Search this site

The story of high impact injuries continued in Week 9 as both Los Angeles and Ohio lose star wideouts for the rest of the season. Joey Galloway and Keyshawn Johnson see their seasons come to an end as both suffer significant injuries this week. We also saw a pretty big upset in New Orleans as the Showboats actually look competent on the field for the first time in a long time. Chicago gets a huge win at home against the Bandits, Boston, playing without Drew Bledsoe struggles in New Jersey, and Michigan gets a big home win against the Renegades. We start with the game of the week, a surprisingly close affair that leads to an upset in New Orleans. MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS 27 NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS 24 A true shocker in New Orleans as the 1-7 Showboats stun the Super Dome crowd with two scores in the final minute to completely crush the Breaker’s hopes of climbing back over .500 and claiming a share of the division lead. The game was expected to be something of a cakewalk for the Breakers but Memphis came in fired up and walked away with their 2nd W of the season. Memphis found issues with the New Orleans defense all day long, beginning in the first quarter when Heath Shuler was able to connect on 5 consecutive passes to move the Showboats inside the Breaker 10-yard line. HB Tony Carter did the rest, following his FB around the edge and into the endzone from 7 yards out to give Memphis a 7-0 early lead. New Orleans would counter with a 13-play drive, ending with Troy Davis also scooting his way into the endzone as New Orleans evened the score early in the 2nd quarter. But the Breakers simply could not find success pressuring Shuler as other teams had. They would only sack him once on the day, and Shuler would finish with a very solid 30 of 45 for 288 yards. Late in the 2nd, he led Memphis into field goal range and Jeff Hall gave the visitors a 10-7 halftime lead. Fans were feeling anxious about the seeming lack of urgency of the Breakers as they struggled to pull away from the Showboats, something most in town expected would happen early in the game. Trailing at the half, New Orleans got things rolling right away in the 3rd quarter as a 34 yard kick return by Corey Barlow set them up in good field position. They marched to the Memphis 18, but when a 3rd and 3 play came up short, they had to settle for a 34-yard David Green kick to tie the score at 10. Just 42 seconds later Memphis again took the lead. Shuler found Oronde Gadsden on a crossing route, and the speedy back was able to elude the initial tackle and scramble 54 yards for a quick strike touchdown to once again give Memphis the advantage, 17-10. New Orleans would make their move as the 4th quarter began, driving down the field methodically against the ‘Boats’ defense and again tying the game, this time with a 1-yard Olandis Gary TD run. When the defense picked off Heath Shuler’s first pass on the ensuing drive, New Orleans had their chance to finally take the lead. Dilfer led the Breakers down the field in short order, and with 3:39 left to play the home team finally crept out ahead as Dilfer hit Josh Reed for the go-ahead score. It would now be Memphis’s job to battle for the tying score. The Showboats were up to the task, moving into a no-huddle strategy and moving to the ball quickly. With 47 seconds to play Shuler found Alvis Whitted on a crossing route and Whitted crossed the plain to bring Memphis even with the Breakers. The expectation was that both teams were now looking for overtime, and as Memphis lined up to kick the ball back to New Orleans there was no sign that an onside kick was on. The ‘Boats fooled the Breakers and when Jeff Hall topped the ball, sending it spinning and bouncing to his left, the Breakers were unprepared and Memphis pounced on the ball. They had 41 seconds to get the ball into field goal range and steal the win, and they did just that, with Shuler finding Adrian Cooper for 10 yards and then Erron Kinney for another 6. The Showboats spiked the ball to stop the clock, then connected on an out route to rookie Lee Evans to get the ball into field goal range. Out came Jeff Hall, and, much to the dismay of the Breaker faithful, the Memphis kicker connected from 41 yards out as the clock ran down to zeroes. The Showboats had their second win of the year, and New Orleans would now drop to 4-5. TBY 20 CHI 22 Chicago came into this week with a plan: pressure, pressure, pressure. It was a solid plan as Chicago kept Daunte Culpepper unsettled all game. Sacked 8 times and picked off twice, the Tampa signal caller was unable to hit big plays to Randy Moss. Meanwhile Duce Staley had his first 100-yard game of the year, and with 50 yards from Michael Turner and another 27 from Charles Rogers, Chicago ran to a season’s best 181. The result was a close win, but another win for the Machine. BOS 14 NJ 21 New Jersey took advantage of Drew Bledsoe’s absence, coming after Jim Miller and holding Tiki Barber just under 100 yards (94 on the day), while Tom Brady had no issues with the Boston defense, completing a whopping 19 of 22 on the day (86.4%) and connecting with Terry Glenn and FB Deion Dyer for two TD passes. Boston struggled with Miller at the helm, converting only 2 third downs all game. JAX 18 BAL 20 The Blitz win their third in a row as Tom Coughlin’s discipline is paying off. The Blitz D limited the Bulls to only 35 yards rushing and caused Jacksonville to fail on two separate two-point conversion attempts to barely edge the Bulls. Baltimore was outgained 328-269, but two Bulls turnovers helped them eke out the win. PIT 29 PHI 24 The Maulers struggled with a fired up Philadelphia squad, but got their run game going late to pull out a win. Terrell Davis rushed for 143 and Kenny Bynum spelled him for 60 more as the Maulers kept pounding away at the inside of the Stars’ D-line until they wore down the resistance. Nate Burleson also had a good game for Pittsburgh, catching 5 passes for 88 yards and both Charlie Batch TD tosses. ARZ 19 HOU 10 Arizona’s defense was able to contain Kris Kershaw and the Gamblers, but the Wranglers struggled to find the end zone against Houston’s solid D, so it was Rob Bironas to the rescue with 4 field goals to help the Wranglers edge Houston. Rookie Tatum Bell had his best game of the year for the Gamblers, racking up 61 yards on 12 carries, but Houston simply could not sustain drives and could only muster 10 points. OHI 31 WSH 13 Kerry Collins looked to be in top form, and was helped out by 99 yards from Eddie George as Ohio turned a 10-10 tie at the half into a blowout. Collins threw for 423 yards and 4 scores. Both Joey Galloway and Troy Brown finished the game over 100 yards receiving as the Glory found plenty of holes in Washington’s defense. The game did not go all Ohio’s way, as Joey Galloway left the game late with what was later discovered to be a season-ending injury. DEN 28 TEX 16 Denver doesn’t get much press, but they get their 6th win in San Antonio as they get a whopping 202 yards rushing against a worn down Outlaw D. Robert Holcombe rushed 16 times for 105 yards and Rod Smart put up 93 more on 18 carries as the Gold dominated on the ground. OAK 17 SEA 28 The Invaders drop their second in a row after the midway point as Seattle scored on a pick six and a Leftwich to McDuffie TD in the final period to pull away from Oakland. The Invaders held Corey Dillon to only 38 yards rushing, but gave up 3 TD passes to Byron Leftwich as they drop to 4-5. ORL 12 MGN 15 Michigan gets win #4 and are in the playoff hunt after winning a tough battle with the Renegades. Chris Perry and Ladell Betts split carries, but the key to the game was a late Brees TD toss to wideout Charles Rogers. Jeff Blake completed 67.5% of his throws, but could not rally the Renegades late, picked off in the final seconds of the game. BIR 9 NSH 19 Nashville did everything but steal Birmingham’s wallet as they just dominated defensively in this one. The Stallions had only 182 total yards, including a truly sad 19 yards rushing on the day as they simply had no answers at all. Ahman Green was held to 81 yards, but carried the ball a painful 36 times. They might want to find someone to share that load, as that cannot be good for his body. LA 20 LV 13 Rob Johnson gets his first start since 2001 and he comes away with a win as the Express go into Sam Boyd Stadium and leave victorious. Johnson connected with Tory Holt for a score and the Express defense limited Aaron Brooks to only 39.1% completion rate 918 of 46) as the Thunder just could not get receivers open. But it was not a clean win, as, just like Ohio, LA saw a top player go down in the final minutes as Keyshawn Johnson could be lost for the rest of the year. Galloway Lost for Season Ohio’s bid to threepeat took a huge blow this week as All-USFL wideout Joey Galloway suffered season-ending injury in the 4th quarter of Ohio’s big win over Washington. The speedy receiver crashed into the wall after making an effort to haul in a deep ball and jammed his shoulder into the barrier, just below the edge of the padding. A broken collarbone and a chip in his shoulder joint are the result. He was placed on the IR on Monday and the Glory started trying to figure out how to replace perhaps the most irreplaceable piece of their passing game. Troy Brown is likely to move into the #1 slot, which leaves Ohio to decide between Reche Caldwell and Tyree Davis as options for the flanker spot. With questions already about the effectiveness of the passing game after the departure of Chad Ochocinco, the loss of Galloway will really highlight the issues as teams are far less likely to fear the deep ball with Brown and Caldwell in the lineup. That could also impact Eddie George as teams may move away from the 2-deep safety look they had typically used against Galloway. Keyshawn KO’ed Joey Galloway was not the only big time receiver to get sent to IR this week as Keyshawn Johnson suffered a ruptured Achilles in the final minutes of the game against Las Vegas. The former USC star hobbled and hopped his way to the sideline after blocking for DeShaun Foster on a late game timekilling play. Team doctors confirmed the diagnosis on Monday and Johnson was placed on IR along with QB Quincy Carter. The Express got the W, but now are beginning to look a bit like a M.A.S.H. unit. If things keep going this way, Rob Johnson may want to put on a dress and declare a Section 8 to get out of town. OK, M.A.S.H. jokes aside, Johnson will be missed, but LA does have a deeper pool of receivers than Ohio. Tory Holt is still a top quality player and the Express will likely move Bernard Berrian, the rookie, of the Practice Squad, while moving either Dez White or Kahlil Hill into the starting roll opposite Holt. White seems the more likely candidate as his route running skills are good for short and medium routes. It means he is less likely to occupy the slot, which could give Berrian a chance to get into games as a potential slot receiver. Another option is for LA to use more 2 tight end lineups with Brandon Manumaleuna joining L. J. Smith on the field. Should Pittsburgh Be Concerned About Terrell Davis For the third time this season the Maulers had to remove HB Terrell Davis from action for a period of the game due to ongoing migraine headaches. This time it was in the first half, and Davis was able to return later in the action, but last week he missed a good portion of the 4th quarter, something you do not want in a tight game. There is no clear connection between the migraines and Pittsburgh’s heavy use of Davis in their offense. Migraine conditions are something Davis has dealt with for several years, but this season the presence of migraine attacks during games seems to be escalating. With all the other issues that running backs deal with, from knees to ankles, to the ever present risk of concussions as they lower the head to take on tacklers, adding a migraine condition to the list is not something any back would want. Davis insists that the migraines are something he is learning to manage, but we have to wonder if this could impact him at the worst time, in a game the Maulers need to win and need his help to win. Coach Bicknell has Kenny Bynum backing up Davis, and Bynum is certainly capable, but capable may be a pale comparison with the greatness of Davis come that crucial moment in playoff football. Something to monitor to be sure. We have our first playoff standings of the year, and, of course, it is way too early to see anyone clinching, but there is one thing that seems very obvious as we look over the standings. The East seems to have a clearer pool of top quality teams than the West. Whereas the Western Conference has only 3 teams out of 12 with winning records (Denver, Nashville, and Arizona), the East has 8 of 12. That means we could see several Eastern teams out of the playoff picture with better records than division champions in the West. Right now Seattle leads the Pacific Division at 4-5, and Nashville is only barely over .500 at 5-4 in the Southern Division. Only the Southwest, with 6-3 Denver and 6-3 Arizona seems to have teams that are consistently winning. That is fewer than we have just in the Central Division, where Pittsburgh, Chicago, and Ohio all have at least 6 wins. Add in tough division battles between Boston and Tampa Bay in the Southeast and New Jersey and Washington in the East, and we could be looking at Eastern domination once again. The Eastern Conference, thanks to Ohio (twice) and Orlando (2001) have won the past three title games and have the top 3 favorites for this year in Boston, Tampa Bay and Ohio (who are currently in 3rd in their own division). Add in the Maulers, Machine, and Generals and you have 6 legitimate Summer Bowl hopes. That is impressive. The two major injuries to top tier receivers was the big story this week, and a third, Birmingham’s Marcus Robinson, should also be included in the mix, as he too will miss up to 8 weeks, potentially ending his season after suffering a PCL injury. Washington took a bit of a hit as 2nd year safety Ed Reed could miss 2-3 weeks with a broken finger. Chicago will also be without one of their defensive stars as Brian Urlacher is dealing with turf toe and could miss a week or two. New Jersey has added QB Tom Brady to the injury list due to a wrist injury on his non-throwing hand. He is listed as doubtful for this week, as is Nashville wideout Bert Emmanuel with a wrist injury of his own. Texas DE Dimitrius Underwood is questionable, as is Memphis CB Terrance Shaw and LA DE Jevon Kearse. As we round the corner into the second half of the season, teams start to get serious about signing their players in the final year of contracts, concerned that some of their top players could opt to test the free agent waters and leave gaping needs on the roster. Each year we see several top tier players change teams, and a lot of solid talent overall, and that can mean both USFL to USFL moves and USFL to NFL defections as well. Before we get too deeply engaged in the playoff push, we thought it would be a good idea to highlight the top players on each squad who could be looking for a new opportunity by holding out on a contract and entering free agency. Here, for each club, are the three players that we feel the team can least afford to lose, our Top 3 Free Agents to Resign Now. The Arizona defense has been a surprise this year (2nd in the league in PPG allowed) so you know the Wranglers do not want to see three of its best players leave town. SS Je’Rod Cherry, CB Jimmy Williams, and DE Chike Okeafor have to be prime targets for new contracts before week 14 comes around. In Baltimore the concern is that two of the Blitz’s primary weapons could look elsewhere. HB Ron Dayne and WR Rob Moore will have to decide if they like the direction that Tom Coughlin is taking the team. Recent wins might help Coughlin make his case. The biggest defensive defection could be LB Mike Maslowski, who could be a prime target for defensive hungry teams. It took Shaun Alexander several years in Birmingham before he was given a true shot at being a bell cow back. Would he now take that title with him to a new home? In part that decision may depend on what happens to LT Richmond Webb. If Webb departs, that could spur Alexander to do the same. And if Birmingham needs to drain the checking account to hold these two, what does that mean for someone like CB Torey James? Boston’s Robert Ferguson has had a breakout season, and now he may cash in, either from the Cannons or by going out into free agency. Boston also has to worry about their O-line as both C Bubba Miller and RT Maurice Williams are on the last year of their contracts. In Chicago the name of the game is defense, so the Machine are sure to throw some money at FS George Teague, and more importantly at breakout star DE Anthony Weaver. Does that flow of cash mean that it is more likely that an offensive player like WR Donald Driver are left unsigned? Denver too has a lot of defensive talent potentially on the move this year, as not only is DE Marcellus Wiley and SS Sean Lumpkin in their final year, but so too is All-USFL free safety Jamel Williams. Williams has to be the top priority for the Gold, but what does that mean for Wiley and Lumpkin? Houston still has not found much success with offensive production (20th in PPG) but that does not mean that they are eager to watch WR Antonio Freeman or HB Kevin Faulk test the free agent pool. What is intriguing is if signing these two will trump the fact that Matt Hasselbeck is also a free agent as of Week 14. Will Houston resign Hasselbeck or value other picks and the ability to potentially land a young QB? There should be no way that Jacksonville lets LB Mike Vrabel leave. He has become both a team captain and a virtual lock for All-USFL status this year. Signing Vrabel will mean that the Bulls could be forced to give up on either CB Antoine Winfield or LB Allen Aldridge, both outstanding players for the Bulls’ defense. We fully expect the Thunder to undergo a major rebuilding in 2005, but will they allow talented, but underperforming DE Hugh Douglas to depart? And what about LT Kenyatta Walker, one of the few players on the Thunder roster likely to get some All-USFL votes. Finally, the Thunder also have to decide whether to retain or let WR Matthew Hatchette enter free agency. The Express are dealing mostly with mid-range players whose contracts are expiring, but there are a few players they do not want to lose. One of those is HB DeShaun Foster, who has been looking solid over the past year or so. Another player they will want to resign is RT Kenyatta Jones. And, if we had to guess at one other player high on the LA wishlist for an extended contract, it would have to be DT Norman Hand, who just turned 30 and is one of the most consistent defenders on the roster. Tight End Adrian Cooper is a sure fire Hall of Fame candidate, but at 33 is he past his prime? Would Memphis honestly let him go if they think he is? Letting Cooper go might provide Memphis enough cap room to resign other key players who are not so long in the tooth, players like LT Anthony Clement and SS Reggie Tongue. The Panthers are in Year 1 of a retooling. That often means allowing some veterans go as they shoot for a faster and younger team. Three players who may fall prey to that mindset include LB Ted Johnson (31), FB Zach Crockett (32) and LB Greg Liekert (34). Expect one, perhaps two, of these players to be allowed to walk as Michigan seeks youth. Nashville could be in a real pinch this offseason. They have three undeniable stars whose contracts are ending, and we are not sure they have enough cap room to sign even 2 of them, much less all three. HB Ahman Green, DE Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, and WR Bert Emmanuel are all huge players for the Knights, but they are going ot demand equally huge deals, and that is something the Knights likely cannot afford. If DE Phil Hansen plans to come back for 2005 (He is 33 after all), we cannot imagine New Jersey would ever let him go. But, we also think they need to spend some cash to resign WR Terry Glenn. Those two alone could bring the Generals right up to the cap limit. So, a player just slightly less valuable, such as DE Shaun Ellis, could be let loose. What to do with HB Ricky Williams? That is the big question for the Breakers. We fully expect they will try to sign their other big name players, names like LB Lamar Lathon and DE Clyde Simmons, but do the Breakers take the risk on Williams after a full season on suspension for a 2nd failed midseason drug test? Will they let Williams become someone elses’s problem and focus on defense? This will be a situation to watch for sure. It is rare that a lineman is considered the best player on a roster, but that may well be the situation for center Jeff Saturday in Oakland. The Invaders cannot let Saturday get away, especially not with an immobile Trent Green at QB. Another key lineman, guard Brendon Stai, should be another key resigning. Oh, and QB Trent Green’s contract is also up this summer, so once again the Invaders have issues at QB and may have to look elsewhere for their 2005 starter. After a rough free agent loss last year when Ochocinco left for Boston, this offseason looks far more favorable for the glory. The top-rated players who could jump ship are RT Jerry Wunsch, DE Cedric Harden, and LB Brendon Ayanbedejo. None of these players is irreplaceable, and Ohio does have cap room if they do want to resign all three. The Renegades have some tough decisions to make, mostly thinking about what exactly they want their defense to look like. They have several starters who could be free agents, including LBs Robb Morris and Zach Thomas. They also have to decide if they are going to resign HB Sedrick Irvin, who has yet to truly break out as a true starter. The Stars are clearly spending this year trying to decide if Brian Griese really is their QB of the future. His contract is up this year, as is backup David Garrard’s. But is Griese providing Philly with enough to really make a case to remain under center? The third player to consider is LB Mike Crawford, who, at 31, should still have several good years left in him. Two of Pittsburgh’s biggest stars, WR Andre Rison and DE Kyle Vanden Bosch remain unsigned for 2005, but so too is LT Zach Wiegert. With salary cap issues in Pittsburgh, the Maulers may not be able to sign two of these three unless others on the squad agree to reconfigure their contracts to free up more cap room. Seattle has a better cap situation and would be foolish to allow either Corey Dillon or LB Godfrey Miles go. Both are so central to their respective squads that you have to do whatever you can to resign both. That may mean having to let HB Brian Mitchell go, despite his obvious talent. None of the big offensive stars for Tampa Bay are up for a new contract, but the Bandits cannot say that about their 9th rated defense. They are looking at players like DT Sean Gilbert, SS LeRoy Butler, and DE John Copeland as quality starters that they cannot truly afford to lose. Texas is another club that could be ready to blow up the roster and start from scratch after a pretty miserable 2004. Veteran WR Carl Pickens, at 34-years old, is a prime target to go unsigned and allowed to play the free agent game. Others who may be headed out of town include free safety Mike Prior and LB Tarek Salah. If youth is the move for the Outlaws, they may not be alone in seeking a new football home. Deion Branch is having an outstanding season, leading the league in receptions and 2nd in yards after 9 games. Washington absolutely has to resign Branch with those numbers. That may mean losing out on retaining another key offensive starter, LT Matt Stinchcomb. Beyond these two the pool dips a bit in quality, which is a good thing for the Feds, who do not have a ton of cap space. The one player who could be cut loose is actually one of the least expensive, kicker Doug Pelfrey. You would hope the Feds could find room to sign such a pivotal player, but kickers rarely get that kind of respect. So there you have it. We did limit ourselves to only 3 key players per team, and there are certainly many other very solid players who could find themselves looking for work in 5 weeks. Such is the game of football and the nature of pro player contracts. In the age of a salary cap and free agency some players will greatly benefit from the freedom of movement, and some may find themselves to be victims of a salary cap. Hard to believe we are already at Week 10, but there you have it. The final 5 weeks of the season begin with a full slate of interconference games as East meets West. Among the best matchups of the week we have the 7-2 Bandits visiting the 6-3 Gold. Can the Mile High advantage for the Gold hold up against Bandit Ball? Boston will be in Houston for a big test, though Drew Bledsoe is expected back after being out due to injury, so Boston is hoping for a big day from him, but Houston’s pass rush is no joke, and Bledsoe is not exactly fleet of foot. LA has a big game, now with Rob Johnson at QB, if they want to stay in the playoff hunt. Ohio comes to town, but with Joey Galloway out of action, so will that help the Express slow down the Glory offense? In Oakland, a big test for the Invaders, who have lost 2 in a row, as they face the white hot Pittsburgh Maulers. Chicago will be in Las Vegas, hoping a win against a struggling Thunder squad helps them keep pace in the very competitive Central Division. An intriguing game in Seattle as the 4-5 Dragons face the 4-5 Panthers. Michigan has been finding ways to win, but Seattle will be keen to reach .500 at home in a division where 7-7 could win the title. In other games, Jacksonville is at Texas, hoping to move to 6-4 with a win against the 1-8 Outlaws. Orlando will be in Arizona, where the Wranglers could move into sole possession of first place with a Denver loss. New Jersey will face a tough Breaker defense in the Super Dome this weekend, and could do so without Tom Brady, who is listed as doubtful for this week. Baltimore, winners of 3 in a row, are in Nashville and hoping to make it 4. Washington is hoping to rebound from this week’s loss as they head to Memphis to face the 2-7 Showboats. Finally, Philadelphia and Birmingham meet in a battle of 3-win clubs, and we may see something we have not seen in a long time, someone other than Brett Favre at quarterback. Favre was involved in some unsanctioned “extracurricular” fun this week and Coach Franchione has threatened to bench him for the game for various team policy violations. Will he actually go through with it or will we see the familiar #4 on the field as usual?

