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Before we get to this week's THIS IS THE USFL entry, a quick website update. A new poll has been added to help decide the fate of the city of Dallas as a USFL market. The Cotton Bowl is hosting the Texas Outlaws for 2009 due to construction at the Alamodome, and it has been going very well. So, should Dallas get fast tracked to get a team? Should the league consider expansion? Or should an ownership develop that would buy and relocated a troubled USFL franchise from another city? Maybe you think 2 teams in Texas is enough and Dallas should be content with the Cowboys. You can vote in the poll (easily found on the header bar) and leave a comment with what you think would be best for Dallas and its football-loving fans, or what would be best for the league. No promises on how I take this, but your input could certainly help guide my thoughts on the city and its USFL future. The poll will be open through the 2009 USFL playoffs. In this shortened season, week 7 represents the midway point, and at the midpoint of the year, what do we know? We know that there are several teams well on their way to a 10-or-more win season, and several who are struggling to find any wins at all. We know we can count on Chicago’s defense to show up, Orlando’s to pressure the QB, and Houston’s to keep them in every game. We know that Ohio, Michigan, and Boston can put up points, and we know that New Jersey, Atlanta, and St. Louis have not yet found a way to generate offense at all. We know that Deuce McCallister will find his way to 100 yards, that Chad Johnson is impossible to shut down, and that Denver is a tough out at home. But there is still a lot to learn, and a lot which has not been figured out yet. At the midway point of the year we have 9 teams sitting at either 4-3 or 3-4, none of whom have made their case strongly enough that they are to be considered contenders, and half of whom are likely to miss out even on the extended 14-team playoff. What is left to be determined is quite a bit, actually, and we will try to make sense of it here, at This Week in the USFL BOSTON CANNONS 34 PHILADELPHIA STARS 28 OVERTIME The Northeast Division has given us some of the best games of the year, and this week was no exception as the Boston Cannons and Philadelphia Stars clashed at Lincoln Financial Field. Boston would have a strong 21-point run in the first half, and would use that to keep the Stars at arm’s length most of the game, but Philadelphia is a tenacious club and slowly they crept their way back, eventually tying the game and sending it to overtime. It was a game that saw both teams lean heavily on their passing games, with both Drew Bledsoe and Kurt Warner going over 400 yards passing. Steve Smith came close to 200 yards receiving with 197 yards and 2 scores, while Terrell Owens and Chad Johnson also went over 100 in a game where neither team could establish the run early and both quickly turned to a pass-happy strategy. Philadelphia was the first to score, with Warner connecting with Smith on a 60-yard scoring strike only 1:30 into the game. Boston responded with a toss from Bledsoe to Johnson that equalized the score, and then followed that up 6 minutes later with Bledsoe connecting with Joe Jurevicius to give Boston it’s first lead. Midway through the 2nd quarter Bledsoe and the Boston aerial attack would strike again, with Chad Johnson getting his 2nd TD of the day to put Boston up 21-7, but Philadelphia, now down 14, was not out of options, and they finished the first half with a 71-yard drive that culminated with Michael Robinson plunging in from the 1. Robinson would have only 11 yards rushing on the day, but two of his 12 carries would be scoring runs. Up by 7 at the half, Boston received the opening kickoff for the 2nd half and needed fewer than 4 minutes to again boost the difference to 14 points. Bledsoe found his newest target, slot receiver Percy Harvin from the 24-yard line on an out & up and Boston was again up by two scores. But,once again, Philadelphia was game, and they would close out the 3rd with another long drive, again with Michael Robinson diving in from the 1, this time following a defensive pass interference call on a pass to Terrell Owens that put the ball one yard out. The 4th quarter saw both teams struggle to move the ball early, with both clubs turning up the pressure. There were 14 sacks in the game, 7 for each starting QB, and both were sacked 3 times each in the final period. The one-dimensional attack of both clubs led to more opportunities for QB pressure and a lack of focus on the run game by the defensive fronts of both clubs. Robert Mathis would garner both of his 2 sacks of the less-than-agile Bledsoe in the final period, while Boston used blitz schemes to bring pressure on Warnerm with sacks from London Fletcher and Chris Claiborne in the period. Despite the pressure, down only 7 at this point, Philadelphia managed to find the equalizer when Warner hit Steve Smith for a 25-yard scoring strike on a corner route, putting up the equalizer with 3 minutes left to play. That tied up the game, but left Boston with time to potentially get the game winner in the final moments. It would be on the Stars’ defense to find an answer for the Cannons or risk losing in the final seconds. The key play was a 3rd and 7 on the Cannon 44-yard line. Bledsoe threw for Jurevicius, but FS Anthony Dorsett reached across Jurevicius’s body, and with the ball a bit behind the receiver, Dorsett was able to get his hand in to break up the pass. Coach Fox, concerned that a failed 4th down effort would give Philadelphia a short field and time to get a game winner at the buzzer, opted to punt and pinned the Stars back at their own 11-yard line. With 1:21 left to play, the Stars played it conservatively, running the ball and sending the game to overtime. They would not see the ball again. Boston won the toss, and this time they did not find themselves with a tough 4th down decision. They did not even have a tough 3rd down decision as the team moved the ball down the field quickly, thanks largely to a 36-yard connection to Percy Harvin. An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against the Stars added 15 more yards, and before the Philly faithful could complain that beer sales had ended, the Cannons were in the red zone. It would take them only 3 plays from there to punch in the game winner, a Rashard Mendenhall TD run from the 1, and Boston came away with their 4th win, putting them over .500. Both Boston and Philadelphia now stood at 4-3, solidly in the Wild Card race and still hoping to be able to catch up to the frontrunners in this very tight division, Baltimore and Washington. LOS ANGELES 3 PORTLAND 17 The Friday night game was a bit of a snoozer as LA simply could not get anything going. Portland held the Express to 225 total yards as Maurice Jones-Drew was largely ineffective on the ground and rookie QB Mark Sanchez completed 16 of 29 but for only 156 yards. The Stags got an early TD from Roddy White, and that was all they needed, though a second White TD in the 4th put the game away for them, it was never truly in doubt. NEW JERSEY 14 WASHINGTON 30 Ryan Fitzpatrick threw 3 picks, including one to Sheldon Brown which was returned for a score, as Washington clamped down on the offensively challenged Generals. TDs from Deuce McCallister and Mike Williams, along with the pick-6 were more than the Generals could overcome on a hot afternoon in Washington. MICHIGAN 40 PITTSBURGH 20 The Maulers came into this game as one of the league’s hottest teams, but a bad 4th quarter that saw them give up 3 scores to the Panthers put them in a 28-13 hole that they could not recover from. Laverneus Coles added to his league leading receiving TD total with 2 in the game, and Hines Ward and Justin Fargas added 2 more as Michigan pulled away in the 2nd and then matched Pittsburgh from there on out to take the win and move into a tie for first place in the Central. OHIO 38 ST. LOUIS 6 The Skyhawks were roundly booed by their home fans, some in paper-bags, as they again showed no ability at all to generate offense. That was not an issue for Ohio as they broke open a 14-6 halftime score with 24 unanswered points in the second half. HB Kenny Smith rushed for 3 scores as the Glory rested Eddie George for most of the second half. Rookie Josh Freeman got his first start for St. Louis, going 20 of 40 for 272, but the Skyhawks could only muster two first half field goals in another rough loss. NASHVILLE 30 ARIZONA 7 The Knights improved their record to 6-1 as two 1st quarter scores from Frank Gore helped them overpower the Wranglers. David Carr looked off the entire game, completing only 14 of 41 passing, while Gore’s 148 yards meant that Jay Cutler did not need to do much to improve Nashville to 6-1 at the midway point of the season. MEMPHIS 27 TEXAS 24 Mike McMahon was back under center and the Showboats got their first win of the season as they edged the Texas Outlaws in Dallas. McMahon hit Lee Evans and Sidney Rice with scoring tosses and a Cadillac Williams 4th quarter TD gave the Boats a 27-16 lead that Texas could not overcome in the final minutes. With Brett Favre possibly returning to action in Week 2, the 1-6 Showboats may yet prove to be an effective spoiler in the second half of the season. OAKLAND 27 SEATTLE 24 Thoughts that Seattle might pull off another amazing rally as they did after an 0-4 start last year have now dimmed, as they drop to 1-6 with a home loss to the 6-1 Invaders. It was 24-7 Seattle early in the 3rd when Jeramy Stevens scored on a 60-yard TD toss from Leftwich, but Joey Harrington rallied the Invaders who would score the final 20 points of the game to take the win, helped by an Eric Wright pick-six and 4 total turnovers by the Dragons. CHARLOTTE 10 ORLANDO 30 The Renegades forced 3 Charlotte turnovers, including a Lito Sheppard pick-six, as Orlando equalized their record with the upstart Monarchs. Knowshon Moreno had his first 100-yard game against the usually tough Monarch run defense, and receivers Mike Jenkins and Justin McCaerins combined for 152 yards as Orlando rolled into a tie for first place in the Southeast. ATLANTA 6 CHICAGO 23 Kyle Orton was a sitting duck, sacked 5 times by Chicago, as the Machine rolled over Atlanta at home. Brady Quinn went 23 of 29 for 300 yards and 2 scores, both to Donald Driver, while the Chicago defense limited the Fire to only 1 of 11 on third down and a total of 181 yards for the day. JACKSONVILLE 3 TAMPA BAY 30 The Bandits may be this year’s comeback team, making a case that they can still turn things around with an impressive win against in-state rivals Jacksonville. Daunte Culpepper had his best game of the year, throwing for 3 scores, while Willis McGahee kept the Bulls defense honest with 77 rushing yards. Two picks of Jake Delhomme and a solid game against the run gave Bandit fans hope that their 3-4 record could quickly turn into a winning position by season’s end. BALTIMORE 35 LAS VEGAS 17 The Thunder drop to 3-4 as Baltimore continues their strong claim as the Beast of the East, winning their 6th game in 7 attempts. Tory Holt came away with 2 scores and Big Ben also hit Darrius Heyward-Bey with another as the Blitz rolled the usually staunch Thunder defense, helped significantly by 3 Jake Plummer interceptions. BIRMINGHAM 12 HOUSTON 17 The Stallions gave Houston a run for their money, but a late Kevin Faulk TD helped the homestanding Gamblers eke out the low-scoring win to move to 5-2. Luke McCown got the start for Houston and struggled a bit, throwing 2 picks, but, thanks largely to a strong game from HB Shaun Alexander, the Gamblers held off the Stallions to stay atop the Southwest Division. NEW ORLEANS 7 DENVER 24 Denver got back on the winning track with a solid three-phases victory over a tough Breaker squad. Matt Leinart had a solid game after looking rusty last week, completing 21 of 30 passes for 243 yards and 3 scores. Peerless Price caught 8 balls for 134 to lead all receivers, but Keary Colbert also stepped up in his first game as the #2 receiver, scoring a TD on his first catch of the night as Denver takes the Sunday night game to move to 4-3 on the year. Top 5 Stories of the Season’s First Half We have reached the midpoint of the season and the USFL is halfway towards writing the story of 2009, but just which teams, which players, and which plays are the ones we are all following right now? Here is our pick for the top 5 stories of the 2009 season at the half-way point. The Maulers Surprising Success We, like many, looked at the Pittsburgh Maulers in the preseason and felt that this was a team that simply did not have the horses to compete in the brutal Central Division. They had brought in a rookie QB to create competition for Cody Pickett, had a receiving corps that was shaky at best, and their defense was middle-of-the-road, but a first half record of 5-2, including wins over Chicago and Orlando have us believing that the Maulers could be this year’s Cinderella story. Pittsburgh ranks 7th in the league in scoring thanks in part to much improved play from QB Cody Pickett, play which has kept rookie Pat White solidly on the bench. The rushing duo of Foster and Watson has produced nearly 800 yards on the ground and 11 touchdowns, and Vincent Jackson has stepped up his game, with 43 receptions and 519 yards in the first 7 weeks. The defense is solid, if not spectacular at times, and the Maulers rarely hurt themselves. This could be a formula for a playoff run and certainly takes Coach Rivera off the hotseat and into the driver’s seat, at least through 7 games. Favre Out & Memphis Down There are things you plan for each season and things you do not, and one of the things no one could have planned for is for the league’s Iron Man, Brett Favre, to get knocked out for over a month with an injury. Favre started nearly 200 games without missing a one, but was sidelined by injury this season and the Showboats have not recovered. Mind you, Memphis started the year 0-2 with Favre, a surprise in itself, but without him they have simply not been competitive at all. And it is not all their QB’s fault. The Showboat defense ranks dead last in the league, giving up an average of 29.6 points per game, while the punchless offense (combining starts from Favre, McMahon and Kelly Holcomb) is putting up only 12.9 each week. The two-time defending Eastern Conference champions are 1-6 and will have to be content to play spoiler the rest of the way, even as Favre is set to return to action either this week or in Week 9. The Dragons Cannot Find the Formula Last year Seattle started 0-4, but went on a 10-2 run to re-establish themselves as a playoff club and a dangerous team to face. This year, that is just not happening. They started 0-4 again, then had a spark of hope with a Week 5 win over a very good Michigan team, but subsequent losses to Las Vegas and Oakland have them sitting at 1-6 and very much looking like a team in need of a facelift. The defense has been a major issue, allowing 23 points and 347 yards per game. The offense still has some weapons, but are having a hard time turning yards into points, which is not a formula you want if you want a strong second half to the year. The Dragons could still sneak up on some folks, but a rebound run to a playoff spot seems very unlikely this time around. Baltimore and Nashville Surprise Many with 6-1 Starts The Blitz and the Knights were both expected to be middle-of-the-pack contenders for a Wild Card spot this year, but both are proving that we underestimated them. Sitting at 6-1 and atop their divisions, both clubs are surprising us, and their fans, with firepower we did not know they had. For Nashville it is the defense, ranked #1 in both scoring and yards allowed, that has been carrying them to a lofty 6-1 record. Of course, having Frank Gore to keep the offense on the field and the defense rested has been a huge help as well. For Baltimore, it has been the surge in their passing game, taking pressure off Ron Dayne to carry the load. Ben Roethlisberger is having his best year yet, with 12 TD’s and 2 picks. Baltimore’s only loss came when Big Ben was out and Chris Simms struggled to match his prowess at the position. Both of these clubs look like potential #1 seeds, though neither is a lock with plenty of competition still to face over the second half of the season. Calais Campbell On Pace for Sack Record The stunning numbers Calais Campbell is putting up for Orlando has been the #1 story since back to back 4-sack games got him off and running in weeks 2-3. He is up to 19 sacks in only 7 games, a ridiculous pace that would have him shatter the 16-game record of former Renegade Chris Doleman in this 14-game season. With 7 games to go, Campbell needs only 10 more sacks to tie the record, which at this pace he could have by week 10, much less week 14. Campbell is not doing it alone, as a lot of folks are pointing to the arrival of Albert Haynesworth at nose tackle as a big reason that Campbell is not being manhandled with two linemen. Teams are going to have to find a way to handle both linemen if they want to avoid finding Campbell draped over their quarterback, but in 7 weeks few have found a way to slow him down and the Renegades could well be on their way to having the top 2 sack seasons in league history as something to brag about. Five Teams to Watch in the Second Half As we look ahead to the second half of the season, we know from experience that some teams that have fared pretty well could slow down, while others who may have struggled early could be on their way up. The standings as they are today are almost certainly not how they will end up after another 7 weeks. So, who do we see rising? We picked 5 teams that seem poised for a stronger second half and a potential rise up the standings. Texas: Sitting at 2-5 it may seem hard to hold out much hope that Texas could match some of the preseason darkhorse predictions, but this is a team that is in the Top 10 in both scoring defense and yards allowed. They just need to find more on offense to pull out some games. T. J. Duckett is under 500 yards, which seems low for him. If he can get back on track, and if the young receivers for the Outlaws can find ways to get open for Joe Flacco, we could see Texas start to make waves in the Southwest. Does that mean they catch either Denver or Houston, not likely, but they could certainly play spoiler with games against both down the stretch. Chicago: Yes, at 5-2, Chicago is hardly a mid-range club, but with so much attention being paid to Michigan and Pittsburgh this year, they have largely been off the radar. But the Machine have won 4 in a row, and are tied for first with the Maulers and Panthers. A solid second half could easily see them take over the division. Brady Quinn has been quietly improving at QB, and the defense is still one of the league’s best (3rd in scoring at 14.9 ppg). Don’t be surprised if this club can go 6-1 or even 7-0 in the second half. Portland: The Stags have been something of an enigma this year. They have lost some games badly, but have played well, particularly against division foes. With wins over Las Vegas, Seattle, and LA, the Stags are actually 3-1 in division and at 3-4 sit in 2nd place in the Pacific. We don’t think they will catch up with Oakland, but in what appears to be a pretty weak Pacific Division they could find themselves in a Wild Card hunt if they could be just a bit more consistent and find a way to win some non-division games. Boston: The Cannons have been inconsistent all season, and a very bad loss to New Jersey in Week 6 is baffling, but they have also shown us the ability to rise up when necessary, defeating both Orlando and Michigan with a combination of fast-strike offense and solid defense. The key to a successful second half may be relying on Bledsoe less and Mendenhall more. The more balanced the Boston offense, the better off their QB and his aging knees will be. Yes, they have dangerous receivers in Johnson, Jurevicious and Rookie of the Year candidate Percy Harvin, but the line is not good enough to just chuck the ball 40 times a game. If they can feed the ball to Mendenhall, they can keep the defenses honest and keep Bledsoe upright, which would bode well for them in a very tough NE Division. Tampa Bay: The Bandits have won their last two games and what is most encouraging is that both the defense that took them to 14-2 last year and the Culpepper-led offense, seem to be finding what works for them in 2009. Willis McGahee is taking on a bigger role in the offense, and the defense is beginning to make the plays these past 2 weeks that we did not see earlier. They relied heavily on takeaways last year, and those have not been coming at the same pace, but their wins over Atlanta and Jacksonville, while potentially suspicious, do show signs of hope that this club could turn their 3-4 record into a much better final tally. Five Players Who Could Bust Out As we look ahead to the season’s second half, there are teams that we expect to make a run, but there are also players who we anticipate having a bigger impact. Looking across the league, teams are shifting their strategies and some younger players could see more snaps. We chose 5 players who we think could have an impact in the season’s second act. DE Derrick Harvey (TBY) After a pretty horrible 1-4 start, the Bandits seem to be turning a corner, winning their last two, and the defense has been a big part of that. Second year DE Derrick Harvey could be a key piece in the Bandit’s attempt to come back and make a late playoff run. Harvey had a strong rookie year, with 10 sacks as Tampa Bay surprised the league and finished 14-2, but this year started slowly, with no sacks in his first 5 games. He recorded his first in Week 6, and has been more aggressive in the past 3 weeks, with the Bandits shifting to more 4-man front, freeing up Harvey and veteran Orpheus Roye with more single assignment blocking to face. If the Bandits want to improve on a disappointing 20th ranking in points allowed, finding ways to allow Roye and Harvey to reach the QB will be a big piece of that plan. WR Jerome Pathon (NOR). Starting the year as the 3rd receiver for Eli Manning, Jerome Pathon has seen his role grow in recent weeks. He still trails Dwayne Bowe and Early Doucet with 31 receptions to their respective 63 and 46, but he has seen more snaps, and when thrown to has produced, with a team best 13.1 yards per reception. In Week 6 against Birmingham, he had his first 100-yard game, producing 119 yards and 2 scores, and we expect Manning will start to target Pathon more for deep balls as the Breakers push for a playoff spot. DE Fred Perry (CHA). Julius Peppers has been one of the stories of Charlotte’s defensive surge this year. He leads the club with 9 sacks, but he is beginning to see a lot of double teams, which means that Perry is not, giving the 2nd year player a shot to come at the QB with only one man to beat. Perry had 9 sacks last year, so we know he is capable of winning those battles against the right end. He has 3 this year, but could easily double that or better in the second half of the year as teams try to protect their QB’s blind side from Peppers. QB Josh Freeman (STL). There is really nowhere to go but up for the Skyhawks, who have been averaging only 13 points a game (26th in the league) and have yet to win a game. Coach Williams was hesitant to put his rookie QB in the game, but an injury to Jeff Blake made the call for him. Blake is expected to be out at least another month, so Freeman has every chance to impress and take the job from him. Already, in 2 games of action, Freeman has gained over 553 yards, more than half of what Blake did in 5 games. And while Freeman has yet to win a game or throw a TD, he also has not thrown any picks in his 2 games, better than Blake can say after leading the league with over 20 picks last year. It will not be easy for the rookie, with Denver, Pittsburgh, LA and Michigan up in the next month, but if he can eke out even one win in that span, the transition may be official and the job may be his. HB Knowshon Moreno (ORL): Another rookie, and one who has struggled so far, but Moreno logged his first 100-yard game this week against Charlotte, which is a good sign that he and the Orlando coaching staff have not given up after a rough start to the year. As the game slows down for Moreno, he will begin to see lanes more easily, and his physical talent is certainly there. We don’t expect Moreno to suddenly turn out a massive rookie campaign as some have done, but if he can produce enough to take pressure off of QB Drew Brees, Orlando may actually improve their 24th ranked run offense and get some balance, which might help them down the stretch. Oakland has to be concerned as they are now down two of their top receivers. With Plaxico Burress out for the year, the Invaders lost Hank Basket this week to an ankle injury that could keep him out 4-6 weeks. That leaves them with Greg Jennings, DeSean Jackson and not much else. They did trade for Pierre Garçon, which seems a smart move now, so expect Garçon to become the new #2, with Jackson retaining his slot role. In Texas the concern is at guard, where Leonard Davis is out at least 6 weeks after suffering a broken jaw. Davis will have his jaw wired shut, setting him up for the always nasty liquid diet for at least 3 weeks, but doctors do not want him to push a return due to the location of the break and the potential for a reinjury. In