Reed finished the year with 1,476 yards on 91 receptions. Driver, who finished 2nd in both categories, did take home one very important title, leading the league with 14 receiving touchdowns. DEFENSE: No one is shocked to learn that Mike Vrabel led the league in tackles, or that Calais Campbell’s 22 sacks gave him the title as well. Vrabel has been a top tackler for the better part of a decade, with 2010 marking his second title in tackles. He previously won the tackle race in 2004, but the past three years we have seen domination by Brian Urlacher, winning 3 titles in a row. Calais Campbell wins back-to-back sack titles, and while his total of 22 sacks this year is a far cry from his 2009 record of 34, it is certainly a strong year for one of the league’s emerging stars. The total put him 2 ahead of perennial sack master Anthony Weaver of Chicago. Another potential emerging star on Orlando’s talented defense, cornerback Courtland Finnegan led the league with 8 picks, The total put him 2 picks ahead of the closest competitor, Charlotte’s Carlos Rogers, and was paired with an impressive 25 passes defended and 84 tackles, highlighting Finnegan’s skills as both a ball hawk and a solid tackler. With this week’s results, the playoff matchups and seeds are now set. In the East there are no surprises. Philadelphia maintains the #1 seed and home field advantage throughout the playoffs. With their win over the Breakers, Nashville earns the #2 seed and the bye week it provides. Atlanta, with a final week loss, still manages to win the Southeast Division, their first division title, but will host a playoff game next week as the #3 seed. The 4, 5, and 6 seeded Wild Card berths go to Washington, Baltimore, and New Orleans, in that order, setting up a rivalry game in the Wild Card round as the Blitz will travel to DC to face the Feds in the playoff round. Atlanta will host New Orleans in a southern-style playoff matchup. In the West, Houston takes full advantage of the chaos surrounding Denver’s positioning to upend the standings and take over as the #1 seed. They now will have homefield throughout the playoff and will earn the bye this week as the Western Conference’s #1 seed. Pittsburgh, despite their loss this week, retain the #2 position and will have a bye in the Wild Card round. They will host the higher seed coming out of the Wild Card round in 2 weeks. Oakland, losers of 4 in a row, finish the year as the Pacific Division champions and will be hosting a Wild Card game against Chicago as the #3 seed. Chicago finishes the year as the #6 seed after losing to the Skyhawks this week. At #4 we have the Denver Gold, who are still livid at the turn of events that has them hosting #5 Las Vegas this week. With losses in their final games, Orlando, New Jersey, Portland, Michigan, and Texas all failed to take advantage of possible last second playoff pushes. All 5 finish the year at 8-8 and must be content to earn at least a .500 record for the season. As we prepare for next week’s Wild Card playoffs, injuries certainly could have an impact on the 4 playoff games. We review each game, with the key players expected to be out. NOR CB Billy Austin (OUT), OT Mark Tasuscher (OUT), C Todd McClure (DOU), DE Trent Cole (QUE) ATL WR David Tyree (OUT), DE Chris Kelsay (OUT), WR Demaaryius Thomas (PROB) Losing Chris Kelsay certainly impacts Atlanta’s efficacy in the pass rush, but New Orleans potentially missing 2 of their starting 5 on the offensive line may be a bigger issue. BAL LB Jason Taylor (OUT), CB Ken Lucas (OUT), CB Chris McCallister (OUT) WSH G Aaron Sears (OUT), HB Rod Smart (DOUB), OT Matt Stinchcomb (PROB) Baltimore lost Jason Taylor this week for the entire playoffs. The NFL import has not has as large an impact as the Blitz had hoped for, so they should be able to compensate for his absence. The bigger concern for the Blitz is, of course, their secondary, down to the 3rd and 4th cornerbacks after season-ending injuries to both Chris McCallister and Ken Lucas. Washington will miss Rod Smart, but with the performance Deuce McCallister put in this week, we would not be too concerned. CHI CB Reggie Smith (OUT) OAK WR Pierre Garcon (OUT), LB Joe Odom (DOU), QB Joey Harrington (QUE) Both Chicago and Oakland are relatively healthy, however, Oakland fans have to be disappointed that it does not look like Joey Harrington is ready to return to action. He will be active, but likely only as the 3rd, emergency, QB. LV No Injuries Reported DEN LB Dat Nguyen (DOU), TE Daniel Graham (QUE), CB Tory James (PROB), T Ryan Clady (PROB) A bit of a lopsided injury report with Denver likely to miss some key contributors, most noteworthy being LB Dat Nguyen, while Las Vegas is not reporting any injuries that could impact this weekend’s game. It feels very much like a bunker mentality for the Gold, who did not anticipate playing in this week’s action to begin with. FREE AGENT POOL SWELLS AS 16 TEAMS RELEASE CONTRACTS With the conclusion of the regular season, 16 of the league’s 28 teams now see players in the final year of their contracts become free agents. The remaining 12 teams will have a similar situation arise as they are each eliminated from the playoffs. While free agency does not officially begin for 1 month, and teams can still resign players during this period, history shows us that players who have not signed by now are significantly less likely to return to their current team than to test the waters in open free agency and find another home, either in the USFL, or later this Fall, when the NFL-USFL transfer window reopens. As we look at the current pool of free agents, recognizing that it represents only 16 of 28 clubs, it is clear already that there will be some very interesting battles to sign some top flight talent this offseason. We start with our pick of the 10 best free agents available as of right now (again, more will join the pool each week from now until the Summer Bowl. 10— DE Andrew Wadsworth (BOS) With the emergence of Jason Babin as Boston’s premier edge rusher (17 sacks in 2010), Andre Wadsworth was an expensive player at a position that was not producing as many results (only 4 sacks). He still can provide a push for a team that may not have a premier edge rusher available. Don’t expect top level money here, but mid-range salary for a 2-3 year deal is certainly possible. 9— LB Mike Maslowski (POR) Portland’s leading tackler (94 in 2010) Maslowski is a better-than-average middle linebacker in a league where the position has taken something of a backseat to the faster, more aggressive outside backers. Despite this, Maslowski could be a top target for some of the clubs around the league who are dealing with a less than stellar run defense. 8— OT Mike Williams (STL) Finding a quality tackle, especially one who can play on either side of the line, is always an attractive option, so expect Williams to be quite a popular player in this year’s offseason. 7— WR Joe Jurevicius (BOS) The longstanding #2 receiver for the Cannons had a rough year in 2010, appearing in the first six games of the year before injury wiped out the rest of his 2010 season. Prior to this year, Jurevicius put together back to back 1,000 yard seasons, and, assuming the 35-year old is able to bounce back from injury, Jurevicius could again find himself as a team’s 2nd receiver, though a role player position may not be out of the question at this stage of his career and after returning from significant injury. 6— DT Kenard Lang (OHI) With 83 tackles in 2010, Kenard Lang is one of the best in the business at both run stuffing and occupying blockers in the pass rush. He will not garner DE money, but he should end this offseason as one of the highest paid defensive tackles in the league. With uncertainty about leadership in Ohio as Al Luginbill steps down, Lang may well be open to a move. 5— QB Jake Delhomme (MEM) A bit of a surprise as Delhomme had a solid year statistically with the Showboats. Delhomme threw for over 3,100 yards, with 17 touchdowns and 12 picks. Memphis allowed Delhomme’s contract to expire, which seems to indicate that they already have other plans at the position. Most around the Showboats believe this may be an interest in Arkansas QB Ryan Mallett, whose senior season begins in about a month. Mallett would be a territorial pick option for the Showboats. As for Delhomme, with QB being such a vital position in the league, and with several teams less than satisfied with their current signal caller, we expect Delhomme to get a lot of interest. 4— WR Plaxico Burress (FA) Unsigned since his gunshot injury and subsequent suspension, Burress is an interesting case for the league. He is a true free agent, and could be signed by an NFL club outside of the transfer window, but so far this offseason the NFL seems uninterested in the receiver. Will the same be true for the 28 USFL clubs who will be able to sign Burress as of late August. 3— LB Lavar Arrington (JAX) Jacksonville could not afford to resign both Mike Vrabel and Lavar Arrington this offseason. They prioritized their All-USFL middle linebacker, which means that 10-year veteran Arrington is cut loose. Arrington dealt with injuries all season, amassing only 17 tackles, a career low, and not a good way to enter the market. 2— G Leonard Davis (TEX) The big right guard played over 1,100 snaps this year, and had only 2 penalties called against him. One of the best run blockers available this year, and a solid pass protector as well. Guard is a tricky position to judge when it comes to value and compensation, but expect Davis to get his payday this offseason. 1—SS Troy Polamalu (LA) Without a doubt the most intriguing defender currently available as a free agent. He has had something of a beef with LA ownership over what he sees as a lack of respect for his role on the team, so we expect him to jump at a chance to relocate and will focus on his role, perhaps more than purely financial value in a new contract. Expect a ton of interest from across the league as many teams will do what they can to get this heavy hitter into their camp. Outside of the ten listed above, there are certainly other players who will get interest. Here is our quick breakdown of the other noteworthy names that are now outside of a contract. Quarterbacks: Jeff Blake (STL), Matt Cassel (ORL), Jeff Garcia (LA), Tee Martin (SEA), Ingle Martin (POR), Dave Dickenson (BIR) Halfbacks: LaBrandon Toefield (TBY), Chris Perry (POR), R. J. Redmond (NJ), Michael Bush (BIR) Fullbacks: Marecellus Reese (SEA) Tight Ends: Marcellus Rivers (MGN) Receivers: Joey Galloway (OHI), Lee Evans (MEM), Darnerien McCants (CHA), Javon Walker (OHI) Tackles: Will Smith (ORL), Oliver Ross (MGN), Kurt Vollers (TBY) Guards: Jonathan Fischer (STL), Steve Sciulo (ORL), Stefen Page (BIR) Centers: Chris Spencer (ATL), Jonathan Sewell (MGN), Melvin Fowler (TBY) Edge Rushers: Marcellus Wiley (MEM), Akin Ogunleye (MGN), Joe Tafoya (ARZ), Carl Powell (JAX) Defensive Tackles: Daryl Gardener (LA), Jason Peter (TBY), Alan Rubin (LA) Linebackers: Kevin Mitchell (TBY), T. J. Slaughter (STL), Will Overstreet (ORL) Corners: Jason Webster (OHI), Duane Starks (ARZ), Corey Webster (CHA) Safeties: Reggie Tongue (CHA0, Clifton Black (ARZ), Brian Dawkins (ARZ), Darnell Bing (BOS), Cory Fuller (NJ) Kickers: Jeff Hall (MEM), Nick Folk (ARZ) Punters: