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After a wild first week of playoff action, the Divisional Round was one for folks who believe in the value of the regular season, as all four top seeds got W’s and set up two Conference Title Games that will pit the #1 seed against the #2 seed. While this means the end of the various Cinderella storylines across the league, what it leaves us with are the 4 best teams left in action against each other. Whether it is the offensive explosiveness of Tampa Bay, the balance and tenacity of Seattle and New Jersey, or the newfound defensive prowess of the Arizona Wranglers, the Divisionals showed us the character of these four teams, and helped set up what should be an outstanding pair of Conference Title Games. BOSTON CANNONS 35 TAMPA BAY BANDITS 48 The weekend kicked off with an offensive display from two teams who had battled at the top of the offensive rankings all season. Boston would finish the day with 435 yards of offense, including 205 on the ground, while Tampa Bay would do even better, racking up 495 total yards, 431 coming from the arm of NFL import Daunte Culpepper in a game that none will soon forget. In a game that only saw 4 punts combined all game, the Cannons and Bandits traded blows all afternoon, beginning with the opening drive, which saw Tampa Bay take the ball, push it down the field and score on a Willis McGahee TD run. Only 5 minutes later, on their second drive, they would double their advantage, going up 14-0 on a Culpepper to Moss TD toss. But Boston was impressed. They finished out the first quarter with a drive of their own, ending with a Tiki Barber TD dive over center. Barber would be huge for the Cannons in this game, rushing for 159 yards and forcing Tampa Bay to respect the run. On the other side, Willis McGahee would gain only 55 yards rushing, but Tampa did not seem to mind as they just kept connecting on deep balls against the Boston secondary. Just as we saw in the first quarter, Tampa Bay would score twice in the 2nd, only to have Boston pull one back before the half. Tampa got TD receptions from Randy Moss (his 2nd of the day) and Jeremy Shockey, only to watch Boston finish the half with a 53-yard TD from Bledsoe to James Whalen. Down 28-14 at the half, Boston received the 2nd half kickoff needing to break the pattern of 2 Tampa scores for each Cannon score. They sliced up the Tampa Bay secondary to open the half, with Drew Bledsoe connecting with Joe Jurevicious to pull the game to within 7 at 28-21. Tampa seemed nonplussed by the Boston score, and quickly retaliated with a drive of their own, 67 yards in only 5 plays, ending with Culpepper hitting Karl Williams on a 22-yard TD strike. With only 1:50 left in the 3rd, it looked like the Bandits would take a 2-score lead into the final period. But Sam Madison had his own ideas. Taking the Tampa kickoff on the 4-yard line, Madison followed his wedge of blockers, shook off the first tackler, sidestepped a second and then was off to the races. 96 yards later he was in the endzone, and Boston was right back in this one, down 7 once more, 35-28. It would come down to the 4th quarter. Tampa would open the final period with a solid drive, but one that ended with a field goal. Still, the 3 points put them up by 10, but that did not feel secure for long. Boston stormed right back, eating up yards in chunks of 11, 13, 9, and 14 on their way to a Robert Ferguson Td that pulled the visitors back to within 3 points at 38-35. With over 10 minutes left, it very much felt like this game could come down to who had the ball last. But that was just a feeling. Tampa Bay once again pulled their lead out to 10 points on their next drive, as Culpepper connected on his 5th TD pass of the game, finding former General Kevin Johnson from 7 yards out to go up 45-35. But, the ball would go back to Boston with over 8 minutes left. It was then that a rookie would make the play of the game. Boston started moving the ball, first with a Tiki Barber 5-yard run, then a short pass to TE James Whalen, leaving the Cannons with what appeared to be a makeable 3rd and 2. Bledsoe took the ball from under center, faked it to Barber, and looked for WR Robert Ferguson crossing from right to left. He threw the ball ahead of Ferguson, but did not see rookie LB Jonathan Vilma crossing back into the middle zone. Vilma tipped the ball up in the air, and came down with it himself, the only turnover of the game. Four plays later Tampa Bay would get another 3 points from Nate Kaeding and the lead would be 13. Boston was unable to recover, and Tampa Bay finished off the game with a defensive stand and 3 kneel downs. The Bandits would be hosting the Conference title game only 1 year after a disastrous 4-10 season. HOUSTON GAMBLERS 16 SEATTLE DRAGONS 20 The Gamblers were not supposed to be here. They had lost their starting QB in midseason, had struggled to a 5-7 record with 2 weeks left, put in a 40-year old retired QB, and somehow not only won the season-ending games they needed to reach 7-7, but also kept that momentum going in the Wild Card round, traveling to Nashville and knocking off the Knights. Could they take their unlikely run one game further in Seattle? The Dragons said “Not here, not today” to that idea. They took the lead in the first quarter on a Corey Dillon TD reception, and never allowed Houston to pull ahead. Houston would score a field goal, Seattle would add one of their own. This happened twice, and by the half it was 13-6 Seattle in a game defined primarily by hard hits, QB’s on the run, and missed opportunities for both clubs. On several occasions there were open receivers simply missed by both quarterbacks, or run plays that were one slipped tackle away from breaking loose. Kevin Faulk would lead all rushers with 67 yards as Houston’s defense keyed on Corey Dillon all day. Byron Leftwich would have a modest 229 yards on a 17 of 27 day, while Doug Flutie would toss the ball up 37 times, completing 25 for 260 yards, but he would also take a few too many risks, throwing two picks that killed Houston drives. Houston managed to tie the game in the 3rd quarter, thanks to a Bethel Johnson punt return for 53 yards that evened the score at 13, but Seattle squashed hopes of a comeback with a quick strike score, Leftwich hitting Dillon for a second time to give the Dragons a 20-13 lead. The needed magic from Doug Flutie would not appear in the final minutes of the game, as one drive was stopped on a 4th and 3 and another ended with Flutie’s 2nd pick of the game. Seattle would hold on and punch their ticket to the Conference Finals. A valiant effort from the Gamblers to be sure, but this was a Seattle team that had been prepping for this kind of game all season, and they did what needed to be done to survive and advance. OHIO GLORY 10 NEW JERSEY GENERALS 29 If the rumors are true, and this season will be Phil Hansen’s last, he is certainly leaving us with a lasting memory. Hansen and the Generals showed Glory QB Chris Redman no mercy in this game, sacking him a painful 8 times, including 2 sacks by Hansen, one for a safety. The defensive line was simply dominant, with DT Tommy Harris also recording 2 sacks, and 4 other players getting into the act. The result was an Ohio offense that looked nothing like the point-a-minute Glory that had won the past two league titles. New Jersey was opportunistic on offense, with TE Anthony Becht proving to be a reliable redzone target for QB Tom Brady, scoring twice in the first half to give New Jersey a dominant 17-3 halftime lead. They would get that Hansen safety to open the second half, and never look back. Curtis Enis and James Jackson would share 30 carries for 85 yards but would also eat up a lot of clock in the second half. Ohio managed their only TD of the day in the 4th quarter, but it was far too little and far too late as the injury-riddled Glory would bow out of the playoffs and lose out on the chance to make history by seeking a third consecutive USFL title. New Jersey would advance, setting up a matchup with the Tampa Bay Bandits next week. NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS 20 ARIZONA WRANGLERS 23 – OVERTIME The week’s final game was perhaps the most dramatic, a hard-fought game that saw Eli Manning lead the Breakers back from a 14-point deficit in the final quarter only to lose the game in overtime. Arizona would look dominant early, but their vaunted defense would end up giving up 363 yards to rookie Eli Manning by game’s end as the Breakers mounted a furious comeback to tie the score in the final minutes. The game began with New Orleans stymied in the red zone and forced to kick field goals in the first half. Arizona had no such issues and got TDs from HB Dominic Rhodes and TE Dustin Lyman to take a 14-6 lead into the halftime break. In the 3rd quarter the Wranglers would add two field goals of their own, building up what seemed to be a game-clinching 14-point lead at 20-6. But New Orleans changed their plan in the final period, adopting a no-huddle, fast-paced offense, and the shift worked. They got a TD in only 5 plays on their first drive of the period, and then stuffed Arizona on a 3rd and 1 to get the ball back only 3 minutes later. On their next drive Manning would go 5 for 5 throwing the ball, and would connect with Josh Reed from 20 yards out to even the score, much to the dismay of the nearly 51,000 on hand as afternoon turned to evening in the desert. Arizona got the ball back with 2:21 left to play, and they tried their best to avoid overtime, but Rob Bironas would not get a chance to steal the win as a sack of Jake Plummer on 3rd and 8 forced the ball out of even the strong-legged Bironas’s range and Arizona settled for an overtime conclusion to the game. New Orleans would win the toss, and take the ball first, but the magic had waned. Eli Manning missed wide on a sideline toss to Kevin Dyson and the Breakers were forced to punt. Arizona was methodical in their approach in overtime. Stephen Davis gained 20 yards on the possession, carrying the ball 4 times in 8 plays. Plummer would connect with Larry Fitzgerald for 11 of his 92 yards on the day, a much-needed 3rd down catch, and he would find O.J. Santiago for 16 more as the Wranglers soon found themselves within Rob Bironas’s range. Two handoffs to Davis netted 8 more yards and positioned the ball for the Wrangler kicker. Bironas lined up the kick and the ball sailed right down the middle, giving the Wranglers a hard-earned win, and the chance to do something they had not done in well over a decade, to host a title match. The Wrangler would host the Seattle Dragons in next week’s Western Conference Final. A Season for Second Time Around Coaches While we would hardly call Steve Spurrier a retread, it is entirely appropriate to celebrate the immediate success both he and former Orlando Renegades Head Coach Jim Fassel have had in their second stint as USFL head coaches. Spurrier, of course, had great success the first time around, and was welcomed back to his old stomping grounds in Tampa with much fanfare. The story was a bit different for Jim Fassel, who struggled through 4 seasons as the head man in Jacksonville, replaced by Gunther Cunningham in 1999. There were many in Arizona who felt that Fassel was not the man for the job, including many who wanted current OC Greg Landry to get the HC position instead of a coordinator slot. And yet, the combination of Fassel, focusing on defense and special teams, and Landry, providing Jake Plummer with a new offense, has worked out exceptionally well for the Wranglers. A And now, these two coaches, both on their second assignment in the USFL, one a triumphant return to the home of his former glory and the other on a journey of redemption, are ready to play for a chance to represent their conferences in the Summer Bowl, to take a shot at a title in their first years with their new teams. Quite a story, quite an accomplishment. Favre Announces Retirement It has been speculation for the better part of a month, but at a podium in Birmingham this Tuesday, Brett Favre made it official. He would be retiring from the USFL and pro football after 13 seasons with the Birmingham Stallions. An emotional Favre praised the organization, the fans, and his coaches over the years. He expressed the joy and pain of leaving behind the game he loves and his teammates, but he would not answer any questions about what is next. That last point is a bit pointed, because while there has been a lot of talk about Favre retiring, there has been just as much speculation that the retirement would be used as a means of getting out of a contract and out of a situation he did not care for in Birmingham. On a team that clearly needs to be retooled and dealing with the constant issue of inadequate pass protection, it was widely speculated that Favre was seeking a path out of town, and retirement would afford that. Favre did not speak to this question and refused to answer any questions related to the NFL, or even what might entice him to return to the game. He retires as one of the most celebrated quarterbacks in the history of the USFL. A two-time league MVP (1994 and 1997), league champion in 1993, and a 9-time All-USFL selection, Favre holds several records for individual games, season stats, and career accomplishments. Among the highlights are his 4 seasons among the Top 10 passing yard seasons of all time (1992, 1994, 1998 and 1999), and his 5 appearances on the list of Top 10 passing touchdowns in a season, including his personal best 51TDs in 1998. He retires 2nd only to Doug Flutie in career pass attempts, first in passing yards all time with 58,663, and first in touchdowns, with a whopping 498, a stunning 86 more than 2nd place QB Jim Kelly. His career passer rating of 106.7 is 5th best among all USFL quarterbacks. He is a sure fire first ballot Hall of Famer for the USFL, but the question now is whether he is really done. Could he head to the NFL? Take a year off so that his contract with Birmingham expires and come back to the USFL on his terms? Or is he truly done with a game that has consumed his life since he was a boy. Only time, and Favre himself, will tell. Retirement Roundup While the Favre announcement certainly captured attention nationwide, he was certainly not the only player to announce retirement over the past 10 days. With 8 teams dropping from the playoff hunt over the past week and a half, there have been several more noteworthy retirement announcements to report on. Here are five situations we think could have an impact on these 2004 playoff teams: Boston’s Richie Anderson was named All-USFL this week, but also announced that he was stepping away form the game at the age of of 32. Anderson played 11 years in Arizona before coming over to the Cannons as they relocated from Atlanta. This year marks his third time as the All-USFL fullback. We expect Tiki Barber is just a tad upset about this, but a fullback’s life is a tough one, and Anderson’s body certainly has taken a lot of hits over the years. Chicago’s Jeff George may be another nervous player as his primary protector, Chicago tackle Marcus Spears has also announced that he will move on. Spears came to Chicago in 1994 and became the starter in 1995, where he has helped protect the Machine QB and lead the way for Machine HBs from Ricky Watters to Duce Staley and Michael Turner. Nashville will miss two key defenders from their Knightmare defense. CB Otis Smith and LB Kevin Hardy were both important pieces of the Nashville D, and will force Jim Johnson to rework his offseason plans to improve the offense, as those are two positions that will require some attention. The first of our teams suffering a mass-retirement in positions they can ill afford to lose, we have the Breakers. New Orleans’s defense took several huge hits following their loss this week in Arizona. Not only did regular All-USFL linebacker Lamar Lathon hang up his cleats, but so did two of the Breakers’ key rotation of defensive ends, Chidi Ahonotu and Clyde Simmons. That is a big shift in the Breakers’ defense, one that management is going to be hard pressed to address. While the retirements move New Orleans well under the cap, that kind of talent departure is almost certain to produce concerns about the club’s defense. As rough as things look in New Orleans on defense, Denver has to be considered equally as impacted on offense. The Gold were one of the league’s older rosters, and with that veteran presence came the possibility of a wave of retirements, and that wave has hit hard this year. Within the span of 7 days Denver has announced the retirement of three key players, two from their offense. TE Marco Battaglia and HB Robert Holcombe have all announced their intention to retire, as has CB Clayton Holmes. Battaglia has been a key player in the Denver offense for several years, serving as one of Mark Brunell’s favorite targets, averaging 73 receptions a year for the past 5 seasons, and bringing in 30 touchdowns over that span. Robert Holcombe came to Denver from the NFL in 2002, and has served as the short yardage and late game bruising back that Denver has loved ever since Harry Sydney once rumbled through lines in the early 80’s. In his 3 years with the Gold, Holcombe has averaged just under 700 yards per season, and has been a major goal line force, scoring 22 touchdowns over three seasons. The Gold now have only smaller backs Rod Smart and Kendrick Starling on the roster, so don’t be surprised if they go for a big back in this year’s draft. At TE they have two other players, both over 30 themselves, in David LaFleur and Greg Clark. Perhaps the time is right to draft a young athletic TE as well. New Free Agents Join the Pool With their losses this week, we also see new free agents join the market from Ohio, New Orleans, Boston and Houston. Perhaps the biggest name added to the player market this week is Houston DE Michael Sinclair. We figured that with the lower cap increase this year Houston would have difficulty holding onto the big edge rusher. It appears that the Gamblers have simply done the math and realized that they have other needs that make it impossible to hold onto Sinclair. The bookend to Kavika Pittman, Sinclair had some strong years in the late 90’s but has slipped down to an average of only 6.3 sacks per season over the past 3 years. At 34, he may still have some value for folks around the year, especially with edge rusher at such a premium in the USFL. New Orleans, even with the departures of several key defensive stars, also has issues with free agents potentially leaving. Starting center Chukki Okobi is the biggest potential loss, but the Breakers have also allowed LB Derrick Rodgers go, which leaves them with two LB slots to fill this offseason. Feels a lot like a rebuilding year for the Breakers. Ohio has had 5 players join the pool, including DE Cedric Harden, C Todd McClure, and WR Malcolm Floyd. Of the three McClure may be the priority in the offseason as the offensive line is key to Ohio’s success in so many ways. Floyd will be a hit to special teams more than to the offensive scheme as he only saw 11 targets this past season, and 13 the season before. Boston takes the biggest hit as breakout star Robert Ferguson was not signed by the weekend, meaning the big target is free to seek what will almost certainly be a high value deal in the free agent market. Ferguson became a starter in Boston in 2003, leading the team with 75 receptions for 865 yards and 5 TDs. With the arrival of Chad Ochocinco, his catches went down (75 to 53) but both his yards (985) and TDs (from 5 to 8) went up as he saw far less double coverage. Ferguson may be best suited as a 2nd receiver, where he can flourish against single coverage, but there may be some teams who view his 2 year progression as a sign that he can take on the #1 role as well. Looking ahead to the Conference Title Games, we are happy to report that we are looking at four pretty healthy teams as several players came off the injury report this week. Godfrey Miles is still out for Seattle, as is Matt Cusching for Arizona, but otherwise these two western clubs are looking fully stocked for the big game. In the East, New Jersey is the only team with a new potential injury concern, as Anthony Becht, after scoring twice in the Divisional Round, is questionable with a hamstring issue. He joins Donterrious Thomas on the injury report this week. For Tampa Bay, FS Byron Scott is the only name on the list, and he is out this week. ALL USFL TEAM AND AWARD WINNERS We mentioned the All-USFL list in referencing the retirement of FB Richie Anderson, so it is only fair that we reveal the full list, along with this year’s award winners. It is, as always, a star-studded roster of the league’s best. QB: Two new names as Drew Bledsoe (BOS) and Daunte Culpepper (TBY) join Kerry Collins as all-league quarterbacks. This is the first time that no QB from the West has made the roster in over 5 seasons. HB: New free agent Ahman Green tops the list, joined by Boston’s Tiki Barber and Ohio’s Eddie George. The big snub here is Terrell Davis of Pittsburgh, but with only 3 slots, one had to be left off. FB: Richie Anderson gets the honor in what we now know to be his final season. TE: Two players who serve not only as safety valves, but primary targets as Seattle’s Ken Dilger and Boston’s Stephen Alexander take the two slots. WR: Always a tough competition, this year the five wideout spots go to Chad Ochocinco (BOS), Randy Moss (TBY), David Boston (SEA), Joe Horn (BIR), and Antonio Freeman (HOU). Joey Galloway almost certainly would have joined the group, but his midseason injury derailed his year. OT: A well-known group of Jonathan Ogden (LA), Matt Light (NJ) and Jerry Wunsch (OHI), with Wunsch now a free agent sure to cash in on this honor in the marketplace. OG: Another Express lineman makes the list as Alan Faneca represents LA. He is joined by Vince Manuwai of Seattle and Kendall Simmons of Ohio. C: The pivots on this year’s team are George Teague of Tampa Bay and Houston’s Brad Meester, as the trend of playoff teams holding nearly all the All-USFL positions continues. DE: No surprises here as Kavika Pittman (HOU), Phil Hansen (NJ), and Anthony Weaver (CHI) get the spots. On the outside looking in are Washington’s Tony Brackens (14 Sacks) and Las Vegas’s Hugh Douglas (14 sacks). DT: The defensive interior spots go to Gilbert Brown (SEA), Russell Maryland (PIT), and Darwin Walker (CHI). LB: Five linebacker spots, but always a tough competition. This year the honor goes to Jacksonville’s DPOTY Mike Vrabel, LA’s Mo Lewis, New Orleans’s DeWayne Dotson, and two Chicago backers, MLB Brian Urlacher and blitzing OLB Tommy Polley. CB: Charles Woodson is becoming a regular on this list for the Federals. He is joined by Breaker Latin Berry, Dragon Al Harris, and pick champion Jimmy Williams of Arizona. S: Our four safeties this year are LeRoy Butler and Je’Rod Cherry of Arizona at Strong Safety and New Jersey’s Brian Dawkins and another Wrangler, Tyrone Drakeford at Free Safety, meaning that three of Arizona’s four DB starters are All-USFL. No wonder they find themselves battling for a Summer Bowl appearance. ST: Our special teamers this year are both from the New Jersey Generals as kicker Ryan Longwell and punter Josh Miller both get the honor for the Generals. From this amazing pool of talent, we also have our award winners for 2004. No big surprises in this year’s winners, with several obvious picks this season. MVP: After domination over several years by Kerry Collins of Ohio, the nod this year went to veteran QB Drew Bledsoe of the Boston Cannons, who matched Collins in every category and was at the head of the league’s most dynamic offense. Bledsoe finished 3rd in yardage with 3,693, but first with 32 TDs and only 5 picks. His QB Rating of 139.5 was just 2 points higher than Collins, but the voters gave him credit for the amazing season the Boston offense put in, surpassing Ohio as the most feared attack (in part due to injuries on the Glory roster.) Offensive POTY: No shock that Chad Ochocinco took home this award. He was Bledsoe’s top competition for MVP and his numbers this year were astounding. Ochocinco, in his first year partnered with Bledsoe, put up a league best 1,553 yards and 13 touchdowns while helping the Cannons turn from perennial also-ran to one of the league’s most dangerous teams. Defensive POTY: A rare award win for a player on a non-playoff team, but the year Mike Vrabel had was undeniable. The MLB for the Bulls led the league with 132 tackles, but his most amazing stat was his 11 forced fumbles in 14 games. The next closest players were all at 5 for the year. Add in 4 sacks and you have a path of destruction for the best player on the Bulls’ defense. Rookie of the Year: Baltimore hit on a winner when they traded up in the draft to take Miami of Ohio QB