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Tampa Bay Bandits Win Their Second Title With Offensive Explosion Against St. Louis It’s all fun and games on the mountain until the avalanche comes. That must be what this year’s Summer Bowl felt like for the St. Louis Knights as Tampa Bay, trailing by 18, went on a 42-9 scoring binge to not only come back against the Western Conference champs, but to blow them out, winning their first title since 1983 and by the second largest margin in league history. St. Louis succeeded in their strategy to contain rookie wideout Randy Moss, limiting the receiver to 108 yards and no scores on the day. But, in doing so, the Knights left other options available to QB Troy Aikman and the Bandits. And yet, early on things seemed to be headed St. Louis’s way. Tampa Bay went 3-and-out on their first drive, while St. Louis had a quick drive that ended in a Darrell Thompson TD. Tampa responded with a short John Kasay field goal, but when St. Louis finished out the first quarter by scoring on the ground for the second time, things were going about as well as they could for the defensive-minded Knights. They got even better at the beginning of the 2nd quarter, when Aikman tried to fit the ball in to wideout Robert Brooks, but found Knights’ CB Troy Vincent instead. Rather against expectations, Jim Johnson opted to put Vincent on Brooks in single coverage and use his second CB against Randy Moss, but always in double coverage. The move paid off as Vincent set up St. Louis for a third score, again from HB Ahman Green, and the Bandit fans seeing the score balloon to 21-3 had to be concerned. It seems Coach Seifert and the Bandit offense were not. They followed the Green touchdown with two quick and decisive drives, the first ending with a Ben Coates TD reception, and the second, only 5 minutes later with Errict Rhett rushing for the score, one of 3 rushing touchdowns the Bandits would get on the day. Seemingly in an instant the momentum had shifted and a 18 point deficit was now down to 4. St. Louis would tack on a field goal to make it a 7-point lead at the half, but it seemed clear that Tampa Bay was beginning to figure out ways to work around the defensive strategy. How would both teams make adjustments at the half. They would each have 20 minutes to figure out how best to alter their plans as the rest of the stadium and the country enjoyed a performance by the Bee Gees, joined on stage by fellow 1997 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees Parliament Funkadelic and two members of the Jackson 5 (Yes, one was Tito). The show at the half was fun, if not quite as “rock and roll” as many in the crowd would like, but the best was yet to come as the Bandits and Knights returned to the field. St. Louis received the ball first, but could do nothing and were quickly punting back to Tampa Bay. The Bandits, having figured out a few options if Moss would continue to face double coverage. They used Rhett and Stewart on the ground, and went to secondary receivers, with Brooks, Coates, Troy Drayton and Chris Doering also getting targets in the passing game. It was Doering who would even the score at 24 when he broke the coverage on a slant and go and Aikman hit him for a 41-yard touchdown. Knotted up, it would be up to St. Louis’s offense to help them gain some momentum back, but that simply was not in the cards. After gaining an initial first down on a penalty against Tampa DT Roland Putzier, the drive stalled and an aprehensive Knights defense came back on the field. Tampa wasted no time taking the first lead of the game, in 5 plays they marched into St. Louis territory, aided by a defensive pass interferance call against CB Steve Israel covering Moss. 1 play later it was James Stewart taking the ball on a draw and with St. Louis’s defense thinking pass, the big back had no trouble shrugging off the first hit and plunging into the endzone to give Tampa a 31-24 advantage. The Knights fared a bit better on their next drive, holding the ball for nearly 5 minutes before settling for a field goal to pull back to 31-27. This gave their defenders a needed rest, but it did not help them with the conundrum of how to cover such a diversified offense. Tampa stayed hot into the final period, and with their first possession of the quarter stretched their advantage to 11 points when Errict Rhett got his 2nd of 3 TDs on the day, this time a reception from Aikman on a simple swing route. Down 11, St. Louis needed a touchdown, and they started their drive well, gaining 11 and 14 yards on their first two plays, but the combination of a false start on their right tackle and then a negative running play, put them in a difficult 3rd and 16 situation. They went short, throwing to Ahman Green, and got within a very deep range for kicker Ryan Longwell, but unwilling to come away without anything, they let Longwell take the kick from 58 yards out. The ball barely dribbled over the crossbar, but this brought St. Louis within 1 score, down 38-30 with half of a quarter left to play. They would have a chance to get back to a tie after a sack of Aikman by Vonnie Holliday, his only of the day, forced Tampa into a 3-and-out and gave St. Louis the ball back with over 5 minutes left. But, for as overshadowed as the Bandits defense has been all year, they were solid when holding a lead, and St. Louis soon found themselves with a 4th and 4 on their own side of the field. Coach Johnson opted to punt, hoping another quick defensive stop would give the Knights one more chance for an equalizing score. That chance would never come. Tampa Bay took the punt, and, eschewing standard logic to slow the game down and run to kill clock, they continued to attack through the air. Drayton for 7, then Moss for 14, Coates for 9, and Drayton again for 5. Within 7 plays they were deep into St. Louis territory with only a field goal needed to almost certainly assure victory, but on 3rd and 2 rather than call a dive over the middle to place the ball, Aikman tossed the ball wide, finding Errict Rhett, who found few defenders follwed him to the wide side of the field. A nice juke on FS Greg Jeffries and Rhett was in the endzone with a score that put Tampa Bay up by 15 and all but guaranteed them their first league title since the very first season of the USFL in 1983. The Knights would try to move the ball to get a quick score, but the deep ball is not Todd Collins’s strength, and both a 3rd and 3 and 4th and 3 pass went awry, leading to Tampa gaining possession and taking a knee to end the game and pop the champagne on their title. Troy Aikman, with 493 yards passing, much of it after trailing 21-3, and 3 passing touchdowns, was named the game’s MVP. Coach Seifert was carried in the air by his club, and Errict Rhett got to give the traditional “I’m going to Disneyworld” line to the cameras. St. Louis played a solid game, but Tampa Bay was just too much to handle, having now scored over 40 points in each of their 3 playoff games as they ran roughshod through the best the league had to offer as competition. Once the confetti in Ohio Stadium is cleaned up, the champagne flat, and the ear to ear smiles off the faces of the 53 Bandit players and the entire coaching staff, we can talk about the offseason ahead and some of the tough decisions Tampa Bay and other clubs will have to make, but for now it is all cheers and jubilation by the Bay. Congratulations to Tampa Bay and the Bandit Nation!

After a lot of prognostication, simulation, and a near-constant rationalization from pundits across the county on how Washington could slow down the Tampa Bay offense or how Arizona could out-scheme the St. Louis defense, the players hit the field, and we got exactly what most people figured we would get, two dominant wins from the two best teams in the league this season. Tampa Bay won with a near-unstoppable offense while St. Louis dominated with defense, setting up one of the most highly anticipated Summer Bowl clashes in recent memory, an epic battle of defensive fortitude and offensie explosiveness. But, first things first, let’s see how we got here. Pretty much everyone agreed going into this game that if the final score was in the 20’s it was a sign that Washington had found some solutions for the Tampa Bay offense, but that if it creeped into the 30’s or higher it looked rough for the Federals. In other words, we predicted one path and once the game went that way the outcome seemed assured. Tampa Bay put up a crushing 538 yards of offense against the vaunted Federals defense, nearly all of it through the air as Troy Aikman threw for 531 yards and 6 scores, with Robert Brooks (127), Ben Coates (105) and Randy Moss (184) all crossing the 100 yard mark. Moss would finish the game with a stunning 30.7 yard per catch average, including 3 scores of 37 yards, 48 yards, and 23 yards. Chris Doering would also get in on the action, catching 2 touchdown passes with his only 2 receptions. With Aikman only sacked 2 times, he was able to complete nearly 70% of his passes, and quite simply Washington could not compete against that. The Federals tried to milk the clock and slow the game, but an early injury to HB Barry Word largely made that impossible. Terrell Fletcher tried to fill in, and did gain 108 yards on 12 carries, but his is an outside run game, not adept at grinding out yardage. That put the pressure on Kordell Stewart, who was forced to throw 48 passes, well above his average and well outside the comfort zone of the Federals’ playing style. He would toss 3 touchdowns with no picks, but the Federals offense simply could not keep pace with Tampa Bay’s relentless attack. It was 27-21 Tampa Bay at the half, but after 3 quarters the lead was up to 10, and then Tampa scored on 2 straight drives to build up a 48-24 lead and that is all she wrote. The Bandits will head into Columbus for Summer Bowl 1998 having scored 82 points in their 2 playoff games, and with Troy Aikman having thrown for nearly 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns in that short span. Randy Moss has over 300 yards receiving and 5 touchdowns, as his 2 week hiatus seems to have provided exactly the rest needed for him to come alive in the playoffs. The Bandits will face a defense which has given up only 24 points in its two playoff games. In that same span the St. Louis Knights have held both Texas and Arizona under 300 yards of total offense, with the Wranglers failing to crack 200 in this week’s loss. The run defense is just lights out, allowing Texas 31 yards rushing and Arizona only a marginally less pathetic 37 yards. Of course it is the pass defense that will be tested against the Bandits. Against Arizona, St. Louis used a strong 2nd quarter to put some distance between them and the Wranglers. Two early drives in the 1st led to Knights field goals, but a special teams flub led to a Rocket Ismael 105-yard kickoff return, a score that shockingly had Arizona in front despite nearly no offense in the quarter. St. Louis kept plugging and in the 2nd quarter they got back to back touchdowns from Darrell Thompson and Ahman Green to take a 20-7 lead. Arizona would get a late field goal on their only real drive of the first half, but St. Louis had been dominant on defense, and that would be the last of the scoring for the Wranglers. In the second half, Arizona would gain a total of 58 yards, and would fail on all 6 third down attempts, finishing the day a miserable 2 of 11. St. Louis did not muster much in offense, though the combination of Thompson and Green would account for 123 yards rushing. It was a strategy that allowed St. Louis to dominate time of possession 36:36 to 23:24, and to keep the game well in hand against a Wranglers offense that did not make mistakes (no turnovers) but also simply could not make plays when needed. So, we have a top flight defense now preparing for its biggest challenge of the year, a record-setting offense that is firing on all cylinders. Should be quite a game of wits as George Seifert’s offense matches up against Jim Johnson’s defense. COACHING HIRES We started the offseason with 5 coaching vacancies (Chicago, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, New Jersey, and Ohio), but this week that number dropped to 3 as two clubs quickly snapped up coaches before the market got too hot. New Jersey, following the retirement of veteran NFL coach Chuck Knox, wanted to stay in the same vein, stressing defense and a solid run game, so they turned to another veteran coach who has been able to produce just that, recent Chicago firee, Marty Schottenheimer. The former coach of both Baltimore and Chicago was expected to be a hot commodity despite his ignominious departure after an abysmal 3-13 season in Chicago. New Jersey has the pieces in place to make Marty happy right away, a strong run game behind rookie Curtis Enis, and a pretty solid defense, though some work is needed in the offseason. Expect a look very similar to what we saw in Chicago, with little asked of the QB, and a lot of weight put on fundamentals and mental toughness. The other hiring this week was in Los Angeles, where the Express turned to a former USFL coach who has been kicking around both the USFL and NFL since departing the Jacksonville Bulls in 1994. Hall had a pretty good run with Jacksonville, leading the Bulls to three winning seasons and 2 playoff appearances in his 6-year tenure (89-94), but has been largely consulting and serving as a TV analyst the past 4 seasons. Known as an offensive innovator, Hall is expected to work closely with the GM office in LA to reshape the roster this year after a truly horrific 2-win season, one highlighted by general incompetence on both sides of the ball. Expect Hall to seek a dynamic playmaker at QB, a trademark of his clubs, and to put the defense in the hands of his DC as he focuses on producing points. The signings leave Ohio, Jacksonville, and Chicago still in the market, and rumor has it that all three are willing to play the long game in hopes of snagging an up and coming younger coach either from a current USFL playoff team or an NFL coach late in the offseason. FIRST QB TRADE IS NOT SHOCKING Every offseason we expect some movement among USFL QB’s between free agency, NFL signings, the draft, and trades, and this season is no different as we have our first QB relocation. With Trent Green expected back in the fold after a season-ending injury, Baltimore has traded the backup they traded for this past season, former LA Express QB Jeff Garcia. Garcia never saw a snap in Baltimore as the reaonable success of Wally Richardson kept the newly acquired QB on the bench. Well, Garcia, who struggled with consistency and turnovers in LA, will get his shot at a starting gig as he was sent to Chicago, where he will compete with Alex Van Pelt and former Blitz starter Chris Miller. This may be an indication that Chicago is out of the rookie QB market, or it could be a sign that Miller is planning to retire after a season in which he needed 2 months to get a start and then promptly got injured. Chicago is still without a head coach, but rumors are that the club is looking to revamp an offense that simply did not surprise anyone under Coach Schottenheimer. Whether Garcia is the answer or simply a bridge QB until a rookie has a shot is very much the question today in Chicago, while Baltimore gets something they want as well, swapping out the unused QB for a pretty decent corner in Chicago’s Latin Berry. SEASON AWARDS As part of the build up to Summer Bowl 1998 the USFL this week held a televised Award Ceremony to recognize the best of the 1998 season. No big surprises here, though a couple of competitions were likely very close contests. Congratulations to this year’s winners: League MVP: A no brainer, Tampa Bay QB Troy Aikman was the landslide winner. Aikman set records for passing yards and passing touchdowns in a season highlighted by big play after big play. His award was largely a given, and one of three awards garnered by the Bandits in their charmed season. Aikman was the only player to receive first place votes in one of the easier decisions in recent years. Offensive Player of the Year: With Aikman winning MVP, the race was on for the offensive POTY, and while some believe that this year either Aikman or Moss should have doubled up on awards, that is not how voting tends to go in the USFL. So, we ended up with a pretty heated race between QB Brett Favre and his late run with the Stallions and Michigan wideout Jeff Campbell. Surprisingly the voters favored Campell over Favre in a close race between players on 8-8 clubs. Campbell, the consumate posession receiver, set a club record with 152 receptions, and while his average was only 10.4 yards per catch, his reliability led to 1,577 yards and 15 touchdowns, third behind only Ben Coates and Portland’s Matt Hatchette. Defensive Player of the Year: This one was also pretty easy. USFL voters love the sack masters, and with Orlando’s Chris Doleman tying Phil Hansen’s record of 25 sacks, while also forcing 4 fumbles, it was a pretty easy pick. Baltimore DT John Randall and Denver FS Jamel Williams came in a distant 2nd and 3rd as the year belonged to Doleman and his power rush. Rookie of the Year: The second of Tampa Bay’s three awards goes to one of the most exciting rookies to come along in a long time, wideout Randy Moss. Moss finished the year with 68 receptions for 1,613 yards and 12 touchdowns. He was not the only votegetter however, as both Oakland QB Ryan Leaf and Washington CB Charles Woodson each garnered one first place vote (we suspect from media reps from the Bay Area and DC, but it is an anonymous vote, so who’s to say?) Coach of the Year: Tampa Bay gets its third award with first year coach George Seifert recognized for his reinvigoration of the Bandit offense and the amazing success of the season. The Bandits improved from 8-8 and 4th place in the Southern Division in 1997 to a 13-3 record and a quick run to the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Along the way Seifert helped to engineer an offense that made the most of his talented roster, including the Rookie of the Year and MVP. Summer Bowl 1998 should be a game largely unimpaired by pre-game injuries. St. louis has listed Rodney Harrison as questionable with a jammed finger, but no one really expects him to miss this one. For Tampa, there is the obvious injury to Mike Vanderjact, but in John Kasay they have a more-than-adequate replacement. They are also a bit thin on the line, with C Steve McKinney expected to play despite suffering a concussion this week. Tackle Robert Bahr is out, which reduces depth on the line, but is likely not a major factor for Tampa Bay. SS Chris Crooms is playing through a shoulder injury, but we also expect him to start. So, a game that should put two pretty healthy rosters on the line against each other. As we look forward to the Summer Bowl this week, the key in our mind are the games within the game, the individual matchups that will determine how this game goes. Here are our top 5 battles needed to win the war. 1. Randy Moss vs. CB Troy Vincent & FS Rodney Harrison: We fully expect the Knights to double cover Moss all game long. They really don’t have a choice. Vincent is good, but is not exactly a shut-down corner, however in Harrrison the Knights have one of the best cover safeties in the game. We fully expect Moss to still find openings, but if St. Louis can avoid the 40+ yard chunk plays and deep ball TDs, they might be able to keep that score within a reasonable range. 2. TE Ben Coates vs. St. Louis underneath coverage. With Moss likely getting special attention, there should be room underneath for Coates to find space. SS Jason Snider will likely split time with LB’s Marcus Cotton and Kevin Hardy trying to limit Coates’s range and his impact on the game. If he breaks free, that may force St. Louis to move to more zone, and that certainly makes life more difficult for the entire St. Louis defense. 3. DE Vonnie Holliday vs. LT Andre Johnson: Johnson may get some help from guard Will Shields, one of the league’s best, but St. Louis is good at scheming to avoid that. Expect some blitzes, but the key is really whether Holliday or his linemate Dameaion Jeffries can put pressure on Aikman without requiring blitzers abandon coverage. If they can even rush Aikman a little, that will disrupt the long-ball game the Bandits enjoy so much success with. 4. Green & Thompson vs. the TB LB Corps: Kevin Mitchell, Keith McCants, Bobby Houston and Derrick Little are not the league’s best backers, and they tend to spend more time rushing the passer as blitzers than defending the run, but against St. Louis’s 2-headed backfield, they are going to have to make clean tackles and clean up holes left by the front line. If St. Louis can get success on the ground in early downs, it makes Todd Collins’s life that much easier. 5. Tampa Bay special teams vs. the return game of the Knights: The Knights don’t have a homerun hitter in the return game, but what they have is the ability to shorten the field by getting solid returns from Anthony Miller, Reggie Rusk, or Clarkston Hines. If St. Louis can start consistently outside of their 30-yard line, they can keep the field tilted against a Bandits team that is better at big plays than consistent drives. Tampa Bay, with a replacement kicker and a shaky coverage team, could be susceptible to a St. Louis field-position strategy, and if the Knights can avoid giving up the 40 yard bombs, it could force Tampa to play the slow, dink and dunk game that few teams have held them to. So, what do we think will happen? Well, we saw what happened to Washington, another formidable defense. Tampa Bay outschemed them and got big play after big play. St. Louis’s defense is not the same mold as Washington, but we think they may face the same threat. We just see too much opportunity for Tampa Bay. Even if St. Louis is capable of removing Moss from the deep ball and quick strike, you still have Coates in the middle, Brooks on the opposite side, and the threat of Errict Rhett out of the backfield. With clear conditions predicted, and a relatively cool evening (for August in Ohio), the conditions favor offense, and so do we. Our pick is Tampa Bay 31, St. Louis 21.