PLAYOFF PICTURE: With 5 weeks left in the season no teams have clinched a playoff berth or been eliminated. Were the playoffs to begin today Boston and Denver would have the two top seeds. Pittsburgh and Nashville would have the #2 and a bye, and Seattle and New Jersey would be division winners. Tampa Bay, Chicago, and Ohio would have the Eastern Conference Wild Cards, while Arizona, Oakland and LA would have the Wild Cards in the West.

Some big time games this past week, including a shocking road win by Houston over the Ohio Glory, and wins by three teams most had written off, with Michigan upending Denver, Baltimore stunning the Express, and Orlando surprising the Nashville Knights. We also had a major shootout in Boston as the Stallions kept the Cannons guessing, and some closely fought games as Jacksonville, New Jersey, Chicago, and Washington barely avoided upsets. Let’s get to it with that Federals game, as they hosted the Seattle Dragons in a game that needed a 5th quarter before we had a winner. SEATTLE DRAGONS 31 WASHINGTON FEDERALS 34 OVERTIME The “Battle of Washingtons” was an epic game that kept all of RFK on the edge of their seats for 60 minutes and then a little bit more. Seattle came in hoping to reach .500 and potentially regain a share of first place in the Pacific Division, while the Federals were eager to avoid dropping to .500 and allowing New Jersey to take command of the division. Both clubs saw this interconference clash as a game they had to have, and they played like it. In a game that would go to overtime we saw a clash of styles. Washington was happy to play ball control, hold long drives, kill clock, and keep Seattle’s offense off the field, Seattle was all about big plays and quick strikes. Two stats drive this home: Washington’s 22 first down’s to Seattle’s 9, and Washington’s 39:04 time of possession to Seattle’s 26:32. The Federals feared the quick strike ability of the Dragons, and clearly that was a valid concern as Seattle scored on plays of 59, 49, 24, and 31 yards in the game. Despite handing the ball off to Deuce McCallister 23 times, this would be Kordell Stewart’s game. He would complete 30 of 43 passes for 325 yards and two scores, while on the other sideline Byron Leftwich would throw only 17 pass attempts, but throw for 286 yards and 4 touchdowns. Washington blitzed Leftwich, which did produce a bone-rattling 10 sacks on the day (for -74 yards), but also placed a premium on one-to-one coverage, a coverage which Leftwich exploited often enough to keep the Dragons in this game. Washington looked like they had the winning strategy over the game’s first 10 minutes as they stopped the Dragons on 3-and-outs on their first two drives, while also running through over 10 minutes of the first half on two long drives that ended with a Bryant Johnson TD catch and a Doug Pelfrey field goal. But, in what would be a theme of the game, it only took one mistake for Seattle to get right back in it, as Washington blitzed, it got picked up and Leftwich connected with TE Ken Dilger deep over the middle for a 59-yard touchdown to get right back in the game as the first quarter ended. Washington would score again to open the 2nd, but then Seattle would score on their next two possessions to take a 17-13 lead into halftime thanks to a David Boston fly pattern that again beat the Feds’ secondary. When Boston repeated the same route to open the third, it was 24-13 Seattle despite the fact that the Federals had dominated the clock and possession. Coach Hackett adjusted strategies, relying more on his front 4 to put pressure on and that strategy helped Washington get back in the game. The Feds’ had a 12 play drive that ended with a Kordell Stewart QB draw that was good for a score from 6 yards out. They converted the 2-point play to pull within 3 at 24-21, and then, after a successful stop of the Dragons thanks to Tony Brackens’ 2nd sack of the day, took over the ball and scored again with a Deion Branch TD pass to retake the lead at 28-24. The 4th quarter opened with the Feds extending their lead with a Doug Pelfrey field goal. They had been effective in the past couple of drives of pressuring Leftwich without putting their corners in an unwinnable situation. But, with 4:38 left to play, Seattle had one more shot to tie the game up. They would also shift tactics, not go for the deep ball, but dink and dunk their way to a score. Of Seattle’s 9 first downs on the day, 3 came on this final drive as Leftwich combined 4 Corey Dillon runs with short passes to O.J. McDuffie, Jeramy Stevens, and, finally, a screen to HB Brian Mitchell. That screen was timed perfectly and, with 2 blockers out in front, Mitchell was able to avoid the linebackers and make it into the secondary, where a great block by McDuffie freed him for the 31-yard TD to tie the game with just over 2 minutes left in the game. Washington would have time for a final drive, but when called for a holding call on 3rd and 7 on the Seattle 35, the walk back of 10 yards put them out of field goal range for the final play and the Stewart Hail Mary did not find a receiver, so the game went to overtime. In the extra period Seattle won the toss and started off well, gaining a first down thanks to penalty, but then fizzled. Washington got the ball and went to work, with Stewart connecting with Jamie Asher and Bryant Johnson to get the ball across the 50. An offsides call, one of 8 penalties called against Seattle on the day, put the ball close enough that on 4th and 2 the Feds opted to go for the 52-yard field goal attempt instead of trying to convert. Doug Pelfrey, one of the league’s best kickers, proved it by connecting on the long kick and giving Washington a hard-earned win. For Seattle it was a heartbreaking loss, but for the Federals, who showed some concerns on defense with the big plays by the Dragons, they made adjustments and found a way to win. That experience could help them down the stretch as they likely face several challenges within their own division. BIR 33 BOS 40 A real shooutout in Boston, and a huge save from backup Cannon QB Jim Miller as he came in for an injured Drew Bledsoe and orchestrated three second half scoring drives to help hold off the Stallions. Mike Cloud was huge in this game as well, as he subbed for the dinged up Tiki Barber and garnered 112 yards on 23 carries to help the Cannons hold on for the home victory over a very game Stallion squad. HOU 24 OHI 17 The upset of the day in Columbus as Houston just stuck around, played good defense, and then struck with a huge play as the game wound down. Kris Kershaw only completed 14 of 30 passes, but he found rookie Roy Williams open with 2 minutes left to play and the two connected on a 65-yard touchdown that silenced the Ohio faithful and earned the win for the visiting Gamblers. NOR 17 TBY 48 No such drama in Tampa Bay, where the Breakers struggled all day long as Tampa was humming on both offense and defense. Trent Dilfer was sacked 5 times and threw a costly 2nd quarter pick just as the Breakers looked to be going in for a half-ending score. Daunte Culpepper threw for 4 TD’s, two each to Randy Moss and Chris Doering, as the Bandits cruised in this one. ARZ 17 CHI 22 Chicago keeps finding itself in dogfights, but they come out on top, as was the case this week at Soldier Field. Ray Lucas struggled against the Wrangler defense, but Chicago’s own defense kept them in the game, even adding some points thanks to a safety on Dominique Rhodes in the endzone helped Chicago pull ahead and hold on to win by 5. LA 10 BAL 37 The Express have been erratic all year, but we don’t think anyone saw this result coming. Ben Roethlisberger had answers for the Express pass rush and connected with his receivers for 3 touchdowns as Baltimore built up a 24-3 lead before LA seemed to realize they had a game to play. LA was hurt by QB injuries throughout the game as they finished the day with 3rd stringer Rob Johnson under center. Cade McNown could miss a month with a foot injury and Quincy Carter is likely gone for the year after a painful day for LA in more ways than one. OAK 13 NJ 16 Oakland made it a game after falling behind 16-3, but it was too little too late as a last second 48-yard kick by Joe Nedney missed to the right and kept the game from going to overtime. Another impressive game for Generals’ halfback James Jackson, who may be demanding more touches after clearly outgaining Curtis Enis in this game. LV 16 PHI 13 Another low scoring affair in Philly as the Stars and Thunder both looked out of synch and sloppy in this one. Larry Johnson does not look like the answer for the Stars as he carried the ball 18 times but gained only 14 yards in a truly forgettable outing. Las Vegas’s new QB Aaron Brooks looked about as rusty as we expected, but got the job done when he needed to, setting up the game-winning field goal during the game’s final seconds. DEN 16 MGN 26 Another of this week’s surprising results as Michigan started hot with TDs from Ladell Betts and Hines Ward and then never let Denver mount enough offense to gain ground. The Gold never led in this one and the Panthers just kept the pressure up all game to disrupt Mark Brunell and the Gold offense. TEX 14 PIT 27 The Maulers got 93 yards from Terrell Davis before a spat of migraines late in the game forced him to adjourn to the locker room. Kenny Bynum finished the game, and availed himself well, gaining 40 yards on only 9 carries for the Maulers. Texas could not get their big back, T.J. Duckett into rhythm, as he carried only 15 times and gained barely 1.9 yards per carry against the Mauler defense. MEM 20 JAX 24 Memphis kept this one close, but more victories are not going to be enough for Coach Mora, who could very well be in trouble with a 1-7 record. Antowain Smith helped Jacksonville keep Memphis at bay by rushing for 106 yards, 77 of them in the second half. Add in another big day for backup Fred Jackson, with 85 yards, and you have a Bulls team that simply drained the clock until there was no time for Memphis to challenge them. NSH 16 ORL 24 Orlando has to be happy with what they saw from Jeff Blake in his second start. The former Jet & Bengal completed 21 of 26 passes, mostly short dump offs, for 188 yards and 3 touchdowns, including two to tight end Rickey Dudley, as the Renegades shocked the Knights in the Citrus Bowl. We think we might have cursed Todd Collins by trying to call him elite recently, as the Nashville QB suffered two bad picks, both clearly on him and not the receivers. Bledsoe Injured, Miller Comes Up Big A scary moment for the Boston Cannons as Drew Bledsoe was forced out of the game against Birmingham after his arm hit against a Stallion defender’s helmet on a throw in the 3rd quarter. The MVP candidate headed to the sideline holding his arm and in obvious pain, fans concerned that this could be a broken arm, which would likely end Bledsoe’s season. Up 28-17 at the time, the concern was not immediate for the game being played, but for the rest of the season. Jim Miller, who has not seen the field in 2 years, came in and fans breathed a sigh of relief as he led the Cannons on two short field goal producing drives to expand the lead to 33-17. At least this game seemed secure. But, in the 4th, Brett Favre found Lawrence Dawsey twice, one following a bad Jim Miller pick, and suddenly it was 33-33 and Miller was looking shaky. Could this be a 2nd loss for the Cannons and one that could turn into a losing streak with Miller subbing for Bledsoe. Boston fans got two bits of good news that afternoon. The first came when Miller led the Cannons on a 2-minute drive that included a 39-yard toss to Chad Ochocinco and a final TD toss to Robert Ferguson, demonstrating that Miller, even without preparation, could be effective in the Boston offense of Coach Fox. The second came later that afternoon when Cannon officials announced that X-rays had turned up negative, and Bledsoe had suffered a nerve pinch. The Big Guy is listed as doubtful for this week, but should be back after missing only 1 game when Boston faces Houston in Week 10. Baltimore Finds Life A two game win streak is not exactly front page material, but when you are the Baltimore Blitz and you have dealt with the always-bizarre Ryan Leaf fallout, having your rookie QB win back to back games is certainly a welcome site. When those wins are upsets of both Washington and Los Angeles, you sit up and take notice. The Blitz Nation was a bit worried after Roethlisberger’s first start since the Leaf dismissal was an 18 of 32 game with 2 picks and no TDs against Ohio (a good team, but not one known for its defense). But over the past two weeks, Roethlisberger has completed 47 of 62 passes, for 615 yards, 4 touchdowns and only 1 pick as he knocked off both the Feds and the Express. Over the 2 game span, the Blitz, who had lost the prior three games by a combined 111-14 scored 69 points while limiting the opposition to only 29. Not that this all can be directed at Roethlisberger, but clearly something has changed in the Blitz locker room. Addition by subtraction perhaps? The Blitz do not have an easy road ahead, with their next 3 games against Jacksonville (5-3), Nashville (4-4), and New Jersey (5-3), but fans in B-more now seem to have some hope that this is not a lost first season for coach Tom Coughlin. LA QB Quandary The Express had a really bad day against the Blitz this week. Not only did they fly all the way to the East Coast and lose to a 2-win Blitz team, but they also lost their top 2 quarterbacks in the mix. Cade McNown hobbled off the field after getting caught up in the pile on a fumble, favoring his right leg. He would be diagnosed with a torn ligament in the sole of his foot, likely a month before he can get back to on-field action. His backup, Quincy Carter, came in and played for only about one and a half quarters before he had to be helped off the field. His diagnosis is season ending, a torn MCL. So, in comes Rob Johnson, former USC star and now journeyman QB. So what does LA do to build up a bench behind Johnson, the likely Week 9 starter? Well, they are in Baltimore, so they could reach out to Ryan Leaf. But no, they don’t. They reach back into the long list of LA area QB’s and sign former UCLA signal caller, NJ General and Texas Outlaw Tommy Maddox. Maddox, who has been out of the league since a 2001 season that saw him play in only 1 game, had a short stint in the NFL with the Steelers in 2002, but all but was released prior to the 2003 season, making him a true free agent after 6 months on the market (thus not held in check by the NFL-USFL agreement). Maddox lives in LA, so it makes sense for the Express to sign him as a quick fix for what they hope will not be a game-ready situation. They are hoping that Rob Johnson can capture some of his USC magic and keep the team afloat until McNown can return, but if not, it looks like it is UCLA to the rescue in the form of Maddox. Lost Season? Lost Job? Speaking of lost seasons, we have to discuss the absolute collapse of the Memphis Showboats. This is a Memphis squad that won the Western Conference and put up an 11-3 season in 2001, and now they sit at 1-7 and seem to have come apart at the seams. Heath Shuler seems a shell of the QB who won the 1999 MVP, and the stats prove it. After putting up 4 straight years of 4,500 yards or more, from 1998-2001, Shuler is currently on pace for only 2,700 yards in 2004. He has thrown only 3 TDs in eight games, and his QB rating has dipped from 107.6 last season to a ridiculous 63.3 this season. While fans are saying that the 31 year old QB has hit the cliff that often hits quarterbacks much later in their 30’s, we think the blame needs to be spread out quite a bit more. The roster as a whole has seen a lot of departures, downgrades, and band-aids since that 1999 season, or even the 2001 Western Conference title. Dorsey Levins is a moderately talented back, but he is not going to force teams into 8 or 9 man fronts. The receiving corps of Justin McCaerins, rookie Lee Evans, and Oronde Gadsden is just not scaring anyone. Evans, in particular, has been a disappointment, with 30 catches, but averaging only 10.2 yards per catch. He was brought in as a speed receiver, but is catching mostly hooks and crossing routes, not the deep balls that he saw so often in Madison as a Badger. Tight end Adrian Cooper may be the best to ever play in the USFL, but he too seems to be on a major decline in his 13th season in the league. The defense in Memphis is not horrible, 6th in yards allowed and 15th in scoring D, but the offense sits at dead last in both categories. While we might want to point fingers at players who are not living up to past years, a lot of the blame has to go to the front office, who simply have not upgraded the team over the past couple of years, and who apparently did not account for the needs of players who are getting older, like Cooper. We also have to recognize the fact that the club has not yet played a true home game, but can we really blame their issues on playing in front of pretty enthusiastic crowds in Little Rock and Oxford as the reason they are not performing better? Seems a stretch to say that. Memphians voted overwhelmingly to support the Showboats with a ballot initiative to raise funds to refurbish Liberty Bowl Stadium, but is this really what they voted for? I guess it is good fortune for the Showboats organization that the vote was taken before this season began, because I am not so sure fans would rally behind the team they are seeing on the field right now. We have already outlined the quarterback woes for the LA Express, but they were not alone in their pain. Several other teams lost important contributors to their teams this past week. Chicago has lost their starting left tackle for the year after a nasty injury left Marcus Spears with a broken fibia. Oakland also placed a player on the IR as LB Dan Morgan suffered a partial tear of his quad muscle (left leg) and will need at least 3 months to fully heal. A few shorter term injuries of note include Washington LB Michael Barrow, expected to miss 2-3 weeks with a wrist injury, Birmingham guard Bill Ferrario, also out 2-3 weeks with a knee isuse, and Philadelphia tackle Flozell Adams, listed as questionable, but not expected to play with two cracked ribs. USFL Announces Expansion Format This week the Ad Hoc Expansion Committee of the League Office in New York released the plan for both the 2006 and 2008 expansion player allocation system. The main elements of the system will not differ significantly from the 1995 expansion system, though having 2 expansion allocation drafts in 3 years is likely to cause something of a strain, and teams will also have to be careful about how they structure contracts over the next 4 years to avoid league fines. More on that in a moment, but first the basics. The 2005 season will feature a standard offseason schedule and draft order, but teams will have to have an eye to the future, because the 2006 offseason will bring considerable changes. While free agents will remain able to deal with any club, including the two new expansion teams in 2006, teams will have to consider the allocation draft as they strategize about their offseasons. Free Agency will open in August with the usual start and the NFL-USFL transfer window, but in November the league will hold its allocation draft. Prior to that, at some point in late September, teams will have to identify their protected players. Each team will be able to protect 15 players with ongoing contracts. Those 15 players will not be available to the expansion clubs. In the November allocation draft, the two teams will alternate picks in a zipper format, selecting unprotected players from the 24 current USFL squads over 30 rounds. Each time a player is taken from an existing team, that team can then protect one additional player. A team can only lose 5 players before all unprotected players are once again retained by their original club and that team is no longer a participant in the process. With 24 teams all making nearly 40 players available, that creates an initial pool of over 800 players for the expansion teams to each select 30. It still could hurt for for current teams as a 15-player retention list means that at least 7 starters are exposed, and any young, developing players could become prime fodder. In 1995, teams lost more players, simply because there were 4 expansion clubs as opposed to 2, but the pattern we saw was that teams largely went for players under the age of 28, with only a smattering of veteran leaders taken by each of the 4 clubs (Ohio, Seattle, Atlanta and LA). A similar pattern could emerge here as well, though, again, with only 60 players actually taken. The Expansion Clubs will also alternate picks in the Open Collegiate Draft, with 1 club having the #1 overall pick, and the other having the top pick in both the 2nd and 3rd round, and then alternating after that. There will also be a reallocation of territorial schools within the league, with the expectation that teams will each drop to only 2 protected schools for the T-Draft, and the potential that the two 2008 teams will also claim their two schools as part of the 2006 reallocation even if they will not draft players for two more seasons. Between free agency, the allocation draft, and the combined T-Draft and Open Draft of collegiate players, the two expansion clubs in Atlanta and St. Louis should be able to reach a pre-camp roster of between 60-85 players, typical for most USFL clubs during the preseason period. While we can expect that no A-Tier superstars will be left unprotected, there are teams that are going to have to make tough decisions. For example, would New Orleans protect Trent Dilfer, Eli Manning, or spend 2 of 15 picks to hold onto both? Will a team like Ohio strive to sign a top level #2 receiver, knowing now that they may not be able to protect that player if they also need to lock up Collins, Galloway, Eddie George, and others? A lot of good players are going to come off the board, regardless of the strategies used by both the 24 current clubs and the two expansion franchises. And then they get to do it all again in 2008. And that is the plan, to repeat the exact same process, with only one minor alteration, the two 2006 expansion clubs will be allowed to protect 20 players