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After several weeks in which lopsided wins and uneven performances seemed to be the norm, we get to Week 11 and things get a lot tighter, with 7 of the week’s 12 games decided by 1 score or less. A tough week to pick a GOTW, but a great week for fans of the game with lots of close finishes, even matchups, and, of course, playoff impact, across the league. What we ended up with is what we so often seem to see in the USFL, a few dominant teams, a few that are just not playing well at all, and a big middle group where “any given Sunday” is the norm and wins and losses are decided by the slimmest of margins. We got that in the game we chose for our Game of the Week, to be sure, with the whole thing coming down to a 2-point play. From all the close matchups this week, we felt the most dramatic had to be this clash of Atlantic and Pacific, with the defense of the defending champion Federals against the emerging offense of the Oakland Invaders. Oakland put their rookie QB Ryan Leaf up against that Federal pass rush, and to be sure he got knocked around quite a bit (5 sacks and 9 more knockdowns), but Oakland did enough to hold an 8-point lead with 1:35 left in the game. For Washington, despite their defensive prowess, they still have to score points, so it was up to Kordell Stewart and the offense to come back in a final 2-minute drill if they wanted to tie the game and have a shot at overtime. Washington found themselves in a hole with 1:35 left because despite the pressure on Leaf, and despite holding Oakland to an impressive 0 for 8 on third downs, the Invaders had found enough big plays to be in the lead. Their 21 points actually came the hard way, with 2 Nedney field goals, a safety, a McCaffrey TD catch, a Siran Stacy run and a missed 2-point conversion that gave Washington hope, down only 8 instead of 10. Washington, which had only mustered an early Mike Williams TD catch and two Doug Pelfry field goals in 58 minutes of play would have to muster a final drive to tie the game and hope that they would get the upper hand in overtime. They received the ball after Oakland’s late field goal, down 8 and with the ball beginning on their 25. A roughing the passer call on 1st and 10 gave them 15 yards right off the bat, and then Stewart hit McNeal, Fletcher, and Herman Moore on 3 of 4 passes to get the Feds into range. After spiking the ball to stop the clock on the Oakland 22, Stewart found Moore again for the last of his game-leading 10 receptions on the day (10 for 164 yards). This one was the 22-yard scoring toss the Feds needed. Now down only 2 they lined up for a 2-pointer. Faking the handoff to Barry Word, Stewart kept the ball on a bootleg and at first appeared to have an angle on the corner of the endzone. He seemed read to dive towards the pylon when Oakland safety John Lynch clipped his side, turning his pylon dive into an awkward crumple just 1 foot shy. Replay showed the ball hit the sideline before sliding into the end zone and the play was confirmed. No score. The game ended with Washington 1 foot short of tying up the score. A huge victory for the Oakland Invaders, playing before their biggest crowd in over 2 years, and a big blow to Washington, who are desperately trying to keep pace in a crowded Atlantic Division field. PHI 19 DEN 20 Another huge win for the often underestimated Pacific Division came with Denver’s 1 point victory over the Stars. Philadelphia led after 3, but late scores from Salaam and Kevin Dyson helped the Gold pull off the come-from-behind victory, moving their record to 7-4 and dropping Philly 2 games behind Baltimore in the Atlantic. BAL 19 POR 17 Baltimore expanded their lead by traveling to Civic Stadium in Portland and eking out a win against the Thunder. Down 17-16 with 4:29 left to play, Wally Richardson did what he had done all game, dinked and dunked his way down the field, setting up a game winning kick from the old man himself, Luis Zendejas. The defense led by a 2-sack/constant threat presence of John Randall held Portland down for the final minute to give the Blitz the win. OHI 23 SEA 17 The Glory won their 5th game in the last 6 by edging the Dragons in Seattle. Down 17-14, Ohio got the last 9 points of the game, all Silvestri field goals, and held down the Brian Griese comeback attempt in the final minutes to take the win, despite being outgained by the Dragons. JAX 26 HOU 27 The Gamblers just keep finding ways to win. Like Ohio, Houston fought their way back from a 4th quarter deficit of 26-21 using the right foot of their kicker. The final score-shifting kick came with only 19 seconds left in the game as Chris Boniol booted home a 31-yarder to put Houston up for the first time in the entire game. MEM 26 MGN 20 OT The Panther’s backslide continued with a rough home loss to the Showboats. Three turnovers and an inabilityto get to Heath Shuler proved too much for the Panthers to overcome as Shuler found Lawyer Tillman for 155 yards passing, including the game-winning TD in overtime to end the game. Memphis too had needed a last second field goal, and got it to send the game to an extra period, where they won the toss and never let Michigan see the ball, scoring on a deep ball just 3 plays into the extra period. TBY 24 NOR 19 We thought the Breakers might give Tampa a run for their money, and that is what we got, a close game that required a late Aikman to Errict Rhett TD pass to put the W in Tampa’s ledger. The Breakers harassed Aikman all day, sacking him 5 times and holding down the deep passing game. Aikman was forced to use dump off routes and relied far more on Ben Coates and Errict Rhett than Moss or Brooks. But, at the end of the day, the 10-1 Bandits found a way to win a tough road matchup. ATL 20 STL 34 The other 10-win club, St. Louis got there by forcing 2 Fire turnovers and holding Atlanta to only 3 of 11 on third down. They also got a combined 137 yards from HBs Green and Thompson, including a TD run from each as they held home court and all but locked up the Central Division. BIR 38 CHI 28 With Chris Miller knocked out of the game with a wrist injury, Alex Van Pelt got a chance to retake the helm but threw two picks against Birmingham’s zones. Meanwhile Brett Favre threw for 5 TDs and 308 yards against a shell of the Chicago defense we have come to expect. Cedric Tillman had a big game with 130 yards and a score, while Shannon Sharpe led all receivers with 5 catches on the day. ORL 13 TEX 45 One week after their big win over the Stars, Orlando went to Texas and just laid an egg. Texas has rebounded from a very rough start and are in contention for a Wild Card after this blowout win over Orlando. Cobb and Thomas combined for 114 yards rushing and 2 scores, while Kelly Stouffer threw for 288 and 3 scores before having to bow out after a blow to the head left him a bit woozy. Irving Fryar finished the game with 126 yards as Orlando continued to double cover Carl Pickens all game. PIT 21 ARZ 10 A bad game for Jake Plummer and a run game that could only produce 50 yards total for the game spelled defeat for the Wranglers at home. Pittsburgh relied on the pass against the Wrangler D, and Robbie Bosco got good production from Andre Rison (11 for 96 yards) and Freddie Solomon (10 for 105) as the short passing game worked well to keep Bosco out of harm’s way and connecting on 41 of 50 passes. NJ 31 LA 17 The Generals made huge news with a mid-week signing, but the news on Sunday was backup HB Leeland MacElroy, who spelled a gimpy Curtis Enis and proceeded to gain 71 yards on only 11 carries for the Generals. LA was hurt by yet another change at QB, as Brent Pease was knocked out of the game early and Sean Salisbury, only recently picked up in trade, struggled in his first game with the Express, connecting on only 47% of his throws. ONE MORE GO An interesting situation played out this week between New Jersey, Birmingham and one of the breakout players from the past few years. New Jersey, dealing with the season-ending injury to LB Ty Hallock and deeply engaged in what they hope is a late run to the playoffs, bypassed the usual free agent options, and past the point of being able to trade for a stand in linebacker, they went one step beyond, agreeing to terms with former Birmingham Stallion and All-USFL linebacker Kevin Greene to come back from retirement to play for the Generals. Unlike Seattle, who signed former Mauler, Fire, and Invader DT Tony Siragusa to fill a roster whole, New Jersey went for a retired player in hopes he has one more stretch run left in him. Greene, who had been helping out the Stallions with conditioning in something of a consulting role, had to clear the USFL’s retirement reinstatement protocols, which also meant that the Generals had to compensate Birmingham for the rights to the long-term Stallion backer. New Jersey offered a 7th round pick, Birmingham countered asking for a 3rd rounder, and the two agreed on a 5th round pick in next year’s draft. Greene was in New Jersey on Friday and on the sideline, though not in uniform, on Sunday. How quickly and to what impact the Generals can get Greene on the field and into games remains to be seen, but if he is even 80% of what he showed last year in his final season with Birmingham (13 sacks and 95 tackles), the Generals may have just outsmarted the system and gotten themselves someone who could be a huge help down the stretch. KUDOS TO R.D. After some doubters and some worriers seemed ready to write off Robert Drummond after only a few rough weeks, the big back in Portland has proven them wrong. Drummond seems to be gaining steam just as his team needs him, with Jack Trudeau’s health a question and the Thunder trying to make a Wild Card run. While getting fewer carries than in past years (well behind the pace of Barry Word, the league leader with 203) Drummond is getting better per-carry results, with his average back over 5 yards a carry, something that is clearly making the Thunderheads very happy out in Portland. Another club happy with their run game has to be the St. Louis Knights. The emergence of rookie Ahman Green as a viable 1-2 punch with veteran Darrell Thompson has already created a 2-headed 1,000 yard rusher in St. Louis. Thompson has 558 yards and 6 TDs on the season while the rookie has added 532 yards and 4 scores of his own. The speed of Green paired with the power game of Thompson has helped St. Louis develop a run-first offense that aligns well for ball control and clock management, two factors that an offense can use to help their defense be even more potent. Finally, sticking with the HB position, we don’t talk much about the contributions of running backs to the passing game, at least not since Thurman Thomas retired, but we are seeing some good numbers this year from the halfback positoin. Corey Dillon in Seattle leads all backs with 38 catches, though most of these are screens and dump offs. His 181 yards an 1 TD are a far cry from the league leaders among backs. Tampa Bay’s Errict Rhett, benefitting from the Tampa deep ball game, has 472 yards and 5 scores on only 27 receptions. That is a solid 200 yards ahead of the #2 yardage receiver. If you are looking for scoring, Orlando’s Kantroy Barber has been a good optoin for Scott Mitchell, catching 4 TD passes, second only to Rhett. Another player to watch down the stretch is Memphis’s Garrison Hearst, who started getting incorporated into the pass game in more recent games, but has a nice 10.9 yard average per reception. One more on-field story, we mentioned the amazing year TE Keith Jackson is having, leading all tight ends by 19 catches (94 to Butch Rolle’s 75 in second) but we also should mention a few other big targets around the league. We all have seen how good Ben Coates is in Tampa Bay, with 1,026 yards already and 13 scores as well to lead all at his position. Another who is getting a lot of red zone looks is Washington’s Travis McNeal, with 6 scoring grabs. We also should mention Lonnie Johnson out in Portland, who is second in yards with 809. A good year for the positoin all around. While it is still too early to have teams clinched (the next week could move us far closer) It seems very good for 5 clubs who find themselves well over .500. St. Louis and Tampa Bay are not just thinking about getting playoff positions, but of locking up their divisions, with St. Louis holding a 3 game lead over Houston and Tampa Bay a whopping 5 games up on Memphis and Orlando. Both should also be heavily favored to get the #1 seeds in the conference as they both have 2 game leads on the other division leaders. Oakland and Baltimore are also in strong positions, while Denver and Houston are in a pretty good position, 2 games up on the 6th place team. The real meat of the final weeks is likely to be the battles for the final Wild Card spots. Right now it seems the entire Atlantic division is 6-5, with 4 clubs sitting in a tie there, but Ohio is only 1 game back and has been very hot the past 6 weeks. And we should not forget that Memphis and Orlando are also both right there. In the West, we have 1 club, Portland, at 6-5, but a cluster of clubs (Seattle, Arizona, Texas) within easy striking distance at 5-6. With 5 games left, there is a lot to be gained down the stretch for many of these clubs. More bad news for Seattle as they now lose a key defensive contributor. DT Tim Johnson is done for the season after a neck injury created a scary scene on the field. The good news is that there appears to be no risk of permanent damage, but any time we see a player carted off on a back brace it is a scary sight. Ohio will be without their nickel back, Corey Raymond after an ACL injury puts him out of commission for the rest of the year. In Chicago the lost season is now lost for Ricky Proehl as well, out with a broken foot. Jack Trudeau was able to play this week, but that seems a bad call now, as he was quickly pulled and his wrist again reevaluated. This could be a real problem down the stretch for Portland. New Jersey got a scare when Spence Fischer took a nasty fall on his throwing shoulder this past week, but he is listed as probable for the game this week, so apparently the concerns about a separation were unfounded. Finally, Kordell Stewart was placed on IR for a unique reason, allergies. Apparently Kordell has some issues with the summer grasses in bloom across the D.C. area. Hard to keep that snap count going when you are sneezing. We expect he will find a way to play with the Federals in the heart of a playoff spot hunt. Week 12 looks like it will be a big one with all 24 clubs once again in divisional play. In the Eastern Conference the big battles look like they will be in the middle of both divisional packs. With all 4 clubs at 6-5 and trailing Baltimore by 2 games, New Jersey hosts Pittsburgh and the Federals try to rebound as they host the Philadelphia Stars. Baltimore is at Ohio, which looks like a much tougher game than it did a month ago. In the South, the big game is Atlanta in Orlando. With both clubs sitting at 5-6, a loss in this one may be the end of any real playoff aspirations for either club. Memphis also sits at 5-6 as they face their rival, Birmingham, at the Libety Bowl. Finally, Tampa Bay will host Jacksonville in a Florida Derby that does not look like a fair fight at this point of the year. In the Central Division we are not sure if Texas has enough to go into St. Louis to face the Knights, but if they want to crawl back into playoff contention they need to find a way to win. Houston, looking solid at 7-4, is in Chicago where the Machine seem to have nothing left to give. And in Michigan a battle of two clubs very disappointed to be sitting at 4-7 as the Breakers face off against the Panthers. Finally, in the Pacific, Arizona needs to upset the Denver Gold in Tempe to get back to .500 and stay alive in a crowded division. Seattle (5-6) faces a similar challenge as they head to Portland (6-5) very much trying to keep playoff hopes alive. And in a Golden State Clash, we expect Oakland to have no trouble knocking off the 1-10 LA Express even with the game being played at Farmer’s Insurance Field.

