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So much optimism in the Windy City. A year after a surprise playoff run, and a run sparked by a newly-signed NFL quarter-back, that quarterback is done for they year and perhaps for his career, and Chicago's hopes for a return trip to the playoffs is now severely hampered. The ACL injury which forced Kosar out of the game in their first series against Arizona may also force him out of the game as he deals with yet another injury to his already ravaged knees. For Machine-heads in Chicago, this means their season rests on the shoulders of Blair Kiel, the Machine Defense, and the ingenuity of Coach Marty Schottenheimer. Fans in the Big Easy are beginning to believe in Mike Ditka and his new-look Breakers. They were upset in the offseason by a lack of signings on offense as Ditke tried to mold the team to match his preference for defense and the run game, but after another strong game from the Breaker offense, it may be time to give Big Mike his kudos. Tim Rosenbach was quiet but efficient, throwing for 224 and a 1/1 TD/INT balance. The big story on offense for the Breakers was the effectiveness of their run game in exploiting Portland’s traditional issue, run defense. Eric Pegram led the team with 12 carries for 88 yards and a score. Marcus Dupree, hampered by a hamstring issue, carried only 7 times, but exploded on several big runs and ended the day with 63 yards, and third back, former Saint Reuben Mayes, chipped in on the goal line, scoring twice. Despite the strong run game, New Orleans found themselves in a tie game with 2:28 left. Jack Trudeau had kept pace with the Breakers’ O, throwing for 304 and 3 scores against New Orleans’s loaded fronts. Connecting with Didier, Slaughter, and Adrian Cooper for scores, Portland tied the game up with a Trudeau to Slaughter TD just before the 2-minute warning, but that left New Orleans too much time. Rosenbach guided the Breakers down the field, dinking and dunking, using time outs and the sidelines to preserve the clock, and on a 2nd and goal from the 10 he found Qadry Ismail on a fade route to the corner of the endzone and put the Breakers up to stay. Portland failed on 4th and 3 and New Orleans moved their record to 3-2 and a share of the Central Division lead. BAL 19 BIR 14 In a huge win for the Blitz, Balitmore held Favre and the Stallions offense in check, sacking the defending Offensive Player of the Year 3 times and picking him off three more as their defensive game plan worked to perfection. The Blitz gave up some runs to James Joseph, but that was not enough for the Stallions as a Leslie Frazier return for a score, a Foster TD run, and 2 FG were enough for Baltimore to get the road win. NJ 21 JAX 27 Two scores from HB Vince Workman, and a late Eason to Dokie Williams TD toss helped the Bulls get the home win over New Jersey. Three picks of Doug Flutie were also huge for the Bulls. Former Gambler Domingo Bryant came up huge, making 10 tackles on the day and picking off a potential game-winner from Flutie in the final minutes of the game. PHI 23 MEM 20 It took a final minute TD from Long to Carter, but the Stars moved to 3-2 with a road win against a tough Memphis squad. Tommy Agie continued to shine for the ‘Boats, outrushing Kelvin Bryant 91 to 44, but Long connected with both Carte rand Phelan enough to eke out the road win. PIT 31 ORL 13 The Maulers took advantage of Orlando’s defensive woes, despite an injury to Mike Rozier. Rookie Dorsey Levins took over and rushed for 49 yards and a TD in the Pittsburgh win. Alan Risher took over the offense with Rozier out, throwing for 266 and 3 scores as Orlando once again failed to produce on either side of the ball, despite a 10 reception, 152 yard game from John Jefferson. WSH 17 TBY 27 Coach Granville’s Bandits are playing well and making believers of the home fans. Troy Aikman completed 13 of 17 for 2 scores before an ankle injury forced him out of the game. But, with their defense containing Washington’s Mike Hohensee, the Bandits were able to win with Fourcade under center. TE Chris Kelly had 2 scores as the Feds focused on limiting Robert Brooks and Shannon Baker in Eric Truvillion’s absence. CHI 24 ARZ 14 Chicago hung tough after a season-ending injury to Bernie Kosar on the first drive of the day. Blair Kiel took the helm and led the Machine to 3 TD drives, including TD passes to Reggie Langhorne and Rodney Carter. Meanwhile, the Chicago D upped their game to limit Arizona to only 14 points despite giving up 143 on the ground to Lionel James. HOU 31 DEN 17 Houston took care of Denver, thanks to 2 TD’s apiece from Thurman Thomas and Clarence Verdin. Thomas gained 111 on the ground and another 87 in the air in his best game of the year. The Houston D also held the combo of Means & Smith in check, limiting them to 54 rushing yards in the Gambler win. MGN 10 OAK 38 Bobby Hebert made his reunion with Panther friends a painful one for his former team. He tossed 4 scores and threw for 409 yards in a walk-away win over Michigan. Ellard, Bowers, Duper, and rookie Johnny Morton all scored for Oakland, who retains the best record in the league at 4-1. TEX 16 STL 0 Things are getting ugly in St. Louis, where the offense barely gained 200 yards (206) again. Darrell Thompson left with a gimpy ankle after only 7 carries, and David Archer completed only 47.8% of his passes against an Outlaw secondary that has not exactly been earning praise all season. Meanwhile, Reggie Cobb and Roosevelt Potts combined for 102 yardsand a score for Texas. Not an offensive explosion, but it did not take much to upend the Knights this week. Bobby Hebert’s performance against Michigan is exactly the type of electrifying play he became known for as a Panther before leaving for the NFL. It is also exactly the type of game Oakland fans have been waiting to see for the past year. Hebert completed 20 of his 34 throws, but also went deep often, hitting Henry Ellard for a 57 yarder early in the game, but also connecting with Duper for 52, McCaffrey for 53, and Morton for his 29-yard TD. On a day when Siran Stacy only mustered 55 yards on the ground, it was all about Hebert and his receivers. Oakland stands atop the league at 4-1, and in large part that has been due to the defense, but it was all about the Cajun Cannon today. CHICAGO—The Machine got the bad news they were hoping to avoid on Monday, when it was confirmed that Bernie Kosar would miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL. Kosar, who is not a mobile QB to begin with, will have difficulty rehabbing such a considerable injury, meaning that this may be more than a single lost season, this may be how Kosar exits the game altogether. The hit was a clean one, but Kosar’s knee was torqued well outside of his normal range, and he immediately called for medical assistance when the pile cleared off him. Waving to the fans as the cart took him away, everyone hoped it would not be a farewell wave, just an “until later” wave, but an MRI confirmed the worst. Chicago would be without the QB who led them to their first playoff appearance as a franchise last year. The Machine moved quickly to add depth, signing former St. Louis signal caller Dan McGwire. McGwire will need time to get up to speed, and Chicago will likely hand the keys to the offense to veteran backup Blair Kiel for the foreseeable future. But with Kiel, Scott Zolak, and McGwire on the roster, pressure is going to be on Coach Schottenheimer to improve the run game of Ricky Watters, and the defense, if Chicago is going to return to the postseason this year. The win over Arizona was a good sign, as Kiel was able to muster enough offense, and the D stepped up to shut down the Wranglers. Can they do this every week? Fans in the Windy City have to hope so. WASHINGTON—The Federals may be turning to the “Old Man of USFL QB’s” in order to stay competitive after another poor performance from Mike Hohensee. Washington has lost three in a row after Hohensee came in for the injured Don Majkowski, and with Maj expected to miss up to another month with his fractured non-throwing arm. So, the Feds, who signed former Showboat, Knight, and Invader Walter Lewis for depth, but now it may be Lewis’s chance to prove a point about his quality. Lewis is a lifetime 81.5 QBR quarterback, which is hardly earth-shaking, but he has won games, particularly in Memphis, where he was the starter over several seasons. His 10 games starting for St. Louis were problematic, with as many picks as TDs, but Lewis may be the best option available for the Feds until Majkowski can return. TAMPA BAY—Coach Glanville will have his hands full over the next 2-3 weeks, with Troy Aikman likely sidelined after suffering a high ankle sprain this week. With only John Fourcade and untested rookie Perry Klien on the roster, Glanville will have to put the ball into the hands of Errict Rhett and Eric Bienemy. He will also have to rely heavily on a defense that has had issues in the past, but which has been playing well this season. After a rough first week, in which they gave up 45 to Portland, the Bandits have steadily improved, giving up only 13 to Jacksonville and 17 to Washington in their last two games. COLUMBUS—The Ohio Glory have become the second of the four 1995 expansion clubs to reveal their look for the inaugural season of play. Team brass were on hand at OSU’s Ohio Stadium to reveal the uniforms for the Glory. They also brought in some well-known names to serve as models, as the new duds were showcased by former Buckeye greats Archie Griffin and Kirk Herbstreit. The uniforms are, as expected, a patriotic combo of red, white, and blue, with flag blue being the dominant color, as it is on the helmets. The jerseys have a striking similarity to those of the NY Giants, with red and white cuff sleeves, though the white jerseys do stand out with the sleeves being flag blue rather than white. The pants are also quite traditional, with both blue and white options. The team logo is placed above the stripes on both sleeves. Here is the image released by the team this week. Next up for the Columbus-based Glory is to find, sign and announce a head coach. You already know the two big QB stories of the week, Kosar in Chicago and Aikman in Tampa Bay. Other injuries which might influence the coming weeks include Oakland’s loss of center Mike Devlin for the year with a nasty broken arm. Orlando will be without halfback Dalton Hilliard at least another month, and Texas’s star guard Larry Allen is likely out at least a couple of weeks after being diagnosed with a hernia this week. Memphis will be without two key contributors this week as TE Tony McGee and SS Bennie Blades are both listed as doubtful. Denver has listed star LB Kurt Gouveia as questionable, as has Pittsburgh with Mike Rozier’s thumb injury. Back to divisional play in Week 6, and some great games on tap. New Jersey (3-2) will have a tough game as they visit the 4-1 Pittsburgh Maulers. Meanwhile, surprising Baltimore has a chance to take another big step if they can go into Washington and beat their weakened rival. Jacksonville stays in state to face the winless Renegades in Orlando, while Birmingham, with a surprising 2-3 record can get back to .500 if they can upend the Aikman-less Bandits in Tampa Stadium. Another surprise team, New Orleans, has a huge test as they travel to the Astro Dome to face the Houston Gamblers, and Chicago, with Blair Kiel taking over, will be in San Antonio to face the Outlaws, with both teams at 3-2, a win here could propel one of these teams towards a very good year. In the Pacific Division we find the struggling St. Louis Knights having to face that tough Arizona defense in Tempe, while Portland will be in Denver to face an angry Gold team after this week’s loss. In inter-divisional play it is Michigan at Philly, with both teams hoping they can get started on the right path, while the Pacific-leading Invaders head to Memphis to face Reggie White and the Showboats.