Darren Colquitt (MGN), Brad Costello (MEM) Wild Card Weekend. Four games over two days, and the round where we most frequently see road teams pull the upset. With the top 4 clubs in the league resting during their bye week, the remaining 8 playoff teams must find a way to survive and advance. Here is our look at the four games on tap this weekend. #6 NEW ORLEANS (9-7) @ #3 ATLANTA (9-7) Saturday, July 10 @ 4pm ET Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA Two pretty evenly matched clubs face off in the Georgia Dome this week. New Orleans comes in with the league’s 4th rated passing attack, led by Eli Manning and a young group of receivers. Their weakness has been on defense, where they have given up nearly 330 yards per game (23rd in the league), and yet, despite bending quite a bit, they do not break as often as you might think, rankied in the top 10 at only 17.8 points per game allowed. Atlanta won its first division title largely on the back of the 4th ranked pass defense. The Fire do not allow a lot of yards through the air, which creates an interesting matchup with the Breakers’s pass-first strategy. On offense, the key is balance, with Kyle Orton at his best when Darren McFadden poses a viable run threat. Josh Reed led all receivers this year with nearly 1,500 yards receiving, so you have to believe that the Breakers will do all they can to contain Orton’s #1 target. Our pick: We think experience might give an edge to the Breakers, who have seen more playoff action than the Fire to be sure. Yes, playing in Atlanta will be a boost for the Fire, but we still see the more experienced team having a better shot of handling the pressure. #5 LAS VEGAS (9-7) @ #4 DENVER (12-4) Saturday, July 10 @ 8pm ET Invesco Field, Denver, CO This one will be interesting to say the least. The question on everyone’s mind is if Denver will come out disheartened and flat or absolutely seething and rage-fueled. There is a lot of anger about this past week among the Gold players and coaches, and that could translate either into sloppy play or into a beat down of the Thunder. If Las Vegas can survive the emotional wave that will hit at Invesco during the first quarter, they might be well-suited to use Denver’s fire against them, forcing mistakes, penalties, and turnovers, which would certainly help Las Vegas’s erratic offense with short fields and potential big mistakes. On paper, Denver is clearly the better team. Their record, their defensive strength, and the consistency of their run game, a two-headed beast that accounted for nearly 1,800 yards (Hicks 893, Ringer 772). Las Vegas will depend on their run defense and hope to find some answers with the 26th rated offense. Jake Plummer might need to find some of his old magic for the Thunder to move the ball against what will likely be a fired up Gold defense. Our Pick: Denver is the better team, that seems pretty clear. Our only worry is that they are rattled by the events of the past week. We think that they will turn the shock of this past week into a driving motivation to come out strong. This one could be ugly, but we think it ends with a Denver win. #5 BALTIMORE (10-6) @ #4 WASHINGTON (10-6) Sunday, July 11 @ 1pm ET RFK Stadium, Washington, DC This one should be fun. Two foes who know each other about as well as any two teams in the league. Baltimore have won 4 of their last 5 and are back on track with Ben Roethlisberger back under center. As always, they will try to get Ron Dayne rolling, which frees up Tory Holt and Darius Heyward-Bay with single coverage. Washington will counter with Deuce McCallister and the dual threat of David Garrard, who has really come on over the past month. Baltimore’s defense is 25th in the league in scoring and 28th in yards allowed, so the Federals are hoping to keep their offense on the field and keep Big Ben sitting on the sideline for as much of the game as possible. Our Pick: This is a tough one since both clubs are playing really well right now. Washington won pretty handily only 2 weeks ago, so we think they have the psychological edge. We will pick the Federals to win again, but this one will likely be a torrid and high scoring affair. #6 CHICAGO (9-7) @ #3 OAKLAND (9-7) Sunday, July 11 @ 5pm ET Oakland-Alameda Coliseum, Oakland, CA Two clubs who are not at their best the past month. Chicago has lost 3 of 4 and Oakland has lost 4 in a row. What that tells us is that neither of these teams is coming into this game with a lot of swagger. The Mahine have a bit more confidence in them simply because they have all of their stars available, both on offense, with Michael Turner, Donald Driver, and Brady Quinn ready to roll, and on defense, where Anthony Weaver just missed on the sack total, while Brian Urlacher remains one of the best MLB’s in the game. Oakland was hoping for a miraculous return from Joey Harrington. With that not happening, Bob Volek will have to surprise us. Either that, or Ricky Williams will have to simply explode against Chicago’s #2 rated rush defense. That feels like a lot to ask of the veteran back. Our pick: We see Chicago as the team with more momentum, though they too have struggled of late. Losing to St. Louis cannot be a confidence booster. Honestly, turnovers could be the key to this game. We have two good defenses and two offenses that have talent. Overall we just cannot shake the feeling that Chicago is in a better position to win this game.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Antonio Pierce left no doubt about the Federals' place in the playoffs, reacking havok on the New Jersey Generals in the key Week 16 victory for Washington. PLAYOFF PICTURE: FInal Playoff Seeds. EAST: 1-PHI 2-NSH 3-ATL 4-WSH 5-BAL 6-NOR WEST: 1-HOU 2-PIT 3-OAK 4-DEN 5-CHI 6-LVS

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Deuce McCallister did it on the ground and through the air to help Washington upend the Baltimore Blitz and put them in position to lock up the top Wild Card spot in the East. His combined 215 combined yards from scrimmage, along with 2 scores were the spark the Feds needed in this key rivalry game. PLAYOFF PICTURE: A lot of movement on the playoff front this week, particularly in the West, where Pittsburgh, Oakland and Chicago all clinched postsseason berths. Denver and Philadelphia also locked up both their division titles (thanks to tie breakers) and the #1 seed in each conference, so we know the playoffs will be running through Invesco Field and Lincoln Financial Field. One playoff spot remains in the West, with Las Vegas controlling their own destiny, but Portland, Michigan, and Texas all in the mix if the Thunder stumble. In the East there is only 1 spot locked up, but all 5 current playoff contenders are able to control their destiny. A win and they are in. Nashville is in the tightest situation as, for the second year in a row, a season ending game against the Breakers will determine who wins the Southern Division. Nashville could still get in as a Wild Card with a loss. Orlando and New Jersey are currently both 1 game out of contention, but if Baltimore, Washington, Nashville, or New Orleans lose (and one of the Southern teams is sure to), then we could see either the Generals or the Renegades sneak into the postseason on the season's final weekend.

An amazing week as teams battled for playoff berths. Five of six berths in the West are settled, with Pittsburgh, Chicago, and Oakland joining Denver and Houston as post-season participants. In the East, no berths were locked in as things tightened even more, with 5 teams tied at 9-6, while New Jersey and Orlando are still in striking range at 8-7. New Jersey got a last second win over #1 seed Philadelphia to keep their hopes alive. Orlando got help as the Fire fell to a very game Charlotte club. New Orleans and Nashville find themselves tied at 9-6 and will face each other in the season’s final game for a second year in a row with the division on the line. Chicago can overtake Pittsburgh on the final week, as a Mauler squad without DeShaun Foster was shut out by Wranglers, and that 6th and final spot in the West can now be claimed by Las Vegas, with a win, or by any one of three 8-7 teams (Stags, Panthers, Outlaws) with the right combo of Week 16 results. So much to talk about, let’s get right to it with one of the best games of the year as New Jersey and Philadelphia renew their rivalry in Met Life Stadium. PHILADELPHIA STARS 25 NEW JERSEY GENERALS 27 In a storied rivalry, this may be one of the best back-and-forth battles ever held between the Stars and the Generals. Philadelphia, with the best record in the East, but having dropped two of their last three, wanted a win to lock up the top spot and home field for the playoffs. New Jersey, sitting at 7-7, needed a win to stay alive in the Wild Card race, playing exceptionally well over the second half of the season with rookie QB Sam Bradford at the helm. The two would battle it out over the entire length of the game, producing no fewer than 10 lead changes over the course of 60 minutes. It was one to remember for both clubs, but for New Jersey it may be the game that propels the recent basement dwellers back into playoff discussions. The game saw Bradford throw for 338 yards, and despite no touchdown passes, his leadership on offense helped New Jersey mount drive after drive when needed. Kurt Warner outdid Bradford in numbers, throwing for 01 yards and 2 scores, but in the end, time simply ran out on the possible MVP candidate as New Jersey got the final score with barely any time left to play. The action began with Philadelphia’s opening drive, a 12-play, 77-yard march that saw Warner bail out the Stars on two separate third down chances. After a touchdown was called back on a holding call, the very next play, Warner found Dwight Clark with a pass that brought the ball to the 1-yard line, and from there it was Darren Sproles finding room outside and squirting into the endzone to give Philadelphia the first points of the game. PHI 7-0 New Jersey would respond with their first drive, an equally impressive 81-yard campaign that saw key catches from Santonio Holmes and Anthony Becht, as neither team could get much going on the ground. The drive produced New Jersey’s first points on an R. J. Redmond run from the 3, but overall, both teams would struggle to run the ball with New Jersey gaining only 33 yards on 21 carries while Philadelphia was held to 40 yards on 20 carries in a game dominated by the aerial attacks. Game Tied at 7 apiece. Philadelphia’s next drive would stall, but a good punt put New Jersey back at the 2 yard line, and on 2nd and 9 from the 3,the Stars would get the defensive score when DE Anthony Hargrove wrapped up Sam Bradford on a play action gone bad. Safety to the Stars. PHI 9-7 The Stars’ 2-point lead would last into the 2nd quarter as both teams failed to score on their next drives. New Jersey would get the ball back after a Kurt Warner pass was tipped by the linebacker and CB Devin McCourty came up with the tip drill ricochet. New Jersey would score 6 plays later when Leigh Tiffin connected on a chip-shot field goal. NJ 10-9 Philadelphia would get the final score of the half when, at the conclusion of a 13-play drive, Warner connected with Reche Caldwell from 16 yards out on a deep fade route. New Jersey wanted a challenge, and replay