Michigan, x-rays revealed that Mario Manningham’s injury was not a mere concussion, but that he actually had a skull fracture, meaning he will be out at least 4 weeks. Manningham had seen limited action this year, serving as the swing receiver when Ward and Coles needed a breather. That role will now be taken on by Kevin Kasper. New Jersey HB Ray Rice is expected to miss at least 2 weeks as he heals a hairline fracture in his right arm. The injury does not require a cast, but Rice is in a sling at least for a week, meaning that recent trade acquisition R. J. Redmond will now see time along with James Jackson in the General backfield. Finally, Houston could be without their fine young wideout Roy Williams for a 2-3 weeks as Williams is dealing with a turf toe injury. The team is listing him as out for Week 8, but, as we all know, turf toe is one of those injuries that can linger if not treated with care. Midseason Report: What does each team need? With 7 weeks down and 7 to go, every team in the league is assessing where they stand and where they want to be by Week 14. And in that assessment, there is always a discussion of what is working and what is not, changes to depth charts, young players getting a shot to contribute, and even the occasional trade or pick up to try to find an answer. As we look at all 28 USFL clubs, we see gaps that every team must also be concerned about. As we look ahead, we offer our advice on the hole that each club needs to fill to find success, starting at 0-7 St. Louis and moving to the league leaders. ST. LOUIS (0-7): Can we say they need a new GM? Since coming into the league in 2006, the Skyhawks have simply not made good personnel decisions. They hope they have found a QB in Freeman, but their run game is still a shambles and their 28th ranked defense (yardage) is not exactly making life easy for anyone. Honestly, the best option for the Skyhawks and Coach Williams, is to revamp the front office and upgrade the roster from top to bottom. JACKSONVILLE (1-6): There are lots of issues in Jacksonville, but the one that stands out most readily is on defense, where the Bulls are just not making the stops they need to get off the field. The D-Line is doing alright, with 10 sacks between David Bowens and Tom Burke, but when your team leader in interceptions is LB Lavar Arrington with 1, you have secondary issues. The Bulls rebuilt their safety position by signing Mike Brown and Eric Weddle, but the two don’t seem to be clicking as a team yet, and corners Dereck Combs and Corey Graham are just not making plays on the ball. Our one suggestion for Jacksonville is to make some deals to improve at corner. MEMPHIS (1-6): It is too obvious to say “Get Favre Back”, and we do expect him back under center in the next couple of weeks, but Memphis’s problems extend far beyond QB play in his absence. He was 0-2 after all in his 2 starts before the injury. The Showboats are dead last in scoring defense, allowing a devastating 29.6 points per game, including 42 in week 5 to a not-very-scary Bulls offense. It would appear that Marcellus Wiley is just not the player he was back in Denver. The 34-year old Wiley has only 4 sacks in 7 games, and is just not making the impact Memphis needs. Maybe the answer is to give Quentin Moses more snaps, or perhaps the Showboats need to plan for a DE signing in the offseason, because without QB pressure, this defense just does not work. SEATTLE (1-6): For the second year in a row the Dragons started the year 0-4, and this time around it does not look like a turnaround is happening. There are two issues that stand out, the first being the decline of Corey Dillon as Seattle is averaging only 78 yards per game rushing. More disturbing is that their defense is giving up nearly 116 yards per game to opposing backs. Jamie Winborn and Eddie Mason are not proving to be effective in the MLB position and too many times are being blocked off the play by pulling guards. That needs to change if Seattle hopes to turn their year around even just to reach 4-5 wins this year. ATLANTA (1-6): Getting any kind of run game on track will be a huge help, but what Atlanta also needs is a true #1 receiver. Josh Reed is best suited as a #2, and while Marcus Robinson has come on in Reed’s absence, neither is truly a threat to most defenses, which is why TE Will Heller currently leads the team with 31 receptions. The Fire need to make a deal to bring a true #1 to town, but that seems unlikely midseason. TEXAS (2-5): If there is one thing the 25th ranked offense of the Outlaws needs, it is a strategy to keep T. J. Duckett engaged in games. Duckett is averaging a solid 4 yards per carry, but is not getting the volume of carries he is used to. We know that Texas wants to be more balanced with Joe Flacco given opportunities to stretch the field, but if Duckett is not given 20-25 carries a game, Texas is failing to take advantage of their best offensive weapon. ARIZONA (2-5): David Carr may just not be the answer for the post-Plummer Wranglers. The NFL import has just not looked comfortable, and after struggling in New York with the Giants, the reality may be that he is just not a quality starter despite his college success. Arizona has two outstanding receivers in Santana Moss and Larry Fitzgerald, so if Carr is only averaging 179 yards per game passing, that has to be on him. NEW JERSEY (2-5): One number says it all, 27 yards per game. That is the production of the New Jersey run game. The team that brought us Herschel Walker and Curtis Enis is now absolutely woeful in the run game. Ray Rice (now injured) is struggling to do anything. Kerry Joseph leads the team with only 116 total rushing yards. They have already made a move in trading for R. J. Redmond, so there is hope, but if the problem is their line, which it very well appears to be, that will take at least 1 very productive offseason to fix. BIRMINGHAM (2-5): We have started to see signs of life from the Stallions, as their defense has kept them in games and helped them win back-to-back outings against Memphis and Charlotte. What they lack is the ability to make big plays on offense. Kyle Boller has been effective (8:4 in TD:INT) but the Stallions just cannot break the big play. As much as Joe Horn has given to the Stallions over the years, he is no longer a true deep ball target, and we just don’t see another option for the deep ball on the field, which means teams stack the box, stuff the run, and force the Stallions to go on long sustained drives. They need a home run hitter badly. LOS ANGELES (3-4): The Express are training up a rookie QB in Mark Sanchez, and he has had some very good games, but the problem seems to be that he is not getting the balance on offense needed to keep defenses honest. Maurice Jones-Drew is averaging only 3 yards per carry, and the passing game is far too focused on Keyshawn Johnson. LA could truly use a solid #2 receiver, and maybe some help on the interior of the line to help out Sanchez. TAMPA BAY (3-4): With wins in their last 2 games, Tampa Bay has hopes that they have turned the corner, but if they want to do even more they may have to address the WR position. Chris Doering had a career season last year, but he is getting double covered this year because teams don’t fear Karl Williams on the other side. If the Bandits could land a #2 from one of the receiver-deep teams like Boston or Ohio, they could pose a real threat in the second half. LAS VEGAS (3-4): We are not sure why, but the Jake Plummer signing has not had the impact Thunder fans expected. The club is 23rd in scoring and, shockingly, only 13th in rushing. The hope was that Plummer would force teams to respect the pass and that would give Marshawn Lynch more room to run. He was expected to be among the league leaders, and while his 470 yards is not horrible, it is also not dominant. Our key for Las Vegas is to find more ways to get the ball in the air to Hill, Hatchette, and Troy Williamson. Too many sacks, scrambles, and dump offs means defenses are not forced to respect the deep ball or the threat of the pass on early downs. PORTLAND (3-4): The Stags are showing growth on offense, with the 6th best passing attack in the league, but they struggle to find balance. We don’t think their biggest need is a player, but an attitude. This is a team that should be using their success through the air to set up the run, but they are still too predictable in their use of Jonathan Stewart. More draws, more quick hitters, and more spread formations would make life easier for Stewart, produce more 3rd and short situations, and help balance the Stag offense. BOSTON (4-3): No complaints about the Cannon offense, to be sure, but their defense is 27th in yards allowed mostly due to the worst-rated pass defense in the league. That is stunning when we see Jason Babin among the league leaders in sacks, but what we also see is a secondary that is not intimidating anyone. Safeties Shane Welton and Jerome Woods are just not in the right position often enough, and teams are taking advantage of some pretty loose zones. Finding a trading partner to send a safety with a bit more aggressiveness to the Cannons would be a good more at this point in their season. DENVER (4-3): Yes, having Matt Leinart go down for a couple of weeks did not help, but even with Leinart under center, the big issue for Denver continues to be a lack of explosiveness. Peerless Price is a great possession guy, but he is not going to take the top off a defense. Keary Colbert feels very much like a second route-guy and not a speed guy either. Denver needs a receiver who puts fear in the safeties that he will get behind them and Leinart will go over the top. Without that, it is very possible to contain this Gold offense. PHILADELPHIA (4-3): The Stars are a pretty solid team, but that may not be enough to land a playoff spot come Week 14. They could use some more stopping power on defense, but their #1 priority has to be to reinvigorate a run game that was huge for them last year. Steve Slaton and Michael Robinson have produced at times, but are not consistent enough this year to sustain drives. Of the two, Slaton is having the better year (4.2 YPC vs. 2.9) so it may be time to drop the rotation and use Slaton as a true lead back. OHIO (4-3): Just as we saw with Boston, Ohio is all offense and a very shaky defense. They give up nearly 270 yards passing a game, and unlike the Cannons, they do not have a stud at DE making teams pay for going to the air. While Carl Powell and Vonnie Holliday are solid at the position, neither one truly intimidates offensive coordinators. You don’t have to plan against them, and Ohio really does not have the kind of linebackers where blitzing a lot will be productive. A speedy edge rusher, even an unpolished one, might be enough for Ohio to make more stops and force teams to adjust their passing schemes. CHARLOTTE (5-2): While a 5-2 start means that there are no complaints about where Charlotte is situated at the present, recent losses, particularly the one to Birmingham, show that you cannot win with defense alone. Charlotte averages only 197.7 yards per game through the air, so the pressure is squarely on Chris Weinke to do more. His 5:7 TD:INT rate is not what you want to see for a team fighting to win the division. He needs to start finding ways to get the ball into the hands of Hackett and Stevie Johnson a bit deeper down the field, instead of relying on short passes with yards after the catch. CHICAGO (5-2): The Machine may have already made the move we would recommend. They needed a #2 receiver, and their deal with Denver to bring Anquon Boldin to town may be just the remedy for them. In his first game in Chicago, Boldin had 4 receptions for 88 yards, which bodes well for Chicago. Pair that with more touches for Michael Turner, and the Machine could be a tough out the rest of the way. PITTSBURGH (5-2): The Maulers are a surprise at 5-2, but when you have the #7 offense and a Top 10 passing defense, you should expect to win a lot of games. However, their 40-20 loss this week to Michigan showed us that they still have work to do. The Mauler D is very effective on 3rd and long, but their run defense struggles against bigger backs, which is an issue. They have a pretty young LB group, and could really use a thumper at either MLB or Strong Side LB. More snaps for rookie Brian Cushing could be the answer there, but he has been slow to catch on to the complex schemes of the defense, so perhaps simplification is the key. ORLANDO (5-2): It has been all about Calais Campbell and the defense this year, but if Orlando wants to get anywhere in the postseason, they need to improve on that 24th ranked rushing game. Moreno is the key, and, as we already reported, he has seen some improvement, but providing him with more opportunities on downs where the defense is not 100% thinking run first would be a good strategy. HOUSTON (5-2): The Gamblers are a pretty balanced team, hovering between 12th-9th in many statistical areas. We love that they have embraced the run game (3rd in the league), but they now need to embrace more play action passing for Matt Hasselbeck. That could be tough with Roy Williams expected to miss at least a couple of games due to injury, but what may help is getting Kevin Faulk on the field more often. He is an outstanding receiver and could be fit into the slot to keep Shaun Alexander in the backfield as well. MICHIGAN (5-2): Brian Griese is lighting it up for the defending champs, but unlike last year the run game has just not been as reliable. Michigan continues to rotate Justin Fargas with Leon Washington, but maybe the time is now to work Mike Hart into the mix a bit more. He is averaging 4.8 yards per carry in very limited action, and seems a better short-yardage back than either of the men ahead of him on the depth chart. WASHINGTON (6-1): Hard to critique a 6-1 club, especially one with the#1 rushing offense in the league, but if Washington wants to overtake Baltimore and have a shot at the #1 seed in the East, they need to be good in every phase of the game. Right now their main issue is pass defense, and the main concern has to be the inconsistent play of their #2 corner, Brandon Flowers. Flowers has been burnt more often than the Feds can be comfortable with, so they might want to see if there is an option to trade for a corner who might be more consistent in single man coverage. NASHVILLE (6-1): The Knights are clearly riding their defense hard this year. #1 in scoring, yards allowed, and rushing D, this is a dominant squad, but the offense has to do more to help them out. Jay Cutler’s group has the 27th rated passing attack, and the simple fact is that the conservative, 2-TE formations and reliance on Frank Gore are going to keep scores low, which has worked so far, but means that Nashville cannot afford to have any defensive gaffs or off days. OAKLAND (6-1): Wide receiver is the crisis point right now, which sounds weird to say for a 6-1 team, but with Burress gone for the year and now with Basket also hurt, it falls on Greg Jennings and newly-arrived Pierre Garçon to keep Oakland’s passing game humming. If teams can put 8 or 9 in the box, even Ricky Williams would struggle to find rushing lanes, but if Oakland can keep defenses honest, then the offense can continue to make life difficult for opposing teams. BALTIMORE (6-1): Currently sitting in the #1 position in the East, Baltimore has a lot going right. The offense is averaging 25 points per game, the defense is keeping teams under 20, so what could they do better? Honestly, their pass rush is not what you would expect from a team this good. Jared Allen leads the Blitz with only 4 sacks, and they are relying on the blitz far too much for comfort. With teams like Boston and Philadelphia able to put up big yards in the air, it is essential that Baltimore find a way to get pressure with just 4 players, keeping 7 back in coverage. So there you have it, the 1 key thing (player, adjustment, or emphasis) that each team needs to make another step forward or to change direction. How many will find those missing pieces or make the shift that is needed? We have 7 weeks to find out. Best of the USFL: Offensive Tackle Our presentation of the Best of the USFL continues in Week 7 with the offensive tackle, often seen as the key to pass protection and the most highly sought-after member of the offensive line. As with most line positions, this is a bit tougher to gauge than most positions because there simply is not the same quantity of measurable stats to go on. We can look at sacks allowed, but that often has to do more with the offensive style of each team and the propensity for the QB to hold onto the ball. Pancakes are an iffy stat to begin with and really does not say much about quality, only strength. So, we go with our gut and the commentary of coaches who watch film on these guys each week and analyze tendencies. Based on those somewhat subjective criteria, here is our list of the Top 5 Tackles in the USFL today. 1) Jonathan Ogden (LA) Generally considered the best all-around left tackle in the game. He is nearing the end of his career, but is still garnering a lot of respect and a lot of attention from defensive ends. 2) Matt Light (OAK) After 4 years in New Jersey, Matt Light has moved coasts and is now the key protector for Joey Harrington in Oakland. At 29, he still has many good years ahead of him. 3) Levi Brown (TBY) In only his 3rd year in the league, Levi Brown is one of the youngest players to make our list, but his talent is undeniable, keeping Daunte Culpepper upright and ready to toss deep balls for the Bandits. 4) Matt Stinchcomb (WSH) It came down to two NE Division rivals, and the slight edge for #4 went to Stinchcomb, the former Arizona Wrangler who has flourished in DC with Kordell Stewart and Deuce McCallister behind him. 5) Flozell Adams (PHI) The other big time talent a the position in the division. Adams is a road grater and a monster of a man; just what Kurt Warner needs to stay in the pocket. Honorable mention has to go to the best brother tandem in the league Wayne (CHA) and Mike Gandy (MEM), as well as to New Orleans’s LT Mark Tauscher (NOR), and the other half of the best tackle duo in the game, Oakland’s right tackle, Anthony Clement. No divisional games in Week 8, but that does not mean that it is a week without intrigue. Some of the bigger games include Chicago @ LA, Ohio @ Portland, Baltimore @ Charlotte, and the Sunday Night finale, Michigan @ Oakland. FRIDAY @ 8pm Washington (6-1) @ Memphis (1-6) NBC SATURDAY @ 12pm Philadelphia (4-3) @ Birmingham (2-5) ABC SATURDAY @ 12pm New Jersey (2-5) @ Orlando (5-2) FOX SATURDAY @ 12pm New Orleans (4-3) @ Atlanta (1-6) FOX SATURDAY @ 4pm Chicago (5-2) @ Los Angeles (3-4) ABC SATURDAY @ 4pm Ohio (4-3) @ Portland (3-4) FOX SATURDAY @ 8pm Nashville (6-1) @ Tampa Bay (3-4) ESPN SUNDAY @ 12pm Boston (4-3) @ Jacksonville (1-6) ABC SUNDAY @ 12pm Baltimore (6-1) @ Charlotte (5-2) FOX SUNDAY @ 4pm St. Louis (0-7) @ Denver (4-3) ABC SUNDAY @ 4pm Pittsburgh (5-2) @ Arizona (2-5) ABC SUNDAY @ 4pm Houston (5-2) @ Seattle (1-6) FOX SUNDAY @ 4pm Texas (2-5) @ Las Vegas (3-4) FOX SUNDAY @ 8pm Michigan (5-2) @ Oakland (6-1) ESPN

Four weeks in and we are down to three unbeatens, all in the Eastern Conference, and 4 winless teams, including two playoff teams from 2008. Baltimore and Washington keep their strong starts rolling, as does Charlotte’s surprisingly strong start. Memphis and Seattle lose again, and while the Showboats can squarely point at their injured QB as the reason, Seattle once again has to ask what is going wrong at the beginning of the year yet again. Jacksonville is also 0-4, which is certainly not where they wanted to be at this point. Meanwhile, surprisingly strong starts, not only from Charlotte, but from Pittsburgh and Nashville, have those fan bases excited about their prospects. We look at all the results from a busy week four, the injuries that could impact next week’s interdivisional action, and we get the semifinalists for the Hall of Fame Class of 2009 from the league offices, so let the debates begin. PHILADELPHIA 14 WASHINGTON 20 OVERTIME A war of attrition in Philadelphia as the Federals and Stars battled into overtime to decide a winner. In a game that saw no scoring at all in the 2nd or 3rd quarters, a 7-0 Federals lead evaporated in the 4th, with 21 points scored in the final period as the defenses tired. The Stars were able to limit Kordell Stewart to only 164 yards passing, and picked him off 3 times, but in the end his legs did them in. Washington got the early lead on a Stewart to Kennison TD toss, but for most of the game, neither team was able to do much on offense. Philadelphia’s HB duo of Steve Slaton and Michael Robinson combined for only 52 total yards on the ground, and Kurt Warner completed only 24 of 41 passing. Meanwhile, Stewart went 17 of 35 and had 3 drives halted by picks, including 2 from Antonio Cromartie for the Stars. By the end of the 3rd period, however, the two defenses were beginning to tire, and in the 4th we saw some fireworks. It started with Philadelphia’s first scoring drive of the day, a 67-yard drive that concluded with Warner hitting Terrell Owens from 14-yards out for the equalizer. Washington would have their own long drive next, taking nearly 7 minutes to drive the field before Deuce McCallister put them back on top once again, diving into the endzone from the 2 with only 1:56 left on the clock. Having held Philly’s offense in check all game, the hope was that the Feds could hang on during the final 2 minutes, but the pass rush which had produced 8 sacks in the game was winded, and the Stars found ways to get the ball out of Kurt Warner’s hands. They needed only 5 plays to tie the score once again, thanks in large part to Reche Caldwell’s outstanding 1-handed grab on a deep ball, and the fact that the Washington safety, Gibril Wilson, failed to touch Caldwell down. He got back up and sprinted to the endzone for the tying score. Replay confirmed that Wilson had not touched Caldwell on the ground, so the play stood and the game went to overtime. In the extra period, Washington won the toss and took the ball. It would take them only 2 plays to end the game. After an inside run by McCallister netted them 4 yards, they called a bootleg for Stewart, hoping he would be able to get the first down. He did far more than that, eluding the initial tackle, then spinning out of a 2nd tackle attempt and sprinting 75 yards to paydirt and the win, a stunning play that caused RFK to erupt. That run put Stewart at 103 yards for the day, surpassing McCallister’s 99 yard effort, and once again proved that the veteran was still the most dangerous dual threat QB in the league. Washington moves to 4-0 and remains tied atop the NE Division with the 4-0 Baltimore Blitz. Philadelphia now drops to 2-2, even with Boston, but 2 games back of the division co-leaders. OHIO 6 CHICAGO 13 It took nearly a month into the season, but we had our first truly weather-impacted game as the Friday Night game was conducted on the tail end of a thunderstorm front that dumped about 2” of rain on the Columbus area just hours before the start of the game. Both teams slogged through a muddy affair, with Chicago able to score the only touchdown on a night with strong winds and ongoing showers throughout. LOS ANGELES 17 CHARLOTTE 23 A good one early on Saturday as the Monarchs move to 4-0 with another solid defensive performance. They gave up 2 TDs to LA, but that was not enough as Dan Campbell and Autrey Detson both scored for the Monarchs. Two late field goals broke the 17-17 tie and gave Charlotte their fourth win of the season, sending LA to 2-2 on the year. BALTIMORE 16 NEW JERSEY 9 The Storm that battered Ohio on Friday moved to the East Coast on Saturday, but with a turf field it may have been wet and windy, but not muddy in the Meadowlands. In the rain, Blitz HB Ron Dayne sloshed out 86 yards and a key score to help Baltimore survive an improving New Jersey defense. Both Ryan Fitzpatrick and Ben Roethlisberger were forced out of the game, so it ended up being Chris Simms barely holding on against Kevin Kolb. ATLANTA 38 JACKSONVILLE 14 Kyle Orton had himself a career day, completing 22 of 26 for 359 yards and 5 touchdowns as Atlanta was firing on all cylinders in this one. Josh Reed had 143 yards, while both Marcus Robinson and David Tyree caught two scoring tosses each for the Fire. LAS VEGAS 13 OAKLAND 17 The Thunder drop to 1-3 despite picking off Joey Harrington twice. Jake Plummer also threw two picks, including one in the final minute of play that sealed the fate of the Thunder. It was not a pretty game, though both defenses had their moments. Ricky Williams did return, and rushed for 86 yards, but both teams struggled to find the endzone all game. ARIZONA 17 DENVER 13 The Wranglers pull off the upset at Invesco Field as David Carr tosses two TD passes, including a 4th quarter throw to Larry Fitzgerald which proved to be the game winner. Derrick Anderson, in for the injured Matt Leinart, was unable to answer and Denver drops their first game of the season as Arizona evens their record at 2-2. HOUSTON 7 TEXAS 9 The Outlaws give up an early touchdown but then completely shut down the Houston offense for three quarters, slowly kicking their way back and ahead. Despite 2 picks, Joe Flacco and the Outlaw D get the win in front of nearly 50,000 in Dallas’s Cotton Bowl. Another game that was not pretty, but Texas will gladly claim their first win, and to get it against