Four weeks into the season and it is anyone's guess who is truly a contender and who is a poser. We have 11 of the league's 20 teams sitting at 2-2, all even, including nearly all of the Southern and Central divisions. The Pacific has 3 teams sitting at 3-1, but no one is sure if that is just because they have been playing each other or not. We have had both Houston and Birmingham lose 2 consecutive games (Houston the last two, B'ham their first two), and we are looking at a lot of win-one-lose-one patterns across the league. Other than saying that Orlando looks pretty bad, we are not feeling confident about saying much else. We went into the Oakland-Arizona game knowing that this could be a good one. Both teams are hoping to ascert themselves atop a very talented Pacific Division. Both have defenses that can make big plays and enough offensive talent to threaten those defenses. The fact that we ended up with an overtime thriller is no shock to anyone familiar with these two teams. In a game that saw a combined 11 sacks, what was perhaps surprising to those who attended was how poised both Bobby Hebert and Robbie Bosco were in the face of the pressure. Hebert was under constant pressure, sacked 6 times by 6 different Wranglers. Arizona used varied blitz packages to rattle the USFL and NFL veteran, and yet, Hebert still completed 21 of 32 passes (66%) and threw for all 3 Oakland touchdowns. It was much the same situation for Robbie Bosco, who was sacked 5 times yet still completed 74.5% of his throws and threw for 2scores, with Tim Lester’s rushing TD providing the third. Lester would be the star of the game for Arizona, compiling 55 yards on 10 carries and also catching a crucial 4th quarter TD from Hebert to give the Wranglers a 21-17 lead. Lester’s score with 5:35 held up only 4 minutes, as Oakland’s Henry Ellard would catch a 22-yard toss from Hebert with 1:35 left to give Oakland a 24-21 lead, their 3rd lead of the game, a game which saw both teams see-saw up and down over the course of 60 minutes. With 1:35 left, and down by 3, Bosco avoided a sack on the final drive and moved the Wranglers into position to level the score. Mick Luckhurst’s game-ending kick sent the matchup to overtime, much to the delight of the 43,202 in attendance in Sun Devil Stadium. The overtime period saw a back and forth of unsuccessful drives and very much looked like a game destined to end in a tie. With only 1:45 left on the clock, Oakland received the ball on their own 22, with one last chance to get Matt Bahr into range for a final field goal attempt. Hebert, who is no stranger to last minute drives, would find Ellard on 1st down for 10, then Carlester Crumpler for 12,and Sam Bowers for another 10. Then, after spiking the ball to stop the clock and save their final time out. On 2nd and 10 Hebert again found Henry Ellard on an out route, moving to the edge of Bahr’s range. Bahr lined up the kick, a 52 yarder, and it barely escaped the oustretched hands of Arizona linebacker Broderick Thomas as its low arc gave it just enough distance to top the crossbar. Oakland had pulled off the win and moved to 3-1. The Wranglers would fall to 2-2, looking up at the Invaders, and the fans in Tempe went home disappointed, but well-entertained by a very well-played game. PHI 12 BAL 20 Good things seem to be happening in Baltimore, where the Blitz have found some defensive muscle and now have won their second in a row. The Blitz held Chuck Long without a score, and kept the Combo of Bryant and Garner to a modest 83 yards rushing on the day. Meanwhile, Bill Brooks had 103 yards and FB James Jones had a rare TD reception to guide the Blitz to the win. NJ 36 WSH 24 Sam Wyche came up with some wrinkles to disrupt the Washington pass rush, and the Feds, led by Mike Hohensee due to ongoing concerns about Don Majkowski’s shoulder, simply did not muster enough offense to keep pace. Flutie ended the day with 2 scores, both to Lam Jones, and a 74% completion rate and the Generals’ defense held Barry Word and Terry Kirby to only 39 yards rushing on 25 carries as the Generals took an important early season road win from RFK. MEM 20 BIR 37 Birmingham evened their record with a key divisional win at home over the Showboats, and they did so with veteran Cliff Stoudt at the helm for most of the day. Brett Favre went out early with what appears to be a minor hamstring injury. Stoudt came in, to the cheers of an appreciative home crowd, and threw for 230 yards and 2 scores to power the Stallions to the win. Ernest Givens returned to form with 136 yards and 2 scores for Birmingham as they outlasted the Showboats. JAX 13 TBY 31 The Bandits impressed the home crowd with a healthy win over their in-state rival. The defense shut down the Bulls run game (not unusual in recent years) and the offense found a rhythm with a good balance between Aikman (361 yards on 34 of 44) and Rhett (89 yards on 17 carries) as Tampa busted open a 13-10 game with 21 unanswered points to even their record at 2-2. MGN 17 CHI 31 Chicago’s defense held Marcus Allen to 76 yards and kept Michigan guessing all day as Bernie Kosar won his duel with Joe Montana. The former Cleveland Brown threw for 224 and 2 scores, aided by a solid day from HB Ricky Watters (18 carries for 81 yards.) Darryl Talley was also a huge factor as he logged 11 tackles, including 5 for a loss as Chicago evened their record at 2-2. HOU 21 TEX 30 The Outlaws were an uncharitable host as they sent Houston to their second consecutive defeat. Trailing 21-17, Texas scored the final 13 points of the game to take the win. Reggie Cobb was the key as his 118 yards helped keep pressure off of Kelly Stouffer. Brett Perriman was key for Houston, catching 8 balls for 133 yards and a score, but it was not enough for the Gamblers on this day. STL 17 DEN 35 Denver took care of business at home and moved their record to 3-1 with a convincing win over the St. Louis Knights. The Denver defense held St. Louis to only 164 total yards on the day, forcing 3 turnovers in the process. Natrone Means and Timmy Smith combined for 99 yards rushing and Mark Brunell, who got the start over a recuperating Dave Krieg, threw for 189 and a score as Denver’s D sacked David Archer 5 times and picked off 3 passes to clinch the divisional win. NOR 17 PIT 30 A week after knocking off Houston, the Breakers came up flat in their road trip to Pittsburgh. Timm Rosenbach threw the ball 44 times as the Breakers abandoned the run early. For Pittsburgh, QB Alan Risher was forced to scramble more than the team would like, but those scrambles included a 43 yard scoring run and helped the Maulers outpace the Breakers. Louis Lipps again topped 100 yards as he has clearly become the go-to receiver in Pittsburgh. The Maulers, at 3-1 now sit atop the Atlantic with New Jersey. POR 17 ORL 0 It was a depressing day for the Renegade faithful who turned out at the Citrus Bowl. Orlando was ineffective on offense and simply never posed a threat to the Thunder. Jack Trudeau went 32 of 43 for 293 yards and a scoring toss to Clint Didier, and the Portland D contained and confused Reggie Collier all game long. TE Deforest Whittaker was the leading receiver for Orlando, who just could not connect with their outside receivers against the Portland zone. The star of the weekend was the Denver defense, led by free safety Charles Mincy’s 2 pick-six interception returns against David Archer. Denver held down both the St. Louis run game and made life miserable for Archer all game. The combination of tight coverage outside and pressure up the middle limited the Knights to 164 total yards, including a paltry 25 total rushing yards. Knights’ starting HB Darrell Thompson, a 1,000 yard rusher last season, was held to only 10 yards on 7 carries, and Archer was sacked 5 times, by 5 different Gold defenders. Rooke Trev Alberts led the team with 7 tackles, including a key tackle for loss on a St. Louis 4th and 2, a sack, and a hurry which forced one of Archer’s two pick-sixes to Mincy. LB John Roper was also key to several big plays, shutting down TE Frank Wycheck all game long. It was a team victory for the Denver defense, so while the AP chose to select Mincy as the defensive POTW, we believe the entire team, including Head Coach and defensive guru Wade Phillips should get the credit this week. Looking around the league, we thought it was a good time to focus on the decline of the rushing game in the USFL. The league has always been a playground for quarterbacks, with the deep ball and the West Coast offense being two dominant elements of typical USFL style, but the run game has always been a key as well. We opened the season wondering if this was the end of an era, with Rozier, Walker, and Bryant possibly playing their last seasons of football. Perhaps the better question is whether the USFL remains a league that values the run. Far too often we are seeing teams provide fewer than 20 total rushing plays in their stat lines, and even teams known for their power game, like New Jersey with Walker, or Philadelphia with Bryant, are throwing the ball far more than they opt to pound out a win. 4 weeks into the season and we have no rusher averaging 100 yards a game. We have only 3 who are over 300 yards total (Drummond, Rozier, and Reggie Cobb). While