Four more games and four more winners headed on to the Conference Championships. Once again we had two home favorites fall to underdogs, but we also got to see the two best teams in the league in action this week and both lived up to the hype, seemingly destined to face off in Summer Bowl 1998, but not so fast, there is still a lot of football to be played, and after this week’s action, more is always welcome. Let’s get right to the action with one of the #1 seeds showing how they got there. Baltimore’s defense kept it close for 30 minutes, but they could not keep Tampa Bay down all game long and that lead to their downfall. After holding Troy Aikman to only 122 yards passing in the first half, Tampa Bay and their QB exploded in the second half as Tampa outscored Baltimore 17-7 after the break to win going away. Aikman would finish the day with 375 yards and 4 TD passes, including two scoring tosses to rookie Randy Moss, who seemed to have benefitted from his 2 week hiatus. Add in a solid 82 yards rushing from Errict Rhett, and you have a strong offensive showcase that simply had answers to every trick Baltimore tried to throw at them. The Tampa D also played better than average, shutting down Baltimore’s already problematic run game (Derrick Fenner held to 0.5 yards per carry) and forcing Wally Richardson to dump the ball down on almost every play, leading to Fenner and TE Kyle Brady being the team’s top two receivers. Up only 17-14 at the half, Tampa opened up the 2nd half with scoring tosses to Moss and TE Troy Drayton to open up a 31-14 lead, and they would never look back. The Bandits will now host the Eastern Conference Championship with a chance to return to the Summer Bowl for the first time since 1996’s loss to Houston and only the 2nd time since their 1983 title. The other #1 seed, St. Louis, looked equally as driven, though their victory was less about offensive fireworks and more about a pressure D that held Texas ton only 31 yards rushing and a total of only 293 yards on the day. St. Louis put the pressure on in part by scoring early, with Collins finding Amani Toomer for one score and then getting a TD run from Chris Howard to go up 14-0. It would be the first of 3 rushing TD’s for Chris Howard as the rookie ended the day with 118 yards on only 10 carries, a nice addition to Ahman Green’s more workmanlike 61 yards on 13 carries. Howard, playing for the injured Darrell Thompson, made some dazzling moves on his way to TD runs of 45 and 28 yards in the 4th quarter as the Knights rolled up the score and ran down the clock. Texas had trouble from the very start of the game, with Reggie Cobb limited to only 21 yards rushing by the Knights’ defense. Add 7 sacks by 7 different Knights and you have a very rough day for Coach Pardee and the outmanned Outlaws. Texas just could not protect Kelly Stouffer, and Stouffer, running for his life, was not accurate enough to make them pay for sending blitzers. It was 21-7 at the half, 31-7 after 3, and never really in doubt as St. Louis marches on. They will be at home next week and just one win away from their first Summer Bowl as a franchise (both in LA and St. Louis.) We largely expected to see the Bandits and the Knights advance, but the outcome was very much in doubt when two Atlantic Division rivals, both 10-6 on the season, faced off. Philly, as division champs, had home field, but Washington came in the more experienced playoff team, hoping to defend their 1997 title by winning in Veterans Stadium to get past the rival Stars. Washington wasted no time pushing their advantage, scoring the only points of the first half, a 2 yard plunge from HB Barry Word on a penalty-aided drive. At the half the defensive nature of the game had truly been well-established. The two teams combined for only 7 first downs and 188 total yards. But the second half would see adjustments from both clubs. Washington got the first big break, an errant throw from Philadelphia’s Bobby Hebert that found its way into Charles Woodson’s hands. Woodson returned the ball to the Stars’ 17 yard line, and from there the Feds built on their lead with a Stewart to Herman Moore scoring toss. By the end of 3 it was Washington in command with a 17-0 lead. But Philadelphia was not dead yet. They opened the 4th quarter with a long drive that ended in a Marcus Pollard TD to drop the lead to 10. The game seemed to be turning their way as on the next drive they had Washington pinned with a 3rd and 14 play, but the Feds got the biggest play of the game on that 3rd down, a beautiful 45-yard toss from Stewart to Moore once again, aided by two defenders taking bad angles and essentially blocking each other from the tackle. Moore’s score put Washington up for good, and while a late Star TD brought the game down to a 10-point margin, the Federals were in control. They will now take their title defense to Tampa Bay, where they hope their smashmouth defensive style can do to Tampa Bay what it had done to Birmingham a week ago and to Philly this week. Never doubt the power of momentum, and in this game that momentum belonged to the Arizona Wranglers. Arizona is beginning to believe in themselves and it showed as they came back on the Gold in Denver, a tough feat even without playoff pressure on them. Denver had taken a 14-0 lead on two scoring runs as they had their ground game working early. Scoring opened not with Rashaan Salaam, but backup Ricky Whittle, busting off a 12-yard TD run to put Denver up. Salaam would score the next time Denver had the ball, and after 1 quarter it looked like the Pacific Division Champs had the number of the 4th place club in their division, the 8-8 Wranglers. “Not so fast” said Coach Shell and his Wrangler squad. Arizona would score the only points of the 2nd quarter, a Plummer to the ageless Terry Orr TD pass. The score, with only 1:43 left in the half, gave Arizona hope, and even an Odessa Turner TD to make the score 21-7 did not squelch Arizona’s optimism. They would get back to within 7 when Plummer, who finished the day with 4 TDs and 396 yards throwing, found rookie Hines Ward for a big 42 yarder with 4:22 left in the 3rd. On their next possession, Arizona would hit on an even bigger play, as a blown coverage let Rocket Ismael find wide open space behind the safety, space he used to dash 71 yards for a game-tying score. Denver was feeling the pressure, and when early hero Ricky Whittle fumbled on their next possession, you could feel the air leave the stadium and the fans lose faith in their club. Arizona moved the ball down the field, and with 1:34 left to play, HB Vaughn Dunbar, on his only positive gain all day, dove into the endzone and scored the go ahead TD for the visitors. Denver tried to get an equalizer, but time ran out on the Gold and the game ended with them trying to rush to get a 3rd down play in on the Wrangler 22. Arizona had pulled off a second straight upset road victory. The Wranglers now face the toughest task of their playhoff run, trying to get a W in St. Louis against the Knights. The good news for playoff football fans is that it seems that Jake Plummer is back in full form after a Wild Card game scare, having an outstanding full-game performance against the Gold. The bad news is that while he may be back, others were not so lucky. St. Louis may well miss HB Darrell Thompson again in the Conference Final as his right knee continues to have swelling and stability issues. Washington will be without guard Scott Conover after he suffered a knee injury against Philly, and in a strange bit of fate, Tampa Bay had to hit the waiver wire this week after kicker Mike Vanderjact somehow injured his ankle on a kickoff. Vanderjact made the kick but came down awkwardly after the ball started its way down the field. The kicker hobbled to the sideline and despite finishing the game (with only 1 PAT to follow), he was evaluated and ruled out next week in the Eastern Conference title game. Tampa would sign former Houston Gambler kicker John Kasay off of free agency on Wednesday, and it looks like Kasay may have to be the fill-in both this week and in a possible Summer Bowl contest. BIZARRE LOVE TRIANGLE Not a lot of news this week, outside of the playoffs, as Free Agency is still a week away and few players have announced their retirements. But there was one story (or is it two stories?) that came out of the trading block this week. We all knew there was no love lost between the New Orleans Breakers’ best halfback, former Georgia Bulldog Terrell Davis, and embattled head coach Mike Ditka. So when Big Mike was renewed for another year despite a pretty poor showing in New Orleans this season, the question was how he would make amends with Davis. The answer should have been obvious, he wouldn’t. Ditka made a deal this week, sending Davis away, off to Pittsburgh, where he is a perfect option to bolster a Mauler run offense that never got rolling this year with Dorsey Levins as the main back. Levins has talent, that is clear, but it just did not happen for him in Pittsburgh. So now the Maulers get a big, bruising back in Terrell Davis, and one likely to be very happy to have a new coach. Pittsburgh sent New Orleans only a 2nd round pick to get the bruising runner, so a pretty good deal for them. Of course, that leaves Levins in a bit of a pickle. But, the Maulers turned right around and remedied that as well. Just 2 days after the TD Trade, Pittsburgh packaged Levins with wideout Derrick Mason in a deal to Houston that immediately gives the Gamblers two solid, if not spectacular, playmakers. Houston, in return, helps Pittsburgh with their shaky secondary, sending the Maulers CB Patrick Surtain and a 3rd round pick. So, the Maulers have a new HB and a quality corner, Houston’s miserable run game gets a boost with Dorsey Levins, and the passing game too with Mason’s sure hands, and New Orleans gets a pretty solid 2nd round pick, but now has only Erric Pegram at HB. We all know Mike Ditka adores UT Heisman candidate Ricky Williams, but there is no guarantee he will be there when they pick at #5. Even with a glut of QB talent, there is some chance that either Chicago at #2 or Jacksonville at #3 could snatch up Williams first. Or, with 2 second round picks, can Ditka and the Breakers entice someone into a trade to ensure that Ricky Williams is wearing Ocean Blue in the Big Easy next year? One last note, since we brought the draft into this. We now have the top 20 picks ready to go in the draft, so let’s take a look at the clubs that hold them and what they need most: 1—Los Angeles Express: What don’t they need? QB is obvious, but defense is also a huge issue. We think they are not looking for a halfback as the combo of Antowain Smith and Michael Pittman was pretty solid, so we think it has to be QB. 2—Chicago Machine: The Machine could also go QB, as neither Alex Van Pelt or Chris Miller looked like the answer, but without a head coach in place we are not sure what they will prioritize. They too have a lot of defensive question marks. 3—Jacksonville Bulls: Another team without a coach right now, but with Chris Chandler still a solid option, this could be the first non-QB slot in the draft. Could this be where Ricky Williams goes? Natrone Means has been underwhelming, but so too has that D-line. 4—Atlanta Fire: They have Jeff George under contract, and Tiki Barber nearly won the rushing title, so that means this almost has to be a defensive pick, right? How about someone like Georgia CB Champ Bailey, a hometown hero? 5—New Orleans Breakers: If they stay put, they will have a shot to get their HB, either Williams or Edjerrin James, but if Ditka has his heart set on Williams, they may just try to move this pick and get into the top three. 6—Seattle Dragons: They could go defense here, or they could throw us a curve ball, give up on Jon Kitna and go for a big name QB. How about we throw them a curveball and say they should look at someone to replace the gimpy vet, Eric Metcalf, and draft NC State’s burner Tory Holt? 7—New Jersey Generals: I like Spence Fisher, but if Donovan McNabb is still on the board, the Generals have to try to get him, right? Pair him with Curtis Enis and this team may be headed in the right direction. 8—Michigan Panthers: As much as drafting a Buckeye could be seen as an issue in Michigan, the Panthers need a new Anthony Carter gamebreaker, and OSU’s David Boston looks like he has that potential. 9—Ohio Glory: We want to see who the coach is before locking in a pick here, but it absolutely, positively has to be on defense, where Ohio was just horrendous. How about Florida DE Jevon Kearse? 10—Houston Gamblers: We are not even into free agency yet and Houston has a new WR and a new likely starter at halfback thanks to their trade with Pittsburgh. Do they go for the trifecta and replace Chuck Hartlieb with a new QB? 11—Pittsburgh Maulers: Robbie Bosco is a likely retirement candidate, and even if he opts to return, Pittsburgh has to be thinking of an upgrade. Can they get who they want here or do they need to move up to try to get one of the blue chippers? That is the question being asked at Three Rivers these days. 12—Memphis Showboats: At 8-8 Memphis outperformed expectations. They have a solid QB option in Shuler, and while Garrison Hearst’s 688 yards were less than many in the Mid-South were hoping for, we don’t see that as a priority. Memphis was 22nd in yards allowed, so expect a big defensive name to come off the board here, perhaps a corner like Bailey or OSU’s Antoine Winfield, or maybe a D-lineman like big DT Anthony McFarland from nearby LSU. 13—Birmingham Stallions: The offense is there, at least in the passing game, but QB Brett Favre was sacked more than any other QB in the league, so they may have to shore up that line. How about Georgia Tackle Matt Stinchcomb here? 14—Orlando Renegades: The ‘Gades surprised many by making a playoff run this year, but their O-line could use an upgrade, especially on the interior. That feels like a round 2 pick, especially if Dante Culpepper is available and interested in staying in Florida. 15—Oakland Invaders: Siran Stacy totally disappeared in the second half of the year. It is time to find someone more dynamic and more reliable. If he is still here, we love Edjerrin James here, but if he is gone (which is likely), a good fit would be James Johnson from Mississippi State. 16—Portland Thunder: Could take a shot at moving up to snag Akili Smith, which would be smart, or could go for a defensive player to help them hold leads, an issue all year. A lot depends on whether or not Jack Trudeau is on the roster by draft day. 17—Texas Outlaws: Texas needs more push on the D-Line. Selecting a DT here would be smart. They should also be concerned about protecting Kelly Stouffer, or about Stouffer calling it quits either this year or next. We don't see them jumping into the early round QB hunt, but a later round QB could be something to consider. 18—Baltimore Blitz: Trent Green should be back and able to start again next year, but he needs more weapons. Derrick Fenner and Rob Moore are not going to scare too many defenses, but Holt, Boston, or Troy Edwards out wide would certainly draw some attention. 19—Philadelphia Stars: The Stars need to decide if they want to fight Washington’s dominance over them by creating their own killer D-line or by trying to build a more dynamic offense for Bobby Hebert. We would expect that the defense is an easier path to success, especially at this slot in the draft. 20—Denver Gold: The collapse this week is going to sting for a while, especially for a club that finished the regular season looking like a dominant team. They don’t have a lot of needs, honestly, so they could be a possible trade-down kind of team, especially if someone is looking to get a QB late in the first round. OK, back to on field action. We are down to the Final Four, with both games to be played on Sunday. We begin with an Eastern Conference clash of styles as Washington brings their championship calibre defense to Tampa Stadium to face the high-flying Bandit offense. Early odds have Tampa as only a 2 point favorite, clearly a nod to Washington’s championship credentials. The Bandits will be a test for the Federals defense, however, as they do not lack for weapons in Moss, Brooks, Coates, and Rhett. You may recall that these two faced off much earlier in the season, back in Week 3, with Tampa edging the Feds 33-31. There is that two-point spread again. In that game Randy Moss began to gain some notoriety, while Troy Aikman evaded the Federal pass rush and threw for 302 yards and 3 scores. Kordell Stewart also had a strong game that week, facing a less-than-dominant Tampa Bay defense. We expect much the same next week, with Tampa finding ways to score and their defense struggling against a pretty decent Federals attack. This one could be an instant classic, assuming one team does not figure out the key to disarming the other’s biggest assets. Will it be Aikman to Moss, or will Jerome Brown and Michael Barrow win the day? OUR PICK: Tampa Bay by a late field goal from their just-signed, off-the-street kicker. In the late game, we have Arizona, the biggest Cinderella in this ball, headed to St. Louis to face the Knights. Las Vegas has little faith in the Wranglers to pull off a third consecutive road upset, putting them as 9-point underdogs to the Knights. If they are to compete, it will be because Jake Plummer keeps plays alive and avoids costly mistakes. Arizona does not have a strong run game, 13th in the league, with Tim Lester leading the club with only 653 yards, so it all falls on Plummer to make the Wranglers a viable offense. He has weapons in Ismael, Hines Ward and veteran TE Terry Orr, but is it enough against the team that finished the season #2 in points per game, yards per game, and passing yardage allowed. St. Louis wins with defense, and with the short fields that defense affords their somewhat inconsistent offense. They could be without Darrell Thompson again, but if this past week was any indicator, the combo of Ahman Green and Chris Howard could be enough to keep the game balanced. If that happens, it makes life easier for QB Todd Collins as receivers like Bert Emmanuel and Amani Toomer end up in 1-on-1 coverage. St. Louis does not have much at TE (Alex Higdon is their leading receiver at the position) and their slot receiver, Emile Harry is not the shifty speedster he once was, but if they are tough on defense, they often do not need much explosiveness. OUR PICK: We have got to go with the 14-2 Knights here. It has been a good run for Arizona, but St. Louis is the clear favorite for a reason, and besides, the whole country is itching to watch the replay of the epic 42-35 game that the Bandits won in Week 9.

