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In a week that saw Denver’s Rashaan Salaam go off for 185 yards and 3 scores, that had Alex Van Pelt throw for 5 TDs and still lose, that returned Birmingham to .500 with a convincing win over Philly, and that got Ohio their first win of the year over a struggling Atlanta Fire, the big story remains the success of the St. Louis Knights, Pittsburgh Maulers, and the Tampa Bay Bandits, all three clubs far exceeding expectations this year. It is also a week that is leading some clubs to reconsider their current rosters and possibly look to make a deal moving forward. A wild game between two clubs that were desperate to get a W on the board. With a win New Orleans could reach .500 and stay alive in a Central Division that already seems out of reach for anyone not called the Knights, while for Chicago, any chance of staying relevant would depend on a win in this one. The Machine got a stellar performance from Alex Van Pelt, but in unexpected form their defense simply let them down, making Van Pelt’s heroics all in vain. New Orleans came out of the gate hot, with Jamie Martin throwing what would be his only TD pass of the game in the 1st quarter, a short fade to Fontenot. This was followed by a Lin Elliott field goal and after one quarter the visitors had a 10-point lead. Chicago wouldfight back, with Van Pelt hitting TE Scott Eccles to get on the board, but New Orleans would get 3 rushing TDs on the day, and the first one, a Terrell Davis plunge from 1 yard out, kept the margin 10. Chicago, now in full pass-first mode, responded again with Van Pelt hitting Wendell Davis to pull back within 3. The second half ended with a good Chicago stand, holding the Breakers to only another field goal, and going into the break down only 20-14. The second half started much as the first had. New Orleans rotated their backs all day, resting Davis, who was dealing with migraines, and that allowed Erric Pegram to get two scores on the day, the first of which put the Breakers up 34-21, their largest lead of the day. Chicago responded immediately, with Van Pelt, in full rhythm against a disappointing Breaker defense, finding Ricky Proehl, the Houston import, to close out the 3rd. And yet again New Orleans pushed the lead back over 10 points ,with Pegram running in another TD as the Machine defense simply could not get New Orleans off the field on 3rd down. But, Van Pelt was not done yet, finding Kirby Dar Dar for his 4th TD of the day and once again pulling Chicago within 6. They would catch a break on the next series when Jamie Martin simply misfired on a 3rd and 5 pass, missing his target entirely and forcing a Breaker punt. Chicago responded quickly, and in 3 plays, they were deep in Breaker territory. Van Pelt again found the right receiver, hitting HB Duce Staley out of the backfield on a circle route that turned into a 26 yard TD toss. For the first time all day the Machine were on top, 35-34. But, this has been a snakebitten Machine squad all year, and with 4:22 still on the clock, and their defense struggling all game, they were not celebrating yet. Jamie Martin continued to find holes in the Chicago zone, and with litte pass rush from the front 3, it was up to the LBs to blitz. Chicago sent Talley on one play, Brookings on another, but it did not rattle the Breakers, and over the course of the next 4 minutes they moved the ball methodically, matriculating down the field as Hank Stram would say. Dealing with a 3rd and 7 from the Chicago 11, they opted to just place the ball with a kneel down, run some clock, and trot out Lin Elliott. The New Orleans kicker did not miss the chipshot and the Breakers got the lead back for good. With the loss, Chicago falls to a stunning 1-5 and is all but dead. There were rumors that Chicago might bench Van Pelt if he did not play well this game, giving former Blitz starter Chris Miller a shot to rally the Machine, but Van Pelt was clearly not the issue this week. He played very well, but the usually sound Chicago defense was anything but, an issue Coach Schottenheimer will have to address if his Machine squad has any hopes of a better second half to the season. For New Orleans, the win pulls them up to 3-3 and puts them in the thick of what is likely to be a crowded Wild Card grouping. MEM 23 WSH 22 The other photo finish this week was a bit of a shocker as Memphis entered the game at RFK as a solid 8-point underdog. Barry Word leads the league in rushing, but Memphis was able to hold him to only 61 yards. They were also able to protect Heath Shuler, who was sacked only 2 times and was able to find Lawyer Tillman on a key TD to go into the half down only 1. In the second half it was the foot of Kevin Shea that did the damage, including a game winner in the final minute to give Memphis the upset win and equalize their record at 3-3. STL 24 MGN 10 The big game in the Central pitted St. Louis against Michigan, and the Knights made a statement, limiting the Panthers to only 198 total yards from scrimmage. Tyrone Wheatley managed only 42 yards on the ground, while Doug Flutie threw for 141 and a pick. Todd Collins, conversely, had a big game, throwing for 288 and 3 scores, with Bert Emmanuel finding holes in the D to the tune of 9 receptions for 88 yards and a score in the Knights’ big road win. TBY 31 NJ 21 Tampa was another big road winner as they got 17 unanswered points in the 3rd quarter to pull away from the Generals. Both Troy Aikman and Spence Fischer had strong days, combining for 7 passing TDs, though Aikman’s 433 yards in the air certainly outpaced Fischer. Both Robert Brooks (6 for 121, 1 TD) and Randy Moss (5 for 131 and 2 TDs) found frequent mismatches against New Jersey’s man coverage scheme, and despite Phil Hansen sacking Aikman 3 times on the day, the Bandits prevailed and moved to 5-1 atop the South. JAX 14 PIT 19 Pittsburgh continued their unlikely run this year, and once again they needed the defense to step up to get a big home win over the Bulls. Up only 17-14 in the 4th, a coffin-corner punt set up a safety as Chris Chandler was sacked in the endzone to put Pittsburgh up by 5 and force Jacksonville to go for a late TD. Chris Chandler was picked off for the 3rd time on the day as time wound down, and, combined with 7 sacks from the Mauler D, suffered a rough afternoon as Pittsburgh moved to 5-1. POR 31 DEN 44 The Gold got a huge game from Rashaan Salaam as the big back rumbled for 185 yards and 3 scores on 25 carries. The Denver D also corralled Robert Drummond, who does seem a bit less shifty after ACL surgery in the offseason, limiting the former Rushing Leader to only 35 yards on 9 carries as Denver evened their record at 3-3. SEA 17 OAK 24 Oakland continued to impress, moving to 5-1 with a hard-fought win over a solid Seattle Dragons squad. They did this despite a pretty mediocre day from rookie QB Ryan Leaf, sacked 4 times and picked off twice on the day. Solid performances from Siran Stacy and Troy Davis helped Oakland pull out the win despite a very strong Corey Dillon 110-yard day. LA 25 ARZ 28 The Express kept this one close, but again failed to eke out a win as Arizona got a late TD from backup HB Vaughn dunbar to take the win. Jacke Plummer offset 2 picks with 3 TDs and Rocket Ismail had a strong 111 yard, 1 TD day to help pace Arizona to a home win and a 4-2 record, while LA fell to 0-6, leading many to expect some changes to the club this week. TEX 10 HOU 24 In the battle of disappointing Texas clubs, the Gamblers prevailed as the Outlaw offense again proved toothless. Kelly Stouffer returned, but threw 3 picks, while Reggie Cobb got only 12 carries on the day. Houston was no juggernaut either, but with 2 scores from Mario Greer, they outpaced the punchless Outlaws to pick up their 2nd win of the year. ATL 21 OHI 36 Timm Rosenbach struggled again, and with him the entire Fire offense, as the club desperately hopes Jeff George can return from injury soon, having dropped their last 3 after a 3-0 start to the year. For Ohio the key was 140 yards from Eddie George, his best game since his days at Ohio State. Add in 115 from Joey Galloway and a strong 19 of 29, 3 TD day from Kerry Collins and the Glory finally escape the realm of the winless with a home victory in front of only 15,677 in spacious Ohio Stadium. BIR 28 PHI 20 The Stallions are again shaking off a poor start to the year, and now seem to have their offensive mojo flowing. Brett Favre threw for 2 scores, both to Lawrence Dawsey, the #1 for Birmingham now that Givens is out. For Philadelphia, 2 Hebert picks and a rough day for Charlie Garner proved fatal as they drop their 2nd in a row and now trail Pittsburgh in the division. ORL 17 BAL 35 The Blitz looked like a contender in snagging their 4th win of the year at home against Orlando. Scott Zolak struggled against the Blitz defense, while Trent Green threw for 3 scores, all to Malcom Floyd, proving that the newcomers to the Baltimore roster are making the GM look good. QB QUANDRY Several teams are having significant QB concerns after 6 weeks of the season. Chicago seriously considered benching Alex Van Pelt this week against New Orleans, but his strong performance even in a loss seems to have delayed the possible shift to former Blitz starter Chris Miller, at least for the time being. The same is not true in Atlanta where, if Jeff George cannot return to start next week, we are likely to see Eric Zeier take over for the ineffective Timm Rosenbach. Rosenbach was at one point considered to be a possible starter for the Fire until George inked with the team, but after 3 weeks and 3 bad performances, it seems the former WSU Cougar is on the outs with Coach Lewis. If George is even at 80% he may get the start, but if he is out, expect it to be Zeier, the former star down the road in Athens, who gets a shot to lead the Fire. In Houston Chuck Hartlieb has had a very up and down season. He looked solid against Texas, but has had some real issues with accuracy this season. If Houston continues to flounder, Coach Willsey may just turn to the younger, more athletic Chuck Clements. We don’t see either Hartlieb or Clements as a long term solution in Houston, and could easily imagine the Gamblers going after one of the draft’s top QB prospects. The LA Express, having not made any upgrades this offseason, now find themselves where many feared they would be, with Jeff Garcia not getting the job done, and without much confidence that Brent Pease will fare much better. The Express are likely to go with Pease this week when they face Portland, but there does not seem to be a good option for an Express team that is having all kinds of issues. Could a trade be in the works? And with whom? Do they take a shot at Rosenbach from Atlanta now that he is no longer the #2 there, do they package some things to get a proven commodity or do they go for one of the younger QB’s who have flashed some talent but who are currently on the bench across the league? Names like Kerwin Bell in Tampa, Jeff Lewis in Michigan, Cary Conklin in Oakland, or Danny Wuerfel in Jacksonville have been suggested, but honestly, in our minds the best option may be to go for a rookie they had a shot at signing and passed on, Brian Griese from Seattle. Seattle seems confident in starter Jon Kitna, and with Brock Huard backing him up, they may be willing to let Griese go, especially if it means snagging what may be a high draft pick from an LA team likely to be close to the front of the draft order. Something for the Express front office to consider for certain. DEFENSIVE CHANGE In Chicago, despite talk of Alex Van Pelt being on thin ice with Coach Schottenheimer, his strong performance this week meant that the immediate concern was the defense. This week the Machine released DC Maxie Baughan from his duties. While Coach Schottenheimer will clearly have a heavier hand in defensive gameplanning, the club did promote LB coach Jim Schwantz up to the coordinator position. Expect Schottenheimer to emphasize rush defense, but also to seek out some free agent help for the secondary, which has been erratic all season. DRUMMOND QUESTIONS While everyone was certainly happy to see Robert Drummond respond well to his ACL surgery and return to action this Fall after what looked like a devastating injury in last year’s playoffs, it seems clear that he is not the same back as before the injury. He had a strong first game back, but since then his stats have been sliding, from 160 yards in game one, a triumphant return to action, to 60 in Week 2, 50 in Week 3, 76 in Week 3, etc. Drummond has yet to return to 100 yards all season, and maybe we should not expect him too. By his own admission, Drummond is not yet 100% back to form, and as we have seen with ACL injuries, the repaired knee often feels somewhat loose and less stable, which inherently puts doubts in the back’s mind about making cuts or attempting jukes. Without those instincts being acted on Drummond is simply not as dangerous a back. He is less likely to make the first tackler miss, or to cut back against the blocking scheme, which means fewer 10-yard gains and more 2-yarders. Portland has to be concerned, as they built their offense around Drummond and the play action his carries allow Jack Trudeau. Right now, they might consider platooning him more often with backups Darius Turner and June Henley, if for no other reason than to keep him as fresh as possible in hopes that in the second half of the season he will regain some of the swagger that made him such a danger to defenses across the league. ROOKIE RECEIVERS Let’s finish our look across league play this week with a comment on the rookie receiver class of 1998. We are all aware of the immediate impact that Marshal’s Randy Moss has had in Tampa Bay. Whether it is outjumping CB’s to win the 50/50 balls or just