there have been some solid performances, such as Marcus Allen’s Week 2 explosion, or Memphis backup Tommy Agie’s consistent pounding of opposing defenses, the run game simply does not seem to be at the forefront of most coaches’ minds. This may be a phase, as football coaches tend to be somewhat imitative of each other. All it may take is one coach to innovate a bit on how to emphasize the ground game for others to catch on. What we are seeing now is a lot of teams trying to copy the successful run of the Birmingham Stallions, who, after losing Joe Cribbs to retirement, have moved to a 70-30 passing/rushing split and put the game into the hands of their young gunslinging QB, Brett Favre. Even teams with successful run games, like Houston with the multitalented Thurman Thomas, are spreading things out, adding 3rd and 4th receivers to their early down formations, and passing their way to yards. Thomas, who led the league in rushing last year, is not even among the Top 10 this year, falling 16th with only 191 rush yards in 4 games. Portland’s Robert Drummond is an unlikely league leader after 4 weeks with 371 yards. For a league that first splashed onto the scene with the signing of Heisman winner Herschel Walker in 1983, it is surprising to see how little the run game seems to play into offensive schemes. It is all about the aerial attack with Favre, Kelly, Aikman, and others racking up huge games week in and week out. For those of us who like the traditional mix of run and pass, something seems off, and we worry that this could be the wave of the future. Looking around the league, it seems one of the reasons why run games might be suffering is injuries to the key offensive linemen who make the holes for the league’s lead backs. This week we saw Portland guard Stan parker go down, possibly for the season, with a broken wrist. In New Orleans guard Jeff Zimmerman’s arm is costing him games and center Tim Rother may miss time with a sprained knee. Washington tackle Ken Lanier is out with patella tendonitis, and of course there is also the injury to Oakland’s Muhammad Elowinibi, which has impacted Siran Stacy’s game. Add to this the bevvy of injuries to players in the secondary for many teams, and perhaps passing is the way to go. Currently on the injury report we see injuries to CB Richard Jennings (NJ), Garland Rivers (MGN), Chris Dishman (BIR), Clayton Holmes (OAK), Thomas Pitman (ORL), Leslie Frazier (BAL) and Derrick Burroughs (CHI). Things are not much better at the safety position where we also find Bennie Blades (MEM), Tim Hauck (PHI), Kyle Kramer (PIT), Martin Bayless (ARZ), and Joe King (BAL) among the walking wounded. Looks like a good time to pass the ball. Week 5 brings us to an inter-divisional week, with the Atlantic teams headed south and the Central Division headed west. With so many teams at 2-2, there are a lot of interesting games to be had. Baltimore will have a tough one this week as they visit the Birmingham Stallions, and New Jersey may find it tough sledding in Jacksonville as well. Philadelphia is hoping to garner their second win of the year in Memphis, while Pittsburgh is hoping Orlando is as bad as their 0-4 record indicates. Washington wraps up the Eastern Conference games with their trip down to face a feistier Tampa Bay Bandits squad. Out West we have Chicago visiting the Wranglers, Houston with a tough task as the face off against the Denver Gold at Mile High, Michigan visiting their old QB Bobby Hebert in Oakland, New Orleans headed up to Portland, and the Texas Outlaws hoping to get a win as they visit the 1-3 Knights in St. Louis.

Welcome to Week One. A new season, with new faces, new dreams, new chances to reach for glory. The USFL returns for a 12th season, twenty cities vying for the newly-dubbed Basset Trophy. Twenty clubs, fresh off training camp, reworking their rosters and their playbooks, ready to take on the world. It is the beautiful arcing pass, the perfectly-timed juke, the clash of pads, and the sound of hard hits. It’s spring football, spring rains turning sod to mud, spring gales turning spirals into floating ducks, it’s the smell of dewy grass, the sound of helmets crashing, and the sites of USFL football. Week one is here, and with it a new season of possibilities. Let’s get ready for some football. Cris Carter made an immediate impression with his new club, but even 2 TDs from the prolific wideout were not enough for the Stars to defeat the Gamblers in the AstroDome. Jim Kelly threw for 3 scores as well as the Gamblers had just enough to edge the Stars to begin the season. Philadelphia came ready to contain Thurman Thomas, and they largely did, holding him to only 23 yards rushing and only 1 reception on the day, but Kelly had other weapons, and a key defensive TD helped push Houston over the top in the season opener. The game began with a bang as Jim Kelly connected with his new wideout, James Pruitt, on a 73 yard TD on the game’s first play from scrimmage. The Stars bit on the fake to Thomas, and Kelly found Pruitt in single coverage on the edge, hitting him with a perfect arcing toss that allowed the speedy wideout to race down the sideline and score on the opening play of the game. Philadelphia rebounded, and on their first drive, Chuck Long helped guide the Stars to an equalizing score, finding the newly arrived Carter in the corner of the endzone for 6. Long would throw 4 TDs on the day, but it was offset by 4 interceptions, including two which Houston returned for scores. On this first drive he went 3 for 5, including the tying score. Houston rebounded as Kelly again took advantage of the Stars’ obsession with Thomas. On another play fake, Kelly then found Clarence Verdin, who took it for another long score, a 69 yard completion. Philly would pull back to within 4 thanks to a long David Trout field goal, but they would never lead in the game. Kelly boosted the Gamblers to a 21-10 lead as he found Thurman Thomas for the prolific back’s only catch of the day, a 7-yard score. While Philly’s defense was aggressive, shutting down Thomas and sacking Kelly 4 times, it was Houston’s defense which was more opportunistic. In the 2nd quarter, CB Reggie Sutton jumped in front of the Philly receiver, and got the first of Chuck Long’s 2 pick-six tosses. Up 28-10, Houston was then able to sit back and work with the commanding lead. Philly would pull back to within 28-23, thanks to a Derek Brown TD catch and a second reception from Cris Carter. But just as it looked like the Stars were going to make this a game, Long again was pickpocketed, this time by CB Ashley Ambrose. Ambrose battled with Cris Carter all day, and while Carter ended the day with a stunning 13 receptions for 109 yards and 2 scores, on this play it was Ambrose who won the play, pulling the balls from Carter’s hands and returning it for a score that would prove essential. The Gamblers would allow a late Kelvin Bryant TD run, but it was too little for the Stars as Houston got the 5 point win despite being outgained by the Stars 395-256. The Houston Offense got them the lead early, the defense drove the win home with their two scores, and the Gamblers start the year off right with a home win. NJ 27 CHI 21 New Jersey fended off a spirited Chicago club, thanks to two second half TDs from Doug Flutie. Both Irving Fryar and Lam Jones went over 100 yards to help power the Generals to the win. Chicago’s Wendell Davis, taking over the #1 receiver position with Michael Haynes now in the NFL, had 6 receptions, including 2 scores for the Machine. PIT 34 MGN 10 Pittsburgh lost Alan Risher early to a concussion, but Jeff Hostetler guided the Maulers to a comfortable win as new arrivals Joe Montana and Marcus Allen struggled in their first games as Michigan Panthers. Mike Rozier had 92 yards and score, and Hoss threw for two more as Pittsburgh held the Panthers to only 189 total yards of offense. WSH 23 NOR 16 Washington struggled early as New Orleans built up a 16-3 third quarter lead, but exploded in the 4th to take the road win. Barry Word and Terry Kirby combined for only 75 yards, but Majkowski hit Herman Moore on a 68-yard bomb to put the Breakers up late in the 4th as New Orleans’s defense could not contain the Federals. BAL 3 TEX 15 Neither offense was able to find a rhythm in this one, so it was the newly signed right foot of rookie Chris Boniol that gave Texas the win. The two defenses combined for 6 sacks and both running games were out of synch in this early matchup between two teams who are hoping they have added enough to be playoff contenders. JAX 3 ARZ 13 Another example of early season struggles as the Wranglers and Bulls had difficulty putting points on the board. A 1-yard Lionel James run was the only TD on the day as Tony Eason went 14 of 34 and Robbie Bosco fared little better. MEM 9 DEN 31 As if the QB controversy were not hot enough in Denver, Dave Krieg threw two TD’s before suffering an ankle injury that will keep him out 2-4 weeks, so Mark Brunell came in and also threw 2 TD’s I guess it is a problem other teams would like to have. Mike Kelley got the start, but after an iffy performance, calls for Heath Shuler may not be far off. ORL 12 OAK 14 The Renegades defense was game, holding Oakland to only 159 total yards, but the offense simply could