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Wild Card weekend and we are still reeling from the crazy finish to the year. No one could have expected to go into the playoffs with Boston, Ohio, and New Jersey all MIA. Many predicted LA to win the west, or for Pittsburgh to make a run, but here we are, with quite a few surprise teams in the mix. But how did they do this week? Well, two of four games went to the lower seed, so not that bad all told. Any time a road team can win in the playoffs is a big deal, so for two of the games to go to the visitors is exciting to see. Let’s start our recap with Saturday’s two games, both taking place in humid southern climes. PHILADELPHIA STARS 26 JACKSONVILLE BULLS 23 A muggy June afternoon in Jacksonville saw the Philadelphia Stars facing off against the home town Bulls. Both clubs came into the game at 9-5, and both finished in 2nd place in their divisions. It looked like a pretty even matchup on paper, and it played like a matchup between two equal opponents., coming down to the final seconds to decide it. Jacksonville got solid numbers from their usual performers on offense, with Antowain Smith rushing for 81 yards on 15 carries, Javon Walker and Anquon Boldin teaming up for 123 yards in the air, and Jake Delhomme throwing for 202 yards, with 1 pick and 1 TD. For Philadelphia, the stars also shone, with Ahman Green rushing for 118 and a 6.2 YPC average, Steve Smith hauling in 7 passes for 101 yards and a score, and QB Kurt Warner showing the calm leadership the Stars wanted from him when they signed him away from the NY Giants. He completed 32 of 42 passes for 317 yards, 2 picks but also 2 scores. More importantly, he made good on a two-minute drill that would give the Stars the win. The game was even throughout, with TDs from Boldin, Steve Smith, Antowain Smith, and Marcus Pollard, helping create a 17-17 tie at the half. It was 17-10 Jacksonville with 2:58 to go in the first half, but Kurt Warner displayed his control of the offense and calm demeanor in the 2-minute drill, helping the Stars get the equalizer with just over a minute to play in the half. That cool demeaner would come back again at the end of the game. In the second half, both defenses tightened up their zones and the running lanes. Scoring was limited to only 2 Bulls’ field goals in the 3rd, creating a 23-17 lead as the game entered the final period. Philly would score on a Cedric Cobb dive over the pile form the 2 yard line, but when Mike Nugent doinked the kick off the left upright, it meant that the game was tied at 23, instead of the Stars taking the lead with 13:10 to play. Jacksonville would not be able to score again, as the Stars’ defense, led by LB’s Mike Crawford and Zach Thomas, stuffed the run and got in on some blitzes to disrupt Delhomme. With 2:07 left to play it looked very much like this game could go to overtime, but Philadelphia had one last possession to work with. Kurt Warner connected on consecutive passes with Marcus Pollard, Amani Toomer, and Steve Smith, and then, milking the clock a bit, they had Ahman Green run the ball into the line on 1st and 10 from the Bulls’ 31. He would gain 8 yards, putting the ball at the Jacksonville 23, and setting up Mike Nugent for a 40-yarder on third down as time ticked away. Nugent was good, and with 27 seconds to play, the Stars went up for good. Jacksonville would try a lateral on the kickoff, but ended up with the ball at their own 22, and could not get into range to tie. The Stars come away with the win and advance to face the #1 seed, Chicago, next week. SEATTLE DRAGONS 24 NASHVILLE KNIGHTS 17 A little cooler, but still a bit sticky in Nashville as the visiting Dragons faced off against the Knights in what locals were calling the “St. George Classic” of Knights slaying Dragons. Problem is, for every St. George, there are a lot of crispy fried knights who don’t slay the dragon. In this one, neither tema could slay the run games of their opponent, as both clubs proved that they had what it took to grind out yards and keep drives alive. Rookie of the Year (not official, but we all know it), Frank Gore rushed for 94 yards on 20 carries, a very respectable 4.7 yards per carry. But, on the other side, Corey Dillon did even better, averaging 6.4 yards per carry as he dashed for 102 on 16 carries. And while Todd Collins outgained Byron Leftwich in this one, tossing for 311, including 143 to Bert Emmanuel, he also tossed 2 costly picks, one in the red zone that ended a very promising first half drive. This was another tight game, with Nashville up 14-13 at the half thanks to a 67-yard TD to Bert Emmanuel and an Ahmad Merrit 2-yard run. Seattle had gotten on the board as Byron Leftwich connected with TE Jeramy Stevens in the 1st quarter. Just like the Philly-Jacksonville game, defenses got tougher in the 2nd half, as both clubs struggled to make adjustments. Each team got 3 points in the quarter, bringing the score to 16-27. Once again it looked like a game that could go to overtime, but a poor throw by Collins fell not into the hands of Derrick Mason, but those of CB Marcus Truffant of Seattle. Trufant took the ball down to the Nashville 33 with 2:47 left to play and set up the Dragons with a perfect opportunity to kill clock and win the game. The Dragons did both. Relying on runs by Corey Dillon and short passes to Stevens and HB Darren Sproles to get down to the 4 yard line. From there Byron Leftwich connected with WR O.J. McDuffie for the go-ahead score, and when Sproles caught a sprint out pass from Leftwich for the 2-point PAT, the Dragons were up 7 with 1:23 left on the clock. Nashville would have a chance to come back, and for a while it looked like they might. Collins found Emmanuel for 33 yards on a great 1st down call, and then connected with Reggie Kelly to get the ball into scoring range. Problem was, the Knights needed 6, and on 3 consecutive plays they failed to advance the ball. 4th and 10 from the 23 and Collins looked for his favorite target, Emmanuel, but Seattle was ready for it. FS Chris Hayes defended the pass perfectly and when it hit the turf, the ball went back to the underdog Dragons, 10 point underdogs at the start of the day, but victors in Nashville. The Dragons silence the critics who could not believe that a 6-8 team was worthy of a playoff spot, and now they head off to an even tougher task, facing their division rivals, Oakland, in the next round. MICHIGAN PANTHERS 17 WASHINGTON FEDERALS 27 With two upsets in Saturday’s games, the home teams in both DC and Denver had to be worried, but the Federals had what it took to contain Drew Brees and the Michigan passing attack, contain but not stop. Brees would finish the game with 328 yards passing, but also suffered 6 sacks along the way. Kordell Stewart had a much more modest 227 through the air, but also proved he still had some wheels, rushing 6 times for 33 yards, including a 6 yard TD run on a bootleg. That Stewart TD run was part of a 17-point spurt that started in the 2nd quarter and continued into the 3rd. It took a 14-7 Michigan lead and converted it into a 24-14 Federals advantage. Deion Branch would catch a TD from Stewart in that spurt as well, and with about 23 minutes of action left in the game, the Federals would trust in Deuce McCallister to help shorten the game. Deuce would come through, gaining 73 of his 132 yards after Washington went up by 10. That limited Michigan possessions, and the Washington defense did the rest, holding the Panthers to only 3 second half points. When Washington brought the lead back up to 10 with a Doug Pelfrey 4th quarter field goal, the fans started to celebrate the win. It was a bit premature, but a late sack of Brees on 3rd and 13 sealed the deal for the homestanding Federals. Washington will now go on to face Tampa Bay next week in what should be a very interesting clash of styles. MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS 17 DENVER GOLD 44 This was truly the only game that did not live up to expectations. With Heath Shuler unable to play, Bill Musgrave started his first ever playoff game. Four picks later, he probably wishes he had not had the chance. The scoring actually began with Memphis’s defense, as a ball tipped at the line was snagged by Showboat Tebucky Jones and returned for 6. That was likely the happiest point of the day for Memphis fans as what followed was a 31-7 run by the Gold, including TDs from Rod Smart, Cedric Benson, Lonnie Johnson, and a pick-6 for the Gold from Jamar Fisher. It was 31-14 at the half, and did not get better for Memphis from there, as Denver got a 2nd Rod Smart TD and then just went into clock-killing mode. Memphis was simply unable to overcome the deficit as Denver’s D-line simply played the pass rush game the entire second half, flustering Musgrave and forcing 2 more 2nd half picks. The final was 44-17 and Denver, looking very much like a contender, now moves on to face a very tough Houston squad. Cinderella Seattle the Story of the Week We went into the weekend with several Cinderella stories, including Memphis, Philly, Michigan, and Jacksonville, but none was bigger than Seattle, who clinched a playoff spot on the last week of the year, despite only a 6-8 record in the regular season. Facing the Southern Division Champs in Nashville was supposed to expose the reality that Seattle was not a quality club, but what it showed was that these Dragons can be dangerous. We all remember that Seattle began the year 0-4, despite being picked by many to win the division. They would not capture the division title, which went to 8-6 Oakland, but they did finish the regular season with 3 consecutive wins, and their victory in Nashville may indicate that this Cinderella is ready to shake up the ball. This is very much the roster that went 9-5 and won the Pacific last year, advaincing to the Conference Finals before falling to the Wranglers. They have some big time players on offense with the likes of Corey Dillon, David Boston, and Byron Leftwich. The defense has been an issue this year, finishing 13th in points allowed and 16th in yardage, but there is talent there, including CB Marcus Truffant, who came up big against the Knights. Takeo Spikes and Godfrey Miles are solid at LB, while John Abraham and Travis LaBoy can bring pressure on the line. So, the question is, are the Dragons up to the task of upending division champion Oakland? The Invaders knocked off Seattle twice this season, 31-28 in Week 2 and then again 36-24 in Week 10. Is it midnight and the magic will wear off for Seattle, or can they keep this party going one more week? Atlanta Hires Their Architect The Atlanta Fire have made their hire at Head Coach and they are being aggressive with it. Not only did Atlanta not opt for a coach with a prior resume as the main man, their choice was only recently promoted to OC. This Week the Fire introduced Jay Gruden, the long-time QB coach of the Glory who helped set up Kerry Collins for success, and who was only recently promoted to Offensive Coordinator. It seems clear that Atlanta is looking for an offensive guru, and particularly one who can mentor a young QB. This may be a sign that the Fire are looking at the rookie class and hoping to sign a QB to build around, rather than bringing in a veteran backup to start for the franchise in their first year. Gruden’s pedigree is pretty solid, having played briefly in the NFL before becoming a QB coach, first for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and then the Ohio Glory. He is, of course, brother to NFL Head Coach Jon Gruden, who brought him in with Tampa Bay. Gruden is highly regarded as a QB guru after helping to turn Kerry Collins into a 3-time (possibly 4 this year) MVP in Ohio. He has no prior experience as a head coach, and now, working with GM Jack Bushovsky, the young coach will have to put together a roster that suits the type of offense he wants to run, as well as locate a defensive coordinator who can largely run that side of the ball for the Fire. We expect position coaching hires soon, and then the focus on player acquisition, and that most intriguing position, quarterback, now takes the spotlight. Pittsburgh speaks with Chicago DC Rivera The Maulers have begun their coaching search, obtaining permission to speak with Chicago DC Ron Rivera during the Machine’s bye week. It is well-known that the Maulers are hoping to build a defensive-minded, run-first club under new leadership. Modeling their club after division rival Chicago seems a logical way to go and Rivera is certainly a good hire if they can get him away from the #1 seeded Machine. The Maulers are unable to do more than have a preliminary interview with Rivera until a time when Chicago is no longer in playoff contention, so they will almost certainly be speaking with other candidates over the next few weeks, at least until Chicago has completed their season. But, it seems clear, that if it is possible, the Maulers would like to target the Chicago DC as their preferred candidate. LA meets with Several Coaching Candidates The position in Los Angeles is somewhat more wide open than in Pittsburgh. Leadership in LA has not given the press much to go on as far as the direction they hope to go with a new hire. That said, the three candidates who have already been linked to the Express are a very diverse bunch as well. In addition to speaking with Denver Bronco offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak, who seems unlikely to leave the Broncos at this time, the Express have also sent out feelers to Boston OC Hue Jackson and to recently sacked former Pittsburgh Mauler head coach Jack Bicknell. We suspected Bicknell would get some interest, after all, he is a highly respected coach, and did get Pittsburgh into the playoffs the past 2 seasons before an unanticipated collapse cost him his job in the Steel City this year. We could certainly see LA jumping on Bicknell as a successful coach with USFL experience. Hue Jackson is an intriguing candidate as well. Having helped to craft the Boston offense which got them out of the basement in the Southeast and made them a serious contender with Tampa Bay these past two seasons. Jackson, in Boston, worked with veteran stars like Drew Bledsoe and Tiki Barber, something that may be repeatable with Cade McNown and DeShaun Foster. His offenses, based on the Ohio Glory model, combined inside-out run schemes with mid-range and deep balls to open up the defense. That could be a formula that could work for LA, who have excellent wideouts in Tory Holt and Keyshawn Johnson. Finally, there is Kubiak, who seems something of a longshot, but certainly has the bona fides to merit a shot as a Head Coach. Kubiak, who has served as QB coach in San Francisco and Denver after a brief stint at Texas A&M, was a former QB in the NFL, also with the Broncos. Pursued at one point by the Denver Gold, who hoped to persuade John Elway’s backup to come to the spring to start in Denver, Kubiak never jumped at the chance, and remained in the NFL. A similar situation could be at play here, where it seems very likely that Kubiak will get a shot to be a head coach with Denver in the near future. While it seems unlikely that LA would be able to pull him away from an organization which has done a lot for him, stranger things have happened, and if the timeline for the Broncos is such that a few years as a head man in the USFL would actually improve Kubiak’s standing, that could be a tempting option. Retirement Season Begins with Expected Announcements As we see each year, the first week of the playoffs is also the first week of USFL players announcing their intention to step away from the game and retire. In many cases these are not surprises, and this year, with their season already in shambles, one future HOF player announced several weeks ago that he would be stepping away. It became official this week for Lawrence Dawsey, the long-time Birmingham Stallion wideout who announced his intention to retire several weeks ago. Dawsey held a press conference at Legion Field to thank the fans and the ownership in Birmingham for a long and distinguished career. Two other anticipated retirements also became fact this week as LA loses two defensive starters in former Atlanta Fire LB Mo Lewis and their top cornerback, Aeneas Williams. Both Williams and Lewis turned 35 this season and defensive football can be rough on 35-year old knees, hips, and ankles. Lewis, having played 4 season in Jacksonville, 7 in Atlanta, and then 4 more in LA, leaves the game with 1,238 tackles, 36 sacks and 12 picks. Williams came into the league up the highway in Oakland, where he started 11 games as a rookie in 1991. In 2001, after 10 season in the Bay Area, he came to the arch-rival Express in a move that certainly still stings Oakland fans. He was a 5 year starter in LA and retires with 45 picks over his long career. Pittsburgh also loses two star defenders with announcements this week that LB DeMetrius DuBose and DT Russell Maryland will both not return for the 2006 season, a season expected to be a rebuilding project for a new head coach in the Steel City. DuBose came to Pittsburgh as a rookie in 1993, and has played his entire career with the Maulers, starting 191 of 199 games over the past 13 seasons. He retires as one of the all-time Mauler greats, with 1,391 tackles, 38 sacks, and 15 picks in his career. Russell Maryland came to the Maulers already an established starter in the league, having centered the D-Line for Arizona from 1996-2000. He would come to Pittsburgh via free agency and would start every game for the Maulers from 2001-2005. He ends his 10-year career with 428 tackles, 54 for a loss, and 19 sacks. Known as a space-filler with good upfield push, Maryland was a star at the U. of Miami before coming to the USFL. Finally, one somewhat unexpected announcement this week as Troy Brown, wide receiver for the Ohio Glory, declared his intention to hang up the cleats at the age of 34. Brown came over from the NFL in1997 to play for the Philadelphia Stars, where he would spend 7 seasons. He joined Ohio in 2004 as the anticipated replacement for Chad Ochocinco. In 2 seasons in Ohio Brown had two of his top 3 most productive seasons, including 1,057 yards this past year. He set a personal best with 12 TDs in his first year in Ohio and was expected to once again line up opposite Joey Galloway for the Glory in 2006. But, as is the case with receivers, once they start to feel that they are slowing down, the decision becomes somewhat easier for them to step away. Brown leaves something of a hole in the Glory receiving room, as Galloway will clearly remain the #1 target for Kerry Collins, the #2 may be inherited by 3 year veteran Reche Caldwell, or Ohio could prioritize the position this offseason. Wild Card Squads See Free Agency Hit With their departure from the postseason this week, Michigan, Memphis, Nashville, and Jacksonville now also see several players each join the ranks of free agency. Among those testing the waters this year, we find Panthers Eddie Freeman (DE), Eric Brown (FS0, Enoch Demar (G), Jonathan Wells (HB) and Jeff Smoker (QB). For Memphis the new free agents are FB Casay Kramer, LB Rahim Abdullah, DT Barron Tanner, WR Oronde Gadsden, and kicker David Kimball. Nashville could be saying goodbye to G Todd Rucci and C Matt Birk, two of 5 starting offensive linemen. WR Alex Van Dyke and HB Verron Hayes are also now on the market. And in Jacksonville, the big potential loss is that of SS Bobby Myers. TE Roland Williams, DE Mike Mamula, and lonstanding USFL backup QB Danny Wuerfel is also now a free agent. More Alterations to League Schedule Apparent as Opponent List revealed. This week the USFL revealed the 2006 opponents for each team, and in doing so informed us somewhat unintentionally that the league’s 2006 schedule will be even more altered from the original plan than anticipated. It appears, based on the opponents listed, that the teams in 5-team divisions will not be limited to only 6 divisional games, as originally planned, aligning them with the clubs in 4-team divisions, but that they will, in fact, play each divisional opponent twice. This means that clubs in the Northeast Division (BAL, BOS, NJ, PHI, WSH) and the Central Division (CHI, MGN, OHIO, PIT, STL) will each play 8 divisional games, while all other clubs play 6, essentially home and away series against each divisional foe. In addition to this, the list of opponents also tells us that each team in these 5-team divisions will split their remaining 6 games evenly between inter-divisional play and inter-conference play, with each club facing off against 3 clubs in other divisions from their conference and 3 from the opposite conference. This is very different from the schedule for the 4-club divisions, each of whom will see a greater focus on intra-conference divisional matchups. Each team in the Southeast, South, Southwest, and Pacific divisions will play 6 divisional games, 6 games against foes from the other divisions in their conference, and only 2 inter-conference games. League officials responded to questions about the change in planned opponents by highlighting the complexity of scheduling divisional and intra-conference games when there is an odd number of teams in each conference. With 13 teams per conference in place until the 2008 expansion, the league will play an out-of-balance schedule that emphasizes the divisional rivalries for all clubs, while providing very different out-of-division experiences for each club, depending on the size of their divisional schedule. Among highlights of the opponents list, we obviously have all the divisional games, but in addition to that we can look forward to these games (Home v. Away and dates have not yet been set: The Central Division will now be part of the Western Conference, and the South will move to the Eastern Conference, thus allowing St. Louis to play in the same division as Chicago and Michigan, and allowing for more matchups between teams in the Gulf Coast region and Florida. Chicago will face Houston in a battle of the top 2 playoff seeds in what is now an inter-divisional game. Chicago also plays Denver and LA, while going inter-conference to face Memphis, New Orleans and Washington. Denver has only 2 inter-conference games, against Philadelphia and Boston. Houston also only has 2 inter-conference games, though both games, against Nashville and New Jersey, look like fun matchups. Oakland may just avoid any East Coast flights, as the only team on the Eastern seaboard in their opponent list is Jacksonville. Certainly the Invaders hope that game is in Oakland. Ohio will join the Western Conference to face inter-divisional foes like Texas, Las Vegas, and Arizona, while playing 3 Eastern teams: Jacksonville, Washington, and the New Orleans Breakers. Expansion St. Louis gets to build a rivalry with Chicago, a divisional foe, but also has games against Eastern Division foes New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Orlando. Atlanta will play in the Southeastern Division, with Boston heading up to the very brutal NE Division. Along with SE Division games against the three Florida clubs, Atlanta will play only 2 Western clubs, Seattle and Texas. Atlanta and St. Louis will not play each other in their first seasons, a disappointment to be sure. Boston, relocated to the 5-team NE Division, enters a hornet’s nest where every club finished over .500 this year. They will have home and away series against New Jersey, Baltimore, Philadelphia and Washington. They are scheduled to play only 1 old SE Division foe, Jacksonville, while also playing the new Atlanta club. As for heading West, Boston has 3 western foes: Denver, Michigan, and Oakland. The full schedule is expected to be released prior to the Expansion Draft in November. We likely will see it as soon as late September, as has been the custom these past few years. One week into the 2005 Playoffs and now we are ready for the top seeds to get involved. Four division winners join the fray. Will all four advance, or will a Wild Card jump up and surprise one of the top seeds? As we look at the matchups, there is potential in nearly every game for an upset, but there is also clearly potential for the homestanding favorites to survive and advance to the Conference title game. #5 Philadelphia (9-5) @ #1 Chicago (11-3) Saturday, July 2 @ 3pm ET Soldier Field The Stars and the Machine, two teams that don’t know each other very well, but two teams that have some well-known names on the roster. Chicago comes into the game rested and prepared after finishing the regular season on a 5-game win streak, upending Ohio and Tampa Bay along the way to claim the top seed in the East. Philadelphia had to wait until the final week to lock in a playoff spot, but lost two of their final 3 games before a final week victory at home against New Jersey vaulted them into the postseason. Last week the Stars upset Jacksonville, and while only a 2-point underdog there, they still showed they can win on the road. Philadelphia will try to use Kurt Warner and the passing game to try to soften up Chicago’s vaunted run defense. If they can force Chicago to respect the pass by connecting with Steve Smith, Amani Toomer, and TE Marcus Pollard, there could then be room for Ahman Green to do what he does best, take over games. Chicago lives by their defense, led by Brian Urlacher and 2006 sack champion Anthony Weaver. They will commit to stopping the run, even if that means giving up some yardage in the passing game. Their red zone defense is all but unsolvable, and they count on that to force teams to kick instead of scoring 6. On offense, Chicago will be conservative, feeding the ball to Michael turner and Brian Westbrook. Expect a lot of short passes as well, with Curtis Conway, Donald Driver, and TE Jim Kliensasser keeping the routes short to avoid turnovers or negative plays. Chicago is a 5 point favorite in this one. We think the Machine will get the W, but we are not sure that spread will hold. We would bet on Philly to keep this one within a field goal, but for Chicago to ultimately prevail. #6 Seattle (6-8) @ #2 Oakland (8-6) Saturday, July 2 @ 8pm ET Oakland Coliseum A weird quirk in USFL playoff policy allows for the league to disrupt the usual highest-seed/lowest seed pairing only in cases where aligning the playoff round by division creates two divisional clashes, and while we do not have that in the East, we do in the West. What does that mean? It means that instead of heading to Houston to face the top-seeded Gamblers, the Seattle Dragons travel down the coast to face divisional rival Oakland. Honestly, this may not be doing them much of a favor except on mileage. Oakland defeated the Dragons twice already this year, a modest 3-point win in Seattle, and a pretty one-sided Week 10 win in Oakland. In that game Ricky Williams and Justin Fargas combined for 146 yards, and Trent Green threw for 3 scores. Seattle will need to figure out two things to stand a chance in this one. First, how to spring Corey Dillon against Oakland’s front 7, in both games earlier this year he was held under 50 yards rushing. The second is how to make Oakland one-dimensional. This may require sending Godfrey Miles or Takeo Spikes on run blitzes to contain Williams, the league leader with a 5.0 YPC average. If they can limit the Oakland offense to Trent Green, they can then pressure the immobile QB. If that sounds like a lot, the two games this year show that it is. For Oakland, very much the flipside is true, on offense, they want to mix the run and the pass to keep Seattle’s defense guessing, and they want to use that defense, particularly LB’s Kailee Wong, Roosevelt Colvin, and Dan Morgan to rein in Corey Dillon and force Byron Leftwich to beat them. Seattle played very well last week in Nashville, but we are still not convinced this is a team that can make it further. We like Oakland to win this one and to cover the 5.5 point spread that Las Vegas has for them. It may be a low-scoring affair, though the weather in Oakland should be absolutely beautiful for this evening game. #3 Washington (9-5) @ #2 Tampa Bay (10-4) Sunday, July 3 @ 12pm ET Raymond James Stadium So, here’s the thing. When I say it is Washington v. Tampa Bay, the kneejerk reaction is to assume it is Washington’s D against Tampa Bay’s offense. But, not so fast. This year, Tampa Bay scored only 7 more points all year than the Federals, 338 to 331, but the Bandits gave up only 263 points, the 6th lowest total in the league, while Washington allowed 322, only good enough for 14th best. So, let’s flip the script and talk about that Tampa Bay defense and the Washington offense. The Bandits rely on two things to find defensive success, pass rush pressure and turnovers. They are 2nd in the East with a +19 turnover margin, thanks in large part to 12 interceptions from their starting 4 defensive backs (Samari Rolle leads all defenders with 4 picks) and 6 forced fumbles from CB Chidi Iwoma, who seems to always be swatting at the ball when he tackles a player. The pass rush comes from the two ends, with Santana Dotson leading the team with 13 sacks, while John Copeland is only 2 behind with ll. Washington will have to move Kordell Stewart in the pocket, something he is quite comfortable with, and they will have to be patient. Tampa Bay will try to take away Deion Branch, so Stewart is going to have to find connections with Cedric Tillman and Cam Cleeland. Let’s also not forget that Deuce McCallister is quite capable out of the backfield, with 42 receptions this year. If they can get Deuce running, that will force Tampa Bay to play more zone defense, and that is good for the Federals. Looking at this game, a 3-seed v. a 2-seed, this may be the closest game of the week. Las Vegas gives Tampa Bay only a 2 point edge at home. We think that if there is going to be an upset, it could be this game, so we are going to pick the Federals in what should be a good, tight, hard-hitting game. #4 Denver (9-5) @ #1 Houston (9-5) Sunday, July 3 @ 5pm ET NRG Stadium We have to say that while it is a bit odd, we love seeing the league focus on divisional rivalries even in the playoffs. Denver and Houston have been building quite a good rivalry over the past few years, and this year was perhaps the best yet, with Houston clipping Denver in the Astro Dome in Week 7, and then Denver, admittedly against a Houston squad that had already clinched home field, evening the score in Week 14. Both teams do some things alike. Both depend on their defenses to keep other teams out of scoring range. No bend-but-don’t-break here. There is no bending and no breaking allowed. Denver comes in with the #2 scoring defense, allowing only 18.1 PPG, while Houston is 4th, but only by 0.5 PPG at 18.6. Houston has the #1 passing defense, which also means they end up as the overall #1 in yardage. So, if Denver is going to win, they have to be able to run the ball. Houston does not particularly run the ball well, 21st in the league at only 72.6 YPG. Against Denver’s 2nd rated pass defense, they may have to at least try. We do not see this game reaching 40 total points. It feels like the first team to hit 20 may just win. It should be a close one, unless one of two things happens. If Denver can get their 1-2 punch of Benson and Smart up to around 150 total yards, they could pull away, but if Matt Hasselbeck can connect with Freeman, Williams, and Robinson for 300 or more yards, it could be Houston moving the game out of the 1-score range. Our pick is going to be Houston, but only by 1-3 points in what we see as a close matchup between two teams that pretty much know what the other is capable of and where to hurt them.