Ben Roethlisberger with the first overall pick in the Open Draft. Big Ben was the starter within 3 weeks of the season beginning and led Baltimore with 2,321 yards passing and 19 TDs. Second in the voting was LB Jonathan Vilma of Tampa Bay, who finished the year with 74 tackles for a revitalized Bandits squad. Coach of the Year: While the success of both Arizona’s Jim Fassel and Tampa Bay’s Steve Spurrier was undeniable, there was no way this award was not going to the Ol’ Ball Coach after his return to Tampa Bay led the club from a 4-win season to a #1 seed at 12-2. The turnaround of the Bandits was the story of the year. But don’t feel bad for Fassell, his club is still very much alive for a possible Summer Bowl berth, where he could very easily be facing Spurrier and the Bandits in Orlando. Owners Approve Major Changes for 2006 Expansion Season Big news out of the New York USFL offices as the owners have approved several significant items related to the 2006 and 2008 expansion processes. These changes impact scheduling, divisional alignment, and the draft process. Here are the basics: ALIGNMENT The league owners approved two alignments for 2006 and 2008. Each conference will have 13 teams beginning in 2006 with the addition of Atlanta and St. Louis. The vote this week clarifies how that will look. In 2006, Boston will be reassigned to the Northeast Division, which will be renamed the Atlantic Division. This will make the Atlantic Division the Eastern Conference’s 5-team division. The Atlanta expansion team will replace Boston in the Southeast Division. The more dramatic shift occurs with St. Louis’s entry. There was much debate about putting St. Louis in the Southern Division (Western Conference) but both Chicago and Michigan ownership made strong cases for including the new team in the Central Division. In order to accommodate this, the Central Division will relocate to become one of the three Western Divisions, moving the Southern Division back to the Eastern Conference. St. Louis will join Chicago, Michigan, Ohio, and Pittsburgh in the new Central Division out West, while the 4 Southern Division clubs (Birmingham, Memphis, Nashville and New Orleans) will compete in the Eastern Conference. This alignment places 1 division of 5 teams and 2 divisions of 4 teams in each conference. Despite the different alignments, each club in the league will still play only 6 division games. This means that teams in the Central and Northeast Divisions will play 2 teams twice, and the other 2 teams in their division only once. More complications for the scheduling team to work out. When the league expands to 28 teams in 2008, the two new teams will be split between the Eastern and Western conferences, so that each adds a 14th team and each conference is aligned with two 5-team divisions and one 4-team division. This means that we should expect the expansion committee to essentially divide all 2008 aspirants into two camps, East and West. So, expect to see Portland, Dallas, and potentially Kansas City fighting over one spot, while Miami, Raleigh, Charlotte, and the Tidewater region to fight over the other. SCHEDULE The second major adjustment will be the schedule, which will move back to 16 games, beginning in 2006. This will create a 2-year period where teams will play only 6 division games, will play 6 inter-divisional games within their conference, and then 4 inter-conference games, essentially adding 2 interdivisional matchups per year. In 2008 this will change again as teams will then play 8 divisional games, with the teams in 5-team divisions playing their 4 divisional foes twice, while the 8 teams in 4-team divisions will play two teams in their division 3 times and a third team only twice. Again, messy, but necessitated by the odd combination of 4- and 5-team divisions. The 16-game season was apparently a more lopsided vote than many expected, perhaps aided by the revenue issues which became apparent with this year’s unexpectedly small salary cap increase. Adding back the 2 games may well lead to renegotiation of the transfer window concept with the NFL, but will impact the TV contracts for the USFL to the benefit of all teams that share the television revenue. TERRITORIAL DRAFT The third alteration is that beginning in 2006 the Territorial Draft will have two major alterations. The first is a reduction from 3 schools to 2 per USFL club. All schools in the T-Draft will be Division 1 (BCS) universities. Teams can appeal the Competition Committee for a third eligible school only in situations where the assigned two protected schools produce fewer than 8 viable pro prospects in a given year. The second adjustment to the T-Draft is that as of 2006 it will no longer be possible for teams to trade away T-Draft selections. This popular practice has allowed teams to trade into another team’s T-Draft and obtain the rights to a player who otherwise would have been available in the open draft pool. Several owners argued that these swaps, often T-Draft picks for Open Draft picks defeat the purpose of the T-Draft to stock local players with nearby teams. The argument is that if, for example, Los Angeles does not feel inclined to draft a USC or UCLA quarterback, they should not have the right to determine which other team in the league can draft that player by selectively trading away a T-Draft pick to a team it prefers. The new model would essentially limit T-Draft selections to the team with those protected schools, allowing that hypothetical USC quarterback to enter the Open Draft if the Express did not select him with one of their 3 protected picks. A pretty big shift in what the T-Draft can and cannot do for teams. 2008 EXPANSION TIMETABLE In addition to these rule changes, the league approved a timeline for the 2008 expansion process. It will begin with expansion proposals accepted by the league in February of 2005, just before the season kickoff for the 2005 season. The league will then vote on proposals in their Spring meeting. A proposal must garner 2/3 of league votes to be approved. If only 1 proposal meets that standard then the remaining proposals will be permitted to resubmit with adjustments and updates to their proposal and a second vote will be conducted on the same timeline in 2006. The hope, of course, is that two proposals stand head and shoulders above the others in 2005 and both can be approved at that time, giving them nearly 30 months to set up operations. But, if not, there could be one, or even both positions, which will be delayed until 2006, shortening the timeline for franchise set up. At present, speculation is that between 5-9 proposals will be forthcoming for the two expansion clubs, so competition is likely to be fierce. Back to the business of playoff football, we enter next week with 4 teams hoping to come out on top and earn their way into the 2005 Summer Bowl in Orlando. We have four division winners, the top two seeds in each conference, in this year’s title games, and none of these four teams have been in a Summer Bowl more recently than 1998, when Tampa Bay won their second title. Tampa earned their second title in that year, Troy Aikman’s last with the team. New Jersey is looking for their first title since 1989, while Arizona has appeared in one Summer Bowl (1990) and came away with a loss to the Federals. For Seattle, a 1995 expansion team, this is all new. We have two games to preview, and lots of intriguing considerations in both, so here is our tale of the tape and our best guess on each one: #2 New Jersey (11-3) @ #1 Tampa Bay (12-2) Sunday, July 11 @ 3:00pm ET Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL Anticipated weather at kickoff: 89 degrees, possible Thunderstorms in the Area. Hot and humid is not what most players want to see. Expect a sticky game, perhaps slowed by fatigue and cramping, and with a possibility of delays if localized storms produce lightning. All-USFL Players: Both teams have 5 honored players apiece, with Tampa having QB Daunte Culpepper, WR Randy Moss, and C George Teague from their offense, and SS LeRoy Butler and LB Kevin Mitchell on defense. New Jersey has both the All-USFL kicker and punter in Longwell and Miller, but also has Phil Hansen and FS Brian Dawkins on defense, and LT Matt Light on offense. Rankings: The Generals are strongest on defense, where they have the #1 scoring defense, giving up only 15.5 points per game, the second rated defense for yards allowed (293.1 per game) and the 2nd rated pass defense (only 196.8 yards per game. The offense is also Top 10, scoring 23.5 per game to rank 6th, and holding the #5 rushing attack at 113.7 yards per game. Tampa Bay is almost the polar opposite. They live on offense, where they have the #2 scoring offense (29.7ppg), are 2nd in passing, and 4th in total offense. The Bandit defense is a bit more pedestrian, ranked 13th with 22.4 points per game allowed. Their yardage number is a bit worse than that, ranking 19th at 345.6 yards allowed per game. The General run game will be a concern for the 18th ranked run defense in the league. Analysis: This is a great contrast of styles, with Tampa Bay always looking for the big play, the misdirection play or surprise home run shot, while New Jersey is content to chip their way down the field, avoid mistakes, and wear down an opponent. Both QB’s are well-suited the particular offense they run, with Tom Brady’s best attributes being accuracy and a sense of calm in the pocket, while Culpepper uses his big frame to extend plays and his even bigger arm to deliver deep balls. So it comes down to a battle of defenses in that New Jersey has to contain Tampa Bay and force them to be patient, while Tampa Bay’s defense has to force negative plays that put New Jersey in tough-to-convert third downs. OUR PICK: Pretty much every team in the league has been trying to slow down Tampa Bay this season, and even when they are 95% contained, they still get off one or two big plays that often shift the momentum of the game. We think that is a winning formula, so we are picking the Bandits to take this one, 27-20. #2 Seattle (9-5) @ #1 Arizona (10-4) Sunday, July 11 @ 9pm ET Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, AZ Anticipated weather at kickoff: 103 degrees, no precipitation. There is no doubt that even with a 6pm start and temperatures cooling over the course of the game, keeping players cool and shaded is going to be key. Expect both sidelines to have canopies and misters to try to lower the sideline temperature, but there will be no respite in the field of play. The league is likely to increase the number of official timeouts, and to extend them to allow for water breaks even after the sun hits the horizon. All-USFL Players: Arizona has 3 All-USFL selections, all in the defensive backfield with Williams, Cherry, and Drakeford all honored this year. Seattle has five selections, two on defense with CB Al Harris and DT Gilbert Brown, and three on offense with TE Ken Dilger, WR David Boston, and guard Vince Manuwai. Rankings: Seattle comes into this game with the 3rd ranked offense in both scoring (29.6ppg) and yards per game (381). This is led by their 8th ranked passing offense, but also with balance as they have the 10th best run game as well. The defense is middle of the road, 15th in points per game allowed but 22nd in yards allowed, due mostly to their 22nd ranked pass defense, something Jake Plummer has to be happy about. For Arizona, the emergence of their defense has been the story all season. They rank 3rd, allowing only 17.1 points per game, and are also third in the league in total yards allowed. In both the pass and rush they are balanced, finishing 6th in the league in each, allowing just 210 yards per game in the air and an average of only 83 yards per game on the ground. The offense remains a bit pass-happy, with the 10th ranked passing attack, but Stephen Davis has at least moved Arizona to a didling 18th in the league. Analysis: Here is the thing with both of these teams, they beat up on weaker teams but not so much against the better ones. Of Arizona’s 10 wins, only 1 came against a team with a winning record (Denver). Seattle hasn’t even faced a team with a winning record since a Week 5 loss to Nashville, and played 5 consecutive games in the season’s 2nd half against teams that finished with 4 wins this year. Now, part of this is simply the reality of the league’s imbalance between the top-heavy East and the sub-par West, that does not help us pick this game, does it? What we can say is that Arizona’s defense is legit. They can pressure you in a lot of different ways. Seattle is a little harder to figure out. We love the spark that Byron Leftwich has provided in his 2 seasons, but is he really ready for the kind of pressure he will face in this game? OUR PICK: We are going to go with Defense over Offense and the experience of Jake Plummer over the energy of Byron Leftwich. Arizona 24-18.

A Wild Card Weekend full of stories. From Boston’s first trip to the postseason, to an Ohio squad trying to defend their title once again but missing two of their biggest stars. Doug Flutie, at age 40, trying to pull off one more magical performance, and a gametime decision for the Breakers that caught their opponent flat footed. There were defensive stands, big offensive plays that shifted momentum, and even an overtime thriller between two foes who know each other very well. What there wasn’t was a break in the action. There was barely time to breath as the USFL put on a show of what post-season football can be. PITTSBURGH MAULERS 17 BOSTON CANNONS 24 The weekend kicked off with a rowdy crowd at Alumni Stadium reveling in their new team’s first playoff game. The Cannons fell just short of winning their division, but their 10-4 record secured them the top Wild Card spot (thanks to a tiebreaker) and that meant that the Pittsburgh Maulers would have to deal with a loud, well-lubricated, and rowdy Boston crowd as well as the Cannons themselves. Pittsburgh started off well, perhaps assisted by a bit of opening-night nerves for a Boston team that had never achieved postseason play before. The Maulers held Boston without a first down on their first two drives and finished the first quarter up 6-0 on two Bill Grammatica field goals. Grammatica added another in the 2nd quarter before Boston got their first score, but once the Cannons got their legs under them, they started to make waves. Down 9-0, the Cannons rallied with two touchdown drives to take the lead in the second quarter. The first was a 73-yard drive that saw Tiki Barber gain 33 yards on 5 carries. The drive was capped off by Drew Bledsoe hitting Chad Ochocinco on a short slant route from the 2. The Cannon defense then did their job, shutting down Terrell Davis on 3rd and 2 to force a Mauler punt. With just under 2 minutes in the half, Bledsoe moved into no-huddle mode, and in 6 plays got the Cannons into the endzone, this time a 19-yard fade route to Robert Ferguson did the trick. Jitters gone, the Cannons went into the half up by 5. But Pittsburgh had not lost their spirit. After a sack of Bledsoe ended Boston’s first drive , the Maulers responded, with Charlie Batch connecting with Andre Rison for a go-ahead score. The Maulers went for 2, and got it as Batch pitched wide to Kenny Bynum, who ran over a cornerback to get into the endzone to put Pittsburgh up by 3. But that would be the end of Pittsburgh’s offensive success. Boston finished out the third quarter with a drive of their own and when Robert Ferguson hauled in his 2nd TD of the game, the Cannons were up for good. The Boston defense shut down the Pittsburgh run game, limiting Kenny Bynum to 1.4 yards per carry, and with Terrell Davis sidelined for a long stretch due to migraines once again, the Maulers simply could not respond. A Jason Elam field goal stretched the Boston lead up to 7, but they would not be challenged in the game’s final moments, finishing the game with a kneel down by Bledsoe. Boston wins their first playoff game and now waits to find out if they would face the New Jersey Generals in a classic Boston-NYC matchup, or their division rivals, the Bandits, in the next round. HOUSTON GAMBLERS 29 NASHVILLE KNIGHTS 10 The Saturday Night game pitted the Gamblers, who only achieved .500 and a playoff berth with two season-ending wins, and who many felt were lucky to make the postseason at all after playing most of the year without their starting QB, and the Nashville Knights, who many pundits view as an underachiever, a team that should have parlayed the league’s best rushing attack into more than 8 wins this season. Not exactly a David v. Goliath matchup, more like two teams trying to earn respect from a skeptical nation. One player who did not need to prove anything to earn America’s respect was 40-year-old QB Doug Flutie. The former General and Panther has been in the league since 1985, and despite a 2-year hiatus from the league, he was named the starter for this one, and that proved to be a good call by Coach Phillips. Flutie went 17 of 25 and threw 2 touchdowns, but what was more important was that he took command of the Gambler offense, kept his poise throughout, and helped Houston navigate the minefield of Nashville’s high pressure defense. Flutie would throw both of his touchdowns in the first half, one to HB Kevin Faulk and the 2nd to WR Koren Robinson. By halftime the Gamblers had set the tone, leading 17-3. Nashville pulled closer with an opening drive score to get within 7, but after that things started to unravel for the Knights. Todd Collins was sacked in the endzone by FS Leomont Evans (although many feel Michael Sinclair’s initial pressure should merit him credit for the sack). Then two consecutive scoring drives, a field goal and a Kevin Faulk run, and we had a 19-point lead for the Gamblers. Nashville had to abandon a run game that had its moments in the game (Green with 117 yards on 24 carries) and going to a pass-first offense is not what the Knights do well. It allowed Kavika Pittman and Michael Sinclair to tee off on the pass rush, and that did not go well for Todd Collins. Nashville would draw no closer, and the surprising Houston Gamblers, with their unretired QB, were moving on to the next round, a tough date at the #1 seed in the West, the Arizona Wranglers. CHICAGO MACHINE 21 OHIO GLORY 27 -- OVERTIME This was the game to watch, and everyone pretty much knew it. This game between two divisional rivals, not only pitted the 2-time defending champion against one of their fiercest rivals, but it also had the drama of the Glory hobbling into the game without Kerry Collins. If Ohio could get past Chicago, there was a chance Collins could be back for the Divisional round, but getting past a foe as determined as the Machine would be no easy task, even with over 60,000 screaming Ohioans in the stands in Columbus. For Chicago, their star QB was ready to return, having missed most of the second half of the season with an injury. Jeff George took the helm for the Machine, giving Chicago fans hope that this time the story against Ohio would be different. George would have a very strong game, particularly in the 2nd half, on his way to three fourth quarter touchdowns and 305 yards passing, but it was not easy up front. George was erratic in the first half, completing only 10 of 22 passes, and producing no points. Ohio had scored twice in the half and went into halftime up 14-0 as Chicago fans felt frustrated by their inability to take advantage of a clearly weakened Ohio offense. The Machine had focused their attention on Eddie George, and that had limited Ohio to 14 points, but if they could not score, that would bode very poorly for them. Down 14, they struggled more in the 3rd quarter, but found their way on a drive that began with only 1:22 left in the 3rd. The Machine, who had run the ball well (115 yards for Michael Turner) simply did not have time to stick with the run. They let George turn it loose and what resulted was the first score of the game, a George to Conway TD pass with just under 2 minutes gone in the final quarter. Ohio would counter with a score of their own as Chris Redman found Troy Brown to once again give Ohio a 14-point lead, but with over 8 minutes left in the half, there was time for Chicago to come back. George started using a hurry up offense with 8 minutes left, and that paid dividends. He hit Conway with his second TD reception of the game, and suddenly we were back to only a 7-point difference. After a quick 3-and-out produced by the Chicago defense, the offense took over with just under 3-minutes left to play. George again found Curtis Conway, this time from 49 yards away, and suddenly the game was tied. Ohio opted to run out the clock, take a breather, regroup, and prepare for overtime. Chicago, exhausted by the effort to tie the game, was happy to oblige. The game went into extra time and both clubs looked tired, unable to muster anything in their opening possessions. Ohio would receive the ball with 5:03 left in the extra period, and they would find the energy and the drive to battle their way to a win and keep their dream of yet another Summer Bowl alive. They got clutch catches from TE Stephen Alexander and WR Reche Caldwell (who finished the game with 106 yards) as they moved down the field. From the 9-yard line and knowing that a field goal could win the game, Ohio took a shot, and Caldwell came up with the catch, breaking the hearts of Chicagoans everywhere once again, as Ohio took the victory and moved on. NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS 13 DENVER GOLD 10 The wild weekend of action concluded with the Breakers visiting the Gold, and a surprise as Trent Dilfer was named the starter only minutes before the kickoff. Dilfer had been a question mark most of the week, as Eli Manning had taken most of the snaps with the first team, but when the Breakers took the field, it would be Dilfer returning under center for the first time since Week 12. After a first half that saw both teams struggle to move the ball, it was 3-0 Gold on the lone score of the first 30 minutes. Both teams had played well on defense, limiting the other to some middle-of-the-field drives, but no incursions into the red zone for either club. That would change when Trent Dilfer found Josh Reed on a long 28-yard pass down to the Denver 4-yard line. The Gold stacked the line, expecting to see Olandis Gary hit the hole, but Gary never received the ball as Dilfer faked it to him on 1st and goal and found Az-Zahir Hakeem streaking across the face of goal. The score put New Orleans up 7-3 and showed signs that the second half might have some drama in it after all. That drama surfaced over the next two drives, as, first, Denver responded to the Breaker score by having a drive of their own, one in which unheralded HB Kenneth Starling had the play of his career, a 21-yard run on 3rd and 4 that not only kept the drive alive for the Gold but put them in scoring position. Two plays later, Mark Brunell would hit Peerless Price for the score and Denver would retake the lead. New Orleans came out for the next drive, and immediately had to change plans. On 1st and 10 from their own 22, Trent Dilfer took a shot after releasing the ball, and immediately went down. New Orleans got the roughing call, but more pressing was Dilfer’s condition. He came out of the game and went to the bench for the trainers to check him out, and onto the field came rookie QB Eli Manning. Manning dinked and dunked his way into field goal range, but after missing on a 3rd down throw, the Breakers had to settle for 3 points. They had evened the score at 10, but now had to worry about their chances in the remaining 7 minutes of play. Denver came out strong on the ensuing possession, starting off with an 11-yard run from Holcombe, followed by a Brunell to Battaglia 17-yarder, but after a holding call on 1st and 10, the Gold could not recover and were forced to punt 3 plays later. New Orleans took over with just over 4 minutes left to play. Once again Eli Manning dinked and dunked, mixing in a couple of runs by Troy Hambrick and Amos Zeroue, the Breakers drew closer and closer to scoring range as the clock kept dwindling down. On a 2nd and 8, Manning scrambled out of the pocket and slid just before getting an elbow to the facemask from Denver’s Dexter Jackson. The flag came out for the shot to the head, and the Breakers were in field goal range. They whittled down the clock with 2 run plays, then sent in David Green to attempt a game winning kick with 23 seconds left to play. Green’s kick was right down the center and the small contingent of Breaker fans who had made their way to Denver were dancing in the aisles of Invesco Field. With only 20 seconds, there was not time for a slow drive, Denver’s specialty. Brunell tried to hit Danny Farmer deep on two consecutive plays but failed to connect with his best outside