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Playoff Picture: The dust has settled and we have our 12 playoff teams. Washington and Denver have earned home field advantage. LA and Ohio are #2's and get a bye week as well. Next week we will have #6 at #3 and #5 at #4. Here are the seeds as they turned out after Week 14's action: EAST: 1-WSH 2-OHI 3-JAX 4-PIT 5-CHI 6-NJ WEST: 1-DEN 2-LA 3-NOR 4-SEA 5-BIR 6-TEX

A huge week for the USFL as teams fight for playoff spots while the league’s 24 ownership groups approve a plan to return USFL football to St. Louis and Atlanta in 2006 and to add two more teams in 2008 to bring the league to 28 franchises. Great news for football fans in the Peach City and Gateway to the West, and potentially good news for fans in many non-USFL cities as their cities could put in bids for a 2008 franchise. But, more on that later. Let’s start by looking at a week that locked up 3 playoff spots but left a lot of confusion out west and a lot of disappointment in Bean Town, as the strong first season of the Cannons came to a crashing conclusion. We start in Birmingham, where the Stallions tried to lock up a playoff spot by beating the 11-1 Washington Federals. WASHINGTON FEDERALS 24 BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS 16 It was a big game for Birmingham, and it showed as they scratched and clawed at Washington all game long. The game never got out of 1-score range, and Birmingham showed a few things, but Washington got the points they needed to retain their position as the top team in the East. The Federals defense also kept up their reputation, sacking Brett Favre 4 times and picking him off twice to preserve a win. Birmingham had some success running the ball (84 yards for Shaun Alexander) but they simply could not get the big plays that so often power their offensive production. Meanwhile, Washington was happy to play a conservative, time-killing, dink and dunk offense, with Kordell Stewart giving his backs plenty of touches, and completing 21 of 27 throws on the day. Birmingham started off well, building up a 6-0 lead after one quarter on two Mike Hollis kicks. In the second, Washington turned up the heat a bit with Deuce McCallister’s first of 2 touchdowns to open their scoring and take the lead. Birmingham got their first (and only) TD of the day thanks to the defense, as they retook the lead on an ill-advised pass from Stewart, one of three picks on the day for the Washington QB. This one was returned for a score by Birmingham’s Marcus Wimberly, but that would be the only time that Washington would let the Stallions into the end zone. Washington recovered and with Deuce McCallister’s 2nd touchdown, just before the half, they entered the break with a 14-13 lead on the homestanding Stallions. They added to that lead in the 3rd when Cedrick Tillman scored from 2 yards out on a quick slant. Birmingham was down 8, but could only muster a field goal to pull within 5. When Washington responded with their own kick to bring the lead back up to 8 at 24-16, Birmingham needed to do what they could not all day, score a touchdown. The Stallions had two drives in the 4th quarter, sandwiched around a time-killing possession by Washington. The first ended with a penalty changing a 4th and 1 into a 4th and 11 and forcing a punt. The final drive ended with Brett Favre having to dump down to his TE on 4th and 10, and the defense swarming Walter Reeves well short of the line to gain. And so, Washington remains atop the East. Birmingham is still in playoff position at 7-6, but a loss next week against Nashville could spell disaster for the Stallions. They play at home again, so there is a good chance for the Stallions to pull out the win and get themselves into the post-season, but they will need to learn from this week’s disappointment. PHI 17 MEM 10 A truly bad week for the Memphis Showboats as not only do they lose at home to a Stars team that had nothing but pride on the line, but you also lose your All-USFL starting QB as Heath Shuler goes down in the 2nd quarter. With the loss, Memphis now falls to 6-7 and will need to win next week and get help if they want to get into the playoffs, and it looks like they will have to win with Bill Musgrave under center. Not what the Showboats wanted to get out of this weekend at all. NJ 37 NSH 26 Nashville’s playoff chances take a huge hit as they cannot slow down the New Jersey Generals’ offense. Brady and company racked up 451 yards of offense, including 367 and 3 TDs from Brady to move to 9-4 and lock up a playoff spot. New Jersey had 3 receivers go over 100 yards as Nashville just could not get the job done. Donald Hayes had 122 and 2 scores, TE Anthony Becht had 116 and a score, and Terry Glenn, on only 3 catches, had 112. A bad day for the Knights’ D, and potentially a playoff costing loss. BAL 30 NOR 38 In his first start for the Blitz, Ryan Leaf looked pretty darned good, almost pulling off the upset and throwing for 276 and 4 touchdowns. New Orleans looked very nervous but got a Ricky Williams touchdown and a David Green field goal to pull the game out in the 4th. The Breakers now look to the playoffs, while Baltimore looks at their QB situation and wonders what next Spring will look like. JAX 20 HOU 17 A tight one, but Jacksonville gets the final 3 points of the game and locks up the Southeast division. Their win, plus the Boston loss gives the Bulls the guaranteed #3 seed and a home playoff game. For Houston, a decent game from Matt Hasselbeck (2 TDs, 77.8% completion), but the Faulk/Anderson halfback combo still struggled. BOS 0 TEX 41 So close to a playoff game, a lot of the old Atlanta Fire showed up for the Cannons this week. Basically the wheels fell off the bus as they ran into a motivated Texas club, hoping to avoid their usual late season swoon. The Outlaws dominated every phase, limiting Boston to only 180 total yards in a game that Tiki Barber missed due to injury. CB Jimmy Hitchcock dominated Drew Bledsoe, snagging 3 of Texas’s 4 picks of Bledsoe, but also running back 2 of them for scores. Just a horrible week for Bledsoe and Boston as the loss eliminates them from the franchises first potential playoff appearance. PIT 10 LA 27 The Express wanted to prove they were a championship caliber team by beating a very good Pittsburgh squad at home, and the message was sent loud and clear. Cade McNown threw for 3 touchdowns, while the LA defense sacked Charlie Batch 4 times. It was 10-10 late into the 3rd, but LA scored the last 17 points to get a big confidence boost as the playoffs approach. CHI 21 SEA 12 Home field was not enough as Seattle played without Byron Leftwich and facing that tough Chicago defense. The Machine built an 18-12 halftime lead and shut out Seattle after making halftime adjustments. Seattle is still in Win-and-In position in the West, while the win clinches a playoff spot for the Machine. The Machine got great games from both starting wideouts, with both Conway and recent arrival Donald Driver showing up with 100 yard games. MGN 19 POR 30 The Panthers were game, taking the lead twice in the game, but eventually fell to the Thunder in Portland as Spergon Wynn was sacked 5 times by the Thunder. Akili Smith did it all for Portland, rushing for 95 yards and going 22 of 27 in the air against the Michigan defense. With extra security in place, the Thunder finished their home season as large crowds chanted some unflattering things about owner Phil Ruffin. Believe it or not, a win next week and some help and Portland could be in the playoffs. It’s a bit of a longshot, as the tiebreakers have to fall just right, but there is a chance. OHI 31 OAK 13 Ohio went up 24-6 at the half and by the end of the third backup Koy Detmer was seeing action as the Glory moved to 11-2 on the year. Joey Galloway added 2 more touchdowns and 67 yards to his league leading total. For Oakland, Rashaan Salaam continued to struggle, gaining only 17 yards on 9 carries. Some tough decisions ahead for Coach Green in Oakland as the team seems to need a major talent infusion across the board. ORL 20 DEN 30 The Renegades got a solid game from Sedrick Irvin and hung on in this one longer than Denver had hoped, but in the end the Gold did what they had to do to get the W. Robert Holcombe rushed for 2 scores and 86 yards as Denver played the game-slowing run game all day. Not the prettiest game for either side, but a win that helps Denver move closer to home field advantage. TBY 13 ARZ 36 Things cannot be looking good for Coach Seifert in Tampa as it feels very much like the Bandits have just given up. Ken Dorsey got the start for Tampa, and struggled to get the ball into his receivers’ hands. Arizona, for their part, still relies too much on Jake Plummer, but he comes through with 4 TD passes and 366 yards in the air. At least he did not run as much and put his health at risk in a meaningless game. Breaking Out in 2003 With just two weeks left in the season, we thought that it would be as good a time as any to take a look at the spring and summer we have had and point out the players that made a name for themselves this year. So, we got together the bullpen and started talking about break out players this year. We decided pretty quickly that we should not lump in first year players like Byron Leftwich, Willis McGahee, and Anquon Boldin. They will all certainly be recognized as rookies. Our focus was on veterans who stepped up their game, got the chance they were waiting for and made the most of it. So, here, for your debating pleasure, are our 8 Break Out Players of 2003: Laverneus Coles, KR/PR, Michigan Panthers True, the Panthers have had a horrible season, truly horrible, but the one bright spot has been the decision to add special teams duties to Laverneus Coles’s receiving duties. In his first year as a punt returner, Coles is averaging 7.6 YPR, which is pretty solid. What is more, in his second year as a kick returner his average has gone up 5 yards per return and his total yards up from 492 to 944. Yes, part of that is that everyone scores on Michigan, so he has gotten more return opportunities, but a big part of it is also that he has found his groove as a return specialist, a role he needs to keep next year, regardless of who is coaching the Panthers. Shaun Alexander, HB, Birmingham Stallions This is less about Alexander’s talent than Birmingham’s offensive strategy. Alexander has been the lead back in Birmingham since 2001, but only this year is he getting the snaps, the carries, and the support from the O-line to truly do some damage. He sits at 877 yards on 220 carries with 2 weeks left, so a 1,000 yard season seems very viable. Now all the Stallions need to do is to get Alexander into the passing game as well. He has only 6 receptions this year, which seems criminal. Bubba Franks, TE, New Orleans Breakers Always a solid receiver, Franks just never got the ball sent his way. His best year between 200 and 2002 was 73 targets and 46 catches in 2001. This year he has 92 targets and 62 catches. His yards per catch are up to 11.6 and he has 720 yards receiving, more than 300 yards more than his previous best. He is not in a category with an elite like Adrian Cooper, but Franks is a solid option for Trent Dilfer and the Breaker offense. Anthony Weaver, DE, Chicago Weaver had a solid rookie year in 2002, 24 tackles, 3 for a loss, and 10 sacks. Not bad. But he grew in both talent and know-how this year and it showed in his stats. He is currently tied for 3rd in the league with 16 sacks, has 35 tackles, including 12 for a loss, that is a big number. Weaver is very likely to make his first All-USFL list with numbers like that, and he is a big reason Chicago’s defense is one of the league’s best. Deuce McCallister, HB, Washington Federals With the trade of Reuben Droughns to Portland this offseason, you had a feeling that the Feds would lean heavily on McCallister in his 3rd year. After getting 149 carries as a rookie and 123 last year in combo with Droughns, McCallister has blown those numbers away with 251 attempts this year and is well on his way to a 1,000 yard season, his first, with 978 yards and two games left to play. McCallister is the engine for the Washington offense, and the threat of his runs makes life that much easier for Kordell Stewart. Roosevelt Colvin, LB, Oakland Invaders After an injury cost him 8 games last year, Colvin returned to Oakland and immediately became their best linebacker. This year he broke the 100 tackle mark for the first time in his career, added 13 tackles for loss, and two picks. The Oakland defense is a bit of a shambles, but they have a building block to start with in Colvin. Az-Zahir Hakim, WR, New Orleans Breakers After years as the slot receiver, the departure of Raynard Brown gave Hakim a chance to move up the depth chart and find himself on the field a lot more in 2003. The result? His targets increased from the mid 30’s to 120 this year. His catches from 23 in 2000 (fewer in 2001 and 2002 due to injury) to 85 this year, and Hakeem has already racked up 1,214 yards and 8 TD’s blowing away his past totals. It seems New Orleans has found themselves a top flight receiver and he was right there the whole time. Paired with Bubba Franks, it is easy to see why New Orleans has had the strong season they have. Ed Reed, FS, Washington Federals We all saw Ed Reed’s talent last year as a rookie. He started 14 games, had 2 sacks and 3 picks. But what we have seen this year is a maturity well beyond most sophomore players. His numbers are up across the board (tackles, sacks, picks, passes defended, etc.), but what is more amazing is that he became a leader on a defense that already had great character and great talent. As much as Deuce McCallister stepped up for the offense, Ed Reed stepped up for the league’s best defense. He will be a force in this league for quite a while if he plays like he did this year. Boston’s poor showing this week in Texas means that the Eastern Conference has their 6 playoff teams. Due to tiebreakers even a Boston win next week to reach 8-6 and losses by either of the 8-5 teams is not enough for the Cannons to make their first playoff run. Stil, a very good year by Fire/Cannons standards. So the 6 teams in the Eastern Conference playoffs will be divisional winners Washington, Ohio and Jacksonville and Wild Cards New Jersey, Pittsburgh, and Chicago. There is still some positioning to be decided, as Washington clinches the top seed with a win in Week 14, while a loss would open the door for Ohio to snag the seed, having been the only team to beat the Feds so far this year. Jacksonville is locked into the #3 seed, and will host the lowest seeded Wild Card. How the 3 Wild Card teams will rank will come down to next week’s action. The #4 seed is New Jersey’s to lose, and would come with a home game. In the West it is much shakier. We still only have 3 teams confirmed: Denver, LA, and New Orleans. All three are locked in as Division Winners. Denver locks up the top seed with a win in Week 14. A loss would open up the door for New Orleans to take the seed. LA cannot win it as they lost to Denver earlier this year. We also have 3 Wild Card spots, but 6 teams in the running. The three at 7-6 control their own destiny. Wins by Birmingham, Seattle, or Texas and they punch their tickets. If one or more of these three lose, then the door could be open for Nashville, Memphis, or Portland to steal a spot. The tiebreakers are very complex, both within divisional standings and between divisions, so for now let’s just say that the three 7-6 teams are in Win & In situations. Some significant bad news as we head towards the playoffs. Several starters are likely out in key Week 14 games, including New Jersey CB Mike Rumph, who