did seem to indicate that Caldwell had stepped out earlier in the route and was an ineligible receiver, but the replay officials did not stop the game and the score stood as the two teams headed to the locker rooms. PHI 16-10 The second half saw New Jersey get the ball first, and once again they flipped the score at the end of a drive. Connecting with Mark Clayton on a 26-yard post route, and following that with a couple of short passes to move into the red zone, Bradford led the Generals to the 6-yard line. From there, Maurice Jones-Drew did the rest, busting through an initial tackle and carrying the safety with him into the end zone. NJ 17-16 The General lead lasted only 1 drive, as Philadelphia was again able to move the ball effectively through the air. Warner connected with Brent Celek on a key 3rd down, but took a sack on 3rd and goal, forcing the Stars to send out Mike Nugent for a chip shot field goal, but one which once again but Philadelphia up. PHI 19-17 New Jersey took over with 3:07 left in the 3rd and quickly moved the ball down the field. The big play was a 46-yard catch and run from T. J. Houshmandzadeh, taking the ball down to the 8-yard line. Housh was the 7th different receiver to catch a ball from Bradford. By game’s end it would be 10 different ball catchers for the OU product. Jones-Drew punched the ball in and New Jersey once again took a lead over the Stars. NJ 24-19 The early stages of the 4th quarter saw both clubs falter on offense, Philadelphia with a 3-and-out and New Jersey with a drive that lasted 5 plays but gained only 11 yards. When the Stars got the ball back, they were backed up to their own 5-yard line. Rather than pound the ball into the line on 1st down, they went for a bit of trickery, and it worked exactly as they would hope. The ball fake to Reno Mahe sucked in the safeties, and allowed Steve Smith to get one-on-one coverage with CB Devin McCourty. The rookie was faked by a shoulder shift from Smith and he got a step on his defender. Warner hit him in stride and Smith was off to the races. McCourty did not give up on the play, and at the 3 yard-line got just enough of Smith’s ankle to force him to misstep and land his left foot out of bounds. Philadelphia would score 2 plays later when Warner hit Brent Celek with a 1-yard TD toss to again retake the lead, now with only 1:49 left to play. Philadelphia would go for 2 to create a 3-point lead, but the attempt was no good. PHI 25-24 Bradford and the Generals offense took the field with just under 2 minutes and 2 time outs left. All they needed was a field goal and they could move to 8-7 and stay alive in the playoff hunt. Bradford crisply brought the Generals down the field, connecting with Mark Clayton, Miles Austin, and Matt Spaeth on three consecutive throws. After a failed draw play to Jones-Drew, they used their final time out, and with the ball sitting on the Philadelphia 23 yard line, they sent out their young kicker, Leigh Tiffin. This would be the biggest kick of the short career for Tiffin. A miss and New Jersey would almost certainly be eliminated from playoff contention. A successful kick and the Generals would have knocked off the top-rated Stars and would give themselves a chance in Week 16 to play their way into the postseason. Tiffin lined up on the left hash, took his steps back and to the left, and then had to stop as the Stars called time out. He chatted with his holder, punter Nick Harris. Got a pat on the back, and lined up again. The snap was good, the hold good, and the kick went right down the middle. Jubilation in the Meadowlands as the General faithful got out of their seats to cheer their Generals. New Jersey would stay alive, and in Week 16, would return home for a matchup against Washington, with a playoff berth on the line. Final Score: New Jersey 27 Philadelphia 25 NEW ORLEANS 40 MEMPHIS 13 An ugly one as the Breakers just lay into the Showboats. Eli Manning completed 22 of 24 passes as the Memphis defense simply did not show up. In addition to his three TDs, New Orleans also got a 21-yard pick-six and 4 David Green field goals. They now await a Week 16 finale that will determine their playoff future. ST. LOUIS 6 OHIO 14 Rookie Tony Pike is given the start for the Glory, and has a successful outing. His numbers were not great, 12 of 28 for 110 yards, but he avoided mistakes and helped Ohio get their third win of the season. Josh Freeman was sacked 4 times by the Ohio defense and the Skyhawks finished with under 200 yards of offense. LAS VEGAS 17 BOSTON 26 This was a bad loss for the Thunder as a win would have evened their record with the slumping Invaders. Despite 115 yards and 2 scores from Marshawn Lynch, Las Vegas gave up 2 Chad Johnson scores and a late pick that Manny Lawson returned for the deciding score in a game that was closer than the 9-point margin seems to indicate. Las Vegas faces Oakland in the finale, but could be eliminated entirely from the playoffs with a loss. HOUSTON 38 OAKLAND 13 The Invaders drop a third game in a row as Kevin Kolb is ineffectual at QB. Matt Hasselbeck also had a lot of success against the Oakland defense, throwing for 4 TDs on the day, two to Ike Hilliard as Houston keeps pace, 1 game behind Denver and already guaranteed a playoff spot. TAMPA BAY 18 MICHIGAN 21 In a desperation move, Coach LeBeau starts Tyler Thigpen and the former Fire QB gets the W for the Panthers, keeping their thin playoff hopes alive. Thigpen would go 22 of 35 for 230 with a TD, but it was a 93-yard day from Tony Jones as well as a solid outing from the defense that eliminated Tampa Bay and kept hope alive for Michigan. JACKSONVILLE 17 ORLANDO 20 It was not an easy win, but Orlando got the much-needed W despite Drew Brees spending much of the day scrambling from Jacksonville pressure. He was officially sacked only 4 times, but his 12 rush attempts were basically him being flushed out of the pocket repeatedly. Brees did hit Michael Jenkins late for a 6-yard TD to take the lead and win the game for the Renegades, who need some help in Week 16 if they want to qualify for the postseason. CHARLOTTE 16 ATLANTA 14 A bad loss for Atlanta, who could have clinched the SE Division with a win. Kyle Orton was picked off twice and Darren McFadden could only gain 25 yards on 14 carries as a resurgent Charlotte team sneaks out of the Georgia Dome with a win. The key play in this one was a sack on 4th and 7 from Julius Peppers to shut down Atlanta’s late game drive and preserve the win for Charlotte. ARIZONA 12 PITTSBURGH 0 With DeShaun Foster sidelined, the Maulers were not able to do anything against the Wranglers. Four field goals were all the scoring Arizona needed as they limited Kenny Watson to only 59 yards and sacked Cody Pickett 5 times. LaDainian Tomlinson did the rest, rushing for 125 and keeping the ball out of the hands of the Mauler offense. NASHVILLE 28 BIRMINGHAM 16 Nashville is one game away from back to back division titles after putting away the Stallions. With Ohio’s win, this loss guarantees the Stallions of the #1 pick in the draft, which will almost certainly be a QB. With Frank Gore bottled up all game (16 carries for only 38 yards) it was change-of-pace back Montario Hardesty who gave Nashville a spark. He carried the ball only 6 times, but gained 79 yards (13.2 YPC) and also had 5 receptions on the day. SEATTLE 30 CHICAGO 23 Chicago could have leapt over Pittsburgh for 1st place in the Central with a win, but came up against a Dragons squad that is still playing hard. Two picks of Brady Quinn undid all the good work of Michael Turner (126 yards on 22 carries) while Seattle got TDs form Jahvid Best (2) and David Boston to upend the Machine in Soldier Field. Boston went off for 180 yards on only 5 receptions, including his 66-yard TD. LOS ANGELES 14 PORTLAND 30 The Stags are still alive at 8-7 after knocking off the Express in Columbia Sportswear Stadium. It was backup Chris Perry outgaining Jonathan Stewart 75-46 that helped boost the Stags to the win. Add in a 62-yard pick-6 from former General Mike Rumph and the Stags stay alive one more week. They need help, in the form of a Las Vegas loss next week, to qualify, but they are still in the hunt. DENVER 14 TEXAS 13 An ugly win with a very pretty result. The 1-point victory in San Antonio locks Denver in as the SW Division champion and, at 12-3, as the top seed in the Western Conference Playoffs. They needed a late TD toss from Matt Leinart to Richard Quinn to get the W, but they got it and that is key. Texas can still get into the postseason, but require a lot of help to do so. BALTIMORE 17 WASHINGTON 36 Last week David Garrard was the hero for Washington, but this week it was Deuce McCallister’s 215 yards from scrimmage and 2 TDs that fueled the Federals on offense. McCallister broke an 88-yard TD on a swing pass, and added a TD run. On defense, Antonio Pierce did it all, creating a sack-fumble, scooping it up andracing in for the TD as Washington dominated the Blitz to jump ahead of them in the Wild Card standings. They have not clinched just yet and have a huge game with New Jersey next week, but this was another impressive win for the Feds. Steve Spurrier to Step Down after 2nd Stint with Bandits. In a press conference on Tuesday, sad news for fans of the “Ole Ball Coach” as Steve Spurrier announced that he had made the difficult decision to step down as head coach of the Tampa Bay Bandits following next week’s season finale against Charlotte. The announcement ends Spurrier’s second stint as head coach of the Bandits, after having won the title with the club in the league’s first season and having returned in 2004 to again lead the team his work had helped to build. Spurrier’s second stint with the Bandits proved to be almost as successful as his first, winning the Southeast Division 3 times, including a 12-2 first year with the club in 2004 and a 14-2 season in 2008. The past two seasons have been tougher, with the club following up their 14-2 season with a huge drop to 5-9 in 2009. This year they have been on the fringes of playoff contention most of the year, but now stand at 7-8, with next week’s finale now set up not only as an attempt to finish the year at .500 but as a farewell game to a beloved coach. Already a Hall of Famer with Tampa Bay after a run that went from 1983 through 1993. Spurrier retires after nearly 30 years in the game with a USFL record of 161-116. His playoff record is 11-11, including a league title in 1983 and 8 division titles. Ohio Expected to Announce Al Luginbill’s Retirement While no official announcement has been made, verifiable rumors are emerging out of Columbus that longstanding Ohio Glory Head Coach Al Luginbill will also retire from the USFL and the coaching ranks after this season. A two-time league champion, and head coach of the league’s only undefeated team, the 2002 Glory, Luginbill will almost certainly be a shoe in for first ballot Hall of Fame recognition. Luginbill took over a floundering 1995 expansion Glory squad in its 4th season, 1999. Within 1 season he had the Glory in the playoffs as a Wild Card. The next year, they went 11-5 and returned to the playoffs. One year later, in 2002, his Glory squad put together the greatest season in USFL history, racing through the regular season at 14-0 before making short work of their playoff