This was a season finale that will not soon be forgotten. Preseason favorites ousted, Cinderella stories across the league, amazing performances and shocking results. With 12 teams fighting for 6 playoff spots we knew we were in for something special, and we were not disappointed. There is no way we could pick just one game to focus on this week, so we will go through the weekend in the six timeframes that defined who was in, who was out, and who was left in shock. Saturday 12pm Starts BULLS 28 RENEGADES 23 The Southeast starts the week off, both games having playoff ramifications. In the Regional broadcast, the Bulls spring to a 21-0 lead thanks to two Javon Walker TD’s and a 3-yard Antowain Smith run, but Orlando battles back, making the game close by the end. Jeff Blake threw for 301 yards on 32 of 47 passing as the Renegades showed some moxie in what was a meaningless game for them. Antowain Smith rushed for 112 yards and Jake Delhomme threw for 3 scores, all 3 to Javon Walker, as Jacksonville moves their record to 9-5, but would that be enough for them to make the postseason? They would have to wait and see. CANNONS 14 BANDITS 20 As the Bulls were improving to 9-5, the Bandits and Cannons slugged it out in a surprisingly defensive game. Yes, Chad Ochocinco would finish with 168 yards on 8 receptions, and Willis McGahee would rush for 99 yards and 2 scores for Tampa Bay, but this one was not the explosive shootout we expected. Tampa Bay was able to limit Tiki Barber to only 41 yards on 16 carries, a showing that could cost him the rushing title. They also picked off Bledsoe twice, as the Bandits move to 10-4 and win the Southeastern Division. They would now have to wait to see how other games ended up to see if they would get a bye week with their division title. As for Boston, their fate now depended on the Central and Northeast DIvision games. The right combo and Boston could be the #4 seed, the wrong combination of results and they could be outside looking in. Saturday 4pm Starts WRANGLERS 28 OUTLAWS 18 A forgettable season for both the Outlaws and Wranglers comes to a quiet end in San Antonio. Arizona, a year away from the Summer Bowl suffered through a horrific 3-11 season. The star of this game was one of the few bright spots for Arizona this year, wideout Larry Fitzgerald, who caught 5 passes from Andrew Walter, turning them into 131 yards and 2 scores. Trent Dilfer started for Texas as Jeff Lewis is clearly on the way out in San Antonio. GOLD 32 GAMBLERS 27 In a game that would not alter either team’s playoff position a lot of starters rested, but we still got a good game between these two Southwestern foes. Matt Hasselbeck started for Houston, who apparently thought that the bye week as the top seed was enough rest for the QB. He threw for 262, but also threw 3 picks in an up-and-down performance. Denver started Dereck Anderson to see what the young QB could do. He would complete only 19 of 32 passing, but 3 of those were scoring tosses as he guided the Gold back from a 27-19 deficit in the final quarter to take the win. Both clubs finish at 9-5, but Houston has the better divisional record, so their seeding was never in question. Denver will host a Wild Card game next week, while Houston rests and gets ready to use home field as they take advantage of their top seed. Saturday 8pm Starts STALLIONS 9 BREAKERS 24 Birmingham started Eric Zeier and rested Joe Horn in this one, and while Lawrence Dawsey got a round of applause from the Breaker faithful, it was largely an uneventful final game for the veteran Stallion. New Orleans got the win, thanks in part to 174 yards rushing against the Stallion D. Chris Perry carried the ball 31 times and Troy Davis another 12, as New Orleans ground out the win. They move to 5-8-1, and now wait. If both LA and Seattle lose in their finales tomorrow, New Orleans is in the playoffs despite being 2 ½ games under .500. SHOWBOATS 7 KNIGHTS 24 The first true Title Tilt of the weekend, with the winner claiming the Southern Division and possibly a bye, this one was not the matchup most wanted as Heath Shuler was out for the game, while Todd Collins was playing hurt. The game was not close from the start, with Nashville scoring the first 24 points before Memphis, led by Bill Musgrave, finally got on the board. Musgrave was picked off twice, while Cadillac Williams was held to only 1.9 yards per carry as Nashville’s D was at their best. Rookie HB Frank Gore rushed for 119 and a TD in the win, winning the league rushing title and securing his spot as the Rookie of the Year by helping Nashville claim the South at 8-6. Memphis still qualifies, despite a 6-7-1 record, having clinched before losing their last 2 without Shuler at the helm. Sunday 12pm Starts MACHINE 27 MAULERS 7 A win and the Machine would clinch the #1 seed in the Eastern playoffs. That fact did not elude Chicago as they turned a 7-7 game into a 27-7 route thanks to their dominant defense. Pittsburgh could muster only 8 first downs in the game, and was limited to 201 total yards. Brian Urlacher snagged his 4th pick of the season and the combo of Michael Turner and Brian Westbrook combined for 130 yards as Chicago rolled to the top seed, homefield advantage, and a bye next week. PANTHERS 30 GLORY 24 If anyone still doubted if Michigan’s 2005 record was a fluke, this game dispelled the doubters. The Panthers went toe to toe with the Glory in Columbus and came out on top in perhaps the best game of the day. Kerry Collins threw for 290 yards and 3 scores, but was sacked 7 times as the Ohio offensive line continues to struggle. Drew Brees threw for 280 yards and 4 scores as he had one of the most complete games of his season. Hines Ward caught 2 scores and Michigan won on the scoreboard despite losing the time of possession battle 24:30 to 35:30. The play of the game was a 69-yard TD pass on a third and 3 that silenced the Ohio crowd and got Michigan rocking. The Panthers and Glory finish tied at 9-5 but Michigan leaps over Ohio for 2nd in the Central thanks to a 4-2 division record. Ohio is still in playoff position, but they could get knocked out depending on the night's games in the Northeastern Division, a nervous situation for the Glory to be sure. Sunday 4pm Starts THUNDER 16 DRAGONS 21 Seattle needed the win to lock up the #6 seed in the West, but with a banged up Corey Dillon playing with a sore shoulder, it was not a gimme at home against Las Vegas. To throw Seattle a curve ball, Coach Glanville opted to start former CFL star Henry Burris at QB, giving Seattle something unexpected to deal with. The strategy paid early dividends as Las Vegas took a 13-7 lead into the half, but Seattle rallied behind Byron Leftwich, who connected twice with David Boston to earn the home win, scoring the game winner in the final 1:26 much to the delight of the Seattle crowd. With the win, LA and New Orleans were eliminated and Seattle pulls off the rare feat of making the playoffs after an 0-4 start. EXPRESS 21 INVADERS 38 With their game simultaneous with the LV-SEA game, the Express could scoreboard watch and see that Las Vegas led most of the way against the Dragons, but Oakland needed a win to secure a bye and that is powerful motivation in any league. While LA was scoreboard watching, Oakland turned an early 7-0 deficit into a 17-7 lead thanks to TD catches from Taylor Jacobs and Plaxico Burress. LA fought back with a long bomb from Quincey Carter to Keyshawn Johnson, but just before the half, Carter threw an ill-advised pass and Oakland’s Will Allen snatched it away from the receiver and returned it for a 37-yard TD, putting Oakland up for good. The Invaders would add two 4th quarter TDs, again one each for Jacobs and Burress, and they pull away to both crush LA’s hopes and to secure that much-desired Wild Card Week bye, forcing Nashville to gear up to host a game next week. Sunday 8pm Starts BLITZ 16 FEDERALS 24 The Blitz could win the Northeast, but to do so they would have to take down the Federals at RFK, not an easy task at any point, but with their playoff hopes on the line, the Feds would make this a war of attrition between two of the league’s best defenses. Washington QB Kordell Stewart would play, despite a bruised hip, and that would help Washington keep Baltimore’s defense guessing. Stewart would complete 18 of 27 passes and would run the ball 8 times, including a pivotal late scramble that helped Washington take the lead at halftime. Baltimore struggled against Washington’s pass rush, with Ben Roethlisberger throwing two picks under duress. The game was close throughout, with Washington soring 10 in the third to pull away. Baltimore got a field goal in the 4th, but needed one more score, a score that just would not come. It was a devastating win for the Federals, because it not only lept them over Baltimore in the standings, but knocked Baltimore from the Top 6, and out of the playoffs. A truly amazing season for the Blitz ends in heartache as the Federals drive a stake into the hearts of their rivals. GENERALS 17 STARS 24 As Baltimore and Washington battled in one of the league’s hardest-hitting rivalries, the Generals and Stars battled in the league’s most famous rivalry game, both knowing that a loss ended their season. Would it be the defending champs, rising from the division basement with an amazing 2nd half, or would the Stars pull off the Cinderella story with their new NFL import QB in his first spring season? The slugfest we all expected is the game we got at the Linc. Philadelphia’s two offseason acquisitions came through big, helping the Stars build a 17-3 halftime lead. . Ahman Green rushed 22 times for 82 yards and a score, the game’s opener. Another TD, this one from backup Cedrick Cobb would help Philly take a 14-point lead into the half. Kurt Warner would finish wtith202 yards and a TD on a 23/41 day, but a pick-six thrown to LB James Harrison nearly cost the Stars the game. The defensive TD brought life to the Generals, who would score on their next possession to even the score at 17. In the 4th quarter, both teams traded defensive stops, but with 5:36 left in the game, Kurt Warner redeemed himself, tossing a TD pass to speedy wideout Steve Smith to give Philadelphia the lead. New Jersey would have one shot to get back in the game and send it to overtime. As the fans in Philadelphia nervously cheered on their defense, Tom Brady led the Generals down the field, just as he had done several times already this season. But this game would not be another Brady late comeback. With the ball at the stars 34 and time running out, Brady took an ill-advised shot at the end zone, throwing the ball to a double-covered Terry Glenn. Philadelphia FS Anthony Dorsett was in position and hauled in his second pick of Brady on the day. Philadelphia would hold the ball for the final 41 seconds and the fans in Lincoln Financial Field would celebrate not only one of the most memorable victories in the Stars-Generals rivalry, but a playoff berth for their hometown team. New Jersey, like Arizona, would go from a Summer Bowl season to being out of the playoffs before they begin. But New Jersey would not be alone. Boston, Baltimore, and Ohio would join them on the outside looking in. The upstart Panthers, surprising Bulls, and Cinderella Stars would all be in the dance, occupying the three Wild Card spots, while Chicago, Tampa Bay, and Washington would take the divisional titles. In the West, there was less to decide, but Houston and Oakland get the byes, Nashville wins the South, and Denver, Memphis and Seattle all qualify as Wild Cards. Joy & Despair the Story of Week 14 This year had perhaps the most dramatic final week of any in recent memory. Twelve clubs remained alive for only 6 playoff spots, meaning that both joy and pain were going to be felt by the end of the weekend, and that is exactly the drama we got. JOY IN WASHINGTON: The Feds were in last place in the division a week ago, but their win, paired with Philly’s win over New Jersey caused Washington to leap all the way up the division to claim the crown. It is one of the most dramatic final week shifts we have ever seen, all made possible by the razor thin differences between first and fourth place in the division this year. PAIN IN BOSTON: A four-game winning streak down the stretch seemed to be lining up the Cannons for a return to the post-season, but the perfect storms of wins and their loss to Tampa Bay doomed the Cannons to third place in the Southeast, a position that did not grant them a Wild Card berth. Had the Cannons won the game, they could have been named Division Champ, so to fall from that to out of the playoffs completely was a huge blow, and to make matters worse, their star HB, Tiki Barber, led the league in rushing for the past month only to lose his lead to rookie Frank Gore on the final week of the year. JOY IN NASHVILLE; The Knights and Showboats were both clinched for the playoffs, but had Nashville lost at home this week to Memphis they would have dropped from the division champion to a Wild Card, and their record of 7-7 would be a major disappointment. The win at home against their arch rival means they finish a respectable 8-6, and more importantly it means they win the division by 1.5 games and get to host a Wild Card game next week. PAIN IN NEW JERSEY: The Generals knew that repeating as champion would not be easy, but they did not expect that all 3 division rivals would improve their game to the degree that they were all able to finish ahead of the Generals in the division. Yes, an 8-6 record is hardly a disaster, but for New Jersey, finishing last in the division, even at 8-6, is not getting the job done. JOY IN OAKLAND: Their first winning season since 1998 and a division crown to boot. That was the result of the Invaders’ win over LA this week. For a club that made the playoffs in 10 of the first 13 seasons of the USFL, the long drought (1 appearance since 1994) was a painful reality for over a decade. The 2005 Invaders may not be world-beaters but Coach Green has at least brought a modicum of pride back to the East Bay. PAIN IN NEW ORLEANS: Should a team expect to be in the playoffs with only 5 wins? No, but when they won their game against Birmingham on Saturday that is exactly where they were. But the problem was that both Seattle and LA still had to play their games the next day, and a win by either one would spell disaster. Oakland helped the Breakers out, taking a quick lead on the Express and building on it throughout the day, but Seattle was at home against Las Vegas. And yet, the Thunder were holding their own with Henry Burress at QB. The Thunder took the lead with only 6:20 left to play, but it was not to be, all the hopes of the Breakers’ players were crushed when David Boston scored in the final two minutes, giving the win, and the playoff spot to the Dragons. JOY IN MICHIGAN: Theirs was considered the hardest task of the weekend, to go into Ohio and beat the Glory, a win that could provide the Panthers with a playoff berth, but could also remove Ohio from contention, something the Glory were acutely aware of. When the Panthers built up a lead in the game, the energy on the sideline was palpable, and when the game ended with Michigan on top, that joy erupted from the Michigan sideline. It was a game that had all the energy of a Michigan-Ohio State game in the Big Ten, two states that compete over everything, and in this case the underdogs from the Wolverine State came out on top, punching their postseason ticket and sending Ohio into a deep funk. PAIN IN BALTIMORE: The Blitz took over the top spot in the East last week as they overtook the Stars, but their hold of first place would last only 7 days. Washington’s win sent Baltimore back down the standings, finishing third and out of playoff contention. From the pinnacle to an also-ran in only 60 minutes. Perhaps it was too much to hope for too soon, after all the Blitz had not had a winning record since 2001, and had finished in the basement of the Northeast each of the past three years, so maybe 3rd place and an 8-6 final record was nothing to moan about, but when you come so close and then lose it the way Baltimore did, that is a tough pill to swallow. Barber Loses Rushing Title to Rookie Tiki Barber was ready to both prepare for playoff football and to hoist the Herschel Walker Trophy as the league’s best back, when Boston ran into a buzz saw in Tampa Bay. Not only did the Cannons’ loss cost them a playoff position, but the Bandits’ scheme to limit Barber worked, limiting the league’s leading rusher to only 41 yards on 15 carries, a 2.6 average. For a player who toyed with 5.0 yards per carry all season, this one slow game cost Barber the title. Frank Gore, who admittedly finished the year with 58 more carries than Barber, edged the veteran back by 40 yards thanks to another 100-yard performance. Tiki Barber has been among the elite halfbacks in the USFL since he arrived with the expansion Atlanta Fire in 1997. He rushed for 986 yards as a rookie, and backed that up with 1,206 in his sophomore season. He has had 6 thousand-yard seasons since then, but in each season he has been thwarted in his quest to lead the league in rushing. Barber rushed for 1,300 yards in 2001, only to finish third behind Ron Dayne and Terrell Davis. The next year his 1,146 yards were good enough for second behind Ahman Green. Green would repeat twice more as rushing champion, with Barber finishing 3rd in 2003 and 5th in 2004. But this year looked like his to win. He led the league for most of the final 2 months of the season, and seemed unmatchable after a Week 12 game in which he rushed for 131 yards, but he was held to only 80 yards by the Stallions, and finished up the year with 41 this week against Tampa bay. It appears that the universe simply does not want Barber to get that one accolade, the one that is always within his reach, but always slips away. First Free Agents In the Market This will be a weird year for free agency, to be sure. All expansion years are. Players whose contracts expire after their team’s final games become free agents, but there is a twist this year, a twist that could cause teams to delay signing high cost free agents. That twist is the expansion draft. Any player chosen before the protected players lists come out would need to be protected or a team could sign them only to lose them to either the Skyhawks or Fire. That is a huge issue for a lot of teams who already are struggling to decide which 12 players to protect. So, what are we likely to see? Very possibly a very slow early free agency period, at least until the draft in November, at which point teams could start signing players like crazy. Of course the two exceptions to this are Atlanta and St. Louis, who do not need to protect players from each other. Those two teams could clean up early in free agency, if they are willing to spend the money to sign some of the bigger names. And who are those name? Well, we won’t know all of them until after the Summer Bowl, but the 12 non-playoff teams have already shut down for the season, which means 12 teams have new free agents in the market. Here is our look at the top players from each squad who could be headed somewhere new for 2006. ARZ: CB Tyrone Drakeford is the biggest name on their list, but DT Kenard Lang and HB Larry Johnson could also get some looks. The Wranglers’ experiment with Kevin Hardy has not worked out, so the LB could retire again or seek a new home. And don’t sleep on two younger players, guard Tre Johnson and DE Gary Stills could be attractive signings. BAL: The Blitz had hoped to sign DE Andre Wadsworth before this week, but it did not happen, so the 28-year old is now a free agent. Others who should garner a lot of attention include center Matt Elliott, DE Dexter Nottage, and QB Seneca Wallace, who has not really had a chance to see much action behind Ben Roethlisberger. BIR: Lawrence Dawsey is technically a free agent, but has already announced his intent to retire, so that makes SS Lawyer Milloy the biggest prize off the Stallion roster. HB Ahmaad Galloway, SS Hank Milligan, and WR Eugene Baker are also now available. BOS: The Cannons are likely to lose several free agents this year, including WR Joe Jurevicious, who had a big year with over 1,000 yards receiving. DE Tom Burke, SS Terreal Bierria, and QB Brian St. Pierre could also see some interest around the league. LV: There is clearly a change in the air in Las Vegas as the Thunder did not scramble to sign QB Aaron Brooks. They will move ahead with Henry Burris at QB. CB Steve Israel is expected to retire at age 34, and HB Reuben Droughns is now free to find a new club after being Las Vegas’s leading rusher this year. LA: Third string QB Marques Tuiasosopo will be free to find a team this offseason, as will HB Winslow Oliver, and DE John Millem. NJ: The Generals could not come to terms with DT John Parella, who now will test the waters. LB Rocky Calmus, DT Kris Jenkins, and LB Jeff Posey will join him from the defensive side. QB-turned-safety Eric Crouch has also been allowed to try his way through free agency after some uneventful years in East Rutherford. NOR: Several skills players are free to seek employment with a new team, including receivers Bobby Engram and Kevin Dyson. Halfback Olandis Gary is also now available after being benched by Coach Nolan this year. Guard Tim Kohn, tackle Jerry Wisne, and FS Paris Lenon are the other current Breakers who haveoptions elsewhere this offseason. OHI: The Glory’s shocking removal from postseason play leaves them unprepared to deal with free agency. Center Jim Pyne has not resigned with the team, as we can also say about CB Mike Riley and DT Marcus Stroud, all important parts of the Glory roster. Others who are looking for a home include WR JuJuan Dawson, TE Itula Mili, and CB Mike McKenzie. ORL: WR Keenan McCardell has been unhappy in Orlando for some time, and now with his contract expiring he is free to seek another option. That will be a big hit for the Renegades, who could also lose FB Chris Fuamatu-Ma’afala, C Mike Devlin, G Ben Hamilton, DE Derrrick Alexander, and kicker Owen Pochman. PIT: The Maulers did not resign LB DeMetrius DuBose, but there is a lot of talk that the former All-USFL linebacker is planning to retire, not find a new team. The same cannot be said for guard Rod Milstead, DE Darren Howard, or DT Josh Shaw. Alex Van Pelt is also now a free agent, despite his popularity among the Mauler fanbase, who hope Pittsburgh resigns the former Pitt Panther. TEX: Mike Minter and Kirby Dar Dar are the two biggest names among the Outlaw free agents, but the player many may look at is WR Cliff Russell, who, at 25 years old, is still developing into a pro. Popular DE Igor Olshansky is also now on the market. Here is our seeding for the 2005 playoffs, an amazing, and odd year in which neither Summer Bowl team from the year before is present, and where neither Boston or Ohio, preseason favorites make the field either. In the East, Chicago and Tampa Bay get byes and await the winners of the Wild Card games. Washington, as the lowest-ranked Division Winner, gets to host the #6 seed Michigan Panthers, who used a 3-game season ending win streak to leap over Ohio and claim a spot. The #4 seed falls to the Jacksonville Bulls, another club who lept over a favored team (Boston) to claim a spot. The Bulls will host the Philadelphia Stars in the other Eastern Wild Card game. In the West, the Nashville Knights will host