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Playoff Picture: No teams have clinched or been eliminated at this time. Were the playoffs to begin today, the following teams would qualify: Ohio, Jacksonville, Philadelphia, Washington, Michigan & Baltimore in the East; Houston, Oakland, Nashville, Denver, Memphis and New Orleans in the West.

If there was any doubt that the Eastern Conference was the more dominant half of the USFL season, it ended this weekend. Yes, the East has most of its teams over .500 while the West has more teams under the Mendoza Line, but it could not really be that big of a difference, right? With all 24 teams in interconference play this week, we got our answer. The East crushed the West across the board. If not for Texas winning in Pittsburgh it would have been a clean sweep. 11 of 12 Eastern clubs won this week, which not only proves the level of dominance, but also means that almost no one made any ground on anyone else. Everyone but the Maulers gained one more game on the positive side. Everyone in the West except Texas now has one more in the loss column, and that changes nothing except that it makes the Eastern Conference Final a potentially better game than the Summer Bowl. OUTLAWS 23 MAULERS 13 With no games this week being particularly close and no fantastic finishes, it was tough to pick a Game of the Week. So, in the spirit of looking at what made news, we are choosing the lone win by the Western Conference as our GOTW if only because it broke the trend that every other game this week set. And perhaps because the post-game news seems so incongruent with the result. Texas came into this game at 1-6, winless on the road, and with one of the worst offenses in football. Pittsburgh was at home, but just one week after being blown out at Heinz Field by the division leader, Ohio. An injury to WR Nate Burleson meant that the Maulers would be starting two rookies at wideout, Vincent Jackson and Mike Williams. Charlie Batch, who had struggled against Ohio in his first game back from injury, would be taking on Jeff Lewis, the lowest-rated starter in the league. Las Vegas was cautious on this one, giving the Maulers only a 3 point advantage in pre-game lines. So, what did we see on Sunday? We saw two teams struggle to keep drives going, with the two combining to go only 7 of 27 on third down. We saw Terrell Davis get only 8 carries and average only 2.1 yards per carry. Backup Kenny Bynum actually got more touches, but could muster only 0.6 YPC in the game. If you want to know how Texas won, that statistic, contrasted with T.J. Duckett’s 141 yards on 25 carries is pretty much all you need to know. Duckett also scored the first TD of the game, part of a 2nd quarter that put them in command. After a scoreless, and largely punchless, first quarter, Texas scored on three consecutive possessions, including the Duckett 7-yard TD run, to take a 13-0 lead. Pittsburgh managed a late field goal, but went into the half down 10. Texas added another 3 points on the foot of Rian Lindell in the 3rd, leading by 2 scores as they went into the final quarter. In the 4th, Pittsburgh showed its first signs of life all day, scoring first on a Bill Grammatica field goal, and then putting a scare into the Outlaws when a Batch to Randle-El TD brought them within 3 points in the final minutes of the game. The Maulers needed an onside kick to get the ball back and take a shot at a final field goal. What they got was a poorly kicked ball, and a penalty for failing to kick the ball 10 yards, that gave Texas prime field position. The Outlaws took their time, but when all was said and done, HB Marcel Shipp scored on a short TD run and put the game out of reach with just 1 minute left to play. Was this a classic? No, absolutely not. But it was the only game all week where the West showed up and came away with a W. The Conference will host the Summer Bowl this year, with Houston’s NRG Stadium as the site for the Summer Classic, but this week does not make anyone feel good about the chances for whomever comes out of the conference as its rep in the big game. KNIGHTS 6 STARS 20 The “Ahman Green Bowl was one of the better displays of effective run games we have seen all season. Ahman Green got revenge on his former club, averaging 6.8 yards per carry against the Knights’ D and outdueling rookie Frank Gore (who rushed for an even 100). Philadelphia’s defense also played a big part in the Stars’ victory, sacking Todd Collins 8 times on the day, including two each from LBs Zach Thomas and Quentin Caver, as Philly’s blitzing D caused issues for Collins all game. GAMBLERS 14 GLORY 31 Ohio used home field, 106 yards from Eddie George, and a 3-TD day from Kerry Collins to pull away early from the Gamblers and force Matt Hasselbeck into the uncomfortable position of playing catchup. In a battle of top receivers, Galloway edged Freeman 124-103, and Hasselbeck was held without a TD toss in a disappointing result for one of the better teams from the West. GOLD 17 PANTHERS 37 Denver came into Ford Field favored by 2 over the homestanding Panthers, but after going up 3-0, the Gold gave up the next 37 points to turn this game into a route. Drew Brees had one of his best games as a pro, completing 14 of 21, but with 5 of those 14 completions going for six. TD’s from Hines Ward, Marcellus Rivers, Bennie Joppru, and 2 from Charles Rogers put this game away for the Panthers. INVADERS 14 RENEGADES 38 Oakland too was considered by many to be a potential road victor, though Saturday’s line on the game had this as a pick ‘em. Orlando quickly determined that it was not to be a close game, scoring the opening 17 points and putting Oakland in a bad position by the end of the 1st quarter. Orlando would control the clock (38:57 of possession) thanks to 40 rushes, 17 from Sedrick Irvin, 10 from R.J. Redmond, and 13 from their QB, Jeff Blake. DRAGONS 10 BANDITS 31 Seattle had won three in a row, and a 4th would bring them back to .500, but it was not to be in Tampa Bay on Friday Night. The Bandits gave up an early TD to Corey Dillon, but then put 24 unanswered points on the board on their way to a 21-point victory. Randy Moss added 2 TDs to his season total, along with 137 yards through the air. Cody Pickett, starting again for the Dragons, did not have a good day, sacked 9 times for -80 yards as Tampa Bay confounded the blocking schemes of the Dragons. WRANGLERS 6 MACHINE 26 Chicago got 72 yards rushing and another 52 through the air from Brian Westbrook on their way to a pretty comfortable win. The reason it was so comfortable? How about Jake Plummer going out in the 1st quarter with an injury that could cost him a month or more. Rookie Andrew Walter was simply not prepared to play the game and with Chicago’s relentless defense that spelled disaster for the Wranglers. BREAKERS 12 FEDERALS 17 The Federals are trying to revive what has been their calling card, a staunch scoring defense. New Orleans is still trying to find themselves offensively. The result, a low-scoring game that was 17-3 Feds at the end of 3. New Orleans scored 9 points in the final quarter, but was never really a threat to overtake the Federals. THUNDER 20 CANNONS 32 In what could be Aaron Brooks’s final start in Las Vegas, the QB suffered 5 sacks and 2 picks at the hands of a Boston defense that is not considered one of the league’s elite squads. With 103 yards and 2 TDs from Tiki Barber, the Cannons pulled away in the second half to win this one by 2 scores. EXPRESS 21 BULLS 42 Jacksonville won their second in a row to improve to 5-3 by forcing Quincy Carter to play from inside the pocket. The LA QB threw for 3 scores, but also made some big mistakes, including a costly pick that helped the Bulls build a 21-point advantage. Anquon Boldin hauled in 10 passes for 92 yards, but it was rising star Rashaun Woods who scored twice, much to the delight of the Bulls’ crowd. SHOWBOATS 21 GENERALS 24 The Boats and the Generals had the closest game of the weekend, with Memphis scoring on a Robert Ferguson TD and a 2-pointer to tie the game at 14 in the 3rd quarter, but New Jersey got a late Anthony Becht TD to pull ahead by 10 and then milked the clock before Memphis could get back in it with a garbage-time score. Curtis Enis and James Jackson combined for 130 yards on the day to pace New Jersey to the W. STALLIONS 9 BLITZ 28 Birmingham fans have been patient with QB Jason Campbell, mostly because he is an Auburn product, but too many more outings like this one and they may wish they had gone after Rodgers or Smith instead. Campbell finished the day with only 105 passing yards on 14 of 37 throwing. Baltimore had a much better day, with 2nd year QB Ben Roethlisberger throwing for 3 scores despite constant pressure from Mike Rucker of the Stallions (2 sacks and 5 hurries). Jake Plummer To Miss 4-6 Weeks The 2005 season is just not going the way Arizona fans expected, to say the least. The Wranglers, after a solid showing in Summer Bowl 2004, were the favorites of many to get back to the title game. No one saw a 1-5 start as a possibility, but that is what Arizona produced. And now, to add injury to insult, the Wranglers are looking at anywhere from 4-8 weeks without their All-USFL quarterback, Jake Plummer. The mobile QB scrambled after the pocket broke down on a 3rd and 6 in the first quarter, but just as he turned for the sideline, he crumpled to the ground. It would later be determined that he had suffered a stress fracture in his right foot, an injury that will take considerable time to heal. Rookie Andrew Walter would finish the game, and is likely to be the starter for much of what remains of the season. The Wranglers are not putting Plummer on IR, at least not at first, as he could return by Week 12, but they did sign 34-year old veteran of both the USFL and NFL, Tommy Maddox to provide more backup in case Walter struggles. It is a bad turn in an already bad season for the Wranglers, one which could essentially force the Wranglers to begin planning for the offseason already. This is, after all, a team that struggles to build a run game and depends heavily on their star QB. Without Plummer, the Wrangler offense is going to have to change its spots, and in a hurry. Glanville to Start Burris Las Vegas is another club going through a very rough season. Sitting at 1-7 and possessing the 2nd worst offense in the league (yardage), Coach Glanville is not getting what he had hoped for from former Atlanta Fire QB Aaron Brooks. And so, just after the midpoint of the season, Glanville is making a change. Former CFL quarterback Henry Burris is going to start in Week 9, and for the foreseeable future we expect. Burris was something of a consolation prize when Las Vegas was unable to secure a more prominent QB in the offseason. Having allowed Akili Smith to leave in free agency, the thought was that Brooks would be a transition QB until a rookie could be groomed, but the only rookie taken by Las Vegas and signed as well was Brock Berlin of Miami, a developmental player to be sure. With Glanville more of a defensive-minded coach, it is clear he hoped the offense would be good enough that he could devote his time to the D, but while the Defense is looking better in Glanville’s first year (6th against the run, 9th in yards allowed), the offense is holding the club back. This is likely a multi-year project, but the first step appears to be testing out Burris to see what he can offer the Thunder. The midseason trading wave has begun. With the trade deadline in just 2 weeks, teams are trying to make moves, clear some cap space, or possibly add that one player who can help them move into the playoffs. We had three pretty significant trades this week, two surrounding the same team as the Michigan Panthers try to stock up for a possible late run in the Central. But we start in Texas, where Coach Mackovic has clearly decided to go in a new direction, and in doing so, removes a major distraction from the New Orleans Breakers. Breakers end Dilfer Discussion with Trade to Texas We don’t know who started the trade talks, but the end results seem to help both the Breakers and the Outlaws with two very different issues. The issue in Texas was clear. Jeff Lewis is the lowest-rated starter in the league and has been anything but happy with the Outlaw organization. Texas tried to sign Aaron Rodgers this offseason but found themselves the loser in a bidding war with the NFL 49ers. So they entered the season with Lewis a disgruntled starter. In New Orleans the problem was a very different one. Coach Nolan had decided that the time was right to move from veteran “game manager” Trent Dilfer, to the “golden child” of Archie Manning, 2nd year QB Eli Manning. Manning’s transition has not been without a good deal of growing pains, but Nolan is committed to the young player with a lot of potential. Problem is, the fans were not. The constant second guessing and calls for Dilfer to be reinstated were a distraction, and, while Dilfer has been nothing but a good team player, supporting Eli as he struggles, the constant questions about Dilfer as a starter got to be a huge issue for the club. So, with one fell swoop, Dilfer is in Texas, where he will likely be starting by the end of the season, maybe as soon as Week 9 or 10. New Orleans gets a solid backup in Todd Boumann, the former General, and the two clubs swap 3rd round picks, with New Orleans banking on Texas remaining a Top 3 club when it comes to draft order. So, the Breakers now move ahead with a clear starter and no option to replace Manning. The team is his. In Texas, Coach Mackovic can get Dilfer up to speed and then sit Jeff Lewis. We fully expect the disgruntled Lewis to be made available to either St. Louis or Atlanta. Perhaps a change of scenery is exactly what he needs, and Texas can now build on their run-first offense led by T.J. Duckett. Michigan Creates a 3-Way Halfback Shuffle Jacksonville has had something of an up-and-down season, in large part because of some defensive gaps. Michigan has had one of the worst run games in the league, with Chris Perry simply not developing as so many Panther (and Wolverine) fans hoped he would. So, with an abundance of good corners in the Michigan stable, the Bulls came calling. First, they made sure they had some help for Antowain Smith, the club’s #1 back. They signed 3rd down specialist Travis Minor from free agency, which then allowed them to feel secure in sending a pretty good player to Michigan to nab a cornerback. Michigan gets HB Fred Jackson from the Bulls, a good dual-threat halfback who has shown great growth since coming to the USFL. They give up CB Dereck Combs, who fluctuated between the #3 and #4 spot in their secondary. But, what to do about Chris Perry? The Panthers kept on the phones and found another team desperate to revive a moribund run game. For the price of two fourth round picks (2006 and 2007), the Breakers were happy to get former Wolverine, Perry, to add to their backfield. This is bad news for Olandis Gary, who has struggled as the “big back” paired with scatback Troy Davis. Davis’s role is unique, so the carries that Perry will get as a Breaker are almost certain to take away from Gary’s role on the team. So, to sum up, expect to see Travis Minor taking some 3rd down snaps, and perhaps fielding punts, in Jacksonville. Prepare to see a lot of Fred Jackson, paired up with Ladell Betts in Michigan, and do not be shocked if New Orleans tests out Perry alongside Gary, with the better performer getting retained from the Expansion Draft, and the lesser option being released into the pool. Other than the obvious exception of Jake Plummer’s foot, this was actually a very good week around the league from an injury standpoint. No new IR placements, only a couple of short-term injuries, and the usual flood of players who are now listed as doubtful, questionable or probable due to the wear and tear of the season. Among those who we likely will not see on the field this week we find New Jersey DE Shaun Ellis (hand), Boston CB Sam Madison (neck), Nashville TE Justin Peele (shoulder), Philly WR Roddy White (neck), Denver TE Lonnie Johnson (wrist), LA DB Aeneas Williams (arm), and Arizona LB Kevin Hardy (hip). Thinking About That Expansion Pool As we enter the second half of the season, the looming expansion to Atlanta and St. Louis has become a very popular topic on sports radio as fans try to determine just who on their favorite club might be up for grabs in an expansion draft. Teams can only protect 12 players, which means that 10 starters on each club will be left unprotected (though some may be free agents by the draft, which does dilute the pool). Yes, each time a team loses a player they get to protect another, but that still leaves plenty of room for teams to lose some significant contributors. As we think about the Expansion Draft, we wonder just who could be out there for the Fire and Skyhawks to select. We thought a quick look, position by position, was warranted. QB: A key to any expansion team is getting a leader who will not crumble under the pressure of trying to lead what is often an undermanned squad. Getting a QB who can either weather the storm, or find ways to make plays when there is chaos around him is key. Looking at players who are likely to go unprotected, you won’t find a lot of starters but there are some interesting options. How about Aaron Brooks from the Thunder, Jeff Lewis of Texas, or Brian Griese of Michigan, all starters (either this year or last). If it is youth and athleticism, there could be some other options as well, such as Cody Pickett from Seattle, Adrian McPherson of Boston, or Matt Cassel of Orlando. And don’t forget the trusty backup who could become a starter with a new team. How about Denver’s Eric Wilhelm, Ohio’s Chris Redman, or Chicago’s Tony Banks? HB: While a few teams might protect both HBs if they use a rotation system, there will certainly be many available. The decision is between speed and shiftiness vs. a bigger, power runner who might do better behind what could be a piecemeal offensive line. Among the solid backs who could go unprotected we have names like Justin Fargas (OAK), Rod Smart (DEN), Olandis Gary (NOR), Mike Anderson (HOU), or James Jackson (NJ). FB: This is one position where an expansion team, or both, could get themselves a player on the cusp of being All-USFL. With only 12 protected players per team, fullback is not likely to be a priority for most teams. Solid blocker/pass catcher/runners at the position include Obafemi Ayanbadejo (BLT), Deon Dyer (NJ), Jonathon Linton (CHI), Alan Ricard (OAK), or Mike Karney (ARZ) TE: If a club is looking to drop some cap room, and perhaps jettison a veteran, this could be a position to do that. Could that happen to Bubba Franks (NOR), Marcus Pollard (PHI), or Dan Campbell (HOU), or would expansion clubs look to this position as one where a youthful and athletic player might be preferred, perhaps a Bennie Joppru (MGN), Antonio Gates (BAL), or Matt Schobel (TEX) could be in the pool early. WR: Expect a lot of slot receivers or 3rd wideouts to make this list. Most teams will protect their clear #1 and with the league’s emphasis on passing, we would not be shocked to see quite a few #2’s also protected. Some talented players who won’t fit that bill include Freddie Solomon (TEX), Kevin Johnson (TBY), Antwan Randle-El (PIT), Tim Dwight (PHI), Jabar Gaffney (ORL), Marty Booker (OAK), Bobby Engram (NOR), Justin McCaerins (MEM), Dez White (LA), Donald Hayes (JAX), Koren Robinson or Drew Bennett (HOU), returner Dante Hall (CHI), or James Thrash (BIR). OL: Offensive line positions are going to be another area where teams simply cannot protect everyone, so there could be as many as 2-3 starters from each USFL club who go unprotected. Left Tackles are likely to be protected, and Centers after that, but there will be a wide range of options here, including some quality veterans who may be cap hits, and some younger players who are sitting behind All-USFL candidates. Look for a lot of right tackles to have a shot to become starting left tackles by moving to an expansion club. Some of the bigger names who could move include tackles Chad Clifton (ARZ), Tra Thomas (HOU), Todd Steussie (LV) or Jermaine Mayberry (TEX); guards Ross Hochstein (SEA), Damien Woody (PHI), Brendan Stai (OAK), and Eric Steinbach (BAL), and centers Tom Nalen (BIR), Bubba Miller (BOS), Corey Raymer (LA), and Matt Birk (NSH). DE: Edge rusher is a high value player, so don’t expect to see anyone from the Top 20 sack leaders going unprotected. What you are likely to see are the “other guys”, the DE’s who line up across the formation from the big name sack specialists. This means guys who are good at run stuffing, but may not be strong sack specialists. This includes players like Bob Kuberski (TEX), Travis LaBoy (SEA), Sedrick Clark (ORL), Corey Sears (NOR), or Leonard Little (MGN). DT: There will be some DTs protected by clubs, especially the big nose tackles in a 3-4, but this is not considered a high value position, so a lot of the league’s better DTs could be available. Players like Kenard Lang (ARZ), Wendall Bryant (BOS), Brentson Buckner (CHI), Tommy Harris (DEN), Larry Triplett (LA), Marcus Stroud (OHI), or Darwin Walker (TBY) should be available for Atlanta and St. Louis. LB: This will be interesting. There will be teams that try to protect 3 LBs, while others may feel that no one player at the position is irreplaceable. MLB will likely be a bit of a weaker pool than OLB, just because these are often defensive team captains, charged with a lot of playcalling responsibilities, and thus harder to replace. Some of the bigger names who could be available include Ike Reese (WSH), Godfrey Miles (SEA), Joe Odom (PIT), Dexter Coakley (ORL), Rocky Calmus (NJ), Hannibal Navies (MEM), Brady Poppinga (LV), Kawika Mitchell (DEN), and Wali Rainier (BIR). S: You are not going to find Troy Polamalu, Lawyer Milloy, or Bryan Dawkins available, but we would expect one of the two safety positions to be unprotected on each club, along with all of the backups, which does include some talented players. How do these names sound?: Tavares Tillman (TEX), Anthony Dorsett (PHI), Jermaine Phillips (OHI), Paris Lenon (NOR), Tebucky Jones (MEM), Rich Coady (LA), Marquez Pope (BAL), or Yeremiah Bell (ARZ). CB: We fully expect a lot of nickel backs and #2 corners to be available, and perhaps a few #1's if they are near the end of a contract and in their 30’s. That is just the nature of an expansion draft like this. Some of the names that would not surprise us are Ken Irvin (BIR), Sam Madison (BOS), Philip Buchanon (TBY), Jimmy Hitchcock (TEX), Donovan Greer (MGN), Kenny Wright (LV), Dereck Combs (JAX), Ike Taylor (CHI), and Asante Samuel (ARZ) K/P: No one is going to protect a punter, let’s be honest, so Atlanta and St. Louis will likely have their pick of the league. Kickers, very few, but a handful will get protected. Of course the other reality is that with 30 picks each, there is no reason to expect that either the Fire or the Skyhawks will use a pick on a kicker or punter. Those will be available on the free agent market. It simply makes more sense to spend all 30 picks on positions that are on the field more. We head back to intra-conference play in Week 9, with the Eastern Conference engaged in some very meaningful divisional games, while the West is in inter-divisional action. Several games bring us some major drama this week, but perhaps none moreso than Chicago at Michigan. The Panthers shuffled their HB situation this week, but, sitting at 5-3, they are right in the mix in the Central, only a game back of this week’s foe, Chicago. A win at home against the Machine and Michigan could jump into 2nd place. The other game in the Central has Ohio, flying high at 7-1, headed to Pittsburgh, where the Maulers look to be fading. In the Northeast, we have 4 teams all within 2 games of each other, so every divisional game is huge. On Saturday it will be Baltimore traveling up I-95 to take on the New Jersey Generals in the Meadowlands. New Jersey, at 4-4, is sitting in 4th, but a win against Baltimore could help them get back in the hunt. In the other game, Washington, sitting atop the division at 6-2, hosts the Philadelphia Stars. A win by the Stars and they take a share of first, a loss and Washington could build a 2-game lead on the rest of the division. In the Southeast Jacksonville hosts Boston with both sitting at 5-3. Tampa Bay hosts Orlando, with both also right there. Tampa is also 5-3, while Orlando sits at 4-3-1 thanks to that bizarre tie 2 weeks ago. A win by Orlando and they leap into 2nd place behind only the Cannons-Bulls winner in a division where few people gave them any chance. Out West there is not a single game that pits two teams with winning records. 5-3 Denver is in Las Vegas to face the 1-7 Thunder, who start a new QB. 5-3 Houston is at home against the 3-4-1 Showboats. Oakland, at 4-4, is the only other club without a losing record. They are home to the Outlaws, who will likely still be starting Jeff Lewis as new QB Trent Dilfer did not arrive in town until Wednesday night. In other games, 2-5-1 New Orleans visits 2-6 Arizona, led by rookie Andrew Walter. 3-5 Los Angeles visits 3-5 Nashville for a Sunday Night game that looked a lot better back in December than it does now. Finally, Seattle will try to get their 4th win as they visit winless Birmingham in front of what could be the smallest Stallion crowd since the early years of the league.