is out for the year after tearing his MCL. He hopes to be back in time for training camp, but doctors say at least 16 week (4 months) will be needed, so the timeline is tight. Seattle is hoping David Boston can return if they make a playoff run, but he is still listed as doubtful, as is center Dominic Raiola for the Bulls, and, most importantly, QB Heath Shuler for the Showboats. Shuler suffered a concussion in this week’s game, and he is still being evaluated. If he cannot go, that significantly hurts Memphis’s chances of making the postseason as they need a win and some help this week to squeak in. Better news in Pittsburgh where a scary injury to DE Kyle Vanden Bosch has been determined to only be a sprain. He is now listed as probable for the big game this week. Finally, Byron Leftwich has been cleared to play this week, so Seattle will have their chance to lock up a Wild Card with their star rookie on the field. LEAGUE OWNERS APROVE TWO STAGE EXPANSION PLAN As expected, the Owners’ Meeting this week produced an immediate result, approval by a 21-2-1 vote to approve the proposal for a two-stage expansion in 2006 and 2008. Only Jacksonville and Las Vegas opposed and Los Angeles abstaining (Due to the owner rep being called away on a family emergency, knowing the vote was already in favor of expansion). Jacksonville objected to Atlanta being given special attention, largely due to their ability to draw fans from Georgia if there is no Atlanta franchise. Las Vegas voted against, largely as a gesture towards Portland, because no carve-out was made to ensure that Portland would recover a franchise with the departure of the Thunder to Las Vegas. The plan means that the USFL will now work to ensure that viable ownership groups are identified for both St. Louis and Atlanta. We already know of an Atlanta group, headed by Cox Cable founder Jim Kennedy and featuring USFL Hall of Famer Herschel Walker, that looks very promising and which has already publicly committed to bringing the Atlanta Fire back to life, hopefully a more productive and winning life. For St. Louis the search is now on. We know the city is prepared to provide a USFL club a much more advantageous stadium deal than the Knights ever received. It seems losing the Knights to Nashville opened a lot of eyes in St. Louis and a lot of money was lost, so the city and the stadium authority seem very keen to help the USFL fill the hole left behind. Failing to attract the Memphis Showboats, St. Louis now falls on plan B, a new ownership group and a new team. On a side note, as a friendly amendment opposed by none of the owners, the Nashville Knights received confirmation that any new St. Louis team would develop a new identity and that the Knights’ identity is indeed the sole property of the Nashville ownership group. So, with this vote the USFL commits to growth first to 26 teams in 2006 and then to 28 in 2008 (there is a symmetry in those numbers, isn’t there. The expectation is that the new Atlanta franchise will move into the Southeast Division, with Boston transplanted in 2006 to the Northeast, a more logical location for the team. St. Louis could join either the Southern Division with other Mississippi River cities like Memphis and New Orleans, but owners in Chicago and Michigan would like to see the new team added to the Central Division to boost regional Midwestern rivalries. The question of divisional alignment will be settled in the next Owners’ meeting, with the expectation that St. Louis will be the 13th team in the Western Conference, whether that is as part of the Southern Division or, as some owners prefer, as part of the Central, with the Central moving west and sending the Southern Division to the Eastern Conference. More on this later to be sure. New Look In New Orleans The Breakers, still in the process of setting up a sale of the controlling interest in the team, worked with Reebok to develop a new look for a new period of team history. The look, which the Breakers can wear as soon as two weeks from now in the playoffs if they wish, features a brand new logo, new helmet design, and new uniforms. Fans of the current stylized wave design may be taken aback by the update. The new logo features a large cresting wave, complete with white foam, a far more “realistic” wave than the competing teal, ocean blue, and grey wave shapes that comprise the current look. The new wave will crest further back on the helmet, and we will see teal and grey as highlight colors for the darker “ocean” color wave. With the new logo we also have a new font for the team name as well as a new secondary logo. The secondary logo makes use of the common New Orleans abbreviation “NOLA” (New Orleans, Louisiana), with a 4-letter monogram in which the O is represented by the team logo of the cresting wave and seagull. This secondary logo will appear on the new uniform as the chest wordmark for the club. The uniform features the same familiar combination of a teal jersey and either silver or white pants with a 3-color pant stripe undulating like swells on the water’s surface. The jersey no longer features offset color sleeves, returning to the original 3-stripe patter used in early USFL seasons. A thick ocean (ocean is what the Breakers call their deep, almost navy teal color) with two thinner stripes above it. The numbers remain double-piped with silver and navy on both the white and teal jerseys. The seagull motif is continued with a lone gull above the sleeve stripes on both jerseys. The helmet is the biggest adjustment, and while some fans may prefer the old look, it is a bit dated, so this new wave retains the basic premise of a wrap-around logo with a surging wave, but is rendered in a more realistic and dynamic style. Here is a look at the full design sheet for those of you who are uniform nerds like us. Week 14 and a lot to play for. Let’s run down the games starting with those that are play-in games, then positioning games, and finally, games with little to no playoff implications. Nashville (6-7) @ Birmingham (7-6): The only game that could be a true pre-playoff playoff game. Nashville must win to have any shot at a Wild Card, but a loss by Birmingham could cost them a Wild Card. So, for both clubs a win is essential. New Orleans (9-4) @ Memphis (6-7): The Showboats need a win and some help to get in, but New Orleans could still claim the #1 seed with a win, so they will not be resting any players. This one could be an intense game. Texas (7-6) @ Denver (10-3): Texas wants to win to lock up a Wild Card. Denver wants to win to ensure they have the top seed and home field throughout the Western Conference playoffs. So, we have a formula for a tough game. Hard to win in Denver, but the Outlaws cannot afford to lose, not with 3 other teams at 6-7 hoping to jump into their spot. Seattle (7-6) @ Oakland (2-11): The Dragons appear to have easiest path to a Wild Card with the 2-win Invaders on the schedule. A win in Oakland and Seattle claims the #4 seed and a home playoff game. Portland (6-7) @ Los Angeles (9-4): Just like last season, Portland could find themselves in the playoffs if they can win on the season’s final day. They need quite a bit of help as they are not well set up in tiebreakers. LA may choose to rest some starters as they do not have a chance at home field advantage thanks to an earlier loss to Denver, but will they? Washington (12-1) @ New Jersey (9-4): Washington needs a win to lock up the #1 seed and home field advantage, but New Jersey risks losing a home playoff game if they lose, so this is likely to be a hard fought game for both clubs. Ohio (11-2) @ Chicago (8-5): Both teams are in, but if Ohio wants that top seed, they need the win. Chicago has a long shot chance at a home playoff game with a win, but they need all the pieces to fall into place for that. Pittsburgh (8-5) @ Michigan (0-13): It is Michigan’s last chance to get a win this season in what has been a truly disastrous campaign, but, with a shot at a home Wild Card game, don’t expect Pittsburgh to rest any starters or go easy on the Panthers. Tampa Bay (4-9) @ Jacksonville (8-5): The Bulls are locked into the #3 slot, so expect them to protect some key players by resting them. Tampa Bay may also play some younger players or rest some starters in a game that has no impact on their season. Houston (4-9) @ Arizona (5-8): Nothing on the line here. Expect some younger players to see action just so coaches can see what they have. Philadelphia (4-9) @ Baltimore (5-8): Another game between teams that are already thinking about the draft. The biggest question here is whether or not Lindy Infante will survive Black Monday. After 11 seasons at the helm, we think it is very likely that this will be his last game with the Blitz. Orlando (2-11) @ Boston (7-6): Could have been a big game for Boston, but the loss last week knocked them out. Expect Drew Bledsoe to rest, while Tiki Barber is definitely out with his recent injury.

Playoff Picture: All six Eastern Conference playoff spots are filled, with Jacksonville winning the Southeast due to tiebreakers with Boston. Washington and Ohio both can still win the top seed, with the Federals controlling their own destiny. New Jersey, Pittsburgh and Chicago have locked up the three Wild Card positions, and Boston is eliminated from playoff contention due to a worse conference record than the Machine or Maulers. In the West, the same three teams (Denver, LA, New Orleans) have locked in berths, with 6 teams all within one game of .500 and fighting for 3 positions. Birmingham, Seattle, and Texas all control their destiny, win and they are in. Nashville, Memphis, and Portland are alive, but need help to qualify as losses by any of the three 7-6 teams could provide an opening but tiebreakers will be messy depending on who falls to 7-7 and who rises to 7-7 to compete for the Wild Card.

Late season football is about as much fun as it gets. It’s almost like a second set of playoffs with teams needing to play their best to get into the postseason. You have teams vying for a division title, or just trying to get into the Top 7 in each conference so that they can join the playoff dance. Sure, there are some teams now playing out the string, but so many games mean a lot for the teams involved, and you just get great football. And, of course, in the USFL this does not happen with a backdrop of late season snow, ice and cold. It happens in June, when the weather is at its best and you can enjoy a game, a brew, and a tailgate unconcerned about staying warm or covering up. Sun’s out, people. Time for great USFL action, and we certainly had that this week. Let’s get to it with a great game from the Pacific NW as the Express battled the Dragons at Seattle Stadium. LOS ANGELES EXPRESS 24 SEATTLE DRAGONS 33 A Clash between the division leader and the hottest team in the West as LA came to Seattle for a late season divisional game. The story of the game came early when Byron Leftwich was sidelined by blow to the head. He would leave the game on Seattle’s second series and the game would be in the hands of Craig Erickson for the rest of the way. So, how did Erickson respond? He went 13 for 19 for 214 yards, 2 TDs and no picks. That was good enough for the Dragon offense to get the W, with a lot of help form the running game. Cade McNown started for LA and had some struggles as Seattle registered 6 sacks in the game and limited McNown to only 11 of 23 passes completed. McNown did hit Tory Holt with a TD toss, and one to rookie TE L. J. Smith, but he missed on a couple of key third downs as LA converted only 2 of 11 chances in the game. The score was 10-8 Seattle at the half, with an Erickson to Stokes toss the only touchdown of the half. Starting the second half, Seattle paid LA back for an early safety (sack of Leftwich early in the 1st) by getting to McNown in the endzone for the rare 2-safety game. They then added a Corey Dillon TD to go up 11. LA trimmed the lead by scoring on the Holt TD reception, but they failed on the 2-pointer, so they trailed 19-14 after three periods. In the 4th the two teams traded scores but LA was never able to acquire the lead. A field goal from Steve Christie made the score 17-19, but Seattle would score on the next drive, a 37-yard Ken Dilger TD as Erickson had his best drive of the game, going 3 for 4. LA responded quickly, with McNown connecting with L.J. Smith on a TD that again brought them within 2 points with just over 5 minutes to play. But, on their next drive, Seattle would catch a huge break as LA had only 10 men on the field on a 2nd and 2 play. When Brian Mitchell took the pitch, the Seattle blockers found one less LA defender than expected, and helped to pave the way for a 43-yard Mitchell scamper to paydirt. Up 9 with 2:16 left in the game, the Dragons eschewed the prevent defense and continued to pressure McNown. The strategy worked as LA failed to connect on a 3rd and 7 play and then came up 1 yard short on 4th down, giving Seattle the game. The win does not alter the standings, though Seattle now sits only 1 game behind LA in the Pacific. If LA wins out, they are the Pacific Champions, but if they stumble again, especially in a divisional game, Seattle could jump up and snatch it by winning the divisional record tie-breaker. Two weeks left and both clubs have to play their best ball down the stretch. LA plays both games at home, but they have a tough matchup next week against Pittsburgh before facing the Portland Thunder. Seattle’s road is also difficult, with a home game against Chicago next week before a pretty good final game matchup for them, visiting Oakland. CHI 17 PIT 31 The battle for a top Wild Card spot was on full display in this one, as Pittsburgh built up a 21-10 halftime lead thanks to two Charlie Batch TD tosses and a strong defensive performance. In the second half it was more of the same, with Batch Hitting Alge Crumpler early in the half to go up by 18, and then it came down to limiting Chicago possessions, which mean more carries for Terrell Davis. The win has the Maulers currently in the #4 slot, which would mean a home playoff game. BIR 31 NOR 28 A huge win for the Stallions as they edge closer to the playoffs at 7-5. Brett Favre threw for 332 and 4 TDs without a pick as he helped the Stallions build up a 31-14 lead after 3 quarters. Birmingham got a bit sloppy in the final period, but held on to win. They now sit in the 6th position, tied with Seattle (5th) and a game up on the three 6-6 clubs chasing them. For New Orleans, who is already guaranteed a playoff spot, the division is still theirs if they can finish with 2 wins. MEM 21 NSH 39 Memphis continues to slide as Nashville gets back in the mix at 6-6. Ahman Green rushed for 97 yards and a score and CB Steve Israel returned a pick-six 52 yards to help Nashville blow past the Showboats. Memphis simply could not run the ball, with Dorsey Levins gaining only 17 yards on the day. Nashville currently holds the 7th playoff spot out west, as they win tiebreakers with Texas and Memphis. DEN 17 HOU 20 Denver clinched the division last week and got a bit sloppy this week, helping Houston snap an 8-game losing streak by committing 8 penalties for 80 yards and failing to stop the Gamblers’ final drive, which resulted in a game-winning field goal in front of a sparse crowd at NRG Stadium. ARZ 30 TEX 41 Over 520 yards of offense for Arizona was still not enough as Texas countered the Wranglers at every turn. T.J. Duckett and Brian Westbrook combined for 151 yards rushing and 2 scores and Jeff Lewis threw for 250 and 3 TDs without a pick. Texas now sits at 6-6, but needs to leapfrog Nashville to get into Wild Card position. BOS 24 TBY 11 Boston remains tied with Jacksonville at 7-5 after knocking