opponents and hoisting the Bassett Trophy as the first USFL team to go unbeaten for a full season. The next year, he would achieve another first in the USFL, with his Glory squad becoming the first, and still only, franchise to ever defend a title and win back to back Bassett Trophies. The 2003 Glory lost 3 games in 2003, but went 3-0 in the postseason to win their second consecutive title. Luginbill, despite the result of next week’s season finale, and despite a very rough season in 2010, will retire with the best winning percentage of any coach in USFL history, sitting currently at 112-64, a 63% winning percentage. Luginbill leaves a team which is clearly in a rebuilding phase. Following the departure of Hall of Fame QB Kerry Collins, and with the expectation that both WR Joey Galloway and HB Eddie George could also be departing after a rough 3-11-1 season (so far), Luginbill is expected to turn the team over to new leadership as they build for the future. No date has been set for an announcement, but all evidence points to a post-game statement following Ohio’s season finale at home in Columbus against the Boston Cannons. Expect a monster crowd in Columbus for that game as fans pay their honors to the Glory’s unquestioned leader. MVP Could Come Down to Warner & Hasselbeck As much as folks in Denver may protest, it appears that the MVP for 2010 is going to come down to a runoff between Philadelphia QB Kurt Warner and Houston signal caller Matt Hasselbeck. Why would Denver fans be upset? Well, mostly because their QB, Matt Leinart is currently the top rated QB in the league, over both of the contenders. So, why is Leinart not in the running? Well, in part due to the very nature of Denver’s offense. While Leinart’s rating of 102.2 leads all qualifying starters, his total of 2,939 yards is only 13th, behind players like Josh Freeman, David Carr, Matt Sanchez and Adrian McPherson. His TD total of 22, ties him with Eli Manning and Brady Quinn, but is only 6th, a solid 9 TDs behind Hasselbeck and 7 fewer than Warner. Hasselbeck leads the league with 31 scoring tosses, matched up against 18 picks. Those picks may concern voters, who may lean towards Warner, whose 29 TDs come with only 10 picks. Warner is also ahead on QB Rating, with a 101.8 score placing him second only to Leinart. But, and this is a big factor, the fact that Hasselbeck has led Houston now to 9 consecutive wins, the best streak in a long time in the USFL, has to be a factor. With MVP voting winding down before the playoffs, voters will have to make a decision before seeing how these two clubs, and their star QB’s fare in the postseason. A month ago we would have handed the trophy to Warner, but with 3 losses in their last 4 games, and with Houston surging, Hasselbeck is right back in the conversation, as he should be. Big Win Against Stars Could Win Bradford ROTY In addition to exciting fans in New Jersey and keeping the Generals alive in the playoff hunt. The success of the Generals in the 2nd half, and their rise up the offensive leader board, has all but guaranteed that Sam Bradford, the OU draftee, will be the 2010 Rookie of the Year. Bradford got his first action in Week 5, when then starter Ryan Fitzpatrick was injured. The next week he was given his first pro start against Boston. Since then the Generals have gone 6-4 and now are one win away from qualifying as a Wild Card in the Eastern Conference. Bradford has been solid, and at times, outstanding as a new starter in the league. He has a total of 2,601 yards and 13 TDs this season, with a solid 13:6 TD:INT ratio and a rating of 82.9, both of which are very solid for a QB playing in his first action. Moreover, he has won over his teammates, with WR Mark Clayton regularly praising his play and Head Coach Herm Edwards regularly citing Bradfords play as a big reason why New Jersey has turned things around after a pretty rough 4-10 campaign in 2009. After seasons with 2 and 4 wins in ’08 and ’09, General fans are more than happy to praise Bradford, with his #8 jersey becoming one of the Top 5 best sellers in the league this season. Expect very little argument, even from die hard Tim Tebow fans, when Bradford is named Rookie of the Year in the pre-Summer Bowl Awards Gala. He has earned it. Week 15 sees the West all but locked up, while the East remains a last minute frenzy of possibilities. Pittsburgh, Oakland, and Chicago have joined the Gamblers and Gold as playoff teams out West, leaving only one spot in the 6 playoff positions still up for some Week 16 drama. Las Vegas currently holds the 6th and final spot, and controls their own destiny. They will face the Oakland Invaders in Week 16, and with Oakland already clinching the division on tie breakers, Las Vegas only needs to knock off their rival to lock up the final postseason berth in the West. If Oakland fails, then one of the other 8-7 teams can step up and claim the final spot. First among the three are the Stags, who hold tiebreakers against Michigan and Texas. If Las Vegas goes down, a Portland win will secure them the final Wild Card at 9-7. If Portland also fails, then the next up is Michigan, which seems hard to believe considering how much they have floundered without Brian Griese. And, should Michigan fall to defeat, that leaves the slimmest of pathways open, this time for the Texas Outlaws. Texas loses tie breakers with all 3 of the others, but if the Thunder, Stags, and Panthers all fall to defeat this week, while Texas secures a win, then it is the Outlaws claiming the final spot in the West. In the East, only Philadelphia has locked up their spot, though 5 other teams control their own destiny. The winner of next week’s Nashville-New Orleans clash will win the Southern Division, and could very possibly also earn a bye as the #2 seed. Atlanta also locks in its division with a win in the final week of the season, but could drop down all the way out of the playoffs with a loss and an Orlando win. Washington and Baltimore could both make the postseason from the NE Division, but both need to seek a win in Week 16 to lock that in. If Washington falters at New Jersey, the Generals could find themselves leapfrogging the Feds and snagging a spot, while Baltimore faces a tough Denver team, but one which has less to play for (having already locked up the division and home field advantage) and may play some reserves. Those 5 teams, Nashville, Atlanta, Washington, Baltimore, and New Orleans all, at least to a degree, control their own destiny, with a win being all they need to lock up a postseason berth. On the outside, the Renegades and the Generals also need some help, though for New Jersey, a win over Washington almost certainly grants them an unexpected playoff appearance. With Week 16 meaning so much to so many teams, there are a few injuries which could have a real impact on the season finales across the league. Portland will be without TE Visanthe Shiancoe as the veteran suffered a broken hip this week and will need at least 4 months to recover and rehab. New Orleans’s veteran CB Billy Austin will also miss all remaining 2010 games (regular or post season) after a severe groin pull & tear will sideline him for at least 2 months. Atlanta will have to go into their season finale without WR David Tyree, as the 27-year-old, will be sidelined for the rest of the summer with a broken tibia. Philadelphia will be without RT Jaimie Thomas, after his knee injury on Sunday was diagnosed as a torn meniscus. Nashville will be without two starters as both DE Gary Stills and LB Keith Burns are out for this week, but could be back for a playoff run. Doubtful this week are Washington HB Rod Smart (toe), Texas OT Ryan Tucker (concussion), Denver TE Daniel Graham (ankle), Portland WR Roddy White (hand), and Baltimore CB Corey Graham (knee). USFL & Hall of Fame Announce Class of 2010 One of the reasons we love this time of year is not just the drama of the USFL regular season’s final weeks, but the knowledge that somewhere in late June the USFL and the Pro Football Hall of Fame will announce the enshrinement class for the year. That time is this week as the five new members of the Hall were revealed this week in a dual announcement in Canton, Ohio. And, for the first time, the Hall and USFL added what they are calling their “Legacy” candidate, a player whose 5-year window for nomination has ended, but who was deemed worthy by a select committee of former USFL coaches, players, and executives for recognition. That Legacy spot this year was filled, and that candidate made the final cut, becoming the first Legacy Enshrinee, and that player is none other than High School and OU legend, running back Marcus Dupree. Dupree was signed to a USFL contract after only 1 tumultuous year at Oklahoma. After a scandalous departure from the Sooners, DuPree initially stated he would play for Southern Mississippi close to his home in nearby Philadelphia, MS. But, citing financial hardship Dupree petitioned for eligibility to play in both the NFL and USFL. While the fall league balked at allowing a player with 3 years of college eligibility to join the pro ranks, the USFL, which had made history by signing Herschel Walker to a contract despite remaining college eligibility agreed to allow DuPree to enter the league. Dupree played two seasons with the Memphis Showboats, appearing in 10 games as a rookie and rushing for 792 yards. An injury would impact his production in his sophomore season, limiting him to only 662 yards and 2 scores. When he was traded to the newly-relocated New Orleans Breakers, a splash deal that gave the Breakers much needed cache in the Crescent City after moving from Boston, DuPree found a true home. Marcus would rush for 1,347 yards and 10 TDs in his first season at the Super Dome. He would follow that up with 3 more 1,000 yard seasons in New Orleans, helping the Breakers become a perennial playoff team during his time with them. Injuries began to take an effect in 1990, as he saw his carries and production drop due to first a knee injury and then a hip injury that allowed him to appear in only 7 games in 1991. He bounced back in 1992, with another 1,000 yard/10 TD season, and played through the 1994 season before the wear on his surgically repaired hip required he step away from the game. DuPree makes the Hall of Fame both as a player with dynamic, breakaway speed, and a flair for the big play, but also as an early superstar, helping to raise the profile not only of the Breakers, but of the league as a whole. He retired with 10,703 yards rushing, 74 TDs, and an outstanding per-carry average of 4.5 yards per attempt. DuPree is joined by five players from the standard pool of nominees. Each of these players is also a true great in the league and a worthy recipient of the gold jacket. Tight End Adrian Cooper joins Shannon Sharpe and Keith Jackson in the Hall in his first year of eligibility. An 8-time All-USFL player and member of the 1999 champion Showboat squad, Cooper amassed 925 receptios and 99 touchdowns in his long career with Portland and Memphis. Linebacker DeMetrius DuBose was the backbone of a Pittsburgh Mauler defense that was one of the league’s most feared. He too joins the Hall in his first year of eligibility after amassing nearly 1400 tackles, 38 sacks, 29 forced fumbles and 15 interceptions in his 13-year