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Another big week of divisional matchups from coast to coast. We had the Blitz and Stars in a dogfight in the Northeast, Jacksonville and Tampa fighting for first in the Southeast, Chicago on the road in Michigan in a Central Division clash, Seattle taking on Las Vegas in a battle of 1st place teams in the Pacific, Denver headed to Houston in the Southwest, and the Battle of Tennessee between the Showboats and Knights in the South. No division without drama, and few games without some as well. Hard to pick a game of the week, but the sheer ferocity of the game between the Blitz and the Stars made it our winner for the GOTW honors. BALTIMORE 24 PHILADELPHIA 19 A game neither team could afford to lose as the Blitz and Stars are watching their early season hopes of a playoff run beginning to fade. Baltimore came into this one a disappointing 2-5, while Philadelphia was not much better at 3-3-1. The Stars were hoping the win would solidify them above .500, while the Blitz needed a W just to keep any slim hopes of a late run alive. In other words, two junkyard dogs fighting over the same bone. Both teams would try to establish the run early, and both would have some success. With Ron Dayne getting some relief as Correll Buckhalter had his highest carry count of the season, while Ahman Green carried the ball 23 times of Philly’s 30 total carries. The early success of both attacks would allow Ben Roethlisberger and Kurt Warner to find success with play action, a game plan both teams like to employ. After a scoreless first quarter, Philadelphia opened the scoring in the second with a 40-yard Mike Nugent field goal. After a timely 3-and-out by the Stars’ defense, they would double their advantage with a second Nugent kick. But Baltimore was beginning to find their way, and on their next drive Kurt Warner connected with TE Daniel Graham on a nice 20-yard play, followed by a 13-yarder to their other TE, Antonio Gates, and very soon Buckhalter was diving over the pile to score the first points for the Blitz. Just over three minutes to play in the half and the Blitz held a narrow 1-point lead. Philadelphia would respond in their 2-minute drill, moving the ball well and with good use of their timeouts, allowing them 3 shots at the end zone before they would have to kick a field goal. It took all three, but on 3rd and goal, Warner hit Steve Smith and the Stars went into the break up 13-7. Baltimore would close the gap on their first drive of the 3rd quarter, adding a field goal to make it a 3-point deficit. But by the end of the third, Philly had added two more Nugent kicks and had what appeared to be a solid 19-10 lead. “Appeared” being the operative word here. Getting the ball back with just over 5 minutes to play, Baltimore again found a bit of offensive rhythm, and in 8 plays they had moved the ball from their own 20 down to the Philadelphia 1-yard line. One more over-the-top plunge from Buckhalter and it was a 2-point game at 19-17. Baltimore would opt to kick the ball away with 3:04 left to play and all 3 timeouts. They would need a stop to get the ball back. They were helped on first down when Coach Harbaugh tried to outsmart the Blitz D. Calling a play-action pass, Harbaugh hoped to catch Coach Coughlin’s team napping, but the defense came up with solid coverage and the ball fell to the ground, stopping the clock with only 3 seconds gone. Baltimore would stuff Green on the 2nd down run, forcing Philadelphia to throw again on 3rd and 10. Once again the ball did not find its target and Baltimore had their 3-and-out with only 29 seconds off the clock. The Blitz got the ball on their own 32 after the punt, and went to work. Big Ben connected with Darnerian McCants on first down for 11, then found Gates for 9 more, followed by a draw to Dayne for 5 and a time out. They would follow that first set of plays with 4 more passes and with just over 30 seconds to play, they were at the 3 yard line and it was Philadelphia panicking to use timeouts to preserve any time. Now, we may never know for certain, but Philly’s defense on 1st and goal from the three seemed very nonchalant. Did they let Ron Dayne score so that they could get the ball back with some time left, or was it just a well-blocked play. Coach Harbaugh insisted he did not tell the defenders to let Dayne into the end zone, but on the field it looked a bit suspicious. If it was Harbaugh’s plan, it was not a good one. Baltimore went up by 5 with only 30 seconds left, and the Stars would need to go 75 yards downfield with only 1 time out left. Short story, they couldn’t, Baltimore took the W, and the fans in Philly would spend the evening questioning everything on local sports radio. JACKSONVILLE 26 TAMPA BAY 10 The Bulls improve to 5-3 and take over 1st place by knocking Tampa Bay off in their own stadium. The Bulls’ D limited the Bandits to only 208 total yards and 1 TD, while Jake Delhomme connected with Jeb Putzier and Rashaun Woods to turn a 10-9 halftime deficit into a 16-point win. Both Woods and Boldin went over 125 yards receiving in a big day for the Bulls as they seek to unseat Tampa Bay as the division’s and the state’s best team. CHICAGO 28 MICHIGAN 36 A bad season for Chicago got even worse as not only did their defense again give up over 30 points, but star DE Anthony Weaver is out for the year after injuring his hip and being taken off the field on the cart. With Weaver out, the Machine gave up 380 yards of offense, including 100 yards on the ground to Ladell Betts. Michigan got 4 TD passes from Drew Brees as well as the rebuilt Chicago secondary simply melted under the Panther onslaught. Chicago drops to 2-6, below St. Louis in the standings. SEATTLE 19 LAS VEGAS 13 The Dragons knocked Steve McNair out of the game and picked off backup Henry Burris to take over 1st place in the Pacific. Byron Leftwich also left early with a concussion, but the Dragons held on and used a late defensive stand to secure the road win and move to 6-2. DENVER 21 HOUSTON 24 A good game between two teams that know each other well. Matt Leinart connected on 2 TD passes, but Matt Hasselbeck did him one better, hitting Roy Williams for a 3rd TD pass late in the 4th to build up a 24-14 lead. Houston would give up a late TD, but it was too little for Denver to come back. Antonio Freeman had a huge game, catching 7 balls for 142 and a score as Houston secured a share of 1st place with the Wranglers. ARIZONA 21 TEXAS 19 Arizona joins Houston at 5-3 after a tough road win against a plucky Texas defense. Jake Plummer was sacked 4 times, but the Wrangler run game had a good day, with the combo of Pritchett and Staley combining for 154 yards. For Texas, both Ike Hilliard and rookie Marques Colston gained over 100 yards receiving, but two Dilfer picks hurt the Outlaws’ upset bid. NASHVILLE 33 MEMPHIS 27 Jon Kitna’s first start as a Showboat was pretty solid: 18 of 24 for 249 and a TD, but it was not enough as Frank Gore just ate up the Memphis defense, rushing for 146 and a score. Backup Leon Johnson added another score, and Bert Emmanuel scored twice as Nashville moved up to 4-4 after a rough start to the year. Memphis drops to 2-6 in what is appearing to be a lost season. PITTSBURGH 13 ST. LOUIS 17 Speaking of lost seasons, Pittsburgh falls to expansion St. Louis for a second time as both teams, surprised us by swapping their QB’s at gametime. Coach Shell gave Luke McCown a chance to impress him, and he may have done that with 263 yards and 2 TD tosses, though he was sacked 9 times in a rude welcome to the game. Meanwhile, Coach Rivera benched Charlie Batch and started raw rookie Bruce Gradkowski. He looked like a rookie, completing only 15 of 35 throws for 114 yards. Kyle Vanden Bosch was the lone bright spot for Pittsburgh, landing 3 sacks of McNown as St. Louis’s O-line struggled to contain him. OHIO 33 WASHINGTON 11 Washington continues to struggle as they give up 434 yards of offense against the 7-1 Glory, including 115 yards receiving for Eddie George and another 103 to Joey Galloway. Kordell Stewart also struggled, throwing 2 picks as the play action game was simply not an option once Ohio went up 26-8 by halftime. ATLANTA 13 BIRMINGHAM 10 In one of the weirdest games we have seen in a long time, neither offense scored a TD in this one, but Atlanta got a safety and a blocked punt, returned for a score by LB Na’il Diggs, while Birmingham’s lone 7-pointer came from a Mike Rucker Sack-fumble-TD. Both offenses were horrendous, but Atlanta managed to do enough to edge the Stallions and send both teams to 4-4 on the season, a great feat for the Fire, but disappointing for the 1st place Stallions. OAKLAND 27 BOSTON 38 Oakland was game or 3 quarters, down only 21-20, but in the 4th Drew Bledsoe connected with both Jerricho Cotchery and Chad Ochocinco (a 90 yarder) to build up a 15-point lead that the Invaders could not match. Tiki Barber’s 101 yards just barely edged Ricky Williams’s 91, in a good game for both backs, but Bledsoe’s 4 TDs helped the homestanding Cannons move to 6-2 and keep even with division-leading New Jersey. NEW JERSEY 29 LOS ANGELES 16 The Generals flew to the West Coast and methodically outplayed the homestanding Express to earn their 6th win. Curtis Enis rushed for 113 yards, and James Jackson added another 93 as the Generals were happy to dominate the clock and the game on the ground. They finished with a 38-22 advantage in time of possession and a 13-point win. ORLANDO 7 NEW ORLEANS 22 The Breakers continue to be the feel-good story of the season, moving to 5-3 and sitting atop the Central Division by winning their first “home” game in Portland. More than 41,000 showed up to root for the Breakers, though there was a noticeable mix of Thunder and new Stag swag in the stands. Eli Manning went 17 of 25 and connected with Cedric Tillman for a score, while David Green added 5 field goals as New Orleans had trouble against Orlando’s red zone D, but not as much as Orlando had trying to get any points on the board. Both the Skyhawks and Maulers Bench QB’s Ahead of Divisional Clash A weird situation in St. Louis as both teams were expected to start their regular starters, Charlie Batch for Pittsburgh, and Quincy Carter for St. Louis, but when the offenses took the field there were new players under center. The Maulers started untested rookie Brad Gradkowski, who started off missing his first 3 passes in a quick opening drive. When St. Louis came out onto the field, it was Luke McCown who started rather than Carter. As rough as Gradkowski’s start was, it was better than McCown’s, as the young QB threw a pick-six on his 2nd throw of the game, giving Pittsburgh an early 7-0 lead. McCown would settle down and finished the game with better numbers than Gradkowski (20 of 32 for263 and 2 scores). Gradkowski certainly struggled, completing only 15 of 35 on the day, and thowing a pick himself, though not a pick six. When asked after the game why we did not see Carter or Batch, both coaches basically said the same cliches about the teams needing a spark and making a change at QB was the way to see if they could get one. Based on the performance of both Gradkowski and McCown, we are not sure if the spark was there, or if both will return to the starting lineup next week. Starting out the year a horrendous 0-8, Pittsburgh may be on the cusp of a fire sale to rebuild their entire roster, and that could include seeking a new QB. St. Louis is still in the process of building a roster, and while 2 wins, both against the hapless Maulers, is a nice start, they will need to do more to secure better QB play in the future. Chicago Woes Continue, Weaver Done For the Season To say that 2006 has not panned out the way Chicago and their fans had hoped would be an understatement. The defense appears to be a shadow of the dominant squad that propelled the Machine to Summer Bowl 2005. The retirements and free agent defections from the secondary have been very apparent, and the dominant LB corps has simply been unable to compensate. Mired at 2-6 and now sitting in 4th place, behind expansion St. Louis due to a tiebreaker, Chicago had to be wondering if this was a lost season. Now, with one of their best defenders, DE Anthony Weaver diagnosed with a broken hip, and lost for the entire season, the calls for Chicago to focus on the future will be even stronger. So, what should they be looking to do over the next 6 weeks? 1. They should try to enhance their offensive production. Defense cannot do it all, so perhaps the rest of this year should be used to improve the 17th ranked scoring offense. What exactly that means is up for debate, but one idea may be to give young QB Kyle Orton some game time to see if he is ready to perhaps replace Jeff George next year. 2. Make deals to bring in some secondary help. Assuming Weaver can be back at 100% for the 2007 season, the impetus has to be on improving the secondary. CB’s Marlin Jackson and Kelvin Hayden are just not getting the job done, and finding an impact safety should also be a top goal for the Machine. 3. Build on youth. Chicago has some good talent under 30 (TE Fasano, HB Turner, WR Lloyd, WR Driver, LB Polley, and LB Urlacher) but they also have some younger talent who just are not seeing time on the field. In addition to Kyle Orton, it would be beneficial to see just what players like Maurice Clarett, Andre Gurode, John Henderson, and Jimmy Williams can do. New Orleans Wins Big in Portland Yes, the win over the Renegades was important for the Breaker’s season, but the bigger win may have been off the field, where the reception by Portland has proven two things: That the nation is behind the Breakers and the city of New Orleans, and that Portland is more than ready to have USFL football back in the Rose City. More than 41,000 attended the game, and, as we reported earlier, we saw a wide range of Thunder, Stag, and yes, some Breaker gear sported by fans. The crowd was decidedly pro-Breaker, which is exactly what the club needs in their home for the rest of the season. The atmosphere was great, with a buy in from Portland fans that far exceeded expectations. All of this is good news for the Breakers and the league, as, after 1 game, it seems that the right decision was made to uproot the Breakers from the Gulf Coast and transplant them to the Pacific Northwest for the majority of the season. Portland will have the Breakers in town the next two weeks, to face the Showboats and Bulls, and then one last huge game against Ohio in Week 12. Then will come the long gap between this season and the first Portland Stags game in 2008, let’s hope that time does not water down the enthusiasm of this city and their football-loving fans. Is Rivera Headed for One and Done? That is the question in Pittsburgh. Ron Rivera was brought in from Chicago to build a top tier defense. And while it is clear that his absence from the Machine has been part of the reason for their precipitous decline, his presence in the Steel City has not led to an equally rapid rise. The Maulers have yet to win a game, and times are getting desperate. Rivera’s defense has been respectable in some senses, 5th in the league in yards allowed, including a pass defense allowing fewer than 200 yards per game and a run defense in the top 12, but they are 20th in scoring defense, in part due to a lot of short fields caused by an inept offensive production. Rivera has started making deals, trading away 2nd year WR Mike Williams to bring in another pass rusher, and benching Charlie Batch this week to see what Brad Gradkowski could offer. Neither seem like moves that will improve the situation this year, so the question is whether or not Rivera could survive a 0-win, or even a 1- or 2-win season to get a second year to build something. Pittsburgh ownership has been patient in the past, but it would be a major embarrassment to go winless this year. Having already fallen to the expansion Skyhawks twice has been bad enough for the Maulers, but to go 0-14 would be downright ugly. Pittsburgh has potentially winnable games in Week 10 (against Rivera’s old team, Chicago), and Week 14 (Washington, also on a steep decline), but is not likely to be favored in either home game, and every other game is against a likely playoff team. A winless year could be on the horizon, so what can Rivera do to ensure he gets a year 2 and a chance to build the roster he wants? We just don’t know. Is Atlanta Really a Contender in Year One? Fans in the Capital of the South are beginning to believe the answer is yes. Those around the league are not quite so fast to buy into the hype just yet. Yes, a 4-4 record at this point is quite an accomplishment for Coach Gruden and the Fire front office, and wins over Birmingham, Jacksonville, and Boston show that the Fire are not just getting lucky with a weak schedule. But here is the thing. They still have the 25th rated scoring offense, averaging only 15.8 points per game. They have not had a consistent passing game (172 yards per game), and their defense, while very good in yards allowed (2nd in the league) is not enough to assume they will be in the mix at season’s end. Four wins in eight tries is an amazing feat for an expansion club, and even an 8-8 record by July would be a major coup for an organization that replaces the earlier Fire club which almost always ended the year with 10 or more losses, but contender may just be a step too far. The Anthony Weaver injury was certainly the headliner this week, another bad break for a team on the ropes, but his hip fracture was hardly the only major concern for the week. In Denver, another DE is out for the year as Ryan Denney’s issues have been revealed as a neck injury, including a bone chip that will have to be surgically removed. Denver will also be without backup HB Ahmaad Galloway, though the recent trade for Mewelde Moore helps soften that blow. Birmingham DT Ryan Sims’s groin issue is worse than originally thought and could require some ligament reattachment, keeping him out at least 6 weeks, while Boston’s promising young DE, Jason Babin, could miss as much as a month with a fracture in his jaw. Others who will miss this week, and possibly at least one more, include Seattle WR David Boston and DE John Abraham. Jacksonville WR Javon Walker, Michigan safety Jim Leonhard, Philly guard Ruben Brown, Thunder DE Hugh Douglas, and Seattle QB Byron Leftwich, suffering from a pulled hamstring. 10 Greatest Season Performances in USFL History We have been spending some time in our bullpen looking back and trying to decide which teams, which players, had seasons that stand the test of time. It is not hard to put together a pretty good list of outstanding performances, but ranking them is just fodder for unending debates. We did our best, and in the end we came up with our Top 10 for the best single seasons for either an individual or a team in the 24 years of USFL football (Yes, 2007 will mark the 25th season of the league, hard to imagine.) Here is our ranking. Feel free to debate this as well. 10) 2005: Frank Gore Wins Rushing Title as a Rookie Other than the first season of the USFL, when technically everyone was a rookie, it is hard to find a season where a rookie took one of the main statistical categories by storm. It was not easy, as Gore jumped around the top 5 rushers all season long, but in the end, the newest Nashville Knight pulled it out, leading the league with 1,286 yards when all was said and done. The team that had made Ahman Green a 3-time rushing leader found an instant replacement when Green left for Philadelphia, and the combination of a strong run-based gameplan and an O-line that loves to run block helped the U. of Miami rookie have himself a very memorable Rookie of the Year season. 9) 1990: Tim Mazzetti Sets Scoring Mark for the Ages Yes, a kicker makes this list. And of course it is the first (and only) kicker to be selected as a USFL Hall of Famer, the kicking bartender himself, Tim Mazzetti. In 1990 Mazzetti would set a record for total points that is the kicking equivalent of Bob Beaman setting the world record in the long jump by more than 2 feet. Mazzetti would connect on 38 of 38 extra points and 48 of 53 field goal attempts to finish the year with 182 total points. That is a nice number, but it really stands out when you realize that the 2nd highest total ever was only 159 (Norwood, 1989). Mazzetti, who would be the leading scorer in the USFL a whopping 5 times in 10 years had his best year in 1990, and one of the most prolific scoring years in pro football history. 8) 1991: Phil Hansen’s Ridiculous Rookie Year We said earlier that it is very rare for a rookie to make a huge statistical (or game impact) splash in his first year. In part this is due to typical rookie growing pains, but in the USFL it is also due to the physical toll most players have when they transfer directly from a fall NCAA or NFL season to the spring USFL season, often with fewer than 2 months of rest between the two. That did not seem to affect North Dakota grad and New Jersey General rookie DE Phil Hansen as he declared his presence in the spring league with authority. We all know Hansen now as one of the great sack masters in pro football history, but in the spring of 1991 he was a modest kid from the Midwest just happy to be a pro football player. He earned the start in Week 1 of the season, and never looked back, terrorizing shocked opponents with his power and swim move, earning 23 sacks as a rookie, a league record at the time, and what we now know was just a first act in a long and now legendary career. 