off the Bandits in Tampa Bay despite Tiki Barber rushing for only 47 yards. Solid defense and a late Mike Cloud TD run helps the Cannons stay on pace, but they need help in the form of a Jacksonville loss to avoid being the 8th man out. Losing both matchups with the Bulls means they need a 1 game advantage to win the division, likely their best path to the playoffs. JAX 30 ORL 27 The Renegades did not quit on this season, we can say that. They gave Jacksonville a serious scare in the Citrus Bowl this week as Joey Harrington threw for 323 yards and 2 Renegade TDs. Unfortunately he also threw 3 picks, including one in the 4th quarter that set up a Terrell Owens 9-yard TD catch. Owens finished the game with 135 yards and 2 TDs while ROTY candidate Anquon Boldin racked up 121 on 8 catches for the Bulls. NJ 17 PHI 13 It was a tough one for the Generals, but they got the W they needed to stay well inside the Wild Card grouping at 8-4. Philly’s Stephen Davis boosted his possible free agent stock with 127 yards and a TD and wideout Steve Smith caught 7 balls for 103 yards, but in the end, New Jersey outlasted the Stars and a 3rd quarter Curtis Enis TD run was enough to put the Generals on top. BAL 24 WSH 30 Baltimore came to play, but the Federals escape with a win thanks to a diversified offense. Deion Branch returned to action for Washington off of injury and caught 4 balls or 87 yards and a score. Deuce McCallister rushed 21 times for 116 and another TD, and the Feds officially eliminated Baltimore from contention while also holding onto the top seed in the East. With Ohio only 1 game behind them, the Feds must win out to ensure home field advantage. MGN 6 OHI 45 The Panthers surprised us by giving Drew Brees the start after announcing that we would likely see Spergon Wynn at QB. It really did not matter as Ohio took a 21-0 halftime lead and never looked back. Eddie George was huge once again, rushing for 65 yards and a score and then catching 3 balls for 110, including a 67-yard catch and run. Ohio will be the #1 seed if they win out and the Federals lose, having already locked up the Central Division. OAK 14 POR 27 The Thunder get a win as Akili Smith accounts for all 3 Portland touchdowns. It was a small but vocal crowd in Portland as fans booed their own team (for now) at several moments in the game. Despite the animosity towards Portland’s ownership, the fans still cheered for Smith when he found the endzone. Jon Kitna started for Oakland, but suffered a concussion in the first half, which meant that Tuiasosopo once again went under center. Kitna is expected to be back next week. HOT SEATS As the season enters its final weeks, we take a look at the 5 coaches who are feeling the most pressure. Obviously Mike Martz is no longer on this list, having been relieved of duties, and while there may be some pressure on Lovie Smith, the Interim Head Coach for the Panthers, we are not going to add him to the list as he took the job knowing full well that it was not likely to lead to a permanent hire this year. So, with three games left, who do we think is feeling the heat? George O’Leary, ORL: It seems strange to list a coach who won a title as recently as 2002, but a 2-win season so far is going to beg some questions. We think O’Leary will weather the storm and get a shot to turn things around. Prior to this year the Renegades ad a 6 year run of playoff appearances, including the 2001 title, so one bad year, especially with a young QB and major offseason shakeups on defense, is not likely to spell trouble for one of the league’s most respected coaches. Dennis Green, OAK: Another situation where we think the coach is pretty secure. Yes, 2 wins for Oakland is not the year that the owners expected when they hired Green away from the NFL, but all involved knew that Oakland was a reclamation project. The team is still in search of their QB of the future, and Green is almost certainly going to get at least one more offseason to build the roster and show results in Year 2. Jim Mora Jr., PHI: The son of legendary Stars HC Jim Mora Sr. started like gangbusters, going 13-3 and making it to the Summer Bowl in his first year, but 3 years later things are looking dire. From 13-3 to 9-7, then 3-11 last season, and now he sits at 3 wins again. That is not a good trajectory. Will name recognition and pedigree give him a 5th season or will the Stars head in a new direction? That question is very much on the table right now. Lindy Infante, BAL: Coach Infante has been the leader of the Blitz since 1992 (How time flies!!), but his run may be coming to a close. In 12 seasons the Blitz ownership have been very patient, and they have gotten some playoff runs from the Blitz in that time (5 of 11 seasons to date), but the Blitz have never advanced past the Divisional Round, and the last 3 seasons have seen the team decline each year. We know that folks in Baltimore are fans of Coach Infante as a man, but as a coach, his record simply does not warrant a 13th season in Baltimore. The Blitz need a new direction. George Seifert, TBY: Another coach who simply has not lived up to his first season. Like Mora in Philly, Seifert came in hot, winning 13 games and a league championship his first season. But since then the Bandits have dropped out of playoff contention each year. This year’s record has to be the straw that broke the camel’s back. Yes, the Bandits played nearly the entire year with a backup QB, but 4 wins is not enough to merit a 7th season for Seifert. Thanks for the title in 1998, but this is 2004 we are talking about and clearly the Bandits need a new start. We think these five are the most likely to lose their jobs this year (and in some cases we think that the decision is overdue), but that does not mean that others are not at risk. Joe Vitt looks like he has the Thunder again headed for a middle-of-the-pack finish. That was astounding last year, when he took over a winless team, but this year, that was not the goal. Houston’s Wade Phillips will likely get a grace period after a division title last year, but the collapse of the Gamblers this year is troubling. Fans in Arizona are also getting a bit tired of the Wranglers doing just enough to show potential and and optimism for the following season, only to go through another year of ups and downs that eventually leads nowhere. We think Art Shell keeps the position one more time, just because Arizona ownership has no interest in buying out the rest of his contract (which expires after 2004), but if Shell wants a new deal, the 2004 Wranglers had better impress from week one all the way through the year. PLAYOFF DROUGHTS With three games left to play, we have several USFL teams locked into a playoff berth, many more fighting for their shot at the postseason and a few who are already setting up tee times for July rounds of golf. Looking at the roster of teams competing for playoff spots this year made us wonder which club has the longest drought. Which fans have suffered the longest without a taste of playoff action? We know that Boston (formerly Atlanta) has never qualified for the playoffs, but looking around the league we wanted to see just where teams stood. So, here is our quick rundown of each team’s most recent playoff appearance, as well as the most recent title (for those that have won it.) ARIZONA: Wild Card in 2002, No championships. BALTIMORE: Wild Card in 2000, No Championships. BIRMINGHAM: Division Champion in 1999. Title in 1993. BOSTON: No playoff appearances since joining as Atlanta Fire in 1995. CHICAGO: Wild Card in 2002. No Championships. DENVER: Conference Champion in 2001. Title in 2000. HOUSTON: Division Champion in 2002. Title in 1996. JACKSONVILLE: Wild Card in 2002. No Championships. LOS ANGELES: Division Champion in 2001. No Championships. MEMPHIS: Conference Champion in 2002. Title in 1999. MICHIGAN: Wild Card in 1999. Title in 1986. NASHVILLE: Wild Card in 2002. No Championships. NEW JERSEY: Division Champion in 2002. Title in 1989. NEW ORLEANS: Wild Card in 2002. No Championships. OAKLAND: Wild Card in 1998. Title in 1991. OHIO: League Champions in 2002. Title in 2002. ORLANDO: Wild Card in 2002. Title in 2001. PHILADELPHIA: Division Champions in 2001. Title in 1994. PITTSBURGH: Wild Card in 1999. Title in 1995. PORTLAND: Wild Card in 2002. No Championships. SEATTLE: Wild Card in 2000. No Titles. TAMPA BAY: League Champions in 1998. Title in 1998. TEXAS: Wild Card in 1999. No Championships. WASHINGTON: Wild Card in 2002. Title in 1997. So, the verdict is in. If you are looking at playoff droughts the longest is Atlanta/Boston, who have never been, but next on the list is a tie between Tampa Bay and Oakland, both of whom last played postseason football in 1998. As for title droughts, the winners are New Orleans, Nashville, Baltimore, and Arizona, all of whom were founding 1983 franchises (Knights as LA Express, Baltimore in Chicago, and New Orleans in Boston) that have yet to win a title. All four have come close, making Summer Bowl appearances, but none has been able to take home the title in 21 seasons of USFL football. With only 2 weeks left in the season, things are tightening up across both conferences. We still have only 5 teams with clinched playoff spots (Washington, Ohio, Denver, New Orleans and LA). Jacksonville controls their own destiny and can win the Southeastern Division with 2 wins or a Boston loss. Pittsburgh, New Jersey, and Chicago can also lock up a Wild Card with 2 wins each, but if any of the three falter, it might allow Boston to sneak in at their expense. In the West right now the Wild Cards are Seattle, Birmingham and Nashville. The Knights are tied with Memphis and Texas at 6-6, but two wins will ensure them a playoff spot regardless of what the others do. The same is essentially true for the Stallions and Dragons. Texas and Memphis need some help, but also need to go 2-0 to have a realistic shot. That could be tough for the Outlaws, who host Boston this week and finish with the Denver Gold. Memphis hosts Philly this week before ending their season with a huge home game against New Orleans. With 2 weeks left to play, 8 of the 24 USFL teams are mathematically eliminated, including the 0-12 Michigan Panthers , who finish up at Portland and then home to Pittsburgh. They need a win in one of those two games if they want to avoid becoming only the 2nd USFL club in history to go winless in a season. Fans in Seattle want to know Byron Leftwich’s status for this week, but a listing as “Questionable” simply does not offer much help. Erickson could get the start if Leftwich does not show sufficient post-concussion improvement by Friday. In Boston the concern is for Tiki Barber, who is almost certainly out this week, though listed as “doubtful’ with a shoulder injury. Mike Cloud is also banged up for the Cannons, but is expected to play. The Express are looking short handed at LB as both John Holocek and Mo Lewis ended up on the Injury List this week. Lewis is “probable” but might be rested since LA has already clinched a playoff spot. Holocek has a groin issue and is doubtful. Pittsburgh Is looking at CB Bobby Taylor who dislocated his thumb this week. He could be out, but is listed as questionable. Dre Bly, their other starter at CB is also on the injury list with some tendinitis in his knee but is expected to play. Finally, Memphis is still trying to find the right combo at WR since Justin McCaerins went out with a broken arm. He will miss the rest of the season, so the Showboats need Kelley Washington and Tydus Wynans to step up for their starting flanker. HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2003 NAMED The USFL this week took a pause before next week’s owners’ meetings (and the big discussion on expansion) to celebrate the heroes of yesteryear, announcing the Pro Football USFL Hall of Fame Class of 2003. Five new member, including two first-time nominees and three linemen will enter the hall this year. It seems that after a long drought before a lineman could enter the hall, the doors are now open and three more will join last year’s trendsetter, Howard Ballard. Third year nominee, the Generals’ long time center Mike Baab got the nod, as did former Portland LT Bruce Armstrong in his second year of eligibility, and Express/Knights guard Gary Zimmerman, also in his second year of eligibility. The three linemen will be joined by Oakland’s all-time receiving leader Henry Ellard, and “the Mouth of the South”, Birmingham Stallion TE Shannon Sharpe, both first ballot HOF entrants. With the release of the Class of 2003 Hall of Famers, there is always some disappointment as others did not make the cut, and some are now out of their entry window and can only be nominated when a special committee on early-year players begins to look for overlooked contributors, something that won’t happen until 2010. Among those who did not receive the honor this year are first year nominees Jack Trudeau, Garland Rivers, Vaughan Johnson, and Frank Winters. Among those no longer eligible for a standard nomination we have some pretty high quality names: Michigan tackle Arnoldo Gardner, LA receiver Eric Martin, LB Ben Apuna, cornerback Keith Bostic, and halfback Marcus DuPree. With the announcement of the Class of 2003, we thought it might be a good time to review the current roster of USFL Hall of Famers nine years into its presence within the Pro Football Hall of Fame. A lot of great players already in, and this will only continue to grow over the upcoming years. Here, by position, are the current USFL Hall of Famers, including their year of induction, with a reminder that players are eligible 5 years after they retire from the league: QUARTERBACK: John Reaves ’95, Chuck Fusina ’96 RUNNING BACK: Joe Cribbs ’97, Craig James ’97, John Williams ’99, Herschel Walker ’00, Kelvin Bryant ’01, Mike Rozier ’02, Thurman Thomas ’02 RECEIVERS: Anthony Carter ’95, Mel Gray ‘96, Jackie Flowers ’97, Trumaine Johnson ’99, John Jefferson ’99, Eric Truvillion ’00, Joey Walters ’01, Jo-Jo Townsell ’01, Henry Ellard ’03, Shannon Sharpe ‘03 OFFENSIVE LINE: Howard Ballard ’02, Bruce Armstrong ’03, Mike Baab ’03, Gary Zimmerman ‘03 DEFENSIVE LINE: Junior Ah-You ’95, Jumpy Geathers ’97, Ronnie Paggett ’98, Dexter Manley ’02 LINEBACKER: Marcus Marek ’95, John Corker ’96, Brandon Zavala ’98, Sam Norris ’00, Kiki DeAyala ’01, Brian Bosworth ‘02 SECONDARY: Raphel Cherry ’96, William Cesare ’97, Donald Dykes ’98, Frederick Wilder ’99 SPECIAL TEAMS: Tim Mazzetti ‘99 COACHES: Jim Stanley ’98, Steve Spurrier ’99, Dick Vermeil ’00, Sam Rutigliano ‘00 OWNERS: John Bassett ‘95 Week 13 of 14 is the final non-divisional week as all 24 clubs face inter-conference foes. Among the key matchups for playoff positioning, we find New Jersey headed to Nashville, Birmingham hosting Washington, Boston in Texas, Chicago at Seattle, and Pittsburgh in LA to face the Express. Other games involving playoff hopefuls include Jacksonville at Houston, Orlando visiting Denver, Baltimore at New Orleans, and Memphis hosting the Philadelphia Stars. Finally, we also have Ohio in Oakland and Michigan hoping to get their first win of the year up in Portland, where fans are not likely to give the Thunder a Bon Voyage party as they play their last game at Civic Stadium before relocating to Las Vegas.

Playoff Picture: With two weeks left, here is what we know. Washington has won the Northeast, Denver the Southwest, New Orleans and Los Angeles have clinched playoff berths. Michigan, Orlando, Oakland, Philadelphia, Houston, Arizona, Tampa Bay, and Baltimore are eliminated from the playoff picture. New Jersey, Pittsburgh, Jacksonville, Seattle, and Birmingham control their own destiny and would qualify with 2 wins. All others need some help.