their rivals is even sweeter. BIRMINGHAM 27 MEMPHIS 14 The Stallions get their first win as Memphis continues to struggle without Brett Favre. Mike McMahon was picked twice and sacked 5 times by the Stallion D, while Kyle Boller had his best game in Birmingham, going 18 of 30 for 173 yards and 2 scores. Memphis led at halftime 14-7, but the Stallions scored 20 unanswered in the second half to send the 2-time defending Eastern Champs to 0-4 on the year. ORLANDO 21 TAMPA BAY 17 Another dominant defensive performance from Calais Campbell helps power Orlando to the win. Campbell not only added 3 more sacks to his league leading total, but one was a sack-fumble-recovery-TD. Throw in an efficient 20 of 30 for 244 and 2 scores from Drew Brees and Orlando moves to 3-1 while sending Tampa Bay to their third consecutive loss. MICHIGAN 24 BOSTON 37 The Panthers suffer their first loss of the season as Drew Bledsoe throws for 338 and Rashard Mendenhall has a POTW game with 167 yards rushing and 2 TDs. Boston’s D also stepped up, limiting Michigan to only 40 yards rushing on the day, making their offense one-dimensional, and then going all out on pass rush. Griese was sacked 9 times in the game, including 3 times by Jason Babin, moving him to #2 in the league behind Campbell. PORTLAND 24 SEATTLE 21 Déjà vu all over again as Seattle drops to 0-4 to start the year. Portland got a stellar game from HB James Stewart, who rushed for 134 and the go ahead score, while Corey Dillon was limited to only 46 yards on 21 carries, a 2.2 YPC average. With the win the Stags move to 2-2 on the year. NASHVILLE 13 NEW ORLEANS 16 The Knights drop their first game, falling behind 9-0 on three David Green field goals and then 16-6 on a late Chris Cooley TD catch. Neither team could establish a lot on offense as the defenses dominated this matchup, with both teams going 5 of 14 on third down and both committing 2 turnovers. PITTSBURGH 35 ST. LOUIS 20 The Maulers move to a surprising 3-1 on the year thanks to their run game, which racked up 165 yards and 3 scores. Cody Pickett struggled a bit, throwing 3 picks, but Jeff Blake also struggled with 2 picks of his own as Pittsburgh pulled away in the 3rd quarter on 2 DeShaun Foster TD runs. The Skyhawks sit at 0-4 and calls for Josh Freeman to start are getting louder. Coach Williams Stands by Blake. Despite an 0-4 start, Coach Doug Williams is not wavering in his decision to have Jeff Blake start the season. Blake, who last year led the league with 22 interceptions and who has a 2-16 record all time as the Skyhawks starter, is getting the start again in Week 5 despite the pressure mounting to see what rookie Josh Freeman can do. According to Williams, the issues the Skyhawks are facing this season go well beyond his QB and the QB should not be the scapegoat. We cannot argue with that assessment. The issues in St. Louis certainly go much farther than poor QB play. While Blake’s 4 game totals are hardly All-USFL material (69 of 131 for 860 yards, 3 TDs and 4 picks), they are also not the entire story. The Skyhawks are averaging only 87 yards per game on the ground, and, worse yet, they are 27th in the league in both points allowed (a whopping 31.5 per game) and yardage (384 yards per game). While an inability to sustain offense is a part of this issue, the defense also has to be called out for failing to get off the field or to detain the opposition. St. Louis just gave up 35 points to Pittsburgh, 41 to Michigan the week before. You cannot pin that on Blake. However, the Offense has converted only 16 of 64 third down attempts, a pretty miserable 25%, not nearly the disaster that is Las Vegas (9 of 58 for 15%) but certainly not the kind of numbers that will get you many wins. That particular statistic is largely on Blake, or perhaps Blake and his offensive line, since the QB has been sacked and pressured enough to make 3rd down a real challenge. Will Williams change his tune if the club slides to 0-5, 0-6, or worse? One expects that the pressure will certainly be there if they do and at some point ownership is going to demand to see the high cost rookie QB in action, but just when that moment will come is still very much unsure. Could We See a Defensive MVP in 2009? Yes, we are only 1 month into the new season, but if you had to pick a frontrunner for MVP right now, how could it not be Orlando DE Calais Campbell? The 2nd year end is averaging 3 sacks per game, just scored his first TD, and has altogether been a nightmare for opponents. Orlando has more going for them, of course, and the addition of Albert Haynesworth has certainly made life more difficult for opposing offensive coordinators, but what Campbell is doing is stunning. He sits at 12 sacks after only 4 weeks, a pace that would shatter the USFL record of 29 sacks (in a 16-game season) for another Renegade, Chris Doleman. If Campbell toys with Doleman’s record, and if Orlando stays at or near the top of the Southeast Division, I don’t see how he could be passed over for MVP consideration. In a year where the offensive stars are more balanced, with no one absolutely blowing up the competition, the singular “must watch” nature of what Campbell is doing cannot be ignored. We have to expect that defenses will start trying to adjust to find ways to slow down the former Miami Hurricane, and keeping up a 3 sack per game pace seems very challenging, but with 10 games left and only 18 sacks needed for the record, Campbell is the first challenger to that lofty number we have seen in a long time. Were he to be able to match or surpass Chris Doleman’s 16-game record in only 14 games, he would absolutely be my MVP votegetter. Will Holcomb Get the Start for Memphis? That was the question asked of Coach Haslett after another poor outing for the Memphis offense in the absence of Brett Favre. With their MVP QB expected to miss at least another 4 weeks, and with the club on the edge of disaster at 0-4, Memphis fans are not feeling very patient when it comes to their backup. Yes, McMahon has been with the club for 3 years and knows the offense well, but he is just not getting results, and Memphis cannot afford to go to 0-8 before Favre arrives, especially not in a 14-game season. The Showboats clearly do not believe that rookie Keith Null out of tiny West Texas A&M is pro ready, so what other choice do they have? The Showboats picked up free agent QB Kelly Holcomb, formerly of the Generals, and before that the NFL with Indianapolis and Cleveland. But before Showboat fans get too wrapped up in trying to replace McMahon, they should realize that Holcombe has a USFL lifetime QB Rating of 74.9, most of that coming with the Generals in an 11-start season in 2007. Admitedly, in that season, he did throw for almost 2,000 yards and 11 TDs, which is more than McMahon’s entire lifetime total, but it is not as if Holcomb is an All-USFL QB just sitting in the wings. For Coach Haslett has to believe that to put Holcomb into the game, he has to offer the Showboats a better chance to earn a win than McMahon, and with only 2 weeks on the roster, that just does not seem likely at this point. What is Wrong in Jacksonville? The Bulls sit at 0-4 after the league’s first month, and seem like a team that is just not putting in the work needed to win games. After a relatively close 24-17 loss on opening day to Orlando, the Bulls have just gotten worse and the results more one-sided. They lost by 10 to Baltimore in Week 2, again not horrible, but in Week 3 fell to Ohio by a score of 45-17, and this week, dropped a home game to winless Atlanta by 24 points, losing 38-14 in a game that Las Vegas had them set as a 5-point favorite. So what seems to be going wrong for a club that not long ago was seen as an up and coming franchise? We looked over all the stats and we think we have 4 statistics that demonstrate Jacksonville’s key issues. The Run Game is Under-Utilized. The Bulls are not balanced, that is clear. Jake Delhomme is being asked to pass far too much, risking turnovers and creating too many long 3rd downs to convert. Why? It seems that Coach Childress is just not putting much trust in HB Antowain Smith. This absolutely baffles us as Smith has averaged over 1,200 yards per season since 2004. He is also averaging 310 carries a year, while this year he is just getting enough carries, not even reaching 20 per game, which, for a clear lead back should be a minimum. There is fear that the 32-year old has hit the cliff, and that is evident in his drop from 4.2 YPC last year to only 3.2 this year, but with fewer carries, he is not getting those late game opportunities when backs tend to break more plays and wear down defenses. The Secondary Is Giving Up Big Plays It is not that there is not talent in the Bulls’ secondary, but new arrivals Mike Brown and Eric Waddle have not seemed comfortable in Coach Childress’s system, and seem to be out of position far too often, leading to far too many plays going for big yards after the catch. It seems that Eric Waddle in particular wants to be an “in the box” safety, but Childress’s design for the defense should have him in center field, not creeping up to the line. With more 20+ yard pass plays allowed than any other team in the Eastern Conference, this is an issue that the Bulls need to sort out quickly. They Are Not Targeting Jason Whitten Enough You know we hyped up Whitten in the season preview, but apparently Coach Childress and the offensive coaching staff were not reading what we wrote. Whitten currently stands 4th on the team in targets, roughly 6 per game, and most of those are dump offs when Delhomme cannot find a deep receiver. We are not seeing plays designed to make use of Whitten over the middle, meaning that the defenses are not being asked to account for the big receiver. Add to this the fact that the target to catch ratio of both Rashaun Woods (21 of 40) and Jerricho Cotchery (only 7 of 30 targets caught) means that there are a lot of incompletions leading to a lot of short drives and 3-and-outs. They Cannot Get to the QB Without Blitzing Another pretty obvious statistic when you look at the game film. DE’s David Bowens and Tom Burke may be leading the team in sacks, but of their combined 5 sacks (a full 7 behind just Calais Campbell alone), 4 of them have come during a blitz package when the tackle has opted to handle the blitzer. The Bulls are not able to get pressure with their line, so they are forced to send linebackers and safeties on the blitz, which, in turn, leads to more 1-on-1 coverage, and more deep pass plays, bringing us back to issue #2 above. If the Bulls could drop their backers and safeties back, they could keep the receivers in front of them and not give up the backbreaking deep balls that we have seen this season. There, 4 issues identified, now it is up to the Bulls to see how they can address them. Two more players added to IR across the USFL this week as Atlanta loses their top receiver, Josh Reed to a PCL injury. Reed is expected to be out of action well into the fall. In Pittsburgh, backup LB Buster Davis suffered a shoulder/scapula injury which will put him on the IR as well. Not quite as severe, but still requiring lengthy absences are a fractured jaw suffered by G Scott Shaw (ORL), a broken tibia for Nashville DT Shaun Ellis (4-6 weeks), and a back injury that may keep star Memphis LB Patrick Willis out at least 2-4 weeks. Expected to be out at least 1 week are Denver DE Chike Okeafor (wrist), Tampa Bay DE Derrick Harvey (arm), LV tackle Kenyatta Walker (abdominal), Houston FS Willie Andrews (retinal detachment), and Philadelphia TE Brent Celek (hip). We also have 3 starting QB’s likely to miss this week and listed as Doubtful in today’s injury report: Baltimore’s Ben Roethlisberger (concussion), New Jersey’s Ryan Fitzpatrick (thigh), and Denver’s Matt Leinart (knee). Hall of Fame Nominees Announced This week marked the annual announcement of the semifinalists for the Hall of Fame Class of 2009. This includes 7 players who retired at the conclusion of the 2004 season as well as three returning nominees from past years. The 7-3 breakdown is a bit unusual, as most years we see either a 5-5 or 6-6 split, but it is within the rights of the selection committee to balance first-time and returning nominees, and apparently, they felt that there was a strong cohort of first years to be recognized. So, here, without any further ado, are the 10 semi-finalists, from which we will get the league’s 5 new inductees later this summer. QB Doug Flutie (NJ 85-95, MGN 96-02, HOU 04) With one of the longest tenures of any USFL player, Doug Flutie was a staple of USFL football ever since he came to the league as the Heisman Trophy Winner back in the 1985 season. He would spend the first 11 years of his career in New Jersey with the Generals, lined up in front of Herschel Walker and winning a title for New Jersey in 1989. Known for his elusiveness, creativity, and “Flutie Magic”, the BC product was considered one of the toughest QBs to defend against in the league and could be seen on everything from car commercials to his ubiquitous “Flutie Flakes” cereal. After 11 seasons with New Jersey, Flutie had himself an entire 2nd career in Michigan, where he took over as the starter for the Panthers, throwing for over 4,500 yards on two separate occasions (1998 and 1999), with a career-best 48 TDs in the 1998 season for the Panthers. Flutie would have been eligible for the Hall two years ago, but after initially leaving the game in 2002, he came back when the Houston Gamblers needed an emergency QB in the 2004 season. Flutie would play sparingly in that season, but the decision to give it one more go meant that he did not qualify for the Hall until this year. We cannot imagine any way that his name will not be among the 5 inducted in October. He is in many ways Mr. USFL, a spokesman for the league and a symbol of its early days as a league that gave chances to so many who might otherwise have been out of the game. OT Richmond Webb (BIR 90-04) You could not expect more from a left tackle than what Richmond Webb provided to both Cliff Stoudt and Brett Favre over his career. A brick wall with a reputation for being a bit nasty at times, Webb was the primary protector for the Stallions’ line for 15 seasons. He started 210 of 225 games, including 167 in a row during his career and was pivotal in the championship run of the Stallions in 1993. A 9-time All-USFL selection at the most coveted line position, we think Webb will be a strong candidate to be a first-ballot inductee. CB Vince Buck (ARZ 90-94, OHI 95-99, LA 00, HOU 01-04) Buck played for 4 clubs over his 15-year career, with a championship ring always eluding him. He started everywhere he went, with 222 starts in 231 games, and was known as a superb pass defender, with 325 passes defended and 44 picks over his career. Buck’s versatility and ability to make up ground are often cited as his strengths as a player. LB Lamar Lathon (NOR 90-04) A lifetime Breaker, Lathon came to New Orleans in 1990 as a rookie out of the University of Houston. Voted the Defensive Rookie of the Year and named to 4 All-USFL teams, Lathon was the glue that held together the Breaker defense for over a decade. In that time, he amassed nearly 1,400 tackles. The main drawback for Lathon may be that his Breaker teams were not always particularly solid on defense, and in the later years the clubs had some pretty shaky seasons. SS LeRoy Butler (JAX 90-93, HOU 94-96, ORL 97-00, TBY 01-04) A 15-year vet who played both safety positions at one point, a 4-time All-USFL nominee, and a league champion in 1996 with the Gamblers, Butler was listed among the best at the position for well over a decade and feels very much like a potential first-ballot nominee. He retired after 3 years in Tampa Bay, his 4th club in the league, with 1,116 tackles. Never afraid to play close to the line, Butler recorded 31 sacks over his career. His pick numbers are not high, but that was never his role in the secondary. We expect a lot of support for his nomination. HB Rashan Salaam (DEN 95-01, OAK 03-04) We knew this day would come, when voters would have to decide whether Salaam’s off the field antics, antics which got him a 1-season suspension and cost him his spot on the Denver Gold roster, would disqualify him for the HOF or not. The numbers are certainly impressive, nearly 9,000 yards and 72 TDs in only 10 seasons, including 5 consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, three All-USFL nominations, the rushing title in 1998 and both a ring and an honor as the Playoff MVP in the Gold’s 2000 championship season. But, of course, it was that 2000 title that led to the extensive celebration that got Salaam in so much hot water. Just how much the drug-filled party following the 2000 Summer Bowl tarnishes Salaam’s on-field accomplishments remains to be seen. He served his 1-year suspension, returning to the league with Oakland in 2003, and rushing for 762 yards and 7 scores in his final season in 2004. We suspect that Salaam will get consideration but seems like a longshot to be a first-ballot inductee. There is just too much stigma to his career to obtain that honor, despite his obvious talent as a ballcarrier. DE Clyde Simmons (TBY 99, POR 00-01, NOR 02-04) Our second somewhat controversial nomination, as Simmons spent only 6 seasons in the USFL after a lengthy NFL career). Yes, during those six years he had solid numbers, averaging nearly 10 sacks per year and helping to bolster all three clubs, but he was never nominated to a single All-USFL team during his time in the league, and his highest sack total in any year was 11 in 2001, hardly Hall of Fame numbers. The concern here is that a potential Hall of Fame NFL player is getting some form of preferential treatment. OG Will Shields (TBY 93-98, NJ 99-03) The first of our returning nominees, Shields played 11 seasons in the USFL and was effective as both a pass blocker and lead blocker on run plays. He was a 5-time All-USFL selection, playing primarily right guard, and started 157 of his 163 games in the league. He allowed only 38 sacks in 11 seasons in the league and won a title in 1998 with that amazing offense of the Aikman-led Bandits. LB Marvcus Patton (DEN 90-03) In his second year of eligibility, Patton was close to qualifying in his first go, so he may be the most likely repeat candidate to get inducted this year. The UCLA product came to Denver as a rookie and made an immediate impact. In his 2nd year he was named the Defensive Player of the Year, and he would retire in 2003 as a 3-time All USFL player, and as a Champion thanks to the Gold’s 2000 season title. LB Pat Swilling (MEM 90-91, HOU 92-02) In his 3rd year of eligibility, this may be Pat Swilling’s best shot at a gold jacket. The one-time Showboat emerged as a starter with the 1992 Houston Gamblers, helping the Kelly-led Gamblers to league titles in both 1992 (his first year with the club) and in 1996. Named to 4 All-USFL teams, Swilling retired in 2002 with 905 career tackles, 165 for a loss behind the line, and 44 career sacks. Best of the USFL Our ongoing series of the Best of the USFL turns back to the Defense today as we look at the big men in the middle, the defensive tackles. Whether manning the nose in the 3-4 or hitting the gaps in the 4-3, the defensive tackles are at the heart of line play and the ability to disrupt both the run and the pass. So, who are the best at their position in the league? We had quite a bit of debate about this, and it took quite a while before we could separate out five from a pretty good pack. In part this is due to the lack of stats that most DTs accumulate, but it is also because this may be one of the deeper and most balanced positions in the league. But, after much discussion, here is our Top 5 DTs in the league today. Richard Seymour (HOU): In a line that features Kavika Pittman and Osi Umenyiura it is tough for Seymour to get a lot of press, but that does not diminish his abilities or his impact. The 8-year veteran is one of the most disruptive tackles in the game, and capable of handling dual blocks all game long. Not much of a penetration tackle, Seymour only has 14 sacks, but he is murder on blocking schemes and occupies space better than anyone in the game today. Leonard Renfro (MGN): Signed by the Panthers after a long career in New Jersey, New Orleans, Houston, and Nashville, Renfro had a career year in 2008 with the Panthers, racking up 65 tackles, 20 more than in any previous season. An ageless wonder, Renfro is playing in his 17th season in the USFL, and is still putting up strong numbers, with 22 tackles already this year. Luis Castillo (TEX): The youngest of our 5 defensive tackles, Castillo is entering only his 5th season in the league, but has already made an impression. He only started a combined 8 games in his first two years with the Outlaws, but has since been a starter in 34 consecutive games, and his numbers have been impressive. Castillo is not a classic nose tackle, but fits in well next to Chris Hovan, making it possible for him to penetrate into the backfield, disrupting blocking schemes. One of the best stunting DTs in the game, he frequently swaps position with Chris Canty to confuse and confound blockers. Shaun Rogers (NSH): Back to a true nose tackle with Rogers and the Knights’ 3-4. Rogers may be injured right now (expected to miss 4-6 games) but when he is in the game, this 9-year veteran knows how to occupy space and blockers. He had career numbers in 2008, starting 15 games and recording 81 tackles, one of the highest totals for any DT in the past 10 years. Add to that 5 sacks last year (and 2 already this year) and you can understand why Rogers is considered one of the most disruptive DTs in the USFL. Anthony McFarland (WSH): Our final pick was a tough one, but in the end, McFarland’s 10 seasons with both Boston and Washington won out over the new hot commodity, Orlando’s Albert Haynesworth. While no one can deny the impact Haynesworth has had in only 4 games, McFarland has been a steady force for the Federals since coming to them in free agency in 2005. Before that he was an anchor for Boston’s defense and has only missed 2 games in his 10+ seasons. Among those just missing the cut we find Haynesworth, who is making a big impression immediately, along with Baltimore’s Jeff Zgonina, LA’s Daryl Gardener, and Chicago’s big man, Ted Washington. Among younger players to watch is New Jersey’s B. J. Raji, Jacksonville’s Marcus Stroud, and Las Vegas’s Haloti Ngata. Week 5 is another fully inter-divisional week, meaning that it is all about matchups at the top and bottom of the standings. At the top we have 3-1 Orlando hosting 4-0 Baltimore and out West a clash of division leaders as 3-1 Denver visits 3-1 Oakland. At the bottom it is a battle of 0-4 teams when Memphis heads to Jacksonville. Or, for you masochists out there, the 0-4 Skyhawks travel to 1-3 Las Vegas. Is this when the Thunder get their season truly started? Quite a few mismatches as well as 1-3 Atlanta host 4-0 Washington, Undefeated Charlotte head to Birmingham, and 0-4 Seattle try to get on track against 3-1 Michigan. FRIDAY @ 8pm Denver (3-1) @ Oakland (3-1) NBC SATURDAY @ 12pm Washington (4-0) @ Atlanta (1-3) ABC SATURDAY @ 12pm Birmingham (1-3) @ Charlotte (4-0) ABC SATURDAY @ 12pm Memphis (4-0) @ Jacksonville (0-4) FOX SATURDAY @ 4pm Michigan (3-1) @ Seattle (0-4) ABC SATURDAY @ 4pm Ohio (3-1) @ Houston (2-2) FOX SATURDAY @ 8pm Baltimore (4-0) @ Orlando (3-1) ESPN SUNDAY @ 12pm Philadelphia (2-2) @ New Orleans (3-1) ABC SUNDAY @ 12pm New Jersey (1-3) @ Nashville (3-1) FOX SUNDAY @ 12pm Pittsburgh (3-1) @ Texas (1-3) FOX SUNDAY @ 4pm Arizona (2-2) @ Los Angeles (202) ABC SUNDAY @ 4pm St. Louis (0-4) @ Las Vegas (1-3) ABC SUNDAY @ 4pm Chicago (2-2) @ Portland (2-2) FOX SUNDAY @ 8pm Boston (2-2) @ Tampa Bay (1-3) ESPN