the Seattle Dragons in a classic St. George matchup. Denver, who tied Houston at 9-5 but lost the divisional tiebreaker, are relegated to being the #4 seed, which means they will host the 6-7-1 Memphis Showboats. Houston and Oakland get the byes and will await the winners of these two games. And, while we are here, we probably should highlight the Draft Order, which is also set (the first 12 teams). We should point out that the #1 pick will be one of the two expansion clubs, with the other getting the #3 pick, so finishing last this year does not help Las Vegas as much as it would in a normal year. But, that said, the draft order in the first round will be: 1—ATL or STL (to be decided by coin flip) 2—Las Vegas 3—ATL or STL (loser of the coin flip) 4—Birmingham 5—Texas 6—Arizona 7—Pittsburgh 8—Orlando 9—Los Angeles 10—New Orleans 11—New Jersey 12—Ohio 13—Boston 14—Baltimore The remaining 12 picks will be determined by the playoff results. In the 2nd round, the two expansion clubs will swap picks, and so forth throughout the draft. And remember, this year, the Territorial Draft has new limitations which do not allow teams to trade away their picks, so it will not be possible for a team to use Open Draft capital to snag the right to a protected player from that players’ T-Draft holder. Teams will have to hope that other clubs do not snatch up key players that they covet, leaving them exposed in the Open Draft. MGN @ WSH Panthers: TE L. Pinkney (Out), LB A. Katzenmoyer (Out), FS E. Brown (D) Federals: DT R. Smith (Q), LB M. Barrow (P), QB K. Stewart (P), HB A. Womack (P) A pretty healthy game for the 15th week of the year. We expect all of Washington’s injured players to suit up, and Michigan has been without Katzenmoyer for the better part of the season with no clear downside as the rookie LB’s have outperformed expectations. PHI @ JAX Stars: WR E. Stinnett (Out), SS R. Tongue (Q) Bulls: G J. Berger (Out), WR R. Woods (D), QB J. Delhomme (P) The Bulls certainly miss Rashaun Woods, but the bigger concern this week was Delhomme. However, he was cleared on Thursday to play and we expect to see him under center. SEA @ NSH Dragons: LB T. Spikes (Q), LB P. Tinoisamoa (P), FB C. Massey (P), SS J. Keith (P) Knights: LB N. Diggs (Out), C J. Grove (Out), WR D. Mason (P), SS R. Harrison (P), QB T. Collins (P) The loss of Diggs will certainly hurt Nashville, especially going up against Corey Dillon and Seattle’s run game. Of course, the same could be said for the potential loss of Takeo Spikes for the Dragons as they face the league rushing champ, rookie Frank Gore. MEM @ DEN Showboats: QB H. Shuler (D), LB H. Navies (P), T A. Clement (P) Gold: T J. Odom (D), LB D. Nguyen (Q), CB R. Crockett (Q), DT T. Harris (P) Memphis had hoped to get Heath Shuler back in time for the Wild Card round, but it does not look promising. That is a huge game-changer in this one. Denver is dealing with three significant potential absences on defense, but late reports seem to indicate that Tommy Harris will play, and we may even see Ray Crockett on the field as well. Black Monday Strikes Again Another season and another reckoning on the first Monday after the final week of games. Two coaches were notified on Monday that their services will not be required for the 2005 offseason and the 2006 season. Neither were big surprises as we saw both suffer through difficult seasons and a sense that neither had produced the results expected. Galen Hall ends his run with the LA Express after a disappointing 5-9 season and a season-ending blowout loss to arch rival Oakland. Hall has had an up and down run with the Express since coming on board prior to the 1999 season. After a rocky start to LA’s expansion return to the league under Rick Neuheisel and one season with former Detroit Lions’ head man Wayne Fontes, Hall had immediate success with the Express, winning the 6 team Pacific Division with an 11-5 record right out of the gate. But what proceeded from this auspicious start was a trend of 10+ win seasons alternating with losing seasons. The lack of consistency followed his squad from season to season. Based on the trend, 2005 should have been a good year, as ’99, ’01, and ’03 were, but LA never got out of the blocks and with a major injury costing QB Cade McNown the better portion of the seaons, LA found itself cycling in quarterbacks down the stretch. So now the Express will go back into the market and see if they can find a coach who can build a consistent winner as the club tries to win the first USFL for the city of angels in 20 seasons of USFL play. Pittsburgh also had high hopes for this season. After finishing 9-5 in 2003, 10-4 in 2004, and qualifying for the playoffs both seasons, this year’s collapse to 4th place and a 4-9-1 season. That alone would not have been reason to dismiss 4th year coach Jack Bicknell, but concerns around the lack of development for Charlie Batch, and a general lack of connection between Bicknell and the ownership seem to have soured the relationship. Bicknell is widely respected around pro football circles, and may not have difficulty finding a new position, while Pittsburgh will once again go to the drawing board on a head coaching position. Rumors have the Maulers interested in Chicago DC Ron Rivera, which makes sense. They have always been a run-first, defensive-minded franchise, and Rivera certainly would fit that mold. No other moves this week, which may mean that Birmingham was honest in providing Coach Franchione with a vote of confidence. Mike Nolan in New Orleans also survived Black Monday with his job intact despite a pretty rough first year with Eli Manning as the starter in the Crescent City. We are also still watiting to hear who Atlanta will hire as their first head coach since being reinstated as a 2006 expansion club, so as of right now there are 3 open positions across the league. League Updates Scheduling Plan A surprise announcement from league offices ahead of the 2005 playoffs as the league has rescinded the earlier news that they were planning a 16-game schedule for 2006. It appears that issues with both the networks and with scheduling stadium occupancy has pushed that back to 2008. The league announced this week that it will retain its current 14-game schedule until it expands to 28 teams in 2008. This means that each USFL club will play 6 divisional games, 4 inter-divisional games, and 4 inter-conference games in 2005. A schedule is expected to be released after the Summer Bowl in Houston. The 2006 season will be the first with an unbalanced schedule, as the league will have 6 divisions, four of them with 4 teams each and two with 5 teams. This is a precursor to the 28-team formation which will add 2 more teams to create 4 divisions of five teams each and only 2 remaining divisions, one in each conference, with 4 clubs in it. This, of course, begs the question of whether the USFL has plans for yet another expansion to reach 30 teams, allowing all 6 divisions to have equal distribution of clubs. That would make sense, but with a complex 2-phase expansion from 24 clubs to 28 clubs, it seems unlikely that the USFL wants to undergo a third round to reach 30 clubs any time soon. Four games on tap this week. Four very interesting matchups as we have several Cinderella stories to follow in this bunch. If you want to root for a true underdog, the 6-8 Seattle Dragons, who started the year 0-4, seem a good option as they head to Nashville. Memphis at 6-7-1 is only slightly ahead of the Dragons, and they may have an even tougher road ahead as they must visit Mile High with Heath Shuler sidelined. In the East, where every team has at least 8 wins, Cinderellas have to be defined differently. Most would consider both Michigan and Philadelphia to be in that category. Neither was picked to be here, though many were impressed with the Stars’ aggressive offseason, one that brought former Super Bowl MVP Kurt Warner and 3-time rushing champion Ahman Green to the City of Brotherly Love. Washington was in 4th place in the Northeast last week, but now come in as a division winner. That too is a form of Cinderella story, eventhough the Feds are 4-point favorites and will play at home this weekend. And what about Jacksonville. Picked by some to finish last in the Southeast, they used Tampa Bay’s win over Boston to leapfrog the Cannons and snag the top Wild Card. Now they get to host a Wild Card game. So who do we like? In this most unpredictable year, we are going to say that home field likely means very little, at least in 3 of 4 games. We are going to pick Denver. They have been a much more consistent team than Memphis, they have one of the best home field crowds in the league, and they have their starting QB, playing in what could be his final game. That seems a game the Gold have to win. We also like Washington, simply because they are a very scrappy team, play a very good brand of playoff football, combining a strong run game with an aggressive defense, and they face a Michigan squad that has to be overjoyed just to make an appearance. We are going to pick the Stars to upend the Bulls in Jacksonville. We just like the combo of Green and Warner more than that of Delhomme and Antowain Smith. Finally, we are going to give the nod to Nashville at home. Seattle can be dangerous, and they had a good playoff run last year, but Todd Collins is back and should be healthy, and Frank Gore is on fire. Nashville is a tough out whenever they can run the ball and Seattle’s run defense is not elite, so that could be a real issue for them in Nashville.

Playoff Seeds: EAST 1-CHI 2-TBY 3-WSH 4-JAX 5-PHI 6-MGN WEST 1-HOU 2-OAK 3-NSH 4-DEN 5-MEM 6-SEA

The penultimate week of the 2005 USFL season and for teams across the league there was a lot at stake even as the clubs went across conferences to play their last out-of-division games. It was a week that would finally see at least one team in the East clinch a playoff spot as Chicago and Nashville punched their tickets to the postseason with Week 13 wins. Chicago becomes the first club in the East to clinch, and controls their own path towards the #1 seed, And yet, despite 6 of 12 spots being settled, there remains going into the season’s final week six of the league’s twelve playoff spots unclaimed, and four of the six division titles still up for grabs. In all 12 teams remain viable for a playoff spot, but only 6 spots remain open, so this is going to be a wild week, a play-in week for half of the league. Generals 16 Gold 14 New Jersey needed this game to keep any hope of a playoff appearance alive. Denver was already in, and needed help if they were to have a shot at the division title. With Houston playing earlier, by game time it was known that Denver could only be a Wild Card, so there was a fear that they would lack passion or rest some players if needed. That absolutely did not happen as both teams threw body blows at each other all game long. This one was a game for fans of hard-nosed defense, big hits, and perseverance as New Jersey hung close and found a way to get one late drive to pull out a much needed win at home. The Generals entered this game as winners of 4 of their last 5, clawing their way back into the playoff hunt, but they also understood that it would almost certainly require 2 more wins for New Jersey to qualify for the postseason and a chance to defend their title. Denver had been the first team to clinch a playoff berth 2 weeks ago, and they had let that accomplishment soften them, losing a game last week to Texas that should have been an easy win for an 8-3 club. They needed to regain their focus if they wanted to avoid a late season swoon. This would be a game in which both defenses would be called on to slow down the pace, contain the run games of their opponents and not give up big plays, and in that both were quite successful. It was a war of attrition between two evenly matched foes, both content to run down the clock and shrink the game to only a few key plays. Denver had the early advantage, shutting down Curtis Enis early and forcing New Jersey to punt on its first 4 possessions. They slowly built a modest lead thanks to two Jeff Wilkens field goals, and a fluke safety when a long snap sailed to the right of New Jersey punter Todd Sauerbrun, who was alert enough to fall on the ball in the end zone to avoid a Denver recovery for a TD. Up 8-0 at the half, Denver had effectively shut down the General offense, with only one missed field goal attempt even close to getting the Generals on the board. Tom Brady had had a decent half, completing 15 of 17 passing, but almost all were underneath throws, and with New Jersey going only 1 of 6 on third down conversions, the offense simply had not shown much life. That changed in the 3rd quarter as the Generals changed up their strategy and added 13 points to the board in the period. In the third it was the New Jersey defense that stifled the opposition, getting the ball after an initial Denver possession and using a combination of James Jackson and Curtis Enis runs, paired with passing to TEs Patrick Hape and Anthony Becht, to get the ball into scoring position. Not wanting to go so far only to kick a field goal, New Jersey went for it on 4th and goal from the 1, and big back Brock Forsey plunged over the line to put the Generals on the board. They failed on the 2-point PAT, but were in the game at 8-6. After a short Denver drive, New Jersey were back in action once again, and once again they used short passes and improved production from their backs to mount a successful drive. It was a pass to an unusual target, HB Curtis Enis, that gave them the lead. Enis is not known to be a big part of the General passing game, but on this drive, he swung out for a screen pass on 2nd and 10 from the 14 yard line and got a head of steam going, enough to plow his way through the secondary and into the end zone. New Jersey entered the 4th quarter up 13-8. Denver would find their offense once again late in the final period, as they caught a break on a tipped ball that was picked off by LB Nick Rogers. That play gave Denver a spark, and, four plays later, Mark Brunell found Peerless Price for Denver’s only TD of the day. They tried for two to give themselves a 3 point lead, but failed, meaning that their advantage was only 1, sitting at 14-13 with 3:23 left in the game. It was a lead for the homestanding Gold, but, as we learned last year, Tom Brady is often at his best when in the 2-minute drill, and that was certainly the case in this game. Brady did not have to hurry, as a field goal was all the Generals needed, so he again used short passes, in this drive underneath routes by Terry Glenn and Mark Clayton, rather than TE routes, and in 7 plays he had the Generals in field goal range. The key play was a 3rd and 3 on their own 43. It was Denver’s best chance to force a tough 4th down play out of the Generals, but on 3rd down, Brady found Clayton on a quick in route and Clayton edged the ball over the line to gain and converted the play. With a first down well inside Ryan Longwell’s range, New Jersey forced Denver to use all of their time outs by simply sending Enis up the middle to center the ball on 3 consecutive plays. They wound down the clock to 18 seconds and sent out Longwell for a very makeable 34 yarder from the 17 yard line. Longwell did his duty and the Generals went up for good, earning them their 8th win of the season and keeping alive their playoff hopes. New Jersey, despite spending a good portion of the season in last place in the division, could actually win the division title with a win in Philadelphia and a Federals upset of Baltimore in Week 14 in what has to be one of the tightest 4-way battles any USFL division has ever had. Blitz 33 Wranglers 30 The Blitz are in the enviable position of controlling their own destiny after surviving quite a scare in the desert. Arizona’s Santana Moss had a field day against Baltimore’s #1 defense, a day that included a 72-yard TD as the Wranglers shocked Baltimore by opening up the offense for Andrew Walter, leading to 474 yards of production and the first 30-point game given up by the Blitz since a week 4 loss to Philadelphia. But, the Blitz got the W thanks to a late Daniel Graham TD reception, and can now win the Northeast Division by defeating their nemesis from DC, the Federals, next week. Stars 14 Gamblers 24 Houston locked up the Southwest Division and the overall #1 seed in the Western Conference with an impressive home win against the Stars. Limiting Philadelphia to only 245 total yards of offense, and picking off Kurt Warner 3 times, it was a coming out party for the Houston defense, CB Ronde Barber was all over Steve Smith and Kurt Warner’s attempts to get the ball deep led to two Barber picks that helped Houston build up a 24-7 lead that would not be relinquished. The win, along with Denver’s loss, locked up the title and means that next week’s game against the Gold may see Houston rest some starters ahead of the playoffs. Federals 13 Outlaws 6 The Texas defense has been much improved over the season’s second half, having knocked off Denver last week, but in the end the Federals just had more to play for as they kept their playoff, and division title hopes alive with a tough 7-point win in this one. The only TD was a Deuce McCallister run in the first quarter, but Washington also kept Texas out of the endzone, and that was enough to earn the road win and stay one game behind Baltimore. Cannons 28 Stallions 24 Birmingham again played tough against a heavy favorite as backup Eric Zeier avoided turnovers and the defense forced 3 takeaways to keep Birmingham in this one. Only a late drive ending in a Bledsoe to Ochocinco TD toss allowed Boston to escape this game and remain in the hunt for the Southern Division title. They face Tampa Bay in a game that will decide the Southeast next week, both teams tied atop the division at 9-4. Bulls 13 Showboats 10 Jacksonville won a slugfest in Memphis to stay one game back in the Southeast, but with Tampa and Boston playing next week, their only chance for a division title is a Cannons-Bandits tie. Their best option may be to take a Wild Card position and hope it is the #1 Wild Card, which would give them a home game. In this one both clubs showed up on defense and it came down to a Kris Brown 38-yarder in the final minute for the Bulls to move to 8-5. Renegades 3 Knights 19 With Memphis losing to the Bulls, Nashville knew that a win against Orlando would again find them in first place in the Southern Division. They dominated the line of scrimmage against the Renegades, limiting Orlando to only 73 yards rushing, as Frank Gore put up 103 to help Nashville get the W they needed. So, it all comes down to a winner-take-all game in Adelphia Stadium next week to determine which Tennessee club will take home the division title. Bandits 31 Breakers 17 Tampa Bay’s offense found its stride in the second half, rattling off three straight TD drives (including 2 long TDs to TE Jeremy Shockey) as the Bandits pulled away from the Breakers and secured a share of first place, leading up to next week’s showdown with Boston. New Orleans is still alive, and can get into the postseaston at 5-8-1 if both LA and Seattle lose next week and the Breakers win their season finale against 2-11 Birmingham. Machine 15 Thunder 10 It was not a pretty win to be sure, but Chicago’s narrow victory against the Thunder in Las Vegas was enough to lock up a playoff berth and place Chicago one win away from the #1 seed in the East. For Las Vegas, the run game was a shambles, as QB Aaron Brooks led all rushers with only 25 yards. Detron Smith had all of 4 yards in the game. Panthers 41 Express 35 Both the Panthers and Express are on playoff life support, but both are still alive. They fought like two teams on the edge in this one, with Michigan scoring the final 10 points of the game to get the comeback road win and stay on pace to possibly snag a playoff spot with a win next week. LA can also get in with a win, but need a Seattle loss to sneak in at 6-8. Glory 41 Invaders 23 Oakland tested themselves against one of the league’s best offenses and came up short. While the Invaders limited Eddie George, they could not contain Kerry Collins as the 3-time league MVP cut them up for 412 yards and 5 TDs. It was Troy Brown (3 TDs) and Stephen Alexander (2 TDs) who made the Invader defense pay for their over-emphasis on stopping Joey Galloway. Ohio still has a shot at the division title, but needs help from a pretty moribund Mauler squad to get there. If they don’t get the division, a win next week at least gives them a home game in the Wild Card round, while Oakland still locks up the West thanks to the LA loss this week. Maulers 14 Dragons 42 Hard to imagine, but the Seattle Dragons control their own destiny after pummeling the Maulers this week. Winning their last 2 means that Seattle can snag the 6th and final spot in the West with a win against lowly Las Vegas next week. Hardly seems possible after an 0-4 start, but the Dragons could be headed to the postseason. In this one the offense was on fire from the opening kickoff, With Corey Dillon racking up his best game of the year (132 yards) and Darren Sproles contributing 2 scores as he becomes more and more a target in the passing and screen game of the Dragons. League Leaders On the Line One week left in the 2005 USFL season and while most of the focus is rightfully placed on the playoff hunt, with teams fighting to be included and others looking at seedings, there are also individual honors to consider. With one week left, there are several key statistical categories left to be decided, and, with bonuses often tied to these results, there will be efforts made to try to garner those rewards. Looking across the league, here are the league leader races still to be decided. PASSING: With Kerry Collins pretty much untouchable when it comes to QB Rating and TD passes, the one big stat which could still change hands is that of passing yards. Drew Bledsoe (BOS) has the current lead with 4,104 on the year, but Michigan’s Drew Brees is only 35 yards behind at 4,069. The two are the only quarterbacks currently over 4,000, so this should come down to Brees and Bledsoe. RUSHING: In the Rushing stats we have two potential races to follow. Tiki Barber (BOS), who has been among lead leaders for years, but has never taken home the crown, is the current leader with $1,205 yards. But two other backs are within striking distance. Rookie Frank Gore of Nashville is only 38 yards behind, and Ron Dayne is 84 yards back, but with the big games he has had lately, a late surge is not entirely out of the question. The other big rushing stat up for a possible shift is Rushing TDs, currently led by Antowain Smith’s 13. The Bulls’ HB has been the leader for most of the second half of the season, but, with 11 scores apiece, either Ron Dayne (BAL), or Chicago’s Michael Turner could have a big day to either catch or surpass Smith. RECEIVING: The receiving leadership has been one of the most fluid throughout the year, and the gaps are small between the top contenders. Looking only at receptions, Antonio Freeman (HOU) is currently on top by 1 catch, 95-94 over Denver’s Peerless Price. New Jersey’s Terry Glenn is 6 catches back, which may not seem like much, but to garner 6 more receptions than Freeman at this stage could be tough unless Houston opts to rest Freeman in what is a largely meaningless game against Denver. The other race, that for receiving yards, is also largely a 2-man race. Hines Ward (MGN) has 1,492, with Joey Galloway (OHIO), only 16 yards behind at 1,476. They are currently the only two receivers over 1,400 yards, so we see it coming down to these two this week. With both clubs needing a win, both players should see more than their fair share of targets. DEFENSE: On defense, the title of the league’s leading tackler could go one of four directions. The lead has flipped between Tampa Bay’s Kavika Mitchell (currently at 107) and Chicago’s Brian Urlacher (103) for most of the season, but don’t assume that Jacksonville Bull Mike Vrabel (100) and Houston’s Sam Cowart (100) are ruled out. A big game from either and we could see them catching Mitchell for the title. The league leader in sacks is often a frontrunner for Defensive POTY, and this year that looks to be out of reach for anyone but Chicago’s Anthony Weaver. After his 5-sack performance against Ohio, Weaver holds a 22-18 advantage over Birmingham’s Mike Rucker. That gap may even be enough for Stallion coach Dennis Franchione to rest Rucker in a season-ending Week 14 road game for Birmingham. Those are the major statistical races we are watching as we enter the final week of leaguewide action. But what about the major awards? How close are the battles there, and will we see any upsets in the major categories this year? COACH OF THE YEAR: This one could honestly come down to a popularity contest. Good arguments could be made for Houston’s Wade Phillips, who led the Gamblers to a #1 seed in the West, or for Baltimore’s Tom Coughlin, who reinvented the culture of the Blitz and has them poised to win the Northeast Division, the league’s toughest. This final week could be the determining factor, if the Blitz can hold on and take the division title. We probably should also consider dark horses such as Michigan’s Dick LeBeau or Chicago’s Marty Mornhinweg. If you want a real darkhorse, you have to look at Chicago’s Defensive Coordinator, Ron Rivera. Never has a coordinator won the award, but with the performance of the Chicago defense, and the fact that Mornhinweg has all but handed over the defensive reins to Rivera, it would not be out of the realm of possibility for voters to give the award to a DC who very well could be the #1 candidate to move up to a head coaching position next year. ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: This year, it seems no competition at all. Third round pick Frank Gore out of Miami has been a revelation in Nashville. Admittedly, the Knights have always prided themselves on their run game, but for Gore to come in and not only take a run at the league title for rushing yards (trailing Tiki Barber by only 35 yards) but to easily outgain former Knight rushing leader Ahman Green, that is impressive. Gore’s 1,167 yards put him 151 yards ahead of Green, who now totes the rock for the Stars. The only other rookie whose impact is even close to Gore’s is LA linebacker Lofa Tatupu, but a defender is never going to get the focus when there is a rookie on offense who has had the immediate success Gore has. MVP: This one should be relatively cut and dry, but when the frontrunner is Kerry Collins you have to factor in the fatigue factor. There are a lot of voters who simply do not want to give Collins a fourth MVP crown. Add to this that both Bledsoe and Brees have more yards, and an argument could be made that perhaps this is a year when none of the top QB’s should garner the award. But if not Collins, Bledsoe, or Brees, who should get the title? Antowain Smith and Tiki Barber would likely split the HB vote. Freeman, Ochocinco, or Joey Galloway could all be considered as receivers, but what about a defender? This could be the year, and the player who is looming large as the clear Defensive Player of the Year could end the season on the Summer Bowl favorite. Chicago’s Brian Urlacher has had a monster season. He has a legitimate shot to be the league leader in tackles despite playing on a squad that simply does not allow many long drives or opportunities. He also has 3 picks, two of which were returned for scores, and 4 sacks, Add to this that Urlacher is the team captain and clear leader on the #1 ranked scoring defense in the league and a good argument can be made to that he should be one of the top candidates. So will Collins lose out on the title despite another strong year on one of the league’s best offenses? Will Urlacher become the first defensive MVP since Reggie White in 1990? 15 years seems a long wait for another defensive MVP, but Urlacher will have a tough fight ahead of him. So, what do we know with 1 week left to play? We know that there are 6 playoff spots claimed, and 6 still to award. We know that only 2 of 6 divisions are settled, with Houston and Oakland the only confirmed division winners. We know that there are 12 teams fighting for 6 spots, and only 6 clubs eliminated from playoff scenarios. So, where do we go from here? How about the best case scenario for each club still in the mix. WESTERN CONFERENCE HOU: They have locked up the #1 seed, so they can rest players this week against Denver OAK: A win at home against LA gives them the #2 seed and a bye, plus likely eliminates their arch rival. NSH: They host the Showboats, a win gives them the division. If Oakland loses, that title would also come with a bye week. MEM: A win in Nashville means an unlikely but very welcome division title. DEN: The Gold are locked into the Wild Card, but beating Houston this week will ensure they have a home game in the Wild Card round, and a bit of revenge for an earlier loss to the Gamblers. SEA: Win and they are in. That is all you need to know. LA: The Express need to defeat Oakland and then hope that Seattle falls at home to the 2-11 Thunder. That feels like slim pickins. NOR: Still mathematically alive, if the Breakers can win at home against Birmingham, if Oakland beats LA in Oakland, and if Seattle is upset by the Thunder, the Breakers claim the #6 spot. Those first two seem probable, that third one feels very tough to picture. EASTERN CONFERENCE CHI: A win in Pittsburgh and the Machine claim the #1 overall seed. TBY: The team with the best chance to move up if the Maulers pull the upset. A win by the Bandits and they win the Southeast, but if Chicago also loses and Ohio wins, then Tampa would win the tiebreaker (Head to Head) with Ohio and take the #1 seed. BAL: A win against the Feds and Baltimore takes the Northeast. If Tampa Bay falls, that will come with a bye as well. OHIO: Win against Michigan and hope Chicago loses in Pittsburgh. That is how Ohio wins the Central. They could also get a bye in this scenario, depending on what Tampa and Baltimore do. BOS: Defeat the Bandits and claim the Southeast Division. It is that simple. A bye could also be in the mix if Baltimore falls to the Feds. PHI: The Stars need to knock off the Generals and then have the Feds get the win at home against Baltimore. If that happens, Philly is your Northeast Champion. NJ: New Jersey is basically in the same boat as Philly. If they win and the Blitz Fall, then New Jersey has a shot at the Division title. WSH: The Federals are currently outside looking in. Their best shot is if New Jersey wins, because then division record evens up and it comes down to later tiebreakers, but it still looks very dicey for the Feds. JAX: The Bulls need a lot to go right for them to sneak in as a Wild Card. Winning against the Renegades is the one constant that would help them the most. MGN: It is a slim hope, but there is hope. They need to beat Ohio, and hope Boston and Baltimore also lose. It’s a lot to ask for, but perhaps finishing 9-5 is more than Michigan fans could expect even if they don’t make the playoffs. Not a good week on the injury front as several teams took some big hits with only 1 week left to go in the season. We will start with clubs still alive in the playoff hunt and then cover other injuries that may lead some lower tier teams to consider resting starters in Week 14. LA will go into their vital final game without their pivot, as Center Zach Austin is out, added to the IR with a significant ACL injury that could endanger his ability to start when 2006 starts in March. In Michigan, TE Lovell Pinkney is out at least 1-2 weeks with a wrist injury. Pinkney is not a primary target for Drew Brees, but does play a role in most run formations for the Panthers. Jacksonville will absolutely be hurting in Week 14’s matchup as their breakout player for this year, wideout Rashaun Woods is out with a shoulder injury. Woods also would likely miss a wild card game matchup if Jacksonville can get into the dance. Others who are doubtful or questionable this week among playoff contenders are Seattle LB Takeo Spikes, Tampa Bay MLB John Vilma, Washington DT Robaire Smith, and Oakland center Jeff Saturday. Among non playoff teams, Arizona takes a hit as LB Lance Briggs is done for the season with a knee injury, while Birmingham will shut down Jason Campbell for the year as the rookie QB suffered a wrist injury in this week’s game. Orlando will also shut down the season for wideout Donte Stallworth after the big receiver suffered an injury to his left knee. Surgery is already scheduled. Dallas-Fort Worth Officially Out of Expansion Hunt Fans in the greater Dallas-Fort Worth are are going to have to continue to wait for spring football. After earlier reports of fractures within the DFW bid for a 2008 expansion club, the USFL made it official this week that the DFW Group bid has been withdrawn as the ownership group is dissolving their alliance. While early efforts to reconcile the Dallas-focus the league had insisted upon with the desires of lead investor Robert Bass, it quickly became clear that Bass was not going to move off his position and the other investors were simply unable to muster enough financial backing to field a viable bid. With the USFL hoping to expand by two clubs, and targeting one in each conference, this all but ensures that the bid from Portland, Oregon will get a speedy review and has a clear path towards potential approval. There are no guarantees, of course, but rumors around league headquarters have the financials looking good for the Portland group, and with a stadium already under construction, and rumored to be completed no later than April of 2006, the pieces are in place for Portland to get a quick approval, perhaps as soon as the mid-summer owner’s meeting scheduled for July in Houston (as usual the owners’ meeting coincide with the site and date of the Summer Bowl.) As for the other bids, those focused on the East, all three nominees (Charlotte, Norfolk/Virginia Beach, and Raleigh-Durham) have cleared the early hurdles, and all three seem to have the financial support to be viable candidates, making for a more complex process for the owners. Stadium issues often derail bids in expansion consideration, and that could be an issue for at least one of the three bidders. The Charlotte group (CFFC) has an initial agreement in place to share the stadium that currently houses the NFL Carolina Panthers. The Triangle Football Group, representing the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill triangle, have proposed that the facility at UNC represents their preferred option, due to size and agreeable terms with the university, but are open to relocate to the somewhat larger faciility at NC State in Raleigh if the league wishes to target the largest city in the region and a larger stadium for the franchise. Norfolk/Virginia Beach has perhaps the weakest case, as the stadium under consideration is that of Norfolk State University, an FCS school. The stadium is both small and outdated compared with many USFL stadia, and particularly when compared with the stadia built more recently to house both NFL and USFL franchises. Of course, market is the other big factor, and there is an allure to being the only major league sport in a market. Norfolk would certainly represent that option, while Raleigh-Durham would only have the NHL Hurricanes as spring competition. Charlotte would be looking at potential investment and sponsorship competition from both the NBA Bobcats and the NFL Panthers, which could be seen as a significant challenge, though we have certainly seen many strong collaborations between USFL and NFL franchises to develop a city’s market for pro football and the cost of maintaining and developing stadium options. Cities like Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Houston, and Nashville attest to this, but Charlotte has not yet developed a clear link with the NFL Panthers, which could be a sign that their relationship could be one of tolerance rather than cooperation. For now, the question of Eastern Conference expansion seems to be on the back burner, but with the loss of the DFW bid, we could very soon have news on Portland’s bid to return to the USFL fold. Is Retirement Looming for Franchise Players Every year around this time we start to wonder just who we may be watching on the field for the last time this Spring. Looking at the rosters of the various USFL squads, we know that there will be retirements from among their ranks, but not all retirements are the same. Just as Birmingham has suffered this year from the somewhat-incomplete retirement of Brett Favre, a team that loses a franchise player may simply not be prepared to make adjustments in the year that follows. Our first concern is at quarterback, where one team had better hope they have planned well. Denver is making a strong bid for another deep playoff run, and central to that run is the leadership of Mark Brunell, but Brunell has been dealing with everything from aging knees to back concerns for the past few seasons. There is a lot of speculation that the lefty QB will be looking long and hard at retirement when the Gold complete their playoff run this year. So what would be Denver’s plan if Brunell did hang up the cleats? Denver’s lead backup is Eric Wilhelm, who is no spring chicken himself, and behind him there is late round development project Derrick Anderson, so we are pretty sure that if Brunell were to depart the Gold would be looking either to Free Agency or the draft to try to land a QB who could step in and become the new face of the franchise. Thinking about the Gold’s usual frugality (a trend they busted this past year) we think the rookie route may be the way they go, though the example of Birmingham’s rough season, as well as New Orleans’s struggles with Eli Manning at the helm, might give the Gold some pause at the prospect. As we look at Denver and Coach Jauron’s offensive schemes, we could see the Gold trying to get into the hunt for someone like Matt Leinart, assuming LA does not jump on him in the T-Draft. Problem is, there are certainly many teams ahead of Denver in the draft order, so going after Leinart would almost require a significant trade to get into position to have a shot at the USC product. Another offensive star who could well be making a final run in the league is Memphis’s All-USFL tight end, Adrian Cooper. The unlikely run of the Showboats this year, one already guaranteed to extend into the postseason, could be the perfect sendoff for the veteran receiver. Should Cooper go out on a high note with a playoff run in Memphis this year, he would be all but impossible to replace. We could see Coach Mora opt instead to invest in the wideout position and shift the TE to more of a blocking position, one which they could engage without seeking significant new talent. If, however, they wish to add or develop a pass-catching TE, they may have to look outside the organization. They obtained Ben Hartsook from the Machine last year, and both Erron Kinney and Andrew Walter are both capable blockers, but none of the three is a player you build an inside passing game around. The other big names who we are hearing retirement rumors about are both on defense and both members of the LA Express. Linebacker Mo Lewis and cornerback Aeneas Williams are both of an age where retirement tends to be on the table. Losing both would be a huge blow to the Express, Lewis currently leads the defense with 98 tackles, 22 more than the 2nd leading tackler, rookie Lofa Tatupu. Aeneas Williams still occupies the #1 CB slot, and, with 2 picks this year, is second on the team. But Lewis is 36 years old, as is Williams, and in both positions longevity tends not to be a tendency we often see, even among All-USFL defenders. Whether one or both opt for retirement could profoundly impact the strategy the Express take into the offseason. Birmingham gives Franchione vote of confidence, Bicknell, Nolan, Hall on edge. For Dennis Franchione, the recent “vote of confidence” from Birmingham ownership could be read as a sign that the club understands the difficulty involved in retooling a roster and bringing a rookie QB up to speed in the pro game. Of course, with the shaky history of the “vote of confidence” as an early indicator a coach is about to be fired, Franchione should not take it as a given that his position is secure. More than a few head coaches have been patted on the back with one hand and shown the door with the other. Sitting at 2-11, and with Franchione in the pivotal third year of his contract, it seems that the vote of confidence could easily go either way. The concern for Franchione is not just that the team is losing, or that Campbell has struggled to pick up the pro game, sitting at a QB Rating of only 60.5, one of the lowest in the league, but that other aspects of the club, including the run game of Shaun Alexander, or the 22nd rated defense, are very much in Franchione’s control and seem to have regressed since he took over the club in 2003. Alexander has only 1 TD on the season, and despite a healthy 3.9 YPC average, is only at 711 yards for the season. Meanwhile, the defense is giving up 26 points and 375 yards per game. Now, some of this is the result of an offense which struggles to maintain long drives, but some is just poor game planning and execution, and that does sit on Franchione’s shoulders. The Birmingham HC is not the only coach feeling pressure as the season winds down. There is certainly concern in LA, where the usual odd-year bounce back of the Express has not materialized, potentially signaling that the Express could move on from Galen Hall. In New Orleans, even sneaking into the playoffs with 5 wins may not be enough to preserve Mike Nolan’s position with the Breakerss, and Pittsburgh has to be looking at how the Maulers have unraveled this year, though partially due to the injury to Charlie Batch, and may put the blame on Jack Bicknell. Black Monday is only a week away, and none of these 4 coaches can be considered a safe bet to return. It all comes down to one week, and what a week it is! We have 12 games, all divisional matchups, and we can honestly say that only 1 game in the lot has no bearing on the 2005 playoff field. That is simply astounding. So, here are the games, with each divisional set aligned to play at the same time this weekend. SATURDAY @ 12pm ET BOS (9-4) @ TBY (9-4): A one-game battle for the Southern Division title. The loser still very likely gets in as a Wild Card, but it is not guaranteed. This should be treated as a Winner Takes It All scenario, which will definitely increase the pressure for both clubs. FOX National Game JAX (8-5) @ ORL (4-8-1): The Bulls can only win the division if Tampa and Boston end in a tie, which feels very unlikely, so the goal for Jacksonville is to get to 9 wins and hope that this is enough for them to lock up a Wild Card, but it all depends on who is tied with them at 9-5 as there are so many tiebreakers in play. FOX Regional Game SATURDAY @ 4pm ET ARZ (2-11) @ TEX (3-10): Nothing to see here. Expect a lot of backups in this one as both teams try to assess needs ahead of what should be a busy offseason. ABC Regional Game DEN (8-5) @ HOU (9-4): Houston’s earlier win over Denver means that even with a Gold victory this week, the Gamblers still have the division title in hand. Houston is a surprising top seed in the West, but don’t expect the Gamblers to rest their starters. They will use the bye week for that. ABC National Game SATURDAY @ 8PM ET BIR (2-11) @ NOR (4-8-1): The Breakers could still get into the postseason if both Seattle and LA lose this week, but it may be hard to convince the players to feel that energy. Birmingham will almost certainly shut down Jason Campbell in a game that has little meaning for them. NBC National Game MEM (6-6-1) @ NSH (7-6): The second Winner-Takes-It-All match of the weekend. Memphis is a half-game behind Nashville but a win in the Tennessee capital and the Showboats will jump over them and claim the division. Expect this one to be heated as these two teams do not like each other even in games when there is nothing at stake. ESPN National Game SUNDAY @ 12pm ET CHI (10-3) @ PIT (4-8-1): The Machine only need to beat the Maulers to lock up the top seed in the East, so this is a game Chicago will take seriously. Pittsburgh is limping into this one, so they may opt to bench, and thereby protect some players as they look towards 2006. ABC Regional Game MGN (8-5) @ OHI (9-4): Michigan needs the road win and some significant help in order to make the postseason. Ohio need only win to take the top Wild Card seed, and could get the division if the Maulers surprise Chicago. Ohio will will play to win and to tune up for the next week’s Wild Card round. ABC National Game SUNDAY @ 4pm ET LV (2-11) @ SEA (5-8): The Dragons control their own destiny, a win and they are in the playoffs as a Wild Card. A loss and they could easily be lept over by either LA or New Orleans. FOX Regional Game LA (5-8) @ OAK (7-6): LA does not control their destiny. With a win they still need a Thunder upset of Seattle to make the postseason, but this is their rivalry game with Oakland, so expect them to push for the W. Oakland also wants that W because finishing at 7-7 feels like a defeat. FOX National Game SUNDAY @ 8pm ET BAL (8-4) @ WSH (7-5): A win and the Blitz clinch a surprising division title. A loss and any one of the other division foes could jump up and take the title. NBC National Game NJ (8-5) @ PHI (8-5): This is very likely a win-and-in, lose-and-out situation. With the level of competition for the Wild Card positions it is hard to imagine a scenario where the loser of this rivalry game is still able to make the field for the postseason. ESPN National Game

Playoff Picture: Several highlights this week as Chicago becomes the first Eastern Conference team to clinch a playoff spot. The Machine have clinched a playoff spot, but have not yet locked up the division or the top seed. Houston has locked into the top seed, thanks to holding the tie breakers over Denver. Southwest Division Champion and #1 seed in the West. Oakland has clinched the Pacific Division title and a win next week will give them a bye as the #2 seed. Nashville, Memphis, and Denver have also clinched playoff spots, with Seattle, LA, and New Orleans still alive for the 6th and final slot in the conference. There are 5 remaining spots in the Eastern Conference playoffs, and all three division titles are still to be decided. Chicago, Tampa Bay and Baltimore all control their own destinies for the division titles, however, Boston, Ohio, Philadelphia, New Jersey, Washington, Jacksonville, and Michigan all have viable paths to the playoffs, though only 5 spots exist for these 9 teams to battle over.