It was a week that saw the only team with an undefeated season knock off this season's only undefeated team, a battle of two teams with one combined win, the birth of a potential new rivalry, and some of the best longstanding rivalries in the league, including the California Derby, the Cascadia Clash, the Battle of Texas, and the Memphis-Birmingham Border War. So, to say it was a big week would be a bit of an understatement. Add to this the big referendum in Memphis that all but determines the future of the Showboats and you have a lot to talk about. Let's get right to it. OHIO GLORY 17 WASHINGTON FEDERALS 10 It was billed as the “Game of the Season”, some calling it the game of the decade, and while it did not have the fireworks we expected, what we got from the showdown of the defending champion and the unbeaten Federals was a display of intense USFL football. Ohio found just enough holes in Washington’s formidable defense to end the Federals’ dream of an undefeated season, preserving their own legacy as the league’s only unbeaten team in its 21 seasons of play. And while there was no champagne popping as we see from the NFL Dolphins whenever the last unbeaten team falls each fall, there certainly was a lot of celebrating as Ohio is well on track to a potential defense of their title, and another record, since no team has ever repeated as champion in 20 USFL seasons. Ohio pulled off the road win in RFK using a strategy that simply did not seem likely, but which proved effective. They allowed Washington to set a slow tempo, and they ran the ball. We expected the Glory to go to the air early and often, and, of course, that is what the Federals’ defense prepared for, but what we got was 22 carries for Eddie George, and the former Buckeye came through with 137 yards, a 6.2 YPC average, the highest the Feds have given up all year. Now, this is not to say that Kerry Collins stayed quiet all game. He did throw for both Ohio touchdowns, but he attempted only 25 passes, far below his season average. Joey Galloway reeled in 4 of those, including the first score of the game to lead Ohio. The first score came on Ohio’s first drive, a 6 minute, 10 play drive that showcased George and a new contributor, FB Mike Templeton (who caught 2 balls on the drive). The drive ended when Collins found Galloway over the middle, a spot the receiver rarely occupies, and one that seemed to surprise Washington. Galloway bounced off his tackler and into the endzone to send Ohio to an early lead. Washington would struggle on offense in the first quarter, trying to get the run game going. Ohio was ready for the strategy and loaded the box. Deuce McCallister would end the day with only 36 yards rushing, a 2.0 YPC average as Ohio dared Kordell Stewart to beat them in the air all game. By the second quarter the frustration was mounting as Washington had punted on their first 3 possessions. When Ohio doubled their advantage with a 2nd successful drive, this time capped off by a Stephen Alexander TD, the frustration was palpable on the Washington sideline. The anxiety among RFK’s 51,202 fans, nearly all sporting Federal green, when the Federals finally put some points on the board. On their only TD drive of the game, Washington took a poor punt from Ohio and used the field position to run their 2-minute offense. The shift in strategy worked and Washington soon got on the board with Stewart finding Cedrick Tillman to cut the Ohio lead in half. But it would be Ohio who finished off the scoring in the 1st half, racing down the field with less than a minute to play before sending John Carney out to kick a field goal with 4 seconds left. Washington would trail at home at the half, 17-7. The second half saw both defenses adjust to the opposition. Washington was able to keep Ohio off the board, despite the success the Glory were having moving the ball and eating up clock with a 13 point lead. The Federals increased the pressure on Collins whenever there was a clear passing down, leading to a total of 6 sacks for the Federals, including 2 from DE Greg Spires. Ohio, for their part, kept Washington from developing their run and play action game, forcing Stewart into uncomfortable third downs. Washington would convert only 3 of 12 third downs for the game, and went 1 for 7 in the second half. The Feds added a field goal midway through the third, but were frustrated time and again as they tried to come back in the 4th. Meanwhile Ohio just kept using up clock, moving the ball but themselves unable to add more space to the lead. It would be a one score game when Washington got the ball one last time with 3:23 left to play. This drive would determine the game. John Carney had missed on a 47-yard attempt that would have pushed the lead to 10, so the Feds had the ball on their own 30. On first down Stewart completed to Deuce McCallister for 6 yards, the n got the first down with a short pass to Tillman on 2nd down. But on 1st and 10 from the 47, Cedrick Harden got to Stewart and sacked him for a loss of 6. On 2nd and 16 Stewart recovered and gained 14 of the yards back with a pass to Bryant Johnson, who, subbing for Deion Branch this game, would end up as the Federals’ top receiver. Facing a 3rd and 2, and recognizing that the run game had not been reliable all day, Stewart faked the ball to McCallister and started to roll left. He was immediately faced with Nick Griesen, the Ohio linebacker blitzing on the play. Griesen got just enough of Stewart’s leg to start him stumbling. He fell to the ground for a loss of 7, creating a 4th and 9 to keep the drive alive. The play became 4th an 4 after Harden was called offsides trying to jump the count. Stewart again took the snap, looked first for Johnson, then turned and looked for Tillman. Both were covered and with pressure coming Stewart desperately threw for FB Tommy Vardell in the flat. The ball sailed high and the Federals’ dreams of a 14-0 season were over. Ohio players cheered and surrounded Coach Luginbill, dumping Gatorade on both him and a good portion of the coaching staff. Washington players lowered their heads and went to the locker rooms, still leading their division, still a game up on Ohio for the top seed, but certainly feeling a bit deflated after their first loss of the year. BOS 34 NJ 31 The most thrilling game from a scoring perspective came in New Jersey where a new rivalry may have just been born between the Generals and Cannons. Both Tom Brady and Drew Bledsoe played exceptionally well, with both throwing for 3 scores. Tiki Barber was his usual self, rushing for 125 on the day. The game was tied when Brady hit Becht for a 47-yard TD with 4:14 left, but that proved to be too much time as Bledsoe positioned the Cannons in field goal range and Jason Elam kicked through the gamewinner with 23 seconds left on the clock to keep Boston’s playoff hopes alive. ORL 20 MGN 14 While it was hardly Clash of the Titans, the game between the 1-win Renegades and 0-win Panthers turned out to be a pretty decent affair. Michigan lost the turnover battle 3-0, which in the end kept the Panthers winless, but the game was close throughout, tied at 14 well into the 3rd quarter before Orlando added two field goals and Michigan suffered a fumble and a pick to lose in the end. Michigan's Laverneus Coles was the offensive standout with 103 yards and a TD, while DE Derrick Alexander of Orlando stood out on defense with a sack, a forced fumble and a recovery. JAX 26 BAL 42 Coach Infante gave Garcia the start, one most thought he had lost last week, and Garcia came through, completing 22 of 28 passes for 236 yards and 2 scores. Ron Dayne and Travis Minor also both added 2 scores as the Blitz had their best offensive performance of the season. They also looked solid on defense, holding new Bull HB Antowain Smith to only 15 yards rushing. Rookie backup Fred Jackson had more success with 48 yards and a TD on 9 carries, but it was not enough for the Bulls, who are now tied with Boston at 6-5. TBY 7 CHI 33 A week after overlooking Orlando, Tampa Bay again had major issues as Chicago’s defense limited them to only 184 total yards. Kent Graham completed only 15 of 33 passes for 136 and Willis McGahee found no room at all against the Machine defense, rushing for only 26 yards on the day. Chicago, for their part, kept picking at Tampa’s defense, with Jeff George finishing the game with 4 touchdowns and 303 yards. Curtis Conway was offensive player of the week thanks to his 188 yard, 3 TD performance against Tampa’s secondary. PIT 31 PHI 16 The Maulers looked every bit a contender as they scored the first 24 points of the game and then held Philly at bay to score a 15-point win. Charlie Batch threw 3 touchdowns, but it was Terrell Davis once again who dominated the game, rushing for 168 yards on 24 carries, including a 60-yard touchdown run that broke the game open early for the Maulers. LA 3 OAK 17 A shocker in the California Derby as the Oakland Invaders shut down LA’s offense on what was just a bad day all around for the Express. Cade McNown completed only 14 of 36 passes and was sacked 7 times as the Express offense just seemed completely out of synch. Oakland got a TD from Salaam, despite only rushing for 33 yards on the day, and added another from Dante Stallworth to earn their 2nd win of the year. POR 24 SEA 47 Seattle’s offense continues to impress as they move to 6-5 thanks to 467 combined yards. Corey Dillon was rested for part of the game and backup Brian Mitchell had a strong 61-yard performance in the second half. Byron Leftwich went 15 of 18 for 342 as the deep ball was there all game despite the absence of David Boston. J.J. Stokes led all receivers with 163 yards on the day, while Corey Bradford caught 2 TDs for the Dragons. ARZ 14 DEN 26 Denver did what Denver does, play tough defense and win home games. They held the Wranglers to only 2 late scores after building up a sizeable lead, limiting Jake Plummer to only 261 yards passing and eliminating him as a runner by having their nickel back shadow him all game. The result was -6 yards on 7 carries for Plummer. HOU 16 TEX 28 Texas kept their playoff hopes alive by handing Houston their eighth consecutive loss. T.J. Duckett had his best game since coming over from Michigan with 74 yards on 13 carries. Ike Hilliard and Johnnie Mitchell added touchdown catches and the Texas defense held Houston in check all game as Texas moved to 5-6. BIR 41 MEM 22 Brett Favre went off against a Memphis defense that lacked a pass rush today. Throwing for 299 yards and 5 touchdowns, Favre had one of his best games in recent memory. Lawrence Dawsey also seemed to find the Fountain of Youth, catching 6 balls for 124 yards and 3 scores as the Stallions improved their record to 6-5, knocking their rivals down to the same record with the win. NOR 34 NSH 20 The Breakers took advantage of Memphis’s loss to build up a 2-game lead in the South thanks to a comfortable 14-point win in Nashville. Ricky Williams had his best game since returning from suspension, 77 yards on 25 carries and backup Troy Hambrick added another 44 as New Orleans dominated on the ground against the Knights. Falling behind early Nashville was forced to reduce the role of Ahman Green and depend on Todd Collins, which is never their best strategy. The Knights fall to 5-6 in the tough Southern Division. Rucker’s Big Day We focused on the offense in our summary of Birmingham’s win in Memphis, but we need to acknowledge the day, and the season, Mike Rucker is having for the Stallions. Birmingham managed 4 sacks against Heath Shuler in Sunday’s game, and Mike Rucker was credited with 3 of them. He was simply unblockable, getting to Shuler repeatedly, including a pass deflection and several big hits in addition to the sacks. Outside of Phil Hansen, whose continued productivity is astounding, Rucker may well be the most feared pass rusher in the league. His 3-sack day moves him into a tie with Hansen with 16 sacks on the season, and he could become the only player outside of Hansen to record 20 sacks in a 14-week season (something Hansen did last season). If Birmingham is able to make a run and finish at or near the top of the Southern Division, Rucker has to be a strong candidate for Defensive Player of the Year, and at 27 the Stallions can look forward to several more years of top flight production from the disruptive end. Michigan to Protect Brees with Benching It seems clear that word has come down from the Owner’s Box that Drew Brees is at too much risk. Coach Lovie Smith, acting as interim, announced this week that they are shuttering Brees for the final two weeks of the season and will start Spergon Wynn this week to “see what he can offer us”. The premise that the Panthers are exploring QB options is preposterous. Brees is clearly the #1 and will be next year as well, but he is getting beaten up behind a bad line and has no run game to protect him, so it seems pretty obvious that Al Taubman and the ownership group has given Smith a directive to remove him from danger during this lost season, one in which Michigan could easily finish 0-16. What is likely Lovie Smith’s decision is that Wynn, and not Spence Fischer, will get the remaining starts. Wynn is younger and more mobile than Fischer, so he stands to do better behind the porous line the Panthers have. Fischer got starts earlier this season while Brees was dinged up, and to say it did not go well might be an understatement. So, Drew Brees can hit the showers, or more likely the trainer’s table to work out some of his lingering bumps and bruises, and Michigan will finish the season and look forward to hopefully brighter days ahead. Chad Ochocinco Makes it Official After a year of trying to convince sportscasters to refer to him as “Ocho Cinco”, Chad Johnson has found the one way to ensure it happens. This week he finalized the legal paperwork to officially change his name from Chad Johnson to Chad Ochocinco. Bizarre as that sounds, it is legally binding, so expect sportscasters to start using the new name, though you cannot prevent them from commenting on it. What makes Chad Ochocinco’s extroverted style and love of media intriguing this season more than others is that as of today the artist formerly known as Chad Johnson is not signed for next season. Ohio has some serious cap restrictions and both Johnson and Joey Galloway are in the last year of their contracts. It has been posited that the cap room is simply not there for Ohio to sign both Galloway and Johnson/Ochocinco. If they have to choose between the two, it seems logical that Galloway would be the choice, which means that 85 will be a free agent, able to sell himself to anyone looking for a top level WR and not afraid of one with a bit of a diva complex. This should be entertaining, to say the least. Top 10 Unsigned Veterans Who Could Join Free Agency Thinking about Chad Ochocinco’s situation put us in a mind to look over the current players in their final years of a contract. Typically we see signings throughout the season, as has been the case this year, and by this time the players who are not signed are often those who are considering free agency, including a possible leap to the NFL, as a potential option to maximize their value. We see it every year, players using the NFL as well as other USFL teams to leverage a better deal out of ownership, but we also see many cases where the threat of departure turns into an open market scramble for top talent. In some cases there are players, as we may see with 85, who simply cannot be fit within a team’s cap, and that means that they move on. In other cases it is the player who seeks a change of scenery, as we have seen now twice from Ryan Leaf. So, as we enter the final month of the regular season, who are the players as of yet unsigned, who could be about to venture into the choppy water of the Free Agent Sea? Here is our Top 10 potential free agents for 2004: Stephen Davis, HB, PHI Davis has had a solid 3 seasons with Philadelphia after coming over from the Stallions. But, if you look closely, the 30 year old back has seen declining numbers since reaching 1,100 yards in both 2000 and 2001. Last year he finished with an even 800 on similar carries to the past two years, and this year he sits around 750 with 2 weeks to go, but with an equal 3.7 YPC as last year. These are not horrible numbers but they may be just the kind of numbers that allows Philadelphia to explore the value of rookie Larry Johnson and potentially allow Davis to hit the free market. Renaldo Turnbull, DE, BIR At 34 years old, Turnbull is a risk for any team that signs him. He is a talented edge rusher, but his numbers have not been as good since coming over from Michigan to Birmingham. In Michigan he had 4 straight years of 10 or more sacks, but his last 3 years in Birmingham have seen 8, 8, and now 9 this season. With Mike Rucker the clear #1 De in Birmingham, Turnbull might be a perk that the Stallions can no longer afford. If he reaches 10 sacks, which seems possible, he could be a high value commodity for a team looking for a 1-2 year run at a title, like an Ohio or Memphis, for example. Amani Toomer, WR, LA That Amani Toomer has talent is not in question. He had 4 consecutive 1,000 yard seasons in Nashville before cashing in on a lucrative deal with LA. But that deal is about to expire and Toomer may be hoping for more. He is a #2 in LA, behind Tory Holt, and he has not reached 1,000 yards or 5 TDs with the Express. We see Toomer as a good prospect to choose the free agent route again, and to look for a chance to be a true #1. David Rocker, DT, LA Another Express player who may be squeezed out by cap room or may choose to seek another opportunity, David Rocker is a very solid DT, but 2004 would be his 13th season in the league, and at 32 he is hitting a dangerous period for such a physical position. Rocker is in peak shape, always more athletic than bulky, so he could have another 3-5 years in him if he is placed with a team that uses him as part of a 4-man front. He is just not suited to be a nose tackle. We could see him ending up somewhere like Philly, Portland, or Tampa Bay if the money is right. Tyrone Legette, CB, BOS One of the Tyrone Bros. up in Boston (formerly in Atlanta), Legette is often the highest graded of the Tyrones. With the USFL always a pass-first league, that equals opportunity. Legette could be the best free agent CB available (depending on what Birmingham does with Deion Sanders), and as such would have no shortage of suitors offering him big time money. Sean Gilbert, DT, CHI Gilbert is another solid DT in his early 30’s (31) who could be looking for a cash out from Chicago. He is a solid nose tackle and can play in either a 4-3 or 3-4, which means his market is larger than that of Rocker, but he is also a bigger man, so concerns about his long term health are an issue. Knees and ankles tend to become more finicky for players like Gilbert. Staying in Chicago, where he is a centerpiece of the defense, would be an option, of course, but not likely the one that will pay the best. Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, DE, BAL The best pass rusher in the potential free agent pool. And with the value of an edge rusher that means he is a player who could be a very expensive signing for Baltimore or any other club. KGB is Baltimore’s premier passrusher, with 8 sacks this season, but the Blitz are not in great cap shape and have some major issues, including potentially at QB, so if he wants a bigger paycheck, KGB might think about defecting. Terrell Owens, WR, JAX Owens is a premier wideout, one who has regularly had double digit touchdowns and over 1,200 yards receiving, but playing in Jacksonville is not like playing in NY or LA, and for a very attention-driven receiver like Owens, that plays into the equation. With Anquon Boldin now stealing a significant portion of spotlight even in local media, Owens may take the chance to change markets and increase his Q value (marketing clout). Imagine Owens in LA, Chicago, New Jersey, or Oakland. He would be a constant fixture across media platforms. Chad Ochocinco, WR, OHI Perhaps the only player more concerned about media exposure than T.O, Chad Ochocinco may get his chance to upgrade markets, but likely not teams. And that is the irony. By leaving Columbus, Ochocinco would almost certainly be able to maximize his media presence, but he is currently on one of the best teams the USFL has ever seen, and the teams willing to pay for him to step into their #1 receiver position are not likely to be very good. So is it title runs, or sponsorship deals for 85? Deion Sanders, CB, BIR And no list of media-savvy players would be complete without “Prime Time”. Sanders came over to the USFL from the NFL 4 years ago and has been a human highlight reel ever since. And while Birmingham has been good for him, it is not a big media market like San Francisco or Atlanta in the NFL. We could easily see Sanders leave the USFL for the NFL again if the right team came calling, of course there are plenty of teams in the USFL who would also love a shot at Prime Time. Could you, for example, picture Sanders as a member of the Generals, Stars, or the Boston Cannons? Talk about a media frenzy. We have more clinched spots after this week’s action as Ohio, Denver, New Orleans, and Los Angeles (despite their loss) have locked up playoff spots. Washington has also clinched the Northeast despite the loss to Ohio, while Birmingham and Seattle have moved into playoff positions. Denver also locks up their division title thanks to a 4 game lead between themselves and the Texas Outlaws. Houston, Philly and Tampa Bay join Orlando, Oakland, and Michigan as teams eliminated from contention. Right now the teams on the outside includes Boston, whose best shot may be to win the Southeast Division where they are tied with Jacksonville at 6-5. Nashville and Texas are both one game behind Seattle, Birmingham and Memphis, while Baltimore is 2 games behind a cluster of 7-4 teams and needs to win out and get a lot of help to make the playoffs. Three weeks left in the season, so we can expect some teams to protect star players and start playing rookies and other bench players to protect their assets (mostly non-playoff teams), and we will soon see some playoff teams rest their starters as well. This is because no one at this time in the season wants to see a key player get injured, and yet, injuries happen at every point in the season. This week has been no different. This week we saw Denver lose guard Evan Pilgrim (IR) to a torn ACL, Pittsburgh lost DT Josh Shaw (IR) to an ankle injury, Michigan lost FS Mike Prior (IR) to a groin pull, and Memphis lost WR Justin McCaerins (IR) to a broken arm. Along with the new IR placements, we have players across the league who could be back in time for playoff runs, but who are likely done for the regular season, including Mempis CB Darrien Gordon (collarbone), and Seattle WR David Boston. Mo Lewis is out at least this week for LA with an injury to his wrist, while NJ free safety Brian Dawkins appears to be out with a hamstring injury. Deion Branch remains out, but has been upgraded to questionable for Washington, as has center Trey Teague for Tampa Bay. Michael Sinclair in Houston could return this week, as might Dre Bly in Pittsburgh, Chike Okeafor in Arizona, Darnay Scott in Nashville, and Greg Biekert in Portland. Arizona’s Stanley Pritchett is listed as probable, but we hear he is unlikely to play. The same with Tavares Tillman in LA and Godfrey Miles in Seattle. Memphis Voters Approve Bond for Showboats The people of Memphis have spoken, and they have said unequivocally that they want the Showboats to stay. In what was expected to be a close vote on Tuesday to determine if the City of Memphis would issue bonds specifically to renovate Liberty Bowl Stadium and expanded team facilities, we ended up with a pretty clear message. On the proposal, “Yes” defeated “NO” by an 8-point margin, 54% to 46%, far larger than the margin was predicted by polling. The vote means that the city can begin issuing the bonds this fall, and that construction can begin as soon as January 2004. Two items need to be determined in the meantime, firstly, that the Showboats confirm that they will stay in the city and sign a new lease. The USFL has gotten this commitment from the Showboats, but it will need to be proven out and the best way that can happen is with a lease extension. The second is to determine the timing of the renovations and their impact on scheduling for both the Showboats and the University of Memphis, the stadium’s fall occupant. Renovations are expected to require up to 8 months to complete, which all but guarantees that both tenants will be impacted, but the ideal situation for construction is to begin in early spring and complete the work before weather turns south in fall. That essentially means the entire 2004 season. The Showboats will have to explore other options for the 2004 season if they want to see the renovations completed. Likely options would include playing several games, perhaps as many as 4 of their 7 regular season games at other regional stadiums such as the University of Mississippi in Oxford (103 miles), Nashville’s Adelphia Stadium (208 miles), or, as if this is not ironic enough, in St. Louis, whose presence as an open market inspired the Showboats to threaten relocation in the first place. Of the options available to them, it seems the most likely would be for the Showboats to try to frontload their schedule with home games in 2004, then perhaps limit their out-of-town home games to 2, and play either at Ole Miss or in Little Rock, where War Memorial Stadium is unused in the spring and summer. Honestly, playing a game in both Oxford and Little Rock may help the Showboats in the long run, as they have always tried to market themselves as a regional franchise that could draw fans from surrounding states like Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi and northern Louisiana. Playing a couple of games in those states could actually be a boon for the Showboats in the long run, once Liberty Bowl Stadium is complete. For now, the good news is that it is almost guaranteed that the Showboats will remain in Memphis. And for St. Louis, which had put together a pretty sweet deal to try to lure the USFL back to town, the chance is still there when in two weeks the league will vote on an expansion plan that specifically would target the Gateway City for a 2006 expansion team. League Vote Expected to Approve Two Phase Expansion We mentioned the vote that is anticipated at the Summer Owners’ Meeting in two weeks. With the Showboat situation likely all but locked up thanks to the voters of Memphis, the odds of a positive outcome for cities like Atlanta and St. Louis are significantly improved. The league has been at 24 clubs since 1995, and while the schedule works well with 12 teams in each conference, the presence of several large markets, each with potential ownership groups hoping to join the spring league, the pressure certainly exists to add more franchises. The proposal that was put forward by the Finance and Competition Committees calls for a two stage expansion, one that would target two cities who recently lost their franchises, St. Louis and Atlanta, for targeted expansion (no other bidding cities) for 2006 and an open bidding for 2 additional franchises in 2008. If the Finance Committee modeling which was requested several weeks ago can allay some of the fears of overexposure and can provide positive modeling of potential revenue growth, then the only real potential hangup is the question of Portland. The Rose City recently underwent an ownership crisis of their own, and the end result was the decision to approve a consortium of Las Vegas-based owners, and that, in turn, has the Thunder leaving for Las Vegas next year. Will Portland receive the same type of consideration that St. Louis and Atlanta received? It seems unlikely simply based on the economics. Portland is one of the league’s smaller markets, and the stadium in place is the league’s smallest. While there are some in Portland who are pushing for the city to move ahead with the earlier proposed plans for a new football and soccer stadium, those are likely a couple of years away from shovels hitting dirt, if they develop at all. So what would be the league incentive to treat Portland with the same urgency that the owners seem to be giving to the St. Louis and Atlanta markets? If Portland is a non-issue, as some in the league would have us believe, then we fully expect to see the expansion proposal approved and the official market for St. Louis and Atlanta ownership proposals to begin. We covered Atlanta’s efforts last week, and we are well aware of St. Louis’s interests as a city, but would have to wait and see who might come forward as a potential ownership consortium for the city. And, before you ask, while Atlantans have organized an effort to retain the Fire moniker and branding for a new team, no such popular effort has been made by fans in St. Louis, in part due to the fact that the current ownership of the Knights will almost certainly push for language protecting their rights to retain the Knights identity in Nashville as part of any St. Louis expansion approval. So, now we wait, just two weeks, to see what the owners decide. Will it be St. Louis and Atlanta in 2006 and two more unnamed cities in 2008, or will the league remain at 24 clubs with a high risk of further relocations and franchise instability in the near future? Houston Gamblers’ 2004 Uniform Goes Full Country One final note for the week. In the midst of a pretty heartbreaking season, one that saw Houston jump out to a 3-0 start only to lose their next 8 games, the Gamblers are trying to rebrand, and apparently they have gone full country in the effort. Reebok this week revealed the new look for the Gamblers in 2004, a look brought on by the poor sales of the Gamblers’ most recent design, an awkward mix of side panels, shoulder yokes, and uneven striping that simply annoyed Gambler fans and football aesthetic fans as well. The new look does away with both of the more annoying elements of the prior uniform, but doesn’t go back to traditional stripes either. The look leans heavily on a Western/Country motif, using elements commonly found in traditional “cowboy wear” as part of the uniform. Gone is the shoulder yoke and in its place is a faux embroidery pattern based on Western-styled button down shirts. The embroidery pattern takes up the upper chest and shoulder pad area on both home and away jerseys. Black embroidery effects on the white jersey and reversed on the back. The design features swirls and curls, but also a 5-pointed star at the center of the chest. The jerseys also feature a two stripe pattern at the cuff of each jersey as well as the team’s familiar Texas “G” logo on each sleeve. A similar embroidery pattern is seen on the pants, with a thin line occupying most of the leg and broadening into an almost denim-pocket pattern from a pair of jeans on the hip. The only red in the pants is a thin band around the knee. The helmet remains largely unchanged, with no center stripes and a slightly enlarged logo on each side. Frankly we like the new look, but the real vote of confidence will come when jerseys and other gear sporting the new team wordmark are available for sale to the public. As has become the trend since Reebok took over uniform production, we should expect to see the new look on the field at the Gamblers’ final home game, which will be Week 13 against Jacksonville. It is the first of the season-ending All Divisional weekends (Week 14 being the other) as all 24 teams are going to face off with divisional foes this week. This includes some major playoff impact games as we enter the final month of the season. We start with a key matchup in the Central Division where Chicago and Pittsburgh will clash at Heinz Field. Both enter the game at 7-4 and 2 games behind Ohio. The loser is almost certainly looking at a road game in the Wild Card round. The winner still can dream of a division title, but at the very least a likely home game in the playoffs. The South has two games with huge playoff implications. Memphis is in Nashville for a Tennessee Tussle, and if the visitors can steal the win, they likely end Nashville’s playoff chances, but if Nashville uses home cooking to upend their in-state rival, they may be right back in the mix in the South. New Orleans leads the division by 2 games and can all but wrap it up if they can hold off the hard-charging Birmingham Stallions at the SuperDome. A win for Birmingham puts them in great position with 2 weeks left. Arizona and Texas face off in the Alamo Dome, and the loser can pretty much start planning for Golf in July. Arizona may be done regardless at 4-7, but could spoil Texas’s season with road win in San Antonio. In the Pacific, the Express try to rebound from a stunning loss in Oakland but face the offensive juggernaut that Seattle has become. The Dragons can move to 7-5 and almost certainly a Wild Card spot with a win. In other action Oakland visits Portland, Denver hopes to get their 10th win in Houston, Michigan hopes not to be embarrassed by Ohio when they visit Columbus, Boston hopes to rebound in Tampa Bay, Orlando hosts the Bulls in the Citrus Bowl, Baltimore is in Washington, where they likely will face an angry Federals team, and New Jersey is in Philly, hoping to lock up a playoff spot with their 8th win of the year.

Playoff Picture: Several playoff berths have been locked in this week. Denver has clinched the Southwest Division Title. Ohio, New Orleans, and Los Angeles have clinched berths but not divisions yet. Jacksonville and Boston are tied atop the Southeast, with Jacksonville currently holding the tiebreaker. Currently in playoff position we have Chicago, Pittsburgh, and New Jersey in the East and Birmingham, Seattle, and Memphis in the West. Teams that have been eliminated include Michigan, Orlando, Oakland, Houston, and Philadelphia.

A really fun week in the USFL as the Maulers and Glory battle down to the final seconds. Orlando gets their first win as they surprise in-state rival Tampa Bay, the Outlaws and Breakers go to overtime, and Seattle makes a statement with a win over the Showboats. We also saw what many predicted, another bad performance from Michigan led to the departure of Mike Martz. We also saw something about as rare as it gets in the USFL, a 200-yard rushing game, as Ahman Green powered the Nashville Knights to a needed win. Let’s get right to the action on the field as we look at the shootout between Pittsburgh and Ohio in what could develop into one of the league’s better rivalry games. PITTSBURGH MAULERS 31 OHIO GLORY 34 It was a battle for the Central Division and it felt every bit a playoff matchup from the opening kickoff straight through until the final whistle. The Maulers came into this game knowing that a win was crucial if they wanted to have any shot at the division crown. Ohio was out to prove that they had not lost a step from last year’s unbeaten championship, despite two early season losses. What we got as fans was a clash of two teams playing their best football, so a big win for us. Both teams found their offenses early, though it was Ohio that took the quick lead in the 1st quarter. Kerry Collins hit Chad Johnson with a 16-yard TD on the opening drive of the game to set the tone for the game. After a promising drive ended in a rare missed field goal from Bill Grammatica, Pittsburgh gave the ball back to Ohio, who promptly went up 14-0 thanks to a 25-yard swing pass from Collins to Eddie George. But Pittsburgh would respond and on their next drive they methodically “matriculated the ball” down the field and got on the board with Terrell Davis’s 2-yard off-tackle run. They would score again after LB Joe Odom caught Kerry Collins unaware and picked off a pass intended for Stephen Alexander. Three plays later, Grammatica brought Pittsburgh within 4 points at 14-10, and so ended a very active first quarter. The second quarter would see less scoring but plenty of action as both teams settled into their offensive pattern, Ohio depending on the pass (Collins’s totals for the day include 451 yards and 4 TDs) as Pittsburgh would not allow Eddie George room to run (20 carries for only 36 yards). Pittsburgh would rely more on the run game, with Terrell Davis and Harold Shaw combining for 29 carries, but most of the yardage would also be through the air as Charlie Batch threw for 350 yards. The first score of the second quarter put Pittsburgh on top, Davis’s 2nd TD run at the end of a 14-play drive that killed about 7 minutes of the period. Ohio would strike back quickly to take a 21-17 halftime lead as Collins again found Chad Johnson, this time on a corner route from the 38 yard line. It was a back and forth game, and one that saw a lot of highlights for both teams, and this would not change in the second half. Pittsburgh got the ball first to open the 3rd quarter and they again moved the ball well, settling for another Grammatica field goal after bogging down at the 17 yard line. After a batted ball by Russell Maryland forced Ohio to punt, Pittsburgh again took the lead, this time with Charlie Batch hitting rookie Nate Burleson, who just recently has started to see more action in 2 and 3-receiver sets for Pittsburgh. The Maulers went for 2 and converted, giving them a 28-21 lead. Ohio would themselves respond, and it only took 2 plays. Following a 2-yard run by George on first down, the Glory got what they wanted, Joey Galloway in single coverage, and Collins exploited the coverage, hitting Galloway on a streak that would go 83 yards for a score, stunning the contingent of Mauler fans who made the trip to Columbus. At the end of 3 it was tied 28-28 and fans were fully aware that they were attending one of the best games of the season between two very good teams. Ohio would take the lead once again early in the 4th as they moved the ball into the redzone, settling for a John Carney field goal with 11:54 left to play. On their next drive, Pittsburgh would also breach the red zone and also come up short on 3rd down, forcing yet another Bill Grammatica field goal. Now tied at 31, the game felt very