receiver. On 3rd and 10, the left-handed QB found TE Marco Battaglia, but the big man could not get out of bounds, and Denver had no time outs left. They scrambled to get back to the line and spike the ball on 1st and 10, but it just took too long to get settled and the whistle blew. New Orleans had found a way to win, edging Denver 13-10 in a tough defensive game, and now they would move on to face the Seattle Dragons in next week’s Divisional round. Wave of Retirements Impacts Offseason for Many Clubs As we typically see, the first 7-10 days after the season concludes is when we get the biggest wave of retirement announcements, and so it is this year. A lot of high impact players who have opted out of 2005, some to preserve their bodies, some because they are ready to move on to the next phase of their lives, and some because the passion is just not there anymore. In every case they leave a hole in their teams, and in every case, it is up to the GM and Head Coach to try to figure out where the team stands looking to the future. Of course, we have 12 playoff teams who have yet to see this wave, but from the 12 non-playoff clubs, the list is already an impressive one. And while the world waits to hear from Brett Favre and his future with the Stallions, there are already headlines to be written as teams face retirements, some expected, some surprising. Here are the teams facing significant challenges with the retirements announced during the first days of the offseason: MEMPHIS: The Showboats were headed for rebuilding already, and that is assured after the announced retirements of starting HB Dorsey Levins, backup HB Aaron Stecker, CB Darrien Gordon, and LB Jim Schwantz. BALTIMORE: Retirements from WR Rob Moore and TE Jay Riemersma mean that Coach Coughlin will have to focus on offense this offseason, as much as he would rather be a defensive-minded coach. BIRMINGHAM: Replacing LT Richmond Webb will not be easy; he is a very likely first ballot HOF candidate. CB Torey James also announced his retirement, so corner becomes another area of need. TEXAS: The departures of QB Billy Joe Tolliver and LB Stephen Boyd are not major concerns, but this is a roster that needs an infusion of talent, and perhaps a rookie QB could be groomed to take over if their new Head Coach is not keen on Jeff Lewis. WASHINGTON: Scott Zolak retires after a long career that saw him as one of the most coveted #2 QBs in the league. He is joined by LB Bobby Hamilton, so expect Washington to prioritize linebacker this draft, and perhaps nab a new #2 in free agency. Others retiring this week include fullback Edgar Bennett (JAX), LB Lewis Bush (LV), and kicker Jeff Jaeger (PHI) Green, Rison, and Staley Opt for Free Agency We saw this coming, but this week it became official, three top offensive players for their clubs have declined final contract talks and are entering the free agent pool. WR Andre Rison and halfbacks Ahman Green and Duce Staley have all officially become free agents following the losses in the Wild Card round by Pittsburgh, Nashville, and Chicago. The Ahman Green departure is a huge blow for Nashville. The league’s rushing champion has been at the center of the Nashville offense for several years, but clearly issues between Green, largely surrounding his heavy workload, and head coach Jim Johnson, have caused friction, and it appears that the offer put forward by Nashville was not enough to overcome them. The Knights can still work to resign Green once the free agency period begins, but for now, until that window opens, there can be no communication. Duce Staley’s departure from Chicago is less of a panic situation as Staley had seen his carries and his role shift significantly with the arrival and development of rookie Michael Turner. By season’s end it was Turner getting the majority of the carries. Just as Staley had done with Ricky Watters years earlier, it appears that Chicago has once again phased in one back in preparation for the departure (or simply the aging) of another. We expect that there will be no small market for either Staley or Green, with several teams clearly hoping to reinvigorate their run games. Philadelphia seems a likely spot, especially considering the cap room the Stars have. New Orleans could be another, depending on what the Breakers opt to do with Ricky Williams assuming he is reinstated by the league. Both Michigan and Memphis have cap space and a need at HB, and we should not forget about Arizona either, as they found success with Stephen Davis, but he too may be considering retirement. As for Andre Rison, this is a bit of a shock as Pittsburgh was prepared to make him one of the highest paid receivers in the game. That could still happen, but now the Maulers will have to compete with any number of clubs for his talents. We could easily see Rison jumping at a big offer from one of the teams with high cap ceilings. Memphis is the most desperate to upgrade their receiving corps, but we should not discount the possibility that a team like Las Vegas or Texas taking a shot at a top wideout. After what we saw with the arrival of Chad Ochocinco in Boston, there are no shortage of teams hoping to reinvent their passing games by bringing in a bonafied #1 receiver. Others who join the marketplace from the four Wild Card losers include Center Jim Pyne, CB James Trapp, DT Darwin Walker, and CB Jimmy Hitchcock from Chicago; SS Sean Lumpkin, LB Chris Cowart, DT Mark Bouette, and TE David LaFleur from Denver; CB Steve Israel, DT Mark Bouette, and DE Chad Bradtske from Nashville, and DE Bob Kuberski, G Paul Zakauskas, LB Akin Ayodele, and WR Eddie Kennison from Pittsburgh. Chicago can ill afford losing two corners this offseason, so a resigning seems essential there, but, of course, they also don’t want to see Darwin Walker head elsewhere, so their priorities will be split. For Denve,r the biggest loss would be safety Sean Lumpkin, though we are expecting a good safety pool in free agency, so they may opt to go for a younger option at the position. In Nashville, HB has to be the priority, but if they can resign Steve Israel, it would be a good step towards retaining their defensive fortitude. Finally, the Maulers seem OK with most of the players walking away. They are looking to add youth on defense but losing their #1 and #3 receiver means they will have to focus on that position in every aspect of their offseason plan. As we look ahead to the Divisional Round, we see a bit of a disparity between teams that are missing quite a few significant players (like Boston or Ohio) and those who are in much better shape. Here is our quick recap of injuries that could impact each game. BOS: WR C. Wilson-Out, T J. Stinccomb-Doubtful, DE J. Babin-Doubtful, FS C Hall -Questionable, LB R. Pfifer-Questionable, DE G. Ellis-Questionable TBY: FS B. Scott-Out, DE J Copeland-Questionable Pass rush should be a challenge in this game as both teams are missing key edge rushers. If both Babin and Ellis are out for Boston they will almost certainly have to blitz to get to Culpepper. John Copeland’s absence is also a concern for the Tampa pass rush in a game where both offenses could have strong games. HOU: TE R. Krause-Out, QB M Hasselbeck-Out SEA: LB G. Miles-O, CB A. Harris-Doubtful Houston has already adapted to the Hasselbeck injury, and Krause was not a major factor in their offense, so we don’t see major impact here. The same cannot be said for Seattle, where Godfrey Miles and Al Harris were major factors in their defense. OHI: QB K. Collins-Doubtful, WR J. Galloway-Doubtful, T J. Wunsch-Questionable NJ: LB D. Thomas-Doubtful Not a lot of injuries in this game, but all three are huge for Ohio. There was hope that Collins and Galloway would be ready by the Divisional round, but that is looking more and more doubtful. Add to this the possible absence of tackle Jerry Wunsch and Ohio’s offense looks vulnerable, not something you want when facing Phil Hansen and Sean Ellis. NOR: LB D. Dotson-Out, HB T. Davis-Out, QB T. Dilfer-Out ARZ: TE M. Cushing-Out, G L. Knapp -Doubtful Being without Dotson and Troy Davis was not good for New Orleans, but Trent Dilfer going down again this week puts even more strain on the Breakers. Their run gam is down to their 3rd and 4th option, and a lot of pressure will be on rookie Eli Manning in this one. Atlanta to Seek Fan Input on Their Revived Identity Reebok and the Atlanta Fire expansion club are looking for your input as they put together the look that will return to the Peach City in March of 2006. The Club revealed two logos this week and introduced a contest that will allow fans to select the helmet design for the 2006 club. At a press conference held at the Georgia Dome, new home to the club, the Fire revealed their two primary logos for 2006. The first is a familiar one as the Fire will reinstate the flaming “A” logo and wordmark from their final season before the club moved to Boston. The navy, flame orange, and athletic gold logo features the letter A in navy with orange and gold flames rising from the lower right to the upper left. What is new is the secondary logo, a tribute not to fire, but to those who fight it. The secondary is a logo in the form of a firefighter’s shield, crossed by two axes, common tools of the trade. The shield contains a circular flame and a monogram “A”, and the logo, which is predominantly navy with orange features, is outlined in athletic gold. The contest begins this week, and will run through October, when the winning design will be revealed. There are three options to choose from and fans will have the final say as to the new gear to be worn by their club. The first design is again a return to the 2002 look. Called “The Old Flame” is the 2002 helmet with its navy shell and large flames from the front bumper to the rear crown. The second option is called “The “A” game. It too has a navy shell, but instead of full flames on the helmet it has the A logo, with its rising flames on either side. The helmet also has a navy facemask, and it has a 5-stripe center stripe with gold-navy-orange-navy-gold in thin stripes. The secondary logo appears at the base of the helmet, by the rear bumper. Finally, there is the most unique of the three, called “Bring the Heat”. This is an orange and gold shell, with an ombre effect that shifts from flame orange at the rear bumper slowly to athletic gold by the front bumper. The helmet has two thick navy stripes surrounding a thin stripe which has the ombre effect in reverse, from orange at the front bumper to gold at the rear. The facemask is navy, and it is the secondary shield and axes logo which adorns each side of the helmet. Three very different designs, three choices for Atlanta fans to choose from. You can see them all, and vote for your favorite at the “Atlanta Helmet Vote” page linked at the top of all our pages here at the USFL Lives. Washington uniforms revealed for 2005. Atlanta was not the only club to reveal uniform news this week. Washington delayed the announcement of their 2005 look until the season was over, perhaps concerned that the club needed to focus on 2004, and that with no option for a 2004 playoff reveal, the introduction of a new look could wait. So, what is different for the Feds in 2005? The primary logo remains the same, the stylized eagle in flight and depicted in Kelly green and black. The wordmark is the first big change as the Feds do away with their somewhat “futuristic” font and pull in an influence very familiar to us all, the font and style of U.S. currency, featuring a serifed font that has wide sections containing a thin striping of white and green. The design, intended to mirror the type of font we see depicted on U.S. currency, seems appropriate for a team so based in D.C. and named for the federal government. The second feature that is new to the look is a secondary logo again inspired by the federal government. The new Feds’ secondary is a rondel featuring the team name, the year of their inaugural season in Roman numerals, and an eagle with outstretched wings, holding a shield. The design is straight out of the Federal Agency style book and bears a remarkable resemblance to the logo of the recently formed Department of Homeland Security, a department created out of the aftermath of September 11th. The logo will be displayed on the jersey collar and the rear bumper of the helmet. The uniform follows suit with the new wordmark and secondary. Returning to a more traditional stripe pattern, repeated on the pants, jersey, and helmet we find two thin black stripes outlining a central green stripe. The new numeral font on the jerseys is another rendition of the lettering font in the new wordmark, again imitating the look of U.S. currency. The most unique feature of the uniform is the extension of the sleeve stripes across the chest and back. The uniform is unmistakably that of the Federals, but also unique and distinct from their past designs. Previewing the Divisional matchups, we have the 4 top seeds facing some lower seeds after this week’s upsets. Can these Cinderella stories pull off another big win on the road, or will the quality of the #1 and #2 seeds win out. #4 Boston Cannons (10-4) @ #1 Tampa Bay Bandits (12-2) Saturday, July 3rd @ 3pm ET Raymond James Stadium, Tampa This one could be a pure shootout, with both clubs dealing with injuries on the D-line. Culpepper and Bledsoe both have a bevvy of weapons to choose from, both have halfbacks who can bust any play wide open, and both have the ability to slice up zone coverage. Expect this one to come down to who turns mistakes by the opposition into big plays. Turnovers, poorly-timed mistakes, penalties, and simple miscues could determine this battle of divisional foes. Boston beat Tampa Bay in Boston 34-24 in Week 7, but Tampa Bay won the Week 14 game that decided the division. OUR PICK: We give Tampa the edge for two reasons, the first is simply the support of the home crowd, expected to cap out above 55,000, and the second is the stronger LB corps, with Kevin Mitchell, Zeke Moreno, and rookie Jonathan Vilma, Tampa can blitz to make up for Jonathan Copeland’s absence. We pick Tampa Bay 28-24. #5 Houston Gamblers (7-7) @ #2 Seattle Dragons (9-5) Saturday, July 3 @ 8pm ET Seattle Stadium, Seattle The matchup everyone is talking about is Seattle’s 3rd ranked scoring offense against Houston’s 6th ranked scoring defense, and particularly the Houston pass rush against Seattle’s line. But we think the real key is when the roles are reversed. Can Doug Flutie lead the fifth worst scoring offense of Houston to greater success against Seattle’s middle of the pack defense. Flutie is a veteran of many a playoff campaign, and he has some talent around him in pass-catching HB Kevin Faulk and wideouts Antonio Freeman, Koren Robinson, and Roy Williams. Seattle also has some talent on defense, with LBs Takeo Spikes, Barry Minter, and Piso Tinoisama, though they will clearly miss Godfrey Miles this week. OUR PICK: We know it defies all logic, but we are going to go with Houston as an upset pick. We think the pass rush can throw 2nd year QB Byron Leftwich off his game, and we are buying into the Flutie Magic hype. Houston 27 Seattle 20. #3 Ohio Glory (9-5) @ #2 New Jersey Generals (11-3) Sunday, July 4th @ 12pm Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ Nothing like two teams clad in red, white, and blue going at it on July 4th. And there should certainly be fireworks when these two clash. It is a shame that we won’t get to see the full Ohio offense in this one. Chris Redman is a solid backup, but he is no Kerry Collins. Without Collins or Galloway, a lot of pressure will be put on Eddie George to pull this one out somehow. Opposite them is a defense which is #2 in the league against the pass, but only middle of the rankings against the run. Is that enough for Ohio to pull this one out? OUR PICK: Put Collins and Galloway in the game, and we lean heavily to Ohio’s side, but without either of them, we have to favor the Generals. We think Phil Hansen will find his way into Chris Redman’s nightmares, and we see Tom Brady as more than capable of finding holes in Ohio’s somewhat pedestrian pass defense. We say New Jersey 27-21. #6 New Orleans Breakers (7-7) @ #1 Arizona Wranglers (10-4) Sunday, July 4th @ 7pm ET Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, AZ A special Sunday Night game, allowing the Wranglers to play in the slightly less scorching heat of 4pm local time. It will still be plenty hot on the field when the two teams kick off, a factor that certainly helps the home team. While the heat will certainly be a factor, we expect the bigger issue is the fact that this will be Eli Manning’s first start of professional playoff football. We are sure that some of the Ole Miss games in the SEC felt big, but this is certainly going to be higher pressure for Manning. OUR PICK: This is the most complete Wrangler team we have seen in a long time. Jake Plummer can still sling it or scramble to good effect. They have a run game with import Stephen Davis, and the defense has been one of the league’s best this year, allowing only 17 points a game. New Orleans only averaged 18.4 PPG all season, so they will be sorely challenged to score against the Wranglers and the heat. We go with Arizona, 19-13.

Week 14 is always high drama, and that certainly was the case this week, with 2 divisions up for grabs and 5 teams fighting for 4 playoff spots in the West. We had a head to head clash in Tampa Bay for the Southeastern Division Title, two games in the Central that would decide which of the 9-3 clubs in the division would take the #1 spot in that razor thin division race, and three clubs fighting over two Wild Card spots as New Orleans, Los Angeles, and Houston all watched the scoreboard to see if they were in or out. All this, plus, the inevitable fallout as two more coaches were let go and 2 more resigned within days of the end of the season. That is a lot to report on, so let’s not waste any time. All our games mattered this week, so here is the rundown of all 12 Games of the Week. Boston Cannons 24 Tampa Bay Bandits 28 It all came down to this, a head-to-head battle for the Southeast title and a potential #1 seed. The loser dropped to #4 as the top Wild Card. Boston had won the first matchup 34-24, but now they would play in the heat of a Florida midsummer. Both teams were relatively healthy (especially for Week 14) and all the big names were there. And the stars did what stars do. Tiki Barber averaged 4.7 yards a carry on hi sway to 103 for the day. Randy Moss would catch 7 balls for 167 yards and a score, while Chad Ochocinco would catch 5 for 127 and a score as well. The game was tied at 21 after three quarters, with both teams having mixed success slowing down the other’s explosive offense. Drew Bledsoe and the Cannons got the ball all the way to the Tampa Bay 7 yard line, but could not connect on a third and goal play with 4:59 left to play, so coach Fox settled for a field goal and a 3-point lead. That was a mistake. Tampa Bay got the ball back and Daunte Culpepper led the Bandits down the field, mixing a couple of Willis McGahee runs with short passes to TEs Bradford Banta and Jeremy Shockey. They got help from an offsides call on 3rd and 3, and then connected on a 20 yard pass to Karl Williams to put them on the 2. Boston bit on the run on first down and Culpepper found WR Kevin Johnson, who had only had 2 catches all game, on a corner fade, hitting him perfectly so that he fell out of bounds but his feet stayed in. The Bandits win 28-24, and they are both the Southeast Champ and the top seed in the East, only 1 year removed from a horrific 4-10 season. Chicago Machine 10 Pittsburgh Maulers 20 The duel between Chicago and Pittsburgh had the potential to determine another division winner, as both were counting on Ohio, without Joey Galloway or Kerry Collins, to struggle with Michigan (also without a star as Drew Brees sat this one out). The winner of this one could leap over Ohio and take the Central division crown. Chicago got the early lead as their Rookie of the Year candidate, Michael Turner, caught a 4-yard ocoring pass from Ray Lucas. Pittsburgh would answer in the 2nd quarter when Charlie Batch found former Indiana QB-turned-wideout Antwan Randle-El from 9 yards out. Chicago finished the half with a go-ahead field goal, but that would be their final points of the day as Pittsburgh made some adjustments on defense at halftime that shut down the Chicago offense. Staley and Turner, who had gained a combined 62 yards in the first half, would combine for only 26 in the second. The Machine would fail on 3 consecutive third downs to open the second half, and by the time they converted their next 3rd down, the score was already 20-10. Pittsburgh could have pulled away even further, but for a late pick by Charlie Batch that kept Chicago’s hopes alive, but Ray Lucas could not rally the troops and the Maulers finished the game at 10-4, hoping Michigan could help them claim the division with a win in Columbus. Michigan Panthers 17 Ohio Glory 19 The Panthers gave Ohio everything they had, but with the division title in range, the Glory rallied around backup QB Chris Redman, and Redman delivered, leading the Glory on two fourth quarter field goal drives to turn a 17-13 deficit into a 19-17 victory. Michigan tried to rally, but could not convert a 4th and 3 as time ran down, giving Ohio the win and the title of Central Division Champions once again. But, unlike in past years when the title came with a bye week, Ohio finished 3rd in the East this year, which means they will have to take on the #6 seed in the first round of the playoffs, likely without Collins or Galloway available. Birmingham Stallions 16 New Orleans Breakers 30 A win and they were in. That is the situation the Breakers had as they entered the game. They also had Trent Dilfer back under center, a week earlier than predicted, and still somewhat less than 100%, but in this game his best was good enough. Dilfer was helped out by a pick-six of Favre by Randall Gay, and 3 David Green field goals as the Breakers turned a 3-point halftime lead into a 14 point victory. The win clinched them a Wild Card, and gave them a shot at the division if Memphis could knock off Nashville. Memphis Showboats 21 Nashville Knights 27 Rivalry games can always go sideways, and the Knights were well aware that for a dispirited Showboat squad, a win in the final week against the team that had encroached on their territory would be a big victory for Memphis. The Knights came in focused and simply did not allow the Showboats to build momentum. After Memphis got a TD on their opening drive, Nashville rattled off 24 consecutive points to put the Showboats in a deep hole and force them to be one dimensional. Memphis fought back, but they would never take the lead again, and with the win the Knights clinched not only the Southern Division, but a home playoff game as well. Denver Gold 20 Houston Gamblers 24 Houston had one shot at making the playoffs. They had a home game against the Gold and they needed help. If either New Orleans or LA lost, they could steal that final playoff spot. The Breakers were in a tough fight with Birmingham when the Houston game began, but the Gamblers could not afford to focus on the scoreboard. They were stunned very early on when Doug Flutie went out with an ankle issue only 8 plays into the game. In came Kris Kershaw, and the underappreciated backup went the rest of the way. Houston got 115 yards from Kevin Faulk and rookie wideout Roy Williams came up big with a late TD to help the Gamblers snag the win away from a Denver team that had started several backups as preparation for the playoffs. Now all they needed was for Seattle to defeat the Express and Houston would be dancing. Los Angeles Express 24 Seattle Dragons 27 The Express, having seen both New Orleans and Houston win came into this game knowing that only a victory would allow them to play one more week. A loss and they were out of the playoffs at 6-8. Seattle had no desire to help the Express out, playing all their starters and doing their best to get a W and lock up a bye week. By the half Byron Leftwich had connected with both David Boston and O.J. McDuffie to build up a 17-14 lead. They opened the second half with a Corey Dillon TD run, and that 10-point lead would hold them up for the rest of the game. LA slowly fought back, getting as close as 24-17, and then 24-27 with just over a minute left, but when the onside kick did not find Express hands, the Dragons simply ran the clock out on LA’s playoff hopes, and made a lot of friends in south Texas by helping Houston qualify as a Wild Card. Arizona Wranglers 20 Texas Outlaws 17 The Wranglers had clinched the Southwest Division the week before, but a win in San Antonio and they would lock up the #1 seed, that bye week, and home field in steamy Tempe for the entire Western Playoffs. They got two early TDs from Jake Plummer and spent the second half feeding the ball to Stephen Davis and Dominic Rhodes, with the two racking up 111 combined yards. Texas tried to rally, getting a late Freddie Solomon TD, but three picks of Jeff Lewis kept the home team from pulling the upset. Arizona would be home cooking in the playoffs. New Jersey Generals 23 Philadelphia Stars 6 General-Star games are always a feisty affair, and this one was no exception. 