The first ever 8 team, 4 game wildcard weekend for the USFL went about as well as the league could have hoped, with some major battles, some upsets, and some plays that will be remembered for a long time. The higher seed home teams prevailed in the East while in both Western matchups the hungrier upstart visitors used momentum to unseat the homestanding higher seeds. A good weekend of football, with 4 solid games to lead into the Divisional matchups. BALTIMORE RALLIES LATE TO KNOCK OFF ORLANDO Down 7 after three quarters, the Baltimore Blitz shut down Scott Mitchell and the Renegades’ offense when they needed it most, and walked out of the game in Memorial Stadium with a victory. As it has been so many times, it was the Baltimore defense that helped keep things close and timely play by the offense got them the win in the game’s final minute. Scott Mitchell threw for 369 yards but tossed 3 costly picks as the Blitz pressured the veteran all game long. After scoring runs from Darryl Daniels (ORL) and Obafemi Ayanbadejo (BAL) helped both teams reach 10-10 midway through the 2nd, Baltimore got their first break as a poorly thrown ball by Mitchell found its way into the arms of Blitz CB Donnell Woolford, who returned the ball untouched for a Blitz go-ahead TD. Mitchell would end the second quarter by atoning for the bad throw, finding McCardell from 10 yards out to tie the game as it went to the half. In the third quarter Orlando went up, moving to 24-17 on a Terry Kirby TD run, but the going was not easy. Kirby and Kantroy Barber combined for only 41 yards rushing on the day as Baltimore tried to force the ball into Scott Mitchell’s hands. In the final period, that strategy paid off as another errant Mitchell throw found its way to a Blitz defender. This time it was Torin Dorn, who would finish as the day’s Defensive MVP with 10 tackles, 3 passes defended and 2 picks. This pick led directly to the equalizer, a Richardson to Cleeland 8-yard connection. Richardson struggled all game, throwing for only 197 yards, but on this drive, spurred by the takeaway, he went 4 for 5 to produce the tying score. Seven minutes later he would get another chance, and this time he led the team from their own 23 into Orlando territory, spiking the ball with 16 ticks left on the clock at the ‘Gades’ 27 yard line. From there the game was put onto the foot of the veteran kicker of the Blitz, Luis Zendejas, and he did what he has been doing since 1985, he put it through the uprights for a Blitz win. Baltimore now heads to Tampa Bay with the unenviable task of slowing down the Bandit Ball offense. OAKLAND FALLS TO TEXAS'S BALANCED ATTACK It was a rough day for rookie Ryan Leaf in his first USFL postseason game. Texas used combination blitzes to overwhelm the Invader front 5, and Leaf often found himself scrambling just to survive. With Siran Stacy ineffective against the blitzes, Leaf was forced to play longball. He did connect with Henry Ellard 9 times for 118 yards, and with Ed McCaffrey 5 times for 137, but this was mostly random big gainers that could not sustain drives. Oakland would convert only 2 of 10 third down plays, and settled for field goals twice on drives that looked good early but could not find paydirt. Texas, meanwhile, used solid balance to keep the Invader D off QB Kelly Stouffer. Reggie Cobb rushed for 101 yards and caught another 4 balls for 33 yards and a score as Coach Pardee toned down the passing game in favor of a run-first philosophy. The strategy paid off as Texas racked up 27 points in the first half, enough to hold off the Invaders in the 2nd. Cobb, Thomas, and Rodney Thomas all scored for the Outlaws as they held a 27-17 halftime lead, and then turned it over to the defense in the second half as Cobb kept the clock running and the chains moving. Leaf would finish the day with 330 yards, but was also sacked 7 times and threw a killer pick late in the 4th on what looked like a possible game-tying drive. For Texas, both Carl Pickens and Irving Fryar both finished with 111 yards apiece, while Cobb and TE John Henry Mills also played a part in the offense. Texas now moves on to face the Denver Gold for their second straight road playoff game. DEFENSE WINS OUT AS FEDERALS STYMIE FAVRE In the eternal battle between attackers and defenders this round goes to the defenders. Washington held the potent Birmingham passing game to only 249 yards, sacking Brett Favre 8 times on the day and keeping the Stallions out of the endzone until late in the first half. By the time they got their first TD, a Favre to Tillman toss, it was already 17-0 Washington on TDs from Barry Word (83 yards on 26 carries) and Bill Schroeder. Kordell Stewart would only throw for 158 on the day, but the combination of Word, Fletcher and Stewart rushing helped Washington rack up 174 yards on the ground (160 more than Birmingham, which abandoned the run almost entirely). Washington also held onto the ball, keeping Favre and company off the field, to the tune of 38+ minutes for the Feds. Favre just did not have enough time to play deep ball. With the Feds not respecting the Stallions as a rushing team, the defense focused on making Favre’s day a miserable one. Sacks from Jerome Brown, Mike Dumas, Mike Thompson, Bobby Hamilton, Michael Barrow, and Tony Brackens ended drives, frustrated Favre, and caused more than a few angry words on the Stallion sideline. Birmingham got as close as 17-14 after Favre got a TD from Mike Alstott on a screen play early in the 3rd, but Washington got a field goal, and then a safety late to end the game with a 12 point victory. They head off next to face the Philadelphia Stars in the Divisional Round. ARIZONA STUNS PORTLAND WITH LATE RALLY Despite losing Jake Plummer to injury early in the game, the Arizona Wranglers rallied to upend the favored Portland Thunder in Civic Stadium. Late scores from rookie Hines Ward and TE Keith Cash undid a 24-15 Portland lead in the final period as Arizona stunned the Thunder crowd. With little film to go on, Portland tried to defend backup Craig Whelihan much as they would Jake Plummer, but Whelihan is less free-wheeling and more precise, evident in his 325 yards. He did struggle at times, especially early, as he went 1 for 10 in his first 10 throws, but got better as the game moved along. His biggest flub was a 2nd quarter interception that was run back for a score by Ben Smith of Portland early in the 2nd (his 4th pass of the game) but by the third quarter he was looking much more comfortable, hitting Rocket Ismael for a 34-yard TD to get Arizona within 17-12. By the 4th quarter, despite real issues trying to get a run game going, Arizona seemed to have stolen momentum from the home team, silencing the crowd in the process. They pulled within 22-24 on the Keith Cash run, a nice misdirection play, with about 7:50 left to play, and then on their next possession Whelihan found Hines Ward from 18 yards out to give the Wranglers the lead with only 1:24 left to play. Needing a TD to win, and with a field goal not helping at all, Portland had to go for it on 4th and 8 from the Arizona 24, and when LB Sam Cowart knocked the ball from TE Lonnie Hill’s hands, the game ended with a jubilant Wrangler bench giving Coach Art Shell a hard-earned Gatorade shower. Arizona now has a bigger task at hand, finding a way to deal with the St. Louis Knights in the Gateway City. Looking at the upcoming slate of divisional games, there are a few injuries which could impact the results. The good news for Arizona is that Jake Plummer should be good to go after suffering a concussion this week, but the news is not as good for center Ron Payne, who could miss the game with a sprained wrist. They face off against a Knights team that is pretty healthy, with only backup QB Jim Miller and swing tackle Jason Fabini listed as probable. Washington heads to Philly with severa players dinged but likely to play, including FB Sam Gash, WR Bill Schroeder, TE travis McNeal and DT Chris Zorich. Philadelphia will be without rookie wideout Germaine Crowell, as well as guard Mike Wythcombe, but center Bill Conaty is cleared to play and could see some snaps at guard as well. Baltimore had hoped Trent Green might be available to return to QB, but it looks like it will once again be Wally Richardson under center. SS Lawyer Milloy also looks unable to come back in this game, which is a blow for the Blitz defense. For Tampa Bay, the big issue is whether or not Randy Moss is back to 100%. He is listed as probable, which could be a decoy to force Baltimore to plan for him, or could mean that the outstanding rookie is truly ready to play this week. Finally, we have Texas @ Denver and in this game the Outlaws are still without two key pieces of their secondary as SS Mike Minter and FS Rayna Stewart are out. For Denver we know that CB Anthony Tuggle is out for the year, while RT Warren Wheat will be a game time decision. It looks very good for TE Keith Jackson as well, as he was a full participant in practices on Wednesday. FASSEL OUT IN J’VILLE One more victim of Black Monday, though there was some initial confusion about it. Jacksonville’ owner Fred Bullard, who is also serving as interim commissioner for another 3 weeks, initially rejected the resignation of head coach Jim Fassel, before coming out 3 days later to announce that Fassel was indeed relieved of duties. It was a change that riled some in the region, while pleasing others. After all, in his 4 seasons in Jacksonville Fassell had produced a 10-6 and an 11-5 season, both strong outings for the Bulls, but this year’s 3-13 debacle was such a precipitous fall from that 11-win 1997 that something had to be done, and that thing was cutting Fassel loose. With Wayne Fontes (LA), Marty Schottenheimer, and Nick Saban all looking for work, there is some speculation that Jacksonville let Fassel go because they already were looking into one of these other USFL castoffs, most likely Schottenheimer. Time will tell, but for now we have openings to watch in all 3 of the league’s biggest markets, New Jersey, LA, and Chicago, along with Jacksonville and Ohio. LA STORY GET WEIRDER The Express may just need to lock up a new head coach quickly, because the dysfunction in the City of Angels seems to already be impacting their draft options. With still one season of play ahead of them, both Syracuse’s Donovan McNabb and Kentucky’s Tim Couch have made it known that if they are chosen #1 by the USFL Express, they are likely to wait it out and see what the NFL has to offer. That is the level of mistrust and concern college prospects seem to have about joining the franchise, despite the fact that the LA market is one that could mean millions in sponsorship opportunities, not to mention great weather and a top destination for athletes in general. What does LA do if the top QB prospects are already looking elsewhere? Is there a chance they move out of the top spot, address other issues and try to get a less problematic QB later in the draft? It is a deep draft this year, so that may not be out of the question. The Divisional round brings us 4 interesting games, though none are exactly seen as nailbiters. Tampa Bay and St. Louis are huge favorites over Baltimore and Texas. Denver is a 6-point favorite over an 8-8 Texas squad. Only the Washington-Philadelphia game is seen as a potentially close match, with the Stars favored by only 2. In all honesty, it is hard to imagine either Baltimore @ Tampa Bay or Texas @ St. Louis as anything but tickets being stamped for the Conference Championships for the two best clubs all season long. There was some thought that Birmingham could put a scare into the Bandits, but Balitmore is not the kind of offense that is likely to keep pace with the Bandits, especially if Randy Moss is back on the field. In St. Louis, the defense of the Knights was more than capable of keeping most clubs under 20 points a game, and with Arizona lacking a strong run game, it will be a tough day for Jake Plummer against that Knights’ D. St. Louis will want to protect Todd Collins, and they should be able to do so using their run game with Ahman Green and Darrell Thompson. We see a pretty solid chance for a big win by the Knights here. The Texas-Denver game could be interesting, or could fall apart for the visitors. It all really depends on how they handle Rashaan Salaam. If he gets going early it makes Mark Brunell and the play action pass game that much harder to defend. If Texas can shut him down, or if they can jump to an early lead, then perhaps Texas has a shot. The most intriguing game has to be Washington at Philadelphia. The two only met once this year, a 13-10 Stars win in RFK, and there is nothing Washington would like better than to repay the favor in the playoffs in front of a loud and often ill-mannered Philadelphia crowd. Expect no love lost here, and expect not a lot of points either as both of these clubs believe in slowing down the game, playing hard-nosed defense and forcing their opponent to beat themselves. This could easily be determined by a field goal one way or the other. Should be a week worth tuning in for, and, of course, a trip to the Conference Title Game is on the line for all 8 clubs.

