Search this site

Final Playoff Seeding: EAST 1-BIR, 2-WSH, 3-PIT, 4-JAX, 5-NJ WEST 1-HOU, 2-ARZ, 3-CHI, 4-DEN, 5-OAK

With the division title on the line and two teams that play a very hard-nosed defensive style, we had a feeling that the matchup between the Arizona Wranglers and Denver Gold would be a real cage match, and we were not disappointed. Denver, with a win, would not only catch up to Arizona in the standings, but would win the tiebreaker for the division crown, while Arizona, with a win, would clinch the division outright with one week left to play. So, the stage was set for two teams to reach playoff intensity in this Mile High showdown. The game plan was simple for the Wranglers, shut down Natrone Means and make the Gold one-dimensional, relying on a passing game that had been erratic all year. For Denver, it was al about rattling and confusing Arizona QB Scott Mitchell in his 4th start as a pro. Arizona fully succeeded in their plans. Means was absolutely stymied, limited to only 9 carries on the day, and although he did score a Denver TD (a 1 yard dive), he was simply not a factor. As for Mitchell, Denver kept the big arm in check, keeping Mitchell from the endzone, but by dinking and dunking (30 of 42) Mitchell was able to move the ball close enough to scoring range for Mick Luckhurst to connect on 4 field goals and for Darryl Clack to get his own TD plunge in the 2nd quarter. Arizona would get the early lead on a Luckhurst kick, fall behind after Krieg found Mark Carrier for a score, and then move ahead on a 2nd field goal and the Clack score, to go into the half up 13-7. They boosted their lead with Luckhurst’s third kick, but Denver fought back, first with the Means TD, and then, with 2:35 left in the game, with Jason Elam’s 40-yarder to take a slim lead at 17-16. With just over 2 minutes to go and the Wranglers only needing a field goal, Arizona came out in 3-wide but ran the ball on 4 of 6 plays, surprising Denver, who had to play the pass first, and once again moving the ball within Mick Luckhurst’s range. When the drive stalled at the 29 yard line, Luckhurst came out and connected on a 46-yarder for the win. Arizona would be the Pacific Division Champion and get the coveted bye week. Denver, despite the loss, still qualified for the playoffs as a Wild Card thanks to a combination of other results over the weekend and a solid 6-1 division record which would prove a valuable tie-breaker against teams in the division who could catch them on Week 16. BAL 20 PHI 28 The Stars got exactly what they wanted out of the weekend, a solid win over a divisional foe and a New Jersey loss. The combo leapfrogs them over the Generals and puts them in a “win and you are in” scenario next week. Kelvin Bryant was the star of the day, rushing for 91 yards and 2 Philadelphia scores. WSH 41 NJ 28 Both New Jersey and Washington wanted a win this week to better secure their playoff features, only one could get it. Don Majkowski made sure that team would be the Federals, throwing for 392 yards and 3 scores as the Feds put together two scoring streaks, the first a 21-point flurry in the first half, the second a 17-point 3rd quarter. Barry Word contributed 2 scores as well, and even a 4-TD day from Doug Flutie could not overcome Washington’s offensive production. BIR 38 MEM 14 Birmingham made it official, the once 6-2 Memphis Showboats were eliminated from playoff contention after losing their 7th in a row. Brett Favre threw for 4 scores and the Stallion D snagged 4 picks of Memphis QB Shawn Moore, three by new league leader Chris Dishman, as the Stallions rolled. TBY 13 JAX 44 Tampa’s hopes for a third straight win for interim coach Ron Zook were dashed as the Bulls sprinted to a 21-3 first quarter advantage, and easily dispatched the Bandits. Tony Eason threw for 4 scores, as he reconnected with wideout Brian Blades (97 yards and 2 scores). The win locked up the #4 seed and a home Wild Card game for the Bulls. HOU 34 CHI 28 In a battle between two clubs already headed to the postseason, Houston edged Chicago, thanks to two scores from an unlikely target, backup TE Ron Heller. Heller and fellow TE Keith McKeller combined for 7 receptions and 109 yards receiving as Chicago focused on slowing down Houston’s outside receivers. Thurman Thomas added 115 on the ground to provide Houston with the win. NOR 27 MGN 24 Timm Rosenbach threw for 3 scores and helped put the Breakers in a position to win on their final drive, but it was the powerful leg of Tim Mazzetti that gave New Orleans the win. With time winding down, Mazzetti barely got the ball over the crossbar from 58 yards out to break a 24-24 tie and avoid overtime. Michigan, who had tied the game on a late Holloway TD reception fell to 4-11 with the loss, while New Orleans got their 5th win of the year. POR 17 OAK 24 In a game that could determine who advances to the Wild Card round, Portland tied the score on a fantastic catch & run from Robert Drummond, covering 81 yards with only 3:57 to play. But, that was too much time left on the clock. Bobby Hebert led the Invaders down for a final score, a Mark Duper TD catch to get the win and move Oakland into potential Wild Card position. TEX 20 PIT 23 Texas needed to win to stay in the Wild Card hunt, after losing 4 straight, but Pittsburgh is still hoping to catch Washington and earn the division crown. The Maulers got two scores from Mike Rozier, and a late Louis Lipps TD put them up by 10 at 23-13. A desperation finish from Texas proved just too late and the Maulers held for the 3-point win, sending Texas to their 5th straight loss and all but eliminating them from the playoff hunt. STL 17 ORL 46 Reggie Collier returned after missing a week of action and helped guide Orlando to its best offensive game of the year. Collier threw for 2 scores and both Hilliard and Fowler scored twice on the ground as the Renegades routed the Knights in Orlando. Hilliard and Fowler had their best outing as a duo, combining for 154 yards. John Jefferson caught 10 balls for 130 and 2 scores in his best performance of they year as well. As tempting as it is to give our award to Chris Dishman’s 3-interception day in Memphis, we have to acknowledge that Birmingham’s offense forced Memphis to play catch-up and struggling QB Shawn Moore was hardly a tough target. Dishman’s performance was solid, but those balls were not difficult to steal from the Showboats. So, we go to the Federals/Generals game for our MVP. While his numbers were not the flashiest this week (28 of 38 for 392 and 3 scores), Washington’s Don Majkowski led his team to a convincing win against a very good New Jersey team (one that had recently beaten Birmingham), and against a rough New Jersey crowd. Early TD’s to both Joey Walters and Herman Moore set the tone for the game, and despite facing pressure from Phil Hansen and LB Dino Hacket all game (2 sacks between them), the Majik Man came through and helped Washington to a big win. Majkowski has been flirting with the Top 5 in QBR all year, flickering in and out of the rankings throughout the season. But, while his QBR has been somewhat erratic, his results have not been. The Federals have won 10 of 11 games after a rough 1-3 start to the season, and Majik’s 4,195 passing yards and 29 TD passes have been a big reason for it. The run game has had its moments, but it has been Majkowski to Walters, Moore and TE Travis McNeal which has powered the Washington Offense, currently ranked 4th in PPG and in Yards Per Game. His individual numbers are not gaudy, but the results have been exactly what Washington wanted, wins. This week’s games added 2 more teams to the “clinched category” leaving only a few questions in doubt. Both conferences have 4 of 5 playoff positions booked, with only the #5 seed left to qualify, but several positions are still in doubt as we head into the final week. Looking ahead to the season’s final week, here is what we know: Birmingham and Houston have clinched their divisions and the #1 seeds. Arizona is the Pacific Division Champion and #2 seed in the West. A win in Week 16 will give the Atlantic crown to the Federals. A loss by Washington and a Maulers win flips the crown to Pittsburgh. Chicago and Denver are both Wild Cards, A Chicago win = a bye. Philadelphia clinches a Wild Card with a win this week against Pittsburgh. New Jersey can get the Wild Card only with a win vs. Baltimore and a Philly loss. Oakland is the last playoff team if they can win at home against Denver. If Oakland falters, Portland can slide in to the final slot at 8-89 with a win over St. Louis With playoff position at play in many games this week, the number of teams likely to rest players is pretty short. We do expect both Birmingham and Houston to rest several of their starters, and Arizona may do the same as well. Some of the also-ran clubs are also going to protect stars by resting them for the final week. So far, these are the players we already know are out this week: BIRMINGHAM: Favre, Givens, Kevin Greene, Richmond Webb, and George Little HOUSTON: Kelly, Howard Ballard, and Kiki DeAyala ARIZONA: Trumaine Johnson and Broderick Thomas ORLANDO: Reggie Collier, John Jefferson, and Winston Moss ST. LOUIS: Jerry Ball and Chip Banks TAMPA BAY: William Perry, Eric Truvillion, and Fred Stokes TEXAS: Stouffer, Cobb, and Metcalf Ordinarily, we would expect Thurman Thomas to sit, but he is likely to play as he tries to reach the 2,000 yards from scrimmage mark. Expect him to take a seat on the bench if and when he hits that mark. Also, in addition to resting starters, expect to see some rookies finally get playing time. We expect to see Gino Torretta start in Memphis and Alex Van Pelt may get the start for Kelly Stouffer in Texas. As for the teams playing their full rosters, look to the injury report to see who may not be available this week. We focus on the playoff contenders who have big games this week, rather than those teams who are running out the string. Looking at the big games, here is what we see: NJ v. BLT: For New Jersey-G Juan Castaneda (Out), SS E. McMillian (Out), CB K. Jackson (Probable) PHI v. PIT: For Philadelphia-DT Leon Lett (Out). For Pittsburgh-QB Alan Risher (Questionable), C David Houle (Questionable) DEN v. OAK: For Denver-DE Vince Rafferty (Out), FS Charles Mincy (Probable). For Oakland-CB C. Holmes (Out), LB R. Rivera (Out), G James Richards (Probable) POR v. STL: For Portland-WR H. Dykes (Out), WR C. Carter (Questionable), FB M. Cade (Probable) CHI v. WSH: For Chicago-DE E. Dorsey (Out), HB R. Watters (Out), T L. Pressley (Out). For Washington- For some teams this is a week to rest, for others it is a week to make or break the season. You already know the stakes, so which games are can’t miss TV and which can you skip. Philadelphia @ Pittsburgh has major playoff implications for both teams and if Alan Risher cannot play, the Stars may just be able to punch their ticket to a Wild Card. New Jersey is in Baltimore and need a win (and help) to keep their playoff hopes alive. Denver @ Oakland will be big as well. The Gold can clinch a home playoff game with a win, but Oakland needs to win to get into the dance. Portland is in St. Louis and need a win, and an Oakland loss to get in. The only interconference game with any playoff implications is Chicago at Washington. Both teams improve their status, and will get a bye week if they can win this game. In other games, the ones that maybe you don’t make a day of, we have Arizona at Tampa, Texas at New Orleans, Michigan @ Houston, Memphis @ Orlando, and Jacksonville against largely the second squad in Birmingham.