17 combined penalties marred this game as the Stars tried to take out an entire season’s worth of frustration on New Jersey, but the Generals rose above it. They got 108 yards from HB Curtis Enis and avoided costly turnovers, helping them cruise to a comfortable win in a very uncomfortable environment in Lincoln Financial Field. The win locked up a bye for the boys from Jersey, a much needed rest after a bruising matchup with their biggest rival. Baltimore Blitz 12 Washington Federals 17 No playoffs on the line, but the winner could at least finish the season at 7-7 and say they did not have a losing season. In a game where neither club would see their starting QB on the field it was Shaun Hill for Washington against Jon Kitna for the Feds. Baltimore pushed the run game, with Ron Dayne finishing the year strong with 122 yards on 18 carries. Washington threw the ball more, with Kitna throwing 2 TD passes. With Baltimore unable to reach the endzone, Martin Grammatica’s kicks fell short as Washington won for pride. Oakland Invaders 20 Las Vegas Thunder 29 Las Vegas, under interim head coach Cam Cameron, showed they had a little fire left at the end of a long and unpleasant season. Sacking Trent Green 4 times and picking him off once, Las Vegas built up a 29-14 lead and held on to win. Akili Smith was back under center after the injury to Aaron Brooks last week. A free agent at the end of the week. Smith showed some talent and perhaps caught the eye of a team in the market for an athletic dual-threat QB. Black Monday The tradition of post-season firings and shakeups continued this year. Actually, it got off to a bit of an early start, as we have seen for several years now, when Joe Vitt was let go as the Head Coach in Las Vegas after a Week 13 shellacking from the Seattle Dragons. After Week 14’s season concluding action, two more coaches were provided with a pink slip as both Chan Gailey in Texas and Jim Mora Jr. in Philadelphia had too many notches in the loss column for ownership’s taste. In Jacksonville, the Bulls let Gunther Cunningham call the shots, so officially his departure is a resignation and not a firing, but it seems pretty obvious the pressure was there. And then, two days later, George O’Leary, longtime coach of the Renegades, with whom he won a title only 3 seasons back, also stepped down. O’Leary’s situation is an interesting one. The club has been in decline ever since their league title, but it did not appear that ownership was pressing O’Leary to give up command. He stepped down, but in so doing he arranged for his successor. At the same press conference where O’Leary announced that he was stepping away from the game (at least temporarily) it was announced that Renegade defensive coordinator Emmitt Thomas, former head coach in Pittsburgh, would assume the mantle for the Renegades. So, Orlando loses a league title coach but has his replacement in house as the club continues to rebuild after another rough season. The same is not true in Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Texas and Jacksonville, where the search for a new Head Coach, and a new direction begin in earnest. Will this be a year where these USFL clubs jump on a current coordinator right away, perhaps sign an out-of-work former head coach, or will we see a club wait through the 2004 NFL fall season and then sign a coach just as camp opens? Every year is a bit of a crap shoot, so we shall see what happens over the next 5 months. Who’s to say, we may even see one of the men now out of a position get an immediate shot at a new position. Free Agency Some real surprises among the free agents whose contracts expired after Week 14. While some of the bigger names still have time to sign as they enter the postseason, there was no shortage of quality players who saw their ties to their current teams dissolve when the final whistle blew on Week 14. Some big names remained unsigned and can now play the field, or even jump to the NFL if the whim strikes. Among the bigger names now awaiting the official start of Free Agency we find playmakers like Texas WR Carl Pickens, Baltimore WR J.J. Stokes, and Philadelphia’s Bobby Engram. Texas could lose another contributor on offense as HB Brian Westbrook was not re-upped by the week’s end. But perhaps the biggest surprise of all the offensive skill players was Philadelphia QB Brian Griese. Other starters were somewhat expected to be allowed to test the market. Players like Akili Smith, Jeff Garcia, Marques Tuiasosopo or Rick Mirer were expected cap cuts, but Griese started all 14 games for the Stars and was among the Top 10 QBs in the league. We saw that Philadelphia was going to bring in a new Head Coach, and it also appears very likely that they will be looking for a new starter at QB as well. Other offensive players released included Birmingham center Mike Flanigan, LA fullback Shawn Bryson, Michigan fullback Zach Crockett, guard Tuten Reyes of Washington, and TE Fred Baxter of the Stallions. On the defensive side, perhaps the biggest departure was that of CB Ryan McNeill from Orlando, though some may argue that LA defensive tackle Norman Hand was a bigger loss. And what about the Panthers, who allowed both Greg Biekert and Ted Johnson go free from their LB corps. That is going to be a very different defensive lineup for Coach LeBeau next year. Of course, there are 10 teams who have at least one more week to get signatures on contracts, but at this late stage the lure of becoming a free agent could lead several players to reject any late contract talks and take their chances with the free market as soon as the playoffs end. Among the big name players still unsigned, we have to highlight league rushing champion Ahman Green, who simply turned away pitch after pitch from the Knights. Joining Green as a potential free agent are huge talents on the D-Line, as veterans Phil Hansen and Michael Sinclair both remain unsigned. Denver LB Chris Cowart is in this pool, as is CB James Trapp of Chicago, DT Darwin Walker in Chicago, SS JeRod Cherry in Arizona, and SS Sean Lumpkin of the Gold. Other offensive players to watch as the playoffs continue include WR Andre Rison in Pittsburgh, Robert Ferguson, who had a breakout year with Ohio but could seek a huge free agent contract. What about Duce Staley in Chicago? With Michael Turner cutting into his carries, will he ply the free agent sea? There are more names, of course, like QB Todd Boumann in New Jersey or C Jim Pyne in Chicago, and we expect some to sign before next week or whenever their team departs the playoffs, but any number of these mega-stars could be looking to cash in or cash out of the USFL and head to the fall. We will know soon enough. Rookie Standouts of 2004 Every year it seems we debate which rookies took their college game to the next level as first year pros. This year we identify 7 players who have turned heads in their first seasons of pro ball, starting on the offensive side. Only 1 rookie QB became a team starter, Big Ben Roethlisberger in Baltimore took over under center almost immediately and had some big games. He missed some action with minor injuries, but finished the year with 2300 yards passing, 19 TDs to 12 picks, and a rating of 87.7. Not bad for a rookie QB. Of the halfbacks in the class of 2004, it was Michael Turner, and not top pick Chris Perry, who put up the best numbers. Turner finished with 759 yards (15 more than teammate Duce Staley on 1 additional carry), while Perry, the primary back in Michigan, finished with only 519. Turner also excelled in the passing game, catching 14 balls for 169 yards. Of the receivers in this past year’s draft, we have to highlight two who made an immediate impact. The first was Larry Fitzgerald, who finds himself on the top seed Wranglers, gearing up for the divisional playoffs. The Pitt prospect finished with 56 catches for 692 yards and 5 TDs, trailing only Santana Moss on the Wranglers. The other is Roy Williams, the Texas product who stayed close to home with the Houston Gamblers. He too will be experiencing his first USFL postseason after finishing the year with 29 catches for 388 yards and 3 scores. On defense the big hubbub was about Sean Taylor signing with Pittsburgh, where he would finish 4th on the team with 66 tackles. Perhaps a bigger impact was made by Arizona’s top defensive find, LB Karlos Dansby, who finished the year with 58 tackles, 4 sacks and a pick. But the biggest impact was that of Tampa Bay’s rookie LB Jonathan Vilma, who racked up 74 tackles with the Bandits, while also securing 2 sacks, a pick, a safety, and a forced fumble. Not bad for these new pros. And while others may not have had breakout seasons as rookies, several flashed talent that may blossom in 2005, or even in this year’s playoffs, including QB Eli Manning (New Orleans), DE Jason Babin (Boston), LA defensive end Keneche Udeze, Memphis WR Lee Evans, and New Jersey LB Dontarrious Thomas. The Ol’ Ball Coach Brings Bandit Ball Back. With the best record in the league, a revived offensive swagger, and a pretty solid defense to boot, Steve Spurrier’s return to Tampa can only be called a complete triumph. Reminding fans who remember this far back of the 1983 squad that won the league’s first title game, the 2004 Bandits were brash and bold. They made big moves, like signing Daunte Culpepper away from the NFL, and those moves turned this 4-10 team into a 12-2 juggernaut. We saw a whole new culture forming in Tampa Bay this year, a culture willing to take risks, to go for the big play, and to hold each other accountable game in and game out. Coach Spurrier is a shoe in for Coach of the Year, returning to the team that already won him a spot in the USFL Hall of Fame. He could do even more in this triumphant tour if his Bandits can win the title in his first year. After leaving the USFL for the NFL and then the U. of Florida, Spurrier was never forgotten by Bandit fans, and their love for him helped bring him back to town to once again lead the club he helped design so many years ago. While John Bassett is not here to see how Spurrier has revived the Bandits, minority owner Burt Reynolds has been a vocal supporter of Spurrier, and is often seen at games, with that famous wry smile poking out from behind his big moustache. It is a good time to be a Bandit fan these days, just like the good ol’ days with the Ol’ Ball Coach. It took 14 weeks, but we now know the 12 teams that will compete in this year’s postseason, and we know who will be clashing with whom as we enter Wild Card Weekend. In the East the 6 teams were already known, but this week we learned that it will indeed be the Tampa Bay Bandits holding home field throughout the playoffs as their impressive 12-2 season leaves them as the conference’s top seed. New Jersey wins the other bye this weekend as the #2 seed. Ohio holds off Pittsburgh, thanks to a tiebreaker, to claim the final Division title and the right to host the #6 seed next week. Meanwhile Boston enters the postseason for the first time in franchise history, sitting at #4 and hosting the Pittsburgh Maulers in next week’s playoffs. Chicago finishes 6th, which means they get a visit to Ohio as their prize, but an Ohio squad that could still be without Kerry Collins or Joey Galloway. In the West, Arizona wrapped up the top seed with their win over Texas. They will take a week to rest and plan, as will Seattle, the other division winner to earn a bye for the Wild Card weekend. This marks the first time the Dragons have won the division, and now they get to scout out potential foes in the Wild Card round. Playing in this round are the Nashville Knights, winners of the Southern Division. They will be home against the #6 seeded Houston Gamblers. Will they face Doug Flutie or will Kris Kershaw get the start? The other matchup pits two Wild Card teams as the Denver Gold, having rested their starters in Week 14, will now get the New Orleans Breakers, who got Trent Dilfer back under center after only a 1 week hiatus. In case you were wondering what the sports books in Vegas think of this year’s playoffs, it is easy to see that they believe that the recent Eastern Conference dominance will continue. The East has won 6 of the last 7 titles, and Las Vegas is favoring Eastern teams quite heavily. Here are the odds to win it all this year, with Ohio dropping from a 4-1 frontrunner down to a 7-1 choice after the Collins injury. Tampa Bay 5-3 Pittsburgh 11-1 Boston 5-2 Denver 14-1 New Jersey 3-1 Chicago 16-1 Arizona 5-1 Nashville 20-1 Ohio 7-1 New Orleans 25-1 Seattle 9-1 Houston 35-1 We look ahead to our 4 Wild Card games and wonder who might just be conspicuous in their absence. Injuries can dramatically change a team’s prospects this time of year. That seems to be the case with our first eastern matchup, in which Chicago is only a 2-point underdog going into Ohio, thanks in large part to the injury report. CHI: T Marcus Spears (IR), CB James Trapp (Out), LB Tommy Polley (Ques) QB Jeff George (Prob), FS George Teague (Prob), DT Ted Washington (Prob) OHI T Jerry Wunsch (IR), QB Kerry Collins (Doubt), WR Joey Galloway (Doubt), LB Clint Kriewaldt (Doubt), DT Gabe Wilkins (Quest), DE Carl Powell (Prob) PIT G Rod Milstead (Out), LB Nick Koutavides (Prob) BOS DE Jason Babin (Out), LB Roman Pfifer (Out), T Jon Stinchcomb (Out), WR Cedric Wilson (Out), DE Greg Ellis (Doubt) HOU QB Matt Hasselbeck (IR), TE Ryan Krause (Out) NSH LB Hunter Hillenmeyer (Out), WR Derrick Mason (Out), DT Kris Jenkins (Doubt) DEN LB Dat Nguyen (Doubt), LB Alsherwood Singleton (Doubt), HB Rod Smart (Quest) SS Sean Lumpkin (Quest), QB Eric Wilhelm (Prob) NOR LB DeWayne Dotson (Out), HB Troy Davis (Out), QB Trent Dilfer (Quest), CB Ahmed Plummer (Prob) With the regular season coming to a close and 12 teams already turning to the offseason, it seems a good time to look ahead, even with the playoffs before us, and think about who may find themselves as a buyer in this year’s free agent period, and who may well end up having to trade away or simply release some talent to abide by the USFL’s salary cap. The cap was announced last month as having a more modest increase last year, up from $60M to only $62M, largely due to the reduced financial support that came with a reduction from 16 regular season games to 14. There is talk in the league that in 2006, with expansion up to 26 franchises and 28 on the way in 2008, that the league may well return to its original 16-game schedule, but for 2005 the impact of the league’s finances mean that there are clubs that are already well over the cap limit for next year, clubs that will have to find ways to reduce costs, either by restructuring contracts, or by releasing expensive players. That could be a boon for other clubs that have money to spare. We reviewed the financial releases of all 24 USFL clubs, and found the top and bottom 8 clubs when it comes to cap room. Not surprisingly, many of the clubs who will go over cap are those currently involved in the postseason, while many who are struggling now find themselves in a good position to acquire talent. Here, in brief, is where each of these 8 buyer and 8 seller clubs lie. Top 8 Teams with Strong Cap Room Texas--$13.96M Under the Cap. The Outlaws have money to burn, helped by Carl Perkins’s free agency status. This could make them one of the biggest buyers in the free agency pool. Pair that with a top draft pick and they could go a long way to rebuilding a competitive roster. Philadelphia: $13.17M Under the Cap. The Stars also find themselves with plenty of cap room, largely because Brian Griese’s contract has ended. But since they need both a QB and possibly a starting HB as well, they could spend that surplus quickly. Denver: $11.52M Under the Cap. No one is shocked to find the Gold on this list. They have made a killing over the years by producing winning teams with a low roster budget. We are honestly surprised when they actually splurge on a big free agent, which is rare. Arizona: $10.65M Under the Cap. This is a good sign for Wrangler fans. They are top seed in the West and they have money to get better next year. They are going to have to work on resigning Jake Plummer, which will cost a bit, but by building through the draft (Moss, Fitzgerald, Dansby) they have avoided the high price of free agents. Memphis: $9.11M Under the Cap. Memphis may be on the verge of a rebuild, and that does not usually come cheap. Good thing they have some wiggle room because they need to upgrade their receivers, their halfback position, and a big chunk of the D. Washington: $8.12M Under the Cap. Washington has room to make some upgrades, but since they are set at QB, HB, and #1 WR, they could focus on the O-line and still have money to spare. New Orleans: $4.45M Under the Cap. They were in much better shape before resigning Trent Dilfer, which still confuses us when we see how much they spent to sign Eli Manning. The good news for New Orleans is that they saved money on the Ricky Williams deal, and could cut him loose to open up even more money. Michigan: $1.65M Under the Cap. Michigan likely wishes they had more cap room, and they may get that if they can rework a few more contracts, but this may explain why they are letting two starting LBs go. It will free up room to bring in more young talent. Eight Teams That Most Need to Cut Cap. Seattle: $9.48M over the Cap. Seattle invested in the present, and they will pay in the future. That seems to be the case to be sure, but the future is coming up quickly. They can rework a few contracts to get under the cap, but they are unlikely to be able to sign an big free agents this offseason. New Jersey: $6.55M Over the Cap The Generals are hoping that they can free up some space, and they do have some older, more expensive veterans sitting on their bench. That may bring about a bit of a purge as they try to free up space for the rookie class. Boston: $5.76M Over the Cap. Boston went all in to sign Chad Ochocinco last year, and that certainly paid off, but now they have to wonder where they are going to find cap room for this year. One possible solution is to rework Drew Bledsoe’s deal. An extension could spread out his cap hit over a couple more seasons. Chicago: $4.44M Over the Cap. Chicago will gain some ground when the departure of Duce Staley hits the books, as he was one of their most expensive players, but resigning Curtis Conway and adding Donald Driver from Orlando put them in a bit of a bind for this offseason. Jacksonville: $3.75M Over the Cap. The Bulls roster hardly seems to have the quality to merit being over the cap limit, but that is where they are. The Bulls need to rework quite a few contracts for players who just have not lived up to the cost. If they can do that, they will be fine. Pittsburgh: $2.14M Over the Cap. Another team who will likely pop under the cap thanks to one big move, allowing Andre Rison to go into free agency. The problem is, if they don’t resign him they benefit with some cap room, but how do they replace him on the field? Tampa Bay: $2.06M Over the Cap. Yup, that is mostly Daunte Culpepper money. But how do you judge them harshly for that when you see the results. A decent bit of money management, restructuring, and perpaps 1-2 free agency departures and the Bandits will be back under the limit. Houston: $1.04M Over the Cap. Being $1M over the cap is really not much of an issue for a USFL club. They can get back in compliance without too much cutting, and they really don’t have any huge deals to restructure. Assuming that the band-aid that was the Doug Flutie contract does not lead to a 2nd year for the 40-year old, that alone could help Houston get back in the black. So much to say about these four games. So many stories, so many hopes. Let’s just get to it. #5 Pittsburgh (10-4) @ #4 Boston (10-4) Saturday, June 26 @ 3pm ET Alumni Stadium, Boston Two very evenly matched teams record-wise, but two very different teams style-wise. Boston comes in with the league’s top scoring offense, averaging 33.6 PPG, while Pittsburgh lives through ball control and defense, giving up only 20.1 points per game. The Maulers love to run the ball with Terrell Davis and Kenny Bynum, second in the league at 124 yards per game. Boston can run too (110 per game) but it is their passing attack with Bledsoe to Ochocinco that has made them special this year, averaging aleague best 298 yards per game, practically a 300-yard average. OUR PICK: We like the grit of the Maulers, but we think that Boston is going to be a lot to handle. We pick Boston to take this one 24-17. #6 Houston (7-7) @ #3 Nashville (8-6) Saturday, June 26 @ 7pm ET Adelphia Stadium, Nashville The fact that Houston is even here is a bit of a surprise. They average only 18 points per game on offense, and they have been without Matt Hasselbeck for the entire second half of the season. It looks like they might start 40-year old Doug Flutie, picked up only a little over a month ago after a 2-year hiatus. The reason Houston are here is that defense, 4th in the league with 49 sacks. As for Nashville, they are here for one reason, they can run the ball. Ahman Green has yet to resign with the club, and this could be his last game for the Knights, an absolute travesty if Nashville cannot sign him. Green can take over the game, and make life much easier for Todd Collins, because Houston cannot go all out on the pass rush if they have to worry about Green. OUR PICK: We think Nashville’s strength feeds well into some issues for Houston’s defense. If the Gamblers cannot get a fierce pass rush going, they are far less effective. Do we think Flutie could pull out some magic? Maybe, but we tend to look at who has better odds, without counting on magic, so we are going with the Knights to pull this out, 19-16. #6 Chicago (9-5) @ #3 Ohio (10-4) Sunday, June 27 @ 12pm ET Ohio Stadium, Columbus This game is all about the quarterbacks. Jeff George is scheduled to make the start, his first since his injury, while Kerry Collins cannot go in this one. That is a huge swing from what we might have expected earlier this season. Without Collins (or Galloway for that matter), the Glory are just not the same team that has consistently frustrated the Chicago Machine. This is Chicago’s chance to rise up, take it to the Glory, and knock their plans to threepeat to the curb. Of course, this assumes that Jeff George is truly ready to go and is not rushing back just to try to beat Ohio. OUR PICK: We think Ohio is in real trouble in this one. Chicago’s defense can be brutal, and it is an aggression that Ohio QB Chris Redman has just not seen before. It’s only a slight upset because Vegas is also concerned about Ohio, but we will go with the upset and pick Chicago to win this one 20-13. #5 New Orleans (7-7) @ #4 Denver (8-6) Sunday, June 27 @ 4pm ET Invesco Field at Mile High, Denver Trent Dilfer is able to play, and New Orleans will go with the vet, but going into Denver and snagging a win is not an easy feat. The Gold have one of the best defenses in the league yet again, ranked 4th in scoring and 3rd against the pass. They also know how to control the clock, third in the league with 115.8 yards per game on the ground and a short passing game that keeps the ball in their hands. New Orleans is without Ricky Williams (suspended) and Troy Davis (injured), so they are relying on Olandis Gary, Troy Hambrick, and Amos Zeroue to split carries. Averaging barely 80 yards per game on the ground, this will be up to Trent Dilfer to pull out with big plays in the passing game. OUR PICK: We are just not sure how prepared Dilfer will be for the Denver defense, their pass rush, or the conditions at altitude. It is just so much easier for Denver to prepare for what New Orleans can do than for the Breakers to prepare for Denver, so we give the nod to the Gold, 24-18.

Playoff Picture: This week's final games clinched division titles for Tampa Bay, Ohio, and Nashville. It also locked in the final Wild Card positions in the West, with Los Angeles's loss making them the odd man out. Here are the seeding, with the Top 2 seeds in each conference getting a bye and the Wild Card weekend setting up matches between the #3 v. #6 and #4 v. #5 seeds. EAST: 1-TBY 2-NJ 3-OHIO 4-BOS 5-PIT 6-CHI WEST: 1-ARZ 2-SEA 3-NSH 4-DEN 5-NOR 6-HOU This is Boston's first playoff appearance since joining the league as the Atlanta Fire in 1995 and Seattle's first division title since joining the league that same year.