Week Ten is the traditional start of what most clubs consider the home stretch. 6 weeks to make a push for playoff positions, to turn around a midling season, or to endure the sad end of a lost season. We have a bit of all three happening in the league this year as St. Louis and Tampa Bay are running roughshod through the league, while a cluster of teams between 4-6 wins are all thinking that a solid streak of good play is all they need to make a move and enjoy the sweet taste of late summer playoff football, like a sweet tea on a hot July day. The first overtime game in over a month saw Michigan come back big against the Gamblers to force overtime, where the right foot of Chris Boniol proved decisive for the home club. The Gamblers have been one of the pleasant surprises this year, and with the overtime win they move to 6-4 and are now an unanticipated playoff contender. Michigan was expected to vie for the Central title with Texas, but now both clubs are looking up at the Gamblers and Knights. Once again Michigan proved they can gain yards with their balance of run and pass, but once again points were at a premium as Houston’s defense played the bend-but-don’t-break game all day. The Panthers outgained the Gamblers 465 to 219, but lost the turnover battle 3-1, which was huge in this game. All three turnovers were Doug Flutie picks as Houston keyed on Jeff Campbell. With Michigan thinking they could exploit the Houston pass defense, Flutie kept putting the ball up, to the tune of 415 yards, mostly short zonebeaters, but despite Jeff Campbell ending the game with 15 receptions (for only 113 yards, a 7.5 average) and Muhsin Muhammad catching 14 balls (again short passes, 7.9 yard average), the biggest plays were made by the Houston defense. It was 7-3 Houston at the half, thanks to an early Mario Greer run, a rarity for a club that is just not putting together a solid run game option despite the decent win record. In the 3rd quarter, the Gamblers used a post-pick short field to double up their score, with Hartlieb hitting Hart Lee Dykes for a short TD grab. Down 14-3, Michigan did just enough to come back and tie the game, first with a 25 yard Brett Conway kick, and then, with 22 seconds left in regulation, with Flutie finally getting the offense into the endzone, hitting Muhammad with a fade route and then connecting with Butch Rolle on the 2 point play to tie the game at 14. In overtime the offenses again sputtered, and we looked like we were heading for a tie for certain, but Houston did just enough to give Conway a shot, and from 54 yards out, his longest attempt in 2 years, Conway connected and gave Houston the win. The Gamblers cannot feel comfortable with their offense these days, but with the trade deadline having passed, we don’t see a lot of options for them to boost that anemic run game. However, that Houston defense is now ranked #7 in scoring and is making plays that keep teams off the board, a good sign if the Gamblers want to snag a Wild Card spot. OAK 14 DEN 30 A statement game for the Denver Gold as they upend the Oakland Invaders thanks to 3 takeaways and a stingy defense. Denver went up 14-0 in the first as Brunell hit Odessa Turner and Marco Battaglia with early TD tosses. They then put the ball in Rashaan Salaam’s hands, as he carried the rock 26 times to keep Oakland at arm’s length and secure a big divisional win. PIT 20 TBY 34 A 24-0 run between the second and third quartes helped Tampa Bay pull past the Maulers and secure their 9th win of the year. In a POTW performance, Troy Aikman connected on 4 TDs despite the Mauler defense putting pressure on all day. Six sacks for the Pittsburgh D, but not enough to slow down Aikman or his dangerous receivers. Randy Moss again was uncoverable, catching 3 balls, including a 76 yard score. Ben Coates led all receivers with 149 yards on 5 catches as the deep vertical game continues to be a major force for the Bandits. STL 26 NOR 13 The Knights doubled up the Breakers again on the strength of that defense. It would have been a much bigger win for St. Louis, but for 4 turnovers , including 3 uncharacteristic Todd Collins picks, that helped keep New Orleans in the game. Terrell Davis also rushed for 97 yards on 19 carries, but still seemed gruff after the game, frustrated by the conservative play calling and lack of inventiveness in the Breaker offense. POR 34 ARZ 24 Portland’s turnaround and Arizona’s swoon both continued as the Thunder overcame an early 21-7 deficit to take the win behind another decent game from backup Bill Musgrave. The former Oregon Duck threw for 333 yards and 3 scores against a pretty solid Wrangler D. The Thunder also contained Rocket Ismael and the Wrangler offense, winning the time of possession 34-26 minutes. BAL 36 BIR 24 Baltimore was the latest club to take advantage of Birmingham’s porous defense, racking up 389 yards of offense and scoring on 7 drives to overtake the home club. Again with Wally Richardson at the helm, despite the trade for Jeff Garcia, Baltimore looked like a dangerous club. Rob Moore had 8 catches and Tim Dwight caught a long TD pass to keep the Stallions reeling. WSH 48 ATL 6 The Federals made a statement in Atlanta, absolutely dismantling the Fire. Despite the return of Jeff George, the Fire could do nothing against that Federal defense. Meanwhile Barry Word found plenty of gaps in the Fire’s D-Line, rushing 15 times for 135 yards, a whopping 9 yards per carry. Add in 116 yards in the air from Herman Moore and a 21 for 27 day from Kordell Stewart and this game got ugly quickly. PHI 10 ORL 30 Every time we think the Stars are ready to take command in the Atlantic they seem to lay an egg. In Orlando they could not get anything going, and they also could not keep Orlando’s Keenan McCardell away from the ball. The result? A big win for the Renegades to stay alive at 5-5 and another head scratching loss for Coach Berry and the Stars. OHI 23 MEM 10 Don’t look now, but the 0-5 Glory have won 4 of their last 5 and are a respectable 4-6 at the 10-game mark. A Vince Buck pick-6 got the ball rolling for Ohio, and the Glory defense held Memphis to only 2 of 13 on third down and only 45 yards rushing. Picking off Heath Shuler 3 times, the Ohio defense is improving each week. NJ 30 JAX 13 The Generals got a good game from Curtis Enis (78 yards and a score) and Tommy Maddox kept the ball out of the hands of the Bulls’ defense, allowing New Jersey’s defense to take over the game. Other than a solid 9 catch, 119 yard day from Terrell Owens, the Bulls never found their rhythm in the home loss. SEA 31 LA 21 Seattle moved to 5-5 with a road win in the division as LA fell once again. Corey Dillon’s 76 yards rushing helped, but it was 4 TDs from rookie Brian Griese that has to give Dragon fans hope for the season. Griese went 31 of 49 in one of the more dynamic weeks for the Dragon offense. We have to remember that this is the LA defense we are talking about, so maybe don’t read too much into it, but it is a good win for Seattle. TEX 38 CHI 7 Chicago’s brutal season continues, and there are real concerns that Marty has lost control of his squad. The effort just was not there, and new QB Chris Miller looked pretty rusty as Chicago simply failed to mount much offense. Texas, on the other hand, had a field day, with Kelly Stouffer hitting Carl Pickens for 3 scores and the combo of Reggie Cobb and Rodney Thomas had their best week rushing all year, a combined 126 yards. MARTY FEELING THE HEAT We just referenced this, but after 7 seasons in Chicago, which have included 4 playoff appearances and 1 Summer Bowl appearance, the ice seems to be getting a little thin under Coach Schottenheimer’s feet. It is hard to imagine that Chicago was 10-6 last year as this club looks like a pale shadow of last season. The Machine currently rank 23rd, second to last, in both scoring and scoring defense. Their usually stout defense has been anything but this year, and currently rank dead last against the rush, which, of course, opens up the play action game as well. On offense the run game has not been open for Tyrone Wheatley, and opting to go with Alex Van Pelt as their starter through 9 weeks has simply not panned out. While we could certainly see giving Marty a freebee on this year, if the Machine continue to sleepwalk, or if we hear more dissent on the roster, it could be a bad sign for the long-time USFL coach. GO DEEP What can we say about Coach Seifert’s reimagination of Tampa Bay’s vertical offense? When Seifert was named as the new head coach of the Bandits, most expected some version of the West Coast offense to be the new plan, but Seifert doubled down on Tampa’s deep ball style and that, along with the arrival or rookie standout Randy Moss, have create a truly dynamic and nearly unstoppable offense. With 6 games left to play, Aikman has a legitimate shot at breaking league records for passing yards and passing TDs. He sits at nearly 4,000 yards already and should easily surpass 5,000, while his 35 TDs put him only 12 away from the record held by Brett Favre. Helping him out is a receiving corps that is loving the fly routes and deep balls. Robert Brooks leads the club with 54 receptions, but it is Moss, who has turned his 51 receptions into over 1,200 yards and 12 TDs who is the big revelation this season. Add to this that the deep ball has made life easier for the TE’s with Ben Coates matching Moss with 12 TDs and closing in on 1,000 yards, with 912 yards to date. Troy Drayton has more modest numbers, but his 44 targets are a career high. Even Errict Rhett is getting into the game, serving as an outlet for Aikman, and catching 24 balls for 429 yards so far. GOLDEN SAFETY Denver’s Jamel Williams is having himself a run, snagging 4 picks in just the last 3 games to take the lead among all defenders. The 2nd year player took over as the starting free safety this year after a solid rookie season, but in 1997 he had only 3 picks all year, whereas this year his 6 lead all DB’sand go along with a solid 23 tackles and 15 passes defended. Coach Jauron is using Williams deeper than Coach Phillips last year, and the freedom to focus on pass defense is clearly paying off for the young safety. Week 10 and time to look at the playoff picture. The first official playoff rankings came out this week and while there are not exactly surprises at the top, with Tampa Bay and St. Louis dominating their respective conferences at 9-1, the battles below are quite interesting. Baltimore is a surprise leader in the Atlantic, but they have Philadelphia and Washington in the hunt just a game behind. Tampa has an amazing 4-game lead over both Atlanta and Orlando, so it looks like those two clubs will have to battle with the Atlantic clubs (including 5-5 New Jersey and Pitsburgh) for Wild Card spots. In the West, Oakland has a slim lead over Denver and Portland for the Pacific title, and this week’s loss to Denver certainly does not help their cause. Houston comes in at #5 right now, but they have both Seattle and Arizona right behind them at 5-5 for that final playoff spot. The only other race worth tracking may be the race for the #1 draft pick. Both Chicago and LA are mired at 1-9 right now, with both very likely looking for a QB in the draft. With a possible 5 QB’s expected to be picked in the first round of of the two league drafts (NFL and USFL), there are certainly options available to them. But, of course, with that pick comes the indignity of being the worst team in the league, something no team wants and few coaches can survive. Denver may need to rely on Jamel Williams to do even more as they have lost CB Anthony Tuggle to a ruptured Achilles. Tuggle should be ready to go for 1999, but his season is done. A similar concern in New Jersey, where DE Marcellus Wiley is out for the year, which may just make life tougher for Phil Hansen on the other side. Hansen is 2 sacks behind Orlando’s Chris Doleman, and now will almost certainly face more double teams. Chicago got more bad news, with WR Ricky Proehl, their slot specialist, down with a broken foot. 8-12 weeks is the expected recover time, which means he is no longer part of this season. Seattle has their own wideout issues, as Eric Metcalf is still not ready to return, and could need as much as another rmonth to deal with his broken foot. On the good news side, some players ready to return include QB Jack Trudeau in Portland, LB Sam Rogers in New Orleans, Ohio RT Joe Valerio, STL DT Jery Ball and Pittsburgh wideout Freddie Solomon. He may be several months from assuming the mantle of the USFL, but Dick Ebersol is already making news, stating this week that he sees a larger role for pay cable in the USFL’s future. At present ESPN is the only cable network covering the league, part of a joint ABC/ESPN agreement, with FOX being the other broadcast partner, but Ebersol in an interview with the Sporting News this week talked about the future of the league and its broadcast options. Ebersol cited the growth of cable options as a factor the league has to consider. With the FOX contract coming due in 1999, there is a window to broaden the broadcast options to a possible 4th network by reducing the FOX contract from 10 games a week down to 6 or 8. There has been talk of expanding into Monday