not convert field position into points, kicking 4 field goals for their entire offense. Oakland, despite their troubles moving the ball, got two Hebert TD’s one each to Henry Ellard and rookie Johnnie Morton to eke out a home win. TBY 24 POR 45 Portland jumped up 31-7 at the half, squashing Tampa’s plan to use Errict Rhett to balance the offense. He would only carry the ball 6 times as Tampa played from behind. Robert Drummond, on the other hand, had a career day, rushing for 109 and 4 touchdowns as Portland rolled under new QB Jack Trudeau. BIR 21 STL 27 The shocker of the week as St. Louis played Birmingham close, limiting Brett Favre to 292 yards. The combo of Darrell Thompson and Terrance Flagler scored 3 times to help David Archer get the W. Favre looked a bit rusty, but ended the game with two second half TD’s. This week’s POTW has to go to the Houston secondary, which picked off Chuck Long 4 times, including 2 run back for scores. Reggie Sutton’s 11 tackles, 2 interceptions and timely pick-six won him the AP Defensive POTW, but Ashley Ambrose was equally vital, despite the big numbers garnered by Philadelphia’s Cris Carter. Ambrose also racked up 11 tackles, 2 picks and a defensive TD on his late game interception return. With Houston’s offense sputtering all day against the tough Philly D, it was the defense which stepped up and helped Houston get a win on the board. Transitions can be tough. Not all players succeed when they find a new home. Others jump right in and find a new level of success immediately. For the veteran free agents who find themselves with new teams, and in some cases a new league, and for the rookies just starting their pro careers, this week was an early benchmark of where they are and how they are adjusting. Let’s take a look at some of the big acquisitions for USFL teams and give them a first week report card. A-STUDENTS QB Jack Trudeau did not take his trade to Portland well. After 7 seasons leading the Panthers, he was not happy to be sent off unceremoniously. Well, if his first week as a member of the Portland Thunder is any indication. Trudeau is going to make Michigan regret that decision. 29 of 36 (80.6%) for 289 yards in a lopsided win over Tampa Bay is a good start. Denver looks like they have hit the jackpot with their two big name signees this year. TE Keith Jackson was a force in the Gold’s game against Memphis. He came down with 5 balls for 31 yards, including 2 TD’s in Denver’s impressive win. Meanwhile, on the defensive side, DE Leslie O’Neill garnered 2 tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble in his first action as one of the Gold. Wideout Cris Carter is back in his old stomping grounds, Veterans’ Stadium, and it is like he never left. Yes, the Stars lost to the Gamblers, but Carter, with 13 receptions, 109 yards and 2 TD’s certainly made a great first impression, or perhaps second impression, on Philadelphia fans. Anthony Blaylock, who came to DC from Birmingham, was a factor in the Feds’ game this week, making 8 tackles, defending 3 passes and snagging a pick in his first game for Washington. Darnay Scott made an immediate impression on Arizona fans. The rookie wideout caught 5 balls for 65 yards, including a 33-yard over the shoulder catch that brought the Wrangler faithful to their feet. A nice start for the rook. We are going to give an A+ to the entire St. Louis player personnel squad. Not only did they get good production from rookies like SS Rodney Harrison (7 tackles) and tackle Jason Matthews (45 snaps), but they also made good use of the sure hands of veteran wideout Gary Clark, who returned to the USFL with a 5-catch day. And while he does not show up on the stat sheet, newly-acquired FB Craig “Ironhead” Heyward is a big reason why Darrell Thompson and Terrance Flagler topped the 100-yard mark in combined rushing. A SOLID B Oakland rookie tackle Todd Steussie had a solid game on the right side. He did give up one sack, but it was on a busted play, so we give him a pass on that. He was solid against the Orlando passrush, and showed mobility in the run game for Oakland. Orlando’s rookie punter Mitch Berger also had a solid game, punting 4 times with a 47.1 yard net average. Only 1 kick went inside the 20, but it was a beauty of a kick that pinned Oakland at their 2 yard line, a position that would eventually lead to Orlando getting position to make a field goal. Tampa rookie LB Kevin Mitchell looked solid on a defense that was anything but impressive. He made 8 tackles, 2 for loss, but was also at times in the wrong place with missed assignments. The talent is there, now he just needs to grow into the scheme. A "C" WILL DO We are giving DE John Bosa a C for his first game as a Texas Outlaw. He played 80% of the defensive stops, and snagged 2 tackles, but was unable to get to Blitz QB Chris Miller all day, which is sort of the thing Texas brought him in to do. Rookie Aaron Glenn of Birmingham looks good on paper, leading the team with 8 tackles, but several of those were on pass plays where the receiver should never have made the catch. The Stallions are going to need for Glenn to be more aggressive prior to the catch, or more games like the one against St. Louis may hinder their season. Michigan’s first big name signee, QB legend Joe Montana, had a midling day, and I think we are being generous. He completed 75% of his passes, but for only 88 total yards, and put no scores on the board before getting knocked out in the late 3rd quarter. Fans expected magic, what they got was mediocrity. More has to come from Montana for sure. LOOKING FOR MORE OUT OF YOU If Montana’s first game for Michigan was mediocre, Marcus Allen’s was a disaster. Allen was given the ball 17 times and gained only 16 yards. Now, we can put a lot of that on the shaky Michigan front 5, but not all of it. Allen needs to be more explosive in the hole, and have better vision. We know the talent is there. We saw it with the Raiders, but the next few games need to show growth, or Allen could be sat behind Rodney Culver, which would be devastating for Michigan’s front office. Fans in Baltimore have to be underwhelmed with the first impression of NFL signee Barney Bussey. Not only did Bussey not crack the starting lineup, when he was in the game, he simply did not make an impact. Fans expected more out of the former Lion, but clearly, he has not picked up the defense yet. Jacksonville may be having buyer’s remorse on two of their big defensive acquisitions. Former Houston LB Johnny Holland and top rookie signee John Thierry had a combined 3 tackles on the day and no pressures or real impact on the game. We cannot really blame Errict Rhett for his lack of production this week. Tampa fell behind so early that the Bandits all but abandoned the run game by the end of the 1st quarter. We will say that a 4.7 average in his 6 carries is promising, but we want to see him get a shot at 15-20 carries before we get excited. We are not sure what grade to give TE Jay Novacek. He came to Tampa with a lot of fanfare, stayed in camp through the preseason game, dinged his hip in that game, and then 4 days before the opening game he announced his retirement. We are not sure what that is about, but as a free agent signee we have to give this an F because Tampa gained nothing in that deal. And yes, some of the biggest names, like Memphis QB Heath Shuler, did not play this week, so no grades for them. We expect to see Shuler and others soon enough, so we will hold off until we get a chance to assess their work. It did not take long for the injury bug to hit the USFL. After only 1 week there are more than 30 players listed as questionable or worse. Of the significant injuries (Out next week), we find Memphis HB Greg Boone, whose broken leg is going to need a solid month to heal. We also see that Houston LB Fred Strickland could miss more than that with a fracture in his left shoulder. New Jersey will be without slotback Scott Schwedes for several weeks thanks to a stress fracture in his right foot. Denver QB Dave Krieg is likely to miss at least 2 weeks with his ankle injury, giving Mark Brunell a shot at earning the starting position in Denver. In Oakland, Bobby Hebert may have to miss next week with, of all things, turf toe, and in Michigan, DE Jim Reynosa could be out 1-2 weeks with his own ankle issues. Others likely to miss next week due to a variety of dings include St. Louis WR Rocket Ismail, Portland LB Todd Howard, New Orleans TE Dan Ross, Arizona CB Vince Buck, and Birmingham’s star receiver Ernest Givens. After opening the season with inter-divisional play, Week 2 offers us the first divisional matchups. They include an in-state rivalry in Pennsylvania as the Maulers host the Stars, a star-studded Southern scuffle between the Bulls and Stallions in Legion Field, a key Western matchup with Denver traveling to Oakland, and a big test for Montana, Allen and the Michigan Panthers, as they head to Houston to face the Conference Champs. Other divisional games include Baltimore hosting New Jersey, Memphis at Orlando, Texas in New Orleans, and Portland visiting St. Louis. The two inter-divisional games are also interesting as Chicago heads to DC to face the Federals and the Arizona Wranglers take the long flight to Tampa Bay to face the Bandits.