Seven weeks down, seven to go in this 2005 USFL season and so many stories to report on. We have surprise success stories in Baltimore, Jacksonville, Memphis, Oakland and Orlando. We have shocking declines for both Summer Bowl participants from 2004. We have new stars rising, and we have some teams scratching their heads as to where it all went wrong. In this very special Midseason Report edition of This Week in the USFL we will look at it all, but first, let’s not ignore the stories of Week 7, which included some amazing games, a couple of upsets, and some nail-biting results. Let’s get to it. INVADERS 31 EXPRESS 37 OVERTIME There have been some great rivalry games between the LA Express (both incarnations) and the Oakland Invaders, but the California Derby has rarely been as dynamic as this week’s shootout between the division-leaders from NorCal and their rivals from SoCal. Stars of the game are many: Oakland QB Trent Green (21/43 for 260 Yards and 3 Tds), WR Keyshawn Johnson (126 Yds), DE Jevon Kearse (2 sacks) and Oakland LB Roosevelt Colvin. But, the star of the game was clear, Express backup QB Quincy Carter, who entered the game in the 2nd quarter after Cade McNown went down on a brutal hit from Israel Idonije and proceeded to throw for 4 TD passes, including a true Hail Mary to Keyshawn in the waning seconds and, of course, the game winner in overtime. LA had taken an early 10-6 lead on a McNown to Tory Holt 33-yard deep ball when Idonije slammed McNown to the ground just as he tried to release the ball. The play was ruled an incomplete pass, but McCown had trouble catching his breath, and needed help to the sideline (He would later be diagnosed with 2 cracked ribs and an abdominal tear). Quincy Carter would have to go the rest of the way. LA largely controlled the clock and the game through three quarters, adding to their lead with a Brandon Manumaleuna TD from Carter in the third. At 17-6, there was little expectation that either team would reach 30 points, but a 5 TD fourth quarter was a thing of beauty for the crowd of just under 41,000 at Farmers Insurance Field. Not so much for the defensive coordinators of either team, but for the fans it was an amazing display. It began with Oakland getting another field goal from Joe Nedney, his 3rd of the day. LA responded quickly with a 5-play drive that ended when Carter hit Tory Holt from 6 yards out to go up 24-9. At this point some of the few Oakland faithful who were at the stadium started to question whether or not to stick around for the rest of the game. But those who did watched as Oakland scored on three consecutive fast-strike drives to not only come back, but to take the lead. The first was a 4-play drive that included a 17-yard run by Justin Fargas, a 30 yard catch by Marty Booker, and a scoring toss from Green to Booker from the 10. Oakland, now down by only 8, caught LA by surprise with an onside kick from the standard kicking formation. Recovered by TE Joel Dreesen, Oakland wasted no time, scoring in 3 plays, the big one being Dreesen again, a 34-yard TD reception from Green. The Invaders went for 2 and suddenly the game was tied at 24. LA, still reeling from the quick 15 points put up by their rival, went 3-and-out on the next drive, and Oakland took over with just over 2 minutes to play. It would take them 1:22 to score, Green hitting a third straight drive-ending TD toss, this time to Taylor Jacobs, and suddenly the Express were down 31-24 with only 52 seconds left. LA got the ball and used 2 of their time outs quickly as they threw two balls to the middle of the field to get across their own 40. An incompletion and then a short pass to L.J. Smith, in which he failed to get out of bounds, led to LA using their final time out with only 11 seconds to play. They had a 3rd and 8 on their own 42, but time was fleeting. Oakland got into a 3-man deep zone and rushed only 3. Carter took the snap in the shotgun, rolled slightly to his right, and it was clear he was not going for the first down. He had Tory Holt, Keyshawn Johnson, and Dez White all racing towards the endzone, and he unleashed a high-arcing rainbow of a pass, a Hail Mary. The ball and the receivers arrived at the goalline at the same time. 4 defenders and 3 receivers all seemed to jump in unison, but Keyshawn Johnson jumped the highest, and miraculously came away with the ball. A simple PAT kick from Steve Christie and the game was tied. LA squibbed it to Oakland and the game went to overtime. Oakland had their chance in overtime, winning the toss and taking the ball first. They moved it well initially, but bogged down between the 40’s and were forced to punt to the Express. LA was now fully energized by the last second tying score and they cut through the Oakland defense with little resistance. 6 plays into the drive, and already in field goal range, Carter found Marty Booker wide open after a blown coverage by the Invaders and Booker scored what would be the winning TD, a corner route from the 32. It was a game with drama, big plays, and major heroics from the LA quarterback. With Cade McNown likely out for a month or longer, Carter will now get his chance to make a case for the starting position in LA. The Express sit one game behind Oakland, but now hold a key tiebreaker thanks to the home win. Oakland, which fought so hard to get back in the game and take the lead, looked exhausted as they went down the tunnel in defeat. They will have to show resilience and try to rebound next week as they travel across country to Orlando to face a surprising Renegade squad. GAMBLERS 30 GOLD 24 OVERTIME Another great game in the Western Conference as the top 2 teams in the Southwest Division clashed at Invesco Field. Houston also needed a final minute TD to tie the score and go to overtime. They got it from WR Roy Williams in the waning seconds of the game, and, just like LA, their momentum carried over to the extra period, where QB Matt Hasselbeck hit Drew Bennett for the game winner in the first possession of overtime. KNIGHTS 21 SHOWBOATS 24 Memphis builds up a 24-10 lead and holds off the Nashville comeback to take over first place in the Southern Division. Cadillac Williams contributed 105 yards and a TD against the Nashville defense, as Heath Shuler only threw to 4 receivers on the day. The Showboats got outgained 338-276, but scored when given opportunities. Nashville scored 11 points in the final quarter, but it was too little and too late for the comeback. BLITZ 16 BANDITS 13 Baltimore’s defense came up big as Tampa Bay struggled to run the ball without Willis McGahee. Ben Roethlisberger went 23 of 33 for 409 yards in his biggest outing of his young career. Two picks tarnished his stats but the W went to Baltimore thanks to a 48-yard TD toss in the final quarter as the Blitz move to 5-2 at the halfway point of the season. MACHINE 28 FEDERALS 31 OVERTIME Another overtime thriller in the USFL as Chicago scores with 42 seconds to play, but cannot find the endzone in overtime. Jeff George would throw 4 TDs on the day, including a 56-yarder to Curtis Conway, but in the end, Washington, with Jon Kitna behind the wheel, did what they needed to do to get the home W, kicking the game winner in overtime to knock off the Machine and move to 5-2. CANNONS 41 MAULERS 22 Pittsburgh continues to struggle on offense, and their defense also had a rough day as Drew Bledsoe threw for 324 and 3 scores while Tiki Barber had a huge game, rushing 23 times for 120 and then catching both a 74 yard TD and a 49-yard pass to break the back of the Maulers. GLORY 30 GENERALS 14 New Jersey had a 14-10 lead early in the second quarter but the Glory opened up the throttle on their offense and scored the final 23 points in the game as they blew past the homestanding Generals. Eddie George was huge, with 136 yards on 23 carries, and the defense also played well, picking off two Tom Brady passes on their way to their 6th victory on the season. RENEGADES 27 PANTHERS 34 Two of the league’s pleasant surprises met at Ford Field and the homestanding Panthers held on to win thanks to a botched PAT that forced Orlando to go for a TD and not a field goal late in the game. Michigan got 301 yards and 3 scores from Drew Brees, including 127 and 2 scores from top receiver Hines Ward. Ladell Betts had one of his better games as well, with 72 yards on only 15 carries. For Orlando, QB Jeff Blake kept the Renegades init with 240 yards passing and 122 rushing, including a 91-yard bootleg run that completely faked out the Panthers. STARS 24 BULLS 28 Jacksonville needed 2 late scores to pull this one out, but they got them in the form of TDs from Josh McCown to Rashaun Woods and JebPutzier in the final 8 minutes of play. McCown started for the injured Delhomme, and went 16 of 31 for 241 and two TDs, but the hero of the day was HB Antowain Smith, who rushed 24 times for 143 and 2 scores as the Bulls move to 4-3 and get right back into the thick of the Southeastern Division race. BREAKERS 37 STALLIONS 17 Jason Campbell continued to struggle as Eli Manning found his footing for a 26 of 32 day that produced 312 yards and 2 scores. Troy Davis and Olandis Gary combined for 105 yards, with Davis scoring twice to lead the Breakers to an easy win over a very disjointed Stallions squad. OUTLAWS 21 WRANGLERS 28 Arizona got their 2nd win on the season thanks to 130 yards and 2 scores from Santana Moss. With Jeff Lewis back under center, Texas struggled despite 104 yards from T.J. Duckett, as Lewis threw 3 picks on the day. The Outlaws controlled the clock (35:19-24:41) but could not turn possession into points or stop Moss from scoring on deep balls from Jake Plummer. DRAGONS 27 THUNDER 17 The Dragons built up a 17-3 lead in the first half and then coasted to their third straight win, the second under backup Cody Pickett, as the former Husky threw for 3 scores, two going to David Boston. Las Vegas struggled all day with 3rd down, converting only 1 of 11 against the Dragon defense. Seattle, once 0-4, has now rattled off 3 straight wins and find themselves in playoff contention at the midway point of the year. Cody Pickett Proving Himself His role was pretty clear, stand next to the coaches and send the signals in to Byron Leftwich. Cody Pickett, the U-Dub product who did not see a single snap behind Leftwich last year in Seattle, was to be a backup, with Leftwich the reigning Rookie of the Year in 2004, the future superstar of the Dragons. Pickett was a relatively easy signing, a mid-round pick who would be able to stay close to home in Seattle. But when Leftwich went down with a dislocated finger, it meant Pickett would take the field. He came on in relief in Week 5 and scored the winning TD to give Seattle their first win of the season. He then started weeks 6 and 7, and, what did he do? Nothing more than throw for 3 touchdowns in each game without throwing a pick yet. He also won both games, helping Seattle move to 3-4, just one game under. 500. So, with Leftwich now listed as questionable, do we for sure see Pickett returning to clipboard duty? Very likely this week could be his final week starting a game, but with the expansion draft coming this offseason, what Prichett has done in his short stint as the Dragons’ starter is to create a market for his skills and a conundrum for the Dragons. They are going to return to Leftwich as the starter, this seems certain, but Prichett may have just put on an interview tape that will make St. Louis and Atlanta take notice. Is 3 games enough to make his case and become a contender to start for either club? Could Seattle opt to trade him to another team before the season ends, a team that would protect him from the expansion draft? Based on 2004, when he simply held the clipboard, there would be no way that any team would protect his rights, but after this short stretch of games, we could easily see a team like Texas, Las Vegas, or even Pittsburgh, take a shot on the QB, protect him and project him as their starter. Jeff Blake impresses in Loss The Renegades may have lost this week to the Panthers, but QB Jeff Blake impressed fans and coaches once again. It seems Orlando, which was considered to have one of the shakier QB situations after failing to sign rookie Alex Smith of Utah, now appears to have found a starter that they can work with. Blake is not one of the highest rated passers, in fact his current QB Rating of 85.4 is in the bottom quartile of league starters, ahead of Jeff George, Charlie Batch, Aaron Brooks, and Jason Campbell, but behind players like Josh McCown, Todd Collins, Alex Van Pelt, and Eli Manning. What has made Blake dangerous is his ability to run the ball as well as throw it. In the mold of a younger Jake Plummer, Blake is leading the league with 270 rushing yards and 3 rushing TDs. Most of these yards have occurred in the past 3 weeks, including his dazzling 94-yard TD run this week and his 98-yard, 2 TD performance in Week 6. If Coach Thomas can find a way to build Blake’s running into the game plan, he could have a serious weapon on his hands. Blake started 9 games in 2004, throwing for 13 TDs to 7 picks, and averaging 194 yards a game. This year he is on pace for 18 TDs and his per-game average is up to 228 yards. If Blake can add scripted runs like the bootleg this week into the gameplan, and if he can minimize his interceptions, he could be a big piece of Orlando’s plans moving forward. Midseason Recap Biggest surprises We just mentioned Jeff Blake and the Renegades, and they are certainly one of the season’s biggest surprises. As we reach the midway point, let’s look at the surprise stories of the year, starting with our Top 5 Pleasant Surprises. Seattle’s turnaround The first month of the season was a disaster for the Dragons, but their season seems to have turned around and now the question is whether or not this is a sign that the club needs to stick with 2nd year QB Cody Pritchett, who has won all 3 games, or go back to Byron Leftwich, the darling of the past two years. If Seattle can win next week against the Bandits, again with Prichett at the helm, they may have a very tough decision on their minds as they try to make a miraculous comeback from an 0-4 start. Matt Hasselbeck’s Comeback Season It is absolutely the feel good story of the season. After suffering a season-ending injury last year, Hasselbeck is coming back with his best season as a pro. He is on pace for a 4,000 yard season, which would be his first and the first the Gamblers have seen since Jim Kelly retired. He already has 16 touchdowns, which is well ahead of his pace in any past season in Houston. His QBR of 114.2 marks the first time he has been over 100 this late into a season. Better yet, the Gamblers are sitting at 5-2 and share the lead of their division, so Hasselbeck’s personal achievements are aligned with the team’s goals as well. Orlando, Memphis, and Michigan in the Mix In the preseason the general consensus is that the Renegades, Showboats, and Panthers were very likely to be bringing up the rear in their divisions and fighting for the right to draft first among the returning USFL clubs in next year’s College Draft. What we have instead are three clubs that are right in the mix in their divisions. Orlando is only ½ game behind the three 4-3 co-leaders of the Southeast Division at 3-3-1, Memphis sits atop the Southern Division with the same record, and Michigan is in 3rd place, but only 1 game behind Chicago, with their 4-3 record seven weeks in. Each has taken a different path, but all three are exceeding expectations with rosters that were considered among the weakest in the leagues. Whether it is Orlando’s newfound dual threat QB, Memphis’s Top 10 scoring defense, or Michigan’s Top 5 offense, all three clubs have figured out what they can do well and have found ways to get early success. Can they all keep this up over the long haul to Week 14? We shall see, but to be in the mix after 7 weeks is already a surprises for fans in these three USFL markets. Frank Gore’s Rookie Success It is certainly not unheard of for a rookie HB to have success. Of the skill positions on offense, halfback is usually the one with the shortest onboarding period, and the first to develop into a reliable starter. What is surprising is that with bigger name backs in the draft and in the league, backs like Cadillac Williams, Cedric Benson, and even Maurice Clarett, taken ahead of Gore, it is the Miami product who is outshining them all, and not a moment too soon for Nashville’s fans. Gore is making it easy to forget that Nashville had the league rushing leader on their squad last year in Ahman Green. With 7 weeks down, Gore trailes Ahman Green by only 9 yards for 3rd in the league rushing race, and is only 41 yards behind the current league leader, Eddie George. That is a testament to the Knights’ system, but also to Gore as well. The Baltimore Blitz Finding Ways to Win They do not have the league’s best offense, and are not a star-studded defensive powerhouse, they just keep winning games. Baltimore is sitting at 5-2 after 7 games, when pretty much everyone saw them as the obvious basement dweller in a competitive Northeast Division that holds the defending league champions. What Baltimore has done, through an offense that is methodical and rarely makes big mistakes, and a defense that has been a true team effort, is one of the best stories of the year. We really should concentrate on that defense to begin with. Ranked #1 in the league by allowing only 17.3 PPG, and 2nd against the rush with only 76.9 YPG allowed, the Blitz are defying the odds. Yes, there is talent here, whether it is James Farrior and Mike Maslowski at LB, or Adam Archuletta and Tyrone Bell in the secondary, but this is not a defense that is full of All-USFL performers. Their sack leader is Maslowski, and their top D, Chuckie Nwokorie, has only 2 sacks. Their interception leaders each have 1 pick, so it is not that this defense is forcing takeaways or pressuring the QB. They simply are not giving up big plays. Coach Tom Coughlin preaches consistency and that each man knows his role, and that message has gotten through to this squad, leading to results. And, of course, with successes there are also disappointments. Here is our list of the 5 disappointing outcomes of the first half of the season, the players and teams that are not where we thought they would be. Jason Campbell’s rough introduction to the USFL. Arriving in Birmingham from Auburn, Campbell knew there would be pressure to perform. Taking over a team that has been Brett Favre’s club for over a decade would not be easy. But it has definitely not gone the way Campbell would like. He missed 2 games due to an early season injury, and while his 5 games have not been entirely horrible (7 Tds to 5 Ints), he currently has the 2nd worst QB Rating of any Week 1 starter. His 59.4 QBR is only ahead of Jeff Lewis, another QB who is trying to return to form after an early season injury. Birmingham is 0-7 at the midway point, and there does not seem to be a clear set of adjustments the Stallions can make to improve their competitiveness. It may just be a long season in Birmingham, one followed by a need to rebuild the team around Campbell. New Jersey’s Post Championship Hangover A 3-4 record is not the end of the world, but it is also not what the Generals expected of themselves when the season began. And this has not been helped by the resurgence of the Philadelphia Stars and the unexpected success of the Baltimore Blitz. New Jersey currently sits in last place in the division and is, in fact, the only club in the entire Eastern Conference with a losing record. That cannot sit well with Coach Parcells, or with Tom Brady, who led these Generals to their second title last season. There is certainly time to turn the ship around and perhaps make a run to the playoffs in a very competitive Northeast Division, but the Generals have suffered all season from some of the secondary players who left in free agency, as well as the enormous gap left when Sack Legend Phil Hansen retired. The generals currently sit in the middle of the pack in nearly every major statistical category except pass defense (3rd in the league). They are giving up 23.3 points per game, but scoring only 21. Their passing game is ranked 20th, and their run defense, once a staple of the Generals, is 21st in the league. If the Generals are going to make a run, they are going to have to figure these issues out quickly. Terrell Davis’s Declining Production We understand that there are more issues in Pittsburgh than Terrell Davis’s lack of success this year, but we are looking at possibly a major decline for the 30-year old back. What is worse is that it fits a narrative about the wall halfbacks hit at 30 which makes fans more than anxious about Davis’s future production. Davis has rushed for over 1,000 yards every year since 1996 (We are counting his 1998 year when he had 976 yards before being rested in Week 16). This year he is barely on pace for 800. His 3.5 yards per carry are well below his career average of 4.1, and a full half yard below his 2004 average. None of these are good signs. Of course, with