Playoff Picture: Birmingham and Houston have won their divisions and locked up the #1 seed for their conference. Arizona has won its division. Chicago, Denver, Washington, and Pittsburgh have locked up playoff spots, with seeding to be determined. Tampa Bay, Baltimore, Michigan, New Orleans, St. Louis, Orlando, and Memphis have been eliminated from playoff contention.

The Houston Gamblers got a monster game from Thurman Thomas to knock off the plucky New Jersey Generals. In a game that saw Doug Flutie throw for 4 scores, league yardage leader Jim Kelly was surprisingly quiet, throwing for an equal 288 yards to Flutie, but only connecting on one TD. He did not need to be the star on the day as Thomas combined 72 yards rushing (with 2 scores) with 136 yards receiving to lead the Gamblers to a key home victory and one step closer to the #1 seed in the playoffs. Thomas opened the scoring in what would become something of a shootout, breaking to the outside on an off-tackle run, and finding daylight for a 19-yard score. New Jersey responded as Doug Flutie, who would go 30 for 50 on the day, found rookie Mark Chmura for a score from 20 yards out. The Gamblers would take a 3-point lead on their next drive with John Kasay’s 26-yarder, but it would be the Generals going into the half with a lead as with 1:34 left on the clock Herschel Walker received a shovel pass from Flutie to score from 3 yards out and put the visitors up 14-10. The third quarter began with Houston again retaking the lead. This time it was a poor throw from Flutie that led to a short pick-6 by linebacker Quentin Coryatt. Flutie recovered and once again New Jersey went up, now 21-17 on another Flutie to Chmura connection. The two teams would trade touchdowns again, first a short run by Thurman Thomas and then a Flutie to Lam Jones pass, and again New Jersey would hold a 4 point lead, 28-24. But that was the last that the Generals would score, while Houston still had some points in them. With 5:14 left, Kelly finally got on the board, finding Brett Perriman for a score that put Houston up for good, 31-28. They would tack on another 3 points to finish out the game, but the close victory in front of a rambunctious home crowd showed that New Jersey was a serious player, but in the end that Houston was the better squad. BAL 10 CHI 19 Chicago kept pace with Houston in the Central thanks to a 9-point win at Soldier Field. Once again it was the foot of John Carney that helped Chicago hold off the Blitz. Four field goals, helped by 4 interceptions from Chris Miller and the Machine was in business despite a poor game from Kosar (0 TDs and 1 Int). Disturbing news for Chicago as their lead back, Ricky Watters, went out in the 3rd with an injury that could prove a factor as the season winds down. PHI 23 MGN 12 Philadelphia took advantage of New Jersey’s loss, defeating Michigan in the Silverdome and evening their record with the Generals’ at 7-7. Chuck Long threw for 2 scores and the Stars D did their part by containing both Jack Trudeau (192 yards passing) and the Michigan run game (Jenkins and Culver combine for only 51 yards.) PIT 39 NOR 24 Both Risher and Rosenbach threw for 3 scores, but a safety and a pick-6 by the Maulers defense helped Pittsburgh pick up the road win and clinch a playoff spot. TE Dan Ross had a strong game for the Breakers, totaling 112 yards receiving and a score, but with Lipps, Brown, and Pritchard all scoring for Pittsburgh it was just too much for the Breakers to match. WSH 27 TEX 17 Washington took advantage of 6 sacks, 2 turnovers, and Kelly Stouffer’s early departure from the game to pull out a win in San Antonio. With Stouffer knocked out after being sacked 4 times, Glen Carano had trouble shaking off the rust and threw 2 late interceptions to help Washington get the win. Rookie Michael Barrow had a solid game for the Feds, earning Defensive POTW honors, while Dexter Manley added another 2 sacks to his league leading total. BIR 31 ARZ 24 Arizona was game, but in the end it was just too much of the Stallions offense for the Wranglers to contain. Brett Favre ended the day with only 125 yards passing as the Wranglers focused on keeping everything short, but it was enough as he also tossed 2 touchdowns and watched as James Joseph scored on a late TD run to give Birmingham a 31-17 lead. Arizona would tighten the gap, but could not equalize the score late. JAX 17 DEN 24 A big home win for the surging Gold. Denver overcame a 17-14 deficit after three by sticking to their game plan. Dave Krieg’s short pass game paid off when he hit Odessa Turner for a late TD. Krieg would finish the day with three scoring tosses and no picks as Denver shut down the Bulls’ run game and harassed Tony Eason throughout the game. The win pushes Denver 2 games over .500 and in the running for a division title should Arizona slip. MEM 14 OAK 35 Memphis stuck with Shawn Moore for another week and once again they simply could not generate offense. Meanwhile, Bobby Hebert threw for 310 and 5 touchdowns in his best game of the season. With 123 to Henry Ellard, along with 2 scores, Hebert helped give Oakland fans something to cheer about. At 6-8, they are still alive in the West, but need more games like this one to crawl back into the Wildcard discussion. ORL 14 POR 16 The Portland Thunder find themselves back in playoff contention as they equal their record at 7-7 with a win over the Renegades. With Cris Carter sidelined, it was Hart Lee Dykes again, catching 5 balls for 126 yards to lead the Thunder. Robert Drummond added a 107-yard day and the D actually held their own against the Renegades, led by Craig Erickson after Collier tweeked his ankle in practice on Friday. TBY 24 STL 21 The Bandits seem to be playing well for interim coach Ron Zook, winning their second in a row. In this one it was Aikman tossing three touchdowns, including a final score with only 40 second left to give the Bandits a road win. Tampa’s D played well against the explosive Darrell Thompson, limiting him to only 39 yards, and forcing St. Louis into an uncomfortable one-dimensional offense. Thurman Thomas’s performance this week, combining strong running with dynamic receiving, just highlighted why he is a frontrunner for Offensive Player of the Year, if not MVP. Thomas is on pace to break the 2,000 yard mark for yards from scrimmage. He sits atop the leader board for rushers with an even 1,200 yards and has another 621 yards receiving, leaving him only 179 yards short with 2 games left to play. In the game this week, Thomas’s 2 touchdowns included a dynamic opening score from 19 yards out. He also had the longest reception on the day, a 58-yarder on a perfectly executed screen. While Jim Kelly may be the face of the Gamblers, Thomas is clearly the engine for the team. His dual threat nature opens up the Houston offense, creating space for Kelly to go deep on play action, while also creating a dangerous outlet should the deep ball not be available. While Brett Favre is looking solidly in the lead for the MVP this year, Thomas deserves to be in the conversation and will likely walk away with the Offensive Player of the Year if Favre takes