2004: Tampa Bay’s 8-Game Swing (from 4-10 to 12-2 in 1 season) We are used to teams making significant improvements year to year, and, of course, others collapsing from one season to the next, but we have never seen a jump like the one the Tampa Bay Bandits pulled off between their 2003 season and the 2004 campaign. 2003’s squad was utterly forgettable. Finishing the year at 4-10, the Bandits struggled on both sides of the ball, a season of miscues and mismatches that led to the dismissal of former 49er George Seifert. What followed was a stunning offseason, one that not only saw the return of “The Ole’ Ball Coach”, Steve Spurrier, but the late signing of former NFL All-Pro QB Daunte Culpepper. The revitalized and reimagined Bandits would go on to mount a 12-2 campaign in 2004, blowing away all preseason predictions and returning the spirit of Bandit Ball that Spurrier had brought to Tampa Bay way back in 1983. It was a magical season, that ended one game short for Bandit fans, as the Bandits fell to New Jersey in the Eastern Conference Championship, but an 8-game swing, from 4-10 to 12-2 is a feat absolutely worth celebrating. 1992: Brett Favre’s Dynamite Debut While not a rookie, Brett Favre in his second season in the league had a coming out party like few others. After a rookie season in which he sat behind Cliff Stoudt and threw only 5 pass attempts in mop up duty, Favre was handed the starting position for the 1992 season, and exploded onto the consciousness of the pro football world. In his first season starting in Birmingham Favre would throw for 5,169 yards and 47 touchdowns. Averaging over 320 yards per game, and helping the Stallions to a 10-6 season, Favre was electric. Birmingham would fall to Tampa Bay in the Wild Card round, but Favre-mania was in full effect in the deep south, a craze that would come to its height the next season when Favre and the Stallions ran up a 14-2 record and took home the franchise’s first (and only) league title. Favre would go on to throw for 58,663 yards and 498 TDs in the USFL before signing with the NFL Jets, and while he had many amazing seasons, that first year will always be remembered as the moment he took the world by storm. 1999: Chris Dishman’s Sack Record After years being considered the 2nd or 3rd best end in the league, behind Reggie White and Phil Hansen, Chris Doleman won the sack title in 1998, just edging Hansen with a league record 25 sacks. The next year, in 1999 he would blow his own record away, landing 29 sacks in 16 games, a mark yet to be broken. Doleman would retire in 2002, but not before winning a title with Orlando in 2001 and not before racking up 198 career sacks. But, despite reaching 20 sacks 4 times in his long and illustrious career, his 29 sacks in 1999 remain the high water mark that every defensive end and blitzing linebacker sees as the unachievable goal. 1998: Troy Aikman’s Monster Year The USFL has always been a QB-driven league, from the early days of Reaves, Fusina and Kelly, to today’s game of Collins, Bledsoe, and Culpepper, but no quarterback has ever had a more profoundly awe-inspiring season than Troy Aikman in 1998. Not only did Aikman lead the Bandits to their first league title since 1983, but he did it with numbers that simply defied explanation. In the 1998 seaosn, Aikman threw for 5,675 yards and 54 touchdowns, shattering the previous records of 5,417 (Kelly 1996) and Favre (48, 1997). In what was an incredible year for passers, with Brett Favre and Ryan Leaf both going over 5,000 yards, Aikman was at the top of his game and at the top of league recordbooks, where he still remains. 1983: Herschel Walker’s Debut Season The 1983 season was an experiment, and the mad scientists of the USFL found their magic elixir in Herschel Walker. Not only was the signing of the nation’s best college footballer a headline grabber and a seat-filler, it was a sign that the USFL would not be content to serve as a feeder league to the NFL, but would go after top talent wherever it could find it. Walker came to the Generals after only 2 seasons at Georgia, in what was a very controversial signing. His contract blew the original league plan of 1.3 million per team for salaries out of the water, but what it also did was provide instant attention to the league, eyeballs on screens and butts in seats. The unparalleled star of the 1983 season, before other teams started to add big name rookies and NFL signings, Walker had the weight of the entire league on his shoulders. What did he do with that? Nothing less than set a rushing standard that has stood to this day. Walker rushed for 1,767 in his first season, a mark neither he nor any other USFL back has been able to match in nearly 25 years. In doing so, he helped put the USFL on the map as a serious league with serious talent. It is safe to say that without Walker’s huge rookie year, the league may not be anything like we see today. 1986: Eric Truvillion’s Brush with 2,000 Yards No shock that Eric Truvillion is on our list. The Bandit speedster has the top 3 passing yardage totals in league history, and still holds the record for receiving TDs with 25 in a single season. It is debatable whether his best year was his 25-TD 1985 season or a year later when he set the yardage record. In 1985 he had 1944 yards, a stunning total in a 16-game season, but a year later he would top it, coming as close as anyone ever has to a 2,000-yard receiving season, gaining 1,959 yards with the Bandits. The fact that Truvillion retired with three 1,900-yard seasons, when no other player has ever reached that number, is truly astonishing. We probably should not highlight only one year, but 1986 was the record-setter, so we pick that one as the high water mark. 2002: Ohio’s Undefeated Season Football is a team sport, so it should be no shock that the top honor goes to a team achievement, and what achievement could be more worthy of the top spot than the league’s only perfect season. The 2002 Ohio Glory obliterated their opposition on their way to a 14-0 regular season, then knocked off Chicago and New Jersey before blowing out the Memphis showboats in Summer Bowl 2002. The 38-14 score still the record for the largest margin of victory ever in a USFL title game. Ohio was simply dominant in 2002. In that magical season Kerry Collins won the QB trifecta (in addition to MVP and League Champ), leading the league in passing yards (4,361), touchdowns (39) and QB Rating (136.6). Eddie George finished third in the league with 1,155 yards, but also caught 34 balls for 878 yards, giving him a stunning 2,033 all purpose yards. Joey Galloway led all receivers with 1,393 yards and scored 13 touchdowns. The Glory would score 455 points as a team that year, but give up only 297, a difference of 158 points, one of the biggest margins for a season in USFL history. But, of course, more importantly, they went through the entire season without a single defeat or tie. Sixteen games, sixteen wins. Only the 1972 Dolphins can equal that with their own unbeaten season. We look ahead to Week 9 and the matchups that could kick off the playoff push over the final weeks of the season. As we have seen each week this year, the new offset schedule that combines divisional games with interdivisional and interconference play each week has assured us that each and every week we have some rivalry games and some games with immediate impact on the standings. That is certainly the case in Week 9 as well. We start with a clash in the Northeast, where the Philadelphia Stars hope to regain .500 with a win, but host a tough Boston Cannons squad in a divisional matchup. Just up the turnpike in East Rutherford, the Generals, sitting at 6-2, hope that the Federals (2-6) continue to struggle as a divisional win certainly helps New Jersey’s case. In the Southeast we have an intriguing matchup, and a real test for the Atlanta Fire, as they host first place Tampa Bay. Some of the other divisional games this week appear to be a bit more lopsided as 7-1 Ohio is expected to simply demolish 0-8 Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh. In what may be a more even matchup than Machine fans would like to admit, the 2-6 Skyhawks come up from St. Louis to face the Machine, who are also 2-6. In the South, Memphis will start Jon Kitna against the Breakers in the 2nd week of Portland football this year. And back in the Southeast, Jacksonville is at home, a game behind Tampa Bay, and facing rival Orlando. Some fun matchups across divisions as well, with Oakland headed to Glendale to face the Wranglers in what could be the first Wrangler game this year with the roof closed on their newfangled retractable roof stadium. Houston has an intriguing matchup against Las Vegas in the desert, and Birmingham is up in Michigan, hoping they can pull out a win and regain the Southern Division lead. Another 4-4 team, Nashville, is in LA to face the 5-3 Express, while Denver, also sitting at 4-4, is at 6-2 Seattle, a tough matchup if they want to get over the hump. Finally we have Texas at Baltimore, a game between two teams still trying to find the winning formula in tough divisions.

Midseason and we have some expected stories and some that haves surprised. Ohio, sitting at 6-1 atop the Western Conference is not a shocker to most, and the same can be said for Tampa Bay, with a 1 game lead in the Southeast. Houston leads the Southwest, but will have a race on their hands. While most folks thought LA needed more time to gel, their quick 5-2 start has been a very pleasant surprise, while Birmingham is the surprise division leader at the midway point. In a season that saw tragedy that all but shattered the Memphis Showboats’ season, and new hope with Atlanta winning a surprising 3 of 7 games in their first season, there is a lot happening, but a lot still to be decided as we enter the second half of the 2006 USFL Season. MEMPHIS 34 BIRMINGHAM 27 Talk about surprises, none more so than Memphis rising up on the road to knock off their arch rival Birmingham at Legion Field . The Showboats came in losers of 5 straight, while Birmingham sat atop the Southern Division at 4-2, with a defense that had not allowed anyone more than 20 points all year. Memphis, in the weeks following Shuler’s postgame car accident, had not scored 20 all season, but somehow this week, with newly arrived QB Jon Kitna still on the sideline, Ken Dorsey and the Memphis offense came alive and shocked the Stallions. It did not take long for most Stallion fans to get a queasy feeling about this game. Memphis took the opening kickoff, and in pretty quick order marched down the field and got the ball into the end zone, starting off the scoring with a Cadillac Williams goal line run to go up 7-0. Birmingham responded with a field goal, but after 1 quarter it was still Memphis with a lead, and driving again. They would open the 2nd quarter with a second score, a 9-yard pass from Dorsey to Robert Ferguson that gave them an 11-point lead. After a defensive stand and a short drive, Memphis would turn that into a 14-point advantage with Jeff Hall field goal. Birmingham again tried to respond, but again had to settle for 3, going into the half trailing 17-6 to a team that had rarely scored 17 points in entire games since Week 2. Memphis got to 20 points on their first drive of the 2nd half, as the combination of Williams and Maurice Smith found enough holes in the Stallion D to get the ball into Jeff Hall’s range again. Down 20-6, Birmingham had to start throwing the ball, and that started out about as badly as it could. Jason Campbell’s 2nd pass of the next drive was picked of by Wendell Davis and returned 48 yards to put Memphis up by 21 points. It seemed Birmingham was simply not on task today. But Birmingham was not ready to roll over either. They got serious as the 3rd quarter ended, mounting their first TD drive of the day, a 65-yard drive that was capped off by Shaun Alexander’s 2-yard TD run. The third quarter ended with the score Memphis 27-Birmingham 13. After the defense of the Stallions got a stop on Memphis’s next possession, Campbell finally hit on the big play that had been escaping him all day. He faked the ball to Marion Barber, looked deep, and found James Thrash in man coverage. Campbell arced the ball to Thrash, who had a step on the corner, caught it in stride and lunged for the endzone. Birmingham was now down by only 7, the score 27-20 Memphis. The sudden 14-point gain by the Stallions seems to have put some urgency in Memphis’s offense, which had hoped to simply run out the clock, but now felt it needed more points. They started pressing, and got a bit reckless in trying to move the ball. Dorsey looked to connect with Robert Ferguson, but instead put the ball into the hands of Birmingham CB James Thrash. Just as Davis had done in the 2nd quarter, Thrash wove his way down the field an in for 6. With 3:42 left in the game, the Stallions had come all the way back to tie the game. Memphis could not let this game slip away. Their offense returned to the field with urgency, but also with an understanding that it was more important to hold the ball than to score. Giving Birmingham back the ball with time left could spell disaster. The Showboats used Williams, Smith, and 3rd down back Lionel Gates on a series of draws, screens and counter plays to slowly gain ground. Dorsey would throw only 2 passes on the final drive, both under 8 yards in length. By the time the 2-minute warning stopped the clock, Memphis was just outside the Birmingham red zone, and clearly within range for Jeff Hall. Birmingham would need a stop, but when Mike Rucker got a bit impatient and was called for encroachment on 3rd and 4, it gave Memphis a first down inside the Birmingham 15. From their, the Showboats powered their way to the 2, and on first and goal with just under 1 minute left, Cadillac Williams recorded his second TD of the day, and Memphis had picked up their 2nd win of the season. It was a gutsy performance by the Showboats, and QB Ken Dorsey, who finished 22 of 30, and while most still expect Memphis coach Jim Mora to go with Jon Kitna starting next week, it showed that Memphis was not dead in the water. For Birmingham, their worst defensive showing of the year has to be a concern. Had this happened against Ohio or Tampa Bay, it might be understandable, but this is a game they could and should have won, at home, against a weakened and disheartened team. This loss in the Showboat-Stallion rivalry would certainly sting for some time to come. OAKLAND 39 SEATTLE 24 Another divisional matchup and another surprising Week 7 result as Oakland came into Seattle and knocked off the 5-1 Dragons in impressive fashion. Seattle’s run defense was out of sorts all game, leading Ricky Williams to a 155-yard day, with 2 TD’s to boot. Justin Fargas also contributed 41 more and a score of his own as Oakland outlasted and outran Seattle despite 171 yards from Corey Dillon. OHIO 49 CHICAGO 20 If this game was any indication, Chicago’s hopes of surpassing the Glory as the power of the Central Division seem pipe dreams. The Machine defense seems to have lost its integrity, as Kerry Collins passes for 340 yards and 4 TDs, all 4 to Joey Galloway, and the combo of Eddie George and Musa Smith account for 161 rushing yards in a romp for the Glory at Soldier Field. HOUSTON 24 TEXAS 17 Tim Dwight made his debut for the Outlaws, and looked comfortable, catching 6 balls for 56 yards, but it was not enough of a boost as Houston got 111 from Antonio Freeman, and rookie Vernon Davis scored his first USFL touchdown. A 14-14 game after three, Houston’s final TD, a 4-yarder from Hasselbeck to Drew Bennett, sealed the deal for the visitors in this Texas Showdown. MICHIGAN 20 ST. LOUIS 10 The Panthers avoided the trap game and did what they needed to do in St. Louis to get the W. Drew Brees threw for 256 yards and 2 scores and the defense held the Skyhawks to only 4 of 12 on third down and only 29 total yards rushing to secure the W and move to 4-3 on the year. NEW JERSEY 23 WASHINGTON 20 The Generals held a 20-9 lead, but let Washington get back in and tie it up before a final drive provided Ryan Longwell with a chance to win the game. His 38-yarder as time ran out deflated the Federals’ crowd, and helped push New Jersey to 5-2 on the year. Washington’s newest acquisition, WR Mike Williams, caught 4 balls for 31 yards but was injured in the 2nd half and could miss the rest of the year as the Feds drop to a disappointing 2-5. ATLANTA 13 ORLANDO 37 The Fire were hoping to finish the first half over .500 but ran into a frustrated, but focused Orlando Renegades squad. Jeff Blake threw for 2 scores and Sedrick Irvin ran for 106 yards and 2 more touchdowns as Orlando took out a lot of frustration on the expansion Fire. Rookie Brandon Marshall had his best day as a pro, catching 4 for 55 and a TD in the rout. LOS ANGELES 9 ARIZONA 21 The Wrangler won their third in a row to go into the 2nd half at 4-3 and in the hunt in the Southwestern Division. They frustrated Cade McNown all day, with the erratic QB completing only 39% of his passes (16 of 41). Meanwhile, Jake Plummer had a more conservative 11 of 20 day, with 2 TDs. Santana Moss was his favorite target, catching 4 for 122, including a beautiful 55-yard fly pattern for a score. PHILADELPHIA 26 TAMPA BAY 34 It was 17-14 at the half, but Tampa Bay put two quick touchdowns on the board in the 3rd and the Stars could not recover, losing by 8. Daunte Culpepper threw for 293, 133 of those to Moss, who also caught two of Culpepper’s 3 TD passes as Tampa Bay finished the first half at 5-2 and atop the Southeast. Philly sits at .500 with a 3-3-1 record. PITTSBURGH 21 DENVER 40 The Maulers hung tough for 3 quarters, down only 23-21 after three, but Denver scored 20 unanswered points in the final period to put this one away. A pick-6 from Denver’s Barrett Rudd broke the back of the Maulers, who slide to a horrific 0-7 first half. Denver is back to 4-3 and part of a three-way tie for first in the Southwest at the midway point. LAS VEGAS 20 NASHVILLE 17 The Thunder remain the surprise success story of the season’s first half, moving to 5-2 with a win in Nashville. Down 17-7, the Thunder rallied to score 13 in the final 17 minutes of action, including a Mike Vanderjagt field goal to win it in regulation. Steve McNair threw for 155 and two scores and the defense picked off Todd Collins twice to help the Thunder into a share of first in the Pacific. BOSTON 38 JACKSONVILLE 20 The Cannons remain tied with New Jersey atop the Northeast, while Jacksonville slips a game behind the Bandits with this home loss. Tiki Barber ran for 117 and a score, helping out Adrian McPherson, who had to sub for Bledsoe in the third. Bledsoe had thrown for 192 and 2 scores when a blow to the head forced him out of the game. McPherson came in and availed himself nicely, going 8 of 13 for 141 and a late TD to James Whalen as Boston won going away. NEW ORLEANS 26 BALTIMORE 20 After settling into new digs in Portland, the Breakers flew across the country to face Baltimore and showed up with an intensity that helped squelch Ben Roethlisberger’s return under center. Former Panther Chris Perry was the hero of the day, going for 126 yards on only 19 carries for the Breakers. The defense held Baltimore to only 1 third down conversion in 10 tries and New Orleans (via Portland) arrive at midseason with a 4-3 record. Midseason Report We have reached the halfway point of the season and it has certainly been a surprising one. A lot to break down as we look back at the first seven weeks and ahead to the final seven. Rather than a team by team analysis, we are going to look at a series of topics which encapsulate the season so far and the possibilities ahead. 