A big week for playoff positioning, including two division titles claimed, and a lot of shuffling around the middle of the pack. Doug Flutie gets a W in his first start in 2 years and New Jersey delivers a blow to a very weakened Ohio Glory squad. But, with Chicago and Pittsburgh both upset this week, no team steps forward in the Central. And we have our first firing of the season as a truly bad showing by the Thunder ends the Joe Vitt experiment in Las Vegas. It all starts with the big games of the week, not one but 3 of them. DENVER GOLD 7 ARIZONA WRANGLERS 17 The Battle for the Southwestern Division came down to this showdown in the desert, a game that would be decided by the defenses as both clubs did their best to shut down the top weapons of their opponents. Arizona came out on top by pushing 8 and sometimes 9 men into the box to shut down the Denver run game, holding the Gold to a paltry 40 yards rushing on the day. And yet, Coach Jauron kept pushing the run, with Smart, Holcomb, and Heath Evans combining for 36 carries in what seemed an act of futility that even had the announces questioning whether Mark Brunell had an undisclosed injury. Arizona had a more balanced attack, with Plummer throwing for 238 yards and 2 scores while Stephen Davis averaged 5.3 YPC on his way to 95 yards on the day. Plummer connected with rookie Larry Fitzgerald in the third for a score that gave Arizona a 17-0 lead, and despite a late Denver TD to get on the scoreboard, the game was clearly in the hands of the Wranglers, who claim the Division Title and jump up to the #1 seed in the Western Conference with the win. In Coach Jim Fassel’s first year at the helm, the combination of a balanced offense and an aggressive defense has proven to be effective for the Wranglers, who lock up their first division title since the 1995 season, 10 years ago. NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS 17 NASHVILLE KNIGHTS 13 Down 2 games to the Knights, New Orleans knew this game was an absolute must-win. They also knew that their offense would be in the hands of rookie Eli Manning as Trent Dilfer was out with a shoulder injury. Manning was a top prospect out of Ole Miss, but still had only seen limited action this season. So the defense would need to come up big, the O-line would have to handle the aggressive Nashville front 7, and the run game would have to help out. Two of those three came to fruition as Manning was sacked only once and the defense held the Knights to 13 points despite a solid 107-yard day from Ahman Green. The run game did not come through for the Breakers, however, as Gary and Zeroue (with Troy Davis injured) were limited to only 58 yards combined. And so, down 3 in the fourth quarter, it would be up to Manning to rally the troops and get a comeback score. He did just that, leading a final drive that took only 1:27 and went 81 yards for a score in the game’s final minute. Manning crushed the Nashville fans by escaping a sack on a 3rd and 11 and hitting Josh Reed for a 16-yard game to keep the drive alive. Three plays later he found HB Olandis Gary on a swing route that went for the final 10 yards to paydirt, giving the Breakers a 17-13 victory and keeping their playoff hopes alive. Now, as we will discuss later, the question becomes what New Orleans should do in Week 14 with a starting QB who won’t be at 100% and a rookie who has shown the capacity to lead. NEW JERSEY GENERALS 27 OHIO GLORY 7 Our third big game of the week was an interdivisional clash between the Generals and the two-time defending league champion Ohio Glory. The storyline we expected to be at the center of this game was whether or not Tom Brady and the Generals’ offense could keep pace with Kerry Collins and the Glory, but the story we got was very different and very concerning for the Glory. The game changed tenor completely on Ohio’s first possession, when Kerry Collins was forced out of the pocket by Phil Hansen, scrambled out of bounds, and then fell awkwardly against one of the Glory benches. He came up holding his throwing hand at an awkward angle, and went straight to the trainers. The good news was that it appeared to be only a sprained wrist, but Collins was done for the day (and perhaps the next 1-2 weeks as well). With Collins out for the game, the storyline quickly shifted to Chris Redman and the aggression of the New Jersey defense. The Generals showed no mercy, recording 7 sacks on the day, including 3 from Hansen, and the Ohio offense simply was unable to sustain drives. Eddie George did what he could, rushing for 79 yards against stacked defenses, but it simply did not put points on the board. Meanwhile, Tom Brady led two early TD drives, both ending with TD passes to Donald Hayes, and when Curtis Enis ran in a third score the outcome was well in hand for the visiting Generals. The loss was not a complete collapse for Ohio, as they knew before gametime that both Pittsburgh and Chicago had lost their afternoon games, but it meant that the Central Division remains a 3-way tie with 1 week left to play. CHI 19 JAX 20 Before Ohio’s loss, Chicago was the first of the Central teams to falter, coming up just short in Jacksonville against a Bulls team that played hard despite being out of playoff contention. Chicago held a 19-10 lead at one point, but the defense faltered in the 4th quarter and Jake Delhomme hit Javon Walker with a 21-yard TD to pull back to within 2, and then led the Bulls on a frantic final drive that finished with a Kris Brown game winning kick with 13 seconds left on the clock. BAL 42 PIT 14 The Maulers, unaware of what was happening in Jacksonville, had their own issues at home. Playing another team with nothing to lose, the Maulers came out flat, and got flattened. Ron Dayne manhandled the Mauler defense, rushing for 184 yards on 27 carries and picking up 2 TDs along the way. Ben Roethlisberger was shaken up early so it was Shaun Hill who led the Blitz, and clearly Pittsburgh was not ready for the change in styles as Hill threw for 3 TDs against a Mauler defense that simply looked unprepared. PHI 27 TBY 31 The Stars gave Tampa Bay a run for their money, taking the lead with 2:00 left to play, but Daunte Culpepper led a final drive to victory and connected with Chris Doering for the winning score in the final minute of play. Randy Moss had a huge game for the Bandits as well, catching 5 balls for 131 yards and 2 scores, while Larry Johnson found room to run for Philly, rushing for 84 yards on 18 carries. MGN 10 BOS 41 Boston kept pace with Tampa Bay, setting up a Week 14 showdown, as the Cannons had no trouble with backup Panther QB Rick Mirer, picking off the former Golden Domer 3 times on their way to a blowout victory. Chad Ochocinco had 184 yards receiving and 2 TDs as he made his case for MVP. The game was so lopsided that Drew Bledsoe was able to hit the showers after only 3 quarters. TEX 22 HOU 27 Doug Flutie did not need to produce any magic in this game as Houston built up a 27-13 lead through 3 quarters, including 2 pick-six TDs from the defense, one each from CB Shaun Springs and FS Leomont Evans. The defense was tested late, with two 4th quarter scores from the Outlaws, but they held on the final possession and forced a turnover on downs to preserve the win, and the playoff hopes for the Gamblers. SEA 55 LV 7 It seems safe to say that the season for the Thunder is over early, as they barely showed up in this one. Las Vegas was outgained 451-125 in just a pathetic showing on both sides of the ball. It was 32-0 at the half, and Jeff Garcia played a good part of the second half as Seattle tried not to pile it on, but the Thunder had nothing in the tank. No surprise that after a game like this ownership decided the time was now to end the Joe Vitt era with the Thunder, firing the former interim head coach the day after the game. OAK 10 LA 27 With both clubs facing elimination from a possible Wild Card, the Express and Invaders battled it out in a very entertaining game. Trent Green threw two costly picks in a game that was much closer than the score indicates. The star of the day was DeShaun Foster, who rushed for 135 and the key 3rd quarter score that put the game out of reach for Oakland. Aeneas Williams added a late TD on a desperation pass from Trent Green that became a pick six as LA kept themselves alive for a playoff spot and sent Oakland to a 4-9 record. MEM 29 BIR 34 Amazing how a rivalry game can turn two also-rans with nothing to play for into two fierce competitors. This game was a wild one to watch as both teams treated this as their Summer Bowl for the year. Brett Favre threw 3 TDs and Heath Shuler matched him with 3 of his own. The game looked like a Memphis win when Shuler hit Adrian Cooper with a go-ahead TD with only 1:52 left in the game, giving Memphis a 29-28 lead, but Ramos McDonald electrified the Birmingham crowd as he took the ensuing kickoff 96 yards for the game winner as the Stallions stunned the Showboats. WSH 10 ORL 33 Jon Kitna struggled in relief of Kordell Stewart, throwing 3 picks, including a Fernando Bryant Pick-6 as Washington just looked spent against an Orlando squad that was still very much engaged in trying to win. Orlando forced 4 Washington turnovers in a game that was an exercise in futility for the Federals. When QB Jeff Blake busted out a 66-yard touchdown on a bootleg run, you knew that the Feds were not at their best. Collins Goes Down The story of the week was and is the injury to 3-time league MVP Kerry Collins early in the game against New Jersey. Forced from the pocket by Phil Hansen, Collins scrambled for a 1-yard gain, but fell awkwardly out of bounds and hit his throwing hand on the bench as he fell to the ground. This fluke accident immediately produced concern and Collins sought attention from the training staff. The replay showed his hand bending backwards unnaturally, and many feared a broken wrist was the result. The x-rays came back negative, but the strain on his wrist is likely to cost Collins at least 1-2 weeks of recovery. Why does that matter so much? Two reasons. The first is that it was clear that with Chris Redman at the helm, at least in a week where he had few snaps in practice, the Ohio offense is not what it is with Collins at the helm. The second is that with Ohio in a 3-way tie for first place, a loss in Week 14 could mean that the Glory are demoted to a Wild Card team, and that means playing in 2 weeks in a playoff game where Collins may not yet be able to return. This is a potentially fatal blow to Ohio’s drive to threepeat. The Glory are at home against Michigan next week and a win is essential to their hopes of getting a bye and giving Collins time to heal and return for their first playoff game. The Panthers at 4-9 are out of playoff contention, but could see this as a chance to play spoiler and make life a lot more difficult for a division rival. It turns what was expected to be a throwaway game in the season finale into a much tougher matchup and one with very serious potential consequences for the two-time defending league champion. Favre to Retire? The rumblings that Brett Favre was unhappy in Birmingham, and was seeking a potential way out of his contract, which still has two years on it, may have taken a turn this week, as in a post-game interview Favre was asked about his future with the team, and his answer seemed to point to the idea that he would consider retirement after next week’s game. Retirement would be an avenue to void the remaining years of his contract. The terms of USFL contracts allow for retirement at any time, but with the requirement that if the player were to return to a USFL team within 1 year of the announced retirement, the team that held the original contract was to be compensated for the break of contract. What does that mean? It means that if Favre were to retire from the Stallions, he could not join another USFL team in 2005 without being forced to pay back the Stallions his 2004 salary. That is a big hit for any player. So, what does this mean for Favre? If he goes this route it means that Favre would have three possible paths forward. First, he could retire and simply not play any longer. He is 36 years old, and has taken his fair share of hits and sacks over his career, so this is certainly within the realm of the possible. But, Favre has seemed less interested in stepping away from the game than in finding a new home. So, if he wants to play more football he has two options before him. He can either sit out the entire 2005 season so that he is able to return to action with a new team, or he could, as a retired USFL player, be signed by an NFL team during the NFL-USFL transfer window. The clause about contract violation by using retirement as an out only applies to USFL clubs, so a transfer to the NFL could allow him to play in 2005 and put himself in an entirely different situation without any financial penalty. Certainly there are NFL clubs that would gladly sign one of the greatest QBs in the history of the USFL to a deal, even at 36 years of age. This is a very possible scenario moving forward, and it seems the Stallions have little recourse to do anything about it. Vitt Dismissed With 1 Game Left Losing 55-7 is never a good look for a coach, but it is fatal for a coach clinging to his position in a very bad season for his team. The Thunder looked utterly unprepared and unmotivated to play this week against a division rival, and their lack of energy and engagement was more than Phil Ruffin and the Las Vegas ownership could stand. With only 1 week left in the regular season, Vitt was relieved of duties on Monday and OC Cam Cameron was appointed the 1-game interim coach. The Thunder have had a rough first season in the desert. After a contentious departure from Portland following the ownership collapse and scandal related to principal owner Bernard Ebbers, the Thunder quickly tried to relocate their offices and operations to Las Vegas. Their attempt to install 11,000 temporary seats/bleachers in Sam Boyd Stadium came across several roadblocks, which meant that their first 5 home games were played in a stadium with only a 30,000 seat capacity. They eventually were cleared to install the temporary bleachers, but by that point in the season the fanbase had become jaded already and the team was unable to attract more than 30,000 to games, though, admittedly the cheaper bleacher seats added to the stadium became the popular seats of choice for the Thunder fans who did show up. Add to this the poor play on the field, and the Thunder did not get off to the kind of grand opening that could make them a big ticket item in a city with a lot of options for entertainment. Struggling to score, the team benched starting QB Akili Smith midseason, but backup and former NFL starter Aaron Brooks has not turned things around either. The offense is ranked 23rd in the league, averaging just over 14 points per game, and the defense is no better, also ranked 23rd, and giving up nearly 26 points per game, a 12 point margin not in the Thunder’s favor. So, a coaching search will begin in earnest. Expect the GM position to also be one that undergoes a shift as Las Vegas is looking at a roster in need of a major talent infusion. The question before the Thunder at this point is just how deep the cuts will go. The roster has few big names that merit retention, so moving players to get picks, or to get new players at key positions, could be a major part of the offseason. With questions all across the defense as well was at both HB and QB, the 2005 Thunder could be a very different squad from what we have seen this season. But, that all starts with a new head coach, so that is where the focus must be at this point. Breakers QB Situation in Flux? That is the question in New Orleans. With Trent Dilfer hurt, Eli Manning got the chance to start, and will likely start in Week 14 as well. If he leads the Breakers to two season-ending wins, and that propels them to the playoffs, will Manning retain the position in the playoffs, even if Dilfer can return? And what would that mean for 2005? Dilfer is currently the 7th ranked QB in the league and has 14 TDs to 8 picks on the year, but the Breakers spent big money on Eli Manning, and he is a local hero as both the son of former Saints QB Archie Manning and an Ole Miss grad. Dilfer is in the final year of his contract, so it may be a parting of ways this season. There is no shortage of teams looking for an upgrade at the QB position, so this might actually be a good move for the veteran, but is New Orleans ready to turn over the reins to Manning? The next week could go a long way to answering that question. The problem is, if New Orleans loses, their season is over, and that means Dilfer, as an unsigned player, becomes a free agent immediately. The Breakers essentially have to agree to a new deal with Dilfer this week, before Sunday’s game, or he is walking, and almost certainly would not return with Manning looming over his shoulder. From all angles it looks like the Breakers don’t have much of a choice but to part ways with Dilfer and hope that they have struck gold with Eli Manning, a situation they certainly did not anticipate before Dilfer’s injury last week. Rather than run down the current situation, the thing to do at this point is look at next week’s games and determine what each team can do to put themselves in the best position possible. So here is our Week 14 rundown: New Jersey: The division is theirs, but a win this week and a Tampa Bay loss to Boston and the Generals could get the top seed. A win is all they need to lock up a bye week and ensure a home game in the divisionals. They face Baltimore, a team that has shown a lot of heart, knocking off Pittsburgh this week despite having no skin in the game. Tampa Bay: Win at home against Boston on Saturday night and they win the division and the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference, an amazing feat for a team that was just 4-10 last season. Boston: Beat the Bandits and the Cannons clinch their first division title as a franchise (including the years in Atlanta). A win plus an upset of New Jersey and the Cannons are sitting pretty with home field throughout the playoffs. OHIO: The Glory have the tiebreakers against Pittsburgh and Chicago, thanks t their4-1 division record (both the others are 3-2). So, a win against Michigan means they take home the division title. But, they are playing without Kerry Collins, so a win is by no means a lock. PITTSBURGH: This week’s game against the Machine could be the difference between being the #2 seed in the East (which comes with a bye and a home game) or the #6 seed (which forces them to play on the road for the entire playoff run.) Getting blown out by Baltimore cannot help their confidence going into this game. CHICAGO: A win plus an Ohio loss and it is Chicago playing at home as the division winner. A loss and they are guaranteed the #6 seed and a long road ahead. That should motivate the Machine to be sure. ARIZONA: The division belongs to the Wranglers, but a win this week can give them something even better, the top seed and homefield advantage for the playoffs. That is a rare treat for a team used to sneaking into the playoffs as a 5 or 6 seed. DENVER: The Gold are a Wild Card and even with a loss they are ensured a home Wild Card game, so don’t be surprised if Denver rests some starters to prepare for the playoffs. HOUSTON: The Gamblers do not hold the tiebreakers against either New Orleans or Los Angeles, the other 6-7 clubs, so they need to win and they need one of those two teams to lose this week. That is certainly possible, but the Gamblers have to do their part, but they might be helped in that charge if Denver rests starters in a game that is meaningless for them. NASHVILLE: The loss to Eli Manning and the Breakers hurt, but it can all be forgotten if they can get a win this week at home against in-state rival Memphis. Winning means the division title is theirs, as is the #2 seed in the West, which comes with a bye, something the Knights believe is worth fighting for. NEW ORLEANS: The Breakers currently sit at the #6 seed. A win against Birmingham and they are in the playoffs. If LA loses this week, the Breakers can move up to #5, but the difference between #5 and #6 is nonexistent since both play Wild Card games on the road. The danger is that Houston is tied with New Orleans at 6-7, so a loss by the Breakers and a Houston win means the Breakers are out. SEATTLE: The division title is theirs, but they have not yet locked up a bye week, so a win this week is essential. Beating LA in LA would also eliminate the Express, something that certainly would make the Dragon fanbase very happy. If the Dragons lose, they can still get the #2 seed, but would be rooting for Nashville to lose to Memphis, so better that they win the game and put the question out of range for the Knights. LOS ANGELES: It is about as simple as it gets. Win at home against Seattle and the Express are in the playoffs as a Wild Card at 7-7. Lose and they need help from others. They would still get in, even at 6-8, if either New Orleans or Houston loses in the last week of the year. You don’t want to count on that, so the key for the Express is to knock off the Dragons and earn their spot in the postseason. The headline story was, of course, the injury to Kerry Collins and the impact it could have on the Ohio Glory and their playoff prospects, but it was a pretty bad week for quartebacks elsewhere as well. Both Baltimore and Las Vegas saw their starters leave the game due to injury. Ben Rothlisberger injured a finger on his throwing hand and will have to miss the season finale for the Blitz while Aaron Brooks suffered a more significant injury, one that could take 4-6 weeks to heel. With both teams eliminated from playoff contention, they will both play their backups, which is an interesting situation since both Akili Smith and Jeff Garcia are due to be free agents unless they sign a new deal in the next week. So, do both now have a 1-week audition period to convince other teams to take a look at them in free agency? That would seem to be the case. Others suffering injuries this week include New Orleans back Troy Davis, who could be out for the full length of the playoffs after suffering a dislocated shoulder. Houston TE Ryan Krause could also miss any playoff run if Houston can qualify next week. In Boston, DE Jason Babin could be out at least 2 weeks, which means that if the Cannons cannot defeat the Bandits next week, he would be unavailable for the first playoff game in team history. In Arizona, LB Lance Briggs is questionable for this week’s game due to a hamstring injury, and for the Breakers another player likely to miss the vital Week 14 clash is CB Ahmed Plummer, who suffered a contusion to his lower back this week. Finally, we finish off with a bit of positive news out of Ohio, where Joey Galloway was cleared to practice this week. He will not play in the season finale, but could be available for the playoffs, particularly if Ohio can defeat Michigan and earn themselves a bye. A Very Early Look at the 2005 Draft It is admittedly very early to be thinking about the draft, but for half the teams in the league the draft quickly becomes a topic of interest. We are not ready to look at a full slate of 12 teams who are not headed for the postseason, but there are 8 clubs who we fully expect to be in the Top 10 if not the Top 8 when it comes to the Open Draft, so we thought it would make sense to do some very premature predictions and see what each team might go with in the draft. We will go in what we believe (as of today) the draft order might look like. TEXAS, Currently 2-11. The Outlaws have a lot of holes to fill, as most #1 draftees do. Their O-line needs help, their defense needs playmakers, and their offense could use an upgrade across the board. It seems very likely that Coach Gailey will be relieved of duties by this point next week, so it is impossible to gauge what a new coach needs, but we would make the case that the issue has not been QB Jeff Lewis, who has tried to do what he can. While a QB like Alex Smith, who is not protected by any team’s protected schools (Las Vegas swapped out Utah for BYU, making the UU grad a free player), might be tempting, we think the Thunder have bigger needs elsewhere. Were we the Thunder we would be looking at the potential retirement of Carl Pickens and we would do what we could to land a top flight receiver, perhaps Braylon Edwards of Michigan or Troy Williamson of South Carolina. That might require trading the #1 Open Draft pick for a T-Draft pick, but that has become almost par for the course in recent years. LAS VEGAS, Currently 3-10 The Thunder have to be regretting the preseason shuffle of the T-Draft, one they requested, which allowed them to claim BYU away from the Denver Gold, but cost them the U. of Utah. Alex Smith is a top candidate to be the #1 overall pick, but if he falls to #2, the Thunder could certainly be in the mix. Akili Smith is on the last year of his rookie contract and has been benched this season for former NFL starter Aaron Brooks. While Brooks has not been horrible, he is hardly inspiring a lot of fan buy-in for the Thunder. A relatively local kid like Alex Smith could be just the thing to help solidify interest in the Thunder by folks in Las Vegas. Of course, the Thunder also need major help in the run game, so we would not be shocked to see them go for one of the two Auburn standouts, Ronnie Brown or Cadillac Williams. ORLANDO, Currently 4-9 The Renegades would choose third if the draft started today. They too could be in the QB market, but we don’t see Smith falling to #3 and Oakland is very likely to pursue the other top QB prospect, Aaron Rodgers of Cal, so that leaves Orlando waiting for another option. In the meantime they need more difference makers on defense, and there is likely to be a choice candidate available with the #3 pick. Looking at who is likely to be available, the best pick is likely going to be Troy State’s all-purpose linebacker, DeMarcus Ware. We could easily see Orlando pursue a player like Ware to help add dynamism to their defense. MEMPHIS, Currently 4-9 The Showboats have big questions across the roster but none is so glaring as their lack of wideout talent. So, Edwards, Williamson, or perhaps USC’s Mike Williams make a lot of sense for the Showboats. If they don’t go for a receiver (a mistake if you ask us) then defense could be the path, in which case a linebacker like Ware or Georgia’s Thomas Davis would be ideal for the Showboat D. MICHIGAN, Currently 4-9 The Panthers are trying to build around Drew Brees, and they have decent talent at wideout. They picked a rookie HB at #1 last year, and we think they will give the Michigan product another year before looking to move on. The big problem with the Panthers offense seems to be the line, and we have a solution for that if the Panthers can get New Jersey to trade out of a T-Draft spot by swapping this pick. New Jersey has the rights to Oklahoma products, and Michigan would love to get their hands on LT Jammal Brown. Brown is a big, road grader of a tackle, perfect for a team that wants to push people around. OAKLAND, Currently 4-9 You know what the fans want in Oakland. After failing to sign either Carson Palmer or Phillip Rivers, the fans are hoping the third time is the charm and the Invaders can sign Cal product Aaron Rodgers. We are not so sure they go that way. Trent Green has a few years left in him and has played pretty well this year. Oakland could use a T-Draft pick on Rodgers, which is less risky than an Open Pick, and that would still let them draft for talent in the open draft. W ecould see any of the top receivers being attractive, or what about a hard hitting linebacker in the mold of Gary Plummer. Shawne Merriman could be there for them if Baltimore does not land him in the T-Draft. BIRMINGHAM, Currently 4-9 The last of the 4-9 clubs, the Stallions will almost certainly be looking for a QB if Brett Favre makes good on the option to retire. The good news for the Stallions is that they have a top prospect in their protected pool, Auburn’s Jason Campbell. If they pick Campbell in the T-Draft, that allows them to focus on other areas in the main draft. They are set at HB with Shaun Alexander. They have aging receivers but it just does not seem like a first round priority. We think the move here has to be on defense, and particularly at CB. So, look at players like U. of Miami CB Antrel Rolle or Auburn’s Carlos Rogers as top targets for the Stallions. PHILADELPHIA, Currently at 5-8. The Stars wrap up our list of teams we see picking early in the draft. Brian Griese could be a free agent at the end of the season unless a deal is cut, but we also know that 2nd year QB David Garrard is of interest to the Stars front office. Problem is, if Jim Mora Jr. is let go, will that mean changes in personnel as well? If there is not a total overhaul, we could see Garrard get a shot. If that happens, then the next big and obvious priority is the run game. Larry Johnson simply has not provided nearly enough bang for the buck as the lead back for the Stars. With Ronnie Brown, Cadillac Williams, Cedric Benson of Texas, and J. J. Arrington of Cal as top backs in the draft, there is a reasonable chance that one or more of them may be around when the Stars pick. Here we go, week 14, and plenty on the line. Having already talked about playoff scenarios, here is a quicker version of the games to watch this weekend. Boston @ Tampa Bay A must watch game to determine the Division Crown and very likely the #1 seed. Chicago @ Pittsburgh A chance for the division title if Ohio loses, or a real shot at a home Wild Card game. Denver @ Houston The Gamblers need this one to have any chance at a playoff trip this year. LA @ Seattle LA must win to make the postseason, but a Seattle win could mean a bye week. Arizona @ Texas A Wrangler win against the 2-11 Outlaws and they earn homefield for the playoffs. Birmingham @ New Orleans A win and the Breakers are in. Can Eli do it for them? Michigan @ Ohio The Glory, without Kerry Collins, can wrap up the Central and a bye with a win at home. New Jersey @ Philadelphia The Generals could have a shot at the top seed if Tampa loses to Boston. Memphis @ Nashville A win by the Knights and they are the Southern Division Champs. And we have 3 games with no playoff importance, but which could impact the draft to be sure. Oakland @ Las Vegas Both teams are likely to have Top 5 picks, so we are not sure if either wants to win. Baltimore @ Washington A win by either gets them to .500, which is better than being 6-8, but not much. Jacksonville @ Orlando Not a great Florida Derby, as both teams are looking deflated at this point.

Playoff Picture: All six Eastern playoff spots have been claimed, with the gap between the current 6th place team (Chicago) and the 7th place team (Baltimore) at 3 games with 1 to play. New Jersey is the only Eastern Division Winner at this time. The winner of the Tampa Bay-Boston game in Week 14 will be the Southeast Winner. Ohio can clinch the Central with a win vs. Michigan. If Ohio loses, the winner of Week 14's Pittsburgh-Chicago game will be the Central Champion. In the West, Seattle, Arizona and Denver are in, with Arizona clinching the Southwest Division this week. Seattle has clinched the Pacific Division Title. Nashville or New Orleans could still win the Southern. There are two potential Wild Card spots available to current 6-7 teams (New Orleans, Los Angeles, Houston). Houston can only get in with a win and a loss by one of the other two.

