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Last spring the story of the Western Conference was the rapid rise, and sudden collapse of both the Denver Gold and the Texas Outlaws. Both clubs looked to be running away with their divisions, but by season’s end each was stuck as a wildcard and quickly out of the playoffs. The collapse cost Wade Phillips his job in Denver, while Texas looked mostly at the season-ending injury to QB Kelly Stouffer as the reason for the poor second half. Taking advantage of their collapses were Portland and Michigan, who are in no hurry to give up the top spot in their divisions. And while the clubs at the top have not made huge splashes this offseason, teams at the bottom of both divisions have made major moves, including a lot of wheeling and dealing around the College Draft. Oakland traded away Bobby Hebert to get the #1 pick in the draft and quickly signed WSU QB Ryan Leaf. Seattle dropped down only one slot as they opted not to pursue Peyton Manning and instead focused on defense by signing Takeo Spikes at LB. And while the West did not see the big NFL signings like Ohio and Atlanta’s QB acquisitions, there were still a few late transfer window pick ups worth mentioning. Here are the most interesting of the NFL and USFL signings in the West. Michigan missed out on talented young QB Stoney Case, who signed with the Bulls, but they reached a deal with local boy, former Wolverine QB Elvis Grbac, who is expected to sit behind Doug Flutie for at least a year or two if everything plays out as planned. New Orleans was in need of a LB after losing Jeff Herrod to the Ohio Glory. They think they have found a good one in former Tennessee Copperhead Brant Boyer. The All-AFC player starts his 4th season as a Breaker after leaving his NFL club. Denver added several players at key positions, including a quality starter in guard Jerry Ostroski of the Buffalo Bills. Ostroski will likely start on the right side as Evan Pilgrim moves to the left side after the departure of O’Neill Glenn to LA. Denver also got a big boost on the D-Line by signing Jon Carter away from the Stallions. They also signed QB Eric Wilhelm away from Texas and DT Dan Saleamua from the Maulers. Houston tried to address some of its departures by signing USFL talent, including FB Todd Wilson, WR Hart Lee Dykes, and NFL wideout Michael Timpson. Seattle was also very active, mostly with USFL signings, including TE Ken Dilger, DE John Copeland, and WR Courtney Hawkins. TEAM PREVIEWS Once again we will review each squad in the conference in the order of finish last season. While the Central Division looks stacked once again, the Pacific remains the weak link in the USFL, with only Portland looking like a potential title contender. That said, there were some moves made out West which might shake things up a bit. PORTLAND THUNDER (13-2-1, 1st in Pacific, Conference Champion) DEPARTURES: LB Jimmie Kimmel (RET), CB Willie Broughton (RET), OT Bruce Armstrong (NFL), DT Mike Wells (FA), WR Hart Lee Dykes (FA), DE Eric Curry (FA) NEW ARRIVALS: DE Mike Mraz (FA), LB John Holocek (FA), G Eric Still (FA), WR David Dunn (NFL), OT Mo Collins (Rook), WR Jerome Pathon (Rook), DT Glen Steele (Rook) IMPACT MOVE: None of Portland’s moves would be considered team-altering signings. The biggest change for the Thunder is not a good one, the loss of LT Bruce Armstrong to the NFL. Armstrong was arguably the best in the league at his position, an position vital to keeping Jack Trudeau vertical and Robert Drummond running. Rookie Mo Collins seems to be the immediate answer but do you really want a rookie at LT? OUTLOOK: Portland surprised many by emerging as the #1 seed last year, but with the Central Division clubs likely to beat each other up all season, and with a relatively easy path in the Pacific, Portland could easily repeat as division champs. They have to protect Trudeau, and they have to hope that Mraz, Holocek, and rookie DT Glen Steele help keep the Thunder defense on the right side of the rankings. PROJECTION: 12-4, 1st in Pacific MICHIGAN PANTHERS (11-5, 2nd in Central, Lost in Conference Title Game) DEPARTURES: WR Weegie Thompson (RET), DT Chris Myers (RET), HB Rodney Culver (NFL), CB Kevin Minnifield (FA), OT Jerome Brown (FA), LB Bryce Paup (FA), TE Jay Reimersma (FA) NEW ARRIVALS: CB Thomas Pittman (FA), LB Frank Stams (FA), QB Elvis Grbac (NFL), DE Jeremy Staat (Rook), HB Brock Olivo (Rook), S Eric Brown (Rook), TE Blake Spence (Rook) IMPACT MOVE: While the recent signing of NFL QB and Michigan grad Elvis Grbac is getting a lot of play in the Detroit area, we think the biggest signing (other than resigning breakout WR Jeff Campbell) was the pickup of veteran LB Frank Stams from Philadelphia. Stams brings experience and leadership to a LB corps that was pretty green, though certainly talented. OUTLOOK: The Panthers look and feel like a team that is on the move. They came close to nipping the Outlaws for the division title last year, and we think they have the chops to do so this season. Doug Flutie had a career season for the Panthers (41 TDs and 3,148 yards despite missing 4 games to injuries) and wideout Jeff Campbell became a star with a monster season, leading the league in both targets and receptions. Now the Panthers need either Muhsin Muhammad or 2nd year player Dedrick Ward to step into the 2nd receiver position to help take some pressure off the new star. On defense the Panthers were middle of the pack, and they need to improve to be a true championship contender. The middle of the line is solid with Sam Adams manning the nose, but either Renaldo Turnbull or Anthony Abrahms need to start reaching the QB more frequently. We see good things ahead for the Panthers, with a balanced offense and a, hopefully, improving defense. PROJECTION: 11-5, 1st in Central TEXAS OUTLAWS (12-4, 1st in Central, Lost in Divisional Round) DEPARTURES: LB Brian Bosworth (NFL), OG Eric Still (FA), WR Lawyer Tillman (FA), QB Eric Wilhelm (FA), K Chris Boniol (Trade) NEW ARRIVALS: LB Brian Simmons (Rook), LB Steve Foley (Rook), K Tim Seder (Rook) IMPACT MOVE: Losing Brian Bosworth to the NFL is a huge blow for the Outlaws. The Outlaw defense worked through Boz for the better part of a decade, and was just getting formidable in the past 2 years. Rookies Simmons and Foley will have a role to play but the big shoes of Bosworth will probably be filled right now by Levon Kirkland, but filling in behind Kirkland will be a challenge. OUTLOOK: With Kelly Stouffer the Outlaws were on their way to a #1 seed, without him they crashed to earth and were nearly overtaken by the Panthers. Can they regain their early 1997 form, or will this be a struggle to maintain position in the Central? We think it is the latter, with Michigan, Chicago and New Orleans all nipping at their heels. PROJECTION: 10-6, 2nd in Central CHICAGO MACHINE (10-6, 3rd in Central, Lost in Divisional Round) DEPARTURES: LB Gary Reasons (RET), FB Kimble Anders (NFL), TE Wesley Walls (NFL), QB Dan McGwire (NFL) NEW ARRIVALS: QB Chris Miller (FA), WR Kirby Dar Dar (FA), LB Michael Brooks (FA), CB Alan Grant (FA), LB Keith Brooking (Rook), DT Michael Myers (Rook), FB Jonathan Linton (Rook) IMPACT MOVE: Two moves stand out for the Machine. They lost Dan McGwire to the NFL, but in signing Chris Miller, a multi-year starter in Baltimore, they have a worthy mentor for Alex Van Pelt, and someone who can step in if needed and provide a cool head. The other solid move was replacing the retiring Gary Reasons with a dynamic playmaker at the Strong Side LB position in Georgia Tech’s Keith Brooking. Expect Coach Schottenheimer to find ways to bring Brooking in pressure to help add to Chicago’s pass rush. OUTLOOK: Chicago has the pieces you want in a winning club, a solid run game with Watters and Staley, a strong defensive middle, with Sean Gilbert, Darryl Talley, and Anthony Prior up the center of the field, and a good combination of veterans and youthful energy. We are still not 100% sold on Alex Van Pelt as a full time starter, so Chris Miller may see some action, and the receiving corps, led by Wendell Davis and Ricky Proehl, is getting a little long in the tooth, so we are not yet ready to anoint Chicago just yet. PROJECTION: 10-6, 3rd in Central DENVER GOLD (9-7, 2nd in Pacific, Lost in Wild Card Round) DEPARTURES: WR Willie Gillespie (RET), DE Dante Jones (RET), P Josh Miller (NFL), OG O’Neill Glenn (FA), SS Alex Walton (FA), LB John Holocek (FA) NEW ARRIVALS: DE John Carter (FA), DT Dan Saleamua (FA), QB Eric Wilhelm (FA), P Todd Sauerbrun (FA), G Jerry Ostroski (NFL), WR Kevin Dyson (Rook), WR Jacquez Green (Rook), QB Matt Hasselbeck (FA), LB DeShone Myles (Rook), S Corey Gaines (Rook) IMPACT MOVE: While there was a lot of turnover on the Denver roster, including bringing in 2 new QB’s behind Mark Brunell and 2 rookie wideouts to diversify the offense, the biggest move may have been the decision to sack Wade Phillips despite Denver making the playoffs last season. Phillips had been able to hold Denver to a midling 7-9 win range in his time in Denver, but there was little faith he could build something bigger. Enter former Packers and Panthers defensive guru Dick Jauron. Jauron immediately got to work adding heft to the Gold defense in the form of DE John Carter, DT Dan Saleaumua, and rookie LB DeShone Myles. OUTLOOK: We expect Jauron to get more out of the Gold defense, which was a disappointing 20th in the league last year in both points and yards allowed. If Denver can crack the Top 10 defensively (and they have the talent to do it), then Mark Brunell, Rashaan Salaam, and a revamped receiving corps may be able to pull out a few more games and get Denver over the hump. PROJECTION: 10-6, 2nd in Pacific NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS (8-8, 4th in Central) DEPARTURES: OG J. Davis (RET), OG Jeff Zimmerman (NFL), WR Qadry Ismail (NFL), LB M. Brooks (FA), LB Jeff Herrod (FA), DT Shane Burton (FA) NEW ARRIVALS: LB Ron Hinkley (FA), WR Raynard Brown (FA), DT Brett Sowell (FA), LB Brant Boyer (NFL), DT Leon Bender (Rook), OG Benji Olson (Rook), WR Az-Zahir Hakim (Rook) IMPACT MOVE: The Breakers basically played “fill the gap” all offseason, signing Brown to replace Ismail, Hinkley for Herrod, Sowell for Burton, but we are not sure these are improvements, lateral moves, or slight downgrades. The one move we know is solid was drafting Bender out of Washington State as a DT who can help fill the gap of Burton leaving in free agency. We also like what we have seen in early camp coverage from the speedy wideout Az-Zahir Hakim. OUTLOOK: If New Orleans really did make mostly lateral moves, then 8-8 may well be where they end up again. The defense needs to add more aggression if they want to play with the scheme Mike Ditka has brought with him from the NFL, but we don’t see the kind of heavy hitters or scheme-wreckers on this defense that Ditka had with his Chicago Bears. Add to that an offense that is not bad, but also not capable of taking over a game, and a mediocre record seems fair. PROJECTION: 8-8, 5thth in Central HOUSTON GAMBLERS (7-9, 5th in Central) DEPARTURES: FB Tim Manoa (RET), FS Todd Bowles (RET), HB Thurman Thomas (NFL), OT Howard Ballard (NFL), K John Kasay (NFL), HB Keith Woodside (FA) NEW ARRIVALS: WR Hart Lee Dykes (FA), FB Todd Wilson (FA), OT Tra Thomas (Rook), CB Patrick Surtain (Rook), HB John Avery (Rook), OG Jason Whittle (Rook) IMPACT MOVE: Houston’s big move was a swing and a miss. The Gamblers desperately needed to find a way to replace Thurman Thomas’s rushing and receiving, and that was not likely to be from one player, but the only back they landed in the draft was John Avery out of Ole Miss. They spent an early pick on Florida’s Fred Taylor, but the big back opted to sign with the NFL instead. They swung again, trying to land Adrian Murrell from the NFL, but were rebuffed by the former Jet, who signed with the NFL Cardinals. OUTLOOK: Houston was in retooling mode last year and with the losses of Thomas, Ballard and Woodside, they are in full rebuild mode this season. It looks like either scatback Mario Greer or rookie John Avery will be the lead back, which should trouble Gambler fans. Chuck Hartlieb is back under center and he still has WRs like Antonio Freeman and Brett Perriman to throw to, but there are concerns up and down the Gambler roster. Coach Willsey is going to have a tough time matching his 8-win season with the talent he has on the squad right now, and we think there is a legitimate shot that Houston has to hit rock bottom before things get better. PROJECTION: 5-11, 6th in Central ST. LOUIS KNIGHTS (7-9, 6th in Central) DEPARTURES: DE T. Tolbert (NFL), DE A. Harmon (FA), OG Todd Rucci (FA), DT Brett Sowell (FA), HB Joe Mickles (FA) NEW ARRIVALS: WR Bert Emmanuel (FA), OG Brett Fournier (FA), OG Gennaro DiNapoli (Rook), HB Ahman Green (Rook), OT Jason Fabini (Rook), SS Izell Reese (Rook), DE Vonnie Holliday (Rook) IMPACT MOVE: By general consensus, St. Louis’s draft is considered one of the best if not the best this year. Not only did they effectively trade down to pick up additional picks, but they were able to sign some top level talent from various rounds of the draft. We love the signing of DE Vonnie Holliday from UNC, as well as tackle Jason Fabini out of Cincinnati, but the steal of the draft, at least based on early reports, may be HB Ahman Green out of Nebraska, taken in the 3rd round of the draft, but still signed despite being a 2nd round pick in the NFL. This was some top level drafting, and it should make St. Louis a clear step better than last year. OUTLOOK: The Knights flashed some moments last year, and with the additions they have made, including snagging one of the best receivers in free agency, Orlando’s Bert Emmanuel, the Knights are a deeper and more dangerous squad this year. It still all comes down to better decision-making from QB Todd Collins, but he has weapons around him with Thompson, Ahman Green, Ironhead, Emmanuel, Amani Toomer and Patrick Rowe. The Knights defense is still a work in progress, but adding Holliday to a line that features Jerry Ball and Mike Lodish inside will make it tougher on opponents to run on the Knights. Will it produce pass rush, or will Coach Johnson have to blitz Marcus Cotton, Kevin Hardy or Mike Caldwell to get pressure? They may not be all the way there yet, but we see this team on the rise this year. PROJECTION: 9-7, 4th in Central OAKLAND INVADERS (5-11, 3rd in Pacific) DEPARTURES: DE Glen Veris (RET), DT Tony Siragusa (NFL), HB Reggie Brooks (NFL), QB Bobby Hebert (Trade) NEW ARRIVALS: DE Eric Curry (FA), HB Joe Mickles (FA), LB Kailee Wong (Rook), DE Leonard Little (Rook), C Jeff Saturday (Rook), QB Ryan Leaf (Rook) IMPACT MOVE: You know what we are going to say. The 3-team trade that landed the Invaders this year’s #1 overall pick, and the quick signing of QB Ryan Leaf will define this club for the next decade, one way or the other. If Leaf turns into the type of gunslinging pro we have seen in the USFL from Kelly to Favre, then Oakland is in great shape, if he fizzles, then the Invaders are likely to be in deep for a while to come. Either way it was a daring move from the ownership, the GM, and new coach Dan Reeves. OUTLOOK: Oakland did a really good job of restocking their roster. They lost very little as far as starts and impact, and they added some big pieces, with a very strong draft, but also with the signing of talent like DE Eric Curry, who should immediately upgrade the Invader pass rush. With Denver in flux, and with LA, Seattle, and Arizona still trying to build a winning roster, the Invaders, for as badly as they played last year, could be on a fast track to a playoff spot. Are they a legitimate contender, no, especially not with a rookie QB at the helm, but could they rise quickly in a weak division. Yes, we think so. PROJECTION: 9-7, 3rd in Pacific LOS ANGELES EXPRESS (4-12, 4th in Pacific) DEPARTURES: DT Greg Meisner (RET), HB Bernie Parmalee (NFL), FS Tim Hauck (FA) NEW ARRIVALS: OG O’Neill Glenn (FA), DE A. Harmon (FA), OG Alan Faneca (Rook), HB Michael Pittman (Rook), S Artrell Hawkins (Rook) IMPACT MOVE: LA, as one of the weaker clubs in the league, was not picked over by the NFL or other USFL teams, so their best move may have been simply building through the draft. We like Faneca and Hawkins to play immediately, and for Pittman to get some snaps as well. The biggest shock for us was the lack of effort by LA to improve their QB situation. They must see something in Jeff Garcia that the last 2 years of play has not borne out, because it seemed an obvious position of need. OUTLOOK: We are still not sure how LA is going to improve their 21st ranked offense without a major upgrade at QB. We like the new combo of Antowain Smith and Michael Pittman in the backfield, TE is still a weakness, and we still don’t feel that they have a real threat at receiver other than Mike Pritchard. The defense, also ranked 21st seems to have gotten little attention this offseason as well, though we do like the depth Harmon brings at DE. Where are the playmakers, the game wreckers? We just don’t see it. With Seattle and Arizona getting better, LA may find themselves looking at the #1 pick in 1999, which looks to be a QB-rich draft. Is that the plan here? PROJECTION: 4-12, 6th in Pacific SEATTLE DRAGONS (4-12, 5th in Pacific) DEPARTURES: DE Jim Reynosa (RET), TE Theo Young (RET), DE Bill Goldberg (FA), FB Tim Wilson (FA) NEW ARRIVALS: WR Courtney Hawkins (FA), DE John Copeland (FA), TE Ken Dilger (FA), LB Takeo Spikes (Rook), S Corey Chavous (Rook), QB Brian Griese (Rook), C Matt Birk (Rook) IMPACT MOVE: Despite being one of the most active teams in USFL free agency, and having a very solid draft as well, we still think the best move the Dragons made was resigning DT Gilbert Brown. With Brown locking down the middle of the line, newly arrived DE John Copeland, and LBs like J.D. Fuller, Jim Schwantz, and Tommy Thigpen, should be able to work the 3-4 defense to far better than a 24th ranking. On offense, the Dragons have some weapons, most notably 2nd year HB Corey Dillon and wideout Eric Metcalf. They are trusting the offense to unheralded Jon Kitna, but now have Michigan rookie Brian Griese on deck as well. OUTLOOK: The Dragons were a quirky pick to win the division last year. We saw how that turned out. We don’t project that this year, but .500 may be possible. PROJECTION: 8-8, 4th in Pacific ARIZONA WRANGLERS (3-13, 6th in Pacific) DEPARTURES: DE Charles Buchanon (RET), OT J. Totten (RET), TE Pete Metzelaars (RET), LB Bill Romanowski (NFL), WR Courtney Hawkins (FA) NEW ARRIVALS: DE Robert Porcher (FA), CB Kevin Minniefield (FA), LB Sam Cowart (Rook), WR Hines Ward (Rook), TE Matt Cushing (Rook), DT Jason Peter (Rook), OG Phil Ostrowski (Rook) IMPACT MOVE: Having the #1 pick and not needing a QB paid off for the Wranglers as they parlayed a move down in the draft (and a 3-way trade) into a solid draft that provided talent up and down the roster. We love the selection of Jason Peter, a bruising DT from Nebraska, to line up opposite FA acquisition Robert Porcher. We also love the choice of Sam Cowart in the 2nd round, and, while he may need some time to season, 4th round pick Hines Ward from Georgia could be a quality weapon for Jake Plummer. OUTLOOK: We like the moves that Arizona and Coach Shell are doing in the desert. A lot still depends on Jake Plummer, who threw more pass attempts than anyone last year. Signing two rookie receivers (Ward and Villanova’s Brian Finneran) should help, but what the Wranglers really need is for either Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or Tim Lester to become a regular threat out of the backfield. We are not sure either has that in them. And if that is the case, Plummer may again be trying to do a lot with the passing game. The defense could be better this year, which will help a lot. Not ready to get over the hump yet, but unlikely to finish with the #1 pick again. That’s our assessment. PROJECTION: 6-10, 5th in Pacific. SEASON STANDING & PLAYOFF PROJECTIONS CENTRAL PACIFIC Michigan-y 11-5 Portland-z 12-4 Texas-x 10-6 Denver-x 10-6 Chicago-x 10-6 Oakland 9-7 St. Louis-x 9-7 Seattle 8-8 New Orleans 8-8 Arizona 6-10 Houston 5-11 Los Angeles 4-12 We think St. Louis is a better club than Oakland, so they snag the final Wild Card. In the first round we see Texas fall to St. Louis while Chicago beats Denver at home. That sets up St. Louis @ Portland and Chicago at Michigan. Both favorites win, so it is the Panthers vs. the Thunder for the conference once again, and this time the Panthers get revenge, tempered by their Central Division battles. We see the Panthers facing the Federals in Summer Bowl 1998.