A bit of a mixed week, as most are, with a few real nail biters in Ohio, Washington, Tampa Bay and Jacksonville. We had an upset in New Jersey as the Generals upended Drew Bledsoe and the Cannons thanks to a very stingy D, while in Orlando the Pittsburgh Maulers asserted to the nation that they were a true threat in the Central Division. We got a great game between two other Central Division rivals as Michigan and Ohio went toe to toe, while New Orleans and Charlotte both held off upset bids in action this week. Trades were the order of business this week as well, with several teams hoping to improve their playoff chances by filling noticeable gaps in their rosters, while others looked to the future by obtaining some draft picks. All that and a new deal for the league to get gear made by a new partner and you have a packed Week 6 just ahead of the midseason point. Let’s start off our coverage this week with that game in Columbus, where the Panthers and Glory fought to claim a spot at the top of the Central Division. MICHIGAN PANTHERS 33 OHIO GLORY 28 Forget the Buckeyes and Wolverines, the Glory-Panther rivalry was the reason for Ohio and Michigan to get riled up this week. Ohio led from the opening score all the way until the 1:24 mark of the 4th, but two late Griese to Coles TD tosses in the 4th sunk Ohio’s hopes and propelled Michigan to a key divisional road win. It was a game with a bit of everything. Eight sacks, 7 TD passes, and 3 receivers over 100 yards apiece, but unlike what most pre-game prognosticators expected, it was Michigan who got the better of the passing game, with Brian Griese outdueling Kerry Collins, 434 yards to 334. Griese also had one more TD pass than Collins (4 to 3) and with both Hines Ward and Bennie Joppru going over 140 yards receiving, it appears the Panthers have figured out how to exploit the Ohio defense. The game was dynamic from the outset. Ohio took the opening kickoff and turned their first possession into 7 points as Collins hit Joey Galloway with the game’s first touchdown. Michigan responded with Griese finding his tight end, Joppru for 7 to wrap up the first quarter. In the second it was Galloway again, this time on a quick rub play at the goalline. Michigan responded with a field goal, and Ohio pulled ahead by 11 as Kevin Smith closed out the first half with a rare TD run. The third quarter opened with Michigan receiving the kick and they marched the ball down the field, with Griese tossing his 2nd TD, a beauty of a fade route to Hines Ward. The 2-pointer failed and Ohio led 21-16. Michigan cut it to 21-19 with a Matt Prater field goal as the third quarter ended, but Ohio would stretch out the lead again. With 7 minutes left in the 4th, Ohio got a 14-yard TD reception from Bulls import Javon Walker and led by 9. Michigan would need two scores in the final 7 minutes. The Panthers were undaunted, and with 3:54 left to play they got the first of the two scores they needed. It was a quick strike, with Griese finding Laverneus Coles in single coverage and taking the slant & go route all the way to the house, an 82-yard strike that had the moderate Panther contingent at Ohio Stadium on their feet. The defense would hold on the next drive as Ohio forced Michigan to use all three time outs, but ended up giving the ball back to the Panthers with 1:57 left to play. Time for a two-minute drill, and Griese ran his to perfection. Michigan stayed in a 3 receiver, 1 TE, 1 back formation with Ward, Coles, Randle-El, Joppru and Leon Washington as the main targets for Griese. He hit Joppru twice, gaining 33 yards on two plays before finding Laverneus Coles once again, this time a 15-yard TD pass with just 17 seconds left to play as Michigan snatched victory away from the Ohio Glory. The Panthers, with the win, move to 4-2, tied with Chicago just one game behind surprising Pittsburgh. Ohio drops to .500 at 3-3 after 6 weeks. BALTIMORE 21 WASHINGTON 17 A truly classic I-95 Showdown between the unbeaten Federals and the 4-1 Blitz as Baltimore gets a late score on a screen to Dayne that shatters the Feds’ undefeated run. The game started 14-0 Washington thanks to a Stewart to Branch TD and a pick-six from Mark Simoneau, but Baltimore battled back, with scores from Darrius Heyward-Bey and Jacob Tamme. Both clubs looked like serious contenders as they went back and forth in a great game that sets up a tie between these two atop the NE Division. BOSTON 9 NEW JERSEY 10 A shocker in the Meadowlands as the Generals’ defense takes it on themselves to get a W for Coach Edwards. Boston’s O-line, which had been playing so well, let up 5 sacks and Bledsoe, under constant pressure, tossed 3 picks as the Generals simply won with their D alone. The only TD of the game was a pick six from Nate Clements as neither offense could do anything. ATLANTA 23 TAMPA BAY 26 A surprisingly good game from two 1-win teams as the Bandits pulled out the W in a 4th quarter that saw the two clubs combine for 27 points. Willis McGahee was on fire, rushing for 141 yards and a score, while kickers Nate Kaeding and Josh Scobee combined for 7 field goals in the game. Marcus Robinson emerged as the Atlanta #1 receiver with 9 receptions for 122 yards and a score. CHARLOTTE 19 JACKSONVILLE 17 The Monarchs get back in the win column with 10 points in the final period to upend the Bulls in Jacksonville. Down 17-10, the Monarchs got a Coutu field goal to pull within one score and then snagged the win in the final seconds as Chris Weinke found D. J. Hackett for a last second touchdown in a very exciting final 2 minutes. Charlotte moves to 5-1, while the Bulls are looking for answers at 1-5. BIRMINGHAM 22 NEW ORLEANS 27 The Stallions look like a much-improved team, but it is not enough as the Breakers pull this one out with a pair of 4th quarter field goals. Jerome Pathon was the surprise star for New Orleans, catching 3 balls for 119 yards, 2 of them going for touchdowns. MEMPHIS 9 NASHVILLE 20 It was a slow and steady strategy that led Nashville to the rivalry win over Memphis, pulling away in the final period with TDs from Frank Gore and Robert Meachem as Memphis continues to struggle without Favre at the helm. Kelly Holcomb got the start and went 14 of 32 for 229 but was sacked 4 times. CHICAGO 17 ST. LOUIS 6 Coach Williams’s decision to keep Jeff Blake as the starter was undone by a blitzing Tommy Polley, whose hit on Blake sent the QB to the bench, bringing on rookie Josh Freeman for the first time this year. Freeman looked pretty solid, completing 22 of 34 passes for 281 yards, but he also survived 6 sacks as Chicago just did not allow St. Louis to get into a rhythm. The Machine offense was a bit shaky, which might explain the trade we saw this week (see below), but it was enough to get the Machine their 4th win of the year. ARIZONA 7 TEXAS 22 Rian Lindell’s 5 field goals, and a lone score from T. J. Duckett were enough to get Texas the W in Dallas, as Arizona struggled. David Carr was sacked 7 times and was held under 200 yards passing, while Sedrick Irvin was limited to 62 on the ground as Texas established a defensive presence in the game and did not let up, earning their 2nd win of the year. DENVER 20 HOUSTON 23 The Gamblers avenge their Week 1 loss in Denver with a 3-point victory at NRG Stadium. With Matt Hasselbeck out at the half after a bad blow to the head, Luke McCown rallied the Gamblers and got the win for Houston. Matt Leinart returned for Denver but could not get the win as his 2 TDs were offset by two picks. LAS VEGAS 15 SEATTLE 10 Seattle fell to 1-5 after giving up the first 15 points of the game, including a safety on Byron Leftwich that Coach Glanville is still complaining should have been a defensive TD. Leftwich spent the game running for his life, sacked 7 times by Las Vegas, as they sent blitzers from every direction. Marshawn Lynch had his first 100-yard game of the year as the Thunder ground down the clock over the second half, not allowing Seattle enough possessions to come all the way back. LOS ANGELES 9 OAKLAND 13 Another defensive showdown as Oakland seemed somewhat unsettled by Plaxico Burress’s absence. Joey Harrington completed only 12 of 23 passing, but did connect on the key play, a 13-yard TD toss to TE Mike Merrit to get the win. LA outgained the Invaders but just could not get into the endzone. PORTLAND 14 PHILADELPHIA 23 In the first of our two extra-divisional games, Philadelphia took care of business at home to move to 4-2, one game back of the Feds and Blitz. The Stars sacked A. J. Feeley 6 times and Kurt Warner connected with both Steve Smith and Terrell Owens for scores. No sharpies were seen this time around as Owens behaved himself against the Stags. PITTSBURGH 23 ORLANDO 15 A huge road win for the Maulers, who are beginning to get some believers around the league, as they head into Orlando and pull off one of the best comebacks in league history. Down 15-0 at one point and 15-7 at the half, Pittsburgh scored 23 unanswered points after knocking Drew Brees out of the game with an ankle injury. Cody Pickett threw two 2nd half TDs and Dshaun Foster ran one in to give Pittsburgh the win and put them all alone at 5-1 atop the Central Division. Burress to be Charged Not surprising, but still problematic for the Oakland Invaders, star wideout Plaxico Burress has been charged in Alameda county with three counts, including a felony count for illegal possession of a firearm within city limits. He was also charged with reckless endangerment and illegal discharge of a firearm for the incident that saw him shoot himself in the thigh as the gun in his waistband went off while he was dancing at a local club. The injury already put the receiver on the IR for the year, but now, with criminal charges pending, there is a risk that Burress will have to serve time as well as pay fines, none of which makes him an enticing free agent to resign, or a good target for another team. Burress’s contract expires in August, and the hope had been that his incentive to have a big year would help Oakland get over the hump and find their way to the Summer Bowl. With Burress gone for the year, his chances of improving his options as a free agent are melting away. Criminal charges which could impact the 2010 season as well could make it much easier for Oakland to let him go, and much harder for another team to explore signing the 10-year veteran. For the Invaders, whose offense clearly suffered this week, the added complication made finding an alternative all that much more imperative, and they pulled the trigger on a trade this week that is designed to do just that (see below). For Burress, the news of the charges could be the sign that he may have a long year ahead of him, not just rehabbing his injured leg, but his image as well. Trade Wire Gets Hot as Teams Try to Fix Issues Whether through injury or just poor play, the first six weeks of the season have revealed some areas of need for nearly every team in the league, and as we typically see in the month before the Week 10 trade deadline, the trading block starts to get busy around this time of year. Several noteworthy trades clearly send the message that contenders are trying to patch holes and teams below .500 are trying to find answers. Here are the 5 moves that could have the biggest impact over the next 8 weeks. OAKLAND hopes they found their substitute for Plaxico Burress. After moving Greg Jennings into the #1 slot, they went out and found a new potential #2 receiver in Memphis’s Pierre Garçon. The 2nd year receiver had 22 catches for 349 yards last year in Memphis, but has struggled this year with the dicey Showboat QB situation. He has only 2 catches in 6 games with the Boats, but now gets a chance to sign on with a 5-1 Oakland club looking for a reliable #2. Oakland sends a 3rd round pick this year and a 4th in 2011 to Memphis for their wideout. TEXAS, who had a strong week in the pass rush department, might have just gotten a whole lot more dynamic in that area after trading with New Jersey. The deal brings veteran DE Reynaldo Wynn to Texas, while sending some reinforcements to New Jersey to try to boost their moribund run game. Wynn, who had 11 sacks last year, his first with New Jersey, looked like a star on the rise, but clearly was one the Generals were willing to part with to try to solve their offensive woes. In return for Wynn, the Generals pick up guard Tuten Reyes, a definite improvement on the interior of their line, and also nab one of the better backup HBs in the league in R. J. Redmond. With Kerry Joseph leading all General rushers with only 116 total yards in 6 games, the hope is that Redmond can rotate with Joseph and 2nd year back Ray Rice to try to develop some kind of viable run offense for the Generals. Run game was also the focus for Birmingham, as they sent a 4th round pick to St. Louis to obtain HB Michael Bush. There were high hopes for Bush in St. Louis when he was drafted in 2007, but with only 165 yards last year after a 370 yard rookie campaign, Bush had dropped to 3rd behind Larry Johnson and Dominic Rhodes on the Skyahawk depth chart. In Birmingham he will rotate carries with Felix Jones as the Stallions hope to revive a run game to take pressure off of QB Kyle Boller. Chicago is also trying to amp up their offense, but their concern is at the receiver position. With Curtis Conway gone to Charlotte and rookie Johnny Knox struggling to fill the #2 role next to Donald Driver, the Machine made a deal with Denver to bring a legitimate 2nd option to Soldier Field. The Machine sent slot receiver James Hardy and a 3rd round pick they had from Atlanta to the Gold in order to acquire veteran Anquon Boldin from the Gold. Boldin, who had his best years in 2003 and 2004 in Jacksonville, has been reliable but not spectacular while in Denver. He will now move into the #2 slot for the Machine, hoping to get a revival to his career. In Denver, Keary Colbert, who had a strong rookie campaign in 2008, will move into the #2 slot and make room for Jacquez Green and Hardy to take over the slot duties. One more move, and one more receiver sent to a new spot. Nashville felt good about their trio of wideouts (Derrick Mason, Robert Meachem, and Ahmad Merrit) but were not seeing the production they wanted from TE Justin Peele, so they make a deal with Portland to bring All-USFL (2008) tight end Bubba Franks over to the Knights. Franks, who began his career with Washington before spending 4 years in New Orleans and then joining Portland in the expansion draft, had a career year with the Stags, catching 67 balls for 707 yards in Portland’s inaugural season. He now will become Jay Cutler’s primary safety valve. A 33-year old veteran at the position, Franks is in a contract year and could be hoping to impress to get one final contract with Nashville for the future. For the Knights, it is all about taking advantage right now of a weaker Southern Division and hopefully making a playoff run this year. Breakout Players of 2009 Six weeks into the season and time to take a look at who is breaking out and making a name for themselves this year. We will bypass the rookies who we have already discussed and look at some veterans who are exceeding expectations and building some buzz around the year. Here is our list of six players to watch as they are turning heads this year. QB Dereck Anderson (DEN) Weird that we would start with a backup QB, but in two appearances this year Anderson has made an impression. Denver is clearly going with Matt Leinart as their main man, but Anderson has thrown for 573 yards in only 2 appearances, and has a 4:0 TD:INT ratio in those games. He still has 3 years on his contract with Denver, but we could certainly see some teams making trade inquiries if Anderson has a chance to get into more games and can play at a high level in those opportunities. If not, he may just become a designated “relief pitcher” for the Gold, much as Don Strock was for the David Woodley Dolphins back in the day. HB Shaun Alexander (HOU) Seems odd to call a 9 year veteran a breakout player, but since coming to Houston from Birmingham, Alexander has been all the Gamblers could have wanted and more. In 7 seasons with the Stallions, the back had only one 1,000 year season, his 2007 year, which led to his deal with the Gamblers. Since coming to Houston, Alexander racked up 1,141 yards and 9 TDs in 2008 and is on pace for another 1,100-1,200 yard year in 2009. He has topped 100 yards twice already this season for the Gamblers, and his presence has helped to diversify the Houston offense, taking pressure off of Matt Hasselbeck and making Houston’s defense a more rested and more dynamic group. WR Michael Jenkins (ORL) Orlando’s #1 receiver has not exactly been a household name since coming into the league in 2004, but the league leader with 40 receptions in 6 games is certainly on people’s tongues now. Jenkins is on pace for a 100 catch season, and should be able to surpass his 1,125 yards from 2008. He still needs to find ways to get open in the endzone (only 1 TD this year), but he has emerged as an outstanding 3rd down possession option in the receiving corps for Drew Brees. TE Dallas Clark (PHI) Clark had a good year last season, with 74 receptions and 690 yards, but this year he is also proving to be a key redzone target for Kurt Warner, catching 3 touchdowns already this year. He is on pace to surpass 80 receptions for the first time in his career and he is providing a safety valve when the two big-name outside receivers (Owens and Smith) are unable to shake coverage. DE Carl Powell (OHIO) A 6 year veteran at end, Powell was never seen as a significant force as an edge rusher, but Ohio has tweaked their scheme and this season Powell has emerged, with 6 sacks in 6 games. Sure, it is not the ludicrous 17 sacks that Calais Campbell has put up, but it does put Powell well on the way to the first double-digit sack total of his career. With Vonnie Holliday still a major factor at left end, having Powell get more opportunities and convert them into sacks is a huge plus for the Glory. LB Jamie Winborn (SEA) Yes, the Dragons are a disappointing 1-5, but don’t lay that on Winborn, who is having a career season. The 8-year veteran who has never had more than 66 tackles in any season to date (in Chicago, Texas, or Seattle) is on pace for well over 100 tackles, with 43 in 6 games. Shifting Winborn from the strong side to the MLB spot, surrounded by Takeo Spikes and Piso Tinoisamoa has been a huge change for the veteran linebacker, but one that clearly seems to suit him well. Washington receiver Eddie Kennison was the injury news this week as the former Blitz wideout was carted off the field on a backboard. It was a scary moment, the result of a helmet to helmet collision that left the receiver prone on the ground for several minutes while the two training staffs attended to him. Reports out of the hospital is that it was a spinal contusion, caused by the compacting of two vertebrae in his neck. He does have movement in all extremities and is conscious and able to maintain conversations, but the neck had to be isolated and placed in traction to allow swelling to go down. Kennison is out for the season, but is expected to recover and have full movement and sensation. Others who could miss substantial time due to injuries suffered this week include Philadelphia guard Damien Woody (wrist), Michigan WR Mario Manningham (shoulder), Tampa Bay center Trey Teague (ACL), and St. Louis QB Jeff Blake (torn meniscus). New Jersey just cannot buy a break. Just one week after trading away one of their DE’s their starting LE, Shaun Ellis goes down with a partial tear of the hamstring and will miss 2-3 weeks. Their halfback, Ray Rice, is also out next week and could miss more time with a hand injury, though the Generals did just bring in another back. Atlanta CB Charles Woodson is expected to be out at least a week with swelling in his knee, while Texas WR Marques Colston, Portland LB Mike Maslowski, and Charlotte DT Kyle Williams are all listed as doubtful. Houston QB Matt Hasselbeck remains in concussion protocols and is listed as Questionable for this week’s game. USFL & Adidas Agree to 8 Year Deal League offices in New York announced this week that the 2010 season will mark the final year of the licensing and uniform provision deal with Reebok as the league has come to an agreement for an 8 year deal with Adidas to provide all team uniforms as well as a range of fan gear. Reebok had been the second league-wide purveyor of team gear, following Nike in the 1990’s, but was outbid in their efforts for a renewal by the German-based sports apparel and gear company most widely known for its soccer market. Adidas has been in the business of designing and providing gear for American football (as opposed to “global” football or fútbol) for only 5 years, beginning in 2004 with several NCAA Division 1 teams. This will be the largest deal in the world of football for the company. As part of the deal, Adidas will work with the USFL’s internal design and marketing team as well as with all 28 franchises on design elements, as well as any adjustments or updates to logos and branding for the league franchises. The deal calls for them to work with 4 clubs per year over the first 7 years of their contract on template and uniform design as well as branding in general. What has caught the eye of many familiar with sports branding is that the deal specifically makes reference to both “heritage” and “alternate” lines, which may very well mean that the USFL, like the NFL in 1994 and since, will be open to allowing teams to mix throwback or retro looks, as well as alternative looks into their on-field wear as a regular feature of league play. There was a brief window in the 1990’s where a handful of teams tried their hands at alternate gear, including Tampa Bay’s famous all black look, but the strategy was deemed to run counter to brand identity and was quickly abandoned. The language of the Adidas deal may not only mean that we could see some retro looks from the early 1980’s over the next few years, but that teams could also explore looks using their secondary logos, or alternate color shemes. Is anyone ready for the Panthers in burgundy helmets? Washington in all black? Or what about the Oakland Invaders in navy? Could be happening, but we won’t know until the 2011 season, when the first four teams undergo their Adidas redesign. Best of the USFL: Safety One of the most impactful, and yet often undervalued positions on the field is that of the two safeties. Just the fact that the free safety and strong safety are being lumped together as if they were interchangeable is an indicator of the position’s lack of respect. But, with only 12 weeks to cover the entire league, some compromises had to be made. To help acknowledge the importance of both positions, we are expanding our honorable mention list so that we can adequately reference some of the outstanding talent that the USFL has at the position. We start with the Free Safeties and will finish up with 3 strong safeties as well as several others worthy of consideration. FS Ed Reed (WSH) Considered the gold standard at the position, Reed has spent 8 years terrorizing receivers, cutting down backs, blitzing the QB, and captaining one of the league’s most revered defensive squads. What is perhaps the scariest thing to consider is that 2008 may well have been Reed’s best season, one in which he touted his highest totals for both tackles and interceptions while helping the Federals return to the playoffs, largely on the strength of their pass defense. FS Mike Doss (OHI) Starting his 7th season with the Glory this year, Mike Doss was one of the most highly touted safeties to come out in the draft, and, as is so often the case for the Glory, they used their territorial rights to Ohio State products to snatch Doss out of the draft pool before others could get a shot at him. More of a centerfielder than Redd, Doss’s game is all about shutting down the deep ball and providing support to the corner, coming over the top on a receiver to eliminate the bomb, deep out, or post pattern. Other Free Safeties we considered, and there were several, include Memphis’s Tebucky Jones, Boston’s Jerome Woods, Pittsburgh’s Scott Shields, and, of course, Denver’s interception-minded ballhawk, Jamel Williams. SS Troy Polamalu Was there any doubt that one of the hardest hitting safeties in the game would make the list. Polamalu is the epitome of the run-stuffing, close-to-the-line safeties which have become so fashionable in the game over the past decade. A USC product, LA snatched up Polamalu and made him a starter on day one, and they have never regretted that decision. More likely to log more sacks than picks each year, Polamalu’s game is all about shutting down the run and keeping short passes from turning into big gainers. SS Adam Archuleta (BAL) Very much in the same mold, a hard hitting enforcer in the secondary, is Archuleta, a 9-year veteran in Baltimore. Archuleta has only 5 picks in those 9 seasons, but he is still considered one of the best strong safeties in the game, one that scat backs, tight ends, and slot receivers dread encountering over the middle. SS Sean Taylor (PIT) Another hammer in the middle of the field, Taylor is fast, aggressive, and smart, a total package for a safety. Only in his 5th year and recently resigned by Pittsburgh to a long term deal, Taylor is perhaps the best pure tackler on our list. He had 84 solo tackles last year, most among any safeties, and he is also an effective blitzer, making life difficult for opposing QB’s both in coverage and at the line. Other strong safeties making an impression across the league include Nashville’s LaRon Landry, Charlotte’s Reggie Tongue, and two recent free agency relocations, Mike Brown, now with Jacksonville, and New Jersey’s new defensive acquisition, former Federal Bob Sanders. Midseason is a time to gear up, get serious, and make a run, and there is no better way to do that than with a nice range of divisional games. Lots of good matchups here, highlighted by Charlotte @ Orlando in the Southeast, and Michigan @ Pittsburgh in the Central. The South is also matched up against the Southwest as the two 4-team divisions face off, producing an interesting game in Denver, where the 3-3 Gold will host the 4-2 Breakers. FRIDAY @ 8pm Los Angeles (3-3) @ Portland (2-4) NBC SATURDAY @ 12pm New Jersey (2-4) @ Washington (5-1) ABC SATURDAY @ 12pm Michigan (4-2) @ Pittsburgh (5-1) ABC SATURDAY @ 12pm Ohio (3-3) @ St. Louis (0-6) FOX SATURDAY @ 4pm Nashville (5-1) @ Arizona (2-4) ABC SATURDAY @ 4pm Memphis (0-6) @ Texas (2-4) FOX SATURDAY @ 8pm Oakland (5-1) @ Seattle (1-5) ESPN SUNDAY @ 12pm Charlotte (5-1) @ Orlando (4-2) ABC SUNDAY @ 12pm Atlanta (1-5) @ Chicago (4-2) FOX SUNDAY @ 12pm Jacksonville (1-5) @ Tampa Bay (2-4) FOX SUNDAY @ 4pm Baltimore (5-1) @ Las Vegas (3-3) ABC SUNDAY @ 4pm Birmingham (2-4) @ Houston (4-2) ABC SUNDAY @ 4pm New Orleans (4-2) @ Denver (3-3) FOX SUNDAY @ 8pm Boston (3-3) @ Philadelphia (4-2) ESPN

Player of the Week: Quarterback Brian Griese was the driving force behind Michigan's defeat of Ohio in Columbus this week. His 4 TDs and 434 yards passing put Michigan in position to win late and helped edge the Glory offense across the board.