The Tampa Bay Bandits showed their new coach some energy as they came back from 23-7 down to edge the Arizona Wranglers with a game-winning field goal as the clock ticked down. The vaunted Arizona defense wilted as the Bandits fought their way back from a deep hole to take the home upset win. It was an old combo that helped make it happen as Troy Aikman relied on veteran Eric Truvillion to make the big plays. Truvillion finished the day with 11 receptions for 118 yards and a key TD to help spark the Bandit comeback. The game started out well for Tampa, as Aikman led the Bandits down the field for a score on the opening drive, hitting TE Chris Kelley from 9 yards out to put Tampa on top. Arizona would then run off 23 unanswered points. First it was Bosco to Hawkins, then a Luckhurst field goal, followed by a defensive score as David Fulcher picked Robert Brooks’s pocket and got the pick six. Bosco then hit Kendal Smith on a short TD, but when Mick Luckhurst missed the PAT, few thought it would amount to much. Little did they know that the miss would end up costing Arizona a chance to win. Tampa got the ball back with just over 2 minutes to go, and Aikman got two huge plays from Truvillion to close the gap before the half. The first was a 22-yard reception on a 3rd and 14, and the second was a one-handed grab in the endzone for six points. Tampa was down 9 at half, 23-14. They came out in the second half and immediately cut the Arizona lead to 2 as Aikman hit on his 3rd TD of the day, a short slant to Brooks. Arizona responded as Robbie Bosco hit Tim Lester on a screen pass that ended up going 54 yards for a score. At the end of 3 it was Arizona again up by 9 points. In the final quarter both teams struggled to move the ball, and it was only a muffed punt by Arizona that put Tampa on their side of the field. Aikman took inspiration from the good turn of fate, and within 5 plays he had the Bandits knocking on the door. A 2-yard dive play to Errict Rhett was all it took for Tampa to once again get within 2, 30-28. Tampa chose to kick the ball away, rather than go for the onside, and with 2:20 on the clock, Arizona had time to kill. After forcing Tampa to use two of their timeouts to stop the clock after Tim Lester runs, the Wranglers tried to get tricky and threw the ball to Mark Boyer. The ball was incomplete and the Wranglers gifted Tampa a clock stoppage. Arizona’s punt put Tampa at their own 34 with just over 1:30 left in the game. Aikman guided the Bandits down the field, using his last timeout to set up Dean Biasucci, and the imported kicker from the NFL Colts earned his pay, kicking the ball right down the center to give Tampa the 1-point win. NJ 34 BAL 20 The Generals got 3 TD’s from the combo of Walker and rookie Bam Morris as they outpaced the Blitz in Baltimore. Chris Miller threw 3 interceptions and was booed throughout the game. Despite not throwing a TD, Doug Flutie had a good game, throwing for 275 yards and getting both Irving Fryar and Lam Jones over 100 yards for the day. PHI 20 PIT 24 Pittsburgh escaped with a win in a hard-fought in-state rivalry. Trailing 20-17 in the 4th quarter, DB Pat Terrell was in the right place at the right time, snagging a tipped ball and racing down the sideline for the winning score. The defensive score crushed the hopes of the Stars, who had done well to contain Pittsburgh’s offense the entire game. JAX 31 BIR 28 Who picked the Stallions to go 0-2 to start the year? No one, that’s who. Well, after dropping a home game to the Bulls, that is exactly where the Stallions stand. Favre threw three TDs but it will be his two interceptions that fans will remember. Add in 129 yards rushing from the combo of Jamie Morris and Vince Workman and an error-free game from Tony Eason and the Bulls pull off one of the biggest wins of the young season. MEM 31 ORL 21 Memphis got their first win of the year as Mike Kelley did his best to retain his starting job ahead of rookie Heath Shuler. Kelley completed 29 of 42 passes for 226 yards and three scores as the Showboats pushed past the Renegades. Backup HB Tommy Agie, subbing for a dinged up Greg Boone, rushed for 72 yards and Carl Pickens led receivers with 82 yards as the Showboats escape central Florida with a division win. MGN 24 HOU 27 The Michigan Panthers, and HB Marcus Allen, gave Houston all they could handle before eventually falling to the defending conference champs. Allen exploded for 120 yards rushing, another 39 through the air, and 2 scores as he out Thomas-ed Thurman Thomas in the game. Houston would get the win though, as a late Kelly to Perriman score knotted the game up, and a John Kasay field goal put the Gamblers on top. TEX 30 NOR 41 New Orleans QB Timm Rosenbach silence the critics and Marcus DuPree had a career game as the Breakers showed some real offensive firepower in their win over Texas. Rosenbach threw for 3 scores, including 2 to TE Dan Ross, and DuPree rushed for 153 yards on only 13 carries as the Texas defense simply had no answers today. DEN 21 OAK 27 Oakland held home court, and got a late Henry Ellard TD to leapfrog the Denver Gold in a hard-hitting game. Cary Conklin, in for the dinged-up Hebert, went 20 for 38 and added 2 scores to only 1 pick. 2nd Year QB Mark Brunell threw for 192 and balanced 2 picks with 2 TDs in a game where the Gold simply could not get Smith and Means on track, combining for only 45 yards on the day. POR 27 STL 13 Fans may be cheering for Jack Trudeau in Portland, but this win goes to the defense. St. Louis was held to only 290 total yards on the day as Portland rolled up their second win. Robert Drummond again topped 100 and added another TD to his league lead. Bruce Hill also made a big impression on his new team, catching 7 balls for 112 for the Thunder. CHI 17 WSH 35 Washington exploded for 28 points to close out the first half and wipe out a 10-0 deficit. Terry Kirby led the way with 90 yards and a TD on the ground, while Barry Word added another 65 and even Curvin Richards got into the action, scoring on one of his 3 carries. Washington’s D was also a huge factor as they got to Kosar 4 times, and forced 2 picks as well. A week after being harshly criticized for a poor Week 1 performance, Marcus Allen showed the Michigan faithful why Coach Holtz brought him over from the NFL Raiders. Allen was dangerous every time he touched the ball, averaging 5.5 yards a carry on his way to a 120 yard day. He also caught5 balls for 39 yards, including a 12-yard scoring catch. The Panthers ended up giving away the game, but Allen was dynamic and dangerous throughout the entire game. MEMPHIS—The Showboats have been impressed with the start that Mike Kelley has had and Coach Ryan has already confirmed that he will get another start in Week 3 against the Bandits. Kelley currently ranks 2nd to only Houston QB Jim Kelly in QBR, has thrown for 445 yards and has yet to throw a pick. Heath Shuler waits in the wings, but fans are still supporting Kelley, and if Memphis can string together some wins, Shuler may find himself resigned to a clipboard for quite a while. DENVER—The situation is not as clearcut in Denver, where a mediocre performance from Mark Brunell has everyone in the Mile High City wondering if Krieg will be able to recover his starting gig when he returns from his ankle injury. Fans had hoped that Brunell would continue to shine as he did in Week 1, and that there would be a clear #1, but it looks like Denver might be playing a guessing game between the veteran Krieg and the young southpaw Brunell. BIRMINGHAM—It is far too early to panic, but fans in Birmingham are concerned that the Stallion offense simply does not look like it is in synch. Brett Favre has thrown for 661 yards, tops in the league, but has 3 interceptions to only 5 TDs. Ernest Givens has reeled in only 16 of 27 targets, and TE Shannon Sharpe has far too often been the dump-off option for Favre. Sitting at 0-2 is not where Birmingham saw themselves at this point, but with an offense which is not producing the outlandish points of the past two years and a defense which currently ranks 8th of 10 teams in the conference, the Stallions have some work to do if they hope to get back to another Summer Bowl. PORTLAND—On the opposite side of the spectrum we find 2-0 Portland. They lead the league in scoring after 2 games, Robert Drummond is leading the league in rushing, and Jack Trudeau is playing solid ball, avoiding the turnovers that so often plagued Kerwin Bell as the Thunder QB. Naysayers will say that a season that started off with Tampa Bay at home and St. Louis is hardly a murderer’s row, but with a game against Denver this week, we may learn a lot about the legitimacy of the Thunder as a contender right now. TAMPA BAY—There may still be major issues in Tampa Bay, but Eric Truvillion is clearly not one of them. The 12-year veteran is the only league player to be a top 5 player of the week vote getter both weeks. He leads the league with 260 yards receiving, is second behind only Cris Carter with 18 catches, and is averaging 14.4 yards per catch. Not so bad for an old man, is he? Week 2 brought us some more issues for teams around the league. Memphis will need to continue to rely on Tommy Agie as a fracture in Greg Boone’s lower right leg is likely to cost him at least a month. Birmingham will be without DE Jon Carter for just as long with a knee issue. New Orleans lost 2 starters on the O-line this week as both C Tim Rother and G Jeff Zimmerman went down, though both could be back in as soon as 2 weeks. Denver QB Dave Krieg is still looking at 1-2 weeks before he can return, while Oakland will be without SS John Lynch for at least that long with a bulging disk in his back. Expected back this week are Michigan WR Bobby Joe Edmunds, Baltimore CB Leslie Frazier, Houston CB Reggie Sutton, and Washington TE Travis McNeal. Week 3 remains in division, as Baltimore heads to Pittsburgh, Philly is in Washington, Birmingham travels to Orlando, Memphis visits Tampa Bay, and Texas is in Chicago. Houston has big game this week as they travel to New Orleans, and Portland hosts Denver in a key western matchup. Arizona is in St. Louis while our inter-divisional games have Michigan in New Jersey and Oakland making the cross-continental flight to Jacksonville.