each while the remaining 24 clubs can protect only 15. This is supposed to afford those first two expansion clubs the ability to build a roster over time, something the other clubs in the league will have been engaged in for over a decade already. So, what does this mean for contracts? And why the potential for fines? It is all about not using contracts to unofficially protect players who a team does not want to lose. The league, beginning in 2005, is going to monitor the terms of each player’s contract, particularly on the look out for balloon payments. There will be some flexibility on a multi-year contract, but the idea is to prevent a team from signing a top player to a large contract, but ballooning their contract in such a way that they can leave the player unprotected and have a good chance that neither expansion club will sign them and take on a disproportionate cap and salary burden. As an example, let’s imagine that Byron Leftwich is up for renewal on his rookie deal, which is a possibility if he does not accept the 4th year extension. Seattle normally could structure a new deal, for let’s say $100 million, in such a way that Leftwich makes 10 million for 3 years and then 70 million the fourth year. There is no way that a player with that contract would be chosen by an expansion club if they had to pay out the $70 million while Seattle got away with only $10M. So, the new guidelines will not allow more than 30% of a contract to fall into any given year of that contract. The hope is that this restriction will force teams to balance a team’s contract, and either protect the player from allocation, or take their chances without penalizing the expansion clubs with exorbitantly high salary years as part of the contracts they will inherit from the 24 current clubs. What does this all mean for us as USFL fans? Well, basically it means that you should not get too attached to your favorite players unless you feel 100% certain that those players will be among the 15 protected players for both the 2006 and 2008 offseasons. And don’t expect that teams will keep the same 15 each time. We could easily envision a scenario where a team like Birmingham or Boston would protect their franchise QB in 2006, and then, assuming Favre or Bledsoe don’t retire, would leave them unprotected in 2008 when they would clearly be at most a year away from retirement. The 1995 draft showed us that teams will give up on a savvy veteran if they believe that the player’s career is winding down. It saves teams on high cap salaries and lets them protect younger players on their way up. That is how Cliff Stoudt ended up in Atlanta, for example, and could easily be the reason we see players like a Trent Dilfer, Tiki Barber, or David Boston on the available player list, while others like Larry Fitzgerald or Willis McGahee are not going to be exposed for potential reallocation. It all starts only about 1 year from now, when teams are going to have to declare their protected 15 players within 2 weeks of the conclusion of the USF regular season in 2005, a fact that may play some havok with the playoff clubs. While the selections for playoff teams will not be made public, it seems unlikely that players on those teams will not be keeping one eye out for leaks and updates to see if they made the cut and remained protected. Could be very interesting indeed. Week 9 should be a fun one. Not only is it the first week when we reveal the playoff standings, but it is a Western divisional week, with all 12 teams in rivalry games that could go a long way to setting up the season’s final push in some very tight Western divisional races. So, who is facing who in what should be big games? How about Arizona traveling to Houston, where a Gambler win could pull them right into the thick of the divisional race. In the Pacificwe will have 4-4 Oakland visiting 3-5 Seattle, with the Dragons hoping they can get back into the hunt in a division where no team has a winning record. 3-5 LA will be in Las Vegas, where even at 2-6 the Thunder are not out of it. Denver will be in Texas hoping to hold off both the Gamblers and Wranglers by beating up on the Outlaws. In the South, Birmingham needs a win to get back into the mix, but traveling to Nashville is no easy task. New Orleans is at home against a 1-7 Memphis squad that is just trying to find some silver lining in a very cloudy season. In the East, we have some interesting inter-divisional games, headed up by some regional but not divisional rivalries as New Jersey hosts Boston and Pittsburgh visits Philadelphia to face the Stars. Perhaps the best game on the Eastern Conference slate is 5-3 Ohio at 5-3 Washington. Neither can afford to lose this game, so expect it to be both intense and chippy. Tampa Bay has another tough test as they travel to Chicago to face the 6-2 Machine. That one is a true clash of styles as the high flying Bandit Ball offense faces one of the league’s most oppressive defenses. The final two games of the slate feature Jacksonville at Baltimore, with the Blitz showing signs of life on a 2-game win streak. Orlando is at Michigan in a game that both teams feel is winnable for them and which, while perhaps not the most engaging game, could be a very evenly-matched game.

Midway into the USFL season and for the first time in a long time we arrive here with no teams winless and none undefeated. The Boston Cannons took care of the last unbeaten team, winning a big divisional game at Alumni Stadium to make 6-1 the best record in the league. At the midseason point we have 2 teams with only 1 loss, 4 with only 1 win and 12 within 1 game of .500 as the league sees a lot of parity and a lot of teams fighting to make a name for themselves. The 2-time defending champs join Pittsburgh and Chicago with 5-2 records in a three-way tie atop the Central Division. Arizona and Denver are battling to control the Southwest, and there are 3 of 4 teams within 1 game of the lead in 4 of the 6 divisions. All this in a season that has seen quarterbacks get pulled, others lost for the year to injury, and at least one starter summarily dismissed from his club after throwing a tantrum. It’s mid-season in the USFL and, as always, there is just a lot to talk about. We start with a fun game between two teams hoping that this season marks the beginning of a reawakening as Houston took on Oakland. HOUSTON GAMBLERS 22 OAKLAND INVADERS 26 Gamblers versus Invaders would not have been a marquee game when the season began, but with both teams coming into the game at 3-3, it was a game that had a lot of intrigue. Houston was set to start Kris Kershaw for a second straight week, but there was a lot of questioning as to whether this would be the game where fans would see Doug Flutie take the field for the first time in 2 years and the first time as a Houston Gambler. For Oakland the story was that the new look Invaders were hoping to get over .500 at midseason. As a club that has had losing seasons for 7 of the past 8 seasons and only 1 playoff appearance since 1994, this would be a huge step forward. Houston started the game off well, scoring on their first drive as the run game opened up the Oakland defense. Kevin Faulk would get the opening score on a 7-yard touchdown run, his 5th carry on the drive. After back to back 3-and-outs by both teams, a perfect coffin corner kick by Gambler punter Adam Lindsey left the ball on the Oakland 1 yard line. That special teams play led to a safety on the very next play, giving Houston an early 9-0 lead. Oakland responded in the 2nd quarter, figuring out how to get through the Houston defense and scoring on three consecutive drives. They opened up their scoring with a short Joe Nedney field goal, then, on their next drive, connected on a Trent Green to Taylor Jacobs TD toss. Jacobs, the 2nd year receiver out of Florida, has been coming on this season, with 17 receptions over the first half of the year. Jacobs would score the 2nd Oakland TD as well, following a Jerome Wood pick of Kris Kershaw. The second Green to Jacobs TD gave Oakland a 17-9 lead with 1:26 left in the first half. Kershaw would rebound from the pick and lead the Gamblers on a two-minute drill that produced a field goal, and the game went to the break with Oakland up 17-12. In the third quarter Oakland offset the earlier Houston safety by landing one of their own as Kris Kershaw tried to throw his way out of the endzone, but a holding call in the endzone produced a safety and Oakland now lead by 7, 19-12. That lead would not hold as Houston finished up the third quarter with Kershaw hitting TE Dan Campbell for a 20-yard TD toss. After a short drive by Oakland produced a couple of first downs and eventually a punt, Houston started again on offense. On 1st and 10 Kershaw was hit hard by Oakland DE Eric Curry. He would have to come out of the game and out onto the field came Doug Flutie, looking spry for a 40-year old quarterback. Flutie would direct the rest of the drive, completing 1 of 2 passes, and helping the Gamblers get into field goal range for Josh Brown. Brown’s kick gave Houston a 22-19 lead with just over 11 minutes left in the game, and Flutie would go back to the sideline as Kris Kershaw was cleared to come back in. Both Oakland and Houston denied the opposing offense any leeway over the next 3 possessions, so when Oakland got the ball back with 4:01 left to play, there was a real sense of urgency to the drive. The Invaders turned to backup HB Justin Fargas to spark the offense. Rashaan Salaam had taken most of the carries, but was held to only 3.1 yards per carry. On his first carry in the 4th quarter, Justin Fargas broke through the line and dashed for 20 yards. On his second he added another 17, and then, with the defense now wary of the back, Trent Green faked the ball to Fargas and found WR Dante Stallworth for another 20. Within just 2:03 the Invaders were at the 11 yard line and looking to go ahead. The Gamblers would tighten in the red zone, stuffing Fargas on 1st and 10, then breaking up a pass attempt to Christian Fauria on 2nd down. It appeared they forced a field goal on third down when a pass to Burress went wide and out of bounds, but a yellow flag appeared, and when the Ref announced defensive holding, it meant 1st and goal from the 6 yard line. Three more downs for Oakland to get it done. Justin Fargas got the Invaders to the 2 with a 4-yard run on first down, and with the clock still ticking, Trent Green called the team to the line and calling a quick snap. He knew what he was doing, with the Houston defense not yet fully set he was able to find Burress on a slant route, and the big recever snagged the ball and fell to the ground for the game winning TD. It was a tough loss for Houston, which had played well despite their issues at QB, but for Oakland it was just the kind of last minute win that had been eluding them for so long. For Green it was a chance to show a skeptical Oakland fanbase that he could be an answer for them, if only perhaps a short-term one. The win moved Oakland to 4-3, and put them in a tie for 1st place with the Seattle Dragons in the topsy turvy Pacific division. PHI 15 NJ 21 A big game in the Northeast as two 3-3 rivals faced off in Giants Stadium. New Jersey got 124 yards combined from Curtis Enis and James Jackson, and Tom Brady threw two touchdowns as the Generals held off the Stars. WSH 19 BAL 32 A shocker in Baltimore as the Blitz dismantled their biggest rival. Ben Roethlisberger stood in the pocket against Washington’s pass rush, completing 24 of 31 for 311 yards and a big 33-yard TD to Rob Moore as Baltimore came back from a 19-3 halftime deficit by scoring on 5 of 6 drives in the second half. DB Chris Crocker got the ball rolling with a momentum-shifting 49-yard pick six play that electrified the Baltimore crowd and the team, leading to a complete momentum flip in the game. TBY 24 BOS 34 Two of the league’s most explosive teams matched up in Boston and Drew Bledsoe outdueled Daunte Culpepper as the two former NFL starters both survived blitzes designed to slow them down. Bledsoe withstood 6 sacks and Culpepper 5 as the two defenses took their chances by blitzing early and often. The result? Chad Ochocinco burned the Tampa Bay defense for 191 yards and 2 scores, while Randy Moss racked up 118 yards and a score as both teams traded haymakers all day. ORL 13 JAX 24 Jeff Blake’s first USFL start was a tough one as Orlando simply could not sustain drives against the Bulls. Blake would end the day with 161 yards and 2 picks to go with one TD to Keenan McCardell. Second year back Fred Jackson would be the big star for Jacksonville, rushing for 3 scores on only 8 carries as the Bulls held off the Renegades to move to 4-3 on the season. PIT 16 CHI 13 A real slobberknocker at Soldier Field where both defenses played like it was a Week 14 game for a playoff spot. Neither team could run the ball effectively in this one, and while Chicago’s Curtis Conway had the biggest play of the day, a 55-yard TD catch, it was the Maulers who found a way to pull the game out in the end, moving both teams to 5-2, but also putting Ohio temporarily atop the division. OHI 26 MGN 20 The Glory took their share of first with a win on the road in Michigan, but the Panthers did not make it easy for Ohio. Drew Brees and Hines Ward found their connection, hooking up for 7 catches totaling 123 yards and a TD that kept Michigan in this game until late. With Joey Galloway blanketed, Kerry Collins had to look elsewhere, and he found Eddie George early and often. George would finish the game with 97 yards rushing but also 123 through the air. DEN 15 BIR 17 Mark Brunell returned to action, but struggled as the Birmingham defense tested his fitness. He would finish with 274 yards and a pick, far better than Brett Favre’s 115 yards passing against Denver’s D, but not good enough to get Denver a W. Touchdowns by Joe Horn and Terry Battle (subbing for Shaun Alexander) helped Birmingham hold on and win a tough defensive battle in Legion Field. LV 14 NOR 20 Aaron Brooks got his first start in Las Vegas and threw 2 touchdowns, but that was all the offense the Thunder could muster, as Reuben Droughns rushed for a paltry 13 yards on 9 carries. New Orleans fared much better, with the combo of Troy Davis and Olandis Gary accounting for 101 yards on the ground. Throw in a Bubba Franks TD and a pair of David Green field goals and you end up with a 6-point win by the Breakers. TEX 17 LA 38 The Express raced out to a 24-0 lead in the first half and then coasted their way to a comfortable win as Cade McNown and Keyshawn Johnson had big games. Rookie Mewelde Moore also turned a lot of heads, racing for 93 yards on only 10 carries as he subbed for DeShaun Foster. Jeff Lewis did not have a strong day for the Outlaws, throwing three costly picks as he tried to pass Texas back into the game. ARZ 20 MEM 6 It was supposed to be a homecoming game for the Showboats, but delays with the stadium refurbishing led the game to be played in Oxford, and the wear of having no true home field is clearly showing on the lackluster Showboats. Heat Shuler completed only 13 of 34 pass attempts, racking up only 105 yards passing as Memphis’s offense looked anemic all game long. Santana Moss and Larry Fitzgerald both hauled in 6 passes apiece for a combined 184 yards as Arizona moved to 5-2 and are tied with Denver atop the Southwest division. SEA 31 NSH 37 A good one in Music City as the Dragons and Knights battled back and forth all game. Ahman Green won the halfback duel with Corey Dillon, outgaining the Dragon 98-47, but the story of the day was Todd Collins and his 5-TD performance. Collins found Bert Emmanuel for 3 of the 5 scoring plays, with the last of those scores being the game winner for the Knights. Why is Todd Collins Not Considered "Elite"? We are going to start off our midseason recap in something of an odd way, highlighting a player we just don’t think gets enough positive press, Nashville QB Todd Collins. It is a good week to highlight the 10-year veteran from Michigan as he just had one of his most prolific games, tossing 5 TDs against the Seattle Dragons. Our question about Todd Collins is why no one ever talks about him. He is the Rodney Dangerfield of USFL quarterbacks, no respect. No respect at all. We admit that Collins never puts up numbers like his namesake Kerry Collins, or Brett Favre, or this season Drew Bledsoe, but what Collins does is control an offense designed to keep games close and find ways to win. In his tenure with the Knights, both in St. Louis and Nashville, the Toddster has averaged more than 20 TDs a season, fewer than 11 picks per year, and averaged around 67% completion rate. Yes, his QB Rating is not astronomic, but it is a solid 92.4 for his career, a mark many QBs can only hope to aspire to. And what about his teams? Since he became the regular starter for the Knights 6 games into the 1995 season, Collins’s Knights have won 3 division titles, appeared in a Summer Bowl, and finished below .500 only twice in 10 years. That is a pretty good record. So why the lack of respect? Well, the obvious answer is that Nashville has typically won with its defense and its run game. They have averaged in the mid-20’s in points per game each year, while rarely averaging over 20 PPG allowed. They also have been in the mid-to-low end on passing yards per game. But does this speak to a deficiency at QB or a philosophy of how to play the game? It seems to us that while Collins is not a true gunslinger like USFL legends Jim Kelly, Bobby Hebert or Brett Favre, he is the consummate system quarterback, playing his role, leading his team, avoiding mistakes and turnovers, and producing wins. Not flashy, not the kind of player you choose for your custom team on USFL2K4 for Playstation, but a player who will not cost you games either. Is that really so bad? OK, enough soapboxing. On to our midyear report. The 5 Best USFL Defenses after 7 Games We start by looking at the Top 5 defenses this season in the USFL. A few you will expect, a couple will probably surprise you. Here they based on their PPG Allowed ranking. 5. Pittsburgh Maulers: Likely you expected them to make this list. Pittsburgh allows an average of 17.6 points per game. Not too shabby. They do this primarily because they only allow 77 yards per game on the ground. That is impressive. You know who we love on this defense. Linebacker De<etrious DuBose is a monster who makes backs try to go the other way. But we also should point to DE Kyle Vanden Bosch, who not only leads the team with 5 sacks, but also has 9 tackles for loss. Throw in a corner in Patrick Surtain, who is not afraid to take on backs, and rookie safety Sean Taylor, who is just going to get better each week, and you can see why the Maulers are tied for first in the Central Division. 4. Birmingham Stallions: Yup, you saw that right. No longer does Brett Favre have to throw it all over the yard to get a W. It helps that the Stallions have developed a run game to kill some clock and reduce opposition playcount, but the defense deserves some props as well. The Stallions are averaging 16.7 point sper game allowed, and they are doing it in large part because of a newfound pass rush. Mike Rucker came on strong last season, and his rein of terror has continued this year with 8 sacks this season, only 1 off the league lead. Add in blitzes that have given Lawyer Milloy, Chris Draft, and Antwan Odom their shot at sacks as well and the Stallions are making life tough for opposing QBs. 3. Arizona Wranglers: Another surprise name. The Wranglers have always had the LB position locked down, but this year, after Broderick Thomas departed, they seem to be playing better team defense. They are 3rd in the league with fewer than 16.5 points per game after 7 weeks. They have recorded sacks with 10 different players, including DE Gary Walker, who leads the team with 7, and they have 3 players with multiple picks, including FS Tyrone Drakeford and both starting corners. Nickel back Asante Samuel is also looking like a big piece of the puzzle for the Wranglers. And, lest we forget the LB’s, they have fond a youth movement with 2nd year player Lance Briggs, and rookie Karlos Dansby flanking veteran Winfred Tubbs in what has become a more athletic, faster group. Scary, really, and for quite a while to come it would seem. 2. Chicago Machine: No shock here. The Machine have made a living by making life miserable for opposing offenses. They allow exactly 16 points per game, and just over 200 yards per game passing. Led by the man in the middle, Brian Urlacher, and his 60 tackles this year, the Machine are as tough to run on as they are to pass against. The big story this year is on the D-line, where 3rd year player Anthony Weaver is leading the league with 9 sacks. He had 10 as a rookie, 16 last year, and is on pace for 18 in 2004. That is exactly the kind of growth Chicagoans love to see in a defensive player. Not good news for the other 23 teams. 1. Denver Gold: Understated and undervalued, that is what we often think of Denver and their defense, but when a team is allowing fewer than 14 points a game (13.9) and under 200 yards passing per game (176.1) you have to say that this is a monster of a defense. Those are epic numbers for any team, and no surprise that we find Denver at 5-2 with those numbers. They have figured out how to replace retired DE Leslie O’Neill, rotating Marcellus Wiley (6 sacks) with Ryan Denney (3) and Chris Kelsay. They have four solid LBs in Dat Nguyen, Kawika Mitchell, Chris Cowart, and Alsherwood Singleton, and their combo of Sean Lumpkin and Jamel Williams at safety is perhaps the league’s best duo. The Gold have very few defensive weaknesses, and that means they are a real threat to go all the way this year. Defense Wins Titles, But Offense Puts Butts in Seats While we love a good defense, the general consensus is that it is offensive firepower that gets fans excited, and with the example of Ohio winning back to back titles, apparently a dynamic offense can also win a ring or two. So, who are the most well-oiled scoring machines this year? Here is the top 5. 