Managed to squeeze one more week in before going silent for the next week. So, Regular season in the books with a very exciting finish, and we will get to the Wild Card Round and the Playoffs starting next week. Enjoy. Week 16 delivered everything in one amazing, action-packed, heartbreaking, edge-of-your-seat weekend. We had games that likely saved their coach’s jobs, and games that definitely cost a job or two. We had records broken, as well as hearts, and we had amazing turns of fate that kept eyes across the country on the scoreboard as teams jockeyed their way in and out of the postseason. Yes, we had a nother Black Monday to follow, and we will get to that, but first we have to look at the action that made this one of the most exciting final weeks of football in a long time. Instead of our Game of the Week format, we are going to focus in chronological order on each set of games, beginning with the Saturday 12:00pm games in the South, then the 4:00pm Central Division Saturday games, followed by the Sunday 12:00pm Atlantic Divison matchups and finally the 4:00pm Pacific Division games that wrapped the weekend up. SATURDAY, 12:00 PM GAMES BIR 21 JAX 18 Birmingham was at one point this season 3-7 and written off as dead, with a defense that could not stop anyone and a one-dimensional passing game. But the Stalliions were finishing the year strong, winning 4 of the last 5, and at 7-8 were in a position to possibly sneak their way into the playoffs thanks to one of the greatest 2nd halfs of a season any QB has ever had. All they needed was a win against 3-12 Jacksonville and a loss by the Maulers and they would have their shot. It did not come easy, but they got the job done. Jacksonville scored first (Means 1-yard plunge), but Birmingham responded with TDs by Robinson and Stephen Davis. But that pesky Stallion defense lived down to their reputation and on 4 straight Bulls possessions the home team got 3 field goals and a safety to move ahead 18-14. Their defense had held Brett Favre and the passing game largely in check for 3 quarters, but this year being what it was for the Bulls, it could not hold. In the 4th, Favre mounted one strong drive and it was enough. He found Robinson again, for a second score, and Birmingham got the 21-18 win to set themselves up for an anxious day watching the Maulers-Glory game on Sunday to see if their 8-8 record would get them into the postseason, something no team with a shaky secondary wants to see. For the Bulls, the 3-13 season was too much, and on Black Monday Coach Fassel became the scapegoat. He had taken the Bulls to the playoffs in 1997, but the sudden collapse this year was too much for ownership, so he will now be seeking another opportunity. MEM 31 ORL 24 Memphis spent most of their game in Orlando scoreboard watching, knowing that they would need losses by Birmingham (at the same time), and then both Pittsburgh and New Jersey the next day to qualify at 8-8 for the playoffs. But, to their credit, they played like a team that had destiny in their hands. Orlando played well too, since a win would likely earn them a home Wild Card game, but in the end it was the visitors from Memphis who had a bit more desperation, even as the Stallions’ win ruined their chance for a late run at a Wild Card. Memphis got 3 TDs from Heath Shuler and a good day of rushing between Garrison Hearst and FB Larry Centers to come from a 24-17 deficit and pull out the 31-24 win. Shuler hit Joe Horn for a game-tying TD with 13:00 left in the game, and then on their next drive it was Hearst who put the Showboats on top. Orlando had gone back to Scott Mitchell after several weeks of Scott Zolak at the helm. Mitchell, while not 100%, played well, going 22 of 39 for 272 yards and 3 touchdowns. This loss means Orlando will travel to their first playoff game, but their QB has shaken off the rust and should be ready to roll. They would now have to wait for Sunday’s Altantic Division games to see where they were heading. For Memphis the win brought them to 8-8, but Birmingham’s comeback meant there would be no prize for equalizing their record. They would be hitting the links next week. ATL 39 TBY 24 Coach Seifert went for team health over individual records, resting 10 starters for the Bandits, including QB Troy Aikman. Aikman was within range of a stunning 6,000 yard season, but finished with 5,675, which still gets him the league record for yardage, nearly 200 yards more than Jim Kelly’s 2 year-old record. He also finished with 54 TDs, 5 more than the previous record of 49 held by Favre. With the starters resting, Tampa Bay fell behind Atlanta early, and while they were competitive, they could not match Atlanta’s energy as the Fire played hard for Coach Lewis. Lewis survived Black Monday in large part due to his team’s support, though the win did not hurt. Tiki Barber, hoping to snag the league’s rushing title away from Rashaan Salaam, rushed for 101 yards, which gave him the title at least until Denver would play on Sunday, with 1,206 for the year. SATURDAY 4:00pm GAMES NOR 30 HOU 27 OT In what was clearly the game of the week, at least for gameplay, Houston came in knowing that a win was essential for them to reach the playoffs. With 2 Wildcard spots open, losses by either Texas or Arizona would be enough for them to edge their way into the dance. New Orleans was going another direction. A loss here likely meant the end of Mike Ditka’s tenure as coach of the Breakers. Even a win may not be enough as Ditka was still engaged in disputes with several players, most notably HB Terrell Davis. But, a loss almost certainly meant he would be out. The Breakers fought for their coach, even Davis, who finished the day with 21 carries for 62 yards. At one point late in the 3rd, the Breakers held onto a 27-13 lead, having outplayed Houston most of the game, but Chuck Hartlieb and the Gambler offense came on strong in the 4th, getting TDs form Brett Perriman and a 1-yard run (following a 22 yard near TD from Antonio Freeman) by little used FB Theron Wilson, tied the game. We went to overtime. In the extra period, both clubs failed to score on their first possession, so it would be whomever could get their kicker into position, and that was New Orleans, thanks to 3 consecutive completions from Jamie Martin to Raynard Brown, Scott Gailbreath, and Herman Fontenot. Lin Elliott’s kick was true, and the Breakers had crushed the hopes of the Gambler faithful, sending Houston to a 5th straight loss, so the once 7-4 club at the heart of the playoff race, ended 7-9 and watching from home the rest of the way. For the Breakers it appears that Ditka will get at least one more season at the helm, but something big is going to need to change for a club that has made the playoffs only once in the past 6 years. TEX 17 MGN 20 Texas came into the game knowing that with a win they would lock up no worse than the 5th playoff spot, with a shot at a home game if Oakland also lost. Kelly Stouffer had been one of the hottest QB’s in the league over the past month , but on this day Michigan’s defense played with pride and they held Stouffer to only 194 yards and 1 score. The Panthers defense was the big story on the day, limiting Texas to only 273 total yards and helping give Doug Flutie and the offense short fields to play on. They still trailed 17-10 at the half, but shut out Texas in the second half and got the points they needed to upset the Outlaws and finish the year at 7-9, avoiding the dreaded 10-loss season. Texas got help with Houston’s loss, but would still need to wait to see if both Arizona and Seattle won on Sunday. If that happened, they could be out of the postseason alltogether. STL 38 CHI 24 In a game that had the immediate effect of ending Coach Marty Schottenheimers long run as the head man in Chicago, a St. Louis Knights team that rested 9 of its usual 22 starters, including 5 defenders and its starting HB, still managed to defeat the Machine by 2 touchdowns. Chicago just did not have anything to throw at St. Louis’s B team, while the Knights got 100 yards and 2 scores from rookie HB Ahman Green and 99 yards and another 2 scores from 3rd receiver turned starter Emile Harry. St. Louis opted not to rest Todd Collins and that very well could have been the difference as they got 323 yards and 3 scores from their starter. Schottenheimer stepped down on Monday, joining Coach Fassel of Jacksonville on the Black Monday ritual. SUNDAY 12:00 GAMES PIT 6 OHI 9 All the Maulers needed was a win and they were in, but playing in oppressive heat (92 degrees and humid at game time in Columbus) and seemingly lacking any firepower at all on offense, the Maulers failed, costing them a chance at 9-7 and a playoff berth. Instead they came up completely flat, losing in a game that produced no touchdowns, and giving Birmingham the gift they most wanted, a Wild Card slot. Pittsburgh started the game out with 2 scoring drives, taking a 6-0 lead but seemed to melt as the game went on, converting only 1 third down all day. Even their defense seemed to fade as Ohio did just enough to kick 3 field goals in the second half to upend the Maulers and get the win. It was a horrible game to watch, and even worse if you were a Maulers fan. Pittsburgh, 8-6 only 2 weeks ago, needed one win in their last 2 to make the postseason but got crushed by Birmingham in Week 17 and simply had nothing left in the tank this week against the Glory. Despite the win, a 4th straight losing season and a lack of progress over their 1997 season was too much for the Glory ownership who announced the departure of Coach Nick Saban on Monday, the third Black Monday fatality. PHI 10 BAL 12 As expected, Philadelphia opted to rest several starters on their division title squad, even opting to start young QB Jake Delhomme just to see what he had. Baltimore, still playing with backup Wally Richardson at QB, struggled to take advantage. They again struggled mightily to score, ending the game with only 4 field goals. The win assures Baltimore of 2nd place in the division and a home playoff game next week, but they Blitz do not look like a club built to go far in the postseason, not unless they can get some energy back into their failing offense. The Blitz D was sound, holding a Philly team without Hebert, Garner or Cris Carter to only 257 yards and 10 points, but the Blitz cannot feel confident going into the playoffs even as a #3 or #4 seed. WSH 30 NJ 0 In what would be Coach Chuck Knox’s final game as a pro ball coach, the Generals simply failed to come through. They knew, after Birmingham’s win on Saturday, that even finishing 8-8 would not get them into the postseason, and they played like a team whose season was done. Coach Knox would announce his retirement the next day, making it clear this was his decision and not a force-out by ownership. Washington, for their part, played like a team that knew a win meant the #3 seed and a home playoff game. Kordell Stewart went 22 of 27 for 232 and the Federals defense which had carried them to a title in ’97 played like title contenders again, shutting out the Generals and holding them to a paltry 188 total yards of offense. Tommy Maddox, playing for the injured Spence Fisher, was sacked 7 times, including 2 each from Michael Barrow and Tony Brackens as the Federals flexed their defensive muscles ahead of the playoffs. A good thing too, because their opponent in the Wild Car round will be Brett Favre and the Birmingham Stallions who live and die by their wide open passing game. That should be quite a show. SUNDAY 4:00PM GAMES POR 20 LA 26 We start with the one game that had no playoff implications, just to build drama. Going into the late games on Sunday, we knew that wins by both Arizona and Seattle would give them each playoff berths and doom Texas to an ignominious exit from contention. For Portland, in this game, a win could give them a shot at the Division title and a bye, but only if Denver lost to Seattle at home. The Thunder seemed to recognize that the odds of that with a title on the line were not good. They played a bit lackluster, a bit vanilla in the playcalling, and they let this one slip away. Robert Drummond was rested for most of the game, ending with only 14 carries and 58 yards, but healthy, unlike last year. Webster Slaughter looked good, catching 123 of Jack Trudeau’s 317 passing yards. Doug Brien, the LA kicker sent the game into overtime with a late kick, and in the extra period, Brent Pease had a pretty easy first drive against a Portland defense that was playing only basic coverages, finding Darnay Scott for the score, and giving LA their 2nd win of a lost season. The very next day, 1st year coach and former Detroit Lions’ head man, found out that it would be 1 and done as his 2-14 season did not have even enough highlights to get him a second year. Back to the drawing board for LA, into the postseason as a Wild Card for Portland. SEA 10 DEN 36 Seattle needed a road win against the hottest team in football, a Denver Gold squad that has won 9 in a row. It was not mean to be. Denver saw this game as a playoff primer, and with a bye week as the prize, they played top level football in every phase of the game. Rashaan Salaam got just enough yardage to pass Tiki Barber and claim the rushing title. Mark Brunell went 22 of 30 to control the clock, both Jamel Williams and Bruce Pickens returned picks for scores, and kicker Jeff Wilkens had fun in the thin air, kicking 5 field goals as Denver easily won. The loss meant that the longshot for a playoff season ended for Seattle, and cheers rang out from San Antonio as the Dragon loss meant the Outlaws had backed their way into a playoff spot. OAK 17 ARZ 41 Talk about a team grabbing an opportunity by the throat, that was the Arizona Wranglers. Yes, Oakland had lost 3 games in a row, but this was still an Invader club that was already locked into a playoff spot. For Arizona, a loss last week to Portland mean they came into the weekend needing several dominoes to fall in order for them to have a shot to sneak into the playoffs with a win and an 8-8 record. The Houston loss was the key piece of the puzzle. Texas losing also helped, but they would also need Seattle to lose, and so they watched the scoreboard as the game went on, and as Denver dominated Seattle, the belief among both the Wrangler squad and their fans in the stands began to grow. This growing belief in their chances showed up on the field, as Jake Plummer willed the club into the playoffs. Plummer went 19 for 33 for 388 yards and 3 scores, including 143 yards to young wideout Hines Ward, and a big game (5 receptions for 78 yards) for seemingly ageless TE Terry Orr. The Wrangler defense also played a huge game, limiting Oakland to an absolutely putrid 19 total yards rushing, though, to be fair, they only tried to rush the ball 8 times as they let Ryan Leaf attempt 45 passes, most in an effort to come back from a deficit. The Wranglers blew past Oakland, looking not only the better team, but a