What a week! We had one of the greatest games in football history, a game that set a defensive mark that may never be repeated (at least Kerry Collins hopes so). We had upsets that shook up the playoff chase, with Birmingham, Texas, and Seattle shaking things up. We also saw Baltimore make a statement against the Division-leading Stars. Memphis leapfrogs Nashville to take over the South, and Tampa Bay makes life difficult for the Jacksonville Bulls, pulling off the road win in a brutal Florida Derby game. So much to talk about, so much at stake. This is late season football at its best. GLORY 28 MACHINE 31 In a wild week with a lot of really strong contenders, there was no doubt which was the Game of the Week, as we saw an amazing game in Soldier Field. Kerry Collins survived a league record 12 sacks to throw 4 touchdowns, but Chicago had enough to finally get over the hump and knock off a healthy Glory squad. After several years of near misses and bad losses, Chicago finally stepped up against Ohio and knocked them off when everything was on the line. Yes, Chicago did beat Ohio last year, but that was an Ohio Glory squad without Kerry Collins. This year the Machine went up against the full force of the Glory and still found a way to win, and to brutalize Collins at the same time. The plan was simple, turn as many pass plays as possible into plays were Kerry Collins was running instead of standing in the pocket. Chicago would stunt, blitz, and overwhelm the Glory offensive line. Anthony Weaver would have a career day with 5 sacks on the day, while his linemates Ted Washington and Israel Rayborn each added 2 more sacks, and the linebackers got theirs as well. It is a small miracle that Collins was even able to finish the game, much less that he was able to have a 427-yard, 4 TD day while under such a barrage. That production by Collins meant that Chicago also needed big days from their offense, and they got them, with 121 yards from Micheal Turner and another 83 yards on the ground from rookie Maurice Clarett. That run duo forced Ohio to bring players up to the line, which is exactly what Curtis Conway and Donald Driver wanted to see. The two combined for 13 receptions and 152 yards through the air. The game itself had everything you want to see, big hits, big plays, back and forth action, a late comeback, and an overtime game winner for the home team. Tim Seder had an amazing game, connecting on 5 field goals to keep Chicago on pace with Ohio’s offense. And throughout the game, the scoreboard had trouble keeping track. It began with a 21-point first quarter, Chicago opening up the scoring only 4:32 into the game as Michael Turner pounded the ball into the endzone on the Machine’s first drive. Ohio responded with a long drive ending with a Joey Galloway TD. After a Chicago punt, Ohio again marched right down the field, despite the pressure from Chicago’s line, scoring on a short swing pass to Eddie George. But as the 2nd quarter began, Chicago’s pressure scheme started to pay dividends. Three separate Ohio drives ended with Kerry Collins on his butt and a failed 3rd down play. Over the 2nd and third quarters, Chicago was able to flip the score, from 14-7 to 22-14 thanks to that defense, a safety with Collins sacked in the endzone by Weaver, two Tim Seder field goals and a George TD pass to Conway. Had Chicago been able to score TDs on more of those drives, the game could have been over, but even with their dominance over 2 quarters their lead was only 8. That lead became 2 when Ohio finally got back on the board. Early in the 4th, Collins found Troy Brown but when the 2-point conversion failed, the Glory still found themselves down by two. Chicago again kicked a field goal and made it 5, but five points is not really a big help in the USFL, and that is what Ohio proved only 2 minutes later. With 1:47 on the clock, Collins found Reche Caldwell for his 4th TD of the day, and when the 2-pointer was good this time it meant Ohio was back on top, and with a 3-point lead at 28-25. Chicago would need to call on Tim Seder again. Jeff George got Seder in range for a 48 yard kick, but a false start on the right tackle forced Seder back to the Ohio 36 yard line to try for a 53-yard kick. Seder did not fail, and the game was sent to overtime with only 16 ticks left on the clock. In overtime, it would again be on the Chicago defense to keep the Machine in the game. Ohio won the toss, and started with the ball, but just as they approached midfield, the O-line got sloppy. On 2nd and 7 Collins rolled right into the waiting arms of Rayborn, creating a 3rd and 13. Chicago opted to drop 7, rushing only 4, but that gamble paid off, as Anthony Weaver, who already had 4 sacks on the day, stunted around the DT, slipped past Eddie George’s blocking attempt, and caught Collins’s sleeve, forcing the QB to the ground as he fell to the ground with a handful of jersey. The defensive stop was all the Machine would need. They took the punt, marched it down to the Ohio 20 and brought Seder back out to kick once again. The league leader in points did his job once again, giving Chicago the win, and a win that now makes them the frontrunner for not only the Central Division, but for the top seed in the entire Eastern Conference. A huge win for Chicago, and potentially a turning point for the power dynamic in the USFL. FEDERALS 20 GENERALS 23 It took New Jersey 59 minutes and 28 seconds to get the lead on the Federals, but they had it when the whistle blew and that is all that matters. Curtis Enis rushed for 102, Deuce McCallister for 100. Deion Branch caught 8 balls for 112 yards but Mark Clayton had the last laugh, catching the game winner as time ran down. The win puts New Jersey even with the Feds at 7-5 and hoping to win out to get back to the postseason. BANDITS 20 BULLS 12 A huge win for the Bandits if they want to win the Southeast. TDs from Travis Prentice and Kevin Johnson, not the biggest names on a talented Bandits offense, helped Spurrier’s squad steal the win. The defense came up big for Tampa Bay, picking off Jake Delhomme twice, including on the final drive of the game, when a desperation toss by Delhomme ended up in the hands of Samari Rolle. STARS 10 BLITZ 42 How many times can we say a win was huge? In the case of the Blitz game against Philly, the word certainly fits, as the Blitz defense picked off Kurt Warner twice, shut down the Stars’ offense, and then just fed the ball to Ron Dayne. Dayne was a beast this week, rushing for 157 yards on only 20 carries, a 7.8 YPC average. His 3 TDs helped push the Blitz lead from a modest 14-3, up to 42-3 by the middle of the 4th. A big game for Baltimore’s belief that they are the best club in the division. The Blitz now move up to a tie with Philadelphia atop the Northeast. KNIGHTS 7 STALLIONS 20 A stunning result in Birmingham as the Stallions simply shut down the Nashville offense. Craig Whelihan looked very raw against a zone defense scheme that seemed to confuse him at every turn. Frank Gore got 103 yards, but the offense simply could not keep possessions going. And while Birmingham’s 20 points on offense were hardly explosive, it was certainly enough as the Stallions knock Nashville out of first place. OUTLAWS 13 GOLD 7 Another shocker led by an underrated defense as Texas simply did not let Denver get their bearings. It is rare for the Gold to put on a stinker at home, but the Outlaws were able to make Denver look weak in this one. T. J. Duckett was the offensive star of the day, rushing for 121 and a score, but the big star of the game was unquestionably Nathan Vasher, the Outlaw CB who picked off Brunell 3 times in the game. GAMBLERS 16 WRANGLERS 9 Houston almost had the same fate befall them, but a late score from Antonio Freeman saves the Gamblers as they escape Tempe with a 7-point win. It was not a good game for Hasselbeck, who threw two picks, and an even worse game for Houston’s iffy run game, as they accounted for only 27 yards total on the ground. That is not playoff caliber football, but it is enough to outlast the Wranglers. DRAGONS 28 EXPRESS 20 The Express had a shot to reach .500 and challenge the Invaders in the Pacific, but Seattle has not given up on the season yet, and their drive showed in this matchup with LA. A 59-yard Darren Sproles punt return and two Joe Montgomery TDs were not textbook offensive plays for the Dragons but they got the job done. Marques Tuiasosopo connected with TE L.J. Smith twice on the day, but it was not enough as LA drops to 5-7. INVADERS 29 THUNDER 6 Oakland’s defense was on their game, limiting Aaron Brooks to a pretty putrid 15 of 40 day. And while the defense was on fire, the offense did enough, with Ricky Williams rushing for 119 yards. The problem for Oakland was getting the ball in the end zone. Oakland scored on 7 of 9 possessions, but 5 of those were field goals. That worked fine against Las Vegas, but they are facing Ohio next week. BREAKERS 20 SHOWBOATS 24 With the Knights losing to Birmingham, the door was opened for Memphis to leapfrog Nashville and take over first place. They did just that, though it did not come easy as New Orleans played them tough. Memphis got 2 scores from backup HB Maurice Smith, who combined with Cadillac Williams to gain 98 yards rushing. With Heath Shuler out, that run game was essential. Bill Musgrave also reminded us that he is one of the league’s best backups, going 21 of 29 for the ‘Boats. MAULERS 17 PANTHERS 36 Michigan moves to 7-5 and guarantees that they will not suffer another losing season with a big win against a short-handed Mauler squad. Jim Sorgi got he start again, but recently-signed Elvis Grbac also came in as Sorgi was ineffective. For Michigan, Drew Brees added 3 more TDs to his season totals, connecting with Coles, Ward, and Fred Jackson for scores. Jackson and Ladell Betts also scored on the ground as the Panthers looked very good in this one. RENEGADES 18 CANNONS 27 Boston fell behind early as Orlando took an initial 10-0 lead after one quarter, but a 21-0 run including two Bledsoe to Ochocinco TD tosses was enough to put the Cannons up for good. Tiki Barber added another 131 to his league lead as he helped Boston run down the clock to end the game. Bledsoe did suffer 6 sacks, which would be bad if Collins had not suffered 12, but with an immobile QB, that is a risk that Boston has to protect against. Chicago Pass Rush Makes History The Chicago Machine have developed a reputation as one of the league’s best defenses, but what they accomplished on Sunday was unprecedented even for them. With a strategy that focused on getting Ohio QB Kerry Collins to move in and out of the pocket, trusting that the three time MVP was not a particularly good passer when on the run. The result was constant pressure, coming from the front 4 but also from a variety of blitzers on passing downs. The high pressure scheme produced an unbelievable 12 sacks on the day. Five of these came from the new league leader, DE Anthony Weaver, 4 more from DE Israel Rayborn and DT Ted Washington, and 3 additional sacks from blitzers from the LB corps and the defensive backfield. The strategy had mixed results, as Collins still had over 400 yards passing, but what was seen on the field was a defense that made the run game difficult with constant stunts and blitzs, while also forcing Collins to make quick decisions, often dropping his vision from deeper routes to short receivers. The other big takeaway is that this strategy helped Chicago shut down multiple drives with big 3rd down sacks. While Ohio’s 28 points on the day is a good day for most clubs, their scoring was dampened enough for Chicago to keep pace and eventually win the game in overtime. For Kerry Collins, the grand total of 12 sacks, an additional 9 hits or knockdowns and the constant harassment made for a rough day, and with the loss, Ohio’s third in a row, the Glory fall out of first place, with Chicago gaining the top spot in the conference with the win. Ron Dayne Powers Blitz to Huge Win The Baltimore Blitz have been one of the surprise clubs of the USFL this season, with 2nd year QB Ben Roethlisberger improving by leaps and bounds over his rookie season and with a defense that is among the league’s stingiest, but the hero of this week’s victory over the Stars, a dominating 42-10 crushing of their division rival, was not a new face on the scene for the Blitz, but “Old Reliable”, halfback Ron Dayne. Dayne is not the fastest or most elusive back in the league. He is more of a runaway train who simply runs over opponents, sticking to a straight ahead running style and a lot of power in his legs to always fall forwards, often carrying tacklers with him. This week, Dayne produced another big game, rushing for 157 yards on 20 carries, and taking the ball into the end zone three times. The 157 was his highest rush total of the year, having reached 147 in Week 6 and 145 in Week 2. Combined with a 97-yard, 2 score effort last week, this gives Dayne 5 TDs in the past 2 weeks. The effort shot Dayne up the rushing leaderboard, entering the Top 5 at #3 with 1,044 yards and assuring the former Wisconsin Badger his 5th 1,000 yard effort in 6 professional seasons. His total of 11 touchdowns for the year is a career high, and puts him only 1 behind Jacksonville’s Antowain Smith for the league lead in that category. Partnered with Roethlisberger and TE Antonio Gates, Baltimore has managed to move into the Top 10 in yards per game despite having what many consider one of the league’s weakest receiving groups (Darnerien McCants leads all wideouts with 55 catches for 637 yards, both behind Gates’s numbers). And while the defense, ranked #1 in the league in scoring and 2nd overall in yards allowed, is certainly the legitimate focus of most media attention in the Charm City, Ron Dayne deserves some attention as well, as he is keeping Baltimore’s run-first, grind-it-out offense in games and on the field. Memphis and Houston Benefit from Big Upsets Other than perhaps the bookmakers in Las Vegas, no one was more excited or benefitted more from this week’s upsets than the Showboats and Gamblers. Memphis, which has trailed the Nashville Knights in the standings all season, and which just last week reached .500, now finds itself on top of the Southern Division, a vantage point that no one saw for them this year. Knocking off the New Orleans Breakers at home in a hard-fought 24-20 victory, the Breakers could not have expected to see Birmingham, which had only 1 win on the season, upending the Nashville Knights, but that is exactly what happened at Legion Field. The loss pushes Nashville down to 6-6 and allows the 6-5-1 Showboats to control their own destiny. With only 2 weeks left in the season, Memphis can lock up the division title with two more wins. They face a very tough Jacksonville squad in Week 13, and then the likely deciding game of the season, a road trip to Nashville, which in all likelihood will be a title clash for both clubs, with the winner taking the Southern Division. Houston also benefitted this week from a major upset as division-leading Denver, who punched their playoff ticket in Week 11, fell victim to a post-clinching malaise, and failed to show up against Texas, falling 13-7. The loss, paired with Houston’s victory over Arizona, allowed the Gamblers to leapfrog the Gold in the Southwest standings and again take control of their own destiny. But, just like Memphis, Houston’s path is tough. They face the Philadelphia Stars in Week 13, and then what again could be a division-title match in NRG Stadium as the Gold will come to Houston to finish up the season. In both cases, the games in Week 14 are likely to determine the winners of each division, but the games in Week 13 could prove pivotal. If either Denver or Nashville lose this next week, the Week 14 games could be far less impactful, but if all 4 clubs win, or if Houston or Memphis fall this week, then we are perfectly set up for some Week 14 drama. Week 12 helped sort out a lot in the West, but kept the East very much a quagmire of teams that simply all have some claim to being post-season ready. Houston, Oakland and Memphis have joined Denver as postseason participants, each locking up a spot with 2 weeks to go. But, even with 4 teams in, all 4 divisions are still up for grabs. Denver and Nashville are right there, and LA is mathematically alive, which may be the only thing we can say about their 2-game deficit against Oakland. Week 12 also removed several teams from playoff contention. Joining Birmingham on the outside are Arizona, Las Vegas, Pittsburgh and Orlando. Hard to believe, but the 3-9 Outlaws are technically still alive, but would need so much help to get in that it is all but impossible to see them qualify. In the East, Chicago controls their own destiny and could lock up the #1 seed if the results next week go their way. Philadelphia and Tampa Bay also lock up their divisions with 2 wins, but a loss by either and we have several clubs still able to jump up and over them. Right now the Wild Cards are Ohio, Baltimore, and Boston, each with 8 wins, but with 4 clubs sitting only 1 game behind at 7-5, this is not likely to be settled until Week 14. The wear and tear of along season has a way of impacting teams late in the year as players simply break down. We saw that this week with 8 players added to the IR in one week. In some cases it is the recognition that that risking reinjury is not worth bringing a player back, but with many on the list it is simply that the bumps and bruises have turned more serious and it is simply not possible for the player to continue toughing it out. A mix of playoff contenders and teams at the bottom of the standings as we look at the newly shut-down players for this season: Bulls G Joe Berger (neck), Knights LB Na’il Diggs (Achilles), Breaker G Terrance Metcalf (leg), Gamblers DT Rocky Bernard (MCL), Generals C Jeremy Newberry (Ankle), Thunder TE Jason Dunn (Biceps), Bandits LB Jonathan Vilma (Foot), and Maulers QB Alex Van Pelt (Back) Others are still on active rosters, but with only 2 weeks left, could be out of the final games for their teams. This includes Birmingham QB Jason Campbell, who went out with a wrist injury in this week’s game. Ohio tackle Jerry Wunsch could miss 1-2 games with a pinched nerve, while Denver RT Jason Odom is out with a stress fracture. Memphis has Heath Shuler listed as Doubtful this week, which is not good as we head towards the season finale in 2 weeks. Nasvhille is also down a key player as SS Rodney Harrison is out this week with a shoulder injury. Arizona could be without Larry Fitzgerald, while Pittsburgh gets Charlie Batch back just as Jim Sorgi deals with a hip injury. Looking at top draft prospects Two weeks left in the regular season, and for many teams, thoughts of the offseason are already primary interests. We have already looked at some of the potential free agents or unprotected players for the expansion draft. This week we look at the rookie class of 2006. There is a lot of talent in this year’s class, and with the new rules removing the option to trade away Territorial Draft picks, we expect a lot of the top players to find their way into the Open Draft. The question, as always, is who will sign with the USFL and who will end up in the NFL. Among the top players in every draft are the quarterbacks and this year we have three who could be top targets either in the T-Draft or the Open Draft. Vince Young of Texas would have been a natural choice for the Outlaws, and could still be, but the trade to bring Trent Dilfer to town may be a sign that Texas is not thinking of chasing the Longhorn QB. Meanwhile LA has had all kinds of QB issues this year, with injuries to both Cade McNown and Quincy Carter, but will that motivate the Express to pursue USC’s Matt Leinart, or with the Trojan QB be available to others in the Open Draft. The third potential 1st rounder is Vanderbilt’s Jay Cutler. We know the Knights love Todd Collins, but he is no spring chicken, so perhaps laying out the red carpet for Cutler would be a good idea for the Knights. At HB, there are at least 5 potential early picks, perhaps more. The biggest name in the HB class has to be USC’s Reggie Bush. With LA already pretty solid at the position, Bush could become available to the rest of the league and could be a great choice for either expansion club. Behind Bush we have Minnesota’s Laurence Maroney, Memphis’s DeAngelo Williams, LSU’s Joseph Addai, and another USC Trojan, Lendale White. Of all of these backs, the one obvious choice is Addai to the Breakers in the T-Draft because they just don’t have enough of a run game since giving up on Ricky Williams. Our favorite receiver in the draft is not even a wide out, it’s TE Vernon Davis of Maryland. What is ironic here is that Maryland does not produce a lot of big name players, but the one year they do it is at a position that the Baltimore Blitz do not really need. They love their current starting TE, Antonio Gates, so they may just pass on the Terrapin TE. Among wideouts, the best of a pretty weak class appears to be Ohio State’s Santonio Holmes. Other potential early picks include Florida’s Chad Jackson, and Miami’s SInorice Moss. O-Line tends not to be a first round focus for most teams, except when there is a bookend left tackle on the board, and that is exactly what we have with Uva’s D’Brickashaw Ferguson. We expect the Federals to go after the big man from the Cavaliers in the T-Draft, because true left tackles are a rare find. Other players who could get looks include tackles Winston Justice (USC), guard Davin Joseph of Oklahoma, and center Nick Mangold of the Buckeyes. Edge rusher remains a high value pick, and this year’s best of the bunch could go overall #1. Either St. Louis or Atlanta will have the pick and we would not be shocked if NC State’s Mario Williams is that pick. Williams, as a Wolfpack player, is not on a protected team, so he will be there for the Open Draft, and that is a good option if the USFL expansion club can outbid the NFL Club that also selects Williams. Other potential early picks at DE include Kamerion Wimbley of FSU, Tamba Hali of Penn State, and Mathias Kiwanuka of BC. At DT, the man getting all the attention is Oregon’s Haloti Ngata, but don’t sleep on FSU’s Broderick Bunkley as a 1st round option. It is not a great LB group this year, but that does not mean that there is no talent to be had. Ohio State’s MLB A.J. Hawk would be a first rounder in any year. Beyond him we have Ernie Sims of FSU, Chad Greenway of Iowa, and DeMarco Ryans of Alabama. At the DB spots, Texas could make a bid on Longhorn Michael Huff, and we could also see Ohio State’s Donte Whitner being protected by the Glory. Tye Hill of Clemson and Antonio Cromartie of FSU are also good options, especially in the latter half of the opening round. Week 13’s interconference showdowns may seem like a breather between the divisional slates of Week 12 and Week 14, but these games could go a long way to locking teams into or out of playoff positions. A loss this week could spell doom for many teams, while a win, and a division rival loss, could propel a team up the playoff standings. All 12 games have some potential impact on the playoffs, but we see them as two different types, first a battle between playoff hopefuls, and second, a chance for a non-playoff team to play spoiler. Battles Between Playoff Hopefuls New Jersey (7-5) @ Denver (8-4): Denver’s upset loss to Texas cost them the lead in the Southwest, but before they face Houston next week, they have to get past the defending champs. New Jersey is right back in the hunt at 7-5 but essentially has to win both games left on their schedule to have any shot at a repeat. Philadelphia (8-4) @ Houston (8-4): Neither of these teams can afford a loss this week. Philadelphia is tied with Baltimore for 1st in the Northeast, but has New Jersey and Washington right there as well. Houston has the 1-game lead in the Southwest, but if they can win this week, they may just lock up the division and the top seed. Jacksonville (7-5) @ Memphis (6-5-1): The Showboats have clawed their way up to the top spot in the South, but one slip up and they could drop below Nashville again. Jacksonville is a game behind Tampa Bay and Boston, but a win, and some help, and they could again be atop the division. Ohio (8-4) @ Oakland (7-5): The Glory looked unbeatable early, but have now lost 3 games in a row and gave up 12 sacks (12!!!) last week. They need this win. The Invaders lock up the Pacific with the win, and they certainly want to make a statement that they are a legit contender by knocking off the Glory in Oakland. Michigan (7-5) @ Los Angeles (5-7): Both teams need wins to avoid elimination. It is likely to take 9 wins to make the postseason in the East, so Michigan cannot lose this one. LA falling to 4-8 means they could find themselves behind Seattle or New Orleans for a Wild Card and lose any shot at catching Oakland for the division. Spoiler Games Baltimore (8-4) @ Arizona (2-10): The Blitz are right there with Phillly. They need to not look past the Wranglers as they prepare for a tough Week 14 game against arch rival Washington. Tampa Bay (8-4) @ New Orleans (4-7-1): The Breakers have slim playoff hopes, but Tampa Bay could conceivably win the South with a victory here. It would require losses by both the Bulls and Cannons, but stranger things have happened. Orlando (4-7-1) @ Nashville (6-6): If the Knights want to catch Memphis, and make next week’s game a division title match, they cannot look past the Renegades. Orlando started the year strong, but have slid in the second half. Will they want to go out strong, or are they playing out the string? Boston (8-4) @ Birmingham (2-10): This one looks like an easy win for the Cannons, but Birmingham will be inspired to play their best in Lawrence Dawsey’s last home game. Boston had better be prepared for a battle. Washington (7-5) @ Texas (3-9): If the Feds want any chance at a playoff spot, much less the division, they had better not look past the Outlaws. Texas knocked off Denver last week with a defensive gem. If they can do it in Denver, they can do it again at home in San Antonio. Pittsburgh (4-7-1) @ Seattle (4-8): You would think that this matchup of 4-win teams would be completely without any playoff impact, but the Western Conference very easy could have a 6-win team getting in, maybe even a 5-win team, so Seattle is still playing for a playoff spot. If LA stumbles, Seattle could be right there. Pittsburgh can only wish the East were in the same boat, but they are out of contention and playing only for pride.

Playoff Picture: Houston, Oakland, and Memphis all join Denver with clinched playoff spots, though all three Western division titles are still very much up for grabs. Pittsburgh, Orlando, Las Vegas, and Arizona join Birmingham as eliminated clubs. All other teams remain alive either for a division title or a Wild Card.