flying past the coverage on deep routes, Moss has made Tampa Bay a very dangerous team, and that is showing in the gaudy numbers being put up by a very happy Troy Aikman. And if it were Moss alone we would just say that he may be a generational player, or a perfect fit situation, but what we are seeing across the league are rookie wideouts making contributions that you don’t normally see until a player’s 2nd or 3rd year. In Denver, Kevin Dyson is second behind only All-USFL TE Keith Jackson in both receptions and yardage, and is leading the club in receiving TDs, despite the presence of long-time #1 receiver Odessa Turner. Arizona’s Hines Ward, out of Georgia, is also making major strides and could push J.J. Stokes for the 2nd receiver slot behind Rocket Ismail. In his limited roll in 3 or 4 receiver sets, Ward is showing great vision, route running, and even a penchant for mixing it up as a blocker on run plays from the 3 WR sets. Baltimore’s Tim Dwight has not had a lot of playing time, but has been effective as a deep threat, averaging 13.8 yards per catch and finding the endzone twice so far this year. In New Orleans, slot receiver Az-Zahir Hakeem has been a good third down target for QB Jamie Martin, catching 14 balls and converting 9 of 11 third downs when he has been targeted. Expect the Breakers to find more ways to get him the ball, including on special teams. One of the biggest surprises this year has been Philadelphia’s use of Germaine Crowell from UVA. The receiver was expected to be a depth signing, but has found significant playing time behind Cris Carter and Troy Brown. He already has 3 TDs and over 300 yards receiving despite limited playing time. Expect the Stars to use more 3-receiver sets if he continues to prove effective for Bobby Hebert. Finally, we have not seen much yet, but with a significant injury (4-6 weeks out) to Eric Metcalf, now is the time for one of Seattle’s rookie wideouts to step up. Donald Hayes, the lanky Wisconsin product, and the speedier but more raw Corey Bradford from Jackson State, have a great opportunity in front of them to impress the Seattle brass as well as gain the trust of QB Jon Kitna. Will one of them step up and solidify their place in the receiving corps during the next month? Bad news for the Seattle Dragons as their #1 receiver could miss the rest of the year. X-rays showed that an injury to Eric Metcalf’s right foot includes two broken bones, making a speedy recover extremely unlikely. Metcalf was in crutches by game’s end this week, and will likely be out of action for at least 2 months, but possibly the entire season. In Memphis the issue is CB Derrick Cudrup, a key player in the Boats’ defense. After dislocating his shoulder on a hard tackle, Cudrup could be out up to a month as he recovers. In Orlando, things are not looking good for Scott Mitchell, who is likely out at least another 3 weeks, meaning Scott Zolak will be running the Renegades offense for the next month or more. In Atlanta all eyes are on the return of Jeff George, listed as Questionable this week but expected to be out at least one more week, while in Denver, LB Trev Alberts culd be out a week or more with a hernia suffered while weight training. Others expected out this week include Generals’ TE Mark Chmura, Oakland CB Aeneas Williams, Arizona TE Terry Orr, Michigan FS Mike Prior and Texas LB Zach Thomas Our big story this week is the renewed talks between the NFL and the USFL concerning their transfer window system. Both leagues are concerned about the way in which the current 2 month system with transfers permitted during January-February or July-August (a limit of 4 weeks for each period, spanning 2 months) impacts training camps and preseason for both leagues. The problem continues to be that there is no effective way to deal with the offset seasons of the two leagues without impacting some aspect of each league’s annual calendar. Move the dates earlier and you have signings occurring during the final weeks of the regular season and the playoffs. Delay the signing period and you have players unavailable to their new teams until midseason. The solution may be an inversion of what is allowed. Rather than a period of transfer viability, creating a period when it is blocked, freeing up the rest of the year for signing of future contracts. There are concerns here, particularly what it might mean if a player signs with the other league midseason, then is being asked to play out the rest of the year with a club he knows he is leaving. What does that do to a player’s competitive fire if they begin to lose allegiance to their current club. The other option is to bite the bullet and recognize that inter-league transfers may require that players arrive with their new teams after the regular season has already begun, which has its own concerns. The USFLPA and NFLPA are also involved, as they are concerned that the back-to-back nature of completing one league’s season and then immediately joining a new league during camp or during the early weeks of a season puts a huge physical toll on players. It is not uncommon with transfer players to see a slow build up to effectiveness when they transfer leagues, and some statistics do seem to show a higher propensity for injury as a player reaches past 20-22 games over a 1 year period. But that seems a problem without a clear solution, as nobody wants to see a red shirt system, costing players money and teams talent. With officials from both leagues and both unions expected to meet this week, it is unlikely we will have a quick solution to the concerns of all parties, but hopefully something can be worked out well before the next available transfer window in July. So, what is ahead in Week 7? How about a full slate of 12 divisional games to shake things up a bit. We start in the Atlantic, where 1st place Pittsburgh hosts Ohio, fresh off their first win of the season. New Jersey is in Washington, where the loser falls below .500, and, in what should be a really interesting game, the 4-2 Stars host the 4-2 Blitz, with 2nd place, and a shot at first, on the line. In the South the big game is Tampa Bay at a surprisingly solid Memphis Showboat club. Can the Boats muster a home field upset of the hottest offense in the league? Orlando needs to try to pull off the road win at Birmingham, but the Stallions look like a team that has found their identity, so a tough one for the Gades. Meanwhile, Eric Zeier will get the start as Jeff George is still out, with Atlanta hosting Jacksonville, and both clubs needing a win to stay in the hunt. In the Central Division, New Orleans hosts Houston and Michigan hosts Texas, as both clubs hope to stay over .500 and within range of St. Louis. The Knights face a 1-5 Machine club that has had issues all year long. Unlikely we see the Knights lose this one, but Chicago is a cornered animal at this point. Out in the Pacific, we are very intrigued by the matchup of two upstart teams who look much improved this year, when the 4-2 Wranglers head to the Bay to face the 5-1 Oakland Invaders. Denver is in Seattle, with both clubs at 3-3 and looking like possible playoff squads, while 0-6 LA could be in for a long day as they visit the Portland Thunder, who are none too happy about being only 3-3 right now.

In a week with a lot of energy we got great games between some divisional rivals as Pittsburgh and Tampa were knocked off their unbeaten streaks by familiar rivals. The Pittsburgh Maulers have rediscovered smashmouth football while the Birmingham Stallions have awakened their potent offense. The results of the week leave only one undefeated team left, and who would have guessed St. Louis in the preseason picks? Add in some fast starts beginning to cool and we are seeing a tightening across the league as clubs start to move into midseason form. Just as last week’s clash between New Jersey and Philadelphia was a pretty good bet for a well-fought game, the Keystone Clash is almost always worth checking out, and this year’s was one of the best we have seen in a while as the Maulers knocked the Stars from the ranks of the unbeaten with a game-winning kick and a frantic final drive defense. What is more, they did it with Robbie Bosco sidelined for most of the second half. The Mauler defense is beginning to build some believers out there as they did a great job containing not only Charlie Garner, but harassing and throwing Bobby Hebert off his game. In a game that saw both Bosco and HB Dorsey Levins leave early, that defense was key to the Maulers’ earning the W. The game began inauspiciously for Robbie Bosco as on Pittsburgh’s first drive a tipped ball ended up in the hands of safety Lorenzo Lynch, who ran it back 54 yards for the first score of the game. But, with the Hebert struggling with the Mauler passrush, Pittsburgh was able to equalize and take the lead before the first quarter ran out. Bosco atoned for his earlier pick with a scoring toss to Freddie Solomon to level the score at 7, and then it was Hebert’s turn to suffer a pick six as Jerome Woods jumped in front of Cris Carter and took the ball down the sideline to give the homestanding Maulers the advantage. Philadelphia would recover, as would Hebert, as the veteran led Philadelphia deep into Mauler territory on a drive that ended with Charlie Garner finding room on the left flank and running in a 7-yard TD. It would be Garner’s best run of the day on a frustrating afternoon for the Stars’ bell cow. But, just as the Invader offense was celebrating, the Maulers took the lead right back. Bosco hit newly signed Andre Rison on a fly route and Rison dodged the diving tackle of the safety and high stepped his way to the endzone to give Pittsburgh a 21-14 lead. They would tack on a field goal, but Philly would get one more score in the 2nd to pull within 3, an Eric Green TD from Hebert with 1:33 left in the first half. The second half saw both clubs struggle on offense. First Dorsey Levins went out with what appeared to be a hamstring issue, and then on their 2nd drive of the half, Pittsburgh lost Bosco to a blow to the head. In came rookie Charlie Batch, and while he played admirably, it was clear that Batch was struggling with the pace of the pro game. He would finish the day at 48.3% completions, with no scores, but also no picks. And while backup HB Tavian Banks struggled to gain 42 yards (at a 2.6 YPC pace) even that minimal amount was a help for Batch. Philadelphia started the 4th quarter by equalizing the score at 24 on a Chip Lohmiller kick after a shanked punt gave them a short field. Pittsburgh would get the ball back with just over 5 minutes to play, and, with considerable drama, they managed to convert 3 consecutive 3rd down plays, one on a Philadelphia penalty, but the others on outstanding plays, a 9-yard scramble by Batch on 3rd and 8, and a shoestring catch by Solomon on a ball that Batch put just a bit low and outside. The drive got Pittsburgh all the way to the Stars’ 11 yard line before it stalled, and with 1:31 left, Scott Blanton hit the chip shot and once again the home team had a 3-point lead. But, with that much time left, and only a field goal needed, Bobby Hebert seemed calm as he led the Stars’ offense onto the field. On first down he hit Troy Brown for 14 yards, then 11 to Stepfret Williams. Two plays, more than 25 yards gained. An 8-yarder to Germaine Crowell to Philadelphia to the Pittsburgh 48, and it looked bad for the home team holding their lead. But, on a 2nd and 2, Hebert tried to hit TE Marcus Pollard over the middle. Pollard handled the ball, but it slid around his waist, and when he was hit by Lynch, it popped out. As the scrum formed the Philadelphia bench started screaming for the play to be considered an incompletion, but the referees called it a fumble, one recovered by Sam Shade. Coach Berry wanted to call for a review, but we were in the last 2 minutes and the booth did not review the play. Pittsburgh kneeled twice and the home crowd cheered as their Maulers moved to 4-1 and a share of first with the Stars. NJ 27 OHI 21 The second of the Atlantic clashes was not quite as dramatic, as the visiting Generals built up a 27-7 lead and then withstood a late rally by Ohio to take home their 3rd win and keep Ohio winless on the season. Curtis Enis rushed for 87 yards and Terry Glenn caught 6 passes for 104 to pace the Generals, who also relied on a solid defensive effort to contain Eddie George and the Glory offense. BAL 17 WSH 34 The Federals doubled up Baltimore in a game that most thought would be a lot closer. Kordell Stewart threw for 3 scores, including a beautiful post pattern from Herman Moore, while the Washington D sacked Kerry Collins 5 times on the day to pace the comfortable win for the home team. BIR 48 TBY 35 The highest scoring game of the week saw Tampa Bay fall for the first time this season as Birmingham showed the firepower we had been waiting for all season. Brett Favre threw for an even 300 and 4 scores, but Coach Erhardt actually rant the ball too, with Stephen Davis rushing for 132 against a stunned Bandit defense. Troy Aikman also had a rough day playing catchup, tossing 4 picks as he tried to rally the Bandits. JAX 20 ORL 27 Orlando won their 2nd in a row as they knocked off the visiting Bulls behind backup QB Scott Zolak and a strong 106-yard day from HB Terry Kirby. Zolak completed nearly 70% of his passes and hit on the game winner in the 4th, connecting with HB Kantroy Barber for the score and then adding the 2-point conversion to give them the key 7-point lead. ATL 16 MEM 24 Atlanta fell for the second straight week as backup Timm Rosenbach was sacked 5 times by the ‘Boats and Heath Shuler threw for 3 scores. Garrison Hearst had his best game of the young season with 71 yards, including an electric, spinning & juking 16 yarder in the 3rd quarter. Atlanta struggled