dangerous team to face in the Wild Card round. They will get their chance next week to avenge that loss to Portland as they face the Thunder in the Wild Card round as the #6 seed. Oakland, having slumped into the post season, will host Texas in a battle of clubs that cannot be feeling very confident right now. Before we look at records and the coaching carousel, let’s take a quick look at the playoff scenarios. Tampa Bay and St. Louis both wrapped up their conference’s top seeds and byes weeks ago. Philadelphia had their division title in hand going into this week, and Denver, with their 10th straight win, locked up the last division title and the bye. These four clubs will rest this week and watch the expanded 4-game Wild Card round. In this round we have Birmingham, a very dangerous offense, facing off against the title-winning defense of the Washington Federals. We have Orlando at 9-7 traveling to 10-6 Baltimore in a game that looks very winnable for the road team. Out West we have a feisty 8-8 Arizona Wrangler squad headed up to Portland to face a familiar foe, while in Oakland, the slumping Invaders face a similarly struggling Texas Outlaw squad. Four games that combine desperation with opportunity. It will be a question of heart, of strategy, and of opportunities grabbed or missed. Should make for a fun weekend of football. BLACK MONDAY Yes, we start with the annual ritual of coaching turnovers, and this year is no different as several USFL coaches and teams severed their ties this week. In New Jersey, the horrid 30-0 defeat handed the Generals will now live on as the last coaching job of legendary NFL and now USFL coach Chuck Knox. Knox announced his retirement on Black Monday, after a 3-year stint in New Jersey that saw slow growth (from 4 wins in 1996 to 6 in ’97 and 7 this year) but not the kind of turnaround that the veteran of decades of NFL action expected. Coach Knox leaves New Jersy with an overall record of 17-31 in 3 years. Wayne Fontes probably wishes he had that record, as his lone season in LA produced a pitiful 2-14 season, 2 games worse than the 4-12 season last year that got Fontes the gig with the Express. After a long tenure in Detroit with the NFL Lions, Fontes bows out of LA after only 1 season and once again the Express, who have never failed to lose 10 games or more in any of their seasons since returning to action as a 1995 expansion team, start over yet again, this year with the #1 overall draft pick and an eye on the big crop of QB’s coming out in the draft pool. Chicago says goodbye to its famous ex-NFL coach, Marty Schottenheimer, after a 7 year run. Schottenheimer had some success in Chicago, leading the Machine to a division title in 1993, a Summer Bowl run the next year, and another division title the year after that. But, since 1994, the club has slipped, and this year, with a collapse from 10 wins in ’97 down to only 3 in a lost season, the time seems overdue to make a change. In Ohio, Coach Nick Saban began the year on the hotseat, having failed to move the team to .500 in 4 seasons at the helm of the 1995 expansion club. A 7-9 record in 1997 seemed to be pointing in the right direction, as did the signing of NFL QB Kerry Collins, but this year the Glory never felt like contenders, and another 7-9 season proved to be fatal to Saban as he got his walking papers following the season-ending win over Pittsburgh ( a win, but a sad 9-6 showing). Ohio now heads into the offseason looking for a coach who can turn mediocre results into consistent wins. And a quick note about the coaches who survived Black Monday. Perhaps the biggest surprise is that New Orleans has opted to retain Coach Mike Ditka, despite a pretty bad run so far in a city that had been accustomed to winning. Coach Ditka has produced only 1 playoff season since coming to the Crescent City in 1994, but their big win this week, combined with a local popularity as a flamboyant man about town seem to have saved Big Mike’s job for now, but if there is any coach who has to make some big changes this offseason, it has to be Ditka in New Orleans. Also seemingly surviving are Birmingham’s Ron Erhardt, who was being questioned about yet another slow start to the year, but the late rally that got them into the playoffs certainly helped his case. Atlanta’s Sherman Lewis looks to be secure for one more year despite the club sliding over the second half of the year into a 10-loss season. In Michigan, there is still some belief that Coach Holtz may be dismissed later on this offseason, as 7-9 was not what ownership was hoping for this year, but for now he is still in the corner office. RECORDS BUSTED We have been tracking Troy Aikman all year, and with reason. His season will be one of legend, one Bandit fans hope is paired with the club’s first title since the inaugural seaosn of the USFL in 1983. In this one astonishing season, Troy Aikman has two broken records that few thought anyone, much less the unassuming former UCLA QB, would break. Most Passing Yards (Season): 5,675 – Formerly 5,417 (Kelly, 1996) Most Passing TDs (Season): 54 – Formerly 48 (Favre, 1997) But Aikman was not alone. Brett Favre also broke his own record for TD passes, throwing 51 this season, and now holding 2nd and 3rd place in that category (for the past 2 seasons. What is yet to come?). And if you thought that was impressive, just look at the records for most pass attempts in a season. It had been held by Kelly Stouffer with 690, but not one, not two, but 4 quarterbacks surpassed that total this year, including Robbie Bosco with 692, Chris Chandler with 710, Doug Flutie with 780, and Houston’s Chuck Hartlieb with an astonishing 823. But, when we consider that none of these four QBs and clubs managed to qualify for the playoffs, perhaps the time is now for the USFL to consider greater balance. The league’s rushing leader, Rashaan Salaam did not even crack 300 carries, and with only 1,221 yards on the season he would not crack the Top 20 rushing seasons in the USFL, far short of Herschel Walkers seminal 1,767 yards in 1983. And while Chris Doleman fell short of breaking Phil Hansen’s sack record of 25 sacks (’96), this is the first season in which 4 different defenders recorded 20 or more sacks, with both Doleman (25 to tie) and Hansen (22) joined by Denver’s Leslie O’Neil (21) and Tampa Bay’s Fred Stokes (20). We also had a record challenged late, the interception record of 10, as a late surge from New Orleans FS Darren Woodson netted him 9 picks for the year, falling one short of Elbert Shelley’s 10 picks last year. In a league where the passing game is so dominant, this is sure to be a record challenged almost every year. We focus today on only the 8 Wild Card clubs and what they face this week in their injury reports. Which injuries will likely impact games this week? The most impactful is likely the loss of Shannon Sharpe for Birmingham. While his injury is a minor one (groin pull), it will keep him out of the Wild Card round. And with Ernest Givens not ready to return just yet, Brett Favre will be a couple of key weapons short as the Stallions head to Washington to face that tough Federals defense. Washington is missing several pieces, most notably DT Chris Zorich, but still have most of their starters ready to go or listed as “probable” at worst. Orlando is down a couple of key defenders as well, with both Deon Figures and Israel Ifeanyi listed as doubtful. They face a Baltimore squad whose major injuries happened weeks ago, and the most recent, John Randle’s is not expected to keep the aggressive DT out of the game. In Portland, both the Thunder and the visiting Wranglers are in pretty good shape. Portland has been without center Jeff Uhlenake and guard Eric Still for a few weeks now and seem to be compensating well. Arizona should also be able to work around the loss of 2nd TE Matt Cushing. Finally, in Oakland, the loss of TE Christian Fauria for the forseeable future could hurt an already shaky Invader club. The good news for Oakland and QB Ryan Leaf is that Texas is hurting in the secondary, with SS Mike Minter out and backup FS Ryan Tucker also expected to miss the game. That leaves Texas vulnerable to a multiple receiver attack from Oakland. For the Outlaws the good news is that Irving Fryar, while not 100% is expected to play. Here is the breakdown of the injury report for all 8 clubs going into next week’s Wild Wild Card Round. BIR: TE Shannon Sharpe (Doubtful), WR Ernest Givens (Doubtful), SS Darryl Williams (Questionable) WSH: LB Willis Crockett (Out), TE Travis McNeal (Doubtful), DT Chris Zorich (Doubtful), WR Mike Williams (Doubtful), FB Sam Gash (Probable), WR Bill Schroeder (Probable) ORL: CB Deon Figures (Doubtful), DE Israel ifeanyi (Doubtful), QB Scott Mitchell (Probable) BAL: WR Lamar Thomas (Out), QB Trent Green (Out), SS Lawyer Milloy (Doubtful), DT John Randall (Probable) ARZ: C Gene McGuire (Out), TE Matt Cushing (Out) POR: C. Jeff Uhlenake (Out), G Eric Still (Out), DE Mark Mraz (Out), FS Vencie Glenn (Probable) TEX: SS Mike Minter (Out), T Ryan Tucker (Out), FS Rayna Stewart (Out), WR Brian Alford (Probable), WR Irving Fryar (Probable) OAK: TE Christian Fauria (Out), CB Bobby Taylor (Doubtful), LB Chris Spielman (Probable) Four Wild Card games to enjoy this weekend. Here is our breakdown: Orlando Renegades (9-7) @ Baltimore Blitz (10-6) Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, MD Saturday, July 11 @ 3:00pm ET A matchup of clubs that still don’t seem entirely sure of themselves. Scott Mitchell is back under center for Orlando after missing over a month of action, while Baltimore is still rolling with Wally Richardson at QB despite trading to bring Jeff Garcia over from LA. The Blitz tend to win with defense, finishing 4th in the league in scoring defense and are hard to run on (3rd in rush defense), while Orlando’s strength is their balance. They finished the season solidly in the middle of the pack in most major categories, though, 3rd in passing yards per game despite switching between Scotts (Mitchell and Zolak). Keenan McCardell is the main target in the Orlando attack, though Tamarick Vannover and TE Dante Whittaker also get into the action. When Baltimore has the ball the key for their offense will be containing Orlando’s league sack champion, Chris Doleman. Wally Richardson is ok when he has a clean pocket, but that may be hard to come by with Doleman across the line. If Richardson has time, he will likely try to find one of his two solid TE’s Cam Cleeland and Kyle Brady, though it is WR Rob Moore (1,115 yards on 95 catches) who tends to be the home run guy. All in all this could be a hard-fought, low scoring game, which we think favors the Blitz in general, but could easily go either way. OUTLOOK: We want to call this one a tossup, but our editor won't let us, so we are going with the home team, Baltimore by 1. Texas Outlaws (8-8) @ Oakland Invaders (9-7) Oakland-Alameda Coliseum, Oakland, CA Saturday, July 11 @ 8:00pm ET Both these clubs come into the playoffs on a downer, with Texas backing their way in despite losing in Week 18, and Oakland coming in on a 4-game losing streak. The key for Oakland will be the success or failure of rookie QB Ryan Leaf with pressure from the Texas defense. This will be his first pro playoff game, and coming from Washington State he does not have a lot of experience in general with high stakes games. Oakland is 2nd in the league in scoring, and they hope to put some distance between themselves and Texas early to make life easier for their defense. Texas on the othe hand is hoping to keep the ball on the ground, shorten the game by getting Reggie Cobb running, and then use play action to free up Irving Fryar and Carl Pickens deep. The two receivers have a combined 19 TD catches and over 2,400 combined receiving yards. But there is not much behind them. So it is Cobb on the ground as the answer, and to keep Ryan Leaf and the Invaders off the field. OUTLOOK: We like Texas’s strategy better than putting so much on a rookie QB for Oakland. We think they may also be the better team at this point in the year, so we go with Texas by 4. Birmingham Stallions (8-8) @ Washington Federals (10-6) RFK Stadium, Washington, DC Sunday, July 12 @ 2:00pm ET This one should be fun. You have one of the most dynamic passing teams in pro football up against a championship defense that can pressure, play good zone, and stuff the run, making any team one-dimensional. Birmingham finished the season 4th in passing, but they are already one-dimensional, finishing the season with a measly 809 yards rushing combined for all backs. So, that means they should expect to see a lot of bull rush from Tony Brackens, Bobby Hamilton and Jerome Brown, and Washington is not afraid to blitz either Michael Barrow or Tracy Scroggins to get to Favre either. When Washington has the ball expect a heavy dose of Barry Word to keep that clock running. If Word can find holes in what has been a very porous Birmingham D, then that makes life a lot easier for Kordell Stewart. Herman Moore is, of course, his main target, but he will also try to find scatback Terrell Fletcher out of the backfield if Birmingham covers up Moore. OUTLOOK: Brett Favre is a wild card all his own, but he can be turnover prone, and this Federals D is unforgiving. We think defense, and playoff experience for the defending champs, is likely to win the day. Federals by 3. Arizona Wranglers (8-8) @ Portland Thunder (10-6) Civic Stadium, Portland, OR Sunday, July 12 @ 6:00pm ET Is this a case of one team expecting to be here and one just happy to be invited? That seems the setup as Portland, last year’s Western Conference Champion, hosts an Arizona Wranglers squad that seemed out of contention for much of the season only to rise up at the end. The two faced off only 2 weeks ago, with a lot on the line, and Portland won that game 32-26 at home. They are home again, and they have a healthy Jack Trudeau back under center. But, despite Trudeau’s return, we all know the offense will be run through Comeback Player of the Year Robert Drummond’s run game. As goes Drummond, so go the Thunder. So, it will be up to Broderick Thomas, Barney Bussey, Sam Cowart, and Winfred Tubbs to try to corral Drummond. That can be a tall order. For Portland, their concern has to be Arizona’s passing game. It is inconsistent, but when Jake Plummer moves in and out of the pocket to extend plays, he has weapons. Rocket Ismael had 1,512 yards and 12 TDs this year. TE Terry Orr has still got some veteran tricks up his sleeve, and rookie Hines Ward has started to come on late in the season. Does Arizona have enough to win on the road, or are they just happy to be there? With the 6th best rush defense they could do well against Drummond, if they have their minds in the right place. We suspect that Portland, after last year’s Summer Bowl run, is better prepared to do what needs to be done. OUTLOOK: We like veteran leadership and playoff experience in this one. Portland by 3.