Charlie Batch missing 3 games, we could expect some decline in production since teams felt they could easily load the box and force Alex Van Pelt to carry the Mauler offense, but that is not enough to explain how Davis has struggled. The past 3 weeks he has not topped 50 yards in any game. Is this a sign that he has hit the legendary HB Wall? Eli Manning’s Growing Pains After spending his entire rookie season (other than a few injury-related appearances) this was expected to be Manning’s year. The much anticipated decision as to the season start was not made until the Friday before opening games, and Manning was named the starting QB over veteran Trent Dilfer. With the Breakers sitting at 2-4-1, it seems safe to say that the season has not gone the way Breaker fans, or Manning himself, would like. Too many picks and not enough scoring was the story early, and while Manning has had a couple of solid outings in the past three weeks, the concern is still there that he is not reading his receiver routes well, not making good choices, and missing on open receivers. The good news is that he is completing just over 70% of his passes, but that is also largely due to his tendency to dump the ball down and shy away from the deep ball. He has 13 TD’s but also 12 picks, which is not the ratio you want. Maybe all of this is growing pains. Maybe it is the fact that the Breaker’s top receiver is far better suited to be a slot guy than the main target, or that the club simply does not have a credible run threat to take pressure off the QB position. All that may be true, but for Manning, a local hero and son of a New Orleans legend, that may not be good enough. Arizona’s Defensive Collapse In 2004, the Arizona Wranglers used a staunch defense and a newfound run game to claim the Southwest Division title and the #1 seed in the playoffs. In the postseason they used both, along with home field advantage (and the heat of Phoenix in July) to knock off the Breakers and Dragons on their way to the Summer Bowl. So, what happened this year? Well, we can understand the failings of their run game. Stephen Davis retired after resurrecting Arizona’s dreams of a run game, and while the Wranglers brought in Larry Johnson and Duce Staley to build up their run game, both of those players were let go by their former teams, so perhaps they were not as valuable as Arizona imagined. No, the bigger mystery is how a defense that helped the Wranglers leapfrog the rest of the Western Conference has seemingly fallen completely to pieces. Yes, the Wranglers lost Winfred Tubbs to retirement and Steve Tovar to free agency, but this is a defense that still had Lance Briggs, Karlos Dansby, and Corey Miller. They even brought in Kevin Hardy after a quasi-retirement. They still have what should be the best 1-2-3 combo of corners in the game with Jimmy Williams, Philippi Sparks, and Asante Samuel. They still have Jason Peter in the middle, and a solid DE combo of Gary Walker and Chike Okeafor. So why is Arizona ranked 23rd in yards allowed after 7 weeks, and dead last in the league in scoring D, allowing nearly 31 points per game? That is the mystery, and the frustration we see in the desert. Even at 2-5, the Wranglers could potentially make a playoff run, but not unless they can rediscover the defense that helped them come 1 game from a title last season. And we finish our initial review of the first half of 2005 with our five rising stars, players who are coming on and making a name for themselves this season. These are players to watch over the final 7 weeks, and contributors whose performances may help them stay protected as the Expansion Draft looms. Jacksonville WR Rashaud Woods With Anquon Boldin firmly established as the #1 receiver, the Bulls went out and signed Donald Hayes away from New Jersey in an attempt to find a true #2. What they apparently did not realize, what we all failed to realize, is that Rashaun Woods could fill that spot very nicely. Woods had a great camp and beat out Hayes for the #2 position, and since the start of the season he has actually been more like a #1 than a 2. He has more targets than Boldin (59 to 41), more catches (41 to 27), more yards, by double (731-308) and a 17.8 YPC average to boot. Woods is becoming the favorite target of Josh McNown and Jake Delhomme, and, with 4 more seasons on his contract, could be very valuable to the Bulls as they enter the Expansion Draft. Memphis DE Dameion Jeffries Maybe it’s the presence of Julius Peppers on the same defense, maybe it is the fact that Memphis has not had a winning season since 2002, or maybe it is just that he is not a press-savvy guy, but Dameion Jeffries has been pretty good for a pretty long time, but is only really getting noticed this season. Jeffries has 8 sacks in the first 7 games this year, on pace for 16 for the season, which would be his career high, and yet if you ask most folks outside of the greater Memphis area, and many within it, who the sack leader for the Showboats is, they are very likely to say Julius Peppers. Well, Jeffries has twice the sacks as Peppers, and is well on his way to a 6th season with double digit sacks. Not bad for a guy most folks cannot name when asked about Memphis’s rise to a top 10 scoring defense this year. Oakland LB Roosevelt Colvin A lot of noise has been made about the rise of Oakland’s offense, and that is well deserved, but the defense has also made some strides towards being a contributor to Oakland’s success, and a big part of that is 6-year veteran Roosevelt Colvin. Colvin had a breakout season in 2003, with 110 tackles, but regresses last year, in part due to injury, finishing with only 79 tackles in yet another losing season for the Invaders. This season he is on pace for 100+ tackles, and he already has 3 sacks on the year, more than in any complete season since coming to the league. Colvin leeds a LB corps that regularly rotates 5 players into the three on-field positions. Playing alongside Dan Morgan, Henri Crockett, Kailee Wong, and Derrick Rodgers, Colvin has become the guy who sets the tone for the Invaders on defense. Never afraid to hit, or to take that tough angle to make the play. It is a hustle that fans in Oakland are appreciating this year. Nashville HB Frank Gore When Ahman Green left in free agency, fans in Nashville were distraught. The entire offense of the Knights is built on a strong run game and the play action it allows Todd Collins to enjoy. Frank Gore was a solid back at Miami, but no one expected he could come into the league and become a Top 5 rusher in his rookie year. Kudos in part to the Knights offensive line and to their offensive coaching staff as well, but we have to recognize that Gore is better than advertised. He is averaging 22 attempts per game, 85.6 yards per game, and is on pace to potentially reach 1,200 yards in his rookie season. He has already notched two 100-yard games and is becoming a player that defensive coordinators have to plan around. Houston WR Roy Williams The 2nd year receiver out of Texas has had an epiphany. In his rookie campaign, Williams struggled to learn how to deal with zone coverage, catching 29 balls for 388 yards in his rookie campaign. This year the schemes have clicked and Williams already easily surpassed the numbers from his entire 2004 campaign. With 7 weeks down, Williams has 33 receptions for 557 yards and 4 TDs, all better than his entire 2004 season. He is on pace to reach 1,100 yards and could even reach the highly coveted 10 TD range. With the success of Antonio Freeman opposite him, Williams is seeing more and more single coverage, and he is learning how to find holes in zone defenses as well. Before the season we would have expected the Gamblers to protect Freeman and possibly Koren Robinson in the expansion draft, but Roy Williams is making a case for Houston to retain his services beyond this year. Boston is the latest team to see a player go down for the year as RT Jon Stinchcomb is out with a rupture achilles. As we reported earlier, the LA Express will be without Cade McNown for at least 2-4 weeks after his diagnosis of an abdominal tear with 2 cracked ribs. Oakland will travel to Orlando without top receiver Plaxico Burress as the big receiver is dealing with an ankle injury. Among those still expected to be out this week, or at least listed as doubtful, we have QB Kordell Stewart (WSH), CB Deltha O’Neal (DEN), HB Willis McGahee (TBY), WR Laverneus Coles (MGN), LT Luke Petigout (JAX), DE John Abraham (SEA), and TE Jeremy Schockey (TBY) Best Case Scenarios for the 2nd Half of the 2005 Season Every March begins with optimism, and by midseason there are some fanbases that retain that optimism, while others are beginning to despair. We want to offer each team a bit of hope, so here, for your midseason recalibration of expectations, are our thoughts on the Best Case Scenario for each of the league’s 24 clubs as we prepare for the final half of the year in the USFL. OHIO GLORY (6-1) The best case scenario here is that Ohio remains healthy, their offense remains dominant, and they avoid more trap games like that loss to Michigan. This club, if they can wrangle home field, could be ready to claim a 3rd title. Many believe they could have threepeated last year had it not been for some injury issues in the season’s final weeks. They look primed to make a run again, and if they stay healthy, that should be the expectation of the Glory and their fans. HOUSTON GAMBLERS (5-2) The Gamblers sit alone atop the Western Conference after 4 straight wins have them at 5-2. Their ideal scenario is one where they continue to see Matt Hasselbeck have an MVP worthy season, they discover enough of a run game to complement the wide open passing game, and their defense continues to provide them with short fields. Houston is for real, but they are not a runaway favorite, so they need to keep building on what has worked so far. WASHINGTON FEDERALS (5-2) Somehow, despite injuries, and a few missed opportunities, Washington is on top of a very tight cluster of teams in the Northeast. Their Best Case Scenario involved Baltimore and Philadelphia falling back to earth, and New Jersey remaining significantly flawed. Winning the division would be huge for the Federals, but that is not going to come easy. BALTIMORE BLITZ (5-2) The Blitz are already in dreamland with a 5-2 start. Their BCS is that this is not a dream, but a good team that is more than the sum of its parts. They need to see Ron Dayne continue to dominate defenses and Ben Roethlisberger continue to develop into a reliable game changing QB. If the defense can stay at its current level of overachievement, the Blitz could be a real threat. CHICAGO MACHINE (5-2) The Machine rely on defnse, and that is fine, they have one of the best in the league, but what Chicago needs to see their BCS develop is for their offense to become more unpredictable, to confuse opponents and occasionally help the defense out by building up leads that deflate the opposition’s will to fight. Too many close games means too many chances to fall behind Ohio, a team they need to learn how to beat. DENVER GOLD (5-2) Denver has been quietly winning games and keeping on pace with the best in the conference. They need to just stick to the plan. That means winning their remaining divisional games, beating up on the weaker teams in the West, and building a record that could provide them with home field advantage. If they get that, then they get to stay at altitude all the way until Summer Bowl 2005, if they can keep winning. OAKLAND INVADERS (4-3) Normally a 4-3 record is about middle of the pack, but the West this year has been the weaker conference, and that 4-3 has Oakland atop their division. Their BCS is that Houston and Denver knock each other down a couple of pegs, and that LA and Seattle have not truly found themselves. Oakland has a shot at a bye week and a division crown, both of which would be well beyond what Invader fans expected for this year. JACKSONVILLE BULLS (4-3) The Bulls are in a 3-way tie atop the very tight Southeastern Division. They have their 2-1 Division record to thank for that. Their BCS involves winning their remaining divisional games and finding a consistent offense to go with their pretty solid defense. The other key to their year is to make a clear choice between Jake Delhomme and Josh McCown, because indecision on that question can only hurt the team moving forward. PHILADELPHIA STARS (4-3) The Stars have gotten what they wanted from their offseason spending spree. They are in the hunt and both Ahman Green and Kurt Warner are looking like very good additions. What they are hoping to see is that the back-to-back seasons of NFL then USFL do not lead to Warner wearing down. If he can stay fully focused, and if Green can keep dominating defenses, then the Stars have a real shot at a division that seems to be in flux. TAMPA BAY BANDITS (4-3) The Best Case Scenario for Tampa Bay is that they have not really hit their offensive stride yet. They need McGahee to get healthy, and for Culpepper to rediscover the deep ball passing game that was so successful last year. If they can boost their scoring even just a few points per game, they will be in a good position to overtake Jacksonville and claim the division. BOSTON CANNONS (4-3) Boston has an issue in that they are currently 0-3 in their division. That is not good come tiebreaker time. So, their BCS involves winning their final three divisional games and get some help in the form of the other three teams knocking each other around. Boston’s offense is among the league elite, but the defense has given up too many leads, something a front-runner team like the Cannons cannot afford. They can still win the division, but the key will be winning all the games they are supposed to win, and perhaps 1 or 2 they are not supposed to win. MICHIGAN PANTHERS (4-3) Michigan was not supposed to have a winning record by Week 7, so they are already living their Best Case Scenario. For it to continue, they need to stay competitive in divisional games, particularly against Pittsburgh, who they currently outpace. They need to find just enough run game to keep defenses from fully keying in on Drew Brees, and they need to see their 3 rookie LB’s mature quickly. MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS (3-3-1) The Showboats being in first place at midseason is already more than most could hope for. Heath Shuler looking like a reasonable impersonation of his former self, and a run game that is showing signs of life with rookie Cadillac Williams are all good signs for Showboat fans. The BCS in Memphis is that none of this is an illusion, and that the club continues to improve over the final weeks, with the potential to win the Southern Division, and possibly even get a bye week. ORLANDO RENEGADES (3-3-1) Orlando looks and feels like a club that is overachieving to reach .500. They certainly were not expected to be anything other than an also-ran behind Boston and Tampa Bay. Their BCS may simply be to remain at or around the .500 mark, which may not get them a playoff spot, but would certainly set them up as a team headed in the right direction. PITTSBURGH MAULRS (3-3-1) The Maulers hoped for more this season, but it may be tough to realize the somewhat unrealistic expectations that many had for the club. The offense lacks explosiveness, and, as we already commented, Terrell Davis is looking like a back who has fallen off the production cliff. The defense has talent, but the BCS for the Maulers may be to see development of younger players and to possibly make some hay in the offseason, particularly as they try to add offensive difference makers. SEATTLE DRAGONS (3-4) Their BCS is that Cody Prichett can get them to 4-4 with a win next week, and then Byron Leftwich returns, not only to play, but to play as he did last year. With the final 6 weeks as its own mini-season, and with the Pacific Division largely up for grabs, a 4-4 Dragon squad could quite possibly become a 9-5 division winner. LOS ANGELES EXPRESS (3-4) The initial hope has to be that Quincy Carter can do over the next month what he did this week in relief. The season will be made or will fall apart based on his run as QB of the Express. In a Best Case Scenario, Carter can win 3 of 4, and McCown can return on schedule. The Express hope that Oakland has a second half swoon (as they have in past years) and that Seattle’s fire sale this offseason truly has made them more like the 0-4 team that started the year, and not the club that has rattled off 3 straight wins. NEW JERSEY GENERALS (3-4) Despite having the worst record in the Eastern Conference, the Generals are only 3-4, one win from .500. The hope is that New Jersey can recapture the momentum and swagger that got them to the title last year. They may also hope that divisional games in the second half of the year help to knock down a few of the clubs ahead of them, tightening the field and giving the Generals a chance to climb back into what could be a complex playoff berth competition. NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS (2-4-1) The Breakers have some work to do. That seems obvious now. Their BCS is that this season helps Eli Manning develop so that in 2006 he is ready to lead a more dynamic, more dangerous offense. New Orleans still has rebuilding to do on defense as well, so their goal this year should be to clearly identify those players they want to retain, and those they are able to let go in the Expansion Draft. ARIZONA WRANGLERS (2-5) Three games behind both Denver and Houston, any chance to repeat as division champions seems lost, but even at 2-5, if Arizona can turn it around, they may still be able to make the playoffs. Short of that, their goal has to be to reestablish the defense that was so good last year. If they can get that sorted out, and if they can land a true lead back through the draft or free agency, then the Wranglers could be right back on top in 2006. LAS VEGAS THUNDER (1-6) The Thunder have to be looking at personnel at this point. Find the best 12 players to protect in the Expansion Draft, hope you can recall more as the draft proceeds, and then commit to the offseason with far more aggressive moves than we saw in 2004. Quarterback is just not settled in Las Vegas, so don’t be surprised if CFL export Henry Burris does not get some starts just to see if it is he, over Aaron Brooks, who should be retained. TEXAS OUTLAWS (1-6) Right now, I don’t think Texas would retain any of their QB’s in the Expansion Draft, and that is not a good place to be. BCS in Texas may be that they can use the threat of the Expansion Draft to work a deal with a club that has 2 solid contenders at QB, and bring one to town before the season ends. What if Texas could land a Josh McNown, Joey Harrington, or even Cody Prichett before the Expansion Draft, settle the QB position, and then not have to compete to try to snag a promising rookie? Or is that selling the value of some USFL backups a bit too high? BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS (0-7) Two things need to come out of this lost season in Birmingham, a clear sense of whether or not Jason Campbell can grow into a Top 10 starter, and a strong draft strategy to either build the club around Campbell, or to find a new direction and commit to it. It seems that Brett Favre, for all his faults, was hiding a lot of issues in Birmingham. Jason Campbell is not to blame for the defense, the lack of run game, or the tendency to make bad mistakes at key points in the game. Birmingham is a team that has hit bottom, and now has to build its way back. The BCS for them is that they are ready to do so and have a plan for how it will be done. We begin the 2nd half of the season with interconference play across the entire league as all 24-clubs play one of their 4 inter-conference games. Among those that could be important matchups for both clubs, we would highlight the Gamblers headed up to Ohio in a classic battle of D vs. O. Another interesting matchup has Denver visiting Michigan, while 3-4 LA has a tough matchup at 4-3 Jacksonville. Two of the league’s surprise success stories will meet when the Oakland Invaders head across the country to Orlando to face the 3-3-1 Renegades. Seattle also has a long flight as they travel to Tampa Bay to face the Bandits, hoping to win their 4th straight to even their record. In Chicago the Machine will host the Wranglers, still concerned about their secondary which now starts two rookies. Nashville will be in Philadelphia to face the stars, while in-state rival Memphis is in New Jersey, where the Generals are hoping to regain their swagger with some home cooking. Birmingham takes their 0-7 record into Baltimore, where the Blitz are flying high at 5-2. New Orleans has a tough matchup in Washington to face the 5-2 Federals, while Pittsburgh hopes that a home game against the 1-6 Outlaws helps them get back into the mix in a very tough Central Division. We finish up the week’s interconference games with Las Vegas visiting the Boston Cannons, who sit in a 3-way tie for first in the Southeast with the Bulls and Bandits.