career, all of it as a Mauler. The third of the first ballot entrants into the Hall of Fame in 2010 is no surprise, wide receiver Lawrence Dawsey. Dawsey, who played his entire 15 years in Birmingham, retired with over 1,000 receptions (1008 to be exact), nearly 18,000 yards (17,912) and 148 touchdowns. He was a go to target for Brett Favre during his stellar run as QB of the Stallions and helped Birmingham to the 1993 USFL title, while also amassing 9 All-USFL honors. Entering the Hall of Fame in his second year of eligibility is 15-season Breaker legend, linebacker Lamar Lathon. Lathon came to the Breakers in the 1994 draft and played through 2004, amassing 1,378 tackles in his time as a Breaker. While never lifting the John Bassett trophy, Lathon was recognized by the league as one of its best, first with 4 All-USFL awards, and now with entrance into the Hall. Finally, and after 3 years of near misses, another highly effective and generally feared linebacker makes the hall in his fourth year of eligibility. Beginning his career in Memphis, it is when he moved to the Houston Gamblers that Pat Swilling really blossomed into a force on the defensive side of the ball. The leader of some of Houston’s best defensive squads in the 1990’s, Swilling retired in 2002 with 2 USFL titles (1992 and 1996), four All-USFL awards, 1185 tackles,, and 44 sacks. Known for his sideline-to-sideline pursuit as well as his bone-jarring hits, Swilling enters the hall as yet another member of the Gambler dynasty years. Congratulations to all six of this year’s nominees. We also want to wish several nominees who were not selected this year, including CB Aeneas Williams, LB Mo Lewis, QB Mark Brunell, and FS George Teague the best of luck in next year’s pool and hope that they can see in the examples of Swilling, Lathon, and Marcus DuPree more possibility in the future. After Success of Dual Broadcast, ESPN to Give EFN 8 Games in 2011 With ESPN’s experimental dual broadcast this year, the network, and the league, tested out the ability of secondary cable networks to be effective broadcast options for prime time USFL football. With solid ratings throughout the year for both ESPN and their offshoot ESPN Football Network (EFN), both showcasing the Sunday Night Games all season long, the network is apparently happy with the results and has made the decision to alter its lineup for 2011, with the Saturday Night game remaining on the “flagship” network, while the Sunday Night clash will now be exclusively broadcast on the ESPN Football Network, marking the first time the fledgling network will have exclusive rights to a USFL game. EFN, which until now has largely been home for USFL-related programming, such as coach’s shows, weekly recap shows, preview shows, and second tier college football broadcasts, is certainly growing. Now available in approximately 40 million homes across the country, EFN may not have the wider reach of the flagship ESPN network, a network the USFL helped to build, but it is the only single-sport network with a distribution over 30 million homes, with the Big 10 Network coming in currently at 25 million. With a new deal in place to broadcast both Pac 10 and ACC football games (though not the top marquee games each week as designated by each league), EFN is expanding its live broadcast capacity, and the addition of exclusive broadcast of Sunday Night USFL games is certainly a big step in that direction. The deal is a purely internal one for ESPN/ABC which has within its contract with the USFL the option to move games between its three networks. Until now, ABC has been home to Saturday and Sunday afternoon games, while ESPN has been the home to the Saturday and Sunday night “prime time” featured games. Now, with the new internal division of broadcasts, EFN will join the broadcast and primary cable networks in serving as home to USFL games. This may, at some point even expand into the ABC coverage, with EFN allowing the network group to have nationwide broadcasts of all afternoon games, using EFN for the secondary game while ABC broadcasts the more attractive game of the slate, rather than splitting coverage between two regional games. That is not set in stone yet, as it appears ESPN/EFN is looking exclusively at the Sunday Night broadcast right now. A huge week as no fewer than 6 of the league’s 12 playoff spots remain open for competition. As usual the league has “flexed” their schedule to ensure maximum balance between games and among teams that are competing for the same potential playoff spots. All games will be held on Saturday and Sunday in Week 16, with the broadcast partners divvying up the 12pm and 4pm starts. We present the schedule with each game’s playoff ramifications, starting with the less impactful Saturday early slate. Saturday, July 3 @ 12:00 ET ABC Boston (7-8) @ Ohio (3-11-1) A game between two former champions now fully in rebuild mode. This game has no playoff ramifications, though, certainly, Boston would like to end the season with a win to reach .500. For Ohio, this game is viewed as a “send off” game for legendary coach Al Luginbill, who is expected to step away from coaching after the season finale. FOX Charlotte (6-9) @ Tampa Bay (7-8) This Southeast matchup also has no playoff ramifications, with both clubs eliminated from contention, but again is a “farewell” game for a legendary coach as Steve Spurrier has already announced his intention to resign from his second stint as Bandits head coach following this final game. ESPN Memphis (5-10) @ Birmingham (2-13) No coaches resigning in this game, and also no playoff impact as the two 10-loss teams in the South clash in what may be one of the least hyped rivalry games ever between these two Southern Division foes. They say “throw out the records” when these two meet, but this year, with both clubs looking to reimagine themselves in the offseason, this one is one where the records could well mean that enthusiasm in Birmingham will be well below norms for the rivalry. NBC Nashville (9-6) @ New Orleans (9-6) The only early Saturday game with playoff impact, this is a true “winner takes all” situation. In this case, the winner of this game is the Southern Division Champion, exactly as we saw last season when Nashville held off the Breakers in Nashville to take the South. This year the game is in N’awlins, and that is giving Breaker fans hope for a reversal of last year’s result. The loser of this game may still have a good shot at a Wild Card, but will have to wait and see what happens with New Jersey and Washington. A Generals’ win in that game could oust the loser of this one. Saturday, July 3 @ 4:00 ET ABC Texas (8-7) @ Arizona (6-9) Saturday afternoon builds the tension in the Western Conference as all three teams who are outside looking in will play, then have to wait to see if Las Vegas can win and hold onto the final playoff spot. In this game, Texas can earn a Wild Card with a Win, but need the most help as they also require losses by Las Vegas, Portland, and Michigan. EFN/ESPN Seattle (6-9) @ Portland (8-7) Portland can earn a Wild Card with a win and a loss by Las Vegas. They win the tiebreakers with the Panthers and Outlaws, so all they need is to beat Seattle at home and hope that the Oakland Invaders can break their late season slump and defeat the Thunder in Las Vegas. FOX Michigan (8-7) @ Los Angeles (4-11) Another team that needs help, Michigan can earn a Wild Card with a win and losses by Las Vegas and Portland. The Panthers must first get the W in Los Angeles against the 4-11 Express. To do that they will need to produce more on offense than they have shown the past few weeks. Sunday, July 4 @ 12:00 ET ABC Chicago (9-6) @ St. Louis (4-11) Sunday begins with the battle for the Central Division. Chicago sits ½ game behind the Maulers. A win in St. Louis and a loss by the Maulers and Chicago leaps into the Division Title and possibly a bye as well. NBC Pittsburgh (9-5-1) @ Houston (11-4) The Maulers can win the Central with either a win in Houston (no easy task) or a loss by the Machine in St. Louis. Houston has won 9 in a row, and will not go lightly in this game, so Pittsburgh will have to put in maximum effort to get the W and secure a surprising division title. FOX Atlanta (9-6) @ Jacksonville (6-9) We continue in the 12:00pm slot with the Southeastern Division on the line. Atlanta controls their own destiny. A win over the Bulls and they lock up the SE Division title. A loss, and they have to hope that Philadelphia puts it to the Renegades. ESPN Philadelphia (10-4) @ Orlando (8-7) The Renegades have everything to play for, with a possible division title as well as simply a playoff berth on the line. Philadelphia has nothing on the line, as they have already locked up the #1 seed in the East, and yet, according to Coach Harbaugh, he will play all his starters and use this game as a test of how playoff-ready the Stars are. If Philadelphia brings their A-game, then Orland could be in trouble. Sunday, July 4 @ 4:00 ET ABC Baltimore (9-6) @ Denver (12-3) We finish the weekend with some unusual NE Division games at 4pm as the drama of the division plays out in two matchups. Baltimore clinches a Wild Card with a Win. They could be eliminated with a loss and a New Jersey Win over Washington. That will motivate them against a Denver club that has the Western #1 seed locked up and is planning on starting several backups. FOX Washington (9-6) @ New Jersey (8-7) The winner of this game clinches a Wild Card. The loser could still qualify or could be eliminated depending on other games. New Jersey cannot get in with a loss, Washington possibly (depending on the earlier Orlando result). But, despite their potential option to lose and still qualify, we don’t expect the Feds to let up in this one. A win guarantees them a home playoff game, and that alone is reason enough to do their best to remove New Jersey from the equation. ESPN Las Vegas (8-7) @ Oakland (9-6) Finally, the last playoff spot will be decided. Las Vegas earns a Wild Card with a win. After Saturday’s results, one team from the Portland, Michigan, Texas cluster will know that they are in if Las Vegas loses. The Thunder cannot afford to lose this game (unless, of course, all 3 of the others have already lost), while Oakland may rest some starters. The Invaders still have a shot at a bye week, depending on the result of the Maulers game in Houston. If Pittsburgh loses in Houston, then we may see more of the Oakland starters as they battle for the #2 seed and a bye.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: David Garrard did his best Kordell Stewart imitation in a huge game for the Feds. His passing numbers were not astounding, only 21 of 31 for 173 with 1 TD and 1 pick, but when you add in his 96 yards rushing (most of it on one amazing bootleg play) and the 2 rushing touchdowns he contributed, yes, one heck of a game. PLAYOFF PICTURE: Three teams assured themselves of postseason play this week, with Philadelphia, Denver, and Houston all clinching berths. Several other clubs are only 1 win away from clinching a spot as we enter Week 15. Teams newly eliminated from contention include Jacksonville, Boston Seattle, and Arizona. That leaves 15 teams still alive for 9 remaining spots. No time to let up, no matter where you are in the current rankings.