much like one destined for overtime. After two failed drives, Ohio got the ball bck with only 35 seconds to play, on their own 22 yard line. With only 1 time out it felt very much like the Glory would take a knee and prepare for overtime. At least that is what Pittsburgh seemed to expect as they casually came to the line. Ohio was in kneel down formation and the Maulers were only half lined up when Collins took the snap, stepped back 2 steps, and half-knelt. But he got back up again, and by the time Pittsburgh reacted, TE Alge Crumpler was behind the deepest defender. Collins hit his TE with a looping pass and 64 yards later Crumpler fell to the ground as CB Dre Bly finally caught up to him. The Glory used their final timeout as a stunned Pittsburgh defense knew they may have just blown the game. Carney came out onto the field to attempt the field goal, and as a jubilant Ohio crowd cheered on, he nailed the kick and gave Ohio the win, and very likely the division. It was a stunning play at the end of a really well-played and entertaining game, the kind of play that will stick with the Maulers for some time. But, for the disappointed Mauler faithful, the game still showed that their squad could (when focused) hang with the Glory. They had beaten them in Week 4, and played toe to toe with them in Week 10. Would they get a 3rd meeting in the playoffs? For Ohio, the win gives them a 2 game lead on the Maulers with 4 to play. Their next challenge, a trip to Washington and a chance to ensure that their unbeaten season is not equaled by the Federals only 1 year later. TBY 7 ORL 26 While the Maulers-Glory matchup was the best game of the week, Orlando’s upset of Tampa Bay will be the one the Vegas oddsmakers are regretting, as it paid those few willing to bet on Orlando quite handsomely. The Renegades played as if this were their Summer Bowl, limiting Tampa Bay to only 2 of 11 on third down, picking off Kent Graham twice, and limiting Willis McGahee to only 59 yards rushing. On offense Sedrick Irvin and R.J. Redmond combined for a surprising 173 yards rushing, with Irvin scoring twice for the Renegades. NOR 23 TEX 17 OT New Orleans rebounded well this week, taking their club on the road and upending the Texas Outlaws in overtime. The Outlaws had come back from a 10-point deficit in the final quarter and got the game tying score when Jeff Lewis hit Kirby Dar-Dar with 3 minutes to play. A missed field goal meant the game went to extra time and in the extra period Trent Dilfer hit Az-Zahir Hakeem with the game winner on the opening drive to secure the win for New Orleans. NSH 27 HOU 22 Houston led throughout this game but never put Nashville away. They would live to regret it as the Knights got a miraculous 55-yard TD pass from Collins to Bert Emmanuel in the final minute of play, despite Houston playing a soft prevent defense. Emannuel went up for the ball, the two defenders hit each other and left the Knights’ receiver a clear path to the endzone and a win that may help Nashville return to the playoffs. The loss was Houston’s 7th in a row after opening the season 3-0. The star for Nashville was Ahman Green, who rushed for a season’s best for any HB, 216 yards against a tired Houston D. MEM 21 SEA 31 As many predicted, Memphis ran into a buzzsaw in Seattle. Only one week after evening their record with New Orleans, the Showboats fall a game back after giving up 318 yards to Byron Leftwich, including 161 yards on only 4 receptions for Corey Bradford as the Dragons scored the final 10 points of the game to defeat the Showboats and even their record at 5-5. BIR 20 POR 27 In front of a crowd of only 13,040 in Portland, and with a loud anti-Thunder protest outside, the home team did not really have any home field advantage, but they still managed to pull out a win over the visiting Stallions. Portland picked off Brett Favre twice and limited Shaun Alexander to only 28 yards on his 14 carries. In Akili Smith’s first game back after 2 weeks recovering from a concussion, he did not seem phased, as he rushed for 62 yards and threw for 252 and 2 scores. LA 27 ARZ 7 The Express did not allow Jake Plummer to run the ball, and that worked to their advantage as they built up a 27-0 lead and coasted to victory. With Antowain Smith now in Jacksonville, LA turned to unheralded Maurice Smith to back up Deshaun Foster and the former 3rd stringer did more than fill in, he rushed for 149 yards on the day, outpacing Foster with an 8.8 YPC average. OAK 12 DEN 21 Jon Kitna threw for 303 yards, but was only able to muster 1 touchdown against the Denver defense. Meanwhile, Robert Holcombe and Ricky Whittle combined for 108 yards and 2 TDs on the day to power the Gold. Oakland held up through three quarters, with a 7-3 deficit holding until the final quarter, when two late Denver TDs put the game away for the homestanding Gold. NJ 31 BAL 17 New Jersey held Ron Dayne in check and forced Jeff Garcia to make tough throws all game. Baltimore’s QB was unable to make enough plays to keep up with the Generals, who got 101 yards from Curtis Enis and two Terry Glenn touchdowns in his return to action. After the game Coach Infante was mum on whether or not Week 11 would see Garcia or Ryan Leaf start for the Blitz, whose playoff hopes now may require them to run the table down the stretch. WSH 32 PHI 23 Philadelphia held an early 10-0 lead on the Federals, but got worn down over the game, falling behind in the 2nd quarter and never regaining the lead. Deuce McCallister and Kordell Stewart accounted for 171 yards rushing and 3 TDs between them, while Doug Pelfrey added 4 field goals to give Washington their 10th win of the season. Philadelphia falls to 3-7 and all but mathematically eliminated from playoff contention. JAX 24 BOS 3 The Bulls take the road win in the battle of 5-4 clubs, thanks in large part to 158 yards from WR Terrell Owens. Owens and rookie Anquon Boldin combined for 248 yards and a Td as Boston’s secondary simply did not have an answer. Boston got 111 yards from Tiki Barber, but was unable to turn yards into points as time and again their drives ended short of field goal range. MGN 0 CHI 20 An ugly loss for Michigan, which mustered only 201 total yards of offense, a loss that would be the final straw for ownership, who relieved Mike Martz of his duties Monday morning. Charles Rogers again had a strong day, rushing for 128 yards as he subbed for a gimpy Duce Staley. Michigan’s lead back, Ladell Betts, only garnered 18 yards on 7 carries as Michigan’s offense was entirely inept. Martz Out, Lovie In After yet another incredibly poor performance by the Michigan Offense, owner Al Taubman had seen enough. On Monday he relieved Coach Mike Martz of his duties and appointed defensive coordinator Lovie Smith as the interim head coach of the Panthers for the season’s final weeks. Martz, who came to Michigan as an “offensive guru” has simply been unable to replicate his past successes as an offensive coordinator as Michigan’s head coach. As of this week’s results, Michigan ranks dead last in the league, averaging only 11.5 points per game. The Panthers have by far the worst run game in the USFL, averaging only 36 yards per game, and this has also helped them rank 24th in yardage. Mind you, Lovie Smith does not have a lot to stand on in this regard either as the Panther defense currently ranks last in the league in points allowed, a whopping 32.7 per game. So, expect this to be a short tenure for Smith, who is unlikely to be retained even if he were able to get Michigan their first win of the season. Attendance plummets in Portland It should not really be a surprise that attendance for the Thunder in Portland has plummeted. The past two games (vs LA and Birmingham) the attendance has dipped below 15,000 per game. This is part protest of the current ownership, which sought and received approval to relocate the team to Las Vegas, but also apathy for a team that is leaving and which has not been playing up to even last year’s modest 7-7 record. With just over 13,000 in attendance this week, the chants and bullhorns of the anti-Ruffin protesters across the street from the stadium could clearly be heard throughout the game. Expect things to be even uglier when the club returns from this week’s game in Seattle. They have two home games left, against Oakland and Michigan, two teams with a combined 1 win between them. With a combination of former Thunder fans turning their backs on the team (and their season tickets) and very vocal protests expected for both games, having home field advantage may simply not be an option for the Thunder until they reach Las Vegas. Las Vegas Reveals Branding Speaking of Las Vegas, Reebok this week revealed for fans in Sin City the new secondary logo that will accompany the move to Sin City. The team will retain their color scheme, uniforms, and primary logo (all seen as cost-saving measures for the club) but will have a new secondary logo which will adorn the sleeves of the team’s trademark “electric lime” jerseys. The LV monogram logo includes a lightning bolt forming from the “L”. the interlocking letters represent the new home of the club and will feature prominently in marketing as Las Vegas’s new ownership begins the marketing process for season tickets for the 2004 Thunder. Fans React to New Logo, Owners Say “Nevermind” In an incredible and slightly comical example of the power of a fanbase, the release of Texas’s new “Outlaw Jim” logo, a logo that was to become the primary image for the franchise, fans in San Antonio and across Texas reacted quite harshly. The phones at the Outlaw main offices in San Antonio rang off the hooks, and the message was clear, the new logo is not what the fans want. They want a return to the classic logo the club has used since 1988. Within 3 days every newspaper was printing articles and letters to the editor bashing the new “active” version of the Outlaw and demanding the club and Reebok return to the traditional logo. When word got out that the owners were in the facility at the AlamoDome, a large crowd gathered outside demanding a redesign. On Friday, owners announced through local media that they would listen to the fans and return to the classic outlaw logo, reserving the new logo for use as a secondary logo (not to appear on uniforms). While this is not the first time that fan reaction has altered plans for a new team look (we all remember the case of the San Francisco 49ers in the 1990’s and their attempt to update their logo), it is the first time that a USFL owner has buckled under immediate pressure. For their part, Reebok has been quiet on the process and how such a negative reaction was not picked up in pre-release polling or focus group testing, but clearly the change was not what San Antonio fans had in mind. It appears that the new uniform designs will be retained, with the only real change to the team’s look being the decal on the helmet, so it is not a major economic hit for the Texans to make the change now. But, if you find any apparel with the new logo on it, as some was available the day it was released, hold onto it as it will be a collector’s item for years to come. We have our first clinched playoff spot, and to the surprise of no one, it is the Washington Federals. Sitting at 10-0 with only 4 games left on the schedule and a 3-game lead over the New Jersey Generals, there was little doubt that Washington would qualify for the post-season, but with losses by Tampa Bay and Boston, the math locked in for Washington to lock up a spot. With a win or a New Jersey loss next week the Federals should also lock up the division. No other team has clinched a spot, but both Michigan and Orlando (despite their Week 10 win) are now officially eliminated from any playoff contention. Were the playoffs to begin today, Pittsburgh and Chicago would be in, and Boston would be out in the East. In the West, Birmingham and Nashville would nab the last two spots with 5-5 records, while Seattle would be out, despite having the same record. Tiebreakers can do that to you, so the Dragons had better continue to win games if they hope to make a postseason appearance. Two more players added to IR after week 10 as Pittsburgh loses backup DT Josh Shaw to a torn ACL, while Baltimore will be without their starting left tackle, Blake Brockmeier, after he also injured his knee and will require surgery. Seattle takes a big hit as David Boston’s injury now looks like it could keep him out for the remainder of the regular season. He could return if Seattle qualifies for the playoffs, but even that is in doubt. Denver will finish their regular season without LB Chris Cowart, who suffered a torn quad and could miss 3-4 games, while Arizona will go without FB B.J. Askew, who suffered an abdominal tear in a rare carry this week. Portland CB Will Allen is out 1-2 weeks with a dislocated finger, and more bad news for Baltimore’s faint playoff hopes as DT John Randall could be out 1-2 weeks with an ankle injury. Expected back in action in Week 11 we have Ohio DE Vonnie Holiday (hip), Michigan LB Andy Katzenmoyer (hand), Breakers DE Chidi Ahanotu (neck), Memphis DT Norman Hand (hip), and Texas LB Stephen Boyd (knee). Rod Smart is questionable but looks like he could see action, and Pittsburgh’s Korey Stringer may be back in the lineup as well. Memphis Referendum Next Week The future of the Showboats is on the line next Tuesday, when Memphians will vote in a special election to determine if the city will fund stadium renovations and the creation of a practice facility for the Showboats through a bond referendum, all designed to encourage the club to remain in the city. Polling shows this is a close vote as Memphis residents are wary of the expense and investment when the city has significant pressing issues in many other areas. The vote all but determines the fate of the Showboats as recent negotiations between Memphis ownership and the USFL owners have basically locked the club into remaining in Memphis if the bond issuance is approved, and if it fails, the Showboats have essentially guaranteed themselves the right to relocate to St. Louis ahead of any potential expansion. The league will vote on expansion for 2006 and 2008, a proposal that highlights both St. Louis and Atlanta, in 3 weeks, but this Tuesday’s vote will go a long way to determining what happens next. With the Showboats in the middle of another playoff push, and having made it all the way to the Summer Bowl in 2002, the timing is about as good as the Showboats’ ownership could have asked for. One can easily imagine that a 2-12 Memphis club would have a hard time garnering enough support to push the city to invest in Liberty Bowl Stadium, while a regular contender is more likely to get the votes needed. I guess we will know soon enough. What is happening in Atlanta? While St. Louis’s future is still muddled, with all likelihood being that they will either host the Showboats by 2005 or have an expansion club in 2006, things in Atlanta are a bit clearer. The vote in 3 weeks to expand the USFL includes a special carve out for the city, meaning that they are all but guaranteed a return to USFL football if the expansion vote is approved. Mayor Shirley Franklin and a delegation of Atlanta business leaders and sports personalities have been lobbying league owners for a return of USFL football, and a fan group has specifically been pushing not only for a return of the league, but of the Atlanta Fire in particular. A petition asking the USFL to return the Fire to the city has already garnered over 100,000 signatures. What is more impressive is that a coalition of city leaders and football fans has already started to form the early basis for an ownership group. Several prominent Atlantans, including recently retired USFL superstar Herschel Walker, has begun negotiations to form an LLC to officially bid for an Atlanta franchise should the league vote to expand back to the city. That effort got a huge shot in the arm when it was confirmed that Jim Kennedy, multimillionaire CEO of Cox Media, one of the nation’s largest cable TV providers, was on board. Kennedy adds the deep pockets that the bid will need, and could act as the lead owner and President, while others in the group, including Walker, could take on smaller financial roles while still engaging with the team’s formation and organization. It is a very good sign that Atlanta is ready to return to the USFL to see both business and political leaders engaged in the effort and working to ensure that if expansion is approved, Atlanta is ready to jump in. Now it seems the bigger question is if the new leadership will listen to fans and return the Fire to the city or go a new direction. Teams Begin Looking to the Offseason No one will officially say it yet, but with three teams eliminated from playoff contention, and several others on life support, it is clear that there are some clubs looking to evaluate their current rosters and determine a strategy for the offseason. Michigan has made the move to an interim head coach, so you know that new leadership is their first priority, but Orlando, Oakland, Houston, and Philadelphia are also looking at the future. We see this with some personnel changes as Oakland explores the possibility of Jon Kitna at QB, while Houston is giving more playing time to their rookies. So, what are the biggest needs for these 5 clubs as they look to the draft and free agency? We figured now is as good a time as any to start exploring what each club may need. We will go in reverse draft order from 5th to 1st and look for the one key position (among many in some cases) that the club should address. Philadelphia Stars (3-7): The Stars feel that they have their QB of the present with Brian Griese, and drafted Larry Johnson at HB to help transition at the position as Stephen Davis hits the 30-year old mark, so what else is needed in Philly? Clearly, with the 19th ranked rush defense, linebacker and DT are key positions, but we still want to look at offensive firepower. The Stars have Steve Smith as their #1 wideout, but 32-year old Troy Brown and 29-year old Bobby Engram are simply not doing enough to draw coverage away from Smith, hamstringing the Philadelphia passing game. We like the combo of Marcus Pollard and rookie Dallas Clark at TE, so for us, the big focus will need to be at WR. The good news is that this is a position where the draft can be an immediate help. While many look at Pitt’s Larry Fitzgerald or Texas’s Roy Williams as the two best prospects at the position, we don’t see either the Maulers or Outlaws giving away a chance to sign those two players from protected schools, but the Ohio Glory could possibly be willing to trade away one of their T-Draft picks to allow Philly to draft either Wisconsin’s Lee Evans or Ohio State’s Michael Jenkins without using an open draft pick. That would be our recommendation for them, and then focus on defense with the open draft and free agency. Houston Gamblers (3-7): The Gamblers are pretty well set on defense, though they may stll draft for depth, but their biggest issue is that the combo of Kevin Faulk and Mike Anderson has not really produced enough