5 Biggest Surprises to the 2006 Season So Far T.J. Duckett Playing with the Big Boys. Look, T.J. Duckett of Texas has been a solid player for several years, gaining 892 yards as a rookie in Michigan before getting sent to Texas, where he had 1,014 in 2004 and 1,112 in 2005, but this year the former Michigan State Spartan seems to have found another gear. With 7 weeks left in the season, Duckett already has 712 yards, on pace for over 1,400, which puts him right in the running for a rushing title. Duckett finished 5th in rushing last year, but currently sits in 3rd, only 10 yards behind second place Deuce McCallister. His increased production has certainly raised some eyebrows. Now, if Texas could just develop a passing game, they might have something. Renegades and Thunder Top Defensive Categories This one is a huge shock to most folks. The fact that the #1 and #2 scoring defenses are the ‘Gades and the Thunder is simply not something anyone expected. The two are only 1 point apart (114 for Orlando, 115 for Las Vegas), with Houston and Jacksonville close behind, two teams most folks expected to be near the top of the list. How have they done it? Orlando seems to be doing it by shutting down passing lanes, 2nd in the league with only 179 yards per game allowed, and they are brining pressure from every direction, with 5 different players having at least 3 sacks (including LB Al Wilson and DT Pat Williams). Las Vegas is giving up considerably more yards than Orlando, but they are making more big plays, timely sacks, drive-killing stops, and takeaways. For Las Vegas this defensive success has helped propel them to a 5-2 start, while Orlando still struggles, sitting only at 2-4-1. New Orleans’s Composure In a revelation which is very much a feel good story, the New Orleans Breakers are finding ways to pull together, play solid team football, and win games, despite the turmoil of the post-Katrina fallout and the constant relocation. Now they are based in Portland and will have a somewhat stable home, though by no means their usual home. Over the first 7 weeks, playing 3 “home” games in 3 different USFL cities, the Breakers have managed to win 4 of 7 games, including their pseudo-home games in Birmingham and Memphis. They now move to the Pacific Northwest, where they will host Orlando in Week 8, followed by the Showboats, and Bulls in a 3-game “home” series, before taking to the road in Nashville. The Breakers have a legitimate shot to take the Central Division in a year when most assumed they would struggle just to reach .500 with all the distractions, obligations, insecurity and emotion that this season has presented. Slumping Machine & Federals Fans of the Chicago Machine and Washington Federals have to be wishing that their team had the spiritual fortitude of the Breakers. With both 2005 Division Champs currently wallowing at 2-5 there is a lot of finger pointing and a lot of head shaking at the southward turn their seasons have gone. Both clubs have struggled with divisional games, with Washington currently a horrendous 1-4, while Chicago has lost 2 of 3 divisional games, with far more on the way in the second half. Both teams, expected to challenge for a division title, have seen their defenses fail to live up to last year’s success. For Chicago, the loss of 3 starters from the 2005 secondary is an obvious place to point blame, while for Washington, the issues on defense are not as clear. Can either recover and reach the playoffs? Seems very unlikely since both are in 5-team divisions and currently trail their division leaders by 3 (WSH) or 4 (CHI) games. Streaking Thunder & Stallions On the opposite side of the surprising record calculation we have the Stallions and Thunder. We have already explored how Las Vegas’s defense is helping them win games that in past years they would have thrown away, but in Birmingham, we are seeing a very interesting mix of defensive fortitude and a rediscovered run game. Statistically the Stallions do not look like a 4-3 squad. They are 17th in scoring, 13th in scoring defense, but 25th in yards allowed and 24th in yards gained. So what has been their secret? They lead the league with 10 forced fumbles and in interceptions, giving them 23 takeaways in 7 games, a fantastic 3.3 per game. That production helps them tie Jacksonville as the team with the best turnover difference, sitting at +10 for the year. With Jason Campbell currently the 2nd worst-rated QB with a 68.4 QBR (Charlie Batch sits at 63.5), the Stallions have had to be resourceful, using Shaun Alexander to solid effect and playing on short fields thank to a defense led by DE Mike Rucker, CB James Trapp, and LB Ted Johnson. 5 Breakout Stars of 2006 Players who have shot into the spotlight this spring have a range of backgrounds, from a highly touted rookie who is living up to the hype, to a veteran who found new life in a new city. Each player has a different story, but each has made an impact this season and has been gaining a lot of attention for it. QB Matt Leinart (DEN): The first seven games of rookie Matt Leinart’s season may not exactly be the 1993 Brett Favre, but they are as good or better than most fans in the Mile High City could have hoped for. Leinart’s 1,779 is good enough for 7th in the league. His 9-5 TD-INT ratio may not be All-USFL quality, but for a rookie those are very solid numbers. His 68.9% completion rate is keeping drives alive, and his receivers are beginning to talk up Leinart’s decision making and ball placement. Good news for Denver and for the league as Leinart was the only top tier QB to sign with the spring league this year. LB Antonio Pierce (WSH): A free agent signing out of the NFL, Pierce has had an immediate impact on the Federals’ D. His 54 tackles lead the team and are good enough for 5th in the USFL. He also has 8 tackles for loss, 2 picks, and a forced fumble in 7 games. Fans in DC may not be happy with the Federals’ 2-5 record, but they cannot lay the blame on this NFL signing. WR Taylor Jacobs (STL): The Skyhawks snagged Jacobs in the Expansion Draft, signing him away from the Oakland Invaders, where he had 65 catches for 861 yards last year. So far with St. Louis he has 20 catches, but at 27.0 yards per catch, those 20 catches have accounted for 540 yards, more than half way to 1,000. Add in 4 TDs and Jacobs is on his way to becoming a very popular #81 in the Gateway City. DE Jason Babin (BOS): Boston has to be overjoyed with the year-to-year growth in DE Jason Babin. He started strong as a rookie with 9 sacks in 8 games. Last year, as a full time starter he finished the year with 10 in 14 games, and this year he is among the league leaders at the halfway point with 7 sacks in 7 games, on pace for 14 for the year. Teamed up with 8-year vet Greg Ellis, Babin is shaking off blocks, and powering his way to opposing QBs, a huge part of Boston moving into the Top 10 in scoring defense. DE Eddie Freeman (STL): A second standout for the expansion Skyhawks, Freeman came into 2006 with his best sack performance ever being 2 sacks for the Wranglers in 2004. With 7 already this year for St. Louis, Freeman is blowing past his career bests and getting his first true chance to shine as a starter. Yes, the Skyhawks are still only 1-6, but they seem to have found two solid pieces to build around in Jacobs and Freeman. 5 Biggest Concerns at the Midway Point The optimism of February has worn off, and the reality of a tough USFL season leaves teams and fans with questions and concerns for the second half. These are the five we see as the biggest across the league as we enter the 2nd half of the regular season. Teams Devalue the Run Game Football diehards cannot be happy with the number of teams who simply seem to be ignoring the run game altogether in favor of a pass happy scheme. With 7 games down, we have 4 clubs who have not even reached 600 yards as a team (We normally see most clubs finish with between 1,500-2,000 team rushing yards.). Las Vegas, who are sitting at 5-2, are dead last with only 341, followed by St. Louis (408), Arizona (544), and Houston (568). Denver and Michigan are not much better. Is this the future of the game? Or, is it just that there are not enough good linemen and effective backs in the league? Fans who love to watch teams pound an opponent into submission with the run are certainly not enjoying this trend. NFL QB Focus At the same time as the run game is suffering for many teams, the recent focus of the NFL on the QB position has to make USFL fans nervous. If the NFL starts outbidding and outdrafing the USFL, the quality of QB play would be the first major hit we could see from the new emphasis. A USFL without top flight QB play is a much different product than the wide open, high flying, brand of football that USFL fans have been accustomed to since the days of Young, Kelly, Reaves, and Johnny Walton. Jason Campbell’s Slow Development Stallion fans have to be feeling frustrated with the slow improvements most are seeing in Jason Campbell’s game. It is not made any easier by the immediate success we saw from Byron Leftwich in Seattle, and now Matt Leinart in Denver. Campbell is still struggling to read defenses and follow his progressions. Campbell’s 1,212 yards are certainly ahead of his 2005 pace, but his 51.4% completion rate is still a big concern, and his 7-6 TD-INT ratio is not what Birmingham fans want to see. Campbell has a solid corps of veteran receives with Joe Horn, James Thrash, Marcus Robinson, and TE O.J. Santiago all more than capable, but unless Campbell can start to make faster reads and more accurate throws, the success of the Stallions will continue to be handcuffed. Mauler Misery Of all the teams that are not where they want to be this season, Pittsburgh is clearly in the worst situation. Winless after 7-weeks, a Mauler team that was 10-4 and competing for a division title only 2 years ago has now seemingly bottomed out. Terrell Davis is not the back he once was. Charlie Batch appears to be regressing as a quarterback. And the defense, what can we say about the once-proud Mauler D? They currently rank 23rd in points allowed, and are allowing over 100 yards per game on the ground. With an offense that cannot sustain drives, the D is being asked to do too much, and they are tiring in games. The loss to St. Louis in Week 6 was a definite low point, but then to go out this week and give up 40 to the Denver Gold, that is real trouble. Coach Rivera has dedicated himself to upgrading the roster and building a culture of toughness, but so far, even with the trade that brought Memphis DE Dameaion Jefferies to town, the Maulers are not looking like a team that has turned the corner. They look like a team that may be on the verge of having a fire sale. Future of Heath Shuler No shock here. The concern felt for QB Heath Shuler after he was knocked out for the season, and perhaps for his career, by a drunk driver, is real and profound. Sympathy and support has come from across the league and across the sports world. Shuler has avoided the spotlight, avoiding all interviews or public appearances since being released from the hospital, but the news is very much that these past 2 months have been about regaining basic function, not about rehabbing for a return to football. Any decision on that likely will not come until we hit August or September. With Memphis struggling to put points on the board without their veteran QB, the pain for Showboat fans is real, but the only pain that really matters is that of Shuler himself. 5 Potential 2nd Half Surges Looking ahead to the next 7 weeks, and knowing full well that there are some teams who are doing well now that will likely swoon as the heat of summer arrives, we also understand that there are teams that started slowly who now could start to heat up and find their swagger. Here is our pick of 5 teams that could surprise some folks in the second half of the season New Orleans Now that the Breakers have moved into a stable environment in Portland, one that seems to be welcoming them with open arms, their 4-3 start could easily develop into a 5-3 finish, putting them right in the heat of the playoff race. Not bad for a club that many predicted to finish last in the Southern Division due to the chaos of this year as a whole. Coach Nolan has his team playing well, and that should only improve now that they are playing and practicing in the same city. Arizona The Wranglers are 4-3 because they have been able to turn opportunities into points. They have the league’s 6th rated offense, averaging just over 24 points per game, and we think they are just scratching the surface. Their run game still needs a lot of focus, but they have weapons at every level when it comes to the passing game, which could make them very dangerous down the stretch. Orlando The Renegades have the #1 scoring defense and #1 yardage defense in football. That is typically the pedigree of a 6-1 or 5-2 team, not a team struggling with only 2 wins on the season after 7 games. They have held 7 different opponents under 20 points and lost 4 of those 7 games, tied another, and have won only 2. If they could muster any form of offense, this could be a tough team to face down the stretch. Jeff Blake seems to have regressed from a halfway decent 2005 season. While he has thrown only 1 pick all year, he is also not producing a lot of points, and if Orlando wants to be a factor down the final half of the season, that will have to change. Texas Another team with a lot of positives, but nothing to show for it in the standings. Despite being 2-5, the Outlaws Outlaws boast the league’s 2nd best rushing attack, and are also nearly impossible to run against. That combo should buy them some wins, if they can just put together 4 solid quarters in the same week. They have been held under 20 points on offense 6 times in 7 weeks, including a 9=6 loss in Las Vegas that was painful to watch. If Trent Dilfer can get any kind of passing game going, perhaps with newly arrived WR Tim Dwight now available, maybe Texas can make a late run. Memphis It is beyond obvious why Memphis has had a rough first half of the season, but despite a brutal 2-5 record, there is a lot of talent on this team. If newly-arrived QB Jon Kitna can get the run game going with Cadillac Williams, he can then use play action to get some easy completions and perhaps get Memphis into better position to win some games. The defense also needs to find itself, as it currently ranks 25th out of 26 teams and has allowed 5 out of 7 opponents to rack up 30 points or more this year. Perhaps a change in schemes or in coordinators is needed, because there is talent on that side of the ball. A rough week for the Gold as both DE Ryan Denney and HB Ahmaad Galloway find themselves placed on IR with season-ending injuries. For Galloway, it is a hip fracture, while Denney suffered a knee injury which was, thankfully, not his ACL, but still will require up to 5 months of rehab. Others who are likely to miss multiple weeks include Houston RT Brian Thure, Mauler CB Kareem Larrimore, Tampa LB Kevin Mitchell, St. Louis CB Chidi Iwoma, Ohio DT La’Roi Glover, and Boston LB Manny Lawson. Doubtful or Questionable this week are Chicago LB Brian Urlacher, Seattle’s #1 wideout David Boston, Baltlimore WR Eddie Kennison, Philadelphia guard Ruben brown, Birmingham FS Marcus Wimberley, Las Vegas CB Antoine Winfield, and Wrangler wideout Larry Fitzgerald. A USFL-NFL QB Comparison Ever since NFL owners got together to strategize about how to prioritize the QB position, and, more directly, how to keep top talent from the draft and their own rosters from jumping to the USFL, both leagues have been engaged in parallel discussions about the need to enhance the position, protect themselves from poaching, and sign quality starters. It appears that perhaps the expectation that there are more than 60 quality QB’s available between the two leagues is false, and that QB continues to be one of the essential necessities for a league. In the first of what we expect to be several topics related to the QB position, we start with the best of the best, each league’s top 5 quarterbacks as of this moment. NFL #!: Peyton Manning, Indianapolis—A no brainer. Since coming into the league in 1998, Manning has been everything the NFL could have hoped for. Dynamic on the field, an incredibly intelligent leader, a winner for his franchise, and a marketing coup for the league. Manning’s Colts have become the newest dynasty in the mold of the 49ers, Steelers, and Packers. Winning 3 Super Bowls in the past 6 years, Manning is generally considered the best of the best in modern day football. USFL #1: Kerry Collins, Ohio—Another pretty easy pick. Collins has led the league’s most explosive offense for the better part of the new century, helping Ohio win back to back titles for the first time in league history. Ohio pulled off the ultimate glory (no pun intended) by completing the 2002 season undefeated, a perfect 16-0 on their way to their first title. Collins has won the league’s MVP title 3 times and an argument can be made that it should be 5 times were there not some fatigue of Ohio’s success. Offenses across the USFL try to imitate what Al Luginbill has created in Ohio, but without Collins at the helm, they often fail. NFL #2: Carson Palmer, Cincinnati--In two seasons with the Bengals, the former USC Trojan has helped turn the club into a winner (11-5 and Division Champs in 2005), while throwing for 32 TDs last season. Palmer is the hottest young QB in the NFL and looks to have a very bright future ahead of him. USFL #2 Drew Bledsoe, Boston On the opposite end of his pro career, Drew Bledsoe, is entering his 14th season as a starting QB. He is certainly less mobile than in his youth, but 7 weeks into the 2006 season it seems clear that he is as accurate and as dangerous as ever. He trails only Collins with 1,939 yards in 7 games, has 12 TDs, and a QB Rating of 121.8. How much longer he will be playing is the question fans in Boston are asking, but he certainly is playing at an All-League level. NFL #3: Michael Vick, Atlanta If it were all about the passing, Michael Vick would not be listed among the top 5, but we all know it is not just that. Vick is one of the most athletic, explosive, and dangerous players at any position in the game today. His ability to take off and make defenders look foolish has made him the ultimate dual threat at the QB position. He has yet to top 20 TD passes in a season, but rushed for over 900 yards in 2004, and could be looking to reach the astonishing 1,000 yard mark in 2006. USFL #3 Daunte Culpepper, Tampa Bay After earning multiple All-Pro honors in the NFL, Culpepper left the Vikings to sign a big money deal with the USFL Tampa Bay Bandits, and immediately provided both leadership and results. Tampa Bay went from 4-10 in 2003 to 12-2 in 2004, an amazing 8-game improvement, and largely due to Culpepper’s connection with Randy Moss. He is in the heart of his career, turning 30 this upcoming offseason, so we should be seeing Daunte at the helm in Tampa Bay for a while to come. NFL #4 Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia Never a huge numbers guy, what McNabb has brought to the Eagles is a cool, calm leadership that helped them capture their first league title this past February. He did throw for 31 TDs in 2004, but he seems to be at his best guiding a balanced offense, rather than being the focal point of the offensive production. USFL #4 Byron Leftwich, Seattle The “Man from Marshall” exploded onto the USFL scene as a rookie, throwing for 36 touchdowns in a season where he started only 13 games. This past season he won a title with the Dragons, and is now considered one of the hottest young stars in the league. Compared often to the NFL’s Carson Palmer, what makes Leftwich so fun to watch is his ability to come up big when the pressure is on. NFL #5 Brett Favre, New York Jets A USFL legend who retired only to show up in New York a year later, a lot is expected of Favre in year 2 with the Jets. He is perhaps the best case the USFL has that the QB drain has gone both directions and is not just a concern for the NFL. With over 58,000 yards passing in the USFL, along with nearly 500 TDs’, Favre would be a top 5 QB in any league he chose to play in. USFL #5 Tom Brady, New Jersey This was a tough one. We gave Brady the nod over other worthy contenders like Drew Brees, Jake Plummer, or Matt Hasselbeck for two reasons. The first is that he brought a title to New Jersey in 2004, and the second is his consistency. The consummate ‘cool under pressure” QB, Brady never seems to get flustered, and while he does not put up astronomical numbers (Coach Parcells would never let him throw the ball as much as Collins or Bledsoe do), he is consistently at or above 100 QB rating by season’s end. Other players of note in each league, players who could find themselves on this list in a few years, are USFL stars Drew Brees (Michigan), Matt Hasselbeck (Houston), Jake Plummer (Arizona), and Cade McNown. For the NFL, some up and comers include Philip Rivers (NY Giants), Chad Pennington (NY Jets), Rex Grozzman (Chicago), and 2005 rookies Alex Smith (Washington) and Aaron Rodgers (San Francisco). USFL OWNERS REVIEW FINAL CASES FOR 2008 EXPANSION BIDS The briefs have been filed, the proposals reviewed and approved, the comparative data compiled. It now all comes down to a vote by the 24 USFL league owners. Which city, which region, which ownership group will be the 28th USFL franchise? That is the question the league’s ownership will discuss and decide in their Spring Meeting, scheduled for June 1st. There are three bids, three proposals, all with selling points, and all with potential snags. One of the three will be chosen to represent the mid-Atlantic region and to join the Southeastern Division as the final expansion club, and the only one introducing a truly new market to the league. After 3 of 4 expansion clubs were placed in former USFL cities Atlanta, St. Louis, and Portland. It comes down to these three bidding groups, each looking to make their city or region home to USFL football. The Tidewater Football Group is proposing that the USFL become the first major pro sport to place a franchise in southeastern Virginia, the Hampton Roads or Tidewater region. We learned this week that their franchise would be called the Virginia Destroyers, an homage to the rich naval history and current naval presence in Norfolk and the region. Their logo depicts the named naval ship plowing through the water, forming a stylized “V” in its wake. The ownership group is headed up by Robbey Estes Jr, CEO of Estes Express, a regional trucking conglomerate. Their proposal, to place a team at Norfolk State University’s William “Dick” Price stadium, with temporary seating expanding capacity to approximately 46,000 seats, and with plans to work with regional leaders to get a permanent expansion of the stadium in place by 2012. Their greatest weakness, the stadium itself, an HBCU stadium with few amenities and even fewer total permanent seats, and the region’s relatively low per capita income, at $33,000, clearly the lowest of the three bidding regions. The group dubbed Charlotte Football For the Carolinas has a very different proposal. Their selling point is the success of the Carolina Panthers, a plan to share