Night, as the NFL has done for years, or even to Friday night, as the USFL does not have the same issue of competition with High School football on Fall Friday’s. Adding a marquee game on Friday Night is a risky prospect as television viewership is often low on the night with many Americans opting to bypass TV for a night out. Monday may actually be a better option. Ebersol also spoke somewhat candidly about the botched attempt of league owners to adjust the calendar and move from a 16 to a 14-week regular season last year. While he cites the potential benefits of reducing the league season, he also seemed adamant that to go into such discussions without a clear plan in place with the USFLPA was a significant mistake, a mistake we all saw revealed last season as the union took a hard stand on salaries in a reduced schedule format. Finally, the topic of expansion came up. Ebersol acknowledged that he was well aware that there were ownership groups in multiple major markets that would love to see another wave of expansion in the spring league, but insisted that the 1995 expansion is still having effects on the league, and with none of the 1995 clubs having made it to .500 much less a playoff spot yet, he believes there is no immediate interest in going through the disruptive process in the near future. Bad news for cities like Boston, Dallas, Miami, and Minneapolis-St. Paul, but a reasonable position considering the recent issues the league has faced. An interesting week ahead with all 4 divisions in inter-conference play, Atlantic v. Pacific and Southern v. Central. At the top of the TV ratings is sure to be the big Saturday Night matchup between the 7-3 Baltimore Blitz and the 6-4 Portland Thunder, though we also love the potential of the game in Oakland where the Invaders (7-3) face off against that tough Washington Federal defense. Two 6-4 clubs clash in Denver when the Gold host the Stars, and an intriguing game between two clubs that started hot but have slipped, 5-5 Arizona is hosting 5-5 Pittsburgh in a game one of them has to win. In Seattle, the Ohio Glory (4-1 in their last 5 games) may prove to be a tough opponent for the 5-5 Dragons, while in Pontiac the Showboats and Panthers are both 4-6, with Michigan having slipped over the past month. Tampa Bay takes their 9-1 record to New Orleans to face an erratic but dangerous Breakers squad, while the league’s other 9-1 club, St. Louis is hosting Atlanta in the Edward Jones Dome. Perhaps of less interest to a national audience we have Orlando at Texas, Jacksonville in Houston, Birmingham at Chicago, and New Jersey at Los Angeles.

The second half of the USFL season kicked off this week with a lot of games that got out of hand for a lot of teams. Not a lot of nailbiters this week, but a lot of games that will have an impact on the playoff futures of so many franchises, whether dashing the hopes of some or giving inspiration to others. Atlanta gained a lot of confidence with a big win at home against Birmingham, while Baltimore asserted their claim on the Atlantic, moving into a tie for 1st with a solid win over their rival, Washington. Philly won the Keystone Clash handily, while Tampa Bay dispatched with a challenge from Orlando. Out West, Houston moved over .500 by dispatching the Express, Oakland trounced Michigan, and St. Louis just kept plugging along. In a week that saw very few close games, our GOTW is more about the symbolic importance of Atlanta’s 38-24 defeat of Birmingham than by the drama the game presented. Admitedly, Atlanta did have to come back in the 4th quarter to win, but the way they did this was an emphatic statement that this is not the same Fire franchise we have come to expect. This fire will burn you. What this game had was an incredible self-destruction by the Stallions and an opportunistic win by Atlanta. Birmingham outgained Atlanta 471-274, but huge mistakes by QB Brett Favre were the key to Atlanta not just winning but winning by double digits. Favre threw 4 picks in the game, including two pick sixes to the same defender in the final quarter of play as Favre just could not seem to avoid challenging Fire FS Charles Mincy, and Mincy burned the Stallion QB badly. The game was tied at the half after Atlanta had built a 17-3 lead on a Tiki Barber TD run and a Zeier to Sharpe TD. Zeier had a bit of a rough day, completing only 18 of 39 passes, but he generally avoided turnovers and let the game come to him. Favre could not say the same. Despite throwing a pick in the 1st quarter that ended a Stallion drive deep in Fire territory, Favre kept chucking the ball into coverage. In the first half this paid off, with Birmingham coming back to tie the score at 17 with TDs to Shannon Sharpe and Cedric Tillman, but that luck would run out later in the game. Birmingham actually took the lead after Favre hit Tyree Davis with a 5-yard toss for the only score of the 3rd quarter, but after Atlanta countered with a game-tying Tiki Barber TD run, the wheels fell off the Stallions’ bus. With the game tied at 24 at the 6 minute mark of the final quarter, Favre tried to force the ball to Lawrence Dawsey, despite double coverage, but Charles Mincy was there, as he had been all day. Mincey had been burnt on a few passes earlier in the game as Dawsey got deep twice on the safety, but as the game wore on the Fire safety stopped falling for the double moves and Favre found himself throwing right into coverage. On this play the slant and go led Dawsey right into Mincey’s waiting coverage. The safety stepped in front of the receiver, snagged the ball and had an easy path to the endzone to put Atlanta up 7 and get the Bobby Dowd stands rocking. Birmingham seemed to have learned the lesson on their next possession, feeding the ball more to Stephen Davis and throwing short to Sharpe and Walter Reeves, but with time winding down and pressure mounting, Favre again tried to force a ball into double coverage, and once again Mincey was there to take advantage of a forced throw, first tipping the ball into the air and then grabbing it off the tip. The play could have ended there, as Mincey fell to the ground, but Lawrence Dawsey failed to make the effort to tag the player down, so Mincey rolled to his feet. With many of the Stallion players looking as if the play were done, he cruised down the sideline and into the endzone. After a lengthy conversation the officials raised their hands to signal touchdown. It went to replay and it was confirmed. No one had touched Mincey after he had possession of the ball, so he was live and the play was a score. Atlanta fans went wild in the stands as Coach Erhardt looked apoplectic on the Stallions sideline. But replay clearly showed that Mincey was untouched and despite the non-effort by Stallion players, his run to the endzone was still an active play. The win, and the play, was a microcosm of the season for both clubs, with Atlanta playing hard for coach Lewis, while Birmingham continues to be mistake prone, forcing bad decisions, or simply not defending to the whistle. Atlanta now moves solidly into playoff contention at 5-4, while the Stallions, languishing at 3-6, look like a club that needs to reevaluate itself. MEM 37 JAX 34 The only game this week that came down to the wire was in Jacksonville, where Memphis forced Chris Chandler to the sideline with a possible concussion, but Danny Wuerfel played well in relief to keep the Bulls in a game they should have won. Down by 3 with seconds remaining, Wuerfel found Kez McCorvey open for a game winning final second TD, only to have the ball hit McCorvey in the chest and not the hands, preserving the win for Heath Shuler and the visiting Showboats. OHI 35 NJ 13 The shocker of the week was in the Meadowlands, where the Ohio Glory took advantage of backup Tommy Maddox’s 4 picks to the tune of 21 points off of turnovers. With Eddie George limited to 45 yards on 19 carries, the hero was actually backup HB and longtime Houston Gambler Keith Woodside, who surprised New Jersey to the tune of 51 yards on only 10 carries. Kerry Collins had his best game as well, connecting on 22 of 27 passes and tossing 2 scores in the Glory win. PIT 10 PHI 23 The big game in the Atlantic was the Keystone Clash, and in this one it was all about that Stars defense as yet another USFL QB threw 4 picks this week. Robbie Bosco got down early, and with Dorsey Levins hampered by an injury too much was put on Bosco’s shoulders. Philly blanketed his receivers and Bosco forced too many throws, leading to short fields for the Stars’ offense as Philadelphia took the home W. WSH 11 BAL 29 The Blitz were another club that took advantage of home cooking as they upended their rivals from DC. Limiting Barry Word to only 43 yards rushing, Baltimore got a very solid game from backup Wally Richardson (31 of 49 for 331 and 2 scores) and WR Rob Moore came up big with 90 yards and 2 scores. The defense did not get picks as we saw in other games, but did force 2 key fumbles by the Feds to help preserve their win, a win that puts them atop the division with Philly at 6-3. TBY 24 ORL 10 Early on Orlando looked like they would give Tampa Bay a challenge, but the Bandits came back from a 10-3 deficit with 3 consecutive scoring drives to break the Renegades and get their 8th win. Ben Coates continued as a key target for Aikman, catching 6 balls for 137 yards, including a wrecking ball of a 53-yard catch and run for a 3rd quarter score that gave Tampa the lead for good. MGN 24 OAK 44 Michigan had high hopes for a W in Oakland, but the Invaders simply outplayed the Panthers in this one. Both QB’s threw three picks each as the defenses keyed in on their top receivers, and while Jeff Campbell did catch 11 for 137 and 2 Michigan scores, the Invaders still outpaced the Panthers thanks to 4 TDs from Ryan Leaf and strong games from Christian Fauria, Ed McCaffrey and Johnny Morton. HOU 24 LA 17 Houston moved to 5-4 with a hard-fought road win in LA. With the game tied at 17 with only 1:42 left, it came down to Chuck Hartlieb on a final drive to get the win. Hartlieb connected with Antonio Freeman with only 11 seconds left to crush the Express dreams of a home win and give Houston real hope for a playoff spot in a season many considered a rebuilding year. NOR 10 POR 31 The Thunder got a strong game from backup Bill Musgrave (3 Tds and 385 yards passing) as they reasserted their claim on the Pacific with a solid thumping of the New Orleans Breakers. Musgrave hit 10 different receivers on the day, including TD tosses to Kerry Simeon and TE Rickey Brady, both of whom had not scored all season, to knock off a lackluster Breaker squad. STL 26 SEA 10 Brian Griese struggled in his first start for Seattle as the Knights slew the Dragons (how medieval of them!!) with 3 picks of the Seattle QB. Ahman Green had a solid day with a 4.2 yard average, and Todd Collins found both Amani Toomer and Bert Emmanuel for scores as the Knights scored the final 17 points of the game to pull away from the Dragons. TEX 38 ARZ 10 A big game for the Outlaws as they stun the Wranglers in Tempe. Arizona just seemed out of synch as they converted only 3 of 14 third downs on the day, while Texas QB Kelly Stouffer completed 26 of 30 passes and Reggie Cobb found the endzone twice. Irving Fryar also had a big game for Texas, scoring twice on a 7 catch, 109 yard afternoon. CHI 17 DEN 45 Mark Brunell returned to action with a statement game, tossing 3 scores as Denver just manhandled a Chicago club that seems to have already given up on the year. Coach Schottenheimer pulled Alex Van Pelt after a weak 1st quarter and former Blitz starter Chris Miller struggled to get the Machine moving as well. It did not help at all that the Denver defense simply shut down the run game, with Rickey Watters gaining only 14 yards total on the day. A NEW KING OF SACKS? Chris Doleman looks to be the first real challenger to Phil Hansen’s dominance among sack leaders as he leapfrogged over the New Jersey General DE with 3 sacks this week, moving him to 16 for the year, 2 ahead of Hansen. Of course Hansen has seen challengers in the past, most notably Denver’s Leslie O’Neill, who sits in 3rd along with veteran Reggie White and Philly’s Regan Upshaw with 12 sacks on the year, but Doleman seems poised to take the crown, and 9 weeks in also has a shot at the league record of 25 set by Hansen 2 seasons ago. There are still 7 weeks of action left, but it is certainly good for the league to have a Sosa-McGwire-esque battle happening for the sack title this year as the USFL battles for media attention as the HR rage strikes the country with the two heavy hitters both going for the home run record over in MLB. QB CHANGE OVERDUE? Many are wondering what has taken Coach Marty Schottenheimer this long to put Chris Miller into action in Chicago. Now stuck at a stunningly bad 1-8 record, Schottenheimer finally pulled the plug on Alex Van Pelt, who has simply not gotten the job done this year, and is handing the reins over to Miller, but it seems far too late for this to salvage the Machine season. Van Pelt’s numbers are not atrocious, he stands 10th in the league in passing yards at 2,395, but only 17th in TDs (14) and does not crack the top 20 in QBR. The main problem has been costly mistakes (11 picks) and ineffectiveness on third down, when teams have been pressuring through the blitz and Van Pelt has seemed unable to make the quick decision. Miller has had his critics in the past, and while his lifetime QBR of 82.8 is not exactly HOF material, his 231-148 career TD-INT ratio is solid, and his leadership skills have been a big part of his success over the years. So, now we have 7 weeks for Marty to analyze Miller’s performance ahead of the offseason. Does the 10 year vet become the new face of the franchise at its most important position, or does Chicago use Miller as a bridge QB as they groom a younger future prospect. With some strong QB options in the draft, and the Machine likely to have a top 5 pick this year, the pressure will be on for Schottenheimer to look to the future. Of course this assumes that Marty survives this year’s awful showing. That is certainly not guaranteed, particularly if there is a sense that the team is no longer fighting to win for the veteran coach. If Marty’s position is secure then we think Miller may have a legit shot at retaining the job with even a midling performance this year, but if Schottenheimer were to go, the clear “rebuild” vibe might lead as well to a new direction at QB, with all eyes looking to Kentucky’s Tim Couch and Syracuse’s Donovan McNabb as strong candidates to get a good look from Machine scouts. APPLE OF MY EYE Another anticipated 1999 draft stud, Texas halfback Ricky Williams has caught the eye of at least one USFL Head Coach. Breakers’ head man Mike Ditka was effusive in his praise of Williams this week, speaking about Williams as the next Earl Campbell in unsolicited comments on his radio show on Monday. While New Orleans has a very solid starter at the position in Terrell Davis, there has been some friction between Davis and Ditka, and we could certainly see the hotheaded coach opting to go for the shiny new college stud over a disgruntled veteran if things continue to be combative between the two. New Orleans sits at 4-5, and, barring a major collapse, is unlikely to be in a position to find the Texas back available at the midpoint of the draft. If Ditka sees a new Earl Campbell in Williams, he may have to do some major wheeling and dealing to bring him to the Breakers, not just financially, getting Donald Dixon to cough up the cash to compete with the NFL, but also getting the GM to be willing to move players and picks to get in position to draft the star Longhorn back. RUNNING WILD While we are speaking about halfbacks, we should take a moment to highlight two backs who are having outstanding seasons. The first is Atlanta halfback Tiki Barber, who has emerged in a big way in his second season. After a very solid 986 yards (61 yards per game) in 1997, the young former Cavalier from UVa, has become a major force in the Atlanta offense this season. He leads the league with 696 yards this season, with his YPC average now at an outstanding 5 yards per game. Barber has also seen his production in the pass game skyrocket. After a rookie season where he was targeted only 11 times all year, he has already had 31 passes thrown his way this year. Hopes are, of course, that Barber can develop in the mold of a Thurman Thomas or Gary Anderson, a dual threat in the backfield. A slightly different strategy is being used with Eddie George in Columbus. After two somewhat disappointing seasons with the Ohio Glory, coach Saban has switched up the run schemes and it seems to be paying off for the former Buckeye. George is well on pace to smash his prior personal best of 774 yards in 1996. His yards per carry are up from only 2.7 in 1997 to a very solid 4.0 so far this year, and he already has 6 rushing touchdowns, after scoring only 7 times all season last year and only twice as a rookie. The difference seems to be a shift away from zone blocking up front to a more direct man-on-man scheme. While Ohio is struggling on defense and Kerry Collins has had his ups and downs in his first USFL season, the emergence of George as a legitimate threat out of the backfield has been a big positive for a Glory squad that has emerged from an 0-5 start to win 3 of their last 4, all quality wins over Atlanta, Pittsburgh, and New Jersey. A scary moment on Sunday when a head to head collision left New Jersey DE Marcellus Wiley on the turf for a solid 10 minutes. The awkward collision caused Wiley’s head to bend back awkwardly, and there was real fear of a spinal injury, which led to trainers bringing out the back board and the cart to wheel Wiley to the locker room. News out of New Jersey is that there was no spinal injury but that the collision did cause a fracture to Wiley’s skull, an injury which produced temporary paralysis, but which, given time, Wiley is expected to recover from fully. He is out for the year, but considering the initial fears, we are relieved to learn that a full recover is anticipated. Another huge injury this week impacts Baltimore as their star safety Joe King will likely need to undergo surgery to reattach a fully torn hamstring. The muscle rolled up after the tear as King landed awkwardly after an attempt to high point a ball. King could potentially be back for a Blitz playoff run, though that is by no means certain. Birmingham’s defense, which can ill afford to lose any star players, will be without LB Cornelius Bennett for at least the next 2-3 weeks as the veteran LB sustained a hip injury in this week’s game. Finally, Portland may be without wideout Webster Slaughter as doctors diagnosed a bulging disc in his back as the cause of leg pain on his right side. He is expected to recover within a week or two as doctors provide relief and prescribe rest to alleviate the issue. COMMISSIONER ANNOUNCED Big news this week out of New York as the decision on the next USFL Commissioner has been made. The league announced this week that beginning immediately after Summer Bowl 1998, the new chief executive of the league will be current NBC Sports guru Dick Ebersol. Ebersol, who helped to bring NBC not only an NFL contract, but leadership as the network for the Olympic Games, will take over a league just one year away from major TV contract renewals and likely bidding to diversify its broadcast footprint. Ebersol will likely also inherit ongoing discussions about league calendar, structure and scheduling, as last year’s disastrous vote and retraction on realignment has not ended internal discussions about the structure of the league’s 24 clubs and its calendar. Ebersol is viewed as a safe pick, one who will bring a wealth of sports knowledge, as well as broadcasting expertise, to the league. Expect Ebersol to be pivotal in developing new media strategies for the league as well, as the recently-announced agreement with GeoCities is likely to require a lot of attention over the next year, with the league hoping to move to the cutting edge of online monetization of their product. Finally, expect a new CBA to be on the table within the next 3 years, always a risky time for a professional sports league. STADIUM UPDATE Just a week after we did out story on the stadium situation around the league, we have two big announcements on the subject. The first big break was in Houston, where the AstroDome has been slowly falling out of favor with both Bud Adams, owner of the NFL Oilers, and Jerry Argovitz, owner of the USFL Gamblers. The two influential owners have had a tough time coming to an agreement with the city and with Harris County, but this week it was announced that a new stadium would be constructed near downtown Houston using a mix of public and private funds. The stadium, which is expected to be one of a new wave of retractable roof domed stadiums, allowing for open air games when the city’s famous heat and humidity do not make that unbearable. A retractable roof could allow both clubs to enjoy outdoor football and a grass field for the first time since the early days of the Oilers in the 1960’s, while also allowing the Summer Bowl to be held in Houston despite the often stifling heat of the city in August. Not so good news on another front as the city of Memphis and the state of Tennessee have turned down the latest proposal from Showboats ownership to form a stadium coalition to develop an alternative to the aging Liberty Bowl. Memphis seems to be suffering from stadium fatigue after the approved construction of a stadium for the NFL’s Tennessee Copperheads in Nashville. With Nashville getting a new stadium (expected to open in fall 1999) and placing additional bond and tax burden on the state, there is simply not much public good will towards creating a second stadium for the Showboats, despite the club’s position as the state’s first pro football franchise. Nashville has been in economic boom over the past 10 years, while Memphis has seen a decline in economic growth, a situation which has been seen as a major issue, as well, of course, as Nashville’s position as the state capital, meaning more politicians have a connection with the city and its pro sports franchise than they might with Memphis. The Showboats may have to pivot now and look to a far less expensive renovation proposal if they have any hope of developing greater stadium-generated revenue in Memphis. UNIFORM/LOGO NEWS While there is no news this week on the USFL’s Marketing Committee’s ongoing bidding process for the league’s game & sideline gear, with Nike getting fierce competition from both Adidas and Reebok, there is news on the team identity front, where the first of Nike’s 1999 redesigns has been revealed. At a midweek event at historic Market Square, the Maulers held a fashion show of sorts to reveal their new look for 1999. Mauler legend Mike Rozier and current players Andre Rison, DeMetrius Dubose and rookie QB Charlie Batch were on hand and in uniform to reveal the new look. The logo is updated, though still very familiar to Mauler fans, with the new hammer-wielding figure sporting a new look that some have already described as the Mauler on Steroids, although our favorite was Lou Ferrigno Mauler. The more dramatic change is in the uniforms, where the traditional sleeve stripes are once again replaced with a shoulder yoke treatment. As we have seen in other clubs (Chicago, for example) the use of a offsetting color yoke has become a major trend in the league. The new uniforms feature a metal grey yoke with orange flares on the front of the home jersey, with a purple yoke on the white away jersey. Other features include a new hexagonal “bolt” motif on both the pant stripe and the helmet stripe, with three bolts placed on the center stripe on both. The colors remain the familiar purple, orange and metallic grey, and the basic format of purple helmet, white and purple jerseys, grey pants and purple socks is not changed, though the team is also introducing a purple pant set for use with the white jerseys, though the greys are also likely to see use with this look in the hotter months of summer. It’s the Western Conference’s turn to battle it out within divisions while in the East all 5 Southern teams travel to their Atlantic foe’s homes. Within the Western shootouts we have some really key games as the divisional and Wild Card scenarios start to form. Top among these is a battle for first in the Pacific as 5-4 Denver tries to draw closer to 1st place as they host the division-leading 7-2 Oakland Invaders. A win by Oakland could all but remove hopes of a Gold division title. Meanwhile in Tempe, the Arizona Wranglers and Portland Thunder, both 5-4 try to stay in the mix. Finally, Seattle (4-5) hopes to get the road win in LA to pull to .500, while LA, having traded away their season starter at QB is now fully banking on Brent Pease to revive the offense. In the Central Division. St. Louis has a 3 game lead on their closest competitor, but face a challenge as they travel to New Orleans to take on a plucky Breakers squad. Michigan and Houston are both hovering around .500 as they clash in the AstroDome. A win by the home team puts them 2 games over .500, which would be quite a surprise and a feather in the cap of Head Coach Ray Willsey. Finally, a very disappointing Texas Outlaw squad faces a stunningly disappointing 1-8 Chicago Machine club at Soldier Field in a game that quite frankly won’t make anyone happy even with a win. Back East we have fewer big-ticket games, though I think a lot of fans are interested to see if Atlanta, after their big win against the Stallions, can move to 6-4 as they host the Washington Federals. Both clubs are 5-4 coming into this game, and one will move into much better playoff position with a win. Another 5-4 club hoping to stay in the divisional hunt is Pittsburgh, but they will have a very tough task trying to slow down the white-hot Tampa Bay Bandits in Tampa. Philadelphia, sitting atop the Atlantic at 6-3 will be challenged by Orlando when they meet in the Citrus Bowl. The Renegades can move back to .500 with a win. Two other clubs also hope to hit .500 with a win as 4-5 New Jersey is in Jacksonville to face the Bulls and 4-5 Memphis hosts Ohio at the Liberty Bowl. Finally, Baltimore, sharing 1st place with Philly at 6-3 in the Atlantic is in Birmingham, where the 3-6 Stallions are still reeling from their loss to Atlanta this week.