PLAYOFF PICTURE: Birmingham snags the final Wild Card spot in the East while Texas and Airzona capture the two slots left open in the West. The field is now set: EAST: 1-TBY 2-PHI 3-WSH 4-BAL 5-ORL 6-BIR WEST: 1-STL 2-DEN 3-POR 4-OAK 5-TEX 6-ARZ

A quick note before we get started. Between work and some travel I do not think I will be able to post the Week 16 story (or upcoming playoffs) any earlier than midweek next week, so take a week off, watch some USFL 2.0 on tv, and we will be back as soon as possible with the thrilling conclusion to the 1998 regular season and what I hope will be a really fun playoff ride.-- Thanks all, Allen. The playoffs are coming into shape as 4 more clubs punch their tickets, all in the East. Philadelphia wins the division title thanks to a dominant performance over the Atlanta Fire. Orlando, Washington, and Baltimore also clinch spots, though the Blitz cannot be happy with yet another late season loss. Out West it looks like we have a lot to play for in Week 16 as Denver and Portland come down to the wire while 4 clubs fight for 2 Wild Card spots. Meanwhile the LA Express are already scouting QB’s as they are assured the #1 pick in the USFL Draft. With playoff hopes on the line, the Orlando Renegades and New Jersey Generals faced off in Giants Stadium, both clubs knowing that a win was essential if they hoped to be playing in Week 17. That reality brought out the best in both clubs as the two squads battled to the very end before a winner was produced. Orlando looked to be on fire early, jumping out to a 16-0 lead before New Jersey knew what hit them. Picking off Spence Fisher on New Jersey’s first drive, the Renegades turned the pick into points, landing a Charlie Baumann FG to open up the scoring. Bauman would have a slip up on his next chance, as Orlando went up 9-0 on a Tamarick Vanover TD reception from Scott Zolak. Baumann would shank the extra point, a weird kick that would fly off to the right. But, later on the kicker would have a chance for redemption. New Jersey floundered for most of the first half, and when Terry Kirby put Orlando up by 16, things were looking dire for the home team, but a late half rally by the Generals led to a Fisher to Glenn 11-yard TD to put New Jersey back in the game. The Generals would maintain that momentum in the second half despite a hard hit to the head which forced Fisher out of the game. Tommy Maddox came in and looked solid, catching Glenn for a 2nd TD and New Jersey was back in the game at 16-14. Orlando would respond, with Zolak hitting Vanover again late in the 3rd to expand their lead to 23-14. In the 4th New Jersey got a Vinatieri FG to pull back within 6. After Orlando stalled on their next drive, New Jersey used 13 plays and 7 minutes to get on the board and take the lead for the first time all game. Maddox hit little-used receiver Orlando McKay on the drive’s final play and suddenly the home crowd was in the game and the Generals were up 24-23. But there were still 3 minutes left in the game and Orlando had been moving the ball well both in the air and on the ground. The Renegades proceeded to take the ball on their own 17 and 6 plays later they were in field goal range for Baumann. With time running out, the Renegades did not even try to throw to deal with a 3rd and 9, they ran the draw up the middle with Kantroy Barber, setting up Baumann for a 39-yarder to win the game. The veteran kicker lined it up and with 22 seconds left on the clock booted it straight down the center, giving Orlando the road win, pushing their record to 9-6 and securing themselves a playoff spot. Dropping to 7-8, New Jersey is now on life support, needing a lot of help in Week 16 to snag the final Wild Card spot. DEN 28 OAK 25 Denver came into this one on a 7-game winning streak, while homestanding Oakland had lost 2 in a row to fall out of first place. With the win, the Gold had a chance to clinch the Pacific and its bye week as division champ. Denver built up a 28-3 lead over 3 quarters but then had to withstand a late rally from the Invaders, who woke up in the 4th, with Ryan Leaf throwing 3 TDs in the final period, but it was one possession too few and the Gold, despite the scare, hung on to win their 8th in a row and move to 11-4. ARZ 26 POR 32 OT The Thunder are keeping the pressure on Denver, even if Oakland is not, staying 1 game back and keeping the Gold from clinching by defeating the Arizona Wranglers to move to 10-5. It was not easy, as a late Carlos Huerta field goal for the Wranglers tied the score and sent the game to overtime. In the extra period, QB Jack Trudeau, back from injury, threw his 2nd TD of the game, a game-winning toss to Webster Slaughter. Arizona is now in need of help to snag a Wild Card, while Portland can win the division with a win in LA and a Denver loss to Seattle. ATL 3 PHI 41 With a division title on the line the Philadelphia Stars did not mess around, dominating the Atlanta Fire and locking up a bye week and a home playoff game. Bobby Hebert went 34/43 and threw three touchdowns to pace the Stars to a huge win at home. TE Eric Green was his favorite target, catching 8 balls, including 2 TDs. MEM 28 BAL 16 The Blitz could have kept pace with Philadelphia, but their offense sputtered as Wally Richardson had his worst game of the year, throwing two picks and playing under constant pressure from the Memphis D-line all game. Memphis got a strong game from Heath Shuler, winning the Showboats QB the Offensive POTW with his 350-yard, 3 TD day. JAX 19 WSH 37 A workman-like win was all Washington needed to move their record to 9-6 and lock up a Wild Card as they rolled over the Jacksonville Bulls. Kordell Stewart had a strong day, throwing 3 TDs, including scoring tosses to both Bill Schroeder and Herman Moore in the first quarter to propel the Feds to an early lead they would never relinquish. BIR 31 PIT 17 The Maulers had a chance to lock up a spot as well, but their defense could not contain the Stallions as Brett Favre had yet another strong game, throwing for 404 yards and 4 TDs. The Maulers now face a desperate Week 16 game against the Glory. Lose and they could easily be bumped out of the postseason hunt. HOU 16 TEX 28 A season that once looked very bright for the Gamblers has now taken a turn as their 4th straight loss moves them out of playoff position and into very desperate territory. Texas helps their cause with the rivalry win at home, getting another strong performance from Kelly Stouffer, but also got a solid day in relief from Rodney Thomas, who took over for a dinged up Reggie Cobb and produced 82 yards on 23 carries. MGN 21 STL 27 The Knights struggled with a perky Michigan Panther squad, but came through late with an Ahman Green TD and a late goal line stand to take the game and move their record to 13-2. Michigan’s Jeff Campbell continued to prove that he is the best possession receiver in the game, catching 9 more balls fo r133 and 2 scores. TBY 27 OHI 24 Just as with St. Louis, the Bandits struggled early in Ohio, but came through in the end, getting 13 points on their 3 fourth quarter possessions. Troy Aikman added 3 TDs to his league record, now at 54 in the season. With a bye in the Wild Card round, the question now is whether or not Tampa Bay will rest their starters next week, creating a 2-week hiatus. CHI 13 NOR 27 The Breakers and Machine played before a small but enthusiastic 19,000 in the Super Dome as both clubs look to wrap up the season with some optimism. Chris Miller got the start for Chicago, and had a decent day, but the star of the day was Breaker HB Terrell Davis, who, despite being on the outs with Coach Mike Ditka, was solid in his performance. LA 23 SEA 26 A pretty good game between two teams most folks have stopped following. Seattle actually remains in Wild Card contention with the win, but will need help next week. They got a solid 28/36 performance from Brian Griese, throwing for 300 yards and 1 score with no picks. LA got 100 yards rushing between Smith and Pittman, but again failed to close out a game. DANGEROUS FOE Sure, their defense may be atrocious, and the run game may not be anything to worry about, but if there is one team no one wants to face in the playoffs it is the Birmingham Stallions, and Brett Favre is the reason. In a year defined by the amazing offensive explosion of the Tampa Bay Bandits, Brett Favre and the Birmingham passing game is still one of the league’s most dangerous attacks. Favre is still chasing Aikman’s amazing numbers, but his 49 TD passes tie his own previous record, and he isn’t done yet. Even with Ernest Givens done for the year (and possibly on the verge or retirement), Favre has put together a one man show on offense. He is likely to finish the year with over 5,000 yards passing and 50+ touchdowns, and he has two receivers already over 1,200 yards receiving and leading the league in TDs scored. Lawrence Dawsey, perhaps the most underrated receiver in the entire league has 66 catches for 1,522 yards and 14 touchdowns, which gives him a 23.1 yard per catch average, right up there with Randy Moss atop the league. He also has Cedrick Tillman with 57 catches for 1,271 yards and another 14 touchdowns. Even 3rd receiver Marcus Robinson could reach 1,000 yards, as he now stands at 815, and he has 12 TDs as well. Oh, and did we forget TE Shannon Sharpe? 51 catches, 689 yards and 6 TDs. If you are in the Eastern Conference playoffs you are just hoping the Stallions’ D is bad enough for them to lose this week, or that some combination of tiebreakers keeps Birmingham out of the postseason because that kind of passing attack could be deadly in the postseason. SACK RACE Will Chris Doleman do it? That is the big question in the league’s sack leader race. Doleman has 2 more sacks than reigning Edge Master Phil Hansen, which will put the pressure on in the season’s final week, especially with New Jersey still battling for a Wild Card berth, but even more pressing is that Doleman needs 2 sacks to tie the all time record of 25 set by Hansen and 3 to break it. That may be tough to do. Orlando faces Memphis, and Heath Shuler has not been sacked often this year, and with the Showboats also fighting for a possible playoff berth they will be focused on keeping Shuler in action and upright this week. This could come down to the wire, with Hansen facing Kordell Stewart and the Federals, a mobile QB who also is not often sacked, we may see both DE’s fall short of 25, but it should be exciting to see how they both go after it. QB Decision On the other side of the ball, the Renegades are in a spot. Scott Mitchell is listed as probable this week, but do they pull Scott Zolak, who has helped them clinch a playoff spot and has played well, to get Mitchell back in the game? It all may depend on the mindset of Head Coach George O’Leary. He may opt to keep Zolak in this week to allow Mitchell to be at 100% for the Wild Card round of the playoffs, or he may want to get him some snaps in a game that may be important to determine if Orlando plays at home or on the road. Orlando is at home, and perhaps they will give both QB’s some snaps, but with Reggie White opposite either on the line, it may not be worth risking Mitchell, who is expected to be back for the Wild Card game. A tough call for Coach O’Leary to be sure. So we have 9 of 12 slots now filled, with Philly, Baltimore, Orlando and Washington all punching their ticket this weekend. Of the clubs now in, we see some playing their best ball, like Denver on an 8-game win streak, Orlando and Portland with 4 wins in a row, and Philadelphia not only winning their last 4 but also clinching a bye week. Baltimore and Oakland need to be concerned. Early success helped them clinch playoff berths but the Invaders have now lost 3 in a row, and the Blitz, who held onto 1st place for a good part of the season have lost their last 2 and now will be playing in the Wild Card round. Looking at the last 3 spots (2 in the West and 1 in the East) we find that Pittsburgh has the easiest path. Win against Ohio and they wrap up the 6th and final spot in the East. Lose and either Birmingham or New Jersey could sneak into the show. There is even a remote scenario where Memphis jumps up and gets that spot. In the West we have 2 spots in play. Texas has a one game lead on the field and can snag no worse than 5th place with a win in Week 16, which would leave Seattle, Arizona, and Houston all scrambling for the newly added 6th playoff spot. A loss by any and we know they are out, but if all 3 were to win, it would be the Dragons that hold the edge. So, what this means is that while we might see St. Louis, Tampa Bay and Philadelphia rest some starters, with so many teams battling to either get into the postseason or playing to get a home game in the Wild Card round, expect a lot of good games next week, the season finale. A light week for impactful injuries, which is just what the league wants to see going into the postseason. Among playoff contenders Tampa Bay lost reserve tackle Robert Bahr with a hip injury, Texas tackle Ryan Tucker may also miss the next month with a broken arm, while Philadelphia is concerned for guard Mike Wythcombe, who has a broken nose, though that may only keep him out this week, a game where many starters may be out. Baltimore will be without SS Lawyer Milloy due to what could be either a deep bruise or a hairline fracture in his left leg, while Orlando CB Deon Figures is doubtful due to a hamstring injury. Likely returning to action this week (Probable) are Reggie Cobb (shoulder), Barry Word (elbow), Baltimore DT John Randall (concussion), Texas WR Irving Fryar (also concussion), and Portland FS Vencie Glenn. HERE WE GO AGAIN? A bit of a shocker coming out of the 60-Minutes interview with new USFL Commissioner Dick Ebersol, as the soon-to-be-empowered former NBC executive spontaneously brought up the realignment and scheduling issue which ripped the league apart last year. Ebersol, answering a question about NFL-USFL relations spoke to the issue of the offsetting schedules and the difficulty for both leagues to negotiate their off-season signing windows. In doing so he praised the idea put forward and initially approved by the USFL last year to reduce the season to 14 games, but cited that it had been mishandled due to the issues around player compensation. Could this be a reopening of a pretty fresh wound? It seems Ebersol sees value in a shorter season, but may be willing to work with the USFLPA to avoid a repeat of what happened last year, a labor crisis that ended with the owners rescinding their plan to shift to a 6-division format and 14-week schedule. Ebersol also stated that any adjustments would likely require that the NFL also make concessions, since the move would benefit both leagues. That seems unlikely as the NFL has been set on their current 16-week format for some time now, and while the senior league surely is hurting from the success the USFL has had with signing top college talent, their ratings and attendance have never been better, leading many to suspect that they are in no mood to take a hit simply to help both leagues better poach players one from the other. BIG CITY SHUTOUT We talk about this once in a while, but it should be a point of focus for the USFL. Unlike the NFL, which pretty much has the top 30 markets in the country locked up, the USFL is still absent from several key TV markets, a fact which is impacting their TV deals as well as the perception of the league as an equal to their fall rivals. Dallas, Boston, Miami, the Twin Cities, Kansas City, and both Cleveland and Cincinnati are absent from the spring league, while smaller markets like Memphis, Portland, Birmingham, and Orlando are in the fold. While some disparity between NFL and USFL cities is a good thing for both leagues, it certainly cannot be helping the USFL to have these major markets empty. We know of ownership groups in at least 3 of these markets that are eager to see the USFL expand again, with both Dallas and Miami having been players in recent expansion attempts, and we are seeing in several non-NFL markets that stadium improvements or replacement is a huge issue, often not going the USFL’s way as they speak with state and local governments. With the USFL holding a hiatus on expansion over the past few years, and not eager to add 2 teams (which would throw both scheduling and alignment off) the more likely scenario is that one of these big markets starts making a pitch towards a smaller market club in the league. We know that both Portland and Memphis have stadium issues, and while attendance is solid (as a percentage of seats available) in both cities, and in other smaller markets like Birmingham and Orlando, the ability to generate revenue or to get stadium expansion, improvements, or replacement done, is a factor which could eventually lead a team to consider relocation. However, all 3 of the largest open markets, Dallas, Miami, and Boston have issues. In both Boston and Dallas the issue is an intransigent NFL owner who views the USFL as competitor not collaborator, and who would not be open to sharing their stadium with a spring club. That would force any team in those cities to go to inferior college stadiums, something we already saw fail in Boston with the Breakers back in the early 80’s. Miami is not quite the same situation, but the push there seems to be getting a MLB team, something the city’s population, which has a huge Caribbean population that prefers baseball to football, would seem to support. So for now, nothing is moving, but don’t be surprised if we start to see some pressure from NFL cities to double down on football by trying to persuade a stadium- Here it is,Week 16 and so much on the line. Here is our ranking of the games not to miss and those that may be of less importance. 1. Seattle @ Denver: The Dragons need to win to get into the dance, but Denver needs the W, their 9th in a row, if they want to lock up the Pacific Division and a much coveted bye next week. 2. Oakland @ Arizona: Oakland is in but has lost 3 in a row. Arizona needs a win and a bit of help to get a Wild Card, but it is still very possible for them if Seattle falls at Denver. 3.Pittsburgh @ Ohio: Will the Glory play one of their rivals tough or is their season done? The Maulers certainly hope it is the latter as they need to win to assure themselves of a playoff spot. A loss and they could easily be out. 4. Memphis @ Orlando: The Showboats have a slim chance at getting that 6th Eastern slot, the Renegades need the win to lock up a home game in the Wild Card round. Expect both teams to go all out for the win this week. 5. Washington @ New Jersey: The Feds are in, but again, the quest for a home game is key for them. For New Jersey only a win, with some help, will get them into the postseason. They will almost certainly be scoreboard watching to see how Pittsburgh and Birmingham are doing. 6. Texas @ Michigan: The Outlaws have not yet locked up a playoff spot, but it is win & in for them. That said, Michigan played St. Louis tough last week so expect them to be a challenge for the Outlaws. 7. Philadelphia @ Baltimore: Had the Blitz won last week, this would have been for the division title. Now, with the division settled, we expect the Stars to play something of a vanilla game, possibly even removing Hebert at the half, while Baltimore wants a home game in the Wild Card round, so they need the win. 8. New Orleans @ Houston: Will the Breakers phone this one in or will they try to play for pride against a Houston team that needs a win and significant help to stop their 4 game losing streak and sneak into the postseason? 9. Birmingham @ Jacksonville: Not a great matchup, but the Stallion have been fun to watch and Brett Favre is playing amazingly in the second half of the season, so expect some offensive fireworks against a Bulls squad that tends to give up the big play on a regular basis. 10. Atlanta @ Tampa Bay: While we expect the Bandits to rest a lot of their starters, they may just let Troy Aikman have the first half to build on his record pace and make a shot at 6,000 yards. He needs 325 to get there, which is not automatic by any stretch, but is possible. 11. Portland @ Los Angeles: This one could be ugly. The Thunder have a chance for the Division Title if Seattle can upend Denver, but the games are being played at the same time, so they have to make quick work of the Express, who have already guaranteed themselves the top pick in the draft with their quite miserable 1-win season so far. 12. St. Louis @ Chicago: Usually an interesting rivalry game between two clubs that play really tough defense, but Chicago’s D has been AWOL all season and the Knights are almost certainly going to put in the B-squad to avoid injury this week, so this game will likely be a snoozer.

PLAYOFF PICTURE: 9 of 12 playoff spots have been claimed, with Philadelphia, Baltimore, Orlando, and Washington clinching a berth this week. Philadelphia has won the Atlantic Division, while the other three are all assured of a Wild Card spot. Denver can win the Pacific and a bye with a win in Week 16. Portland could win the division with a Denver loss, a win, and some help to adjust strength of schedule (complicated).