the MVP. And it would be well-deserved. Things are finally beginning to take shape, at least at the top of the standings. Four more teams punched their playoff tickets as both Washington and Pittsburgh joined Birmingham in the Eastern Conference and both Arizona and Chicago joined the Western Conference postseason along with frontrunning Houston. Still very much up in the air are two Wild Card slots in each conference. At 8-6, Denver has a leg up on 7-7 Portland, but both have to worry about 6-8 Texas and now Oakland. In the East, Jacksonville needs only 1 win to clinch, while New Jersey and Philadelphia are both locked up at 7-7 in a battle that may come down to matchups both have with Baltimore over the next 2 weeks. New Jersey has a huge advantage in division record, where they are 4-2 to Philly’s 1-5, so the Stars have to hope that they finish a game ahead of the Generals to get that final playoff spot. We have a team in Atlanta. This week the 1995 Atlanta franchise, headed up by Augusta newspaper magnate William Shivers Morris, revealed the team name, colors, primary logo, and then a surprise, introduced the coach for the team., a full year before they would play their first game. At a ceremony at Bobby Dodd Stadium on the campus of Georgia Tech, team owner Shivers Morris introduced the newest USFL franchise with fanfare and a surprise announcement. With a focus on the 1994 Olympics and a reputation as a city that rose from the ashes of the Civil War, Atlanta has opted to embrace the image of flames as the Atlanta Fire. The name, which may be controversial to some, evokes not only the destruction of the Civil War and Sherman’s March to the Sea, but also the rebuilding of the city, a phoenix out of the ashes, as well as the Olympic flame that will signal the arrival of Atlanta as a world class city. This Olympic symbolism was not lost on the design team that created Atlanta’s fiery logo. The primary logo is the team name, with the “I” in “Fire” being replaced by a flaming torch. The lettering is in a dark navy blue, highlighted by the red and athletic gold flames. “We wanted a symbol for Atlanta that spoke to our spirit and our pride, and we felt that the flaming torch was an excellent fit.” Said Shivers Morris. He added that he wants this team to be a rallying point for the city as well as a symbol of the New South. The team colors, we were informed, were, very much like those of the Atlanta Falcons of the NFL, inspired by the strong local tradition of football powers of Georgia Tech and the University of Georgia. “We combine the navy and gold of the Rambling Wreck with the Bulldogs’ red to create something both familiar to local fans and new for the area,” stated team president. Though most at the event felt the red-orange and athletic gold were a far cry from Georgia's pinkish red or Ga Tech's metallic gold, the point was made. Just as reporter began to shuffle around, believing the announcements to be done for the day, Shivers Morris told everyone he had one more big news story. “Before you go, perhaps you would like to meet our head coach. Would that interest you boys?” he asked with a chesire cat grin on his face. Out from behind the curtain emerged a figure familiar to pro football fans, former Denver Bronco Head Coach Dan Reeves. Shivers added “I know you all were saying that Coach Reeves was headed to New York or down to Tampa, but I am happy to say that he is going to make his home here in Atlanta, and will help us build towards our first draft, our first free agency period, and our first season in 1995.”. Reeves, a native of Rome, Georgia, and graduate of the University of South Carolina, spoke briefly to the crowd of reporters, his accent revealing that despite his time in Denver, he remained a son of the South. Reeves, who took the Denver Broncos to three Super Bowls, largely behind the talent of QB John Elway, but was unable to win a title in the Mile High City. He was released by the Broncos after a disappointing 8-8 season in 1992 and was a frequently named candidate for several USFL and NFL positions. Reeves will work with Atlanta’s as-yet unnamed GM as well as the front office staff to help build the Fire franchise over the next 18 months. So, there you have it. Welcome to the league the new Atlanta Fire. Next up for the Fire is to work with Nike on uniforms and then start putting players in those uniforms. And next up for the USFL is the announcement of their remaining 2 expansion franchises. Rumors have news coming as soon as next week on that front, so stay tuned. Looking at the final two weeks of the year, there are some injuries that could impact the final playoff push for several teams. Washington’s hopes that promising rookie Terry Kirby could return were dashed this week when it was revealed that he will miss at least a month of action due to an ACL injury, putting in doubt not only a regular season return, but the playoffs as well. In Houston, LB Pat Swilling’s gimpy ankle could keep him out for the final two weeks of the year, but with the playoffs assured, Houston may rest him even if he is able to return. If the Gamblers can secure the bye this week, they will certainly rest many starters in Week 16. Jacksonville is gambling themselves that Tony Eason can stay upright. Despite backup Mike Shula being unavailable the Bulls have yet to sign a 3rd QB to their roster, leaving only Eason and current 3rd stringer Sam Garcia active for these final 2 weeks. And both Oakland and Birmingham may be playing key Week 15 games without their top receivers as both Henry Ellard and Ernest Givens were listed as questionable with undisclosed leg injuries. Week 15 and so much to play for as we return for 2 weeks of divisional play. In the Atlantic both Philly and New Jersey are looking to get an advantage over the other, but Philly has the easier matchup. The Stars will be at home against Baltimore, while New Jersey hosts the division-leading Federals. In the South, Birmingham may put Memphis out of their misery in this classic rivalry game, while Tampa is in Jacksonville, hoping to win a 3rd in a row and salvage some pride out of a lost season. In the Central, New Orleans and Michigan, both at 4-10, are playing out the string as they meet in Pontiac, while Houston faces off against the Machine in Chicago in a possible playoff preview. Out in the Pacific Division we have a huge playoff-impacting matchup as the Wranglers travel to Denver to face the Gold. The winner has the upper hand for the division title and that all-important bye week. In the other matchup, it is win or kiss your Wild Card hopes goodbye as 7-7 Portland visits 6-8 Oakland. In our two inter-divisional games, we have Texas at Pittsburgh, in a game both desperately want to win, and we have St. Louis at Orlando in a game both clubs may simply play to avoid injury and pad their stats.

Playoff Position: Birmingham has clinched the #1 Seed and Southern Division Title. Houston has clinched the Central Division title. Arizona, Chicago, Washington, and Pittsburgh have secured playoff spots. Orlando, Tampa, St. Louis, New Orleans, and Michigan are eliminated from playoff contention.