consistent run game to keep defenses honest. We love Faulk as a 3rd down back, but he is not a 3-down type of guy, while Anderson is great in short yardage but will not be a 20-carry back for the Gamblers. They need a bell cow who can keep defenses honest, opening room for Matt Hasselbeck and the pretty good receiving group that Houston has. They cannot just win with defense week in and week out, as this week’s loss to Nashville proved. Our recommendation, look in free agency for a solid starter, but that may be difficult to find, particularly as we often see older backs in the pool, and that is not what Houston needs. If, for example, Stephen Davis remains without a contract (which seems plausible in Philly), then he could be a short term answer, but youth is a priority in the HB position, so the draft might be a better option. Houston does not have any top level talent in their protected school pool of players, but there is a quality HB available in the Open Draft who could be a perfect fit, Oklahoma State’s Tatum Bell is not protected by any team, and could be just the type of slashing runner that could balance out the skills of Anderson and Faulk. Bell projects as a 1st or 2nd round pick, perhaps not a Top 10 pick, so Houston could play it smart, trade down with a team who has a mid-teens pick, and still get a halfback who will complement their current roster. Something for Coach Philips to consider. Oakland Invaders (1-9): We are not sure who, between the Invaders, Panthers, and Renegades, will end up with the 1st overall draft pick, so we are just working on a hunch as to who can perhaps get a 2nd win (or a 1st for Michigan). Of the three, we think Oakland might have the most obvious decision ahead. Clearly Marques Tuiasosopo is not the answer at QB, and while Jon Kitna might be a serviceable starter in the short run, the goal should be to sign a future franchise QB this offseason. The Invaders tried to do last year, trading for the rights to Carson Palmer, but they failed to ink the current Cincinnati Bengal. So who should the target this year? There are two top tier QB prospects that are free from T-Draft protection, NC State’s Philip Rivers and Miami of Ohio’s Ben Roethlisberger. Oakland should spend the offseason scouting both, wooing both, and then pull the trigger on the one most likely to sign (not necessarily the one they evaluate higher) on Draft Day. Orlando Renegades (1-9): The ‘Gades got their first win this week, which may actually cost them the #1 pick, but since they have their QB for now, having the overall #1 pick is not as essential. We expect that with a strong QB class, lots of teams will be interested in trading up to try to snag a QB, so sitting anywhere in the Top 3 could be a lucrative place to be. And that is what we think Orlando should be focusing on, using their position to accumulate picks and get more help across the roster. But, we all know what the primary focus has to be. The Renegades have collapsed since the retirement of Chris Doleman, in large part because they are not pressuring opposing QB’s and not disrupting opposing offenses nearly enough with their current front 4. If we were working in Orlando’s War Room, we would be on the phone right now with Ohio, trading our top draft pick for 2-3 picks, including a T-Draft pick to try to land Ohio State DE Will smith. He may not have the explosiveness of Doleman, but he is a dangerous power rusher who will draw double assignments, freeing up the rest of the line with one-on-one blocking. If Ohio won’t deal, then LA is the next target, with USC DE Kenechi Udeze the focal point. Either way, a pass-rushing DE has to be the goal. Michigan Panthers (0-10): The Panthers will have a new leadership team long before draft day, and likely will need time to assess free agents, which means the draft will be vital for them. They need to support Drew Brees with a more athletic offensive line and a run game that actually threatens opponents. Averaging fewer than 40 yards a game is just a travesty. OK, so we look at O-line first and we see that there is no help from the three protected schools the Panthers have (a bit of an oddity for 2 Big 10 schools like Michigan and Michigan State to not have a prospect, but so it goes). So, the Panthers need to look at the open draft, perhaps make a deal with Philly to try to sign Robert Gallery of Iowa, or with Boston for guard Chris Snee of Boston College. Trading away picks in the open draft for protected picks is a risky business (just ask Oakland), but seems necessary this year. At HB, the Panthers could stay at home with Wolverine HB Chris Perry, or they could look at two potential free agents as of yet unsigned in the NFL. Charlie Garner, the former Philadelphia Star is not yet resigned by the Raiders and could be available in the first NFL-USFL transfer window. The same is true of Thomas Jones with the Cardinals. Jones is more of a risk, as his best year was 511 yards and a 3.7 average, but he has shown flashes. The new head coach will need to consider what type of run game he wants to emphasize, and to what degree Ladell Betts might fit into that. We don’t see Betts as a full-time starter, so either Jones, Garner or Perry could be a priority for the Panthers. Week 11 and a lot on the line around the league as the West returns to divisional play while the East is in interdivisional clashes. Looking at playoff positioning, here are the games to watch out for: Ohio @ Washington: This is the game all of America is waiting to see. Can the Glory stop Washington from equaling their perfect season from last year? It is a classic matchup of the unstoppable force (Ohio’s offense) against the immovable object (Washington’s defense) when these two clash. This could be one for the ages. Jacksonville @ Baltimore: Both clubs are still very much alive, as is evident by the very real chance we will see Ryan Leaf start for the Blitz. Jacksonville is a game up on Boston and a win here, especially if the Cannons lose in New Jersey, could all but salt away the division. Boston @ New Jersey: A tough game for the Cannons as New Jersey can all but lock up a Wild Card with a win. Boston is in good position at 5-5, but a win here would be a boost as they head into the final divisional games, besides, it’s Boston v. New York (we know, New Jersey, but you get the idea.) Tampa Bay @ Chicago: Another matchup of clubs that really cannot afford to lose. Tampa’s loss to Orlando was a clear “trap game” situation as the Bandits simply underestimated a hungry Renegade squad. They cannot afford to lose a 7th game if they have hopes for a Wild Card, while Chicago is trying to stay in the hunt with Pittsburgh and Ohio ahead of them in the division. Pittsburgh @ Philadelphia: Not quite as heated a rivalry as when the Maulers and Stars shared the same division, but still a big game in the Keystone State, and a big game for the Maulers who need to rebound after back to back losses to Washington and Ohio. If Pittsburgh wants to be seen as an elite team, they need to win the games they are expected to win, and this is one of them. Arizona @ Denver: A nice rivalry game and one that the Wranglers absolutely need to pull out if they want any shot at a Wild Card. They are not looking good on tie-breakers, so they need wins to pull them off the table. Denver, for their part, is looking to wrap up the Southwestern Division in what has been an unexpected but very enjoyable rebound year for Gold fans. Portland @ Seattle: Both clubs are on the fringes of the playoff picture, both could still make a run. Seattle seems the better and hotter team, but when these two play each other you can basically throw the records out the window. Two of the league’s more athletic and exciting quarterbacks square off when Akili Smith faces the rookie, Byron Leftwich. Birmingham @ Memphis: Ooh, this is a good matchup of two teams that just don’t like each other. Only 1 game separates the two Southern rivals. Memphis has home field, and will play only 3 days before the big vote that could determine if the Showboats stay Memphis’s team. You know the players are going to fight for a win to help the voters decide. New Orleans @ Nashville: Another good southern clash as the Breakers can pull away in the division with a win and a Memphis loss, but Nashville is not done dreaming of playoff football just yet, and a win by the Knights tightens up the entire division with all 4 teams possibly having winning records with only 3 more weeks in the season. Houston @ Texas: We thought this one would be a playoff matchup earlier this year, but neither team has really stepped forward. Houston has lost 7 games in a row after a 3-0 start and would like nothing more than to get back in the win column with a road win in San Antonio against the rival Outlaws. Texas fans came together to demand that ownership not change up their team mascot/logo, can they come together to will the Outlaws to a home victory in the Lonestar Classic? Los Angeles @ Oakland: The California Darby has lost a lot of its luster, but this is still a battle for pride. We will see Rashaan Salaam and Jon Kitna playing not only for pride but for their futures in Oakland. LA has even more motivation as a win could win them the division crown. It will be interesting to see if desperation or determination wins out in this one. Orlando @ Michigan: If Ohio-Washington is an epic battle, this is the classic Comedy of Errors. What we expected to be a battle of two winless teams was slightly downgraded by Orlando’s win last week, but this is still very likely the game that decides the #1 overall pick in the draft. It may be Michigan’s only hope for a win, and interim HC Lovie Smith will likely put pride on the line with his players to try to get this one win. Orlando seems the better team on paper, but after getting the monkey off their back last week, are they ripe for Michigan to upset. This game should be entertaining if only because there may well be an entire episode worth of football follies and bloopers coming out of it.

Playoff Picture: Washington clinches a playoff berth at 10-0 while Michigan, Orlando, and Oakland are the first teams officially eliminated.

Playoff picture: With 5 weeks remaining in the season, no team has yet to be mathematically confirmed for the playoffs or mathematically eliminated. Week 10 results could lead to the first clinched playoff berth as Washington only needs to maintain their lead over a grouping of 4-win teams to mathematically confirm their playoff entrance.

With 5 weeks left in the season we are looking at three divisions where one team has a commanding lead and three where we could go down to the wire. Results this week made it clear that Washington, Denver, and Los Angeles look very good for potential division title runs, while we have some neck and neck races in the other three divisions. Memphis's win this week locks them up with New Orleans in the South, with Birmingham only 1 game back. In the Southeast, Jacksonville and Boston are also locked up at 5-4 each, with Tampa only a game back. And, finally, in the Central, Ohio has a 1 game lead on Pittsburgh, with Chicago another game back. Let's look how we got here, starting with a huge road win for the Memphis Showboats. MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS 32 NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS 26 OVERTIME The Showboats may be in a bit of turmoil off the field, but the players are working their way through it and came up big on Sunday to take a share of 1st place away from rival New Orleans. It took extra time to settle this one as both teams gave their all in a divisional clash. New Orleans got surprise help from 3rd HB Troy Hambrick, called into action when Ricky Williams, just back from suspension, came up lame in the 1st quarter. Hambrick would spell Troy Davis and rush for 63 yards and a score. For Memphis it was another huge game from TE Adrian Cooper, with help from Justin McCaerins and rookie Kelley Washington that helpled them keep pace until Dorsey Levins ended the game in overtime with a walk off touchdown. It was a close game all day, with the two teams trading scores and big defensive plays throughout the day. Early on it was the defenses, particularly red zone defense, that won out, as both clubs had to settle for field goals on early drives, leading to a 6-6 score midway through the 2nd quarter. But, on back-to-back drives, both New Orleans and Memphis broke through with big pass plays. The Breakers were first when a play action pass from Trent Dilfer to Josh Reed went for 42 yards and a score to give New Orleans a short-lived lead. Memphis responded only 4 plays later when Heath Shuler found Cooper on a seam route and the All-USFL tight end went to the house to even the score at 13. Following these two big plays, the defenses regrouped and again we saw both teams moving the ball between the 30’s but not getting the big plays needed to put up 7. Field goals from both teams made it a 19-16 Memphis lead after 3, but New Orleans would take back the lead early in the 4th. The Breakers finally made good on a red zone possession as Hambrick, subbing for Troy Davis, took a handoff from Dilfer, made one cut, and raced 9 yards to paydirt, his first TD of the season. The score put New Orleans back on top 23-19. That score motivated Memphis, who followed it up with a long 13-play drive that saw Heath Shuler connect with Kelley Washington on a key 3rd and 15 play, with Washington reaching out to just barely get the ball past the first down line and keep the drive alive. The Showboats would score as HB Dorsey Levins, who finished the game with 17 carries for 76 yards, plunged into the endzone on 3rd and goal from the 2. Up 26-23, a field goal would tie it, and that is exactly what New Orleans got. The Breakers had to settle for a 46-yard attempt because on 3rd and 7 Memphis CB Darrien Gordon managed to break up a pass to Kevin Dyson, pulling the ball out of his hands on what would have been a first down inside the red zone. The Breakers kicked the game-tying field goal and we went to overtime. Memphis won the toss and received the kick at their own 27. It took them 11 plays, but once again they found themselves within the 5 yard line. They turned to Dorsey Levins again and the former Wrangler made good, shrugging off a tackler to rumble into the endzone on a walk-off scoring play for the Showboats. Heath Shuler finished the game with 366 yards to be the Player of the Game, but it truly was a team effort as the defense did their part, the offense racked up over 450 yards, and special teams contributed with several Jeff Hall field goals. The Showboats move to 6-3 and a share of first place with the Breakers, also now 6-3. The two will face off again in Week 14, in what very well could be a game that determines the division champion. BIR 20 NSH 17 The other Southern Division game was also an entertaining and close battle as Birmingham needed a late Walter Reeves TD to take the win in Nashville. The Knights lost the turnover battle 3-0 and that was a big reason for their loss, particularly with Donta Jones’s pick-six sparking Birmingham after a lackluster first half. Todd Collins was responsible for all 3 turnovers as his accuracy was a bit shaky on the day. Birmingham continued to try to provide more touches to Shaun Alexander, with 17 carries for 66 yards on the day. The win moves the Stallions to 5-4 and right in the thick of playoff positioning, even perhaps a shot at the division. ARZ 38 HOU 31 A really fun one in Houston as the Wranglers come from behind in the 4th quarter to take the game. Jake Plummer had another huge day both passing and rushing as he amassed 5 total TDs (2 on the ground), including the game winner with 10 minutes left to play. Houston got 2 scores each from TE Dan Campbell and HB Kevin Faulk, but could not mount a final drive, down 7 with 3 minutes left. The win moves Arizona to 4-5 and drops Houston to 3-6. DEN 34 TEX 10 The Denver Gold tightened their grip on first place in the Southwest with a convincing win in San Antonio. Mark Brunell threw for 2 scores and HB Robert Holcombe rushed for 69 yards and a score to help propel the Gold to victory. New Texas HB T.J. Duckett got 14 carries on the day, rushing for 46 yards, but Texas simply could not maintain drives into the red zone. The loss drops Texas to 4-5 and gives Denver a 3 game lead in the division. LA 41 POR 22 The Express also expand their lead in the division thanks to a convincing win in Portland. Jevon Kearse recorded his first sack as a member of the Express and Cade McNown threw 3 TD passes before being relieved by Quincy Carter in the 4th quarter. LA was helped by a hit that knocked Rick Mirer out of the game and forced rarely-used John Stark to finish the game. Stark would complete only 6 of 23 pass attempts as Portland floundered in the second half without Mirer. SEA 47 OAK 13 The new look Invaders played a lot like the old look Invaders, getting blown out by a red hot Seattle Dragons club. Jon Kitna threw 3 picks and completed only 45% of his passes, while Rashaan Salaam, still on limited carries got his first TD late in the game. For Seattle it was a mix of contributors as the Dragons got a 99 yard Troy Walters kick return for a score, a pick six from Willie Middlebrooks, and a Joe Montgomery TD run (Montgomery is the 3rd HB and got only 2 touches on the day, but one was a 33 yard TD late in the game). Seattle is now 4-5 and in playoff contention in the West. JAX 20 NJ 38 The Generals got 3 TDs from Tom Brady as Anthony Becht and David Tyree helped make up for Terry Glenn’s absence. The Generals also looked very solid on defense, building up a 31-10 lead thanks to two picks of Jake Delhomme and a fumble by Lovell Pinkney. New Bulls HB Antowain Smith rushed 13 times for a very solid 74 yards, but the big New Jersey lead meant the run game had to be set aside. The win moves New Jersey to 6-3 and drops Jacksonville to 5-4. BOS 10 BAL 20 Baltimore got a big win to move to 4-5 and remain alive in playoff contention. The defense played well, sacking Drew Bledsoe 5 times to thwart Boston’s efforts. Jeff Garcia got the start as expected, but the team relied heavily on Ron Dayne, who rushed for 115 and both Blitz touchdowns. Despite the loss, Tiki Barber still had a solid game, rushing for 131 yards to retain his solid position atop the rushing leaderboard. PIT 14 WSH 25 The Maulers had a 14-3 lead going into the 4th quarter in Washington, but TD passes from Stewart to FB Tommy Vardell and TE Cam Cleeland flipped the script, giving the Federals an 18-14 lead with 1:14 left to play. The win was sealed when Ed Reed picked off Charlie Batch and ran it back for 6 to close out the game. The Feds held Terrell Davis to only 34 yards rushing in a masterful defensive performance, and while Pittsburgh’s D was equally tough through three quarters, it finally tired and Washington took the W to move to 9-0 on the year. OHI 31 PHI 21 Ohio continued to move up the standings with another win as Kerry Collins’s 4 TD day was enough to defeat the Stars. Joey Galloway had another 100-yard game, with 2 TDs as well, and Chad Johnson