Things are heating up around the league. We have 8 of 12 playoff spots claimed, including all 6 in the East. We have divisional battles across the league, and we have teams trying to figure out where it all went wrong. With only 2 weeks left we are looking at a 3-way tie in the Central Division. All three clubs are in the playoffs, but who gets the crown and a possible bye week? In the Southeast, Boston and Tampa Bay are in a footrace for 1st. Arizona and Denver are on a collision course for a Week 13 showdown, and in the Pacific, the Seattle Dragons are on the edge of locking up their first division title ever. All that following a Week 12 slate that saw Chicago and Ohio go toe to toe with each other, New Jersey end Washington’s playoff run, and Nashville get an assist on their way to a Southern Division title. Let’s get to it. OHIO GLORY 24 CHICAGO MACHINE 20 The highest visibility game of the week turned out to be one of the week’s best as well, with Chicago and Ohio battling for first place in the Central Division on a warm Chicago evening. Chicago ran the ball 29 times, trying to control the pace of the game, but Kerry Collins did what he often does, connecting on big plays to his wideouts and TE Stephen Alexander. Chicago put pressure on Collins, and that did garner the Machine 5 sacks of the Ohio QB, but it also allowed him to deal with one-on-one coverage, and that led to open receivers. Alexander led all pass catchers with 126 yards on the day, while Eddie George rushed for 63 and caught 3 passes for 45 to put him over 100 total yards once again. For Chicago, the game was about ball control, so we saw a lot of carries for both Michael Turner and Duce Staley. The two combined for 135 yards rushing and Turner got the opening score of the game to help Chicago set the pace. Collins responded, hitting Alexander with a 54-yard seam route to bring Ohio to within 10-7 after the first quarter. In the second Ohio took their first lead as they followed up a Chicago field goal wth another Collins TD pass, this time to WR Reche Caldwell. The third quarter saw the script flip, with Ohio getting a field goal, and Chicago following that up with a TD pass, this one from Ray Lucas to Curtis Conway from 25 yards out. Up 20-17, Chicago went into the final period hoping to get that one key stop that would allow them to come away victorious. They got a stop on Ohio’s first drive, but could not move the ball either and quickly punted it right back. On their second drive, Ohio found their rhythm and marched 71 yards for a score, an Eddie George TD with 4:07 left to play. Chicago simply could not answer as Ray Lucas was sacked on a 3rd and 11 and forced to punt the ball away. Two first downs later and the clock was winding down. Collins took a knee and the Glory took the road win to force a 3-way tie atop the division. The Glory win the tiebreaker, thanks to their 4-1 record in the division, and their lone remaining division game is against 4th place Michigan, while Pittsburgh and Chicago have to battle it out in Week 14. WSH 21 NJ 24 The Generals won themselves their 2nd Northeast title in three years by shutting down the Federals when they needed to and getting one last drive for a win as Tom Brady once again proved to be one of the league’s best 2-minute drill quarterbacks. With Washington tying the score at the 1:40 mark in the 4th, Brady led the Generals into field goal range and Ryan Longwell won them the division with a 34-yard kick on the final play of the game. HOU 21 ARZ 24 A rough game for Houston QB Kris Kershaw as Arizona forced 3 interceptions, including a pick-six from Tyrone Drakeford that helped Arizona remain on pace with Denver atop the Southwest Division, and put a severe crimp in Houston’s playoff plans. Houston’s D was solid all game, limiting Arizona to only 2 of 12 on third down, but the Wranglers used 4 Houston turnovers to get short fields and turn those mistakes into 17 points. After the game, Coach Phillips refused to answer if Doug Flutie would start in place of Kershaw in Week 13, but 2 days later he would announce just that. SEA 34 OAK 31 Seattle got all it could handle from a desperate Oakland squad, but in the end it was the Dragons who improved their playoff position with a narrow win over the Invaders. Byron Leftwich threw for 2 scores and both David Boston and Ken Dilger went over 120 yards receiving as the Dragons came back from a 31-24 deficit in the 4th,. Winning the game with a late Leftwich to Boston TD toss of 45 yards. ORL 17 BOS 33 Boston had no difficulty with the Renegades as Drew Bledsoe threw for 362 yards and 2 scores against Orlando. Tiki Barber was limited to only 2.8 yards per carry, but the Orlando emphasis on the run game allowed Bledsoe time to connect with Chad Ochocinco (108 yards) and 8 other receivers on the day. The Cannons remain in 2nd place, 1 game behind Tampa Bay, with a potential Week 14 showdown looming. TBY 26 JAX 20 The Bandits struggled early with the Bulls, but did what they needed in order to stay a game up on Boston. Culpepper threw for 256 and a TD, and Willis McGahee added another score as Tampa Bay scored the final 10 points of the game to take the win. The loss eliminates Jacksonville from playoff contention. PIT 25 MGN 14 The Mauler defense looked ready for the postseason as they limited Michigan to only 216 total yards and held HB Chris Perry to only 30 yards on the day. They were helped by an early injury to Drew Brees, meaning that Rick Mirer would be at the helm for 3 quarters of the game. On offense, Pittsburgh focused on the run, with Terrell Davis rushing for 84 yards but sitting out the 4th quarter yet again. Kenny Bynum came on in relief and did very well, averaging 5.3 yards per carry on his way to 64 yards on only 12 carries. NSH 21 BIR 7 Brett Favre returned to action but perhaps wished he hadn’t as Nashville blitzed him often. The Knights held Birmingham to only 57 yards rushing and forced 2 turnovers, both fumbles, in a dominant defensive performance. Ahman Green expanded his rushing lead in the league with a 94 yard performance that also included his 11th TD of the season. NOR 6 MEM 10 Just about the ugliest, and chippiest game we have seen in a long time. Nine penalties for the Breakers, and only 1 converted third down as Memphis simply harassed Trent Dilfer through three quarters. Coach Nolan tried putting in rookie Eli Manning in the 4th, and while he was able to get some plays together, going 9 of 13, he could not get points on the board as Memphis played hard to upend the Breakers. TEX 17 DEN 23 Denver does not look dominant doing it, but they just keep winning games. The Gold move to 8-4 after beating Texas at Invesco Field, thanks in large part to a defense that allowed T.J. Duckett to run, but limited Jeff Lewis’s passing game. Rod Smart was the offensive hero for Denver, rushing for 137 yards on only 15 carries, and adding in 2 touchdowns to boot. LV 14 LA 24 The Express get the home victory they needed to have any chance at a Wild Card. Rob Johnson completed only 12 of 32 passes on the day, but two of them were for scores as the Express hold off the Thunder despite a good game from Aaron Brooks (22 of 44 for 271 and 2 scores.) Brooks did throw 3 picks, which led to 10 LA points, enough to turn the tide in a pretty close game. Hot Teams, Cold Teams The final push, and then on to the playoffs, but not every team enters these final two weeks with the same mindset. Some teams are peaking at the right time, playing their best ball and running over opponents, others are slipping, and at least in 1 case, slipping right out of playoff contention. Here is our rundown of who is hot and who is not. Definitely hot. The Glory have won 4 in a row and with this week’s win against Chicago, they pull into a 3-way tie for first place in the Central Division, a tie that benefits them through the various tie-breakers. They control their own destiny and could once again be on the path to another Summer Bowl. Can they really win 3 in a row? Not. The Bulls at one point were 5-3 and right there with Tampa Bay and Boston, but four straight losses have ended any chance for a playoff appearance in NE Florida. A loss against Chicago in Week 13, and the Bulls officially have a losing record for the year, something not many anticipated. The offense has been erratic and the defense has given up too many big plays, especially over the last month. Very Hot. The Dragons were languishing at 3-5 a month ago, but have ripped off 4 straight wins to leapfrog over Oakland and LA and stake a claim on the division. A win this week and they claim their first division title in club history. It has been a combination of solid defense and some more-mature-than-his-years play from Byron Leftwich that has gotten Seattle here. They now are only 1 game behind Denver for the best record in the conference, so even a top seed and home field is not out of the question. Ice Cold. Not only have the Stallions dropped 5 in a row, moving from 3-4 to 3-9, but Brett Favre has been acting like a player looking to move on. After an All-USFL career in Birmingham, could one of the biggest personalities, and one of the best QB’s in the game, be looking to find an exit strategy? His contract still has 2 years on it, but everything we are seeing points to a player who just wants to try something new, someplace new. White hot. No team has won more in a row than the Generals, who are riding a 6-game win streak. They have locked up the Northeastern Division, their second division title in three years. Now their eyes are on getting home field for the playoffs. They cannot do it alone, as they need a Tampa loss, but they have a legitimate shot if they win out over the next two weeks to get wins 7 and 8 in a row. So very not. At the midseason point, Oakland was 4-3 and we asked if they could keep up the pace and take a weak Pacific Division. The answer seems to be a resounding “no”. While they are still mathematically alive for a Wild Card, the Invaders have lost 5 in a row since the midseason point, and are looking like a team that cannot figure out how to get out of their own way. One more loss and they lock in a 6th straight non-playoff year to go with the already guaranteed 6th straight losing season. Just Who is the USFL MVP? Earlier in the season we were all ready to anoint Drew Bledsoe, in the twilight of his career, as the 2004 MVP. He had the numbers, his offense was humming along, and his Boston Cannons were in first place. But over the past month, Boston’s offensive production has dipped considerably, they lost two games without scoring over 20 points in either, and they fell into 2nd place behind Tampa Bay. So if Bledsoe is no longer the odds-on favorite, who is? Here are 4 players that we feel at least deserve consideration: Kerry Collins-QB-OHIO: Really? Have we not seen enough of the 3-time MVP? Is there not just a lot of hope that someone else will win? Sure, and yet we cannot deny that Collins is again lighting it up, and for the past few weeks, doing so without Joey Galloway hauling in stat-building deep balls. The fact that Ohio has been able to win and win big without Galloway just cements Collins as a top candidate once again. Byron Leftwich-QB-SEA: In only his second year, the 2003 Rookie of the Year is becoming a superstar. He has led the Dragons to the lead in the Pacific, doing so without David Boston for several weeks. He currently sits 2nd in the league with 3,197 yards passing, and 3rd with 23 passing TDs. If he was playing in LA or NJ he would be on the cover of Sports Illustrated, but being in Seattle means we often do not see as much of him as we should. Chad Ochocinco-WR-BOS: If Bledsoe cannot win MVP, maybe Ochocinco should. He walked in the door of the Cannons’ in free agency last year, declared himself the #1 receiver, and he has been true to his word. He leads the league with 1,242 yards receiving, and is 2nd with 10 TD receptions. His 25.9 yards per catch trails only Tory Holt’s ridiculous 30.9 average, and, more importantly, his presence has transformed a good Boston offense into a powerhouse, helping the franchise lock up its first playoff spot in franchise history. It is rare for a non-QB to win MVP, but Chad Ochocinco has as good a claim to it as anyone. Daunte Culpepper-QB-TBY: The stats may not be as eye-popping as those of Bledsoe or Collins, but Culpepper’s arrival in Tampa Bay is the single greatest reason why the Bandits have moved from 4-10 to a current 10-2 record and in line for the playoff’s top seed. Yes, Coach Spurrier is almost a shoe-in for Coach of the Year, but Culpepper’s 3,108 yards, 22 touchdowns, and unflappable demeanor are equally as vital for this Bandit Ball offense and this team to do what they have done. Mike Vrabel-LB-JAX: We had to throw in one defender, right? There is no chance Vrabel gets this award, but maybe our mention here helps assure he gets Defensive POTY. Vrabel moved into 2nd position in tackles this year, but that is not it. In only 12 games he has forced 8 fumbles, a stunning number. He also has 4 sacks on the season, and has been unquestionably the best player on the field for the Bulls. Jacksonville’s slump does not help his case, but anyone who watches the tape of Bulls games can see that the issues in Jacksonville are not Mike Vrabel’s doing. Houston Looking for Some Flutie Magic Two weeks left in the season, you need to win out to have any shot at a playoff spot, and your 2nd string QB is looking very flawed. What do you do? You go for the magic-maker, the once-retired, now re-hired, Doug Flutie. That is what Wade Phillips is doing in Houston, calling on the 40 year old QB to try to spark a 2-game sprint to the playoffs. It is a tall order for such a short man, but Doug Flutie has made a career out of the improbable and the impossible. Houston signed the scrambling QB out of retirement over a month ago, when Matt Hasselbeck was lost for the year. He has played sparingly since arriving in Houston, but all sources say he is in great shape and as sharp as ever, and that is something you cannot teach. Kris Kershaw has had an up and down run at the helm of the Houston offense, but a 3-int game against Arizona may have cost them a shot at a Wild Card, and Coach Phillips is hoping Flutie can help revive the fighting spirit in the club. He will face Texas this week in a game the Gamblers will be favored to win at home, but the big test is in Week 14, when the Gamblers host the Denver Gold with a potential Wild Card berth on the table. Denver will likely be in an all out fight for a division title, so this won’t be one of those Week 14 games where your opponent has all their backups in. This will be a dogfight, which is just about when you need a QB who has been there before, and found a way to come out on top. It should be quite a challenge, but one we are all excited to watch. O’Leary Mulling Retirement One last tidbit comes out of Orlando, where rumors have begun to swirl that Renegades’ head coach George O’Leary is thinking about stepping down from the team that he led to a title 3 years ago. The club has been losing players from that title squad ever since, and is barely recognizable as they struggle through what is currently a 3-win season. O’Leary, who has been at the helm in Orlando since replacing Howard Schnellenberger in 1994, is not a spring chicken, so retirement could certainly be on the table, but so too could be a move to another team, one where he can start fresh. It is no secret that O’Leary and Bruce Allen, the GM who ownership brought in 2 years ago, have not seen eye to eye on talent acquisition. Joey Harrington, Bruce Allen’s big signing, has not worked out the way Orlando would hope, and, despite the big investment in the former Oregon QB, O’Leary benched Harrington this season in favor of NFL journeyman Jeff Blake. With two games left in the season, we don’t expect to hear anything before Black Monday, and it is very unlikely that O’Leary would announce on that traditional day for firings. But if he is considering either stepping down to pursue other positions or retiring, expect that something would be announced within the first week or two of the postseason/offseason. If he is open to other positions, we expect he will not have to wait long to find work. Eight playoff appearances and a league title in 2001 would make O’Leary a top candidate for several positions. Well, that did not take long. All 6 playoff spots in the Eastern Conference have been claimed with 2 weeks left to play. The gap between the top 6 teams (none worse than 9-3) and the next six (the best being 6-6) means that the hunt for playoff spots in the East is done, and now it is all about positioning. New Jersey has clinched their division thanks to their big win over Washington this week, but in the Southeast, Tampa Bay still holds a slim 1-game lead over Boston, who is undefeated in division, which would win the tiebreaker. In the Central Division, Ohio, Pittsburgh, and Chicago all sit at 9-3, with Ohio winning the 3-way tiebreaker thanks to a 4-1 division record, but Ohio has a tough game in Week 13 against New Jersey. Pittsburgh and Chicago need New Jersey to win, because Ohio finishes with Michigan, while Pittsburgh and Chicago face off in a season finale that could be huge for both teams. In the West, the records are not nearly so good, and that means that the playoff spots are still very much up for grabs. Denver and Arizona have clinched spots, but that is it. Those two will face off for the divisional title next week, winner take all. In the Southern Division, Nashville holds a two game lead over New Orleans, so they need to only win one game to lock up the division, and the game to win is this week when they host the Breakers. Finally, in the Pacific, Seattle has not wrapped it up yet, as they hold a 2-game lead over the LA Express. If they can knock off Las Vegas this week, they will win the Division. Of course, even with losing records the Express, Breakers, and Gamblers are not out of Wild Card position, with the very likely situation that 2 of 3 will get a spot (unless Oakland or Memphis suddenly get hot and win both of their final games) and we are almost assured that a team with a losing record will be in the Western Conference playoffs. With only two weeks left in the season it is a bad time for even a short term injury, especially to your QB, but that is what 3 different teams are facing this week. The biggest issue is in New Orleans, where the Breakers are desperately trying to get to 7-7 and assure themselves a playoff spot. Trent Dilfer suffered a shoulder injury in this week's game, and while it is not an issue that will require surgery or weeks to rehab, Dilfer is questionable for this week's game, which puts the ball into the hands of rookie Eli Manning. Kordell Stewart (concussion) and Drew Brees (finger) are also questionable this week, but with both the Feds and Panthers out of playoff contention, we don't see any reason to risk either QB by putting them in this weekend. Among teams in the playoff fight, a few injuries could impact their final 2 weeks. Tampa Bay loses Free Safety BryanScott to the IR with a broken collarbone. Boston will miss WR Cedric Wilson to a fracture as well, in this case to his leg. He could be back if Boston gets 1-2 weeks into the playoffs, but they will have to battle Tampa for the division without him. Boston also loses LT Jon Stinchcomb for at least 2 weeks with a collarbone fracture, a tough time to be without Drew Bledsoe's protector. In Arizona the issues is guard Lindsay Knapp, out with a broken toe for 1-2 weeks, while their rival in the Southwest, Denver, will finish the season without LB Alsherwood Singleton, out with a fracture in his right arm. Finally, Seattle has listed CB Marcus Truffant, the outstanding 2nd year player, as questionable with a hip pointer. Hall of Fame Class of 2004 Announced This week the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the USFL announced the five members of the Class of 2004, and, as we all suspected, every member of this new class is a first-time candidate, the first time this has happened since the Hall opened its USFL wing in 1995. The semi-finalist list included perhaps the strongest pool of first-time nominees ever, and it is no surprise that all five enshrinees are getting in on their first ballot. Here are your five newest Hall of Famers. QB Jim Kelly (Houston Gamblers 1984-1999): The three-time USFL Champion, three-time USFL MVP, and ten-time All-USFL quarterback was about as much of a shoe-in for enshrinement as any player in the USFL could be. Kelly was the leader of the Run & Shoot offense in Houston, a tough player who simply refused to lose, and a player who combined knowledge of the game with a rocket of an arm. Kelly retired with pver 53,000 yards passing, 412 touchdowns, and a QB Rating of 101.8. One of the first true superstars of college football to sign with the spring league, Kelly’s success helped the USFL become a staple of the American sports scene. DE Reggie White (Memphis Showboats 1984-1999): What Jim Kelly was on offense, Reggie White was for the defensive side of the ball, a dominant player, a charismatic leader, and a symbol of all that the USFL could be. White was a 12 time All-USFL player, the 1990 league MVP and 1992 Defensive Player of the Year, and a league champion in his final season, walking away from the game with a John Bassett Trophy in his hand. He retired the all-time sack leader with 259 career sacks, averaging 16 sacks a season for a decade and a half, with a career best 21 sacks in both 1992 and 1994. The Minister of Defense put Memphis on the map for sports fans. HB Robert Drummond (Portland Thunder 1989-1999): The Syracuse product did not come to Portland with a lot of fanfare or an expectation that he would quickly become a dominant runner in the USFL, but that is what happened. The big back with the shifty hips arrived in the Pacific Northwest only 1 year after the team was formed, and was not made the starting HB until his third season in 1991. He rushed for 924 yards that season, starting 11 games. It would be the last time he would leave a season with fewere than 1,000 yards. Drummond would be the dominant back of the mid and late 1990’s in the USFL, racking up 2 Offensive Player of the Year awards (1995 and 1997), three rushing titles, and over 12,800 yards in his career. He rushed for 91 touchdowns in 11 seasons, and left the game as one of the most prolific running backs in USFL history, trailing only Rozier, Walker, and Bryant in career yards, while also recording two of the top 6 rushing seasons in league history and setting a league record with 18 rushing touchdowns in 1995. WR Cris Carter (Portland Thunder 1990-1993, Philadelphia Stars 1994-1999): All he does is catch touchdowns. That was the weird, offhanded comment that became a mantra about Carter. What most say now about him is that he had an almost superhuman ability to control his body, making him perhaps the greatest sideline catch specialist we have ever seen. Able to get the toes down, the ball in his hands, and the catch made even when it seemed every part of his body was already well out of bounds. Carter was not the fastest receiver on the field, but in many cases he was the best. A 3-time All-USFL player at perhaps the most competitive position in the league, Carter also retired with a title to his name, a Summer Bowl victory in his first season in Philadelphia. You may not find Carter among the league leaders for career yards or receptions, but ask any receiver in the game today and they will tell you that Carter is without doubt one of the players they study in order to become a better receiver. TE Keith Jackson (Memphis Showboats 1988-1993, Denver Gold 1994-1999): A player with two careers, one in Memphis and then a second act in Denver, Jackson was one of the premier pass-catching tight ends in the game for 12 seasons. He retired in 1999 with 1,063 receptions amassing 8,542 yards and 49 career touchdowns. Named All-USFL three times, Jackson and Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe defined the position in the 1990’s. Sadly, Keith Jackson missed out on title runs both in Memphis and in Denver, retiring without a ring. So, there you have it. Five superb players who will be marching across the stage in Canton this October as the USFL celebrates their accomplishments. All well-deserving of the accolades and the recognition. Only two weeks left and so much to be decided, whether it is who gets into the postseason out West or playoff positioning in the East, maybe it is just impressing your coach, or priming yourself for top dollar in free agency, a lot is on the line these last two weeks. Week 13 is the last week of interdivisional play as the Eastern clubs play across divisions while the Western Conference is looking at back to back divisional weeks. Let’s start there with the week’s big playoff-impacting games. Denver @ Arizona: This is the big one in the West. The Division title, the best record in the conference, and a very good shot at home field advantage are on the line. Both clubs come in at 8-4, only one can get that 9th win. It could be the difference between 1 home playoff game, and the entire conference playoff run coming through your backyard. New Orleans @ Nashville: If the Knights win this one at home, the Southern Division is theirs, and they may even be knocking division rival New Orleans out of contention as well. For the Breakers, a road win moves them to within 1 game of the Knights, but more importantly, it keeps them alive in the Wild Card race. Oakland @ Los Angeles: The California Derby still has some meaning. Believe it or not, even at 4-8, the Oakland Invaders are still in range for a late playoff push. LA at 5-7 is currently right there as well. The loser of this one is in bad shape with one game to play, the winner could be able to control their own destiny. Texas @ Houston: The Gamblers are still alive but a win against their in-state rival is essential. With Kris Kershaw struggling, it looks like Doug Flutie will get the start for the Gamblers, can that Flutie Magic spark them on to a victory and possibly a Wild Card berth? Seattle @ Las Vegas: A win on the road and Seattle locks up the division, making next week’s game against LA just for show. Seattle wants this division. In their 10-year history they have not yet won a division title, and this is their chance. Memphis @ Birmingham: A sad game between two great rivals because both of these clubs expected a lot more out of this season. Can one of these clubs salvage just a little pride by beating their arch rivals or are both teams just ready to get to the offseason? Those are the six games out West, where only 2 playoff spots have been claimed. What is happening in the East, where all 6 are locked up and it is only a battle for seeding and the chance to play a game or more at home. New Jersey @ Ohio: This game is huge for both clubs. New Jersey has their sights set on that top seed. They need to win out and hope Tampa Bay gets a loss, but with the division title in hand, they are playing for byes and homefield. Ohio is not so secure, stuck in a 3-way tie atop the Central despite their 9-3 record. They cannot afford to lose or either Pittsburgh or Chicago could leapfrog them, sending the Glory to the Wild Card slot. Baltimore @ Pittsburgh: While the Maulers are happy to be home for this game, the Blitz have not been pushovers. Hard to say how they will play with their playoff hopes dashed, but this is a Tom Coughlin team, so you know they will be under pressure to put in 100% against Maulers. Pittsburgh is hoping that a New Jersey win at Ohio will help launch them to a division title. Chicago @ Jacksonville: The Machine were in first all by themselves until they lost to Ohio, and now they need to win out and hope for some help if they want that divisional title. The Bulls looked like a playoff contender early but have been fading hard over the past month. Do they have fight left in them at this point? Philadelphia @ Tampa Bay: The Bandits, winners of only 4 games last year, control their own destiny. Win out and they are the top seed with the best record in football. But the Stars are not the kind of team that rolls over against a tough foe. They will still have some fire in them. Washington @ Orlando: The Federals have to be disappointed that at 6-6 they are out of playoff contention while in the West there are teams with significantly worse records that are still in the mix. But, that is the season the Feds have had. They head to Orlando, where change is in the air. Can former NFL QB Jeff Blake spark a win against a disappointed Feds squad? Michigan @ Boston: Drew Brees may not play, which bodes well for the Cannons, who need to win. A loss this week makes next week’s showdown with Tampa Bay a moot point. Win against Michigan and the game next week could be huge for both clubs.