the stadium with its NFL tenant, and the rapid growth of Charlotte as both a regional population and commercial center. Headed by Ben Navarro of the Sherman Financial Group, this bid does have access to the largest and most modern stadium of the three, but there are concerns that NFL Panthers owner Jerry Richardson is not exactly eager to share his market, or his facility, with the USFL . Could Charlotte be another New England or Washington, where resistance from the NFL ownership makes collaboration difficult. The CFFC has released its team identity as well. The club, which has two former NBA Charlotte Hornets in its ownership group, borrows a lot of style from the former club. The Charlotte Monarchs will use teal, purple, and gold as its colors, and, we can only hope, will bypass the temptation to have pinstriped uniforms. The logo is a crown in gold with a teal base, a purple football-shaped gem at the center, and an empty space M. Finally, the Triangle Football Group, representing the population, innovation, and education triangle of Raleigh (NC State), Durham (Duke), and Chapel Hill (UNC) is proposing that the 28th franchise be the Carolina Surge. The name plays on the idea of a rising tide, as well as electrical current, and the push of linemen engaged in the trenches. The logo is a stylized S sitting atop a triangle to represent this region of North Carolina. The team colors are a unique blue-ish green, an electric gold, and black. The ownership includes former NC State QB and potential coaching candidate Roman Gabriel. It is led by Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, who would be the youngest principal owner and CEO of any USFL franchise. The potential hangups? How about a seemingly endless delay in selecting a home stadium. The group has been in negotiations to potentially play in NC State’s Carter-Finley Stadium as well as in UNC’s Keenan Stadium, but in both cases the issue of alcohol sales (and the revenue generated by it) have been a sticking point that has hindered the bid. On June 1st the owners will look at the pros and cons of each bid, and by January 5th we should have an answer, and one community will have a brand new pro football franchise of its own. You, as the followers of The USFL Lives will take on a special role in this owners’ meeting. You get to be the owners. The bids can be found on the franchise poll on the menu at the top of each webpage. You can go to the site, use the chat feature to make your case for your favorite proposal, then vote in our poll. Voting will close with the publication of the Week 11 recap, and the winning bid will be announced in our Week 12 racap. This is your chance to influence the future direction of the USFL, and to persuade others to join in your vision for a 28th franchise. So, speak up,vote, and may the best bid win. Week 8 is highlighted by two Southwest Division clashes as the Gold travel to Houston and the Wranglers are in Texas. With the division a 3-way tie between Arizona, Houston, and Denver, this week could be huge to shake things up a bit. We also have a huge game in the Southeast as the Bulls travel to Tampa, a game behind the Bandits for first place in the division. In the West, we have two 5-2 teams meeting in Las Vegas as the defending league champion Dragons face off against the upstart Thunder. In other action, a regional rivalry is reborn when Atlanta heads to Birmingham. Ohio plays the Federals, who can ill afford another loss after a 2-5 first half. Nashville visits Memphis in one of the league’s newer regional rivalries, while Baltimore visits Philadelphia in one of the older ones. The Maulers and Skyhawks face off for a 2nd time, with Pittsburgh hoping to get revenge for St. Louis’s earlier win at Heinz Field. Orlando is the first visitor for the new “Portland” Breakers, and We see some cross-continental matchups as Oakland flies to Boston, and New Jersey revisits their first ever game as a franchise, matchup up with the Express in LA. Last, but not least, we have the slumping Machine facing the Michigan Panthers at Ford Field in the Sunday nightcap game.

We love divisional battles in the USFL. The rivalries, the history, the built-up animosity between the teams and the fanbases of each club. Even new rivalries can be intense thanks to the importance of each game. This week we had a ton of them, with 8 of 13 games being divisional matchups. Not all the games were arch-rival games, but each one had an added intensity with both teams knowing that a loss in division is doubly damaging. So, we begin our Week 6 report with our 8 divisional games, and then look at the other 5 games, which did not lack for drama either. And, no better place to start than with one of the most intense and most heated rivalries in the league, New Jersey vs. Philadelphia. NEW JERSEY 20 PHILADELPHIA 22 The Stars made it two in a row in the division even without wideouts Amani Toomer and Roddy White as they hold off the first place New Jersey Generals and get right back in the hunt in the Northeast at 3-2-1. Once again the Stars would need to comeback and once again it would be the foot of Mike Nugent who would get them the win, although this time it was not a last-second kick. Philadelphia got 102 yards and 2 touchdown runs from Ahman Green and the defense would sack Tom Brady 5 times as Philadelphia took the latest edition of this storied USFL rivalry. They started off the scoring on defense as DT Seth Payne sacked Tom Brady in the endzone for 2. They added 7 more on an Ahman Green TD run on the ensuing drive, and New Jersey was down 9-0 early. The Generals scored on a 12-yard Curtis Enis run to pull back in range, but Green’s second TD of the quarter closed out the first with Philadelphia up 16-7. The second quarter saw Philadelphia extend the lead to 19-7 but New Jersey would regroup and dominate the next quarter and a half. New Jersey added two Longwell field goals in the 2nd to pull back within one score at 19-13 at halftime. In the third, they added a TD to take a slim 1-point lead, with Brady hitting T.J. Houshmanzadeh, the NFL import, from 14-yards out. Philadelphia had been here before, down one in the final quarter. They had found a way to win in this exact situation last week at Washington, and they did so again this week at home. Midway through the 4th, Mike Nugent connected on a 37-yard kick and Philadelphia held onto a 22-20 advantage. The defense would do the rest, picking off Brady on New Jersey’s next possession, and then frustrating the New Jersey QB on a last gasp drive by playing dime defense and creating a solid zone defense that Brady was unable to crack. The Stars win pull them to within a half game of Boston and New Jersey with 8 games left on the schedule. With Roddy White expected back this week, and Toomer the next, the Stars have gone 2-0 without their wideouts, and now hope to get healthy as they head to Tampa Bay before another stretch of divisional games, with Baltimore, Boston, and New Jersey on the slate for weeks 8-10. New Jersey has two games with Washington in the next three weeks and a long road trip to LA sandwiched between them. BIRMINGHAM 23 NEW ORLEANS 20 The surprising battle for first place in the Southern Division, played in Houston with the Breakers as the home team, looked and felt like a clash between two contenders. Both defenses played well, with Eli Manning picked off 3 times by the Stalliions, but Shaun Alexander’s 102 yards rushing (5.1 YPC) and a late Jason Campbell TD run helped propel Birmingham to a win and a shocking 4-2 record. LAS VEGAS 17 LOS ANGELES 34 The battle atop the Pacific division between the Express and the Thunder was a showcase for LA’s defense, led by DE Keneche Udeze, who came back from injury to make 11 tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble, and for Cade McNown, who threw for 318 yards and 2 scores against a Las Vegas D that had been supporting the club through their 4-1 start. Steve Mcnair completed 21 of 30 for the Thunder, but for only 169 yards as LA doubled up the Thunder to push Las Vegas a game back in the standings. OHIO 24 MICHIGAN 21 The Glory picked off Drew Brees twice, and rookie Santonio Holmes scored his 2nd TD of the year as Ohio edged the Panthers to move to 5-1 atop the division. Michigan outgained the Glory, thanks in part to a 72-yard day from Fred Jackson, but in the end could not get into range for rookie kicker Matt Prater and were forced to go for a Hail Mary. No luck on the low-probability play and Ohio held on for a key divisional win. WASHINGTON 10 BOSTON 31 The Federals dropped their 2nd consecutive division game, slippin to 2-4 as Boston was hot at home in Alumni Stadium. Tiki Barber got an unusually heavy carry count as he rushed 30 times for 135 on the day, adding in two touchdowns to help Boston push their advantage from 14-7 at the half to 28-7 after three. Without Deion Branch, Washington simply did not have the firepower to catch up, likely leading to the trade with Pittsburgh and Memphis to bring in some help at wideout (see below). TAMPA BAY 14 ORLANDO 12 You have to hand it to the Renegades. They are playing every game to win and not giving an inch. But, that was not enough as the Bandits built a 14-2 lead by the half, and held off the Renegades through the second half to take the division win and send Orlando to 1-4-1 on the year. Orlando limited McGahee to only 27 yards rushing, but Daunte Culpepper connected with Kevin Johnson late in the first half and the Tampa Bay defense held off Orlando’s late comeback try. ST. LOUIS 34 PITTSBURGH 24 The loss to expansion St. Louis, the Skyhawks’ first win of the season, was all Coach Ron Rivera needed to shake things up. His defense was unable to rattle Quincy Carter, despite earning 6 sacks on the day, and St. Louis scored 31 unanswered points after falling behind 17-3 in the 2nd. Expect some big changes as Rivera looks to retool the entire roster, with the first change coming this week. TEXAS 13 ARIZONA 21 Jake Plummer is having a strong season, helped by at least some semblance of a run game for the Wranglers, who take the divisional win at home thanks to TDs from Stanley Pritchett and Deuce Staley, with a Plummer to Fitzgerald TD the game winner. It was 21-3 at the half, and the Wranglers kept the ball for 18 of the 30 minutes in the 2nd half as they slow-played Texas to preserve the win, moving them to 3-3 in a closely fought Southwest Division. NASHVILLE 13 HOUSTON 10 OVERTIME A defensive slugfest in NRG Stadium goes to the visiting Knights, who even their record at 3-3 with the win. Neither team could do much on offense as the defenses held both out of the red zone most of the day. Houston got a late Hasselbeck to Robinson TD to send the game to overtime, but in the extra period could not score on their opening drive. Nashville did just enough to get Matt Stover in range, and the veteran kicker got the Knights the win on the road. DENVER 26 CHICAGO 10 Denver’s defense showed up big, earning both Dat Nguyen and Jamar Fletcher recognition as defensive players of the week. Nguyen’s safety and Fletcher’s pick-six helped propel Denver to the lead and the D kept Jeff George from coming back late. On offense, the combo of Cedric Benson and Ahmad Galloway rushed for102 yards and a TD, but that did not stop Denver from trading for a third back later in the week (see below). Chicago got 100 yards from Michael Turner, but could not get points on the board as they drop to a surprising 2-4 on the season. SEATTLE 16 BALTIMORE 13 OVERTIME The transcontinental flight was not enough to keep Seattle from edging the Blitz, scoring 10 points in the 3rd to flip form a 13-3 deficit to an overtime win. Baltimore looked good early, scoring on their first 3 possessions, but Seattle clamped down on QB Alex Van Pelt in the 2nd half, picking off the veteran backup twice, as they mounted the comeback and got the game winner in OT. JACKSONVILLE 26 OAKLAND 12 The Bulls got 112 yards form Antowain Smith and TD catches from TEs Tim Euhus and Jeff King to upend the Invaders in Oakland. Oakland was 1 of 8 on third downs and failed on three 4th down attempts as Jacksonville’s defense came up big when called upon. The win drops Oakland 2 games behind Seattle and LA in the Pacific, while a 4-2 Bulls team tries to stay on pace with Tampa Bay in the Southeast. ATLANTA 17 MEMPHIS 13 If Memphis needed more incentive to make a multi-team deal and bring a viable QB to town, this defeat at home to expansion Atlanta gave them the motivation they needed. The Showboats were held to only 257 yards of offense, and could not come back after a Jeff Lewis to Josh Reed TD gave Atlanta the lead with 12 minutes left in the game. QB Ken Dorsey completed 17 of 28 passing, but was ineffective when pressured, with Memphis failing on their final 6 third down attempts on the day. Three Way Trade Brings Jon Kitna to Memphis The story of the week is trades across the USFL, and none was bigger than the three way deal between the Showboats, Federals, and Maulers. Memphis was desperate to upgrade at QB as their season melts away with Heath Shuler’s future uncertain. Washington is looking at a month or more with top wideout Deion Branch sidelined, and Pittsburgh is hoping to add defensive muscle to a team that is the league’s last winless club. Desperation made this 3-way deal, brokered by the Federals, possible. In the deal, Washington sends veteran backup Jon Kitna to the Showboats. In return they get 2nd year wideout Mike Williams from Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh also sends a 3rd round pick obtained from Denver in the offseason to the Showboats, who give up starting DE Damaeion Jefferies to the Maulers. Washington gets speed outside, Pittsburgh gets more muscle on the D-line, and Memphis gets a veteran QB on a 1-year deal, hoping they can resurrect their season. Expect Kitna to need at least a week in Memphis to pick up the system before he sees game action, but both Jefferies and Williams to see game action right away for the Maulers and Federals. The former Showboat DE will likely start at right end opposite Kyle Vanden Bosch as the Maulers take on Denver this week at Invesco Field. Williams is expected to take over Deion Branch’s spot opposite Cedric Tillman this week as Washington hosts the New Jersey Generals, while Kitna likely will be the #3 QB this week as Ken Dorsey again gets the start for Memphis as they travel to Birmingham, but could start as soon as Week 8 in a key clash against another rival, Nashville, in Memphis. Denver and Texas Both Try to Upgrade Their Offenses as Midseason Trades Take Shape The three way deal seemed to kick start the midseason trading block, as 2 days later we saw two more deals done. Denver, still trying to find their run game, sent CB Terrance McGee to the LA Express for 3rd down back Mewelde Moore. Moore has seen his carries and catches diminish as rookie HB Maurice Jones-Drew sees his role increase each week. They send the shifty back to Denver to take on the Rod Smart role, while they add some depth at corner with McGee, who is likely to slot in as the nickel back for the 5-1 Express. Texas hopes they have added the kind of speed that can stretch defenses, something they have sorely lacked, as they trade to bring Tim Dwight in as the split end opposite Ike Hilliard. To acquire Dwight from expansion St. Louis, they send OLB T. J. Slaughter to the Skyhawks. For Coach Shell in St. Louis, adding defensive skill is essential as his Skyhawks, fresh off their first win of the year, face daunting offenses nearly every week in the Central Division. With Dwight off to the Outlaws, Bryant Johnson will line up along with Taylor Jacobs and Sinorice Moss to form one of the youngest wideout groups in the league. Texas will start testing defenses with Dwight and Hilliard this week, as they face rival Houston at the Alamodome. With Slaughter gone, Chad Greenway will shift over to Strongside linebacker, and Tarek Saleh will take over in the middle. Jamie Winborn will be the swing backer in Coach Mackovic’s 3-4 alignment. Three deals all involving starters this week, and we expect more to come between now and the Week 10 trade deadline as close races across all 6 divisions mean teams are looking for an edge and a way to stay relevant. For what feels like the first time in a long time we had a week without any new players added to the IR list. The most serious injury this week was a foot injury to Philadelphia tackle Todd Wade, which team doctors say could cost Wade only 2-3 games. Every other new name on the injury report is either Doubtful or Questionable, but expected to be back in action after perhaps only 1 week away. That group includes Birmingham DT Henry Slay (Shoulder), Texas CB Marlon Kerner (wrist), New Orleans LB Ben Leber (concussion), Memphis tackle Anthony Clement (wrist), Tampa Bay corner Ricardo Colclough (toe), and Baltimore free safety Marquez Pope (pinched nerve in hip). USFL Owners to Meet Next Week The USFL Spring Meetings open up next week and there is certainly a lot to discuss. A recap of the 2006 expansion process and a look ahead at the process for 2008 will be a primary topic of discussion, as will ongoing support for the New Orleans Breakers this year and next as they hope to return to the Super Dome in 2007. The sale of the Breakers will also be a topic of discussion as the initial agreement was tabled following Katrina and the devastation it created not only in New Orleans but across the Gulf Coast. The league is also hoping to work with ESPN to expand the reach of the ESPN Football Network, to have the USFL’s own version of a football network shift from a higher tier add-on to an initial tier network, offered whenever ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPNews are available. The goal is to get the channel in more homes. There is also talk of the USFL reaching out to the SEC to see if one of the biggest college conferences would like to get into the EFN to provide more extensive college coverage, particularly useful to keep the network engaged during the fall, when most attention shifts away from the USFL to the NFL and college ball. Finally, the owners are expected to accept the resignation of Commissioner Dick Ebersol, and to begin the process of locating a new Commissioner for 2007 and beyond. A lot to discuss, and a lot of concern as well, as the NFL conversations about QB play and the signing of top talent has made the USFL appropriately nervous. College signings and QB play have been at the center of the USFL business plan since 1983’s surprise signing of Herschel Walker, and if the NFL starts to target both, it could leave the spring league in a financial war that it may not be able to win. So, a busy meeting in New York, one that could bring about some news worth exploring further. Breakers Welcomed to Portland The New Orleans Breakers arrived in Portland on Tuesday and were met by nearly 2,000 fans at PDX airport. Portland rolled out the red carpet, hosting a welcome reception for the club, and providing Head Coach Mike Nolan with an oversized check for nearly $120,000 in funds to be donated to the USFL Cares Katrina Project. The city has rolled out the red carpet for their 8-week guests. The Breakers will train at Lewis & Clark College, play their games at the newly dubbed Columbia Sportswear Stadium, becoming the first tenants to play there, almost 2 years before Portland’s official return to the USFL, and the players are being housed in a combination of local hotels and a few rental homes. Welcoming displaced Louisianans and Mississippians has been a national endeavor, but the reception in Portland feels different, like a combination of charitable support and football fever. The Breakers will play their first “Portland” Breaker game in Week 8, when they host the Renegades and ticket sales have been strong, with nearly 41,000 seats sold to that game, a combination of nearly 18,000 Portland seats sold for the 4-game package, and nearly 22,000 sold for the first game. It seems very clear as well that the fans in Oregon will be rooting hard for the Breakers, giving the team a true home field advantage despite being nearly 2,000 miles from the Delta. Week 7, the halfway point of the year, brings us some rivalry games across several divisions. Houston and Texas is always a big game, and even more so this year with no team in the Southwest more than game out of first. Oakland will be in Seattle, and if the 3-3 Invaders want any chance at getting into the Pacific Division race, they cannot afford to fall 3 games back of first. New Jersey is in Washington in a big game for both Northeast foes. Memphis travels to Birmingham to renew that classic southern rivalry. Ohio faces Chicago again, hoping to deliver a knockout blow to the Machine’s playoff hopes by sending them to 2-5 with a Glory win. Atlanta heads down to Orlando and could jump over .500 if they can secure a surprising 4th win in their first 7 games as a new USFL club. Finally, Michigan travels to St. Louis, hoping to keep pace with Ohio in the Central. In inter-divisional games, we have New Orleans in Baltimore, Boston with a tough road game in Jacksonville, Las Vegas heading east to face the Nashville Knights, Pittsburgh hoping to score their first win in a tough place to do it, Denver; and Philadelphia faces a tough road game as they take on the Bandits at Raymond James. LA is in Arizona for the Sunday Night finale for the week. The Wranglers are hoping to move over .500 with a win, but LA is 5-1 and needs to hold off the Dragons in the Pacific.