all game, falling behind at one point 24-6 before adding some late points to make it look closer. SEA 27 HOU 21 The best game in the Western Conference saw the Seattle Dragons move over .500 with a win in Houston. Jon Kitna seems to be growing into his role as a starter, throwing for 264 yards and 3 touchdowns. Corry Dillon carried the ball 20 times and caught 5 balls to help the Dragons get the road win. Chuck Hartlieb is beginning to hear boobirds in Houston as he had another bad outing, tossing 3 picks against the Dragon D. OAK 37 TEX 28 The Invaders struggled but prevailed on the road to move to 4-1. Ryan Leaf had a huge second half, throwing 3 of his 4 TDs after intermission, two to Ed McCaffrey, to pace a big half for the visitors. Kelly Stouffer was back for Texas, and played well, throwing 3 scores of his own, but a late fumble by Rodney Thomas helped Oakland double up on back to back scores, and created a deficit the Outlaws could not overcome. ARZ 17 MGN 48 Riding a 3-game win streak the Wranglers came into this game with expectations, but Michigan quickly built up a 21-0 lead and kept their foot on the pedal until the final whistle. Doug Flutie had a masterful game avoiding the Wrangler rush, completing 29 of 36 passes for 310 yards and 5 touchdowns for the Panthers. Jeff Campbell looked like he was back in 1997 form, catching 12 balls, 2 for scores to pace the homestanding Panthers to their 3rd win of the season. DEN 17 NOR 33 The Breakers also started to look more in synch as they controlled the game against Denver with a combination of Terrell Davis (109 yards and 3 scores) and Jamie Martin (65% passing and 2 scores). Mark Brunell had some bad luck as 2 balls tipped at the line turned into picks, and in his desire to bring Denver back threw two more. Both clubs now stand at 2-3 and are part of a muddled pack 1-game from .500. POR 27 CHI 13 Chicago’s shaky start continues as the Machine looked anything but well-oiled this week. Three turnovers and some costly penalties derailed Chicago drives, and when Jack Trudeau found Matthew Hatchette for scores twice in the 3rd quarter the Thunder built up a 10-point lead they would not relinquish. LA 6 STL 34 You could have predicted an even worse outcome when the winless Express headed to St. Louis to face the undefeated Knights. It was actually only 6-7 at the half, but the Knights defense just never let LA get anything going (186 total yards for the day) and in the second half, Todd Collins found Amari Toomer and Bert Emmanuel for scores to put the game away. MIDSEASON SWAP? That is the issue in both Ohio and Los Angeles. How many losses in a row will ownership tolerate from Nick Saban and Wayne Fontes? Fontes is only in his first year, so you have to expect that he should have more leeway and more time to build the club he wants, but Saban barely survived the axe last season in Columbus, and the way the season is progressing, it would be easy to imagine the club relieving him of duty before the final week. The problem is, who would take over if they did? Both the offense and the defense have been truly bad this year, so it is not like there is a lot of confidence in one of the two coordinators to step into the role. The loss of Jeff Hostetler has hamstrung the club, and NFL import Kerry Collins has simply not been getting results. Meanwhile the defense, which had been improving in recent years, is now struggling to do the basics. They rank 24th, dead last, allowing 36.2 points a game, and while their pass defense is middle of the pack, that is largely due to teams being able to run effectively on their last ranked run defense, allowing a whopping 147 yards a game. Honestly, the best option for Ohio may be to test some young players out and then make a switch in the offseason and parlay a new coach with what are likely to be high draft picks to start building in a new direction. HOW FAR THE FALL FROM GRACE Houston is another club wondering if they have not made a huge mistake. After nearly a decade as one of the league’s best clubs, the Gamblers have not recovered from the exodus of talent due to both retirement and NFL poaching over the past 2 years. Gone are Kelly, Thomas and seemingly strong talent at nearly every position, and the decision to put their offense in the hands of Chuck Hartlieb and scatback Mario Greer does not seem to be working out at all, with Houston now the 23rd offense in the league in scoring. Of course the defense is not much better, which cannot bode well for Coach Willsey. This may be a case of a quality coach having to move on simply so that something new can be formed. Houston has not drafted well the past few years, other than a few successes such as WR Antonio Freeman, so the changes may need to start in the front office even if Willsey stays on. WINDY CITY WOES One more team looking hard at themselves in the mirror has to be Chicago. Believed to be a solid contender in the Central, nothing has been going well for the Machine this season. Their usually reliable defense is not forcing enough turnovers, and their offense is struggling to turn yards into points. Chicago is actually in the upper half of the league in total yards, passing and rushing yards, but they are only 21st in scoring offense. Their only win was a flukey game at Houston, and they have lost the last two games by double digits to Michigan and Portland. We don’t think Coach Schottenheimer is at risk, but something is going to have to give, and if we were positional coaches in Chicago we would be worried right now. NEW IRON CURTAIN? Let’s finish our stories of the week on a positive note. The Maulers have been one of the surprise success stories this year, sitting pretty at 4-1 after 5 games. They owe much of that to an aggressive defense that is producing turnovers, sacks, and 3rd down stops. The Maulers rank #2 in the league in points per game, and are in the top 10 in all 3 major yardage categories. In addition to this the club is near the top of the league in sacks, picks, and forced fumbles. LB DeMetrius DuBose is proving that the Maulers did well to resign him, leading the club in tackles and already having 3 sacks, a pick, and a forced fumble to his name. Others who have stepped up include strong safety Sam Shade with 3 picks, DE Bob Kuberski with 5 sacks, and LB Godfrey Miles, who has forced 3 fumbles already this year. Not many picked the Maulers to be a contender this year, but with a defense like this they could be in the hunt for the long haul. Portland cannot be happy with the way the injury report is looking this season. For the second straight week they have led the league in the number of players appearing on the report. This week it was rookie guard Eric Still going down with a groin injury that could take considerable time to heal. Add to that FS Vencie Glenn, who could miss up to 6 weeks with a shoulder injury, and issues for the other starting guard, Victor Allotey, and Portland is feeling the hurt. The other big innjry of note this week is Washington Strong Safety Louis Oliver, who could miss at least 4-6 weeks with a torn quad muscle. Oliver is considered one of the league’s hardest hitting safeties, so a big loss for the Federal D with him out. On the positive side, several players are expected to be back in action this week after time away or after what appeared to be a more serious injury in this past weekend’s games. Among those expected to play we find Birmingham CB Torey James, Tampa LB Kevin Mitchell, Arizona DT Jason Peter, Breakers LB Lamar Lathon, and Philly tackle Emory Yates. Doug Flutie jammed his finger at the end of his strong game this week, but is expected to start in Week 6. LOOKING FOR A LOOK An interesting story from St. Louis this week as the Knights, who had not been targeted as one of the year’s Nike projects, have petitioned the design team at Nike to add their club to the list of teams expecting new looks in 1999. Clearly a 5-0 start has built excitement and the Knights, who have struggled with attendance since the arrival of the NFL Rams to the city, are looking to cash in by building on the excitement of their on-field success by reimagining their uniforms and possibly their logo for the next season. Nike normally works with only 2-3 teams each season to redesign their looks, a time-consuming process of pitches, focus groups, revisions, and market testing. To take on St. Louis’s request, they reached out to several other clubs, seeking one who might wait for 2000 to reinvent their look, a 2000 season which is very much in doubt for Nike as both Reebok and Russell Athletic are expected to compete with the Oregon-based sports company for the rights to the USFL contract. Birmingham, Pittsburgh, and Portland were expected to be the three clubs looking for modified looks. Rumors had Portland well into a process of reinvention, including a new logo, so it is unlikely that they would be the club bumped for another year. Pittsburgh was likely to have more of a tweak than a major overhaul, so they would be easy to postpone, but their recent success might motivate them to retain the update on schedule. That leaves Birmingham, which makes some sense, since this season has started out somewhat rough, and since there is no real pressing need for the club to change a look that continues to sell well, due largely to the mass appeal of players like Brett Favre, Ernest Givens and Mike Alstott. NEW MEDIA THE FOCUS OF COMMISSIONER BULLARD While the league is deep in the hunt for a new commissioner, the interim leader is not waiting for his replacement to make some major changes. Commissioner Fred Bullard announced this week a major contract with internet innovater GeoCities to enhance and monetize the USFL website as well as the sites for all 24 clubs. The goal is to quickly enhance the ability of the sites to produce live information, serve as focal points of fan attention, and possibly even become primary resources for the purchase of both tickets and club merchandise. The GeoCities contract, which unofficially appears to have been worth at least $20M from the USFL is aimed at making the league one of the primary sports brands on the burgeoning online world. Just how quickly this new media can be transformed from informational to profit-generating remains to be seen, but with TV contracts already in hand, and with the former Tecmo Bowl Series, now Summer Bowl videogames (Summer Bowl 1998 released this past November), neck and neck with the NFL John Madden Football Game in sales, the next battle between the spring and fall leagues seems to be the growth in online presence and the race to turn monitors into monetary gain. STADIUM ENVY? With both Cleveland’s and Cincinnati’s new stadia set to open in the next 2 years (Cleveland in 1999 with the expansion Browns and Cincy a year later), ownership in Columbus must be wondering what the odds are that they will ever be able to fund a stadium project for the Glory. Of course, with an 0-5 record this year, and no playoff seasons yet for the 1995 expansion club, it may be way to early, or simply way to unlikely that the club could start making demands for a venue other than Ohio Stadium. But, with the Ohio State University stadium clearly too large a venue for the club, and with the MLS Club, Columbus Crew, already pushing local coffers with the construction of a 19,000 seat soccer stadium in the area, the Glory seem a long way from moving out. Of course, that assumes that Columbus remains the home for the club. One could imagine how the Ohio Glory, without a city-specific moniker, could look at either Cleveland or Cincinnati as options should they grow tired of small crowds in the vast Ohio Stadium, or grow weary of the restrictions placed on the club by the university. Nothing solid from the club along these lines, but with two new, state-of-the-art, and more size-appropriate stadia within the state, it does not take a huge leap of reason to imagine that ownership has to be considering their options to remain in state but perhaps not in Columbus long term. The Schedule for Week 6 brings the Western Conference into divisional play, while the Southern clubs will head north to face Atlantic Division foes. One of the biggest games of the early season may be happening in the Central Division, where Michigan hosts St. Louis in a game that could either pull the Knights back to the pack, or all but coronate them as the future champions of the division. With Michigan the only club within 2 games of St. Louis, a Knights win would give them a commanding 3-game lead in the division as we near the halfway point. Other Central battles, in a division that seems to have lost some of its luster, include 1-4 Texas at 1-4 Houston and 2-3 New Orleans at 1-4 Chicago. In the Pacific we have two really interesting games. On the one hand we have the two playoff clubs from last year, Denver and Portland, facing off in Mile High. But in the other, we have 2 upstarts who have begun to capture the imagination of fans, as Seattle travels to 4-1 Oakland. The other surprise club out west, Arizona, is hosting LA, which is desperate to finally put one in the win column. Can they do it at the Wranglers or will they slip to 0-6? In the Eastern Conference we have some really good contrasting games, with the most interesting being Birmingham (winners of 2 in a row) visiting Philadelphia. New Jersey is hosting Tampa Bay hot off the Bandits first loss of the year, while Pittsburgh hopes to keep their run of strong play going as they host Jacksonville. Atlanta will be in Ohio, where Coach Saban needs to show some signs of life for the Glory. Memphis is in Washington, with both clubs sitting in the middle of their respective divisions, and finally, we have Orlando, who have won 2 straight, traveling to Baltimore, who are hoping to go 2 games over .500 with a home win.