Three teams punch their ticket to postseason play as the Stars, Gold, and Gamblers are all now assured a playoff spot. Many others strengthen their position with wins in Week 14, but there is still a lot to be settled as 9 playoff spots and 15 contenders remain in the hunt. The Fire win their fourth in a row to ensure their first winning season in franchise history and are now very much on track for a first round bye. Nashville and Baltimore win their third straight and are playing well despite some injury setbacks. In the West, Houston’s win streak hits 8 games, but they still remain a game behind the Denver Gold, who have won 4 in a row and could lock up the #1 seed next week. It is a mad dash to the postseason, with balanced play, injuries, and late surges making this one of the most entertaining seasons in years. WASHINGTON FEDERALS 37 ARIZONA WRANGLERS 34 We start this week with a high action game in the desert as the Wranglers, needing a win to stay alive in the playoff hunt, hosted the Washington Federals, at risk of dropping out of the top 6 in the Eastern Conference. What we got was surprising QB play from both starters, a superstar reasserting his dominance, and over 70 points as the two battled down to the final play. Arizona has been playing pretty good complementary football of late, and hoped to have a chance to continue a good run as they faced a Federals squad that dropped 4 games in the past 6 weeks. But the Federals came out of the gate looking very solid as they built up an early 17-point lead in the first, looking very much like the early season contender in the NE Division. Touchdowns from Deuce McCallister and Deion Branch helped the Feds get the jump on their hosts. It would be a big game for both longstanding Federal stars as McCallister would bust out for 127 yards on only 14 carries, averaging 9.1 yards per touch on the day. Arizona would finally start to show some signs of life as the second quarter began as David Carr, who would finish the day 30 of 46 for 295 yards and 4 scoring tosses moved the Wranglers into scoring range, thanks in part to a very nice 13-yard catch on 3rd and 10 from Kasim Osgood. Arizona would have to settle for 3 on the drive, but it was a sign that they were beginning to get the ball rolling. They would do even better on their next drive, with Larry Fitzgerald catching the first of 2 TDs on the day as the Wranglers brought the deficit down to only 7. But, the defense would have a major error on the very next play from scrimmage and set Washington back up 14. After a solid kick return gave Washington the ball on their own 23, Coach Payton threw a wrinkle at the Wranglers that was designed to take advantage of their over-aggressive approach to McCallister. David Garrard faked the ball to McCallister, who headed left for an apparent sweep. The entire defense crashed to the left, and by the time they realized that Garrard had bootlegged right, they were completely out of position. Only the corner was in range to stop Garrard as he raced down the right side, but a solid shove from veteran WR Eddie Kennison took the corner out of the play and Garrard raced 73 yards for a score. It was a huge play on what would be a huge confidence-building day for Garrard. Arizona would get back 3 points before the half, but they went into the break down 27-13 after a Doug Pelfrey kick ended the period. The Wranglers would need a big run in the second half to have any shot of a comeback, but first they would have to figure out what Sean Payton’s offense was throwing at them. In the second half, Payton mixed up runs by McCallister and Rod Smart, with some safe passes from Garrard to his wideouts and to TE Heath Miller. As Arizona struggled to get consistent drives going, failing on their only scoring drive of the 3rd quarter when a Nick Folk kick sailed too far left, Washington bumped up the advantage a tick with another Pelfrey kick to take back their 17 point lead at 30-13. But Arizona, started finding some success towards the end of the half, now implementing a faster offensive pace, and using TE Rob Gronkowski more in the passing game. He would finish with 5 catches, outdone only by Larry Fitzgerald’s 7. The Wranglers moved the ball down the field at the end of the third quarter, and just as the teams swapped sides of the field, David Carr found TE Mark Breuner in the endzone for his second TD toss of the game. 30-20 with 14:23 left to play. Arizona would get the ball back after a tip at the line dropped a pass intended for Kennison right into the arms of LB Pat Angerer. Only 3 plays later Carr would find Antonio Bryant in the endzone and the Wranglers were again knocking at the door. Now up only 3 (30-27), the momentum appeared to have swung fully to the Wranglers and the stadium was alive as fans cheered them on. But, once again, it would be David Garrard with his feet doing damage to Arizona’s playoff hopes. On a long drive that started on their own 17, Washington used 14 plays to work their way down the field, including a 7-yard scramble by Garrard that kept the drive alive on a 3rd and 5 play. Later in the drive, and facing a 2nd and 15 at the 25 after a penalty, Garrard called his own number. Seeing no one open on the play, he took advantage of a gap in the pocket and scrambled right up the middle. With help from a Heath Miller block out of the linebacker, Garrard made it into the secondary, juked the safety and fell into the endzone for his second TD run of the game. The score put Washington back up by 10, and with only 3:07 left to play, it would take a huge effort from the Wranglers to get back in it. Fans would get just that. On their next possession, David Carr led an efficient 2-minute drill down the field. They used only 7 plays to score, Carr connecting on his 4th TD throw of the game, a perfect fade route to Fitzgerald who stretched over the defender to come down with the ball and once again drop the difference to 3. Arizona would go for the onside kick with 57 seconds left, and they would recover, setting themselves up at their own 48, needing only about 17 yards to get in range for Nick Folk’s leg. Carr would immediately look for Fitzgerald again and with a quick out route would get an immediate 7 yards. A dump off to Tomlinson got them 4 more and a first down, but time was now the issues. Arizona had no time outs left, so they had to work the sidelines. After failing on first down, they swung the ball to Osgood, but the receiver slipped as he reached for the sideline. The ref ruled him down in play, and the clock kept ticking. On 2nd down the Wranglers were forced to down the ball to stop the clock. Third and 4 from the 35, in range but not comfortably for Folk. Carr went for Fitzgerald again, but a great jump on the ball by Feds CB Sheldon Brown allowed the defender to tip the ball out of Fitzgerald’s hands. It would have to be Folk from the 35, for a 52-yard attempt. Folk would get plenty of leg into the ball, but for a second time the ball sliced to the left, drifting wide of the posts. Arizona would be eliminated from playoff contention with the loss. Washington would be right back in the thick of it with an 8-6 record, 2 games behind the Stars, but right in the mix for a Wild Card. The Wrangler fans would go home disappointed, but still optimistic about a club that seems to be putting some pieces together this year. NEW JERSEY 23 BALTIMORE 29 Another contender for game of the week, this one saw two division foes just throw body blow after body blow at each other. New Generals’ HB Maurice Jones-Drew had his best game as a General, rushing for 106 yards and a score on 23 carries. Ron Dayne was held to only 76, but averaged 4.6 YPC and also landed a TD. Mike McMahon threw fro 278, dropping back 45 times on the day, and both Antonio Gates and Tory Holt. CHICAGO 20 TAMPA BAY 17 Chicago got a huge boost from a Jimmie Williams 64-yard punt return score, and Michael Turner’s 115 yards helped them grind out a tough road win despite Brady Quinn going only 9 of 21 for 120 yards on the day. ORLANDO 3 CHARLOTTE 23 Quite an upset as the Monarchs, playing for pride, showed plenty of it against an oddly flat Renegades club. Fred Jackson rushed for 2 scores and the Monarch D picked off Drew Brees twice as the Monarchs sent Orlando to 7-7 on the year and gave Atlanta a boost in their quest to win the Southeast Division. PITTSBURGH 20 ST. LOUIS 16 A tough win for the Maulers, but a win nonetheless. St. Louis showed some spirit, holding Pittsburgh to only 260 total yards, but the Maulers, on a TD from Pickett to Kevin Johnson, edged them in the end to move to 9-4-1 and remain atop the Central for another week. NEW ORLEANS 13 JACKSONVILLE 10 New Orleans also struggled against a resurgent Bulls team, but again found a way to pull it out in the end. A 4th quarter TD run from Kenny Irons helped New Orleans stay alive in the playoff hunt, eliminating the Bulls in the process. LOS ANGELES 23 SEATTLE 26 Despite a nice game from Randy Moss, LA could not keep pace with the Dragons as Byron Leftwich threw for 2 scores to David Boston and Dave Rayner put 3 kicks between the uprights to edge the Express. OAKLAND 13 DENVER 17 A big showdown between two very good teams and two very intimidating defenses. Denver knocked Bob Volek out late in the game and that may have been the difference as they clung to a 17-10 lead and managed to force Oakland to go for a kick instead of a touchdown midway through the final period. This was a game for fans of solid defense all the way around, and could be a preview of the Western final. PHILADELPHIA 17 BOSTON 9 The Stars took care of business, and in doing so, knocked the defending champions out of playoff contention. Kurt Warner connected with Steve Smith early and Steve Slaton rushed for 80 yards as Philadelphia never trailed. Boston got close on a Chad Johnson TD, but Slaton put the game waway in the 4th with a 1-yard run for 6. ATLANTA 21 BIRMINGHAM 14 The Fire all but guaranteed themselves a division title with a huge win in Birmingham. Kyle Orton threw for 296 and 2 scores in his best game of the year and the defense kept the Stallions under control all game. Add in a nice 14-yard TD scamper by J. J. Arrington and the Fire were in business and looking at printing up some postseason tickets. TEXAS 9 HOUSTON 23 A tough task for a rising Outlaw squad, to come into NRG Stadium and steal a win from their rival. In the end, Houston just had too much, and with Matt Hasselbeck able to throw for 300 yards and 2 scores, the Outlaws, just could not respond. Joe Flacco was sacked 6 times, including 2 from Houston’s favorite 2010 acquisition, former Blitz defensive captain Joe Farrior as the red hot Gamblers just keep rolling 7’s. PORTLAND 20 MICHIGAN 6 The Panthers still are showing no signs of life after the injury to Brian Griese. Meanwhile Portland is riding Jonathan Stewart back to .500 and are still alive for a playoff spot. Fans in Detroit actually started to boo their club by the 4th quarter after Colquitt’s 10th punt of the game. OHIO 17 LAS VEGAS 19 An important home win for the Thunder as they move to 8-6 and remain in the Wild Card pool. Tony Banks got the start for the injured Jake Plummer and helped the team win with 3 TDs (offsetting 2 picks). The defense did the rest, with Erasmus James getting a safety for the D, the eventual difference in the score. NASHVILLE 23 MEMPHIS 16 For a team already eliminated from playoff contention, Memphis gave us a good show on Sunday Night, taking an early lead on the Knights and nearly knocking them off, but Frank Gore and the offense had enough to eventually take the lead and hold it. The win boosts Nashville’s chances to win the South and get the automatic playoff spot for the division titlist. Foster Injury a Huge blow to Mauler Playoff Hopes The Pittsburgh Maulers have been very excited about a season that