What is up out west? While the entire Eastern Conference is at or above .500 the West can only manage 3 teams above .500 and has 5 clubs with 1 win or less. That is a huge disparity. Want to understand how weird it is? After starting the year 0-4, a second win for Seattle actually now has them in position for a Wild Card spot. In fact both Seattle at 2-4 and Memphis at 2-3-1 would be in the playoffs for the West if they started today. We also see in the west some of the more unexpected failings as LA is only 2-4, New Orleans is 1-4-1 and the defending conference champions, Arizona, are flailing at 1-5. Meanwhile in the East, New Jersey, the league champions, are 3-3 and are currently the 12th ranked team in the conference. This week’s games show us the oddity that is the division between the two conferences this year. BANDITS 38 CANNONS 34 OVERTIME We start this week with one of the best games of the year so far, a Southeastern Division clash between the Bandits and the Cannons in Alumni Stadium. Once again we see a game head to overtime only to have both teams score in the extra period, a unique feature of the USFL that the NFL has not yet adapted. Thanks to the USFL rule that states that both teams must have an opportunity to score unless the first team with possession scores a touchdown has appeared again, and once again the 2nd team, in this case Tampa Bay, dealt with the pressure to score and pulled out the win. We knew this would be a good one before the game began as both Tampa Bay (3-2) and Boston (3-2) were preseason Summer Bowl favorites, growing rivals, and two of the best offenses in the game. What we did not expect was the role the defenses would play in this one, or the mind-numbing numbers Drew Bledsoe would put up despite seeming like he was on the ground almost every other play. The game did not start well for the Boston QB, as Tampa Bay scored a field goal on their opening drive, and on Bledsoe’s first pass attempt, he was violently thrown to the ground by Bandit LB Jonathan Vilma. Bledsoe got up, brushed himself off, and proceeded to throw a pick-six to FS Bryan Scott on the very next play. Pressure would be a theme all game long, but after this mistake, Bledsoe would find a way to stand tough in the face of Tampa Bay’s blitzes. He would complete 29 of 40 pass attempts for a whopping 518 yards in the game, throwing 3 picks which helped Tampa Bay stay in the game, but also 3 scores to put the pressure on the Bandits. Following the pick-six, Bledsoe calmed down, and on Boston’s next drive, he helped move the team down to the Tampa Bay 1 yard line, where Tiki Barber did the rest. Boston would get a pick of Daunte Culpepper four plays later, as the Cannon D stepped up, and Boston would equalize the score at 10-10 with a Jason Elam field goal. That score would hold into halftime, but in the second half the offenses for both teams would make adjustments and find more results. Each team would score in the 3rd as Daunte Culpepper put Tampa Bay on top with a 37-yard TD to his favorite deep ball receiver, Randy Moss. Boston would respond as well, with Bledsoe taking advantage of Tampa Bay’s aggressive blitz, hitting Tiki Barber on a screen that would go 46 yards for the equalizer. The 4th quarter would be the most explosive yet, as Tampa Bay opened things up with a Travis Prentice TD run at the 8-minute mark. Boston would respond 3 minutes later, with Bledsoe hitting Chad Ochocinco for another equalizing score. Tampa Bay responded again, this time slowing things down and scoring with 1:42 left to play on Travis Prentices’s 2nd score of the day. Prentice, who stepped in when Willis McGahee limped off the field with an apparent ankle injury, would finish with 74 yards and 2 scores for the Bandits. Boston went into their 2-minute mode, and it paid off as once again Drew Bledsoe connected with Chad Ochocinco for the equalizer. The game would be headed to overtime. Boston won the toss, and hoped to end the game on the first drive, but on a key 3rd and goal from the 9, Tampa’s Samari Rolle was sent on a risky corner blitz, but got to Bledsoe just as he was starting his throwing motion. Initially ruled a fumble, Boston challenged and won the overturn. Incomplete pass, Boston’s ball, 4th and goal. They went for the sure points and Elam’s kick put them up 3, 34-31. But, the field goal meant that Tampa Bay would have one more shot to win the game. The Bandits were up to the challenge, moving the ball well with two Prentice runs and a Culpepper completion to Chris Doering, to place the ball at their own 44. On 1st and 10 from the 44, Culpepper faked the ball to Prentice, Boston’s SS bit on the fake, and that slight hesitation allowed slot receiver Karl Williams to get a step on him. Culpepper hit him in stride with the seam route, and Williams was off to the races. A last gasp dive by cornerback Fred Smoot was just short and Williams stumbled his way into the endzone for the game winner in a thrilling Tampa Bay victory. With the win, and a surprising loss by the Bulls, Tampa Bay now stands all alone in first place at 4-2 in the Southeast. Boston falls back to 3-3 with a tough home loss, but what we may have seen here was the first big salvo in what could be a great rivalry this season. RENEGADES 29 BULLS 26 We mentioned Jacksonville’s unexpected loss, as Orlando pulled off the 3-point win on the road to move to 3-2-1, but the result was worse than the score indicates, because Jacksonville had a 26-14 lead with only 3 minutes to go before a furious Orlando rally cost them the game. Jeff Blake, who had run for 2 scores earlier in the game, found Ricky Dudley for a score with 2:17 left to play. After a successful onside kick, the former NFL castoff did it again, this time connecting with Keenan McCardell for the winning score in the waning seconds of the game. Blake would end the week as the league’s Offensive POTW, throwing for 265 and totaling 4 TDs in the game. FEDERALS 23 BLITZ 20 In the East, Washington edged their rivals in Baltimore to bring the Blitz back down to the crowd, and creating a 3-way tie for first at 4-4. Despite 147 yards from HB Ron Dayne, the Blitz found themselves down 23-13 late, and even a late score could not pull them back. The key to the game was the ability of backup Jon Kitna to step in for an injured Kordell Stewart and drive Washington to what would prove to be the game winner, a 2-yard slant to Deion Branch. STARS 31 GENERALS 24 Philadelphia staked their claim to a portion of the 4-2 jumble atop the Northeast by knocking off the defending league champs in East Rutherford. Philly, like Orlando, also trailed in the 4th, but scored the final 14 points against a tired Generals defense to take the W. Kurt Warner looked every bit the quarterback who had once led the “Greatest Show on Turf”, throwing for 4 scores, and Ahman Green did what he does, averaging 4.9 yards per carry on his way to 107 for the day. GLORY 23 PANTHERS 30 Call it a trap game. Call it parity. But what it was is a huge win for the Panthers as they not only move to .500 at 3-3, but also knock Ohio from the ranks of the unbeaten. A Drew Brees TD to Laverneus Coles, followed by a 2-point conversion, gave Michigan the 7-point lead with only 1:01 left to play. It was Coles’s 2nd TD of the day, and Ohio did not have time to recover, despite Kerry Collins throwing for 395 and both Galloway and Troy Brown gaining over 130 yards each. KNIGHTS 20 GOLD 26 Denver moved to 5-1, tied for the best record in the league, with a home victory against a tough Nashville squad. Frank Gore rushed for 110 and a score for the Knights, but Mark Brunell’s 2 TD passes to Peerless Price proved to be too much. Denver finished the game off with three straight Jeff Wilkens field goals in the 4th quarter as Nashville’s D bent but did not break. Their offense, however, could do nothing in the altitude as Denver dominated play in the final period. GAMBLERS 26 EXPRESS 17 Houston moved their record to 4-2 thanks to another strong game from Matt Hasselbeck. The comeback QB completed 24 of 28 throws and connected on 3 touchdowns, including 2 to his favorite target, Antonio Freeman. LA struggled to sustain drives, going 2 of 9 on third down for the game despite DeShaun Foster averaging 6.3 yards per carry. He would finish with 14 carries for 88 yards, but it was not enough to keep LA from falling to 2-4. INVADERS 24 SHOWBOATS 28 Oakland’s fast start was one of the stories of the early season, but they were stunned by the Showboats at the Liberty Bowl on Saturday. Maurice Smith split carries with rookie Cadillac Williams as the duo combined for 96 yards rushing and 2 scores to help upend the Invaders. Adrian Cooper and WR Lee Evans also scored for the ‘Boats as they garnered their second win and now sit only 1 game under .500 at 2-3-1. WRANGLERS 20 DRAGONS 27 The troubles for Arizona keep mounting as they fall short in Seattle, giving the Dragons their second consecutive win after an 0-4 start to the season. Duce Staley and Stanley Pritchett combined for only 41 yards rushing as Arizona’s offense sputtered all game long. For Seattle, Cody Pickett got the start for an injured Byron Leftwich and produced 3 TDs. He got help from his run game as Corey Dillon and tiny Darren Sproles combined for 113 yards on the ground. STALLIONS 20 OUTLAWS 23 OVERTIME The battle of winless teams went to the home squad as Texas had just enough to get past the Stallions, sending Birmingham to its worst start in franchise history at 0-6. Birmingham had built a 14-0 lead on TDs from Shaun Alexander and Marcus Robinson, but Texas fought their way back, and scored the winning points in overtime on Rian Lindell’s 3rd field goal of the day. THUNDER 10 BREAKERS 17 New Orleans also broke into the win column for the first time this season, knocking off the Las Vegas Thunder in the Super Dome. Neither team looked particularly adept at moving the ball as Las Vegas and the Breakers combined had fewer offensive yards than Boston QB Drew Bledsoe. Despite the W, Breaker QB Eli Manning hear a fair share of boo birds on the field as he completed only 12 of 25 passes. MAULERS 3 MACHINE 30 Alex Van Pelt did not fare well against the Machine defense, getting sacked 5 times, hit about 10 more, and throwing two picks as Chicago dominated this game from beginning to end. Jeff George threw for 2 scores, and HB Michael Turner rushed for another as the Machine looked very machine-like in their efficiency. At 5-1, Chicago now has the best record in the East, tied with Ohio atop the Central Division. Big Offseason Moves Paying Dividends We had a very active offseason, and six weeks into the 2005 season it seems that some of the moves have paid off big, while others may have doomed teams to a less-than-spectacular year. Here are the moves that shook things up and those that just stunk things up. Stars Landing Kurt Warner and Ahman Green The Stars came into the offseason ready to make huge changes to their team, and those moves have proven essential to changing expectations and changing the culture in Philadelphia. From signing on a young coach with pro experience as an All-Pro QB to bringing in both the best HB in free agency and a former NFL MVP at quarterback, the Stars have a whole new feel to them compared to the squad that won, 3, 4, and 5 games the past 3 seasons. Philly now has a Top 10 offense, ranked 2nd in rushing, as well as a top 10 defense, rated #1 against the rush. We should pause and speak to that, because it was not just Green and Warner that have added to this team, but Philadelphia also added talent on defense, signing SS Reggie Tongue, LB Zach Thomas, and drafting DT Jonathan Babineaux, all of whom have had an impact. Tongue is 4th on the team with 24 tackles, Thomas is 2nd with 27, and Babineaux has been in the rotation with Seth Payne and Kendrick Clancy since week one. Denver Spending Spree The Gold were another squad that changed gears, breaking their frugal tendencies to spend big this offseason. They landed LB Kendrell Bell and DT Tommy Harris in a trade with the Generals, then added CB Ray Crockett, WR J.J. Stokes, TE Lonnie Johnson, and C Mike Flanagan in free agency. Finally, they drafted at key positions, landing longhorn HB Cedrick Benson, Uva guard Elton Brown, LB Barrett Rudd of Nebraska, and CB Reynaldo Hill from Florida. Bell has had an immediate impact, with 33 tackles and 5 sacks in his first five games in a black and gold uniform. Ray Crockett has 2 picks and 29 tackles for the Gold, and Tommy Harris has helped shore up the run defense in the middle. The offensive acquisitions have also been key, with Benson splitting carries with Rod Smart as he learns the pro game and J.J. Stokes serving as the perfect deep threat to free up Peerless Price underneath. Stokes has 26 receptions in 6 games, for 405 yards and 3 scores. The other addition on offense, TE Lonnie Johnson, has also started strong, with 17 receptions and a score. Denver is 5-1 and looking like a clear playoff favorite thank to the new members of the squad and the steady hand of Head Coach Dick Jauron. Memphis Getting Shuler Some Weapons The Showboats may not have the best record, sitting at 2-3-1 after 6 weeks, but they have shown some signs of growing quality in their play. Rookie Cadillac Williams is second among the rookies, with 352 yards on the ground, while former Express HB Maurice Smith has proven a very capable spot player, averaging 4.2 yards on his 45 carries this year. The Showboats brought in Robert Ferguson to be the new primary target, but Ferguson has been hampered by injuries. So far he has only 17 targets, producing 10 caches for 144 yards. But, the presence of Ferguson has helped free up others, like TE Adrian Cooper, and Memphis’s break out player this season, WR Lee Evans, who already has 28 receptions for 408 yards. The big defensive signing has been rookie MLB Kirk Morrison, who has had an immediate impact, with 26 tackles so far this season. The other defensive revelation has been SS Coy Wire, with 32 tackles, 2 picks, and a sack in 6 games. Memphis got Wire in trade from Chicago, and that deal so far has definitely leaned Memphis’s way. Oakland Taking a Shot on Williams The Invaders took another shot at a player with some disciplinary issues by signing Ricky Williams even before he was removed from league suspension. Williams has 3 TDs and is averaging 4 yards per carry, but what is interesting is that his arrival seems to have sparked Justin Fargas to pick up his game, rushing for 336 yards in 6 games. But before we give all the credit to Williams, we should remember that Oakland also brought in former General LT Matt Light. The tackle has been pivotal in helping Oakland move from the lower third of the league in scoring (2004) to currently ranking as the #3 club in the entire league. Protecting less-than-agile Trent Green has helped the passing game, and his run blocking has helped both Williams and Fargas make a difference this season. Seattle Fire Sale Stunted Early Season On the other end of the spectrum from teams like Philly, Denver, Memphis or Oakland we have the Seattle Dragons, a quality playoff club in 2004 that got struck by the cap and had to sell off a ton of talent. Out the door, via trade or free agency, went CB Willie Middlebrooks, G Edwin Mulitalo, T Jeff Backus, QB Jeff Garcia, DE Lorenzo Bromell, HB Brian Mitchell, LB Barry Minter, and kicker Jay Feely. And with little to no cap room left, there was not a lot of talent brought in. The result? A team that struggled to either put up points or prevent their opponents from doing so and a 4-game losing streak to open the season. Seattle has made some adjustments and are now winners of 2 straight, but clearly the depth and the talent level took a hit this offseason. New Jersey Suffers Post Title Raiding It is not uncommon for a league champion to be picked apart in the following offseason. Fresh off a title run, many players seek bigger deals and take the money where they can find it. And, since the team is seen as successful with their championship run, everyone wants a piece to try to replicate that team’s success. New Jersey also had major cap issues, forcing them to make somewhat lopsided deals, such as sending Bell and Harris to Denver for a pair of picks. New Jersey also lost 2 stalwarts on the O-Line, with LT Matt Light headed to Oakland and G Matt O’Dwyer signing with the NFL. Add to this the retirement of Phil Hansen and Jason Sehorn, and the free agent losses they took (Todd Boumann, Donald Hayes, Light) and you can see why the club is sitting at 3-3 and struggling to find consistency. The One Move Each USFL Team Needs To Make We see this season the impact a good or bad offseason can have on a team. It can spring a bottom dweller into the playoff mix, or take a division champion and humble them. We are still 3 months from the 2005-2006 offseason, but with this fall providing the extra challenge of an expansion draft, teams have to be planning now to determine their priorities, the players they will retain, and who they might opt to let go. As we look at each club, we highlight one move each team needs to make in the next few months to position themselves for the future. ARIZONA: The no-brainer for Arizona is that they have to sign Jake Plummer before the offseason. Plummer is the heart and soul of the club. Sure, they struggle to run the ball (again!!) and the defense seems to have fallen apart, but without Plummer safely signed for what should be his prime years (29-34 years old), the Wranglers will lose their core. ATLANTA: As much as fans are going to obsess about the QB position for the expansion club, the key to the Fire getting off to a good start is how they draft for linemen. If the Fire can build both the offensive and defensive line, they will have a better start than the 1995 version that swooned over UGA QB Eric Zeier and then could not protect him. BALTIMORE: The Baltimore resurgence is largely one of defensive fortitude. They have jumped up from the bottom of the league to the top 5 in both points and yards allowed. The key this offseason is to build on that success. The one move they can make to do this would be to sign, either in free agency or a good draft, an elite pass rusher. This may mean trading some talent or picks to move up in the draft, because there are some potential stars in the making in NC State’s Mario Williams, FSU’s Kamerion Wimbley, and Penn State’s Tamba Hali. BIRMINGHAM: The Stallions believe they have a QB to build around in Jason Campbell. So now they need to build. With Lawrence Dawsey expected to retire after this season, that leaves Joe Horn, Marcus Robinson, and James Thrash, which is a pretty good trio. So, what the Stallions most need to do is to acquire help on the O-line, where Jeff Backus and Nat Dorsey have struggled this season at tackle. BOSTON: As obvious as it is that the Cannons need to resign Tiki Barber, the truth is that they have 2 irreplaceable starters, because Drew Bledsoe’s contract also expires at the end of the season. They need both of them under contract, which means more talent may have to be jettisoned in order to make the cap. CHICAGO: The Machine are in a good place when it comes to contracts this year, but there is one concern they should take seriously. Jeff George is not getting any younger, and we are not sure the Machine is prepared to groom someone behind him. They have Ray Lucas and Tony Banks as backups, but neither is a likely heir to the starter’s position. Does Chicago go for a QB in the draft with the hope that he can learn from George for a year or two? This is a decent QB draft in 2006, with Texas’s Vince Young, USC’s Matt Leinert, Vandy’s Jay Cutler, and Oregon’s Kellen Clemens all projected as potential NFL or USFL first rounders. DENVER: The Gold are in a similar position with a QB who will turn 36 before the end of the season. For the Gold, the question is whether 2005 draft pick Dereck Anderson looks like a potential heir, or will the Gold need to invest in the future with a QB move? HOUSTON: The big question for Houston is the run game (not a new concern). The rotation of Bell, Anderson and Anthony Thomas is not scaring anyone, a big reason why Matt Hasselbeck is throwing the ball as much as he is. Will there be a big back in free agency? There always seems to be at least one. If not, will Houston take a shot at a rookie like USC’s Reggie Bush or Minnesota’s Laurence Maroney to add more of a run threat to their offense? JACKSONVILLE: The question in Jacksonville is what to do at QB. They are likely to be able to protect only 1 QB from the expansion draft. Will they stick with starter Jake Delhomme, or intriguing young prospect Josh McNown. It feels like we have seen all from Delhomme that we can expect, while McCown seems to have a lot of untapped potential. They can keep only 1. LAS VEGAS: We would not be shocked to see Las Vegas move on from Aaron Brooks, allowing him to go free in the expansion draft. The signing of CFL starter Henry Burris could be a transitional move, or Las Vegas could look to the draft and try for one of the top QB prospects. All accounts have the Thunder likely to land a Top 5 pick, and with the T-Draft being reworked with the expansion, there will be fewer big-name QB’s off the board when the Thunder have their open draft pick in the 1st round. LOS ANGELES: LA does not have a lot of contracts coming due this year, but they have one they absolutely have to renew, that of left tackle Jonathan Ogden. Ogden is the consensus #1 LT in the league today, and the Express, despite all their shortcomings, cannot let Ogden go elsewhere. Resigning the big man is key, so much so, that we would not be surprised to see Cade McNown take a pay cut just to free up funds to resign his bodyguard. MEMPHIS: We fully expect Memphis and QB Heath Shuler to come to an agreement on an extension that will take him into the final years of his contract. No way does Memphis turn the reins over to Bill Musgrave or Mike McMahon. So, what can they do to help Shuler get back to form? Seems O-line improvements would help both Shuler and young HB Cadillac Williams. Guard is the weak spot, with youth but very imbalanced play in both run blocking and pass protection. Signing a top veteran to lead these young guards could be a huge move for the Showboats. MICHIGAN: It has to be about the run game, or lack thereof. Chris Perry is just not panning out as a full time back, and even when he shares carries with Ladell Betts, the big runs are just not coming. Michigan needs to move on and try again to find a true bell cow back. We would love to see them trade for an elite back, even if it costs them some picks. If Tiki Barber, for instance, holds out for more than Boston can afford, a move by Michigan