That is the question as both Tampa Bay and St. Louis, having clinched the top spot in their conferences, both lost this week. They both had tough matchups, but both were favored to win. The good news is that these losses have no impact on their playoff situation, but neither club wants to lose momentum as the postseason approaches. That is to be sure. One week after edging the Oakland Invaders in a record-setting shootout, the Tampa Bay Bandits found themselves in another pinball game against another high-scoring squad, the Birmingham Stallions. This week the Bandits fell just short as Birmingham got an epic performance from their multiple All-USFL QB, Brett Favre. Favre threw for 412 yards and a whopping 6 TDs to send Tampa Bay to defeat for only the 2nd time all year. Despite the loss, Troy Aikman made headlines against Favre, at least in the record books, scoring 5 more times to surpass the league record that Favre had set in 1993. Now becoming the first USFL QB to ever throw for 50 TDs Aikman was almost as flawless as Favre, throwing for 356 and 5 scores in the game. Among the receiving stars we had Cedric Tillman and Marcus Robinson for Birmingham, the former gaining 109 and scoring a TD, while Robinson, who is usually the 3rd receiver, came out on top with 4 catches for 114 yards and 3 touchdowns against Tampa’s nickel corner. For Tampa Bay no receiver went over 100 yards, but a stunning 4 had over 50 yards and both Robert Brooks and Jeff Query both scored twice as Birmingham kept using double coverage on Randy Moss to control the dangerous rookie. Moss would finish with a very atypical line of 2 receptions for only 28 yards. That small defensive adjustment, along with Favre’s whopper of a game, was the difference as the Stallions upended the Bandits and preserved their slim playoff hopes at 6-8. And once again it came down to the end, with Tampa Bay taking the lead on a Brooks TD catch with just over 8 minutes left in the game, only to watch as Favre guided the Stallions down the field and into the endzone, with the winning score being Robinson’s third of the day. The Stallion TD left Tampa Bay with 1:34 left and down by only 3. Everyone in Legion Field could feel the tension as that certainly seemed enough time for Tampa Bay to get into field goal range, if not to score a TD as they had all day. But, fate and carelessness played a part as on their final drive Tampa Bay got called for a false start, clearly affected by the rowdy Birmngham crowd. With 1st and 15, Aikman missed on a ball to Query, and on 2nd and 15, another big blow as the left guard got called for a hold on Birmingham DT George Little, leading to a 2nd and 25. Aikman tried to get a big chunk of it back on 2nd down, and when the ball glanced off the hands of Brooks, it was picked off by CB Chris Dishman, ending the threat of a Bandit comeback and securing the win for the home team. BAL 15 PIT 23 The Pittsburgh Maulers helped shake things up in the Atlantic, costing Baltimore first place and helping their own cause as they got the win at home. Neither Robbie Bosco or Wally Richardson looked solid on the day as the defenses dominated. But, while both clubs had two fumbles each, both of the Baltimore fumbles were recovered by the Maulers while Baltimore could not grab either of Pittsburgh’s miscues. NJ 24 PHI 29 The Stars move into first place with a timely win over their rivals at Veterans Stadium. Troy Brown and Charlie Garner both scored in the second half to help Philadelphia upend a very game Generals squad. After tying the game at 17 early in the 3rd, Philadelphia scored the next 12 points to take a 29-17 lead and then held on late against the Generals’ rally. OHI 13 WSH 33 The Federals kept their hopes of a repeat title alive, moving to 8-6 with a home win against the Glory. 3 sacks and a pick against Kerry Collins helped keep Ohio down, while Barry Word rushed for 62 yards and wideout Herman Moore caught 6 balls for 99 yards and a key early score to help Washington move to within 1 game of first place in this very tight division. ORL 27 JAX 9 The Renegades also moved to 8-6 with a solid win against a pretty lackadaisical Jacksonville squad. Scott Zolak had a solid game with 285 passing and 2 scores, and once again Jacksonville loaded up on the pass, giving Natrone Means only 8 carries on the day, prompting some to wonder if he is simply not 100%. MEM 26 ATL 21 Memphis officially ended any hopes Atlanta had of a playoff opportunity, despite Tiki Barber’s 125 yard, 2 TD day. Down 21-13 at the half, Memphis held Atlanta scoreless in the 2nd half and got two late TD’s one on an Otis Smith pick-six of Jeff George, to take home the win. ARZ 47 NOR 5 After going up 5-0 in the first quarter the wheels fell off the bus for the Breakers as mistakes and turnovers turned the game into a route which moved Arizona to 7-7 on the year. Four turnovers, including 3 picks of Jamie Martin, gave Arizona short fields all day, and they took advantage of them, with Rocket Ismael catching 2 Plummer TDs and DE Al Noga getting the trifecta, a sack, fumble, scoop & score all on one plays as Arizona just crushed the Breakers. DEN 26 STL 21 Tampa was not the only #1 seed to fall this weekend as Denver went into St. Louis and upset the Knights thanks to a 20-0 first half punctuated by two Rashaan Salaam touchdown runs. Down by 20 is not a good spot for the Knights and Denver keyed on their passing game the rest of the way. While St. Louis clawed their way back to respectability, a late Brunell to Odessa Turner bomb on play action broke their hearts and helped Denver hold on to win a huge game for them. LA 20 TEX 38 Texas remains in playoff contention after getting a home win against the 1-13 Express. Reggie Cobb ran for 86 and a score while Kelly Stouffer tossed 4 TD passes in a game that was not as close as the final score might indicate. LA got 10 points in garbage time to make it look respectable, but it really was not. OAK 30 CHI 34 What the what? Yes you are reading that right. Apparently the offensive fireworks last week against Tampa Bay left the Invader defense lagging this week and Chicago took advantage at home to score only their third win of the season. Rickey Watters was the main man for Chicago as he was both the leading rusher with 98 yards on 14 carries and the leading receiver with 6 receptions for 69 yards. Oakland had a shot to win, but their simply gassed defense could not hold a late 30-27 lead as Chicago got a TD from Van Pelt to Duce Staley with 44 seconds left to play to steal the win. POR 42 HOU 35 This week's other big shootout was in Houston, where the Gamblers were hoping to move to 8-6 and be secure in playoff contention, but Portland is also scrapping for a playoff spot and they got a late Musgrave to Johnson TD to edge the Gamblers in Houston. Chuck Hartlieb tossed 4 scores on the day, but that late score gave Musgrave his 5th in his best game as a pro to date. Maybe Portland is not in the QB market afterall? SEA 13 MGN 42 In what is a lost season for Coach Holtz and the Panthers, maybe this win over a pretty solid Seattle club will help with the hurt. Doug Flutie threw for an even 300 yards and 5 scores as the Panthers pulled away early. Two picks and another 2 fumbles helped turn the tide early against the Dragons, for whom earlier thoughts of a playoff run must now be fading. RECORD SMASHER We have to start this week with Troy Aikman’s absolutely sensational year. The Bandits’ QB has already set a new league record with 51 touchdowns in only 14 weeks. He has a legitimate shot at reaching 60 TD passes, a once unthinkable number. He is also on pace to possibly reach another unthinkable height, 6,000 yards passing in a 16 game season. His QB rating of 133.2 is also a league record if it holds up. We fully expect him to have records in all 3 areas by the year’s end, even with the loss of Randy Moss to a precautionary benching. Of course we don’t expect Troy to see much action in Week 16, and backup Kerwin Bell may even get into action next week. Tampa has run away with the conference’s #1 seed, so expect them to take their foot off the throttle these next two weeks. Even so, it is still possible that Aikman’s shot at unthinkable numbers may push Coach Seifert to keep him in just a bit longer than is needed from a standings standpoint. PHOTO FINISH If you are looking for a good statistical battle, the place to look is the race for the 1998 league rushing title. There are 4 backs who are within 21 yards of each other, and any one of them could push for the title over the final 2 weeks of the year. Currently leading the pack by only 10 yards is Denver’s Rashaan Salaam, with 1,062 yards. Salaam is likely to get a ton of carries as Denver hopes to clinch the division title and a bye, and if the Gold can win the division and get a bye, then Coach Jauron is unlikely to rest his starters in Week 16, not wanting a 2-week gap in action to create rust. In second position, but only 3 yards ahead of Tiki Barber in 3rd, we find Barry Word. The Federals need to focus on getting that playoff spot locked up, so they won’t overplay their hand with Word, but his usual workload may just be enough for him to make a run at the title, especially if circumstances would cause Salaam and Drummond to be rested in Week 16. Barber is an interesting case. The Atlanta Fire have slipped considerably from their quick start and now are well outside of playoff contention. For Coach Lewis, having Barber take the title could be a way to build some positive feelings in Atlanta. Lewis’ job does not appear to be in doubt, but having Barber touted as the league’s best back could help a lot, so expect a big dose of Tiki in the final two weeks. In 4th position, but well within range, only 21 yards behind Salaam, is the Comeback Player of the Year, Robert Drummond, who has shaken off the months of recovery from an ACL injury and had an outstanding second half of the season. Portland is right there in the playoff hunt, so we expect Drummond to get his fair share of carries, and we know he is capable of snagging the title, as he has done twice in a row. IT’S ABOUT THE D If you want to understand why the Atlantic Division is the most competitive in the league, and why teams hate playing the Beasts from the East, all you have to do is look at the rankings for scoring defense. Other than 1st place St. Louis, whose defense is the reason they are sitting pretty at 12-2, the remaining members of the Top 5 in scoring defense are all found in the Atlantic. Washington, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Pittsburgh are all monster defenses, and even New Jersey is not far behind at 8th. Makes you feel bad for the Ohio Glory, who are 19th, and who just cannot catch a break in their divisional games. While the headlines may be the potent offenses like Tampa Bay, Oakland, or Birmingham, defense is leading to success, and as we saw last year with the Federals’ title, it can lead to championships too. A big week for clinching out West while the East tightens up even more. The results of the week allowed 3 Pacific Division teams lay claim to playoff berths, though the division title is still in the air. Denver (10-4), Portland (9-5) and Oakland (9-5) are all in, though the Invaders cannot be happy about a 2-game losing streak. Houston, Texas, and Arizona have two weeks to battle for position in hopes of a Wild Card as both are stuck at 7-7. In the East, Tampa remains the only club with a ticket to the postseason. The Blitz’s loss means they drop below Philadelphia, though both are tied at 9-5. Pittsburgh, Washington and Orlando all sit at 8-6, while New Jersey is still viable at 7-7 in a very bunched-up conference. And a reminder that the league expanded the playoff field to 12 clubs, 6 in each conference, adding one more playoff spot, but limiting bye weeks only to the 4 division winners. That means there is more room at the bottom for that 5th and 6th spot, but it means division battles are even more important with the #3 seed no longer getting a bye. That puts huge pressure on Denver, Philly and Baltimore to hold on, while it gives hope to Pittsburgh, Washington, Oakland and Portland that they could still be in the hunt for the precious bye week. You hate to see injuries at the end of a season because it can not only impact playoff races, but it is just a horrible way to end a year, often an already frustrating year for many players. For some it means a lost opportunity to reach a contract goal, for others it shuts down their opportunity to impress folks ahead of free agency. And for playoff squads it can severely impair their odds. So, this week’s pretty extensive injury list is bad news all around. Among the playoff contenders we have two noteworthy injuris, the first pretty serious as Texas SS Mike Minter suffered a back injury which has since been diagnosed as a spinal cord contusion. The good news is that a full recovery is very likely, the bad news is that his season is done with the Outlaws still very much in the hunt. In Denver the concern is TE Keith Jackson, a key piece of the Gold’s offensive scheme. Jackson had his ankle rolled up under him this week and will almost certainly miss the season’s final weeks, but if Denver can get a bye by winning the Pacific Division, he may be able to return in time for their first playoff game. WR Randy Moss may have seen his last regular season action as a pinched nerve on his right side will likely lead Coach Seifert to bench him for the final 2 games of the year, a move which may have happened anyway in Week 16, but now Moss’s bid for Rookie of the Year will have to see what happens with Ryan Leaf, his chief competitor, over the final 2 weeks, with no ability to make a final statement. Among non-playoff teams we have some more injuries that simply add to the bad years for their clubs. This includes Ricky Proehl, whose move from Houston to Chicago has been inauspicious, is now out fir a second time this year after suffering a dislocated knee. A similar injury has ended Jacksonville center Mark Stepnoski’s year, while in Michigan the solid year put in by Muhsin Muhammad is also over after he suffered a fracture in his tibia this week. Seattle lost its big resigning in DT Gilbert Brown, whose issues with his left foot have forced the club to end his season early. Week 15 could be the week to decide the final clubs to make the playoff field, even as positioning for Wild Card home games and bye weeks continues into Week 16. So, which games look like deciding games? Well, let’s start out West, where the Denver-Oakland game will go a long way to determining if the Invaders can regain a hold on 1st or if the title will be locked up by the Gold and their impressive win streak. Portland has a say in this as well, but they also have a tough game on hand as they host the Arizona Wranglers, who are still hoping a Wild Card is in their future. The other Pacific game seems to be a non-factor with Seattle at 6-8 hosting 1-13 Los Angeles. The Central Division does not have the same drama as they host divisional games. St. Louis has run away with the division, and while Michigan would love to pull the upset at St. Louis, even a win this week leaves them on the outside looking in at the playoffs. The more important game is likely Texas hosting Houston in their twice-annual Texas Tussle. The winner moves to 8-7 and puts themselves in prime position for a Wild Card. Chicago is also in division, playing against 4-10 New Orleans, with a shot to equal their 4-win record with a win, but is that what the Machine need? Falling back further in the draft? The Atlantic and Southern square off one last time in the Eastern Conference, And that provides some opportunities for the Atlantic clubs as some get good matchups against the weaker Southern clubs, while others may have their hands full. Washington has to feel good about hosting 3-11 Jacksonville. A win moves them to 9-6 and solidly in the playoff field. Philadelphia likewise has a favorable matchup with the Atlanta Fire in town. They need a win and a Blitz loss to jump into a tie for first. Baltimore is hosting Memphis, a bit tougher of an opponent, and they need the win to retain first place. New Jersey has perhaps the toughest clash ahead of them, with Orlando, who is also deep in the playoff hunt at 8-7. New Jersey has the home field advantage, but Orlando has been hot lately and could prove dangerous. The week’s final game is not much of a showdown, with Tampa Bay headed to Ohio.

Playoff Picture: Three clubs made their claim on playoff spots, all out West in the Pacific Division, with Denver, Portland, and Oakland all locking up berths.