It was a week that knocked off the last of the undefeated teams, and all but one team escaped going 0-3. It was also a week that saw the Stallions break the single game scoring mark by putting 66 on the board against the Orlando Renegades. Michigan also got into the win column as Montana and Marcus had their best team effort against the Generals, and in Pittsburgh, the Blitz proved they had the moxy to win a close one on the road. The Baltimore Blitz have not had a lot to celebrate in recent years, but this game will certainly be one to bring a smile to the face of Blitz fans for some time to come. Their team engaged in a back and forth battle with the Maulers for 60 minutes, ending with a game-winning score in the final minute to give Baltimore their first win of the season. Most pundits had this game set as a Maulers win, but apparently that lack of faith in the Blitz got into the locker room of the squad and egged them on to play some inspired football. Despite being outgained by Pittsburgh 440 to 264, the Blitz stayed with the Maulers all day and found a way to win in the end. The game started with a solid first drive for the visiting Blitz, as they took the opening drive 72 yards for an eventual Miller to Brooks TD. Pittsburgh quickly responded as Risher hit Louis Lipps for an equalizer and then set up Rafael Septien to go ahead with a 43 yarder as the 2nd quarter began. Baltimore was opportunistic throughout, first connecting on a 54-yard kick to pull back to a tie, and then taking advantage of a poor Risher throw, as Fernando Marquez ran back the pick for a go-ahead score for the visitors. Pittsburgh thought they had an equalizing TD on the board at the end of the half, but a holding penalty called it back, forcing the Maulers to kick the field goal and go into the half trailing 17-13. In the second half the Blitz added another 3 points, only to have Pittsburgh again tie the score on another Risher to Lipps TD pass. They would take the lead only 3 minutes later, just as the 4th quarter began, when a Chris Miller pass was intercepted by LB Godfrey Miles and returned for 6. Up 27-20, the Maulers felt the tide might have turned, but on three consecutive drives Baltimore chipped away, two field goals pulling them within one, and then in the final minutes of the game, Miller leading the Blitz down the field, eventually finding TE Ferrell Edmunds on a short pass for the go-ahead score, 34-27 and leaving the Maulers only 45 seconds on the clock. Pittsburgh tried to rally, but they could not convert on a 4th and 8, and the Blitz came away with their first win of the year, a road win in the division, which is sure to boost morale in the Magic City. PHI 20 WSH 16 Philadelphia also snagged their first W of the season, also on the road, and also in division, as they upset the 2-0 Washington Federals in RFK. The Stars got 59 yards from Charlie Garner, who outpaced Kelvin Bryant despite having 12 fewer carries on the day. While Barry Word and Terry Kirby combined for more yards (126 to 95) it was Bryant and Garner who got the win for the Stars. BIR 66 ORL 34 Four Brett Favre touchdowns, paired with 3 Reggie Collier interceptions returned for scores was more than enough for the Stallions to score a league record 66 points and crush the Renegades. Kevin Greene was everywhere in this game, rushing the passer, dropping back, and ended the game with 2 pick-six scores to boost the Stallions to 1-2 after a rough 0-2 start. MEM 31 TBY 20 Memphis got their second win in a row, as Mike Kelley had another strong game and Tommy Agie continued to prove valuable as the backup to an injured Greg Boone. Agie rushed for 90 yards and Jo-Jo Townsell added 132 on 6 catches to help power the Showboats over the Bandits. Eric Truvillion continued to show off again in the loss, snagging 9 balls from Aikman for 150 yards and a score, but it was not enough for Tampa to get the W. TEX 14 CHI 18 In a hard fought defensive battle, Chicago edged Texas thanks to two 4th quarter TD’s from Bernie Kosar. The game was 7-3 after three quarters before Texas got a score from Eric Metcalf to take what appeared to be a commanding 14-3 lead, but the Machine found their mojo in the final quarter, and after a Kosar to Eccles score and ensuing 2-point play pulled the Machine to within 3, a final drive got them more than a tie as Kosar found his other TE, Wessley Walls, for a score with 44 seconds left to take the home win, Chicago’s first this year. HOU 22 NOR 34 Mike Ditka’s New Orleans Breakers got a statement win at home this week, shutting down Kelly and Thomas and getting a strong 3-TD day from QB Timm Rosenbach to knock off the division champs. Rosenbach tossed TDs to Dan Ross, Qadry Ismail and Herman Fontenot, and the New Orleans D got to Jim Kelly, sacking him 6 times on the day. DEN 25 POR 14 The Denver Gold tightened up the Pacific Division by knocking off the 2-0 Portland Thunder in Civic Stadium. Mark Brunell completed 67% of his throws, mostly short tosses, and Natrone Means averaged 6.8 yards per rush for a total of 81 yards as he and Timmy Smith helped control the tempo of the game for the Gold. Four Jason Elam field goals and a stingy defense helped Denver head home with a win. ARZ 34 STL 3 It was all Arizona’s defense in this one as the Wranglers picked off David Archer 3 times and sacked him another three in the decisive victory. Add in a combined 121 yards and 2 scores from Lester and James and the Wranglers took down St. Louis handily. MGN 34 NJ 28 Michigan won a shootout with New Jersey thanks to their new acquisitions, with Marcus Allen scoring 3 times (2 rushes and 1 reception) and Joe Montana completing 70.5% of his throws to boost the Panthers to 2-1. New Jersey got 3 scores from Doug Flutie, but a pair of costly interceptions also killed promising drives for New Jersey in the home loss. OAK 17 JAX 24 The Bulls win their second in a row, thanks in large part to their oft-maligned defense. Jacksonville got to Bobby Hebert for 5 sacks, 6 hurries, and 2 interceptions, one of which was returned by Eric Reid for a score. A second half TD from Vince Workman proved the difference as the Invaders were shut out in the final half and sent home on the long flight to Oakland with their first loss of the year. The AP gave both of its POTW awards to Birmingham stars, as Brett Favre and Kevin Greene walked away with the offensive and defensive titles. We cannot argue with that as the 66-34 romp over the Orlando Renegades was the result of both a ball-hawking defense and an unstoppable offense. The game was not a statistical highlight for Favre who has had far more passing yards in games than the 345 this week, but his 4 touchdowns, and 141.7 QBR for the day were impressive. For Kevin Greene, it was about being in the right place at the right time. The backer who is known more for blitzing than pass coverage, found himself in the middle of the action when Reggie Collier made some bad decisions to throw to the middle of the field, leading not only to two picks for the outside backer, but two short scoring runs as well. The 66 points put up by the Stallions included 21 from the defense and 6 offensive touchdowns. While the D did give up 34 to the Renegades, the game was never in doubt as Birmingham took a 31-17 lead into the half and then scored 28 in the third quarter, including 2 Favre to Dawsey TD tosses. Kevin Green capped off the scoring in the final minute as he took a poorly-thrown 3rd and 7 pass from Collier back for a score to reach the milestone 66 points. LOS ANGELES—The Expansion LA Express made two big announcements this week, first in joining with the LA Raiders of the NFL to announce the naming rights of their new Carson, CA stadium had been awarded to Farmers Insurance Group. The stadium, set to open in time for the 1995 Raiders fall season, will be know as Farmers Insurance Group Stadium, though one reporter quickly dubbed it FIG Field in his reporting, a name that has caught on among fans already. It is reported that Farmers will pay $11M to retain their name on the new 64,800 seat stadium for the next 10 years. The stadium, which will feature 56 luxury suites, and a state of the art giant display in the north endzone, is well on its way to completion, and will be used, after 1 year at Angel Stadium, as home to the expansion Express beginning in 1996. The Express also made a major reveal as owner William Tatham, the team’s GM, former Oilers Assistant GM Floyd Reese, and coach Rick Neuheisel, revealed the NIKE-designed uniforms for the reborn Express this week. The design will look familiar to Express fans, retaining the basic design of the franchise from its days before relocating to St. Louis. A silver helmet with navy and speed blue stripes will include the revised LA monogram logo. The Navy jersey and silver pants are also very similar to the team’s original 1983 design. New to the uniform is the inclusion of a set of navy pants and the swap of the team’s original tertiary burgundy color for the new metallic blue called “Speed Blue” by the club. Fans can already purchase jerseys with the “95” inaugural year as the jersey number, apropos since the club has yet to sign any players. LA becomes the first of the four expansion clubs (Seattle, Atlanta and Ohio being the other three) to reveal their uniforms, though we expect the others will not lag far behind. Here is the released uniform template from the club. Several tough injuries this week, including one that could be season ending. Orlando halfback Dalton Hilliard suffered a somewhat nasty looking broken leg in Orlando’s defeat to Birmingham. Hilliard was taken off the field with what appeared to be a protruding bone under his sock after being tackled by three Stallion players in the 3rd quarter of this week’s game. The prognosis is a minimum of 12 weeks for the bone to set and heal, but we expect a lengthier recovery, if one is possible for the veteran halfback. The Federals suffered a major setback, not only on the scoreboard, but in their hopes of defending their division title, as Don Majkowski went down with a shoulder injury in his throwing arm. There is some tendon damage, so the Majik Man is expected to miss at least 4 weeks in rehab before he might take the field again. Philadlephia also lost a key player in that game as LB Ed Brady was carted off with a knee injury. Brady is also expected to miss at least 4-5 weeks. Other notable injuries this week include Oakland tackle Muhammad Elowinibi (thigh), Birmingham CB Chris Dishman (foot), Pittsburgh SS Jason Belser (jaw), and Arizona DE Charles Haley (hip), though Haley is listed as Doubtful and could be back as soon as Week 5. Dave Krieg moved up to Questionable this week, though we expect Mark Brunell to get the Week 4 start. Oakland’s John Lynch, Memphis’s Jeff Query, and Houston CB Reggie Sutton are among the players expected to be back in action next week. One more week of rivalry games and divisional play awaits in Week 4. In the Pacific it will be Oakland and Arizona facing off in a battle of 2-1 clubs, while St. Louis tries to rebound but is in a tough spot, facing Denver at Mile High. In the Central it is Michigan traveling to Soldier Field to take on the Machine, while Houston has their in-state rivalry renew with a trip to San Antonio to face the Outlaws. In the South, the Florida Fracas between the Bulls and Bandits is renewed in Tampa Stadium, while Memphis has a huge test, traveling to Legion Field to face the Stallions. And in the Atlantic It will be Philly traveling to Baltimore, with the winner returning to .500, while the 2-1 Generals face the 2-1 Federals in RFK. In inter-divisional play we have the surprising Breakers headed to Pittsburgh, while the Portland Thunder make the long flight to Orlando to face the winless Renegades.