We knew that with the first quarter of the season wrapping up this week there would be a sense of desperation in the air for the 0-3 clubs, and that certainly proved correct. Texas made a big trade that paid immediate benefits, and we got big games from winless Birmingham, and the Outlaws to put a W on the board. Add another upset as Orlando knocked off Atlanta in Atlanta, and Baltimore knocked Pittsburgh from the ranks of the undefeated with a big win at home. Tampa Bay continued to impress, and that St. Louis defense helped the Knights move to 4-0 as well. A busy week, and a lot to talk about. Let’s get to it with one of the league's best rivalries producing this week's GOTW. It is always a classic when the Generals and Stars get together, and this was no exception to that rule. Overtime was the result and in overtime the Stars got the big play they needed to pull off the road win in the Battle of the Turnpike. It was a tough one for Philly, as a Mark Chmura score with 3:52 left in the game gave new jersey their first lead of the game. But, new QB Bobby Hebert has been their before and he calmly led the Stars down the field, tossing a game-tying ball to Terry Samuels with only 33 seconds left on the clock. The Stars managed to stay in the game, and had the lead for most of the encounter, thanks mostly to Hebert’s impressive 455-yard day. He is going to need some ice because New Jersey’s focus on Charlie Garner led Coach Berry to call Hebert’s number 66 times. He completed 47 of those passes, and with his 3 TD’s and 455 yards, got the win for the visitors. In overtime it was all Hebert as the Stars called 7 straight pass plays before Hebert hit Troy Brown with the game winner from 17 yards out. New Jersey had relied on balance, with rookie Curtis Enis gaining 80 yards on 17 carries and Spence Fischer having a much more conservative 235 yards passing, but when they took the lead in the 4th, they had a chance to shut down the Stars but simply could not get pressure on Hebert when they needed to. The result, a 4-0 Stars squad now takes over sole possession of first in the division. OAK 35 POR 38 The Thunder are not ready to give up the division just yet, and kept Oakland from gaining ground on them by knocking off the Invaders in Civic Stadium. It was all knotted up at 28 after 3, but Portland got a Trudeau to Slaughter TD and then added a field goal to build a 10-point lead that Oakland challenged but could not overcome, despite 457 yards from Ryan Leaf. DEN 23 LA 10 The Gold got what they needed from their trip to the City of Angels, a win and some confidence. Jeff Garcia threw two picks and the Denver defense held LA to a miserable 17 total yards rushing as the Gold roll to their second win on the year. ARZ 16 SEA 14 In the battle of upstart 2-win teams, the Wrangler got the final points, thanks to the foot of Carlos Huerta, and upended Seattle on a rainy Sunday afternoon. Neither team could move the ball well, but 3 turnovers by Seattle gave Arizona short fields, and they connected with 3 field goals and a Hines Ward TD from Plummer to take home the win and move to a surprising 3-1. HOU 13 STL 44 In St. Louis, that Knight defense stifled the Gamblers and provided Todd Collins with short fields all day. The Knights would end up outgaining Houston 409 to 272 thanks in large part to 78 yards from rookie Ahman Green and 56 more from Darrell Thompson. Collins left at the half, but veteran Frank Reich played well in relief, tossing a TD to Amani Toomer to put Houston up 41-13 and put the game away. NOR 20 TEX 33 Texas got their man in wideout Carl Pickens, a mid-week trade from Memphis, and they immediately put him to work, with backup Tony Graziani hitting Pickens 8 times for 107 yards and a score. Irving Fryar also found room against a stunned Breaker secondary, catching 7 for 61 and a score of his own. Add in a good day for the Outlaw defense, stuffing Terrell Davis, and the Outlaws get their first win of the season. CHI 7 MGN 23 Chicago continued to struggle on offense, despite a combined 103 yards from Staley and Watters, while Michigan relied on 94 yards on 21 carries from Tyrone Wheatley, and got a late TD from Jeff Lewis when Doug Flutie exited the game to take the victory. Jeff Campbell returned to 1997 form, catching 8 balls for 101 yards to pace the Panthers to the win. TBY 53 JAX 26 What was a 19-13 Tampa lead at the half turned into an explosion of points for the visitors in the second half as Troy Aikman threw 5 TD’s in the final 30 minutes, including a 36-yarder and a 27-yarder to Randy Moss, the most exciting rookie we have seen in a long time. Jacksonville simply could not stop the Bandit offense in the second half and the game quickly got out of hand for the Bulls. MEM 7 BIR 31 All facets of the game worked for the Stallions as they got their first win of the year, a decisive home victory over their arch rivals in Legion Field. Brett Favre had his best game of the year with 4 TDs and the Stallions seemed OK without Ernest Givens, as Lawrence Dawsey and Cedric Tillman combined for 8 receptions, 164 yards and 3 scores for the Stallions. Heath Shuler struggled and Garrison Hearst was held to only 2.8 yards per carry by a Stallion defense that clearly was sick of the bad press they had been receiving. ORL 24 ATL 21 OT The Renegades finally notched their first win, and in so doing knocked Atlanta out of the ranks of the undefeated. It took a 10-point 4th quarter comeback, a late Tamarick Vanover TD, and a game winning Baumann field goal in overtime, but Orlando upended the Fire in front of the largest crowd since opening weekend of 1995 in Atlanta. WSH 34 OHI 26 The Federals got back into winning fashion at the expense of the winless Ohio Glory. It was 24-8 at the half thanks to a brilliant pick-6 from rookie Charles Woodson, and an even more dynamic 69-yard scramble from QB Kordell Stewart. Ohio tried to come back in the 2nd half, but never got within range of the Federals to truly threaten their 2nd win of the year. BAL 29 PIT 7 The Blitz showed they had the defensive muscle to shut down a solid Pittsburgh team, as they held the Maulers to only 7 points and forced 2 turnovers. Trent Green connected with Cam Cleeland and rookie Tim Dwight to lead the charge. Pittsburgh got Andre Rison into the game with 7 catches for 119 yards, but simply could not maintain offense. ROTY CANDIDATES This year is already looking like one that will be known for the depth and strength of the 1998 Draft. There are already several big name signees making waves across the league. Expect a down to the wire race for Rookie of the Year as a lot of players came ready to perform at the next level. Here, at the ¼ mark of the season, are our “way too early” picks for possible ROTY candidates. QB Ryan Leaf (OAK): Has helped the Invaders start off with a 3-1 record and is on pace for 5,000 yards. He has tossed 14 TDs and 5 picks in 4 games, another outstanding pace. WR Randy Moss (TBY): His deep ball ability has turned him into a fan favorite in central Florida already. He is only 3rd on the team with 20 receptions, but leads all receivers on the club with 487 yards and 6 scores. DE Greg Ellis (ATL): is one of two dynamic rookie defenders helping the Fire get off to a great start. Ellis has 5 sacks on the young season to lead all rookies. LB London Fletcher (ATL): is the second star to emerge for the Fire in this draft. The late-round pick was a surprise starter in Week 1, but in only 4 games has 3 sacks, a pick, a safety, and a forced fumble. HB Curtis Enis (NJ): Arrived in East Rutherford with a lot of pressure to take over for Bam Morris and has done the job so far. He has 266 yards and a 4.8 YPC average, but has only seen the endzone once for the 2-2 Generals. CB Charles Woodson (WSH): Still playing the 2nd CB position, Woodson has been dynamic. He has 10 passes defended and a pick to go along with 27 tackles in the young season, demonstrating both athletic skill and poise well beyond his years. HB Ahman Green (STL): Splitting carries initially with Darrell Thompson, Green has begun to get the lions share of the load, and he has responded, leading the club with 277 yards and a 4.1 YPC average. LB Takeo Spikes (SEA): The first defender off the board this January has 18 tackles, 5 for a loss as he cycles into the Dragon LB rotation. WR Germaine Crowell (PHI): has 279 yards on 17 receptions, but has shown a knack for getting open in the red zone, catching 4 TDs already in the young season. WR Kevin Dyson (DEN): In Denver, Dyson has become a regular target for Mark Brunell, with 37 targets, 23 receptions for 326 yards and an impressive 5 TDs to date. TE Stephen Alexander (OHI): The starter from Day 1, Alexander has 23 receptions for 195 yards and 2 scores, but with Ohio still winless, those stats are getting lost in the wave of anxiety in Columbus. CB R.W. McQuarters (JAX): Has had a solid start, with 3 pass defenses, a pick, and 17 tackles for the Bulls. CB Patrick Surtain (HOU): Surtain has yet to record his first pick, but has 31 tackles, 9 passes defended, and forced a fumble which he then recovered, which is not a bad start for the rookie. BANDIT BALL We mentioned Randy Moss’s early success in Tampa Bay, but what must be said is that Coach Seifert, who came to Tampa known for a West Coast Offense, has found success right away with a more vertical game. Seifert, working with QB Troy Aikman, developed a gameplan that takes advantage of the team’s speed at receiver. After 4 games the Bandits are 1st in yards per game, 1st in points per game, and 1st in passing yards per game, with an average over 400 yards a game, truly stunning. Troy Aikman is the early frontrunner for MVP with 14 TDs and 1,465 yards after 4 games. While Moss leads the team in receiving, it is TE Ben Coates who leads in receptions with 22. Robert Brooks is also benefitting from the new offensive scheme, catching 22 balls for 197 yards. TE Troy Drayton and HB Errict Rhett are also getting into the mix, with both already over 200 yards receiving on the year. It truly is Bandit Ball back in Tampa Bay as this offense is white hot. LA STORY The same success is something the Express faithful (both of them) wish they could cheer about. Head Coach Wayne Fontes is off to a rough start at 0-4 and with LA currently languishing at dead last in scoring (59 points). They are also second to last (with only Texas worse) in yards per game, 21st in passing yards and rushing yards, 23rd of 24 clubs in points allowed per game (145), and dead last in passing yards allowed. In other words, the Express are looking once again like a good bet for the #1 pick. But what to do with it? Honestly, with all the needs this club has, the best thing they could do may be to parlay that top pick into a trade for several picks, just to get as many shots at signing talent as possible. This has been a rough year for the wideouts so far. First it was Shawn Collins in Texas and Ernest Givens in Birmingham, and this week we saw Baltimore’s Lamar Thomas go down, a ruptured achilles being the diagnosis that will end his season. In Orlando the issues are doubled, as not only is WR Keenan McCardell expected to miss 2-3 weeks with a deep thigh bruise, but QB Scott Mitchell could miss as much as a month depending on how his throwing shoulder heals after an awkward landing. Not the way the club wanted to end their 3-game losing streak. Another QB went down in St. Louis, where backup Jim Miller only got off a few snaps in relief of Todd Collins before suffering a nasty elbow dislocation that could prove to be a season ender, as initial MRI’s seem to show some ligament damage. The Knights still have their starter, and they have Frank Reich to back up Collins, but Miller is likely done for the year, meaning that free agent rookie Kris Kershaw will be the 3rd QB. Kershaw was a 1997 pick of the CFL, but was signed by the Knights after failing to make the Edmonton Eskimo roster. COMMISH RACE HEATS UP Well, we have our semi-finalists for the Commissioner position in the USFL. Fred Bullard is committed to staying in the position through September, but the hunt for a new permanent commissioner has apparently come down to three men. Here are the finalists as they currently stand: Former NFL General Manager George Young: Recently stepping down from his position of 18 years with the New York Football Giants, Young is considered an “old school” selection, the consummate football man to run a football league. Strong on rules development, union relations, and franchise development, Young would be a good bet if the focus of the owners is on building a culture of parity, player development, and sportsmanship. Considered weaker at aspects of business such as sponsor and TV contract development or marketing strategies, Young would require a strong council to push the business side of the game. NBC Sports Executive Dick Ebersol: Known for his development of the Olympics into a winning brand for NBC, Ebersol is also well-familiarized with contract development and the role of television in the profitability of professional football. Ebersol also brings strong connections to the College game as well as to brand recognition, marketing, and technology, particularly that of broadcasting. Sports Innovator Gary Davidson: One of the true mavericks in the world of sports, Davidson helped to found the short-lived World Football League, the World Hockey Association, and the American Basketball Association. The former two ended with mergers that allowed several clubs to join the more senior NHL and NBA. Davidson served as the commissioner of the WFL back in the mid-70’s. He has been largely unconnected to the USFL in the past, though he is quite close to several USFL owners, including David Dixon of the Breakers and William Dunavant of the Showboats. Considered a bit of a wild card, Davidson could be viewed as the most innovative of the three candidates, though his history of mergers and league foldings could concern several of the league’s more lucrative teams, who have no interest in rocking the boat that is currently sailing along quite nicely for them. The league anticipates a final round of meetings, interviews, and discussions over the next 6-8 weeks, with hopes that the new commissioner would be named by the end of the regular season, able to take over from Bullard 2 months later. Week 5 brings us back to divisional games in the Eastern Conference, and inter-divisional action out west. After a rousing week of rivalries last week, more divisional games for the Atlantic and Southern Divisions means more really feisty matchups. The one’s we are most looking forward to include 4-0 Philadelphia headed to Pittsburgh in a very important Keystone Clash, as the Maulers trail Philly by 1 game in the division. In the South, the top clubs are not facing off, so we have to look for potential upsets as 1-3 Orlando heads upstate to 2-2 Jacksonville, or when Birmingham, hot off their first win of the season, heads to Tampa Bay to face the 4-0 Bandits. In MemphisInIn Memphis, the 1-3 Showboats need to right the ship but the Fire are hoping to regain their swagger after losing in week 4. Rounding out the matchups we have 2-2 New Jersey at 0-4 Ohio and the 3-1 Baltimore Blitz hoping to make life tough for their local rival, the 2-2 Washington Federals. Out West we have upsets on the mind as 4-0 St. Louis travels to 0-4 Los Angeles. Can the Express find a way to score on the Knights or will they again fall short? Arizona has a good test as they travel to Michigan to face an unhappy 2-2 Panther squad. Portland is also unhappy with their 2-2 record, but they travel to Chicago to face an even more distraught 1-3 Machine squad. Denver is in New Orleans, hoping to get over .500 with a win. Oakland is in Texas, where the Outlaws showed signs of life after trading for a wideout to complement Irving Fryar. Finally, 2-2 Seattle is hoping that a road trip to Houston does not derail their recent success.