5. Arizona Wranglers: The only team to appear on both Top 5 defenses and offenses, this has to be a good sign for Coach Fassel and the Wranglers. As good as their defense has been, the offense has also pulled their weight, averaging 26.6 points per game despite being middle of the pack in both passing and rushing yards. Jake Plummer feels this team has the best offensive talent he has had in his career, and with both rookie wideout Larry Fitzgerald and former Star Stephen Davis joining the Wranglers this season, we tend to agree. The talent is there, to score and to keep you from doing the same. That is a good combo to have. 4. Seattle Dragons: The emergence of Byron Leftwich as a legitimate star has made Seattle a bandwagon favorite. They still run their offense through Corey Dillon, and he still produces, with Seattle averaging over 110 yards rushing per game, but it is the arrival of Leftwich that has made the Dragons truly dangerous. Leftwich is making connections with David Boston, Ken Dilger, O.J. McDuffey, and receiving HB Brian Mitchell, throwing a combined 7 TDs’ to this quartet. Their 27.9 points per game are a step back from the Top 3, but not by as much as folks may imagine. 3. Ohio Glory: After two years as the undisputed kings of the scoreboard, the Glory seem to have slipped just a bit. They are still good enough to average 29.7 points per game, and that has helped them get to 5-2 at the midway point. We don’t need to highlight the keys to the Ohio offense. You know the names already: Collins, George, Galloway. But, the key to them being truly dominant may just be finding a 2nd elite receiver. Can Troy Brown take on that mantle? 2. Tampa Bay Bandits: Bandit Ball is back and Coach Spurrier has the perfect architect for a gunslinging style in former Minnesota Viking Daunte Culpepper. The former UCF quarterback’s return to Florida has been a triumph, and no one is happier than Randy Moss, who is more than happy to run under Culpepper’s deep rainbow throws. But here is the thing. It’s not all the deep ball. The Bandits can run the ball with McGahee, can throw short with Shockey and Doering, or can go over the top. That multiplicity of options is just not what a defensive coordinator wants to deal with. 1. Boston Cannons: As rough as Spurrier has made life for defenders, the Cannons have been even more deadly, as Tampa Bay discovered this week. Boston’s signing of Chad Ochocinco has been an immediate success, with Ochocinco proving he truly is a #1 receiver, leading the club with 8 TDs and 805 yards in only7 weeks. But he is not alone in the team’s successful transformation into the next great offense. TE James Whalen has come out of nowhere to gather in 28 passes for 422 yards. Robert Ferguson is much better suited as a 2nd receiver and is finding open spots in the zones, leading to 5 TDs already. And Tiki Barber has never had an easier time finding running lanes as teams have to respect the deep ball. It is a winning combo for the Cannons, who are looking very much like a club that wants to use Ohio’s formula of the past two seasons to take on the league. The other Side of the Coin We’ve looked at the top 5 offenses and defenses, but what about the teams struggling to put it all together. They deserve some attention to. When we look at the weakest offenses in the league, one team stands out, and not in a good way. Yes, both Las Vegas (16 ppg) and Texas (15.4 ppg) are struggling, but Memphis is just a disaster at only 10 points per game. You will not win many games scoring the equivalent of 1 TD and a field goal per game. And this is a Memphis team that made its name on offense with Heath Shuler commanding respect around the league. What happened? Well, they let Joe Horn leave in free agency and have not done well in trying to replace him. Adrian Cooper is getting older and the Showboats just don’t have a credible run game to free up the play action pass. The result, a league low 165 yards per game passing. Not good enough, not even close. Looking for the worst defenses in the league? Try Orlando, Las Vegas, and Baltimore. The Thunder make the list of worsts on both sides of the ball, like the Bizarro version of Arizona. Coach Vitt may be on a very short leash if he cannot improve one or both squads. The very worst defense however belongs to the Baltimore Blitz. The once-formidable Blitz defense is a shadow of its former self, allowing a whopping 32.6 points per game, nearly 6 points higher than 2nd place Orlando. They are bottom 5 in nearly every defensive category, except sacks, where the combo of James Farrior, Chuckie Nwokorie, and Andrew Wadsworth have a very respectable 17 sacks between them. The Blitz can get to the QB, but apparently cannot keep him from completing big plays, as Baltimore leads the leagues with the most 20+ yard plays allowed. Looks like Coach Coughlin has some work to do. A good week by recent standards, with no new players added to the IR of any of the league's 24 clubs. That is not to say that there won't be some teams dealing with injuries, just that all of the players added to the injury report this week are expected back relatively soon. Among those who could be out the longest we find Chicago FS George Teague (4-6 weeks with abdominal tear) and Denver SS Sean Lumpkin (4-6, wrist). In the 1-2 week group we find Texas DE Dimitrius Underwood (Toe), Birmingham HB Shaun Alexander (hamstring) and Boston HB Tiki Barber (shoulder). Doubtful for this week are Ohio LB Glenn Cadrez (hip), Texas WR Ike Hilliard (hamstring), Baltimore WR J.J. Stokes (meniscus) and Arizona HB Stephen Davis (toe). That's a lot of teams without their starting halfback, an adjustment each club will need to make to put a successful offense on the field to be sure. The second half of our Midseason Report Card will focus on individuals rather than squads. We will look at the 5 players who have jumped into the national consciousness this season, the 5 who are surprising us with their underwhelming 2004 output, and then finish up with 5 things to watch for over the season’s 2nd half, and our picks for the Top 5 players who could be impactful out of the 2005 draft, and who should go all in to sign them. We start with our Top 5 Breakout Players of 2004. 5. T.J. Duckett, HB, Texas The big back who failed to impress the Panthers in his rookie season and was unceremoniously dealt to the Outlaws, is having the best season of his young career. His per carry average is finally up over 4 yards a play, sitting at 4.3 after 7 weeks. He is well on his way to a possible 1,000 yard season, and he is avoiding the fumbles that hurt him with the Panthers as a rookie. He is a bit off the pace for the rushing title, but Texas will be very happy if 1,000 yards is in his future. 4---Robert Ferguson, WR, Boston We have mentioned Ferguson before in this report. He is without a doubt benefitting from the presence of Chad Ochocinco in Boston, averaging 4.5 receptions a game, and on pace for his first 1,000 yard season. He also has 5 TDs after 7 weeks, matching his season-long total from 2003, when he was the team’s primary receiver and dealing with double coverage. He is freed up with Ochocinco opposite him, and he is clearly growing into the role of the inside and underneath target. 3—LB Mike Vrabel, Jacksonville Vrabel has been a good player for a while now, but this season he is upping his game. He leads the Bulls with 48 tackles, has also added 4 sacks and 4 forced fumbles. These are very solid numbers on a defense that still has some holes. Vrabel, who had 100-tackle seasons from 1999-2002, looks to be on pace to do it again, but this time with more blitzes and more sacks. He is a good player to build around for the Bulls. 2—Daunte Culpepper, QB, Tampa Bay We have seen a lot of quarterbacks come over to the USFL after starting their careers in the NFL, and sometimes they find success, but more often than not they are somewhat underwhelming. That has not been the case for Culpepper, who found the right coach in Spurrier to unleash his gunslinger nature and his cannon arm. The former UCF Knight is averaging just under 275 yards per game, with 13 touchdowns in 7 weeks. He has Tampa Bay at 6-1, with already 2 more wins than in all of 2003, and he has fans in Tampa Bay talking about Bandit Ball once again. 1—Anthony Weaver, DE, Chicago As much as Culpepper has Tampa fans buying up #8 jerseys, Anthony Weaver is becoming Chicago’s favorite son. The third year player has exploded on the scene this year. He imnpressed as a rookie with 10 sacks coming out of Notre Dame. Improved on it with 16 sacks in 14 games last year, but now is on pace for 18 or more this season. But it is not just the numbers, it is the style that has fans clamoring to watch Weaver play. The big DE is putting together a highlight reel to die for, tossing lineman like rag dolls, or speeding around them like they are statues, disrupting run plays, and terrifying quarterbacks. It is beautiful to watch as long as you are not coaching the opposing offense. Weaver has a one sack lead right now over Mike Rucker (BIR) and the omnipresent Phil Hansen (NJ). Can he keep it up all year long? Disappointed!!! We have seen the good, what about the bad? Yup, we have that too. Here are the five players who came into the season with a lot of promise, potential, and pressure to succeed, but have fallen flat through the season’s first half. Not too late to turn it around, but right now things don’t look good. 5—Akili Smith, Ryan Leaf, and Joey Harrington: We are going to put the trio of benched starters at QB in the same boat. In each case the results did not come, the losses did, and the hope that they could make a difference this year has turned to a sense of despair in Las Vegas, Baltimore, and Orlando. Smith had shown signs of improvement over the past couple of years, but has backslid in 2004. Harrington had a strong rookie year, but back to back problem seasons, punctuated with interceptions, have folks wondering where the rookie went. And Ryan Leaf, what can we say about Leaf? He has his moments as a player, but his mouth gets him into trouble, and he loses the trust of his teammates. Quick to blame others, thin skinned, and ultimately not strong as a team leader, Leaf was cut by a coach who just won’t stand for his antics, and no one has stepped up to sign him, which we expect would send a message, if only Leaf’s ego was open to hearing it. 4—Heath Shuler, QB, Memphis: We are putting Shuler in a different category because for so long he was so good. This is a former MVP, a player who threw for 4,000 or more yards over 4 straight years (1998-2001), and who has had seasons with 36, 38, and 47 touchdowns. After 7 weeks he has 2 so far this year. Two touchdowns in 7 games!!!! What has happened? As much as we want to blame the Showboats for not surrounding him with receivers, the truth may be worse than that. Shuler may have hit the wall. After 10 outstanding seasons in Memphis, has he fallen off the QB cliff and lost what made him special? We cannot say for sure, but if he continues to struggle, at some point Coach Mora may need to bench him, and that is something we did not come into this year expecting to say. 3—Larry Johnson, HB, Philadelphia: The Stars put a lot into Johnson, from signing him as a rookie to a pretty sizable contract, to allowing Stephen Davis to walk in Free Agency, expecting Johnson to exceed the aging HB’s totals from 2003. What have we seen so far? A lack of vision that has the big back missing developing holes and making the wrong cut, and a simple lack of push when he takes the first hit. In 7 games, Johnson has only 322 yards, an average of 46 per game. He is averaging a sorry 2.8 yards per attempt. None of that is what a bell cow back has to do. The Stars may have gotten stars in their eyes watching Johnson at Penn State, but he is not running against Indiana and Northwestern any more, and we are not seeing enough to keep putting Philly’s hope in the former Nittany Lion. 2—DE Chidi Ahanotu, New Orleans: Every time we think Ahanotu is ready to become an elite pass rusher he seems to fall off the face of the earth. He has 3 sacks so far this year, and seems to have eaten himself out of football shape. We get it. New Orleans is a tough town to stay fit in, what with all the gumbo, beignets, and bread pudding, but the Breakers counted on Ahanotu to be their sack leader, and 3 in 7 games is not good enough. 1—Dwayne Rudd, LB, WSH: What the what? Is this the same Dwayne Rudd who had 112 tackles in 2001 for the Generals? He has 7 tackles in 7 games. How is that even possible? You would expect players to just trip over him if he just lay on the ground more than 7 times. He has gone from 112 tackles his last year in New Jersey to 86 in his first year in Washington, 60 last year, and now is on pace for 14. 14!!!??? This is not good at all for the Federals, who now have to be thinking that Rudd is done, and may have to move a bench player into the starting lineup. They have some options in 3rd year player Torrance Marshall and 2nd year player Keyon Whiteside, but the fact that this is a topic of discussion for what should be an elite LB corps is just a big surprise, and not the kind the Feds were hoping for. Second Half of the Season Keys to Watch For. Seven weeks down, seven to go, so just what do we think is going to happen over the second half of the season? With so many teams lingering around .500 a run by any club could be huge. We also have several divisions where we are likely to go down to the wire, so there is a lot that can happen. Here are our Top 5 storylines to follow as we race towards midsummer and the USFL playoffs. 5—Rivals Worth Tracking Denver and Arizona are very different teams, but these two rivals have one thing in common, they both look legitimately strong this year. The Wranglers have finally built up a defense and a run game so that Jake Plummer does not have to play Superman each week. The Gold have the league’s best defense and after surviving a scare when Mark Brunell went down, their offense may be ready to shrug off a slow start and prove dangerous as well. These are two very good teams that don’t like each other very much. Watching them battle their way through the season to a Week 13 showdown in Tempe should be hugely entertaining. 4—Can Oakland Do This? The Invaders are in the unfamiliar position of leading their division at the halfway point. Has Coach Green really turned the culture around for Oakland, or will they fade down the stretch? It won’t be easy for the Invaders as both LA and Seattle are certainly strong teams, capable of going on a run. The Invaders are a game up in the division despite giving up more points than they score, which is an ominous sign, but this squad may just be ready to put an end to nearly a decade of futility. If you like an underdog story, this is the storyline for you. 3—Can Ohio Hold Court in the League’s Toughest Division? The Ohio Glory have been dominant over the past two seasons, but they are getting seriously challenged by not one but two division rivals as both Chicago and Pittsburgh have closed the gap and are real threats to the Glory. All three are tied at 5-2 after 7 weeks, and with each still playing each other over the final 7 weeks, this should be a royal rumble for the ages. Will it be Ohio’s offense, Chicago’s stifling D, or the toughness of the Maulers that wins out? 2—Coaches Feeling the Heat While most of our storylines feature clubs battling for playoff position, this is a story about survival. There are several coaches who are already feeling the heat, and deservedly so as their teams struggle to put together a complete game. Will any be released before the season ends? And what will Black Monday look like. Among the favorites right now to be on the street by August 1 we have a legend of the game in Memphis head coach Jim Mora, an interim coach who few thought would last this long in Las Vegas’s Joe Vitt, and a Summer Bowl winner whose team has disintegrated around him in Orlando’s George O’Leary. Add in real danger for Texas’s Chan Gailey and you have four men who will be fighting for their coaching lives over the next two months. 1—Tampa Bay and Boston Battle for the Division This is the most intriguing battle in the USFL, of all the divisions, in part because no one expected these two clubs to get this good this fast. These two could easily be fighting not only for their division title, but for the top seed in the playoffs as well. Add in the excitement of two explosive offenses and two coaches who come with very different back stories and you have a great story to watch play out over the next 7 weeks. Get the popcorn ready, this could be a blockbuster summer. Looking to the Future As much as we want to savor every drop of football goodness the 2004 season has to offer, we cannot help but take a sneak peek at the potential Class of 2005 and wonder just who could be next year’s Byron Leftwich, Willis McGahee, Larry Fitzgerald, or Karlos Dansby. Here is our best guess at the top 5 potential talents available in the USFL Draft come January, and our pick for the team that should make whatever deal they can to get that player on their squad come February. 5—WR Braylon Edwards of Michigan: A big target with even bigger potential, Edwards is the preeminent red zone target in this year’s class, and he can go deep too. As a Wolverine, Edwards could be protected by the Panthers, and in all honesty, unless Charles Rogers shows some real upside in the next 7 weeks, we absolutely think the Panthers should try again by signing Edwards if they can. If Michigan does not go after Edwards, the obvious landing spot should be Memphis, where the Showboats sorely need a big target for Heath Shuler. They could and should provide whatever the Panthers and Edwards’s agent demand. 4—HB Ronnie Brown of Auburn: The Tigers have two outstanding backs in Brown and Cadillac Williams. Either one could finish the 2004 season as the top HB in the draft. We like Brown’s upside a bit more than that of Williams, but now comes the interesting part. With 2 power backs at Auburn, and with the Stallions very happy with Shaun Alexander, Birmingham could opt to trade away their top 2 of 4 Territorial Draft picks, get some real draft capital in the open draft, and still sign two studs from Auburn or Alabama at positions they really need. So, who should go after Brown? Las Vegas seems the obvious choice. Their run game is just awful, and while they need to improve the line, starting with a top flight HB like Ronnie Brown is not a bad way to go for the Thunder. Heck, they could even offer less for Birmingham’s 2nd round T-Draft pick and just take whichever Auburn back is not picked #1. 3—LB Demarcus Ware of Troy State: A player who will be there at the top of the Open Draft, Ware’s potential is limitless. He has been one of the few players on lower tier teams who dominates even in games where his team is seriously overmatched. There are few teams that don’t need an upgrade at linebacker, but the two that seem poised to go after Ware are both in the Northeast. Baltimore may have the best shot at him, but Philly will be right there as well. Both need youth and a killer instinct in their linebacker corps, and Ware could provide just what they need. 2—HB Cedric Benson of Texas: Is Benson the next Ricky Williams (in a good way, not a suspended for smokin’ weed way)? A lot of folks think so. Benson is a big, bruising back, just the kind of thing that teams who use a 3-receiver spread set need to force teams into single coverage. With T.J. Duckett having a good 3rd year for the Outlaws, they are likely to be willing to trade away the T-Draft pick that would secure Benson. The thing is, the team we like best as a perfect landing spot is unlikely to get a shot. Houston would be a perfect landing spot, pairing Benson with Kevin Faulk for an electric “Thunder & Lightning” combo, but the odds that Texas would allow their arch rival a shot at Benson seem slim at best. 1—Aaron Rodgers of Cal: Arguably the best QB in a pretty thin pool, challenged only by the more athletic but more erratic Alex Smith of Utah, Rodgers seems tailor made for a team on the cusp. He is protected by Oakland, and we think the Invaders would be a perfect home for the Cal Bear. He could sit behind Trent Green for a year, just as Eli Manning has done in New Orleans this year, and then emerge as the starter in Year Two, a perfect set up for success. Oakland has a solid #1 receiver in Plaxico Burress, and Taylor Jacobs is developing into a reliable target as well. The line is still a concern, but if Oakland can land Rodgers in the T-Draft, they can then go after some line help in the Open Draft and free agency. Seems a perfect match, but can the Invaders once again get burned after failing to sign either Carson Palmer or Philip Rivers in the past 2 drafts? Can it happen a 3rd time? We have looked at the big picture for weeks 8 through 14, and even further ahead, to the draft, but it is time to get back to the present. We have a good slate of games to kick off the second half of the season, as all 24 clubs are in interconference play. The game of the week has to be Arizona at Chicago. These two franchises, who once swapped both owners and rosters, will exhibit two very different styles of play when they clash at Soldier Field on Saturday. Another game to watch features 6-1 Tampa Bay hosting the New Orleans Breakers. The Breakers made a run all the way to Summer Bowl 2003, so they should not be overlooked in this clash of Gulf Coast clubs. Seattle is in DC as it is a battle of Washington’s in the nation’s capital. A win by the Dragons and they are back up to .500, but Washington is in a battle with New Jersey and cannot afford to drop to 4-4. The Generals are at home this week as they face the surprising Invaders from Oakland. Both are 4-3 and hoping to move well above .500 with a win. The defending champs, Ohio, are at home, where they face the Houston Gamblers. Houston could start Doug Flutie in this one, as Coach Wade Philips has been keeping mum about the starter ahead of this game. We have two new starters for certain this week as Las Vegas will start Aaron Brooks against the Stars at Lincoln Financial Field and Orlando will give Jeff Blake his first USFL start as the Renegades host the Nashville Knights at the Citrus Bowl. In other games, Memphis is at Jacksonville, Birmingham will be in Boston to face the Cannons, Denver is in Michigan to face the Panthers, and Texas will take on that tough Pittsburgh defense at Heinz Field.