It’s football time again. The short span between the NFL’s Super Bowl Extravaganza and the start of the USFL season is almost over. The transfer window is closed, camps are in full force, the league’s preseason schedule kicks off this weekend, and the regular season is only 2 weeks away. It has been quite a run since our last reporting, so before we take a look at our Eastern Conference Preview, let’s recap the last month of signings, near misses, and big name players suiting up for USFL action this year. We start in Atlanta where there was plenty of drama over the past month. The Fire traded up 1 spot in this year’s USFL draft to select All-American QB Peyton Manning of Tennessee. Manning looked favorably on signing with the Fire, but after being selected #1 by the Indianapolis Colts of the NFL, Manning could not pass up the offer from the Colts and Atlanta was out of the running. The Colts responded by signing a former Colt in 1990’s overall #1 NFL Pick, Jeff George. George, who has a ton of talent but has struggled with the Colts and Falcons in the NFL gets to stay in Atlanta but shifts from fall to spring football. The pursuit of Manning, and the signing of George send two clear messages in Atlanta, the time to win is now, and Eric Zeier is not the guy to do it. Zeier, who was the Fire’s first ever draft selection back in 1995, is now likely to have to resign himself to backup duty yet again, after already being outperformed by veteran Cliff Stoudt. Unless Atlanta opts to trade the former UGA standout, he likely will be watching George take the snaps this spring. Columbus, Ohio is our next stop, where another QB-strapped team also found their starter in the NFL. The Glory went after and obtained the services of Kerry Collins, formerly of the Carolina Panthers. Collins, a Penn State grad, played 3 seasons in Carolina, after eschewing the USFL in the 1995 draft. He still had one year on his contract with Carolina, but they released the QB despite a Pro Bowl season in 1996. He backtracked considerably in 1997 and with the rise of backup Brad Johnson, who took over when Collins was injured, the Panthers opted to move on. Ohio brings Collins to Columbus to take over after Jeff Hostetler was signed by the NFL Raiders this past August. Memphis got their man, with Coach Mora boosting the run game for the Showboats by signing former Arizona Cardinal and Cincinnati Bengal Garrison Hearst. The former UGA product had his best year in the NFL in 1995, when he rushed for over 1,000 yards. Last season, his only in Cincinnati, saw him dip to 845 yards rushing, with no touchdowns. Coach Mora believes that Hearst still has a lot of gas in the tank and hopes to revive his 1,000 yard form with the Showboats. Jacksonville beat out Michigan for the services of QB Stoney Case as the backup to Chris Chandler. Both clubs were vying for the former U. of New Mexico product. Case, who backed up Steve Walsh for the Cardinals, gets a chance to do the same in Jacksonville, though likely for a much stronger team than the perennial NFC East basement dwellers. Finally, we should mention that several big name college stars signed on the dotted line in the past few weeks, giving the USFL a very good record among top 100 prospects, a part of their strategy to recover from the labor issues and subsequent NFL exodus we saw in August. Among the big names signed by Eastern Conference teams we have: QB Charlie Batch of Eastern Michigan signing with Pittsburgh HB Curtis Enis of Penn State, now a New Jersey General CB and Heisman Winner, Charles Woodson of Michigan signing with the Federals TE Stephen Alexander of Oklahoma, now the newest Ohio Glory teammate DE Greg Ellis of UNC, boosting the Atlanta Fire defense. WR Randy Moss and CB Samari Rolle both opting to ink with the Tampa Bay Bandits OT Kyle Turley of SDSU joins the Orlando Renegades S Tebucky Jones of Syracuse is now a Showboat DE Andre Wadsworth of FSU now moves up the coast to play for Baltimore TEAM PREVIEWS: EASTERN CONFERENCE A lot has changed in the past year. Between a rash of major retirements and a wave of NFL signings, the USFL will look a lot different this season. The league did well to bring in young talent through the draft, and some key late signings helped some clubs improve their chances, but how much has really changed? Will it once again be Washington and Birmingham atop their divisions? Will Orlando, Philadelphia, Baltimore, or Jacksonville be able to rise up? And will any of last season’s disappointments make good this year. Here is our look at the 12 clubs of the Eastern Conference and where we see them going. We present them in the order of finish from 1997, but expect that to be very different in 1998. WASHINGTON FEDERALS (10-5-1, 1ST in Atlantic, League Champion) DEPARTURES: DE Dexter Manley (NFL), WR Reggie Barlow (FA), NEW ARRIVALS: FS Bennie Thompson (FA), P Todd Sauerbrun (NFL), CB Charles Woodson (Rook), DE Greg Spires (Rook), TE Alonzo Mayes (Rook) WR/KR Tony Horne (Rook) IMPACT MOVE: Signing draftees Woodson and Spires help Washington reload and not rebuild on defense. The loss of Dexter Manley is big, but with Spires now lined up alongside Jerome Brown and Tony Brackens, and with a stunning talent like Woodson in the secondary, this Federals D is still one of the league’s most formidable. OUTLOOK: Washington’s defense is still the core of the club. Resigning Michael Barrow and adding 2 top draft picks helped a lot to offset the loss of Manley. The team added only rookie TE Tony Brackens to help the offense, so expect it to still be Barry Word and Kordell Stewart leading the run game, with Stewart hopefully progressing as a passer. This team is still the class of the Atlantic Division, though they fought it out with Philly all year. But with big changes for the Stars, we think the odds of the Federals repeating as Division Champs is great, and maybe as league champs as well. PREDICTION: 12-4, First in Atlantic BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS (12-4, 1st in Southern, Lost in Conference Finals) DEPARTURES: LB Kevin Greene (RET), LB Mark Fields (RET), DT Kimo Von Oelhoffen (FA), DE John Copeland (FA) NEW ARRIVALS: DT Mike Wells (FA), CB Jimmy Hitchcock (NFL), DE Dorian Boose (Rook), DT Brandon Whiting (Rook), DT Henry Slay (Rook), HB Kevin McCleod (Rook) IMPACT MOVE: The resigning of not only Brett Favre but Ernest Givens helps keep Birmingham as a top contender. The Stallions were relatively passive in free agency and did not land a truly big name in the draft, but they retained the bulk of their talent and offset some of the defensive losses through the draft. OUTLOOK: The Stallions will rise and fall on the arm of Brett Favre, but they need to figure out a way to be tougher on defense and use the run game to close games out. In Stephen Davis and Mike Alstott they have a backfield duo who can pound the rock and get those tough yards, the Stallions just need to find ways to make better use of them. This is still an offense that will terrify defensive coordinators, and if the defense can get just a bit better they might be able to go all the way, as everyone thought they would last year before the Federals shut them down in the Conference Title Game. PREDICTION: 12-4, 1st in Southern JACKSONVILLE BULLS (11-5, 2nd in Southern, Lost in Divisional Round) DEPARTURES: DE John Thierry (NFL), CB Ron Pitts (RET), LB Vaughan Johnson (RET), QB Browning Nagle (FA) NEW ARRIVALS: SS K. Lyle (FA), QB Stoney Case (NFL), DE Kenny Mixon (Rook), CB R.W. McQuarters (Rook), DT Martin Chase (Rook) IMPACT MOVE: Hard to say any move was impactful, though the retirement of Vaughaun Johnson certainly leaves a leadership gap on defense. The Bulls were able to resign Jesse Armstead, who may take over as the defensive leader on this squad, but for all the huff and puff about the NFL poaching, the Bulls fared pretty well. OUTLOOK: The Bulls put together a very solid 1997 campaign but could not overtake the Stallions. As with Birmingham, they focused a lot on resigning those players they could. They lost promising DE John Thierry, but retained LB Jesse Armstead, SS J. Pratt, and kicker Pete Stoyanovich. Their draft was quiet, but productive, adding more heft to their defense to help them deal with the Stallion offense in particular. Is it enough? Hard to say. A lot will come down to how well Chris Chandler can connect with the talented receiving corps of Blades, Owens, McCorvey, Stablein and TE Steve Johnson. And don’t look now, but Orlando and Tampa may give this in-state rival a serious run for their money. PREDICTION: 9-7, 3rd in Southern. PHILADELPHIA STARS (10-6, 2ND in Atlantic, Lost in Divisional Round) DEPARTURES: QB Chuck Long (NFL), SS Marcus Quinn (RET), LB Frank Stams (FA) NEW ARRIVALS: QB Bobby Hebert (Trade), LB Bryce Paup (FA), WR Germaine Crowell (Rook), S Omar Brown (Rook) IMPACT MOVE: The loss of Long was huge, but the deal Philly swung with Arizona and Oakland that brought Bobby Hebert to town was an epic move. It will take time for Hebert to learn Coach Berry’s system, but we expect Berry to trust Hebert to do more than Long ever did, and Long did a lot. This could be just the boost the Stars need to overtake the Federals. OUTLOOK: We are optimistic on Philly, just because we know Hebert has more in him than he was able to show in Oakland. That said, the Stars still look a bit shaky in other areas. Their receiving corps is basically Cris Carter and not much else (Troy Brown has potential and TE Eric Green is a good outlet) and the defense, while good 4th in Points Allowed last year, is solid, but not as dominant as we see in Washington. Unless Hebert absolutely lights it up, we see this as another close-but-no-cigar season for the Stars in the Atlantic. PREDICTION: 11-5, 2nd in Atlantic ORLANDO RENEGADES (10-6, 3rd in Southern, Lost in Wild Card Round) DEPARTURES: J. Juriga (NFL), CB T. Pittman (FA), OT L. Searcy (FA) NEW ARRIVALS: CB Deon Figures (FA), OT P. Gruber (FA), OT K. Turley (Rook), OG Scott Shaw (Rook), FB Chris Fuamatu-Ma’afala (Rook) IMPACT MOVE: Managing the loss of LT Leon Searcy by not only signing a good rookie in Turley, but snagging Paul Gruber from the Maulers. Gruber could step in at LT right away, giving Turley the chance to see spot action in his first year. OUTLOOK: Orlando really came on the second half of last season, and we think they are a stronger team this year. Adding Deon Figures to the secondary, and bolstering the line with both vets and rookies was shrewd. The Renegades have offensive talent in QB Scott Mitchell (who is now backed up by another Scott, Zolak), the HB combo of Terry Kirby and Kantroy Barber, and some really good, if underappreciated wideouts in Keenan McCardell, Shawn Jefferson, Reidel Anthony, and Tamarick Vanover. None of these guys is likely to be a 100-reception, 1,500-yard guy, but the ability to spread the ball to multiple receivers drives defenses crazy. On defense the ‘Gades rely a lot on the talents of LB Dante Jones, DT Tracy Rocker, and DE Chris Doleman. Adding Figures to the secondary will make their lives easier. It also means less need for SS LeRoy Butler to double cover, making him available to deal with slot receivers. Orlando is a real threat to the Stallions, and yet, we are not totally sold. We are going to put them at #2 in the Division, but watch out for them. PREDICTION: 11-5, 2nd in Southern BALTIMORE BLITZ (8-8, 3rd in Atlantic) DEPARTURES: HB Barry Foster (NFL), LB Mike Junkin (NFL), QB Cody Carlson (NFL), WR Bill Brooks (RET), CB Leslie Frazier (RET), DE Robert Porcher (FA), QB Chris Miller (FA) NEW ARRIVALS: QB Trent Green (Trade), QB Sean Salisbury (TRADE), WR Malcom Floyd (FA), DE Andre Wadsworth (Rook), TE Cam Cleeland (Rook), WR Tim Dwight (Rook) IMPACT MOVE: Signing top prospect Andre Wadsworth was essential for the Blitz after they lost out on resigning Robert Porcher (now in Arizona). The big, athletic Seminole product will likely start from day one on the right side, but could move around the D-line to help the Blitz contain the conference’s star QBs. OUTLOOK: Baltimore got hit hard this offseason, losing several major contributors on both sides of the ball. This feels like a team in a rebuild, which is easy to say when they have 2 new QBs, but the decision to let Chris Miller walk was one we all saw coming. Trent Green is an interesting choice to replace him because in many ways he is the same player, just younger and less beat up. We are a bit surprised that Baltimore did not try to get in the Leaf-Manning derby, and we are not sure if Green has what it takes to improve on an 8-8 season. The Blitz could be in for another middle-of-the-pack season after what had been such a strong 1996. This is not that team, and with so many new pieces there are more questions than answers. PREDICTION: 7-9, 4th in Atlantic TAMPA BAY BANDITS (8-8, 4th in Southern) DEPARTURES: WR Shannon Baker (NFL), K Dean Biasucci (NFL), CB Reggie Brown (RET), CB Alan Grant (FA) NEW ARRIVALS: WR Jeff Query (FA), C Roman Fortin (FA), WR Randy Moss (Rook), CB Samari Rolle (Rook), K Mike Vanderjacgt (Rook), OT Ephraim Salaam (Rook), C Trey Teague (Rook) IMPACT MOVE: Honestly, the firing of Jerry Glanville and hire of George Seifert is likely the biggest move of the season, and one that is likely to make Troy Aikman happy. If that is not enough, adding both rookie Randy Moss and veteran Jeff Query to the offense to offset the loss of Shannon Baker is huge for the Bandits. OUTLOOK: Tampa Bay was a team at war with itself last year. The arrival of a Super Bowl winning coach and one of the best rookie classes in the league may help resolve that. We love that at several key positions the Bandits not only brought in a vet but expended some draft capital as well. Is this enough for the Bandits to jump over Orlando, Jacksonville and even Birmingham? Perhaps not, but maybe 1 or 2 spots higher gets them to a playoff bid. PREDICTION: 9-7, 3rd in Southern PITTSBURGH MAULERS (7-9, 4th in Atlantic) DEPARTURES: HB Mike Rozier (RET), TE Mike Shaw (RET), WR Louis Lipps (RET), K Rafael Septien (RET), OT Doug Reisenburg (NFL), DT Dan Saleamua (FA), WR Raynard Brown (FA), OT Paul Gruber (FA) NEW ARRIVALS: TE Jay Reimersma (FA), DT Shane Burton (FA), WR Freddie Solomon (FA), WR Andre Rison (NFL), K Scott Blanton (NFL), QB Charlie Batch (Rook), DT Julian Pittman (Rook), SS Shaun Williams (Rook), HB Tavian Banks (Rook) IMPACT MOVE: While the news out of Pittsburgh has largely been about the losses due to retirement and NFL signings, the late acquisition of Andre Rison has raised some eyebrows in the Steel City. Yes, Rison has some legal issues around him, but he is also an unquestionable talent on the field. With both Louis Lipps and Raynard Brown gone, signing Rison to go along with Freddie Solomon and new TE Jay Reimersma will help Pittsburgh start to rebuild. OUTLOOK: The Maulers’s biggest issue may not be receiver, or even the shift from Mike Rozier to Dorsey Levins, but the loss of two of their top 3 offensive tackles. Paul Gruber leaving for Orlando is a big blow, and one for which the Maulers simply have had no answer. Just how well the offense rebounds from all its losses this offseason will be tough to gauge for several weeks into the season. The defense may be in better shape, having resigned DT Moe Gardner, LB Demetrius DuBose and SS Sam Shade, and with some good additions at DT. Pittsburgh may need to rely on that. No doubt this is a rebuilding year, and with that comes some pain, so we are picking the Maulers to trail the rest of the division this season. PREDICTION: 5-11, 6th in Atlantic OHIO GLORY (7-9, 5th in Atlantic) DEPARTURES: DE Kevin Brooks (RET), LB John Offerdahl (RET), QB Jeff Hostetler (NFL) NEW ARRIVALS: HB Keith Woodside (FA), LB Jeff Herrod (FA), C T. Dixon (FA), QB Kerry Collins (NFL), TE Stephen Alexander (Rook), DT Jonathan Brown (Rook), DE Cedric Harden (Rook) IMPACT MOVE: Ohio’s big move was one of the last of the free agent period, signing former Carolina Panthers QB Kerry Collins on the last day of the NFL-USFL transfer window. Collins inherits a team with quite a few offensive weapons, including WR Joey Galloway, HB Eddie George, and new rookie TE Stephen Alexander. OUTLOOK: Ohio spent the draft trying to add strength and aggression to the defense, signing both a top flight DE and DT. They also brought in a shrewd veteran at LB to fill John Offerdahls’ spot, snagging Jeff Herrod from the Breakers. Coach Saban was on the hotseat last season, but a late rally helped him hang on. If Ohio cannot get over .500 and get into the playoffs in this, their 4th season, Saban may again be feeling the heat. We are just not confident the Glory are there yet. PREDICTION: 7-9, 4th in Atlantic. NEW JERSEY GENERALS (6-10, 6th in Atlantic) DEPARTURES: TE Jeff Spek (RET), HB Bam Morris (NFL), DE Bob Otto (NFL), OT H. Webster (NFL), WR Malcom Floyd (FA), QB Rob Johnson (FA) NEW ARRIVALS: OT Jerome Brown (FA), OT Leon Searcy (FA), TE Jamie Asher (NFL), C Jeremy Newberry (Rook), LB Jeremiah Trotter (Rook), HB Curtis Enis (Rook), C Olin Kreutz (Rook) IMPACT MOVE: As much as moving up for a 2nd pick in the first round of the draft to land Penn State HB Curtis Enis was a huge move, the bigger move might actually be what the Generals did with their offensive line. They lost Harold Webster to the NFL, but signed Leon Searcy, a clear upgrade, as well as Jerome Brown in free agency, while using 2 draft picks on the center position. The Generals want to run the ball, that is Chuck Knox’s forte, and with a younger, stronger, more athletic offensive line, they are giving Curtis Enis what he needs for immediate success. OUTLOOK: We like the Generals as a rising club. Sure, some see Spence Fischer as a bit of a fluke, but he has enough talent around him, especially if that rebuilt O-line is as good as they seem on paper, to do some damage. Terry Glenn and Wayne Chrebet can get the job done outside, add Mark Chmura inside, and a solid run game and the Generals might just make a run in the division. PREDICTION: 9-7, 3rd in Atlantic MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS (5-11, 5th in Southern) DEPARTURES: LB Eddie Simmons (RET), QB Mike Kelley (RET), FS Bubba McDowell (NFL), OG Dave Cadigan (NFL), LT Bruce Wilkerson (NFL), WR Jeff Query (FA) NEW ARRIVALS: SS A. Walton (FA), QB Rob Johnson (FA), OG Todd Rucci (FA), WR Lawyer Tillman (FA), HB Garrison Hearst (NFL), SS Tebucky Jones (Rook), LB Shawn Barber (Rook), OT Anthony Clement (Rook) IMPACT MOVE: Resigning Reggie White was by far the top priority for the Showboats, and that happened relatively smoothly. Adding a quality HB by signing the NFL’s Garrison Hearst was also a good move. OUTLOOK: Memphis managed to deal with the losses this offseason and bring in some talent to fill those gaps, but are they a better team than the 5-11 version from 1997? Not really. If anything they seem to have avoided getting worse. Of course a lot depends on the systems which Jim Mora brings to the Boats, and whether or not those will make better use of the talent on this team. Reggie White is not getting any younger, so the defense has to help him out. The offense may be a challenge as young Joe Horn, newly arrived Lawyer Tillman, and veteran Carl Pickens will have to step up to help out Heath Shuler. We see another potentially rough year ahead in Memphis. PREDICTION: 5-11, 6th in Southern. ATLANTA FIRE (4-12, 6th in Southern) DEPARTURES: QB Cliff Stoudt (RET), G J. Richards (NFL), FS Bennie Thompson (FA), DE Mark Mraz (FA) NEW ARRIVALS: FS Tim Hauck (FA), QB Jeff George (NFL), DE Greg Ellis (Rook), OG Glenn Roundtree (Rook), QB Moses Moreno (Rook), LB London Fletcher (Rook) IMPACT MOVE: The late signing of Jeff George totally changes the situation in Atlanta. Instead of trying to build a short-passing game for Eric Zeier, Coach Lewis can lean on the deep ball combined with a run game led by 2nd year HB Tiki Barber. Lake Dawson, Terance Mathis, and Ernie Jones may be all in favor of that shift. OUTLOOK: Atlanta started last year with a lot of promise, but it faded fast as the losses piled up. The Fire are hoping that having former Colt and Falcon George at the helm brings some excitement and some star quality. The Fire swung for the fences with the trade to get Peyton Manning, but with him headed to the NFL, George and a (once again) retooled defense are going to be the keys to success in Atlanta. We like the signing of DE Greg Ellis to help that defense, and 7th rounder London Fletcher has been very impressive in camp despite not having the tangible numbers that would have moved him earlier in the draft. There is some optimism in Atlanta, but in the South, there is not a lot of room for a plucky team of underdogs to get too far up the standings. PREDICTION: 6-10, 5th in South. PREDICTED FINAL STANDINGS & PLAYOFFS So, looking at the team profiles, here is what we see in the East this year. ATLANTIC SOUTHERN Washington-z 12-4 Birmingham-y 12-4 Philadelphia-x 11-5 Orlando-x 11-5 New Jersey 9-7 Jacksonville-x 9-7 Baltimore 7-9 Tampa Bay-x 9-7 Ohio 7-9 Atlanta 6-10 Pittsburgh 5-11 Memphis 5-11 We picked Tampa over New Jersey for the final Wild Card (Remember we have 6 playoff teams per division this season), but it really is a tossup. In the playoffs we see Orlando beating Tampa Bay and Philadelphia edging Jacksonville. But in the end, we think it will still be Washington’s defense against Birmingham’s offense, and we saw that this past year. No need to pick against the current league champions. We are picking Washington to repeat as the Eastern Conference representatives in the Summer Bowl.