We all went into the week confident that the Arizona-Houston game would be our GOTW, and then we saw New Jersey upset Birmingham, so maybe that would squeak out the award, but we simply could not ignore a true barnburner between two edge-of-playoff teams fighting for their lives. Portland @ Texas was the clear game of the week despite the hype of the other games. It was a game that saw 5 turnovers, a 5 TD quarterback performance, and a breakout day for a WR largely lost in the shuffle. And what was most interesting was that the game did not build up to intensity, it started there and just stayed at that level. Portland showed they were playing for keeps from the first moments of the game, taking the opening kickoff down the field in only 5 plays, with Kerwin Bell hitting TE Clint Didier with a 29-yard TD only 1:02 into the game on what felt like a 2-minute drill from the opening play. Texas seemed stunned by the ease of Portland’s first drive, but managed to put a field goal on the board with their first drive as well. The score was followed by another quick-action drive from Portland, but one which went a bit too fast, leading to a tipped ball, intercepted by Texas’s Kevin Porter. The Outlaws capitalized 6 plays later with rookie Roosevelt Potts diving in from a yard out. Potts, starting in place of Reggie Cobb, who is now on IR and done for the year, would not have a great game, gaining only 51 yards on 18 carries, but the feeding of the ball to the big back kept Texas’s ability to use play action alive throughout the game. Portland struck back, down 10-7, on the first drive of the 2nd quarter, with Kerwin Bell again finding TE Didier covered by a slower LB, this time a 27-yarder was enough to retake the lead. Texas was unphased, and ripped off 21 consecutive points to build a 31-14 lead during the quarter. The first score was a rare run by 3rd stringer Willie Strange. This was quickly followed on consecutive drives by Stouffer TD passes to Dokie Willams and Steve Wilkes. It seemed the Outlaws had found a rhythm, and were going to put Portland away, but in their 2-minute drill Kerwin Bell connected on 4 consecutive pass plays, to bring the Thunder back, the final one being an 8-yard TD to Hart Lee Dykes to pull back within 10. Dykes, who would finish the day with 112 yards receiving, was the surprise star of the day for Portland, who lost Cris Carter early to injury, pushing the 4th wideout into a starting role opposite Webster Slaughter. The third quarter started slowly, with both teams missing on big plays and each QB throwing a drive-killing interception. It was only when Kelly Stouffer threw a second pick in the quarter, this time deep in his own half, that someone got on the board. Portland took the short field and within 4 plays Webster Slaughter was in the endzone with a score that pulled Portland to a 3 point deficit at 31-28. Texas would try to build some distance in the 4th quarter, but were only able to muster a 31-yard Nick Mike-Myer field goal, to build up to 34-28. That 6 point lead was precarious and everyone in the stadium knew it. When Portland got the ball back with 3:02 left to play, every fan in the stadium could feel the tension on the Texas sideline. Only 31,500 had shown up in the Alamo Dome to see a game against a midling Portland team, but all 31,500 were cheering and urging the Outlaw D to hold. But, this was Kerwin Bell’s day, and the plucky QB moved Portland deep into Texas territory, thanks in part to a defensive holding call on 3rd and 11 that gave the Thunder a first down. On a 2nd and 9 on the 11, Bell dumped the ball down to FB Mike Cade, and the big man made a bee line for the corner pylon. With CB Jerome Henderson draped on his right arm, Cade crashed into the pylon and into the endzone, giving Portland the 34-34 tie. Al Del Greco did the rest, driving the ball between the uprights for the PAT and giving the small scattering of Thunder fans in attendance the win they had hoped to see. JAX 10 PHI 16 The Stars’ defense played lights out all game, knocking both Tony Eason and Mike Shula out of the game at different points, leading to a very ineffective Sam Garcia sighting. Kelvin Bryant’s 87 yards included a 1-yard over-the-top plunge in the 2nd quarter that helped the Stars take a 13-0 halftime lead, one they would never relinquish. MEM 10 PIT 38 You have to feel for Showboat fans. They started the season so strong only to lose their QB and realize that they did not have much else on offense. Shawn Moore got the start again, but could not produce points (Expect to see Torretta get a start next week). For Pittsburgh, Alan Risher had a strong day again, throwing for 402 yards and 4 scores. ORL 10 WSH 27 Reggie Collier kept Orlando in the game early, going 10 for 12 to start the game, but spent too much time running for his life. Sacked 4 time, the final one, a rough Dexter Manley hit, sent Collier out of the game and his backup, Craig Erickson would not have the same success. Meanwhile, Barry Word and Curvin Richards both did well, with Richards scoring an early TD and Word carrying the ball 20 times to help Washington wind down the clock late. TBY 23 BAL 17 Tampa Bay earned a bit of respect at the hands of the Baltimore Blitz, who started the year strong but have now faded away. Two Aikman to Truvillion TD’s one a 58 yard bomb, helped remind fans of what the team can be when they have a solid line and the passing game is working. Harmon and Bienemy still struggled to gain yards on the ground, combining for only 74 yards rushing, but Tampa had enough to outlast the Blitz. ARZ 18 HOU 21 This was the game everyone wanted to see, and we got what we expected. Houston opened strong, with 2 Thomas TD’s in the first half, an da Keith McKeller TD reception to go up 21-7 at the break. Arizona then clamped down, and added 10 points in the second half, but it was not enough as Houston frustrated QB Scott Mitchell all day. Despite a strong 94-yard performance from Lionel James, Mitchell was forced to make early throws too often and the Wranglers fell to the Gamblers. DEN 19 MGN 10 The Gold showed up ready for a defensive struggle in the SilverDome, and that is what they got. Neither team amassed 300 yards of offense as defense and field position ruled the day. It was Michigan up 10-0 early, but over the course of 3 quarters, Denver added field goal after field goal (4 in total) to take a 12-10 lead into the 4th, and then, on a busted play, Krieg hit Mark Carrier for the deciding score as Denver put space between themselves and the ineffective Panther offense. OAK 24 NOR 35 The Breakers had one of their best offensive games of the year as Oakland again proved to be out of sorts all day. Tim Rosenbach hit on 3 TD passes and Marcus Dupree, despite carrying the ball only 8 times, scored twice as the Breakers outpaced the Invaders. New Orleans used blitzes to get to Hebert, who threw for 410 yards but was sacked 4 times, hurried another 8 times and only managed 1 TD pass. STL 31 CHI 40 The Knights stayed in a nickel defense practically the entire game, a strategy that largely paid off, holding Bernie Kosar to only 2 passing TD’s and 2 interceptions. The problem was they could not shut down John Carney’s right foot. Carney kicked 4 fieldgoals, and HB Ricky Waters scored twice as the Machine simply scored on more drives, though both teams put up solid yardage and points on the other. BIR 17 NJ 27 It was not that the Generals upset the Stallions that shocked folks, it was how effective they were against Brett Favre that surprised most observers. Favre completed only 17 of 34 passes, with 2 TD’s but also threw 3 interceptions and was sacked 5 times in a really bad showing at the Meadowlands. The blitzing Generals got sacks from 5 different players and FS John White had a huge game, picking off Favre twice, and breaking up 3 more passes. Both Flutie and Walker also had strong games, as the Generals proved that they were a team to reckon with, winning their 5th in a row and knocking off the league’s best team. We have to highlight both the AP Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week this week, because without their efforts, their two teams would simply no longer be in the playoff hunt. On offense the biggest star of the week was much-maligned Portland QB Kerwin Bell. Against Texas, in what would be a 1-point victory, Bell accounted for all 5 Portland touchdowns. He found TE Clint Didier twice for scores, and with only seconds left in the game, threw his 5th TD of the day to little-used FB Mike Cade to upend the homestanding Texas Outlaws. Bell, who has struggled all year with consistency, had his best performance of the season, completing 27 of 52 passes for 372 yards and the 5 scores. With Robert Drummond again hampered by a hamstring and held to only 40 yards, it was Bell who took over on offense and helped the Thunder to a vital win. On the other side of the ball, Philadelphia DE Steve Bryan was vital in helping the Stars pull off a tough defensive win against the favored Jacksonville Bulls. Bryan’s 3 sacks included one that sidelined Tony Eason for the rest of the day, one that pushed Jacksonville out of a safe field goal range, leading to a Stoyanovich miss, and finally, one that killed a huge drive on a 3rd and 5 late in the game, helping Philly hold on to their slim 16-10 lead and preserve the win. Bryan, with the 3-sack day, leapfrogged both both Charles Haley and Phil Hanson to take over 2nd on the season sack list. Paired with William Fuller, the Stars “Malachi Crunch” has produced a combined 29 sacks, helping to set the tone for the Philadelphia defense. We have our first two clinches this week, with both Houston and Birmingham locking up a playoff spot. Both are also 1 win away from clinching the division title, and Birmingham can even lock up the #1 seed with a win and a Federals loss. Looking to lock up playoff berths this week are Arizona (9-4), Chicago (8-5), Washington 9-4), Pittsburgh, and Jacksonville (both 8-5). The Maulers and Bulls would need help, both counting on losses by Philadelphia and Memphis to lock in their berths. Mathematically only Tampa Bay is fully eliminated from playoff scenarios, but the paths for Baltimore, Orlando, Michigan and New Orleans are as close to impossible as you can get without being officially eliminated. In the “no one is shocked” department, Tampa Bay has already been rumored to have a short list of possible coaching candidates ready to go. One candidate they can already speak with is former Denver Broncos head coach Dan Reeves. Reeves was let go by the Broncos this past February, and he is a prime target for several teams, including the New York Giants, Atlanta Falcons and the USFL Bandits. Another name being mentioned often, at least on local sportsradio, is that of former Chicago Bears Head Coach Mike Ditka. Ditka seems an odd fit for the Bandits, but stranger things have happened. Others receiving attention are Chargers D-line coach George O’Leary, former Clemson head coach Danny Ford, and Dolphins defensive coordinator Tom Olivadotti. Current interim coach Ron Zook is not expected to be retained, so the search is wide open. And, with Tampa’s defensive woes this year, do not be surprised if the Bandits retire “Banditball” and seek to find a coach with a defensive pedigree. That is one of the reasons why we cannot ignore the rumors about Ditka, and why either O’Leary or Olivadotti make sense as well. No current NFL coach can be contacted until August and the NFL-USFL transfer window, but that does not impact the Bandits being able to speak with “free agent” coaches like Reeves, Ditka, or Danny Ford. A big hit for Birmingham as guard Guy McIntyre went down for the rest of the season with a knee injury during the loss to New Jersey. While McIntyre is not essential to pass protection, the already struggling run game of the Stallions will sorely miss the big road grater. Another big loss is Philly DT Leon Lett, who will miss the rest of the regular season for the Stars. Oakland got more bad news as LB Ron Rivera is expected to miss a month. New Jersey did not walk away unimpacted by their game in Birmingham, as tackle William Israel may miss the next 2 weeks. Other shorter-term injuries to report include Portland’s Cris Carter, who is out with a wrist injury, Memphis rookie Deon Figures, who will miss a week or more with a shoulder injury, and Arizona’s Courtney Hawkins, listed as doubtful with a sprained knee. Jack Trudeau is listed as Questionable, but most in Michigan expect him to start this week despite a rib injury. It’s that rarest of events in the USFL next week, Inter-conference play, and some big games to test teams in both conferences. We start with New Jersey at Houston. The Generals take their 5 game win streak to face the best team in the West. Can they stay hot or will the Gamblers cool those high rollers down? Birmingham, fresh off a surprising loss to New Jersey has no easy task ahead of them either, as they travel to the desert to face the 9-4 Arizona Wranglers. In another marquee matchup we have 8-5 Jacksonville at 7-6 Denver. Playoff qualification will very much be on the minds of the Chicago Machine as they host Baltimore, the Pittsburgh Maulers as they travel to New Orleans, and the Federals as they face off against the Outlaws in Texas. Philly’s faint playoff hopes rely on a win in Michigan as two teams who have seen better days renew their rivalry. In Oakland, two teams that looked like playoff contenders early on try to stay relevant as the 6-7 Showboats face off against the 5-7 Invaders. In Portland, a win by the home team over the visiting Orlando Renegades will boost them to 7-7 and keep their playoff hopes alive. And finally, in St. Louis, the Knights try to stay mathematically alive as they face a quickly-collapsing Tampa Bay Bandits team just hoping to do well in the draft this year as they look to rebuild a proud franchise.