A week that saw a lot of roster maneuvers and demonstrated the value of the QB position as both Chicago and Houston made moves to shore up the position, Las Vegas and Orlando, after suffering another loss each, announce that they will be going in another direction, and Ryan Leaf talks himself out of a job. All this plus two teams make moves to solidify their chances for a possible playoff run, and one of the league’s two undefeated teams falls at home. We start there, with the Machine, playing with a backup QB, use every tool they have to slow down the Boston Cannons. CHICAGO MACHINE 22 BOSTON CANNONS 20 A monster day on defense, including 9 points cored by the defenders, help Chicago pull off a major upset against the previously unbeaten Cannons. Chicago came in an 11-point underdog, largely due to the loss of Jeff George and the first ever career start for Ray Lucas as factors. They left with their 5th victory and retain a one-game lead on the Ohio Glory with the win. Boston, having been averaging over 40 points per game, simply could not get through or around the Chicago pressure. The Cannons converted only 2 of 10 third down plays all year, and while they had some explosive moments, they also turned the ball over to Chicago in ways that hurt the team. Chicago’s defensive fortitude was evident from the game’s first drive, when Brian Urlacher stepped in front of a pass intended for Boston TE Stephen Alexander and ran it back to put Chicago up 7-0. It was the first of several mistakes by the Cannons on the day, with much of the issue being an inability for their line to provide Bledsoe to hit on deep routes. Chicago got to Bledsoe often, sacking the MVP candidate five times, including two from DT Darwin Walker. Bledsoe was hit on almost every play when he dropped back as Chicago was relentless with blitzes and disguised coverages. On their second possession, Boston managed to move the ball much better, using Tiki Barber as a counter to the Chicago blitz, and when Mike Cloud plunged into the endzone from the 2-yard line, Boston evened the score. As the first quarter ended, Chicago moved into field goal range and ended the quarter with a 47-yard Tim Seder kick. Chicago held Boston scoreless in the second quarter, limiting the Cannons to only 54 yards in the period, while also adding another score to move the lead to 17-7 at the break. The score came at the end of a 15-play drive, conducted mostly on the ground with alternating carries from Duce Staley and Michael Turner. Staley would get the scoring run and Chicago would confidently go into the locker rooms up 10. The third quarter would see Boston get back in it in a style we have become accustomed to, a 68-yard bomb to Chad Ochocinco on a beautiful play fake to Barber. It would be the only play over 30 yards all day for the Cannons, and that proved to be an issue as long drives were nearly impossible to put together. The game stayed 17-14 well into the final period, when a muffed punt left Ohio with the ball on their own 3 yard line. They made the predictably safe call and handed off to Tike Barber in the endzone, but the line missed a block and Chicago LB Tommy Polley, coming on a run blitz, was in the backfield just as Barber got the ball. Dropped immediately, it was a safety, and Chicago moved up by 5, a safety that would prove to be essential to their victory. Boston recovered, and on their next drive, took the lead for the first time all day. They were patient and moved the ball in small chunks, leading to a Tiki Barber TD that gave them a slim 20-19 lead with 1:42 left to play. It would be up to backup QB Ray Lucas to get Chicago into field goal range, or at least that was the expectation. Lucas had completed only 17 of 32 passes, mostly dump passes to backs and his TE, so the thought of a long game winning drive with less than 2 minutes left seemed a big ask. But, that ask never got made as Chicago kick returner Dante Hall found a seem and avoided contact with any Boston tacklers until he was into Chicago territory. He would be tackled at the 22 yard line of Boston. Lucas would hand off three times to drain some clock, and, with the ball now back at the 26, Chicago would line up to win with a walk-off field goal. Tim Seder connected and Chicago celebrated as the score gave the 2-point victory to the visitors. MGN 23 JAX 22 Drew Brees and the Panthers fell behind 22-3 and then mounted an impressive comeback as they went to the no-huddle for most of the fourth quarter. Brees connected with three different receivers on short TD passes in a span of 11 minutes to shock the Bulls in Jacksonville and take their 2nd win of the season. Hines Ward would lead all receivers with 108 yards, as Brees used 9 different receivers in the game. PHI 20 ORL 17 The Stars edge the Renegades to move to 3-3 with Amani Toomer playing a big role, catching 8 balls for 107 and a TD. A late Larry Johnson TD reception, a rarity for the big man, was the deciding score in a game that saw Coach O’Leary pull Joey Harrington late in the game and give former NFL QB Jeff Blake the offense. WSH 23 TBY 25 A huge confidence booster for the Bandits as they beat the always-tough Federals and move to 6-0 despite converting on only 2 of 12 third downs. Deion Branch had a big game for the Feds, with 121 yards, but the defense could not stifle the Bandits’ new offense, with Duante Culpepper connecting with Randy Moss for a score and the defense added a score thanks to Chidi Iwoma’s pick six. Tampa, thanks to Boston’s loss, now takes over sole possession of first in the Southeast, and is the final unbeaten club after a 4-10 season in 2003. BAL 7 OHI 36 Ben Roethlisberger got the start and struggled, throwing two picks as Ohio dominated. Kerry Collins threw for 284 and 3 scores, and Eddie George rushed 22 times for 105 as the Glory looked very much like a defending champion. The game was not exactly an exciting affair, but the post-game hysterics from Ryan Leaf were more than enough excitement. Tom Coughlin being who he is did not waste any time rectifying the situation, as we will explore in this week’s league stories. NJ 22 PIT 24 A fun matchup of two very solid teams as the Maulers edge the Generals at Heinz Field. Charlie Batch had a good game despite pressure from the NJ line, completing 16 of 21 passes and tossing two TDs. New Jersey was led by Curtis Enis’s 128 yards rushing, but fell short in the end. CB Patrick Surtain had a big day as a tackler for Pittsburgh, racking up 12 tackles as well as a pick. LV 13 OAK 23 Akili Smith may have played the ball right out of his hands with a 2-pick day as the Thunder fall again. The Thunder offense struggled all day, and while Oakland was not exactly electric, they were capable of putting up enough points to even their schedule at 3-3 with the win. The score would have been worse, but kicker Joe Nedney missed a couple of makeable kicks for the Invaders. SEA 23 LA 36 Don’t count the Express out yet, as Cade McNown and the LA offense showed they have some spirit in them. McNown throws for 379 against a normally solid Seattle secondary, connecting with three different receivers on scoring tosses. Keyshawn looked every bit the part of NFL All-Star, catching 5 balls for 148 yards and a score. David Boston also had a big game for Seattle, with 144 yards, but it was not enough as the Express kept a step ahead of Seattle all game. HOU 10 DEN 17 The Gamblers struggle with Kris Kershaw at QB, as Eric Wilhelm gets a second win for the Gold. Rod Smart was the star in this one, carrying the ball 17 times for 109 yards. Robert Holcombe added another 64 yards and another score for Denver, while Houston struggled all around on offense, almost certainly leading to the move Houston made on Monday (see below). TEX 17 ARZ 35 The Wranglers looked like potential division champs as they took care of business at home, forcing 3 fumbles (two recovered by Arizona), and holding Texas to only 59 yards rushing. Stephen Davis helped Arizona control the game with 84 yards rushing and wideout Tim Dwight returned from injury to score his first TD of the season as Arizona had this game well in hand. NSH 28 MEM 16 (Played in Oxford, MS) Another home-away-from-home game and another loss for Coach Mora and the Showboats. Heath Shuler continued to struggle and the defense could not contain Ahman Green, who scored twice for the Knights. Nashville dominated on third down, converting 11 of 17 over the course of the day. In a chippy game between two in-state rivals, 16 penalties were called, including 5 different unsportsmanlike conduct calls. NOR 20 BIR 17 OVERTIME Credit the Breaker defense for bending without breaking as Birmingham outgained New Orleans 418-253, but could not get a 3rd TD to take the win, failing on a 4th and goal on two separate occasions. It was a strategy to go for 7 that backfired as the game went to overtime and New Orleans stole the win with a David Green kick. Both Joe Horn and Lawrence Dawsey went over 100 yards again for the Stallions, but red zone issues proved the undoing of the Stallions. Houston Gambles on 40 Year Old Doug Flutie After one week without QB Matt Hasselbeck, and with few options available in free agency, the Houston Gamblers are rolling the dice and taking a shot on former Panther and General QB Doug Flutie. Flutie, who retired from the Panthers after the arrival of Drew Brees in 2002, has come out of retirement to show he can still play the game. He will get his shot for sure with the Gamblers, who are looking for an option after losing Hasselbeck for the season. While it is unlikely that we will see Flutie on the field next week as the Gamblers face the Invaders in Oakland, but could be ready to go in 2 weeks against Ohio, and when Houston returns home to NRG Stadium in Week 9 against the division-rival Wranglers. What does Flutie offer the Generals? Not quite the elusive scrambler he once was, Flutie mostly brings a sense of the game and an understanding of offenses. He has talent around him in Antonio Freeman, Koren Robinson and rookie Roy Williams, so there are weapons for him to work with. The big mystery is what Flutie has left in the tank. As short term solutions go for Houston, Flutie is a very interesting option, one that almost certainly lasts only this season, but it is also an option that brings with it a lot of questions. Chicago Trades for Banks The Chicago Machine, despite a quality win this week against the Boston Cannons in Boston, felt more was needed as they look at possibly being without Jeff George until the playoffs. Unlike Houston they did not reach in the free agent field but opted for a player who could stick with the team for the foreseeable future. The Machine made a deal with Arizona to bring former NFL starter Tony Banks to the Windy City. The Machine sent Arizona a 2nd round pick this year and a 3rd rounder next year to bring the former Ram and Raven. As with Flutie in Houston, Banks will likely serve as the backup this week, but since he has been in football shape and working with the Wranglers this year, he could see some action. We expect that Chicago is looking at their Week 9 matchup with Tampa Bay as the one where they want Banks ready to go, but they have two more tough games before that, homestanding against both Pittsburgh and the Wranglers. Could Banks get his first start against his old team? Two More Trades as Team Position Themselves The Chicago-Arizona trade was not the only significant one this week as both the Stars and Bulls made moves to try to bolster some issues on their roster, finding trading partners in Texas and Memphis, two clubs that may already be looking to the future. Texas, having good depth in the secondary, was willing to let one of their top corners go to Philly. The Stars sent a 2nd rounder and TE Roland Williams to Texas to get Quentin Jammer, a very good man coverage corner who should immediately have an impact on the Stars’ defense. Texas adds an early round draft pick and has depth at corner to deal with the loss of Jammer. The second move was a deal between Memphis and Jacksonville as the Showboats send FS Joe King to the Bulls. King, a former starter, had been demoted to second string in Memphis as Tebucky Jones outplayed King. But King is still considered a quality safety, and with issues in Jacksonville, the Bulls wanted an upgrade at the position. They swap safeties, sending backup FS Brian Young out to Memphis along with a 3rd round pick. The move provides Jacksonville with a potential starter, and helps Memphis with cap room, moving out a high salary backup and replacing him with a more affordable option. For the Bulls, who have more room under the cap, it adds a quality player to the starting lineup of the secondary. QB Changes As Potential Does Not Turn to Results That may sound harsh, but that is a pretty realistic explanation of why both Orlando and Las Vegas have announced a change at QB after rough 1-5 starts to the year. Both Akili Smith and Joey Harrington have struggled this season and both clubs have been criticized heavily for a lack of improvement for both QBs over the past few seasons. Harrington, in his 3rd season, is leading the league with 10 picks in his first 6 games. He currently holds a 60.9 QB Rating, down from 82.6 last season and 90.4 in a promising rookie season. His completion rate has also dropped from 66.5% in 2001 to 62.4% last season and down again to 60.2% in the first games of this season. Harrington will be sat this week as Orlando Head Coach George O’Leary opts to go with former Jet and Bengal Jeff Blake at QB in Week 7’s game at in-state rival Jacksonville. Las Vegas likewise has seen enough of Akili Smith this season to make a swap. Smith has had moments, but is completing less than 60 percent of his throws and has a QBR of only 76.1. After three season with a rating over 90, this is a major decline for the 6 year vet. Smith’s benching may be more of an exploration of what backup Aaron Brooks might be able to offer. Brooks, a former starter for Atlanta, did not start a game in 2 seasons in New Orleans before coming to Las Vegas this year. Expect Coach Vitt to put Brooks in a very similar offense to that run by Akili Smith, as the two are known for effective outside the pocket throws. Brooks as a starter in Atlanta had his best season in 2000, where he started 10 games, threw 12 touchdowns to 11 picks, finishing the year with a sub par 60.8 QBR, Far below numbers Smith has put up since then. Leaf Talks Himself Out of a Job Ryan Leaf picked a fight with the wrong man this week. Unhappy with his benching for rookie QB Ben Roethlisberger, Leaf went public with criticisms of the switch, stating on local television that he believes that if he is not the starter in Baltimore he should be traded to a team that will give him the offense. That kind of self-centered attitude has followed Leaf wherever he has been, but he has never had a coach quite like Tom Coughlin before. With his statements on Monday, Leaf was called into Coughlin’s office on Tuesday. To say his talks with Coughlin did not go well might be an understatement as by the end of the day his contract was cancelled and Leaf was on the waiver wire. Coughlin unceremoniously cut the former Invader and Outlaw, making him a free agent, while also signing former Panther backup Spergon Wynn to back up Roethlisberger and 3rd year QB Shaun Hill. Baltimore also has young Iowa State QB Seneca Wallace on their practice squad. On Wednesday Leaf cleared waivers, unclaimed by any of the 23 other USFL clubs, a sign that the firebrand QB may find it hard to get that starting gig that he seems to feel he deserves. Without another major injury to a starter, we just don’t see a market for a player who has now talked his way out of three different jobs in the league. While we did not have the marquee QB injuries of last week, that does not mean this was a good week across the league for player wellness. The season seems to be seeing an uptick in significant injuries as we saw several more players added to IR and done for the year. Among those whose seasons are done we have Michigan CB Dexter Wynn (hip), Philly Free safety Marlon McCree (shoulder), Oakland LB Dan Morgan (quad), Jacksonville DE Byrant McNeal (ACL), and Boston made it official, putting Greg Ellis on IR after his injury last week. We also had several players who were not placed on IR even with a 6-8 week recovery period as teams hope they would be available for a playoff run, including Houston TE Ryan Krause (PCL), Denver SS Sean Lumpkin (Wrist), and Washington C Matt Johnson (Hernia). Of those looking at 1-2 weeks or listed as Doubtful for Week 7 we find Denver TE David LaFleur, Birmingham HB Shaun Alexander, Texas WR Ike Hilliard, Seattle LB Godfrey Miles, Las Vegas G Scott Conover, Denver CB Jamar Fletcher, Houston WR David Patten, and Seattle FB Chris Massey. And if you noticed Denver and Seattle mentioned multiple times you are right. Both western clubs are among the leaders in the number of players on their injury report, meaning we will see some practice squad players, and potentially some Free Agents picked up this week in action over the next couple of weeks. Finishing with positive news, we do expect these players to return to action this week, starting in Denver, where QB Mark Brunell returns after missing 3 games. Jacksonville expects the return of WR Javon Walker. Thunder LB Lewis Bush and Chicago DT Ted Washington are game-time decisions. Richmond Webb returns to action after missing last week with an ankle issue. Pittsburgh is expecting DT Russel Maryland back in their starting lineup, as does Arizona with CB Asante Samuel and Tampa Bay with SS LeRoy Butler. Finally, Keyshawn Johnson, who tweaked an ankle late in last week’s game is expected to be back in action this week. Thinking About the Class of 2003 We decided that rather than prematurely judge the draft class of 2004 after only 6 weeks, this actually might be a good time to look back at the class of 2003 and see which players have already made a name for themselves. Looking at each of the 24 teams, who has emerged from last year’s rookie class as a player making an impact for their club in their sophomore year? Who has not yet shown the value that teams anticipated. Let’s look at the 2003 draft story for each club as we approach 1.5 years of service. ARIZONA GRADE: A The Wranglers went for defensive help with their top picks last year and seem to have hit with both. LB Lance Briggs has been a steady starter for Arizona and currently sits 3rd on the team with 31 tackles. Asante Samuel, the speedy CB has played mostly at nickel, but has had some time as a starter as well, looking like he has the potential to potentially overtake Jimmy Williams for the position opposite Philippi Sparks. BALTIMORE GRADE: C A year and a half in and we have barely seen any of Baltimore’s Class of 2003 make it on the field. Guard Eric Steinbach has been a swing player on the O-line, Seneca Wallace still sits on the practice squad, E.J. Henderson has not yet cracked the starting lineup at LB. Honestly the only bright spot has been late round pick Antonio Gates, who was named the starter at TE this offseason, and has 23 receptions over his first 5 games, which is decent. If your only starter is a late round pick, that cannot be considered a good draft class. BIRMINGHAM GRADE: D If Baltimore’s class is a C, then Birmingham’s, at least as of right now, has to be a D, maybe an F. Not a single starter has come out of the class, and that includes big UGA DT Johnathan Sullivan. WR Kassim Osgood has made a few plays on special teams, but that is basically it for a draft class short on impact so far. BOSTON GRADE: B If the measure of a good draft class is that the players get on the field, then Boston did OK. OT John Stinchcomb, DT Ty Warren, and CB Leigh Bodden have all seen considerable action. Is that enough to give them an A? No. Not until we see more impact from these starters. Stinchcomb has had some struggles, but seems to be the most advanced of the 2003 rookie class. Ty Warren is getting plenty of snaps, but in his rookie year had only 4 sacks. He has 2 already this year, so there is hope for progress, which is why we see a solid B here. CHICAGO GRADE: C- Machine fans were excited to sign WR Brandon Lloyd, but so far his early career has not had anywhere near the impact they were hoping for. Lloyd is stuck behind Donald Driver and Curtis Conway on the depth chart, and the big receiver is not well-suited as a slot man, so he sees the field only when one of the starters takes a breather. The result? Well, Lloyd currently has only 6 catches on the season, following a rookie year where he had a grand total