If there was a theme this week it was that of “Any Given Sunday”. We saw results this week that flew against the trends, against the Vegas Odds, and which proved that nothing matters until the two teams take the field. Whether Atlanta’s upset of the Bulls, Arizona’s thrashing of the Bandits in Tampa, Boston’s explosion against Michigan, or Texas handling the Denver Gold, this week showed that no result is known ahead of time. While the oddsmakers may be right more often than wrong, there is always a chance that things go very differently once both teams take the field. We start, however, with a game that was always going to be close, but still a bit of a surprise as an undermanned Philadelphia Stars team still found a way to pull out a win by the skin of their teeth against Washington. PHILADELPHIA 23 WASHINGTON 22 Down two of their three starting receivers, and facing a tough Washington defense in a divisional game, the Philadelphia Stars knew that their defense and their run game would need to step up. Both did as the Stars struggled to contain Deuce McCallister, but managed to limit Washington’s scoring opportunities, and used both Ahman Green and backup Michael Robinson to control the clock and the ball. The game did not start ideally for the Stars. After an initial 3-and-out, a miscalculation on the punt return left Philly with the ball on their own 8 yard line. A false start on their first play moved it back to the 4. A failed run on the replayed 1st down pushed the ball back to the 2, and on 2nd and 16, Kurt Warner was caught in the end zone by rookie Matthias Kiawanuka for the safety. Not how Philadelphia wanted to start at all. That rough start got worse when the ensuing kick was returned to the Stars 44, and only 4 plays later Kordell Stewart connected with Courtney Roby for a 33-yard touchdown. Down 9 points with fewer than 5 minutes of action played, the Stars were against the wall. But they responded with a 14-play drive that ate up over 6 minutes before backup halfback Michael Robinson took the ball from the 14, swept left,and found his blockers clearing a path to the endzone. It would be his first TD of the season, and the first 14 yards of what would be a 67-yard effort spelling Ahman Green. The Stars had their strategy. The problem was they also had to contain Washington if they were going to stay in the game. That proved difficult in the first half, as the Federals, with a 14 of17 day from Kordell Stewart, moved the ball well. Deuce McCallister gained 104 yards on the ground in the first half, and his success helped the Federals add 10 more points in the 2nd quarter to take a 19-7 halftime lead. Philadelphia made adjustments at the half, with Coach Harbaugh adjusting the defensive strategy to ask more of his front 4 in the passing game, allowing him to drop 7 into coverage. He would also tighten up the front 4, forcing McCallister to bounce more runs outside, where LBs Mike Crawford and Zach Thomas would be waiting. Both adjustments proved fruitful, as Philadelphia held Washington to only 3 points in the final 30 minutes of play. McCallister would gain another 60 yards, but the Federals would not reach the end zone again. Meanwhile, Philadelphia would continue to build on their early success with short passes and an inside run game. In the third they added a Warner to Roland Williams TD to pull back within 5 at 14-19. Williams, and fellow TE Dallas Clark would get more targets than was typical, 16 between them, as Warner compensated for the absence of Amani Toomer and Roddy White. In the 4th, Washington would get 3 points to expand the lead to 8, but Philadelphia would respond again, a 13-play drive that led to Williams’s 2nd TD on the day. Philly went for 2 but failed, which left them trailing 20-22 with only 1:41 left to play. The Stars would need to go for an onside kick. They lined up in an unbalance formation, with 8 of the 11 men on the right side of the field. Mike Nugent topped the ball and got a perfect 3rd hop, as the ball looped high into the air. Philly blocked out the initial line of Washington coverage players and Charles Lee made his most important contribution of the day, swatting at the ball and then landing on it as it went past Washington up man Jamie Morant. The Stars would have the ball at midfield with just over 1:30 left to play. Kurt Warner would connect with Dallas Clark on first down for a gain of 11, and then Green on a draw would get the ball to the Federals 35. Philly tried to trick Washington with another draw on 2nd and 6, but gained nothing. They tried to get the ball closer on 3rd and 6 but Warner could not connect with Edward Stinnett. Time out, and Mike Nugent would come out to try to hit a 52-yarder for the win. The Stars’ kicker lined the ball up, and drilled it through the uprights with 23 seconds left on the clock. Philadelphia would take this important division game on the road, sending Washington to 2-3 and boosting their record to .500 at 2-2-1. More importantly, the shift in strategy showed the Stars that they could hold their own defensively and get a bit of luck as well as they headed into their big rivalry game with New Jersey the next week. CHICAGO 14 OHIO 24 One of the bigger divisional games this week featured a major comeback as Chicago lept out to a 14-0 in the 2nd, only to be totally dominated by the Glory in the second half. Kerry Collins threw 3 TDs and 160 of his 225 yards in the second half as the tenor of the game did a complete 180 after the break. Michael Turner had a strong first half, with 73, yards, but gained only another 30 in the second, while Eddie George was bottled up for the first 30 minutes, gaining only 27 yards, and then was unstoppable in the second, adding 86 yards to finish with 113 as Ohio gets the home win. DENVER 9 TEXAS 27 Denver looked to be the better team on paper, but their offense was held in check all game, and by the time they woke up Texas already had a 27-0 lead. A big day for T.J. Duckett, one of many this year, as he rushes for 129, while Ike Hilliard, perhaps stinging from the commentary he saw last week, went for 8 catches, 90 yards, and 2 scores against the Gold as Texas moves to 2-3 on the year. JACKSONVILLE 10 ATLANTA 21 Atlanta gets their first win in the Georgia Dome as they surprise the Jacksonville Bulls with an effective run game. Kevin Faulk and Rod Smart combined for 181 yards as the Fire controlled the clock and the game. The Bulls looked sluggish, with Antowain Smith limited to only 57 yards rushing and Jake Delhomme unable to get the club to the red zone. Atlanta’s 2nd win puts them clearly ahead in the battle of the two expansion clubs, as St. Louis has yet to secure their first win. NEW ORLEANS 27 MEMPHIS 9 Memphis continues to struggle without Heath Shuler, and New Orleans gets their 3rd win of the year, but first on the road, by upending the Showboats in Memphis. Troy Davis rushed for 120 yards on 17 carries, and Chris Perry added another 44 as the Breakers dominated the game on both sides of the ball. Mike McMahon was pulled at halftime, but Ken Dorsey would fare no better and Memphis would lose their 4th in a row. SEATTLE 17 HOUSTON 10 A rare home dud for the Houston Gambler offense, as Seattle picked off Matt Hasselbeck three times. Byron Leftwich hit Jeramy Stevens and David Boston for scores as the Dragons built up a 17-3 lead and then held on to take the game in NRG Stadium. ARIZONA 42 TAMPA BAY 28 At times it seemed like everything that could go wrong did go wrong as the Bandits were manhandled by the Arizona Wranglers. Stanley Pritchett rushed for 93 yards, including a 39-yard TD scamper, as the Wranglers scored in just about every way possible in this one. Jake Plummer hit 9 different receivers on the day, and threw TDs to Santana Moss and rookie Domenic Hixon as the Wranglers steamrolled the Bandits in Tampa. LAS VEGAS 10 PITTSBURGH 7 Steve McNair got his first start for the Thunder, but the game felt very much like those won during Henry Burris’s tenure. McNair would complete 23 of 36 passe, but it was the defense that came up the biggest, holding Terrell Davis to 78 yards rushing and stopping Pittsburgh on 12 of 16 third downs to snag another low-scoring win, and moving to a surprising 4-1 on the season. ST. LOUIS 13 OAKLAND 37 Quincy Carter continues to struggle, sacked 6 times by the Invaders, as Oakland dominates the Skyhawks. Trent Green goes 16/28 for 238 and the combo of Fargas and Williams combine for 101 yards rushing as Oakland adds 2 TDs in the 3rd to turn a 16-6 advantage into a 30-6 gap. The one bright spot for St. Louis was WR Taylor Jacobs, who caught 4 balls for 146 yards. BALTIMORE 16 NASHVILLE 26 Big trouble for Baltimore as Big Ben goes down in the first quarter. Alex Van pelt comes on but is clearly rusty. Meanwhile, Nashville gets 122 from Frank Gore to outpace the Blitz and move their record to 2-3. Michael Barrow made his presence known as a former Federal with no love for Baltimore, recording a 32-yard pick six in the third quarter, Nashville’s first TD of the day. LOS ANGELES 26 ORLANDO 21 Orlando is playing teams tough, but falls to 1-3-1 as Cade McNown connects with Tory Holt for a 72-yard TD in the 4th to pull out the win on the road. Sedrick Irvin and Anthony Davis combine for 124 yards, but DeShaun Foster and Maurice Jones-Drew match them with 121 yards on the ground as LA stays in a 3-way tie atop the Pacific at 4-1. MICHIGAN 21 BOSTON 45 An ugly game for the Panther D as Boston gains 537 yards in this one, 489 off of the arm of Drew Bledsoe, as three different Boston receivers top 100 yards (Ochocinco 176 with 2 TDs, Jurevicius 126, and TE Whalen with 111). Drew Brees went 28/39 for 351 and 3 TDs but simply could not keep up with Boston’s offensive explosiveness. BIRMINGHAM 19 NEW JERSEY 30 New Jersey used some home cooking and 134 yards rushing from Enis and Jackson to take on the Stallions’ defense in this one. It was 19-13 Birmingham after 3, but the D-line started to tire, and the New Jersey run game did the rest, outscoring Birmingham 17-0 in the final period to take the win. Five weeks in and the stories of 2006 are beginning to take shape. Six divisions, each with different strengths, weaknesses, and internal battles. Dominant or Declining, bunched or spread out, each division is a microcosm of the league as a whole, with teams seeking to pull away, while others hope to just hold on. Here is our look, five weeks in, at the six divisions and what we might expect over the next 9 weeks. The Surprising South Amazing what one injury can do to a season. This year was expected to be a battle between Nashville and Memphis, and yet the car accident that cost Heath Shuler the year, and may prove to be career ending, has thrown the division into turmoil. Add to the unanticipated mix the fact that Nashville got off to a very slow start while both Birmingham and New Orleans have surprised over the course of the league’s first month. There is still time, of course, for Nashville to right the ship and take control of a division that most picked them to win, but as long as Birmingham and the Breakers keep overdelivering on preseason expectations, this division could stay tight. New Orleans has their final home-away-from-home game in the South as they play in Houston this week, and then the entire operation relocates to Portland for the rest of the season. How Coach Nolan and the Breakers deal with that move will go a long way in determining if the Breakers can make a run or will fade back into the pack as the season moves forward. We still like Nashville, as the known entity, to take this division, but the Shuler injury and the stubbornness of both Birmingham and New Orleans have made it interesting. The Prolific Pacific This is something we absolutely did not anticipate, that it would be the Pacific Division with the best overall record in the league, with 3 clubs at 4-1 and the Invaders sitting a game back at 3-2. We did not expect anything like this from Las Vegas, and are still somewhat stunne that they have won 4 games despite scoring only 77 points all season. Seattle is better than anticipated, moving to 4-1 with another win this week, and the LA Express have come together quickly under Coach Hue Jackson. That is all bad news for last year’s champion, Oakland, who had been picked by many to win the division. They will need to up their game and stay healthy as they find themselves in a suddenly very demanding division. The Split Central More than any other division, the Central appears to be a story of the Haves and Have-Nots. Ohio, Michigan, and Chicago are the haves, as they were last year, while winless Pittsburgh and expansion St. Louis are the clear Have Nots. Ohio is doing it with offense, as expected, Chicago with defense, though their squad does not seem as dominant as in the past, and Michigan we cannot figure out. Their 122 points given up is not a good number at all, and their lack of a run game continues to be an issue, but all three clubs should feast on the weak sisters and all three could easily qualify for the playoffs. Meanwhile, this week’s matchup between St. Louis and Pittsburgh could be an early sign of whether or not the Maulers have any life in them or may need to undergo a full roster rebuild next year. The Similar Southwest Bunched up at 3-2 or 2-3 it is very hard to tell if any of the teams in the Southwest are actually better than mediocre or any worse than average. Texas is winning with defense, but lacks explosiveness on offense. Houston has the ability to score through the air, but their run game is lacking. Arizona seems to be somewhat bipolar, dominating one week and rolling over the next, and Denver is clearly going through some growing pains, trying to find a run game without Rod Smart and breaking in a rookie QB. Can any of these teams string together 3-4 wins in a row to take control of the division, or will we be looking at an 8-6, 7-7, 6-8 cluster come Week 14. The Knockout Northeast We called this the toughest division in our preseason report, and we have seen nothing to show us otherwise. Washington, last year’s champions, are in last place at 2-3, and while New Jersey have taken the early lead at 4-1, this feels very much like a division that will battle it out to the end. This, along with the Central, feels like another division where 3 of 5 teams could make the postseason, if they don’t knock each other out along the way with their 8-divisional game schedule. Baltimore seems to be the weak link, and will struggle without Ben Roethlisberger in the next 2-3 weeks, but it is hard to guess which club will get hot and make a run to pull away. Perhaps none will. The Slugfest Southeast Of all the divisions in the league, this one is the only one where we can see a 2-team race as the central story. Jacksonville and Tampa Bay are the clear favorites here, but the Bulls have already let a game slip to Atlanta, and the Fire are only 1 game below .500, and could equal their projected win total after only 6 weeks with a victory this week. Orlando is having trouble on both sides of the ball, and yet seem to play every team very tough each week. Tampa Bay clearly has the best offense in the bunch, scoring 37 more points than the nearest rival, but their defense has been the worst in the division, giving up nearly 26 points a game. If they cannot get a handle on that, the Bulls could prove to be a more formidable opponent come the end of the year. A bad week around the league as Tampa Bay and Atlanta both lose a key starter to IR, and several other teams are looking at lead players now missing a month or more. We all saw the injury to Ben Roethlisberger in Baltimore, and while the initial report was scary, it does appear that there was no ligament damage to Big Ben’s ankle. He could potentially play with a light brace on the ankle in 2 weeks, which gives Baltimore some hope. Tampa Bay had a big loss this week as a neck injury to MLB Keith Mitchell means the veteran who is often among league leaders in tackles is now lost for the season. Mitchell will need to isolate the neck for several weeks and then slowly work his way back for 2007. In Atlanta, the clear concern is for guard Gennaro DiNapoli, who broke his tibia in a nasty pileup during the game this week. DiNapoli will need several months to set, heal, and rehab the leg. Not quite as bad for Las Vegas DE Hugh Douglas, though the veteran could miss more than a month with his ankle injury. A similar situation for Chicago DE Simeon Rice, who also injured his leg, though avoiding any ligament damage. Washington’s star wideout Deion Branch landed awkwardly on a leaping catch, and snapped his collarbone. A full break could mean a month or longer on the bench, leaving Washington wondering what options they have. Other injuries that could leave players sidelined for 2 weeks or longer include a disc alignment issue for Orlando center Todd McClure, a deep thigh bruise for Chicago WR Curtis Conway, and a wrist injury for Arizona LB Lance Briggs. Players who are gametime decisions this week include Washington CB Charles Woodson (knee), Jacksonville TE Jeb Putzier (finger) and Houston wideout Antonio