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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.