of 115 yards receiving. Fans expected more, and yet, Lloyd is also the only member of the class to get regular action, which is even worse for the Machine. DENVER GRADE: B+ The Gold had what appeared to be a solid defensive draft in 2003, landing DE Chris Kelsay, LB Kawika Mitchell, and CB Terrence McGee, and the good news for the Gold is that all 3 have been solid contributors. Kelsay rotates in with Ryan Denney at RE and has 3 sacks already this season, after recording only 1 in all of 2003. Kawika Mitchell is a full time starter, and is 5th on the team with 28 tackles, while leading the team with 6 tackles for loss this year, and McGee is a regular contributor at CB, though it should be noted that he has yet to snag his first career pick. All in all a very solid draft class. HOUSTON GRADE: B The Gamblers found contributors in the draft, including kicker Kris Brown, guard Kris Dielman, and CB Sammy Davis. Their best find was LB Nick Barnett, who had a strong rookie year with 77 tackles. Brown was among league leaders in scoring last year, which is always good to see for a young kicker. The one player who has not truly shown up yet is WR Bethel Johnson, who is limited to special teams right now. JACKSONVILLE GRADE: A+ The Bulls got immediate results with WR Anquon Boldin, who outpaced even Terrell Owens last year, racking up an impressive total of 88 receptions for 1,242 yards and 6 TDs. A contender for Rookie of the Year, Boldin was the star of the rookie class, but the Bulls also feel they got a steal with HB Fred Jackson, who gained 519 yards and scored 8 times backing up Antowain Smith. Great numbers for a backup to be sure. Add in some quality from LB Alonzo Jackson and DE Briant McNeal and you have one of the best draft classes after 20 games of their pro careers. LAS VEGAS GRADE: F The Thunder front office has to be taking heat for their 2003 draft class. After 20 games we have barely seen a peep out of any of the bigger signings, including DE Michael Haynes, a top choice and an expensive signing. Haynes has not had a single start yet and has only appeared in 10 games, not what you want in a 1st round pick. HB Onterrio Smith and DT Nick Eason have also been disappointing to say the least. LOS ANGELES GRADE: A The Express draft may on the surface appear like Troy Polamalu and more Troy Polamalu. But, while we admit that the USC safety has been an impact player for the Express, we should not overlook how quickly TE L.J. Smith moved into the starting lineup and became a favorite target of QB Cade McNown. Smith finished 2003 with 26 receptions for 504 yards, including 8 touchdowns, as he became a prime red zone target for the Express offense. CB Ricky Manning has also had an impact, particularly as a kick returner, where he had 20 returns for 492 yards last season. Three very good players in one draft is A-grade for us. MEMPHIS GRADE: F The Showboats did not receive high grades for their low key draft last year, with most o fhte attention on WR Kelley Washington from Tennessee, and it seems that was appropriate. Washington had minimal impact in his rookie season and has yet to make a single catch in 2004. That is not good for such a big name signing. The Showboats drafted 3 receivers in 2003 and not one of them has a catch this year. That is an F in our book. MICHIGAN GRADE: C+ The Panthers only signed 6 of their picks in 2003, which is problematic, but of those signed we do see that center Jeff Faine is getting significant snaps, TE Bennie Joppru has also been a regular, and WR Charles Rogers has seen some action as well. Our biggest quip is with Rogers, a big name receiver out of Michigan State who did not put up 1st round numbers last season. Rogers has only 6 receptions after 6 games this season, after putting up a moderate year in 2003 with 47 receptions for 518 yards for the winless Panthers. We need to see more to give this class more than a C+. NASHVILLE GRADE: B While DE Osi Umenyiura was the biggest name in the Knights’ 2003 draft, it may well be that LB Hunter Hillenmeyer is the best player taken. The MLB has 39 tackles, 3rd on the team, for a revitalized LB corps. That is not to say that Umenyiura has been a bust. He started all 14 games last season and had 4 sacks and 34 tackles, which are solid numbers, but this year, paired with KGB on the opposite side, the duo is hoping to become more of a force. Add in some flashes from DT Anthony Adams and you have a pretty decent first 20 games from this draft class. NEW JERSEY GRADE: B+ The Generals did not have a “big name” draft, but what they got were contributions at several positions, including Andre Woolfork at CB and kick returner, 3 touchdowns in limited action from WR David Tyree, and good depth with guard David Diehl and safety Gerome Sapp. It is not a blockbuster draft, but the kind of across the board improvement for a roster that can be just as important. NEW ORLEANS GRADE: F The Breakers signed only 5 players from their picks last year, and so far we are not seeing any of them making a big contribution. Even top pick, guard Ben Sobieski, has seen limited time on the field. Basically the Breakers have not yet seen any benefit from the class, and that is an F in our book. OAKLAND GRADE: B The Invaders’ draft is a tough one to grade, in part because one of the most promising young players in it, DE Robert Mathis, was already traded away to bring in help at LB. Justin Fargas, the HB out of USC, was the starter from Day 1 in Oakland, but averaged only 3.7 YPC his first year, on his way to 605 yards. This year he is sharing carries with Rashaan Salaam, a role that seems more appropriate, but is again averaging below 4.0 YPC (3.4 to be exact). LB Tully Banta-Cain has seen a good amount of action and OT Kwame Harris is a regular rotation player, so we have to say that the class has been solid but not a gamechanger for the Invaders. OHIO GRADE: A- FS Mike Doss was the star of the 2003 draft for the Glory. The Ohio State product racked up 42 tackles, 2 sacks, and 4 picks as a defensive gem in last year’s rookie class. HB Musa Smith has been solid, though his opportunities have been limited behind Eddie George. He has had 37 touches this year with a very solid 4.3 yards per carry and 3 TDs, actually 1 ahead of George, so not too shabby. That said, this draft is all about Doss, and so far, that has worked out well for Ohio. ORLANDO GRADE: C+ The Renegades got two starters out of the 2003 draft class, DT Ian Scott and C Dan Koppen. Neither is going to rack up big stats, but both are in the game, so points for that. WR Doug Gabriel so far has been underwhelming, and with their 1st round pick traded away there just is not much more to the draft. Points for finding contributors, but Orlando needs more in future drafts as they rebuild a roster that is not showing a lot of gamebreaking ability. PHILADELPHIA GRADE: C The jury is still out on Larry Johnson, the centerpiece player of Philly’s 2003 draft. With the departure of Stephen Davis, the job is Johnson’s to win, but he is averaging a paltry 2.7 yards per carry so far this season, which will not hold off NFL castoff Ki-Jana Carter for long. TE Dallas Clark has been getting more and more action in his 2nd year and has 15 receptions and a TD in 6 games. DT Jimmy Kennedy has seen less action than the Stars had hoped and seems to struggle to handle the power of USFL guards, which is not a good sign. All in all not what Philly had hoped for, at least not yet. PITTSBURGH GRADE: C+ This year is likely the one where we will better determine the value of the Mauler draft. WR Nate Burleson took some time to get into games but was starting opposite Andre Rison by season’ end last year. This season he already has 40 targets, catching 27 for 280 yards and 2 scores. TE Jason Whitten is also seeing more action this year but sits behind Alge Crumpler so don’t expect big numbers. The big issue for Pittsburgh is the disappointing 20 games put in by top pick, DE Jerome McDougle. The big man from Miami got his first sack 2 weeks ago but has yet to officially get his first start. He was expected to be an impact player but is being outplayed by veteran Bob Kuberski, which is not what Pittsburgh hoped to get from him. SEATTLE GRADE: A+ You knew this was coming. How could it not with the amazing year put in by QB Byron Leftwich as a rookie. The Marshall product led Seattle into the postseason and deserved all the accolades he received. He was not alone in his contributions either. CB Marcus Truffant was a Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate, and LB Piso Tinoisamoa was also a regular contributor to an improved Dragon defense. Add in TE Visanthe Shiancoe, who has taken on the role of blocking TE, and you have the best draft in the league by far. TAMPA BAY GRADE: A Another team who found one break out star and a bunch of contributors in last year’s draft. Tampa landed a major gamebreaker in HB Willis McGahee, who reminds many of past Bandit stars like Gary Anderson and Errict Rhett. They also got good play from safety Byron Scott, punter Mike Scifres, and TE George Wrightster. Ken Dorsey, the U of Miami QB has also filled a role, though that role is one that keeps him off the field, which is fine with Tampa Bay. A very good draft from beginning to end. TEXAS GRADE: C- Texas had hoped for more. That is the simplest way to put it. DT Cory Redding got 7 starts last year, and had 2 sacks, but has not been able to help free up the DE’s to the degree Texas had schemed for. Guard Derrick Dockery is not yet a full-time starter, though he has seen some action, and QB Chris Simms has not been a challenger for Jeff Lewis’s job, though that may be something we should not expect so early in his career. Underwhelming is the word we think of when we look at the draft, and that makes it a C-. WASHINGTON GRADE: D Center Mike Mabry, a 6th round pick from UCF, has seen some action and looked pretty good filling in, and if that is the line we lead with, you can see that there is not much to say about the Federal draft. WR Bryant Johnson from Penn State was the big name signing for the Feds and what has it produced? How about 22 receptions his rookie year, and 9 so far this season. He has shown the ability to go up and get contested balls, leading to 2 career TDs so far, but he is not getting open on routes often enough to be a consistent target for Kordell Stewart. And that is all we have from this draft to talk about for the Feds, not what you want to be able to say about any team. Week 7, the halfway point in the season, and we have Eastern Conference divisional matchups to spice up the week’s action. The top game of the week has to be the Southeastern matchup between the 6-0 Bandits and the 5-1 Boston Cannons. This could have easily been a matchup of unbeatens, but Chicago’s upset of Boston does not take away the absolute sizzle of this matchup. Expect the ball to be in the air a lot in this game as both teams have built their records largely on explosive passing attacks. Among the other top games this week is a clash of 3-3 clubs as one of the league’s oldest rivalries, Philadelphia and New Jersey, is renewed at the Meadowlands. In the Central Division we also have a really important matchup as Pittsburgh (4-2) travels to Chicago (5-1) with a chance to pull right back into first place with a road win. Ohio, also at 4-2, could also jump into the fray if Pittsburgh can pull off the win against Ray Lucas and the Machine. They face the Panthers in Michigan, another rivalry game, though one that has been a bit lopsided of late. The other divisional games include Washington at Baltimore and Orlando at Jacksonville. Out West, the best matchup has Seattle (3-3) heading down to Nashville to face the Knights (also 3-3). Both clubs are thick in the hunt in tight divisions as Seattle is tied with Oakland for first, while Nashville shares first place with the Breakers. New Orleans is at home this week and will face a new QB in Aaron Brooks as the Thunder try to jump start their offense. Oakland is also at home, where they will almost certainly face Kris Kershaw when they take on the Gamblers. Also on the docket we have the Wranglers on the road in Memphis, Denver visiting Birmingham, and Texas taking on the Express out in LA.

A good week for the defending champs, a rough week for many others as injuries start to take their toll across the league. Two starting QB’s are quite possibly done for the year, and two teams hoping to make a playoff run now have a lot of scrambling to do to keep those hopes alive. We start with the game of the week, a miraculous finish that saw that rarest of football highlights, the successful hail mary play as time runs out. From there it is on to all the week’s action and then quite a busy week on the business side of the league as well. OHIO GLORY 31 PITTSBURGH MAULERS 28 In a week defined by injuries and blowout games, we had one game that stood out as once again the Ohio Glory found a way to upend a division rival. After losing a close one to Chicago in Week 2, the Glory were not willing to accept defeat in Pittsburgh. With the Maulers going up 28-24 with only 1:18 left to play, fans in Pittsburgh were nervously excited that they might have just knocked off the two-time champions, but the Glory did the impossible, well, perhaps the improbable, and found a way to win in the final seconds. It was a back and forth battle between these two Central Division foes the entire evening. The Maulers completely shut down the Ohio run game, limiting Eddie George t only 19 yards rushing, but in doing so they made room for the passing game, with both Joey Galloway and new flanker Troy Brown going over 100 yards receiving. On offense, Pittsburgh used the threat of Terrell Davis to open up the play action game, leading to Charlie Batch throwing for 3 scores, including two to Andre Rison, who led all receivers with 120 yards on 7 catches. Pittsburgh started very strong in this one, scoring the only points of the first quarter on a Kenny Bynum 3-yard run. They would add another score early in the 2nd, when Batch found Nate Burleson open from 17 yards out. Ohio would get on the board as the 2nd quarter wrapped up, mounting a long drive that concluded with a 3-yard TD pass from Collins to FB Michael Templeton, an unusual target for the Glory. Ohio equaled the Maulers’ 14 points on the first drive of the second half, pulling off the classic double dip by scoring to end the first half and then using the first post-break drive to add another. This time it was Galloway catching the game-tying score from Collins. The Maulers were unfazed by the quick turnaround, and only 2:44 later they were in the end zone as Andre Rison caught an 11-yard fade route from Batch to take advantage of single coverage and return to a 7-point lead, 21-14. As the final period began, Ohio added a field goal, trimming the lead to 21-17. They would follow this with a good defensive stand, leading to a poor punt from Chris Gardocki, and with the ball on their own 44, the Glory quickly found their way deep into Pittsburgh territory, and back on top as Eddie George scored on a shovel pass to put Ohio on top for the first time all game, 24-21. With 4:56 on the clock, the pressure was on Pittsburgh to score quickly, but not too quickly. They found their way downfield, and with 1:17 left on the clock Batch again hit Rison for a go-ahead touchdown. The question now was whether, up by 4, with 1:17 on the clock, had Pittsburgh left Ohio room to pull off an 11th hour comeback. The Glory seemed confident as they got the ball on the 25 after a touchback on the kick. Collins began the drive with an outlet pass to his FB, Templeton, for 5 yards, an inauspicious start. He would then complete a big chuck play to Galloway for 26 yards, then 5 yards again, this time to Stephen Alexander. After an incompletion to Troy Brown, an offsides call on Pittsburgh gave Ohio a first down. On 1st and 10 but with only 8 seconds left on the clock, it was time for a deep shot, and that is exactly what Ohio did. They put Galloway alone to the right, and stacked up Troy Brown, Reche Caldwell and Malcolm Floyd on the left. Pittsburgh rushed 4 and dropped the other 7 into coverage, with both safeties at the 5 yard line. Collins got time and heaved an arcing pass towards the end zone. The ball caromed off a mass of receivers and defenders, but Reche Caldwell had stayed 2 yards behind the play, leaving him open to catch the ball on the ricochet drill. He fell from the 2 into the end zone and Ohio had pulled off the perfect Hail Mary. The crowd in Pittsburgh was stunned, the Maulers deflated, and the Glory bench erupted in celebration. It was that rarest of feelings, the nearly impossible play working just as it was scripted and producing exactly the result desired. Ohio would move to 3-2 with the win, equaling Pittsburgh’s record, both now a game behind Chicago. CHI 17 MGN 9 Chicago snatched up sole possession of first in the division by shutting down Michigan’s offense, limiting the Panthers to 3 field goals. Touchdowns from rookie HB Michael Turner and WR Brandon Lloyd were enough to provide the win to the Machine as Michigan was held to only 228 total yards, despite a 20 of 29 day for Drew Brees. But it was not all cake for the Machine as starting QB Jeff George went down early in the game, and backup Ray Lucas had to finish out the game. George went down in a heap after being sandwiched between two defenders and struggled to get his breath. He would be taken to the locker room and not return. BOS 44 JAX 20 It was seen as a big early season test for the Cannons to travel to Jacksonville to take on last season’s division champions, and despite initially dropping behind 10-0, the Cannons rallied and by halftime were up by 11. Chad Ochocinco received 2 of Drew Bledsoe’s 4 touchdown passes on the day, and HB Tiki Barber rushed for 103 and a score as the Cannons steadily pulled further ahead over the course of the second half to take an impressive 24-point road win against the Bulls. ORL 17 TBY 28 In the other Southeast battle, Tampa Bay jumped out to a 14-0 lead on the Renegades and then went into cruise control to win by 11. Duante Culpepper threw for 213 and a score before going out late on a dubious late hit that drew a 15-yard penalty against LB Zach Thomas. Kent Graham came in and mopped up the final quarter, largely handing off to McGahee and Prentice to kill clock. BAL 7 NJ 41 Tom Brady would also leave the game early for his club, but under very different circumstances. Up 41-0, Coach Parcells gave Todd Bouman the task of wrapping up the game. Brady had thrown for 173 and a score, but it was defender Shaun Ellis who had the back-breaking play, a strip fumble and return for a score that put the game out of reach early in the third. Ryan Leaf was visibly upset, yelling at both teammates and coaches on the sideline, but he was shut down by Coach Coughlin, who, after the game, stated that he would not tolerate undisciplined players. He would not answer if Leaf would get the start in Week 6 after two pretty horrible outings. PHI 14 WSH 38 Another one-sided win as the Federals scored 35 unanswered points after initially trailing 7-0 to the Stars. Two Brian Griese picks helped the Federal cause, as did a 4-TD day from Kordell Stewart, connecting with Deion Branch twice and also throwing scoring tosses to TE Cam Cleeland and veteran WR Cedric Tillman. The Washington defense also got the job done, holding Philadelphia to only 90 yards rushing. MEM 10 SEA 34 Trouble for Coach Mora as the Showboats return to their losing ways and once again the offense fails to produce. Memphis went 0 for 11 on third down and produced only 9 first downs all game against the Dragons. A steady offense from Seattle, paired with a dynamic 102-yard kickoff return TD from Troy Walters was more than enough to comfortably salt away a home win and move Seattle to 3-2. NOR 14 TEX 13 It was not pretty, but New Orleans slogged out a 2nd win for the year, largely on the strength of their run game. The Breakers rotated all 3 halfbacks, with newly arrived Olandis Gary getting 16 carries for 51 yards, while Troy Davis added 61 yards on only 8 carries and Amos Zeroue added another 11, including a TD. It was 13-7 Texas into the final quarter, but midway through the 4th, Trent Dilfer connected with Josh Reed for the game winner. Texas tried and failed to win the game on a last second kick, but the 51-yarder fell wide to the left. BIR 32 LV 14 The Stallions came up big both on the scoreboard and in the stands as it seemed half of Alabama had made the trip out to Las Vegas to watch their Stallions. The rowdy crowd was in high spirits as Birmingham