Playoff Picture: Houston and Birmingham have clinched playoff spots.

It is always a blood & guts affair when the Stars and Generals meet. Separated by just 90 miles on the New Jersey Turnpike, these two clubs battle it out twice a year, and if fans are lucky, both games are as good as this one. Herschel Walker returned from a 1-game suspension and faced off against his long-time rival, Kelvin Bryant. For Doug Flutie, it was his 17th Turnpike Classic, for Chuck Long just the 2nd, with Philly having lost to the Generals 2 weeks ago in Veteran’s Stadium. Now the rematch in the Meadowlands, and with both teams nipping at Memphis for the final playoff spot, this one could be huge. The game started tentatively, with both teams struggling to get into the red zone. It was 6-3 Philadelphia thanks to the right foot of David Trout when the Stars defense got a huge break. A Flutie pass intended for TE Jeff Spek was tipped at the line and safety Lorenzo Lynch scooped it out of the air and back the 15 yards to paydirt to give the Stars a 13-3 lead. But, in what would be a portend of what was to come, on their next drive, Philly gave up a huge play to wideout Lam Jones, as Flutie hit the speedy receiver on a 58-yard bomb to get back into the game at 13-10. In the3rd quarter, the Stars defense once again scored, this time a safety as Doug Flutie, scrambling to avoid a sack in the endzone, accidentally stepped on the end line and gave Philly the 2 points anyway. Flutie would redeem himself on the next drive, taking the Generals down the field and scoring the go-ahead TD on a short pass to little-used Josh Robinson. Flutie himself ran in the 2-pointer on a bootleg, and New Jersey was up 18-15. The score would remain that way throughout most of the 4th quarter, but with one drive left in them, the Stars drove into New Jersey territory and once again the right foot of David Trout was crucial. His short fieldgoal from the 11 yard line evened the score and sent the game to overtime. Philadelphia got the ball first in the extra period, but a great jump on the ball allowed Generals CB Cliff Hicks to swat away a 3rd and 7 pass and the ball turned over to Flutie and the Generals. Flutie got a break on first down as a sack was called back for defensive offsides, bringing up a 1st and 5. Amp Lee broke off a 13-yard run and New Jersey was off. 3 plays later, they were at the Philadelphia 38 yard line, just outside of Roger Ruzek’s range, when Flutie again found Lam Jones. Jones got behind CB Chris Snyder and Flutie lofted a looping deep ball to him. Jones came down with it and fell to the ground, his knee landing just inside the endlline. The 6-point play gave the Generals the win, and that win moved them to 6-6, their first sight of .500 since at 2-1 they lost 5 in a row. The win was New Jersey’s 4th in a row as they are rallying at just the right time. For the Stars, falling to 5-7 is not helpful, and neither is the 3-game slide they are on. With only 1 divisional game left on their docket, they may need help in addition to a strong finish to see postseason action. WSH 24 PIT 21 The other big matchup in the Atlantic was a pretty good game as well. The Feds, thanks to a Mark Kelso Pick-6 and a 3rd quarter Barry Word TD, held a 24-7 lead, but Pittsburgh caught fire in the 4th, with Risher throwing TD’s to both Louis Lipps and Mike Pritchard. But, a third drive was not in the cards as Washington was able to kill the clock and walk out of Three Rivers with a big divisional road win. MEM 18 JAX 29 Shawn Moore threw for 323, most of it playing catchup as the Jacksonville Bulls notched their 8th win on the season with a victory at home over the Showboats. Tony Eason threw for 3 scores and avoided turnovers as Jacksonville slowly built up a lead that the ‘Boats could not cut into, despite 141 yards from Jo-Jo Townsell. TBY 13 ORL 27 In a rematch of Week 10’s 13-9 Tampa victory, the Renegades got a bit of revenge, containing the Tampa passing game and building up a 27-10 lead after 3 quarters. The game was Ron Zook’s first at the helm of the Bandits after the resignation of Steve Spurrier, and Zook, who had been coaching the defense, simply did not have any answers for a stagnant Tampa Bay offense. CHI 38 NOR 17 Chicago outgained the Breakers 470-323 as Bernie Kosar threw for 348 and 5 touchdowns. New Orleans had trouble against the run as well, giving up 108 to Chicago’s Ricky Watters. TE Wesley Walls had another big game, scoring twice and catching 7 balls for 150 as the Machine appear to be regaining their early season form after a bit of a midseason lull. MGN 20 TEX 3 The Outlaws have not figured out how to make up for the loss of HB Reggie Cobb as Roosevelt Potts gained only 38 yards on 18 carries. Despite losing Jack Trudeau to injury at the end of the 1st, the Salisbury-led Panthers had a solid day, with both Alfred Jenkins and Rodney Culver finding the endzone. The loss knocked Texas to 6-6 and kept Michigan’s faint playoff hopes alive at 4-8. POR 13 ARZ 40 Rumors of the Wranglers’ demise seem to be greatly exaggerated. Scott Mitchell, playing for the injured Robbie Bosco, had a killer game, throwing for 352 yards and 5 TDs against a beleaguered Thunder secondary. Add in 102 yards rushing from Darryl Clack and a defense that allowed only 255 total yards to Kerwin Bell and Robert Drummond, and you end up with a serious pasting from the Wranglers. OAK 14 STL 27 Oakland again seemed to lose all sense of offensive rhythm in St. Louis, and David Archer found his mojo with a whopping 430 yards passing and 3 TD’s. The Knights were able to contain Siran Stacy (42 yards rushing) and make Oakland one-dimensional. That helped them avoid play action, and they were able to limit Bobby Hebert’s impact on the game. With the win both teams left the field at 5-7 and still technically alive in a crowded Western Conference Wild Card chase. HOU 33 BAL 10 Houston just had too much for the Blitz on this day. Thurman Thomas rushed for 66 yards, caught 3 balls for 40 yards, and scored twice to help the Gamblers stay atop the Central Division. The defense did their part as well, with both Ashley Ambrose and Johnny Holland coming away with interceptions and CB Reggie Sutton both stripping the ball from Mervyn Fernandez and recovering the fumble. DEN 21 BIR 35 Not many expected Denver to be able to keep up with Birmingham, and they could not. They were as close as 21-14 early in the 4th, but a late scoring toss from Favre to Dawsey, and a Kevin Greene fumble return for 6 were all the Stallions needed to put this one to bed. Birmingham, while not mathematically locked into a playoff spot, is all but assured not only a playoff run, but the #1 seed as they hold a 3-game lead on Washington for the seed with only 4 weeks left to play. Scott Mitchell's boxscore stats line says all that needs to be said for the 3rd year QB: 30 of 49 passing for 352 yards and 5 touchdowns. For a guy who was just supposed to come in, manage the game, avoid turnovers, and let the defense try to win games, Mitchell has been far more than fans in Tempe have expected. After two midling, "game manager" games against Baltimore and Denver, the game this week against Portland felt like a coming out party. Mitchell has picked up the offense, built rapport with his receivers, and begun to act like a starter on a playoff quality team, not a backup thrust into an uncomfortable starting role. Three years into his career after playing for the U. of Utah, Mitchell is now the starter for the 9-3 Wranglers, not just the guy holding the clipboard. This game shows he might just be ready for that task. No one is happier to see this development than Coach Tollner, who has struggled to maximize his offenses potential with Robbie Bosco, but who now may see hope in Mitchell to open up the pass game just a bit more. Of course, the others who had smiles on their faces this week were Mitchell's receivers. Trumaine Johnson had 11 catches for 88 yards and 2 scores, Bruce Hill snagged 6 for 86, and veteran Tight End Terry Orr had his best game in the past 2 years, catching 6 balls or 119 yards and a score as the Wranglers simply outmatched the Portland defense. Maybe, just maybe, Arizona has found the heir to Bosco, who is out for the year with a fracture in his femur. If Mitchell can add dynamism to the Arizona offense, this team could go all the way. Birmingham has all but wrapped up the #1 seed in the East, and can win it outright with a win this week or a Washington loss. The game between the Wranglers and Gamblers could equally (though not mathematically) be