February 7, 1998 Well, we thought it would be an odd offseason, and so far we have not been disappointed. So much to talk about with Free Agency, some pre-draft trades that made huge news, then some wheeling and dealing during the draft, and now we just wait and watch to see if teams can actually sign the players they picked. Add to this some drama in Tampa as they quickly pivot to Plan B on their coaching search, and with the NFL-USFL window back open, we still have some potential late deals to look forward to. Let’s get started with the most basic of items, Free Agency. FREE AGENCY While the early drama of the NFL poaching of USFL players gave us plenty to talk about in August and early September, the past few months have not been without their stories as well. Yes, many of the major free agents have resigned with their respective USFL clubs, but there have still been plenty of big names changing zip codes. Here is our quick list of the biggest USFL to USFL transitions since September. WR Raynard Brown leaving Pittsburgh for the New Orleans Breakers. At times overshadowed in Pittsburgh by Louis Lipps, Brown is a top flight receiver who should benefit from having an accurate passer like Jamie Martin throwing him the ball. CB Deon Figures leaving Memphis for Orlando. Intra-divisonal movement is always dramatic, and when a really good defender leaves for a division rival you know that at least twice a year there will be something to prove. We cannot wait to watch Figures covering Joe Horn when the ‘Gades take on the ‘Boats this Spring. LB Jeff Herrod leaves the friendly confines of the Super Dome to possibly finish his career under Nick Saban in Columbus. Ohio gets a solid run defender and occasional pass rusher while the Breakers now have to look for some leadership from their younger backers. WR Bert Emmanuel leaves Orlando to head to St. Louis. The Knights missed Rocket Ismail last year, and so they go for one of the better names in the pool and sign Emmanuel. The former Renegade has had 3 consecutive 1,000 yard seasons and doubled his usual TD production last year with 9 scores, but does St. Louis have a QB who can truly take advantage of his speed? Baltimore and Memphis tried to boost their receiving corps as well, but both missed out on Emmanuel and had to look for other options. The Blitz settled on former Wrangler and General Malcom Floyd. Floyd looked good for New Jersey in his one year in the Meadowlands, catching 88 passes for 734 yards, but now heads down the road to B’more and their uncertain QB situation. For Memphis the signing of Lawyer Tillman was their biggest offensive addition. The 9-year veteran started with Jacksonville before moving on and playing 4 seasons with the Texas Outlaws. Last season was his best to date, with 49 receptions and 435 yards in San Antonio. Seattle boosted their pass rush by signing DE John Copeland away from the Birmingham Stallions. In 5 seasons in Legion Field Copeland racked up 37 sacks, with 11 last year marking a career high. Copeland will likely be the focal player on the Dragons’ D-line, and with Gilbert Brown occupying the center of the line, Copeland may get 1-on-1 blocking to help free him for the pass rush. New Jersey wanted to rebuild their O-line this offseason and they took a huge step in that direction by signing Leon Searcy away from Orlando. The 6th year player will immediately plug in at left tackle and should help the Generals boost their run game. But will they get the back they need to make it work? After the NFL signing of Hostetler and Chuck Long, and with Favre resigning in Birmingham, the QB pool started to get shallow quickly, but Memphis may have gone out on a limb by signing former General Rob Johnson. The good news for Memphis is that his signing does not create a QB controversy. Heath Shuler remains the clear starter, and maybe Coach Mora feels Johnson can be a reclamation project. Other notable signings this offseason include: DE Bill Goldberg to Birmingham, WR Thomas Pittman to Michigan, LB Michael Brooks to Chicago, G O’Neill Glenn to LA, CB Kevin Minnifield to Arizona, and DT Shane Burton to Pittsburgh. TRADES This is where the drama really lay the past month. Leading up to the draft, and even during the draft, we saw some movement as teams became desperate to either snag early picks or fill big holes in their rosters. We rank our top trades of the offseason, starting with QB movement. 10. Baltimore Makes a deal with Michigan to restock their QB room. The Blitz send DT Grady Jackson to the Panthers to acquire longtime backup Sean Salisbury. Salisbury won’t start in Baltimore, but with only 1 QB on the roster, he will immediately take over the #2 spot. Stick around to see who we think is the new Blitz starter. 9. Texas sends their PK to their arch rival. That is just a weird sentence, and a weird trade. Houston gave the Outlaws a 5th rounder to shore up their kicking game, and in return they get Chris Boniol, who was really strong in 1996, but had some issues last year. Expect Texas to scour the NFL free agent ranks to replace Boniol this month. 8. Michigan continues to wheel and deal, sending DE Michael McCreary to another division rival, as New Orleans gets the pass rusher and sends Michigan CB Chris Canty. This trade seems to help both clubs with areas of their D that were lacking last year. 7. Another defensive deal as Chicago traded SS Myron Guytan (a position of surplus for Chicago) to the Denver Gold to land another quality corner, former Gold cover man Latin Berry. 6. Our first draft day trade on this list as Houston traded up for a 2nd pick in the 3rd round, sending Tampa Bay 2 picks, one in the 4th and one in the 5th. Houston selected a solid HB with that pick, snagging John Avery of Ole Miss, while Tampa used their two extra picks to select SDSU tackle Ephraim Salaam and Florida CB Elijah Williams. All 3 are expected to sign with the spring league. 5. Another draft day pick as the St. Louis Knights and New Orleans Breakers swapped picks in the 2nd (with a late round 1999 pick going to STL as well). Clearly the Knights thought they could get value by trading out of the 8 spot. New Orleans jumped up from 14th in the round to snag DT Leon Bender from Washington State. Most pundits actually think St. Louis actually landed a better prospect in North Carolina DE Vonnie Holliday at #14 in the 2nd round. Time will tell which D-lineman proves a smarter pick. 4. Baltimore finds their starter on Arizona’s bench. That seems odd but with hometown hero Jake Plummer now in Tempe, there was little chance that former Hoosier Trent Green would get a fair shot at the starting job. Now, in Baltimore, Green looks like the frontrunner to get the starting job for Coach Infante. Green gets his shot in an offense that should play well to his talents, while Arizona gets a pretty solid LB in Barney Bussey. The two clubs also added a bit of arm candy to the deal, with the Wranglers picking up Baltimore’s 1999 4th rounder and Baltimore getting reserve LB Darryl Price. 3. New Jersey makes a move to replace Bam Morris. After losing Morris to the NFL, the Generals and Coach Knox needed to make a big move, but surprised many by picking center Jeremy Newberry with the 7th pick in the draft. They moved their way back into the first round, however, by trading their 2nd and 3rd round picks to Birmingham. Now with the 22nd pick and a big name back sitting their for the taking, the Generals got their man, Penn State’s Curtis Enis. Enis may be tough to sign, though he seemed honestly excited to get a chance to play for the legendary Knox, so maybe not. If the Generals can sign him, they may just have the kind of one-cut back that Knox prefers. 2. Seattle loves their local QBs, but after already signing (then trading away) WSU Cougar Timm Rosenbach, and drafting UW’s Brock Howard and Central Washington’s Jon Kitna, seemed the odds on favorite to select Cougar QB Ryan Leaf with the #2 pick in the draft, but when they missed out on that chance (still to come), they decided to play the field. With Peyton Manning still on the board, Seattle had plenty of potential trade partners, but they did not want to drop too far, so several offers just did not do it for them. Seeing the possibility of rising only 1 place and getting a shot at Peyton, the Atlanta Fire would not let this chance go. They made the deal with Seattle, moving from 3 to 2, and immediately drafted Manning. Seattle, which only dropped 1 spot, still had their choice of the best non-QB player in the draft, and also gained 4th rounder. Seattle, still trying to establish a solid D, and now with newly-inked Head Coach Joe Tiller still getting settled in, opted to go defense, selecting Auburn LB Takeo Spikes to add some speed and power to that LB corps. Not finished yet, Seattle did pick a QB with that newly acquired 4th rounder, selecting Michigan Wolverine signal caller, and famous son of an NFL legend, Brian Griese. 1. So why did Seattle miss out on Leaf? Because the day before the draft the #1 spot owned by the Arizona Wranglers, who were not looking for a QB, was traded in a spectacular 3-way deal that also sent veteran QB Bobby Hebert to his third USFL club. It was a complex three team deal between Arizona, Philadelphia, and Oakland that landed the Invaders the #1 spot in the draft, a pick they immediately used to woo Ryan Leaf, who was signed, sealed, and delivered to Oakland within hours, signing a 5-year deal rumored to rival that of former LA Express QB Steve Young. Arizona moved down to #6 in the first round, but also picked up Philadelphia’s #18 pick, giving them two first rounders. Philly also gave Oakland a 1999 2nd rounder as part of the deal. So Philadelphia, after losing Chuck Long to the NFL now goes into 1998 with Bobby Hebert under center. Arizona gets two quality picks and uses them to select Nebraska DT Jason Peters and Penn State guard Phil Ostrowski, trying to build a team around Jake Plummer, and Oakland gets their superstar of the future in QB Ryan Leaf. USFL COLLEGIATE DRAFT The draft had several more trades, mostly in the mid-rounds, and while we know full well that not every player selected will join the spring league, it is also clear that the USFL is looking to the draft as their way to recover after the NFL’s one-directional player movement earlier this offseason. If the USFL can get the top players to sign now, before the NFL draft, they can recover some of the swagger that they lost this past fall. Looking over the draft, we pick these 15 players as the key names the USFL wants to sign. We are leaving off this list Ryan Leaf, who was signed even before Oakland’s pick was made official on draft day. If these 15 join Leaf on a USFL roster this year, the league will certainly be in great shape. WR Hines Ward (Georgia): Selected by Arizona in the 4th round. HB Ahman Green (Nebraska): Selected by St. Louis in the 3rd round WR Joe Jurevicious (Penn State): Selected by Pittsburgh in the 3rd round LB Kailee Wong (Stanford): Selected by Oakland in the 2nd round. LB Sam Cowart (FSU): Selected by Arizona in the 2nd round. S Corey Chavous (Vandy): Selected by Seattle in the 2nd round. OT Flozell Adams (Mich State): Selected by Chicago in the 2nd round. LB Greg Ellis (UNC): Selected by Atlanta in the 2nd round. QB Charlie Batch (EMU): Selected by Pittsburgh in the 1st round. HB Curtis Enis (Penn State): Selected by New Jersey in the 1st round WR Randy Moss (Marshall): Selected by Tampa Bay in the 1st round. TE Stephen Alexander (OU): Selected by Ohio in the 1st round. HB Fred Taylor (Florida): Selected by Houston in the 1st round. CB & Heisman Winner Charles Woodson (Michigan): Washington in the 1st. QB Peyton Manning (Tennessee): Selected by Atlanta in the 1st round ROSTER GAPS YET TO FILL Even after all the drama of free agency, pre-draft trades, and the draft itself, there are still some pretty sizeable gaps to fill on several USFL rosters. The NFL-USFL transfer window is open once again and, unlike in August, the USFL is able and ready to start nabbing NFL talent. Looking at the top holes in USFL rosters, we take a look at some NFL players who might just be good options for the USFL. Here is our top 5 spots left to be decided. 5. Pittsburgh-Kicker: We fully expect the Maulers to find a replacement for retired Rafael Septien whether from a rookie free agent signing or an NFL castoff. We are honestly surprised they have not already signed 2-3 to have a competition. The most likely candidates if the Maulers were to look to the NFL are Seahawk Todd Peterson, Redskin Scott Blanton, and Raider Cole Ford. 4. Michigan/Jacksonville—Backup QB: Both the Panthers and Bulls are in the market for someone to hold a clipboard behind Flutie or Chandler. There are a lot of NFL QB’s in the free agent pool, but most are going to want a legitimate shot at starting, which neither the Panthers or Bulls are ready to offer. One of the two clubs might take a shot at former early NFL draftee Elvis Grbac, who could use a redemption job, but more likely are reservists like Arizona’s Stoney Case or Chicago’s Steve Stenstrom. 3 Memphis-Halfback: Moe Williams has not worked out the way the Showboats have wanted, and coach Mora certainly wants to build a run game like the one he had with Kelvin Bryant in Philadelphia. After passing on the position in the draft, all eyes now have the Boats looking at either former Packer William Henderson, disgruntled NY Jet Adrian Murrell, or former Bengal and Cardinal Garrison Hearst. 2 Pittsburgh—Wide Receiver: The Maulers lost Louis Lipps to retirement and Raynard Brown to free agency, so this is a huge position of need. We don’t think either 3rd rounder Joe Jurevicious or 7th round pick Thabiti Jones provide an immediate answer, even if the Maulers can sign both, and while the signing of free agent Freddie Solomon might fill the #2 spot, the Maulers need to give Robbie Bosco something more for the #1 spot. The most likely candidates from the NFL are former Falcon Andre Rison, Cardinal Frank Sanders, and former Dolphin and Charger Tony Martin. 1 Ohio—Starting QB: As much as the Glory are talking up Koy Detmer, we cannot believe they are seriously planning on going into the season with the BYU grad as their top QB, with only former Duke QB Dave Brown behind him. They very likely have their hearts set on snagging a solid NFL starter from the several who are free agents at the moment. That includes some pretty decent names, including Randall Cunningham, Neil O’Donnell, Kerry Collin, and Jeff George. Don’t be surprised if one of those NFL starters finds themselves wearing a Glory jersey within the next couple of weeks. TAMPA BAY COACHING SEARCH It took longer than expected, and the man the Bandits eventually tabbed was not who fans were crying for, but the Tampa Bay Bandits have their man. With speculation all off-season centered around former Dallas Cowboys and current Miami Hurricanes head man Jimmy Johnson as the man for the Bandits, the announcement this week that the new leader of the Bandit squad would be former 49er coach George Seifert came as something of a buzzkill for many of the Bandit faithful. Johnson simply could not be convinced to give up his run at Miami, not surprising considering the success he has had there. Seifert is no slouch, having continued the 49er dominance of the 80’s with a Super Bowl victory of his own. Coming out of the West Coast system, Seifert will be tasked with developing an offense that takes full advantage of the stable of talent on the Bandits roster, including QB Troy Aikman, HB Errict Rhett, deep threat Shannon Baker, and newly signed rookie speedster Randy Moss. Will Seifert stick with the short passing game of the West Coast Offense with the speed on this squad or will he incorporate more of a vertical game to take advantage of these deep threat receivers? That is a huge question that all Bandit fans are asking as the league prepares to open camps. WASHINGTON's NEW LOOK And, after a Championship run, the much-delayed reveal of the new look for the Washington Federals has ended, with the Feds revealing not only new uniforms, but a radical new logo & helmet design. The new Federals logo retains the primary image of the green & black eagle from past iterations, but returns to a more linear design than the prior flag-motif logo. The eagle logo on its own is more reminiscent of the first design the Federals began with in 1983, but the helmet, with its wrap around logo, is bringing up a lot of Seattle Seahawk vibes. The helmet returns to white after nearly a decade of wearing silver, loses the central stripes and goes with a logo that emerges from the back of the helmet towards the center, with twin green and black stripes. The two-stripe motif is continued by Nike on the Kelly green and white jerseys as well as the white pants. The team will have both green and white pant sets, allowing them to go full white on hot summer days or full green for a monotone look. While it is a bit unusual for a team to shift up their entire look the season after winning a title, the change has been in the works for 2 years and the usually thrifty Federals were certainly not going to have invested this much into a new design and then hold off on it simply because fans might feel a connection to a title-winning look. So, here we have the new Federals, champions of the Spring.