A week that saw quite a few upsets, and a few preseason contenders who are now on the ropes after two less-than-stellar performances. Fans in Atlanta, Pittsburgh, and Oakland have to be overjoyed by their clubs’ 2-0 starts, while folks in Texas, New Orleans, and Chicago have to be concerned that their clubs are starting the year off slowly. Let’s get right to the action with our game of the week, an overtime thriller that ended with a huge play to rile up the home fans. We had our first overtime game this week as the Seattle Dragons came back on the Outlaws, scoring the game tying FG with only 20 seconds left, and then getting a quick strike TD in overtime to take the home win. Texas at one point had a 10 point lead, but just could not hold the Dragons as Kitna fell only 1 yard short of a 400-yard day. Texas started well, with Kelly Stouffer hitting Shawn Collins for a game-opening TD, but when Collins was hurt later in the first half, the Texas offense started to sputter. Down 17-3, Seattle slowly fought back as Kitna found Donald Hayes for a TD, and then hit Metcalf for another in the 4th quarter to pull the game within 3. A final drive by Seattle ended with a 26 yard field goal and the game went to overtime. Texas had the first crack at the win in overtime, but on a 3rd and 4, Reggie Cobb was tripped up in the backfield and Texas had to punt the ball away to Seattle. The Dragons took over on the 19, and on the first play from scrimmage, the called a play which had Metcalf and Hawkins both on the left side, and both ran inside moves to pull the defense inside, leaving TE Keith McKeller wide open to the outside. McKeller shook off the safety and got a great block from HB Derick Loville to break the sideline run down the field and all the way for an 81-yard game winner. The second loss of the year brought out concerns that the stingy Texas D that had helped them win the Central last year was not the same animal this year, while fans in Seattle are hoping that Coach Tiller has found a system that maximizes the unique talents of QB Jon Kitna to both run and pass on the run. NJ 16 BAL 20 A good battle between two Atlantic clubs trying to move their way into the top half of the division this year. New Jersey started off hot, opening up a 16-0 lead thanks to scores by Enis and Glenn, and a safety as Trent Green muffed a shotgun snap and had to fall on it in the endzone, but the Blitz recovered in the 2nd half, rattling off 20 unanswered points and taking the win with a late Green to Lamar Thomas TD. WSH 13 PIT 20 A bit of a shocker at Three Rivers, where it was the Maulers who put on a defensive show. Pittsburgh held Washington scoreless in the second half, helped by 8 Federal penalties, mostly on offense, and Robbie Bosco connected with both Derrick Mason and Dorsey Levins for 4th quarter scores as the Maulers came back on Washington and got the W in a huge early divisional game. OHI 17 PHI 41 Ohio struggled on defense as Charlie Garner went off for 172 yards and 2 scores for the Stars. Add in another strong day from newest Star Bobby Hebert (378 yards, 3 scores, 2 Ints) and you have the makings of a walk-away win for Philadelphia. ATL 21 BIR 14 We are getting used to the Stallions starting the season slowly, but to lose at home, to Atlanta? Well, the Fire got what they needed from Jeff George (2 TDs but also 2 picks) and Tiki Barber found plenty of running room against a shaky Birmingham D-line. Barber would rush for 132 yards. Lake Dawson also played big, catching 8 balls for 126 yards and 2 scores as Atlanta takes the win. ORL 17 TBY 24 Orlando found out that what we saw from Tampa Bay and Randy Moss last week was no fluke. Moss had 4 receptions, including a 74-yard TD strike that got the Tampa Stadium crowd to its feet. He finished the day with 130 yards on only 4 receptions as Troy Aikman kept looking deep. The Renegades kept it close thanks in part to a good day from Keenan McCardell (9 receptions for 92 yards and a score) but could not mount a game-tying final drive when needed. JAX 14 MEM 30 Another upset in the South as Memphis used a pick-6 and 3 Kevin Shea field goals to pull away from the Bulls in the 2nd half. Chris Chandler struggled against the Showboat D, getting sacked 4 times and throwing 2 picks, including a nasty pick-6 to Otis Smith that was run back 79 yards for Memphis. CHI 22 ARZ 30 Arizona got their first win of the season, building a 30-7 lead and then holding on as Alex Van Pelt tried to mount a furious comeback attempt. They built up their lead thanks to a huge day from oft-criticized HB Tim Lester. Lester was untackleable, grinding out 139 yards on 17 carries. Add in a solid 127 yards and a score from Rocket Ismael, and no picks from Jake Plummer and you have a winning formula for the Wranglers. HOU 27 DEN 24 Denver’s inconsistency reared its ugly head again as the Gold let a winnable game slip away from them. Kudos to Chuck Hartlieb for enduring a 7-sack game and still finding Hart Lee Dykes late to put the Gamblers up for good. Houston still has not found a run game as neither Mario Greer nor rookie John Avery could get anything going, but Hartlieb and a pretty decent Houston D helped give the visitors a rare win in Mile High. MGN 31 LA 13 The Express just cannot seem to put together an offense. They got 101 yards rushing from the combo of Smith and Pittman, but with 2 picks from Garcia and only 48.8% completions, they were not going to keep pace with a more dynamic Michigan offense. Doug Flutie looked strong, completing 70.8% of his passes on the way to a 358 yard, 4 TD day. NOR 19 OAK 41 Coach Reeves and QB Ryan Leaf are getting some very positive initial results in the Bay Area as Oakland move to 2-0 with a comfortable win over the Breakers. Leaf threw 3 picks, which is an issue for the rookie but he also tossed 4 TDs, including a beautiful 43-yarder to Henry Ellard. For New Orleans nothing seemed to be working well as both Ellard and TE Christian Fauria found holes in the Breaker secondary, both going over 100 yards receiving. The Oakland D also played well, holding New Orleans under 300 yards of total offense on the day. STL 31 POR 24 A big road win for the Knights as they put away the Portland Thunder in Portland with two late scoring tosses by Todd Collins. The game winner was a 28-yard toss from Collins to Harry that just deflated the energy of the Portland crowd. Ahman Green and Darrell Thompson split carries with each going over 50 yards rushing, while Bert Emmanuel continues to pay dividends on his offseason signing, catching 8 balls for 121 yards for the Knights. GEORGE FINDS NEW LIFE It must be nice to be able to completely change your fortunes without even having to change your zipcode. Jeff George, who was heavily criticized for his play in Atlanta with the NFL Falcons has started off his USFL career in the very same town to much better reviews. Perhaps it is the spring league's emphasis on wide open passing games, or perhaps there is still a little bit of a talent gap between the two leagues that allows a player like George to have success in one league while struggling in another. Maybe it is just that Atlanta's offense, designed by Head Coach Sherm Lewis, is a better fit for the pocket skills of Jeff George. Of course it could simply be a matter of unfamiliarity among USFL defenders, as the former Illini QB has only 2 USFL games under his belt. Regardless of the reason, the big-armed QB has certainly gotten the Fire off to a good start. The club is 2-0 for the first time in team history and George has nearly 700 yards and 5 scores after 2 weeks. A good start to a new life, even if he didn't even have to move homes to do it. ANOTHER QUICK START Another league newcomer off to a quick start is Oakland QB Ryan Leaf. The WSU product has been embraced by Bay Area fans and by Coach Reeves, who inists that the 2-0 start for the Invaders is in part due to Leaf picking up the offense very quickly. The Invaders made a huge move to get Leaf, trading away 2-time Championship QB Bobby Hebert and several picks to move up to the top draft position and then offering Leaf a Steve Young-esque contract that includes ongoing funding well beyond his playing years. Leaf has returned the trust shown in him by taking the reins of the Oakland offense from day 1. Oakland currently ranks 2nd in the league in total offense, trailing only the explosive Bandits, and are third in passing yards. There have been some growing pains, as after 2 weeks Ryan Leaf has 4 picks and 3 fumbles, but the overall results, a 2-0 start, are nothing to sneeze at. NOT SO FAST On the other side of the coin we find LA's Jeff Garcia, who continues to struggle with the Express. When he is not running for his life, Garcia is throwing the ball to the wrong team. He has 5 picks on the season so far, and only 1 TD. We are not completely willing to blame Garcia for all the Express's woes, because the club still has not found talent to surround Garcia. Yes, they have a decent 1-2 punch at HB with Antowain Smith and rookie Michael Pittman, and WR Mike Pritchard is a solid #1 receiver, but who else can Garcia throw to? The other receivers (Darnay Scott, Rob Carpenter, Dedrick Smith) are just not scaring any defenses, and TE Rickey Dudley is not exactly Keith Jackson out there. Add to this a reshuffled O-Line (again) and Jeff Garcia is not exactly put in a winning situation. The temptation is to look at this past year's draft and wonder why LA did not go after Leaf, Manning, or even Charlie Batch (now in Pittsburgh), or to look at next year's draft and wonder if LA will make a push for a talent like Tim Couch or Donovan McNabb. But, honestly, what will a rookie QB do if the Express don't provide him the tools needed to compete in the league? We knew the good luck of Week 1 would not last, it was just a matter of who got struck by the injury stick. Atlanta got a big wakup call as it appears they have lost their star LT, Eugene Chung, for the season with a full break in his tibia. This forces Atlanta to shuffle their line in front of a not-particularly mobile Jeff George. Texas also saw a key figure go down, as WR Shawn Collins is out for at least 2 months after suffering a head and neck injury. There appears to be a free floating chip of bone at at the base of his skull which will have to be removed. Scary sounding to be sure. In New Orleans 2 starters are down, though both should be back within a month as LB Lamar Lathon is dealing with a wrist injury and RT Eduardo Vega is dealing with a fracture in his right leg, though fortunately not a full break. Among those listed as doubtful and questionable for Week 3 we have Philly T Emory Yates, Portland DE Hugh Douglas, LA CB Ray Crockett, Houston WR Brett Perriman, and Arizona’s new LB, Barney Bussey. Also dinged up are Mauler tackle Zach Weigert, Tampa CB Eric Allen, Oakland’s Carlester Crumpler, Stars wideout Cris Carter, and Texas TE John Henry Mills. The USFL revealed their leaguewide season ticket sales this week, and it is a story of mixed results. The obvious contenders, along with perennial attendance leaders like Jacksonville and Denver, are looking solid, all with 30,000 plus season ticket holders. The story is not so good when we look at some of the 1995 expansion clubs (who have failed to build winners in their short histories) as well as a few teams that simply don’t have the confidence of the fanbase. Before we talk about issues with some clubs, here are the top and bottom 5 clubs in reported season ticket sales for the 1998 season. What is it about the Express? Both the current Express squad and the former Express (now the St. Louis Knights) are really struggling to get a solid fanbase. St. Louis had a strong first season in 1992, built mostly on anger over the departure of the NFL Cardinals, but a run of mediocre or worse seasons has made it tough for the Knights to build much fan loyalty, and now, with the Rams relocating to the Gateway City, competition for fan dollars is fierce. Add to that the absolute devotion of St. Louisians to the baseball Cardinals each spring and summer and it is no surprise that the Knights are struggling to fill seats. We honestly would not be surprised to see St. Louis lose the Knights eventually unless they are able to either build a winner that expands their bandwagon or find something to connect fans to the club. In LA it is the same issue we saw with the original Express, spring and summer are tough times to pull fans into the stadium instead of at the beach. LA is a tough sports town, and with the Raiders also in the same stadium, though in a different part of the year, it is tough for the Express to gain traction. In the early years of the USFL they had some success by signing Steve