Only 3 weeks left in the season and so much is still unknown. With each conference clustered together either on the winning side of the ledger or just under .500, it means that the playoff push for many teams will have to extend all the way to Week 14. The week's results did provide the first playoff berth to a club, with the Denver Gold becoming the earliest team to lock up a spot, but even they are still very much in a dead heat with Houston to decide the Southwest Division. We also got our first official elimination as the Birmingham Stallions continue to struggle in a rebuilding year, just as their rookie QB struggles to make the adjustments to the wide open USFL game. Week 11 was a week that saw some teams slip a bit, while others seem to be standing up at just the right time. With two of the final 3 weeks being purely divisional games, it seems like Week 11 is in many ways the last of the "regular" season games, with everything from this point on being a quasi-playoff, or perhaps play-in scenario. CANNONS 29 GENERALS 23 OVERTIME It is practically a right of summer, Boston v. New York, but this time it is not the Sox and the Yankees, but the Boston Cannons taking on the New Jersey Generals. The two teams are not even in the same division yet, that will come next year, but for now it is still Beantown vs. the Big Apple (or Big Apple Adjacent) and that is always fun. Over 51,000 rowdy fans provided the ambience as the Cannons came to New Jersey to face the Generals. Both teams came in at 6-4, and both were deeply embroiled in a brutal Wild Card free-for-all in the Eastern Conference. A loss, any loss, could be a deciding factor between who will get to the dance and who will be headed home. Both teams knew it, and both came with their A-games. Defense was the order of the day in the first half, with both teams testing each other and both getting turned away from the endzone on multiple occasions. Boston suffered 2 turnovers, but held New Jersey to only 3 points off of the mistakes as the two teams battled to a 9-3 Boston lead after 30 minutes. Despite an early Bledsoe pick by Deion Sanders, and a fumble inside the New Jersey 15, the Cannons still had the advantage at the half. The third quarter was more of the same, though New Jersey was able to tighten the game with their 2nd field goal, as the two clubs slugged it out over 45 minutes of play, a 9-6 Cannons’ lead. The key to both offenses has been the ability to dominate the run game and produce gaps in pass coverage on shorter third downs. Both clubs struggled to achieve that goal, but as the game wore on, the defense started to wear out. New Jersey cracked first, giving up a 15-yard run to Tiki Barber and then a 22-yard smashmouth run by FB Justin Green. With the Cannons having success on the ground, New Jersey committed forces to stop it, and that left Chad Ochocinco in single coverage. Boston’s first touchdown was a classic deep fade to Ochocinco, who had gotten a step on Deion Sanders, no easy task. New Jersey retaliated immediately, using short passes and a 19-yard draw play by Enis to get deep in Cannon territory. The drive would be capped off by a James Jackson TD Run, and we were back to a 3 point difference at 16-13. But New Jersey was not done. When Brian Dawkins forced a Mike Cloud fumble on 3rd and 3, Boston may have recovered, but they were forced to punt. The punt drove General Andrew Woolfork back to his own 73, but Boston’s Frank Whalen had outkicked his coverage. By the time Boston defenders got to Woolfork, he was at full speed and had some help. He dodged the first tackler and had a clear path to the endzone. New Jersey took the lead for the first time in the game thanks to Woolfork’s timely return. The Generals would expand on that lead in their final possession of the 4th quarter, adding a field goal to make the score 23-16, but that was a very precarious 7-point lead. Boston, with just over 2:30 left to go, had plenty of time to mount one final offensive. They picked apart the General defense, and with 39 seconds to spare, Bledsoe found TE Bob Slowikowski in the endzone for the game-tying score. The two clubs went into extra time, but New Jersey was spent, while Boston seemed to have all the energy in the house. When Boston won the toss, they wasted no time putting the game to rest. 4 straight passes from Bledsoe and they were in the endzone, the final play a 34-yard strike from Bledsoe to Joe Jurevicious against a tired Generals defense. Boston moves to 7-4 and by Monday would share first place with the Bulls and Bandits. New Jersey slips back to 6-5, 2 games behind Philly, and a game behind the other two Northeast rivals. STARS 24 MAULERS 14 Philadelphia took control of the Northeast with their 4th straight win, a defensive gem that saw them force Alex Van Pelt out of the game. Kurt Warner’s 3 TD passes were more than Jim Sorgi could match for Pittsburgh and Philadelphia earned their 8th win of the year, and a heartening win against their in-state rival. BLITZ 26 PANTHERS 24 The Blitz are right in the heart of the action as they held off Michigan thanks to 2 scores and 97 yards from Ron Dayne. Michigan got 137 yards and a score from Hines Ward, and new HB Fred Jackson looked good, rushing for 52 yards on only 10 carries, but a late TD toss from Roethlisberger to D’Wayne Bates put away the Panthers, who slip to 6-5 with the defeat at home. RENEGADES 17 FEDERALS 34 The Feds doubled up the ‘Gades at home, thanks to 2 picks of rookie Matt Cassel and a two TD day from WR Deion Branch. Kordell Stewart looked more comfortable back under center, going 18 of 23 on the day and connecting with Branch twice. Orlando struggled with Cassel filling in for Jeff Blake, losing their third in a row to fall to 4-6-1. MACHINE 20 BANDITS 3 Up the road from Orlando, the Bandits were having an even worse time of it as Chicago was dominant throughout the game, limiting Steve Spurrier’s offense to only 207 total yards, and Willis McGahee to an anemic 0.8 yards per carry (14 carries, 11 yards), as the Machine roll to their 8th win of the year, and a share of first place in the Central Division. GLORY 17 BULLS 31 Ohio dropped into a tie with Chicago because they ran into a buzzsaw in Jacksonville. The Bulls had Ohio’s defense spinning all game, racking up 511 yards to Ohio’s 258. That included 212 yards rushing for the Bulls, who got 106 from Travis Minor and 91 from Antowain Smith. Both Boldin and Woods went over 100 yards, and the duo combined for 3 scores as Jacksonville played lights out football at home to knock off Ohio and regain a share of first place in the South. INVADERS 17 GOLD 20 Oakland has been one of the stories of the season, but even Cinderella hears the midnight chimes sometimes, and a trip to the Mile High City can be very rough on those glass slippers. Denver got a solid game from backup Eric Wilhelm and the combo of Cedric Benson and Rod Smart produced 102 yards rushing to hold Oakland’s offense at bay on the sidelines. Five sacks of Trent Green also kept Oakland from coming out on top in this one as LB Kendrell Bell led the charge for the Denver D. THUNDER 23 OUTLAWS 20 Aaron Brooks beat Jeff Lewis in the battle of benched QBs who were back in action this week. In a close game the difference was minute as a safety from Las Vegas’s Hugh Douglas helped the Thunder pull to a 3-point lead late. Texas was rallying late for what could have been a game-tying field goal, but a fumble by Marcel Shipp spelt doom for the Outlaws, moving Las Vegas to 2-9 on the season. GAMBLERS 16 BREAKERS 19 The Breaker defense was in fine form against Houston, holding the Gambler offense t only 1 touchdown, while Chris Perry provided a spark with a first quarter scoring run. Eli Manning added a TD to Bobby Engram and the defense did the rest. New Orleans is still alive in the playoff hunt, while Houston drops a game behind Denver in the Southwest. KNIGHTS 13 DRAGONS 10 Call Derrick Mason “St. George”, because this Knight slew the Dragons. Down 10-6 with only 1:26 left in the game, Mason caught a short pass from Craig Whelihan, shook off the tackler, dodged the safety, and raced to the endzone for a 52-yard TD that stunned the Dragon faithful. Seattle drops to 3-8, while the Knights stay atop the South with a 6-5 record, despite playing without Todd Collins and struggling to move the ball all game long. WRANGLERS 7 SHOWBOATS 38 Andrew Walter’s pain is Memphis’ happiness, as the Showboats manhandle the Wranglers in the Liberty Bowl. Cadillac Williams’s 90 yards and 2 scores from Robert Ferguson emphasized the Showboat dominance in this one, as Arizona seems destined to slink towards the end of the season. STALLIONS 6 EXPRESS 29 Birmingham is another team that just seems to have nothing left in the tank. Jason Campbell completed 17 of 29, but threw 2 picks as the Express capitalized on Stallion mistakes to make Marques Tuiasosopo’s debut as a member of the club as easy as could be. Tuiasosopo struggled to an 11 of 25 day, but got help from Foster and Moore in the run game, as well as a defense that produced 6 sacks of Campbell. Philadelphia and Nashville Getting Hot at the Right Time The Knights and Stars are headed in the right direction as they get hot just as the playoff push of early summer gets underway. Philadelphia’s 4-game winning streak puts them atop the Northeast Division with an 8-3 record, which, thanks to Ohio’s 2 straight losses, means they are in the hunt not only for the division title, but are right there for the #1 seed as well. They have done it with a balanced offense that is averaging 103 yards rushing and 218 yards passing per game, but also with a defense, that while not intimidating as Chicago’s, Denver’s or Baltimore’s may be, is proving effective, forcing 17 takeaways this year and limiting teams to 22 points a game. Nashville earned their 3rd straight win this week, the first with backup Craig Whelihan at the helm. Whelihan did not wow anyone, going 23 of 40 for 221 yards, but he did show presence in the pocket and avoided turnovers, which, in a close game against the Dragons, proved to be enough to help Nashville move to 6-5. Rookie Frank Gore continues to impress, sitting 2nd in the league behind only Tiki Barber, with 961 yards on the ground. The defense has also been helping Nashville on this streak, allowing 14, 17, and 10 points over the past three weeks. When the Knights keep teams below 20 points they are 5-0, so expect them to slow down the game on offense, to keep Whelihan out of trouble and to depend on the defense to stay in every game. With Memphis only ½ game behind them, they will need to be consistent. They face the Showboats in a final week showdown at home to potentially decide the division, but cannot afford any slip ups until then. Michigan and Orlando Fading Down the Stretch If Nashville and Philadelphia are the hottest teams in the league right now, Michigan and Orlando are getting cold at the worst time. Sure, there are teams with longer losing streaks, Seattle and Arizona have both lost 4 in a row, but Michigan and Orlando were in the playoff mix, and now appear to be falling back. Orlando has to be considered out of the hunt right now, sitting in 11th position in the 12 team Eastern Conference at 4-6-1, while Michigan, at 6-5 after 2 straight losses, is still technically alive, but sits behind a big cluster of 7-4 clubs. The issue in Orlando would seem to be a mix of offensive sluggishness, averaging just under 18 points a game the past 3 weeks, and defensive wear-down, as the Renegades have given up over 27 points in each of their past three games. Of course, it does not help that they every team they have played in the past 5 weeks has 7 wins or more. That is not hard to say in the East, and Orlando still has Boston this week, followed by Nashville and Jacksonville to round out the season. Michigan, after a 4-game winning streak to get into the hunt in the Central, has lost consecutive games to the top 2 teams in the Northeast, Philadelphia and Baltimore. They look to rebound over the next two weeks as they face the 4-6-1 Maulers and the 5-6 Express. They still struggle to get a consistent run game, though Fred Jackson, newly arrived from Jacksonville, does seem to be showing some signs of quality in his short time with the club. They also need to shore up the run defense, but with 3 rookies starting at LB, it is not surprising that there are still communication and assignment issues. Realistically, the Panthers may need to run the table these next three weeks to have any shot at a post-season bid, and while the Mauler and Express games may be potential W’s, the season finale against the Ohio Glory in Columbus could be a big ask. Jeff Lewis Vocal About his Displeasure We saw this one coming a mile away. Jeff Lewis, thrust back into the starting role after Trent Dilfer was injured in his first start for Texas, is not a happy camper. Displaced by Dilfer, Lewis is very openly stating that he both expects and desires to be let free after the season, either through the expansion draft or allowed to test free agency. The starter in San Antonio since coming over from New Jersey in 2003, Lewis has had two 3,000 yard seasons for the Outlaws, but his QB Rating, and his win total have never been strong enough for him to be considered a Top 10 starter, and Dilfer, who put up over 3,500 in his past two seasons in New Orleans before being benched for Eli Manning, is certainly on a par or generally considered a step up from Lewis. If he is left unprotected by the Outlaws, which many expect, he could easily see himself in either Atlanta or St. Lewis next year. Having just turned 30, Lewis is entering prime QB years, and he has had flashes of real quality in his tenure with the Outlaws, including a 343 yard, 4 TD game just as Dilfer was arriving in trade from the Breakers. If he is not signed by an expansion club, a possibility that would certainly be an ego-crushing situation for the QB, he might have to resign himself to the role of backup with another club, but perhaps could find a situation where QB competition would be in his favor. For now the Outlaws QB must continue to show up in games while Dilfer is out, and if benched again must show the maturity to support Dilfer as Texas tries to muster something out of a lost season. Lawrence Dawsey Announces Plans It was not a big secret, but this week the longtime Stallion wideout has made it official. The next three weeks will mark the conclusion of Dawsey’s illustrious career with Birmingham. Dawsey came to the Stallions in 1991, a highly-touted product of Florida State. He started 7 games in his rookie career, stepping in opposite Ernest Givens, and caught 38 balls for 370 yards and 3 scores in that year. Those would prove to be his lowest career totals as he exploded as a sophomore in the Stallions offense: 1033 yards on only 48 receptions. Dawsey would see his production grow over the next few years, as both his role with the club and his QB situation would improve dramatically. He quickly became one of Brett Favre’s favorite targets, earning 11 consecutive 1,00 yards seasons before injuries in 2003 limited him to only 991 yards on the year. The injuries of 2003 have slowed Dawey down a bit, and he has not been able to reach the 1,000 yard mark since, with only 622 yards this season, with a rookie QB, being his lowest total since becoming a full time starter. In 14 seasons, Dawsey has amassed nearly 1,000 receptions, for over 17,000 yards and is closing in on 150 career touchdowns. Those totals make him a very clear Hall of Fame candidate. He currently sits 2nd all time in receiving yards in USFL history, behind only the legendary Eric Truvillion. He is also behind Truvillion alone in receiving TDs, his 145 putting him 24 ahead of Stallion legend Ernest Givens, but still 30 behind the Tampa Bay receiver. Dawsey will step away from the field, but not the game, as he has already accepted a position for Fall of 2005 as an assistant coach for receivers at his alma mater, FSU. With a reputation as a fiery rallying point for his teammates, it is no shock that Dawsey will move directly from the field to the sideline as a molder of young talent. Expect the Stallions to highlight Dawsey in Week 13 at their final home game of the year, and for Dawsey to get a respectful send off when the Stallions finish the season in New Orleans. Three weeks left to play and only one playoff spot is locked up. Denver’s win this week moves them 4 games up on 7th place New Orleans, which clinches them a spot in the postseason. They are a game up on Houston in the division, but they play the Gamblers in a Week 14 game that could decide the division title and very likely the top seed. Nashville’s 3 game win streak has them looking good, but Memphis is only ½ game behind at 5-5-1. Oakland is the other Western division leader, but they have to watch out for LA, who have won two in a row and sit at 5-6, only 1 game behind the Invaders. In the East, we still have 10 teams with winning records, 8 of whom are 7-4 or better. Ohio and Philadelphia lead the pack at 8-3, but Chicago is also right there, and with 5 teams at 7-4, this is still anyone’s game. New Jersey and Michigan have to be worried at 6-5 that even a winning record will not be enough this year, while Orlando, losers of 3 in a row, are fading fast and could be out of the running by next week. Finally, we have our first official elimination as well this week, with 1-10 Birmingham mathematically eliminated. 2-9 Las Vegas and 2-9 Texas are still statistically alive, but it does not seem likely that either can go on a 3-game win streak and get the help they need to sneak into contention. Three games left in the regular season and as clubs across the league battle for playoff position, injuries are taking a toll. Memphis battled back to 5-5-1 and is right in the thick of the chase, but may have to fight for their postseason lives without their starting QB as Heath Shuler went down late in this week’s game with a strained hamstring. That will keep him out of Week 12, but could extend further. Trent Dilfer is another QB who could be out longer, while Jeff Blake and Mark Brunell are expected back next week after missing their Week 11 games. And add Alex Van Pelt to the injured list, meaning that Pittsburgh will be playing Week 12 with untested Jim Sorgi as their QB. The Maulers signed Elvis Grbac to back up Sorgi, and are hoping that Charlie Batch can return for week 13, but it is never good to have to count on your 3rd string QB to bring you a W. Oakland lost one of their best linemen this week, when guard Logan Mankins was placed on IR with a neck injury. No spinal cord damage, but a potential chip in a vertebrae could require surgery. New Jersey will be without LB Bobby Howard at least 2 weeks, Nashville listed FS Bhawoh Jue as doubtful for Week 12 with a knee injury, and Arizona, though not in any playoff hunt in what has become a disastrous season, now loses LB Karlos Dansby to a groin injury. Five USFL Superstars Selected for Pro Football Hall of Fame The 11th class of USFL inductees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio has been selected. From the 12 semi-finalists five players will be honored with permanent enshrinement in the legendary hall. As always it was a bittersweet announcement, for while there is great joy for the five who were selected, there is great disappointment for the seven who were not. It is always a difficulty process, but the hope is that each year the five most deserving players move forward and into the Hall. This year that group includes two first ballot enshrinees and three players who were on their second year of eligibility or later. WR Ernest Givens (Stallions 1986-2000): It seems fitting that in the same week as Lawrence Dawsey announces his retirmement from the Stallions, the USFL, and pro football, his mentor and the first true superstar receiver of the Stalliions, Givens, is inducted into the Hall of Fame. A lifelong Stallion, Givens retired with 950 receptions for over 16,251 yards and 121 touchdowns. He was named All-USFL 5 times and won a title with the Brett Favre led Stallions in 1993, catching 13 TDs in that season, a year after a stunning 23 TD season, only 2 shy of Eric Truvillion’s league record. LB Kevin Greene (Stallions 1985-1997, Generals 1998-2000): Another long-time Stallion star is the 2nd first-ballot nominee this year. Greene retired in 1997, but was lured back mid-season by the Generals and would play 2.5 years in New Jersey to finish his career. Green was named All-USFL 6 times, all with Birmingham. He still holds the Birmingham records for career tackles and tackles for loss. His career totals include 1,261 tackles (192 for a loss), 44 sacks, and 19 picks. He joines Givens, HB Joe Cribbs, SS William Cesare, TE Shannon Sharpe, and FS Frank Wilder as enshrinees from the Stallions’ rich history. DE Charles Haley (Federals 1986-1992, Wranglers 1993-1997): A bit of a surprise but certainly deserving, Haley was part of Washington’s monster D-line for 7 seasons before joining the Wranglers as their primary edge rusher. He retired with 162 sacks, and still haunts the nightmares of many a veteran QB. In his final year of eligibility, it seems clear that the voters felt they simply could not leave the big man off this year’s roster. LB Vaughn Johnson (Bulls 1984-1997): It took 11 years of HOF inductions, but the Jacksonville Bulls finally have a bust in the Hall. Johnson, also in his last year of eligibility, was a sentimental choice, especially for Bulls fans. He was the first star of the 1984 expansion club, known for explosive hits and takeaways that could change the course of a game. Vaughn retired in 1997 with 910 tackles, an incredible 154 for loss, 23 forced fumbles, 60 sacks, and a reputation as a very bad man to meet over the middle. OT Emory Yates (Stallions 1983-1999): Call it the year of the Stallions, as another member of Birmingham’s early years makes the hall. A founding player in the USFL, Yates started an amazing 217 of 222 games over his career, all with the Stallions. He moved from RT to LT after 3 seasons in Birmingham and became the rock that would not move on the Stallion line, giving up only 28 sacks over his entire career. Both Cliff Stoudt and Brett Favre owe a lot of their success to the protection provided by Yates. Five very deserving enshrinees, and clearly the folks from Alabama are going to have to make a pilgrimage to Canton for this October’s ceremony. But, of course, with these five making the Hall it means seven others will have to hope that they will find a spot in next year’s class. Among those who will likely be semi-finalists, if not enshrinees next year we have CB Chris Doleman, TE Ben Coates, DT William Perry, QB Jack Trudeau, and two other Class of 2005 first time nominees, WR Webster Slaughter and DT Jerry Ball. Week 12 is usually a big week for divisional play and this year is not letting us down, with all 24 clubs playing important divisional games that could shake up the playoff scene in a hurry. We start on Friday night when Washington travels to New Jersey to take on the Generals. If New Jersey can get the home win, they could be right back in the hunt, but Washington will be ready for a fight. Saturday we have 5 games, starting in the early timeslot with a good one as Tampa Bay visits Jacksonville in a battle of 7-4 clubs. Pittsburgh visits Michigan in another early clash as both clubs try to revive fading playoff hopes. In the late afternoon slot we have our first Western Conference clashes of the week as New Orleans is in Memphis to face the Showboats and Oakland visits Las Vegas with their eyes on 7-5. Saturday Night features what was predicted to be a playoff game in Week 12, Houston at Arizona, but which may be a low-scoring game that could very easily go lopsided quickly. Sunday has 6 games lined up, three in the early slot with Orlando visiting Boston, Philadelphia squaring off against Baltimore and Nashville hoping to take advantage of a crumbling Stallion squad in Birmingham. In the afternoon games we have Texas at Denver and Seattle visiting LA to face the Express. We cap it all off with what could be the best game of the week, as 8-3 Chicago hosts 8-3 Ohio for what might well be the Central Division title. Neither team can lock it up this week, but the winner of this one will have the inside track and control their own destiny.

PLAYOFF PICTURE: Denver becomes the first club to clinch a playoff spot at 8-3. Birmingham is eliminated.