So what did we get from the USFL this week? Well, perhaps one of the wildest offensive games ever, including a new record for passing yards and 10 passing TDs in one game. We also got an overtime showdown for St. Louis, and several games with huge playoff ramifications. In other words, it was end of season football in the USFL. What else do you expect? We had a feeling this weeks matchup of Invaders v. Bandits would be a shootout, but even we could not have imagined what we got. Just leave the punters home because they were not needed in this one. Tampa Bay and Oakland were both unstoppable on offense, with the two combining for 998 combined passing yards. Troy Aikman set a league record with 574 yards in the air, including 5 TDs as he completed 33 of 40 attempts. Across the field, rookie Ryan Leaf tried to keep pace, with 424 yards and 5 scores of his own. Randy Moss had 184 in the air but no scores, while Ben Coates added 120 with 2 scores, Errict Rhett caught 2 TD passes and for Oakland both Henry Ellard and Christian Fauria had 2 scores apiece, while Ed McCaffrey scored once and led the Invaders with 139 yards receiving. It was just up and down the field all day, on almost every drive of the game, a game that needed overtime and, yes, a TD pass to end with a Bandit home win. The game was even throughout, with both teams trading scores throughout the entire 60 minutes and into an extra period. Rather than try to walk through every one of these scores, let’s sprint. 3:11 in 1st: C. Fauria 17-yard TD 7-0 Oakland 0:04 in 1st: E. Rhett 7-yard run 7-7 13:04 in 2nd: R. Sparkman Pick 6 14-7 Oakland 2:44 in 2nd: B. Coates 9-yard TD 14-14 0:16 in 2nd: Vanderjagt FG 14-17 Tampa Bay 11:43 in 3rd C. Fauria 19-yard TD 21-17 Oakland 5:55 in 3rd: E. Rhett 1-yard TD run 21-24 Tampa Bay 1:28 in 3rd: J. Nedney FG 24-24 0:21 in 3rd: R. Brooks 2-yard TD 24-31 Tampa Bay 11:33 in 4th: H. Ellard 16-yard TD 31-31 7:42 in 4th: E. Rhett 3-yard TD 31-38 Tampa Bay 2:53 in 4th: H. Ellard 5-yard TD 38-38 1:39 in 4th: E. Rhett 4-yard TD 38-45 1:29 in 4th: E. McCaffrey 75-yard TD 45-45 10:12 in OT: B. Coates 5-yard TD 45-51 Tampa Bay Yes, you read that right, 4 TDs for Errict Rhett, 2 in the air and 2 on the ground, and 10 total TD passes in one game. It was a thing of beauty, unless you are a defensive coach that is. Oakland had the early lead but by the end of the 2nd quarter the game was one of catchup for the Invaders. Every time the evened the score Tampa would respond and take the lead again. That works in regulation time, but once you get to sudden death overtime you cannot play catchup, and that is what ended the game for the Invaders, a really tough loss considering how well so many players performed. For Tampa Bay, the win solidifies their standing as the odds-on favorite to take the title this year. STL 27 NJ 21 OT If any team is going to be able to stop Tampa Bay, it is the Knights, who also took a game to overtime to get a win. The Knights were in New Jersey, where Spence Fisher avoided mistakes and had New Jersey up 21-18 late in the 4th, but the Knights did just enough to get Ryan Longwell into field goal range to end regulation, and then in overtime Collins found little-used TE Carlos Etheridge for the game winner as the Knights move to 12-1. NOR 6 BAL 22 Baltimore looked every bit the division leader as they easily dispatched a New Orleans team that expected much more this season. Wally Richardson continued to play well, and the Blitz also got 93 yards from former Arizona Wrangler Derrick Fenner as they shut down New Orleans and took a comfortable win to move to 9-4. HOU 22 PHI 27 The Stars kept pace, 1 game behind Baltimore, by fending off the Houston Gamblers at the Vet. Charlie Garner had a very nice game with 122 yards and a score on 17 carries. Bobby Hebert threw for 319 despite being constantly harassed by the Houston front 4 (7 sacks on the day). Houston had the lead until a final minute TD form Hebert to Brown gave the home team the W. CHI 10 PIT 17 The Maulers also stayed in the playoff picture but struggled against the Chicago Machine. Chicago had a shot lae, but a costly interception by Alex Van Pelt ended their attempt to force overtime. Andre Rison was the star for the Maulers, bringing in 10 receptions for 125 and 2 scores on the day. MGN 10 WSH 38 The Federals D manhandled the Panthers to stay over .500 at 7-6. Doug Flutie threw 2 picks and Tyrone Wheatley was limited to only 26 yards rushing, while Kordell Stewart completed 20 of 31 passing for 217 and 3 TDs as the Federals cruised to a comfortable home win. TEX 24 OHI 17 We wrap up games with Atlantic squads with Texas outlasting Ohio in a battle of teams fighting for relevance. Reggie Cobb rushed for 113 and Carl Pickens caught 6 for 91 and a score to lead the Outlaws. Ohio got a good game from Eddie George with 113 yards on 13 carries, but it was not enough in the end as the Outlaws pulled away at the end and took the win to move to 6-7. POR 28 ATL 24 Portland got their 8th win of the season on the strength of a balanced offense, with Drummond running for 82 yards and Musgrave, still playing for the injured Trudeau, throwing 2 scores to only 1 pick. Jeff George led the Fire, but their running game was held in check, leading to some long 3rd downs and one two many 3-and-outs for the Fire offense. ARZ 28 BIR 17 Just as the Stallions start to feel feisty, they lay a complete egg against the Wranglers. Arizona converted only 1 third down attempt all day, but still managed to win on the basis of big plays, the biggest of which was a 91-yard TD from Plummer to Rocket Ismael in the first quarter. Stokes and HB Tim Lester added TDs of their own and Brett Favre threw for only 165 before a wrist injury forced Danny Kanell into the game. DEN 31 JAX 6 The Gold look like a team ready for the postseason as they get their 9th win of the year on the road in Jacksonville. Mark Brunell threw for 314 yards and 3 scores to pace the Gold. In an amazing statistic, Denver rushed the ball 33 times while Jacksonville only attempted 4 rushes all game. Hard to win with that level of imbalance on offense. SEA 20 MEM 17 Seattle got a solid game (414 yards on 34 of 57) from Brian Griese, and Memphis struggled with only 65 yards rushing as the Dragons got the road win. The combo of Dillon, Potts, and Loville gained 111 on the ground for Seattle, and wideout Courtney Hawkins had his best game of the year, 7 for 132 and a score. LA 9 ORL 33 Another rough day for the Express as Brent Pease was sacked 5 times and the run game produced a lot of nothing. Memphis got 4 field goals, a pick-6 and scores from Kantroy Barber and Terry Kirby to pull away and cruise to the win, putting them 1 game over .500 and in the thick of the Eastern wild card chase. We are going to use our Story section to focus on something a lot of folks are already talking about, a possible record setting QB draft in 1999. With several teams already in the market for an upgrade at QB, and with potential retirements creating even more opportunities, this could be the year we see as many as 6 or 7 QB’s come off the board in the USFL’s first round. Not since the epic draft of 1993 have we seen as many college QB’s rated so highly, and with a lot of possible QB needs across the USFL, this could be a year to go for broke in the draft and hope you get a franchise player. So, how do we look at this. Let’s go in draft order (as it currently stands) and determine which teams are in the market and which players may just fit the bill. LA Express: A very likely 1st overall pick, which means they could take any QB they want. At the top of our draft chart is Kentucky’s Tim Couch, which might work for the Express, but they have a homegrown option out of UCLA who could also fit the bill and at half the salary cap hit. Don’t be surprised if LA goes for the bargain and looks to sign UCLA’s Cade McNown to be the next Bruin turned USFL starter. Chicago Machine: Are the Machine in the market for a signal caller. Alex Van Pelt has had a very erratic year, Chris Miller almost immediately got injured, and the team is desperately in need of a shot in the arm, so we think the answer is yes. They have a ton of needs as their defense has completely fallen apart, so they may bypass QB and go another direction, but if they want a QB we think the best fit is someone like Syracuse’s Donovan McNabb, a big, strong, but mobile QB with a ton of experience. Jacksonville does not seem to have QB as a high priority, but Chris Chandler is not getting any younger. We think a mid-round pick might be a good option to back up Chandler for a year and then maybe get a shot to start. Two mid-rounders that could be good options for Jacksonville are local kid Duante Culpepper of UCF, and Tulane’s Sean King. Both need some time to mature, but both have skill sets that could develop into solid USFL talent. New Orleans and Atlanta both seem set on their QB’s, with the Breakers getting solid performance from Jamie Martin and Atlanta having gone big to bring in Jeff George this past offseason. So that has us moving past them to the next potential QB hunter, the Seattle Dragons. Again, not a club with a dire need, as they like what they have seen from Jon Kitna, but they might take a flyer on doubling up their Huard factor. Damon has been a backup his entire career with the Dragons, but his brother, another UW Husky, Brock Huard looks to have more upside. It would not shock anyone to see both Huard brothers in Seattle next year. Memphis is set with Shuler, Ohio and Birmingham also look like they are not focusing on QB, so the next possible target is Michigan. The Panthers have Doug Flutie, who has put up big numbers, but translated them into wins. If they feel he might be a season or two from retirement, they could go for a QB this year to groom someone behind him. The best fit in that case would be someone like Tim Couch, though he might cost a pretty penny to snatch away from the NFL. Perhaps a better option, maybe in the 2nd or 3rd round, would be Kansas State’s Michael Bishop, whose game could align well with Flutie’s dual threat capabilities. We are getting to the top half of the league, which usually means no QB issues to be had, but there are a couple of potential options here that we might consider. In Portland Jack Trudeau has been showing his age, and the injuries seem to mount up. Bill Musgrave has been solid in relief, keeping the Thunder’s playoff hopes alive, but even with some good games under his belt, if Trudeau were to retire, we think that might trigger Portland to go after another local talent, again at half the salary cap hit. Akili Smith, from just down the road in Eugene, is an athletic, dynamic playmaker who could really excite the Thunder fanbase. Finally, the last team we think will likely look to go QB, and who may move up in the draft to do so, is the Orlando Renegades. The combo of Scott Mitchell and Scott Zolak has been decent, but neither one has lit the world on fire, and if Orlando believes they are only 1-2 players away from a possible title run, then they have to consider an upgrade. Tim Couch, Duante Culpepper, or maybe McNabb could be very tempting for the Renegades. While Tampa Bay and St. Louis can all but cruise their way home, things are a lot tighter everywhere else. Denver and Oakland are tied up at 9-4, with the Gold having won 6 in a row, while Oakland’s untimely loss to Tampa Bay cost them first place on a tiebreaker. Portland is only 1 game back and right now Houston is holding onto the final Western playoff spot by 1 game over Seattle, Texas, and Arizona. In the East, Tampa Bay has won all they can win, and has now locked up the #1 seed as well. Baltimore has a 1 game lead in the East, with Philly right behind them and only 1 more game back at 7-6 we have Pittsburgh, Washington, and New Jersey. Orlando has a shot to be the 2nd club from the South to make the playoffs, but they need help as Atlantic teams knock each other off. The final few weeks are likely to shake this tree up a bit as we have more divisional games to slow down some of the clubs and propel others up the standings. A rough week for receivers as both Seattle and Philadelphia lose key contributors down the stretch. In Seattle it is slot receiver Bobby Olive, who will need surgery after an ACL tear, while rookie Germaine Crowell is out for Philadelphia for the forseeable future with a groin pull. In Pittsburgh the concern is for tackle Zach Wiegert, who appears to have a hairline fracture in one of the key pivot bones in his right foot. Whlie in Michigan it is back to wideout concerns as Muhsin Muhammad could miss the rest of the season with a fracture in his right leg. Orlando was hoping Scott Mitchell could return to action next week, but doctors are not happy with his progress and expect at least another 1-2 weeks of recovery. Memphis will be without TE O.J. Santiago for at least 2 weeks due to swelling in his knee, while Michigan fullback Lorenzo Neal is out with a hamstring. With the news last week that Reebok will be replacing Nike we know that the Oregon-based sports company is on their last year working with USFL clubs to redesign uniforms and in some cases logos as well. Despite the end of the contract coming up, Nike has 2 more clubs to complete and dress for 1999. We have seen the changes coming to the Pittsburgh Maulers, a pretty significant uniform overhaul but only minor tweaks to the team logo. That is not the case for the Portland Thunder. This week Nike revealed the 1999 look for the Thunder and it comes complete with an entirely new logo. Let’s start with that revelation and then talk about the uniform. Since their creation in 1988 the Portland Thunder have used a somewhat cartoonish cloud with lightning bolt logo as their primary. The logo in navy, sky, and gold did not contain the signature neon lime which was such a revelation for the club and became the signature element of their uniform, making it a best-seller nationwide. The new logo incorporates the green and also introduces a new interpretation of the team’s name. The new Thunder logo features a swinging hammer producing a lightning bolt, captured within a framing circle of motion lines. The hammer, an allusion to the famous thunder-creating hammer of the Norse god Thor, is primarily navy, with sky as highlights in the handle, and with a golden lightning bolt trailing behind. The entire logo is surrounded by an electric lime aura, adding the team’s signature color to their helmets for the first time. Apparently this will be a total swap out, with the former cloud-bolt logo not making an appearance anywhere on the uniform. That uniform continues to heavily feature electric lime as the primary color, at least for the home jersey. What is new for the jersey is the use of sublimation to create a gradient on the sleeves, where the lime which is dominant on most of the jersey slowly morphis into a bright yellow down by the cuffs. The rest of the elements, navy numbers with white outlines and sleevel logos instead of stripes, remains very similar to their prior look. The road uniform features two significant changes, the first of which is the use of gradient once again, in the sleeves, shifting from yellow to lime, but also in the numbers, which have the same 2 colors as a gradient, and surrounded by a navy outline. The second change is in the pants, with a new navy set to go along with the white set. Both sets have a yellow-lime gradient stripe. On the navy pants this is the lone stripe, while on the white set thick navy stripes outline the gradient. Sky blue is all but absent from the uniform except for appearing in the logo itself. It is a bold look, and initial reactions to the new Thunder-Hammer logo have been overwhelmingly positive. There are even some hoping that if Portland can make a return trip to the Summer Bowl they may just debut the look early, though Nike seemed to indicate that this was not permitted by the current contract between the league and the uniform & merchandise manufacturer. Week 14 has the Eastern Conference in divisional play, and the matchups, at least in the Atlantic Division, are looking really engaging. First place Baltimore takes their 9-4 record on the road to face the tough D of the Pittsburgh Maulers, while in Philadelphia the New Jersey Generals are hoping to make up some ground if they can knock off their rivals at their home. Washington is back at RFK to face a feisty Ohio Glory squad hoping to hit .500 with a win this week. In the South what looked like a killer matchup earlier this season may not be that close as the Bandits are in Birmingham to face the Stallions. But, Birmingham can score points, which is a threat to the Bandits as it appears that a shootout is the only way to beat them these days. Finally Orlando hopes to get safely over .500 with a road win against the 3-10 Bulls in Jacksonville. Out West the best matchup is one that focuses on two strong defenses as 9-4 Denver heads into St. Louis to take on the 12-1 Knights. St. Louis has wrapped up the #1 seed, so you have to wonder how focused they will be against a Gold team hoping to continue their 6-game win streak and put some space between themselves and the Oakland Invaders. Oakland is also on the road, but with what looks like a much easier task, a matchup against the 2-11 Chicago Machine. Portland @ Houston should be a good game as both clubs are still embroiled in the Wild Card battle. Seattle still has faint hopes of a playoff spot, and will be tested in Michigan by an experienced, if underperforming, Panther squad. Arizona can reach .500 if they can win in New Orleans, as can Texas at home against the likely #1 draft position LA Express.

Sorry all, but it appears I forgot to screenshot the Week 13 standings before playing out Week 14's games. So, here is a quick a basic version of where things stand. Playoff Scenario: Both Tampa Bay and St. Louis have now clinched the #1 seed in their respective conferences. With 3 weeks left, no other teams have clinched a spot yet, however several can do so in Week 14 with a win, including Denver, Oakland, Portland, and Baltimore.