Young, but, just as with St. Louis, the lack of a winning club, paired with a derth of star power talent, has made this second version of the Express a hard sell in Tinseltown. They started their existence with Marcus Allen on the squad, but the team was so bad that it even made Allen look pedestrian. Now their biggest stars are HB Antowain Smith and WR Mike Pritchard, not exactly leading men in the Q-factor area. Add to that some pretty bad overall performances and LA is again hemorrhaging money and fans. But, unlike St. Louis, the USFL is fully committed to keeping a club in the country’s largest city, so what is the solution? Perhaps a new GM, and a willingness from ownership to go for the big name and sign someone who draws in fans. QB’s Jeff Garcia and Brent Pease are not getting it done (on the field or in the marketplace) so does LA take a shot at a big name QB, seeking a trade for a Brett Favre, or waiting for an NFL star like a Dan Marino, Drew Bledsoe, or Randall Cunningham? Could they go old school and try to get Steve Young away from the NFL 49ers to end his career back where it started? And would that be enough to turn the tide among a jaded and distracted LA fanbase? Atlanta is another club that has lagged behind even other expansion cities like Seattle and Columbus in attracting fans. The addition of Jeff George is sure to help, as will starting the year 2-0. If the Fire can catch fire and string some W’s together, the fans might just find their way to Bobby Dodd. Atlanta is a football town, but one that has seen little success in the pros, so a winner is sure to help the Fire capture the city’s imagination. While no one is concerned about Portland as a fanbase, the stadium, even now after the expansion to 34,000 is an issue. The Thunder feel they have maxed out their season ticket options in the smaller stadium, and they routinely fill Civic Stadium, but if the Thunder want to be competitive in the USFL, they may have to lobby the city for a new, bigger stadium, a possible hard sell after the recent renovation cost the city nearly $20M. Finally we have Arizona. The Wranglers have always been a middle-of-the-league draw, good when the team succeeds, but on the lower end when they are bad, and they have been very bad of late. Signing Jake Plummer boosted their numbers, but now Plummer has to deliver if the fans are going to return to Sun Devil Stadium. The good news is that the arrival of the NFL Cardinals has not seemed to cut too deeply into the Wrangler fanbase. There is a sense in town that the Wranglers are the city’s true home town team, starting with Phoenix when the league began in ’83, while the Cardinals are the Johnny Come Latelies. If Arizona can turn things around on the field, we expect to see them right in that sweet spot of 25k that the league hopes for as a minimum for all clubs. While it’s hard to say that any Week 3 games are “must wins”, there are some teams that need to right the ship quickly, and a few who are hoping to make believers out of their fan bases. In the latter group we have the Oakland Invaders, who sit at 2-0 under new coach Dan Reeves. They have a California Derby against 0-2 LA, one of the clubs that had better turn things around soon or lose their fans for the year. Another 2-0 v. 0-2 matchup pits the stingy D of the St. Louis Knights against the surprisingly winless Texas Outlaws. It’s a division clash, so that adds even more to the battle. One final 2-0 v. 0-2 game pits the surprising Maulers, hot off their win against Washington, against an Orlando Renegades of which much was expected this year. Another 0-2 team hoping to turn things around quickly are the Chicago Machine. Coach Schottenheimer will have them ready to go as they head to Houston to take on the Gamblers in a key divisional game. New Orleans is also 0-2, and they have a tough task as they host the predicted division champs, the Michigan Panthers. In other divisional games out West we have Arizona and Denver, both 1-1, facing off at Mile High, and a Cascade Clash as Portland is in Seattle to take on the Dragons, with both clubs also at 1-1. In the East we have our only battle of 2-0 clubs, both surprised to be there, and one likely headed to 3-0 to start the year. It is Baltimore, with new QB Trent Green, against Atlanta, and their NFL import, Jeff George, facing off in front of what is expected to be a big crowd in Bobby Dowd Stadium. Birmingham is again starting the year slow, as has been a trend the last few years, and now host the New Jersey Generals in a game that Coach Erhardt called “As big as a game this early can get”. Washington is in Tampa Bay, to face a Bandits team that has been explosive and dominant so far this year. Ohio heads to Jacksonville, hoping to get the first win of the season with Kerry Collins under center, and Philadelphia takes their 2-0 record to Memphis in hopes of moving to 3-0 against the Showboats.

A world turned upside down. That is what the USFL feels like after 3 weeks. Teams expected to vie for a title are sitting at or near the bottom of their divisions while teams expected to struggle are sitting pretty at 3-0. It’s a topsy turvy world, especially after the NFL raids last August required teams to reinvent their rosters, and it seems that some of the clubs around the league are still trying to fit the pieces together while others are rocketing to a fast start and beginning to build believers among their fanbase. Could this be a lasting seismic shift in the league or will the league regain its balance as the season moves along? Too soon to tell, but for now it is enough to make Las Vegas bookmakers go grey while fanbases which have not had much to cheer lately are finding players to get excited about and results to cheer. A clash of 2-0 quick starters in Atlanta, where the Fire have been reveling in the early season success of QB Jeff George. Meanwhile Baltimore came into the game with a solid defense and a new short passing game with QB Trent Green at the helm. What we got from these two early surprises was a really well-played game, and a Fire squad that was able to overcome 4 turnovers to mount an epic comeback and take home a win that got fans in the stands jumping for joy. Baltimore got off to a fast start in this game despite Atlanta completely stifling the run game. Carlos King’s 5-yard TD run was the longest run of the day for the Blitz, but after only 3:44 the Blitz were up 7-0. Atlanta got on the board on their next drive with an Elam field goal, and then took the lead on a very rare play, a Jeff George run. Well, to be honest, it was more of a fall into the endzone, as George avoided a potential sack and just edged the ball across the plane. But, leading 10-7, Atlanta started to make mistakes. George threw a careless pick deep in his own territory, giving Baltimore a short field. The D held and the Blitz tied with a Zendejas field goal, but on their very next possession, a triple calamity struck as John Randall sacked Jeff George, caused a fumble, picked it up and ran it back for a Blitz score. It was a triple because not only was it a sack-fumble, and a scoop & score, but it would also knock George out of the game with what initially looked like a knee injury. George would later be tested and it appears to only be a hamstring partial tear, and the QB could be back under center for Atlanta in as few as 2 weeks. Baltimore’s good fortune continued in the third quarter, when Atlanta FB Zack Crockett fumbled, leading to another Blitz score, a Rob Moore TD toss from Trent Green. Up 24-10, things were looking up for the Blitz. Atlanta was forced to give up on a run game that had shown some flashes of potential against the stacked fronts of the Blitz. QB Timm Rosenbach was called on to throw the Fire back into the game. He did just that, attempting 42 passes in 2 ½ quarters of play. He completed 32 of them, and in the fourth quarter that added up to TDs to Deems May and Terrance Mathis. That second TD tied the game with just over 1 minute left to play. Rosenbach was on fire, as were the Fire receivers, with Lake Dawson seemingly uncoverable, catching 13 of 17 targets for 145 yards on the day. Ernie Jones added 6 more, Frank Wycheck and Zach Crockett 6 apiece and Tiki Barber also proved an effective outlet receiver, catching 4 balls for 41 yards. With the game tied after regulation it went to overtime. Here Baltimore’s inability to run the ball truly hurt the Blitz. They had two possessions in overtime, with their defense holding Atlanta out of field goal range as well. But, without the ability to run the ball, the Blitz found themselves in third and long situations on both drives, and in both cases they failed to convert against a very feisty Fire secondary. On their second drive, Atlanta got the break they needed, when the Blitz secondary overplayed the run and left Lake Dawson open for a 33 yard gain on a 3rd and 2. That pass put the Fire in range for Jason Elam, and after 2 short runs to set up the ball, the former Denver Gold kicker, now with the Fire, knocked through the winning kick, moving the Fire to a stunning 3-0 start and first place in the Southern Division. WSH 31 TBY 33 Another potential GOTW saw Washington’s immovable object face off against Tampa Bay’s irresistible force. Troy Aikman found enough space to connect for 3 TDs, and while Randy Moss was contained from going deep by the Federals, he still brought in a score along with 6 receptions. For the Federals, the combo of Word and Fletcher combined for over 120 yards, but 3 picks from Kordell Stewart kept Washington from building a lead. Tampa got two late field goals to take a 33-24 lead, and that helped them hold on for the 2-point win and move to 3-0. PIT 23 ORL 13 The surprisingly good defense of the Maulers helped them move to 3-0 and send Orlando to a deflating 3rd straight loss. Orlando was held to only 49 yards rushing, while Pittsburgh’s Dorsey Levins went off for 129 on 21 carries to pace the Maulers. Pittsburgh sacked Scott Mitchell 5 times and picked off two as their swarming defenders seemed to overwhelm the Orlando line. Demetrius DuBose retained his All-USFL form, garnering 6 tackles, a forced fumble, a pick, and 2 key RB stuffs to lead a Mauler D that is opening eyes around the league. PHI 38 MEM 24 The Stars kept pace with Pittsburgh by outgunning the Showboats. Memphis got 2 early Shuler to Horn TDs to build a 14-point lead, but the Stars rallied behind Bobby Hebert’s 420 yards passing and 2 scores from Charlie Garner to outpace the Showboats for the final 3 quarters. Rooke Germaine Crowell played like a vet for Hebert, catching 5 balls for 112 yards and a score from the slot. LA 29 OAK 35 OT The Express finally showed signs of offensive life but still fell to the Ryan Leaf-led Invaders. LA got TDs from Mike Pritchard, Dedric Smith, and Michael Pittman to keep pace through 4 quarters, tying the game with Oakland on a 2-point conversion midway through the 4th quarter, but in overtime the Invaders pushed the ball down the field on the opening drive, and when Siran Stacy crossed the plane the home club had moved to 3-0 and sent LA to a rough 0-3 start. STL 20 TEX 0 Another huge win for the Knights, and for their defense, as they totally hogtied the Outlaws. Once again the problem was at QB. Kelly Stouffer only three passes before a rough tackle took him out of the game, and Texas’s lack of backup QB talent showed up again, with both Tony Sacca and Tony Graziani struggling to get anything going against the fierce Knight defense. After 3 quarters it was only 13-0, but a late TD to Bert Emmanuel locked up a dominant win for the road warriors from the Gateway City. POR 21 SEA 38 Don’t look now but we may be witnessing an uprising out west. Oakland is 3-0 and the Dragons just knocked off conference champ Portland. They did it thanks to a 3-headed run game from Dillon, Potts, and Loville and a defense that held Robert Drummond to only 3.1 yards per carry (50 on 16 touches). Potts and Dillon both scored twice as Seattle used the run game to keep the Portland defense honest and allow Kitna to find time in the pocket. MGN 24 NOR 34 A Breaker team desperate to not fall to 3-0 found what they needed in home cooking at the Super Dome. Jamie Martin was not sacked once by the Panther D and found 3 different receivers for scores. Double coverage on former Mauler Raynard Brown allowed Herman Fontenot to catch 4 balls for 123 yards, including a beautiful 67 yard catch and run for a score as New Orleans outpaced the Panthers, sending both clubs to 1-2 on the year. CHI 30 HOU 24 The Machine got their first W of the year by scoring 21 unanswered points in the 2nd half to overcome a 24-10 deficit and get the road win in the AstroDome. Ricky Watters and