Five different QBs are knocked out of games in a week defined by the importance of a good backup. Todd Collins could miss the rest of the regular season with a hip injury suffered against the Breakers, a game the Knights still manage to pull off. In LA, the Express may have to go to 3rd stringer Marques Tuiasosopo after Quincy Carter suffers a neck injury, and Orlando watches Jeff Blake go down with a knee injury that could cost him the remaining 4 games of the year. Aside from injuries, the story this week is that the playoff races start to solidify, with a lot of close battles across both conferences. Ohio’s loss to Tampa Bay puts the #1 seed in range for several teams, while it looks like Houston and Denver are going to battle to the wire out West. Let’s review the week’s action and then check in on the QB situation for each club. KNIGHTS 18 BREAKERS 17 In a game that both squads saw as essential to their playoff hopes, the Nashville Knights rallied behind backup Craig Whelihan to defeat the New Orleans Breakers in the final seconds. The two clubs came into the week a half-game apart, with Nashville clinging to the division lead despite a 4-5 record, while New Orleans sat at 3-6-1, with a win allowing them to leapfrog over their division rivals. When the game ended Nashville would have a significant advantage to win the title, but at a cost, while New Orleans would see their playoff chances significantly diminished. Both clubs have had issues with their offenses this season, although Nashville has been able to rely on HB Frank Gore to help them overcome a lackluster passing game. New Orleans has had issues on both fronts, with Eli Manning struggling in his first season as a starter. The recent roster shakeup that saw Trent Dilfer dealt to Texas and then Chris Perry brought in from Michigan was designed to solidify Manning as the starter and to enhance one of the league’s worst run games, but has yet to produce significant results. In this game both Perry and Nashville’s Gore had limited success, both rushing for 80 yards. With both defenses focused on the run game, it was thought that Nashville’s potential through the air might be the difference, and while that proved to be the case, it was not in the way that the Knights had hoped. Only 2 drives into the game Todd Collins was taken down hard by DE Ty Warren of New Orleans, tried to stand up and then fell back to the ground in obvious pain. He was helped off the field and taken to the locker room with what would later be revealed by testing to be inflammation of the hip joint which could be the product of a chip of cartilage separating from the joint, a painful injury that may require several weeks, or even surgery, to sort out. Craig Whelihan would have to lead the Knights the rest of the way in this game and for the next 2 weeks at a minimum. Nashville would only manage a 2nd field goal in the first half, and, thanks to a Chris Perry TD run in the 2nd quarter, New Orleans would go into the half with a 10-6 lead. Nashville fought on in the3rd quarter, and while the defense was able to stifle Manning and the Breakers, keeping them scoreless in the quarter, the offense struggled under Whelihan. They managed to add two more Matt Stover field goals, to take a slim 12-10 lead by the end of the quarter, but were unable to get inside the redzone on either scoring drive. When New Orleans finally put up 7, scoring on a 20-yard Troy Davis run with only 3:32 left to play, the situation did not look good for the Knights. Down 5 with an offense that had not been able to get inside the 20 all game long, and facing a smothering zone defense, the Knights would have to muster something special to get the score they needed to salvage the game. Nashville would have exactly 3:32 to salvage the game and take command of the division. They would need every second of that time. What Nashville would produce is an 18-play drive that included several vital 3rd and 4th down plays, and would come down to the final ticks of the clock. The kickoff got the ball to the Knight 31, where the epic drive would commence. What followed was one of the most exciting and heart-stopping drives in Knight history. 3:11 1st and 10, NSH 31: Frank Gore run for 1 yard. 2:41 2nd and 9, NSH 32: Incomplete pass to Merritt. 2:33 3rd and 9, NSH 32: Completion to Gore for 4 yards. Facing a 4th and 5, Coach Johnson gave no thought to kicking the ball away. He called a pass play designed to force the linebackers to make a decision between two receivers making shallow crosses, hoping Craig Whelihan, who had not seen action all year, would make the right read and find the receiver with room to run. He did, and Nashville escaped the early moment of truth. 2:00 4th and 5, NSH 36: 6-yard completion to Derrick Mason. First Down. Two minute warning. 1:46 1st and 10, NSH 42: Pass to Gore for 8 yards. Time Out #1. 1:36 2nd and 2, 50: 5-yard completion nullified by a holding penalty on Gandy. 1:28 2nd and 12, NSH 40: Whelihan hits Mason for 9 yards. Time Out #2. 1:18 3rd and 2, NSH 49: Whelihan to Gore for 8. Tackled in-bounds. Time Out #3. 1:10 1st and 10, NOR 42: Whelihan sacked by Brandon Mitchell right at the line. 1:00 2nd and 10, NOR 42: False Start on Nashville. 1:00 2nd and 15, NOR 47: Whelihan hits Reggie Kelly for 14 yards. 0:44 3rd and inches, NOR 33: Whelihan complete to Gore for 6 yards. 0:44 1st and 10, NOR 26: Whelihan spikes the ball. 0:33 2nd and 10, NOR 26: Whelihan finds Kelly again, this time for 12, but again the TE cannot get out of bounds. 0:33 1st and 10, NOR 14: Whelihan spikes the ball. 0:18 2nd and 10, NOR 14: Incomplete to Gore. 0:13 3rd and 10, NOR 14: Short pass to Bert Emmanuel, who runs from the hash to the sideline to get out of bounds, but fails to pick up the 1st down. 0:02 4th and 2, NOR 7: And Johnson needs a play… Fourth down again, clock stopped at 2 seconds. No time to worry about the first down. This play from the 7 yard line would be the game. The Knights line up with Emmanuel, Mason and Kelly lined up in a tight bunch on the left, Gore and TE Jabari Holloway on the right of the line. Gore goes into motion to the left, a possible screen. Whelihan, in the shotgun, takes the snap, all three receivers on the leaft fan out into a shallow cross, a slant, and a deeper in route, forcing the zone to compress into the middle of the field. Gore is forced to stay in to help block Ty Warren, but backup TE Jabari Holloway crosses against the formation, slanting to the left just as the three receiver set moves the defenders towards the middle of the field. The linebacker following Holloway gets caught up in the traffic in midfield, giving Holloway the 2-step advantage he needs. Whelihan fires a frozen rope just in front of his TE, and Holloway hauls it in just as he hits the goal line. He is hit by the safety, falls to the ground, but holds on. 4th and 2 from the 7 with 2 seconds to play and the Knights called the perfect play, executed perfectly. The Nashville bench erupts, the Breakers can only stare at the replay on the scoreboard, hoping to see Holloway juggle the ball as he was hit, but no such luck. They return to the locker room despondent about a game that got away, failing to contain a backup QB as he led the club down the field in an epic 2-minute drill. The Knights move to 5-5 and New Orleans falls to 3-6-1. STALLIONS 9 SHOWBOATS 27 Heath Shuler had a strong game, completing 22 of 26 throws for 286 yards and 2 scores as the Showboats take the season sweep of their archrivals. Cadillac Williams also looked ready for a final quarter push as he rushed 23 times for 117 yards. For Birmingham, things were not so rosy, with Shaun Alexander remaining stymied by loaded fronts and Campbell unable to make them pay for dropping fewer players back in coverage. GAMBLERS 27 OUTLAWS 12 Trent Dilfer got his first start, struggled to an 11/22 day with 2 picks into the third quarter, and then got injured on a hurried pass, forcing Jeff Lewis to come in. By this point the game was already out of hand, with Houston holding a 27-5 lead until a late Texas touchdown made the game seem closer than it was. WRANGLERS 7 GOLD 31 You have to feel for rookie QB Andrew Walter, forced into action with an offense that has not been working all season even with Jake Plummer at the helm, forced to endure 6 sacks and then blamed by many for going 5 of 20 on the day for only 90 yards passing. Just nothing was there for the Wranglers, as Denver racked up a 31-0 lead despite Mark Brunell going into the locker room at the half and not re-emerging due to deep thigh bruise. He was not needed for the final 20 minutes as Denver had this game won early. INVADERS 36 DRAGONS 24 Viewed as a must-win game for the Dragons, the home squad was simply not up to the task. Trent Green went 22 of 33 and threw for 3 scores and Ricky Williams had one of his better days against the Dragon D, rushing for 101 and a score as Oakland simply dominated time of possession to move their record to 6-4. Both Boston and McDuffie went over 100 yards for Seattle, but they just were not able to get enough stops to force a closer game. THUNDER 17 EXPRESS 29 Even after knocking Quincy Carter out of the game, Las Vegas could not muster enough to upend the Express. Marques Tuiasosopo relieved the injured Carter and threw for 226 and a score as LA got the upper hand on Las Vegas thanks to a pick-6 from rookie Lofa Tatupu, and a safety from DE Jevon Kearse. Kearse and Udeze remain the #1 sack duo in the league, adding 2 more to their combined total this week. BULLS 18 MACHINE 29 The Bulls came in hot but Chicago doused that fire with a stifling defensive effort, led by MLB Brian Urlacher. Neither team would score a touchdown until the 3rd quarter, as the first 8 scores in the game were field goals, 5 for the Bulls and 3 for Chicago. But in the 2nd half, Chicago added two Michael Turner TD runs, while Jacksonville could only add a 6th Kris Brown kick, and that was the difference in this one. PANTHERS 17 STARS 28 This battle of two up-and-coming squads was won by Philadelphia’s red zone defense. Michigan outgained the Stars 450-310, but were stymied on two separate red zone drives, first by a Quentin Jammer pick, and then by a failed 4th and 2 play in the 4th quarter. Philadelphia had fewer drives deep into Michigan territory, but 3 of them ended with Kurt Warner TD tosses, he would finish the game with 4 TDs on the day, including two into the hands of Steve Smith. GENERALS 27 RENEGADES 17 A big day for James Jackson as he had his heaviest work load (16 carries) all season, and converted those carries into 91 yards rushing for the Generals. New Jersey also got TD’s from TE Patrick Hape and WR Terry Glenn to slowly pull away from the plucky Renegades late. With Jeff Blake injured, rookie Matt Cassel was given a chance to play most of the game, going 16 of 25, but Cassell was not able to produce 4th quarter drives to come back on the Generals. BANDITS 32 GLORY 20 The game of the week quickly turned into a Tampa Bay showcase, as they raced out to a 17-0 lead, with early TDs from Culpepper to Moss and to Karl Williams. The hole kept Eddie George from taking on his usually large role in the offense. Kerry Collins pressed a bit, and forced 2 interceptions that he normally does not throw, including a late toss taken back to the house by Tampa Bay’s Bryan Scott. MAULERS 20 BLITZ 16 A bit of a shocker in Baltimore as the Blitz got caught overlooking the Maulers. Charlie Batch was injured in the game, but not before building up a lead for the Maulers. TDs from Kenny Bynum and Terrell Davis were too much for the Blitz to overcome despite Big Ben completing 30 of 41 passing. Vince Jackson of Pittsburgh was the POTG, thanks to 8 receptions for 113 yards, including a crucial 29-yard catch and run on a 3rd and 18. FEDERALS 10 CANNONS 17 Drew Bledsoe and the Boston line struggled with Washington’s pass rush, giving up 6 sacks, as Greg Spires led an aggressive blitz plan for the Feds. Kordell Stewart returned to action after a couple of weeks on the injury report, but the key to the game was the Boston D, which kept Washington from capitalizing on Stewart's return to action. Quarterback Injuries the Story of the Week We saw earlier how backup Craig Whelihan helped lead the Knights to victory after Todd Collins went out with a hip injury which has the potential of costing him the remaining 4 games of the regular season. But Collins was not the only starter to go down this week, and Whelihan not the only backup to be forced into action. Five different starters finished their games in the locker room being attended to by the training staff and the club medical team. In addition to Collins, we saw Quincy Carter, himself a backup to Cade McNown, go down, Jeff Blake in Orlando, Charlie Batch for Pittsburgh, and Trent Dilfer, in his first start as a new member of the Texas Outlaws, all found their games shortened. So, what is the situation for each club? We take a look at all 5 situations, starting with Nashville. NASHVILLE: We know that Collis is going to miss no less than 2 weeks of action, but the decision on whether or not the hip injury, which appears to involve floating cartilage chips, may require surgery, is still to be decided. If surgery is deemed necessary, it means Craig Whelihan is the starter the rest of the way. Whelihan last started a game in 1999 with Arizona, and has only appeared in 7 games in his 4 seasons in Nashivlle, all in garbage time. With Nashville only ½ game up on the 4-5-1 Memphis Showboats, this will be a major storyline down the stretch. LOS ANGELES: With Cade McNown believed to be at least 2 weeks away from any attempt to get back into action, the Express now lose their 2nd quarterback as Quincy Carter suffers a neck injury that will likely keep him out at least that long, if not the remaining 3-4 weeks of the season. The Express will call on former Oakland Invader Marques Tuiasosopo to take the reins of the offense. Tuiasosopo, who started 21 games for Oakland between 2000-2004 will get his first start for the Express after coming over in free agency. The Express also added veteran backup Jon Stark to back up Tuiasosopo, but have not added a 3rd QB, listing WR Arnaz Battle as their emergency third option. ORLANDO: QB Jeff Blake, who has had some very good moments leading Orlando to a 4-5-1 record, will be out at least 2-3 weeks with a sprained knee. The play that caused the injury looked like it had the potential for worse, with the leg bent back at an uncomfortable angle, so it was considered very lucky that Blake did not suffer any tendon or ligament damage in the knee. What was interesting about Orlando’s decision-making was that they went with mid-round rookie Matt Cassel of USC to replace Blake, rather than veteran backup Koy Detmer. Cassel is expected to get the start in Week 11, and Orlando has not yet added a 3rd QB to the roster, though there have been rumors that they have reached out to former New Jersey General Spence Fischer as well as former Panther and Gold backup Elvis Grbac. PITTSBURGH: For the second time this season, Batch will miss time due to injury. After missing weeks 4-6, Batch is again expected to miss 2-3 weeks in what has been something of a snakebit season for the Maulers. This time it is a hamstring injury, one that was obvious as Batch scrambled only to begin hopping on one leg at the end of the play. Once again he will be replaced by veteran Alex Van Pelt, the former Pitt QB who made a name for himself in Chicago with the Machine, before returning home. Jim Sorgi from Wisconsin will be the backup, and as of today there is no third option on the roster. TEXAS: The Outlaws did not get the short-term return on the trade that brought Trent Dilfer over from the Breakers as the former Breaker lasted only one half of play in San Antonio before going down with his own hip injury, although in Dilfer’s case, there appears to only be soft tissue damage. Dilfer went 11 of 22 before having to come out of the game against the Gamblers. He could potentially return in Week 12, after missing one game, and, as expected, Jeff Lewis will resume his duties as starter, though certainly not a happy one. Lewis fully expects to go unprotected in the upcoming Expansion Draft, and if not selected by either Atlanta or St. Louis, he will almost certainly demand to be released in free agency. He is backed up now by former Longhorn Chris Simms. Rookie Dan Orlofsky of UConn has been moved from the practice squad into the 53 to act as the 3rd QB for at least this week. Arizona moves Plummer to IR as season is lost cause. In other QB news, the Wranglers have, after several weeks, opted to move Jake Plummer to the IR with the stress fracture in his foot. Sitting at 2-8, with only the most miniscule playoff potential in the Western Conference, the Wranglers decided that they would not go back to Plummer this season, despite the fact that he is expected to be cleared to play within the next 2 weeks. Rather than trot him onto the field to potentially get injured again, it seems Arizona is recognizing that 2005 is a lost season for them. They will continue to go with Andrew Walter, the rookie, and let Plummer heal and return for 2006. Walter is backed up by Damon Huard, but we expect he will continue to get the starts throughout the remaining 4 games of the season. Urlacher Takes Over Tackle Lead Switching to defense to wrap up our roundup of league news this week, we focus on Chicago MLB Brian Urlacher. The former New Mexico Lobo moved ahead of Kevin Mitchell this week as the league leader in tackles. Urlacher, the undisputed leader of the Machine defense, has been on a pace to set personal bests in several categories of defensive stats. He already has 4 sacks and 3 interceptions on the year, both being career bests. What is more he has added 2 defensive touchdowns to his season stats. His 85 tackles puts him on a pace to shatter his prior season best of 102 in 2004, and he is a frontrunner for Defensive Player of the Year as the leader and captain of the Machine’s 4th ranked scoring defense. With Urlacher prowling the middle of the field, it has been nearly impossible to run on the Machine, who allow fewer than 80 yards per game on the ground, and Urlacher, who is slight for a MLB, and a former safety, has proven incredibly effective in pass coverage, particularly when occupying the deep middle on 2-deep zone coverages. His top competitors for the Defensive POTY are Birmingham DE Mike Rucker (15 sacks), New Jersey CB Deion Sanders (4 picks, 2 for TDs), and his own teammate, DE Anthony Weaver (13 sacks and 3 forced fumbles), but even Weaver has said that the Machine D starts and ends with Urlacher’s leadership, motor, and aggressive style. Four weeks to go and we are no closer to knowing for sure who will be playing ball in July. Next week could be a biggie at least for a few teams as another loss will eliminate both Las Vegas and Birmingham, which comes as no surprise for fans of either team. Orlando and Pittsburgh, currently in the bottom two slots in the East cannot be eliminated next week, but only because each has a tie on their records, which mean that even with losses they would fall only 2.5 games behind any teams that reach 7 wins. So, what do we think right now? We know that Ohio still has a 1-game lead on the top spot for the East, but their loss to Tampa Bay is a big deal if the Bandits can pull even, giving the tiebreaker to them and not the Glory. We know that Denver and Houston will likely lock up the first 2 playoff spots out west, but that we likely won’t know who will win the division until the two meet on the season’s final weekend. We also know that with a cluster of 6-4 teams, it is basically impossible for anyone to clinch a playoff spot in the East, and could take until Week 13 or 14 to sort out. Two very different playoff hunts in the two conferences, but on the upside, it means that teams still have something to play for, and that parity will produce some great games down the stretch. In addition to the QB injuries highlighted above, it was a bad week as three more players, each on teams with significant playoff hopes, get sent to the IR. Another Achilles rupture this week as Na’il Diggs of Nashville goes down. Nashville takes a hit on both offense and defense after this week’s game. In Houston, big DTRockey Bernard suffered an ACL injury after getting rolled up on by a pancaked guard. He will require surgery and a pretty lengthy recovery period. And finally, center Jeremy Newberry of the Generals, will be done for the year after his knee pain was diagnosed as a significant MCL injury. Beyond these significant injuries and the QB woes across the league, the only multiple-week injury of note is that of Houston WR Roy Williams, who could be out at least 2 weeks after suffering a turf toe injury at home agains the Outlaws. We expect Koren Robinson will step into the #2 position, with either Drew Bennett or Bethel Johnson occupying the slot. Big Trouble in Big D Major issues for the DFW Group that is seeking a 2008 expansion club for the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex are. It all stems from the disparity in image and cache between the two cities, as USFL owners responded to the DFW bid with several initial positives, but took the position that the team would have to be based in Dallas itself and would be required to use the name Dallas. With the DFW bid headed by Robert Bass, whose ties are firmly with Ft. Worth, and with a stadium agreement in place to use Amon G. Carter Stadium (TCU) in Ft. Worth, the news that the USFL would insist on both a Dallas moniker and Dallas location, split the bidding group into two factions. Dallas certainly has venues available, whether the venerable Cotton Bowl, with its capacity of nearly 92,000, or SMU’s 5-year old Gerald J. Ford Stadium, which has a capacity of 32.000, but neither is ideal for a USFL squad. The Cotton Bowl is an older facility and its capacity will make even a good crowd look like a half-empty stadium, while the stadium at SMU is clearly not large enough for a viable USFL franchise, just ask Portland (and now Las Vegas) about the impact of a 30,000 seat capacity. So, why the ruling? We knew going in that Dallas Cowboy owner Jerry Jones was not open to hosting a USFL squad in Texas Stadium (Arlington) or in his planned “Jerry’s World” stadium, but the insistence that a club focused on Fort Worth is a non-starter for the league all but pulls the rug out from under the DFW Group. Robert Bass has stated that he will make the case for Fort Worth, and use of Amon G. Carter Stadium, whose capacity of 47,000 is right-sized for the spring league. However, several of the minority owners, perhaps not fully on board with Bass’s insistence on Fort Worth as a franchise home, seem to want to appease the USFL and make a deal with the Cotton Bowl. The rift between the two factions is troubling for what felt early on like a slam-dunk option to bring the USFL to one of the largest cities in the country not to host the 23-year old league. Rumors have been swirling that DFW Group may actually split into two very different bids. This would entail Mr. Bass either applying as a sole owner, something which is rare in today’s high value market for pro sports, or for the defecting minority owners to locate significant financial resources to bolster their bid for a Dallas-centric team. There appear to be no winners in this situation, except one. Robert Bass could lose out on his hopes to elevate Ft. Worth to the status of a major league city. The Dallas-based splinter group could easily fail to locate the financing to cobble together a viable bid. And, the league itself could have essentially cost itself a chance to move a franchise into the 5th largest market in the nation. The only potential benefactors from this issue and the schism it has produced is the bid from Portland, Oregon. The bid in Portland is solid, with a new stadium already under construction in the city, and with a pretty solid financial backing, led by Columbia Sportswear founder Tim Boyle, but the bid was considered a longshot with Dallas-Fort Worth on the table. If the DFW Group splinters, as appears to be happening, this could be the chance that Portland was hoping for to make its case, both as a bidding group and as a market that was wronged by former Thunder owner Phil Ruffin. So, what brought about the issue of Dallas v. Fort Worth anyway? While we do not have insight into the league conversations around the issue, it seems clear that one of the big movers and shakers behind the scenes was Texas Outlaw lead owner Red McCombs. There is no doubt that the Outlaws, as well as the Houston Gamblers, feel somewhat ambivalent, if not outright hostile, to a third Texas franchise being brought into the league. McCombs has been quite vocal that he believes that the Outlaws belong to all of Texas, even though they play all but one home game per year in San Antonio. Both Dallas and Fort Worth have been host to the annual “Texas Roadshow” game, with the Cotton Bowl having hosted the Outlaws 6 times and Carter Stadium 4 times. Only El Paso, with 5 hosting gigs, even comes close to the DFW in exposure. Add to the two voices from Texas a couple of owners who seem very much interested in the cache of Dallas over Ft. Worth, as well as several more who are simply hoping to bring Portland back into the fold. We know that both Seattle and Oakland ownership groups have been strongly in favor of the Portland bid, hoping to return a USFL team to Oregon and a natural rival back to their fold. Adding a Portland team would create instant rivalries with the Dragons, and likely the Invaders as well, and Portland would immediately have a natural rivalry with the Las Vegas Thunder, just as the Ravens and Browns began with bad blood in the NFL. Does this news of internal rifts in the DFW Group mean inevitable doom for the DFW bid? It all depends on if either faction can reinforce their coffers and their bid in time to impress the USFL owners in the next few weeks, before a decision is expected on the 2008 bids. The drama is certainly there, and while the East is seen as more competitive, with three pretty equal bids (Charlotte, Norfolk/Va Beach, and Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill), it now seems that the Western expansion bidding has just become a much closer race. Chicago Machine Gets an Overhaul Changing gears, literally, is what we will do now. The Chicago Machine this week unveiled their new look, and it is quite literally a changing of the gears. Chicago began its existence as a 1987 expansion club with a logo designed as the letter M with gear-like protrusions on each side. Ten seasons later the Machine overhauled their look in 1996 with the introduction of the “Gear C” logo, a set of “stacked” gears that formed a C similar to the famous Chicago Theater C. That logo has had it’s 10 year run, and now, for the team’s 20th season, the Machine will have yet another new look, one that calls back to the current and prior logos, while also adding features to even further link the club’s identity to that of the city of Chicago. The team will retain its primary colors of UC Maroon and Ironworks Grey, but we will see an increased use of sky blue, always a tertiary color for the club, as well as the addition of a bold red, in the form of one of the new visual markers for the club, the 6-pointed star found on the Chicago flag. The flag is clearly a point of emphasis in the Machine’s new look, with the sky blue stripes and red stars morphing into an element of both primary and secondary logo. The Primary is a reworked “Gear C”, with a large primary gear forming the C while the inner space is occupied by a grey circle containing the bright red star. Sky blue outlines and a blue stripe emerging from the open space of the C help to evoke the city flag and complete the round logo. The secondary logo is a reworked version of the ironwork M that was the club’s original brand. The new “M” comes complete with girder effects and rivets to reinforce the iron and steel, almost “steampunk” look of the logo. A red star sits above the bold letter, with sky blue shadows falling below it. The look that will take the field retains many of the well-known elements of Chicago’s past looks. The helmet remains maroon with a maroon facemask, but sky blue becomes the dominant stripe, with pencil-thin grey stripes on either side of the wider central stripe. The 6-pointed star makes another appearance eat the rear of the stripe, separating the player number and the league’s flags sticker. The primary logo, outlined in white, appears on both sides of this new helmet. The jerseys remain white and maroon, with grey and sky blue elements. The shoulder yoke is gone, replaced by maroon sleeves on the white uniform, while the dark jersey is fully maroon except for ironwork grey sleeve cuffs. The primary logo again appears on each sleeve. The most intriguing element of the new jersey are the numbers, which contain very wide outlines in maroon (white jersey) or grey (dark jersey) with two contrasting inner color sections. On the dark jersey the upper section of the number is sky blue, while the bottom half is white. For the white jersey the bottom uses grey instead of white. There are two pant sets, one grey and one maroon. Both include the secondary logo on each hip and a diagonal/horizontal stripe pattern meant to evoke the Chicago flag once again. The design on the maroon jersey definitely has that vibe as white and sky stripes contain a single star logo. The grey jersey swaps out the thick sky blue lines for maroon, which evokes less of the city flag theme, but still retains the basic elements of the look. The new uniform could take the field as early as this Spring if the Machine make the postseason, which seems very possible with 4 weeks left to play. It will be fully rolled out in March next year, and replica jerseys, along with many Machine apparel options, will be available to the public in the Windy City and across the nation starting in just a couple of weeks. A rarity in the USFL schedule, a week where all 24 clubs are playing inter-divisional games within their conference. We tend to see interdivisional games in one conference in weeks when the other conference is in divisional play, but this week every club is facing another conference foe. This allows for some great matchups between teams battling for conference playoff spots. A lot of good ones to focus on in Week 11, including: OHIO @ JACKSONVILLE: The Bulls can prove a lot to themselves and the league if they can knock off the current #1 seed in the East. BALTIMORE @ MICHIGAN: Two of our surprise contenders battle it out to see who can take a step closer to a playoff berth. BOSTON @ NEW JERSEY: The Generals have fought their way back into the playoff mix with three straight wins, but Boston cannot afford a loss in a tight Southern Division. CHICAGO @ TAMPA BAY: The Bandits are a game up in the South, Chicago only 1 game back in the Central, so this is a must-win for both clubs. ORLANDO @ WASHINGTON: The Renegades seem to be fading and must go into this tough matchup without Jeff Blake at QB, while Washington expects to have Kordell Stewart back under center. PHILADELPHIA @ PITTSBURGH: The Keystone Clash could help propel the Stars towards the playoffs. The Maulers will start Alex Van Pelt again and hope for some home town magic. OAKLAND @ DENVER: A rare clash of teams with winning records out West as the Invaders head to Denver, who will be playing without Mark Brunell. ARIZONA @ MEMPHIS: A win and the Showboats are back at .500 and solidly in playoff contention. HOUSTON @ NEW ORLEANS: The Gamblers need a win to stay atop the Southwest, New Orleans needs one to have any chance at remaining a viable Wild Card contender. NASHVILLE @ SEATTLE: With Todd Collins out, it will be up to Craig Whelihan to lead the Knights against the Dragons, who are still alive for a Wild Card despite a 3-7 record. BIRMINGHAM @ LA: After finally getting their first win of the season, the Stallions head out to LA, where third string QB Marques Tuiasosopo will be the starter. LAS VEGAS @ TEXAS: With nothing but pride to play for, these two teams will clash in a matchup that impacts draft order more than anything else.