Freeman (hamstring.) Stags Chosen as Portland's Spirit Animal The fans have spoken and they have chosen the elk stag as the symbol of Portland's new USFL club. Beating the Grizzlies and Pumas easily, Stags was chosen by nearly 7 of 10 voters in the 2-month long fan vote. The new logo will feature the chest, head, and antlers of the majestic beast, depicted in the Deep Forest Brown, Blaze Orange, and Woodland Buff that was revealed earlier as the color scheme for all three potential mascots. Stags started off with an early lead in the polls, and time did not change it one bit, with the name continuing to gain momentum even after some design elements for each name were leaked. Maybe it is the famous White Stag sign in downtown Portland that inspired fans, maybe the potential to have a truly distinctive wrap-around helmet design with antlers acting much as the NFL Viking's Horns, Eagles' wings, or Chargers' bolts. With the announcement that the Stags would begin play in Portland in 2008, the club officially revealed the full logo and uniform design for the team, with t-shirts and other memorabilia expected in stores within 2 weeks. In addition to the three color primary logo, the Stags released two secondary logos and a wordmark. The 2nd logo is a football formed by two antlers, with laces down the middle. The third is a replica of the famous stag neon sign in downtown Portland, once an advertisement for White Stag Sportswear. Finally, the wordmark features "Stags" in an upward rising script, and linked at the top to a bold font "Portland". The helmet, as many had hoped, and as the earlier image leak from Reebok seemed to confirm, features two large antlers, one occupying each half of the shell, much in the vein of the St. Louis Rams or Minnesota Vikings. The helmet and mask are both Deep Forest Brown, with the antlers in white and buff, outlined in both brown and orange. In this way the Stags join a tradition of innovative helmets that began with the Breakers and Panthers in 1983, and continues with bold designs across the league. The uniform, seen in full for the first time, features a brown shoulder yoke, outlined in golden antlers that wrap from front to back (turning to a thin piping along the back). The dark jersey is brown, which highlights the antlers, while the white jersey has the more obvious yoke. Both jerseys have no additional logos, save for the script "Stags" wordmark on the chest. The numbers are brown with a gold outline on the white jersey, white with brown and gold outlines on the dark jersey. There are two pant options, gold and brown. Both feature the primary logo on each hip and a 3-stripe horizontal stripe on each thigh. The socks have a brown upper calf, with a thin orange stripe separating the brown form the white base. We expect the brown pants to pair with the white jersey and the gold pants to be used equally with the white and brown jerseys. A strong look and a unique color palette for Portland's team. And now, with the team revealed, we wait for the club to be staffed, a coach to be named, and a roster to be drafted. But first, we wait to see what other franchise will join Portland and become the 28th USFL franchise. More news on that is expected soon. For those who are interested, you can see the designs for the Grizzlies and Pumas through the links for each on Imgur. Week 6 brings us some big games across the divisions as we start reaching the mid-season push. Eight of 13 games are divisional pairings this week, so a lot on the line. Among the bigger games this week we have New Jersey @ Philadelphia as the Stars hope to gain ground on first place New Jersey. Birmingham battles New Orleans in Houston for what would be a surprising first place position for both teams. Las Vegas is in LA to take on the Express, with both clubs a surprising 4-1, and the winner guaranteed a share of first place. Ohio is in Michigan for another Central Division showdown. The Panthers are a game back of the Glory, so a win here could be essential for their division title hopes. Texas travels to Arizona, with both teams hoping to even their records at 3-3 with a win. Tampa Bay is in Orlando, where the Bandits hope a win helps them take control of the Southeast. Washington has their first matchup against Boston in the Northeast. Finally, speaking about needing a win, we have 0-5 St. Louis traveling to 0-5 Pittsburgh. If the Maulers cannot win here, we may see a total housecleaning by Coach Rivera. St. Louis also sees this as a must-win game against a foe who may be the closest to their talent level all season. Among the inter-divisional and inter-conference games we also have some good matchups, with Nashville testing themselves against Houston, Denver headed to Chicago, Seattle headed coast to coast to take on a weakened Baltimore squad without Ben Roethlisberger, and Jacksonville is in Oakland in a battle of 3-2 clubs who cannot afford to fall behind in their divisions. Finally, Atlanta could reach 3-3 if they too can take advantage of Memphis’s unfortunate QB situation. The Fire take on the Showboats, and Ken Dorsey is expected to get the start for Memphis after some rough outings for Mike McMahon.

It was quite a week for those who want drama in their football. We had three games go to overtime, and four more with a margin of victory of 3 points or less. Not every game was extremely close, but there certainly were enough last minute heroics to keep fans glued to the ESPN Football Network’s split screen highlights as games across the country on both Saturday and Sunday provided a lot of late game drama. We begin with a surprisingly close game between expansion Atlanta and the Tampa Bay Bandits, then will look at overtime matchups between the Generals and Breakers and the Renegades and Stars, before moving on to some close calls and fantastic finishes. ATLANTA 19 TAMPA BAY 22 OVERTIME The Atlanta Fire may be an expansion club, with a 1-3 record anticipated of a new franchise, but they are no cupcake. Tampa Bay found that out this week when the Fire took the game into overtime before the homestanding Bandits could pull out their third win. Atlanta got 116 yards rushing from their duo of Kevin Faulk and Rod Smart and put a real scare into the division-leading Bandits. The game started comfortably enough for the Bandits, as they took the opening kickoff and drove deep into Atlanta territory before settling for a Nate Kaeding 39-yard field goal to open scoring, but from that point on nothing was easy. Atlanta responded to the Bandits later in the first quarter, when, following a tipped ball at the line, CB Aaron Beasley, one of the more veteran Fire defenders, snagged the ball and set up Atlanta deep in Bandit territory. Six plays later Rod smart was running the ball in from the 1 and the Fire were on top. “No worries” thought Tampa Bay fans, one fluke play led to a short field and an Atlanta score, but now the Bandits would take control. They did not. After a three-and-out, Atlanta got the ball back, and proceeded to march the ball down the field without a lot of resistance from Tampa Bay’s defense. When Jeff Lewis hit slot receiver Dante Hall with a 20-yard touchdown, the game got very real for the folks at Raymond James Stadium. Josh Scobee would doink the extra point, a point Atlanta certainly could have used later, but the Fire were still up 13-3 on the defending division champs. Tampa Bay fought back, first on defense, snagging a safety 6 minutes later, when Atlanta was called for holding while backed up on their own 2-yard line. That safety led to Tampa Bay getting the ball on their own 47, and in just a few plays the Bandits were back in the game, with Culpepper hitting HB Willis McGahee for a 23-yard touchdown pass to pull within 13-12. That was the score at the half, but no one was confident that the game was back in Tampa Bay’s hands. The Atlanta defense had proven itself capable in the first half, and that was certainly the story in the third quarter as neither team was able to put points on the board. Tampa Bay failed to convert third downs on two straight drives, while Atlanta staggered a bit when QB Jeff Lewis was knocked out of the game and inexperienced David Garrard was called into action. Garrard would need most of the quarter to get his feet under him, but he was able to lead Atlanta to a field goal 4 minutes into the final period, increasing the Fire lead to 4 points. Tampa Bay needed a big play, and with one of the best big play offenses in the league, they found it. Daunte Culpepper used a pump fake to force the corner to respect a hook route by Randy Moss, and by the time he recovered, Moss had 2 yards on him. The rainbow throw was perfect and Moss had himself a 50-yard TD to put the Bandits back up by 3 with only 1:55 left to play. Surely the Fire would now fold under the pressure. Not quite. David Garrard, perhaps more comfortable with the limited 2-minute playbook, connected on 3 of 4 passes, and got the Fire in range for Josh Scobee to attempt a very difficult 56-yard kick. The ball went right down the center, just barely gliding above the crossbar with 14 seconds left in the game and we had overtime. Garrard, who had gone only 6 of 17 since coming in for Lewis, had done enough to get the game to extra time, but in the extra period he was unable to connect on a third and 7 play, giving up Atlanta’s advantage of first possession. Tampa Bay would not give the Fire another chance. Culpepper led the Bandits into Atlanta territory, and Nate Kaeding did the rest, kicking the Bandits to their 3rd win in 4 games, and putting an end to Atlanta’s hopes for a major divisional upset. A tough loss for the Fire, but one that shows just how much moxie this expansion team brings to each game. NEW JERSEY 13 NEW ORLEANS 16 OVERTIME There must be something about the home-away-from-home games. Facing unbeaten New Jersey in a game hosted in Memphis, New Orleans again pulled off an upset. After knocking of Nashville in a game played in Birmingham, the Breakers now upset New Jersey in another road “home” game. Kudos to Coach Nolan, and to Eli Manning, who went 30 of 46 for 302 yards. Manning did not panic when New Jersey scored 10 points in the 4th quarter to send the game to overtime. He led the Breakers on a drive that would provide David Green with an easy 23-yard game winner as New Orleans, now 2-2, moves to 2-0 at “home”. ORLANDO 17 PHILADELPHIA 17 OVERTIME Our third overtime game did not have a happy ending for either team as both the Stars and ‘Gades struggled to put points on the board all game, and that did not change with an extra 15 minutes. Mike Nugent missed on the only FG attempt in the extra period, a 51-yarder that got caught in the swirling winds in Lincoln Financial Field. Despite 142 yards rushing from Ahman Green, the Stars simply could not shake the Renegades, who got 126 on the ground from their combo of Sedric Irvin and Anthony Davis. A tie means both slip a half game further back in their divisions. NASHVILLE 13 BIRMINGHAM 14 No overtime in Legion Field, just a razor thin margin once again for a Stallion club that somehow has reached 3-1 despite having an offense that is just not getting much done. It was again the Stallion defense that came up big, limiting Frank Gore to 71 yards on 23 carries (3.2 YPC) and which kept Todd Collins uncomfortable all game long. LB Chris Daft was the hero of the day with 6 tackles, 1sack, a pick, and a defensive TD as he helped Birmingham reach 14 points despite only gaining 220 yards on offense all game. MICHIGAN 27 OAKLAND 24 A very entertaining game in Oakland as the Panthers and Invaders both celebrated HOF nominee Bobby Hebert. Hebert, who was on hand to be recognized at halftime, got to watch Drew Brees throw for 292 and 3 touchdowns for the Panthers as he connected all three times with his favorite target, Hines Ward (8 catches, 124 yards and 3 scores). Rookie Greg Jennings was Trent Green’s favorite target, but in the end Oakland fell as Ward’s final touchdown was followed only 17 seconds later by a Matt Prater field goal as Coach Mornhinweg opted for a surprise onside kick late in regulation and it paid off for the Panthers. BOSTON 29 DENVER 28 A rare home loss for the Gold as Boston got one miracle play from their backup QB to take the win. With Bledsoe knocked out in the 4th quarter, Adrian McPherson had struggled to move the Boston offense, but, down 28-22 with time waning, McPherson uncorked a deep ball to Joe Jurevicius, and the big Cannon receiver outdueled the DB’s to bring it in for a 73-yard TD. Denver could not recover, and when Jeff Wilkens missed on a late FG attempt, the visiting Cannons got the win. WASHINGTON 13 BALTIMORE 16 Typical of Federal-Blitz games, defense was the order of the day in Baltimore as neither team was able to get into the endzone until the waning minutes of the third quarter. Ron Dayne put Baltimore on top to stay with a 9-yard TD run and the Blitz D did the rest to hold on and even the record of both teams at 2-2. TEXAS 6 LAS VEGAS 9 We are still not sure if what we saw in Las Vegas was quality defensive football or simply offensive ineptitude. In a gametime decision Coach Glanville stuck with Henry Burris once again, but Burris struggled all day to make plays. He would throw for only 122 yards, which was actually 40 yards more than Texas backup Chris Simms’s 84 total passing yards. Neither offense seemed capable of doing much, and only 2 Outlaw turnovers eventually gave the war of field goals to the Thunder. OHIO 27 ST. LOUIS 14 The Glory took the W in their first game against new divisional foe, St. Louis. Eddie George feasted on St. Louis’s shaky run defense, averaging 5.4 YPC on his way to 178 yards. It was 27-0 until the 4th quarter, when backup Chris Redman came in, along with a lot of defensive backups, and St. Louis was finally able to get on the board. Ohio moves to 3-1 atop the Central, while St. Louis joins the Maulers as the only winless clubs in the league. ARIZONA 25 SEATTLE 35 A 3-point game until a late Darren Sproles TD run gave the advantage to the Dragons in an entertaining game. Jake Plummer threw for 239 and 2 scores, while Byron Leftwich topped him, throwing for 331, but throwing 2 picks. Corey Dillon helped bail out the Dragons, rushing for 122 and 3 scores on the day to help Seattle retain a claim on 1st place in the Pacific. MEMPHIS 13 JACKSONVILLE 31 Mike McMahon continued to struggle for the Showboats, throwing 5 picks against a very feisty Bulls’ defense. Antowain Smith outrushed Cadillac Williams 122-113 as both teams found success on the ground, but with Jake Delhomme simply not making the mistakes that McMahon did, it was an easy win for the 3-1 Bulls. PITTSBURGH 14 CHICAGO 24 The Maulers again played hard, but again to no avail, falling to 0-4 in Chicago. Michael Turner (69) and Maurice Clarett (47) combined for 116 yards rushing, and rookie TE Anthony Fasano again proved a valuable red zone target, hauling in his 2nd TD in the past two games for the Machine. HOUSTON 14 LOS ANGELES 34 A bad loss for the Gamblers as Cade McNown survived 6 sacks without turning the ball over and the combo of Maurice Jones-Drew and DeShaun Foster ran for 135 yards and 3 scores. Houston was hurt by sloppy play, including 3 turnovers and 9 penalties for 76 yards as the Express frustrated Gambler efforts all game long. The win moves LA to 3-1 and a share of first with the Dragons, while Houston drops their first game of the year. First Quarter Rookie Report Four weeks in, and while a lot of rookies are still hoping to see the field, there are certainly plenty making an impact. Here is our Top 5 rookie performers ¼ of the way through the USFL season. LB A.J. Hawk, Las Vegas: Along with fellow rookie Haloti Ngata, a lot was expected of Hawk coming into the Thunder defensive starters, and he has largely delivered. With 2 sacks (one a safety) and 20 tackles so far this year, the numbers may not be staggering, but the Thunder defense is one of the stories of the year this year, and a lot of credit goes to Hawk and the LB corps. HB Maurice Jones-Drew, Los Angeles: The plan to provide more rest to DeShaun Foster and mix up the run game a bit has been a big success for the Express. Jones-Drew has a shiftiness and ability to avoid tackles that is very distinct from Foster’s style. So far, those abilities have allowed him to rush for 3 scores and catch 6 passes for 157 and another score. Not bad for a pick initially panned by LA fans who wanted the Express to go after USC’s Reggie Bush, not UCLA’s less-heralded MJD. FS Darnell Bing, LA: Another LA success story, as Bing has stepped in at Free Safety and made a good first impression. He has 28 tackles, a sack and a pick in 4 games, and, most importantly, has helped the Express get off to a 3-1 start by keeping receivers from busting open some big plays against a secondary that was prone to mental errors last season. WR Greg Jennings, Oakland: An early ROTY candidate, Jennings has been impressive in his ability to get open and sit down in empty spots in the zone. He has 20 receptions for 317 yards and 2 scores in his first 4 games, becoming a quick favorite for QB Trent