Two weeks since the Summer Bowl saw Washington earn its second league title and the USFL has taken a somber tone. The league and union agreed on a recertification of their CBA, but with the league unable to resign veterans until just recently, the large pool of players has been easy picking for the NFL, and now, with the transfer window shut until mid-January there are a lot of clubs looking for answers. There remain many players unsigned by either league and now likely returning to spring ball, but perhaps not with their current clubs. The USFL clubs have begun signing and resigning talent, but there remains a lot out there. All this, plus some more retirement announcements have clubs scrambling to fill rosters. Let’s start with the retirements, and then talk about the NFL exodus and the first of the USFL resignings. We will finish up with a look at the QB situation for the 24 USFL clubs. RETIREMENTS The list of USFL vets who have decided to call it a career and move on continued after the playoff season concluded, with several playoff clubs (and a few others) losing key leadership. Perhaps the biggest name to announce this month was Birmingham LB Kevin Greene, who had his best year as a pro this season. Greene played his entire career in B’ham, but now moves on. Others who will leave significant gaps on their team rosters include TE Chris Kelley and HB Ernest Byner in Ohio, Michigan WR Weegie Thompson, ST. Louis HB Alfred Jenkins, Philly punter Rhon Stark, LA guard Dave Widdell, Portland LB Jimmie Kimmel, and Pittsburgh HB Jamie Mueller. With Mike Rozier retiring earlier this summer, Pittsburgh now has only Dorsey Levens on the roster (after resigning the free agent). NFL SIGNINGS Retirements are anticipated each year, and most teams have a plan in place for them, but no one had a plan for what happened this season with the NFL having free access to a huge pool of USFL Vets. With the league unable to resign its stars, the flow of players to the fall has been unprecedented, and while in the past 2 weeks the USFL has been able to lock up several key players, so many have left for the Fall that there are real concerns about how teams will rebuild and whether the quality of play in the league will become more uneven. Just in the past 2.5 weeks, these notable USFL players have jumped leagues: Philadelphia QB Chuck Long leaves a starting job on a playoff club to sign for a considerable raise with the Detroit Lions. Texas WR Quinn Early becomes the second big Outlaw receiver to leave the club in 2 years, after Eric Metcalf went to Seattle last year. Early will join the New Orleans Saints in the fall. NJ halfback Bam Morris. Morris leaving for the Ravens is a huge blow to Coach Knox’s plans for a potent ground game as the core of his offensive philosophy. St. Louis guard Gary Zimmerman. A tough run blocker and solid pass blocker, Zimmerman’s absence may hinder Darrell Thompson as he tries to repeat his 1,000 yard season. Michigan LB Hardy Nickerson heads to Tampa Bay in the NFL, hurting the Panther pass rush as well as their aggressive LB corps in general. Washington DE Dexter Manley. Manley considered retirement, so the Feds were anticipating he would be gone, but instead he signed a 1-year deal with the Washington Redskins. Birmingham DT Kimo Von Oehlhoffen. A bit of an underperformer for Birmingham on the interior of their line, Kimo now heads to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Arizona DE Charles Haley: Headed to San Francisco, Haley was a huge part of several top level defenses in Arizona, though his play in recent seasons has followed the Wrangler’s overall drop in quality. Portland LT Bruce Armstrong. Perhaps the biggest hit of all these signings is the loss of the anchor of Portland’s line. Armstrong was a consistent All-USFL player and helped Portland attain previously unseen heights this year, leading the way for HB Robert Drummond. His absences is a huge hit for the Thunder. USFL SIGNINGS OK, enough doom & gloom. Things are not great in USFL-land, but the past 2 weeks have seen the league turn the corner, with several teams resigning key players and even snagging some talent from other clubs. It is early in free agency, but at least with the NFL window now closed only USFL clubs will be options for player movement. Let’s first look at some key resignings and then look at players changing addresses for spring 1998 We start in Birmingham, where the Stallions have held onto two of its biggest stars, QB Brett Favre and WR Ernest Givens. Along with TE Derrick Walker and G Eric King, Favre and Givens reupped with the Southern Division Champions. Favre had a big offer from Green Bay in the NFL, but when Birmingham matched the $8M annual contract Favre jumped at the chance to stay in the South rather than brave the frozen tundra. His signing helped Birmingham also resign Givens. Chicago also resigned 2 key players, both on defense as LB Darryl Talley and DE Alonzo Spellman rebuffed NFL offers to remain part of Coach Schottenheimer’s defense. Baltimore had one of the longest free agent lists, and still have not resigned QB Chris Miller (will they?) but kept some key players as they inked DT Wililam Perry, CB Donnell Woolford, HB Derrick Fenner, and TE Ferrell Edmunds. Fenner’s signing is vital as the club lost Barry Foster to the NFL lure. As expected, Kurt Gouveia reupped and will finish his career in Denver. The Gold also resigned LB mate Sam Cowart and CB Anthony Tuggle, so their D seems largely intact. After some losses on offense (Thurman Thomas most notabley) Houston did not let their top defender leave. Michael Sinclair signed back with the Gamblers, as did CB Mike Adams and HB Mario Greer. Jacksonville held onto kicker Pete Stoyanovich, and despite a bid from the Cleveland Browns, opted to match the offer for WR Brian Stablien, a 3rd down specialist. Memphis is still sweating the contract negotiations with Reggie White, the face of their franchise, as both the Eagles and Packers are making efforts to sign the USFL’s all time sack leader. In the meantime they did resign FB Larry Centers, guard Jamie Dukes, and LB Sam Rogers. Michigan absolutely needs to resign WR Jeff Campbell after the breakout season he had and with the retirement of Weegie Thompson, but Campbell is getting offers. They did, as expected extend Doug Flutie’s contract for another 3 years and were also able to sign tackle Jeff Wright, FS Mike Prior and TE Butch “TD” Rolle. With Bam Morris signed to the NFL, New Jersey quickly resigned Lamont Warren. They also opted for UCLA QB Tommy Maddox over USC QB Rob Johnson, with both as free agents. Maddox will return to compete with Spence Fischer, while Johnson likely ends up elsewhere. The other big resign for New Jersey was former NFL CB/S Jason Sehorn. New Orleans lost guard Jeff Zimmerman, but signed both of their tackles, including highly coveted Troy Auzene. Brian Brauninger also signed, as did backup QB Gus Frerotte. Orlando signed both of their key free agent linebackers, with Greg Biekert helping the club reach out to Tracy Rocker. They also reupped guard Jeff Onosai and TE Dante Whittaker. Philadelphia is still reeling from losing Chuck Long, but two other offensive weapons have remained with the stars, young WR Troy Brown should see a larger role next year, and always-reliable Eric Green will also be a target in the passing game, but a passing game to be led by whom? Pittsburgh, in addition to holding on to Dorsey Levins, also helped their defense by resigning All-USFL MLB Demetrius DuBose and DT Moe Gardner. Punter Mark Royals also signed and is now the highest paid punter in the league. Portland, hot off their Summer Bowl appearance, had little trouble resigning players for a 2nd run, though the loss of Bruce Armstrong will hurt. In 1 week they inked C Jeff Uhlenake, DE Anthony Pleasant, FS Vencie Glenn, and guard Ruben Brown. Seattle went all in to resign DT Gilbert Brown, despite NFL interest. Brown now becomes the highest paid DT in the league, and will be joined by LB J.D. Fuller. On offense, Jon Kitna repaid the Dragons for his starting nod by reupping with the team instead of signing with the Dallas Cowboys, who made a solid offer but could not guarantee a starting spot. OT Terry Strouf reupped and will protect Kitna’s blind side. Tampa Bay had a large pool of free agents, and with the firing of Jerry Glanville there were concerns that many would bolt, but it seems that the locker room sided with Troy Aikman in that feud and were willing to stick with the club. Tampa has resigned HB James Stewart, LB Keith McCants, DT Roland Putzier, DE Fred Stokes, and 3 other rotational players. A good crop of retained players for the Bandits. Finally, while Washington was surprised to see Dexter Manley sign for 1 year with the NFL instead of retire, they did ensure defensive stability by resigning LB Michael Barrow. They also inked WR Andre Coleman. SWITCHING JERSEYS While these resignings have helped to calm the nerves of many USFL fans, the key to minimizing the impact of NFL poaching may lie in the ability of clubs to add to their rosters by signing away key contributors from other clubs in the spring league. So far that process has been slower than the resignings, but we are seeing the first pieces begin to move around the league’s chessboard. We have 6 key signings to announce this week, and expect more to be sure over the next month: Seattle hopes to improve its passing game by adding another TE weapon and have signed long-time Gambler Ken Dilger to do just that. Pittsburgh added a receiver as well, signing Tampa Bay’s Freddie Solomon. Ohio wants to boost that defense, so signing LB Jeff Herrod away from the Breakers was a shrewd move. New Jersey still hopes to build a power run game, despite the loss of Bam Morris, and signing RT Leon Searcy away from Orlando is a move in that direction. Oakland needs to bring in defensive talent to compete in the Pacific. They improved their D and hurt a division rival by signing Portland DE Eric Curry this week. Arizona Coach Art Shell was not happy about the decline of his defense this season, and with Charles Haley gone, he needed a DE to pressure the league’s QBs. He may have found one by signing Robert Porcher away from the Baltimore Blitz. One last transaction to highlight before we move on, our first trade of the season, and it involves the QB position. Seattle has again given Jon Kitna a vote of confidence, trading his top competitor, Timm Rosenbach to the Atlanta Fire for some picks. Rosenbach now moves to his 4th USFL team and will likely serve as competition and mentor to Eric Zeier, who is projected to finally be the starter with Cliff Stoudt retiring. Of course, Rosenbach, who always seems to find himself in the middle of QB competitions, is unlikely to accept a backup role again. He may well push Zeier for starts as he has with other QB’s at every stop of his career. COACH HIRES In addition to player moves, there has been action on the coaching front, with 2 more head coaches put in place in the league. Both Denver and Seattle announced their new coaches this week, leaving only Tampa Bay still searching for their guy. Denver went defense with their pick, selecting former Jacksonville Jaguars DC Dick Jauron just before the NFL-USFL window closed. Jauron becomes one of very few employed NFL coaches to jump ship, though the chance to be the Head Coach for a pretty solid Denver club certainly had to help make the case to the defensive-minded coach. In Seattle the pick was a bit less orthodox. The Dragons did not pick an NFL candidate or even a USFL coordinator, instead going to the college ranks to find an innovative offensive mind in Wyoming head coach Joe Tiller. Tiller, who has turned the mid-sized Cowboy program into a pretty solid offensive squad in the Mountain West, is certainly not the usual USFL hire, but the Dragons need to spark their offense, and Tiller’s style, somewhat reminiscent of the Jack Pardee/Mouse Davis offense in Texas, brings some new ideas to the table. How he will transition from a mid-major in the NCAA to a pro squad is the big question. Tampa is, as we said, still in the hunt for a big name coach. After stints with Steve Spurrier and Jerry Glanville, it seems Bandit leadership is feeling the need to keep using their HC position to promote the club, which means the coach will need to be a name that draws attention. Who do we think that will be? Well, don’t be shocked if they turn to former Cowboy Head Coach Jimmy Johnson, now at the U. of Miami. If they cannot lure Johnson away, perhaps a member of the Bill Walsh coaching tree will help make QB Troy Aikman feel more at home. QB SITUATION Our final offseason item for this week is a quick look at the QB situation for each of the league’s 24 clubs. There is a wide range of security in this most important position, and in this year of so much change, those clubs who have their QB locked up are hoping they gain an advantage in 1998 as so many clubs are likely to be adding new talent and trying to build a coherent offense around them. Se see a solid 50% of the league having gaps, questions, or outright panic about the QB position right now. Here is how we see things right now, ahead of the draft and with a lot of free agency in front of us. LOCKED IN AND FEELING PRETTY BIR—Favre, backed up by Kanell and Barker looks really solid right now. DEN—Brunell, with Tolliver and Jake Walsh is set. HOU—Hartlieb did better than expected, so Houston is likely to bow out of the Manning/Leaf hunt. JAX—Chris Chandler continues to be a solid starter, with young Danny Wuerffel the understudy. MEM—Shuler is growing each year. Kelley is gone, but Gino Torretta is a solid #2. MGN—Flutie is having a 2nd career for the Panthers, and Jeff Lewis showed he could win games when called upon. NOR—Resigning Frerotte to back up Jamie Martin puts New Orleans in a good position. OAK—Bobby Hebert can still sling it, and having Conklin & Pawlowski is solid too. ORL—Backing up Scott Mitchell with Craig Erickson continues to work for the Renegades. TBY—Aikman is the man for the Bandits, and Kerwin Bell is better as a part-timer called on only for short stints under center. WSH—Kordell Stewart got it done this year, and Eric Kramer can still be an effective backup. A BIT SHAKIER With these clubs, some pieces are in place, but the confidence may not be their either with a mid-range starter or a shaky backup situation. ARZ-Jake Plummer did well in his 1st year, but will he progress in his 2nd? The Wranglers have the #1 pick, but we expect them to trade down to take advantage of the QB mania for Manning or Leaf, garnering multiple picks in multiple years for that coveted slot. ATL-Eric Zeier was unable to unseat Cliff Stoudt. Is he ready to take over now or will Rosenbach get yet another chance to be a starter? CHI-We are still not sold on Alex Van Pelt as a starter, but with McGwire gone to the NFL, Chicago also has a big gap behind him. NJ-We expect the Generals to go with Fischer as their starter and still have faith that Maddox can be a starter if needed. We don’t see either as a franchise QB. PIT-Robbie Bosco is decent when healthy, but his age is showing and Mike Cherry does not seem solid enough to be an effective #2. POR-How long will Jack Trudeau stand up and if he goes down is Bill Musgrave really the answer. Portland seems a team poised to take a mid-round QB in the draft. STL-Is anyone really picturing Todd Collins as an All-USFL franchise QB? We didn’t think so. Frank Reich remains the #2 but rarely gets any touches. SEA-The Dragons have committed to Jon Kitna, so I guess they see something we don’t, but by trading away Timm Rosenbach they put themselves in a position to seek a quality backup, one who could start if Kitna falters. Free agency is their likely route, and who is there? Chris Miller will want to start so look perhaps for someone like Browning Nagle, Craig Whelihan, or Eric Wilhelm. Not an impressive 1-2 punch if you ask us. Or do the Dragons go big and make a play for local hero Ryan Leaf with their #2 pick in the draft? TEX-After season-ending injury to Stouffer, we saw how fragile Texas is. Stouffer should be back, but Sacca and Wilhelm may not be enough if he goes down again. IN NEED OF A MAJOR OVERHAUL These clubs simply don’t have an answer at QB. Expect them to be major players in free agency, in the draft, or when the NFL/USFL window reopens just before USFL camps in January. What they have now is not going to do it. BAL-The Blitz do not seem keen on resigning long-time starter Chris Miller, and right now all they have signed is 3rd QB Wally Richardson. Expect Baltimore to make some moves to address this soon. LA-They still have both Brett Pease and Jeff Garcia under contract, but if they have a shot at either Manning or Leaf, they have to go for the upgrade, right? OHIO—With the NFL signing of Jeff Hostetler it feels like Ohio is back to square one. Hoss was the offense for the Glory, who cannot seem to get what they need from Eddie George. Without a big trade we don’t see Ohio getting up to #1-2 in the draft to sign one of the big 2 rookie QBs, so what is their solution? Maybe Chris Miller? Scott Zolak? Or wait for an NFL free agent to be available? PHI-Losing Chuck Long to the Detroit Lions was a huge shocker for the Stars. He has been a rock for them for so long. So now they have to recalibrate. They have no shot at putting together a trade package for Manning or Leaf, but don’t be surprised, with their depth, if they don’t trade away some talent to acquire a solid starter from another USFL squad. We could easily see someone like Trent Green, Jeff Lewis or Eric Kramer coming to Philly for a chance to start if the Stars can pry them loose from their current clubs.

San Antonio, Texas-- They say that everything is bigger in Texas, and that certainly was the case for the celebration of Summer Bowl 1997. The city of San Antonio rolled out the red carpet for the USFL’s Eastern Conference Champion Washington Federals and the Western Conference Champion Portland Thunder. A river parade down the famed River Walk, photo shoots at the Alamo, music, pageantry, a pre-game party with more mariachi’s than the Cinco de Mayo, even the world’s largest quesadilla, all on hand to celebrate the pinnacle of spring football, the Summer Bowl. The two teams took very different paths to get here. Portland blew through the season with a 13-2-1 record, winning their last 7 to capture the #1 seed in the West and guarantee home playoff games throughout. Washington battled with Philadelphia for 16 weeks, rising and falling in the standings as the two defensive-minded clubs slugged it out, but prevailing thanks to a 17-13 win on the season’s 13th week. Both clubs entered the playoffs confident and prepared. Washington would use a crushing pass rush to overpower the Birmingham Stallions by sacking Brett Favre a league-record 11 times. Portland suffered a huge loss when the league rushing champion, Robert Drummond, suffered a season-ending knee injury in their first playoff game against Chicago, but rallied to upend the Michigan Panthers by switching their offense to a pass-first multiple wideout aerial assault. And, yes, the two have played each other already this year. Look at their records and you will see a tie for both, these very same clubs battled to an unsatisfactory 33-33 tie in Week 9, little knowing they would see each other again on the biggest stage available. So, it would be the old-school pressure of the Federals’ defense against the new-look offense of the Thunder in front of a full house of 72,000 in San Antonio, Texas as Portland and Washington battle to decide the 15th Championship of the USFL. Following a rousing rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner from Texas’s own Lyle Lovett, the game began with the Federals, wearing road white with silver pants, kicking off to Portland, in their trademark neon lime jerseys and white helmets. Portland could not move the ball and punted after 3 plays and ending with the first sack of the game, with Jerome Brown downing Trudeau on 3rd and 10. The Federals had better luck, with Kordell Stewart finding Bill Schroeder for 15 on the first play, then Mike Williams for 26, and 4 plays later it was Terrell Fletcher scooting around the left side and into the endzone to put the Federals up 7-0 after only 7 minutes of play. Portland replied with a long drive that used up 6 minutes, but which contained 2 more Washington sacks, one from Michael Barrow and another from Willis Crocket. This was a theme to continue throughout the game as Jack Trudeau would continuously find himself flushed from the pocket or facing a throw-and-get-hit scenario as he tried to move the ball. The Crockett sack ended the drive for Portland, who relied on the strong leg of Al Del Greco to put the ball through from 52 yards out. 7-3 Washington after 1 quarter. On their next drive, Washington again showed some offensive firepower s they started with back-to-back 6-yard and 21-yard rushes from Barry Word. With the Portland defense now keying on Word, Stewart was able to find Mike Williams and Bill Schroeder again, avoiding Portland’s double coverage of Herman Moore. On the goal line now, Portland had to commit against Barry Word and the run, so Herman Moore found single coverage and on a quick move and throw, Stewart connected with his top receiver to give Washington a 14-3 lead over the Thunder. But the Thunder, despite this being the deepest the club had ever advanced in the playoffs, were a veteran team, and they responded once again. Trudeau used draws to Darius Turner to try to slow the Washington pass rush. A pass interference call against the Feds helped get Portland again into field goal range, but again, this time on 3rd and 7, the pass rush found Trudeau, and for a second time the Thunder would settle for an Al Del Greco field goal. 14-6 Federals. Washington received the kick at the 11 after a penalty on the kickoff, but the proximity to his own goal did not seem to deter Kordell Stewart. On the first play of the drive, he rolled right and found Mike Williams again, for 11 this time. After a swing pass to Fletcher and short completion from Moore, Anthony Pleasant, Portland’s best pass rusher, got to Stewart, but in the diving attempt for a sack he injured himself, leaving Portland without one of their key defensive contributors for the rest of the game. The Federals recovered from the sack, and 5 plays later, at the 2:15 mark in the second, it was Herman Moore again, this time breaking double coverage and catching the ball over the top from 23 yards out to give Washington a commanding 21-6 lead. Pressure would get to Trudeau on the next drive, causing a poor throw and a pick by Mike Dumas. The Federals moved the ball to the Portland 6 but when Terrell Fletcher was clipped by LB Jimmie Kimmel the ball popped out and Kimmel recovered to save Portland from being down even more at the half. The game went to the break at 21-6. The halftime show, featuring ZZ Top, was well-received by the Alamodome crowd, though the finale’s indoor fireworks left a bit of a cloud hanging over the field into the third quarter. Maybe it was the smoke, or maybe just plain overconfidence, that hurt the Federals on the opening drive of the second half. Washington moved the ball well, mostly on the ground with Word and Fletcher, but on a 3rd and inches, they called the relatively safe QB sneak. Straining to get over his own center, Stewart held the ball out and Portland LB Mike Vrabel popped it right out of his hands. At the bottom of the pile the Thunder had the ball and quickly took advantage to get back in the game. Trudeau, despite getting hit twice on the drive, connected with Webster Slaughter, then Jason Dunn, and then found TE Lonnie Johnson over the middle from the 9 yard line to get Portland back in the game. 21-13 after the PAT. Portland’s D was now inspired, and they held Washington to a 3-and-out on the Federals’ next drive. But despite gaining 2 first downs, Portland’s drive stalled on the Washington 45 and the Thunder punted. Washington came out firing, on 1st and 10 Stewart set up a perfect screen against an overly aggressive run set by Portland. Sam Gash rumbled 50 yards before the Thunder finally knocked him out of bounds on the 38. 3 plays later the Thunder got a stop as Jerod Cherry broke up the Washington pass, but Doug Pelfrey came in and brought Washington back up to a 2-score lead at 24-13. After two short drives ended in punts, and as the game bled into the 4th quarter, Portland again got the ball, this time on their own 33. Trudeau kept slinging the ball, despite getting knocked down on nearly every play. He found Turner for 6, Hatchette for 10, Dunn for 9, and then Dunn again for the score, pulling the Thunder within 5. They went for 2 and Trudeau rolled left to spot Dunn again for the conversion. Washington’s lead had been cut to 3 with just over 7 minutes to play. Had momentum shifted to the Thunder? Washington would respond, using a 5 minute drive to burn some time and put Doug Pelfrey again in position to expand the lead. The kicker came through from 42 yards out and the Federals now had a 6-point lead with 2:12 on the clock. It would come down to a 2-minute drill for the Thunder, needing 6 to tie or 7 for the comeback win. Pelfrey kicked the ball out of the endzone so Portland would have 75 yards to go in 2:12. On the first play of the drive the veteran QB Trudeau found Webster Slaughter along the sideline for 11. But on the next play Jerome Brown got to Trudeau first, leading to a 2nd and 17 and burning precious time off the clock. Trudeau rebounded, and shockingly was able to find Matthew Hatchette deep, gaining 21 on a pass between the backers and the safeties in Washington’s zone. After a short completion to the sideline to stop the clock, Trudeau faced a 2nd and 8. Again the pressure got to the Portland QB, pulling Trudeau down for a 6-yard loss and creating a 3rd and 15. After using a time out, Portland came back with a 4-wide set, and Trudeau just escaped Dexter Manley and completed a pass to Booker. The reserve receiver stepped out just shy of the first down, leaving Portland with a 4th and 2. Again Trudeau stood in the pocket despite the pressure and again he found a receiver, this time Lonnie Johnson, who gained 15 before going down. After a neutral zone infraction against the aggressive Federals D-line, Portland had the ball 1st and 5 at the Washington 21. But with only 27 ticks on the clock, there was not time for mistakes. 1st down, pass to Turner misses the mark and falls incomplete. 2nd and 10, the pass to Slaughter was broken up by CB Derrick Beasley. 3rd down and Portland needed some yards, so Trudeau dumped the ball short, a gain of only 4 to Slaughter. 4th and 1 but only 7 seconds left and no timeouts left for the Thunder. Trudeau called a play, three wide receivers on the right, only Slaughter to the left. June Henley, the better of the two backups as a receiver, lined up next to Trudeau in the shotgun. The ball snapped, Trudeau a slight bootleg to the right, hoping to slow down Dexter Manley, Jerome Brown double teamed, and Washington rushing only 4. Slaughter covered, Dykes covered, Trudeau saw Henley swinging out to the left and hit him with a short pass. Henley rushed past the line, and desperately tried to get to the sideline, but Beasley, coming back off his coverage of Slaughter, connected with Henley at the 17, forcing the runner’s knee down in bounds. The Portland players scrambled to get back in formation to spike the ball, but the clock ticked down, 3…2…1…game over. Washington had survived thanks to their defense, as many predicted it would. The Federals would take home their second Bassett Trophy. Coach Hackett would take over the mantle passed to him by Sam Rutigliano, who he would thank in the post-game speech. For the first time in Summer Bowl history, the MVP award was shared by two players as DT Jerome Brown and LB Winston Moss, who combined for 14 tackles, 3 sacks, and a forced fumble, would share the honor, one truly shared with the entire Federals defense. Kordell Stewart finished the game 23 of 35 for 282 yards and 2 scores. Barry Word and Terrell Fletcher would combine for 23 carries for 108 yards. For Portland, eleven-year vet Jack Trudeau would earn the respect of fans who always saw his as good-but-not-elite, by surviving 9 sacks from the Washington defense, to complete 26 of 33 passes for 234 and 2 scores, coming back in the second half and coming so very close to stealing the win from Washington. But nothing would steal Washington’s thunder (oof, the pun) as the Federals lifted aloft the John Bassett Trophy and celebrated a USFL championship.