Halfway home, and for some things are going far better than expected, while for others hope has been dashed and questions are being asked. This week we saw the last of the unbeatens fall in a battle royale with one of the league’s other frontrunners, we saw 9 teams reach 4-4, with 17 of the league’s 24 clubs now at or above .500, a trend that simply cannot hold. We have major disappointment in places like Texas, Chicago, Jacksonville and Birmingham, but surprise joy in Tampa Bay, Oakland, Arizona, and St. Louis. We have new offensive stars and new defensive gems, all pushing us towards what may well be one of the most engaging 8-week runs ever to end out the season. Who will rise late? Who will fade? Who is legit and who has faked us out? It’s midseason in the USFL and there is a lot of great football still ahead. Yes, there were closer games this week, but no game had the attention of the American football public quite like the 6-1 Tampa Bay Bandits, with their aerial assault and the most exciting rookie receiver we have seen in years, going up against the undefeated 7-0 St. Louis Knights and their soul-crushing defense. We asked last week whether it would be the unmovable object or the irresistible force that would win out. Well, if a final score of 42-35 says anything it is that offense won the day, and that bode very well for the Bandits. The two clubs both did well offensively, with Tampa outgaining St. Louis by only 37 yards, 472 to 435. And while the final score was a mere 7 points of difference, we have to say that Tampa Bay’s offense did a lot to make sure that the score did not reflect the reality. Tampa Bay was on fire from the opening kickoff, scoring the game’s first 21 points and putting St. Louis in a deep hole, but the Knights fought back, getting within 7 points at 21-14, then 28-21, and finally 42-35. It began, as we thought it might, with Troy Aikman opening up the passing game. On their first drive, Tampa Bay used 5 passes and only 1 run to take a 7-0 lead, with the final play of the drive a strike from Aikman to Robert Brooks. After a decent drive by St. Louis came up empty, thanks to a missed Ryan Longwell field goal, Tampa doubled up their advantage when Aikman hit TE Ben Coates with the first of two consecutive scoring tosses. Coates would get his second endzone romp on the next drive, as the 2nd quarter began, this time a 44-yarder that split the middle of the field. Up 21-0 it seemed that Tampa Bay was on their way to a route. But, before you turn that dial, the tenacious Knights got back in the game. Not as fast-strike as Tampa Bay, the Knights relied on a mix of the run and the pass to methodically move downfield, and as the first half ended Todd Collins found his favorite receiver, Amani Toomer for a score that gave the Knights hope. Receiving the ball first in the second half, and taking advantage of a quieter Tampa Stadium thanks to the late return of fans from the concession area at the half, St. Louis pulled back within 7 when Darrell Thompson took a pitch right, found the edge, and rambled 19 yards for the Knights’ second score. It had taken St. Louis two long drives to get back in the game, but it took only 1 play for Tampa Bay to throw down the gauntlet again. On their first offensive play of the second half, Aikman again found Ben Coates. Again the big TE split the safeties and again it was a quick strike score, 65 yards in one play and Tampa Bay was back up by 14. St. Louis again took the slow road, this time a 14-play drive, but the results were the same, Darrell Thompson in for his second score of the day, Tampa up 28-21. The game would get even tighter for the Bandits after a James Stewart fumble gave St. Louis a short field, and they equalized the score at 28 when Collins hit TE Alex Higdon from 4 yards out. What had been a 21-point lead was now a tie game. Tampa reacted immediately, with Aikman finding a player who had been kept in check nearly the entire game. Randy Moss blew past the corner and Aikman hit him in stride for a 52 yard TD to open the final period of the game. Moss glided into the endzone a solid 7-8 yards ahead of the trailing corner. And when St. Louis failed to gain a first down on their next drive, Tampa had a chance to again build up a multiple score lead. Uncharacteristically they relied more on the run in this drive, with Errict Rhett gaining 33 of his 57 yards for the game on this one drive. Rhett would find paydirt at the end of the drive, and once again Tampa found themselves with a 14-point lead, and time running down. St. Louis went into hurry up mode, but even doing so the clock kept ticking, and by the time Collins hit Toomer for his 2nd score of the day there were only 28 seconds left. Any chance St. Louis would have to remain undefeated would come down to an onside kick. When TE Troy Drayton fell on the onside kick, giving possession to the Bandits, the game was over and the 54,780 Bandit faithful in attendance roared with approval. Offense had won the day, with Aikman throwing for 381 yards and 5 scores. Ben Coates finished the game with only 4 receptions, but with 145 yards and 3 scores. Randy Moss had 5 catches for 118 and the key go-ahead score when things were tied up. St. Louis also proved they could hang with a top flight offense, with Todd Collins throwing for 363 and 3 scores. The combo of Thompson and Ahman Green combined for 107 yards rushing, and wideout Bert Emmanuel continued to have a strong year with 114 yards receiving, though it was Toomer who would find the endzone. Both clubs get to the halfway point in excellent condition at 7-1, and for both clubs this represents a 3-game lead on their closest divisional rivals, with no one else in the Central or the Southern divisions above 4-4. ARZ 23 PHI 17 The Atlantic is a tighter race, with a cluster of teams at 5 and 4 wins. Philadelphia could have moved to 6-2 but were ambushed by the visiting Arizona Wranglers. Arizona benefited from sloppy play from the Stars offense, and from a solid 2 TD-0 Int day from Jake Plummer. Rocket Ismail and TE Terry Orr both had 5 receptions to help the Wranglers pull off the road win. DEN 35 PIT 10 The Maulers also had a shot at 6-2, but they too had difficulty with their visiting opponent from the Pacific, the Denver Gold. Denver, on the strength of 4 picks and 5 sacks of Robbie Bosco, dominated the game, giving the offense a short field to work with. That advantage in field position was huge as both defenses did their best to make long drives next to impossible. With Mark Brunell out with a sore shoulder, it was Eric Wilhelm who led the Gold, throwing 3 picks to pull out past the Maulers’ ability to catch up. OAK 17 BAL 24 Not all Pacific clubs were greeted with generous opportunities by their Atlantic opponents. Baltimore forced several key errors from Oakland QB Ryan Leaf, leading to a comeback from 17-7 down and an eventual Blitz win. But it was a costly win as the Blitz may have lost QB Trent Green for the year. He went down near the end of the 2nd quarter, and while backup Wally Richardson had some success against the Invaders, the loss of Green could be a major issue for Baltimore in a very tight division. POR 8 WSH 26 The Federals also ruined the trip for the visiting Portland Thunder, though the biggest blow came when QB Jack Trudeau was ruled out due to bursitis in his throwing shoulder. Bill Musgrave was simply not effective, and a one-dimensional Thunder offense was too easy for Washington’s outstanding defense to dominate. Add in over 112 yards between Barry Word and Terrell Fletcher and you have a comfortable win to move the Federals back to 5-3 and tied atop the Atlantic. SEA 13 NJ 20 The Generals also improved their lot, moving to 4-4 after a solid 3-phases win over the Seattle Dragons. Seattle also suffered what could be a season-impacting loss when Jon Kitna went down after attempting only 4 passes. The Dragons called on rookie Brian Griese, but the young QB struggled with a simplified offense against the Generals’ complex defensive schemes, throwing 3 picks that helped New Jersey win the game in the end. LA 37 OHI 17 The final game of the Atlantic-Pacific matchups was one few wanted to witness, the winless Express at the 2-win Glory. The good news is that the Express are no longer winless after getting 129 yards and 2 scores from the combination of Antowain Smith and Michael Pittman, but there was still a lot of sloppy play, miscues from both clubs, and far too many penalties to make this an enjoyable viewing experience. NOR 24 ATL 13 In a game that left both clubs at 4-4 when it was done, New Orleans got a good game from HB Terrell Davis, but the big back still seemed really upset after the win, questioning the decision to limit his carries. Is there friction between Davis and Coach Ditka? It would seem that the back wants more touches, but Ditka seems to be favoring the passing game with Jamie Martin. In any case, the win puts New Orleans in the hunt for a Wild Card in a very competitive Western Conference. MGN 24 ORL 25 Another good game as the Panthers built up a 24-12 lead only to watch Orlando race back, scoring 13 unanswered points in the final quarter to take the win at home. They scored on a Terry Kirby run to open the 4th, pulling within 24-19, then got a TD from Zolak to Abraham Davis 2 drives later, but missed on the 2-point PAT. Leading by only 1, the Renegades turned to their defense to hold the lead and when they were able to sack Doug Flutie on a 4th and 7, the game was theirs. HOU 27 BIR 14 Houston fans are overjoyed to find the Gamblers at 4-4 at the midpoint of the year. Stallion fans are despondent about the club’s 3-5 start. With TDs to Freeman and Perriman, Houston outpaced a Stallion offense that never seemed to find their groove. The fact that little-used HB Kevin McCleod not only led the team in rushing, but got more carries than Alstott and Stephen Davis combined is just bizarre. That Brett Favre again suffered incredible pressure (8 sacks) just points directly to the club’s main issue, offensive line concerns. CHI 17 JAX 33 The absolute horror show of Chicago’s season just continues. A 24-point run by the Bulls between the 2nd and 3rd quarters turned a close game into a route, and there seemed to be little answer from Machine Head Coach Marty Schottenheimer. The defense is just not good, and without that Alex Van Pelt cannot be counted on to win games. TEX 30 MEM 13 The final game of the week saw a 1-win Texas squad shock what had seemed to be an up-and-coming Memphis Showboats club in the Liberty Bowl. Memphis converted only 1 of 13 third downs, and was held to 249 total yards by the Bulls, but also by their own errors, committing 8 penalties and losing 2 fumbles. MIDSEASON AWARDS Week 8 means its time to hand out our midseason awards. Lots of deserving candidates this year, and lots of surprises as well. MVP: This has to be Troy Aikman, whose 29 TDs and 3,040 yards are both on league record pace. Aikman has found new life under Coach Seifert and seems both a better and happier QB than at any point during Jerry Glanville’s tenure in Tampa. If Aikman is our MVP, then we will give our Offensive POTY to another veteran, Michigan’s Doug Flutie. Yes, Michigan is a distant second in their division, sitting at 4-4, but Doug Flutie has had himself a year, throwing for nearly 2,500 yards and with 22 touchdowns on the season at its halfway point. Defensive MVP always seems to be Phil Hansen’s title to win or lose, but this year, with Orlando’s Chris Doleman matching him sack for sack, we may see an upset. Doleman could easily walk away with it, especially if Orlando’s second half is better than their 4-4 start. But let’s not forget others like Baltimore DT John Randall, who has 9 sacks to go along with a safety, 2 forced fumbles, and a defensive score. Another worthy candidate is Washington’s Michael Barrow, who sits at 8 sacks, but has 43 tackles and 2 safeties in 8 games. This has been a stellar rookie class, so it is really tragic that only one candidate can win the Rookie of the Year. We think the favorite has to be Tampa Bay wideout Randy Moss, whose 954 yards and 10 TDs are just stunning for a rookie. Oakland QB Ryan Leaf has got the Invaders at 5-3 and his 2,847 yards and 22 TDs are also impressive. On the defensive side we have strong performers in Washington CB Charles Woodson (47 tackles, 1 pick, 2 forced fumbles), Seattle’s Takeo Spikes (46 tackles, 4 sacks), and Atlanta’s DE Greg Ellis (23 tackles, 7 sacks and a fumble recovery), but our money still goes to the offense and the dynamic Randy Moss. Take your pick for Coach of the Year, but limit your options to Tampa Bay first year coach George Seifert, St. Louis’s Jim Johnson, or Oakland’s Dan Reeves. Seifert came to Tampa with quite a pedigree, having won a Super Bowl in the NFL, while Reeves was a bit of a washout with the Atlanta Fire. Honestly, with Johnson we think we have the perfect candidate, a guy who came in with a defensive pedigree and has built a truly scary defense. TRADE WIRE A handful of noteworthy trades and signings as we get closer to the Week 10 trade deadline. Baltimore looking at the loss of Trent Green started added two players to their QB room, first signing former Denver Gold QB Billy Joe Tolliver, but they also went the trade route to get some help, acquiring season starting QB