Green. QB Matt Leinart, Denver: Not a big surprise, Leinart was handed the keys to the Denver offense and Coach Jauron has been trying to put him in winnable situations. Denver is 2-2, but Leinart has not been the issue. His numbers are very strong after 4 weeks, with 1,104 yards passing and 6 TDs over his first month. Yes, he occasionally misreads defenses, and is susceptible to pressure, but what rookie isn’t? So far, so good in Denver for a transition year and for this rookie QB. Philadelphia Wideout Woes The Stars may have eked out a tie with the Renegades this week, but even that unsatisfying result came at a price. Philadelphia lost two of the top thre receivers in the game, and while neither injury will cost the players more than 1-3 weeks, it leaves Philadelphia short-handed for a vital stretch of their season. Both slot receiver Roddy White (neck) and flanker Amani Toomer (hamstring) went out in the game against the Renegades, and both could miss a stretch that has the Stars playing at Washington, home to new Jersey, and then at Tampa Bay. Not that there is ever a good time to have two top receivers on your roster out, but these three games will certainly be a challenge for Kurt Warner without Toomer and White available. Add to this the absence of HB Cedric Cobbs and the Stars are struggling on offense. They scored only 3 points against Denver a week ago, and were not able to put away Orlando this week. Exect to see Charles Lee lined up outside in Toomer’s spot, and either Edward Stinnett or Rasheed Marshall in the slot, but we should also expect to see the Stars use a lot of 2-tight end formations with Roland Williams and Dallas Clark, both capable receivers, on the field at the same time. We should also expect that they may try to incorporate more big personnel formations into their plan against New Jersey this week, with fullback Terry Alexander lining up along with Ahman Green, both tight ends and only Steve Smith on the field. Against Washington’s tough defense this week, and New Jersey’s front seven the week after, Philadelphia will have to find a way to control the line of scrimmage and avoid 3rd and long because their multiple receiver sets are going to be an issue. A Quick Look at Squads in Trouble As we enter the 2nd quarter of the season, it seems clear that there are some squads, and by this we mean subsets of team rosters, that are in need of major support or upgrades if their clubs hope to pull out more wins this year, or to compete come playoff time. We will take a look at the bottom 3 clubs in terms of passing and rushing offense, and pass and run defense, and make a few suggestions on what they might do to improve their status. PASSING OFFENSE 24. Birmingham 131.5 Yards per game 23. Texas 149.3 Yards per game 22. Washington 151.5 Yards per game No surprise that Birmingham has the worst passing offense in the league. Jason Campbell has struggled in his 2 years in the USFL and the retirement of Lawrence Dawsey has not helped the Stallion receiving corps. Our suggestion here is to focus on the run game, get Alexander the ball 25 times a game and then focus on play action off of the run. For Texas, the issue is the receiving corps. Ike Hilliard is just not a true #1, and while Freddie Solomon has had moments, he is also not a major threat. Texas should consider working a trade to bring in a quality receiver and shift Hilliard to the #2 spot. As for Washington, we are at a loss here. Stewart is solid at QB, though his protection has been a bit shaky, and the combination of Deion Branch and Bobby Engram should be producing better results than we have seen so far. RUSHING OFFENSE 24. St. Louis 59.2 Yards per game 23. Las Vegas 66.2 Yards per game 22. Denver 72.2 Yards per game The only shocker here is the Denver Gold. Coach Jauron has preached the run game since arriving in Denver, and they have always found success with a tandem backfield, but this year, with Cedric Benson as the clear lead back, the yards have just not come. Benson is averaging a miserable 2.4 yards per carry, and that is not nearly enough to support the Gold’s offensive scheme. We knew Las Vegas would struggle to run the ball, and it appears that this week they are again rotating backs, with Julius Jones now listed as the starter over Dominic Rhodes, but is that enough to really get better results? Finally, St. Louis took a shot on Larry Johnson as a player whose college career promised more than he has provided in his short USFL career. So far, while Johnson is averaging 3.9 yards per carry, he is not making the plays needed for St. Louis to fully trust in the run game, and so they are giving him only about 10-11 carries a game. They have to commit to a run game as part of their offense or they become too easy to scheme against. PASS DEFENSE 24. Baltimore 284 Yards per game 23. Boston 268 Yards per game 22. Los Angeles 250 Yards per game In all honestly, none of these numbers are horrible. We don’t have anyone allowing 300+ yards, but these are the three lowest at the moment. Baltimore’s number makes sense. Their run defense has been very solid this year, so teams are forced to pass. Boston has issues to address. They, like their model, Ohio, have always been a rush out to a lead kind of team, but that should allow the D to focus on the pass. Right now, they are not good enough to keep teams from staying in games with them. They have 11 sacks as a team, but need to blitz more to keep offenses off balance. As for LA, they are among the league leaders in sacks with 14, but they have been burnt in single coverage when they don’t get to the quarterback. They might consider mixing in a bit more 2-deep zone on passing downs and count on their D-line to create pressure instead of blitzing as much as they do. RUN DEFENSE 24. St. Louis 155 Yards per game 23. Birmingham 154 Yards per game 22. Memphis 135 Yards per game Amazing that Birmingham is among the league leaders in scoring defense with a run defense this porous. Perhaps it is that teams continue to use the run all game because the Stallions are incapable of scoring enough points to build a sizable lead and force teams to go to the pass, but whatever the cause, the Stallions need to lock down the front 7, particularly on early downs, to continue to eke out low-scoring wins. In Memphis the issue is also tied to offense. Without Heath Shuler, the Showboats are falling behind in games early and teams are using the run to close out games. If the Showboats can find some way to improve on offense, the defense will not be on the field nearly as much. And, finally, the expansion Skyhawks. This is not entirely unexpected as they too have trouble falling behind early. Their other issue is that their LB trio of Powell, Greenwood, and Rainier, while good tacklers, are slow, which has made the outside run game very effective against them. The solution, draft for speed, at this position and several others. Not a help this year, but the Skyhawks knew going in that they would have a multiple year roster development plan. We already mentioned the issue with Philadelphia and their receivers, but some other teams are seeing issues as well in key positions. Boston has both London Fletcher (IR) and Greg Ellis (probable-ankle) potentially out of their D for their game this week. Denver just lost DE Ryan Denney for the year with a broken scapula. Houston has both T Mike Pearson and C Brad Meester out for the next 1-2 weeks, and Jacksonville’s secondary will be without SS Keith Lyle and CB Dereck Combs this week. In LA, there is concern that both DE Keneche Udeze and LB Lofa Tatupu will miss this week’s game, with both listed as questionable and considered game time decisions. Still, that has them in a better position than Seattle, who will be without their starting center, Mike Flynn for at least 3 weeks (shoulder), DT Brandon Noble for at least a week (knee), and very likely HB Darrin Sproles (knee), which impairs all three phases of their game. Is the NFL Planning to Plunder? News coming out of this week’s NFL Meetings in New York should be a major concern for the USFL. It seems the NFL is not at all pleased by the recent signings by the USFL of NFL free agent QBs. In the past three years we have seen Daunte Culpepper (2004), Kurt Warner (2005), and Steve McNair (2006) all use NFL free agency to jump at bigger contracts with the spring league. When you add in the draft signings of players like Eli Manning, Matt Leinart, and Jake Cutler, it seems the NFL is feeling the pressure. Sure, they have also had their share of big signings, players like Peyton Manning, Vince Young, Alex Smith and Aaron Rodgers, but it seems the senior league is looking to make things more difficult for the USFL. NFL Owners this week discussed the idea of adjusting both free agency and the salary cap system to allow for greater retention of veteran QB’s and higher rookie contracts for top flight rookie QB’s. It seems the owners feel that a more robust “franchise player” option at the QB position will help them attract and retain signal callers. There is concern in other positions as well, particularly other offensive skill positions like HB and WR, but it seems that with QB still seen as the glamor position in pro football, the ability of the USFL to both develop quarterbacks into household names, and to attract and sign NFL veterans and top rookies has produced a desire to turn the tide. This is, of course, not good news for the USFL. While the two leagues have grown closer together in their overall revenue, attendance, and buying power since the early days of the spring league, the NFL still holds a significant advantage in all three areas. Were they to make greater room to enhance QB compensation, particularly for rookies, the competition could start to skew their way. So, who should be concerned? Well, USFL squads with starting QB’s on their final contract year are the obvious answer. So that means New Jersey (Brady), Atlanta (Lewis), Oakland (Green), LA (McNown), and Nashville (Collins) should be particularly worried. And while Atlanta may be looking to bring in a QB, and both Nashville and Oakland may have alternative plans (Cutler and Harrington in house), none of these clubs want to be forced to compete to retain their veteran starters. The other teams that should feel threatened by a renewed NFL effort to land top QB’s are any team that is hoping to snag a blue chip rookie in the 2007 or 2008 drafts. With players such as LSU’s JaMarcus Russell, Notre Dame’s Brady Quinn, BC’s Matt Ryan, and Delaware’s Joe Flacco all looking like early 1st round picks in the next two drafts, there are plenty of teams in both leagues who are hoping they can be more attractive options for these potential draftees. If the NFL were to adjust their rookie caps, it is possible they could simply make offers too good to refuse, which would impact the USFL significantly. The spring league made a name for itself by signing top college talent, first with Herschel Walker in 1983, but soon after with QB signings like Jim Kelly, Steve Young, Rick Neuheisel, Walter Lewis and others. If the NFL starts both signing and then holding the top QB talent each year, the USFL could see its star power fade, which is certainly not what anyone involved in the league wants to see, especially on the cusp of another expansion draft. Something to monitor for certain over the coming months. Date Set for Decision on 28th USFL Club Speaking of the coming expansion, we have just a hint of news about the 28th club just as the Portland Name the Team contest winds down. We are expecting an announcement on Portland’s identity any day now, but USFL owners have announced that they will be announcing the 4th and final expansion club the week of June 11th, which is just before the final week of the season and the playoff run. Owners are expected to meet that week to review the final results of the financial and logistical viability studies being conducted and we should have our final franchise announced at that time. Here is what we know right now. With Portland being added to the Pacific Division, and with the recent swap of the Central for the Southern Division. The two 5-team divisions in the West are set. The East has 5 teams in the Northeast, thanks to the restructuring of Boston to their geographical home and the expansion Atlanta Fire joining the Southeast. It is believed that regardless of which bidding group wins the 28th team, they too will be joining the Southeast Division along with the Fire and the three Florida-based teams. That makes sense, as all three bids (Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham, and SE Virginia) would be a good natural rivalry for Atlanta, far moreso than for any of the Southern Division teams like Nashville, Birmigham or Memphis. We also know that each bid has its concerns, though we are not sure which bid raises more issues than answers in the eyes of league owners. The Virginia bid has the weakest stadium option, with their plan hinging on a major renovation of the stadium at Norfolk State University. Currently, Price Stadium has a capacity of only 30,000, and like the situation in Las Vegas, would require temporary seating to bring it closer to the 40,000-50,000 range desired before a more permanent addition could be built. While the Hampton Roads (Norfolk, Va Beach) area is attractive in on sense as one of the largest markets in the USA with no major league sports franchise, it is problematic in that it would be one of the locations with the lowest per capita income in the league. Charlotte does not have that problem. A booming banking and commercial center, the city has become a very hot property for both sports (NBA Bobcats, NFL Panthers) and corporate relocation. The only major issue with the Charlotte bid is the concern that Panthers’ owner Jerry Richardson is typically aligned more with the Jerry Jones/Robert Kraft/Daniel Snyder wing of the NFL cabal, meaning the most hostile to cooperation with the USFL rather than competition. While the Charlotte group has been able to obtain an initial agreement to lease the newly-redubbed Bank of America Stadium, the terms are not great, and renewal could be difficult. Finally, there is the Triangle region of Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill. Their stadium issue is not a lack of options, it is a lack of decisiveness. The Triangle Football Group has been hemming and hawing about which of the region’s three major universities will provide the home for their proposed franchise. There is UNC’s Keenan Memorial Stadium (55,000 capacity) which is perhaps the least accessible to the two major urban areas of the triangle, NC State’s Carter-Finley Stadium (57,000 capacity), which is well-situated in Raleigh but would have significant parking and alcohol sale issues, and Duke’s Wallace Wade Stadium, which is smaller at 44,000 capacity, but also the stadium most in need of renovation and expansion of luxury seating. Just why the bidding group has yet to settle on a stadium is still unknown, but there is concern that they have run into roadblocks with all three around the very important issue of alcohol sales, since all three stadia are located on their respective campuses. One of these three bids will be chosen on June 13, at a scheduled leaguewide conference call, but at this point there is no way of knowing which of the three is in the driver’s seat. Perhaps none of them have secured enough votes yet. (You, the fans of “The USFL Lives” will have the chance to be the league owners, weigh the benefits and weaknesses of each bid, and vote on which new city will join the league, when we open our 28th Club Poll as part of the Week 7 Recap. The poll will be open through Week 12 of USFL action and the results will be revealed in Week 13 with the introduction of the 28th franchise.) Our favorite matchup this week is a Saturday Night ESPN clash between the Panthers and the Cannons in Boston. Yes, we also have Chicago at Ohio as Sunday’s big game, but there is something engaging about the Brees-Bledsoe matchup that has us very interested. In addition to the Machine-Glory game, other divisional battles include Philadelphia @ Washington, Denver @ Texas, Jacksonville @ Atlanta, and New Orleans returning to Memphis, where they just played home team against New Jersey, but where they are sure to find a less sympathetic crowd when they are hosted by the Showboats. A nice battle of 3-1 clubs on Sunday afternoon when the Dragons travel to Houston to face the Gamblers. Arizona makes a cross-country flight to face Tampa Bay, and Las Vegas heads north(east) to face the Pittsburgh Maulers, one of only two winless clubs left in the league. The other winless team is St. Louis and they do not have an easy task, heading to Oakland to face the Invaders this week. In other action, Baltimore will be in Nashville, where fans are actively beginning to call for Jay Cutler to get into games. Not a good trend for the 1-3 Knights. Birmingham heads up to New Jersey, hoping their surprising defense can stymie Tom Brady, Terry Glenn, and the Generals. Finally, LA heads down to Florida as they face the Renegades in Orlando.