The wait is over!!! Not just for Championship Football, but for a labor deal as well. This week the players overwhelmingly agreed to recertify the CBA between the USFL and USFLPA after the owner's blinked and pretty much rescinded their entire platform of realignment and reduction of the season from 16 to 14 games. The huge victory for the players union may mark a new relationship between the league and the union, and could also cause ripples in the NFL, where the NFLPA and NFL have been trying to hash out a new contract as well. On the field it was Conference Championship Weekend and we now have our Summer Bowl lineup. It is not the one most of us expected, and not one most pundits predicted back in August, but it does look like a good one. On the one hand we will have one of the most dominating front sevens in pro football and on the other a bit of a cinderella story as a club tries to overcome a devastating loss and still win a title. Let's get to the action this week, then discuss the off-field stories and finish up with a preview of Summer Bowl 1997. Great Defense can outlast great offense, that is the message this week, where the Stallions threw everything at the Washington Federals, and vice versa. Brett Favre was sacked a painful 11 times by the dominant Washington d-line, completed only 12 passes (but for 302 yards) but threw a costly pick that may have been the defining moment of the playoffs so far. For Washington’s part, Kordell Stewart struggled with 2 picks of his own, but threw 3 TDs and got a huge assist from Barry Word’s 122 yards rushing as the Federals held off Birmingham and snatched a road win and the Eastern Conference title. Stewart connected on two first quarter TDs, one each to Herman Moore and Mike Williams, but Birmingham rallied with 3 field goals and a Lawrence Dawsey TD to go in only down by 1 at the half. Brett Favre was harassed all day by a Front 7 for Washington that did not respect the Stallion run game at all. Davis and Alstott finished with a combined 17 carries, not nearly enough to keep Manley, Barrow and company out of Favre’s face. Both Manley and Tony Brackens finished with 2 sacks apiece, and 7 other Federals also got to Favre over the course of a long and painful day for the Stallion signal caller. Despite the issues with protection, Birmingham was ahead 22-20 after 3 quarters, but in the 4th Kordell Stewart hit on his third TD pass, a dink over the middle to Travis McNeal on a good play fake from the 1 yard line, and Washington went up 27-22. Birmingham would get a field goal on their next drive, and then got the ball back after a shanked Pelfrey FG attempt. With 1:43 left to play, Brett Favre had plenty of time and 1 time out left, to get Birmingham into position for a game-winning field goal. But, once again the pressure got to him and on a 3rd and 9 he was clipped by a blitzing Michael Barrow and the ball fluttered into the hands of SS Sam Garnes to lock up the Washington win. The Federals, and that soul-crushing defense, are headed to San Antonio and Summer Bowl 1997. We went into this game wondering how the Thunder would fare without Robert Drummond to drive the offense. Michigan, as a road team, was still favored to win due to the injury to Portland’s bell cow back. But the Thunder put the ball into the hands of Jack Trudeau and the veteran responded by going 27 of 37 for 266 yards and 4 TD’s, including the game winner with 1:05 on the clock. The game started with Trudeau finding Webster Slaughter for a TD only 3 minutes in, and from then it was a back and forth battle, with Flutie throwing for 348 as the Panthers found themselves in something of a shootout with a team that surprised them with 3 and 4 receiver sets. Portland HB Darius Turner had only 14 carries, with minimal success (45 yards) as the Thunder spread the ball out and forced the Michigan secondary to deal with a wide range of receiver formations. Vince Tobin and OC, former Breaker Head Coach Dick Coury, confused and overwhelmed the Panthers with shifts, stacked receivers, and unfamiliar formations. It was an amazing turnaround for a club built to run the ball. And yet, midway through the 4th quarter a Tyrone Wheatley TD put Michigan up 28-24 and Panther fans felt the tide had finally turned in their favor. Portland mustered a field goal on their next drive, but it would come down to their defense to get them the ball back. A sack from Anthony Pleasant and a perfectly-timed deflection on a Flutie to Campbell pass by CB Dwayne Galloway got Portland the ball back, and Jack Trudeau led the Thunder down the field, connecting with TE Lonnie Johnson for the game winning score with 1:05 left to play. The Thunder added a 2-point conversion on a short pass to 2nd TE Jason Dunn and the Panthers were unable to get a tying score as time ran out. Without their biggest star and with a totally new offensive gameplan the Portland Thunder still showed that they were the #1 seed in the West for a reason, punching their ticket to the Summer Bowl and a showdown with the Washington Federals. The only new injury this week, from the teams that are moving on, is to Washington strong safety Louis Oliver, who is now listed as doubtful for the game with an ankle injury suffered against Birmingham. Oliver is the only Washington player with any injury designation. For Portland the big injury is still Robert Drummond’s knee, which now is scheduled for surgery this week. They also have 3 more names on the injury list, with CB Ben Smith listed as doubtful, LB Todd Howard is questionable after breaking his nose in the Michigan game, and DE Anthony Pleasant is probably with a dislocated finger. We fully expect Pleasant to play, though perhaps with a splint to stabilize the finger, while Howard is likely a gametime decision. Another week with a lot of off-the-field news as the labor situation appears to be resolved, with a clear victory for the Union. Let’s start there. CBA APPROVED, FREE AGENCY REOPENED The USFLPA polled their constituents this week and the result was overwhelming to recertify the current CBA, retain all contracts as valid through their full length, and, essentially to accept the owners’ retraction of the schedule and alignment vote. The only change we will see for 1998 is an expansion of the playoffs from 10 teams (5 per conference) to 12, a move that the union favored anyway as it expands playoff checks to 2 more rosters. The vote means that USFL teams may now enter the fray of free agency, work to resign their stars and sign both USFL and NFL free agents (at least for the next 2 weeks before the transfer window shuts). The biggest sigh of relief likely comes form Birmingham, where, even with the big loss this week, there is potential good news if the Stallions can match bids for Brett Favre coming from the NFL. Favre seems very happy with the Stallions and Coach Erhardt’s offense, so we would not be surprised if Birmingham even gets a bit of a hometown discount, especially if, as rumored, the main contender from the NFL was frigid Green Bay. NFL SIGNINGS That the league and union have at least temporarily reached a truce does not mean that the NFL poaching of USFL rosters has come to a halt. Once again we saw several big names headed to the fall in another week of largely uncontested NFL encroachment into the USFL Free Agency pool. Among those headed to the fall we find the captain of the Texas Outlaw’s #1 rated defense, multiple All-USFL LB Brian Bosworth. The Boz could not turn down $8M a year from the Seattle Seahawks, becoming the highest paid Seahawk, and one of the highest paid defenders in the NFL. Jacksonville suffered a big loss as once again the NFL targeted the Left Tackle position. John Thierry is headed to the Chicago Bears on a 4 year deal, forcing the Renegades to consider options to either move their RT over or to look into free agency now that the USFL can rejoin the market. Chicago lost two solid, if not highly-touted, offensive players, with FB Kimble Anders signing with the Kansas City Chiefs despite a knee injury that cost him several games this year. TE Wessley Walls took the offer of the Carolina Panthers and will take his pass catching talents to Charlotte this fall. Baltimore, who has 2 QB’s in Free Agency, must be a bit surprised that it was Cody Carlson and not Chris Miller who was snapped up this week. Carlson becomes a member of the Tennessee Copperheads, where he is expected to back up young gun Steve McNair. Miller remains the Blitz QB for now, but there are voices in Baltimore that seem to be indicating that the Blitz may not offer Miller a new deal, but may be in the market for a new starting QB through either trade or Free Agency. COACHING UPDATE One more USFL coaching position was filled this week as clubs try to get their ducks in a row before the flurry to sign talent. Oakland did as expected, signing former Denver Bronco and Atlanta Fire head coach Dan Reeves to be the new leader of the Invaders. Reeves seemed unphased by questions about his less-than-exemplary years with Atlanta, talking at the press conference about the history of the Invaders and his excitement about being in the Bay Area with a club that is focused on bringing winning football back to Oakland. While Oakland found their man, Tampa Bay cut loose theirs. It had been rumored for some time that Troy Aikman had been meeting with club officials about his souring relationship with Jerry Glanville, and it now seems clear that those complaints did not fall on deaf ears. The Bandits released Glanville from his contract and will now begin looking at coaching candidates, ones almost certainly aligned with Troy Aikman’s interest in an offensive philosophy. Just what Aikman and the Bandits hope to find remains a bit of a mystery, but clearly Glanville’s defensive mindset, which never really produced a top tier defense, as well as his seeming disregard for building a truly elite offense, or in gameplanning around the talent of Aikman, seems to have led to the dismissal. We have no doubt that “the man in black” will find another gig, but for now not even a Summer Bowl appearance could turn the tide in a battle between head coach and star quarterback. SUMMER BOWL HYPE As part of the build up to Summer Bowl ’97, the league this week announced the logo for Summer Bowl ’98, to be held in Columbus’s Ohio Stadium, and the next two venues for SB 1999 and 2000. The 1998 logo plays heavily into the Ohio Glory branding with the red, white, and blue colors replacing the usual bright summer pastels and sunset tones. The logo features a silhouette in red and blue of the state of Ohio, with two white helmets clashing with a single white star on the location of Columbus. Text including the event name, league logo, and location complete the simple logo. In addition to the logo premier, the league also announced that Summer Bowl 1999 would be held at Los Angeles’s newly-constructed Farmers Insurance Stadium, home to the Express as well as the NFL’s Raiders. The new state-of-the-art stadium was promised a Summer Bowl as part of the deal between the NFL, USFL, and city of Los Angeles. It will host the 1999 Summer Bowl, and is likely the frontrunner for the 2000 Super Bowl of the NFL as well. For 2000 the USFL will return back east with Tampa Stadium as the host site for the title game. Tampa Stadium also hosted the 1994 title game (back before the Summer Bowl moniker was created) and will be the third stadium, after Denver’s Mile High and New Jersey’s Giants Stadium to host a second spring league title game. RETIREMENTS Finally, before we look at Summer Bowl ’97, we should highlight that several more players have announced that they will shut their lockers for the final time, turn in their stadium passes, and move into their post-football lives. Among the notable players announcing retirement this week we find: Arizona TE Pete Metzelaars: A 2-time Super Bowl champion with the Buffalo Bills in the early 90’s, Metzelaars came to Arizona last year after being let go by the Bills. In his lone season in the desert he had 80 targets, catching 54 balls for 373 yards and no scores. The combination of hands and shiftiness he displayed in Buffalo were still there, but the chemistry with young Jake Plummer never seemed to fully develop for Metzelaars. Chicago LB Gary Reasons: The former NY Giant has been a mainstay of the Machine LB corps since coming over to the league 10 seasons ago. Only able to start 5 games this year due to injuries, Reasons was likely going to have a reserve role moving forward. He retires with 1,003 tackles, 42 sacks and 6 picks in his career with the Machine. Denver WR Willie Gillespie: We mentioned Gillespie’s retirement last week, but a player like Gillespie, who began with the Tampa Bay Bandits back when the league was born in 1983 deserves a bit more attention when he completes his career. In his 15 USFL seasons, 9 with Tampa Bay and 6 in Denver, Gillespie helped to define the slot receiver role in the league, catching 430 lifetime passes for 5,747 yards and 47 TDs while taking an endless series of hits from LBs and safeties. Known for elite quickness off the ball and good after the catch skills, Gillespie had his best year in his first year, catching 52 balls for 1,167 yards and 9 scores for the 1983 League Champion Bandits. Philadelphia DE William Fuller: Another USFL long hauler, Fuller joined the Philadelphia Stars in 1984 and won three titles with them over his 14-season career. He leaves the stars as the team’s all-time sack leader with 94 QB wrangles. His 552 tackles, including 148 tackles for loss are also a big part of a Philadelphia defense that has built up a sterling reputation over its history. His best season was in 1993, when he logged 15 sacks to go along with 52 tackles. As we wrap up this week’s USFL rundown, we look ahead to a very intriguing, somewhat surprising, matchup in Summer Bowl 1997. The Washington Federals, led by former offensive coordinator Paul Hackett, are a defensive dynamo, leading the league in sacks, fewest yards allowed, and rush yards allowed. The Portland Thunder were a club that revolved around their run game and All-USFL back Robert Drummond, but a season-ending injury to Drummond in the Wild Card game means they have to reinvent themselves as a passing team, something they did very well in the Western Conference Final to get to the title game. Washington will likely use the same formula that worked on Brett Favre to harass and hit Jack Trudeau. They will pressure with 4, but also blitz from the LB position to keep Trudeau guessing. The Thunder are likely to counter this with a lot of 3 receiver sets and a lot of short passes. Pressure will be on Trudeau to find Slaughter, Dykes, and rookie Matthew Hatchette quickly, and for them to earn yards after the catch. The TE’s could also be huge for Portland with both Lonnie Johnson and Jason Dunn asked to bail out Trudeau. When Washington has the ball, expect a mix of runs from Barry Word and Terrell Fletcher, with play action and roll outs from Kordell Stewart. Herman Moore is a major deep threat, but Portland cannot sleep on Mike Williams. Portland will likely key the run, trying to keep Word to short gains and force Washington to deal with long 3rd down yardage. The Thunder run defense is a solid 9th in the league, allowing just under 75 yards per game, a far cry from years past when teams barely had to throw on the Thunder because their run defense was a joke. Coach Tobin has built up the interior to beef up the run defense with players like LB Todd Howard, DT Mike Golic, and young team captain Mike Vrabel. If Washington can run on Portland with any early success it will put pressure on the Thunder. They cannot fall behind and fully abandon the run and short pass game. It would just open up Trudeau for hits, pressures, and, very likely, turnovers. Portland won’t surprise Washington as they did Michigan with more spread out offensive sets. They will simply have to execute on a short passing game to keep the pressure off their veteran QB. Their defense is also going to have to get some takeaways to keep the score down and provide Trudeau with short fields to deal with. If they are successful this game could all come down to the kickers, and we like Al Del Greco in that situation, but if not, then Washington could find that their path to a title is clear and straight. We like Washington in this game if for no other reason than the entire game seems to hinge on Portland finding a way to protect Trudeau, and few teams have been successful in protecting their QB’s from the Federals this season. OUR PICK: Washington 24 Portland 16.