Playoff Picture: All six playoff spots in the East are claimed while Denver and Arizona remain the only clubs in the West with guaranteed berths. Tampa Bay, New Jersey, Ohio, Pittsburgh, Chicago, and Boston have all guaranteed themselves a playoff spot, with each sitting at 9-3 or better. New Jersey has clinched the Northeast Division, while the Central and Southeast are still up for grabs. In the West Nashville and Seattle can both win their divisions with a Week 13 victory, while Denver and Arizona will decide the Southwest in a game this week. Eliminated from the playoffs are the remaining 6 Eastern clubs (WSH, PHI, BAL, JAX, ORL, and MGN) as well as Texas, Las Vegas, and Birmingham.

Playoff Picture: Four teams punched their tickets to the postseason this week. Tampa Bay and Chicago are in thanks to Week 10 wins. Denver and Arizona also lock up playoff spots, though the two continue to battle for the Southwest Division title. Eliminated this week are Orlando, Michigan, Philadelphia, and Texas.

The USFL took its first steps towards the 2004 postseason as four clubs locked up a playoff spot, while four others were officially eliminated. Division battles are coming down to the wire as well as only 1 division has a team 2 games ahead of its competition, with New Jersey now up on Washington. In all others we either find ties or a slim 1-game margin between first and second, or even third. With more divisional games down the stretch, the battles for playoff spots will get heated as will battles for seeding, byes, and division titles. But, before we start looking ahead, let's take a look at what happened in Week 11. NASHVILLE KNIGHTS 28 TEXAS OUTLAWS 26 You can say a lot of things about the 2-9 Texas Outlaws, but you cannot say that they are quitters. In front of a sparse 21,560 at the Alamo Dome, the Outlaws proved they still have a lot of fight left in them, taking Nashville to the edge but just missing out on a home upset of the Southern Division leaders. For Nashville’s part, they though they had this game wrapped up with 9 minutes left, but Texas fought back and almost sent the game to overtime. The Knights started strong, and their defense looked good through nearly the entire game, limiting Texas to only 2 third down conversions on 11 attempts, and forcing Jeff Lewis into two picks. But, Todd Collins struggled a bit, only throwing for 122 yards in the game, and when the game came down to the wire Texas got the plays they needed, well, all but one. The game opened as many expected, with Nashville making an initial stop on Texas’s first drive, and then using good field position to start a methodical drive into Outlaw territory. Ahman Green would cap off the drive with a 1-yard TD run, his first of 2 scores on the day. Texas managed to string together a few first downs on their next possession, thanks to two acrobatic catches, one by Carl Pickens and the other by HB Brian Westbrook. The Outlaws had to settle for a field goal however, and Nashville returned to action. The Knights again drove the ball down the field, with Ahman Green averaging over 5 yards per carry in the first half. As the Knights got inside the 10, Green came out for a breather and backup Leon Johnson got the chance to score a rare TD. He plunged in from 2 yards out and Nashville was up 14-3. But Texas kept fighting, and although their red zone offense failed them, they did manage to pick up two more field goals to go into the half down only 5 at 14-9. Texas found some success in the air against the Nashville secondary, and also got decent production from T.J. Duckett, who averaged only 3.2 yards per carry, but managed to rack up 74 yards on the day. Not quite Ahman Green’s 107, but still respectable against a tough Knights defense. The Knights got the 2nd half kickoff and returned to the formula that had worked twice before in the game, a slow, methodical drive, combining Green runs with play action and ending with Ahman Green picking up his second score of the day, this one a 3-yard run on 2nd and goal. Now up 21-9, it would be easy for Texas to give up the ghost, but again they fought their way down the field. Once again, however, the offense sputtered in the red zone and once again it was up to Rian Lindell to put points on the board. Nashville was now up 21-12. But Texas held on their next drive, sacking Todd Collins on a 3rd and 7 to turn the ball back over to their offense. Problem was that Nashville’s defense was also ready to play. On Jeff Lewis’s 2nd drop back of the drive, he tossed a ball for Carl Pickens, but it was undercut by Rodney Harrison, who then had clear sailing down the field for the pick six. That score should have been the end of it, with Nashville now up by 16, at 28-12, but Texas was not done being a thorn in the side of the Knights. Jeff Lewis shook off the pick, and led Texas on a 9-play scoring drive, finally finding the endzone with a 12-yard TD pass to Pickens on a nicely run slant & go. Texas converted the 2-point PAT and now was down only 8. They kicked the ball away to Nashville and were able to hold the Knights to only 1 first down before Nashville had to punt the ball back. Texas had the ball, down by 8 with 3:03 left to play. Again Jeff Lewis eluded the blitzing Knights and found receivers, including a nice 24-yard completion to Kirby Dar Dar on a 3rd and 9. With 1:05 left to play, Lewis found Freddie Solomon and hit him with a perfect back shoulder throw to pull the Outlaws back to 28-26. All they would need was the 2-pointer again. With Nashville preparing for a quick 3-step pass, Texas tried to fake them out with a draw play to Brian Westbrook, but LB Hunter Hillenmeyer was ready for Westbrook, stopping him short of the goal line and keeping Nashville’s 2-point lead intact. Texas would try the onside kick, but it was recovered by TE Justin Peele, and that was all she wrote. Nashville got to fly home with a very tough 2-point win and the lead in the Southern Division. Texas proved they were still fighting for wins, but again fell short at home. The loss eliminates Texas from any real playoff chance, not that most Outlaw fans still held out hope. The Knights are now only 1 game behind Denver for a potential #1 seed, and are in position to control their own destiny and wrap up a possible bye as either the #1 or #2 seed. NOR 27 HOU 3 The other big South x Southwest clash this week saw New Orleans completely shut down the Houston Gamblers to claim their 5th win and get back in the playoff hunt. Trent Dilfer returned to action this week and completed a stunning 23 of 26 passes against Houston’s defense. The Breakers’ D was the story of the day, limiting Houston to only 239 total yards. Even a late appearance by Doug Flutie could not get Houston’s offense moving against a smothering Breaker D. Free Safety Idris Basheer was the big defensive hero, with a pick-6, but it was truly a team defense that won the day. LA 17 DEN 22 The Southwest Division leaders, Denver, nabbed their 7th win, thanks to a defense that limited LA quarterback Rob Johnson to only 12 of 30 passing. Denver’s QB had a much better day, with Mark Brunell going 22 of 32 for 183 yards and 2 touchdowns. Denver was only 2 of 13 on third down, but still mustered enough offense to edge LA, but it was close. The Express held a 17-15 lead at one point in the 4th quarter, but a calm Brunell led Denver to the game-winning score, a 3-yard TD pass to TE Marco Battaglia. OAK 14 ARZ 33 The final Southwestern matchup this week saw Oakland visiting Arizona, and coming away with their 4th consecutive loss. Stephen Davis stood out in this one, rushing for 121 yards on 21 carries to help Arizona present a two-pronged attack. Jake Plummer only had to run the ball once as his pocket protection held up. He would throw for 315 yards and 3 scores against an overwhelmed Invader secondary. MEM 10 LV 17 A win for the Thunder as Las Vegas got some help from a pretty raucous home crowd of just under 30,000. Aaron Brooks had his best performance since getting the start over Akili Smith, completing 21 of 37 for 251 yards and also rushing for the winning TD as Las Vegas fought back from a 10-3 deficit to take the win. Heath Shuler continues to struggle to find receivers with any separation, throwing for only 185 yards on the day. BIR 17 SEA 24 The Pacific Division leaders got a solid 1-2 punch from Corey Dillon (66 yards) and Brian Mitchell (41 yards) and O.J. McDuffie came up huge with 6 catches totaling 140 yards as Birmingham overplayed coverage on David Boston and paid the price. Brett Favre threw for only 184 as he spent most of the day brushing himself off. He was sacked 5 times by the Dragons and hurried most of the rest of the time. TBY 25 ORL 22 The Bandits did not expect this one to be so tight, but Orlando has been playing better on both sides of the ball lately. It did not help that Daunte Culpepper had to leave the game with a concussion, and Ken Dorsey ended up playing most of the game as backup Kent Graham also was injured. Dorsey struggled a bit at first, but managed to lead Tampa Bay on a game-winning field goal drive after Orlando had tied things up at 22 with 3:32 to play. NJ 21 BAL 19 Another game decided by a missed 2-point conversion as the Blitz played New Jersey tough all day, and managed a Rob Moore TD just outside of the 2-minute warning, but their 2-point play did not garner results and their onside kick also failed, leaving New Jersey with only 2 minutes to kill to win the game. They got a first down on a strong Curtis Enis run, part of his 96 yards on the day, and that sealed the win for the Northeast Division leaders. WSH 23 PHI 20 The Feds needed a win to have any hope of gaining ground in the Eastern Conference Wild Card hunt, and they got one, but it was not easy. The Stars had a 17-3 lead at the half, but a pair of short TD runs by QB Kordell Stewart brought Washington back. A Doug Pelfrey field goal as time ran out was the winner for the Feds, who move to 6-5 and keep their playoff hopes alive. Philly drops to 4-7 and is officially eliminated, along with Michigan and Orlando. JAX 22 BOS 33 The Bulls’s hopes for a third straight playoff appearance are on life support after losing another division game. Boston got 107 yards and a TD from Tiki Barber and Chad Ochocinco put up 127 and 2 scores to pace the Cannons to a convincing victory as they chase Tampa Bay for the division title. Boston will face the Bandits on the final week of the season in what may be a very meaningful final matchup for both clubs. PIT 7 OHI 34 A bloodbath in Columbus as the Maulers were simply not ready for Ohio’s attack. Troy Brown and Reche Caldwell both scored for the Glory and the combo of Eddie George and Musa Smith produced 161 yards rushing and 2 more scores as Ohio made a statement against the Maulers. The loss means that Ohio and Chicago now leapfrog the Maulers in the standings. MGN 3 CHI 20 The Machine now hold sole possession of first place in the Central after manhandling the Panthers. Duce Staley had 108 yards and 2 scores as Chicago held possession for over 35 minutes of action. Drew Brees was sacked 5 times and HB Chris Perry was held to only 8 yards on 8 carries as Chicago’s defense, playing without several starters, including MLB Brian Urlacher, proved they are as deep and as devastating as any defense in the league. Hot Seat Getting Hotter As we head to the final weeks of the year, we have to acknowledge that there are several coaches who may be fighting for their jobs. We have not heard rumors of any late season firings, so this could be the first season in the past 4 or 5 where no coach loses their job midseason, but that does not mean that Black Monday will be quiet. We see several potential departures after the dust settles from Week 14. Here are our Top 5 Hottest Coaching Seats right now: George O’Leary/ORLANDO: It is not so much that Orlando ownership would fire the coach who got them the club’s first league title only 2 years ago, but that O’Leary would decide to move on as he sees around him a team that has been hemorrhaging talent, has no apparent answer at QB, and is truly only a shadow of the squad that won it all in 2001. We could see O’Leary stepping down, and getting snapped up pretty quickly elsewhere. Gunther Cunningham/JACKSONVILLE: If the Bulls can win 3 in a row to go 8-6 and somehow make the playoffs, that might do it, but three straight low playoff seeds and quick playoff exits would not be very impressive. A losing season, a non-playoff year, and finishing third behind Tampa Bay and Boston, could push Bulls ownership to make a change. Jim Mora Jr./PHILADELPHIA: The Stars have been patient with Mora, likely due to the familial connection with former Stars legend Jim Mora Sr, but that cannot hold forever. With a 3-win 2001, 4-win 2002, and now sitting at 4-7 with 3 weeks to go, only a 3-game winning streak could keep Philly from a third straight losing season. Improving by 1 win per year, or even getting to 6-8 this year, simply does not feel like enough positive movement to keep Mora around. Joe Vitt/LAS VEGAS: Vitt was supposed to be an inerim fill after the Thunder released Ray Rhodes from his duties, but he pulled the Thunder up to 7-7 in his interim year, so he was given a chance to prove himself. After a 6-8 season last year, the Thunder are currently only 3-8, and having benched Akili Smith, they team seems to lack a clear sense of identity. Neither of those facts bode well for the former Defensive Coordinator to keep his job once the season is done. Chan Gailey/TEXAS: This is Gailey’s 4th season in San Antonio, and he is already guaranteed another losing season. The Outlaws have not topped 7 wins in any season under Gailey, and this year’s squad is clearly one of the weakest teams in the league. Some of that falls on the GM and the front office for not spending to bring in skill players, but a lot will fall on Gailey, who was expected to innovate on offense and has simply not produced. We see Gailey as the most likely of the coaches to be an immediate dismissal as soon as Week 14’s game is done. While these 5 are the teams where we see the highest potential for a resignation or firiring, they may not be alone. The Express have been a roller coaster under Galen Hall, up and down from 11 wins to 8, to 13, then 5,then back up to 10, and now sitting at 4-7. The good years have been promising, but the inconsistency year to year has to be maddening for ownership. While somewhat less likely we could also envision scenarios where ownership could move on from Coach Franchione in Birmingham, Coach Phillips in Houston, Coach Mora in Memphis, or Coach Green in Oakland. Wideouts Making Noise It has long been a cliché that wide receivers tend to be divas, often playing to the media, self-congratulating, or brandishing the bravado of a bullfighter. Well, that stereotype seems to be playing out with at least two of the league’s top receivers as both Steve Smith in Philly and Plaxico Burress in Oakland have started to make a significant amount of noise about their desire to either get paid or get traded. Neither wideout is in an ideal situation in the offenses where they find themselves, and neither truly has the numbers to compare with a Chad Ochocinco or Randy Moss, but that does not seem to stop them from thinking very highly of their abilities and demanding to be compensated for their talent, even if that talent is not helping either Philly or Oakland win a lot of games. So what do you do if you are the Stars and Invaders? Do you give up on one of the more talented players on teams that need more offensive explosiveness to begin with? You certainly could fetch a pretty good price for either wideout, but then does that leave your cupboard bare? One of the big issues for both clubs is the lack of depth behind their #1 receivers. Would Philly feel comfortable moving Amani Toomer to the #1 spot? Could Oakland really go forward with Donte Stallworth and Taylor Jacobs as their two primary receivers? There are some talented rookies expected in the 2005 draft, including Braylon Edwards of Michigan, Troy Williamson of South Carolina, and Mike Williams of USC. But there is no guarantee that either club could acquire the rights to these players away from their Territorial Draft owners. Among potential free agents, there is some real talent. Deion Branch, Andre Rison, and Robert Ferguson are all currently unsigned, but we just don’t expect Washington, Pittsburgh, or Boston to reach Week 14 without inking these top receivers, so that could leave only older veterans like Carl Pickens or young mid-range receivers in the actual free agency pool. Honestly, the best option, if both clubs are game, might be to swap the two receivers, but, of course, that means paying more to get a feisty #1 to replace an equally feisty #1, and that does not seem like such a great idea. After Week 11 action it seems we underplayed the potential for clinching scenarios as no fewer than 4 clubs clinched a playoff berth this week. Chicago and Tampa Bay are both assured a spot in the postseason as they sit at 9-2 atop the Central and Southeastern Divisions. Washington is currently in 7th place at 6-5, two games behind 6th place Pittsburgh (8-3). In the West, both Denver and Arizona are locked into postseason play at 7-4, since Oakland sits at #7 with a 4-7 record. However, Oakland and LA, both 4-7 are still only 1 game behind Houston and New Orleans, who both sit at 5-6, occupying 2 Wild Card positions despite their losing records. Nashville and Seattle are the other two division leaders, though their leads are tenuous at 6-5 each. Eliminated this week were Philadelphia, Michigan, Orlando, and Texas. Las Vegas, Memphis and Birmingham are still mathematically alive despite 3-8 records, as is Jacksonville and Baltimore at 5-6, but a lot of games will have to go their way to avoid elimination in Weeks 12 or 13. Another pretty light week for significant injuries, with the most impactful being Breakers’ HB Troy Davis (neck) likely out for the rest of the season. Arizona TE Matt Cushing is also out for the remainder of the year with 2 broken ribs. Baltimore center Matt Elliott could miss up to a month with an ankle injury and Ohio LB Clint Kriewaldt is out with a sprained knee, though hopefully only for 2 weeks. Arizona could miss LB Lance Briggs for 1-2 weeks with a pulled hamstring, while Washington LB Michael Barrow is out this week with a shoulder injury. Tampa backup Kent Graham will be out this week, leaving only Ken Dorsey behind Culpepper, who is expected to return, and Michigan has LB Andy Katzenmoyer as Doubtful with a foot injury. St. Louis Ownership Approved by USFL We have our St. Louis expansion club as league owners fully supported the joint bid of David Steward and Johnny Morris. Steward will be the CEO of the new St. Louis franchise, and he is being greeted as a hero in the Gateway City after securing the franchise for his native city. The ownership group was approved by a 22-2 vote, with Memphis and Nashville both expressing concern about the dual ownership of Steward and Morris. Apparently the former Knights and the club that threatened to move to St. Louis to replace them are both still feeling a bit uncomfortable with the return of a club to the city, a club that almost certainly will have some fan animosity towards both the Showboats and the Knights. While nothing is set in stone at this point, Steward did hint that the club has a name in mind, and will be working with Reebok to turn a concept into an identity. Expect more on this soon as the St. Louis group has indicated that they want fan input on their new team. As for team arrangements, the deal is ready to be signed that would allow the new franchise to play their games at The Dome at America’s Center, home of the NFL’s St. Louis Rams and former home of the Knights. It appears that already this new team has a leg up on the Knights when it comes to stadium revenue and a more equitable arrangement with the Rams. No word yet on practice facilities or a camp site for the unnamed team, and, of course, a priority for the club will be putting in place a front office team and beginning the search for a head coach. With Steward as the first Black CEO and Lead Owner of a USFL franchise, do not be surprised if the new St. Louis franchise makes diversity in the front office a priority. With several outstanding African-American coordinators, and a few former Head Coaches of USFL clubs out there, we would not be shocked to see an African-American coach roaming the St. Louis sidelines in 2006. Week 12 intensifies the playoff races across the entire league as all 24 clubs are in divisional matchups. Games not to miss this week include: Washington @ New Jersey: A win for the Generals and they clinch the Northeast Division Title and eliminate the Federals from the playoffs. A Feds win and they are still alive. Tampa Bay @ Jacksonville: The Bandits can eliminate Jacksonville from playoff contention with a win, but a loss in Alltell Stadium and the Cannons could move into a tie with the Bandits for first. Ohio @ Chicago: The Glory need this one to knock Chicago out of sole possession of first place and potentially into a 3-way tie at 9-3 with both the Glory and the Maulers. A win by Chicago all but assures them of a division title. Houston @ Arizona: The Wranglers need to keep winning if they want any chance to upend Denver and take the division, but Houston needs this one to get to .500 and stay in the Wild Card pool. Seattle @ Oakland: The Dragons have a 2 game lead in the division, so this game is not as vital for them, but Oakland absolutely needs to win if they want any hope of a possible Wild Card. Other games with potential playoff impact include Las Vegas at LA, with the express hoping to stay alive; Texas at Denver, with the Gold retaining only a tie breaker lead over Arizona; New Orleans @ Memphis, with the Breakers trying to catch Nashville; Nashville @ Birmingham, again with a close Southern Division at hand; Pittsburgh at Michigan, with the Maulers hoping they can catch Chicago; Orlando @ Boston, where the Cannons trail Tampa by 1 game; and Philadelphia @ Baltimore, since the Blitz still have a faint hope at a late Wild Card run. Basically all 12 games have some playoff ramifications, and that is a rare thing to say by Week 12, so this year’s 3rd to last week could be a really great one.