a title game for the top seed, as these two teams have a 2-game lead on all other competitors in the conference. At the other end of the playoff rankings we find Memphis and New Jersey both at 6-6, with the Showboats still in and New Jersey just barely out, but with the Generals having won 4 straight, and the Showboats having lost 4 in a row, we may see them swap spots soon enough. And if both falter, the Stars, sitting at 5-7 could still swoop in. In the West we have Chicago, Texas, Denver, Oakland, St. Louis and Portland all within a 2-game window hugging the .500 mark. Only 3 of the 6 can get in, so expect a lot of table and scoreboard watching for the final 4 weeks of the year. With Steve Spurrier recently resigning, and with Jim Stanley’s announced retirement, the two last remaining founding coaches in the USFL are now out. As soon as Stanley steps down at the end of the regular season, the mantle of longest-reigning coach will pass to Dick Vermeil in Oakland, who will complete his 9th season as the leader of the Invaders. But, will Vermeil survive what has been a very disappointing season for the Invaders? What other coaches are on the hotseat? Looking around the league, these are the 5 who need to show us something over the next few weeks or risk being out on the street. Dick Vermeil-OAK: Yes, he has brought a USFL title to Oakland, but the Invaders have had a major stumble this year, even after returning Bobby Hebert back to the USFL. That said, 2 wins in the final 2 games and a mediocre 7-9 record are likely all Vermeil needs to get a 2nd year with Hebert at the helm. Howard Schnellenberger-ORL: The only coach the Renegades have ever known also got Orlando to the Summer Bowl only 2 years ago, but after going 9-7 last year and missing out of the playoffs, the Renegades again look like they might miss the postseason. With only 2 winning seasons in 7 seasons in Orlando, it may just be one bad season too many for a coach and a team that seemed poised for better things only 2 years ago. Dennis Erickson-POR: Yes, the Thunder have made the playoffs the past two years, but they snuck in last year at 8-8. At 5-7 now, they need to win 3 of 4 to even match that record. It is said that the ownership in Portland likes Erickson, but they need to take a step up, or show the potential to do so, in the season’s final 4 weeks or it may again be time for a change in the Pacific Northwest. Bill Arnsparger-NOR: Arnsparger has been coach of the Breakers for 6 seasons, and has taken them to the playoffs each of his first 5 years. That is not going to happen this year, and despite appearing in 3 of 4 Western Conference Championships, the Breakers have not been able to win the big game and get to the Summer Bowl. If the team is retooling, which may be the case this year, the coach is a good place to start. Gene Stallings-TEX: The Outlaws have been underachieving since Stallings took over an 8-8 team and proceeded to go 8-8 twice more. He had a strong year in 1991, with Texas finishing 12-4, but a first round loss in the playoffs means the Outlaws still have not won a playoff game in their 6 year tenure. If they can get into the Wild Card round, and if they can win that game, Stallings is almost certainly safe. But if not, we would not be surprised to see him ousted. We already reported that Michigan QB Jack Trudeau was knocked out of this week’s game. He is expected to return in 1-2 weeks as x-rays reveal no fractures in his gimpy ankle. Others were not as lucky. Philadelphia DT Leon Lett will miss the rest of the year with a hip injury, while Oakland will have to cover for Ron River, who is done for the year as well. St. Louis will be without one of its best cover men as CB Ron Pitts is expected to miss 1-2 weeks with a pinched nerve. Expected back in action this week after significant time away we have Orlando FB Craig Hayward, Arizona FS Martin Bayless, Houston DE Michael Sinclair, and Chicago safety George Teague. Week 13 sees the Atlantic hosting Southern Division squads as the Pacific travels to play their Central Division rivals. It will be Jacksonville at Philadelphia, Memphis @ Pittsburgh, Orlando in Washington, and Tampa Bay at Baltimore in the East. The best game of the week is going to be the 9-3 Wranglers visiting the 9-3 Houston Gamblers, with that key #1 seed and home field on the line. In other games, the Denver Gold will be in Michigan, Oakland visits the Big Easy, Portland will be in San Antonio, the Knights travel to Soldier Field for a classic St. Louis-Chicago matchup, and in the big Sunday Night matchup it is Birmingham, with their stellar 11-1 record, heading up to New Jersey to face Walker, Flutie, and the Generals.

While still an upset, based on the Las Vegas lines, a lot of folks saw this one coming. Memphis, playing without Mike Kelley, has struggled to move the ball and put up points. Their defense is still elite, but without an offense to sustain drives, they tire by the end of the game. Orlando, with veteran Reggie Collier at the helm, can still put together a solid offensive game. In this week’s matchup, Orlando took advantage of the tiring Memphis D, scoring on 3 late game drives to turn a 24-16 deficit into a 31-24 victory. The first quarter of this game saw both teams move the ball well in the middle of the field, but bog down in the red zone, leading to 3 field goals, two from Orlando’s Fuad Reveiz, and one from Memphis’s Kevin Shea. Memphis would get the first TD of the game, midway through the 2nd quarter, with a Jo-Jo Townsell TD from former Heisman winner, Gino Torretta, who came in for an injured Shawn Moore and played most of the 2nd and 3rd quarters. Orlando responded with a field goal to make the score 10-9 in favor of the Showboats. Memphis then got another solid drive from Torretta, ending with a short TD pass to TE John Embree and Memphis led 17-9 at the half. They began the second half in much the same way, with Keith Jackson now getting in on the scoring. Up 24-9, things looked good for Memphis, but their defense, which had held the Renegades to only 3 field goals, was tiring, and making mistakes, and those would end up becoming huge for Orlando. Orlando started to shift the momentum late in the 3rd, when on two consecutive 3rd and long downs, Collier made plays, one a scramble, one an impromptu shovel pass to Boone, to make first downs. The drive concluded with Collier finding Wamon Buggs for 6. Everyone from the stands to the broadcast booth saw the momentum shifting, and only 2 minutes later, helped by a Tommy Agie fumble, Orlando got evenc closer. Just 2 plays after the costly fumble, Collier hit Carlos Etheridge for another score, and it was now tied up at 24 with a bootleg Collier run for the 2-point play. On their next drive, Orlando would take the lead. Collier passed them down the field, with some good running by both Dalton Hilliard and Todd Fowler, and from the 1 it was Fowler who dove off center and got the score that would determine the game. Orlando kept a returned Shawn Moore in check, and the Renegades hung on to win, only their 3rd victory of the season. For fans of the Showboats, a promising start of the season seemed to be melting away as they looked at the prospect of 5 more weeks with either Torretta or Moore at QB. The defense could not do it all alone. They would need more from the offense to eat up clock, keep the D off the field, and get some points on the board. STL 24 TBY 14 In a game that saw Coach Spurrier actually pull Troy Aikman out of frustration, the Tampa Bay offense simply did not have a coherent plan to attack the Knights defense. Meanwhile, TD’s from both Thompson and Jordan for the Knights, paired with a defense that had Aikman and Fourcade running for cover, was all St. Louis needed to earn a 4th win and a slim shot at Wild Card contention. TEX 14 WSH 17 OT It took an extra period, but he homestanding Federals got a win against a plucky Texas squad. The Feds nearly blew it, starting with a 14-0 lead on TDs from Kirby and Walters. But in the second half, the tide turned, and Texas got 2 early field goals and a last minute TD from Stouffer to Early. They needed 2 to tie, and they got it on a Roosevelt Potts run. Washington pulled it out with an overtime field goal, and Texas saw Reggie Cobb go down to what might be a season-ending injury, so it was doubly painful for the Outlaws. OAK 30 POR 16 The Oakland offense found its rhythm with Hebert back under center and got a 20-point 2nd quarter to outpace the Thunder. Siran Stacy was the hero of the day with 16 carries for 157 yards, a