In a week highlighted by four intriguing playoff games we saw a slower pace of roster turnover, but there were still some big hits taken and some players saying goodbye to longstanding USFL homes. We will get to the week’s player news, but first we look at some tough losses, big wins, and one team that pulled out a win but at a huge cost. If defense truly does win championships, the Washington Federals may be well-positioned for a title this year. The Atlantic Division champion limited Jacksonville to only 265 total yards and a pitiful 27 yards rushing in a game that saw Washington double up on the Bulls. The Federals gave Jacksonville almost nothing in the first half, taking an impressive 17-3 lead into the break, and from their they just held on and allowed the Bulls to move the ball a bit in the midfield area before choking their scoring opportunities. The Bulls did themselves no favors with 8 penalties in the game and a failed 4th down early in the game. Washington’s offense was adequate, though hardly intimidating, with Barry Word rushing for 80 yards on 21 carries and Kordell Stewart an efficient 22 of 29 for 236 and one TD. But, when Natrone Means gaines only 6 yards on 8 carries and Chris Chandler completes only 22 of 40 passes, there is room to be a bit vanilla on offense. Washington got a TD from Herman Moore and then added a Barry Word run, both in the 2nd quarter to take the 14-point lead. They expanded it to 17 with a Pelfrey field goal in the third and despite giving up a Marquette Smith TD early in the 4th quarter were not truly challenged by the Bulls in the final period. The win sets up the first conference title game appearance for the Feds since 1993, when they fell to the Stallions. Would they face Birmingham again this year? The Portland Thunder used 5 field goals and a TD run from an unexpected source to edge the Chicago Machine 21-18, but they did so at a horrible price. Late in the 2nd quarter and down 10-6 the Thunder were driving when a simple 2nd and 4 run ended with two-time league rushing champion Robert Drummond writhing on the ground in agony. He would be carted off the field with an apparent knee injury. Later reporting would announce that the league’s Offensive Player of the Year had torn both his ACL and MCL and would be looking at immediate surgery and a lengthy recovery period that could extend even into the 1998 season. The injury is devastating for Portland, who built their season largely on the back of Drummond and the play action pass his presence permitted. Portland now heads into a conference title game without the centerpiece to their entire franchise. The Thunder, devastated by the injury and down 10-9 at the half, rallied behind Jack Trudeau, despite 3 picks, and shared carries among backups Darius Turner (13 for 26), June Henley (2 for 12) and fullback Arnulfo Cowley. It was Cowley who gave them the play of the game in the 3rd quarter, a 2nd and 2 run that turned into a 23-yard statement of defiance against the Machine and the fates. The score gave the Thunder a 5-point lead (after missing the 2-point PAT), a lead Portland would slowly build to 21-10. Chicago got a late TD from Wendell Davis with 30 seconds left to play, but when Portland recovered the onside kick, the game was theirs, and they returned home to try to figure out how to move on with Drummond not among their ranks. The Stars were game, and they managed to sack Brett Favre 6 times and force 2 picks, but the Stallion’s QB got the final word in the game, scoring in the most improbable way to crush the upset dreams of the Philly faithful. Philadelphia had held Favre largely in check most of the game, building a 21-14 lead after three quarters thanks to a strong game from Chuck Long, who would finish with 4 TD passes on the day. Long spread the ball around, hitting Glyn Milburn, Stepfret Williams, and Troy Brown with first half scoring tosses, while Birmingham struggled a bit to establish their passing game. They got a gift of 6 points from Long’s only pick on the day, a ball tipped at the line and then returned 34 yards by Keith Collins. But, when crunch time came, Favre came alive. He found Shannon Sharpe for a 6-yard TD to end the third, and then hit on 3 more TD passes in the game’s final quarter to give the homestanding Stallions the win. First was another short pass, this time to Walter Reeves. That tied the score at 21. On their next drive Favre found Cedrick Tillman to go up by 7. Philadelphia went on a long drive, and what they believed to be an overtime-producing drive when Long hit Jeff Graham for a TD with only 1:25 left in the game. When Birmingham opted to hand the ball to Mike Alstott on first down following the Philly score, the Stallion fans got restless, assuming, as everyone did, that their club was content to head to an extra period. But, on second and 7, Favre faked the ball to Stephen Davis and found Shannon Sharpe wide open in the middle of the field. LB Frank Stams could not keep up, and the safeties were out of position, giving Sharpe a lane, and the big man took it all the way, 75 yards down field for the game winner, just 24 seconds after Philly had tied the game. It was a dramatic win for the Stallions, a huge fourth quarter for Favre and a collapse that would be remembered in Philadelphia for a long time. The final game of the weekend pitted two divisional foes in Michigan and Texas. The two clubs played like two older boxers who had met and battled countless times in the past. Jabs and rope-a-dope was the theme, as neither team was able to overpower the other. The first half saw 4 field goals, 3 from Michigan, as the only scoring. The third quarter opened with Texas’s best drive of the day, ending in a Reggie Cobb 2-yard TD run. The Boniol kick was shanked, so the game ended up tied at 9 after Cobb’s run. Michigan would respond with a drive of their own, capped off by Doug Flutie hitting Weegie Thompson on a fade route for the score. Down 16-9 after three quarters, Texas rallied and Tony Sacca, who had been having a rough day with 2 picks and 3 sacks, made a great read on 2nd and 7 and found Shawn Collins for a score, but, once again, Chris Boniol, who had been playing through injury after taking a rough hit and tumble while covering a kickoff, missed the PAT. Instead of a tie at 16, Texas still trailed by 1. When Michigan got a late field goal to go up by 4 it took the pressure off Boniol, but put it squarely on Sacca. The inexperienced QB struggled to rally the Outlaws, and on a desperate 3rd and 14 he lofted a duck which ended up in the hands of Michigan CB Chris Snyder for the 1996 INT leader’s 2nd of the game. Michigan advances, and now licks their chops as they will face a wounded Portland club without Robert Drummond. Only 2 new injuries for the 4 clubs to face next week, with Michigan claiming CB Kurt Minnifield as questionable, but the big news is the Drummond injury. Drummond will have surgery to repair his knee later this month, but the big concern is that even with a full offseason to recover there is no guarantee that Drummond will be ready to play when the 1998 season kicks off in March, or that even if he can that he will be the same back. A combination ACL/MCL can be a career ending injury, and even with advancements in laparoscopic surgery there is no guarantee that Drummond will recover the power or the shiftiness which has made him one of the leauge’s most dangerous runners. It is truly sad but somehow Portland has to prepare for a matchup next Sunday with the Michigan Panthers, with a trip to the Summer Bowl on the line. A big week and a light at the end of the tunnel. Let’s get right to it with the huge news out of the league’s emergency owners meeting. OWNERS BLINK We knew something was up when the owners called an emergency meeting without the presence of the USFLPA. It could not be ongoing negotiations on a new CBA, and it turns out it was not. What we saw was more akin to a mutiny, with several owners shifting positions and demanding a retraction of the vote from earlier this year. Birmingham’s Marvin Warner, looking at the very real possibility of losing Brett Favre to the NFL, led the charge of owners for a revote on the season schedule and alignment. His arguments, that several owners, along with Commissioner Wayne Duke misled owners about the financial and labor impact of the shift. While Duke and the subcommittee report was correct that the major TV contracts could be reworked without significant loss of revenue for the league for their 2-week cut in regular season games, the labor crisis the decision created has been far worse than owners anticipated, with trust between the players and ownership deeply eroded and the union gaining strength through solidarity around the issue of player contract viability and compensation maintenance despite the schedule shrinkage. Warner was joined in his objection by 4 other owners who had originally voted in favor of the realignment/rescheduling proposal, Arizona’s Ted Dietrich, Chicago’s Bill Wirtz, New Jersey’s Malcom Borg, and Jacksonville’s Fred Bullard cosigned the motion to cancel the initial vote and return to a 4-division, 16 week schedule for 1998. The motion apparently had vigorous debate within the emergency meeting, with concerns about scheduling the additional 2 weeks of regular season games on top of the 16 week season already planned. There were also concerns that the expansion of the playoffs to 12 teams would also be nixed were the original vote undone. These were apparently quelled by an amendment proposed by Houston owner Jerry Argovitz, to carve out the expanded playoff roster from the proposal to revoke the earlier vote. And so, after 5 hours of discussion and debate, the owners voted on a proposal to revoke the earlier league vote, while maintaining the 12-team playoff provision. With the shifted votes of the owners who brought the motion, along with additional late support from Oakland’s Taube and Baltimore’s Thalheimer, the vote came out an overwhelming 18-6 in favor of revocation. But, even with this huge reversal, the drama was not completed. The vote to revoke the changes to the USFL format was immediately followed by a vote of no confidence in Commissioner Duke. By a 16-8 vote, Duke was removed from office and Jacksonville’s Fred Bullard was voted in as interim Commissioner until a permanent hire could be made. Duke, who became commissioner before the 1989 season, leaves after 9 years at the helm of the league, nine years that were largely marked by economic growth and franchise stability. So now the key question left to answer, does the revocation allow for a quick recertification of the current CBA by the Union or do the labor talks continue between ownership and the USFLPA? A quick decision on recertification could allow for clubs to once again sign players and could avert even further NFL poaching, but how quickly this could be done may be the key to saving the offseason for many USFL clubs. The Union does not have a timetable for the decision, but almost certainly a vote will be take at the club level within the next week. If it is agreed to recertify, USFL clubs could begin the process of signing and resigning players, if not, this could still drag on through the NFL-USFL transfer window. PLAYER MOVEMENT For some clubs the damage is already done, both through retirements and NFL poaching. We highlighted Pittsburgh’s largely-retirement dilemma last week. This week the focus is on Baltimore ,which, in addition to the retirement of Leslie Frazier and Bill Brooks, had lost starting HB Barry Foster to the NFL last week. This week two more members of the 1997 squad were signed by the fall league, linebacker Mike Junkin to Detroit and backup QB Cody Carlson by the Houston Oilers. With a total of 17 players on the free agent list, Baltimore may be in an even worse situation than the Maulers, who still have to be concerned about further losses with Levins, Dan Saleamua, Demetrius DuBose and Paul Gruber all free agents, but not yet signed away. This week did not see the massive exodus of talent as the first week of NFL transfers, but that does not mean there were not some important departures. The most noteworthy was of multitalented HB Thurman Thomas of the Houston Gamblers, who signed with the Miami Dolphins this week, ending his career with the 3-time USFL Champions. Along with Howard Ballard, Houston has now taken a big hit on offense. Denver, following their Wild Card loss, became the newest team to also lose a key player when DE Dante Jones signed with the fall league. The Gold also lost punter Josh Miller to the NFL, and had a retirement, though not unexpected, as wideout Willie Gillespie called it a career. The other Wild Card loser, Orlando, saw Center Jim Juriga sign with the Chicago Bears, but is also concerned that they could lose wideout Bert Emmanuel, tackle Leon Searcy, or DT Tracy Rocker, all of whom are being courted by NFL clubs. Other NFL signings this week include Memphis guard Dave Cadigan, New Jersey DE Bob Otto, Oakland HB Reggie Brooks, and two kickers, Tampa Bay’s Dean Biasucci (Colts) and Houston’s John Kasay. COACHING NEWS We also had news from the coaching ranks, with two hires and one departure. Denver, frustrated with how a 5-1 start to the season turned into a 9-7 #5 seed and a quick playoff exit, parted ways with Head Coach Wade Phillips. Philllips had guided Denver to the playoffs each of his five seasons with the club, but had frequently been stuck at 9-7 and had a playoff record of only 2-5. While not the worst situation in the league, clearly Gold ownership expect that their roster can do more, and are looking for a coach who can take them to the next level. The Memphis Showboats think they have found a solution for their problematic team dynamics and the recent decline of the team, which has hovered between 7 and 9 wins for four years before crashing this season to a 5-11 mark. They turn to former Stars Head Coach and recently released Oakland Invader Jim Mora. The Showboats will be the third USFL squad which Mora has coached, with a successful stint with the NFL’s New Orleans Saints wedged between his championship squads in Philly and his rough run in Oakland. Mora inherits a team with a dynamic QB in Heath Shuler, a shaky roster in several areas, and a major concern as the face of the team, DE Reggie White remains a free agent and has been linked to interest from both the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers. If the USFL CBA is recertified, the first order of business for Mora and the Showboats will be fending off NFL interest in the Minister of Defense. The Los Angeles Express have also found their man, and it is a very interesting choice. LA went to the NFL for their new leader, agreeing to a 4-year deal with former Detroit Lions Head Coach Wayne Fontes. Fontes, who started his coaching career in LA with the USC Trojans in 1975, had marginal success in Detroit as their head coach, a position he earned after several good years as the club’s defensive coordinator. Fontes’ record with Detroit was hardly legendary, at 66-67-1, but he did lead the Lions to a division title in both 1991 and 1993, and to 4 playoff appearances. He was named NFL Coach of the Year in 1991, when he took the club all the way to the NFC Championship Game. Fontes was let go by Detroit after a 5-11 season in 1996 and had been rumored to be considering retirement before LA came calling. He inherits a club that finished 4-12, the third straight 10+ loss season since returning to the league in 1995. He has some talented players on the squad, including wideout Mike Pritchard, rookie halfback Antowain Smith, LT Jonathan Ogden, DE Santana Dotson, LB Donta Jones, and DT David Rocker. The club has concerns at QB where neither Brent Pease or Jeff Garcia have exactly lit the league on fire, and they could potentially lose a couple of key contributors to free agency, having already lost HB Bernie Parmalee to the NFL, and with CB Willie Davis, Jones, and FS Tim Hauck all free agents. Among other positions we have no definitive hires, but there has been action in Oakland, where the Invaders are rumored to be interested in former Atlanta Fire and Denver Bronco head man Dan Reeves. Seattle has contacted several clubs to ask for for interviews with coaches, and Tampa Bay has done the same, though both may be waiting for some of the playoff clubs to finish their seasons before finalizing their short lists. Twenty teams out, four clubs left in contention for a league title. We have Michigan traveling to Portland in the West and Washington headed to Birmingham in the East. In Portland we all know what the story is. How do the Thunder structure an offense without their leading weapon? Michigan has the 3rd rated scoring defense and the 2nd rated D for yardage, but they have given up some big plays in the passing game. Does Portland try to run the ball with a mix of Darius Turner, rookie June Henley and fullback Arnulfo Cowley, or do they put the ball into the hands of Jack Trudeau and ask him to carry the team on his back? Expect TE Lonnie Johnson to be a huge target for Trudeau, as the Panthers are sure to focus their attention on wideouts Webster Slaughter and Matthew Hatchette. For Michigan, the key will be whether or not they can exploit a wounded Thunder squad. If Tyrone Wheatley can run on the Thunder defense, the Panthers can mix in passing from Flutie to keep ahead of Portland offensively. We expect they will blitz Trudeau heavily and hope to take advantage of turnovers. Despite being the road team, Las Vegas has the Panthers as 2-point favorites in this game, and we tend to agree, still reeling from the Drummond injury. In the other matchup we have a classic immovable defense against unstoppable offense as the Feds try to slow down Brett Favre and the Stallions. We know Washington can bring it with just their front 4, three of whom (Brackens, Manley, and Jerome Brown) have 10 or more sacks this year, but the Feds also blitz to really bring heat. LB Tracy Scroggins has 8 sacks on the year and both Michael Barrow and Winston Moss can get to the QB as well. As for Birmingham, they would love to get an early lead and make Washington one-dimensional. They certainly have the offensive weapons to do so, and if they can build a 10+ point lead, they can unleash Kevin Greene and John Copeland against the young Kordell Stewart. If Washington is able to mix the running of Barry Word and Terrell Fletcher with Stewart’s passing, they have a shot, but that is a pretty big “if” once the Stallions take a lead. The best chance for an upset is for Washington to pressure Favre, hope for some early takeaways, and avoid falling down to a point where the run game is abandoned. We think the odds are very much in Birmingham’s favor, and Las Vegas agrees, with the line sitting at Birmingham at -5.

Yes, it is Wild Card weekend, and yes, there were games played in the USFL playoffs this week, but all the attention around the league was on the contract front as the NFL onslaught of USFL rosters began in earnest for the 14 clubs not involved in the postseason. With no CBA in place USFL clubs have no way to resign players and no barrier to the NFL poaching players from across the non-playoff clubs. While rumors of an emergency league meeting scheduled for Monday persist, it seems too late to help some clubs, who are seeing both retirements and NFL raiding decimate their rosters. But, while we will certainly cover this developing story, we begin with the actual games played this weekend, Wild Card Weekend in the USFL. We got exactly what we expected from the Renegades’ visit to Philadelphia for this Eastern Wild Card, two clubs battling down to the end, each with strong defenses and some offensive concerns. Both a bit too pass-heavy on offense, and both hoping they could catch a break. Philly got the only turnover of the game, committed 4 fewer penalties, and converted on one more first down than Orlando, and the combined impact of those small victories was one big one. The Stars tried to balance Chuck Long’s passing with Charlie Garner on the ground, and they had middling success with both, particularly in the 1st quarter, when Long connected on a 9-yard TD pass to Jeff Graham. The Stars defense had itself a strong game as well, holding Orlando to only two field goals in the first half as Philadelphia went in at the half up 7-6. Neither Terry Kirby nor Kantroy Barber would find much running room on the day, limited to a combined 62 yards on 14 carries. Scott Mitchell would fare a bit better, connecting on 28 of 41 passing, but for only 219 yards. His arm got Orlando the lead as the 3rd quarter opened up as he moved the ball into Stars territory with back-to-back completions to Bert Emmanuel, but they again would have to settle for a field goal and go up 9-7. Philadelphia responded with a big play. Long handed the ball off to Garner for what looked like a standard 1st down run, but Garner turned, flipped the ball back to Long, and the Stars QB found WR Jeff Graham wide open downfield for a 41-yard TD. Philly retook the lead 14-9. Orlando would get the last score of the quarter, this time earning the touchdown on a Mitchell to Shawn Jefferson pass. The 2-point play to go up 3 failed, and Orlando went into the final quarter with a paper thin 1-point lead, 15-13. With just under 13 minutes to play, Philadelphia would retake the lead for good, on the foot of Chip Lohmiller, and would turn the game over to their defense with a 17-15 lead. The defense stepped up, first with the only turnover of the day, a pick of Mitchell by CB Reggie Givens, and then with a huge 4th and 1 stuff of Barber by big Leon Lett. The Stars survive at home but will have to play a lot better and with a lot more energy as they head to Birmingham to face a confident and rested Stallion squad. The key to the Western Wild Card game was a solid gameplan to get the ball into the hands of Chicago’s playmakers. Ricky Watters rushed for 71 yards and added another 15 on two receptions. Wendell Davis caught 7 balls, while Aubrey Matthews used YAC to gain 108 on only 4 catches. Finally, former Houston Gambler Ricky Proehl proved hard to cover as he caught 3 balls for 44 yards, most of it after the catch, and a big score for the Machine. Denver was unable to match the pace, though they did have the game equalized at 22 after 3 quarters. Mark Brunell was efficient, completing 76% of his throws, but Denver just did not get much from their run game as Rashaan Salaam had to sit out with a gimpy hamstring. Odessa Turner and Mark Carrier both had 7 receptions and combined for 166 yards receiving, but it was not enough to upend the Machine in Chicago. Alex Van Pelt found Proehl late and he slipped between two safeties to score what would be the winning score for the Machine. Chicago now heads off to Portland to face the Thunder in the Divisional Round. Looking ahead to next week’s Divisional Round, there are some injuries to contend with in all 4 games. Chicago will be without LB Robert Hinkley and both TE Wesley Walls and C Frank Winters are gametime decisions. Meanwhile, their opponent, Portland, has only 1 player on the injury list, probably starter LB Todd Howard. In the Philadelphia-Birmingham game, there is concern that in addition to missing their strong safety again, that star wideout Cris Carter may also be unable to play. He is listed as “probable” but inside sources are not feeling confident that he will sign up. Birmingham also has some concerns as both SS Darryl Williams and LB Kevin Greene, who has had a masterful season, are out for this game. DE John Copeland is also questionable, which could mean trouble for the Stallion defense. The Michigan-Texas game is a pretty healthy one, with the Panthers missing only LB Ted Johnson. We know that Texas will be without QB Kelly Stouffer, G Larry Allen, and DE Shawn Patterson. They are also playing Reggie Cobb’s status close to the vest, listing him as probable but not revealing much about his condition. His absence would be a huge blow for Texas. Finally, in the Bulls-Federals game, expect Jacksonville to go without HB Kenny Bynum, and very likely either Vaughan Johnson or Tedy Bruschi. Washington has only Kordell Stewart on their injury report, and he is listed as probable, which means he almost certainly is able to start this week. So much to talk about this week, an avalanche of news, one that seems to have finally triggered action on the part of the USFL owners. Let’s start with the biggest tidal wave of impact of the current labor talks, the NFL’s flood into USFL rosters. NFL SIGNINGS We cannot overstate how big a week the NFL just had in draining talent from the USFL. Sure, a ton of USFL talent remained under contract and not available, and the 10 playoff teams were not impacted, yet, since negotiations can only start once a team has completed their seasons and the current player contracts end, but it has already been a blood bath for the USFL. Here is what we have witnessed just this first week of the post-season/off-season: 15 starters signed away from the 14 non-playoff teams, including a starting QB (Jeff Hostetler to the LA Raiders), running back (Barry Foster from the Blitz to the Pittsburgh Steelers), 5 starting left tackles, including the best LT in the game (Bruce Armstrong from the Gamblers to the NFL Oilers), the league’s leading receiver, Shannon Baker (leaving Tampa Bay for the Colts), as well as other notable names like WR Qadry Ismail (NOR to the Vikings), Oakland’s defensive Captain, Bill Romanowski (to the Broncos), Memphis FS Bubba McDowell (Panthers), DT Tony Siragusa (Ravens), and DE Tony Tolbert (Cowboys). This is brutal for the USFL, which is currently unable to both sign their own free agents or return the favor by poaching unsigned NFL players before their camps open. It is so bad that the league has called an emergency meeting, not with the union, but the owners and the commissioner. We are not sure what they can decide without negotiating with the USFLPA, but the tone of the meeting certainly seems urgent if not full on panic. We are only a matter of days or weeks away from 8 of the 10 playoff teams also being open for poaching, names like Favre, Flutie, McGwire, Long, Thomas, Morris, Levins, Perriman, Givens, McCants, Bosworth, DuBose, Herrod, Hacket, Gouveia, Greene, Gilbert Brown, Rocker, Perry, Fuller, Reggie White, Thierry, Copeland, and more all becoming possible targets. As if that were not bad enough, we also have to remember that the usual wave of retirements is part of this time of year as well, and while there are some quality players hanging up their cleats across the league, one club in particular is looking like a team in need of an entirely new offense. Let’s start with the league as a whole, but then talk about the unique crisis that has hit the Pittsburgh Maulers. RETIREMENTS Among the announced retirements at the end of this season we find some pretty important pieces in most teams’ plans. Among those having already announced a change of career status for next year we find: ATL Quarterback Cliff Stoudt: Stoudt retires after 14 seasons in the league, 11 with Birmingham, where he was the starter from 1984 through 1991 before several years backing up Brett Favre. He finished his career with 3 seasons in Atlanta, where he had managed to hold off young UGA QB Eric Zeier to get most of the starts for the expansion club. He retires with over 34,000 yards passing, 215 TDs to 118 interceptions and a lifetime QBR of 88.0. ARZ Defensive End Charles Buchanon: The longtime Baltimore Blitz DE retires after one year in the desert. He leaves the game with a career total of 88 sacks, 14 forced fumbles and 143 games played. BAL Corner Leslie Frazier: The longest-tenured member of the Baltimore Blitz leaves the team after 12 seasons. He retires with 172 games for Baltimore and 36 picks. After several years as clear starter injuries cut short both his 1996 and 1997 seasons. BAL Wideout Bill Brooks: Another long-term member of the Blitz, Brooks spent the past 6 years in the Charm City after beginning his career in 1986 with the Denver Gold. He was an immediate starter for Denver, with 87 receptions and 1,083 yards as a rookie. His sophomore season he had one of his best years, 100 receptions, 1,304 yards and 10 TDs. After declining numbers in Denver, Brooks signed with the Blitz and had a 2nd career. He caught more than 100 balls in 3 of 6 seasons in Baltimore and had 120 receptions for 1,215 in 1996. He retires with 1091 receptions, 12,424 yards and 72 career touchdowns. HOU Free Safety Todd Bowles: The hard-hitting safety