Week Ten is a good time to put all the pieces together, something we saw from Ohio, Houston, and Chicago, and a horrible time to be slumping, as we are seeing with Boston, Washington, and New Orleans. With so many tight divisional races, this is the time to make a statement and get on a roll. Time to stake out a position at the top of the standings and fight off all comers. Four weeks left in the season, a month to make your name or crumble into ruins. It’s some of the best football all season, and it starts this week. BOSTON CANNONS 20 HOUSTON GAMBLERS 27 A big win for the Gamblers as they try to prove to us and to themselves that they are a contender. Kris Kershaw has availed himself well since stepping in for the injured Matt Hasselbeck, as once again Doug Flutie was able to watch the game with a baseball cap on. Kershaw completed 15 of 29 passes for only 148 yards, but had two touchdowns, including the game winner on a furious last minute drive to victory. The key, as you might expect, was the Houston defense getting after both QB Drew Bledsoe and HB Tiki Barber. Barber rushed for 79 yards and a score, but his longest run was only 9 yards. Tatum Bell was able to up that, with 70 yards rushing, including a 16-yard touchdown for Houston. Ronde Barber was the big hero for Houston, making 12 tackles on the day, while Kavika Pittman nonchalantly added 2 more sacks to his league-leading total. The Cannons were first on the board as they had a successful first drive, ending with a Tiki Barber TD run, but that would be the only TD for Boston until the final 2 minutes of the game. In between, Houston held the Boston offense in check, despite giving up over 470 yards of total offense, it was almost all between Boston’s endzone and Houston’s 35. After a field goal by Josh Brown, Houston took its first lead of the game with a Kershaw to Dan Campbell TD toss to make the halftime score 10-7. In the third quarter both teams traded field goals, so it went to the 4th at 13-10 Gamblers. In the final period, Houston started strong, finishing off a drive with a Tatum Bell TD run that gave them a 10 point lead, but Boston, sensing that time was eluding them, put together a quick drive for a field goal, and then got the ball back and went down the field in quick time, finishing with Tiki Barber swinging out of the backfield and taking the ball 33 yards for a game tying score. With the game tied at 20 with only 1:19 left to play, Houston could have played it conservatively and headed to overtime, but Coach Philips showed faith in Kershaw and let him run a 2-minute offense. The confidence was well-placed as Kershaw led Houston down the field efficiently, using 2 of the team’s 3 timeouts and spiking the ball to conserve time. The Gamblers had the ball within range for kicker Josh Brown, and were simply trying to run some time and set up the kick, when a huge mistake by Boston LB Roman Pfifer gave the Gamblers a chance for more. Pfifer took a cheap shot at Kershaw after he had handed off to Bell, drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and riling up both the fans at NRG Stadium and the entire Gambler team. The Gamblers lined up for what appeared to be one final handoff to Bell to place the ball for the kick, but Kershaw instead pulled the ball back and found rookie Roy Williams wide open for the game-winning touchdown. Houston erupted, the fans, the team on the sideline, even the coaches seemed to express vindication and great joy in having stuck it to Boston with the play action and the score. So, a lesson learned for Pfifer and the Cannons, who apparently messed with Texas and paid the price. WSH 17 MEM 20 Washington loses their 4th in the past 5 games as they seem to have lost all sense of who they are offensively. Memphis did not exactly blow the doors off against the Feds’ defense, but the Washington Offense simply did not put anything together despite 102 yards from Deuce McCallister. It was 17-13 Feds at the half and they did nothing in the entire second half, while Memphis got a Dorsey Levins TD midway through the fourth to take the lead and the win, only their 3rd of the season. BAL 20 NSH 17 Almost the opposite story in Baltimore where the new culture of Coach Tom Coughlin is producing results. The Blitz played solid defense and mustered just enough offense to pull this one out in Nashville. Two fourth quarter scores pulled them first into a 17-17 tie (thanks to a D’Wayne Bates TD catch) and then got them the win as Martin Grammatica hit a walk-off field goal as time expired to move the Blitz to .500 at 5-5. NJ 16 NOR 10 A battle of backups as Tom Brady was out and Trent Dilfer was a late scratch after injuring his ankle in Friday’s practice. That meant that we got to see Eli Manning get the start for the Breakers. He got a huge round of applause from the Breaker faithful, but struggled in the game, throwing 2 picks and averaging only 5.8 yards per pass. Todd Boumann did a solid job filling in for Brady, completing 14 of 24 for 261 yards and the team’s lone TD, a 12-yarder to Terry Glenn. TBY 28 DEN 20 Denver tested the Bandits, but Coach Spurrier’s squad did what they needed to get the W, with Daunte Culpepper surviving 5 sacks to throw TD passes to George Wrightster, Kevin Johnson, and Randy Moss. Denver’s Peerless Price had a big game with 133 yards on 12 receptions, but the Gold had trouble in the red zone, with two red zone turnovers in 4 trips into scoring territory. ORL 34 ARZ 24 The Renegades pull off a second upset, two weeks after upending Nashville, as Jeff Blake throws fo r2 scores and the run game garners 142 yards and 2 scores as well against the Wranglers. Orlando was helped by two picks of Jake Plummer, and helped themselves by totally shutting down Stephen Davis (12 carries for 17 yards). PIT 25 OAK 20 Oakland loses a third game in a row as the Maulers edge them thanks to 16 points from the defense. Oakland held the Pittsburgh O in check all game, but Trent Green threw 3 picks, two of them returned for scores, and got sacked for a safety as Pittsburgh’s defense almost won this game without the offense’s help at all. CHI 26 LV 10 Chicago smothered the Thunder, who have lost 6 of their last 7, by confusing and pursuing Aaron Brooks all game long. Adding 136 yards rushing between rookie Michael Turner and veteran Duce Staley and you have a convincing Machine win on the road. We also got to see our first Tony Banks action for the Machine as Ray Lucas got poked in the eye and missed a series getting treatment before returning to finish the game. Brooks would play 6 plays, going 1 for 1 passing. MGN 17 SEA 20 The Panthers are becoming a tough out each week, but Seattle, playing at home, had just enough in the tank to edge Michigan and move to 5-5, atop the Pacific Division. Chris Perry had a solid game, averaging 6.4 yards per rush as he gained 77 yards on the day, while Corey Dillon, averaging only 3.5 per carry needed 22 carries to reach the same total. Michigan actually led with 3:19, following Perry’s lone TD of the day, but Seattle had a 2-minute drill in them and won the game on a Leftwich to McDuffie TD pass. PHI 25 BIR 10 The Stars snap a 3 game losing streak as Birmingham coach Dennis Franchione stays true to his word and sits Brett Favre due to team policy violations. His replacement, Danny Kanell, showed all the rust you would expect of a player who almost never sees game action, throwing 2 picks and getting sacked 6 times by the Stars. The other surprise of the game was that Ki-Jana Carter came in for a dinged-up Larry Johnson and did quite well, rushing for 73 yards on 19 carries. JAX 20 TEX 27 Texas wins only their second game of the season as the Bulls seem lifeless in this one. T.J. Duckett rushes for 80 yards and a score and WR Ike Hilliard brings in two Jeff Lewis TDs as Texas gets a W and Jacksonville now falls 3 games behind the leader, Tampa Bay, in the Southeastern Division. OHI 51 LA 17 How would Ohio fare without Joey Galloway? How about their best point total of the season as Troy Brown hauls in 3 TDs from Kerry Collins, and TE Stephen Alexander gets 2 more. The game was close at the half (20-14 Ohio), but the Glory scored 24 unanswered points to put the game out of reach in the second half. Rob Johnson completed only 13 of 41 pass attempts as the Express are just not looking like a team that can compete until Cade McNown returns from injury. FIVE QB’s WHO COULD BE ON THE MOVE As we look at the final month of the season, we know that QB play will make a huge difference across the league. It is rare that we see a team head into the playoffs with confidence if they are not seeing outstanding QB play. What we do see are more often teams struggling because the position is either unsettled or underperforming. We thought we would take a moment to look at 5 teams whose quarterbacks have seen better days. The question at hand is whether any of these starting QB’s are now looking ahead at the final month of the season with their jobs on the line. Which might be auditioning for another year, and which might just be looking for another team come July? Our first QB under pressure is Brian Griese in Philadelphia. The Stars gave up quite a bit to bring Griese to the City of Brotherly Love, but Griese has not been feeling the love from the Stars’ fanbase. His numbers are not horrible—68.9% completion rate, 12 Tds to 7 picks, nearly 2,500 yards, but the Stars are floundering, sitting 16th in yards per game and 12th in the league in scoring. But here is the thing, can we really blame this on the former Seattle Dragon QB when the Stars have the worst run game in the league? The Stars are averaging only 61 yards per game on the ground. While fans love to blame the QB for any team woes, this feels a lot more like an issue for Coach Mora and the OC, and not the fault of a solid, if not particularly exciting, QB. The next concern has to be in Memphis, where former MVP Heath Shuler looks like he has fallen off a veritable cliff. He is among the worst rated QB’s in the league right now, sitting with a 69.8 QB Rating, nearly a 40 point drop from his 2003 season. Yes, the receiving corps needs a major infusion of talent, but something else is going on. Shuler is only completing 59.5% of his passes and has 3 more picks than TDs. He has not even hit the 2,000 yard mark after 10 weeks. None of that is a good sign that Shuler should be the unquestioned starter for 2005. We expect Memphis will bring Shuler back with the hope that he rebounds, but they would be foolish not to sign a younger, potentially hungrier QB to challenge the veteran. Oakland brought in Trent Green out of desperation after failing to sign Philip Rivers to a contract. Green had a strong start, and his overall numbers are not horrible, but as the Invaders have slumped, more questions have arisen about Green’s long term viability. With a top prospect like Cal’s Aaron Rodgers available in the Territorial Draft, Oakland may be tempted once again to take a big swing on yet another top rated QB prospect. That is not really a challenge to Green for 2005, but if the former Blitz and Bandit QB wants more than 1 more season he may well have to show up big time in the next year. Down in Jacksonville, fans seem to be tiring of Jake Delhomme’s unmet potential. In his third season as a starter for the Bulls, Delhomme’s numbers are looking a lot like last year, and they are not all that bad, with 71.1% in completion rate, just under 2,300 yards, and an 11-7 TD-INT ratio, but the issue for Delhomme is that the Bulls seem to be falling behind in the arms race that is the Southeast Division. After two straight 9-5 seasons, the Bulls are currently sitting at 5-5 and could be on their way to a non-playoff season. Delhomme helped Jacksonville get to the playoffs the past two years, but a drop this year could have the Bulls looking for an upgrade. And what to do about Trent Dilfer in New Orleans? This is a QB who led the Breakers to the Summer Bowl last season, but when the club drafted Eli Manning, it sent a clear signal that they thought they could get more out of the position. The result? Dilfer has been more erratic, more prone to mistakes, and more fragile. The Breakers could very well view Dilfer as one does a family car that has had its best years and now is time to trade in. Dilfer still has some value, and it is that value that may tempt New Orleans to try to shop the 5-year USFL veteran. They could very likely find a buyer, and moving Dilfer now means that Eli Manning gets his shot to earn his big rookie deal in 2005 after a year watching Dilfer and subbing only when the veteran was too bruised to play. FIVE QB’S WHO DESERVE A SHOT We have looked at 5 QB’s who could be traded, cut, or just looking for another position unless they maximize the next 4 weeks. What about the flipside? Who are the non-starters who could push for a better opportunity to win a starting role. We think these five players in particular are primed to seek a more competitive chance to win that starting gig. I think we are all pretty confident that if he stays in Ohio Chris Redman is not going to get many chances to start. The Glory have a 3-time MVP at QB ahead of Redman, but in those rare moments when Kerry Collins has been sidelined, Redman has shown us some talent. He has yet to get his first start as a pro, but his play in mop up duty and subbing for a dinged up Collins have shown some promise. Folks like to think of Todd Boumann as a system QB, able to succeed when Tom Brady goes out of a game because he plays within a conservative, QB friendly system. And yet he makes plays. Bouman has made several appearances this year, scoring a ranking of 116.9, 20 points above Tom Brady in the same system. Of course, with most of his action in garbage time he is not always facing the opposition’s best effort. Unlike Redman, Boumann has had 3 starts in the past 2 years, and he has looked solid in them. Will he get a shot in New Jersey? Unlikely, but if he moves on, he can compete. Denver has the good fortune of having a solid, consistent backup in Eric Wilhelm, and after 8 years in that role, perhaps it is unrealistic that he will suddenly crave the limelight of a starting gig. Wilhelm is often mentioned as one of the best backups to get into a game on sudden notice, and while that is a good quality, it is not exactly one that screams for a player to become a full-time starter. He may be injured at the moment, but LA’s Quincy Carter has to be on the short list of backups who could be starting elsewhere. Carter started 5 games between 2002-2003, and despite completing only around 43% of his passes, he still amassed nearly 1,400 yards over that span, with 11 TDs to only 4 picks. Those are pretty strong numbers for any quarterback. Carter has 4 years of experience under his belt, and folks in LA should be concerned that he will bolt for a sweeter deal. There certainly would be takers if he opted to leave the Express as athletic, mobile QBs are certainly a priority for many teams. And finally, Houston simply did not know what they had in Kris Kershaw until Matt Hasselbeck went down with a season-ending injury 5 weeks ago. And what has Kershaw done? He has won 2 of 5 games, not great, but he has also thrown for nearly 1,000 yards and 6 touchdowns to only 1 pick. He is completing 78% of his throws, a very high percentage, especially for a backup, and he is not making fatal mistakes. Houston does not need a flashy QB to win games, and Kershaw is doing more than enough to put the team in a position to win. Does that translate into an offseason jump to a team needing a starter? We are not sure, but it certainly does not hurt for him to put together a quality highlight reel. SHORT V. LONG Receivers in the USFL seem to come in one of two formats, the deep ball threat and the possession receiver. There are a few top talents who can do both, and sometimes it depends on the offensive scheme of the club, but it just seems amazing to us that there can so often be such a big gulf between the two types of wideout. Want to know how this pans out? Just look at the league leaders in receptions vs. the league leaders in receiving yards. Other than the occasional freak, the two categories have very different compositions. Looking at the top receivers by reception we see a lot of guys averaging under 15 yards per catch: Deion Branch (13.8 with a league best 78 receptions), Bert Emmanuel (averaging only 9.7 YPC on 68 catches), Hines Ward (13.3 YPC on 68 catches), Peerless Price (8.9 YPC on 66 receptions), and Keenan McCardell (11.6 YPC on 63 balls). Now look at the top yardage receivers and, other than Branch, who is tops in both categories, what you see are speed receivers who rack up big yards on big plays. The next 5 names on the yardage list are all averaging 23 yards or more per reception. They include Chad Ochocinco (27.3 per catch, 1007 yards on only 37 receptions), David Boston (41 receptions at 24 yards per catch), Randy Moss (41 receptions but averaging 23.2 yards per catch), and the always dangerous (though now injured) Joey Galloway, whose 24.7 yards per catch allow him to be a top yardage gainer despite having only 37 catches this season. For every Tory Holt (30.5 YPC, unreal!!) we have an Anquon Boldin (11.4 YPC) who is getting those tough first downs, driving over the middle, and taking on safeties. Not every receiver can have 4.3 speed, but in the USFL it seems that the two receiver classes both have a pretty good home. Look at teams near the top of the standings, or the passing yardage lists, and you can pretty much guarantee that they have found a good combo of speed & precision, medium routes and over-the-top deep balls. Seems smart to us. Two very different stories between the two conferences in the USFL this season. In the East the top 6 clubs already have at least 2 games over the 7th team and beyond, meaning that unless someone makes a major run from the 5-5 clubs, we could see all 6 playoff spots clinched very early, and then the battles will be for division titles, with Pittsburgh, Chicago, and Ohio in one corner, Tampa Bay and Boston in the other, and New Jersey hoping they all knock each other out of the top spot so the Generals can get that #1 seed. In the West we have 8 teams all within a 2-game range, and at present at least 1 team that is 2 games under .500 would get into the playoffs. Only two teams in the entire conference are over .500, which means we could be waiting a long time just to see a team clinch a berth, much less a division title or a bye week. The Southwest is now close to a 3 team race, with Houston gaining on Arizona and Denver this week. The Pacific also has 3 teams all within a game of each other, with Seattle holding a narrow 1-game lead after 10 weeks. And in the South, Nashville sits at 5-5, but New Orleans at 4-6 and even Birmingham and Memphis (yes, even Memphis) are not out of it at 3-7. If any of the top 8 teams could just get a streak of wins going they could find themselves with a plump, juicy bye week waiting for them. With this being a relatively light week for injuries across the league, we thought we would take a pause from the rundown of new injuries and highlight the teams that have been most impacted by player losses. Looking over the current IR and injury report, these six clubs are the teams most affected by significant player injuries. CHICAGO: QB Jeff George is still 1-2 weeks away from practicing with the club. They are also down T Marcus Spears (IR), FS George Teague (2-3 weeks), DT Ted Washington (1-2 weeks) and LB Brian Urlacher (Doubtful). HOUSTON: They have Matt Hasselbeck on IR, a s well as TE Ryan Krause. CB Shaun Springs is doubtful this week with a stress fracture in his foot, and two linemen, T Tra Thomas and C Brad Meester are still about 50/50 for this week. LOS ANGELES: The Express are hoping that Cade McNown can return to action in about 2 weeks, with Quincy Carter done for the regular season. Wideout Keyshawn Johnson is also on IR, and this week they also have CB ray Crockett and DE Jevon Kearse as questionable. OHIO: Joey Galloway is done for the year, DE Gabe Wilkins could miss another month, DE Carl Powell is doubtful with an ACL injury and both TE Stephen Alexander and LB Glenn Cadrez could be out this week. PITTSBURGH: Guard Rod Milstead may be done for the year after suffering a fracture in his lower right leg. TE Alge Crumpler is questionable with a broken finger. LB Akin Ayodele and FS Shaunard Harris may also miss this week’s game, and LB Nick Koutavides has to sit out this week due to a pinched nerve. TEXAS: The Outlaws will be without two of their starting linebackers as both Tedy Bruschi and Tarek Salah are listed as doubtful for Week 11. Also unlikely to play are the two starting DE’s with both Dimitrius Underwood and Tony Hill listed as questionable. Finally, WR Ike Hilliard suffered a deep thigh bruise last week and could miss this week’s game as well. Reebok Reveals Two New Looks. Reebok was busy this week as they rolled out new looks for the 2005 season for both the Michigan Panthers and the Memphis Showboats. This is Michigan’s first update since 1993, while Memphis last changed up their look in 1998. For the Panthers the big addition is the creation of a secondary logo separate from the roaring panther head that has been their primary since 1993. The new secondary features a stylized letter “M” contained within a burgundy frame and highlighted by colored blocks in the team’s familiar Champagne and blue. Atop the M is a silhouette of a prowling panther in champagne and outlined in burgundy. The new secondary logo will be used as the midfield logo for the team, replacing the rondel version of the team’s primary, and will also appear on the sleeves of the new jersey. The uniforms themselves are somewhat simpler than in the 1993 version, with single color maroon or champagne numbers on the jersey and the shoulder stripe changed to a single color Lake Blue strip. The collars on both jerseys feabure a highlight at the base, and are offset colors from each jersey. The pants are now stripeless, with the lone aesthetic element being the rondel primary on each hip. Both champagne and burgundy pants are now an option for the Panthers. The helmet remains unchanged. Memphis too receives a new secondary logo, with an italicized M forming the body of the logo, with two black smokestacks atop the M’s vertical columns and a red, white, and silver sky “wake” beneath the letter. The secondary combines the look of a steamboat with the monogram for Memphis. The primary is also updated, with all black elements removed. And that seems to be the dominant feature of the new look as black is very limited in its use. The helmets evoke earlier versions of Memphis’s look, with a silver sky shell, scarlet facemask, and a single tapered scarlet stripe that thins from the front bumper until practically the back bumper. The uniforms remain true to historical looks for the club, with white and scarlet jerseys, both with silver sky sleeves and white shoulder strips, The number font has been modified, a long vertical font with curved edges and a deep sky vertical drop shadow on both uniforms. No logos appear on the sleeves. The new secondary logo is placed on the hip of both pant sets, and a tapered line runs from the knee up to the mid-thigh, with the stripe being silver sky on the white pants and scarlet on the darker pants. Both looks were revealed at team facilities this week and new replica jerseys immediately went on sale for both clubs. Were either Memphis or Michigan to qualify for the playoffs, the teams would be eligible to wear their new uniforms for any playoff games, however, both clubs are currently outside of the playoff pool, which would mean a March 2005 reveal of the uniforms on the field of play. (Yes, the new Memphis secondary is, in fact, a recolored version of the new secondary for the 2023 version of the Memphis Showboats. We are beginning to see the 2022 return of the USFL impacting the alt history USFL when appropriate.) Atlanta Ownership Approved in League Vote Atlanta is getting the Fire back. It became official this week when league owners by conference call approved the new ownership group led by Jim Kennedy of the Fox Cable Group. Kennedy and the new ownership have all along aligned with local grassroots groups in calling for the return of the Fire identity. The club will have downtown offices and already has an agreement in place to utilize the Georgia Dome as its home stadium. Kennedy and the Atlanta group has also worked to set up an agreement with Georgia State University for use of its athletic facilities for in-season practice, while winter training camps will be held a bit further south at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro. The Kennedy group was approved by a 22-0 vote, with two owners unable to attend the conference call but later confirming that they too would have voted to approve. So, what is next for Mr. Kennedy and the reborn Atlanta Fire? With a stadium and training facilities in place, the next steps are to set up a marketing and ticketing team, to hire a staff, and to work with Reebok on a new look for the fire. The group has legal rights to the identity used by the Fire prior to their relocation to Boston, a deal that was brokered by the USFL, which has partial ownership of all brands related to league franchises, so the team can already start working with Reebok to release Fire branded T-shirts, hoodies and other products for the fans, but uniforms could undergo a transformation as a way of showing that the club is reborn. With Week 10 being an interconference week, you knew divisional play would be back on the schedule for Week 11, and so it is in the Eastern Conference. And with so many Eastern teams vying for divisional titles and potential byes, the battles this week could feel very much like early playoff rounds. The best game on the slate has to be the matchup of the 8-2 Maulers and the 7-3 Glory. If Ohio can win at home, they can spring right back into the divisional race, but a loss to Pittsburgh puts them 2 games back with only 4 to play. A huge game as Ohio tries to threepeat. The other Central Division matchup has Chicago at home against the Panthers. The Machine had best not overlook Michigan as they scoreboard watch the Mauler-Glory game. Yes, a Glory win could put Chicago alone in first place, but the Panthers have been playing better ball of late and could sneak up on them. In the Southeast Tampa has a 1 game lead on Boston, but the Bandits are on the road this week against an Orlando squad that has played much better with Jeff Blake at QB. Boston has a home tilt against the Jacksonville Bulls, who have lost two straight games that they were favored to win (Baltimore and Texas). At 5-5, Jacksonville cannot afford to fall any further back in the division or the Wild Card race. In the Northeast New Jersey has a 2-game lead on the Feds and the surging Blitz. Baltimore has won 4 in a row and they host the Generals in what could be a season-defining game for Coach Coughlin and the burgeoning Blitz. Washington travels to Philadelphia in what feels like a must win game if the Feds hope to get into the Wild Card mix. Philly has even slimmer hopes of a playoff spot, but at 4-6 they would love to pull even with Washington by beating the Feds in Philly. The Western Conference is in interdivisional play, but that does not mean that we don’t have some interesting matchups to follow. With so many teams at or near .500 it means a lot of potentially close and even matchups. Games we like as potentially vital for playoff runs include New Orleans (4-6) at Houston (5-5), Oakland (4-6) at Arizona (6-4), and LA (4-6) at Denver (6-4). Seattle hosts Birmingham, who simply cannot afford to lose if they want any chance at meaningful June football. Nashville is at Texas in a game they should win, but Texas rose up this past week and can be tough at home in the AlamoDome. Finally, 3-7 Memphis is at 2-8 Las Vegas in a game that may be more about draft position and pride than anything else.

Playoff Picture: No teams have clinched a playoff spot, and even the 2-win clubs in the West remain mathematically alive, as several teams with only 4 wins are currently in position for a playoff spot. The most likely club to be eliminated from contention in Week 11 are the Renegades, who, with only 3 wins, cannot lose an 8th game and remain alive if all of the 6-win clubs win this week. Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh are ahead of the 7th best club 8 wins to 5, so they could potentially clinch with wins and losses by Jacksonville, Baltimore, and Washington.