to trade picks for the elite back would be wise for both teams. NASHVILLE: For years now the Knights have had an elite run game (Gore is doing his best impression of Ahman Green this year) and an elite defense. The weak spot has been QB Todd Collins. He is not awful, but he is also not the guy who can take Nashville from the Wild Card Round hell they have been in almost every year to a championship ring. With Jay Cutler of Vanderbilt likely to be protected by Nashville in the “shrunken” T-Draft this year, the time might be now to move on. NEW JERSEY: The Generals had their fire sale this offseason, and it deeply impacted their O-line. They need to upgrade at both LT and LG, so we see that as their offseason priority. Get the line right so that Brady has time to do his precision passing, and so that Curtis Enis can average more than 4 yards a carry and the Generals will be right back in the mix. NEW ORLEANS: As much as the fans are getting down on Eli Manning, we look at New Orleans and ask what exactly Manning has to work with. The Troy Davis/Olandis Gary backfield is one of the worst rushing attacks in the game, and a receiving corps of Az-Zahir Hakeem, Josh Reed, and Bobby Engram is just not explosive enough to allow Manning to utilize his talents. The Breakers need to use the expansion draft protected pool to retain their best defenders, their QB, and their best O-linemen and then rebuild the HB/TE/WR groups with a lot of offseason moves. OAKLAND: The Invaders seem to be moving in the right direction, but they have to find a way to resign Plaxico Burress. There just is not a lot behind him in the WR corps. Taylor Jacobs has been a nice surprise, but they need more. They should sign and then protect Burress in the expansion draft, and then look for some speed in free agency. A rookie like Ohio State’s Santonio Holmes or Florida’s Chad Jackson could be a big piece of the puzzle, if Oakland can get to either in the first round. OHIO: Look at whose contracts expire this year and you can understand if Ohio’s GM is popping a lot of Tums this year. Eddie George, Kerry Collins, Stephen Alexander, and T Roman Oben are all up for new deals. We know the emphasis will be Collins and George, but what does that mean for the rest of the roster. Those two will be so (rightfully) expensive that once again Ohio may have to jettison talent across the roster just to retain them. ORLANDO: We will not be shocked if Orlando allows Sedrick Irvin to enter the expansion pool. He is solid, but not explosive, will average just under 4 yards, but rarely causes defenses to overload the box. Orlando can do better and they should try to because they seem to be on to something with Jeff Blake as their QB. PHILADELPHIA: The Stars made massive improvements across the roster this year. Their priority should be to maintain the core. That means resigning FS Anthony Dorsett and DT Seth Payne and prioritizing their defensive talent in the expansion draft protected pool. We know that Warner and Green will be protected, but how many of the allowed slots will the Stars save for other offensive weapons? PITTSBURGH: Terrell Davis is a free agent as of July, so that seems an obvious move, but DeMetrius DuBose is 35 years old, and could be looking at retirement. Pittsburgh may be smart to let him go in the expansion draft (no guarantee Atlanta or St. Louis would sign him) and then focus on bringing in a young player who hits big, like rookie prospects A.J. Hawk of Ohio State or Ernie Sims of FSU. SAINT LOUIS: We could give St. Louis the same advice as Atlanta, build from the lines, but we will offer a different bit of wisdom. The Skyhawks should try to land at least 4-5 quality veterans and then build the rest of the roster around players under 26. Landing a veteran QB, MLB, SS, and LT can be essential, and then let others grow into their roles. No one will expect a winning season until year 3 or 4, so there is time to develop players, but you need a veteran presence to teach good habits. SEATTLE: For a long time Seattle hemmed and hawed at the TE position, favoring Ken Dilger at times, Jeramy Stevens at others. The time is now to fish or cut bait. You cannot protect both TE’s in the expansion draft, and whomever you release to it will almost certainly be selected, so make our choice. Dilfer is 34, Stevens 25, so you know what we are going to say here. TAMPA BAY: The good news for the Bandits is that most of their upcoming free agents are rotational players or role players. The bad news is that they depend on their depth and overall quality to win games. With the expansion draft, they are sure to lose some key players. Our advice, make some pre-draft trades to move players and pick up more draft picks. At least that way you get something for talented players you might lose to expansion anyway. TEXAS: They tried to bring in Aaron Rodgers through the draft, that failed. Now they clearly have a rough QB situation with Jeff Lewis struggling and Todd Boumann clearly a backup. So, what should they do? It has to be the draft. And look, right there for them is Vince Young, the dynamic Longhorn QB. The Outlaws should do everything they can to woo Young to their roster. Stand outside his window with a boom box playing some Peter Gabriel if you have to. WASHINGTON: Charles Woodson, Michael Barrow, Deuce McCallister, Michael Booker, Kordell Stewart, Cam Cleeland, Dwayne Rudd, Greg Spires. That is just a partial list of players whose contracts are coming due this offseason. So the mission is clear, sign as many as you can before they get the chance to leave. Woodson and Barrow are must haves. McCallister and Stewart seem to be in that camp too. That is a lot of money to lock down. Could the Fed’s be this year’s Generals or Dragons, purging large portions of their roster in order to be able to pay the top flight stars before they become free agents? Chicago lost a key defensive playmaker for the year this week when cornerback R.W. McQuarters went down with a leg injury. X-rays revealed a fracture to the tibia, which means McQuarters is done for the year. With the two next corners on the roster being rookies, Chicago is facing a very uncertain secondary for the rest of the year. Chicago did sign 7-year vet Eric Warfield from the free agent pool, but it will take Warfield time to see the field (we expect), so for now it is 2 rookies in a pass-happy league. Michigan also lost a key piece of their defense as MLB Andy Katzenmoyer suffered a separated hamstring, meaning he is out at least 8 weeks, which essentially means the season. His spot will be taken by another rookie, Shawne Merriman, while Merriman’s spot now goes to a 3rd rookie, Odell Thurman. That gives Michigan 3 rookies and a free agent signee, Scott Fujita, in their top 4 LB slots. Pittsburgh got only slightly better news about CB Dre Bly, who suffered a hamstring injury as well. Bly could be back in time for the final 2-3 games of the season. The Maulers also learned that WR Nate Burleson would be out for 2-4 weeks, meaning that they will be starting two rookies at the wideout position with Vincent Jackson on one side and Mike Williams on the other. Expect to see a lot of Trvis Taylor and Antwan Randle-El on the field as well. Other injuries this week include Birmingham center Tom Nalen, expected out for at least 4 weeks, LA cornerback Aeneas Williams (1-2 weeks), Tampa Bay center Trey Teague (1-2 weeks), Bandits HB Willis McGahee (1-2 weeks). Jacksonville tackle Luke Petigout (1-2 weeks), and Birmingham SS Lawyer Milloy (1-2 Weeks). Several QB’s could be out this week, listed as Doubtful or Questionable: Jake Delhomme in Jacksonville (hamstring), Kordell Stewart in Washington (concussion), Alex Van Pelt in Pittsburgh (finger), though Charlie Batch is not listed so the starter looks to be returning to action, and Byron Leftwich again in Seattle, where Cody Pickett will get a 2nd straight start. USFL & ESPN To Create Football Network Two years ago Fox Entertainment and the NFL announced the development of a cable network dedicated entirely to the fall league. The USFL has taken notice, and this week they, in partnership with ESPN, have announced the formation of a football-exclusive network to begin programming with the 2006 season. The announcement, combining feeds from 4 different USFL Cities (New York, Tampa Bay, Los Angeles, and Houston) along with a feed in Bristol, CT, where much of the programming will originate, introduced the new network, which will not carry the USFL name, but will be a home to USFL programming. The ESPN Football Network (EFN) will begin broadcasting in February of 2006 and will be a 24-hour network devoted to the sport, with the USFL in prime position within its programming. There is currently no plan to show live games on the network, with broadcasts currently split between ABC/ESPN, FOX, and NBC, but replays of all ABC/ESPN games will be shown on weeknights following each week’s action. In addition to these replay games, the network will host a nightly USFL discussion show, and game summary videos from the long history of “This is the USFL” and the USFL Films library. Another programming plan has the network re-airing the various Coaches shows from across the spectrum of local broadcasters. Deals are already in place in 12 of the 24 markets to re-air shows such as “The Wade Phillips Show”, “Bulls Football Roundup”, “The Invader Report with Dennis Green”, and “The Bill Parcells General Report”. In addition to USFL coverage, ESPN will incorporate some of its collegiate programming, including live coverage of several spring scrimmage games into the spring sports lineup of the league. The 24-hour sports network also announced that in the fall, the focus will shift more to the college game, though we should expect a weekly Around the NFL show, regular USFL This Week offseason news shows, and the nightly football-exclusive news show. ESPN announced that it will be moving some of its college football broadcasts to the new EFN channel, including coverage of what we might consider 2nd tier games from the Pac-10 and Big 12. Rumors have ESPN in negotiations with both the SEC and ACC to see if a broadcast deal could make the new EFN a regular provider of southern football in the fall. This dual push, for USFL coverage and potentially major NCAA conference coverage, may well be the reason why the new network will not carry the USFL name. What does this mean for USFL fans? Well, first off it means that there will be more coverage of all 26 clubs in 2006, with out-of-market fans able to view the regional week-in-review and coach’s shows. That fans who were unable to catch a regional broadcast, Houston fans unable to catch the Gamblers-Wranglers game in New York, Boston, or Chicago, will now be able to watch the replay later in the week, and that diehard fans can follow all the offseason news each night on the nightly "Football Today" flagship news show. It’s a huge move for the league, and for ESPN as a dedicated partner of the league, one that could eventually lead to EFN coverage of live games, or even a simultaneous broadcast of out-of-market games. That could be several years away as the network tries to build its base and as contracts with both FOX and NBC are renegotiated (scheduled for 2008), but for now, it means that there will be more USFL for all of us very soon. St. Louis Skyhawks Reveal Logo Winner It is official, the St. Louis Skyhawks have their new logo and it is one angry bird. The Skyhawks announced on Monday the winning logo from their 6-week campaign and fan poll and it is the “Angry Bird” logo. The logo depicts a hawk’s head combined with the image of jet fighters flying past the Gateway Arch. The fan poll, conducted by the St. Louis Dispatch, the USFL, and the Skyhawk website, drew more than 250,000 votes, and the Angry Bird won out by a pretty good margin of nearly 34,000 votes over 2nd place, the Battle Hawk, and 3rd place, the Skyhawk Triangle. The club also announced that the triangle, which features the same arch and jets motif, will be used as a secondary logo for the club. With a logo in place, the team has already made t-shirts and sweatshirts available in local stores (beginning next week) and will open its Skyhawk Shop online within the next month. Reebok is planning to reveal the new team uniforms within the regular season, so sometime in the next 2 months, but model helmets featuring the new logo were on hand at the St. Louis press conference as new Head Coach Art Shell introduced the winning logo. The Skyhawks will take the field at The Dome at America’s Center in March of 2023, where they will try to capture new fans as well as those still angry about the departure of the Knights to Nashville only 3 years ago. The first Skyhawk players should be signing in August, when free agency in the league opens, and the club will supplement their roster through a 30-round expansion draft now slated for mid-November. The club has recently announced that it will hold its January mini-camps and its February training camp down the road just a bit at Southeast Missouri State in Cape Girardeau. Week 7, the halfway point of the season, and we have Western Conference divisional action highlighting a busy schedule. The week starts with a good one on Friday Night as Houston visits Denver in a battle for first place in the Southwestern Division. The other two SW teams, Texas and Arizona, both 1-5, are in Tempe on Saturday. Oakland has a big game against in-state rival LA on Saturday in Farmers Insurance Field. Seattle will try for their 3rd win in a row as they head to Las Vegas to face the Thunder on Sunday. In the Southern Division, Nashville leads the division at 3-3, but has a trip to rival Memphis (2-3-1) on Sunday. A Memphis win and the Showboats take over 1st place. New Orleans (1-4-1) heads to Birmingham (0-6) to wrap up the Western Conference games. In the East, the most intriguing game is Chicago headed to Washington. With Kordell Stewart out, can Jon Kitna take advantage of the Machine’s all-rookie cornerback pairing? Boston is in Pittsburgh on Saturday Night, with both teams desperate for a W to get back into their divisional races. Baltimore and Tampa Bay clash at Raymond James on Sunday, with both sitting at 4-2. New Jersey is at home, and at 3-3 are a game behind the rest of the division, but they face the Ohio Glory (5-1) a week after their first loss of the season, a tough draw. Orlando is a surprise at 3-2-1, as they head to Michigan to face the 3-3 Panthers. Finally, Philadelphia (4-2) are hoping to steal a win in Jacksonville against the Bulls, who have lost 2 in a row after a 3-1 start.

They say playing to a tie in football is like kissing your sister. Well, this week there was a lot of uncomfortable family dynamics in the USFL as we had not one game end in a stalemate, but two, a first for the league in its 23-year history. The ‘Boats and Breakers both scored in overtime, but the best they could get was a deadlock at 20, Pittsburgh and Orlando also finished all even at 20, although, for Renegade fans a third straight week without a loss is still a pretty positive result. Meanwhile, among games that actually had a winner, we saw two clubs make statements as Philadelphia got a huge home win against the visiting Bandits while Ohio staked their claim as the best team in the league with a convincing win over the Washington Federals, sending DC down to their second consecutive defeat. But, with such an oddity on hand this week, let’s start by looking at the two ties that made this week just a little awkward. SHOWBOATS 20 BREAKERS 20 OVERTIME There was certainly an air of desperation in the Super Dome this week when the 0-4 Breakers hosted the 1-3 Memphis Showboats. Yes, it was a divisional rivalry game, but more than that it was a game between two teams that were not showing well in the early season. Memphis had managed a win at currently winless Birmingham in Week 2, New Orleans had come close in a couple of games but was still staring at a goose egg in the win column coming into this game. So, naturally, neither team was eager to lose, and, it would appear, that at least one opted for a tie as a suitable result. New Orleans dominated the first half, scoring early on a Troy Davis screen pass and adding a David Green field goal in the 2nd period. The Breaker defense was playing well over the first 30 minutes of action, holding Memphis to only 5 first downs and shutting down rookie HB Cadillac Williams, with only 27 yards on his first 10 carries. But Memphis would make some adjustments at the half and take control of the 3rd quarter. The Showboats had a strong first drive to open the 2nd half, scoring quickly on a Shuler to Adrian Cooper TD pass while many Breaker fans were still in line at concessions. They would take the lead in the final seconds of the quarter when Maurice Smith went off-tackle from the 7, found the corner, and dove at the pylon just as the tacklers were hitting him. 14-10 Memphis after three, but New Orleans still very much in the game. New Orleans would mount a very strong, 12-play drive to open the final quarter of play, with Troy Davis gaining 24 of his eventual 61 yards on this one drive, and Eli Manning going 5 for 5 throwing the ball. The drive concluded with Olandis Gary plunging in from the 1 and once again New Orleans was on top, leading 17-14 with just over 8 minutes left to play. Both clubs would struggle to move the ball over the next 6 minutes, but with just under 2 minutes left to play, Memphis received a punt from the Breakers and return man Alvis Whitted would find a seam, racing 17 yards on the return before eventually getting tripped up by a Breaker defender. With the ball at their 49, the Showboats would need to go 51 yards for the winning score, or just about 20 yards to get in range for kicker Jeff Hall. Memphis made it all the way to the New Orleans 6 yard line, but failed on two consecutive tosses from Shuler towards Adrian Cooper. They would settle for the sure thing, kick the ball for 3 and take the game to overtime. In overtime, Memphis, would win the toss and receive the ball first. Again they moved the ball well, with a bit 16-yard run from rookie Cadillac Williams and a 19-yard sideline juggling catch from Lee Evans, but once again the drive stalled and Jeff Hall was called upon to give the Showboats the lead. Hall’s kick was good and this left New Orleans with one shot to either win the game or tie up the score. Eli Manning took to the field, with a smattering of boos among the Super Dome crowd. But Manning would have initial success, finding Hakeem for a 12-yard gain on the first play of the drive, then getting solid gains from runs by both Gary and Troy Davis. A beautiful pass to Kevin Curtis over the middle got the ball inside the Memphis 5-yard line, and the crowd started to cheer, anticipating a New Orleans TD and their first win of the season. With first and goal, they gave the ball to Gary and he was stymied immediately by Memphis’s rookie LB Kirk Morrison. Second down and Manning went play action, trying to hit TE Bubba Franks, but the ball did not connect. Third and goal from the 3 and they relied on Gary once again. It appeared that Gary pushed across the line on second effort, but the Breakers players had their celebration cut short when they saw the yellow flag on the turf. Illegal procedure was the call, a shifting Josh Reed had not set for 1 second before the snap, a ticky-tack call to be sure, but one that pushed the Breakers back to the 8 yard line. Replay third down and now it had to be a pass. Manning’s pass to Hakeem was deflected away by safety Coy Wire, and the Breakers had no choice but to equalize the score at 20 with 4:53 left to play. Memphis would get one more shot to steal the win. They got the ball at the 20 after a touchback, and while they were able to move the ball initially, the New Orleans defense held strong at the Memphis 48 and the Showboats had no choice but to punt it back to New Orleans with 1:07 left on the clock. New Orleans could not replicate their earlier drive. The running clock meant that the run game was not an option, and Memphis put 8 players into coverage, a 3-deep zone that was not exactly a prevent defense, more of a mid-range wall that prevented New Orleans from getting anything but 2-4 yard dump downs. With 3 seconds left on the clock and the Breakers still on their own side of the field, Manning tried a Hail Mary, but the pass did not connect with a receiver and the clock ran out. It was not a 5th loss for the Breakers, but it was also not a victory. The two Southern Division rivals would have to settle for the least satisfying result in sports, the tie. MAULERS 20 RENEGADES 20 OVERTIME With Charlie Batch still sidelined, Alex Van Pelt started his second game for the Maulers, but this time Orlando was ready with an aggressive pressure scheme that forced 5 sacks of the veteran backup. The scheme also limited Terrell Davis to only 49 yards on 24 carries as Pittsburgh simply could not get their run game revving. Rookie Mike Williams, subbing for the injured Vincent Jackson, had a solid game with 91 yards on 5 receptions, but it was not enough to produce a W. Orlando got 81 yards from Michael Jenkins, and the combo of Irvin and R.J. Redmond produced 104 yards rushing, but they too could not get the W. Even with an entire, scoreless, overtime, the game was left a tie, a result that the Renegades seemed more satisfied with than the visiting Maulers. BULLS 9 BLITZ 16 An ugly game in some ugly weather as an all day soaker made the field in Baltimore a quagmire. Muddy turf and that rebuilt Baltimore D were enough to slow down the Bulls. Losing Jake Delhomme to an injury and having Josh McCown step in did not help their cause. Meanwhile, Ben Roethlisberger had modest success in the rain, completing 19 of 26 for 152 and the game winning score to TE Roland Williams to move Baltimore to an unexpected 4-1. BANDITS 17 STARS 19 Philadelphia was also rain impacted, with every tackle producing a splash on the new Lincoln Financial Field turf. The rain cannot be blamed for the 6 sacks Daunte Culpepper suffered or for the pick that set up Ahman Green’s 2nd TD of the day in the 3rd. The game went back and forth with Tampa Bay taking the lead in the 4th on a Travis Prentice TD run with 10 minutes left to play, but Philly got the go ahead FG and held off a late drive to take the win, a quality win for a club trying to build a new culture in Philadelphia. WRANGLERS 14 GAMBLERS 35 Weather was not a factor in Houston, but the Gambler D sure was. The Gamblers limited the Wranglers to 44 yards rushing and got 14 points off a fumble recovery TD from Osi Umenyiura and a pick-six from Shaun Springs to put the game out of reach for Jake Plummer