was effective in all three phases against a lackluster Thunder club. Brett Favre connected with Lawrence Dawsey for a beauty of a TD toss (42 yards) and the added a second to Joe Horn as the Stallions rolled. NSH 17 HOU 30 The Gamblers get a big home win against a tough opponent, but at significant cost as QB Matt Hasselbeck was sidelined with an injury to his throwing arm. Caught by LB Na’il Diggs just as he released the ball, Hasselbeck’s arm fell to his side. It would be a full bicep tear, one likely to end Hasselbeck’s season. Kris Kershaw came on in relief, but the game was already decided thanks to three earlier Hasselbeck TD tosses. What happens next week is now the concern for the Gamblers. OAK 7 DEN 24 Erik Wilhelm was solid in a rare start for Denver, subbing for the injured Mark Brunell. The longstanding backup to Brunell went 14 of 23 for 234 and 2 scores as Denver used a balanced offense to slow the game down, milk the clock, and keep the ball away from the Invaders. Former Gold HB Rashaan Salaam had a a solid game (79 yards on 13 carries) but hardly the “major beatdown” he had predicted as he prepared to face his former team. LA 13 ARZ 31 The Express continue to disappoint both fans and the pundits who picked them as a division favorite, failing once again to put the pieces together on offense. Stephen Davis had his best game as a Wrangler, running through and over the LA defense for 111 yards and 3 touchdowns as Arizona improved their record to 3-2 and sent LA to a surprising 1-4. The play of the game was a 74-yard pitch and toss between Plummer and rookie Larry Fitzgerald, a play that Wrangler fans hope is a portend of many more to come. Quarterbacks Out, Teams Scrambling Two franchises that were hoping for playoff runs this year, including one leading their division, are now scrambling as both may face season-ending injuries to their starting quarterbacks. We start in Chicago, where QB Jeff George is looking at a minimum of 8 weeks out after suffering 4 broken ribs in this week’s game against Michigan. The Machine are 4-1 and sit a game up on Ohio and Pittsburgh in what is expected to be a very tight race. With George out at least 2 months, which is all but the entire regular season, the Machine faithful have to be nervous. Chicago will start backup Ray Lucas this week. An 8-year backup in Chicago, this will be Lucas’s first USFL start. Behind him is only rookie Casey Bramlet, a late round pick out of Wyoming. In Houston, Matt Hasselbeck has already been placed on IR and is done for the year after rupturing the bicep on his throwing arm. This has the potential to be a career-altering injury as a full rupture is a tricky injury to recover and rehab from. Houston will start former Knight Kris Kershaw next week, his first career start in 7 USFL seasons with St. Louis and Houston. Behind him is former Washington Huskie Brock Huard, who also has never had a regular season USFL start. So, what options do these two clubs have if, as we suspect, they are not feeling comfortable with their current QB options? Well, the answer is not much, at least not much on the open market. The best available QB’s in the free agent pool are Mark Bulger, Spence Fischer, and Giovanni Carmazzi. All three have started games before, with Bulger and Fischer serving as a team’s starter, but none are considered players who can step in and lead a team to the playoffs, not at this stage of their careers. A second option might be to try to tempt back a player who has recently retired, with the top candidates being Gus Frerotte or, believe it or not, 40-year old Doug Flutie. Flutie has dabbled with playing again after retiring in 2001, showing up at the Buffalo Bills camp in 2003, but not signing a contract. Could the long-time General and Panther make a comeback at 40 and play for one of these two teams? Seems a longshot, but not entirely impossible. Finally, with seasons that had a lot of potential, a club might be willing to make a deal with another USFL club if it means that they could revive their playoff aspirations. But where would either Chicago or Houston find a solid starting QB who a team would be willing to part with? It would have to be a current 2nd stringer, and even with that the price could be quite high. Looking around the league, the most likely candidates might be these 10: Tony Banks (ARZ): Banks is currently 2nd string in Arizona. Banks played in one game for the Wrangles last year after coming over from the NFL. He went 29 of 44 for 356 yards and 3 scores. That is a very nice day, but is that enough to base a move like this on? Ryan Leaf (BAL): This all depends on the issues Leaf is bringing on himself with the Blitz. He is the starter, at least as of this week, but if Coach Coughlin is fed up with him and ready to start Ben Roethlisberger, we could see Leaf being expendable. Eric Zeier (BIR): A former starter with the Atlanta Fire, the Georgia product has been sitting at 3rd string in Birmingham behind both Brett Favre and Danny Kanell. His last start was in 1999, so there would be a lot of rust to shake off. Elvis Grbac (DEN): The former Wolverine has had a few starts over his time in Michigan and Denver, with his last start coming in 2002, but it was a pretty poor showing with 3 picks and a 48% completion rate. Not exactly inspiring confidence that he can lead a team to the playoffs. Aaron Brooks (POR): The former NFL starter is an intriguing option, but we hear that there is a good chance that Las Vegas Head Coach Joe Vitt may be looking to Brooks in the near future, unsatisfied with Akili Smith’s lack of improvement over the past 2 years. So this begs the question of whether Vitt would consider trading Smith and not Brooks at this point. Bill Musgrave (MEM): One of the league’s better backups, Musgrave has proven he can come in and win games when Heath Shuler has been injured. But would Coach Mora part with him hen he has a 31-year old QB who is getting hit a lot this season ahead of him on the depth chart? Marques Tuiasosopo (OAK): With Trent Green looking like a very solid starter for the Invaders this season, does that make the former Invader starter from Samoa expendable? Would the Invaders feel comfortable with only Randy Fasani behind Green, who missed most of 2003 with an injury? Jeff Blake (ORL): Another NFL castoff, Blake has experience, and we know he is athletic, but Joey Harrington is struggling in Orlando, so this could be another situation where the coach won’t let his backup go, because that backup could be starting soon. Kent Graham (TBY): With Duante Culpepper ahead of him on the depth chart, Graham may be expendable. It would leave Tampa Bay with only Ken Dorsey behind Culpepper, and that is a possible concern for Coach Spurrier. Scott Zolak (WSH): Zolak is the consummate backup, able to come in on a moment’s notice and find success. He is the closest the USFL has come to a Don Strock of the old Dolphins in the NFL. With Washington having signed Jon Kitna this offseason, and with a rookie on their practice squad (Jared Lorenzen, the “Hefty Lefty”) they might be willing to part with Zolak for the right price. So, not exactly a sure-fire solution for either team. Will Chicago and Houston go with what they know or go another route and try to turn a diamond in the rough into a bonafide playoff starter for their clubs. Time is fleeting in the USFL so both clubs are going to have to decide and soon. Receiving Duos Are Big News While debates may rage about who the best receiver in the game, or in the league, is, the reality seems to be that in order to win in the USFL you had better have more than one go-to guy. We are seeing this a bit with Ohio, as the loss of Chad Ochocinco has made life a lot more difficult for Joey Galloway. Troy Brown has come on a bit over the past two weeks, but the balance that made it tough to shift coverage towards the clear #1 guy seems to be key to getting an offense to hit that highest gear. Thinking along those lines, we looked for the top receiving duos (receivers and/or tight ends) in the league. Here are our nominees for the five best duos of 2004, with players listed with their current receptions, yards, and TD totals. BIRMINGHAM: Lawrence Dawsey (29-350-3) and Joe Horn (28-338-3) Thirteen year veteran Lawrence Dawsey may not be the speedburner that he once was, but his pairing with Joe Horn, the former Showboat #1, has been a really solid combination for Brett Favre and the Stallions. Dawsey just barely missed 1,000 yards last season, his first sub-1,000 yard season since 1990, if you can believe that. Horn also dipped last year, finishing with 791 yards, but both are on pace to possibly regain 1,000 yard status again this year. OHIO: Joey Galloway (19-439-2) and TE Stephen Alexander (20-305-2) We mentioned Troy Brown as well, but the two main targets this year for 3-time MVP Kerry Collins have been Galloway and Stephens. Long & short short is the name of the game, but, as we have seen, having that third factor was a huge factor for Ohio the past few seasons, and they are still looking to reconfigure the passing attack with Ochocinco not there any longer. TAMPA BAY: Randy Moss (19-450-2) and TE Jeremy Shockey (17-385-2) This is all Steve Spurrier. Moss has always been a freak and a real threat to make defenders look bad, but Spurrier has given life to Shockey’s role on the offense and the results have been outstanding. With the middle of the field now requiring safety attention, the long balls are there for Moss far more frequently, and that makes defensive coordinators pull their hair out. LOS ANGELES: Tory Holt (14-518-3) and Keyshawn Johnson (14-357-4) One of the best combination of speed and professional route running. The signing of Keyshawn has been a huge coup for the Express. They sit at 1-4, but there are a myriad of reasons (including 22nd ranked pass defense and a run game producing only 88 yards an outing. The fault does not lie with this outstanding duo. BOSTON: Chad Ochocinco (20-525-5) and Robert Ferguson (21-385-5) Boston’s biggest issue in past years has always been the lack of a true #1. Terrance Mathis was not it in Atlanta, and Robert Ferguson is much better suited to be the intermediate guy who helps spring the #1 deep. The arrival of Chad Ochocinco from Ohio has opened up the Boston offense, made life much easier for MVP candidate Drew Bledsoe and for the run game of Tiki Barber. Through 5 games Boston is averaging 42 points a game and over 300 yards passing. That is what we saw from Ohio the past two years, and now with Ochocinco moving to Boston, he seems to have brought the mojo with him. While the season ending injury to Matt Hasselbeck, and the potentially equally disruptive injury to Jeff George were among the headline stories this week, they were certainly not the only significant injuries suffered in this past week’s games. Three additional players were added to IR this week, with the biggest impact likely being in Boston, where DE Greg Ellis is done for the year after suffering a significant injury to his right ankle. He is joined on the IR by Baltimore wideout Bill Schroeder and Jacksonville DE Bryant McNeal. Both of these players were rotational contributors, so their absence is more a depth issue than one of immediate impact to the starting lineup. The same cannot be said about another injury suffered by the Bulls as star LB Lavar Arrington is now expected to miss as much as a month of action after suffering a significant injury to the quad on his left leg. Likewise, Philadelphia is looking at a minimum of 2-3 weeks without their top receiver as Steve Smith suffered an elbow injury (dislocation with some tendon concerns) that will cost him no less than the next two games. Denver is also concerned about their top wideout, Peerless Price, who suffered a high ankle sprain early in this week’s game, an injury you generally do not want to see in a receiver. Among those who may miss only a week due to short-term injuries we find Houston WR David Patten, Seattle WR Ashley Lelie, and Denver DT Montae Reager. All three could return for Week 7, assuming their rehab goes as planned. Portland to enter Expansion Pool It is official, Portland will be bidding for a 2008 Expansion club after losing the Thunder to Las Vegas in an ownership shakeup. What is more, the bid will come with a stadium in place as the city has approved construction of a fully financed 52,000 seat facility on the city’s east side. The news is a huge boon for the city, though certainly not a guarantee that a club will be forthcoming. With stiff competition from at least 5 other markets for only 2 expansion franchises, it is a considerable risk, though, as we have seen, cities that do not win expansion can always make a play on an existing team, as Portland well knows. The bid will be brought by a group that is calling itself the PDX Football Town LLC, PDX being the airport code for the city's international airport. This entity is headed by the principal investor in the bid, Timothy Boyle, the founder and CEO of Columbia Sportswear. The group also includes at least 5 other minority investors, including at least two affiliated with Nike, the sportswear brand whose owner Phli Knight helped bring the Thunder to Portland in 1988. It is also said to have one of the deepest investment pools of any of the bidding groups, with nearly $500M in resources available to them. With that kind of bank behind the bid, Portland will have to be taken seriously. What makes the Portland bid even more attractive in the eyes of the league is the expectation that the new stadium will be completed in the Fall of 2006, a full year before the 2008 season would kick off. If all goes to plan a team could begin to play in the new facility as early as Spring 2007, and certainly by 2008. The facility will be a retractable roof stadium, designed around two wings that extend out horizontally beyond the main building, creating an open air venue when weather permits, while fully sealable as well, as seen in the pictures below. If Portland were to obtain one of the 2008 expansion clubs, this would be only the second retractable roof stadium in the league, though Glendale, AZ is in the process of building one which would house the NFL Cardinals and USFL Wranglers as well. Speaking of Stadia Memphis cannot be happy about how things are going on the field, and certainly starting the year with games being played in Little Rock (v. Birmingham and Michigan) and Oxford, MS (vs. Denver) is not helping. They got some more bad news this week when it was revealed that the stadium renovation is indeed behind schedule, likely pushing back the return to the Liberty Bowl by at least another 2-3 weeks. The Showboats had been scheduled to play next week’s game in Little Rock against the Knights, and return to a newly refurbished Liberty Bowl Stadium in Week 7 for a matchup against the Wranglers, but if that date has to be pushed back, it means scrambling to get the game relocated to Oxford, and delaying the return to Memphis until Week 10 against the Washington Federals. While no one is pointing to the lack of true home games as the reason that Memphis has begun the season at 1-4, it certainly does not help that the team has been traveling back and forth to either Little Rock (137 miles away) or Oxford (86 miles) on game day mornings. The trip to Oxford routinely takes the club nearly two hours, while travel to Little Rock is easily a two and a half hour trip. With kickoff times varying between 11am and 3pm central time that can mean some early mornings for players and coaches, reporting to a central location to take their buses to the game. Essentially, the practice of rolling out on gameday serves as a disruption to the players’ routine, as well as providing fewer of the comforts of a home game, the familiarity of the locker rooms, the daily routine, and the sense of belonging. Memphis had hoped to limit their early season “home away from home” slate to only 2 games in their first six, but the schedule simply did not work out and they are now looking at 5 of 7 home games taking place outside of Memphis. This cannot be helping the Showboats, who, by all accounts, could use any break they could get. And One More Stadium Update Better news out of Birmingham where the Stallions are moving ahead with negotiations with both the city and the University of Alabama @ Birmingham for potential construction of a new stadium for both the Stallions and the Blazers. The big sticking point seems to be one of capacity rather than location, though we are sure that funding is also a big point of debate. It seems that UAB would prefer a stadium in the range of 30,000 to 35,000 seats, but with the Stallions regularly topping 50,000 in attendance at home games in Legion Field, their hope is to get closer to a 60,000 seat capacity. The answer may be the use of a tarped upper deck for UAB, which might allow the stadium to hold 35,000 for Blazer games, and “expand” through removal of the tarps to allow the Stallions to have 55,000 or more. This is all still very speculative, and there is not even an agreement on the basics at this point, but it does appear that all three parties are enthusiastic about the project in concept, something not always true when discussing projects that can require tens if not hundreds of millions to complete. Teams to Get New Look Reebok this week announced the three clubs that will be getting a makeover for the 2005 season. Fans of the Memphis Showboats, Washington Federals, and Michigan Panthers should prepare as they will each be sporting a new look next year. Unlike in past years where at least one of the three updates has included a full logo reinvention, it is not expected that any of the three clubs in the 2005 pool will be looking to replace their current primary logos, but we might expect potential changes to wordmarks, addition of secondary logos, or tweaks to team color combinations. Michigan, for example, has not had a true secondary logo as part of their package yet, the same being the case for the Federals. Memphis added black as a more prominent color just a few years ago, so one could imagine that they might either expand the use of the color or remove it to return to a more classic scarlet & silver sky combo. Expect the team looks to be revealed over the second half of the season, and with the league allowing teams to move to a new look in the playoffs, rather than waiting until the next fall, it is possible that we will see a new look for one or more teams in this year’s playoffs. Divisional matchups out west as the three Western Conference divisions battle each other and the three Eastern Conference divisions engage each other. In the Western divisional games, it could be do or die for the LA Express, sitting at 1-4 as they host the 3-2 Seattle Dragons. Another loss and they could be out of the chase already. In Oakland, the Invaders are hoping to return to .500 as they host the Las Vegas Thunder, a team that seems to always have a perpetual hangover. In the Southwest Division, Houston, with backup Kris Kershaw at the helm, have a tough assignment as they head up to Denver to face the thin air and that Denver defensive pressure. Arizona is hoping they can start to pull away in the division, and a home game against 1-4 Texas is a good place to start. Finally, its the Volunteer State Showdown as Nashville visits the 1-4 Memphis Showboats. Both clubs have been disappointed with their starts to the season, so there is no better time to turn it around than in an in-state rivalry game. New Orleans will be in Birmingham, as both 2-3 clubs, in a division where no one is at .500, hope to reach that even mark with a win. Both undefeated Eastern Conference clubs are at home this weekend, with Tampa Bay hosting the Washington Federals in what could be the Game of the Week. The two clubs have only one loss between them and both are eager to prove themselves this week. Boston has a huge game against a Chicago club that is reeling after losing QB Jeff George. Expect Ray Lucas to get his first USFL start for the Machine as they head to Alumni Stadium. Ohio is also at home, as the 2-time defending champions host the 1-4 Baltimore Blitz and their growing QB controversy. No word yet on who will start, veteran malcontent Ryan Leaf or rookie Ben Roethlisberger. In Pittsburgh the Maulers will hope to rebound from this week’s loss but they host another solid squad in the New Jersey Generals. Jacksonville will play host to Michigan and Philadelphia travels to Orlando in the two remaining games this weekend. Philly can reach .500 with a win, while both Orlando and Michigan are trying to show that they are on the upswing.