began his career in Philadelphia in 1986 as a backup. He earned a starting spot in 197 and was a steady performer for the Stars until signing with Houston in 1994. He retires with 378 tackles, 186 games and 135 starts. MEM Quarterback Mike Kelley: A little heralded QB when he began as a backup in Memphis, Kelley won the starting job after a series of injuries gave him a shot. He would be Memphis’s starter from 1988 through 1994 before being unseated by Heath Shuler. He retires with a lifetime QBR of 85.6, with 174 TDs to 124 picks, and over 28,000 passing yards. MEM Linebacker Eddie Simmons: A career Showboat since starting with the expansion club in 1984, Simons started all 16 games in his first year. He would play in over 221 games in his 14-season career. He leaves the game with 1,161 tackles, 23 forced fumbles, 59 sacks and 13 picks. Known as a sideline to sideline thumper, he was a defensive captain for Memphis for over 10 years. NJ Tight End Jeff Spek: The dual-role TE joined the Generals in 1984 and was an on-again, off-again starter his entire career, topping 50 receptions 4 times in his 14 seasons. His best year was 1993, when he caught 70 balls for 515 yards. OHIO Linebacker John Offerdahl: The long-time NJ General began with the USFL in 1986 and played for them until being sent to Ohio as part of the expansion draft in 1995. He was made a defensive captain for the Glory in their first season and started 46 of 48 games for the Glory. Over his career he amassed 855 tackles, 10 forced fumbles, 24 sacks and 12 interceptions. SEA Defensive End Jim Reynosa: The lankey DE came into the league with Jacksonville in 1987. He would become a valued starter for the Bulls right away, starting all 16 games and amassing 9 sacks in his rookie season. Over his 10-year career Reynosa would also play 1 season in Michigan, where he had 15 sacks for the Panthers, and then spend his final three years in Seattle, where he amassed 38 sacks in 3 years. He retires with 127 sacks to his name as one of the league’s best and most consistent edge rushers. As we look at the potential impact of free agency and retirements, let’s light a candle for the Pittsburgh Maulers. They had three team legends and 5 offensive contributors all opt to retire within 2 days of each other, decimating an offense that now will have to completely retool. Here are the Maulers who will be missed next season on what looks to be a very different Maulers roster: HB Mike Rozier: We saw this one coming, with 1997 being the first year in which the former Cornhusker did not top 1,000 yards, and with retirement talk a regular feature of each offseason for Rozier since 1995. A sure first-ballot Hall of Famer, Rozier retires as the leading rusher in USFL history, with 4,180 carries for 19,088 yards and 134 TDs, all league records. Rozier rushed for over 1,000 yards over 14 seasons, this year falling 2 yards short at 998. He was the centerpoint of the Mauler attack since he arrived as the Heisman winner in 1984. He retires with a lifetime average of 4.6 yards per carry and 86.8 yards per game. An absolute workhorse, Rozier started an astounding 211 games of 220 played. TE Mike Shaw: Another absolute workhorse, Shaw started in the league as a rookie in Pittsburgh’s first season, 1984. He started in 199 of 220 games over his career and finishes as one of the best tight ends to play in the league. His career totals are indeed impressive: 199 receptions for 11,822 yards and 89 career TDs, including a magical 1991 season in which the big TE snagged 106 passes for 1,073 yards and 13 touchdowns. In some lean years when the Maulers did not have much at wideout, Shaw was a primary weapon for QB Alan Risher. In his final season, Shaw caught 70 passes for 771 yards and 7 scores, numbers any team would love to get from the position. WR Louis Lipps: The lanky wideout began his career in Arizona, but really took off when he moved to Pittsburgh in 1992. From 1992 through 1995 he averaged 104 receptions and nearly 1,300 yards per season. Injuries caused Lipps to lose a step and miss several games over his final two years, but he still managed to real in 142 passes and nearly 2,000 yards in receptions over his final 2 seasons. K Rafael Septien: The former Dallas Cowboy found a home with the Maulers, joining the team in 1987 and serving as their kicker for 11 seasons. Over his career, Septien made 339 field goals (an overall conversion rate of 75.8%) including 27 game winners. TE Cap Boso: While nowhere near as prolific as Shaw, Boso was a trusted blocker and occasional receiver for the Maulers since coming to the club in 1994. He had played previously with the LA Express and Chicago Machine. His best year was 1991 with the Machine, when he had 53 receptions for 393 yards and 6 scores. So the Maulers find themselves with a QB nearing the end of his career in Robbie Bosco, and an offense missing its star halfback, top wideout, and hall of fame TE. They seem ready to hand the ball to Dorsey Levins in the run game, but that is not to say that Rozier will not be missed, and the absence of Lipps, Shaw and even Boso will be major issues of concern for a club that was league champions only 2 seasons ago. A lot for the fine folks of Pittsburgh to absorb. With so much happening off the field, it is hard to realize that we are still smack-dab in the center of playoff football in the USFL. We have 4 big matchups this week. Let’s break those down and see who we think will come out on top. #3 Jacksonville Bulls (11-5) @ #2 Washington Federals (10-5-1) Saturday, July 12, 3pm ET RFK Stadium This has all the trappings of a classic. You have two offenses which struggle at times, but can also explode if clicking on all cylinders. You also have a Washington defense that can terrorize opposing QB’s and a Bulls’ defense that tends to bend but not break. The key for the visitors will be to do what they can to get Natrone Means and the run game going. If they can, it will take a lot of pressure off of Chris Chandler, but Washington has the league’s #1 rush defense, allowing only 52.9 yards per game to the opposition. For Washington, the run game is equally important, and they will put the ball in the hands of Barry Word plenty. The Feds have the 2nd best run game in the league with 113 yards per game, most of it from Word and his 1,281 yards this season. We like the matchup of the Federals’ run game against the Bulls’ run defense. While we think Chandler, at this stage in both careers, is the better of the two QB’s, we worry that his lack of mobility will hurt him against a defense that registered 73 sacks, by far the most in the league. OUR PICK: That defense is really tough, and defense wins titles, so we have to go with the homestanding Federals. Federals 24 Bulls 16 #4 Chicago Machine (10-6) @ #1 Portland Thunder (13-2-1) Saturday, July 12 @ 7pm ET Civic Stadium Any game involving the top seed is going to favor that club, but not so fast on this one. Chicago has a Top 5 offense, able to spread the ball around and use both the run and the pass. They also have the 4th rated defense for yards allowed, though their 21.8 PPGA is only 10th best. So this is a Machine squad that can pull an upset if they are on their game. Alex Van Pelt has emerged as a solid option at QB, and Ricky Watters finished the year with 1,035 yards rushing, and can be a danger to the Portland defense. For the Thunder, we all know who to watch. Will Robert Drummond’s regular season dominance continue, or can the Machine defense figure out a way to close the gaps and contain the big back? Portland was the league’s best rushing team, and that run game also feeds the play action passing game of Jack Trudeau. If Drummond can get a head of steam going, the Thunder can win this one. OUR PICK: This one may be tight, but we like the run-pass combo of the Thunder against a Chicago club that has a QB with no playoff experience. Portland 28 Chicago 21 #4 Philadelphia (10-6) @ #1 Birmingham (12-4) Sunday, July 13, @ 1pm ET Legion Field This is a classic mashup of two very different styles. Birmingham is first in the league in passing behind MVP Brett Favre and a trio of receivers in Givens, Dawsey, and Sharpe that are a nightmare for defenses. The Stars are built for ball control, and while Chuck Long has had an amazing season, he is not a gunslinger. If Philadelphia has to go score for score with the Stallions we don’t see how they can keep up, but if Favre has one of his sloppier games, and the Stars can get some picks, they could pull this off. Philly finished tied for 4th in the league with 22 interceptions this year, only 1 behind the league leaders, so it is not out of the question. That said, in Legion Field, possibly with more than 60,000 on hand to cheer the Stallions, we just don’t see it. OUR PICK: We are not going to go against that Stallion passing game. Philly is good, but they are not one of the league's best pass rush teams, so we are not sure how they will force enough mistakes to keep pace. Birmingham 31 Philadelphia 21 #3 Michigan Panthers (11-5) @ #2 Texas Outlaws (12-4) Sunday, July 13 @ 4:30pm ET AlamoDome This one is gonna be fun, we know that already. Divisional foes know each other well, and in this case it is the visitor who had the upper hand this year, with Michigan beating Texas both times the two teams met. Can they do it again or will the third time be the charm for the Outlaws? If Texas wants to win this game they are going to have to rely on two things, the league’s top rated scoring defense (giving up only 15.6 points per game) and the running of Reggie Cobb. Cobb is expected to play despite a nagging injury, but if he cannot go, that really hurts the Outlaws who are already without Kelly Stouffer and are expected to stick with Tony Sacca at QB. For Michigan, the formula that worked all year, including twice against the Outlaws is to run the ball with Tyrone Wheatley and Rodney Culver, then use play action and rollouts to free up the passing game. Jeff Campbell came out of nowhere to lead the league in receptions and finish third with 1,537 yards receiving. If Flutie can connect with Campbell and avoid the Texas pass rush, the Panthers could move on. OUR PICK: We like the road team here. Michigan has been playing very well and they seem to have answers for Texas’s defense. If Stouffer were playing and Cobb were 100% we would give Texas the edge, but those two issues are going to make it much harder for the Outlaws and we see Michigan moving on with a close road win. Michigan 20 Texas 17.

Week 16 had a bit of everything. Teams playing for playoff position. Others with nothing to lose. Players making a statement as free agency approaches. And at least in one case a player openly calling out his head coach. It was a bizarre week in which all 10 playoff teams were already in position, but with some teams hoping to reach .500, others hoping to earn a bye or a home game. A weird ending to the season to be sure, but now it is on to the playoffs and thing get serious really quickly. Was this the most meaningful game of the week? No, not by a longshot, but what we got from Tampa Bay and Ohio were two clubs hoping to reach .500 and salvage a season. We also got a post-game press conference for the ages. But first the game. Both the Bandits and the Glory came into this game at 7-8 and hoping one more win would at least prevent them from suffering a losing season. For Ohio it was a chance to improve just a hint more, after a 5-win inaugural season and a 6-win sophomore year, going 8-8 would be a nice step. For Tampa Bay, who were in the Summer Bowl a year ago even an 8th win would not salvage a lost season, but it sure is better than 7 wins. Ohio looked like the team eager for that 8th win, jumping out to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter on a 1-yard plunge from veteran Ernest Byner and a Silvestri field goal. Tampa stormed back in the second, outscoring Ohio 17-7 to even the score at the half. They got TD catches from Baker and Rhett, two of 4 that Troy Aikman would throw on the day. Jeff Hostetler also connected with Derek Brown for a score as both clubs seemed eager to take the W. In the 3rd quarter Aikman hit on his third TD pass, an 11-yarder to Chris Doering. They would hold that 7-point lead as both clubs traded field goals as the 4th quarter began, but Ohio would get back to a level field on a blown defensive coverage. Jeff Hostetler found Robb Thomas wide open down the left sideline as the corner clearly thought he had help over the top, but he did not. It was all knotted up at 27 with only 2:09 left to play. Once again Aikman would have to move the Bandits to avoid overtime. The Bandits got the ball on their own 27 after a shaky kickoff from Silvestri. In short order, Aikman moved the team down to the Ohio 22, missing on only one pass as he seemed to audible on nearly every play. After a draw to Rhett and a time out, Aikman scrambled on 2nd down, getting out of bounds after a short run. On the next play he would hit Ben Coates down the middle and Tampa would take the lead for good. Aikman finished with 323 yards and 4 scores, but it was his post-game press conference that really made the day. Asked how he was getting along with Head Coach Jerry Glanville after a notable blow-up only 2 weeks ago, Aikman started giving a pat answer, then shook it off, and surprised everyone by stating “Let’s just say I spent a lot of that game calling my own plays. Jerry has a reputation as a gunslinger, but his offensive calls are so vanilla I don’t think we would have scored if I didn’t.” Stunned, the reporter stumbled a bit, before asking “So, Troy, do you see the two of you working this out over the offseason.”. Aikman was in no mood for diplomacy, despite the win, responding: “We will get along just fine, because one of us won’t be here any more.”. It was one of those rare moments when you get actual honesty from a post-game interview. Rumors had been swirling that Aikman had complained to management and that he was prepared to demand a trade. Now it looks like something is going to have to give. Will Tampa Bay stick with Glanville and trade a clearly disgruntled star QB, or will the player win out and lead to the dismissal of a coach who helped Tampa Bay reach a title game only a year later? Stay tuned folks, this is going to get messy. ORL 34 NJ 27 A calmer, but equally interesting match in the Meadowlands as Spence Fischer’s 3 TD day helped keep New Jersey in the game against playoff-bound Orlando. In the end, however, Scott Mitchell had enough to edge the Generals and move the ‘Gades to 10-6. Throwing scoring tosses to Emmanuel, HB Kantroy Barber and TE Dante Whitakker, Mitchell seems to be in good form heading into next week’s Wild Card. ATL 7 PHI 34 The Stars also look ready for next week’s Wild Card round, roughing up the Atlanta Fire as they built a 34-0 lead before letting in a garbage time score for the road team. Charlie Garner and former Invader Glyn Milburn both got considerable carries and combined for 146 yards and 2 scores as the Stars finished the season 10-6 and held on to the 4th playoff spot, ensuring that they would host the Renegades next week. DEN 21 OAK 14 Denver got their second win in a row to finish the year at 9-7, but they still looked pretty shaky as they faced off against an Invader club that had nothing to play for. Bobby Hebert played only 2 series before the Invaders put in Mike Pawlowski, but even with the young untested QB under center Denver could not pull away. Things are not boding well for the Gold as they head off to a road playoff game next week. CHI 17 NOR 28 While Denver may not be looking great, at least they got the W. Chicago, who will host the Gold next week came out flat against the Breakers and fell down 14-0 early. They fought back but with 3 picks in the game from Van Pelt, and the Watters-Staley combo accounting for only 31 yards rushing, they did not look like a team primed for a deep playoff run. BIR 34 PIT 19 Birmingham did what they needed as they locked up the #1 seed in the East with a solid win over the Mike Cherry-led Maulers. Stephen Davis rushed for 79 yards on 13 carries, Mike Alstott added another 42, and Brett Favre looked ready to roll, going 18 for 26 for 314 and 3 scores. In what might be his last game in Pittsburgh, Mike Rozier played only 1 quarter, carrying the ball 3 times for 5 yards before going off the field to a standing ovation. No official word yet, but with his first sub-1,000 yard season in his pro career, this may be the end for the future first ballot hall of famer. JAX 31 WSH 28 Without knowing the score of the Stallions game, both Jacksonville and Washington had a lot to play for on Sunday. The Bulls got 329 and 3 scores from Chris Chandler while Washington relied on Barry Word’s 120 yards rushing as the two fought back and forth for the full 60. In the end, a late Pete Stoyanovich field goal put Jacksonville up by 10, and while Washington got a late Herman Moore TD, they were left with only seconds to play and needed an onside recovery that did not come. MGN 20 STL 35 The Panthers had a shot at taking the division title, which would have led to an Outlaws-Panthers game in Pontiac in 2 weeks, but instead got upended by the Knights, leading to a Panthers-Outlaws game in San Antonio instead. Todd Collins connected with Amani Toomer and Emile Harry and Darrell Thompson scored twice on the ground to spoil the day for the visiting Panthers. HOU 9 TEX 23 Texas players watched the scoreboard all game as Michigan fell to St. Louis, but they still clamped down on defense, limiting the Gamblers to only 2 third down conversions and 10 first downs in a dominating win. With Reggie Cobb resting a sore hip, it fell on Rodney Thomas, who responded with a 23 carry, 117 yard day to pace Texas to their best record in club history, 12-4. ARZ 12 POR 14 With nothing to lose, and with Jack Trudeau nursing some major bruises, Portland went with Bill Musgrave at QB. The move got them the win over the punchless Wranglers but may have cost Robert Drummond a shot at a rushing title. The Wranglers kept 8, sometimes 9 men, in the box, and Drummond was limited to only 79 yards rushing. Portland finishes the year at a surprising 13-2-1 and now gets a well-earned bye before facing off against the Denver-Chicago winner. LA 24 SEA 16 In what might be the last game for both Mike Nolan and Woody Widenhofer, both clubs looked ready for the season to be over. Antowain Smith looked like the only player giving 100% as he rushed for a 7.1 yard average, amassing 171 yards on 24 carries for the Express. MEM 20 BAL 27 After last year’s dominant season, an 8-8 season is hardly something the Blitz are ready to brag about, but they finished the year with back to back wins, and can make some noise in free agency (assuming the league ever gets a deal in place to allow signings.) For Memphis, ending the season with 4 consecutive losses and losing their starting QB is likely to mark the end of Cam Cameron’s short stint as head coach. The former interim coach was given a shot this year, but did not seem to have what it took to motivate the Showboats offense or to garner the respect of a defense still sour about Buddy Ryan’s firing. So the matchups are set, the seeds locked. Denver will travel to Chicago next week. Orlando will head to Philadelphia. The winners will prepare to face the two top seeds, a 13-2-1 Portland Thunder squad that no one predicted would make such a huge leap, and a Birmingham Stallions club that looks a lot like a more dangerous version of the 1993 club that blew through the playoffs to give the Magic City it’s first title. We also know that in the divisional round we will get to watch Michigan face Texas for a 3rd time, as the Outlaws try to get their first win against the Panthers after 2 regular season defeats. In the East it will be a less-familiar matchup as the Jacksonville Bulls head to RFK to take on the Washington Federals. The two met this week and it was a great battle, and now they will face off again, with 2 weeks to rest, recover, and plan for a rematch. Expect even more fireworks when it is win or go home time in the divisional round. Go to the Standings & League Leaders page for the seeds for this year's USFL Playoffs. BLACK MONDAY For all the excitement that playoff season brings, the end of the regular season also brings the annual pain of Black Monday, and this season was no exception. By Tuesday morning we had three firings and one mutual splitting, if reports can be believed. No real surprises, though clearly the win-now philosophy has taken hold in the USFL. Here are the four coaches now hitting the pavement in search of work. Jim Mora (OAK): We knew this one was coming. The writing was on the wall for a while. It seems clear that the pairing of Mora with the Oakland Invaders was never a comfortable one. Mora’s conservative style, which had worked so well for him in Philadelphia, never really meshed with the Invaders’ hopes for a dynamic offense, and the defense never came together in Mora’s two seasons. Philosophical differences aside, Mora never had the control of personnel which he sought, and even his most talented player, QB Bobby Hebert, never seemed to be fully on board with the short passing game that Mora preferred. With a pedigree such as Mora’s we would not be shocked to see him rehired soon, but this time around he will need more influence on player acquisition and more buy in from both the squad and the front office. Mike Nolan (LA): The interim coach after the firing earlier this year of Rick Neuheisel had about half a season to prove he deserved a shot to take on the position into the future, and quite frankly the Express did not see much change with Nolan replacing Neuheisel. So, when ownership told Nolan he would not be a candidate for the permanent position, it really did not come as much of a surprise. Expect LA to go with a coach that can bring some energy to the team, perhaps even some razzle dazzle to try to attract more fans to a club that has struggled to fill seats. Cam Cameron (MEM): The former OC of the Showboats could not get the offense to work this year, and his extended interview over the season simply did not end well, with Cameron dismissed on Monday. The promise of a wide open passing game with Heath Shuler at the helm never materialized. The run game, led by Moe Williams was largely a no show, and to make matters worse, Cameron never got the respect of the defense after taking over for Buddy Ryan. It was a no-win situation for the offensive-minded Cameron, who now will likely look to another OC position and a chance to prove himself again. Woody Widenhofer (SEA): A lot was expected of Seattle this year, at the very least a run at a Wild Card spot, though some had Seattle doing much more. The fact that they not only failed to improve on 1996’s 6-10 record, slipping back to only 4 wins this year, and all the while being harshly criticized for failing to effectively utilize rookie HB Corey Dillon, sunk Widenhofer. The Dragons are not where they wanted to be after 3 seasons in the league, and a new direction will have to try to hit the ground running to see if Seattle can make a leap out of the bottom half of the league. AWARD FAVORITES With the big record, Herschel Walker’s rushing title, preserved, only two major league records were broken this year. The first is the QBR record, which had belonged to Jim Kelly’s 1992 season at 130.2. It now belongs to Brett Favre, whose 132.5 will be the new standard and will almost certainly signal an MVP award for the Stallion gunslinger. Favre also finished the season with 4763 yards, only 13 behind Troy Aikman, and led the league with 48 TD’s, 13 more than Chuck Long’s 35 TD second place. The second record was one we all watched for this week, Elbert Shelley’s 10th interception, gained at the expense of Houston’s Chuck Hartlieb. The unheralded safety had a season to remember, finishing the year with 7 picks in the season’s final 8 weeks, including two returned for scores. What had been a muddled field for Defensive POTY now has to go to Shelley, even with another near record season for Phil Hansen with 24 sacks. The fact that Texas won 12 games, while New Jersey won only 6 almost certainly will give Shelley the award. The other major awards might also not be very close. We all expect Robert Drummond to be honored with the Offensive POTY for his pursuit of Walker’s rushing record. His 1,710 yards and 13 total TDs were both league leaders. Rookie of the Year may just be the tightest award as arguments can be made for Tiki Barber, who just missed 1,000 yards at 986, or for Chris Canty’s 6 Interception season for the Breakers, or perhaps Michael Booker’s 102 tackle rookie campaign. If Rookie of the Year is not the closest race, that title may go for Coach of the Year, as the results obtained by Washington’s Paul Hackett, Texas’s Jack Pardee, and Birmingham’s Ron Erhardt are all impressive, but we have to expect that the surprising 13-win season from Portland, a perennial underachiever, has to give the award to Vince Tobin, who, in his 3rd season with the Thunder has proven to be his best as a head coach. We look at our 4 Wild Card clubs this week to see how injuries might impact their chances in the play-in playoff games next week. ORL: LB James Folston (Questionable) Orlando has only 1 player listed on their injury report, which is a bit of a surprise considering the number of starters who have been playing in pain for a while. The lack of official recognition seems a bit deceiving here as Orlando may simply not want to report the reality of their late season roster’s dings, bangs, bruises, and bumps. PHI: SS Marcus Quinn (Doubtful) The Stars will certainly miss Quinn in the middle of the field, but his is the only injury for a club that looks to use a home field playoff game to regain some momentum. DEN: No injuries reported. Not only did Denver end the season on a positive note, winning their last 2 games, but they come into the playoffs healthy, with no players expected to be out due to injury. CHI: FB Kimble Anders (Out), C Frank Winters (Probable) The likely return of Winters should help with pass protection, while the absence of Anders is almost certainly going to make life more difficult for Ricky Watters and Duce Staley. What do we see on the horizon for the first week of playoff action? Two hard to pick games really. Arguments could be made that any of these four clubs could be on their way to better things or on their way to a quick exit. Orlando is the most convincing of the four, having won their last 4 games to jump from 6-6 up to 10-6. But in Philadelphia they face a team with a tough defense and a potent passing game. In the West, we have Denver, who relied on one of the league’s toughest scoring defenses, going up against Chicago, whose defense was also pretty significant this year. Both games look pretty evenly matched, but it is our job to make picks, usually wrong picks, but we make them anyway. PHI over ORL 24-20 We just trust more in Philadelphia’s offensive balance than in Orlando’s. Garner is a solid back who can create enough doubt for the defense that it allows Chuck Long to find open receivers. We like Scott Mitchell for Orlando, but he does not have as robust and diverse a supporting cast as Long can call on. Defensively Philadelphia is also a stronger club, giving up 63 fewer points this season than the Renegades. We are taking Philly. CHI over DEN 27-21 We recognize that Denver won their last two, but those were games against weak teams, while Chicago rarely had a week off in the tough Central Division. Both clubs can run the ball. Brunell is clearly the better of the 2 QB’s but Chicago has the ability to spread the ball to a deeper receiving corps. The key factor may be the play of Leslie O’Neill, a huge playmaker for the Denver defense. If Chicago can keep him off the QB, they could well win the game, but if O’Neill finds routes to Van Pelt, Denver could easily end up on top. We expect that Marty Schottenheimer is well aware of this matchup and will find ways to protect his QB with the run, screens, draws, and play action. We are picking Chicago to win. WHO DO YOU LIKE TO WIN IT ALL IN 1997? Use the comment section to tell us who you think will make it all the way to Summer Bowl '97 and take home the title. Can either Portland or Birmingham run the table at home and take home the trophy? Can Texas make it to the Summer Bowl in their home stadium? Can a Wild Card like Orlando, Philly, Chicago or Denver get hot at the right time? Make your picks and let's see who holds aloft the Bassett Trophy.