and Arizona, who fall to a brutal 1-4. EXPRESS 24 DRAGONS 27 Seattle’s defense stepped up when needed, limiting DeShaun Foster to only 25 yards rushing as the Dragons played most of the second half with Cody Pickett under center after Byron Leftwich took a nasty blow to the head. Ken Dilger came up big, with a 74-yard touchdown and 139 yards overall as Seattle found a way to hold off Cade McNown’s late rally attempt and preserve their first win of the season. FEDERALS 27 GLORY 42 When Kerry Collins can complete 18 of 22 for 413 yards and Eddie George averages 5.6 YPC on his way to 124 yards rushing (while also catching 4 balls for another 93 and a TD) the odds that you are going to beat the Glory are not good. That is something Coach Hackett and the Federals certainly understand after their defense was caught flat-footed to the tune of 573 yards put up against them. PANTHERS 21 CANNONS 27 Michigan hung in for all 4-quarters but in the end Boston had just enough to get the home W. It took a Donald Lee TD catch and two late field goals for Boston to come back from a 21-14 deficit and grab the win, but most of the 4th quarter was theirs as Drew Brees could not sustain a drive in the final 15 minutes. GENERALS 13 MACHINE 30 A really good showing for the home team in Soldier Field as the Machine got 2 TDs and 81 yards from new 3rd down back Brian Westbrook, and put the cherry on top of the sundae with an 89-yard pick and return from MLB Brian Urlacher. The scene of Tom Brady trying to tackle Urlacher only to get a stiff arm to the face is one he will not want to see again, but we are sure will be played over and over in Chicago. THUNDER 21 INVADERS 35 The Invaders move to 4-1, much to the delight of the biggest Invader crowd in nearly 5 years (44,202 in the Coliseum). Down 14-7 at the half, Oakland got TDs from Marty Booker, Plaxico Burress, and Ricky Williams, before a Pearson Prioleau pick-six capped off the 14 point win for the Invaders. Looks like Coach Dennis Green now has a team he can mold into a winner and may be headed towards the Invaders’ first playoff berth in nearly a decade. STALLIONS 10 KNIGHTS 35 Birmingham seems to have lost the ability to run the ball, with Shaun Alexander frustrated by a 15 carry, 25 yard day. Meanwhile, Frank Gore and Leon Johnson combined for 131 against the Stallions. Throw in a 4-TD day for Todd Collins and this one turned ugly quickly. Unheralded wideout Ahmad Merritt turned some heads, catching 3 of Collins 4 scoring tosses, and amassing 154 yards on the day. GOLD 10 OUTLAWS 6 With Mark Brunell unable to go, Texas felt they had a chance against an Eric Wilhelm-led Gold squad, and the game was close throughout. But Todd Boumann, subbing for an injured Jeff Lewis, struggled just as much as Wilhelm did, throwing 2 picks and suffering 3 sacks as he too could not do much on offense. The lone TD of the game was a fluke play that saw the ball kareem off the hands of TE Greg Clark right into the arms of J.J. Stokes, whose corner had already abandoned coverage to pursue the TE. Stokes glided downfield for the score and the win as Texas was never able to recover and falls to 0-5. Is Ohio Back on Top? That is the question around the league as the Glory become the last remaining unbeaten team. The 2002 and 2003 Champions, who went undefeated for the entire 2002 season, appear to be back in vintage form. The Glory are currently ranked #1 in scoring at 34.0 points per game, first in total yardage at 456.8 YPG and 1st in passing with 348 yards per game. What may be even scarier is that they also have the top ranked pass defense, allowing only 182.4 yards per game. It is clear that teams are trying to shorten games against them with the run, a strategy that was tried quite a bit to not much benefit back in 2002 and 2003. Because so many teams try to run the ball down their throats, Ohio ranks 24th against the run, allowing 126.2 yards per game, but the end result is the same, five straight Glory wins, and a margin of victory average of nearly 15 points per game. And it is the same culprits as before. Kerry Collins is in the Top 5 in passing yards, passing TDs and QB rating. Eddie George leads the league in rushing after 5 weeks with 458 yards, and Joey Galloway is currently third in the league with 566 yards receiving. So has anything changed? Troy Brown has taken over for Chad Ochocinco as the clear #2 receiver, currently 13th in the league with 407 yards. The defense has been better at forcing turnovers, currently 2nd behind only New Jersey with 12 forced turnovers, which helps Ohio to a +6 tunover difference. Ohio is tied with Denver and Orlando with 7 picks on defense, more evidence that the pass defense is legitimate and not just a by-product of teams trying to run against them. So, what can be done about Ohio if you are one of the many clubs trying to take the crown? Well, the first thing is to look to the division, where both Pittsburgh and Chicago still have only 1 loss. The Glory defeated Chicago by 10 at home 2 weeks ago, but will play a rematch against the Machine in Week 12. They beat Pittsburgh, also by 10 and also at home, and will play the Maulers again in Week 9. Ohio also starts to see a few road games coming up that could be a challenge: @ New Jersey in Week 7, @ Pittsburgh in Week 9, @ Jacksonville in 11, and @ Chicago in 12. They also have tough home games against Houston (Wk 8) and Tampa Bay (Wk 10), so the schedule is not an easy one. Is that enough to slow down the best team over the past 3 seasons? We shall see, but there are 23 teams in the league hoping that they have a shot. Some might, some have to hope for next year. Surprise Teams Top the Northeast, Southeast, and Pacific. Going into the season, we thought we had a pretty good grasp of how things might shake up. I guess that was foolish to think, since it is very rare that preseason picks actually match final results. Ask most folks back in February and they had New Jersey as the clear leader in the Northeast, Tampa Bay and Boston battling for the Southeast, and LA and Seattle as clear frontrunners in the Pacific. Turn ahead 5 weeks and what do we see? Baltimore, picked 4th in the division by almost everyone, sitting pretty at 4-1, Jacksonville tied with Boston and Tampa in the Southeast, and Oakland with a 2-game lead over LA in the Pacific. It is a long season and certainly fortunes can change over the remaining 9 weeks, but the start to this season has been a good one for these unexpected division leaders. The thing is, they cannot let up. Jacksonville is ahead only by tie-breakers, thanks to their current 2-0 division record, winning at Boston and at Tampa Bay. If they could sweep those series with their games in the final weeks of the year, they could very well take the division. New Jersey and Washington are only a game behind Baltimore, whose lone loss was in division against Philadelphia. They face the Feds this week in a huge rivalry game that could either provide a leg up in the division or cause the Blitz to fall back to the crowd. Oakland has the biggest gap, with a 2-game margin over LA, and 3 over the other two division foes. They have been impressive, ranking 3rd in points per game, but the defense is still a concern, 22nd in yards allowed and giving up over 300 yards per game passing. But here is the thing, the Invaders, playing in the West, will not face a club that currently has a winning record until a week 11 trip to Denver. If any team is in position to blow through their schedule and clinch very early, it is Oakland. They have Denver in Week 11 and the Ohio Glory in Week 13, but the rest of their schedule is hardly intimidating. Can one or more of these surprise division leaders build on their early success and take the title? Past history says yes. We saw it just last year with the Bandits, and it is more the rule than the exception that at least one team rises from the bottom of their division to the top in one season. So, who will it be? The suddenly staunch defense of the Blitz? The grinding style of the Bulls? Or the newly high-flying Oakland Invader offense? Our Way Too Early USFL Awards Frontrunners Yes, we are only 5 weeks into a 14 week season, but as this is about 1/3 of the season, we feel the time is right to start talking about who is lighting it up this year. Just who should be in the running for the top awards in the USFL? Will it be a new face or an old hand who comes away with the MVP? The Offensive and Defensive POTY? The Rookie and Coach of the Year? Lots of early contenders, so let’s get to it. MVP The trend has definitely been that MVP is basically synonymous with the QB of the Year, while Offensive Player often goes to a back or receiver. So, in that spirit, here are our Top 3 QBs of the season so far. 3) Matt Hasselbeck, HOU: After missing most of the 2004 season, Hasselbeck seems like a new man in his return to action this year. His 10-4 TD-INT ratio and 70.8% completion rate are the best of his career, and he is currently leading the league with 1,491 yards passing. If Houston makes a run at Denver for the Southwest Title, Hasselbeck could get some serious consideration. 2) Kerry Collins, OHIO: Always in the conversation, Collins’s numbers are again strong, 1,395 yards in 5 weeks, 11 TDs to 5 picks, and a QBR on the north side of 125. Ohio is undefeated, and if that run continues it will be hard to vote against the 3-time MVP to get his fourth. 1) Drew Bledsoe, BOS: Last year’s MVP is our frontrunner to repeat. He has more TD’s than either of the other two contenders, and with only 3 picks, he also has the best TD-INT ratio. With 1,410 yards, he is ahead of Collins, and with the best QB Rating in the league, Bledsoe is again lighting up defenses. Offensive Player of the Year Assuming we don’t double up on quarterbacks, who is in the hunt for this offensive skills contest? We see 4 potential contenders here. 4. Chad Ochocinco, WR, OHIO: Top five in yards, and leading the league with 6 TD passes (tied with Ohio TE Stephen Alexander), Ochocinco is absolutely a contender to repeat as OPOTY. But with only 22 receptions, albeit it a lot of deep ones, he is well behind many other top receivers. 3. Ahman Green, HB, PHI: Currently 3rd in the league with 421 yards (about 37 yards behind the leader), the key to Green’s nomination is the success of the Stars. If Philadelphia can turn it around and become a bona fide contender this year, a lot of praise and attention will be given to Green and his role in the new offense. 2. Antonio Freeman, WR, HOU: Leading the league in receptions and only 4 yards behind Hines Ward with 595 in 5 games, the veteran Gambler is having an amazing start to the year. Freeman could be a darkhorse if and only if Houston is in the hunt for a divisional title. If the Gamblers falter, the odds for both Freeman and Hasselbeck start to drop. 1. Eddie George, HB, OHIO: A prior winner of OPOTY, George is putting up even better numbers this year. He is currently leadin the league with 458 yards rushing, and has added 4 TDs on the ground, but he is also leading all running backs with another 196 through the air. Deuce McCallister and a few more have more catches, but no one has anywhere near George’s 19.6 yards per reception average. Defensive Player of the Year This is always a tough category, because it can go so many ways. Very often the leading tackler in the league is not on a great defense and he has so many tackles because the offense gets so many plays. The interception lead can be very narrow, so we often see sacks as the key stat that gets perhaps more attention than it deserves. Last year it was Mike Vrabel, in part due to his incredible forced fumble numbers, who took the title. Can he do it again? Right now, here are our picks for DPOTY. 3. Deion Sanders, CB, NJ: Sanders rarely has huge numbers because teams simply avoid throwing anywhere near him. That alone should put him in consideration, but this year has been a bit of an anomaly. Teams have tried throwing in hid direction. The result? He has 2 picks, 7 passes defended, and 3 forced fumbles. He even has a sack this season, so when Deion gets these kinds of numbers, we pay attention. 2. Keneche Udeze, DE, LA: Just as we predicted, Udeze is having a career year. He currently leads all defenders with 8 sacks, on pace to race past 20 this season. If he can get 20 or more in a 14-game season, then he will be considered for certain for the DPOTY. 1. Brian Urlacher, LB, CHI: Urlacher does it all for Chicago. He occupies the middle, makes the defensive calls, rushes the passer, plays coverage, and makes big hits. His numbers attest to the dominance. He is 2nd in the league with 48 tackles, but also has 2 picks, 3 sacks, and has 2 defensive touchdowns in 5 games. With Chicago boasting one of the league’s most aggressive and most effective defenses, Urlacher is seen as the key piece in an elite squad. Rookie of the Year This is an award that can change quickly, as more rookies see action over the course of the season’s run. Early on there are few who have outstanding numbers, so when there is one who stands out, they tend to become the early favorite. That player this year is Nashville HB Frank Gore. The Miami product is leading all rookie rushers with 394 yards rushing (Cadillac Williams trails by 83 yards), and he has 3 TDs so far this season (Williams has none). With Jason Campbell struggling in Birmingham, and with no rookie receivers hitting these kinds of numbers, Gore looks like the early favorite. Coach of the Year This could be a tight race. We already commented on the surprise starts of Baltimore, Oakland, and Jacksonville. If one of them can keep up the pace and become surprise division winners, they would immediately be a target for a potential Coach of the Year. But while Baltimore’s Tom Coughlin, Jacksonville’s Gunther Cunningham, and Oakland’s Dennis Green are all strong candidates, we are not ready to count out 1st year coach Jim Harbaugh in Philadelphia if Philadelphia can move up in the Northeast. Two more players join IR as the injuries begin to add up across the league. New Jersey placed center Jeremy Newberry on IR after x-rays revealed that his hip pointer was not a hip pointer but a fracture in the pelvic bone. In Arizona, SS Clifton Black was diagnosed with a complete tear of the bicep on his left arm. Black and the team could have opted for a short-term solution that would reattach the bicep and have Black playing within 4-6 weeks in a harness, but instead opted for the permanent solution, one which would come with a far reduced risk of reinjury by placing the safety on IR and allowing him full recovery time. Other significant injuries this week include Las Vegas Left Tackle suffering a partial tear in his quad which will require at least 4-6 weeks of recovery, Express cornerback Aeneas Williams, with a deep thigh bruise that will likely keep him out for 1-2 games, Birmingham SS Lawyer Milloy with a minor knee injury, but one which has him out this week, and Nashville LB Na'il Diggs, who will miss this week thanks to a broken nose that needs time to reset. Several players listed as doubtful who could impact Week 6 play. In Seattle, Byron Leftwich is dealing with a dislocated thumb on his throwing hand, something that certainly impedes his ability to play the position. New Orleans wideout Josh Reed, suffered a hernia in the weight room this week and will likely need at least a week to recover, Orlando guard Bobby Williams is nursing a strained hamstring, and Nashville WR Bert Emmanuel is still feeling the after effects of a nasty head to head collision, and is doubtful to play on Saturday. Atlanta Hires GM, No Word on Coach The Fire have followed St. Louis on the front office hiring path, announcing this week that former Carolina Panthers Director of Player Personnel, Jack Bushofsky, would be the first GM of the reborn Fire club. Bushofsky, who broke into the field as a scout for both NFL and USFL clubs in Tampa, jumped back and forth between the two pro leagues over his scouting and player personnel career. He actually began his first pro gig with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before joining the Bandits as a scout. In 1990 he became the Director of Player Personnel for the Indianapolis Colts, where he stayed through 1993, then scouted briefly for the Baltimore Blitz before he got called upon to become the DPP back in the NFL with the expansion Carolina Panthers. It was that job, working to build an NFL expansion club that was so favorable for him as he was considered for the Fire job. Now 68 years old, Bushofsky will take on the challenge of once again building an expansion club, this time in Atlanta. Fans who were hoping that the GM announcement would also be paired with a Head Coach announcement were disappointed, as Atlanta has not yet identified their candidate for the position. Signing an experienced GM is certainly a good first move, and the fact that Bushofsky will likely be in charge of all player agreements may well mean that the Fire will look for a younger, perhaps more innovative but less experienced Head Coach, since the player personnel duties will not be part of the core role for the coach. 2006 Season Schedule Beginning to Take Shape It is very early for us to discuss the 2006 USFL season schedule, we understand that. The actual schedule, with its weekly matchups, will not be released until late fall, but there is news about the format of the schedule. As we reported last year, the league has voted to return to a 16-week regular season with the expansion to 26 teams. We also know that each team will play only 6 divisional games, despite 2 divisions having 5 clubs. This will create a bit of imbalance as teams in the four 4-team divisions will play a home-and-away set of games against each divisional foe, the teams in the larger divisions will play 2 teams twice, and the other 2 teams only once, thus providing them with 6 divisional games. The other 10 games will be divided between 4 interconference matchups and 6 games in the conference, 3 each against teams from the 2 other divisions. None of this is new, what is new is that the USFL announced that rather than add a week to either end of the regular season, the league has decided to retain their late March start and will instead add 2 weeks to the end of the regular season, meaning that the final week of the regular season will likely align with Independence Day weekend, creating the potential for a 4th of July game or set of games that determine who goes to the playoffs and who stays home. This move will also mean that the Summer Bowl will in many years be scheduled for either the last weekend of July or the first weekend of August, well after NFL camps have opened. This shift is likely to impact the NFL-USFL negotiations about the current Transfer Window system, because the new schedule clearly benefits the USFL by shortening the window between the end of the USFL playoffs and the start of the NFL season. Do not be surprised if the NFL demands adjustments or makes a move themselves, to again lengthen that gap by moving their opening weekend later into September, pushing the Super Bowl into February, and causing the same issues for the USFL with spring camps already in place when the window opens. That will be a story to continue to follow as both leagues jockey for position and the optimal arrangement to gain players from the rival league without losing players to that league. Chicago Design Leaks Our last story of the week comes out of Chicago, where some leaked images seem to point to the direction the Chicago Machine and Reebok might be exploring as they design the new look for the club. Of course, these partial images may be red herrings, discarded designs that will not see the field, but early indications are that the team is leaning in the direction of increasing the symbolic use of the City of Chicago flag, among other elements more aligned with the Machine moniker. The first image appears to clearly show flag-based elements, with the familiar 6-pointed star which features prominently in the city flag, as well as a greater use of sky blue in the Chicago identity. Red would be a new color for the club, as they have not utilized this hue before. The second image seems to point to a return of the letter M as a symbol of the Machine. However, rather than the gear-based image of the club’s initial logo, the new M seems to be more “erector set” or “ironworks” in nature, with what look like rivets and support beams aligned with the symbolic letter. Finally, a potential mockup of a home jersey shows a unique 3-color number system. Rather than a single color for the player numbers, outlined with 2 thin color outlines, it appears that we could see a thick grey outline surrounding white and sky blue sections of numbering, to the point where the outline is as thick as the central colors of the number. That would certainly be a big departure from the more traditional numbering the Machine have used in their most recent uniform designs. The combination of elements still clearly points to the established identity of the Machine as having something of a “steampunk” aesthetic, and it does appear that maroon will remain the dominant color for the club, perhaps with sky blue taking on greater presence, and perhaps with a bright red also joining the color palette of the club. We expect to get official word, and an unveiling of any new uniform and logo designs before the season ends, but this early leak has fans already talking about the look of the Machine and where it might be headed. Week 6 brings us back to divisional play in the East, with big rivalry games across the board. In the Northeast it is Washington at Baltimore and Philadelphia at New Jersey. Every team in the division is either 3-2 or 4-1, so this week could be huge for the winners. In the Southeast we have Tampa Bay and Boston, both 3-2 battling in Bean Town, while surprising Orlando at 2-2-1 is at Jacksonville (3-2) in another game that could set up the rest of the season for either team. Pittsburgh, coming off the tie this week, is at Chicago, hoping to gain some ground on the 4-1 Machine. Michigan will get a good test of that young LB group as they host Ohio in Ford Field. In the West, it is interdivisional action, with a lot of desperation on the line. Two winless clubs, Birmingham and Texas will clash in San Antonio, while two preseason favorites, Arizona and Seattle, are both sitting at 1-4 and face off in Seattle this week. Las Vegas (1-4) is at New Orleans (0-4-1) in a battle of bottom dwellers. Among the teams with winning records we have Nashville (3-2) at Denver (4-1). Houston (3-2) is at LA (2-3), and the 4-1 Oakland Invaders travel to Memphis to face a 1-3-1 Showboats squad.