Playoff Picture: No teams have qualified for the postseason, or been eliminated. Were the playoffs to start today these teams would qualify: EAST: Ohio, Philadelphia, Tampa Bay, Chicago, Jacksonville, New Jersey WEST: Houston, Oakland, Nashville, Denver, Memphis, Los Angeles

The 2005 season is presenting us with some real headscratchers. Is Michigan for real? Is Baltimore? What about Philly? And Jacksonville? Is anyone out West going to take charge and win a few games in a row? Just how bad will that last Western wild card be? What happened to Arizona? And Seattle? And LA too? So much seems to be off, or just odd this season. This week gave us a few more unusual results, or at least a few that made us wonder if we needed to readjust expectations across the entire league. It’s certainly an odd place to be, nine weeks in and very uncertain about so much we are witnessing. STARS 36 FEDERALS 31 The Federals have to be leaving behind Week 9 scratching their heads as well. They went into the game hoping that Jon Kitna would hold up against the Stars’ pass rush, and that Deuce McCallister could find running room against the Stars defense. The answer to both was a resounding yes, with McCallister rushing for 129 and Kitna completing 21 of 32 passing despite being sacked 5 times. The Federals even limited Ahman Green to only 58 yards on the day, and yet, somehow, they found a way to let this one slip away. The Federals had built up a 24-10 lead by the half, thanks in part to Deuce McCallister’s strong run game. An early TD from McCallister was built upon when backup Antwoine Womack also ran one in from the 2. Add in a Deion Branch TD reception, and Washington seemed to be on their way. The problem was no one told Philadelphia the game was over. The third quarter belonged to the visitors, with the Stars scoring on an Ahman Green run and then a 51-yarder from kicker Mike Nugent. The twin scores got them within 4 at 24-20. When the 4th quarter began, Washington was feeling the heat, and they responded as one would expect a veteran team with a lot of playoff experience would, they took the second half kickoff and put together a 3-minute drive that ended with 7 points on a Kitna to Tillman toss. Back up by 11, the Feds had to feel good about their position. That ended 2 possessions later, when, after a Stars 3-and-out, a good punt put Washington back at their own 2-yard line. Philly’s D got the push they wanted on first down, and Jon Kitna was forced to take a safety or risk a pick-6 as he was surrounded by linemen. The lead was now 9. Philadelphia took the post-safety kickoff and aimed at a possible quick score to get back in the game. What they got instead was a tipped ball and a pick from the Washington defense, with strong safety Bob Sanders making the big play. Washington was ready to put the game to bed, sitting on a 9-point lead, but on the very next play Jon Kitna missed his receiver and found Quentin Jammer instead. The speedy corner raced downfield , putting six on the board and bringing the Stars back to within 2 points. Washington was stunned, but with only 3:58 left, all the Feds had to do was grind out a first down or two and the game would be over. They tried, but on a 3rd and 2, McCallister was stuffed by Kendrick Clancy and the Feds had no choice but to punt the ball away. Philadelphia took over on their own 33, and in short work, Kurt Warner had the Stars in Federals’ territory. With 1:47 left to play, the Stars got back in the huddle, and Washington clearly thought that the Stars were now playing for the field goal, hoping to run down some time, pick up a few more yards on the ground, and then let Mike Nugent kick them to a 1-point win. They crowded the line when Ahman Green appeared to get the handoff from Warner. The problem was that Warner had pulled the ball back from Green. He had it and he had Tim Dwight in single coverage on a fly pattern. Warner laid up a perfect bomb into the endzone. Dwight caught the ball, dragged his feet and fell to the ground with the game winner. The win moves Philly into a tie with Washington, both at 6-3, but the road win also gave the Stars the tiebreaker, placing them atop the Northeast Division as the first playoff chart was published. For the Federals, a frustrating day that saw their defense give up 26 points in the second half, including 16 in the final period. BLITZ 13 GENERALS 20 The other big matchup in the East was the Blitz at the Generals. Baltimore had a chance to stay ahead of Philly and DC atop the division, but New Jersey had their eyes set on getting back into a possible playoff scenario, and that gave them the motivation to win a slugfest of a game. A Bobby Howard pick-six sparked the Generals, who would later get a Brady to Anthony Becht TD toss to extend their lead and hold off the Blitz to move to 5-4. Baltimore falls to 6-3 and joins a 3-way tie for first in the division. MACHINE 17 PANTHERS 34 Chicago was so focused on the Ohio Glory ahead of them in the standings that they failed to prepare for the club that was gaining on them from behind. Michigan stunned the Machine and doubled up their score in a convincing home win. Drew Brees would continue to be white hot, throwing for 395 yards, while newly-acquired HB Fred Jackson contributed 50 yards on 14 carries. Jeff George looked a bit shell-shocked, throwing 3 picks as the Panthers were all over the Machine offense all game long. GLORY 44 MAULERS 27 Ohio did not make the same mistake as the Machine, taking the Maulers seriously, despite the setbacks Pittsburgh had suffered of late. Kerry Collins went off against the Mauler defense, throwing for 354 yards and 5 TDs to be named Offensive POTW. Pittsburgh managed to limit Eddie George to only 58 yards rushing, but they just could not keep the Glory receivers out of the endzone, with 5 different targets catching Collins’s 5 scoring throws. RENEGADES 21 BANDITS 37 Orlando kept it close for 30 minutes, trailing only 17-14 at the half, but the second half belonged to the Bandits, who got a 66-yard punt return TD from Karl Williams and 119 yards from Travis Prentice to earn the home win. Both Kevin Johnson and Chris Doering went over 100 yards as Orlando tried to swarm Randy Moss as a strategy. It did not work, Moss still had 98 yards. CANNONS 24 BULLS 40 Jacksonville and halfback Antowain Smith made a statement at home against Boston, with the big back rushing for a season-best 157 and 2 scores as the Bulls ran away with this one. Three sacks, 1 pick, and a safety were Drew Bledsoe’s rewards for challenging the Bulls early. The defense shut down the Cannons as the game moved from the 1st into the 3rd quarter. Rashaun Woods added 123 yards and a TD catch as the Bulls celebrated the win and moved to 6-3 in the Southeast. EXPRESS 14 KNIGHTS 21 Despite a solid game from Quincy Carter, the Express simply could not find the endzone, going only 2 of 11 on third down and failing on their only 4th down play. Frank Gore was again pivotal for the Knights, rushing for 114 yards and opening the scoring in the game. Derrick Mason and Ahmad Merritt scored on two tosses from Todd Collins, and the Knights moved up to 4-5, good enough for first in the Southern Division this year. OUTLAWS 31 INVADERS 38 Coach Mackovic kept new QB Trent Dilfer on the bench with only 3 days of practice under his belt. Jeff Lewis used the opportunity to have his best game of the year, throwing for 344 and 4 TDs against the Invaders. He had to keep the pressure on because Texas’s defense was not helping. Not only did they give up 4 scores to Trent Green through the air (three to Marty Booker) but also gave up over 90 yards to both Ricky Williams and Justin Fargas. It was Williams’s late score that would provide the game winner to the Invaders in one of the better back-and-forth games of the season. GOLD 24 THUNDER 3 After stating that Henry Burris would get the start, a Friday shoulder injury in practice forced Coach Glanville to put Aaron Brooks back under center. That did not go well as Las Vegas could only convert on 1 of 12 third downs, failed on both their 4th down attempts, and finished the day with only 154 yards of offense against the Gold. SHOWBOATS 6 GAMBLERS 34 Houston’s defense had its best game of the year against the visiting Showboats, limiting Memphis to only 226 total yards. Of course, Memphis also hurt themselves, with 13 penalties for 119 yards as they simply got behind and got chippy in a way that did not help at all. Matt Hasselbeck connected with Roy Williams for 2 scores, building on the young receiver’s very solid 2005 season. BREAKERS 10 WRANGLERS 6 Andrew Walter’s first start in the pros was an ugly affair as neither Arizona nor New Orleans could get much going on offense. Despite trying to emphasize the run to take pressure off Walter, Arizona could only muster 42 yards on the ground the whole day. Walter also suffered 6 sacks as New Orleans just kept the pressure on. The game could have been even uglier, but New Orleans could not do much either as Arizona’s defense stepped up to try to help the offense out. What we got was a game decided by a single drive as New Orleans got the game’s first TD in the 4th quarter on a Troy Davis run. DRAGONS 13 STALLIONS 16 Byron Leftwich returned to action, and threw for 351 yards, but the Dragons still struggled to score points, and Birmingham got just enough from Jason Campbell to pull out their first win of the season. Seattle had a 13-6 lead after Leftwich’s lone TD of the day, a 43-yarder to David Boston with 3:56 left. But the Dragons got sloppy and Jason Campbell’s TD toss to Lawrence Dawsey was followed by a successful onside kick and a last second Mike Hollis FG to help the Stallions snag the comeback win. New Faces in New Places Not a great start for the three players who were on the trading block last week. Trent Dilfer did not get on the field for the Outlaws, standing on the sideline watching as Jeff Lewis had one of his better games. Chris Perry did get the start for the Breakers, but struggled to make anything happen, rushing for only 53 yards on 18 carries, a 2.9 average. And the last of the three, former Bull Fred Jackson, was also able to get into the game against Chicago, rushing 14 times for 50 yards. Not a lights-out performance from either back, but it will take time for each to get to know the team, the offense, and the blocking schemes. Dilfer is expected to start next week for the Outlaws as they face arch-rival Houston in the AlamoDome. After Lewis’s performance, Coach Mackovic was asked, and he was gracious towards Lewis but made an unequivocal statement that they brought Dilfer in to be the starter and that if he was ready to go next week, he would get his chance to show Texas fans what he could do. Ohio Leaps Up to #1 with Oddsmakers It took Las Vegas bookmakers a while to come to their senses, but after 9 weeks Ohio has leapt over Boston and Tampa Bay to become the favorite to win the Summer Bowl. More evidence that the betting line has caught up with reality is the fact that there are 6 teams from the east favored to win before we get to our first Western Conference team. Ohio leads the pack, followed by Tampa Bay, Boston, Washington, Jacksonville, and Chicago. Then we get the first Western team, Denver, followed by New Jersey and then Houston. The season started with Tampa Bay a clear #1 in the ranking, followed by Arizona, then Boston and New Jersey. The biggest riser since the season started is Baltimore, which started at 750-1 and is now only 18-1. The biggest drop is the Wranglers, who started at 8-1 and are now 1500-1. Drew Brees Sets the Tone in Michigan It may have taken 5 seasons, and a lot of struggles, but Drew Brees is turning into the QB that the Panthers imagined him to be when they selected him out of Purdue. After 4 seasons in which he never topped 20 TDs for the year, and averaged just under a 90 QBR, this year he already has 23 scoring tosses, more than 3,000 yards through the air, and a rating well over 100. Brees has made the leap this year even without a strong run game. He is locked in with his receivers, particularly his top target, Hines Ward, who has 102 targets and 1,123 yards after only 9 weeks. Brees is spreading the ball around as well, with both TE Bennie Joppru and WR Laverneus Coles topping 60 targets and 40 receptions each. Even fullback Rick Razzano is proving valuable, catching 26 passes as a safety valve for Brees. While Brees is quick to point out the consistency of his O-line, which did not have major turnover this offseason, or to highlight Ward as a receiver, it seems clear that the QB is coming into his own as a decision-maker and a leader. Michigan is 6-3 and their offense is second in the league at 29.5 points per game thanks largely to the 3rd rated passing attack in the USFL. A Light in the Darkness To say it has been a rough season in Birmingham seems an understatement. Not since a 4-12 season in 1986 have the Stallions had such a poor start to a campaign. Rookie QB Jason Campbell is struggling to stay healthy or to move the ball, and Shaun Alexander is getting buried under 8 and 9 man fronts. The defense is near the bottom of the league, allowing 27 points per game, and yet there is a beacon of light in this season of darkness in Alabama. Mike Rucker is staking his claim as the best DE in the game, taking advantage of Phil Hansen’s retirement to try to inherit the mantle of the USFL Sack Master. Nine games into the season, Rucker sits at 14 sacks, on pace for a 20-sack season, which would be his first since a stellar rookie campaign in 1999. Rucker has reached 19 sacks twice, but this may be the year that he gets over 20 and sets a personal best. His lead in the league rankings currently sits at 2 sacks more than Chicago’s Anthony Weaver, and 4 ahead of the cluster of players at 10 sacks (Kearse and Udeze of LA, Upshaw of Philadelphia, and Wistrom also of the Stallions). Rucker and Wistrom have been a strong tandem since the 2nd year player came over from Baltimore this year, helping Birmingham reaching the #2 spot in team sacks behind only the Stars. It is the one aspect of the team that seems to be working well, while all around them there is chaos and confusion. So, while the Stallions are not anywhere near where they hoped to be by this point, there is at least one Stallion who is going above and beyond when it comes to his job performance. We have our first peek at the playoff standings this week, and while we all know that there is a lot of football between Week 9 and Week 14, it is also clear that the two conferences are going to have very different playoff races. In the East, we have 10 teams over .500, all battling over 6 slots, and even 4-4-1 Orlando is not out of it at all. Meanwhile in the West, we have only 3 teams over .500 and we have 2 clubs with 3-5-1 records currently in playoff position. We could easily see at least one of the three divisions, and perhaps two, with a division champion at or below .500, which means we will almost certainly see Wild Card teams with losing records. It is so bad that even 1-8 clubs like Las Vegas and Birmingham still have viable paths to a playoff spot. Looking at division races, the ones to watch out for are in the Southwest, where Denver and Houston both sit at 6-3); the Northeast, where all 4 teams are within 1 game of each other and 3 are tied at 6-3; the Southeast, where Jacksonville and Tampa Bay are tied only 1 game ahead of Boston and 1.5 games up on Orlando. With Michigan’s upset of Chicago, the Panthers are now a tiebreaker up on the Machine, with both clubs now 2 games behind Ohio. In the Pacific, Oakland leads at 5-4, with Seattle and LA already 2 games back. And we are not sure if anyone really wants to win the South, where Nashville leads at 4-5, but has New Orleans and Memphis only a half game behind, both at 3-5-1. Two teams that cannot afford any loses got hit with the injury bug this week. Boston had to place tackle John Stinchcomb on IR after the big man ruptured his Achilles tendon early in this week's game. They also lost CB Brian Williams to a hernia, though Williams could be back in as few as 2-3 weeks. New Orleans was the other club that got dealt a bad blow as DE Corey Sears tore a biceps in his left arm and will also be placed on IR. Chicago lost 2 players, at least for the short term as TE Jim Kliensasser is expected to be out at least 2-4 weeks after breaking 2 fingers on a bad helmet facemask catch, while HB Brian Westbrook could miss a week or two of action due to issues with the miniscus of his right knee. Others who are out for Week 11, and possibly longer, include Dragon LB Piso Tinoisamoa (elbow), Blitz FS Marquez Pope (nerve pinch), Mauler CB Dre Bly (hamstring), Knights' sack specialist Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila (ankle), Generals' DE Shaun Ellis (finger), and Denver TE Lonnie Johnson (wrist) Expected back in action for Week 11: Feds' QB Kordell Stewart, Breaker TE Bubba Franks, Dragon CB Al Harris, the other Stinchcomb (Feds' Matt), SS Lawyer Molloy of Birmingham, Texas DE Chris Hovan, and Express CB Aeneas Williams. Skyhawks Take Another Step The St. Louis Skyhawks took another step towards finding their way onto the field as the club, partnering with Reebok, revealed their inaugural uniforms for the 2006 season. The unveiling event, Monday Night at the city’s World’s Fair Pavilion atop Government Hill, the ownership and Head Coach Art Shell revealed the uniforms to the world. The uniform begins with the already-released royal blue helmets. Adorned with the winning logo, the “Angry Bird”, the royal helmets come with navy blue facemasks. The mix of the two blues, along with silver and white, will be dominant features of the uniforms. The most noteworthy aspect of the uniform, a unique element introduced with the Skyhawks, is a swooping set of thin stripes across the chest, from the lower right up to the upper left of the chest. The stripes, in 3 colors on both the home blue and road white jerseys, divide the body of the jersey from the shoulder yoke. Similar stripes are found mid-sleeve, separating the yoke again from the lower portion of the sleeves. On the Blue jerseys, the streaks are navy, silver, and white. The same colors are used on the white jersey due to the use of a royal blue shoulder yoke. The numbers on both jerseys are a traditional block font, outlined in white (blue jersey) or silver (white jersey) and navy. On the home jersey the numbers are metallic silver, while on the white jersey they are royal blue. The pants feature another “swooping” effect, with the pant stripes not extending straight from waist to knee, but curving as might a bird in flight. A thick stripe is paired with a thinner stripe, with the two splitting about the mid-thigh, revealing a third color triangular swatch, which is finished at the joint with a small triangular piece, similar to the “jets” included in the main and secondary logo. The socks are navy with a wide royal blue stripe at the base. Coaching Hotseat Week 9 and time to seriously consider which coaches are feeling the heat. With their first win coming this week in something of a snoozer of a game, Birmingham cannot be too impressed with Dennis Franchione’s three year run. Not only did he fail to find success in Brett Favre’s final two seasons, perhaps leading to the multiple All-USFL quarterback opting out with a short-lived retirement, but Franchione has not shown that he has what it takes to prepare Jason Campbell for a career as a starter in the USFL. Campbell’s rough start as a pro is going to be put on Franchione, to be sure. And, unless he finds a way to turn things around, or at least demonstrate growth for Campbell, this third season in Birmingham could easily be his last. A 13-24 record so fa does not look like a good sign the former Alabama Head Coach will be able to wrangle a 4th season out of Stallion ownership. Another Southern Division coach could also be feeling the heat. Mike Nolan was a huge success in his first year with the Breakers, getting them to a 12-4 record in his first season, but that was 5 years ago, and since then things have not all been great. The Breakers did make a Summer Bowl appearance in 2003, so that may be recent enough to still buy Nolan some time, but the current campaign has not done him any favors, and neither has benching, and then trading, Trent Dilfer, the QB who got New Orleans to that Summer Bowl. Pittsburgh’s Jack Bicknell also has to be feeling a bit of heat. We are not sure if he is in any immediate danger, after all he did get to the playoffs with the Maulers in both 2003 and 2004, but the club seems to have stagnated, and with Terrell Davis’s production on the decline, Bicknell is going to have to demonstrate that he has a plan B for the Mauler offense, otherwise he could soon be on the way out. Both Galen Hall in LA and Jim Mora in Memphis began the year with targets on their backs. Mora has had some unexpected success this year, but unless he can pull the 3-5-1 Showboats back up to .500 and get them involved in the Southern Division race, this could be the end of the line for the veteran coach. In LA the hope was that Hall’s tendency to put together strong seasons every other year would benefit Galen Hall once again. Sitting at 3-6, after a 6-8 campaign in 2004, does not seem like a winning formula. Unless the Express make major strides over the next 5 weeks, this could be the end of the line for the longstanding Express coach. Looking ahead to Week 10, we find the West in divisional play once again, with a lot of teams hoping to get on a roll and maybe even reach .500. The best game in these divisional matchups has to be Nashville at New Orleans, because it is the only game where the division lead could change. Memphis hosts Birmingham in the other Southern game and hopes that a New Orleans win also helps them leap over rival Nashville. Houston is in Texas where we expect to see Trent Dilfer on the field for the Outlaws for the first time. The Gamblers are tied with Denver atop the division, with the Gold at home against Arizona in a rivalry match that may be a bit one-sided this year. In the Pacific, we have Oakland at Seattle in what may be a last stand for the Dragons if they have any hope of being relevant this year. In LA the Express will host the 1-7 Thunder, also hoping that a home win, paired with an Invader loss, will bring them back into the picture. The East has more winning teams, so on paper more good games to be had. We are looking forward to seeing the Bandits play the Glory. The over under is 58 points, which seems high overall, but may be low for this matchup. Washington is in Boston for a battle of Revolutionary importance. New Jersey will travel to Orlando, hoping to get back in the mix atop the Northeast. In Philly, the Stars have a tough matchup against the Michigan Panthers, while the Chicago Machine try to rebound at home as they host the very tough Jacksonville Bulls. Pittsburgh gets no break in the schedule as they head to Baltimore to face the 6-3 Blitz.