Jeff Garcia from the LA Express by sending Los Angeles veteran backup Sean Salisbury and a 5th round pick. The trade almost guarantees that Garcia will be under center right away in Baltimore, unless the Blitz are way more comfortable with Wally Richardson than we expect. Birmingham tried to address their pass protection issues by bringing in a solid right tackle to line up opposite LT Richmond Webb. They send a 3rd round pick and backup guard Marcus Spriggs to Oakland for their swing tackle, Todd Steussie. Texas addressed their backup QB issue by sending a 4th round pick to Ohio for former top draft pick of the New Jersey Generals, Duke QB Dave Brown. Brown now moves to his 3rd team since coming into the league in 1992. They then released Tony Sacca, who had fallen to third on the depth chart after starting several games last year while Kelly Stouffer was injured. Seattle did not hit the trade wire to deal with the loss of Jon Kitna for the season. Instead they signed former Kansas State QB Chad May from free agency. May, who was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in 1995, spent one year on their bench, another with the Arizona Cardinals, but was cut in the offseason. The Dragons seem prepared to go with rookie Brian Griese as their starter and will now have May and former Husky Damon Huard backing him up. Season ending QB injuries were the story this week as both Baltimore’s Trent Green and Seattle’s Jon Kitna were both felled in this week’s action. Kitna went down with a knee injury on a scramble that ended with an awkward out-of-bounds tumble over the bench. Green’s injury was non-contact, but also on a scramble. The big QB, not known for his running, pulled up lame and had to get help off the field after what was later diagnosed as a hamstring separation, a painful injury that can take several months to heal. We outlined how both clubs have handled the losses above, with Seattle opting to give rookie Brian Griese a shot while Baltimore got into the trading pool and snagged Jeff Garcia away from the Express, where his early-season issues had him falling out of favor. QB’s were not the only players with significant injuries this week. As 15-year veteran Clarence Collins went down with a knee injury. The injury may sideline him for 4-6 weeks, but at 34 it may also spell the end of his USFL career, a career that started in New Jersey in 1984, before Collins moved to Birmingham and then New Orleans. In Orlando there is concern for tackle Kyle Turley, who suffered a back injury on Sunday and is viewed as a potential 6-8 week loss. In Washington, strong safety Louis Oliver, one of the key pieces of the Federals’ defense, will likely be out for 2-3 weeks with a tear in his quad muscle, while in Tampa Bay, their safety, Chris Crooms, also went out, though he could return as soon as Week 10 after a fracture in his index finger can heal and be splinted. New Jersey will likely play their game against Ohio without their starting QB, as Spence Fischer is doubtful after a blow this week caused a small fracture in his orbital socket of his right eye. He should be fine to play in 2 weeks, though he might return with a face shield in place just to avoid additional potential injury to the eye. Jack Trudeau is also listed on the injury list for Portland with bursitis in his shoulder. Spencer will be replaced by Tommy Maddox while Trudeau will likely be subbed by Bill Musgrave, the former Oregon Duck. We are expecting news from both the Commissioner search as well as the uniform and merchandising contract over the next month or so, but for now all seems quiet on all fronts, so we thought we would take a moment to talk about stadium construction and planning. There has been a lot of news over the past year on these fronts, and we just have not had the space to discuss it with all of the emphasis on labor issues. Here are some of the highlights. TAMPA BAY: The new stadium for the Tampa-St. Pete region is scheduled to open in time for the fall 1998 season of the NFL Buccaneers, but will then also be home for the Bandits in March of 1999. The new stadium seats just over 65,000 and has 175 luxury suites. The new field for both football clubs will be called Raymond James Stadium, named for the financial concern. Built in the parking lot next to old Tampa Stadium, the stadium will likely play host to the Super Bowl within the next few years, but word on a future Summer Bowl is unknown, with concerns always present that August in Florida is just not a great climate for a potential league championship. Two other USFL cities have fast-tracked new stadia for their clubs, though in both cases we are talking about stadia which are used by both the NFL and USFL, providing a broader financial base and less demand on local taxpayers. Pittsburgh has approved designs by HOK Sport, one of the most prestigious stadium & arena architecture firms for a new football-only stadium along the Ohio River, just north of Point State Park and downtown. This stadium will replace beloved Three Rivers and is expected to be completed in time for the 2001 USFL season. In Denver the decision to replace Mile High Stadium, another revered home field, was a contentious one, but the city, state, and ownership from both the Broncos and the Gold have come to an agreement. Bids on the design are in process, and hopes are that the new stadium, which will be located to the West of downtown in a district known as Sun Valley, again very close to the location of the current Mile High. Several other USFL clubs are hoping to work with local governments as well as the NFL club in their area (in cases where one exists) to try to develop plans for a new home. Among those most eagerly seeking an upgrade are the Generals, who are in alignment with both the NY Giants and Jets as the three tenants of Giants Stadium. This seems another very likely build, as once again the area surrounding the current stadium can absorb the footprint of a new stadium and still, with some parking issues, maintain use of the current stadium. There are also talks in place in Philadelphia, where the worst turf in pro football may soon be a thing of the past. With Veterans Stadium clearly past its prime, and with Franklin Field as a possible temporary home for either pro football club, the incentive to build a new facility certainly is present in the City of Brotherly Love. Even Phoenix, which has a pretty solid facility in Sun Devil Stadium, and 3 inhabitants with ASU, the Wranglers and the Cardinals, is considering a new facility, likely a dome, to attract everything from Summer Bowls (impossible in August heat in Phoenix), Super Bowls and a more-profitable Fiesta Bowl. Of course there are several clubs in the USFL that simply do not have the luxury of pairing with the NFL to sponsor and fund a public-private stadium development project. This includes teams playing in older municipal stadiums such as Oakland’s Alameda Stadium, Birmingham’s Legion Field, Memphis’s Liberty Bowl, or Jacksonville’s Gator Bowl. Add to this list Washington, where the Redskins have built their own home, but refused dual occupancy, which forces the Federals to try to persuade the resource-poor city to finance improvements to RFK Stadium, another venerable but perhaps past-its-prime stadium. And while the Portland Thunder were able to convince the city of Portland to help finance expansion of Civic Stadium, it still sits as the smallest stadium in the USFL, a situation which significantly hamstrings the Thunder in their ability to build a profit base. Are any USFL clubs at risk of relocating? Well, that is always a concern and stadium issues can certainly accelerate this. Attendance issues, poor stadium contracts, and lower corporate support in the are can also create risks of a team departing. We know that there are ownership groups in several large cities such as Miami, Dallas, Boston, and the Twin Cities, that are still hoping to land a USFL franchise, and with the league seemingly unprepared for a new wave of expansion, these cities may try to lure a current club away with low tax rates, good stadium amenities, or a sweetheart rental agreement. Before we move on, let’s take a brief look at 5 clubs we see as prime targets for these types of lures. 1. St. Louis: The Knights have found success this year in St. Louis, but even with a very solid start to the year, revenue and attendance have lagged ever since the NFL Rams came to town. St. Louis’s Edward Jones Dome is a new facility, so the issue is not attendance, but the bleeding off of both corporate support and fan support by the NFL club’s presence, something we do not see in larger markets which can fully support 2 franchises. 2. Memphis: The Liberty Bowl is certainly showing its age. Built in 1965, and home only to the Showboats, Memphis State U. and occasional neutral site games in the SEC, the stadium is beginning to fall behind in amenities. Memphis is also not a high income community, and not one of the league’s larger cities, so there are demographic as well as financial limitations which the Showboats need to manage. 3. Jacksonville. One of the smallest cities with a top tier sports franchise, Jacksonville has embraced the Bulls, often leading the league in attendance. The Gator Bowl is in need of renovations, having been built in . The Bulls may simply have to spend more than other clubs to get renovations, though if the city is open to selling naming rights to the stadium, that could also benefit the Bulls. Rumors have at least 2-3 potential corporate sponsors interested in the north Florida stadium, so this could happen sooner rather than later. 4. Portland. As we mentioned above, the city of Portland is unlikely to fund a full build for the Thunder, and with the expansion from 18,000 to 35,000 only a few years old, even an additional expansion, with luxury box development, seems very unlikely. The University of Oregon has shown no interest in moving its games out of Eugene and into Portland, so the only potential partner for the Thunder seems to be Division 1-AA Portland State. This could be a long term concern for the Thunder. 5. Oakland. While the Invaders and Oakland A’s certainly have enough of a fanbase to merit a new stadium in the East Bay, and the Bay Area certainly has both a strong taxbase and a large corporate presence, it always seems that the Oakland clubs get overlooked in favor of the NFL 49ers or MLB Giants. After the financial impact of the 1989 earthquake in the Bay Area, and particularly with the Giants in the middle of a construction project for a new Stadium along the Bay south of the city, there are concerns that the public’s interest in building another new stadium for the A’s and Invaders is not going to emerge. The other interesting factor here is the rise of the South Bay and Silicon Valley as a market of its own. We could certainly envision a situation where San Jose and the surrounding communities could make a bid to woo one of the Bay Area’s premier franchises towards the south with a new stadium. A lot to consider as the finances of stadium construction are always a contentious issue, and when there are large markets without spring football, the USFL may never be as solidified in its 24 markets as fans may like. We open the second half of the year with the Eastern Conference in divisional play and some nice Central v. Pacific matchups out west. In the Atlantic we have two huge games, both pitting 5-3 clubs atop the division. We know we will get two 6-3 division leaders and two trailing teams out of these matchups, and they are both rivalry games as well, how amazing is that!?! Baltimore hosts the Washington Federals in the first big game of the weekend on Saturday, while the Sunday early game has Pittsburgh in Philadelphia to face the Stars. The third game gives New Jersey a chance to get right back in the hunt if they can beat the visiting Ohio Glory. In the South everyone will be watching the Saturday Night clash between Tampa Bay and Orlando. If the Bandits can win here, their lead in the division will be almost unassailable. Atlanta hopes to get to 5-4 and stay in the hunt as they host the Birmingham Stallions, but if Brett Favre and the Stallions are going to have any chance at relevance, they will have to win this one. Finally, Memphis and Jacksonville meet in a battle of 3-5 teams that simply cannot afford another loss. The best matchup in the Western Conference is between a better-than-their-record 4-4 Michigan Panther club, and the “we are still not sure about them” 6-2 Oakland Invaders. The game is in Oakland so we think the Invaders have a good chance to build some believers in the Bay Area. Another good one to catch would be Sunday’s clash between the New Orleans Breakers and the Portland Thunder, both at 4-4. We expected more from Portland, but New Orleans is never an easy out. St. Louis, a week after their first loss of the season, might be catching a break as they will get Brian Griese in his first pro start for the Seattle Dragons. Denver is hoping that home cooking and a demoralized Chicago Machine club will mean a win to put them over .500. Houston hopes to move above .500 as well as they travel to LA to face the Express. Arizona is already there at 5-3, but a win at home against a 2-win Outlaws squad could help them stay on pace or even catch the Invaders.