With every new season there are always surprises. Positive surprises like discovering an unheralded rookie talent, or bursting out to an unanticipated fast start, but also some negative surprises. That is what the 4 teams sitting at 0-4 are discovering. While there was certainly some expectation that clubs like Texas and Birmingham might struggle to find wins this season, the disastrous starts of several 2004 playoff teams, particularly Arizona at 1-3 and both New Orleans and Seattle at 0-4 are not the kind of surprises either club wanted to experience. Teams with 0-4 starts do not have a strong track record of pulling themselves back into contention, the league is just too tough for that to often happen, so fans in Seattle, along with Texas, Birmingham, and New Orleans are facing a tough reality as they look at the situation their teams find themselves in. We start our review of this week with the most shocking of the 0-4 clubs, the Dragons, whose offseason cap purge seems to have forced the team into an uncomfortable reality, that they are not very good without some of the players let go. DRAGONS 24 GAMBLERS 30 Seattle may need an exorcist, because this season has turned into a nightmare and the evil spirits are not letting them go. The Dragons, after losing their first three games, were up 10 on the Gamblers, only to watch their lead slip away and their record plummet to 0-4 on the road against Houston. The culprit was not hard to find, a pass defense that simply could not contain Houston’s attack, allowing Matt Hasselbeck to pick the Dragons apart in the second half, on his way to 383 yards passing. That was not the story in the first half, where Seattle seemed to have the Gamblers figured out, picking Hasselbeck off twice as they built up a 21-14 lead. Both teams moved the ball well, but atypical bad judgement allowed Seattle to end two Houston drives with takeaways as Matt Hasselbeck seemed to be forcing the ball. But in the second half, Hasselbeck found his rhythm and proceeded to pick the Dragons apart, completing 18 of 20 passes in the half for 240 of his 382 yards. The game began with a give and take as the two clubs traded scores for most of the opening half. Houston got on the board first, thanks to a Tatum Bell TD run from the 9. Seattle responded with Leftwich leading the team on a 13-play drive that ended with a short TD to O.J. McDuffie. Houston was unphased by the score, and on their next possession Hasselbeck hit Roy Williams for a 32-yard TD that put the Gamblers up a second time. Seattle responded again, this time with Corey Dillon plunging over the top from the 1. It was at this point in the game when Hasselbeck started to have issues. On the ensuing drive, he moved the Gamblers across the 50, but then threw a ball behind Freeman and it was picked by Seattle corner Marcus Truffant. That turnover quickly became 7 more points for the visiting Dragons as Leftwich hit McDuffie for a second time to give Seattle the 21-14 lead. But there was plenty of time left for an equalizer from the Gamblers, but once again, just after crossing midfield, Hasselbeck misjudged his receiver’s position, and once again Truffant came up big with the pick. Seattle would not score here, but went into the half with a 7-point lead. The second half opened with a quick 3-and-out by Houston and Seattle upped the lead to 10 on their first drive, thanks to a short Dave Rayner kick. But something shifted after that play, not all at once, not perceptible at first, but slowly, steadily the momentum started to turn to the Gamblers. Houston opened their 2nd half possessions with a nice 9-play drive that saw both TE Dave Campbell and WR Roy Williams contribute first downs on key plays. Tatum Bell would pull Houston back to within 3 on an explosive run from just outside the red zone. Houston would even the score on their next possession as Josh Brown would hit on a chip shot from the 9 yard line after another long Houston drive. And this would be the story of the final period as well, with Houston burning clock as they drove deep into Seattle territory twice. With 12:06 left in the game they took the lead on a 2nd Brown field goal. They then held Seattle out of scoring range on two drives, including one that had a bit of controversy as a 3rd and 12 catch was reviewed after a challenge by Wade Phillips, and on video review was overturned, producing a 4th down. When Houston killed 5:23 on their final drive, they put up another field goal just as the clock reached the 2-minute warning to lead by 5 and force Seattle to go for a touchdown. The Dragons could not produce the score, with a final heave into the end zone failing to find a receiver as time wound down. Seattle drops to a shocking 0-4, a hole that could define their entire season, while Houston, with the home W, moves to 2-2 in what looks to be a very tough Southwestern Division. BLITZ 14 STARS 33 In something of a theme for the week, Philadelphia pulled away from the Blitz for what would be a pretty easy 9-point win. The Stars got TDs from Ahman Green, Amani Toomer, and Dallas Clark, and added a safety as Quinton Caver nabbed Ben Roethlisberger in the endzone, all powering a solid divisional win that brings Philly even at 2-2 and hands Baltimore their first loss of the young season. GENERALS 35 FEDERALS 21 Another big divisional win for the Generals, as they outpace the Federals to capture a share of the Northeast Division lead. Tom Brady threw TDs to 4 different receivers on a 27 of 34 day against Washington’s D. The Federals struggled to keep composed, committing 8 penalties in the second half as the game got away from them. CANNONS 24 RENEGADES 45 A shocking score out of Orlando as everything went right for the Renegades. Jeff Blake threw for 3 scores and Sedrick Irvin rushed for 3 more as the Renegades had their best offensive game in 2 years against the Cannons. Drew Bledsoe was sacked 9 times as the Boston line had no answers for Orlando’s pressure game. Four different Renegades landed two sacks as it was open season on the immobile Boston QB. BULLS 33 BANDITS 20 It was a week for upsets in the Southeast as Jacksonville went into Tampa Bay and slapped the Bandits. Antowain Smith scored 3 times for the Bulls, and Jacksonville, very much like Orlando, used pressure to rattle the opposition QB, sacking Daunte Culpepper 6 times. Anquan Boldin’s return to action was also successful as he led the Bulls with 8 receptions on the day. MACHINE 17 GLORY 27 Ohio returned to old form, beating Chicago through sheer offensive power. While Chicago limited Eddie George to only 31 yards rushing, Joey Galloway had 109 yards and a score, and Kerry Collins found Stephen Alexander for the go-ahead touchdown as Ohio scored the final 17 points of the game after trailing 17-10 at the half. PANTHERS 28 MAULERS 41 Do we have a QB Controversy in Pittsburgh? Probably not, but with Alex Van Pelt showing he can still play the position, throwing for 336 yards and 4 scores, it seems Pittsburgh fans can still root for the former Pitt Panther to undo the Michigan Panthers. 115 yards from Terrell Davis, and 2 TDs from WR Nate Burleson helped Pittsburgh put away the rival Panthers in this one. GOLD 37 STALLONS 27 Jason Campbell returned to action, but fell behind early. That did not suit the rookie, who would go on to complete only 18 of 54 passes, although 4 did go for scores. Mark Brunell actually came out of the game early, but backup Eric Wilhelm threw 2 TDs and got help from his run game, with both Rod Smart and Cedric Benson scoring as well as Denver got the 10-point road victory. EXPRESS 37 WRANGLERS 23 Another bad loss for the Wranglers as Cade McNown seemed right at home in Tempe, throwing 4 TD passes on the day. Keyshawn Johnson was the big game receiver for McNown, catching 5 balls for 160 yards, including a 79-yard strike for a TD, one of two on the day. Jake Plummer tried to rally the troops, but 2 second half picks thwarted Arizona’s comeback attempt. SHOWBOATS 17 THUNDER 34 The Thunder finally landed their first W of the season as QB Aaron Brooks threw for 286 and a score, but also ran in 3 TDs on 8 carries (all from within the 5 yard line). Matthew Hatchette had 118 yards receiving and the Las Vegas D actually looked solid, holding rookie HB Cadillac Williams to only 53 yards rushing as Las Vegas doubled up the Showboats. OUTLAWS 23 KNIGHTS 24 Down 23-17 in the 4th, Nashville mounted a final drive that ended with rookie Frank Gore scoring from the 2 to give the home team their 2nd win and sent Texas to 0-4. Gore finished the day with 86 yards on 21 carries but the surprise hero for Nashville was WR Ahmad Merritt, who had 7 catches for 124 yards and a score, his best game as a pro. BREAKERS 21 INVADERS 27 New Orleans joins Texas at 0-4 as they lost a close one to the Invaders in Oakland. Touchdowns from Marty Booker, Justin Fargas, and Joel Dreesen built up a 21-0 lead for the Invaders before New Orleans got on track and started to fight their way back. But it was too little, too late as two Joe Nedney field goals were the margin of this one. We are going to dedicate this week’s roster stories to the 4 remaining winless teams. Each one is different, facing different issues, but all share one thing in common, a desperation to turn things around and get that first W on the standings sheet. Coach Nolan stands by Eli Manning as the Starter In New Orleans the issue on most fans’ minds is whether or not Eli Manning should have replaced Trent Dilfer this season as the starter. In 4 starts, Manning has 7 TDs but also 7 picks, and his QB rating of 84.8, while not horrible, is not what you want to see from the Golden Child of the South. New Orleans currently sits at 22nd in scoring, but Coach Nolan is not willing to put all the blame on his 2nd year QB. The Breakers are actually in the top 10 in passing yards, but a 21st ranked run game, averaging only 70.2 yards per game is perhaps a bigger issue. Olandis Gary currently leads the club with 178 total rushing yards, just about 60 per game. That is just not going to do it in Mike Nolan’s offense, but can they really turn to roy Davis full time? Davis has a better YPC average (4.4 vs. Gary’s 3.1) but he is not a 25-carry guy. Seattle At a Loss to Explain Losses The Dragons were supposed to build on their 2004 division title, and yes, they had major cap issues that forced them to trade away several players, but an 0-4 start was not what was anticipated form this group, even with those losses. So, looking at the Dragons, what is the big issue? Well, run defense is one area of obvious concern. The Dragons allow an average of 121.8 yards per game, practically the worst mark in the league, and one that gives them the 21st rated overall defense for both yardage and scoring. You cannot allow nearly 28 yards per game and expect to win many. Now, we should note that the 4 teams Seattle have played include 3 with record of 3-1 after 4 weeks, so it is not as if the Dragons have lost to bad teams. But that is no excuse, especially with more winning clubs on the way. Seattle’s offense has been solid, but the defense needs to find its way and get some stops in order for Seattle to have any chance of building back their season. Stallions Seek Stability Starting a rookie QB was a sure formula for a rough start. Having that QB go down to injury and having to start a backup for 2 early games is not any better. So it is no wonder that Birmingham, famous for their wide open offense during the Favre years, now is barely over 200 yards per game passing, ranking 21st in the league. What is a bit surprising is that they are even worse at running the ball, 23rd out of 24 clubs with only 60.5 yards per game. It seems that with no threat from the passing game, defenses are just crashing down on the run game and daring Eric Zeier or Jason Campbell to beat them in the air. The good news is that with Campbell back under center, Birmingham had their best offensive outing of the young season, scoring 27 on Denver, but unfortunately the D also has issues, giving up 37 points in that same game. Texas Has Nowhere to Turn The Outlaws have been just plain bad in pretty much every aspect of their game. They are 24th in passing, with only 156 yards per game, 23rd in scoring with only 13.8 PPG, and 23rd in pass defense, allowing 306 yards per game. That is a 150 yard difference between the O and the D. Hard to win with that in place. It has, of course, not helped that they have been forced to deal with a nagging injury for QB Jeff Lewis, but Lewis was not exactly looking like an All-USFL starte before he went down. Texas needs to find a way to shut down the pass on defense, and more balance on offense if they want to get out of the Central Division basement, a task that looks like a major uphill climb right now. And while these 4 clubs are scratching their heads at 0-4, we should also remember that there are a few teams sitting not much higher at 1-3 who also have some issues to figure out. Arizona certainly expected better from their first month of play. That is for certain. I guess we should be happy that it took 4 weeks of play to reach this point, but we had our first season-ending injury officially on Sunday when Las Vegas TE Jason Dunn went off the field in obvious pain after his leg was bent back awkwardly. By Monday the word was out that it was a full ACL tear, a potentially career-ending injury for the 30-year-old. New Jersey also learned that the injury to WR Jerome Pathon could be more than the original 3 months expecfed, but they have not yet put the wideout on IR. Arizona will miss guard Chuck Johnson for at least a month, perhaps longer with a torn biceps, while Houston DT C.J. Mosely could miss a month as he waits for a fracture in his arm to heal. Alex Van Pelt’s outstanding play this week makes the news that Charlie Batch could miss another 2-3 weeks more palatable. Others who appear to be out for this week include Denver QB Mark Brunell (concussion), Chicago FB Jonathan Linton (eye), Las Vegas LB Mark Simoneau (neck), Denver CB Terrence McGee (shouler), and Orlando’s NFL import LT, Jonas Jennings. Rookie Vincent Jackson is questionable for Pittsburgh, while Jeff Lewis could also be out this week for Texas, meaning Todd Boumann may get the start. St. Louis Skyhawks Announce Two Key Signings The St. Louis Skyhawks may not yet have a logo for their team, but this week they announced two important signings to the leadership team, naming the expansion club’s first head coach and general manager. On Tuesday, at a press conference held at The Dome at America’s Center the Skyhawks introduced former Arizona Wranglers’ Head Coach Art Shell as the first head coach of the franchise, and former Denver Gold Director of Player Personnel Rick Smith to serve as the team’s first GM. Shell is well-known to USFL fans, having led the Wranglers for seven up and down seasons before being let go after the 2003 season. In his tenure in Arizona he had a 50-59 record, including playoff appearances in 4 of 7 seasons. His clubs tended to linger around the .500 mark, but had a propensity for getting hot as the playoffs began. Shell, a former NFL offensive tackle, will be charged with building up a franchise from scratch in St. Louis, but, of course, a lot of that responsibility will also fall on Smith. Rick Smith, played strong safety at Purdue for 3 seasons, then stayed on as a grad assistant and later as the position coach for the secondary. He would eventually move on to a position as an assistant DB coach for the Gold, before moving into the front office with Denver. He served as a scout for 2 years before quickly making a name for himself within the organization and gaining promotion to the Director of Player Personnel position in 2001. It will be Smith’s job to build a roster for Coach Shell from the expansion draft, Collegiate Draft, and free agency this upcoming offseason. It will be Shell’s job to turn what may be a weak roster (largely comprised of unprotected USFL bench players, rookies and free agents) into a competitive club as soon as possible. The hirings are an important step in the development of the club’s front office and their personnel and coaching teams. Shell is likely to have to wait before he can assemble most of his coaching staff, as he is not allowed at this time to pull any coaches from USFL or NFL squads. Unless he opts to hire from the college or CFL ranks, there won’t be much opportunity to negotiate with currently-contracted coaches until the end of the USFL season and/or the NFL-USFL transfer window, which applies to staff just as it does to free agent players. As for the other expansion club set to debut in 2006, there has been no word of front office movement in Atlanta, where the team seems to have been focusing primarily on the sales and sponsorship side of the business and biding their time on the football operations side of the house. Week 5 swaps the script as now the East will be in interdivisional play while the West enters into divisional games. Can one or more of the winless teams in the West find a W in divisional play? New Orleans may have the best chance, playing at home and facing the 1-3 Memphis Showboats. Seattle is also at home, but they face a tough LA Express club, while Texas, also at home in the AlamoDome, but with 3-1 Denver in town, not an easy task. The last of the winless clubs, Birmingham, has a short drive, but not an easy task as they head into Nashville to play the Knights. In other Western divisional games, Arizona hopes to get on track but heads into a viper’s den in Houston, while Las Vegas, hot off their first win of the year, is in Oakland, where the Invaders can get to an impressive 4-1 record with a win at home. In the Eastern Conference, where no team has worse than a 2-2 record, there are lots of good matchups. Our favorite is 3-1 Washington headed to 4-0 Ohio, which could be a true battle of styles. 3-1 New Jersey heads to Chicago, where the 3-1 Machine are hoping to take a shot at the champs. Jacksonville and Baltimore, two surprise 3-1 teams, meet in the Charm City, and 3-1 Pittsburgh heads to Orlando, where the ‘Gades are winners of two in a row. Tampa Bay has a tough road trip to Philly, and Michigan and Boston, both 2-2 face off in Alumni Stadium to wrap up the week.