A big week for surprising results as all 28 USFL clubs were in interdivisional play, matched up against foes they don’t know quite so well. That fact may explain why so many games did not go the way most predicted. Teams like Tampa Bay, New Jersey, Atlanta, and St. Louis put up solid fights, while other underdogs like Birmingham and Seattle pulled off the upset and scored impressive wins. Speaking of impressive, Jacksonville put it all together for their first win, a domination of the spiraling Showboats. Houston and Oakland were also impressive in their matchups against two 3-1 teams (Ohio and Denver respectively). And then, as if the on-field action was not wild enough, one of the weirdest mid-week stories we have ever seen as Oakland WR Plaxico Burress basically ends his season, and very likely his chance at a big contract payday, with one of the most boneheaded accidents we have ever seen from a pro athlete. But, before we get to that odd tale, let’s look back at the on-field action from the week. WASHINGTON FEDERALS 16 ATLANTA FIRE 13 OVERTIME It is something of a cliché to say that good teams find ways to win games while bad teams find ways to lose them, but despite this being an overused trope, it very often proves to be true. It is the difference between hoping to win and expecting to win, and that dynamic played out this week when the Federals found themselves in a tight matchup with the Atlanta Fire. On the one hand you had a team that was unbeaten and expecting to win, even on the road, while on the other you had a 1-3 team just hoping that they could do enough to get a win at home. The result, as the cliché would predict, was that the Feds found a way to win. The first thing we should acknowledge is that both teams played hard and both defenses did their best to secure a victory. The offenses struggled on both sides as the two teams battled for the full 60 minutes and then another 14:53 before a victor was decided. Washington’s field goal with 7 seconds left in overtime prevented a tie, which many in Atlanta were resigned to accept, but along the way both clubs showed that defensive football was the strength of their clubs. In a game with no turnovers and a combined 9 of 34 on third down, this was a game to warm the hearts of those old enough to remember the way football was played in the 60’s and 70’s. Sure, there were 4-wide formations, QB runs, and plenty of shotgun formation, but the essence of the game was the play of the offensive and defensive lines, big hits, and solid defensive strategy. We saw only 2 touchdowns on the day, both in the 2nd quarter as the game went to the half tied at 10. There would be only 2 more field goals in the second half, sending the game to overtime at 13-all. Atlanta struggled all day to run the ball with 2nd year back Darren McFadden. The big back would carry the ball 16 times for only 40 yards (2.5 per carry). Across the field, Deuce McCallister, the league rushing leader, would fare quite a bit better, averaging 5.2 yards per carry on his way to a 130-yard day, and yet, the Federals struggled to turn that production into points. McCallister did have Washington’s only touchdown, a 5-yard run to open the 2nd quarter, down 3-0 at that point. It was the final play in Washington’s best drive of the day, a 58-yard, 11 play affair that followed a poor punt from Atlanta’s Ronnie Howard (not Opie or Richie Cunningham, a different Ron Howard). It was Happy Days for Washington as they would add a field goal of their own just 5 minutes later to take a 10-3 lead, but Atlanta caught a break as the half was ending and equalized the score. The play came early in Atlanta’s scoring drive. Kyle Orton was pressured by Greg Spires and Anthony McFarland, with Spires catching Orton’s arm in motion and knocking the ball to the ground. LB Mark Simoneau picked the ball up and ran it to the endzone for an apparent score and a 17-3 lead for the Federals. But, it was not to be. A flag on the field penalized McFarland for a blow to Orton’s head, not only negating the fumble, but providing Atlanta with a 15-yard shift of field position. The play seemed to rile up the Fire, who would finish the drive 5 plays later with an Orton connection with Marcus Robinson for their only TD of the game. Rather than going into the half down 14, the Fire were tied up with the Federals, and this seemed to inspire the club to do even more in the second half. Following the break, Washington would have only 5 first downs in the entire second half. Three of them came on one drive, the only scoring drive for the Feds in the second half, a 52-yard kick from the always dangerous Doug Pelfrey. Atlanta was down, but they were squared up and standing their ground with the unbeaten Federals. The game would go into the 4th with the Feds clinging to a 13-10 lead. That lead would hold until the waning seconds of the game. Atlanta, desperate to get into field goal range, went to a no huddle, catching Washington in a nickel defense against 3 receivers and TE Will Heller. The Fire used the lack of substitutions to find mismatches, first Orton connecting with Ted Ginn for his only catch of the day, then Heller, and finally David Tyree. With 27 seconds left, on a 3rd and 8 from the 17, they were forced to clock the ball and trot out Josh Scobee for the game’s equalizer. His 35-yard kick was good and Atlanta pushed the game to overtime. That play, more than any other in the game, symbolized the difference in philosophy. With nearly 30 seconds left, the Fire went for the tie when they had plenty of time to get a 3rd down pass play off and get into position for the kick, but they played it safe, hoping they could get an advantage in overtime, rather than going for the win in regulation. That lack of confidence in their ability to score would prove their undoing as Washington would shut down the Fire offense completely in the extra period. Both clubs struggled to move the ball in overtime, creating a game of field position. When, with 2:04 left in the extra period, return man Johhny Morant returned a Fire punt for 27 yards, it gave the Feds the short field they needed. Washington kept the ball on the ground despite the running clock, moving closer and closer, and used their final time out with 7 seconds to play to set up Doug Pelfrey for the game winner. Pelfrey’s kick was good and the Federals escaped Atlanta with their 5th win in 5 tries. For the Fire it was a hard fought game, a game they had a shot to win, but in the end their lack of belief gave Washington the chance to get the road win and the more experienced, more confident club did just that. Winners win the tight game. The cliché exists for a reason. DENVER 10 OAKLAND 48 An ugly game for the visitors as Oakland opened up a 24-3 halftime lead and just kept pouring it on. Without Matt Leinart available, Denver just did not have enough in this one, and the defense had no answers as Joey Harrington threw for 3 scores and the Williams-Norwood duo scored 3 more. BIRMINGHAM 24 CHARLOTTE 17 The surprising Stallions knock Charlotte from the ranks of the unbeaten thanks to an Andre Weathers pick-six and a stellar defensive effort that saw Birmingham nab 5 takeaways, including 3 picks of Chris Weinke. The Stallion offense took advantage of short fields, scoring 17 of their 24 points off of turnovers to take down the Monarchs and move to 2-3. MEMPHIS 10 JACKSONVILLE 42 The problems for the 2-time Eastern Conference Champs are clearly way deeper than just Brett Favre’s injury as the winless Bulls just dominate the Showboats. Antowain Smith rushed for 2 scores and combined with Travis Minor to produce 118 yards on the ground. Memphis was 2 of 13 on third down and 0 for 2 on fourth down as they just could not produce drives. MICHIGAN 14 SEATTLE 29 The Dragons get their first win of the season, thanks to desperation and a new strategy, rotating Corey Dillon with Ladell Betts to wear down the Michigan defense. Two late TDs from Griese to Joppru made this one look closer than the 29-0 third quarter lead the Dragons held before they put in some subs. OHIO 24 HOUSTON 34 Houston gets a big inter-divisional confidence booster, with 164 yards rushing helping the Gamblers outpace the Glory. Kerry Collins was sacked 7 times, including 2 from Kavika Pittman, one for a safety. Eddie George rushed for 122 in the loss, but with Moss and Galloway held to only 83 combined yards, the Glory just could not get their aerial attack on track. BALTIMORE 7 ORLANDO 19 The Renegades dominate a Blitz team missing Ben Roethlisberger, as Calais Campbell adds 3 sacks of Chris Simms to his total for the year. The Blitz were simply not able to get it done ,converting only 1 third down all game, while Orlando played a conservative game on offense and relied on that shut-down D to get them the home win. PHILADELPHIA 32 NEW ORLEANS 17 An impressive game from the Stars’ offense as they rack up 431 yards, including a combined 139 on the ground from Robinson and Slaton. Kurt Warner throws for 296 and 2 scores, while the Star defense limits Eli Manning to only 181 through the air. NEW JERSEY 3 NASHVILLE 13 The New Jersey D was game, but the offense, led by Kevin Kolb, struggled to get anything going against Terrell Suggs and the Knights. Frank Gore scored the only TD on the day, along with 84 yards rushing as Nashville won a war of attrition against the very game Generals. PITTSBURGH 16 TEXAS 6 The Maulers’ strong start continues as their defense comes up big against Joe Flacco and the Outlaws. DeShaun Foster contributes 128 on the ground and Cody Pickett has a conservative but solid game for Pittsburgh as they move to 4-1. ARIZONA 22 LOS ANGELES 29 A really nice old style western conference clash as the Wranglers give LA all they can handle. Thanks to 109 yards and a score from Sedrick Irvin, it was tied at 22 midway through the 4th quarter before rookie Mark Sanchez drove the Express down for the game winner, a Jones-Drew 1-yard plunge. Sanchez finished the game 18 of 23 for 247 with 2 TDs as LA moves to 3-2. ST. LOUIS 13 LAS VEGAS 16 OVERTIME For a moment it looked like the Skyhawks had Las Vegas’s number, but a late TD was called back for holding and St. Louis had to settle for a game-tying field goal. In overtime, A. J. Hawk stopped the Skyhawks on a 4th and 3, allowing the Thunder field goal to hold up as the game winner. CHICAGO 28 PORTLAND 16 Brian Urlacher played like a man possessed, with 14 tackles, a pick-six, a safety and a fumble with recovery as Chicago just intimidated the Stags out of their game. Chicago picked off A. J. Feeley three times, and returned all 3 for scores in a defensive showstopper of a game. BOSTON 30 TAMPA BAY 20 The Sunday nightery was close throughout, but Boston just had too much for the Bandits as Drew Bledsoe threw for 396 and 3 scores. Daunte Culpepper started, but was relieved by Brad Gradkowski early on, after two ball got away from him, raising question about his shoulder. Three different receivers went over 100 yards for the pass-happy Cannons, with Joe Jurevicious leading the way with 144 yards, followed by Chad Johson with 124 and rookie Percy Harvin with 123. Plaxico Burress Out for Year After Self-Inflicted Shooting One of the most bizarre midweek stories in league history this week as Plaxico Burress essentially took himself out of the season for Oakland thanks to a poorly placed firearm. It appears, based on police reports, that while out a local club Monday evening in Oakland, Burress was carrying a loaded pistol in the waistband of his pants, and that while dancing the gun went off, putting a bullet in the thigh of the Invaders’ leading receiver. The injury puts Burress on the IR, with an anticipated 10-12 weeks to fully heal, but what may be even worse is that the violation of state and city gun ordinances could lead to legal entanglements which could extend his time away from the game well into the 2010 season. “Boneheaded” was the word Coach Green used to describe the incident which now places his team in a predicament. They have placed Burress on IR, promoting Manuel Johnson up from the practice squad and shifting Greg Jennings into the #1 receiver slot, but it is a contract year for Burress, believe it or not, so Oakland may have to either cut bait on their top receiver, fearing an extended absence due to potential incarceration, or risk significant blowback for resigning a player who just cost himself a season of play due to pure unadulterated immaturity and stupidity. Not a place the Invader management wanted to be this year. As for Burress, he has yet to make a statement to the press, still at the hospital but expected to be released by Friday. He will be watching the Invaders take on LA this weekend from home, where he will be for the rest of the summer, wondering if he may have not only shot himself in the thigh, but also shot himself in the foot when it comes to getting prime free agent money. Bledsoe Glad to Be Back On the opposite side of the player news spectrum we find Drew Bledsoe, who had announced his intent to retire early in the 2008 season only to suffer a season-ending injury. In the offseason, as he completed PT, he weighed his options, with Boston brass regularly communicating to him their hope that he would return for one more year. In the end he decided to do just that, coming back for one more go, and man, oh, man, does that look like a good decision for all parties. After 5 weeks, Bledsoe is leading the league with 1,654 yards, well over 300 per game, and he has Boston back in contention for a playoff spot. He sits in an offense that has three top 20 receivers in Chad Johnson (#1 in yards), Percy Harvin (#9) and Joe Jurevicius (#11), and has a halfback at #7 in the league’s rushing list, 1 yard shy of 400 for the year. The offense is humming, averaging nearly 27 points per game and over 400 yards each outing. Yes, the club is still 2 games behind Washington, but in the very tough NE Division, teams will knock each other off, and Boston is in very good shape to stay in the hunt. The line of tackles Stockar McDougle (resigned in free agency) and Marco Colombo, guards Kraig Urbrich and Chuck Johnson, and center Dom Raiola, have been focused on protecting their less-than-agile veteran QB, and Bledsoe has suffered only 2 sacks since a nasty 8-sack mess against Charlotte. That’s 2 sacks in 3 games, not bad protection at all. Backup Adrian McPherson, who shone for the Cannons in Bledsoe’s absence last year, has been saying all the right things and is apparently happy to bide his time and take over the team in 2010, which makes it all that much easier for Bledsoe to focus on his on-field performance and on Boston’s hope to make the Summer Bowl for the first time in team history. Knowshon a No Show? There is concern in Orlando that while we are all going gaga for their defensive line, the other big story of the offseason for the Renegades is not working out as planned. Knowshon Moreno was the clear #1 back in the draft and was considered the key piece of the puzzle to help the ‘Gades develop a balanced offense to pair with their stellar defense. But so far this season, the value for this high draft choice has not been felt on the field. Moreno is averaging fewer than 17 attempts per game, and, worse yet, is sitting at a miserable 2.9 yards per carry when he is given the ball. His best game so far only netted 89 yards, and that was against a Bandits team that has been sleepwalking through the season. It is early, but folks are beginning to wonder if the ‘Gades, and most of the draft “experts”, swung and missed big time on the Georgia product. The school that brought the USFL standout backs like Herschel Walker and Terrell Davis was expected to have produced another monster in Moreno, but so far it has been far more Dr. Jeckyll and not nearly enough Mr. Hyde for the Renegades. Guard is not generally considered a high risk position, but don’t tell that to the USFL this week as three starters went down with significant injuries this week. New Jersey’s Jesse James, Philadelphia’s Damien Woody, and Seattle’s Chris Kemoeatu are all expected to be done for the year with a variety of leg injuries, though the common theme seems to be ligament damage in each case. In addition to the loss of the three guards we have center Trey Teague of Tampa Bay gone to a broken hip, Boston corner Fred Smoot expected to miss a month or more with a torn hamstring, and New Jersey DE Shaun Ellis also suffering from a hamstring injury that could cost him up to a month. LA is hoping that 2nd year corner Dominique Rogers-Cromartie will only miss one game after suffering an ugly dislocated finger, an injury that often looks worse than it is. On the good news front, Brett Favre has started appearing at Stallion practices, and appears to be progressing well towards a comeback targeted at Week 8. Charlotte DT Kyle Williams went down in what looked like a nasty neck injury, but apparently it was a temporary setback. He is listed as Doubtful this week, but he doctors say he suffered no significant injury that will keep him out beyond Week 6. Similarly, Arizona CB Asante Samuel’s feared ACL injury was diagnosed as mere patella tendinitis, which again could mean he will be back by Week 7. Matt Leinart is still listed on Denver’s injury report, but with a Probable status, there is a very good chance we will see their starter back in action this weekend. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Keyshawn Johnson, Daunte Culpepper, and Donald Driver join Leinart as players who could return to action this week. Dallas Proving Prime Territory for USFL With three of this season’s eight home games in the books for the Texas Outlaws, it seems the decision to choose Dallas and the Cotton Bowl as their temporary home has been a huge success. The Outlaws are averaging nearly 48,000 fans per game, having faced LA, Houston, and Pittsburgh in the Big D. They are expecting a big crowd this week with Arizona coming to town, and will then hoast Memphis, New Orleans, Denver and St. Louis after that. And while the Outlaws are not looking ther best on the field, off to a 1-4 start despite many expecting a playoff run this year, the stands are something to be happy about. So, what is next? That is a question already being asked. The Outlaws are locked into a 5-year deal at the Alamo Dome, and are only traveling to Dallas due to renovations the club is helping to pay for. Expansion seems a distant possibility, so what could fans in Dallas do after 2009 is over? The obvious answer is to put together a group to potentially lure another team to the metroplex. That has been an issue in the past, as two different bids for expansion (1995 and 2006/2008) fell apart before the city really had a chance to show its support for a USFL team. If this year is proving anything it is that fans are not the issue in Dallas. If a viable ownership group could bring a team to town, the city itself seems more than ready to support a 2nd franchise after the NFL Cowboys (who have not exactly been burning up the NFL since the early 1990’s.). But would the league be open to relocation? And at what cost? This is all speculative, of course. There is no current bidding group out seeking a franchise to bring to town, but what we are seeing from the community and their support of the Outlaws clearly shows that if such a bid were to form, the city would very likely throw its support behind it and a new franchise in town would have no trouble attracting a crowd. Terrell Owens Sharpie Trick Has League Seeing Red You knew it would not take long for Terrell Owens and his king-sized personality to run afowl of the USFL brass. While hardly as restrictive or crotchety as the NFL, the USFL owners tend to frown on blatant self-promotion nearly as much as their fall counterparts. Yes, celebrations are bigger and more brash in the USFL than in the fall league, but when a player makes a first down, pulls a pen out of his sock, signs the official game ball and throws it into the crowd, that is more than the usual $500 fine for tossing the ball. This week the USFL penalized Owens $10,000 for his choreographed stunt with a Sharpee, citing the almost ludicrous claim that having the pen in his sock during the first down play is a violation of league uniform policy and posed a threat as a “potential weapon”. As laughable as that may sound, the truth is that carrying a foreign object on you while on the field could be an issue. We all remember the one actually interesting scene in the Bruce Willis film “The Last Boyscout” where a fictional player in a fictional league pulled a gun from his waistband and shot a defensive player. That is far from a Sharpee, but after the Plaxico Burress incident, there is some logic to the harsh league response to Owens’s little stunt. This is not the first stunt Mr. Owens has had to pay for, famously fined for a taunt at the 50-yard line in Dallas when he played in the NFL, but it is the first time that his antics have led to a fine in the USFL. In his earlier days with Jacksonville, Owens’s big personality had really not manifested, at least not beyond the occasional endzone dance. That came with his time in the NFL, and is apparently going to be a factor for him with the Stars in Philly. Of course, with Steve Smith opposite him on the field, you have in the Stars the perfect 1-2 combo of brash extraverts at the position. Some would say Prima Donnas, but we leave that up to you to decide. Best of the USFL: Halfbacks Perhaps one of the toughest positions to evaluate, because there are so many strong candidates for the league’s best halfbacks. This will be one that is debated across all the social media outlets, to be sure. A lot depends on what you are looking for in a back. Do you want a piledriver who is all but guaranteed to make that key 3rd and 2? Would you prefer an all-purpose back who can be effective in the passing game? Or what about the elusive back who may get hung up behind the line or could break one for 80? So many options. And yet, what we tend to see in the USFL are bigger backs who can complement the passing game or participate in it. Looking at our Top 5, we have 2 who are very active in the passing game, and 3 who are more about brute power and the ability to make the tough yards. Frank Gore (NSH) We have Gore as our top overall back because he combines the two attributes that USFL teams seem to crave the most, the ability to run tough and the ability to be effective in the short passing game. Gore is among the league’s elite for a reason, he is versatile, elusive, and powerful all at once. Deuce McCallister (WSH) Washington does not use Deuce McCallister much in their passing game, but he sure is effective on the ground. The Deuce has topped 1,000 yards each of the past 6 seasons for Washington, and, despite limited use, averages about 30 receptions a year. The key with McCallister is his ability to get around the edge or take the tough yards in the middle. Ricky Williams (OAK) Breakaway speed and impact power typify Ricky Williams’s game. Not an elusive back by any means, Williams depends on breaking tackles, dragging defenders, and busting into the secondary. Since coming over from New Orleans, Williams has had 3 seasons over 1,200 yards for the Invaders, with 10+ TDs in each of the past three years. Eddie George (OHI) The consummate all-purpose back, George is as dangerous in the Ohio air attack as he is toting the ball in the run game. For over a decade, the Ohio State product has been among the league leaders in receptions by a back and has often had numbers that compare favorable with mid-range starting wideouts, all while also averaging nearly 1,200 yards per season rushing the ball. Ron Dayne (BAL) The best example of a power back in this group, Dayne is a bulldozer who would rather run over you than try to juke his way around you. Baltimore’s big back has been a regular All-USFL selection for years, and while he does not offer much in the passing game, he is one of the most reliable short-yardage and goal line backs in league history. Like we said, this was a tough position to limit to only 5 candidates. How do we not include Texas’s T. J. Duckett? Or Tampa Bay’s dual threat back Willis McGahee? Marshawn Lynch has been a dominant performer in his short time with the Thunder, and since coming over from Birmingham to Houston Shaun Alexander has proven himself among the best in the game. Fourteen games and twelve of them will be divisional clashes again in Week 6. We have some great rivalry games as well with Memphis kicking it off against in-state rival Nashville on Friday Night. On Saturday it is Boston @ New Jersey, LA vs. Oakland in the California Derby, and Denver headed to Houston in a clash of 3-2 teams. Sunday features the two non-divisional games, as well as a Central Division clash between Michigan and Ohio. The Week wraps up with a battle for first in the Northeast when Baltimore heads just down the road to face Washington at RFK. FRIDAY @ 8pm Memphis (0-5) @ Nashville (4-1) NBC SATURDAY @ 12pm Atlanta (1-4) @ Tampa Bay (1-4) ABC SATURDAY @ 12pm Charlotte (4-1) @ Jacksonville (1-4) FOX SATURDAY @ 12pm Boston (3-2) @ New Jersey (1-4) FOX SATURDAY @ 4pm Las Vegas (2-3) @ Seattle (1-4) ABC SATURDAY @ 4pm Los Angeles (3-2 @ Oakland (4-1) FOX SATURDAY @ 8pm Denver (3-2) @ Houston (3-2) ESPN SUNDAY @ 12pm Portland (2-3) @ Philadelphia (3-2) ABC SUNDAY @ 12pm Pittsburgh (4-1) @ Orlando (4-1) ABC SUNDAY @ 12pm Michigan (3-2) @ Ohio (3-2) FOX SUNDAY @ 4pm Chicago (3-2) @ St. Louis (0-5) ABC SUNDAY @ 4pm Birmingham (2-3) @ New Orleans (3-2) FOX SUNDAY @ 4pm Arizona (2-3) @ Texas (1-4) FOX SUNDAY @ 8pm Baltimore (4-1 @ Washington (5-1) ESPN

Player of the Week: Brian Urlacher was everywhere for the Machine defense against Portland. Not only did he make 14 tackles, but he got a sack, fumble, and recovery on one play and a pick-six on another. Just call it a typical Sunday for Chicago's main man in the middle.

Player of the Week: QB Kyle Orton of Atlanta puts the Fire into the win column in a big way, throwing for over 350 yards and 5 touchdowns in Atlanta's 38-14 win over Jacksonville.