Duce Staley both found running room, with Watters rushing for 104 on 13 carries. Alex Van pelt took advantage of the run game to play action pass his way to 301 yards and 2 scores against the Houston defense. ARZ 26 DEN 22 A good game at Mile High, where the Gold are struggling to keep that home field advantage in place. The Wranglers got a late Plummer to Stokes TD to take the lead and then sealed the win with a last minute Carlos Huerta FG. Rashaan Salaam was held in check by an improved Arizona defense, while Plummer found 8 different receivers on his way to a 300-yard passing day. NJ 27 BIR 14 The slow start of the Stallions continues as they lose at home to a defiant Generals club. The Stallion O-line is in deep trouble, allowing 10 sacks of Favre, who was visibly aggressive with his line and his coach by game’s end. Curtis Enis gained 83 yards on the ground and Terry Glenn had 111 in the air to power the Generals to a road win and a 2-1 start. OHI 17 JAX 45 Ohio looked really rough, particularly on defense, where Jacksonville just ran roughshod over the Glory defenders. Chris Chandler threw for 355 and 3 scores and Natrone Means combined with Kenny Bynum for 165 yards (103 from Means) and 3 rushing touchdowns. The Bulls finished the game with 529 total offensive yards, more than 200 over Ohio’s total. Not a good look for Coach Saban and the Glory. A DEEPER LOOK: Still amazed by Oakland and Atlanta at 3-0? It can’t all be due to new QB’s under center, right? Let’s take a look at the stats and see what both are getting right. Starting with Atlanta, while the temptation is to look at their whopping 445 yards per game average as the key reason they have started the year with 3 consecutive wins, let’s not sleep on the improvements their defense has made in their second season under Sherm Lewis. Atlanta’s hefty +10.7 PPG advantage is due just as much to their defense limiting teams to only 17.3 points per game as it is to Jeff George and the offense scoring 28 PPG. Atlanta currently ranks #1 in yards allowed, is second in rushing yards allowed and 3rd in passing. This is a team that is not just squeaking past opponents, but is putting a hurt on them. Will the good times end? Well, squeaking past Baltimore by only 3 may be a sign that the opposition is catching up with what the Fire D has been doing, but with their next three games against 0-3 Orlando, 1-2 Memphis, and 0-3 Ohio, the Fire may enjoy the advantage well into midseason. In Oakland we see a similar pattern, with the Invaders 2nd in PPG with a 35.3 average, while the defense is holding clubs to a very solid 18.3 points. Critics are fast to point out that the combined record of their 3 victims is an underwhelming 1-8, so perhaps we should not jump on the bandwagon so quickly. They face Portland and Texas next, so we might learn something, and Oakland still seems to have difficulty running the ball, with only 66.3 yards per game, something that will need to change if they want to keep the good times rolling. And what about the other surprise 3-0 club, St. Louis? Well, their story is one that is not surprising, They are winning with defense. Teams are averaging only 290 total yards a game against the Knights, and fewer than 50 yards per game on the ground. That can win you a lot of games, especially if your offense avoids turnovers. Todd Collins has thrown 5 picks this year, and that is not great, but he has found new talent in rookie HB Ahman Green, who has combined with Darrell Thompson, with Green rushing for 149 yards to Thompson’s 132 after 3 games, a combination that would put the two as the league leader if they were 1 back. The other new arrival is WR Bert Emmanuel, who left Orlando to become the clear #1 in St. Louis. So far he has 20 catches in 3 games, for a solid 279 yards. Not a bad start for an offense that has been playing second fiddle in the Gateway City for several years. NOT GOING AS PLANNED: We’ve seen the good, now the bad. Texas, Birmingham and Orlando were not expected to start the year out 3-0. All three were seen as potential division winners, or at least solid Wild Card contenders, but things have not gone to plan. Let’s start with Birmingham, where the big issue has been that rush defense. The Stallions are 23rd in the league, allowing over 107 yards per game. Of course the pass defense has hardly been stellar either, 19th in the league. The result is an average of 27.3 PPG in their 3 games. What may be even more troubling is that the club has scored only 14 points in each of their last 2 games. This is a team built to get out to an early lead and then rush the passer to avoid comebacks, but the defense cannot hold up if the Stallions cannot build that lead. Their leading rusher is Mike Alstott, with only 68 yards on the year. That is not going to get it done in any league. In Texas the issue is the worst scoring offense in the league. Averaging only 11.3 points per game, and dead last in both total yards and passing yards, the Outlaws were humiliated this week in a shutout loss to St. Louis. There is plenty of blame to go around. Kelly Stouffer has been dinged up, Irving Fryar is new to the club but now has to fill the #1 slot, and halfback Reggie Cobb is not looking like a 1,000 yard back, with only 127 to his name after 3 games. And with the offense suffering, the defense is overworked and tires at the end of games. They need the offense to control the ball, score more than 2 TDs and give them something to work with. The last of our surprising 0-3 clubs, Orlando, is middle of the pack in many categories: 14th in Yards Allowed, 14th also in Yards Gained, 15th in scoring defense, but only 23rd in points. Scott Mitchell and WR Keenan McCardell have developed a nice chemistry, but behind him the loss of Bert Emmanuel is clearly hurting the Orlando passing game, with the next best receiver, Tamarick Vanover, with only 16 yards to date and a 9.8 average as well. The run game has also been slow to get on track. Terry Kirby leads the club with a per game average of only 31 yards, while Kantroy Barber has only 14 touches this season. Can any of these three teams come back and avoid a lost season? That is up for debate, and while many expect Birmingham’s offense to wake up, or Texas’s defense to improve, there are serious concerns that the window for both clubs may have closed as other teams around the league seem to have not only caught up, but bypassed them on the way to competitives advantages. While the downing of Jeff George and Kelly Stouffer were much discussed this week, it appears that both will be back in action soon. The same cannot be said for several other USFL players, including Baltimore FS Joe King, who is likely out for the year with a torn quad. Birmingham also took a huge hit as star wideout Ernest Givens is likely done for the year (and a career?) with a knee injury that may require surgery to repair. Portland lost G Victor Allotey for at least a month with his own knee injury, and New Orleans is likely without their RT Eduardo Vega with a leg injury as well. Texas will likely have QB Kelly Stouffer back after he was shaken up this week, but #2 QB Tony Sacca is now out after jamming his thumb on a helmet strike with a Knight lineman. Also likely out this week are Seattle WR Bobby Olive (shoulder), Blitz LB Tarek Salah (finger), STL LT Jason Fabini (knee), Portland DE Hugh Douglas (neck), and Jacksonville WR Terrell Owens (scratched cornea after a finger to the eye). And lets keep watch on St. Louis QB Todd Collins, who apparently picked up a bad flu midweek and is now listed as questionable to be healthy enough to play on Saturday. After last year’s debacle, there is a lot of interest around the league to renegotiate how the USFL and NFL limit leaguewide roster switches, off-season contract negotiations, and free agency in general. Both leagues are somewhat limited in what they can do because of both strong union representation, unions which favor a more wide open system, but also because of labor laws which make it impossible to prevent free agents from being held to one league or the other. Once a player is no longer under contract, he could sign with any team in either league, or go to Canada, or just decide to be a plumber, for that matter. So, what is being tossed around by the USFL owners as they push Commissioner Bullard to petition the NFL for changes? One idea getting a lot of attention is almost the opposite of the current model, a model where we have 2 months of open transfer each year, 4 weeks each in January & February followed by another 4-week period in August-September. Some owners believe that instead of an open transfer window at the end of each league’s season, the opposite should be in place, a one month moratorium on cross-league signings during the same period. So what you would have is essentially a “First rights” period in February for NFL clubs to fight over NFL talent, and another in September when only USFL teams could vie for the services of players on expired USFL contracts. This would essentially mean that NFL teams would only really be able to poach USFL players once their own season was under way in October, while USFL teams would do the same in March. Would that actually make any sense for either league? Players would certainly be less likely to swap leagues, and teams would hesitate to add new pieces 3-4 weeks into their seasons, disrupting rosters in both leagues during seasonal play. But reversing the calendar does not make sense either. If NFL players only have exclusive rights to their own players in July-August, then it leaves a solid 4-5 months between the Super Bowl and the start of the NFL season when USFL teams could ravage NFL rosters. The same would be true between August-February in the USFL, with the NFL would have free reign to sign USFL players during the heart of the USFL season. What you would get is a bevvy of players who sign future contracts to jump leagues when their season ended, and how would that impact play in a lame duck season? That is a prospect fans certainly don’t want to see, players dogging it so as not to get hurt or ruin their chances to cash in the following year. This is a tough nut to crack for both leagues, neither of which want to see players distracted during the year, but also want to be able to sign talent from their rival league in a timely manner to make a difference on rosters. This is the inherent struggle of having two leagues whose seasons barely pass each other, with only 3-5 weeks between the end of one season and the start of the next. Is there a solution? It certainly does not appear that there is one that all parties will embrace fully. The simple fact is that we may have to be satisfied with an imperfect system that leads to a couple of months of chaos each year. Desperation time for the 0-3 clubs, so let’s start with them in a week where all 24 USFL clubs are in divisional play. Ohio does not look likely to snap their streak of losses as they will face off against a Federals team that is not at all happy about 2 straight losses themselves. Orlando is hoping that the magic start the Fire have had will end when the Gades come to town. Playing without Jeff George may hurt Atlanta in this matchup. The 0-3 Stallions are hoping the combination of a big rivalry game crowd at Legion Field and a pretty mediocre Memphis club will help them get a W even with the big injury to Ernest Givens. 0-3 Texas will likely have Stouffer back, and they are at home against New Orleans, so expect them to pull out all the stops to get a W and avoid an 0-4 start. And finally, we have the LA Express, who are unlikely to draw a crowd in Farmer’s Insurance Stadium as they face off against the Denver Gold. At least they showed signs of offensive life this week, so they may have a shot. In other games we have some nice matchups to pay attention to this week. 3-0 Oakland likely has a big test as they visit the Portland Thunder. Arizona and Seattle, both off to good starts at 2-1 face off in Husky Stadium on Sunday. Houston is the next foe for the 3-0 Knights as they return to St. Louis for what should be an engaging home game. Chicago and Michigan are both 1-2, so their matchup in Pontiac is big for both clubs. In the South we have a nice Florida rivalry between the 2-1 Jacksonville Bulls and the visiting 3-0 Tampa Bay Bandits. This one could be a real shootout between two very dynamic offenses. And finally, in the Atlantic we find the 3-0 Maulers headed to Baltimore to face the 2-1 Blitz and the 3-0 Stars battling their perennial rival, the 2-1 New Jersey Generals, with the big game in the Meadowlands expected to bring in 50,000 fans this weekend, with a big Stars contingent headed up the turnpike to attend the game.