The USFL is a hard league to prognosticate. We expect you have noticed that over the years. Teams can see their fortunes change in a single season, rising from the basement to the penthouse or falling just as quickly. A key injury, a well-scouted draft, a single free agent signing, or simply the maturation of a club can dramatically shift the balance of power. Many are debating if we are seeing that very phenomenon at work in 2004 with the Boston Cannons and Tampa Bay Bandits surprisingly sitting at 4-0 while some of the "expert" picks are struggling. It's why they play the game, because it can take so little to turn an also-ran into a contender and a preseason bully into a midseason sad sack. BOSTON CANNONS 31 LOS ANGELES EXPRESS 21 It was to be a huge test for a young team just beginning to believe in themselves. The Boston Cannons traveled out to the West Coast to face an LA Express squad who many had picked as a potential top seed in the conference. Boston was 3-0 but still had doubters, LA wa sonly 1-2 but was still viewed as a favorite, an image that Las Vegas sportsbooks still held, making the homestanding Express a 5 point favorite. The premise was that the Cannons, despite scoring more than 40 points in each of their 3 victories had feasted on weaker foes, Baltimore and Orlando among them, but now they would face a team many saw as a true contender. The result? It would be validation for Boston, and real concerns for Los Angeles. Los Angeles focused on making the Cannons one dimensional, shutting down the run by bringing safety Troy Polamalu up to the line and leaving only Tavares Tillman deep. They were able to contain Tiki Barber this way, holding the shifty back to only 52 yards on the day, but Boston showed that if the one dimension of their offense you allowed to flourish was the passing game, you had made a grave mistake. Drew Bledsoe would go 18 for 24, throwing for 394 yards, and tossing 3 touchdowns against an Express secondary that was simply unable to contain Chad Ochocinco. The former Glory receiver averaged 40.6 yards per catch, which, with 5 catches, put him over 200 yards on the day, 203 to be exact. In addition to Ochocinco’s huge numbers, TE James Whalen caught 4 for 98, though most of that came on one scintillating 74-yard play, and WR Robert Ferguson would bring in a 46-yard touchdown toss as the single-high safety alignment of the Express failed to cut down on big play after big play. For a while, the Express were able to hold their own, thanks largely to 100+ yard days from both Tory Holt (105 and a TD) and Keyshawn Johnson (157 yards and 2 scoring catches), but despite tying the game late in the third on a Tory Holt TD catch, the Express eventually succumbed to the relentless pace of the Boston attack, giving up 10 unanswered points in the final period to fall at home. Despite the presence of Polamalu near the line, LA surprisingly blitzed very little, keeping Mo Lewis and James Goode out in coverage. This limited some of Ohio’s shorter throws, but without an adequate pass rush, that just allowed Bledsoe to wait out longer routes. He would finish with an average of 16.4 yards per completion, a ludicrously high average. What became evident in this game is that Boston is very much for real, a real threat to usurp the Glory as the league’s most dynamic offense, and to go deep into the playoffs, while Los Angeles still clearly has some issues to address before they make a push for a division title. The preseason predictions clearly undervalued the impact of Chad Ochocinco on the Cannons and may have overvalued the arrival of Keyshawn Johnson in LA, an arrival that has not helped their defense scheme games more effectively or put themselves in position to rack up takeaways. It was an eye-opening game, and one that likely marks a new phase in the season. TBY 38 SEA 30 A really fun game out in Seattle, one that almost became our GOTW thanks to its back and forth nature. Corey Dillon (115 yards, 2 scores) and Byron Leftwich (20/31, 264 yds, 2 TD) helped Seattle stay score for score with Duante Culpepper (14/28, 359 yds, 2 TD) and the Bandits. Despite holding the ball for nearly 36 minutes, Seattle could not hold off the big plays as Tampa Bay got long TDs from Kevin Johnson, Randy Moss, and a late game-clinching score from Travis Prentice to take the win. NJ 20 DEN 24 Another really close contest in Denver as the Generals came close to knocking off the homestanding Gold. New Jersey went up 20-17 after three quarters but were shut out by the Denver defense in the final period. Denver got 110 combined rushing yards from Holcombe & Smart and in the 4th it was Holcombe’s 3-yard touchdown plunge that gave Denver the home win, moving them to 3-1. WSH 24 TEX 17 Washington went up early, leading at one point 21-3, but Texas came on in the second half and made it a game. Deuce McCallister’s 186 yards rushing helped Washington hold on for the one score win as the Outlaws just could not score quickly enough to overcome the 18-point deficit. Kordell Stewart was efficient, going 20 of 24 and throwing for 2 scores to balance the run game of McCallister as the Federals move to 3-1 and lead the Northeastern Division. CHI 24 BIR 21 Another one score game saw Chicago get a road win in Birmingham as Duce Staley and Michael Turner combined for 117 yards, each scoring a rushing touchdown as well. Turner is making an early bid for rookie of the year with another strong game. Brett Favre threw 3 TD passes and Shaun Alexander rushed for 96 yards, but the Stallions could not get into scoring range in the 4th quarter and a late sack meant they could not go for a game-tying kick. The Hail Mary did not connect and Chicago got the W. JAX 28 OAK 23 Oakland is proving to be a tough out as they came back strong against Jacksonville, but ran out of time on their final drive. The Invaders struggled with rush defense as Antowain Smith had a career day with 149 yards against them. But, Plaxico Burress’s 9 catches for 91 yards and 2 touchdowns showed that the Oakland offense had its moments as well. Jacksonville moves to 3-1 in the Southeast, which is still only good enough for 3rd place. PHI 10 HOU 20 Houston rediscovered its defense as the Gamblers held Philadelphia to only 52 yards rushing and 249 total yards. That was strong enough for the Gamblers to get a 10-point win on the strength of two Hasselbeck to Antonio Freeman touchdown tosses. HB Kevin Faulk contributed as well with 13 yards rushing on 21 attempts. MGN 14 MEM 20 Played in Oxford, MS Memphis played at one of their two homes away from home (Little Rock being the other) and got the win that they so desperately needed, with Dorsey Levins rushing for 111 yards and the defense holding Drew Brees to only 210 yards passing. Michigan hurt themselves with several drive-killing mistakes, including 3 holding calls on 3rd down. The Showboats are hoping to return to action in the Liberty Bowl after 1 more road/home game, but there are rumors that the stadium improvements are behind schedule. BAL 0 ARZ 34 A brutal performance by the Blitz on the road as Ryan Leaf returned to action and got the start but clearly looked less than 100%. He completed only 15 of 37 tosses for 106 yards and 2 picks before a frustrated Coach Coughlin pulled him for Ben Roethlisberger in the 4th quarter. Meanwhile Jake Plummer went 20 of 28 for 209 and connected for 4 touchdowns, 2 to Moss and one each to Bobby Wade and rookie Larry Fitzgerald as the Wranglers cruised to an easy win. OHI 40 NSH 27 Ohio got their groove back against the improving Knights defense. Three Nashville turnovers made the score a bit more lopsided than it should have been but 3 TDs from Kerry Collins and Joey Galloway’s best game of the year certainly helped Ohio. Galloway would finish with 7 receptions for 151 yards and a score. PIT 24 NOR 3 A late scratch for Trent Dilfer due to the flu meant that it was Eli Manning getting his first start, and the same week that Ricky Williams began his suspension. The result was not ideal for New Orleans as the Pittsburgh defense limited the Breakers to only 211 total yards. Terrell Davis won the battle of Davis’s, outpacing New Orleans’s Troy Davis 100-43. Manning went 16/24 for 165 but threw 2 picks in his first pro action. ORL 23 LV 38 Las Vegas got their first win of the courtesy of 2 Orlando turnovers and a 4-TD day from Akili Smith. Reuben Droughns added 85 yards on 19 carries and TE Lonnie Johnson added 101 yards receiving as the Orlando defense struggled and the offense could not make big plays. New Orleans trades for a Halfback The Breakers did not wait long to look for a Plan B. After one week of play without Ricky Williams, a week that saw the team manage only 3 points (although some of this might be due to an inexperienced QB), the Breakers set up a deal that would bring a “big back” to town. New Orleans has been happy with Troy Davis in his role as the 3rd down back and receiver, but he is not built to get the hard 3rd and 2 up the gut yards. So, New Orleans sent out feelers and got a response they liked from the New Jersey Generals. New Jersey, with 4 halfbacks on the roster and efforts to get young HB James Jackson more carries, was ripe for a trade for backup Olandis Gary. Gary is the type of big back in the Curtis Enis, Ron Dayne mode that New Orleans was looking for. So, what was the price? New Orleans parts with WR Jerome Pathon and a mid-round draft pick and gets a powerful inside runner. New Jersey picks up more depth in a WR corps that often feels like Terry Glenn and not much else. This could be one of those trades that helps both clubs about equally, but it certainly will help New Orleans as they try to recover from a very unwelcome 1-3 start. Coughlin, LeBeau learning the hard knocks of USFL football. After Week 1 we celebrated the opening game wins for both first-year coaches. Well, since then both have gone 0-3, showing that the issues with both Michigan and Baltimore were more than just leadership. Both clubs are certainly playing better ball overall and are looking competitive in these losses, but they are still losses. Baltimore is slowly trying to pick up a new defensive scheme and that has led to some big mistakes and even bigger yardage against them. They are currently in the bottom 5 in several defensive categories, something Coach Coughlin is going to want to address quickly. For Michigan the problem last year was offensive production, and they are certainly looking better this year, but the run game remains a concern. Rookie Chris Perry is getting carries but is struggling to turn touches into big plays. The offense still feels very much like Drew Brees dealing with a lot of long third down conversions, and that is not a winning formula. The other two first year coaches, Arizona’s Jim Fassel and Tampa Bay’s Steve Spurrier are having significantly more success, with Arizona sitting at 2-2 and showing signs of an actual run game, with Stephen Davis topping 100 yards, something we have not seen in Tempe for quite a while. In Tampa the influence of Spurrier has been swift and widesweeping. The Bandits are sitting pretty at 4-0, with a defense that is developing some character and a Bandit Ball offense that is looking very dangerous. It is never easy taking over a new team, and it is rare that the first year for a new coach provides that coach with a talent-rich roster and a path to easy success. Building a team takes time and changing a culture takes a lot of work, so we should not be shocked that we are not seeing these 4 clubs all flipping the script from last year. That Tampa is having the success they are is far more the anomaly than the rule. QB Issues already arising in Baltimore Let’s stay on the new coaches for a second as one of them, Baltimore’s Tom Coughlin, has his first big issue on his hands. With Ryan Leaf coming back off injury, the thought was that Ben Roethlisberger would return to the bench and continue to learn the pro game, but the problem is that this week’s game clearly showed that Leaf is not 100% and that a sub-par Ryan Leaf is not a better option than a healthy Ben Roethlisberger. Leaf struggled in his first action back after missing 2 games, throwing a pair of picks and failing to generate consistent offense. Coach Coughlin pulled him in the 4th quarter, when the game was already well out of hand, and got Big Ben a few more snaps, but the pressure is going to be on to name Roethlisberger the starter unless Leaf proves he can win games. And, as we all know, Ryan Leaf believes himself to be a starting QB and will absolutely not take a benching well. So, what do you do if you are Tom Coughlin? Do you go with the veteran despite the pressure to put in the #1 overall pick, or do you go with the rookie and very likely face a very unhappy and outspoken veteran QB. We know Coughlin is a no-nonsense disciplinarian, so that may be a very short-lived tantrum if Leaf is benched, but either way Coughlin goes, it will make things messy in the locker room to be sure. Manning first action in NOR As we mentioned in the game recap, Eli Manning saw his first action as a pro this weekend in Las Vegas. It was not exactly the start he would have dreamed of, with his first pass missing receiver Josh Reed by a wide margin. His third play as a pro was a sack, and his 7th was a pick, so not the start he would have wanted to be sure. The younger Manning brother calmed down after his first 2 series and looked better for the rest of the game, but still struggled to put together consistent plays and sustain drives. He would be sacked 3 times in the game, throw a second pick to CB Dre Bly, and finish the game with only 165 yards passing and 3 points on the board. It was admittedly an unexpected start, with Dilfer having muddled through practice on Thursday only to come up with a high fever by Friday, forcing him to miss Saturday’s game. So, with few snaps during the week, Manning was called on as an emergency start. By all accounts, it will be Dilfer back under center for the Breakers in Week 5 although we anticipate that at some point this year the fans in the Super Dome will get their chance to see the young Manning at QB, even if only in garbage time. Early Award Favorites Four weeks in and time to think about our favorites for the USFL Awards. Already this year we are seeing some new faces atop the leaderboards in several areas, so the question becomes whether or not the remaining 10 weeks of the year will see a return to familiar faces or could this be a changing of the guard? MVP: After three consecutive wins by Ohio QB Kerry Collins, he looks to be facing some tough competition this year. Drew Bledsoe in Boston is putting up very Collins-esque numbers, leading the league with a 142.7 QBR after 4 games, and currently he sits nearly 200 yards ahead of Collins with 4 more touchdowns than the 3-time MVP. Another QB getting a lot of attention, Tampa Bay’s Duante Culpepper, certainly can make the claim to being MVP just based on the 4-0 start for a team that won only 4 games in the entire 2003 campaign. Culpepper’s stats are not nearly as gaudy as Bledsoe’s, but his 1,268 yards and 8 TDs are certainly worthy of some MVP votes. Offensive POTY: Assuming the MVP will be a QB, that usually means a different offensive position could win the OPOTY. If that is the case this year, then the frontrunners have to be Boston wideout Chad Ochocinco, currently 2nd in the league with 447 receiving yards on 14 receptions. Right there with Ochocinco is Ohio HB Eddie George, leading the league with 413 yards and a 5.1 YPC average. Finally, we have to acknowledge the early season success of NFL import Keyshawn Johnson. The newest member of the LA Express has 357 yards and already has racked up 4 TDs. Defensive POTY: The early money here is on Chicago LB Brian Urlacher, who is among the league leaders with 34 tackles, but also has a pick, 2 sacks, and a forced fumble. Another strong candidate is former Atlanta Fire and current LA Express LB Mo Lewis. The Express defensive captain is third in the league with 40 tackles, but also has 2 picks, 2 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles, a well-rounded first month to be sure. Finally, another Machine player, DE Anthony Weaver, is also having a banner opening month, leading the league with 6 sacks, including 3 in one game. Rookie of the Year: As we mentioned earlier, Michael Turner is proving to be an excellent mid-round pick up for the Machine. His 218 yards and 2 TDs on 62 carries is right there with Michigan’s Chris Perry. They are getting competion from wideout Larry Fitzgerald, who already has 16 receptions for 131 yards and 3 TDs. Finally, New Jersey LB Donterrrious Thomas has made a strong first impression with 17 tackles in his first 4 games, along with 2 forced fumbles. Coach of the Year: Four weeks is a little early to coronate Steve Spurrier as the Coach of the Year, though the Bandits’ 4-0 start certainly has been impressive. Boston is also 4-0 and Coach John Fox certainly seems deserving of attention as well. But watch out as well for Pittsburgh’s Jack Bicknell and Oakland’s Dennis Green. All four are doing solid jobs so far this season, but if we had to wager we think the Hall of Famer, Spurrier, has to have the inside track. A big hit for the 2-time defending champions this week as MRI’s confirmed on Tuesday that starting DT Gabe Wilkins has, in fact, ruptured his ACL and will miss the rest of the year. Ohio immediately placed the big man on IR and called up a backup from the practice squad to fill the 4th DT spot on their roster, but this is going to be an immediate challenge to other teams to test out the inside run on the Glory. Others who are now expected to miss a week or longer include Washington center Matt Johnson (4-6 weeks after suffering a hernia during weight training), Las Vegas LB Mark SImoneau (2-4 weeks, collarbone), Denver QB Mark Brunell (1-2 weeks, knee) and Pittsburgh TE Alge Crumpler (1-2 weeks, elbow). Mark Brunell has been a bit of an ironman in Denver, so these next two weeks, with Eric Wilhelm at the wheel, will be a test for a team that was very used to having their leader under center. Finally, expect Keyshawn Johnson (cornea), WR J.J. Stokes (finger) and DE Michael Sinclair (Thigh) to miss this week. All three are listed as questionable but reports from each club point towards a 1-week hiatus. Owners Meetings Move Forward with Expansion The big story out of the Owners meeting is that the league has confirmed two ownership groups which are under review for expansion to Atlanta and St. Louis in 2006. As expected, the “Return the Fire” group headed by Jim Kennedy of Cox Media and including USFL Hall of Famer Herschel Walker among its investors, has received the initial endorsement of the league owners. The group will now undergo an extensive financial review to hopefully ensure that none of the issues we have seen in the past with several owners arise for this new club. Assuming that the group passes muster, we could see an official announcement as early as this August of the official return of the Atlanta Fire to the league. The group has a deal in place that would allow an Atlanta club to play its home games at the Georgia Dome, and seems to have more than ample financial backing so, barring any unforeseen skeletons in the closet, this feels like a win for Atlanta. As for St. Louis, the surprise is that the two primary investors that the city and the league have been connecting with throughout the process, Bass Pro CEO Johnny Morris, and World Wide Tech. CEO David Steward have come to an agreement to present a united bid. In this bid, Steward would serve as the CEO and President of the club, with both Steward and Morris owning a 40% share of the team, and additional investors making up the remaining 20%. This is a very positive step forward for St. Louis as having two competing bids would almost certainly delay the review and selection process. As with Atlanta, the league now can move to the financial and legal review, and, if all comes up clear, the announcement of the St. Louis franchise could happen in August. No word yet on an identity for the club, and we suspect that some form of fanbase-building “Name the Team” contest may be part of the process if the ownership group is approved. Far too early on that item as the review absolutely has to come first, followed by the league vote to approve both ownership groups. Television Deals to provide 11% increase in revenue The USFL owners approved the bids of NBC, FOX, and ABC/ESPN for an extension of 6 years to the television package that places NBC on Friday Night, FOX and ABC on a mix of Saturday and Sunday afternoon games, and ESPN as the Saturday and Sunday night broadcasters. The combined deals are contingent upon the anticipated expansion to 28 clubs, and will increase overall revenue by 11% over the current deal. That increase is largely offset for USFL clubs by the expansion as the pie will now be cut 28 ways instead of 24, but on the whole it is a very healthy deal which will allow the USFL to retain its position as a competitor to the NFL, providing ample funding to support the ongoing salary wars between the two leagues (more of a cold-war, with an ongoing armistice, to be honest). No word on whether or not the networks were successful in their push for the USFL to expand the schedule back to 16 weeks, though there is wide speculation that with the addition of Atlanta and St. Louis in 2006 the league will do just that. What there is, however, is a clause that requires that the 27th and 28th franchise must be located in Top 50 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA’s). This may feel like an imposition on the USFL, but the reality is that no serious bid is expected from a metropolitan area outside of that ranking. With bids anticipated from Dallas (4), Miami (8), Charlotte (23), Virginia Beach/Tidewater (33), and Raleigh-Durham (45), all fit within the guidelines. Just for comparison, Atlanta ranks as #9 and St. Louis as #18 and Portland is #24. QB Spots to be Altered As reported two weeks ago, one of the rule changes proposed by the Competition Committee for 2005 focused on the third QB for each club. The owners this week approved the proposal to place third quarterbacks in a unique position among rostered players. Teams still have option of retaining 3 QBs on their active roster, but can free up a space by placing their 3rd QB on the practice squad without giving up the option to call them into action during a game should an emergency require this. The new categorization is limited to the QB position and essentially allows one QB on the practice squad to be designated as the “Emergency” QB, dressing for games and able to come in should the other options be injured, Once an E-QB is placed into a game, the other “active roster” QB’s are no longer allowed to return to the game. This prohibits a team from using, for example, a scrambling QB, in a small set of run or option plays only to return to their primary signal-caller on the next play or next set of downs. Once the E-QB is activated he must remain the QB for the remainder of the game. What does this do for USFL rosters? Essentially it just frees up teams to retain 3 QB’s but still gain a roster spot in the 53-man active roster for another position player. It is not a great deal for the QBs themselves, as this would allow teams to stash QBs on the practice squad, where the salary compensation can be significantly lower than that of even a 3rd string active-roster QB. What we anticipate is that teams that sign either veteran “mentor” QBs or prospect rookies may find that the contracts those players agree to will prohibit their demotion to the practice squad, while other QBs, those who have little expectation of being named the starter for their club in the future, will be the most likely to be placed into these positions. It could very quickly become a position staffed primarily by late-round draft picks and journeyman QBs rather than that top rated rookie who is a year away from getting into games. The other proposed change, that of the removal of a kicked PAT and replacement with two different plays from scrimmage, was soundly defeated in a general vote as owners opted to retain the traditional PAT as well as the 2-point option. There was a bit of a fear among owners that any move that stepped too far from the game popularized by the NCAA and NFL over the past 80 years would be seen as both gimmicky. That current PAT success rates are well above 90% and that the play is often viewed as an afterthought could still be addressed as a counterproposal went back to committee to explore moving the Pat from the 2 yard line back to the 20, creating a 37-yard FG as the Pat. While still not a big challenge for USFL kickers, a 37-yard kick does have a lower conversion rate, usually in the mid-80% range. Not exactly a role of the dice, but certainly holding greater potential for misses than the current 19-yard version. Week 5 could be a big one for the 12 Eastern clubs who find themselves back in divisional play. The highlight game is likely to be 4-0 Boston visiting 3-1 Jacksonville, a real test for the Cannnons. Ohio, sitting at 2-2, will not have an easy time as they head across the state line to face the 3-1 Maulers in Heinz Field. Tampa Bay is in another Florida Derby, but they face the 1-3 Renegades, who now seem very much the weaker sister to the Bandits. In other games, 3-1 Chicago heads to Michigan to face the rival Panthers, Philadelphia is in Washington and the Baltimore Blitz are expected to start Ryan Leaf when they head to the Meadowlands to face the New Jersey Generals. The best game in the Western Conference is likely the Friday Nighter when 2-2 Nashville heads to Houston to face the 2-2 Gamblers. Denver, the only team above .500 in the conference is back at home to face the Oakland Invaders, who are a bit of a surprise at 2-2. LA hopes to get back on track as they head to the desert to face the Wranglers. The Breakers, with their fresh new HB, head to San Antonio where another 1-3 club awaits them, the Outlaws. Birmingham and Las Vegas will face off at Sam Boyd Stadium and the Seattle Dragons get another home game as they host the Memphis Showboats.