Three weeks in and fans across the league have very mixed feelings. Baltimore Blitz fans are ecstatic with their club's 3-0 start as Ben Roethlisberger jerseys are flying out of stores. The feeling is very different in Seattle, where most expected the Dragons to be title contenders, but an 0-3 start has folks in the Emerald City very nervous. Add Stallion and Breaker fans to the nervous bunch as both clubs have started off in an offensive funk with new quarterbacks under center. Washington, Chicago, Ohio, and Tampa Bay fans are celebrating 3-0, but know that the season will get tougher as each week passes. But for now, it feels good to come out of the gate hot. SHOWBOATS 26 PANTHERS 30 OVERTIME A wild one at Ford Field as the Showboats and Panthers played into overtime only to have the rarest of overtime situations, a team scoring first, and the other having one shot to tie or win the game on a single drive. That is the scenario the homestanding Panthers faced as they faced off with the Showboats in extra time. In a game that saw Michigan give the ball away 3 times, Memphis was able to take an early lead, but not hold it as Michigan evened the score to send the game into a fifth quarter. Michigan had their best performance on the ground so far this season, with Perry and Betts combining for 110 yards, while Memphis’s Cadillac Williams struggled again, earning only 31 yards on 18 carries. The good news for the Showboats is that Heath Shuler is looking a lot more confident in the pocket, going 25 for 45 for 286 and 2 touchdowns on the day. The game was 13-13 at the half with both teams having scored on a TD pass; Brees to TE Bennie Joppru, followed by Shuler to WR Justin McCaerins. Michigan would score first to open the 2nd half, taking a 20-13 lead on a Brees to Mar Tay Jenkins TD toss, but Memphis responded one drive later, with Heath Shuler finding Kelley Washington for the equalizer. The third quarter ended with Memphis again taking the lead, this time on a 45-yard Jeff Hall kick. The only scoring of the 4th was a Josh Scobee field goal with 3:10 left to play to equalize the score. When Memphis could not respond in the final minutes, the game went to overtime. In the overtime period, Memphis drove the ball well, Shuler hitting Adrian Cooper, Erron Kinney, and Kelley Washington with passes to get down to the 20 of Michigan, but the drive stalled, and Coach Mora was unwilling to go for it on 4th and 4 from the 20, setting up a go-ahead, but not game winning field goal from Jeff Hall. In the USFL, a team can only win an overtime game on the first drive with a touchdown. Score a field goal and you have to give the other team 1 possession to try to equalize or win the game. So that was the situation Drew Brees found himself in when he took the field in overtime. Down 3, with one drive to either tie or win the game. Michigan started on their own 20 after a touchback on the kick, and they went to business knowing a score was their only chance to avoid a loss at home. Ladell Betts carried on the first play, gaining 3. On 2nd down Brees completed a pass to Hines Ward for 10, and the Panthers got an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty to boot. After another run, this time by FB Ray Razzano, the Panthers set up in a 3-wide setting. Drew Brees took the snap, faked to Betts, rolled right and saw a wide open Joppru. Hitting his TE in stride, Brees had another first down, but when the safety glanced off the big receiver, the race was on. Joppru headed towards the sideline, and picked up a block from hins Ward that knocked the corner off his feet. With Ward leading the way, Joppru raced down the field and into the endzone to give Michigan fans a dramatic win and something to celebrate as the team starts the year 2-1. INVADERS 28 STARS 23 A fun game in Philly as the Invaders and Stars battled down to the wire. Oakland got 2 TDs from Trent Green, while Kurt Warner threw 3 TDs and a pick for the Stars. Philadelphia had the better run game, with Ahman Green rushing for 95 yards and backup Cedric Cobbs adding another 53 on only 6 carries, but it was not enough as Oakland got a late score from Ricky Williams, his second of the day, on a swing pass from Green to take the W on the road. Oakland moves to 2-1 while Philadelphia drops to 1-2. EXPRESS 13 GENERALS 30 In another Pacific-Atlantic cross country game, the Generals broke open a 6-6 game in the second half thanks to the run game, with Curtis Enis and James Jackson combining for 3 second-half scores and 169 combined rushing yards to overpower the LA defense. THUNDER 9 BLITZ 10 The Blitz moved to 3-0, but it was not easy as a missed extra point doomed Las Vegas to their third defeat to open the season. After Baltimore went up 7-3 on an Eddie Kennison TD catch from Roethlisberger, Las Vegas took the lead when Aaron Brooks connected with Reuben Droughns on a short pass that turned into a 63-yard score, but Mike Vanderjagt yipped on the PAT, meaning Las Vegas was only up 9-7 at the half. In the second half rain started to affect the game as Baltimore got hit with a cold early spring storm. The only score was a Martin Grammatica kick, but it was enough to give the Blitz their 3-0 start. DRAGONS 27 FEDERALS 31 Playing a day before Baltimore, the Feds missed the rain, and good thing too because it took all they had to hold off the Dragons in this one. Byron Leftwich survived 7 Washington sacks to throw for 291 and 3 scores and Corey Dillon had his best game of the year, rushing for 140 yards for Seattle. The Federals got 95 yards form Deuce McCallister and 110 from Deion Branch as both had strong days, but it was a late TD from little-used Antwone Womack that gave the Feds the victory. WRANGLERS 10 CANNONS 38 The Wranglers get blown out for a second consecutive week as they commit three turnovers and find absolutely no room to run against Boston. The Cannons got 3 TDs from Drew Bledsoe and 136 yards with a score from Tiki Barber as they dominate the Wranglers in all three phases of the game. GOLD 19 BULLS 9 The Gold defense looked mighty as they handed Jacksonville their first loss of the season. The Gold went down 3-0 before scoring the next 19 points on 4 Jeff Wilkens field goals and a lone Cedric Benson TD run. Benson would have his best day, rushing 13 times for 74 yards and the score. Jacksonville would get 8 receptions and 135 yards from Donald Hayes, who subbed for Anquan Boldin, but it was not enough for the Bulls to catch Denver. GAMBLERS 10 RENEGADES 24 Our upset of the week as Orlando’s defense is beginning to get some respect. They held Houston to one first quarter TD and then took over the game, picking off Matt Hasselbeck twice. Jeff Blake had a modest day, with only 113 yards passing, but the combination of Sedrick Irvin and R.J. Redmond got the ground game moving with 111 combined yards and a score each as Orlando gets a home victory. OUTLAWS 10 BANDITS 30 With Jeff Lewis dinged up, former General Todd Boumann got the start and had a rough time of it. The Texas D kept them in it by picking off Daunte Culpepper twice, but in the end the Bandits just wore them down, with Willis McGahee scoring twice to pull away. STALLIONS 6 MACHINE 30 Birmingham is hopeful that Jason Campbell can return to action in Week 4 as their offense was simply awful against the Chicago defense. Eric Zeier completed only 45% of his throws and Shaun Alexander could not find space to run as Chicago smothered the Stallions. On offense, Chicago got a good day from Michael Turner, with 73 yards and 2 scores, while Donald Driver and Curtis Conway combined for 120 yards receiving. KNIGHTS 17 GLORY 41 Up 7-3, things got ugly for Nashville in the 2nd quarter, when Ohio scored 24 unanswered points. They could not recover and Kerry Collins finished the day with 4 TD passes and 323 yards. Eddie George added 97 on the ground and Troy Brown had a huge game with 4 receptions for 140 yards on deep ball after deep ball as Ohio rolled to victory. BREAKERS 10 MAULERS 31 Despite his popularity in the region, Breaker fans are beginning to wonder if benching Dilfer for Eli Manning was the right call. Manning threw 2 picks and the Breakers struggled to complete 3rd down plays, going 3 of 10 on the day. Meanwhile, Terrell Davis had his first 100-yard game and rookie Vincent Jackson looked like a seasoned pro on his way to 5 receptions, 79 yards, and a score for the Maulers. Rookies Making an Impact It has been a good first three weeks for the rookie class of 2005. Several rookies began the season as starters and are contributing right away. Perhaps the most noticeable have been the halfbacks, with Frank Gore, Cadillac Williams, and Cedric Benson all starting the year as the lead back for their teams. Benson has struggled to adjust to the pro game, but Gore and Williams have both already had their first 100-yard games, Williams in Week 2 against Birmingham and Gore also in Week 2 against New Orleans. Among receivers, the standout right now appears to be Vincent Jackson in Pittsburgh. The rookie out of Northern Colorado already has 15 receptions for 209 yards and his first pro TD. Others doing well include Mark Clayton in New Jersey (9 receptions for 90 yards) and Roddy White in Philadelphia (55 receptions for 51 yards and a score). The TE market was not quite as deep this year, but Kevin Everett in Arizona has started well, with 11 reeptinos for 63 yards and 3 touchdowns as he has set himself up as a good red zone target. The defensive line is another area where we have seen some early results. Both Erasmus James in Washington and Chauncey Davis in Orlando have 3 sacks in 3 games, while Luis Castillo has been a mainstay for Texas at DT. Among the linebackers who have worked their way into starting lineups across the league, Lofa Tatupu in LA leads all rookies with 25 tackles in only 3 games. Cameron Wake has made an impression in Washington with 11 tackles and his first sack, while in Michigan DeMarcus Ware has been making big plays every week. Both Shawne Merriman and Odell Thurmann have also seen action for the Panthers. Comeback Players The USFL, unlike the NFL, does not have an official award for Comeback Player of the Year, but that does not mean we cannot highlight a few players deserving of kudos for their return, either from injury or just a poor season in 2004. Among those who have caught our eye are Matt Hasselbeck (2nd in passing yards after missing most of 2004), Heath Shuler (Back in form with a QBR of 97.8 after 3 games), Ricky Williams (heading up the run game for a new team after his suspension last year), wideout Joey Galloway (4th in yards after missing a big chunk of 2004), and DE Jevon Kearse (having his best start to a year in his career). In addition to comeback players we have several who are making a big splash this year in ways they have not in the past. We could have put Jevon Kearse here, but he is not alone. Others include DE Dameaion Jeffries, tied for the league lead with 5 sacks for Memphis; Takeo Spikes, currently tied for 2nd with 27 tackles; Rashaun Woods, who broke into the top 10 in receiving yards this week; HB Justin Fargas, who is outpacing Williams in the Oakland backfied, and Aaron Brooks, who may not yet have a W for Las Vegas, but who has thrown 6 TD passes in his first 3 games this year, as many as Daunte Culpepper, mark Brunell, or Kurt Warner. Early Hot Seats Week 3 is certainly too early for any head coach to be panicked about his prospects for the season. No one’s seat is on fire, but there is some visible smoke in a few USFL clubhouses. Looking at the early results, we would say that right now there are three coaches who have to hope things turn their way over the season, or they could be in some trouble. Jim Mora Sr.: Many expected the former Philadelphia Stars and Oakland Invader head man to be in danger last year, but for whatever reason the Showboats opted to let Mora stick around for 2005. But, that invitation is not likely to be repeated unless Mora can show marked improvement in the Showboats. They are off to a 1-2 start, but that win at Birmingham, and good showings against Pittsburgh and Michigan, are giving Showboat fans some hope. The next two games are essential for Memphis and Mora, as they face two 0-3 clubs in Las Vegas and New Orleans. Both games are on the road, but if Memphis can win both and come out the other side at 3-2, this could be very good for Mora’s chances. In New Orleans, fans are already calling for Mike Nolan’s head. An 0-3 start has not helped Nolan gain trust among the Breaker faithful, and the decision to start Eli Manning at QB over Trent Dilfer, while understandable on one level, has simply not produced the kind of results Breaker fans would like to see. The Breakers currently rank 22nd in scoring (12.7 ppg) and Eli Manning has 6 picks to only 4 TDs in his first 3 games. A 2-3 TD-Int ratio is not going to win a lot of games and losing games in New Orleans is a quick ticket to unemployment. Finally, we should talk about Galen Hall in LA. It has been a rollercoaster ride for LA fans over the Hall years, with very good years almost always followed by big disappointments. After a 10-4 2003 campaign, the Express plummeted to a 6-8 record last year. They have started 1-2 this year, with their only win at Las Vegas. They now enter a very tough stretch of games against divisional and Southwest Division foes with a 4 game run at Arizona, at Seattle, home to Houston, and home to Oakland. They need at least 2, maybe 3 wins in that series to calm the unsettled LA fanbase. A big loss for the Memphis Showboats as their new free agent wideout, Robert Ferguson, could be out for up to a month with a wrist injury sustained in their overtime loss this week. Ferguson fell to the turf awkwardly with his wrist bent beneath him and immediately came off the field. X-rays showed no break but there appears to be significant ligament damage which could cost the wideout a month or more. The rest of the injuries reported this week tend to be in the 2-week or less category, including Seattle FS Chris Hayes (hamstring), Orlando LB Al Wilson (shoulder), Denver’s new TE Lonnie Johnson (hamstring), Nashville wideout Bert Emmanuel (concussion), Pittsburgh QB Charlie Batch (neck), Las Vegas TE Christian Fauria (arm), Houston DE Kavika Pittman (thigh bruise) and New Jersey FS Brian Dawkins (hip) Looking at QB’s across the league, expect Batch to be out for Pittsburgh, which means Alex Van Pelt may get his first start since 1999. Texas is expecting to be without the services of Jeff Lewis again, which means a second start for Todd Boumann, but Birmingham is expecting rookie Jason Campbell to return to action. Reebok to Add Chicago to their 2006 Schedule With two new expansion clubs working with Reebok for 2006, there was an expectation that the uniform and apparel company would reduce their standard workload of producing 3 identity reworkings each season, and that has proven to be the case. Reebok has already produced the design schematics for the return of the Atlanta Fire, is currently engaged in a “Choose the Logo” competition with the St. Louis Skyhawks, and this week announced that there will only be one more team who will undergo a facelift in 2006, the Chicago Machine. The Machine last received a significant uniform and logo retooling in 1996 when they moved from their original 1987 primary logo (the Cog “M”) to the now-ubiquitous “C-Gears” logo based in part on the sign of the Chicago Theatre. While Reebok cannot comment at this phase of the project on any specifics, the Machine did indicate that they are hoping to update their primary look, introduce a secondary logo, make changes to the uniform without altering the basic color palette, and, in their words “strengthen our ties to the city of Chicago in our brand.” There has always been a concern that with Chicago and Michigan both sharing dark burgundy red and sky blue as core colors, that a separation of the brand was essential. The Machine have achieved this primarily by sticking with grey as their secondary color and downplaying the use of the sky blue from the Chicago flag, and also by holding with a burgundy or Chicago Maroon, named for the color used by the U. of Chicago, as their primary color and, more importantly the helmet color. There is no word on if this will change with the redesign. We expect to see the design for the new St. Louis Skyhawks before the end of the 2005 season, and, as is typical for Reebok, the debut of the new look for Chicago usually arrives in time for the team to outfit in the new look if they make the playoffs this year, which is somewhat expected for the Machine. Stadium Updates The negotiation, financing, and construction of new stadia is a seemingly constant process for the USFL as teams work with local governments, and often with NFL franchises as well, to either refurbish existing structures or develop new properties. We saw a rush of construction in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, with new stadia built or major renovations in place in Tampa (1998), Baltimore (1998), Pittsburgh (2001), Denver (2001), Houston (2002), Seattle (2002), Detroit (2002), Chicago (2003), Memphis (2004), and Philadelphia (2003). The desire to have an updated, state of the art facility for NFL and/or USFL teams is not abating. The city of Portland is currently in development of a new stadium for a team they no longer have, hoping that the new facility, set to be open in November of 2006, will be part of a successful expansion bid for the city after losing the Thunder 2 seasons ago. But what other projects are in development or on their way. Here are the six stadium situations currently either under development, under construction, or under pressure to find a solution over the next half-decade: ARIZONA: Construction on a new retractable roof stadium in the city of Glendale, Arizona is well underway, with hopes that by the Fall of 2006, in time for the NFL Cardinals season, the new, as yet unnamed, stadium will be open for use. The Cardinals and Wranglers have an agreement with the city that will provide both with ample stadium revenue for their respective seasons. What is perhaps most fascinating about the new stadium is that it will be the first to use a mobile turf system that allows the field to be located outdoors for most of the year and moved indoors only on gamedays. This will maximize the ability for the two clubs to use natural grass in what is essentially a climate-controlled venue. That ability to play in a climate controlled environment will be vital for the Wranglers, who often have to schedule late season home games at night to avoid the blistering Arizona heat. Imagine playing the Wranglers in June or even July and sitting in 72 degree bliss instead of on a bleacher on the edge of a fiery inferno. NEW JERSEY: The Generals, partnering with the NY Giants and NY Jets of the NFL, have plans underway to erect a new stadium just outside of the current location of Giants Stadium in East Rutherford as part of the Meadowlands complex. The new stadium would have a capacity similar to that of the current stadium but would feature significantly more amenities and suite seating. The plans call for an open air stadium, which is certainly more cost effective than a dome for the region. With the clubs seeking investment from both the States of New Jersey and New York, as well as the City of New York, the red tape will be considerable before a shovel ever hits the ground, but with the Meadowlands Authority fully on board at least there will not be disputes over land use. Initial plans have the new stadium scheduled to open by Spring 2009, but we will see if that holds up. Construction projects in and around NYC tend to get delayed. BIRMINGHAM: With a mixed ownership between private and community shares, the Stallions are committed to the city of Birmingham, and recent talks with the University of Alabama system, particularly the Alabama-Birmingham campus, proving quite fruitful, the hope is that the Stallions will soon have a new stadium in the heart of the city to call their own, shared, of course, with the growing football program of UAB. No word on a design right now, and there is still plenty of negotiation to be done with both the city and the state to ensure some public funding. That will be the trickiest part as neither the city or state are particularly flush with cash, and the Republican leadership in the region tends to look down on large publicly-funded projects. But, when football is involved, and particularly the state’s only pro sports franchise, you can never count out the good will of state legislators and bureaucrats. NEW ORLEANS: Tulane University recently reached out to the ownership of the New Orleans Breakers to see if there was interest in moving the team to a proposed open air stadium on the university campus. With the club firmly ensconced as a fixture tenant in the Super Dome, which gives them a downtown presence, there was little interest on the part of the Breakers in the prospect. Tulane, of course, would be seeking a significantly smaller footprint than the Super Dome, with a stadium of between 30,000-40,000 being best suited to the private university. That is certainly too small for either the Saints or the Breakers, who routinely have crowds in excess of 50,000. Add to this the unpleasant prospect of playing outdoor football in the heat and humidity of a New Orleans summer and it seems clear that the Breakers would be best suited to working with their NFL rivals to invest in the upkeep of the dome and not seek an alternative that would require fans to suffer through muggy mid-summer games. OAKLAND: We wish we had good news on the future of the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum, or of an alternative site for the Invaders in Oakland, but no such luck on that front. Oakland remains the only team in the league to share a stadium with a major league baseball club, which means they are also the only team in the league to play nearly all games with a baseball diamond cut into the field of play. It is a situation which certainly does not please Oakland ownership, but with no NFL team to share costs, and a record over the past decade that is hardly ingratiating the region to investing in Invader Football, the odds of Oakland obtaining a major investment in the Coliseum are dubious at best. This is a major concern for the Invaders, who look across the bay and see another older stadium at Candlestick Park (We refuse to call it 3Com Park or Monster Park), the best option may be to work a deal with the NFL team in the region to form a joint proposal, but would that require the Invaders to leave Oakland? WASHINGTON: We wanted to end with a bit of good news, and we think we have it for the Federals. With new ownership coming to the NFL Redskins with Daniel Snyder, the hope had been that the newer FedEx Field in Landover might now be an option for the Federals. That turned out to be a red herring, as Snyder also proved quite intransigent about the USFL just as Jack Kent Cooke had been. But a new option became available for the Federals thanks to an unexpected agreement with Major League Baseball. The relocation of the Montreal Expos MLB club to Washington has produced a major stadium initiative. The new Washington Nationals will be sharing RFK with the Federals beginning this April, and construction is slated on a new multi-use stadium in the District itself. Thanks to new technology in artificial turf which makes transformation from one turf surface to another in short order (something Oakland should explore) the new stadium will be able to act as the home to both the Federals and the Nationals beginning in 2008. Essentially the stadium will have two separate fields, which can be swapped out in less than 24 hours, allowing the USFL and MLB clubs to both enjoy the qualities of a full-time stadium while actually sharing the facility for most of the summer. The field for the Federals will fit nicely into the current design for the new stadium, with expandable seating allowing the stadium to have significantly different sight lines and capacities for baseball and football. While the Nationals will expand the area to the NE of the football field to house a MLB baseball field with deep outfields, reducing seating to just under 42,000 seats, the expandable seats in what would be right and center field, will allow the USFL to bring fans closer to that side of the field, and expand the seating to just under 50,000 seats. The new stadium will provide the Federals with a city-based facility that is not crumbling down and which can seat a very respectable 48,790, which is just about 3,000 more than the Federals typically average even in their strongest seasons. So, a full stadium and one that has a wide range of modern amenities should be on the horizon for the Federals, despite the hand wringing and misplaced league loyalty of the local NFL team ownership. The stadium may lean a bit towards MLB at least in its initial naming, dubbed National Stadium in deference to the return of baseball to the nation’s capital. But, we expect that name will not last long as a major sponsor is almost sure to want to contribute to the facility in return for naming rights. It’s Divisional play in the East, and interdivision rivalries in the West as Week 4 brings us into the meat of the schedule. Baltimore takes their 3-0 record to Philly while New Jersey tries to gain a game on 3-0 Washington when they face off at RFK. The Boston Cannons will test the new Orlando defense in the Citrus Bowl, while 3-0 Tampa Bay hosts the 2-1 Bulls. Chicago is at Ohio in a key early season clash, while Pittsburgh plays host to the Michigan Panthers. In the West, the most intriguing game could be LA at Arizona, as neither of these 1-2 teams can afford a third loss in the first month. Oakland has a chance to move to 3-1 if they can win at home against a winless Breaker squad. Seattle hopes to get its first win, but travels to Houston to face that defense. The Outlaws are also winless and now head to Nashville to face the Knights. Memphis is at Las Vegas and Denver is in Birmingham to wrap up the week’s action.