Every once in a while you get a game that just screams "classic". That was this week in San Antonio when the Texas Outlaws and Michigan Panthers just gave up on defense and pulled out all the stops on offense. Both QB's threw for 5 scores in a back and forth game that anyhone with a VCR wishes they had taped. And yes, we had 11 other games as well, in a week that seems to be setting us up for a very exciting 2nd half of the season. What a game we had in San Antonio this week! If you like fireworks, this one felt like the 4th of July. The Outlaws fought like their season depended on it, and it showed. Michigan, sitting at 3-3 did not want to fall any further behind the St. Louis Knights, so they too scrapped hard, and what we got as a result was over 1,000 yards of total offense between the two clubs and two very frustrated defensive coordinators. Just to show you how wild this one was, both Doug Flutie and Kelly Stouffer threw for 5 TDs in this game. Flutie hit a career record for attempts (55), completions (43), yards (490) and scores (5) on his way to a 125.6 QBR for the week. Stouffer had far less gaudy numbers but still hit Carl Pickens for 2 scores, and one each to Irving Fryar, Jeff Graham, and TE Steve Wilkes in a back and forth game that was not decided until the final minute, a classic “last team with the ball wins” scenario. And we did not have to wait for the action in this one. Only 2 minutes into the game Stouffer hit Carl Pickens with a huge 32 yard corner route to put the Outlaws on top. Flutie immediately responded, hitting his favorite receiver, rangy Jeff Campbell, with an equalizer. The Texas offense sputtered on their next drive, but were saved by the D when a Flutie pass was tipped at the line, picked off by Brian Simmons and returned 24 yards for the go ahead score as the 1st quarter wound down. In the second Flutie was back, hitting Mr. Touchdown, Butch Rolle from 7 yards out for the equalizer. We were in for a shootout and the entire Alamodome crowd seemed to know it. Texas got the ball back and in 5 plays were right back in Michigan territory. The Panthers seemed to shut down Texas on a 3rd and 8, but a defensive pass interference call gave Texas new life. 2 plays later it was Stouffer to Fryar and the home team had a 7 point lead. They would go into halftime up by 4 after a half-ending Brett Conway field goal pulled Michigan closer. The third quarter started just as quickly as the first had, this time with Michigan taking advantage, Flutie finding Muhsin Muhammad with a 13-yard scoring toss. Muhammad and Campbell would have a field day all game against the Outlaws, with Campbell snagging 14 balls for 134 yards and 2 scores while Muhammad would catch 10 for 147 and this 3rd quarter score. Texas responded to the short-lived Michigan lead as Stouffer again picked apart the Panther defense, finding Jeff Graham to take the lead. It would be short-lived itself, as Michigan came right back, taking the lead back at 31-28 thanks to a Tyrone Wheatley scoring run. Three quarters down and we were still watching both clubs dominate on offense, Michigan up 31-28. Michigan expanded on that lead as the 4th quarter got underway, with Flutie finding Campbell for his 2nd on the day. Up 10, the Panthers could not feel comfortable as Texas refused to go away. Stouffer hit Pickens with a huge arcing bomb that resulted in a 75-yard TD pass and catch to bring them within 3. Then, after a rare Michigan punt, they did it again, this time Stouffer marching down field on short out routes, curls and slants, before hitting his TE for the go ahead score. 38-42 with only 2:03 left to play. But we said this was a “last team with the ball” kind of game, and 2 minutes was more than enough time for the Panthers. They ended up needing only 1:12 of the remaining time as they started moving the ball immediately, knowing it would take a TD to end the game. They got as far as the Texas 45 before they seemingly stalled, missing on a 3rd and 10 pass, but once again the yellow flag changed the game. Twelve men on the field was called against Texas, giving Michigan a 3rd and 5 shot at keeping the drive alive. They did more than that as a perfect screen to Wheatley found him with 3 blockers out in front. He stayed behind his linemen for the first 20 yards before making an inside move that surprised the safety, leading to a clear path to the endzone and a 45-yard TD run to give Michigan the win. For Texas the devastating loss left them at 1-6 after 7 weeks, and with their best offensive game all year now wasted in a losing effort. For the Panthers, sitting at 4-3 still keeps them 3 games behind the Knights, but in the mix when it comes to a possible Wild Card, which may be all they can hope for this season. TBY 24 MEM 18 While the Michigan-Texas game was certainly the most entertaining, an instant classic, there were several really well-played games in the league this week. In Memphis the Showboats built up a 13-0 lead after 2 quarters, but Tampa came roaring back in the 2nd half, outpacing Memphis 24-5. The final two points came when Aikman deliberately took a safety with 13 seconds left to avoid a possible fumble or defensive score deep in their zone. The gambit paid off as Memphis was unable to score with no time left and Tampa walked out of the Liberty Bowl with a 6-point win. ARZ 23 OAK 27 Another great game in Oakland, where the Invaders increased their advantage in the division by knocking off one of the big contenders, the Wranglers. It took a late Troy Davis 21-yard TD scamper and a Joe Nedney field goal to put away the pesky Wranglers, who showed great diversity on offense, mixing passes and runs with some trick plays to keep Oakland off balance, even after Jake Plummer was temporarily knocked from the game with a random finger to the eye. HOU 24 NOR 20 Houston got the upset of the week by knocking off Mike Ditka’s Breakers in the SuperDome. They did it despite only 26 yards rushing as the Greer & Avery combo again proved ineffective. Chuck Hartlieb helped with 2 TD passes, but a lot of kudos have to go to the defense, which allowed only 77 yards rushing to the combination of Davis and Pegram. CHI 14 STL 30 Chicago fell behind early as St. Louis built up a 27-0 lead after 1 drive in the 3rd quarter. The Machine edged back late, but with no run game to speak of against the Knights all the pressure was on Alex Van Pelt, and he simply could not bring the Machine back. St. Louis got 119 yards between Thompson (37), Green (61) and fullback “Ironhead” Hayward (21) to dominate both the clock and the scoreboard. BAL 10 PHI 20 Another tough divisional loss for Baltimore as the Stars played a conservative game throughout. When Trent Green went down for the Blitz on his first pass attempt of the game, they tried both Sean Salisbury and later Wally Richardson, but simply could not muster a consistent offense against the Stars D. JAX 20 ATL 37 Jeff George returned to action and the Fire offense reignited. George only threw for 172, but had 4 TDs as the Fire put the ball into the hands of Tiki Barber for most of their yardage, 136 yards on the ground. Lake Dawson welcomed back George by catching 2 TDs and the Fire defense shut down the Bulls run game, holding Natrone Means to only 30 yards on 13 carries to get back into a winning way. ORL 27 BIR 14 Orlando won their 3rd in 4 games by blitzing constantly, putting Brett Favre on the ground 11 times as the Stallion O-line simply was unprepared for the onslaught. DE Chris Dishman alone had 4 sacks in the absolute fury of bodies that Orlando sent at Favre. The Birmingham QB still threw for over 300 yards, but the Stallions only converted 1 third down all day as Favre felt constant threat from the Renegade D. OHI 30 PIT 24 Did we say the Houston game was the upset of the week. How silly of us. Ohio won their 2nd game of the year in shocking fashion by upending the Maulers in Pittsburgh. A steady rain impeded both clubs, leading to several turnovers, but it was Ohio who took advantage of the circumstances. Relying on Eddie George to carry the offense, the Glory got 102 yards from the former Buckeye, and you add in a Pat Terrell pick six, as well as a Jeff Herod fumble recovery inside the Mauler 10 yard line and you have perfect upset conditions, and that is what we got. NJ 9 WSH 21 Washington flexed their defensive muscles against the visiting New Jersey Generals, Holding Curtis Enis under 10 carries for the game and sacking Spence Fischer 7 times. Add in two early scores from TE Travis McNeal and the Federals held their lead throughout, frustrating the Generals at every turn and limiting them to only 1 late TD in what should have been a 21-3 game. LA 20 POR 37 As expected, Brent Pease got the start for LA, and he looked good at times, completing 34 of 52 passes for 370 yards on the day, but the absolute lack of a run game from LA, and the weak LA run defense, allowing Robert Drummond 104 yards on only 16 carries, spelled defeat yet again for Los Angeles. Jack Trudeau was hit hard early in the 3rd, so Portland fans got to watch Bill Musgrave finish out the game, but even with 2 interceptions, the Express were unable to come back on the Thunder. MONSTER SEASON We need to talk about the season Keith Jackson is having in Denver. Yes, we are used to Mr. Jackson putting up some really good numbers from the TE position. Since coming into the league in 1988 he has never had a season below 70 receptions, and he typically averages between 600-800 yards and 4-6 TDs a year. So what is happening this year? We are only 7 games in and Jackson already has 71 receptions and 568 yards. He is leading the entire league in both targets and receptions, and is on pace for over 1,200 yards receiving. In the 15 seasons of the USFL the best year for a tight end ever was Wesley Walls’ 1993 campaign in which he caught 99 balls for 1,412 yards and 13 TDs. While the yardage would be hard to match, Jackson is well on pace to shatter the receptions record. He could easily surpass the 100-reception mark, and with 5 TDs already, could conceivably take that record as well. It is a long season and defenses are surely going to be paying attention to Jackson after this start, but with Odessa Turner and rookie Kevin Dyson looking very dangerous, there are not a lot of options to double up on Jackson. A story to monitor as we head into the second half as well. TD RECORD Another stat to keep an eye on is the record for TD passes in a season. The current record is held by Brett Favre with 48 last year. That bested his 47 TD season in 1992 and Jim Kelly’s 47 TD season in 1996. Is that record in danger of falling? Yes, most certainly. Troy Aikman in only 7 games has already thrown 24 touchdowns, that puts him on pace to shatter the record and end the year with over 50 scoring tosses. Aikman is also on pace to pass for over 5,000 yards, as is Ryan Leaf as well. Leaf is actually close to Aikman with 21 scoring tosses, so these two could battle it out with the record in mind (as well as both being on 1-loss teams that may just be fighting for a #1 seed come the last month of the year. And, lest we forget, Brett Favre is still around the ballpark too, with 20 TD passes to date, and a Stallion offense that needs to put up points to win games. The heat of summer sometimes wilts offenses, but something tells us that this year could be a different story and since we have seen the TD pass record tied or broken in each of the past 2 years, it is not a stretch to imagine it could happen again this year in the pass-happy USFL. SACK RECORD And yes, once again it looks like Phil Hansen is on pace to break his own sack record, but this time he is not alone. Chris Doleman, after some huge weeks of late, is tied with Hansen at 12 sacks, and Leslie O’Neill