USA Today USFL Special, February, 1994 The buds are beginning to bloom on the magnolia trees outside of Mobile, Alabama, and the fields that surround Theodore HS are filled with the sound of clashing pads. It is USFL training camp season again, and the Spring Champion Birmingham Stallions are having fun. Brett Favre, their All-league QB, tosses balls nonchalantly with Ernest Givens and Lawrence Dawsey as he jokes with Bob Lane about the rookies. One of those rookies, Auburn RB James Bostic takes hits form handheld pads as he practices busting through tackles. Another, CB Aaron Glenn from Texas A&M is engaged in tip drills. In one endzone veteran DT George Little gets a swig of Gator Ade, while his new linemate, Jon Carter, traded to the Stallions from the Wranglers, complains about the humidity. “If you think it is bad now, wait until we are playing ball in July. You can feel the air around you like it’s soup” says Little with a smirk. The Stallions are preparing to defend a title that seemed predestined last year. The team ran roughshod over the league, amassing a 14-2 record, and then proceeded to win close game after close game on their way to the franchise’s first title. And across the country, the rest of the league is trying to figure out if their team has done enough to overtake the juggenaut. In Corpus Christi the Houston Gamblers, who came as close as anyone all year, are hoping that adding some defensive talent in rookie LB Allen Aldredge, CB Mike Davis from Cincinnati, and veteran LB Fred Strickland, is enough to even the gap with the Stallions. In the hills of Flagstaff, Arizona, the Wranglers are looking to 9 rookie signings, including WR Darnay Scott of San Diego State, LB Winfred Tubbs of Texas, and CB John Reece of Nebraska, are enough to stay atop their division and catch up to both Houston and Birmingham. With one more cut day to go, some of the 9 may find themselves out the door or hoping for the practice squad, but the Wranglers need youth, and many expect 6-7 of these fresh faces to stick. Outside of Tupelo, Mississippi, the hope is very different. The Memphis Showboats invested a pirate’s booty to sign the top QB coming out of college this year, Tennessee’s Golden Boy, Heath Shuler. Now they hope that the investment pays off, and pays off quickly. A team built on defense, now has a chance to rebound from a surprising collapse last year, and they are putting their hopes in the young arm of Shuler. In Philadelphia, it is about taking the next step. The Stars were so close to the playoffs that they could taste it, but a final week loss against in-state rival Pittsburgh cost them their playoff spot. They are hoping that signing two top receivers in former Eagle Cris Carter and Houston slot receiver Ernie Jones will help turn Chuck Long from a strong arm to a winning QB. And in Michigan, the excitement is absolutely off the charts as the Panthers went big in their bid to become relevant again. Signing two legendary players from the NFL, QB Joe Montana and HB Marcus Allen, the Panthers are looking for immediate success. They also brought in depth at WR with Terrance Mathis and rookie Terry Mickens of Florida A&M. They too loaded up on draft picks, and are hoping that big DTs Sam Adams and Chris Maumalanga can immediately slot into starting roles to shore up a suspect run defense. It is a time for high hopes and big dreams around the USFL. Only 3 weeks until the league’s 12th season kicks off, and for the league’s 20 franchises, now is the time to build the foundation that will hold their season together. Some will meet their goals, some will exceed expectations, and some will fall well short. And if the USFL has proven anything over its first 11 seasons, it is that predicting which teams are ascending and which are due for a fall is nearly impossible. While many saw the writing on the wall for Birmingham last year, none predicted the collapses of Memphis and Tampa Bay. So, as we look ahead to this season, we are going to hedge our bets, providing you with our perception of the ceiling and the floor for each club. It’s time for Spring Football in America, a second season for the nation’s most popular sport, and a chance for fans from Orlando to Portland, from the Gulf Coast to the Rockies to dream about football once again. Let’s get to it. EASTERN CONFERENCE After last year’s dominant season, it is hard to pick against the Stallions to become the first USFL team to repeat as champions. Our bullpen leans in that direction, but with a target on their backs, we don’t think it will be easy. The conference is not as strong as the West, but there are challenges here along Birmingham’s path. ATLANTIC SOUTHERN Washington 11-5* Birmingham 12-4* New Jersey 10-6* Jacksonville 9-7* Philadelphia 9-7* Memphis 7-9 Pittsburgh 8-8 Orlando 7-9 Baltimore 6-10 Tampa Bay 6-10 WASHINGTON FEDERALS Key Departures: LB B. Zavala (Ret), K R. Wersching (Ret). DT J. Phillips (OAK), FS M. Kelso (NOR), WR T. Mathis (MGN) New Arrivals: CB A. Blaylock (BIR), LB W. Moss (ORL) Rookies to Watch: FS T. Drakeford (Va Tech), G C. Novitsky (UCLA), WR B. Schroeder (Wisc-LaCrosse) Outlook: Washington put together a strong season last year, essentially walking away with the Atlantic crown. We think it will be a bit tighter this year, and Washington did lose both talent and experience on defense with the loss of Zavala, Phillips and Kelso. We like the signing of Winston Moss, but we are unsure about the rookie class this year. Still, the Federals look to be a step ahead of the rest of the division. NEW JERSEY GENERALS Key Departures: FB M. Carthon (Ret), G J. Castenada (CHI), B C. Carlson (BAL) New Arrivals: QB O. Luck (POR), G. C. Lacina (ORL) Rookies to Watch: WR B. Brooks (UNC), HB B. Morris (Texas Tech) Outlook: The Generals dodged a bullet when Herschel Walker chose not to retire, but they are clearly expecting it to happen soon, signing Texas Tech bruiser Bam Morris to back up their face of the franchise. New Jersey barely eked into the playoffs last year, but Doug Flutie had his best season ever and we expect that growth to continue under Coach Wyche’s guidance. PHILADELPHIA STARS Key Departures: WR M. Quick (Ret), HB P. Palmer (Ret), S T. Bowles (HOU), QB M. Perez (BAL) New Arrivals: QB E. Kramer (BAL), WR C. Carter (POR), WR E. Jones (HOU), CB J. Hasty (BAL) Rookies to Watch: HB C. Garner (Tenn), S J. Covington (N Dame) Outlook: They came so close, only to miss out on the playoffs by a hair. They then lost some depth and one of their best playmakers with Mike Quick’s retirement. But the Stars’ management did not sit on their laurels, bringing in a lot of offensive talent to surround Chuck Long. Cris Carter was arguably the best signing of the offseason, and adding Ernie Jones for the slot position and a good-looking rookie in Charlie Garner to spell Kelvin Bryant are both strong moves. Are they strong enough for the Stars to return atop the Atlantic Division? Maybe, just maybe. PITTSBURGH MAULERS Key Departures: DE J. Bosa (TEX), HB P. Chaffey (FA), C D. Gamboa (FA) New Arrivals: C R. Hemphill (OAK), TE C. Boso (CHI), DT C. Veasey (CHI) Rookies to Watch: C K. Mawae (LSU), HB D. Levens (Ga Tech), K D. Brien (Cal), QB D. Nussmeier (Idaho) Outlook: Pittsburgh lost one of their best playmakers in DE John Bosa, and honestly their free agent haul was less than impressive. We like the addition of Mawae to start at C as a rookie, and don’t be surprised if Doug Brien beats out Rafael Septien at kicker, but our overall picture is one of a team treading water while those around them are swimming forward. BALTIMORE BLITZ Key Departures: DT J. Klecko (Ret), QB E. Kramer (PHI), LB B. Paup (NFL) New Arrivals: LB B. Bussey (NFL), DT W. Perry (TBY), QB C. Carlson (NJ), QB M. Perez (PHI), LB D. Lockett (PHI) Rookies to Watch: T W. Gandy (Auburn), LB J. Gildon (OK State), WR O. Parker (Troy) Outlook: The Blitz have improved under Coach Infante, but it is not showing up in the standings. Perry may actually be an upgrade over Klecko at DT, and Danny Lockett is a good short-term replacement for Paup, but the big issue remains at QB, where Chris Miller will either sink or save the Blitz season. BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS Key Departures: CB A. Blaylock (WSH), DE A. Pleasant (POR), WR C. Collins (NOR) New Arrivals: G E. Moore (CHI), DE J. Carter (ARZ) Rookies to Watch: CB A. Glenn (TAMU), C T. Nalen (BC), HB J. Bostic (Auburn) Outlook: The Stallions lost some good contributors to free agency, which is typical for a league champion, but none of the losses were essential to their success. If rookie James Bostic can help Birmingham actually get a run game to counter the passing of Favre, this team could make a run at 16-0. They are that good. JACKSONVILLE BULLS Key Departures: LB C. Bratton (Ret), WR L. Tillman (TEX), WR H. Jones (NFL) New Arrivals: LB J. Holland (HOU), WR D. Williams (TEX), DE A. Wallace (HOU) Rookies to Watch: DE J. Thierry (Alcorn), QB G. Foley (BC), TE H. Bishop (LSU), WR W. Jackson (Florida) Outlook: The Bulls may find it hard to keep up with Birmingham, so they may already be mentally settling for a Wild Card. They lost a good one with Charles Bratton’s retirement, but Johnny Holland should be able to plug that hole on defense. The toughest loss will be that of Hassan Jones, a top flight receiver. Dokie Williams has his skills but he is just not the same caliber of weapon. Keep an eye on DE John Thierry to possibly contribute early if he can make the big jump up from Div 1-AA ball. MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS Key Departures: TE K. Jackson (DEN) New Arrivals: FS J. Booty (MGN), TE T. McGee (MGN) Rookies to Watch: QB H. Shuler (Tenn), TE A.J. Ofodile (Mizzou), S K. Lyle (UVa) Outlook: When Mike Kelley went down last season the Showboats absolutely imploded. This is just how perilous their balance of defense and offense is. Without