[ Hi all, a quick note that the Hall of Fame page and the Teams page have been updated with current info. I will be working on the history page this weekend, so expect an update there as well, along with a new poll where you get to be the owners at the league meeting, voting to choose a 28th franchise. Those last 2 updates should be going live in the next week. ] Week three brought us some interesting dynamics across the league. Atlanta got their first win of the year, on the road, against a Summer Bowl favorite at that. Las Vegas and Birmingham moved into first place in their divisions, and both Seattle and Washington were upset at home. Once again the early season is showing us why preseason prognostication is such a dicey business. The USFL appears to be as unpredictable as ever. LAS VEGAS 27 OAKLAND 26 A big road win for the reimagined Las Vegas Thunder as they win their 2nd in a row, scoring the final 9 points of the game to shock the Invaders’ faithful at the Coliseum. Las Vegas trailed most of the game, but came on in the 4th to upend the Invaders and help create a 4-way tie atop the Pacific Division. They did it with Henry Burris at QB, still waiting for Air McNair to make his debut, but they also did it with a defense highlighted by a huge game for rookie LB A.J. Hawk, who got the ball rolling with a safety late in the fourth. In a game that showcased Oakland HB Ricky Williams (111 yards on 21 carries) and rookie WR Greg Jennings (5 catches for 112), it was the rookie LB for the Thunder who made the biggest play of the game and helped rally the Thunder to a win. The game started very much as many expected, with Oakland taking an early lead. They capped off a 9-play 73-yard drive with a 2-yard plunge by Williams and it looked like Oakland was ready to roll. But a funny thing happened on the way to the victory celebration, Las Vegas fought back. Burris, the CFL signing from last March, got his third start after guiding the Thunder to a win last week. He would go on to throw for three scores this week, his first a 44-yard TD toss to a wide open Matthew Hatchette just 1:30 after Oakland had opened scoring. Oakland would have a game on their hands after all. The Invaders would go up again, first with a Joe Nedney field goal, but followed early in the 2nd quarter with Ricky Williams again crashing the party, catching a swing pass from Green and taking it the short distance to the house. The Invaders had a 17-7 lead, but Las Vegas would not go away. On their next possession, Burris again struck gold, finding Hatchette for his second score of the day, a quick slant on the goal line. When Oakland responded with a late field goal, the score was locked at 20-16 Oakland going into the half. The two traded field goals in the third, with Hawk, Will Allen and Hugh Douglas coming up big with stops of the Oakland offense, while Oakland’s D was led by LBs Dan Morgan and Roosevelt Colvin. As the 4th quarter started to wind down, the Invaders added another three and held a 23-19 lead with the clock ticking down to 5 minutes left. After failing to convert on a 3rd and 3, Las Vegas punted to the Invaders, and when the ball trickled out at the 3, the home team was backed up against their own end zone. Coach Glanville, ever the gambler with his defense, called for an inside blitz from both Hawk and Joey Porter. The move worked, and Hawk snagged Trent Green before the largely-immobile QB could get rid of the ball. Las Vegas was within 5 points and would get the ball back on the post-safety free kick. The Thunder would not waste this chance. They got the ball at their own 47, and they needed only 5 plays to get into the end zone. Jason Dunn was the recipient of Burress’s TD with 29 seconds to play, and Las Vegas, was up by 1. They went for 2 to make it a 3-point game, but failed on the PAT. But, the lead had changed and all the Thunder needed to do was hold Oakland out of field goal range. They did just that thanks to a good defensive play from CB Will Allen, breaking up a pass intended for Plaxico Burress. The Thunder were now 2-1, and had a bit of a conundrum to face, stick with Burris after two consecutive wins, or go with the NFL vet, McNair if he was ready to roll in Week 4. LOS ANGELES 24 SEATTLE 19 Rookie HB Maurice Jones-Drew comes up big to help the Express upset the Dragons in Seattle. The diminutive back rushed for only 49 yards on 9 carries but had 2 TDs and had the biggest play of the game, a 32 yard screen pass that helped LA get in range for the winning score. With Cade McNown again having accuracy issues (8 of 22), Jones-Drew and DeShaun Foster helped keep LA in this one. The defense also helped, limiting Corey Dillon to only 46 yards rushing. TAMPA BAY 17 JACKSONVILLE 41 In the big Sunday Night game, Jacksonville picked off Daunte Culpepper 3 times and got 5 sacks on the Tampa QB on their way to a blowout win. After going down 7-0, Jacksonville scored 41 of the next 44 points in the game, with Antowain Smith rushing for 2 scores and FS Eric Brown adding a pick-six to blow out the Bandits in front of nearly 60,000 in Alltell Stadium. MEMPHIS 10 NASHVILLE 31 The Knights get their first win of the year as they used a 134-yard, 2-TD day from Frank Gore to blow past the Memphis Showboats. QB Mike McMahon, making his first start after the Heath Shuler accident, played fairly well (22 of 34 for 211, 1 pick, 1 TD) but the offense as a whole was not enough to keep pace with the Knights, BALTIMORE 13 NEW JERSEY 16 This NE Division clash was all about ball control, and New Jersey got the better of it with Curtin Enis and James Jackson combining for 29 carries and 100 yards. It was 13-9 Baltimore until the final minutes, when Tom Brady hit TE Anthony Becht for a 12-yard go ahead touchdown. The D then shut down Ben Roethlisberger’s 2-minute drive to keep New Jersey unbeaten. ARIZONA 16 HOUSTON 28 Houston’s D sacked Jake Plummer 8 times on the day as Kavika Pittman had his first multiple-sack game of the year. TDs from both Tatum Bell and Mike Anderson helped Houston build a 28-0 lead before Arizona tried to rally late. NEW ORLEANS 18 BIRMINGHAM 24 The Stallions move to 2-1 atop the Southern Division thanks to 2 Joe Horn TDs. On a day when Jason Campbell attempted only 16 passes, and completed only 5, two of them went to Horn for 6 points. The Birmingham D picked off Eli Manning 3 times to help preserve the win despite 119 yards from Troy Davis on the ground for the Breakers. New Orleans outgained Birmingham 424 to 133 but 4 turnovers did them in. PITTSBURGH 10 MICHIGAN 16 The Maulers played Michigan tough, but still fell to 0-3 as two Charlie Batch picks and a fumble by Brandon Jacobs killed a late drive. Michigan was only 2 of 14 on third down, with Drew Brees completing only 8 of 15 passes on the day. Both defenses were dominant in this one with the Maulers sacking Brees 5 times and allowing only a ludicrous 82 total yards of offense to a Panther team that seemed completely out of synch. PHILADELPHIA 3 DENVER 13 Another defensive slugfest, though this one was understandable, with a light snow falling most of the game in Denver and a slick field the result. Ahman Green rushed for 99 yards in the snow, but the Stars were unable to get into the red zone all game against the Gold defense. Matt Leinart connected on one TD pass to Peerless Price, and that was largely the difference in this snowy slugfest. CHICAGO 17 WASHINGTON 3 Chicago finally got their first win as their defense showed up big in Washington. The Machine sacked Kordell Stewart 6 times and limited league leader Deuce McCallister to only 43 yards rushing. While Chicago’s offense was not much better, they did get TDs from Derrick Blaylock and rookie TE Anthony Fasano, and that was enough to move the Machine to 1-2. TEXAS 13 OHIO 20 While hardly an offensive explosion, at least both teams had more than 250 yards of offense in this one. Kerry Collins connected twice with Joey Galloway, who now leads all receives with 5 TDs in 3 weeks. Trent Dilfer was knocked out of the game with a concussion in the 3rd and backup Chris Simms went 9 of 23 in relief as Texas could not mount a comeback in the final period. ATLANTA 20 BOSTON 14 The Fire pull off a major road upset to earn their first win as a new expansion club. Boston fans watched as their 14-7 halftime lead was followed by a scoreless Boston offense in the second half. Atlanta got a Kevin Faulk TD to even the score and then two Josh Scobee field goals were all they needed to pull out their first win. Kevin Faulk finished with 102 yards rushing and the Fire D picked off Drew Bledsoe twice, including a pick on the final Hail Mary play that sealed the win for the Fire. ORLANDO 32 ST. LOUIS 13 The Skyhawks did not fare as well as their expansion partners, falling to 0-3 as Orlando built up a 22-0 halftime lead in The Dome. Sedrick Irvin rushed for 97 yards and Jeff Blake went 22 of 29 against the St. Louis defense to lead Orlando to their first win of the season. Quincy Carter struggled for St. Louis, going 10 of 25, but the run game was worse, with a game total of only 27 yards rushing as a team. Atlanta Wins “Yankee-Dixie Bowl” In what local sports radio in Atlanta have dubbed the Yankee-Dixie Bowl, the Fire got some revenge against Boston for the “theft” of their franchise several years back. The former Fire fell to the current Fire, and fans in the Peach City could not be happier that it was the Cannons who gave their new Fire franchise their first win. It seems odd that the move of the Fire to Boston helped to create a culture of fandom in Atlanta that the Fire themselves were never able to foster in their years of pretty poor play in the city. But, if the departure of the Fire for Boston was what awakened passion for USFL football in the Georgia city, it certainly is in full bloom this year, and particularly in this game. Coach Jay Gruden was quick to dismiss the idea of a budding rivalry with the Cannons, saying “I know the fans see this as a revenge game, at least here in Atlanta, but for us it is a chance to get our first win, and a chance to improve as a team.”. The Fire’s first win was not received well by Bostonians, who took to local sports radio to complain about everything from the receiving corps to the lack of pass rush. They seemed particularly concerned about what was often called a “lack of urgency”, although our favorite comment was from one Boston caller who simply stated that the entire franchise was “Wicked lazy” when it came to preparing for the Fire game. So maybe this is not a division rivalry, but perhaps the Yankee-Dixie Bowl is something that could turn into a new inter-divisional showdown. Birmingham and Las Vegas Surprise Early A quick look at the league standings shows quite a few unexpected results, but none more so than the fast starts that the Las Vegas Thunder and Birmingham Stallions have gotten. Both sit at 2-1 and both are atop or tied for the division lead. And yet, both are doing it in very different ways. While many expected Las Vegas to improve this year, particularly once Steve McNair was adept at the offensive scheme a 2-1 start even before took over as the starter was not anticipated. When the Thunder defeated Atlanta on the second week of the season, that was understandable, but this week's victory over Oakland, in Oakland, has raised some eyebrows. In his 3 starts, Burress has thrown for 6 TDs to only 2 picks and has shown that he can make all the the throws. The Thunder run game remains anemic, with Dominic Rhodes leading all rushers with only 93 yards rushing, a 31-yard per game average. The defense has been a big part of the early success for Las Vegas. While their 320 yards per game allowed is nothing special, putting them in the middle third of the league, their 17 points per game allowed has been essential to their success. Birmingham has also depended on their defense to win their last two games, knocking off Pittsburgh and New Orleans at home. The Stallions, over their first three games, have allowed only 14 points per game on defense. This has been absolutely essential as their offense still lags quite a bit, averaging only 13.7 PPG. Jason Campbell continues to struggle, but whereas Las Vegas has not had an alternative on the ground, Birmingham has found success, with Shaun Alexander rushing for 287 yards in 3 games, a 96 YPG average. It has not always been even, with Alexander gaining 205 of those yards Week 2 against Pittsburgh, but somehow the Stallions have come away with two W's and sit atop what appears to be a wide open (and somewhat weak) Southern Division. Coach Glanville has said that Steve McNair will start this week for the Thunder, while Coach Franchione is sticking with Jason Campbell for now. Both clubs face tough Week 4 tests, with the Stallions traveling to Nashville and the Thunder on the road to face the Outlaws in San Antonio. If either can reach 3-1 this week, that may be an indication that this is more than a quirk of scheduling early in the season. East v. West Last year was a bit of an odd, and somewhat unsettling year when we look at parity within the USFL. While nearly every Eastern Conference club was well above .500 by season end, the West struggled to get teams to the break-even mark. Even with Seattle’s run from 6-8 to a league title, the look was a bad one. This year, at least after 3 weeks, we are seeing a very different pattern. In part this is due to the expansion and swap of the Central Division and the Southern Division. While many had feared that the Central would dominate the entire Western Conference, this has not happened. It appears that we have a bit more parity than perhaps 2005 might have indicated. One place to see this is in the QB ratings across the league after three weeks. The top 4 QBs are all current Western Conference signal callers, although one, Kerry Collins is part of the Central Division’s shift. But with Byron Leftwich and Jake Plummer also starting strong, the West is making a case that it is not the weaker sister to the East. Success in the Summer Bowl will be the ultimate test. We are all aware that Seattle’s win last year was only the second for a Western Division team since 1996 and the 3rd since 1992. That alone has created a perception that the East has more dominance, and when paired by the offensive firepower of teams like Ohio, Boston, and Tampa Bay compared to the more balanced approach, or even defensive-minded style of many Western teams has fueled the perception that the East had more talent and more capacity to win the big games. Whether it is the shift of divisions, the expansion by 2 clubs, or simply a natural leveling over time, it appears, at least in the early going, that the West is going to stand up this year and make the case for their own brand of football as being equally viable as that seen in the East. Memphis Seeks Trade for a QB We knew that it would not be long before we started seeing the Memphis Showboats looking for options. And while there have been no official announcements from Memphis, the process of seeking an alternative at QB, following Heath Shuler’s tragic car accident, have clearly begun in earnest. We are hearing reports from several USFL clubs about Memphis trade inquiries. We have even heard from a few USFL retirees that they have been contacted by the club. Memphis has reached out in earnest trying to find a potential replacement, and while that is certainly not unexpected, it cannot be a positive feeling for currently rostered QB’s Mick McMahon and Ken Dorsey. It appears that Memphis brass have spoken with Oakland about Joey Harrington, but with Trent Green on the last year of his contract and a potential retirement risk, the Invaders seem dead set against a trade of Harrington. A very different situation exists in Las Vegas, where the success of Henry Burris in his first 3 starts this year has made Las Vegas hesitant to trade the CFL vet, even with former NFL All-Pro Steve McNair waiting in the wings. It may be that the Thunder are simply waiting for McNair to be ready, and hoping Burris can continue to play well, thus upping the price Memphis would have to pay to acquire him. Or it could be that the Thunder realize that having two solid QB’s, at least through this season, is a plus. Memphis has apparently also sent initial feelers out to Chicago, Nashville, and Seattle about possible trades for a quarterback. Whether it is Seattle’s young Cody Pickett or Nashville starter Todd Collins, the Showboats seem to be testing every possible option. We even heard from a reliable source that someone from the Showboat organization reached out to former General and Panther Doug Flutie, who came out of retirement once, to see if he was still interested in getting on the field. That ship has apparently sailed, but there may still be options with other recent retirees. With very few options on the Free Agent market, either a trade, or, in desperation, a signing of a CFL free agent are really the only options during the season this year. Looking to our north, the only real prospect out of Canada would be longstanding Montreal Alouettes QB Anthony Calvillo, who is currently unsigned, but expected to renew with the Alouettes. Could Memphis step into those negotiations and outbid the CFL club? And if not, is there a USFL team willing to risk sending a QB to the Showboats, and at what price? The injuries just keep piling up across the league. This week Boston was forced to put their defensive team captain and MLB London Fletcher on IR with a fully torn quad. In Ohio, two players are likely out a month or longer, DT La’Roi Glover with a severe ACL Sprain and G Carlisle Cooper with ribs. St. Louis lost one of their starting safeties to a back injury, as Chidi Iwoma could miss up to 2 months, while Oakland safety Pierson Prioleau is out at least 3 weeks with a fracture in his wrist. Less severe, but still impacting their teams for the next week or two are the injuries Houston center Brad Meester (Collarbone), Express DE Keneche Udeze (arm), Seattle DT Brandon Noble (knee) and Jacksonville LB Lavar Arrington (hamstring). T.J. Houshmanzadeh of New Jersey is listed as doubtful for this week with a hamstring injury, and Texas may have to turn to Chris Simms at QB this week, as Trent Dilfer is also doubtful with a dislocated finger on his throwing hand. Stadium News for Several USFL Clubs Stadium development, refurbishment, or replacement seems like a constant topic in the USFL, in some cases providing teams with new revenue and greater stability, in others an issue of great concern and potential trouble down the road. We have updates from several teams this week as we look around the league. NEW JERSEY: A deal has finally been approved by all three tenants of Giants Stadium to build a new facility just yards away in one of the current parking lots. The new stadium will be home to the Generals in Spring, and the Giants and Jets in the Fall. The planned stadium would be designed as a multiple level bowl, allowing the Giants and Jets to use all 4 levels to seat over 80,000, while giving the Generals the ability to lock down the top level and have a maximum capacity of just under 60,000, which is just about perfect for the franchise based on attendance at Giants Stadium. The teams have an agreement with 360 Architecture, the Rockwell Group and the Meadowlands Development Agency to finalize plans for the new facility, which should break ground in 2007 with a completion date of March 2010, just in time for the Generals to begin play in the 2010 season. OHIO: Not as advanced as the New Jersey talks, but the Ohio Glory are in discussions with the Columbus Crew MLS soccer club and the city of Columbus to expand Crew Stadium. Currently, the soccer-specific stadium has a capacity of only 22,555, but the proposed plans by the Glory would see a major reworking of the facility in the near north of downtown. The redesign would add seating at the lower level and install a second tier on both sidelines as well as both endzones, with open corners connected by walkways. Roofing would be added to both sidelines but would not extend around the entire stadium. The reimagined facility could hold somewhere between 48,000-52,000 seats, a far better option than the current 100,000+ seat Ohio Stadium or the much smaller current Crew Stadium. The sticking point in the talks seems to be the amount of cost shifted to the Glory franchise as opposed to the Crew and to public funding by the city and state. Ohio is in a bit of a unique position in that they have a year-to-year lease with Ohio State University and could, at their choosing, opt to relocate with little to no notice. There has been talk in the past of a possible relocation to Cleveland, and there has also been interest in the greater Canton-Akron area, but the Glory have remained in Columbus since 2005 and would prefer to retain that connection to the state capital if a deal can be made for the dramatic expansion of the Crew Stadium. The Texas Outlaws are hoping to convince the City of San Antonio to make major renovations to the Alamodome. Their goal is not to expand seating (the current capacity of 64,000 is more than ample for the Outlaws), but to expand the corporate support by increasing the number of suites and box seats. The goal is to add an additional 20 luxury suites. So far, the city has been reluctant to endorse the plan or to seek funding through a bond issue. The Dome is only 13 years old, but the Outlaws point to recently completed stadia in other USFL cities as a reason why greater attention to luxury seating is needed. We will continue to track this story as the Outlaws go through the needed steps to seek municipal support. Leaked image Hints at Looks for Portland USFL While the Portland Name the Team contest is only about one week from completion, a recent leak of what appears to be a set of image files from Reebok has sparked new interest in the process. The image, showing three different (partially obscured) images of the designs for the Stags, Pumas, and Grizzlies, cannot be verified by either the USFL club or Reebok, but does appear to be legitimate, based on the watermarks and formatting. The image shows the Portland Pumas design in full, but offers only hints at the Grizzlies and Stags design. What we can say, if these images are legitimate is the following: All three name options will revolve around a Deep Forest Brown helmet and jersey, with blaze orange and Woodland Buff as secondary colors. Pants could be white, brown, or buff, likely with two variants for each club. The Pumas’ design shows a brown jersey with brown yoke outlined by a buff striping, with four claw marks splitting the outline. This motif of the claw mark appears to be repeated on both the pant and shoulder striping, where it differentiates the striping below and above the “claws”. What we can see of the Grizzlies design shows the pants with traditional 5-stripe patterns, which seems to also be the case for the helmet design. The Stags design seems to have the most radical element, a full-helmet decal of antlers that begin at the front bumper and extend to the back of the helmet. The antlers are in white and buff, with brown and orange outlines and a slight 3-d shadowing effect. This would be a daring look for the club, more akin to the Atlanta Fire flames than the primary logo, though clearly the Elk or Stag head logo hints at the importance of antlers to the look. The Stag jerseys also appear to make use of an antler motif. Like the Puma jerseys, they have a brown yoke (brown on brown on the home jersey) and a buff outline, but instead of claw marks the Stag version has the outline also as a set of antlers emerging from the collar and wrapping around both sleeves. The image also seems to indicate that both the Stag and Puma designs come with a secondary logo, and while we cannot see the design, the text of the Grizzly design also indicates a secondary logo. The Stag secondary is a football silhouette formed by two antlers, the Puma design is the cat's head without the chest and back, and the Grizzlies' text describes a paw print design. We are only about 2-3 weeks away from the announcement of the winner of Portland’s Name the Team contest, but this new revelation has fueled a new wave of interest in the contest, with entries jumping over the past 2 days to numbers not seen since the first week of the online contest. We shall see soon enough whether the Stags can maintain the early lead that was announced, or if the Grizzlies or Pumas have overtaken them. Regardless of the results, the Portland USFL Club is anticipating a big rush on team gear as soon as it is released as all three designs have been getting a lot of positive buzz in the Rose City. VOTING IS STILL OPEN ON THE PORTLAND POLL PAGE, BUT WILL CLOSE UPON PUBLICATION OF THE WEEK 4 RECAP. Week 4 brings us fewer divisional games, but there are a few worth highlighting. Birmingham tries to extend their surprising lead in the South as they host the Nashville Knights. Chicago and Pittsburgh clash at Soldier Field, Ohio visits St. Louis, and Washington renews its rivalry with the Baltimore Blitz in the Charm City. In other action, we see Texas visit surprising Las Vegas, Atlanta is in Tampa Bay, Boston travels out to Denver, and the Arizona Wranglers head to Seattle to face the Dragons. Memphis has another tough matchup as they travel to Jacksonville to face the Bulls. Philadelphia hosts the Orlando Renegades, while New Jersey is in Memphis to face the New Orleans Breakers. Reports there are that Memphians have rallied around the Breakers, with more than 38,000 seats sold already. Michigan is in Oakland in the “Bobby Hebert Bowl” and the Houston Gamblers cap it off on Sunday Night as they visit the LA Express.