Baltimore staked their claim as the Beasts of the East by knocking off the Philadelphia Stars to remain unbeaten. They have competition though, as Charlotte, Washington and Nashville kept pace with their 3rd wins of the young season. In the west, we have three unbeatens, with Denver joining Central powerhouses Ohio and Michigan at 3-0. Finishing the week at a very troubling 0-3 we find Seattle, who have been here before, Memphis, who are trying to find answers after the injury to Brett Favre, and several of last year's 10-loss teams, including Atlanta, St. Louis, and Texas. All is not lost, as Seattle showed us last year, winning 10 of 12 after an 0-4 start, but desperation and a need for a new plan is certainly the formula for these clubs, while solidifying what is working for them is the order of the day for surprise division leaders in Charlotte, Nasvhille, Baltimore, and Denver. PHILADELPHIA STARS 35 BALTIMORE BLITZ 37 A Shootout and a statement game for the Blitz as they seek to lay their claim on the Northeast Division. In a game that came down to a 2-point play, the Blitz and the Stars traded body blows for 60 minutes in one of the best games of the early season and perhaps a sign that the level of play has fully reached regular season intensity after a couple of questionable weeks to start the year. It was a game that saw both offenses play to their abilities, with Philadelphia racking up nearly 500 yards of offense, thanks in large part to a 375 yard, 31 of 48 game for Stars QB Kurt Warner. Baltimore countered with Ron Dayne gaining 131 and scoring three times in one of his biggest games. It was entertaining, intense, and down to the wire, exactly the kind of game USFL fans have come to expect from the always competitive Northeast. It also did not take long to get cooking, with both clubs coring TDs on their first possession. Baltimore won the toss and deferred, so Philadelphia got the ball first and in less than 5 minutes time, they had 7 on the board, with Kurt Warner using Terrell Owens’ big frame to post up in the endzone for the first of his three TD passes. Baltimore responded immediately, driving 78 yards in 8 minutes, relying heavily on Ron Dayne, and scoring the equalizer with 3:44 left in the firt quarter on Dayne’s 5th carry, a 6-yard sweep to the corner of the endzone. Baltimore would get the ball back only 33 seconds later when FS Nelson Leaks got the first of what would be two picks on the day, putting Baltimore back in business at their own 49. The Blitz again used a methodical combination of Dayne runs and short passes to drive the field, this time using Dayne as decoy as Big Ben hit Harry Douglas with a 9-yard TD toss on play action. The second quarter saw Philadelphia get back on the board after a long drive stalled on the 12 yard line, producing a short 29-yarder from Mike Nugent. Baltimore was back in business as the offenses proved very effective on the day. Roethlisberger hit rookie Darius Heyward-Bey with a 29-yarder, his longest of the team-leading 4 receptions on the day. The score put them up 21-10, but it would not be a lead they would hold for long. Philadelphia came right back, and with 1:11 left in the half, Steve Smith scored from 10 yards out to bring the Stars within 4 at 21-17. That is how it would go into the half, with both teams already over 200 yards for the game. The second half would see Baltimore boost their league once again, only to have Philly come right back. The Blitz took the second half kickoff and marched 68 yards before Ron Dayne scored his 2nd of 3 touchdowns on the day. But, while the Stars’ defense was still trying to find ways to slow down the Blitz, the offense had figured some things out. Using Steve Slaton as the primary back in the 2nd half, the Stars relied on more outside runs and were able to open up the secondary for deeper passes, including a 42-yarder to Smith that put them in range for Michael Robinson to score on a goal line run. Robinson would get his 2nd TD of the day on the next Stars drive, but the problem that Philadelphia had was that after both TDs they tried 2-point conversions and in both cases failed. So, instead of going from 28-17 to 31-28, they were only up one, at 29-28. Baltimore got their first drive of the final period after the second Robinson TD and again found the formula to move the ball through the Stars’ defense, with Ron Dayne capping off his day with his 3rd TD. Now up 34-29, Baltimore also went for 2, and also failed in the attempt. Leaving them with only a 5 point advantage. They would add to that after Kurt Warner was the victim of a tipped ball, a ball that Blitz LB James Farrior scooped before it hit the ground, giving Baltimore the ball in Philly territory. The Stars’ D held them to 3, but the Grammatica field goal gave the Blitz an 8-point lead with only 1:30 left to play. Philadelphia would need a big play, and they would get it. After quickly moving the ball into Blitz territory, the Stars went for broke and sent Terrell Owens on a post-corner route. The route forced the safety inside, and when Owens turned to the corner, he gained a step on the corner. Warner placed the ball perfectly and Owens touched both feet down in the endzone before falling out of bounds with the ball. Philadlelphia, with 36 seconds left, was down by 2. They would try their third 2-point play of the half, and they would need it to tie the game and potentially go to overtime. The play called was intended to go to Owens once again, but with him blanketed by Blitz defenders, Warner had to turn to his second option, TE Dallas Clark. Clark was covered by NFL import Angelo Crowell, but the pass came just a second late, allowing Crowell time to recover from Clark’s sudden out cut and get a hand in to dislodge the ball from Clark. The Blitz held, and would end the game with a kneeldown. They now take over 1st in the NE at 3-0, tied with Washington, while Philadelphia, who came so close, drop a game back. PITTSBURGH 21 CHICAGO 9 Week three opened with Chicago favored by 6 over the Maulers, but the Friday Night NBC game did not go as planned for the Machine. Despite 101 yards from Michael Turner, the Machine struggled to put points on the board, while Cody Pickett looked like a different QB, throwing for 3 sores and deftly avoiding the Chicago pass rush. Vincent Jackson caught 7 balls, including 2 TDs as Pittsburgh moved to 2-1 with a big divisional road win. ORLANDO 41 ATLANTA 13 Another huge game for Calais Campbell, whose 4 sacks were part of a 9-sack game against shellshocked Fire QB Kyle Orton. Orton also threw 4 picks, including a whopping 3 returned for scores as Tyrone Carter, Lito Shepherd, and Will Overstreet all got to high step into the endzone at different points of the game. Just the defensive scores would have won the game for the Renegades, but Knowshon Moreno also put up 2 scores despite continuing to struggle for yards (2.1 yards per carry). JACKSONVILLE 17 OHIO 45 The Bulls proved no match for the Ohio offense as Kerry Collins threw for over 300 yards and 4 scores, connecting with Randy Moss twice for scores and finding Joey Galloway for a game best 123 yards. It got ugly early with Ohio scoring on 6 of 7 drives to open the game, forcing Jacksonville to abandon the run and putting a lot of pressure on Jake Delhomme to play a game he is not well suited for. Ohio cruised to 3-0 with the 28 point win, while the Bulls drop to a dismal 0-3 to start the year. TAMPA BAY 3 CHARLOTTE 30 As bad as the Bulls have looked, the Bandits have seemed even worse (despite being 1-2). Charlotte simply confused and capitalized against a Daunte Culpepper who just did not seem right. The Bandit QB threw 3 picks and was sacked 5 times as Tampa Bay looked nothing like last year’s 14-2 squad. The Charlotte defense held an opponent under 10 points for the 3rd time this year, with Julius Peppers landing 2 sacks and once again not allowing a TD in the game. ST. LOUIS 20 MICHIGAN 41 Jeff Blake went without a pick for the first time this season and the Knights looked better early on, but Michigan pulled away with 24 unanswered points in the 2nd half as Coach LeBeau’s halftime adjustments shut down the early success of the Skyhawks. Brian Griese finished the game with 3 TD passes and Hines Ward led all receivers with 136 yards, including a 47-yard score to open the 2nd half. The win helps Michigan keep pace with Ohio at 3-0 to start the year. PORTLAND 22 LAS VEGAS 0 The Thunder came out flat at home and then things just got worse as Portland shut them out in an embarrassing performance from a team many expected to be headed to the playoffs. The Thunder gained a total of 194 yards and Jake Plummer completed only 14 of 32 passes as Portland smothered the Thunder at every turn. On offense, Portland relied heavily on HB James Stewart, whose 120 yards included a 3-yard TD run that saw the line blow Las Vegas off the ball. A good game for A. J. Feeley as well, hitting 8 different receivers as he completed 22 of 33 passing. WASHINGTON 32 BOSTON 27 A really wild finish to this NE battle as the Feds scored 14 points within the 2-minute warning to turn a 27-19 Boston advantage into a 32-27 Feds win. It began with a 70 yard Stewart to Kellen Davis TD just at the 2-minute warning, followed almost immediately by a fumble from Boston’s Tony Hunt that gave the ball back to Washington. This time Stewart found Eddie Kennison for a 48-yard score that defied logic. For some reason Boston used man instead of a 3-deep zone with less than a minute to play and Stewart, escaping the pocket and buying time, exploited it to find his receiver and win the game. NASHVILLE 17 BIRMINGHAM 10 The Knights move to 3-0, but it was not easy. Birmingham came back from an early 17-0 hole, and nearly tied the game at the end of regulation. Kyle Boller had Joe Horn open for a game-tying score, but the ball sailed on him, and Horn could not bring it in. Nashville, who seemed very strong in the first half, lost their drive in the second half and produced almost no offense after the break, allowing Birmingham to make it a game until the final seconds. NEW ORLEANS 31 MEMPHIS 14 The Breakers sack an uncertain Mike McMahon 6 times and see both Matt Forte and Fred Jackson go over 100 yards rushing against a suspect Showboat defense. Forte had 105 yards on 16 carries while Jackson had an equal total on 15 carries and added 2 touchdowns as the Breakers take the divisional game and send Memphis to an unexpected 0-3 start. TEXAS 7 DENVER 27 The Gold use home field advantage and an outstanding run defense to blow past the Outlaws, sending Texas to an unwelcome 0-3 start. Denver held T. J. Duckett to only 31 yards on 17 carries (a paltry 1.8 YPC) and just slowly kept adding points to the scoreboard. With Matt Leinart sidelined by injury, Derrick Anderson played a conservative game, but it was all Denver needed as their defense did the rest. HOUSTON 16 ARIZONA 13 OVERTIME Houston found the Wranglers to be a tougher foe than anticipated as the Arizona D frustrated Matt Hasselbeck and the Gamblers. Shaun Alexander had one of his best games, rushing for 132 yards, but the Gamblers kept getting backed out of the red zone by sacks and penalties, leaving the game a much lower scoring affair than expected. Arizona got a workman-like game from David Carr and the run game showed some life with Sedrick Irvin gaining 80 yards, but in the end, they could not get the field goal they needed in overtime to match Houston’s kick, giving the Gamblers the hard-fought W. NEW JERSEY 5 OAKLAND 17 In a game that was surprisingly 0-0 after three quarters, the fourth quarter erupted with multiple scores as Jerious Norwood scored twice to outpace New Jersey. With Ricky Williams out, Norwood had taken on the mantle and struggled through 3 quarters, but in the 4th the Generals started to tire on defense and Norwood would gain 55 of his 98 yards in the final period, helping Oakland eke out a tough win. SEATTLE 20 LOS ANGELES 23 OVERTIME The Dragons and Express faced off in the Sunday Nighter and the Dragons clearly wanted to avoid an 0-3 start to the year, but this game was played in LA, and the Express got the final say as their overtime field goal held up as the game winner. Maurice Jones Drew was the hero for the Express, rushing for 117 and catching 2 passes as well. It was a Jones-Drew swing pass that got LA into field goal range in overtime and landed them the win. Seattle got 107 from Corey Dillon and foughtback froma 20-10 deficit in the 4th to send the game to extra time, but could not get the equalizer in overtime and fall to 0-3. Questions of Culpepper’s Health Persist What is wrong with Daunte Culpepper? That is the question being asked in Tampa Bay this season. It is being asked by the fans, it is being asked by the media, and we fully expect it is being asked within the leadership of the Bandits franchise. We are three weeks into the season and not only has Culpepper not thrown a single touchdown, he is currently the lowest ranked QB in the league’s QB rating (of those with enough attempts to qualify). His 42.6 rating is a reflection of having thrown 4 picks, no touchdowns, completing only 45% of his passes and averaging only 150 yards per game, all this despite essentially having the same roster of receivers as last year. Some are questioning his health, others wondering if, at 32, he is hitting “the cliff” that many quarterbacks hit a bit later in life. Mentions of “the yips” a psychological loss of confidence that we often hear about with golfers or kickers, are not uncommon. With no real changes to Culpepper’s O-line and with the same starters at receiver as last year, many are just baffled why things have gone so badly. Injury, an undisclosed injury, seems to be the common theory. Culpepper was knocked out of the season opener in St.Louis, but returned to play in losses to New Jersey and Charlotte. But in those games the Bandits have been held without a touchdown. The only touchdowns this year have been with Brad Gradkowski at the helm, and fans are wondering if there is something going on with Culpepepr, and openly asking if the team should not go to Gradkowski until an answer is found. As you might expect, Coach Spurrier is putting the onus of his team’s bad performance on himself and his staff, saying that they have not been calling a game that puts Daunte in position to win, but he is also keeping very quiet about any concerns he may have. With local sports radio lighting up with theories ranging from blurred vision to the far-fetched theory that Culpepper is shaving points due to mob influence on gambling, the overall message being received is that fans are losing trust in their QB, and just how long it takes for that loss of confidence to reach the coaches and Culpepper himself is the big question around the Bandits right now, a question they hope they can answer this week with their first road game, a trip to Orlando to face one of the league’s nastiest pass rushes. Calais Campbell Impresses Once Again Let’s talk about that Orlando pass rush for a moment. And by “Orlando pass rush” we mean Calais Campbell. The signing this offseason of DT Albert Haynesworth from the NFL Copperheads, was meant to free up Campbell from double team blocking, and that it has, but what we are seeing, with two straight weeks of 4 sacks, is a set of skills that we have not really witnessed since the days of Chris Doleman and Reggie White. Campbell is benefitting from a lot of single blocks, that is true, but we are witnessing him simply embarrassing left tackles as he overpowers, outmaneuvers, or just outhustles them on his way to the QB. Admitedly, the three first opponents for Orlando—Jacksonville, Boston, and Atlanta—have QBs not known as effective pass rush evaders. No one ever would say Delhomme, Bledsoe, or even Kyle Orton are fleet of foot. But this is not just about Orlando facing teams with pocket passers, this is about a young player who was very impressive until an injury shortened his rookie season, coming into his own and immediately developing a repuation as one of the best at what he does. And that, for all the rationalization we may have about how it is getting done, is getting done, which is what matters most for the Renegades and their fans. Pickett’s Improved Play Keeps Pat White on the Sideline. Another player with an impressive start to the season is a quarterback who was seen as potentially in a fight for his job after his club, the Maulers, drafted Pat White out of West Virginia. It was clear after a 2008 season that had plenty of ups and downs, that Cody Pickett was in a make-or-break situation, and that he would be pushed by the young, athletic Pat White. It appears, at least through 3 weeks, that the push was what Pickett needed to reach his potential. In his two prior seasons as the Mauler starting QB, Pickett has averaged a QB Rating of 80 points, with 27 TDs to 28 interceptions and roughly 185 yards per game. In the first three games of this year, including wins over Arizona and Chicago, Pickett is averaging 260 yards per game (a very steady 261 in weeks 1-2 and 260 this week), has produced 5 TDs to only 2 picks, and has a QB rating over 100. Coach Ron Rivera had nothing but positive things to say about Pickett after their victory in Chicago this week. “He is making good decisions, getting rid of the ball, and not forcing things. In other words, he is playing the way a QB should always want to play” stated the Mauler Coach in the post-game presser. For Mauler fans, who were hesitant at best when Pickett was named the starter prior to week one, the results are better than could have been anticipated based on past performance. With very winnable games at St. Louis and at Texas (both 0-3) the next two weeks, the Maulers could go into their big Week 6 match against Orlando with a very solid 4-1 record. Orlando will, of course be seen as the test for both Pickett and the Mauler front line, as we have already discussed the quality of their front line and their pass rushing abilities. Pickett’s early success have also highlighted some of the undervalued talent in the receiving corp. Vincent Jackson is having a great start to his year, with 278 yards in 3 games and 3 scores as well. Tight Ends Alge Crumpler and David Thomas combine for 21 catches and nearly 250 yards, and former NJ General Kevin Johnson is also on pace for a personal best this year. Can Pickett keep the momentum going? That is key. Will teams start playing the Maulers differently? Moving out of a run-first mentality and devoting more resources to impede the passing game. They should, as it seems what Pittsburgh’s first three opponents failed to do is take Pickett seriously. But the league is seeing his success, and that almost always leads to an adjustment. For now though, Mauler fans are breathing a sigh of relief and are happy to have their QB spoken about in a positive light. Chad Johnson’s Name May Change, But His Performance Doesn’t Whether it is Chad Johnson, Chad Ochocinco, Chad “85” Johnson, or just “The Receiver Formerly Known as Ochocinco”, Boston’s leading receiver is still doing what he always does, turning routine plays into big plays and making every catch count. It took him 3 weeks to get there, but Chad “85” Johnson, as he is currently listed in the official league files and in each week’s roster list, is once again atop the leader board for yards receiving, 9 yards ahead of Philadelphia’s Steve Smith. From past history we know that once 85 gets to the top of that list, he rarely dips back down. This is a receiver, after all, who has gained over 1,500 in a season not once, not twice, but 4 times since coming into the league in 2001. Last year was his best year yet, with over 1,700 yards and 14 touchdowns, even with the late season injury to Drew Bledsoe. Will Chad NAME HERE be able to do it again? To finish as the league’s top receiving yardage leader again? To top the league in TD catches again? Every indication is that he is well on his way, so we and you had better figure out what to call him, because by every account we are going to have to talk about him a lot this year, and maybe in conversations about MVP or Offensive Player of the Year once again. Only three weeks in and we are starting to see teams with 2, 3, or 4 starters out. While most are out for only short periods, there are more than anyone would like to see who are going to miss multiple weeks, including a few who are already out for the year. As of this week there are 3 players on IR, all defenders, with Houston LB Keith Brooking (bicep tear), Atlanta DE Marcus Howard (Achilles) and Pittsburgh LB Buster Davis (skull fracture) all done for the year. Atlanta took another bad hit this week as their NFL import starting left tackle, Zach Strief, suffered a broken collarbone which could keep him out up to 8 weeks. That is not good news for Kyle Orton, who has yet to find his stride as the starter for the Fire. Arizona lost slot receiver Kassim Osgod for the same duration with a torn quad. Out a month if not longer is Tampa Bay DE Derrick Harvey (arm), Las Vegas tackle Kenyatta Walker (abdominal), and Oakland guard Logan Mankins. Only expected out 1-2 weeks we have Michigan LB DeMarcus Ware (foot), St. Louis DT Dre Moore (neck), and Atlanta TE Matt Schobelll (hamstring). Listed as doubtful this week are Baltimore WR Tory Holt, Portland guard Marcus McFadden, Arizona SS Clifton Black, and Houston DE Osi Umenyiura. Adam Archuleta (BAL) is questionable for this week’s game, as is Nashville LT Jon Stinchcomb, Portland CB DeAngelo Hall, Oakland WR DeSean Jackson, and Texas FS Clyde Adams. Stallion Sale Approved, Boston on Hold On a conference call this week, league owners approved the sale of the Birmingham Stallions’ controlling interest from troubled banker Marvin Warner Jr. to John Menard, CEO and President of the Menard’s chain of home improvement stores. Warner, who has been indicted on several charges as a result of his part in the real estate and banking crisis that snowballed into the current major recession, was forced to sell his interest in the club. Menard was approved to purchase the entirety of Warner’s share of the team, which his, of course, the dominant shareholder position for a club that has a unique private/public ownership model. Unlike the Green Bay Packers of the NFL, the controlling interest in the team remains in the hands of private ownership, while shares sold and owned by over 45,000 individuals, most of them within the state of Alabama create a unique “community partnership” model. In approving Menard for ownership, the league is granting the home improvement center CEO a controlling interest in the team. He will still need to garner a majority of votes from the current shareholder pool to be named President of the team, but this is expected to be a routine vote, as Menard is well-regarded in the region and seen as a stabilizing force for the Stallions. Hopes are, of course, that Menard will be able to do two things that Warner simply has not been able to accomplish over the past few years, work with the city and with the University of Alabama-Birmingham to move ahead with plans for a new stadium to replace the aging Legion Field, and, return the Stallions to a prominent place in the league after several seasons of struggles. Attention now turns to Boston, where current owner Jeremy Jacobs is hoping to sell off the Cannons. Unlike Warner, there are no legal entanglements for the Cannons’ owner, but the issue of financial viability is the biggest concern. Boston’s home at BC’s Alumni Stadium limits the financial capacity of the franchise, which, in turn, forces Boston to try to maximize profitability in the small stadium. The Cannons currently boast the highest prices for both individual game and season tickets, as well as parking, at the facility, all of which does not work well during an economic downturn when families are struggling to get by. Add to this the fact that they must provide a portion of both ticket and concessions revenue to Boston College and you have a recipe for a team that must practically sell out every game just to maintain itself. A new owner will need to contend with this reality, as the odds of Boston ever getting permission to utilize Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots, are extremely slim as team owner Robert Kraft remains adamantly anti-cooperation when it comes to the new league. League owners this week have tabled the request to open the Cannon franchise to a nationwide search for partners. Jacobs is not in a rush, but certainly his interest in divesting himself of the team does pose a a challenge to the league, particularly at a time when the position of the commissioner is in question. Former USFL Stars join NFL Players in CTE Lawsuit The other big story this week came out of a District Court in Manhattan, where over 200 former USFL and NFL players have filed a lawsuit against both leagues, claiming that data on the long term impact of not only in-game concussions, but the care practices of both leagues, has led to life long impacts to player health. At the center of the claim is a condition now known as CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopothy). The claim is that inadequate care and insufficient measures to address player safety have produced an epidemic of lifelong issues with memory, headaches, personality disorders, and other mental and physiological concerns. Among those represented in the lawsuit are former USFL players Lamar Lathon, Charlie Garner, William Perry, Kyle Turley, Dorsey Levins, and Bernie Kosar. NFL stars Mark Duper, Warren Sapp, Jamal Lewis, Mark Gastineau, Lance Briggs, Jim McMahon and Boomer Esiason are also at the center of the lawsuit. Curiously, former Tampa Bay Bandits QB and current USFL analyst on ABC, Troy Aikman, is not listed among the claimants, despite the fact that issues with recurring concussions led to both his premature retirement from the game and to several changes in USFL protocols. The suit is expected to be heard by the district court over the next 3 months, and the results could range from significant fines to both leagues, required ongoing medical support for former players, or potential federally enforced changes to both league’s medical protocols. The case will center around the treatment of concussions in both leagues, but could also tap into issues of helmet design, league rules regarding roster composition, injury reserve, and the use of team physicians. Best of the USFL: Tight Ends We return to our look at the best of the best at each position with our first look at an offensive position, that of Tight End. Once thought of as a blocking position with occasional pass catching options, the Tight End has morphed into one of the primary offensive weapons on a pro football team. Seen as the safety blanket for QBs under pressure, or a way to utilize the middle of the field, the tight end, which had seen a decline in use in the 1990’s, due mostly to the rise of the Run & Shoot offense, has come back in a big way as teams want the option to have a player on the field who can both provide extra protection to their franchise QBs or become a primary weapon over the middle of the field. The five players our bullpen selected as the Best of the USFL can do both, but they are here because as receivers they are just so tough to defend. Too big to use a corner or even a safety on, and too fast to be trailed by a linebacker. All five make their impact as receivers, often primary receivers, for their teams. 1. Antonio Gates (BAL): With a basketball background, Gates is the master of the “Post Up” positioning, using his big frame to block out defenders and create a nice target for his QB, particularly in the red zone, where success is less about speed and more about positioning and ball placement. Gates has flourished with Ben Roethlisberger as his QB, averaging 60 catches and nearly 700 yards per season over the past few years. 2. Jeremy Shockey (TBY): Catching the public’s eye with a devastating after the catch run in a preseason game as a rookie, this Bandit has a bit of a cult following in Tampa Bay. Since joining the league in 2002, Shockey has also developed quite a rapport with Daunte Culpepper. His numbers are slightly lower than those of Gates, but his impact has been felt as Tampa Bay surged back up to the top of the Southeast Division. Averaging nearly 17 yards per catch, Shockey is known for his ability to shake tacklers and gain needed yards after the catch. 3. Dan Campbell (CHA): Underappreciated among the bigger name receivers at the position, Campbell is a true dual use Tight End and perhaps one of the best blockers among the elite TEs. Campbell, who spent the first 9 seasons of his career with Houston, was signed by Charlotte in the Expansion Draft, and won his first All-USFL accolades last year with the fledgling expansion club. His 63 receptions, 734 yards, and 6 TDs were all career bests, and they shone a light on a player who had been undervalued during his entire career. 4. Jason Whitten (JAX): After 4 largely anonymous years in Pittsburgh, Whitten became a free agent and signed with the Jacksonville Bulls. The impact was immediate. From an average of 18 receptions a year in Pittsburgh, Whitten exploded with 61 receptions for nearly 800 yards in his first season with the Bulls (2006). Since then he has become one of the most reliable red zone targets in the league. 5. L. J. Smith (LA): Another wily veteran, Smith is in his 7th season with the LA Express, and continues to be a reliable target as well as an effective run blocker for Coach Jackson. 2008 was his most productive year yet, with 665 yards on 54 catches. In an offense dependent on the deep ball, it is Smith who often bails out the Express QB, something rookie Mark Sanchez is quickly learning to appreciate. Smith already has 12 catches from the Express’s new starter. As we expect will be the case each week, there are several other names that are part of our conversation of the best in the league. At the tight end position we had a pretty lengthy discussion that included several other very noteworthy contributors. Several members of our team were all in for Michigan TE Bennie Joppru, while others looked at Mauler TE Alge Crumpler, veteran NJ General Anthony Becht, new Memphis Showboat Jim Kliensasser, and last year’s lone All-USFL player from the expansion Stags, Portland’s Bubba Franks. Week 4 sees another good slate of divisional matchups as we get the Stars in Washington, Orlando in Tampa Bay, Chicago vs. Ohio, Las Vegas in Oakland, the Knights facing the Breakers, and the Gamblers visiting Dallas for the first time to face the Outlaws. The best interdivisional game has got to be Michigan going to Boston to face the Cannons, though the LA-Charlotte game could also be a fascinating matchup. FRIDAY @ 8pm Chicago (1-2) @ Ohio (3-0) NBC SATURDAY @ 12pm Los Angeles (2-1) @ Charlotte (3-0) ABC SATURDAY @ 12pm Baltimore (3-0) @ New Jersey (1-2) FOX SATURDAY @ 12pm Atlanta (0-3) @ Jacksonville (0-3) FOX SATURDAY @ 4pm Las Vegas (1-2) @ Oakland (2-1) ABC SATURDAY @ 4pm Arizona (1-2) @ Denver (3-0) FOX SATURDAY @ 8pm Houston (2-1) @ Texas (0-3) ESPN SUNDAY @ 12pm Birmingham (0-3) @ Memphis (0-3) ABC SUNDAY @ 12pm Orlando (2-1) @ Tampa Bay (1-2) ABC SUNDAY @ 12pm Michigan (3-0) @ Boston (1-2) FOX SUNDAY @ 4pm Portland (1-2) @ Seattle (0-3) ABC SUNDAY @ 4pm Nashville (3-0) @ New Orleans (2-1) FOX SUNDAY @ 4pm Pittsburgh (2-1) @ St. Louis (0-3) FOX SUNDAY @ 8pm Philadelphia (2-1) @ Washington (3-0) ESPN

Player of the Week: For the second week in a row, Orlando DE Calais Campbell put up a 4-sack game, helping the Renegades garner the W. Campbell now leads the league by 4 sacks over the nearest challenger, an amazing gap after only 3 weeks, as he averages 3 sacks per week, a number that would put him at 42 sacks for the year, an absolutely astounding number. The league record sits at 29.