added 96 yards and a score as the Glory offense continued to impress. The defense was better today, holding Stephen Davis to only 36 yards rushing and picking off Brian Griese twice. With the loss, Philadelphia drops to 3-6 and will need a lot of help if they hope to get back into a playoff discussion. TBY 23 MGN 6 The Panthers continued to struggle on offense, falling to 0-9 with another poor performance. For Tampa Bay, Willis McGahee rushed for 119 and Randy Moss caught 7 balls from Kent Graham, including a 39-yard touchdown as Tampa Bay moved to 4-5. ORL 12 CHI 30 Orlando joined Michigan at 0-9 after a thorough dismantling by the Chicago Machine. Anthony Weaver nabbed Joey Harrington twice to move into 2nd on the league sack list and Jeff George threw TDs to former Renegade Donald Driver and to TE Fred Baxter in a comfortable win for the Machine, who move to 5-4 in the Central. Trading Block Cools Off Ahead of Deadline With the USFL trade deadline this Friday, we saw the trading block lose a lot of its energy after the Week 8 flurry of action. Only a couple of trades of note this week as teams got ready for the 5-game spring to the playoffs. Birmingham upgraded at guard by making a deal with Denver for Tracy Boyd. The swing guard for Denver may well plug right in at LG for Birmingham. Denver, for their part gets a solid slot receiver in rookie Kassim Osgood as well as a late round draft pick for Boyd. Jacksonville, having lost DT Renaldo Wynn in the same week they traded Jevon Kearse to LA, needed to add some muscle at DT and they found a willing trading partner in New Jersey. The Generals agreed to send Darwin Walker to the Bulls for two 5th round picks, Jacksonville’s and the pick the Bulls acquired from LA in the Jevon Kearse trade. Walker had been outplayed by John Parella this year and was acting as backup, but New Jersey has depth at the position, so Walker is off to Jacksonville. Interestingly we did hear a lot of rumors that the Blitz were shopping their starting QB Jeff Garcia, which seems very premature since Ryan Leaf has not even started a game for Baltimore yet, and since Garcia got the Blitz a win this week, but those rumors were out there. No takers however, as most teams are somewhat set at QB, at least until the offseason. New Faces in New Places Speaking of Ryan Leaf, he did not see action this week, but is practicing with the Blitz and working on picking up Coach Infante’s playbook. Baltimore uses a very different system than Texas, and the vocabulary alone could be a challenge as Coach Infante is known for his complex playcalling system. But, while Ryan Leaf is just beginning his learning curve in Baltimore, other Week 8 trade journeymen did see action this week with less than 1 week of time with their new teams. Of the players traded, we would have to say that DE Jevon Kearse had the best first week, scoring his first sack for his new club as well as 3 tackles, a tackle for loss, and a fumble recovery. Not a bad first impression. Antowain Smith had a decent first outing for the Bulls, racking up 74 yards on 13 carries (a very nice 5.3 YPC average), though the Bulls lost and their late deficit mean that Smith did not see many carries in the final quarter. T.J. Duckett struggled a bit more in his first action in Texas, carrying the ball 14 times but for only 46 yards (3.3 YPC). Duckett split time with Brian Westbrook, and did have a nice 11-yard run early in the game, but was clearly limited and was taken out in most passing situations in favor of Westbrook. Rookie Check In We are 9 weeks in, and it seems a good time to assess our Rookie Class. Looking only at the rookie on each club that has contributed the most, here is our ranking of the top 10 to make a contribution this season. 10) Terrance McGee, CB, Denver: Of the three rookie defenders who have seen action this year for Denver, McGee has been the biggest breakout player. Playing predominantly the nickel, McGee has 2 picks and 7 tackles this year, which is not bad considering he has only been targeted 16 times. 9) Troy Polamalu, SS, Los Angeles: Polamalu has had an immediate impact for the Express. He is currently third on the team with 48 tackles, some of them poster-worthy, and has also added a sack and a pick in his first 9 games. Polamalu seems to cherish opportunities to come close to the line and take on running backs. 8) Charles Rogers, WR, Michigan: The season and the offense have not gone the way Coach Mike Martz would want, but Rogers has been a solid contributor. He is third on the team with 32 catches on 53 targets, has 318 yards and a touchdown. He has not been as explosive as perhaps the Panthers had hoped, but with their O-line we are not sure Drew Brees could go deep very often anyway. 7) Kelley Washington, WR, Memphis: Washington’s numbers are slightly better than those of Rogers (33 catches on 45 targets, 508 yards and 3 touchdowns) but what is more important is that Washington has helped to open up the offense, freeing up both Justin McCaerins and TE Adrian Cooper to have big seasons. 6) Mike Doss, FS, Ohio: Doss has been a solid defender for the Glory. He has 27 tackles, 3 sacks, and 2 picks for the Glory defense, showing his versatility as both a coverage safety and an in-the-box presence. 5) Nick Barnett, LB, Houston: The Gamblers found themselves a thumper in Barnett. The rookie LB is third on the team with 48 tackles so far this season. He has yet to record a sack or a pick, but that is not surprising considering the role he has been given. He has 6 tackles for loss as the run game seems to be his strongsuit. 4) Marcus Truffant, CB, Seattle: The first of two Dragon rookies to make our list, Truffant has been stellar for a rookie CB. Yes, he has been faked out a couple of times, but his 3 picks leads the team and he has also contributed 49 tackles, including several really good run blitzes. 3) Anquon Boldin, WR, Jacksonville: Not the biggest name among wideouts coming out of the draft, but Boldin has made a name for himself this season with 57 receptions (5th in the league), 722 yards, and 4 touchdowns. He has been the perfect #2 receiver, freeing up Terrell Owens from the double teams that have impacted his entire career. Boldin provides both solid route running and good speed to the other WR spot, and that has not gone unnoticed. 2) Willis McGahee, HB, Tampa Bay: McGahee had a rough first couple of weeks as the starter in Tampa Bay, replacing the legendary Errict Rhett, but the former Miami Hurricane is making himself a popular player in Tampa Bay with an outstanding run of games. He currently sits 3rd in the rushing race with 782 yards, and his 7 touchdowns have been huge for the Bandits. He has lived up to the hype coming out of Miami to be sure. 1) Byron Leftwich, QB, Seattle: Was there really any doubt here. Leftwich has taken the league by storm. He is currently the only QB with more than 3,000 yards passing, has 27 TD passes and a QBR well over 100. That is an amazing feat for a rookie quarterback. Kudos to Seattle for having the foresight and the guts to trade away their starter in Brian Griese and make the big move to sign this very exciting young QB. Our first playoff preview of the season and what we see is that there is, as usual, a cluster around the .500 mark with a few teams leaping out to significant division leads and a few others falling far back of the pack. No one is officially eliminated from playoff contention at this point, but we feel pretty safe keeping Michigan, Orlando, and Oakland off the chart this week. Looking at division races we see that Denver and Los Angeles are feeling pretty good, both with a 3-game lead over the closest division rival. Things are a lot tighter in the South as Memphis and New Orleans could battle all the way to the end, with Birmingham only a game back. Right now all 4 Southern teams would qualify for the playoffs, but that is not likely to hold up once we get into heavy divisional play down the stretch. In the East, Washington has a 3-game lead on New Jersey, while Ohio has just taken a 1-game lead on Pittsburgh and Jacksonville is tied with Boston at 5-4, but currently holds the tiebreaker edge. Across the entire league we see 4-5 being very much in the hunt, with even some 3-6 teams still in range. So we have a few divisional races to watch (South, Central, and Southeast being the closest) and a lot of positioning for Wild Cards still on the table. More players headed to IR as nine weeks of hard hitting football takes its toll on team rosters. Oakland rookie DE Robert Mathis is out for the year after an injury to his ACL this week. He is joined on IR by New Jersey DT Jason Wilz, making the Generals D-line a bit thin after trading away DT Darwin Walker. Portland QB Rick Mirer is also lost for the year, just as Akili Smith is cleared to play. John Walsh will serve as backup but expect Portland to sign an emergency QB. Tampa Bay will be losing the services of center Trey Teague, but likely only for a week or two. Similarly, Arizona CB Fred Smoot is out this week but may return in week 11 or 12. Ohio is also shorthanded in the secondary as Ty Howard will be out at least 1-2 weeks. Philadelphia LB Quinton Qaver sprained his wrist and is listed as doubtful for this week. Also doubtful is Nashville DT Don Sasa, Jacksonville tackle Luke Petigout, and LA tackle Jonathan Ogden. New Orleans is listing HB Troy Davis as questionable, but word we hear is that he is out this week. Rod Smart of Denver could also miss this week due to a hamstring issue. Portlanders Bond Over Lost Thunder The city of Portland has reacted quickly to the upcoming departure of the Thunder. Several protests over the past weeks have seen fans throwing away Thunder gear and demanding that Portland be included in any USFL expansion plans. City officials have responded with calls to develop the East Side stadium as originally planned, even without a club to support. The goal, one assumes, is to entice the league to return to the city (a city they technically have not even left yet) when and if the league votes to expand in 2006 and 2008. But while public sentiment is strongly behind working towards a potential expansion franchise for the city, one big piece of the puzzle is still missing. Ever since the issues with ownership first arose around the Thunder in 2001 there has been a grassroots movement to develop a stronger link between the franchise and the city, and the eminent departure of the Thunder for Las Vegas, approved last month at the league owners’ meeting, has apparently intensified the movement. The problem, of course, is that a team needs an owner, and while Phil Ruffin was pulling in Las Vegas associates to form the coalition that would be granted the Thunder franchise, efforts in Portland to identify a majority owner who would keep the team in the city failed to identify a willing investor. While it makes some sense for Portland’s government officials to consider the original stadium proposal as a sine qua non for attracting a new franchise, the missing piece of the puzzle which must be addressed is the question of ownership. If an ownership group could be located that wanted to work towards a Portland franchise, and a stadium was under development for such a franchise, it seems very plausible that the league would move towards a Portland expansion franchise in 2008. For now, we are seeing primarily sour grapes, upset fans, and politicians trying to close the barn doors after the horses have all gotten out. League Pushes for Memphis Commitment In an interesting twist in the Showboat saga, league owners, in a conference call on Tuesday, voted to include an addendum to the expansion proposal put forth by the Finance and Competition Committees, an addendum that would meet Showboat ownership’s demands that St. Louis’s automatic expansion bid be contingent upon the Showboats declining the bid to relocate. What makes the conference call interesting is the demand made back to Showboat ownership, a counter to the team’s addendum. The countermeasure proposed in the call would demand that should the upcoming referendum on a bond issuance by the city of Memphis pass, paving the way for Liberty Bowl Stadium improvements, that the Showboats would commit to remaining in the city and St. Louis’s proposal would be taken up only for an expansion franchise. Essentially what has happened is the league has pushed back on the Showboats, requiring a commitment from them equal to the commitment the Showboats are asking of the league in regards to St. Louis. So, what does this really mean for the fanbase of Memphis? It actually clarifies the situation quite a bit. If the referendum passes, the Showboats must commit to remaining in Memphis and the threat of relocation is over, but if it fails, the franchise is free to negotiate with St. Louis. For anxious USFL fans in St. Louis, the premise is also simplified. If Memphians vote to deny the bond issuance, as they have 3 times in the past when stadium refurbishment has been on the ballot, then St. Louis is very likely to become the new home of the Showboats. However, if the measure passes, Memphis will remain the home to the Showboats and St. Louis’s USFL future will come down to the vote 2 weeks later at the Owner’s meeting, a vote that could guarantee the city a franchise as soon as 2006. So, for St. Louis, things are looking promising that they will have USFL football back within 2-3 years, while for Memphis, the voters will essentially decide the future of the Showboats. Are the Breakers Next Up? That was the concern this week when majority owner of the Breakers, Jeff Canizaro, announced that he plans to divest himself of his majority share of the club. But before fans in New Orleans panic, it should be stated that Canizaro has stated unequivocally that he is patient with the plan and that his goal is to bring in local ownership to ensure that the club remains in New Orleans. Minority partner David Dixon also firmly stated that there are no plans for the Breakers to leave New Orleans for any reason and that the sale of the franchise will be a long term project to be conducted in an orderly fashion, unlike the rushed sales of the Thunder and Knights due to immediate financial and legal issues surrounding the owners. The problem, of course, is that with St. Louis, Atlanta, and now Portland, recently losing their USFL franchises due to ownership changes, some forced, some voluntary, the belief among fans that unstable ownership situations can easily lead to franchise relocation is solidly founded. It is no surprise that any transition of ownership brings with it some uncertainty, but in the case of the Breakers, concerns that the team is in trouble, or that a sale could lead to upheaval or even relocation, seem largely unfounded. If Mr. Canizaro’s statement affirms anything it is that the Breakers are to be sold locally and that this sale will not impact the fan experience or the viability of the franchise in the Crescent City. Reebok Unveils New Look for Texas Outlaws The first of the three new looks for 2004 was revealed this week at an event along San Antonio’s famous Riverwalk as Reebok and the Outlaws unveiled their new look for 2004. The new branding includes the first major change to the team logo since their formation in 1988, when they merged imagery from the short-lived Oklahoma Outlaws with the color scheme and basic uniform design of the San Antonio Gunslingers. The new look retains the Kelly green, royal blue, and black color scheme, but introduces a very different version of the “Outlaw Jim” logo. Gone is the stoic headshot of the black-hatted outlaw and in its place is a new dynamic, perhaps a bit more cartoony, version of the Outlaw. The new Outlaw clutches a footall with two gloved hands, wears a black hat with blue highlights and a green kerchief. The new logo will adorn the helmet, which loses its complex “snakeskin” pattern on the striping, returning to a simpler 5-stripe pattern of royal bordered in black and white. The shell remains Kelly green and the facemask is black. One interesting feature of the new helmet is that the base of the stripe containing the player number uses an Alamo silhouette in white to set it apart from the green helmet. This Alamo silhouette will be a prominent feature of the entire look. Both on the jersey striping and the angled horizontal pant striping we find a 3 color stripe pattern, but in each case the top stripe is not a straight line but forms the same Alamo silhouette, highlighted by a single “Lonestar” at the center of the central arch of the Alamo rooftop. On the royal jerseys and pants the stripe pattern is green at the base, then black, then white for the Alamo stripe. On the white pants and jersey the colors shift to blue, then green, then black for the Alamo stripe. The jerseys retain a slightly Westernized block font with black piping and a drop shadow. On the blue jersey the numbers are white with a Kelly green drop shadow, while on the white jersey the numbers are blue with black piping and a royal blue drop shadow. The final piece of the new look is an updated wordmark, with a rougher “Western” font and a curved base. The primary wordmark will be royal blue, with TEXAS above it in Kelly and above that a thick black line outlining the familiar Alamo rooftop and a silver Lonestar. All in all the look is clean and borrows heavily from both former Outlaw looks as well as traditional iconography of the city of San Antonio. The big question is how fans will react to the new “Outlaw Jim” logo, as this is the wildest departure from the logo which has been in use since 1988. Week 10 brings us back to divisional play in the East, with some major playoff impact games on the schedule. Pittsburgh, just one week after facing the unbeaten Federals, now gets to go to Ohio in what could be the deciding game for the Central Division. It’s either a share of 1st place with a Mauler win or a 2-game gap with a loss. The Southeast offers another top-of-division clash as Jacksonville heads to Boston with the winner taking over sole possession of 1st place. In the East, Baltimore heads to New Jersey with a win getting the Blitz up to .500 while New Jersey can all but lock up a Wild Card if they can move to 7-3. Washington survived the Maulers last week and now head to Philadelphia to face the Stars. Tampa Bay heads down to 0-9 Orlando with a win moving them back to .500 as well. Chicago can move to 6-4 if they can avoid a trap game at home against the winless Panthers. Out West, our favorite matchup is between Memphis and the red hot Seattle Dragons. If Seattle can get the home win against the defending conference champ, they move to 5-5. LA is in Arizona in a game that could be a tough matchup for the Express. Nashville travels to Houston in a game that is vital to both club’s hopes for a playoff push. New Orleans comes off their divisional loss and must travel to face a tough Texas squad. The Outlaws can also reach .500 with a win. Birmigham is over the .500 line and hopes to stay there for good as they head to Portland to take on the Thunder. Denver wraps up the western slate by playing host to the 1-9 Oakland Invaders.