is not far behind at 10. Even Reggie White is in the mix at 9 sacks after 7 games, but we think this may be Hansen v. Doleman for the rest of the year. The record is 25, set in 1996, with Hansen also holding the mark for 2nd (24 sacks) and third (23 sacks, tied with Dexter Manley). Could this be the year someone actually outpaces him? Does Doleman have a chance to either break into the Top 3 all-time, or to even dethrone the New Jersey Sack King? Keep watching that stat line, it may just be happening. All things considered it was a pretty light week on the major injury front. Of course that will not console Arizona center Gene McGuire at all as a torn ACL has ended his season, and a good one at that for the big man. Baltimore free safety Joe King can empathize, as his torn quad means his season is also over. Better news for Portland FS Vencie Glenn, who is progressing ahead of schedule and could be back in action within the month. Seattle will be looking at a solid month without Eric Metcalf due to his foot injury, but they will be getting DE Steve Bates back after a rib injury proved to be deep bruising and not a fracture. Denver QB Mark Brunell is listed as questionable this week after getting some swelling on his right knee, but testing showed no sign of ligament or tendon damage. Finally, LA’s Antowain Smith, who left this week’s games under mysterious circumstances is expected to play next week as it turns out his blurred vision was due to a contact lens rolling up under his lid. Extraction was a bit tricky, but by Sunday Smith is expected to be ready to go. With all that is happening this year it is easy for some stories to get left on the back burner, but when it comes to the potential 1998 Hall of Fame Class, we do not want to let that one slip by. This year we have a finalist list that includes players who left the game in 1991, 1992, and 1993. It is a pretty impressive group, but only 5 can make the final cut and be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Here, with no ado whatsoever are your finalists for the 1998 HOF Class. DE Ronnie Paggett (MGN): Before there was Reggie White or Phil Hansen, there was Ronnie Paggett. The 11 season starter for the Michigan Panthers was the first of the league’s sack specialists, amassing 154 sacks, including 9 consecutive seasons of 10 or more. Alongside Junior Ah-You, Paggett was considered the best of the best when the league was looking for young stars. A product of Louisiana Tech, Paggett helped Michigan win 2 titles in the 80’s, was named to All-USFL teams every year from 1983 through 1991 (10 in all), and is considered by many the one shoe-in for first-ballot induction this year. LB Brandon Zavala (WSH): Another player who spent his entire career with one club, Brandon Zavala was the captain of the Federals defense for nearly a decade. Playing from 1985 until 1993, Zavala retired with 898 tackles, 18 sacks, 10 picks, 15 forced fumbles, 9 recoveries, and started 135 of a possible 141 games in that span. In 1990 he held aloft the first of Washington’s 2 Bassett Trophies. He was selected to 4 All-USFL Teams and set a club record with 17 tackles in one game against the Generals in 1991. He also holds the unofficial record for the longest, slowest fumble recovery touchdown we can remember, a 93-yard return against the Stallions in 1986 that feels like it took 45 minutes to finish, but he made it. FS Donald Dykes (HOU): This must be the year for player loyalty to team. Our third first year nominee is Donald Dykes, free safety of the Houston Gamblers. A 2 time USFL Champion with the Gamblers, he was also nominated to two All-USFL squads. Dykes retired with 155 games played and 155 starts, a rarity in any league. He also had 497 tackles at the safety position, 29 career picks, including 3 pick-sixes, and 3 blocked punts. Known as a player unafraid to come up to the line to take on running backs but also equally adept at shadowing a slot receiver or tight end over the middle, Dykes retired in 1993 after playing all 16 games in his final season and finishing the year with 3 picks. HC Jim Stanley (MGN): Jim Stanley is a likely first-ballot entrant into the Hall of Fame along with his favorite Defensive End. A Guard and DT at Texas A&M, Stanley began coaching only 3 years after graduation, first as an assistant at SMU. He got his first gig as a Defensive Coordinator at Oklahoma State in 1966, where he would also get his first head coaching job 6 years later. He moved on to pro ball, first with the Giants and then the Falcons. Signing on as the first head coach of the Michigan Panthers, Stanley helped the club become a dynasty in the early years of the league. Stanley led the Panthers from 1983-1993, 11 seasons, with a final coaching record of 106-70 (.602). He had a playoff record of 7-4, but what folks in Michigan remember is that he brought the city’s first pro football title since the 1950’s to Detroit, winning the USFL Championship in 1984 and then bringing the Panthers back to glory 2 years later in 1986. His final years in Michigan were rough as the club struggled without QB Bobby Hebert, two straight 7-9 seasons followed by a sad 4-12 finale after an initial 8 years without a losing ballclub. Stanley will forever be remembered in Michigan for his hard-hitting defense, a penchant for calling blitzes at just the right time, and a willingness to let the offense be innovative despite coming from a defensive mindset. We would be shocked if Jim Stanley were not wearing a gold jacket come October. LB Brian Noble (ARZ): A player with a nose for the ball, Brian Noble played 9 seasons with the Arizona Wranglers, racking up 860 tackles and an impressive 32 forced fumbles. Noble was a versatile backer who was just as comfortable blitzing as covering a tight end, who was always in the middle of the scrum when a back broke through the line, and who found a way to knock the ball out of their hands when the game was on the line. Winning Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1985, Noble would go on to be named All-USFL three times in his career, but never tasted championship glory with a Wrangler club known for their tough defense but also for real offensive woes. HC Steve Spurrier (TBY): A second coach to hang up the USFL headset in 1993, Steve Spurrier began as a Heisman-winning QB at the U. of Florida. He played briefly in the NFL, with San Francisco and Tampa Bay, before finding his niche in coaching. Spurrier returned to Florida with his first coaching gig, and soon made a name for himself as an offensive innovator. It was that spirit that attracted Bandits owner John Bassett to Spurrier, making him the first head coach of the Bandits in 1983. Spurrier repaid the faith shown in him by winning Tampa Bay the first USFL title in that year. He would never regain that level of glory within the USFL, but certainly continued to make a name for himself, leaving the Bandits after 11 seasons and now roaming the sidelines at his alma mater. He left the USFL with a regular season record of 99 wins to 77 losses. His clubs made the USFL playoffs in each of his first 5 seasons with the club, and 7 times in his 11 years. Winning the Southern Division 4 times along the way. DE Bob Barber (BIR): A 2nd year candidate after retiring in 1992, Barber is another big sack leader in the early years of the USFL. The Stallions were a second career for the former Grambling player. Drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1975, by 1979 Barber had retired, but former Steeler coach Rollie Dotsch brought him to Birmingham, the Magic City, and Barber had a magical run, amassing 104 sacks for Coach Dotsch and the Stallions. QB Doug Williams (JAX/OKL/TEX): After a year in which he did not make the finalists list, sentiment for Doug Williams returned and Williams made the cut this year. The former Tampa Bay Buccaneer came to the USFL to play for the expansion Jacksonville Bulls in 1984. In that first season he was electric, leading Jacksonville to a respectable 6 wins in their inaugural season while throwing for 4,724 yards and 30 TDs. The next two years would be even better as the Bulls quickly became a contender and Wiliams continued to find the deep ball. He would move on to the expansion Oklahoma Outlaws in 1987, and move with the team to San Antonio (San Marcos at the time) as a member of the Texas Outlaws. Named All-USFL 5 times and winner of the 1989 Offensive Player of the Year, Williams is considered one of the pioneers of the game, paving the way for many of the young Black quarterbacks we see today. HB John Williams (MGN): Will this be the year for the engine that drove the Panther ground game? In his third attempt at the hall will the big man get his due? That could be tough with two almost certain Panther selections in the same group this year. But Williams certainly has the pedigree to be inducted. An 8-year starter at halfback, Williams retired with 8,281 yards rushing and 55 touchdowns. He was also a solid receiver, bringing in 274 passes for 1,813 yards in his career. He already has 2 USFL Champion rings, will he get a gold jacket to go along with them? Week 8 is just around the corner and we have a lot of teams lingering around the .500 mark and hoping not to fall behind the pack. We are in full-on interconference mode in this final week of the season’s first half, and while that tends not produce rivalry games, it can still produce some really meaningful matchups. Looking at what is on tap this week, on game stands above all others, but that is not to say that there are not a lot of interesting matchups to catch this week. We are all psyched for the big game in Tampa Stadium, where the 6-1 Tampa Bay Bandits, the surprise team in the East, with the best offense in the league, will play host to the 7-0 St. Louis Knights, the league’s only unbeaten team, and the best defense in the West. It is a classic matchup of strength against strength in this one, and should be one monster of a game. If the game stays under 20 points, we know that has to be good for St. Louis, because any track meet has to go to the Bandits in this one. So what else should we watch this week? Well, how about an overachieving 4-3 Arizona squad headed into Veterans Stadium to face the 5-2 Philadelphia Stars? Or we have the upstart Oakland Invaders at 6-1 facing off with the Baltimore Blitz (4-3). We have another good matchups of teams with winning records as Portland travels to DC to face the Federals with both clubs just over .500 at 4-3. In Orlando it is the 4-3 Panthers facing off against the 3-4 Renegades, while in New Jersey we have another 4-3 vs. 3-4 matchup as the Dragons come to the Meadowlands to face the Generals. In Pittsburgh, the 5-2 Maulers are hoping to stay in the mix with Philly as they face a tough Denver Gold squad. Houston and Birmingham are both surprisingly 3-4, the former playing better than expected, the latter far worse than we predicted. So, is this the game where one of these clubs makes a move towards the upper half of the league? In Atlanta, the 4-3 Fire are hosting a dangerous 3-4 New Orleans Breakers club. With Jeff George back, can Atlanta regain their early season form or will this be the Breakers big break? Finally we have a few games where both clubs are desperate for wins. In Memphis the 3-4 Showboats want to prove they belong in the playoff mix but the 1-6 Texas Outlaws are pulling out all the stops to get a win. Chicago is a very disappointing 1-6 as well, and as they head to Jacksonville (2-5), both clubs are hoping to radically alter their fortunes with a win. Finally, we have the 0-7 LA Express headed to Ohio, where the Glory have won 2 in a row after their own rough start, beginning the year 0-5.

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