PLAYOFF SEEDING EAST 1-BIRMINGHAM, 2-WASHINGTON, 3-JACKSONVILLE, 4-PHILADELPHIA, 5-ORLANDO WEST 1-PORTLAND, 2-TEXAS, 3-MICHIGAN, 4-CHICAGO, 5-DENVER

We have a first in the USFL. For the first time in the league’s 15 seasons we will be enterint Week 16 with all 10 playoff berths already confirmed. There is still a lot of jockeying for position to be had, but this week’s action locked up the final playoff spots so now it is all about who gets a bye and who gets a home game in the Wild Card round. We begin with the big game in the South between the Bulls and the Stalliions to determine the Division Championship. We knew this game would be big, and that both clubs would go all out in an attempt to win the division title, ensure themselves of a bye, and potentially home field throughout the playoffs. As expected, it came down to the final quarter as the two top clubs in the division battled for the full 60 minutes. Surprisingly the biggest unexpected twist was the degree to which the Stallions utilized their run game to manage the final quarter and keep the Bulls from a late comeback. The game began as expected, with both clubs opening up the offenses and using the run as an occasional change of pace from a pass-dominated attack. Birmingham got on the board first as a short 6 play drive after a poor punt from the Bulls gave the Stallions a short field and Brett Favre found Lawrence Dawsey from 14 yards out to take the early lead. Jacksonville would respond with their first scoring drive, but when Chandler missed Blades on a 3rd and 5, they had to settle for 3. Favre found his favorite receiver on the next drive, connecting with Givens for a 35-yard score to give Birmingham a commanding 14-3 lead. After a series of short back-and-forth drives, Jacksonville had time to get one more score on the board to end the half, another Stoyanovich field goal as time ran out to pull within one score at 14-6. Birmingham would start to make use of their run game in the second half, with Steven Davis carrying the ball 4 times and Mike Alstott twice on their opening drive of the second half. The drive ended with a Mare field goal and a 17-6 lead, but the Bulls were not done yet. Jacksonville remained focused on getting the ball to their top two wideouts. Blades would finish the game with 7 catches for 120 and Terrell Owens would add 104 yards and a score on his 4 catches. It was Owens’s TD that pulled Jacksonville back into the game. It was a great out and up on 3rd and 3 that fooled the Stallion CB and allowed Chandler to hit Owens for the 28-yard score. A two point conversion later the Bulls were down only 3 at 17-14. The Bulls defense came up big on the next play as CB Ron Pitts correctly guessed on a Dawsey hook and undercut the route, taking the ball right from Dawsey’s hands and giving Jacksonville the ball on the Stallion 22. The crowd of 58,200 was in full voice as the Bulls seemed to snatch momentum away from the Stallions. 3 plays later Natrone Means broke an arm tackle and found the corner pylon to give Jacksonville their first lead of the game, 21-17. But Brett Favre is nothing if not resilient. He brushed off the pick and with 7:22 left in the game started a drive that would win the Stallions the division title. First hitting Sharpe for 4 yards, but then allowing Davis and Alstott to take over, he would throw only 3 passes on the drive. The third of these was the game winner as Favre again found Ernest Givens, who would finish the game with 104 yards and 2 scores on 7 receptions. It was a 2nd and 2 and Jacksonville had started to overplay the run, realizing that Birmingham was using it effectively against their nickel defense. They played a 4-3, and used a run-blitz as Favre faked to Davis. The veteran QB turned and fond Givens on an in-cutting route. The reliable Givens took the pass, split the safeties, with the help of a block from Sharpe, and crossed the endzone to put Birmingham up 3 once again. Jacksonville would fail to respond on their next drive, but with 4:22 still on the clock, they punted rather than go for a 4th and 2 on their own 33. Birmingham would then rely on Davis and Alstott, who combined for 111 yards on the day, pounding the ball down the middle for 3 consecutive first downs, the last of which allowed Birmingham to run the clock and take the huge win and the division title. With a win next week the Eastern Conference playoffs will have to run through Legion Field, and if Birmingham can continue to balance Brett Favre’s dynamic season with a run game, this could all but ensure a return to the Summer Bowl for the Stallions. MEM 10 ORL 20 Orlando punched their ticket against a punchless Mike Kelley and the Renegades. Scott Mitchell got dinged early, but stayed in through the 3rd quarter before Scott Zolak took over in relief. Zolak would hit Bert Emmanuel for the score that definitively gave the edge to Orlando and, with other results of the weekend, the Renegades locked up a playoff spot, and possibly a home game if they can finish the year with a win next week. WSH 20 NJ 10 Washington got some help from the Blitz as they locked up the Atlantic by knocking off the Generals in New Jersey. The Feds had opted not to start Kordell Stewart after he had been shaken up the week before, and backup Eric Kramer did what was needed, completing 69% of his passes and throwing for 2 scores as the Federals outlasted the Generals and Tommy Maddox (who got the start with Fischer nursing a sore shoulder). PHI 29 BAL 34 Baltimore may be out of playoff contention after this week, but they sure put a crimp in Philadelphia’s plans. Thanks to a 4-TD day from Chris Miller the Blitz edged Philly in Memorial Stadium and put Philadelphia’s once nearly-ensured playoff bye at risk. Another loss and the Stars could be stuck in the Wild Card round, and perhaps even as the road team. STL 13 CHI 23 The combo of Watters and Staley helped Chicago put away the pesky St. Louis Knights and lock up a playoff berth and a shot at a bye. Alex Van Pelt struggled against the St. Louis D, completing only 14 of 33 passes for 103 yards, but the run game helped bail out the Machine and the win locked up their postseason ticket. NOR 12 HOU 14 Houston had only slight playoff hopes, but it was enough to motivate them to spoil the day for the Breakers. A Lawrence Brazil pick-6 and a Thurman Thomas TD run were enough to knock off the playoff-hopeful Breakers. Jamie Martin struggled all game, completing only 46% of his throwns, and while Terrell Davis rushed for 108 and went over 1,000 yards for the year, it was not enough against a game Gambler squad. TEX 6 MGN 24 Texas’s injury-plagued roster continues to struggle and Michigan takes advantage to claim a share of first in the Central Division thanks to a dominant win. Doug Flutie went 24 of 32 for 299 to help Michigan control the game. A win next week and the Division Title is Michigan’s for the taking. SEA 21 DEN 48 The Dragons were just what Denver needed to snap their 5 game losing streak and claim a playoff spot at 8-7. Denver rushed out to a 24-7 lead and never looked back thanks to a 3 TD day from HB Rashaan Salaam. Add another ground game score from Terry Battle, and 2 in the air from Mark Brunell and the Gold are playoff bound, while Seattle falls to 4-11. POR 35 LA 24 LA put up a fight, but in the end the Thunder had too much from Robert Drummond, whose 130 yard day put him in range of Herschel Walker’s season rushing record. Bill Musgrave got some action late as the Thunder protected a gimpy Jack Trudeau late in the game. Musgrave would throw for a late score to Matthew Hatchette to put the game out of reach for LA and lock up the #1 seed for the Thunder. OAK 20 ARZ 39 In a game that saw Tim Lester rush for 122 against the undermanned Invader defense, Jake Plummer also threw for 3 scores to help Arizona to their 3rd win of the season. With all rumors being that next week’s game will be Jim Mora’s last in Oakland, the Invaders seem content to just run out the season and start fresh in 1998. ATL 17 TBY 20 Too little too late for the Bandits as they get the win but are eliminated from playoff contention by Orlando’s victory. It took a 76-yard bomb from Aikman to Baker to lock up the win as Atlanta played tough, but the win was a hollow one for the Bandits, and a contentious one as there was clear tension and some choice words exchanged between Troy Aikman and Jerry Glanville on the sidelines. PIT 10 OHI 29 With Orlando’s win earlier in the weekend, Pittsburgh entered their game at Ohio knowing their season would not end in a playoff game. That reality showed as the Maulers came out of the tunnel flat and gave Ohio a pretty easy victory. After a horrible start to the season, Ohio could actually fight their way to 8-8 with a win over Tampa Bay next week, a recovery that likely keeps Nick Saban employed for 1998. The 10 playoff teams are set, but there are still some things to fight for next week. Philadelphia needs to win to ensure a home game in the playoffs, and could still get a bye with a Bulls loss. Orlando can jump over the Stars if Philly falters. Birmingham locks up the #1 seed with a win or a Federals loss. Portland already has their top seed ensured, but Michigan and Texas still have to settle who will be the Division Champ in the Central. Chicago could also move up if the Outlaws lose again, claiming the #3 seed and the bye. Hard to believe, but Texas could drop as far as 4th and be forced to host Denver in the Wild Card game with a loss. BANDIT BERATING Perhaps the most dramatic moment of the weekend was in a game that had little on the line. Tampa Bay’s sidelines were as entertaining as any game this week as throughout the game against the Fire there were obvious flare ups between Head Coach Jerry Glanville and QB Troy Aikman. There are rumors around the Bandits that Aikman, who will be a free agent in just 1 week, could walk, and has told ownership that he is not prepared to play another season under Glanville. If it came down to their Head Coach or their starting QB, which way would ownership go? And if the lack of a CBA leads to a free agency free-for-all, as seems to be the inevitable destiny of the USFL right now, Aikman will have more than a few suitors lined up, in both the USFL and the NFL, to offer him leverage that Glanville, after another sub-par season, simply does not have. LEGEND NO MORE? Jim Mora’s short stint with the Invaders has not exactly improved his reputation around the league. After a stunning career in Philadelphia Mora, one including two league titles, Mora shipped off to the NFL, where he again created an instant contender with the New Orleans Saints. His return to the USFL was seen as a triumph for the league and a boon for the Invaders, but after going 7-9 in his first season back in the spring league, Mora’s 1997 Invaders have been a huge disappointment. It is expected that Mora will separate from the club after next week’s season ender, but what will happen to him? He is still a revered figure in many quarters, and there are certainly enough teams around the league who may be looking for a new Head Coach and will forgive the bad marriage of Mora with Oakland. We should all expect his phone to be ringing as soon as he becomes available, even with 2 sub-par years as an Invader on his resume. KNOX NOT OUT Chuck Knox entered the season with a lot of rebuilding to do in New Jersey, and when he lost his top 2 quarterbacks to injuries early in the season many felt that the year was done. While 6-9 and riding a 4-game losing streak is not what New Jersey hoped for, it does appear that they are satisfied that Knox is taking the Generals in the right direction. Ownership came out this week and announced that they had extended the 65-year old coach’s contract through the 1999 season. Knox, who is known as a defense & run game kind of coach, old school 3 yards and a cloud of dust stuff, has got a defense that can compete with anyone (Top 10 in scoring, yards against and rush defense) but has not yet found the run game he desires with Bam Morris as his lead back. Expect Knox to seek to improve the O-line and possibly take a shot at a HB in the draft. With both Rob Johnson and Tommy Maddox expected to be on the market as well, we would not be shocked if Spence Fischer gets a new teammate to compete with for the starting job. Could you imagine if that teammate were Troy Aikman? Perhaps too much to consider right now. RECORD MAKER While we were all gushing about the strong year that Troy Vincent was having in St. Louis, or the talents on display from young Anthony Dorsett in Philly, Elbert Shelley in Texas was quietly having himself a record pace season. This week he did what no one anticipated and tied the league record with his 9th interception of the season. The record, held by USFL Hall of Famer Raphel Cherry since 1990, has been challenged several times, but it always seemed that players got stuck at 8 picks, as we saw happen to Chris Snyder last season. With a pick this week in their loss to Michigan, Shelley matched Cherry with his 9th pick, and with one game still to go Shelley has a shot to claim the title all to himself. Shelley, who has had an up and down career since joining the Outlaws in 1987, has never eclipsed 5 picks in any season, but he has also never been on a defense as solid as the one the Outlaws have had this year. Support from teammates like corners Jerome Henderson and Kenny Gales, have allowed Shelley to capitalize on forced throws and QB pressures to snag the record-tying 9 picks from the free safety slot. Can he reach 10? That is on the table next week. Looking at the potential playoff-impacting games in Week 16 there are a few injuries to note. Birmingham will be without SS Darryl Williams, who could also miss the team’s playoff run with a shoulder injury. Chicago FB Kimble Anders is again likely out, this time with a fracture in his lower right arm. Philly SS Marcus Quinn is listed as doubtful with a sprained knee, while Jacksonville rookie HB Kenny Bynum is also doubtful after straining his right wrist. Orlando’s Scott Mitchell came out of the game last week but is expected to play this week. Texas may opt to rest Reggie Cobb after he jammed his toe last week. Negotiations start up again this week between the USFLPA and the league, and if the owners want to avoid a major free agency explosion, they have until Friday to come to a deal with the union. We know that it is already too late to rescind the decision to switch to a 6-division, 14-game season for 1998, but there are voices within the ownership group, voices that had voted for the change, that now seem to be backtracking on the decision. Could the league actually make the shift back to the current 4-division, 16-week schedule, or even come up with another format for 1999? It seems clear that the vote to approve the new format was influenced by several strong-willed owners, but also by a sense that it would not negatively impact the league’s tv contracts. The significance of the move and its impact on labor seems not to have received the attention it deserved. What is needed now is a way for the owners to save face while also coming to the table with an arrangement, even if only for one season, which the union can get on board with. Confidence is not high that this can be done in a week, and most league insiders are telling us we need to expect to see a major free agency exodus beginning next Monday. The NFL must be licking their chops at the prospect of so many unsigned players being available. Even if the league were to come to an agreement this week, the odds are pretty high that the league will see some big name stars headed elsewhere, most likely to the fall. We took a look around the USFL and selected a dozen free agents of great impact, the ones the NFL will almost certainly make serious efforts to sign. Here is our list of the 12 USFL Stars most coveted by the NFL: New Orleans OT Troy Auzene: A huge piece of the success of both Jamie Martin and Terrell Davis, the 28-year old Auzene will draw a lot of attention from the NFL because left tackles are always in demand. New Jersey CB/S Jason Sehorn: Sehorn came over from the NFL on a one-year contract, but could go right back to the Giants or another NFL club if the money is right. He has played well for a pretty solid New Jersey defense, so this would be a hit for the club. Chicago QB Dan McGwire: After getting a second shot in Chicago, McGwire has had some injury issues, and now with Alex Van Pelt coming on strong, his market value may never be higher. With QB always at a premium in both leagues, McGwire may be best served to find a spot where he will be the unchallenged starter. Washington LB Michael Barrow: Barrow is at the end of his rookie contract, and his coming into the prime of his career. In his short USFL career he has quickly become a major playmaker, with 22 sacks and 4 picks in his 4 seasons, going along with over 330 tackles. Houston HB Thurman Thomas: If this were 1993 and not 1997, we might have Thomas at #1 overall, but he is clearly on the downside of a very good career, which may limit opportunities. That said, if the price is right a club could get themselves a very versatile back, and one who may be ready to depart the Gamblers as they experience a retooling. St. Louis CB Try Vincent: The 29 year old Vincent is in the prime of his career, and is among the league leaders in picks once again this year. Vincent would be a clear #1 in any secondary in either league, and the struggles of the Knights to put W’s on the board may make the thought of a new start very enticing. Portland OT Bruce Armstrong: A multiple-time All-USFL player at Left Tackle, Armstrong is only 31, and has many good years ahead of him. If you want to know how Robert Drummond has led the league in rushing for 2 years, you only need to look at Armstrong. Portland could win a title this year, which means Armstrong does not become a free agent for a month longer than others in the league, so there may just be time to sign him before that happens if the league can get a CBA in place. Pittsburgh LB Demetrius DuBose: Double-D has been pretty vocal about his concerns about the direction the Maulers are heading. They were league champions in 1995 but seem to be slipping since then, so the perennial 100-tackle centerpiece of the Mauler D may be open to looking at other options. Philadelphia DT Leon Lett: Chuck Long would also be a free agent if a deal is not brokered, but Lett seems to have a larger market than the 33-year old QB. A true run stuffer and space-occupier, Lett could see a lot of attention from NFL clubs looking to free up their DE’s to rush the passer. Tampa Bay WR Shannon Baker: After the year Baker is having this season, there is no way the NFL does not come calling. The 5th year wideout has had back to back 60-reception seasons, and has already topped his 1996 numbers of 1,441 yards and 7 TDs with 1,600 yards so far this year and 10 scores. Expect the speedster to get a lot of attention, something that will not make Troy Aikman happy. Memphis DE Reggie White: Normally a 33-year old D-End would not garner much of a market, but this is Reggie White, and even if he has only a couple of solid years left, who would not want to add him to their roster. With the Showboats consistently falling short in supporting him with a better defensive team around him, White may just jump at the chance to show what he can do in the NFL. Birmingham Trio: We cannot separate the three top free agents from the Stallions. This club could be devastated if QB Brett Favre, WR Ernest Givens and LB Kevin Greene all depart. Favre is the only one under 30 years of age, and as the best QB in the league the USFL will do all they can to hold onto him. That could require letting Givens and/or Greene go this year. With playoff position still on the line for many clubs, the question of who rests players is a big one. We do expect Portland to rest Jack Trudeau against the Arizona Wranglers, but with Robert Drummond seeking a league record, don’t expect the back to get any rest. Denver is locked into the 5th playoff spot, so expect some starters to get rest as they face the Invaders in Oakland. Michigan and Texas are still hoping to get that #2 seed and a home divisional game, so do not expect the Panthers to rest anyone as they visit St. Louis, or for Texas to rest any starters at home against rival Houston. Chicago’s options as they travel to New Orleans are interesting. They have a shot at moving to the 3 seed and getting a bye, but it is a slim one, so perhaps they rest players expecting to host the Wild Card game next week. Jacksonville and Washington both have something to play for when they face off, so expect to see the starters there, and in Birmingham, where a win over Pittsburgh gives them home field for the playoffs. Philly wants to avoid a loss, but with Atlanta in town, they may still rest Chuck Long as they expect to host a playoff game next week. Orlando can steal that playoff home gig if the Stars stumble and they beat the Generals. In games without playoff impact we have Memphis ending their year at Baltimore, Tampa Bay limping into Ohio, and LA headed up to Seattle in an utterly forgettable matchup.

Playoff Picture: All 10 berths have been clinched at Week 15, with Philadelphia, Orlando, Chicago and Denver clinching this week. Positioning and home field determinations remain to be decided in Week 16.