already has them guaranteed a winning record at 9-4-1. They have a real shot at the Central Division title, but this week’s game brought them crashing down to reality as lead HB DeShaun Foster was lost for the rest of the season with a ruptured Achilles tendon. The injury occurred as Foster was trying to make a sharp cutback on a counter play, and it was immediately obvious that he had suffered a bad injury. Foster had already missed 4 games earlier this season due to injury, but had bounced back with some really solid performances, going for 133 against Tampa Bay, 104 against Michigan, and just last week 143 against the Ohio Glory. With a diagnosis of a partially torn Achilles, his season is now done and the Maulers will have to rely on backup Kenny Watson to spark an offense that is run dependent. Watson played well in 4 starts when Foster went down earlier. He has 624 yards this season to Foster’s 855, but lacks the explosiveness of Foster, meaning that the Maulers will have to do more in the passing game to generate big plays. That reality puts pressure on Cody Pickett to produce. Pickett has had his best season as a Mauler this year, with a rating over 90 for for the first time in Pittsburgh. He has thrown for 21 TDs with only 10 poicks, again career bests and is completing around 67% of his passes, but it has been clear all season that the Maulers rely on their run game and their top ranked scoring defense to get wins. That will need to be adjusted a little if the Maulers want to finish strong, capture an unexpected Central Division title, and get through more than an opening round playoff game. Harrington Return Delayed Hopes that Oakland would have their QB, Joey Harrington, back on the field for the final two weeks of the season have been dashed as the team today announced that their Oregon Duck would not be able to suit up until at least Week 16, and possibly not until the playoffs. That puts Oakland who have lost 2 straight and dropped out of the #1 seed position, in a rough position with 2 weeks left. Backup Bob Volek, who has kept the Invaders viable all season, is listed as questionable this week after suffering a concussion in Week 14’s game. Las Vegas is knocking on the door and could overtake the Invaders, which would mean that they would face a Wild Card game, not a bye in the first week of playoff action. It had been hoped that Harrington’s recovery would allow him to return to the field as early as Week 13, but now the Invaders have to hope for two strong games from their backups, starting with the possibility that Kevin Kolb, the NJ import, will start in Week 15. That prospect cannot make Invader fans feel comfortable about their situation. Players Making Noise as Teams Eliminated Never let it be said that players are not affected by losing games. As the season winds down and several teams have been eliminated from postseason contention, we are hearing more and more rumblings from unhappy players, hoping perhaps to either force a deal in the offseason or convince their GM’s to bring in some help. We have the usual culprits, the wideouts, openly stating that they want to be traded or, in some cases, lobbying for more support. No surprise that Terrell Owens, who went from contender Philadelphia, to 2-12 Birmingham this offseason, is not happy. Owens is locked into a 3-year deal with the Stallions, and we see no chance he will be traded, but it seems clear that he does not see Kyle Boller or Anthony Wright as the future. Birmingham might make him happy if they can sign a new QB in the offseason, because he certainly is getting top billing for the Stallions among offensive stars right now. Another wideout making noise is Chad “85” Johnson, who went from league champion in 2009 to a non-playoff team in 2010. He is being a bit more cautious, out of respect for Coach Fox, but his desire to see a new offensive scheme in place (and again, very likely a new QB, though he has not criticized Adrian McPherson) is pretty clear. The key in Boston may actually be improving the line, because McPherson has struggled, just as Bledsoe had, with frequent pressure, which makes it tough for Johnson to get the deep throws he loves so much. Another player who has been making considerable noise is actually a free agent in just 2 weeks, and we think he very well could be looking for a new home. Troy Polamalu has been a diehard for the Express since coming into the league, but for his efforts he has not seen much success. We could very well see one of the best safeties in the game on the free agent market as he simply does not feel that the team has done enough to be successful in his early career. Noise as well coming from Portland, where both DT Jason Fisk and LB Mike Maslowski, two defensive stars on a pretty good squad, are being pretty vocal about the lack of offensive consistency the club has shown and the pressure that has put on the defense. Both Fisk and Maslowski are also currently ending up contracts, so we could see a major shift in personnel on Portland’s defense, particularly if Coach Brooks is not pleased by their statements to the press. Finally, a bit of a rare situation as a veteran QB has all but come out and said he hopes to be traded. It is rare that a starting QB is openly critical of his team, but that is what we are hearing from Drew Brees, who seems to be souring in his relationship with Coach Emmit Thomas. Brees has had a rough year, with Orlando underachieving as they sit at 7-7. They were expected to be a clear favorite in the SE Division, but it just has not happened. Their defense has struggled to a mediocre 17th in the league in yards allowed (13th in points), and the offense has not been as much of a focus as a superstar QB would like. In fact, Brees has found himself pressured often, forcing 10 picks, which is very uncharacteristic for a very accurate QB. He has a rating this year of 91.5. his worst since a bad 2003 season in Michigan that led to a trade to the ‘Gades. Brees would be a hot commodity of the Renegades were to offer him for trade. With so many teams desperate for QB help, we expect Orlando could fetch as much as 3 first round picks for the former MVP. That could go a long way towards helping them retool their offense and their roster in general. It is a tantalizing prospect to be sure. For now, nothing is final. Orlando has 2 more games to try to push for a playoff spot, but when their season comes to an end, we would not be surprised to see the pairing of Thomas and Brees come to an end. It took 14 weeks of USFL action, but we finally have our first playoff teams locked in. Philadelphia at 10-4 has not yet locked up the NE Division, but they have guaranteed themselves a playoff spot. They have a 1-game lead on the Baltimore Blitz and, thanks to a better division record, would win a tie between the two, which means one more Stars victory or a Blitz loss and the Stars will clinch the division. Over in the West, two teams from the SW Division are in as both 11-3 Denver and 10-4 Houston have secured a spot in the postseason. Houston sits at 5-1 in the division, which means that if they can catch up on the 1-game deficit with Denver, they would take the SW Division. Denver has a tough game against Texas this week and then finishes up with Baltimore, both teams likely to be seen in the postseason. Houston also has a tough final pair of games with a road game in Oakland before facing the Pittsburgh Maulers in Week 16. Again, both clubs are likely playoff bound, so we could see either of these clubs go 0-2 and drop in the playoffs, but they cannot drop out as both have locked up spots. Beyond these three there are teams that control their own destiny and those that need help to either win a division or earn a Wild Card. Among those who can walk their way to a division title with 2 wins in the final two weeks we have Atlanta, whose 2-game lead over both the Bandits and Renegades means a win is all they need. Nashville is in a tighter race, dealing with New Orleans, both at 8-6 right now. The two face each other in Week 16, and, once again that game is almost certainly going to be a winner-take-all affair for the Southern Division. Both could be in the playoffs before then, but we expect that game to determine the division. In the Pacific, Oakland has lost their last two games and that means that Las Vegas still has a crack at a division title. If the Invaders can rebound and win their last two, then the title is theirs. Las Vegas still has a chance, but basically needs to not only make up the 1-game deficit, but actually pull ahead by a game, since division record, the 2nd tiebreaker after head-to-head, goes to the Invaders. In the Central Division, their odd tie against the Ohio Glory means that Pittsburgh has a half-game lead on Chicago. If they can keep the same final win total as Chicago, they will win the division by a half game. Others who control their ability to make the playoffs with 2 wins include the Breakers, Federals, Thunder and Machine. Those currently on the outside looking in, but still potentially eligible if any of the current Top 12 stumble, include Tampa Bay and New Jersey, both at 7-7, Texas at 8-6, and both Portland and Michigan at 7-7. We expect that 9 wins will be the minimum needed to qualify, so that means we have 4 teams that need to go 2-0 and also hope for some help to get a postseason berth. Among the eliminated we have newly disqualified Seattle, Arizona, Jacksonville, and Boston. They join Charlotte, Memphis, Birmingham, LA, St. Louis, and Ohio at the bottom of the standings. Right now, the top draft pick would belong to the 2-12 Stallions, while Ohio at 2-11-1, would get the 2nd pick. St. Louis and LA would be 3rd and 4th if the season ended today. DeShaun Foster’s injury was the big story this week but it was hardly the only injury which will impact the final 2 weeks of the season. Several contending teams will be working around gaps in their starting lineup as some key contributors are going to be out at least Week 15, with some likely gone significantly longer. Among those to keep an eye on we have the following: G Jorge Diaz (TEX): Placed on IR with a neck injury. CB Ken Lucas (BAL): Placed on IR with a torn MCL CB Dominique Rogers-Cromartie (LA): Placed on IR with a torn ACL G Seymour Guerra (CHA): Placed on IR with a spinal cord injury WR Darnerien McCants (CHA): Placed on IR with a hernia. WR Julian Edelman (BIR): Placed on IR with a torn quad. SS Bob Sanders (NJ): Added to IR with shoulder injury DE Chris Kelsay (ATL): 1-2 weeks with a broken wrist. T Jon Stinchcomb (NSH): 1-2 weeks with a shoulder injury LB Lance Briggs (ARZ): Doubtful with fractured collarbone DE Marcellus Wiley (MEM): Doubtful with a dislocated knee. LB Shawne Merriman (DEN): Questionable with a dislocated finger. WR Demaryius Thomas (ATL): Questionable with a tight hamstring. QB Bob Volek (OAK): Questionable with a concussion. QB Drew Brees (ORL): Questionable with a torn meniscus. With 2 Weeks Left, Free Agent Talk Begins We mentioned a couple of potential free agents in our story about disgruntled players speaking out, but those few names are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to players on contract years who have yet to sign. What could be a very strong free agent class is on the horizon with only 2 weeks left for more than half the teams in the league to resign or restructure contracts. We know that 16 of 28 teams will see their contract-year players become free agents in 3 weeks time (not on the market, but officially out of contract) when the regular season ends, with the other clubs having the same fate as they are removed from playoff competition. So, who is out there that could make a splash this offseason with a big move to a new team? Let’s look at it team by team, recognizing, of course, that several of these players are already deep