whopping 9.8 ypc average. Mark Duper was back and caught a TD to go with 120 yards receiving, and Henry Ellard benefited, scoring also for the Invaders in a solid win for Coach Vermeil. DEN 23 ARZ 17 The Wranglers played Denver tough, and Mitchell avoided costly turnovers, but the offense was just not there for Arizona, and Denver eked out a win thanks to a late TD from Krieg to Novacek. Neither team had a distinct advantage in yardage, yet somehow the Gold capitalized while the Wranglers could not. Mick Luckhurst went 1 for 3 on field goal attempts, which helped Denver get the tight win. MGN 13 NOR 31 Timm Rosenbach got the start after several poor McManus games, and got New Orleans a win for the first time in nearly 2 months. Marcus Dupree was a huge weapon for Rosenbach, scoring both on the ground and on a 61 yard play that started with a 5 yard swing route. The New Orleans defense, absent for many weeks, did their part as well, sacking Jack Trudeau 4 times and snagging 2 of his passes to help kill Michigan drives as the Breakers get back in the win column. CHI 24 HOU 45 In a battle for first in the Central, the homestanding Houston Gamblers proved too much on offense for the Machine. Jim Kelly won offensive POTW honors with his 393 yard, 3 TD week, but it could have just as easily gone to league leading rusher Thurman Thomas, who ran for 112 and 2 scores, and added another 32 yards in the air. Ernie Jones continued to grow into his role, catching 4 balls for 132 yards and 2 scores as the Gamblers dismantled the Machine defense and held Bernie Kosar in check (3 TDs but also 2 Ints). BIR 41 JAX 31 A matchup between Brett Favre and Mike Shula hardly seems fair, but the plucky former Alabama QB did himself proud, throwing for 442 yards and 3 TD’s against the Stallions defense. It was, in the end, not enough, as Favre also had 3 scores, and both Clarence Collins (Subbing for a dinged up Lawrence Dawsey) and Ernest Givens went over 100 yards receiving. PIT 16 PHI 10 Another smashmouth game in the Atlantic Division as the Keystone State Classic had two teams clawing for victory to the final minute. In the end, 101 yards from Mike Rozier, and a 3rd quarter bomb from Risher to Louis Lipps was enough to give Pittsburgh the win and retain their hold on 1st place in the tight division. BAL 17 NJ 20 Don’t look now, but the Generals seem to be making a late run for a Wild Card, winning their last 3. Doug Flutie has been playing better of late, avoiding the picks and setting up the New Jersey offense. In this game he went 33 of 44 for 348 (145 of that to Lam Jones), and got a good game from rookie TE Mark Chmura. New Jersey held on for the win despite a strong game from Baltimore wideout Mervyn Fernandez, who caught 6 for 118 yards and a score. While Jim Kelly was a pretty clear choice for offensive POTW with his big game against a tough division rival, there were two defensive players who nearly split the defensive POTW vote down the middle. The first was Pittsburgh DE John Bosa, who did a bit of everything to help the Maulers upend the Stars. He had only 2 tackles on the day, but recorded 2 sacks, one being a late safety when he took down Chuck Long in the Philly endzone. He also caused and recovered a key fumble near the end of the 2nd quarter to keep the Stars from taking momentum with a late first half score. The second candidate was another big DE, George Hinkle of the Jacksonville Bulls. Hinkle had 3 tackles, which does not say much, but he had one masterful play which almost turned the tide for the Bulls against Birmingham. Midway through the 3rd, Hinkle got around the Birmingham tackle, caught the arm of QB Brett Favre, popping the ball out. It bounced right back up to Hinkle, who grabbed it and rumbled into the endzone for a sack-fumble-recover-TD. It was a crazy play that saw Favre seemingly unaware of just what happened until he watched it on the big screen replay in disbelief. In the end the AP voters went with Bosa and his whole-game performance, but that one play for Hinkle is likely to get a lot of replays over the years as a great example of both hustle and good luck. Not a lot shifted with this week’s results. All 4 division leaders remain in the lead. Houston expanded their lead to a healthy 3 games, While Denver and Oakland creeped a bit closer to Arizona. Memphis is clearly fading, and now both New Jersey and Philadelphia are in range to leapfrog the ailing Showboats. Birmingham still looks like the team to beat in the East, although we are not sure who can beat them now that Favre is back under center. A double dose of sad news for Tampa Bay Bandit fans this week as the franchise lost both their head coach and their owner in the span of 3 days. On Monday, after another tough loss for the Bandits, Head Coach Steve Spurrier announced he would be leaving the Bandits to take on the vacant head coaching position at his alma mater, the U. of Florida. The mid-season resignation comes as Tampa has all but collapsed from preseason predictions of a deep playoff run to a reality beset by injuries, sloppy play, and losses. Spurrier’s defensive coordinator Ron Zook takes over as the interim coach for the Bandits. More tragically, the Bandits, the league and the world lost one of the USFL’s great pioneers this week, as Bandits owner John Bassett lost his battle with cancer. Bassett will be remembered in the sports world as one of the innovators who helped the USFL become a part of the American sports landscape. It was his leadership that guided the USFL through its opening years, even more, say many, than that of Commissioner Chet Simmons. When a challenge to the spring football concept rose in then New Jersey Generals owner Donald Trump’s push to move the league to the Fall in hopes of forcing a merger with the NFL, it was Bassett who led the opposition and helped many owners see the benefits of a spring season. League officials have already been in discussion about how to properly memorialize one of the league’s founders, leaders, and innovators. Black ribbon decals will be worn on helmets on all 20 teams this week, and we expect further honors to come. To the Bassett family, the entire league and all who love the USFL wish to offer their condolences and loving memories of John Bassett. Bad news for fans of the ground game as two quality backs go down for the rest of the year this week. In Texas the Outlaws will need to make a playoff push without Reggie Cobb, as the big back tore his ACL this week and will need up to a full year to rehab after surgery. In Washington, promising rookie Terry Kirby also suffered an ACL injury, but his is only a partial tear, still likely to require 2 months to heal. Texas will turn to rookie Roosevelt Potts to carry the load on the ground, while Washington will have Barry Word as their lead back and now will turn to former Renegade Curvin Richards to spell Word. The other spot where we saw significant injuries this week was in defensive secondaries, where we several quality players are now looking at 1-2 weeks of inaction due to a variety of injuries. This includes St. Louis SS Al Burleson (neck), Arizona SS David Fulcher (arm), Tampa SS Chris Crooms (foot), Denver FS Charles Mincy (abdominal), and New Jersey CB Kirby Jackson (collarbone). New Jersey is expecting Eric McMillian back from injury in Week 12, but in the short term they will be shorthanded. Others expected to return to action, perhaps as soon as this week, include Arizona DE Jon Carter, Pittsburgh FS Pat Terrell, Stallions tackle Emory Yates, Oakland LB Randy Kirk, Memphis DT Curtis Maxey, and Oakland TE Sam Bowers. Week 12 offers more vital divisional games, headlined by the matchup of 7-4 Atlantic Division leaders as the Federals visit the Maulers. Philly and New Jersey are also facing off in the Meadowlands, where the winner will move to 6-6 and remains alive in the Wild Card hunt. In the South, a reeling Memphis squad has a tough task in the Gator Bowl against the Bulls. Tampa and Orlando face off again as well, each trying to avoid the division basement. In the Central it is Chicago at New Orleans and Michigan at Texas, with both favorites trying to move a step closer to a playoff berth. Out West we find Arizona hosting the 5-6 Portland Thunder, and Oakland traveling to St. Louis, with all 4 teams still hoping to string together some wins to finish the year in playoff position. In our interdivisional games we have two of the league’s most dynamic offenses in action as the Houston Gamblers travel to Baltimore and the Birmingham Stallions host Denver.