A huge upset in the Meadowlands, a nailbiter in Columbus, a defensive slugfest in Philly, and an absolute blowout in Detroit. All part of an action-packed Week 2 that saw all 28 USFL clubs playing inter-divisional games. We start in Columbus, where the Glory and Dragons fought tooth and nail for a win in Ohio Stadium. We will cover all 14 games and take a special look at the injury to Brett Favre that could keep him out of action well into midseason. All this and our look at the top five cornerbacks in the USFL right now, part of a new series on the Best of the USFL. SEATTLE DRAGONS 19 OHIO GLORY 20 If you want an example of how the league’s player lockout has led to the defenses being a bit more advanced than the offenses, this Friday’s game between the Dragons and the Glory may be as good an example as you will find. In Seattle and Ohio you have two of the most talented offensive rosters in the league, each with All-USFL quarterbacks and 1,000 yard rushing halfbacks, and yet this game could not reach the over-under of 40 points that Vegas had set. Now, that does not mean it was not a very entertaining game for the NBC viewers on Friday, but it was not the shootout that fans expected when they saw this matchup on the schedule. The game ended with no 300-yard passer no 100-yard receiver, and Corey Dillon was the only true standout statistically, barely cusping over 100 yards, with his 102 yard performance. Eddie George was held to only 41 yards on 19 carries, a 2.2 average, but would end the game as the player with the most important single play. While the game was not an offensive showcase, we did have scoring in each of the 4 quarters, with Seattle kicking off the game with an opening drive that produced 3 points. Ohio was slower to get started, unable to move the ball on their first possession, but scoring on their second. After a holding penalty pushed them into a 3rd and 17 on their first possession, the Glory got a break. Byron Leftwich had a ball tipped at the line and that provided a perfect tip drill for rookie LB James Laurinaitis, who made his first career pick and placed the Glory on the Seattle side of the field. Six plays later a quick slant form the 4 put the ball into free agent acquisition Javon Walker’s hands, and put 6 points on the board. But that short drive off a turnover was the only successful drive for Ohio in the first half. With Eddie George struggling to find room to run, and with Seattle’s defense pressuring Collins, Ohio was stymied for most of the half. Collins would be sacked 3 times in the 2nd quarter, producing one pick and 3 failed third down plays. Seattle would take advantage, addeing 10 points in the period, another Dave Rayner field goal and a short TD toss from Leftwich to Dwayne Jarrett as the visitors took a 13-7 lead into the half. Coach Luginbill made some changes in the second half, cutting back on the 3-receiver sets to provide a 2nd TE to help with pass protection, and that seemed to help, at least on the one drive that produced points in the 3rd, a solid 71-yard, 12-play march that finished with Collins finding TE Stephen Alexander for a go-ahead score. 14-13 after 45 minutes of play. In the 4th, Seattle would take that lead back as Nate Burleson, who appears to be developing into the clear #2 receiver that Seattle has long lacked, took a short hook pass from Leftwich, turned the corner, and sprinted to the endzone for a 28-yard touchdown. Seattle was back on top 19-14, and would go for two to make it a 7 point lead. They failed when TE Tyler Eckler dropped the quick out pass, meaning that they would try to hold to a tenous 5-point lead. Ohio got the ball at the 8-minute mark and started moving the ball methodically once again. Their strategy to leave a 2nd TE in as a blocker meant that we saw less of Javon Walker, and that either rookie Brandon Pettigrew or veteran Stephen Alexander would have to stay in on each play instead of making use of their receiving talent, but the strategy had offset a Seattle pass rush that had garnered 4 sacks in the opening 3 periods. It was a good plan, but not a flawless one. On a 2nd and 4, Seattle countered the plan with an all out blitz, and before he could find a receiver, Kerry Collins went down a fifth time, wrapped up by FS Paris Lenon. That produced a 3rd and 9, and with the Glory more or less in range for kicker Josh Brown, Ohio was not going to risk falling further back. They called a quick screen to Eddie George just to try to get a bit closer for their kicker, but got a lot more. Seattle blitzed again, and the screen caught them out of position. George caught the ball with two blockers out in front and only 2 defenders between himself and the endzone. His blockers took care of the corner, and a straightarm forced safety John Keith to the ground, allowing George to slide along the sideline and in for 6. Ohio also opted to go for 2, and also failed in the attempt, leaving them up 20-19 with 5 minutes left to play. Seattle would not be able to take advantage of those final 5 minutes, their final drive ending with a failed 4th and 8 pass and Ohio breathing a sigh of relief as they assumed the victory position. The battle of move and counter-move had gone their way as they made the right changes to offset Seattle’s defensive strategy and got one call perfectly right, leading to the winning score. Ohio moves to 2-0 with the win, and Seattle drops to 0-2 in a result that feels eerily similar to the kind of games that put them in an 0-4 hole last season. JACKSONVILLE 21 BALTIMORE 31 The Blitz continue to impress as Ben Roethlisberger throws for 3 scores, two to Tory Holt. Baltimore built up a 17-0 lead in the first half and then traded scores with the Bulls in the second half to take the game by 10 points. James Farrior led the D with 13 tackles and a sack as the Blitz remain unbeaten and the Bulls drop to 0-2. ORLANDO 13 BOSTON 20 The Cannons get into the win column as they take the home opener against the Renegades. Drew Bledsoe threw for 311 yards and Percy Harvin scored again as Boston got the only score of the final period to break a 13-13 tie. Bledsoe performed well despite suffering 8 sacks in the game, 4 from sophomore sensation Calais Campbell, who was all but unblockable in this game. TAMPA BAY 6 NEW JERSEY 26 Have we had the upset of the year already? New Jersey shut down the Tampa Bay offense, leading many to question if Daunte Culpepper should have gotten the start after injuring his throwing hand last week. Ryan Fitzpatrick went 17 of 23 and backup HB Kerry Joseph busted loose for 81 yards on only 8 carries as the Generals stun the Bandits. DENVER 27 ST. LOUIS 10 The Gold move to 2-0 with a dominant win over St. Louis, but Matt Leinart was unable to finish the game. In relief, Derrick Anderson threw 2 TD passes. Jeff Blake suffered another pick, this one a pick-six from Jamel Williams, as St. Louis struggled, and home fans called for Josh Freeman to get into the game. Denver dominated, posting 37:48 in time of possession and outgaining the Skyhawks 422-158 in a game not as close as the score would indicate. LOS ANGELES 24 TEXAS 14 Mark Sanchez gets his first pro win as the Express get 100 yards from Maurice Jones-Drew and 2 scores from his NFL import understudy, Maurice Morris, as the Maurices take care of business in Dallas. The game, played in front of nearly 50,000 in the Cotton Bowl, was only 7-6 LA through 3 quarters, but after falling behind 14-7, LA scored the final 17 points of the game to take the win. MEMPHIS 10 WASHINGTON 38 Brett Favre is knocked out of the game early with a potentially significant injury and Mike McMahon can do nothing against Washington’s defense as the Feds rack up 8 sacks on the day. Meanwhile, Deuce McCallister rushes for 96 yards and 2 scores and Kordell Stewart runs one in himself as Washington dominates a hobbled Memphis team. ATLANTA 7 NASHVILLE 21 Kyle Orton struggles against the Knights D as Terrell Suggs gets a sack, forced fumble, recovery, a pick, and 9 tackles in a master class of defensive aggression. Frank Gore contributed 126 yards on the ground and Jay Cutler completed 18 of 27 with two TDs as Nashville broke a 7-7 halftime score with the only points of the second half to pull away. CHARLOTTE 29 NEW ORLEANS 5 Is Charlotte for real? Their defense sure seemed to be as they picked off Eli Manning twice and limited Matt Forte to only 24 yards rushing. Chris Weinke threw for a score and Robert Edwards rushed for 107 and a TD as the Monarchs did not look like the 2-year-old franchise in this game, winning easily over a very flat Breakers squad. BIRMINGHAM 9 PHILADELPHIA 14 The Stallion defense played inspired ball, picking off Kurt Warner twice, but the offense could not complement their efforts, with no run game at all and Kyle Boller unable to rally the Stallions late. Steve Slaton and Michael Robinson combined for 122 yards, but Philly could not put this game away until the final seconds. OAKLAND 20 CHICAGO 31 A good one at Soldier Field, where the Machine built up a 14-point lead at the half and then kept pace with every Invader attempt to come back. Brady Quinn threw for 2 scores and Michael Turner had his first 100-yard game of the year, rushing for 106. Without Ricky Wiliams on the field, Joey Harrington threw for 322 yards, but could not turn those yards into enough points to take the game. PORTLAND 7 MICHIGAN 41 The defending champs were scary good in their home opener, destroying the Stags thanks to 471 yards of offense. Justin Fargas rushed for 133 and Brian Griese threw for 242 and 3 scores before the starters were removed from the game late. By the time Portland got on the board, they were down by 28, and it just never got better from there. ARIZONA 16 PITTSBURGH 34 The Maulers and QB Cody Pickett had a very strong outing in their 2nd home game to open the season. Pickett went 21 of 32 for 261 yards and a score, while backup HB Kenny Watson scored twice on only 3 carries, one of them a spectacular 18-yard run through and over defenders. David Carr was picked off twice by the Maulers and Pittsburgh DE Kyle Vanden Bosch got a rare TD on a fumble recovery to power the Maulers. LAS VEGAS 23 HOUSTON 30 Sunday’s nightcap saw Houston edge Las Vegas thanks to a 3-TD, 101-yard performance by Ike Hilliard. Shaun Alexander added 75 on the ground and Houston’s defense held Marshawn Lynch to only 53 yards on the day as the Gamblers even their record at 1-1. Updating the Brett Favre Injury Brett Favre, the league’s Iron Man at QB, lasted only 3 drives in the Showboats’ loss to Washington. Late in the first quarter a sack by Greg Spires, the third on Favre in less than a quarter, sent the veteran QB to the sideline holding his right hand. He would not return to the game, and on Monday we received the news that he would not return to start the next game. This marks the first time in nearly 15 years that Favre will miss a start. The diagnosis came back as a fracture in his wrist and forearm, a break that would require at least 2-3 weeks to heal, and possibly longer before Favre would be able to throw at 100%. It could be a month or longer before Favre is on the field again, a development which profoundly impacts the two-time defending Eastern Conference Champion. Mike McMahon subbed in for Favre in the Week 2 game and will likely be the starter for Week 3, when the Boats host the Breakers. With McMahon and rookie Keith Null as the only quarterbacks on the roster, expect Memphis to shop around for another viable option as they try to deal with a 4-6 week period without their All-USFL, MVP quarterback. Too Legit or Too Lucky? So what is the verdict on the surprising 2-0 starts for the Charlotte Monarchs and Nashville Knights? Are these two teams, both predicted to have losing records this year, legitimate contenders or is their quick start the result of luck. Charlotte has been impressive in its wins over Atlanta and New Orleans, particularly on defense, as the team currently ranks as the #1 scoring and yardage defense in the league. They have allowed only 12 total points in their first two games and are allowing under 30 yards per game rushing. Despite this, folks are not jumping on the bandwagon just yet. With teams underprepared for the season due to the shortened training camp and preseason, defenses have, in general, had an advantage, and there is a belief that as we hit weeks 3-5 teams will start to gel on offense. But when we look at Charlotte, we see a formula that can work. The Monarchs are 2nd in the league, averaging 131 yards rushing, so their defense is on the field less, which keeps them fresh and able to be aggressive for the full game. We also see that Julius Peppers has been able to get to the QB, making it tough for opposing teams on third down particularly, whilethe LB group led by Jerod Mayo, with rookie Rey Maualaga and Scott Fujita, has been very effective against the run. That is a pretty good formula. One likely to be tested by a frustrated Tampa Bay Bandits team in Week 3. As for Nashville, the addition of Terrell Suggs has also helped boost their defensive strength, though we should also highlight the outstandin play of CB Chidi Iwoma and SS LaRon Landry as the Knights have staked their claim as the 2nd best scoring defense In the league, allowing only 13 points in the season’s first two weeks. Suggs has 3 sacks on the season and is forcing teams to pull team blocks away from defensive ends Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila and Gary Stills. Hunter Hillenmeyer is focused on the run and leads the team with 13 tackles, but also has 2 sacks as the Knights are using more blitz packages. On offense, the Knights are also finding success on the ground, with Frank Gore averaging 100 yards per game over the first two weeks. That has made life easier for Jay Cutler, and the 4th year QB (playing in a contract year) is responding, with 436 yards, 4 TDs and no picks yet this season. It seems in both the case of the Knights and the Monarchs that a combination of a game-shortening offense based on the run and a pressure defense is succeeding in limiting opponent scoring opportunities. Whether or not these two clubs’ early successes are the result of a very sound plan of attack or benefit from a lack of cohesion on opposing offenses will be born out as we get deeper into the season, but with a struggling Bandits squad and a shaky Stallions team as the next opponents for these two clubs, we could see 3-0 for both, which would certainly help build some momentum for the rest of the season. How Long to Wait on Freeman? It did not take long for fans in St. Louis to start calling for rookie Josh Freeman to get into games. With an 0-2 start and the Skyhawks currently ranked dead last in passing yards, local sports radio has been nothing but a flood of calls for Coach Williams to put the K-State rookie into action. St. Louis is averaging only 165 yards per game through the air with Jeff Blake at the helm, and while Blake’s 2 picks so far are hardly out of the norm for many USFL QB’s, memories of last year’s 22-interception season have not filled fans with hope that better things are ahead for Blake. So far, Coach Williams has remained steadfast that Blake is the starter, but with a high value QB waiting in the wings, one the Skyhawks spent considerable resources to sign, the pressure may start to mount to make the switch. An 0-4 start, for example, could be all it takes, as St. Louis ownership is already concerned that the euphoria of the club’s 2006 inaugural season is fading, and ticket sales are down. A fourth straight 10-loss season, paired with the current economic crisis, will certainly make the Skyhawks a tougher ticket to sell, and that has ownership worried. So, Coach Williams has really two options at this point, find a way to generate more successful outcomes for Blake or make the switch and rely on Freeman’s natural talents to make up for his lack of experience and the club’s overall lack of offensive weapons. A rough week around the league, and not just in Memphis, where Brett Favre is out at least a month. In Atlanta a scary injury as DE Marcus Howard suffered a ruptured Achilles and will be out for the year. Pittsburgh LB Buster Davis was also placed on IR with a skull fracture, a rare but nasty injury. Michigan will be without LB DeMarcus Ware at least 2-4 weeks after a stress fracture in his foot. New Jersey lost two starters from their secondary in this week’s game, with both Mike Rumph and FS Tony Driver expected to miss at least 2 games. Denver has listed Matt Leinart as OUT for this week, but the hope is that his sprained knee will see considerable improvement and Leinart might be able to go in Week 4. Jacksonville WR Andre Caldwell could also be out this week with a hyper extended knee. HB Ricky Williams remains out, listed as Doubtful for a 2nd straight week. Denver DE Ryan Denney is also doubtful with a hip issue, while Tampa Bay WR Roscoe Parrish was upgraded to Probable after missing Week 2 with a fracture in his foot. Others who could return to action include Houston CB Justin Knox, Birmingham WR Dedrick Ward, and Boston QB Drew Bledsoe, who suffered an injury to his nose when his helmet was slammed back on his head in a violent hit. USFL Cuts Prices to Reach Attendance Goals Reporting in the Sporting News this week revealed that all is not going as planned in the USFL. The combination of resentment among fans for the league lockout and an economy that has produced 10% unemployment rates across the country is having an effect on the league. The league confirmed this week that with 1 month to go before the delayed opening kickoff, season ticket sales across the league were down nearly 12%, and single game sales were down nearly 10% from 2008. The response of most teams, hoping to bolster sales in the final weeks of the extended offseason, was to offer ticket deals, both on flex-packages (packages that provide fans with 3 or 4 games vs. the full season ticket of 7 games) and single game tickets to try to motivate sales. This, combined with the required reduction of season ticket prices since the season would provide only 7 and not 8 home games, meant that while the attendance numbers look like they will come in close to 2008 totals (varying by team), the revenue numbers from ticket sales could see a 10% dip from 2008 to 2009 on a per game basis. Combined with a 1/8th reduction in television revenue caused by the two weeks cut from the schedule, the dip in overall league revenue will be substantial. We are living through a recession the likes of which we have not seen since the 1930’s, so some decrease in profits is to be expected, but the poor timing of a labor dispute and a reduction in gameday revenue compounds the problems the league is facing both with its overall revenue stream and with several ownership groups, where the financial crisis within banking and real estate has produced real financial concern for the core ownership itself. The league has consistently stated that while the economic situation of the league is still very stable, there are signs that some franchises may need to restructure their financial model as well as their ownership group. In most cases this will be done internally, but we have already seen Birmingham seeking a new principal owner, and reports have both Boston and Las Vegas looking to bring in new owners to diversify their ownership groups. The financial stability of ownership, paired with the reduction of revenue in 2009, and its potential impact on the salary cap, will almost certainly be topics to be discussed when the owners gather this May. For now, it means that we should anticipate a potentially rough offseason as teams try to tighten their belts, meaning that we may not see some of the free agent signings we have seen in the past, and that the NFL, which seems to be weathering the recession a bit more solidly, may have an advantage as the newly negotiated transfer window system goes into effect this October. Best of the USFL: Cornerbacks This week we start a multiple week series looking at the best of the best in the USFL this season. Unlike last year’s Mt. Rushmore, we are now looking at current players only, not that this makes the debates any easier. We will cover a position each week for most of the season as we explore the elite players at each position. At the end we will tally up the best of the best and see which club has cornered the market on top talent. We start this week with Cornerback as our position of choice. An elite corner is a player who can shut down any team’s primary receiver, assist with outside run coverage, and shut down big plays, even when their assignment does not include the ballcarrier. The following five players represent the absolute best in the USFL in 2009 at doing all of these vital tasks and doing them extremely well. 1. Charles Woodson (ATL): A ten year veteran of the Washington Federals’ defense, Woodson made the move to Atlanta last year and provided the same dominant coverage for the Fire that had made him a regular All-USFL player as a Federal. His 36 career picks are impressive, especially when we consider that he is so rarely thrown at. Even more impressive, 14 of those 36 picks were returned for scores, an incredible 38%. 2. Will Allen (LV): In his 9th season as a member of the Thunder, Will Allen is both hard to throw against and a very hard hitter. Unafraid to take on big running backs in the flat or to chase down the league’s elite receivers, Allen has not only picked off 18 balls, but forced 19 fumbles as well, using a swung free arm to dislodge catches and turn them into takeaways. 3. Ronde Barber (HOU): Like his brother Tiki, this Barber twin came into the league in 1997 with the Atlanta Fire but left for Houston after 3 seasons. With the Gamblers he has become one of the most feared corners in the game and is always matched up against the opposition’s fastest receiver. Tiki may have retired, but after 12 seasons, Ronde seems ready for more this year. 4. Quentin Jammer (PHI): Another savvy veteran, Jammer, in his 8th year in the league, already has 16 picks and 17 forced fumbles. He is more of a zone specialist but can also excel in bump & run coverage. Last year for the stars he had 85 tackles as well, showing he is not afraid to mix it up. 5. Deltha O’Neal (MGN): No younglings in our list, O’Neal enters his 10th season with Michigan as the undisputed #1 corner for the Panthers. Injuries have forced him to miss 14 games over the past two years, but the Panthers are hoping he is able to give his all every week this year as their defensive plans often involve O’Neal being able to take away one of the competition’s best options. O’Neal does not have the interception skills of some of his peers but is one of the best “swatters” in the game, with 79 passes defended in his career. Not every quality corner could make our top 5, a problem we expect to see with pretty much every position we study. Several other names got votes, so we want to recognize these outstanding defenders as well. Among those very much in the discussion were Patrick Surtain (PIT), Antoine Winfield (LV), Shaun Springs (HOU), Marcus Truffant (SEA) and Nate Clements (NJ). All outstanding players, but not able to crack the Top 5. The 2009 schedule was designed to offer periodic weeks of nearly full divisional slates, interspersed with weeks with very few to no divisional games. Too early to tell if this is a good plan or not, but what we can say is that Week 3 will be another major clash of divisional rivals early in the season. We have a battle of unbeatens in Baltimore, when the Stars come to town. We have quite a few “desperation games” where 0-2 teams are facing off against 2-0 teams and trying anything to avoid an 0-3 start, including Seattle, who did this last year, starting 0-4 before rallying. We have Charlotte hoping to stay unbeaten as they face the Bandits in front of what is sure to be a huge crowd at home, and we have some nice 1-1 matchups with the Maulers traveling to Chicago, New Jersey, hot off their upset win this week, going out to Oakland, and Orlando traveling to Atlanta to take on the Fire. FRIDAY @ 8pm Pittsburgh (1-1) @ Chicago (1-1) NBC SATURDAY @ 12pm Orlando (1-1) @ Atlanta (0-2) ABC SATURDAY @ 12pm Jacksonville (0-2) @ Ohio (2-0) ABC SATURDAY @ 12pm Tampa Bay (1-1) @ Charlotte (2-0) FOX SATURDAY @ 4pm St. Louis (0-2) @ Michigan (2-0) ABC SATURDAY @ 4pm Portland (0-2) @ Las Vegas (1-1) FOX SATURDAY @ 8pm Philadelphia (2-0) @ Baltimore (2-0) ESPN SUNDAY @ 12pm Washington (2-0) @ Boston (1-1) ABC SUNDAY @ 12pm Nashville (2-0) @ Birmingham (0-2) FOX SUNDAY @ 12pm New Orleans (1-1) @ Memphis (0-2) FOX SUNDAY @ 4pm Texas (0-2) @ Denver (2-0) ABC SUNDAY @ 4pm Houston (1-1) @ Arizona (1-1) ABC SUNDAY @ 4pm New Jersey (1-1) @ Oakland (1-1) FOX SUNDAY @ 8pm Seattle (0-2) @ Los Angeles (1-1) ESPN

Player of the Week: NFL Import Terrell Suggs proved he could impact a game in a variety of ways this week, helping Nashville reach 2-0 by contributing 9 tackles, a sack, a pick, and a forced fumble which he himself recovered.