Let the games begin, and boy did they. It was mayhem across the league in Week One as new players tried to make their mark, from veteran NFL QB’s trying to go back to back with a fall season followed by a spring season, to recent college draftees trying to make a big first impression. We had huge passing numbers, but also tons of picks as there was some careless play across the league. No need to wait, let’s get right to the action. In the best game of the week the high-flying Birmingham offense discovered that Denver could be equally potent. Mark Brunell and Brett Favre both threw for 4 scores, but Brunell outgained Favre 422-312 and got the most important yards, the final drive that put Jeff Wilkens in range to kick the winning field goal with 18 seconds left on the clock. Denver had 3 receivers go over 100 yards as they struggled to run the ball with Rashaan Salaam, but found plenty of space in the Birmingham zones. TE Keith Jackson led all receivers with 12 catches on 15 targets. Rookie Kevin Dyson was also a big part of Denver’s plans, catching 9 for 118 and a score, while veteran Odessa Turner scored twice and caught 6 for 108. Birmingham had their stars too, with Cedric Tillman drawing single coverage opposite Givens all day. Tillman caught 3 balls all day but all 3 were scores. The problem for Birmingham was pass protection as Brett Favre was felled 9 times by the aggressive Denver pass rush. Denver SS Sean Lumpkin blitzed early and often, and now leads the league with 3 sacks. Add in 2 each from Leslie O’Neill and DT James Manley and you have a rough day for Favre. And yet, after Cedrick Tillman’s 3rd TD of the day with only 55 seconds left on the clock, the game was tied. But, Brunell had found receivers all day, and in his last minute drive, he found them again, first TE Keith Jackson, then Dyson, then Jackson again, and within 4 plays the Gold set up Wilkens for a 52 yard kick on a 4th down play. Wilkens’s kick sailed true in the thin Mile High air and the Gold got a big opening day win in front of a solid 44,202 crowd. WSH 19 NOR 6 Washington’s championship defense took things up right where they had left them off last August, holding the Breakers to only 232 total yards and limiting Terrell Davis to only 53 yards rushing in the Superdome. It was not a high scoring game, with both clubs mostly sticking to field goals, but the Federals proved that they were going to rely once again on one of the league’s best defenses to get the job done. MEM 28 POR 45 If this game is any indication, Robert Drummond is playing angry this year after a playoff injury cost him a shot at glory in the Fantasy Bowl. Drummond racked up an impressive 160 yards and 2 scores on only 17 carries, a 9.4 YPC average as the Thunder just overpowered the Showboats. Garrison Hearst had a much less auspicious start to his USFL career, rushing for only 19 yards on 14 carries for the Showboats. PHI 22 CHI 20 In a battle of two clubs thought to be major contenders this year the Stars edged the Machine on a late Chip Lohmiller FG. Bobby Hebert looked rejuvenated in Coach Berry’s offense, throwing for 350 yards against a solid Chicago defense. Cris Carter was his main target with 8 for 113 and a score, but Hebert hit 8 different receivers on the day in an impressive opening week comeback victory for his new club. JAX 37 ARZ 24 Jake Plummer threw 4 picks including two pick-sixes to an aggressive Bulls defense that also recorded 4 sacks. The turnovers helped Jacksonville build up a 27-10 halftime lead and coast to a comfortable win in the desert despite only 39 yards rushing from Natrone Means. ATL 36 SEA 14 Atlanta’s gambit, signing NFL veteran Jeff George paid off as the former Falcon went 30 of 47 for 395 and 3 scores in his first spring game since Illinois. Lake Dawson was his main target, catching 7 balls for 136 and 2 scores. Seattle had good games from Eric Metcalf and Courtney Hawkins, who combined for 182 yards receiving, but could not turn yardage into points. ORL 7 OAK 30 Ryan Leaf had a solid game in his first pro outing, and 4 Orlando turnovers helped Oakland pull away for a big home win in front of nearly 45,000 at Oakland-Alameda, there to see their #1 pick. Leaf’s 320 yards on 19 of 30 throwing helped propel the Invaders, but it was the surprising aggression of Coach Reeves’s defense that did in the Renegades, forcing 2 fumbles and picking off Scott Mitchell twice. TBY 56 LA 7 George Seifert had about as good a coaching debut in Tampa as anyone could have hoped for. Troy Aikman and Kerwin Bell combined for 7 passing touchdowns against a disorganized and clearly underprepared LA defense. TE Ben Coates had 6 catches for 158 yards and 2 scores, but all anyone could talk about was the deep ball ability of rookie WR Randy Moss, who caught only 2 passes, but both were TDs of over 40 yards. With Moss’s speed and height, and Aikman’s accuracy, this looks to be one deadly combo Coach Seifert has. OHI 28 STL 34 A nice back and forth game between two intriguing teams. Kerry Collins, in his USFL debut, threw for 312 but his two TDs were offset by two picks. For St. Louis, rookie Ahman Green shared time with Darrell Thompson and the two combined for 24 carries for 80 yards, though it was Green who scored twice for the Knights. Joey Galloway looked to be at peak form for the Glory as he caught 10 passes for 177 yards and 2 Ohio scores in a losing cause. New Knight Bert Emmanuel had 6 for 104 and a score for St. Louis. NJ 28 TEX 14 New Jersey got solid games from Fischer, Leeland MacElroy, and rookie Curtis Enis as they doubled up on a Texas squad that has not found its legs yet. Fischer connected with Terry Glenn 8 times for 111 yards and 2 scores and TE Mark Chmura chipped in 7 catches and a score as well. BAL 18 MGN 16 It was not a pretty game from new Blitz QB Trent Green, but he did throw for 2 TDs and no picks. The Blitz might be worried about a run game that gained a pitiful 8 yards on the day. Michigan meanwhile has to be scratching their heads as to how their 96 yards rushing and solid Flutie game did not lead to a win. They let the Blitz hang around all day and the foot of Luis Zendejas gave the visitors the final points of the game, winning points, with only 26 seconds to play. PIT 20 HOU 3 In perhaps the sloppiest game of the day, Pittsburgh got a TD off a pick by Godfrey Miles and held Houston to only 44 yards rushing as the Maulers outscored Houston 13-3 in the second half to take a road win. Both offenses struggled to establish much in this one as neither Bosco nor Hartlieb had much luck putting together a gameplan that was effective. Back in the Game: Texas must have felt that their offense lacked punch, because just 3 days before the opening game of the season they went out and lured a former All-Pro NFL receiver (and 4 year starter in New Jersey) out of retirement to suit up. Irving Fryar returned to football after a 2 year hiatus and actually got into the game after being with the Texans for only 3 days. He caught 2 balls for 52 yards in Texas’s loss to New Jersey, not bad for a guy who has not laced up the cleats in nearly 900 days. He also seemed to have some speed, as he got deep a couple of times but was the victim of a couple of off-target Kelly Stouffer passes. Great to see Fryar back in action, and from the look of it, the Outlaws, whose receiving corps is not as deep as Coach Pardee would want, can certainly use his talents. Rookie Watch: We saw more than the usual number of rookies get significant playing time this week, with over 30 listed as starters across the league and several high profile starters in that bunch. QB Ryan Leaf took the helm on day 1 for Oakland and helped the Invaders start the year with a big crowd and a comfortable win over a 1997 playoff team (Orlando). New Jersey HB Curtis Enis got the start, and struggled at times (3.5 YPC average) but had 3 nice runs that showed a bit of flash to the Generals fans. Ahman Green in St. Louis was the other back to get considerable touches, handling the ball 14 times for 36 yards and his first 2 USFL touchdowns. WR Randy Moss was the flashiest of the rookie starters, cashing in on an 87-yard and a 43 yarder for scores in his only two catches of the day. You know Coach Seifert and QB Troy Aikman are going to be looking for him more after showing his deep ball talent this week. Denver’s rookie wideout Kevin Dyson, while not as flashy, also had a strong day, hauling in 9 balls for 118 yards in the shootout between the Gold and the Stallions. Among rookie defenders some solid work was put in by Seattle’s Takeo Spikes (5 tackles), Atlanta’s Greg Ellis (2 tackles & 1 sack), and Memphis FS Tebucky Jones (6 tackles), but the best defensive day for a rookie had to be Charles Woodson, the Heisman winner who now laces them up in DC. Woodson started opposite Derrick Beasley, had 6 tackles and defended 4 passes. No picks, but a couple of near misses as he spent most of the day defending against veteran Herman Fontenot of New Orleans. He got burnt only once, when the Breakers put Fontenot inside and split out rookie Az-Zahir Hakeem wide. The speedy and quick Hakeem caught Woodson with a juke move and found 15 yards before Woodson could recover. Other than that one play, the Heisman winner looked very much like a 1st round signing. New Faces: Rookies were not the only fresh faces across the league. From the USFL debuts of Jeff George in Atlanta, Kerry Collins for Ohio, and Garrison Hearst for the Showboats, to USFL players in new places, like Raynard Brown in New Orleans, Bobby Hebert in Philly, and CB Deon Figures in Orlando, there were a lot of restarts, reinventions, and reboots across the league. Hebert was a particularly powerful one as he looked 5 years younger with his new club, snapping off lasers and avoiding rushers all day for the Stars. A rarity in pro football as this week’s action produced no noteworthy injuries. Sure, some bumps and bruises, and a few guys listed as “probable” on the weekly injury report, but nothing concerning for any of the 24 USFL clubs. Guess those trainers and their off-season programs deserve some credit for a solid preparation for each club’s 53-man roster. Dress for success: In off-the-field news this week, the big story is the contract for uniforms and fan merchandise as the USFL contract with NIKE is set to wrap up after the 1999 season. With Phil Knight taking a back seat in Portland there is speculation that the league may be open for new bidders and we know that both Russell Athletic and Reebok are game to make a pitch to the league and secure some of that sweet merchandising money that Nike has built an empire on. The USFL is a hot brand right now, despite the weirdness of last year’s labor disputes. With a possible multi-year contract on the line, these competitors would be nuts not to at least make a solid bid for the league’s business. Who’s the boss?: The USFL hunt for a new commissioner begins in earnest. Bulls owner Fred Bullard is serving as the interim commissioner, but the league wants to quickly put a neutral party in the position. One candidate on everyone’s lips is 1996 Atlanta Olympics organizer and Olympic Committee lead, attorney Billy Payne. A second intriguing candidate is World Wrestling Federation President and CEO Vince McMahon, who has expressed interest in jumping into other professional sports, and who certainly has built a juggernaut in the world of wrestling, but, as you would expect, having a man known for staged athletics taking over a competitive league would raise some eyebrows. Other names include the usual list of sports attorneys, sports broadcasting experts, and former NFL officials, as well as a couple of league owners who might be willing to sell off a portion of their clubs to take on the league’s most important position. Looking at Week 2, the first of our divisional matchups on the schedule as the Atlantic and Southern Divisions open up intra-divisional play. Some exciting matchups to follow this week as the offensive explosion of the Bandits has to worry the Orlando Renegades, who travel to Tampa Stadium to face Aikman, Moss, Rhett and that Banditball style. Jacksonville is looking good after 1 week and Memphis is looking like they have some big questions to deal with, but can home cooking help the Boats as they host the Bulls? And 1-0 Atlanta has a huge 2nd week test as they head to Birmingham to take on a very annoyed Stallions team after they gave up a final drive score to Denver and lost at Mile High. In the Atlantic we are intrigued about the Federals-Maulers game. Both defenses played well, but we are just not sure Pittsburgh has any weapons at all to put up against the defending champs. Newly acquired WR Andre Rison did not exactly light it up in Houston, catching only 3 balls all game, and Dorsey Levins struggled to get much on 11 carries. New Jersey is in Baltimore in a matchup of two 1-0 teams that folks are still skeptical about. Will rookie Curtis Enis find running room against the Blitz, and can Baltimore get any run game going with a backfield made up of Derrick Fenner and Carlos King? With NFL star Adrian Murrell still seeking a new contract, could the Blitz go after the NY Jet to boost their run game? Finally, we have Ohio visiting Philadelphia in a matchup of two clubs with new starters under center. Hebert and Collins face off in Philly on Saturday night. In the Western Conference it is interdivisional play between the Pacific and the Central. We are interested in the Breakers-Invaders game just to see if Oakland and QB Ryan Leaf can move the Invaders to 2-0 or if the Breakers will find more running room against the Invader’s rebuilt D. St. Louis is in Portland in another good matchup. A dynamic offense for the Thunder, and a Knights team built to win on defense. In Arizona, Jake Plummer has to start showing something as the Wranglers do not want to have the #1 draft pick a third year in a row. The Wranglers face off against a Chicago Machine club that lost a close one this week. In Denver the Gold hope to move to 2-0 by knocking off a suspect Houston Gambler squad. Michigan hopes to rebound from a tough opening week loss, and LA simply have to show that their decision to stand pat at QB was not a huge mistake. Finally, Seattle hosts their 2nd game of the year, and hopes for a better result as the Texas Outlaws come to town.