into contract negotiations and could find their way to a new deal before the market opens in August. ARIZONA: WR Larry Fitzgerald is the obvious name up for renewal, but all accounts are that a deal is close and that Fitzy wants to stay with an Arizona squad that seems to be headed upwards. More likely to be looking for greener pastures is LB Napoleon Harris, whose role within the defensive scheme of Jim Tomsula has not produced what either would prefer. ATLANTA: Charles Woodson is 34, and could mull retirement, but if he wants to keep playing, Atlanta would be foolish to let the All-USFL corner go. That will be expensive, and with Kyle Orton having a brilliant contract year, signing both will have to mean that others will fall through the cracks. There just is not enough money to sign everyone, even with a pretty sizable amount of cap space for the Fire. BALTIMORE: Left Tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson has to be top priority for the Blitz, which means that others like DT Jeff Zgonina or DE Chuck Nwokorie may have to be sacrificed. Baltimore is expected to have one of the tighter cap situations, so some tough choices will be needed. BIRMINGHAM: Getting LB DeMeco Ryans inked should be a priority for the Stallions, but they have such a glaring need at QB, perhaps the most expensive position on the roster, that their need to sign a sure fire talent may force them to cut corners elsewhere to free up cap room. If they do sign Ryans, then expect others like G Solomon Page, or DT Nick Eason to pay the consequences and find themselves seeking a spot on a new team. BOSTON: Tackle Marco Colombo could be the odd man out this year. He has had a rough year and Boston may be seeking new options to protect whoever they have at QB in 2011. They will want to prioritize the resigning of some defensive keys like DT Casey Hampton or SS Dexter Jackson, so Colombo could be looking for a new team. CHARLOTTE: Another team that may well be in the QB market and may need to use up a considerable amount of cap space to find an answer there. They also have some potential flight risks in WR Stevie Johnson, another very vocal player, as well as HB Fred Jackson, who has never fully been embraced by Coach Mora’s offensive scheme. CHICAGO: With Brian Urlacher still unsigned, you know what the priority is in Chicago. The Machine have decent cap space right now, so they can retain Urlacher and still have some funds for players like Darren Sharper, Kendrell Bell and Chshad Baumann. The player who may be the odd man out is likely LB Rocky Boiman, who tends to be more of a swing sub rather than a clear cut starter. DENVER: SS Roy Williams, C Mike Flanagan, and LB Shawne Merriman are all up for renewal this year, and Denver would hate to lose any of them. But, reality is reality. They just won’t come in under the cap if they sign all three. HOUSTON: With both Ike Hilliard and Mike Sims-Walker on contract years, Houston will have to decide whether they want to go with the vet or let youth be served. Hilliard, at 32, still has several good years left in him, so they may try to retain a top player and let the younger MSW go. They also landed James Farrior on a 1-year deal last offseason, which made sense, but now they will absolutely want to sign him to a longer deal, and that won’t be cheap. JACKSONVILLE: No doubts here. Mission 1 is sign Mike Vrabel. Even if that means that Lavar Arrington has to be let go. Of the two there is no doubt that Vrabel is more vital to the Bulls at this stage. Arrington has slowed down and had injury issues the past few seasons, while Vrabel is not only a top flight player, but a team leader on a team that needs to establish a clearer identity. LAS VEGAS: The Thunder are built on defense, but with Joey Porter, Antoine Winfield, and Vonnie Holiday all up for a new deal, some compromises are going to need to be made. We are pretty sure the top target is Porter. Why wouldn’t it be? But will they let Winfield or Holliday go to be able to pay what Porter is going to ask? LOS ANGELES: We already mentioned Polamalu’s discontent in LA. If the Express let him go, then they may have enough cap space to make decent offers to others like LB Lofa Tatupu or RT Erik Pears. That may honestly be the best option for them, as much as it will hurt to let the USC star go. MEMPHIS: Jake Delhomme’s deal with the Showboats is up this year. We are just not sure what the ‘Boats are thinking with him, which is intriguing. He is certainly a better option than many teams have had, but he has had trouble leading teams to significant wins. If his reputation as a solid player who cannot win key games is believed by the Showboat management, then they may well let him test the waters, where we know someone will nibble, and then make a play for either a rookie or, if available, Drew Brees. MICHIGAN: Brian Griese’s season-ending injury is having a huge impact on his contract negotiation, as you would expect. Michigan wants to be sure that the 34-year old can return to the form that won him an OPOTY award in 2009. Griese wants to cash in on his success in Michigan, but missing this entire season makes him a risky prospect. We think he will resign, it is truly the best option for him, but guaranteed money could be a hard no from the Panthers. NASHVILLE: O-line is the issue for the Knights they have guard Max Jean-Gilles, tackle Chris Williams, and both their starting and backup centers on contract years. Now, they have cap space, so they could find the room to sign all 4 if they wanted but that would handicap them in free agency, and the offense could definitely use some infusion (at WR particularly), while the defense is getting older and could use a youth movement. We think perhaps only 2 of the 4 are likely to be inked before the season ends. NEW JERSEY: Linebacker Donterrious Thomas is an interesting consideration for the Generals. He has been steady over the years, great at times, but inconsistent. Can they do better if they let him go? Are they ready to move on? That is a very interesting situation to monitor as we get closer to the offseason. NEW ORLEANS: We are intrigued by the Breaker backfield. Both Matt Forte and Michael Robinson are up for a new deal, and we still don’t know if the Breakers see either of them as a true starting back. They mix them up so much each week that trying to predict if they will sign both is nearly impossible. Right now, Forte is on the cheaper contract, but will that stay the case as they both look for more money to be a true lead back? Have either of them made a convincing case they can take on that role? OAKLAND: Both Ruben Brown and Logan Mankins are in contract years, and both are players who earned All-USFL accolades last year. Can a team really afford two All-USFL guards? And if so, can they do so and still have cap room for more expensive positions. Honestly, they should do what they can to sign both, but they should also be concerned about WR Greg Jennings (still unsigned) and the defense. OHIO: Joey Galloway is 36. If he chooses to retire, Ohio is off the hook, but if not, do they really let him walk. Resigning him would be very expensive, and Ohio has the worst cap situation of any team in the league, thanks largely to some big deals made over the past 3 seasons. They have needs, and they have other veteran starters up for a new deal. We think the team may have to let Galloway go if he does not choose to retire this offseason. Fans will hate it, but it may be the right move to make. ORLANDO: Outside of an unhappy QB in Brees, the Renegades are pretty much sitting pretty for free agency. They have few players of great importance to worry about (guard Steve Sciulo and DT Kenny Smith) and they have nearly $25M in cap room. If they trade Brees away, they would have more than enough money to sign a bevvy of draft picks, and to find a new starter (transition QB or rookie phenom). PHILADELPHIA: Steve Smith wants to get paid. And he deserves to. Problem is, so does CB Quentin Jammer, DT Seth Payne, and SS lance Schulters. Not sure there is enough money in the Philadelphia Mint for the Stars, though their cap number is not horrible. PITTSBURGH: Patrick Surtain is the Mauler we are watching these last few weeks. He has become a true stud for the Mauler defense and he should fetch a pretty penny, either from Pittsburgh or on the free agent market. PORTLAND: We mentioned Fisk and Maslowski, but LB Roosevelt Colvin is another key defender who could be a flight risk. If they lose all three, they would basically need to rebuild from scratch a defense which has been their best feature this year. We cannot see them going that route. Expect at least 2 of the 3 to get nice, pricey new deals. SEATTLE: Is it retool time or full rebuild time in Seattle? A lot will depend on if Marvin Lewis keeps his job or if ownership goes a new direction. If they do let Lewis go, then we expect veterans, even good veterans, like Takeo Spikes, Brandon Noble, and Jamie Winborn to be possible departures as the Dragons try to find cap room to build something new. ST. LOUIS: St. Louis has some players they want to keep, particularly HB Antowain Smith and center Shaun O’Hara, but they also want to refresh the roster. We expect them to be very active in free agency, so that means they are also expected to let a lot of contracts lapse so they can have cap room to bring in new blood. TAMPA BAY: Guard Steve Hutchinson and DT Jason Peter are the two top targets the Bandits have to focus on. Others, like HB LaBrandon Toefield or T Marvel Smith are likely much lower priorities. They may make an offer, but they are not going to spend big on others when they have 2 players they absolutely do not want to lose. TEXAS: TE Dan Campbell has done what every player wants to do in a contract year, make himself indispensable. Expec the 32-year old to get paid and paid well (for a TE). LB Kailee Wong is another important player the Outlaws will want to retain, but they also have Chad Greenway up on his final year, so can they afford to sign both. Right now that looks tough as they have only $5M in cap space, but we expect some contract restructures to free up a bit more. WASHINGTON: LB Antonio Pierce needs to be paid like a Top 3 player at his position, and that will not be cheap. But, perhaps more interesting, QB David Garrard is making a strong case that he should not be a 1-year fill-in until the Feds can do better. He has Washington in the playoff hunt and is playing well enough to be in the conversation. What do we have on tap in the penultimate week of the season? How about 9 divisional games, including gems like Philly-New Jersey, Baltimore-Washington, Denver-Texas, and Charlotte-Atlanta. Then, just for fun we throw in the 10-4 Houston Gamblers at 9-5 Oakland, or Tampa Bay and Michigan, both hanging on to hope at 7-7, meeting in Detroit. A lot could get sorted out this week, as we have matchups across the entire schedule with huge playoff implications. Sure, we also have St. Louis at Ohio, but one stinker a week is not that bad. FRIDAY @ 8pm ET NEW ORLEANS (8-6) @ MEMPHIS (5-9) NBC SATURDAY @ 12pm ET ST. LOUIS (4-10) @ OHIO (2-11-1) ABC SATURDAY @ 12pm ET LAS VEGAS (8-6) @ BOSTON (6-8) ABC SATURDAY @ 12pm ET PHILADELPHIA (10-4) @ NEW JERSEY (7-7) FOX SATURDAY @ 4pm ET HOUSTON (10-4) @ OAKLAND (9-5) ABC SATURDAY @ 4pm ET TAMPA BAY (7-7) @ MICHIGAN (7-7) FOX SATURDAY @ 8pm ET JACKSONVILLE (6-8) @ ORLANDO (7-7) ESPN SUNDAY @ 12pm ET CHARLOTTE (5-9) @ ATLANTA (9-5) ABC SUNDAY @ 12pm ET ARIZONA (5-9) @ PITTSBURGH (9-4-1) FOX SUNDAY @ 12pm ET NASHVILLE (8-6) @ BIRMINGHAM (2-12) FOX SUNDAY @ 4pm ET SEATTLE (5-9) @ CHICAGO (9-5) ABC SUNDAY @ 4pm ET LOS ANGELES (4-10) @ PORTLAND (7-7) ABC SUNDAY @ 4pm ET DENVER (11-3) @ TEXAS (8-6) FOX SUNDAY @ 8pm ET BALTIMORE (9-5) @ WASHINGTON (8-6) ESPN & EFN

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