What was scheduled as a huge divisional battle for Week 3 is now a power packed opening week as 24 of 28 teams open league play with divisional games, including huge rivalries like Chicago vs. Michigan, Houston vs. Denver, Nashville vs. Memphis, Orlando vs. Jacksonville, and Philadelphia vs. New Jersey. No time to warm up. No space to get acclimated to a new season. Just throwing teams into the fire from the very first moments. And despite the lack of preparation (a shortened camp and preseason), some of the clubs came out of the gate looking like they were in midseason form already. A lot to talk about after Week 1, so let’s get right to it. CHICAGO 28 MICHIGAN 29 A wild game at Ford Field that felt more like a Week 14 clash than a season opener. The defending League Champions faced off against their defending Division Champs in a Week 1 clash to remember. Chicago would build up a 12-point lead only to watch it fizzle away in the final minutes of the game as Michigan roared back with 2 late TD’s from Brian Griese to edge the Machine by 1 point. Chicago’s offense was a bit shaky as the season opened, going 0 for 10 on third down, and accumulating only 202 total yards, despite Brady Quinn going 10 of 14 with 3 TDs. Michigan’s offense was significantly better, particularly in the second half, gaining a total of 457 yards, but struggling to put points on the board until the final minutes of the game. Brian Griese would also throw 3 touchdowns, but had 2 picks, including a pick six to Chicago’s Corey Hall. Fargas and Washington combined for 96 yards, while Chicago struggled to run the ball, with Michael Turner averaging only 2.5 yards per carry. And yet, despite the disparity in yards, the Machine defense made scoring tough for the Panthers and kept them in the game, even building a substantial lead. The game began slowly, with both teams punting after only 3 plays on their first drives. Chicago fared no better on their 2nd possession, another 3-and-out, but Michigan took a poor punt and used it to get into Chicago territory, ending their drive with a Matt Prater field goal to put the first points of the game up. That score seemed to awaken the Machine, who would score on their next two possessions. The first drive was a 66-yard slog down the field that ended with Arnold Brown catching a 3-yard TD toss from Brady Quinn. Three minutes later, after a Griese pick, Chicago was back in business, converting on the drive when Quinn hit TE Anthony Fasano for another 7. Chicago took a 14-3 lead as the 2nd quarter was just beginning. Michigan would spend most of the quarter fighting back, first with a nice corner route to Hines Ward that got the Panthers into the endzone for the first time, and then, as time ran out in the half, with another Prater kick, putting them at 14-13 as the teams headed to the locker rooms. Chicago got the ball first in the second half, and in just 7 plays they had it in the endzone, Quinn hitting Donald Driver with the score that put them up by 8. After another Michigan field goal, the third quarter ended with the Panthers trailing 28-16 despite outgaining Chicago by over 100 yards. As the 4th quarter opened, Brian Griese was picked for a second time as Corey Hall stepped in front of Laverneus Coles, snatched the ball and ran it back 53 yards for a score that put Chicago up by 12. Rather than sulk, Griese got back to business on the ensuing possession, throwing the ball on 6 of the drive’s 8 plays, concluding with a nice strike to Coles for a 17-yard score at 2:35 left to play. Michigan was down by 5 after the Prater kick and would go for the onside kick. The ploy worked, with the ball bouncing off the hands of WR James Hardy and into the awaiting arms of CB Chris Canty, giving Michigan the ball on their own 48 with 2 minutes to play. The Panthers did not rush the ball down the field, but focused on first downs, using their timeouts and the sideline to get the ball down to the Chicago 25 with 1:01 left to play. After a draw to Washington produced only 4 yards, the Panthers went no huddle, clustered 3 receivers to the left, and put Griese in the shotgun. The 3-man cluster worked to perfection. Both the safety and the corner for Chicago mistakenly took the quick inside route, leaving Hines Ward with a 2-3 yard lead on the trailing corner who got caught in the wash. That was all the space Griese needed. He lofted the ball to the endzone, catching Ward in stride for the game winner. Michigan took the game and the early advantage in the Central Division on a very memorable opening week in Detroit. HOUSTON 20 DENVER 23 OVERTIME An overtime thriller as the Gold hold off the Gamblers in what could be a very pivotal first week game. Denver got early TDs from Mewelde Moore, Peerless Price and a Jamar Fletcher pick six, but a missed PAT by new kicker Graham Gano meant that Houston could tie the game with a field goal at the end of regulation. They did just that after scoring 14 unanswered points in the 2nd half. The Gamblers got the game to overtime, but Gano made up for his earlier PAT miss by kicking home the game winner in overtime. WASHINGTON 38 SEATTLE 35 One of only two non-divisional games proved to be one of the week’s best as the Federals outlast the Dragons, thanks to a Mike Williams TD catch with just under 1 minute left to play. Both Byron Leftwich (4 TDs) and Kordell Stewart (321 yards and 3 TDs) looked to be fully ready for prime time action. Eddie Kennison also looked sharp, catching 6 balls for 107 yards and 2 scores as the Feds eke out a road win to open the 2009 campaign. LOS ANGELES 12 LAS VEGAS 20 The debut of Mark Sanchez was a busy one as Las Vegas totally shut down the run, forcing the USC rookie to put the ball up 41 times. Meanwhile, Jake Plummer, in his first game In a Thunder uniform, completed 23 of 38 and tossed his first Las Vegas TD to Matthew Hatchette as the Thunder come out on top in their home opener. BOSTON 20 BALTIMORE 27 The Blitz take their home opener as well, edging Boston despite a stellar debut by Cannons’ rookie wideout Percy Harvin. Harvin went for 140 yards on only 3 catches, including a 91-yard TD that lit up the stadium. IT was not enough though as Ron Dayne’s 2 TD runs and a Roethlisberger TD toss to FB Quinn Johnson gave the Blitz a 14 point lead that they would not relinquish. NASHVILLE 25 MEMPHIS 6 A stunner in Memphis as the newly retooled Knights’ defense completely stymied the Showboats, picking off Brett Favre twice and sacking him 6 times. Chidi Iwoma was the star for Nashville, picking off two Favre passes, while Jay Cutler connected with both Derrick Mason and Frank Gore on his way to an opening game win in rival territory. ORLANDO 24 JACKSONVILLE 17 The Bulls and Renegades played a tight one in Jacksonville, but 14 points in the final period helped Orlando get the road win. Two final period TDs from Drew Brees, one to Greg Olsen and the other to Justin McCaerins, helped lift Orlando to the W. Calais Campbell returned to action for the first time since midseason of 2008 and (what else?) recorded a sack. Rookie HB Knownshon Moreno struggled for Orlando, gaining only 15 yards on 11 carries, but the Renegades found a way to win in the end. PORTLAND 16 OAKLAND 24 The Stags gave Oakland a bit of a scare, but a late Greg Jennings TD catch helped seal the game for the Invaders. Portland’s pass rush was surprisingly effective, getting to Joey Harrington 5 times, including two sacks form blitzing safety Terreal Bierria as Portland threw the entire playbook at the Invaders. Harrington still managed to toss 3 touchdowns and throw for 326 yards to pace the Invaders. OHIO 34 PITTSBURGH 21 Ohio got 4 TDs from Kerry Collins and 95 yards on 18 carries from Eddie George as they take their opening game in Pittsburgh. Javon Walker, in his first game for the Glory, scored twice as Ohio put the final 24 points on the board after trailing 21-10 early in the third. Cody Pickett got the start for Pittsgurgh and looked solid, completing 22 of 31 despite being sacked 6 times by an aggressive Glory D. TAMPA BAY 23 ST. LOUIS 17 Jeff Blake threw for 194 yards and rushed for another 54 as he helped keep St. Louis in this game, but in the end it was too much Willis McGahee, as the Bandit back rushed for 126 yards, taking the lead after Daunte Culpepper was knocked out of the game and Brad Gradkowski came in. The backup would throw for 2 scores, but it was the Tampa Bay running game that won the day for the hobbled Bandits. NEW ORLEANS 37 BIRMINGHAM 14 Kyle Boller got his first USFL action, and, after 5 sacks, may be regretting his move to the Spring. Eli Manning fared much better, throwing for 222 yards and 2 scores as New Orleans pulled away from the homestanding Stallions. Manning found 8 different targets on the day and the Breaker defense added some points as Randall Gay returned a Boller pick for a score. PHILADELPHIA 33 NEW JERSEY 13 The Stars opened strong, with Kurt Warner throwing for 3 scores and the Star D holding New Jersey to only 6 points on offense (they did get a TD on a pick-six). Ryan Fitzpatrick got the start and would throw 41 passes, completing 27, but was unable to produce anything but 2 field goals against the Stars’ defense. Terrell Owens made his debut with 4 receptions for 38 yards but 2 scores as well. CHARLOTTE 12 ATLANTA 7 The Monarchs also open strong on the road, holding Atlanta to a lone score and coming back with a late Robert Edwards run (missed PAT), to take the lead and the win in Atlanta. Kyle Orton struggled and was replaced by David Garrard midway through the game after taking a blow to the head. Chris Weinke completed 23 of 32 passes for the Monarchs and Edwards rushed for 78 yards, though only a 2.9 YPC average. TEXAS 11 ARIZONA 17 The Jim Tomsula era in Arizona begins with a home win as the Wranglers edge the Texas Outlaws in Glendale. It was not pretty on offense, but NFL Import David Carr did connect with Santana Moss for two scores. The big surprise was the Arizona defense, which limited T. J. Duckett to only 56 yards rushing and neutralized the untested Texas receiving corp. New QB’s Get Mixed Opening A lot of new QB’s around the USFL. Some came away with a W, but most struggled to put together a strong game, which is, in part true of all the QB’s this week, entering a new season with a shortened preseason to hone their timing. As we look around the league this week, the new signal callers definitely were an area of focus, so how did they do. Jake Plummer (LV): 23 of 38 for 230 yards, 1 TD, 1 pick. Plummer did what was asked of him, navigating a new offense, connecting with Matthew Hatchette, and spreading the ball around to 8 different receivers. His best play of the game was a scramble that turned into a short flip to Marshawn Lynch for a 12 yard gain. He got the win and he seemed to enjoy himself doing it. An A- on his first game for the Thunder. Mark Sanchez (LA): 25 of 41 for 186 yards, 1TD, 1 pick. Sanchez was asked to throw more than Coach Jackson wanted due to the absolute lack of a running game. The game plan certainly did not call for 41 passes on the day. As you might guess from the yardage total, Sanchez spent most of his time either tossing short slants and hooks, or bailing on deep routes and dumping the ball off to a TE orhis back. L. J. Smith was the leading receiver, while Keyshawn had 5 receptions, but the longest for only 11 yards. We are going to give Sanchez a B for the day, though LA will need to balance that offense if he is going to avoid major issues down the road. David Carr (ARZ): 18 of 35 for 226 yards, 2 TDs, 2 Ints, but, most importantly, a win for the Wranglers as they held off the Texas Outlaws. Carr had a couple of nice connections with Larry Fitzgerald, and two TD tosses to Santana Moss. He avoided a couple of sacks with good pocket presence, but did throw the two picks, though one was more the fault of his receiver, who tipped a catchable ball into the air. We give him a solid B+ on the day. Kyle Boller (BIR): 24 of 51 for 198 yards, 2 TD, 1 Int, and sacked 5 times. Another case of a failed run game (Felix Jones led Birmingham with 11 carries for only 36 yards) forcing a QB in his first game with the team to throw the ball way too much. While Boller’s numbers were not bad, despite constant pressure from the Breakers, what the numbers don’t show is the yards to lead to points. Boller had one really nice pass to Joe Horn for an 18-yard TD, but, like Cassel, spent most of the game dumping the ball off short. We give him a C+ because the pressure did not lead to more mistakes and turnovers. Kyle Orton (ATL): 11 of 15 for 101 yards, no TDs or picks, but knocked out of the game with a hit to the head midway through the game. We only got to see Orton for just under a full half, and while his completion percentage was solid, he never threatened the Monarch defense with a deep ball. His longest toss was a 15-yarder to David Tyree. Mostly he stayed with quick passes. He did convert 2 of 4 third downs, which is far better than David Garrard’s 2 of 7 in the second half. We give him a C, because we just did not see enough to know if he is going to be able to generate more offense. Ryan Fitzpatrick (NJ): 27 of 41 for 217 yards, 0 Tds, 1 Int, 5 sacks. Of all the new starters, Fitzpatrick had the least to work with and Philadelphia’s D was not welcoming him with anything other than constant pressure. He scrambledquite a bit, running the ball 8 times in addition to taking 5 sacks. Considering that, he actually did very well to complete as many passes as he did. Hefound 8 different receivers, with Mark Clayton his favorite (7 catches on 9 targets). His best play was a 3rd down where he escaped the rush, found Santonio Holmes and made the first down. He will need to do more of that to help New Jersey get on the scoreboard more often. We will give him a C as well, simply because the points did not come against a very tough defense. We should note that neither Josh Freeman (St. Louis) nor Pat White (Pittsburgh) started this week, with both Pickett and Blake getting the starts. The only time either were on the field was as a holder for the kicking game. Rookies Make First Impression So we saw how Mark Sanchez started off, and the other rookie QBs did not see the field, so who did impress us in their first action as a rookie. Well, the obvious answer is WR Percy Harvin of the Cannons, who started his career with a 140 yard game in Baltimore. Harvin looked very dangerous, turning short routes into long runs after the catch. He also turned in the play of the week, a 91-yard touchdown that was more of a 17-yard pass with an impressive post-catch run. Harvin put the league on notice. Once the ball hits his hands, he is capable of taking it all the way. Boston fans may have a new favorite on the Cannons’ roster. The other big name receiver taken in the early rounds of the draft, Baltimore’s Darrius Heyward-Bey, did not have the huge numbers of Harvin, but put in a very respectable 4-catch, 54 yard effort in his first pro game. His best play of the day was a 16-yard reception that was firs tipped with one hand and then brought in. Brandon Pettigrew, the star TE signed by Ohio, had a quiet day, though he did get 20 snaps in his first game. He had one catch, but it was a nice one, going for 41 yards. It was his only target, but it was a big play for the Glory. Among running backs, it was a pretty disappointing first day. Knowshon Moreno was the only starter, and his 11-carry, 15-yard day was underwhelming to say the least. Moreno was the only rookie to get a snap, with Birmingham’s Andre Brown, Denver’s Javon Ringer, Las Vegas’s Rashad Jennings, and Memphis’s Shonn Greene all failing to get a single carry in Week 1 action. Defenders fared a bit better, with Charlotte’s Rey Maualaga leading the way. The USC product led Charlotte with 10 tackles, including 2 for a loss as the Monarchs limited Atlanta to 7 points. Another big opening day was had by Ohio State product James Laurinaitis, who suited up for the Glory and finished the game with an impressive 12 tackles. Arizona’s Larry English landed his first sack along with 2 tackles. Houston safety Patrick Chung also registered his first sack on a blitz of Matt Leinart while also recording 5 tackles and a forced fumble. New Orleans DT Ricky Jean-Francois had only 1 tackle, but it was a sack of Kyle Orton in their game against the Stallions. Clay Matthews got the start for LA and recorded 3 tackles against the Thunder, while the third of the USC linebackers who all signed with the USFL, Brian Cushing, recorded 4 tackles in the Mauler’s game with Ohio. Suggs & Haynesworth Impress in First Games You won’t spot it in the boxscore, but both Terrell Suggs (Nashville) and Albert Haynesworth (Orlando) made an impression this week. Suggs, arriving after 6 seasons in the NFL had 4 tackles on the day. Haynesworth had 3 in his first game in the USFL after 7 NFL seasons, but both players were far bigger than their stats, often drawing double, if not triple blocks, freeing up others to stuff the run or pressure the QB. It seemed clear in both games that the offensive coordinators of both Memphis and Jacksonville respectively went into the game with an intention to know where the two NFL imports were and to neutralize them. Of course, in their respect for these two players, they spread their defense thin elsewhere, as we saw with big games from Sean Rogers and Hunter Hillenmeyer for the Knights and Barrett Rudd, Calais Campbell, and Kenny Smith for Orlando. Both the Renegades and the Knights held their opponents well below their usual offensive totals, with Memphis only scoring a paltry 6 points and Brett Favre feeling the heat all game long. If defenses continue to focus on Suggs and Haynesworth, we could expect some big numbers from other Knight and Renegade defenders, and more strong performances overall from the defenses, good news for fans of both clubs. Culpepper, Fitzpatrick, and Cutler, Down but Not Out Three quarterbacks were knocked out of action at some point in this weekend’s games, but the good news is that all three are expected to be back in action next week. Of the trio of Cutler, Fitzpatrick, and Culpepper, only the Bandit QB appeared on the injury report, still dealing with the blow that dislocated his index finger, while Fitzpatrick (ankle) and Cutler (concussion) have both been cleared to play in Week 2. Scary for their teams at the moment, although two of three clubs still won their games, but always good when the players can bounce right back. A few players this week will not be bouncing immediately back from injuries suffered in Week One. While not the most severe injury, Ricky Williams’s hip issue, believed to be a pointer or nerve pinch, will cost him Week 2’s game, and possibly longer. The worst injury of the week is that of CB Willie Middlebrooks of Nashville, who is expected to be out at least 2 months, perhaps longer, with a partial ACL tear. Across the state, Memphis LB Patrick Willis had a scary moment with a blow to the back. No fractures in his vertebrae, but the swelling is a concern and Willis is expected to need to be in a modified form of traction at least one month to allow the back to heal without the strain of torque created by movement. That puts him on a minimum of 6 weeks before he could return to the field. Others expected to miss time include Atlanta TE Matt Schobel (2-4 weeks, hamstring), New Orleans LB Calvin Pace (1-2 weeks, elbow), Portland guard Marcus McFadden (1-2 weeks, hip), Bulls’ wideout Andre Caldwell (1-2 weeks, knee), and Bandits WR Roscoe Parrish (Doubtful with a foot injury). Dallas prepares for first USFL Game in Week Two As we gear up for Week 2 in the USFL, a delayed Week 2, the city of Dallas and the Cotton Bowl gears up for its first ever weekend of USFL action. The venerable Dallas stadium has not hosted a professional football stadium since Texas Stadium was completed in 1971. It has, of course, been host to the eponymous bowl game as well as playing host to the Southern Methodist Mustangs for many years, but next Saturday’s game between the LA Express and the Texas Outlaws will be the first in the stadium since the Cowboys left almost 40 years ago. The stadium and the city seem ready, with more than 48,000 tickets sold to this game. Fans who had bought tickets to the originally planned season opener, a Week 1 Saturday clash with Washington were given new tickets for this revised season opener, which, when combined with the 17,000 season tickets sold and those who had already bought tickets for their game with the Express creates a nice opening weekend crowd. Expect to see some celebrities on hand as well as the Outlaws are making a spectacle of their game in Dallas. In addition to the usual Outlaw faithful, you can expect to see recognizable faces such as those of singer Willie Nelson, actor Woody Harrelson, American Idol star Kelly Clarkson, Mavericks’ owner Mark Cuban, and, of course, star of the show “Dallas”, J. R. Ewing himself, actor Larry Hagman. It should be quite an event. The Outlaws have even hired locally-based performing artists Addison Road to perform at halftime. Should be an event this Saturday, and the game will be one of the nationwide broadcasts this weekend, on Fox at 4pm Eastern. Fallout of Lockout Pointed Squarely at Commissioner Only 18 months into his tenure as the Commissioner of the USFL, Don Garber is coming under heat from several owners, unhappy with his handling of the CBA negotiations as well as the lockout which resulted from the delay in reaching an agreement. Not only has the new CBA been deemed a win for the union, but the lengthy process and the subsequent winter lockout forced the league to cancel 2 preseason games as well as two regular season matchups, cutting into league revenue and forcing renegotiation of the various TV and sponsorship contracts in place, and all during one of the worst recessions in U. S. history. A letter signed by 9 of the league’s owner, and spearheaded by Michigan owner A. Alfred Taubman, lays the responsibility for both the union-friendly contract and the lost revenue from the lockout squarely on Garber’s head. Taubman and his 8 associates call for Garber to resign, and while that is unlikely, there is very much a possibility that in the Summer league meetings, the group of disgruntled owners could force a vote of no confidence, which could relieve the embattled commissioner of his duties. Taubman will need to garner 16 votes of the 28 owners to meet the no confidence threshold, but with 9 owners already signing on to this initial salvo against Garber, it is very possible that he could find 7 more who, feeling the pinch of the recession, the anger of fans, and the very real possibility of significantly reduced revenue in the current season, might sign on for Taubman’s movement to oust Garber from the position. Week Two is the exact opposite of our opening week, with all 28 USFL clubs playing outside their division. That does not mean we won’t have any good matchups, as teams try to define their trajectories early. National broadcasts are in bold. If there were any divisional games, they would be in blue, but there are none on the schedule in Week 2. FRIDAY @ 8pm Seattle (0-1) @ Ohio (1-0) NBC SATURDAY @ 12pm Jacksonville (0-1) @ Baltimore (1-0) ABC SATURDAY @ 12pm Orlando (1-0) @ Boston (1-0) FOX SATURDAY @ 12pm Tampa Bay (1-0) @ New Jersey (0-1) FOX SATURDAY @ 4pm Denver (1-0) @ St. Louis (0-1) ABC SATURDAY @ 4pm Los Angeles (0-1) @ Texas (0-1) FOX SATURDAY @ 8pm Memphis (0-1) @ Washington (1-0) ESPN SUNDAY @ 12pm Atlanta (0-1) @ Nashville (1-0) ABC SUNDAY @ 12pm Charlotte (1-0) @ New Orleans (1-0) ABC SUNDAY @ 12pm Birmingham (0-1) @ Philadelphia (1-0) FOX SUNDAY @ 4pm Oakland (1-0) @ Chicago (0-1) ABC SUNDAY @ 4pm Portland (0-1) @ Michigan (1-0) FOX SUNDAY @ 4pm Arizona (1-0) @ Pittsburgh (0-1) FOX SUNDAY @ 8pm Las Vegas (1-0) @ Houston (0-1) ESPN