It was a comeback for the ages, a battle between two division rivals that came down to the final seconds, and a stunning defeat for the division-leading Washington Federals. The Feds enjoyed a 31-10 lead with 10 minutes left in the 3rd quarter, but watched, seemingly unable to respond, as it was wiped away in the game’s final 25 minutes. Washington had looked the better team from the opening kickoff, scoring 17 unanswered to open the game. After an early drive led to a Ray Wersching FG, the Feds added a Duane Gunn TD reception and then opened the 2nd with Terry Kirby running the ball in from the 1 to go up 17-0. Pittsburgh got on the scoreboard with a Septien field goal, and a well-thrown corner route pulled them back to within 7, as Raynard Brown scored with 7 minutes left in the half. But, when Washington finished the 2nd quarter out with Kirby’s second TD run, and then opened the 3rd with a long drive ending in a Barry Word TD run, Washington was up by 21, and one had to believe they had the win well in hand. But, Pittsburgh was not ready to give up just yet. Following the Word score, Pittsburgh had a drive of their own, and Risher found TE Mike Shaw up the middle for a big 28-yard reception and score to again pull themselves back into the game. That comeback got a huge break when Don Majkowski threw a poorly timed ball that trailed behind his receiver. MLB Erik Kumerow was there to snag the errant throw, and with a lot of help from his fellow defenders, got a caravan to the endzone. Now Pittsburgh was only down by 7, 24-31. The 4th quarter opened with a long Washington drive, but a big play on 3rd and 2 by rookie Demetrius DuBose left Washington with a 4th and 4 on the 38, and rather than go for the long kick into the swirling winds of RFK they punted. Pittsburgh responded with a 54-yard drive, culminating in a Rafael Septien kick to pull back to 31-27. After a solid defensive stand by the Maulers stymied the Federals, Pittsburgh was back in business, with the clock winding down, but plenty of time for a game-winning drive. The Maulers methodically moved the ball against a tired Washington defense, one which had only been able to reach Risher once all day. When the elusive Mauler QB found Mike Pritchard in the endzone, the score had flipped, and the comeback was complete. Risher finished the game 20 of 26 for 257 and 3 huge touchdowns. Raynard Brown went over 100 yards, and three different receivers had scores. For Washington, Don Majkowski’s 334 yards passing were not enough, and with Kirby and Word only combining for 54 yards rushing, the Feds simply did not have the ability to run out the clock, giving Pittsburgh the possessions they needed to mount this epic comeback. NJ 31 PHI 13 The other Atlantic showdown was not nearly as dramatic, despite the game time announcement that HB Herschel Walker would be sidelined after violating team policies the day before. Largely ignored backup Amp Lee got the start, and finished the game with an impressive 93 yards on 19 carries. Doug Flutie also had a productive day with 2 scoring tosses and 181 yards passing. The New Jersey defense also played a huge roll in the game, picking off Chuck Long 3 times to squash Philly’s hopes for a home win. JAX 28 MEM 20 In a battle of backups, Jacksonville’s Mike Shula outgunned Memphis’s Shawn Moore, despite being sacked 6 times by the ferocious Memphis pass rush. Shula got help from HB Vince Workman, whose 82 yards rushing helped balance the Bulls attack. Shula was able to get the ball to his wideouts as well, with both Blades and Robb Thomas going over 100 yards in this key win for the Bulls. ORL 9 TBY 13 Tampa Bay got the W in a battle of disappointing Florida teams. Surprisingly it was the often-problematic Tampa D that got the job done. Reggie Collier was sacked 5 times, including twice by LB Bobby Houston, and was held without a TD pass. Troy Aikman did not fare much better, but his one solid deep ball to Eric Truvilliion was enough to give Tampa their second win this year. HOU 23 MGN 26 Call it pride, or call it a trap game, but Michigan got the upset at home against a lackadaisical Houston squad. The Panther D picked off Jim Kelly twice and held Thurman Thomas to only 3.4 yards per carry (57 total yards) to help Michigan get the win. Rodney Culver had exactly 100 yards and a score, and Alfred Jenkins added 40 and a score as well as the Panthers ran the ball well against the usually stout Gambler LB’s. NOR 6 TEX 20 With McManus back at QB, New Orleans did not show much on either side of the ball, falling behind 17-0 at the half and mounting very little in the second half. While Texas was hardly explosive, Eric Metcalf did finish the game with 74 yards receiving and 2 scores as the Outlaws moved their record to 6-4 and solidly in the playoff hunt. OAK 6 DEN 17 Oakland’s fate seems to have been sealed when Bobby Hebert was ruled out. That left the Invaders with Mike Pawlawski at QB, and he struggled to a dismal 38% pass completion rate as the Invader offense simply could not put a drive together. Denver got a decent day from Dave Krieg, with 2 scoring plays, one each to Carrier and Odessa Turner. Natrone Means added 62 yards on 14 carries, and the Gold got another home win to even their record at 5-5. STL 21 POR 35 A 28-point explosion in the first half, one which included Pick-6 returns from both LB Cedric Figaro and S Vencie Glenn, was all the Thunder needed to return to .500 and put away the Knights. David Archer tried to recover with 2 TD’s, and Darrell Thompson gained 107 on the day, but it was not enough to pull the Knights back into a game that was lost after 15 minutes of play. ARZ 13 BAL 11 Arizona flew across the country and found themselves in a slugfest with the 4-5 Blitz. It was not pretty, but the Wranglers pulled out the win, thanks to a late Trumaine Johnson TD (with failed PAT) and Arizona moved to 8-2 on the year. Scott Mitchell got mixed reviews in his first week as the starter for Arizona, throwing for 212 yards and 2 scores, but also giving up the ball twice with interceptions. CHI 23 BIR 48 Another 4-TD day for Brett Favre was enough to put away the Machine. Favre also threw 3 picks in a spotty game, but was bailed out by his defense and by HB James Joseph, who outgained starter Brent Fullwood and also scored a TD as part of his 78 yard rushing day. Once again Birmingham had multiple players over 100 yards receiving, this time TE Shannon Sharpe, and both Lawrence Dawsey and Ernest Givens. We are going to give this week’s award to the hogs in the trenches for the Pittsburgh Maulers. This offseason Pittsburgh lost two key starters on their offensive line, but they don’t seem to be missing them as the Maulers were able to keep QB Alan Risher’s shirt clean all day. The starting line of LT Lance Smith, LG Rod Milstead, C David Houle, RG Steve Kenney, and RT Peter Johnson worked well all day, and got help from subs Leo Goeas at guard and Scott Jones at tackle. While Washington was effective at slowing down Mike Rozier, the lack of an effective pass rush by one of the league’s best front four meant that Risher had time to find receivers open and make chunk plays on key 3rd downs in the Pittsburgh comeback win. Our first peek at the playoff picture reveals a bit of distance at the top and a lot of teams looking at Wild Cards. Birmingham has a 2 game lead in their division and 3 games on the best of the Atlantic for the #1 seed. Arizona’s divisional lead is now 3 games, and they have a 1 game lead over Houston for the #1 seed as well. Pittsburgh and Washington are tied atop the Atlantic, but have to worry about three potential late risers in Philly, Baltimore and New Jersey in the division. Houston is now only 1 game up on both Texas and Chicago, so they too need to be wary and avoid more trap games such as the one in Michigan this week. In the Pacific it is unlikely that Denver, Portland, and Oakland can all make the playoffs, so the divisional games will be key as we may see only one of these teams qualify for the postseason. Break out the sweet tea, shrimp & grits, and get the pecan pie ready, Atlanta is getting spring football. The capital of the “New South” was announced as the USFL’s 22nd team this week. The franchise will play its games at Bobby Dodd Stadium in the heart of the city for the 1995 season, promising some hot and humid summer days for football fans in the Peach State. Lead owner William Shivers Morris and his group of local investors say they are ready to get down to business, and will begin looking to hire a head coach during the 1993-1994 offseason, a full year prior to having a team to coach. Shivers Morris emphasized that having a coaching staff in place for the expansion draft and roster-building phase will be crucial. While he would not reveal what it was, Shivers Morris suggested that a team name had already been selected and that it, along with the team’s logo, would be revealed in the next few weeks, as soon as the USFL Properties Division had time to review their proposal and finalize the designs. With the Olympics coming to Atlanta in the summer of 1994, and then the USFL in 1995, things are sure getting very sporty in the south, and the USFL clearly has Georgia on their mind. The league also confirmed what most had come to expect, that the remaining 5 bidding cities (Boston, Columbus, Dallas, Miami, and Seattle) were not out of the picture. The league announced that the 1995 expansion class would be 4 teams strong, stating that more time was needed to complete the due diligence needed to select the remaining 2 expansion cities and ownership groups. With Los Angeles already selected and surely playing in the Western Conference, and now Atlanta entering the Eastern Conference, the final two cities may also split the two conferences, pitting Seattle against Dallas for one spot, and Miami, Columbus, and Boston competing for the other. Another week, another shuffle of rosters due to injury. This week we saw some defensive hits as DT Jim Wahler is out for the season with a broken leg. Likewise, Texas will be without LB Garth Jax after he suffered a ruptured Achilles in play this week. Portland G Dean Steinkuhler could miss a month or more with a hand injury, and Arizona is now down two starters in their secondary as FS Martin Bayless is out with a pulled hamstring and CB Issaic Holt will miss this week as he is still suffering some after effects from a hit to the head this past week. On the positive side both Chicago QB Bernie Kosar and Orlando backup Craig Erickson should be suiting up this week. We remain in division with some good matchups this week. New Jersey and Baltimore, both sitting at 4-6, will be trying to get back in the hunt this week. Philadelphia, likewise, will try to catch up to division-leading Pittsburgh when the two face off in the City of Brotherly Love this week. Birmingham can all but put away the division if they can steal a win from the Bulls in the Gator Bowl. Orlando will be in Memphis, hoping that Reggie Collier can outduel backup Shawn Moore. Chicago and Houston have a big clash in the Space City and Michigan will be in New Orleans in Central Division action. Out in the West we have Denver in Arizona, and Oakland in Portland, with playoff implications all over the place in those two games. In our inter-divisional games we have Texas and Washington, both at 6-4 clashing, and one you might want to miss, the 3-7 St. Louis Knights are in Tampa to face the 2-8 Bandits.