a solid QB option, the Showboats simply could not compete. And with Kelley clearly losing some mobility and arm strength, the time was right to groom a successor. The Showboats sold the ranch to sign Tennessee hero Heath Shuler. The question now is how they keep him on the bench with Kelley in front of him? ORLANDO RENEGADES Key Departures: FB C. Heyward (STL), LB W. Moss (WSH), C R. Fortin (FA) New Arrivals: C J. Juriga (HOU) Rookies to Watch: WR B. Emmanuel (Rice), DT G. Wilkins (Gardner-Webb), K. M. Hollis (Idaho) Outlook: It feels like the Renegades’ window of opportunity is closing. Reggie Collier is not showing the same burst he had earlier in his career, and the defense lost a huge piece with the departure of LB Winston Moss. The Renegades did not do much this offseason, and that could cost them. We see a chance for Orlando to be this year’s collapse team. TAMPA BAY BANDITS Key Departures: DT W. Perry (BAL), HB V. Dunbar (ARZ), WR C. Collinsworth (FA) New Arrivals: FS T. Hoague (NFL), K D. Biasucci (NFL), TE J. Novacek (DEN), C T. Dixon (OAK) Rookies to Watch: HB E. Rhett (Florida), LB K. Mitchell (Syracuse), T C. Louchey (So Car) Outlook: Coach Glanville will enfuse this team with energy, and the front office helped add some talent as well. TE Jay Novacek should be a welcome sight for QB Troy Aikman, who simply did not have a reliable option when the deep ball was not there. We also think that the Bandits are right to address their woeful rush game. Bringing in a top talent like Errict Rhett can help take pressure off of Aikman and may help spark an offensive revival. Now, about that defense… WESTERN CONFERENCE Houston has represented the Western Conference in the past 2 Summer Bowls, and they will once again be the favorite, but there are plenty of teams who appear to be on the cusp, and have the potential to rise up and overtake the Gamblers. It will be a long season across the West, and in the end, we think the influx of talent in Arizona will prove valuable, but there could well be a surprise if any team gels at the right time CENTRAL PACIFIC Houston 10-6* Arizona 11-5* Texas 10-6* Oakland 10-6* Chicago 8-8 Denver 9-7* Michigan 6-10 Portland 8-8 New Orleans 4-12 St. Louis 6-10 HOUSTON GAMBLERS Key Departures: S D. Dykes (Ret), C J. Juriga (ORL), LB J. Holland (JAX), WR E. Jones (PHI) New Arrivals: FS T. Bowles (PHI), LB F. Strickland (DEN), WR J. Pruitt (OAK), FS L. Butler (JAX) Rookies to Watch: LB A. Aldridge (HOU), CB M. Davis (Cinci), G I. Davis (Ark) Outlook: Houston lost some significant contributors in free agency. That may hinder the defense most of all, though we do like the signing of Todd Bowles at safety. The key to Houston’s season will be diversifying the offense, because on the rare occasions when league MVP Thurman Thomas was contained, there were not a lot of other options for the Gamblers. TEXAS OUTLAWS Key Departures: K. N, Mike-Myer (Ret), WR D. Williams (JAX), CB N. Mustafaa (NFL), DE M. Mraz (FA) New Arrivals: DE J. Bosa (PIT), DT TJ Turner (NOR) Rookies to Watch: G L. Allen (Sonoma), DT B. Walker (DT), CB C. Sawyer (FSU), C. Boniol (K) Outlook: We are still trying to figure out how Texas flailed so much at the end of last season, costing them a playoff spot that seemed assured. This team is loaded with talent, and now with the addition of John Bosa they may finally have a top level pass rush. That should make defensive captain Brian Bosworth a happy camper in 1994. CHICAGO MACHINE Key Departures: G E. Moore (BIR), TE C. Boso (PIT), WR M. Haynes (NFL) New Arrivals: G. J. Castaneda (NJ), G L. Goeas (PIT) Rookies to Watch: T M. Spears (NW State), HB M. Bates (ASU), T G. Hegamin (NC State) Outlook: Chicago made great strides under Coach Schottenheimer last year, mostly due to the arrival of Bernie Kosar. Protecting the less-than-nimble QB was job one this offseason, and the Machine seemed laser focused on that job, signing two top free agent guards in Castaneda and Goeas. In the draft they added youth and skill to the tackle position, spending two picks on solid NCAA tackles. Chicago needs to build up their run game with Ricky Watters, because having Kosar throw the ball 600 times is not a formula for victory. MICHIGAN PANTHERS Key Departures: WR D. Halloway (Ret), FS J. Booty (MEM), G R. Brown (POR), HB A. Jenkins (STL) New Arrivals: QB J. Montana (NFL), HB M. Allen (NFL), DE J. Reynosa (JAX), WR T. Mathis (WSH), WR B. J. Edmunds (MEM) Rookies to Watch: DT S. Adams (TAMU), WR T. Mickens (FAMU), DE A. Adams (Clark), DT C. Maumalanga (Kansas) Outlook: No team was more daring, or more desperate, this offseason than Michigan. The signings of legendary QB Joe Montana will fill the Silverdome to be sure, but the bigger signing might actually be that of Marcus Allen. That combo will get the headlines to be sure, but we are not sure who Montana will throw to, and despite signing two top rookie DTs, we are still not sure that the Michigan D is ready for prime time. NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS Key Departures: S F. Wilder (Ret), WR M. Jackson (NFL) New Arrivals: FS M. Kelso (WSH), WR C. Collins (BIR), SS J. Blount (TEX) Rookies to Watch: T B. Williams (UGA), LB D. Dotson (Ole Miss), QB G. Frerotte (Tulsa) Outlook: Coach Ditka inherited a team with an identity crisis, and he still has a lot of rebuilding to do. We expect this season to be a reset for the Breakers as Ditka tries to build a culture of toughmindedness and aggression. He does not have the talent to pull off what he did in Chicago just yet, and we are still not sold on the offensive talent the Breakers possess as enough to get a lot of wins on the board. ARIZONA WRANGLERS Key Departures: HB D. Clack (Ret), DT M. Lodish (STL), WR B. Hill (POR) New Arrivals: LB B. Romanowski (NFL), HB V. Dunbar (TBY) Rookies to Watch: WR D. Scott (SDSU), LB W. Tubbs (Texas), WR M. Floyd (Fresno), CB R. Fuller (Tenn St) Outlook: Arizona faded down the stretch without Robbie Bosco at the helm. Losing Bruce Hill will not help either. So, what does Arizona do? They double down on defense, signing firebrand LB BilL Romanowski form the NFL, and then bringing in rookie LB Winfred Tubbs as well. That LB corps may be the key to the entire season for the Wranglers. OAKLAND INVADERS Key Departures: WR J. Pruitt (HOU), C R. Hemphill (PIT), SS C. Carrier (NFL) New Arrivals: DT J. Phillips (WSH), DE JJ Wierenga (TBY) Rookies to Watch: T T. Steussie (Cal), S D.Studstill (WVU), WR J. Morton (USC), TE C. Crumpler (ECU) Outlook: Oakland is hoping that Bobby Hebert plays in 1994 as he did in his final few games last year. His arrival came with much fanfare, but only in the final weeks of the year did it seem to pay off. Oakland focused this offseason on defense, with signings of Phillips at DT and Wierenga at DE. Their draft may have helped Hebert more directly, as we like the look of both Johnny Morton at WR and the big Cal tackle, Todd Steussie. DENVER GOLD Key Departures: LB F. Strickland (HOU), TE J. Novacek (TBY) New Arrivals: DE L. O’Neal (NFL) Rookies to Watch: LB T. Alberts (Neb), LB A. Beavers (Okla), HB L. Warren (Colo), CB P. Carter (So Miss) Outlook: Denver surprised a lot of folks last season, but the late injury to Dave Krieg may have created a can of worms for Coach Phillips. Rookie backup Mark Brunell looked very good in the playoffs, which may motivate QB Dave Krieg, or may cause turmoil. The one move this offseason that will only produce good things is signing former Charger Leslie O’Neal to line up opposite the 35-year old Frank White. O’Neal is going to make life very tough for opposing QB’s. PORTLAND THUNDER Key Departures: WR C. Carter (PHI), QB O. Luck (NJ), DT R. Putzier (FA) New Arrivals: FS R. Lott (NFL), DE A. Pleasant (BIR), G R. Brown (MGN), WR B. Hill (ARZ) Rookies to Watch: TE L. Johnson (JAX), DT M. Wells (Iowa), S M. Bell (Mich St) Outlook: The Kerwin Bell era may finally be over in Portland. Fans have wanted to see the Thunder move away from the erratic Bell for years now, and with the trade that brought veteran Panther QB Jack Trudeau to town, their wishes may finally be answered. Of course, bringing in Trudeau and then losing Cris Carter is not the kind of trade off Thunder fans wanted to see. Carter leaves a huge hole on offense, one which former Wrangler WR Bruce Hill does not seem appropriate to fill. Best of luck to Trudeau, because we do not see a lot of weapons for him. Best to hand off to Robert Drummond, who had a career year in 93. ST. LOUIS KNIGHTS Key Departures: HB B. Jordan (Ret), CB A. Burleson (Ret), FB N. Faaola (Ret), T G. Perry (NFL), QB D. McGwire (FA) New Arrivals: WR G. Clark (NFL), DT M. Lodish (ARZ), FB C. Heyward (ORL), HB A. Jenkins (MGN) Rookies to Watch: S T. Wright (Neb), S r. Harrison (W Ill), QB J. Miller (Mich St), WR C. Penn (Tulsa) Outlook: St. Louis seems to be spinning their wheels each year. They bring in a few solid players at lower cost, such as former Bull and Redskin Gary Clark, or Orlando fullback Craig Heyward, but they lose key talent too, such as Al Burleson and Gerald Perry. At least they seem to have settled on a QB, with David Archer the clear #1 this year. Rookie Jim Miller has potential, but is in no way ready to take the helm this year. OUR BIG PICTURE PREDICTION Like we said up front, it is hard to picture anything but a Stallions repeat. They have weapons upon weapons, and the losses this offseason were minimal. So we are not going to swim upstream. We pick Birmingham to come out of the East. The West is more open, and several teams could rise up to challenge Houston. We still like the Gamblers to win their division, but we see a defensive buzzsaw in Arizona, and if Bosco can stay healthy, their offense can keep pace. So, we are picking a Stallion-Wrangler Summer Bowl, and while Wranglers may be adept at roping Stallions, we just don’t see it. Our pick is Birmingham 35 Arizona 21 in Summer Bowl ’94.